Phil and Friends 5/29/16 Capitol Theater Portchester NY

Third day of the Phil and friends Memorial Day run at the Cap. Phil Lesh on bass, Warren Haynes and Eric Krasno on guitars, Melvin Seals on keys, drums, and percussion. Set one: Midnight Hour, Pride of Cucamonga, Reuben and Cherise, Dear Mr. Fantasy, After Midnight, Cold Rain and Snow. Set two: The Wheel, Help On the Way/ Slipknot, Gotta Serve Somebody, Eyes of the World, A Whiter Shade of Pale, Fire on the Mountain. Encore: Not Fade Away. Phil looked old and they flashed a creepy, trippy Jerry on the wall at one point, but the "friends" can definitely rock. Warren and Eric are serious axe-men, and a 300 lb. Melvin can still handle the organ detail. The Cap is a hippy mecca and it was put to good use on this sold out affair.

Broca's Area 5/27/16 Arch Street Tavern Hartford

Celebrating a friend's birthday at Arch St. and took in some tunes. Broca's Area is regional groove group, female singer, drums, keys, and guitar. Pop and soul stylings were pulled off in a lounge groove. Nice cover of Jill Scott's "Living My Life Like it's Golden".

Electronhic 5/26/16 Best Video Hamden

Surreal to hang out in the video store of my youth and watch Bob Gorry and his band of merry improvisers ply their brand of improv jazz. The New Haven Improv Collective (NHIC) consist of Gorry and Jeff Cedrone on guitar, Chapman stick wielding bassist Brett Bottomley, sax and great bass recorder player Paul, and drummer. The songs start with a basic structure as a backdrop for the solos that telepathically careen off each other. "Scaly When Wet"  showcased Gorry on skronk solo that reminded me of Marc Ribot. In the light of the video store, I was able to get a good view of the Chapman stick. This 10 string bass rests on the sitting player's lap and shoulder, the strings are tapped to make their unique sound. If one brings their great bass recorder to a show, it behooves one to screw it together and play. A four piece wooden instrument that is combined to look like a bassoon, yields a low register sound that is nothing like the screechy plastic items that fourth graders murder Hot Cross Buns with. On this evening, the recorder was used to play an olde English Christmas carol. It was sad to be sitting near the Almadovar and Bogdanovich sections of this iconic video store that I haven't stepped foot in for years. It was like meeting an old friend at the supermarket, but instead of canned muzak, the sounds of Electronhic filled the air.

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds w/ The Tet Offensive 5/21/16 Cafe 9

Local opener Mr.Airplane Man was a female duo consisting of drums and guitar vocals. Decent songwriting and delivery gave them a Black Keys feel. They hail from RI, which I learned from the drummer at set break. She hesitated when pressed, to which I joked that she might be in a punk rock witness relocation program.
Next up was The Tet Offensive. Regional musicians consisting of a Nick Cave-alike singer who sang and prowled the area in front of the stage. On stage was a drummer (with a keep calm and love Poland shirt on) and an actual string quartet. Two violins, a viola, and a cello were the instruments. There would have been no room on stage for the singer without getting a bow (or elbow) to the face. These guys were great, even doing an Andrew Bird cover.
Kid Congo is a veteran of the LA punk scene of the 70s and 80s. I learn that he has played with the Gun Club, The Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. With a Latin Waitsian growl, KC was a sight to behold. Dressed in a Russian fur hat and bizarrely striped suit, KC and company plowed through a surf punk barrage. Their recent release La Arana is excellent.

Tashi Dorji, Marisa Anderson, Gary Higgins 5/3/16 Cafe 9

Gary Higgins is a CT native who had a brief brush with fame with his 1973 release Red Hash. A heroin habit ensued and Gary disappeared into New Hartford obscurity. Cue the freak-folk movement with the likes of Devendra Banhart unearthing gems like Higgins and Vashti Bunyan and coaxing them out of retirement. Higgins opened the evening with acoustic guitar and original songs delivered in a confident heartfelt style.
Portland guitarist Anderson was up next. She is a blues slide player who mined the riches of public domain. Great set list included: This Little Light of Mine, Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning, Sinks and Rises (original composition on mini lap steel), ended with an excellent mashup of See That My Grave is Kept Clean with House Carpenter.
Tashi Dorji is a guitarist from North Carolina. I thought his style was rooted in "new age", but found it more in the improv jazz vein. He had a weird habit of playing with amp on then off giving a strange ebb and flow to his original compositions. When in the "on" mode he could chug like Hendrix on Machine Gun, while in the "off" mode I struggled to follow.