Dan Bern w/ Seth Adam 10/23/14 Cafe 9

Capable local opener Adam played  bandless to start the evening. Mainly tame songs about cities were a soft lead in to the acerbic wit that is Dan Bern. It's been close to a decade since my last DB show (at the historic Tune-In, thanks Fernando!). Dan's characteristic helium inflected Jewish Dylan delivery is the perfect backdrop to beautiful and funny folk songs. With occasional accompaniment  from drum/vocal/mercy helper, this set was all DB. I Need You, Jew from Kentucky, The Golden Voice of Vin Scully, Marilyn, Breathe, Too Late to Die Young, Rome, and the new cartoon theme Stinky and Dirty sampled all eras of the DB catalog. It has been too long between viewings.

the Soil and the Sun w/ Hanging Hills Bar 10/22/14

Caught a few tunes of local opener Hanging Hills. Well-crafted pop rock melodies from the two guitar, bass and drums outfit. Vocalist's child-like delivery was engaging.
   the Soil and the Sun were a seven piece band from Michigan. I knew I was in for a treat when I passed a large converted schoolbus parked in front of bar. Two guitars, bass, drums, and three female keyboardist/other comprised the band. One keyboardist played oboe, another percussion, and the third played violin and third guitar. Walls of sound and five-part harmony vocals were great. I am always curious of the cohesiveness and the visual of this large an outfit. Though there are many pieces to keep together, tsats have a future if they can stick together. This band reminded me of a spacier Edward Sharpe with its communal vibe.

David McCullough w/ Patrick Oliphant Yale Art Gallery 10/19/14

Intellectual heavyweights McCullough and Oliphant are pulitzer prize winners and definitely not musicians. Author McCullough and political cartoonist Oliphant did put on a show at the Yale Art Gallery lecture hall. While David spun stories about his interactions with presidents from LBJ to Obama, Oliphant cartooned them on a huge canvas on stage. Nixon, with the I'm No Crook pose, Clinton in bed with Monica, W. on a rocking horse with an oversized hat, and Obama depicted as an Easter Island head were the highlights of cartoon visualization. I am truly blessed to live in a city where this type of event is free and open to the public.

Turbine 10/3/14 Stella Blues

The hardest working noodlers in jamband history, Turbine seems to be on a neverending tour. Ryan and the boys are celebrating their recent release. Decent crowd at Stella's got a good taste of the Prog-jam goodness we know as Turbine. Seems like just yesterday a fledgling Turbine was stretching out Herbie Hancock's Rockit on the sea wall at the Vibes deriving power from a gas powered generator at 4am. The lengthy Stella's set had a Nawlins flair with a cover of Dr. John's Right Place, Wrong Time and an unusually strict rendition of Jambalaya. Good cover of Talking Heads Girlfriend Is Better and a soul song that I couldn't place were all good. The lineup is consistent, drums, bass, lead guitar/vocals, and Ryan on guitar and some kind of cyborg face mask mouth synth. The mouth synth bleeped and blipped otherworldly sounds. When Ryan pulled out a balloon to extend airflow to his Darth Vaderian apparatus, you knew you were in it.

Michael Gregory Jackson Trio 9/26/14 Firehouse 12

Hamden native transplanted to coastal Maine Jackson on guitar/electronics, Keith Whitty bass electronics, and Kenwood Danard on drums played mostly original angular jazz compositions. Leader Jackson had some trouble with his "electronics" that detracted from the momentum of the set. Whitty's effects on standup bass lent a funky bottom to many songs. Danard, dressed in a Sun Ra-style poncho kept perfect time. Jackson seemed like a demanding bandleader judging from his glances towards bandmates during improv. Closed his lengthy set with a nice rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come.

Charlie Hunter/Scott Amendola 9/25/14 Cafe 9

Hunter's custom 8-string guitar with fan-like frets allows him to comfortably play bass and lead on the same instrument. While difficult to discern on record, this unique dexterity is fantastic to watch. Hunter is a music scholar and played groove-alicious takes on many genres. His screwed down or up tempo versions of popular hits and old timey ballads made for great listening. Amendola on drums was the perfect companion. Long time pals, the tightness of interplay was awesome. Two full sets and light-hearted crowd banter showed a more comfortable Hunter than my last viewing. The first set was dominated by a Cars medley, while the second set boasted I Want You Back, Come On In My Kitchen, and closed with I Ain't Got Nobody. I'm convinced Hunter could play the Oscar Mayer Weiner song and make it groove-ly palatable.

Califone w/ S. Carey Spaceland 9/5/12

Couldn't pass up this excellent double bill. S. Carey is percussion/keys for Bon Iver. BI is on top of the moody woodshed indie foodchain, it was interesting to see S. Carey perform for a small crowd. Kind of like Tortoise with Bon Iver-y vocals, the band was tight. It would have been nice to discern the vocals. They had a great song where Carey and another drummer/keys had a duel.
I love Califone. Tim Rutilli, bandleader and guitar/keys is one of the most uncompromising artists I know. Rutilli and dueling guy/girl drummers were the only members from last viewing. Lead guitar and bass were newcomers. Washes of sound with Wilco-like vocals, Califone ebbs and flows. Rutilli smiling as guitar leads and drum licks filled the room, said he moved from Chicago (too mean) to Hollywood where he "lives around the corner from Ernest Borgnine" which was odd cuz he's Hamdens own and has been dead for years. Seems their van ran over a raccoon on the ride and Tim seemed convinced that the raccoon soul invaded his amp and had to cut one song short. True artist.