Nite Jewel 7/7/16 Bar

LA based pop-tronica outfit Nite Jewel played to a sparse crowd at Bar. Dreamy synth pop came from a trio of musicians. Leader and singer Ramona Gonzalez coaxed beats from her keyboards. The trio had another female on keys and a young gentleman with a hat on a compact synth drum. Gonzalez' vocals are made for the dance floor, and her recent clubby collaboration with Dam Funk (aptly titled Nite Funk) is sure to be stretched out on the club circuit. When watching a live performance of this type of music, it's hard to reconcile the skills needed to play the instruments. In the Jazz, or jam, or rock worlds, virtuosity or originality is rewarded. In the dance pop world, it's song structure and beats that garners the prize. There's no doubt that Nite Jewel are gifted at their craft, but there is a fine line between a dance pop drummer and a gamer with a hat.

DJ Logic 6/30/16 The Acoustic, Bridgeport

After an early outdoor concert in Middletown, it made sense to hightail it down 95 to catch a set from DJ hero Logic. Haven't been to this venue since it was a fairly unattractive classroom without chalkboards years ago. They have changed the setup by moving the stage up front, getting a decent bar and sound system, and staying in business. Entered the show to the classic "Eyes Open but Dead", then on to "Hypnotic" from the fantastic Anomaly record. Alone on stage with two turntables and a Mac mini, Jason Kibler blew some doors. "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys was woven throughout the set, with jams from James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, and some deep ska references. Concert highlight was a mesmerizing take on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine". Logic came out for a beer with us, and I gushed about his back catalog (MMW, Christian McBride, the Berkfests, and Vernon Reid). At first I felt sad that such a monster talent of turntablism was hanging by himself, but then realized that DJ Logic is his own boss. Soundtracks, radio jingles, ad snippets, would all sound better if touched by the hand of Logic. I did laugh with him about his missing the Harriet Tubman show at the Firehouse last year because he was "sick and stuck in Japan".

Nation Beat 6/30/16 CFA Courtyard, Wesleyan

Nation Beat is a Brooklyn collective that plays an amalgam of Brazilian funk and New Orleans party music. Charismatic female singer/percussionist, guitar, bass, and drums filled the air on a beautiful night out in Middletown. Original songs sung in English and Spanish gave a positive view of the recently embattled Brazil. In true Latin style, the singer jumped off stage and shimmied with the crowd before launching into a show ending conga line.

Savak with Hamish Kilgour 6/25/16 Cafe 9

Moptop Kilgour was in the 80s band The Clean from New Zealand. They had a cult following and some under the radar hits. On this evening, Kilgour sang and strummed fractured folk songs with a Lou Reed delivery, even breaking into a little I'm Waiting for the Man tease. Decent songwriting and ok guitar-work (I think he played drums in The Clean) were augmented by a great kiwi accent.
Savak played intelligent indie rock with some punk drive. Dueling guitar vocals, muscular bass, and frenetic drums were the foursome. I chatted with one of the guitar/vocalists prior to the show. He was wearing a WFMU Tshirt and his name was Sorob and was originally from Iran.

The Whiffenpoofs Rome,Italy 6/18/16

A strange serendipity had our family on holiday in the eternal city of Rome at the time when the legendary Yale Whiffenpoofs performed a short set in front of the ultra-legendary Pantheon. My daughter's boyfriend's brother happens to sing in this globe-trotting acapella group. They sang some pop songs, a jazz standard (I'll Be Seeing You), and a rousing version of House of the Rising Sun. After the show, we dined just off the piazza at Alfredo's, super-ultra-legendary inventor of fettuccine Alfredo.

Low Mentality 6/5/16 Cafe 9

Brooklyn amalgam that includes some members of the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, brought some of their insistent beat to the 9. Playing to a sparse crowd (the band almost outnumbered the audience) , the band soldiered on. The players: lead vocals-guitar-keys, trumpet-keys, guitar, bass, drums, and a mini female conga player who allegedly played with the Easy Allstars (dub collective). The songs were all original and were a mixed bag of jams.

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.