Last night, I was able to finally check out one of Soulive’s “Bowlive” shows, as a part of the band’s 10-night residency at Brooklyn Bowl. My tickets came courtesy of the fine folks at Relix who drew my name for a free pair (thanks dudes!).

Overall, the show was loose and intimate, featuring a rotating cast of characters for a variety of interesting sit-ins and lineups. The band welcomed Charlie Hunter as their main guest to show off his skills with his signature 8-string guitar as well as a standard six-string electric. But, of course, Mr. Hunter wasn’t the only guest appearance, with Nigel Hall and Kofi Burbridge also making appearances throughout the night. The opening sets included a mellow, soul set featuring Nigel Hall on vocals and Charlie Hunter laying down the instrumentals, followed by a standard funk-laden set by Soulive. But the main feature of the night was all about honoring the Beatles and celebrating the band’s latest official release, Rubber Soulive, which is an album of all-instrumental Beatles covers.

Like the new album, the “Rubber Soulive” set featured the band’s funky re-workings of classic Beatles tunes. Highlights included an uber-funky “Come Together,” a bouncin’ “Day Tripper” featuring Charlie Hunter on six-string, some soulful takes on “In My Life” and “Something,” and a nearly unrecognizable version of “Get Back” that had the crowd dancing hard. At times, the crowd sang along with the well-known melodies, and it was clear that both the band and crowd were totally into it and having a blast. After a quick break, they returned to the stage for a one-song encore capping off a stellar show with a rockin’ version of the Abbey Road classic “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” I was able to grab most of the tune on video:

Soulive @ Brooklyn Bowl, 3.9.10 – “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” [YouTube]

It was a perfect way to end a super fun show. it was so fun in fact, I might just have to return for another round of “Bowlive” later this week. Check out the full photo gallery of the night’s festivities below:

If you’re interested in a recap of the band’s first week at Brooklyn Bowl, head on over to Royal Family Records site.

Related posts:

• Bowlive: Soulive’s 10-Night Brooklyn Bowl Residency Starts Tonight
• Brothers Past @ Brooklyn Bowl, 2/25/10: Setlist, Photos, Video
• Review: Gov’t Mule Listening Party @ Brooklyn Bowl, NYC 9/30/09

Sunday night, I hit up the Mercury Lounge for an intimate show featuring Washed Out, Small Black, and Pictureplane opening.

Although I was definitely curious about the openers, my main reason for going was Washed Out, whose Life of Leisure EP I’ve been thoroughly enjoying ever since I checked out a few tracks on The Hype Machine this past fall and decided to make the purchase. If you’re unfamiliar with Washed Out, it’s basically one young dude (Ernest Greene) from a random town in Georgia who has caught the attention of the Hype Machine crowd with a unique blend of dreamy synth-pop that some are giving the unfortunate label “chill wave.”

Washed Out has managed to cull some of the most perfect synth tones from the 80s and update them with a more contemporary rhythmic and atmospheric framework. That’s all topped off with heavily-processed and “hazy” vocals that makes for a mesmerizing sound that’s familiar and nostalgic but totally fresh. I’d definitely recommend checking out his EP or getting a taste from the blogs or his MySpace page.

But before Washed Out came on, I also got to check out sets by Small Black and Pictureplane.

Pictureplane

Like Washed Out, Pictureplane was a one-man show, complete with a bunch of beat sequencers, samplers and effects pedals (i.e. toys). He got the party moving with an interesting mashup of house-oriented dance tracks overlaid with high-pitched, moody vocals. What the guy lacked in technical agility with his various contraptions, he definitely made up for with lots of energy and a silly, fun vibe. He could use a little work on delivery, especially in the transitions and endings (more on that later), but it was a fun way to kick off the night.

Small Black

Next up was Small Black, the only real “band” of the evening. Although much of the night’s music was characterized by synths mixed with dreary/moody vocals — and these guys played into that trend — Small Black provided much more of a rock-oriented groove that really made them stand out from the rest of the lineup. The presence of a full drum kit, bass, keys, and multiple singers made all the difference and created a key distinction from the other acts performing that night.

It took Small Black a few tunes to get things rolling, but towards the end of their set, they tore into some truly memorable melodies and tight grooves. Their standout track “Despicable Dogs” is totally hypnotic and has basically been stuck in my head since I left the venue. I’m not yet all that familiar with their other tunes, but I thoroughly enjoyed their blend of melodic, moody synth-based rock, and I definitely think that they’re set was the most cohesive of the night. I’ll be looking out for more music from these guys in the near future.

After a short break and a quick sound check, Washed Out started into his set, playing to a thoroughly enthusiastic crowd that clearly was familiar with his material. Now, one of the things I wondered about Washed Out was whether or not he could truly translate the perfection of his studio tracks to the live stage. On the one hand, I really admire a guy who rolls completely solo with just a mic and his contraptions. But, given how much I love his EP, I just felt like the sound didn’t work all that well in the live setting. The vocals were a little too distorted and, dare I say, “washed out” to really catch your ear. More importantly, I’d say the set suffered a similar lack of cohesion and flow like the opener Pictureplane, especially in the song transitions and endings. They were a bit abrupt and unnatural as compared to the gradual studio fades that characterize the tracks on his EP. Now it’s important to note that this guy has barely played more than a few live shows since breaking out last year, so I’m sure his live set will continue to improve. Besides, the crowd basically seemed to eat up every single track he played, so perhaps I’m being too critical.

I think what struck me was really the distinction between watching a full band locking into a groove versus watching one guy singing while tapping some buttons and twisting a few knobs. Without a few instruments or even all that much movement, the one-man band approach sort of felt flat to me. And, as if to emphasize this perception even further, about halfway through his set, Washed Out was joined by the guys from Small Black for a full-band take on some of his signature tunes. The change provided a vibe and energy that that instantly kicked things up a notch and finished out the show with a bang.

Washed Out – Get Up (3.7.10) [YouTube]

Unfortunately, this show was a pain in the ass to shoot because of the lighting. But unlike a bunch of other douchebag photogs who were flashing away throughout the entire show, I wasn’t willing go against the standard common courtesy of not using a flash for shooting concerts. Despite the lighting challenges, I think I still nabbed a few decent a shots; my full photo set is available on Flickr.

One a brief side note, I mentioned Small Black’s signature tune “Despicable Dogs” above. As it turns out, Washed Out recently did a remix of that tune, and it has subsequently been playing in my head non-stop since I discovered it. Naturally, you can check it out on the Hype Machine, but beware of its infectiousness.

Related posts:

• Apollo Sunshine @ Mercury Lounge, NYC 10/29/08
• The Black Angels @ The Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC 7/02/08
• Cut Copy, The Black Kids @ Abbey Pub, Chicago 05/07/08

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB hit NYC’s Terminal 5 on Tuesday night for a high-energy show that featured a seriously reinvigorated Big Red. Read on for my review and round-up of photos, videos, and downloads…

TAB has always been a forum for Trey to tool around with various solos and effects pedal pyrotechnics, so there were certainly moments of long-winded guitar wizardry throughout the band’s three-hour plus workout. But I was surprised at how well this version of TAB really gelled as a cohesive unit. Compared to previous versions of TAB, the latest iteration is much more of a true collective than just a backdrop for Anastasio to unleash the guitar hounds. Throughout the night, Trey nicely allowed the other players to shine. The biggest standout to me was Jennifer Hartswick, who not only showed off some killer trumpet chops but also tore up the vocals on a raucous cover of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” Natalie Cressman (on trombone) is the newest and youngest addition to TAB. She really nailed a few key solo sections, and at one point, got a nice shout-out from Trey who pointed out that she’s the band’s first second-generation member (daughter of former TAB trombonist, Jeff Cressman). It’s hard to believe she’s only 18 years old; she’s got some serious chops.

Mozambique- Trey Anastasio Band- Terminal 5 – 2/16/10 [YouTube]

Overall, I was also struck by the sheer funkiness of Trey’s interplay with keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, a key highlight on a number of the longer improv-oriented tunes like “Gotta Jiboo,” “Nights Speaks to a Woman,” and “Sand.” For these longer jam vehicles, the horn section would exit the stage and let the quartet play around with the funk for some nice, long stretches.

Trey Anastasio Band – 2.16.10 – “Last Tube jam” [YouTube]

Another one of my first set highlights was the outro for the new tune “Liquid Time.” I don’t love the lyrical sections of this tune, but something about the major key tone and simple melody lines in the outro really caught my ear. I could see Phish stretching out the end of this song into some cool territory.

Of course, the night wasn’t all big-band TAB. Towards the end of the first set, Trey performed a solo acoustic section where he let loose on some classic Phish tunes in stripped-down, “unplugged” format. With the looseness, the intimacy and the audience interplay, the acoustic section felt almost like a campfire sing-along. It was clear the man was having a blast and really taking in the energy of the Terminal 5 crowd.

Set II kicked off with a killer version of “Sand,” and the energy didn’t let up until the mellower “Show of Life.” But the second set was definitely dominated by the two big cover tunes, “Sultans of Swing” (Dire Straits) and “Black Dog” (Zeppelin). For the second solo section in “Sultans,” Trey stepped aside to let his horn section take the lead, and they nailed pretty much every one of Mark Knopfler’s memorable notes and worked the crowd into a frenzy.

Trey Anastasio Band – 2.16.10 – “Sultans of Swing solo” [YouTube]

After the sultry funk and soul of “Ether Sunday,” they then launched into a blistering “Black Dog” with Jennifer Hartswick belting out the vocals and the crowd eating up each and every howl.

Trey Anastasio Band – 2.16.10 – “Black Dog” [YouTube]

After a powerful second set, they finished off the show with a nice two-song punch of an encore. First up was the band’s take on Phish’s jazz rarity “Magilla,” which they turned it into a true jazz tune by making full use of all the horns. And after Trey did a round of band intros, they tore into a fiery “First Tube” to close out the night with a serious bang.

USA Trey[YouTube]

Overall, I didn’t really have high expectations going into this show, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think the most significant part of the show was seeing how much Trey has been re-energized as a guitar player. His playing was spot-on with nary a flub, and he played with an intensity and focus that I just haven’t seen in a while. It makes me really excited for what happens when he takes this freshness back to Phish this summer.

View Flickr Photo Set

Downloads:
FLAC Bitorrent via etree
Mp3s via Mediafire

Setlist:
Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB 2/16/10 @ Terminal 5, NYC
Set One:
Shine
Cayman Review
Push On ‘Til the Day
Alaska
Mozambique
Gotta Jibboo
All That Almost Was
Drifting
Liquid Time
The Birdwatcher
Night Speaks to a Woman
Tuesday
Brian and Robert*
Strange Design*
Sample in a Jar*
Chalkdust Torture*
Wilson*

Set Two:
Sand
Alive Again
Last Tube>
Show of Life
Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits cover)
Ether Sunday
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)

Encore:
Magilla
First Tube

*=solo acoustic

Related posts:

• Setlist: Trey Anastasio Band @ Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
• Trey Anastasio Band at Jefferson Theatre 2/8/10: Video, Photos, Setlist and Download
• Downloads: Trey Anastasio Band 2010 Tour

On a cold Saturday night in NYC, I caught some amazing jazz music in the Village as a part of the NYC Winter Jazz Festival. The “festival” was basically just a series of shows at five different Village venues — Le Poisson Rouge, Sullivan Hall, the Bitter End, Kenny’s Castaways, and Zinc Bar — as opposed to the original Knitting Factory, where the festival used to take place. Overall, the music and musicians were stellar, but what really struck me about the festival was the sheer variety of sounds that now live under the general jazz umbrella. We saw everything from West African guitar music to classical jazz to several varieties of rock/funk jazz fusion.

Along with the overall mix of sounds also came a very mixed crowd. When my buddy and I stepped into Le Poisson Rouge for the Occidental Brothers — doing their fine take on West African guitar music — we suddenly felt very young. And unfortunately for the Occidental Brothers, a good half of the crowd sat through their energetic and dance-oriented set. I was amazed that people could sit through a set with such great energy, but each to his own.

It was clear that the “early” crowd was waiting for what were considered the headliners — the more traditional/studied jazz artists on the lineup. Jenny Sheinman & Jason Moran did a classical-oriented set as a violin and piano duo. Later on, the Vijay Iyer Trio also brought a traditional jazz approach with a piano, bass, drums combo that had the crowd mesmerized. I thoroughly enjoyed both sets; the musicianship and attention to detail was outstanding. That said, the place was packed to the gills, and overall the atmosphere was a bit too stuffy for me. Amazingly enough, Vijay Iyer made a comment that it was one of the best jazz crowds he’d ever played to in NYC. I guess I’m just more accustomed to the party atmosphere of your standard rock club.

As such, it’s not surprising that my favorite sets of the evening tended much more towards the groove and funk-based fusion. Although I knew I’d definitely get a taste of that style later on the evening, I was pleasantly surprised to catch a super funky set by the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio, who tore up Sullivan Hall with their organ-based jazz-funk.

By their look/style, you couldn’t have picked a more random trio (a nicely dressed white boy on guitar, a young drummer that looked like a hipster Spike Lee, and then Dr. Lonnie Smith, whose signature turban and long white beard give him a bit of a genie/wizard look). But man, could they drop the funk!

Later on, we also caught a kind of local super-group of New York musicians do a tribute of Miles Davis’s original Bitches Brew combo from ‘69-70, called “Bitches Brew Revisited.” Although they updated the sound with a few new trumpet effects and an occasional hip-hop beat from DJ logic, they generally stuck close to that kind of free-jazz and rock fusion that Miles conjured for the original album back in late 1969.

While the throwback to Bitches Brew was fun, I felt it dragged on a bit long, which is basically my same take on the Bitches Brew album. Although the idea and instrumentation was revolutionary, the actual execution wasn’t all that amazing.

By this point, the late-night crowd had completely morphed into a younger, more jam-type scene, with heads apparently coming out of the woodwork in anticipation for the Marco Benevento Trio to rock the party. Before beginning his set, Marco did his best Keith Jarret impression and told us all he better not see one camera during the set. His reference was a bit over the heads of most in attendance, but it was a facetious take on Keith Jarrett’s now infamous 2007 rant at the “Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy”. It was an interesting statement to make within the context of the overall vibe at the jazz festival, which was a much more quiet and proper affair during the earlier sets. Given Marco’s ability to bring his jazz-influenced music to a younger, more rock-oriented club audience, he seemed put himself squarely onto the rock’n'roll side of the fence….and perhaps it was his way of saying that the kids are alright, even with all their cameras, texting and social networking status updates.

The trio proceeded to play a rockin’ set of originals and covers from Benevento’s solo albums Me Not Me and Invisible Baby. It was pushing past the 1:30-2am range at this point, so the crowd had thinned out and we scored a killer spot in front of the stage. Although I still hate my camera for still photos, it’s not bad for video, and I was able to grab a few decent clips from Marco’s set:

Marco Benevento Trio – 1.9.10 – Atari [YouTube]

Marco Benevento Trio – 1.9.10 – “The Real Morning Party [YouTube]

As if to further emphasize his earlier point about the jazz crowd, Marco invited everyone onto the stage to join the band for their high-energy’ cover of the Knife’s “Heartbeats.” The up-close-and-personal spot allowed for some great video:

Marco Benevento Trio – 1.9.10 – “Heartbeats” [YouTube]

Although the set was very similar to the show I caught last Fall, it was a refreshingly energetic end to a long night of great jazz music and only further solidified my thoughts on Marco’s current creative energies.

For more, check out the my full photo set or the rest of the videos.

Related posts:

• Photos: Marco Benevento Trio and The Bad Plus @ Merkin Hall, NYC 5/14/09
• Sights and Sounds: Marco Benevento Trio @ Carnegie Hall, 7/20/09
• Review: Marco Benevento Trio @ 92Y Tribeca, 9/25/09

On a wintry Saturday night here in NYC, I was lucky enough to catch the latest version of Garage a Trois at the Bowery Ballroom. The group – which in the past has featured Stanton Moore, Skerik, Mike Dillon and Charlie Hunter – is currently touring with Marco Benevento in place of Hunter, making for a killer combo. Although I thought I’d miss Hunter’s patented 8-string guitar work, Marco was certainly a suitable alternative for handling his normal duties.

Unfortunately, the winter storms over the weekend caused some travel issues for Mike Dillon (who couldn’t make it to NYC at all) and also for Stanton Moore (who barely made it in for a second set). As a result, before Stanton headed over from JFK for set two, Skerik and Benevento were joined by local drummer Adam Deitch, for a first set of pure improvisation. The overall set-up really provided an interesting contrast in drum styles, as it was basically the same band with a different drummer for each set.

Adam Deitch
I had forgotten how much I liked Adam Deitch’s drum work (I saw him tear it up with John Scofield’s band back in ‘01/02). I really like his super-intricate and dance-oriented style. For this set, he provided the perfect “loose yet tight” rhythmic backdrop for Marco and Skerik’s unique brand of improvisation.

Although you might expect an all-improv set to be a bit too loose and wandering, their improvisations were not at all a mindless, meandering jazz/funk. Sure, there were some killer solos, but it was much more about an on-the-spot songwriting kind of improv, mainly being led by Benevento (who controlled the low-end duties as well as melodies/harmonies). I was able grab a few decent videos and I feel like this one nicely captures what I mean:

Garage a Trois – Improv – 12/19/09 @ Bowery Ballroom [YouTube]

Marc Benevento
As I’ve been lucky enough to hear Marco on a few occasions lately, I almost feel like I’m catching him during a creative zenith of sorts. Both of these last two times I’ve seen him, he has continued to blow me away with his creativity. With his array of keyboards, pedals and toys, he’s really creating some of the richest sonic backdrops and melodic progressions for the digital jazz age. He really makes this shit look easy, but it’s not.

Skerik
Of course, this wasn’t a Marco solo show, and Skerik’s playing and presence make a huge difference in the overall sound as well as the vibe. His stage antics are total silliness, very similar to Les Claypool (who, as it happens, included Skerik in his “Frog Brigade” for quite some time). Skerik makes you laugh when he’s not playing, and then he chimes in on the sax and reminds you that he’s been studying the Greats for years. He knows his Coltrane and Parker, but he’s also updated the classic jazz saxophone with a few effects pedals for distortion and a bigger overall sax sound.

Stanton Moore
After his bout with winter weather travel issues, Stanton Moore made a triumphant entrance into the Bowery and allowed the band to dig into some of the material off of their new album Power Patriot (which I’ve definitely been diggin’ over the last few days). Compared to Deitch’s more intricate/tight drum work, hearing Stanton on the skins reminded me how powerful and groove-centric his playing is. He provides the stronger rock drive that makes Garage a Trois much more than a standard jazz/funk band.

While I’m not yet familiar enough with GaT’s latest record to put together a full setlist, I did recognize this tune, called “Rescue Spreaders,” which was intro’d by Skerik with a nice little stretch break:

Garage a Trois – Rescue Spreaders (w/ Stretch break) – 12/19/09 @ Bowery Ballroom [YouTube]

Other highlights included some great cuts off of Marco’s solo disc, Me Not Me, a fun holiday tease of “Little Drummer Boy,” and an absolutely rockin’ cover of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” to finish off the night strong. I thought this last song choice was a nice little pre-cursor to Marco’s next gig with instrumental Led Zeppelin cover band “Bustle in Your Hedgerow,” who are playing tonight at Brooklyn Bowl.

Garage a Trois – No Quarter (Led Zeppelin cover) – 12/19/09 @ Bowery Ballroom [YouTube]

Overall, Garage a Trois really impressed me, despite lacking one of their key members and having to throw together a last-minute first set. If they’re coming your way, I highly recommend checking them out.

Here are a few more videos and photos I captured from this show:

Garage a Trois – Improv2 – 12/19/09 @ Bowery Ballroom [YouTube]

Garage a Trois – 12/19/09 @ Bowery Ballroom [YouTube]

Check out the full photo set on Flickr

Related posts:

• Garage a Trois Reunite for December Tour with Marco Benevento
• Tour Dates: Marco Benevento Trio, The Duo, and Garage A Trois
• Jason Isbell @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC

We’ve been a little slow on the site lately thanks to my new full-time job out here in the Bay, but that isn’t stopping us from welcoming friends to the site to start dropping some contributions in their own way. First up is our long-time friend, Ross McKillop, a recent New York City transplant from Vancouver.

Hi, my name is Ross, and I’m a live music addict.

So this is my first post on the Live Music Blog. I’d like to thank Justin for giving me the platform to bather on about the concerts I go to, the music I listen to, and the (generally poor) pictures I take…

I suppose we should get this out of the way up front. I’m not a professional music writer/reviewer. Never will be. All of my “reviews”, comments and thoughts come as a fan, and always will. If I seem unprofessional at times, that’s because I am.

Lets get started.

This was my first Xmas Jam Pre-Jam. For years I’ve wanted to attend one, and this year I finally made it. As a fairly well known “rail rider” (those who go to great lengths standing in line so that they’re on the rail/in front of the stage) – I arrived at the Orange Peel very, very early. Thanks to two quad espressos, I was able to remain awake. Thanks to three jackets, a sweater and a sleeping bag, I was able to remain warm.

The Orange Peel staff were nothing short of fantastic. I was offered coffee on more than one occasion, and they even kept me company at times. Not terribly long after I arrived, some of the other ‘regulars’ joined me. They shared stories of previous Pre-Jams and generally managed to get me more and more excited for the evening.

At 5:30′ish they opened the doors to those of us who are WNCW Radio Donors. As a radio donor, you’re entitled to enter the venue before the other VIPs and general ticket holders. We were treated to some excellent BBQ while waiting in another line inside (at least it was warm) from Luella’s BBQ. After about 30 minutes they opened the ropes and we quickly made our way to the rail. With our spots secured, I decided it was time to wander around the Orange Peel and see what I could see. I quickly found the door to the smoking area outside, the merch stand, and washrooms.

Because this show was broadcast on WNCW, it started very promptly at 7:00PM. Warren Haynes came out and played solo versions of Mad Man Across the Water and Forevermore, which was an excellent way to kick off the evening.

Warren Haynes

Next up was the previously unannounced band Cornmeal, and it was a great surprise. Bluegrass fan or not, you couldn’t help but enjoy the energy from the stage. Though I had never heard of them before, I now own their album Feet First, and its been getting some pretty heavy play on my iPod.

Because the Xmas Jam (and Pre-Jam) is all about artists collaborating on stage, it came as no surprise that Jeff Austin (of Yonder Mountain String Band fame) joined Cornmeal for a couple of tunes. This was the first of many, many collaborations that night.

Cornmeal

Next up was the Xmas Jam Band, which consisted of Kevn Kinney, Audley Freed, Robert Kearns, Fred Eltringham and Ron Holloway. After playing I Ain’t Waitin on Tomorrow and Jumpin Jack Flash, they were joined on stage by Jackie Green for a great version of Tax Man. As if there wasn’t already enough talent on the stage, Warren came out and joined the entire crew with a cover of Neil Young’s Ohio. At a previous Gov’t Mule show I’d seen them play Ohio w/ Jackie Green, and this version was even more over-the-top.

Audley Freed and Kevn Kinney of the Xmas Jam Band

One of the great things about the Pre-Jam is the very short time between bands. The stage crew was extremely fast and efficient, and you barely had time to get another drink from the bar or go for a smoke before the next band was on stage. So after a quick setup a “super-group” consisting of George Porter Jr, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno, Ron Holloway, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andres and Craig Sorrells hit the stage. After waaaay funky versions of Look A Py Py and Africa, the one and only William Bell joined them for Everbody Loves a Winner. It was beyond obvious that not only the audience, but the performers on stage, were in total awe of Mr. Bell. The set wouldn’t have been complete without Mr. Haynes joining everyone for Be All Right.

William Bell

If the show had ended now, no one would have walked out feeling unsatisfied. But this is the Pre-Jam – the night wasn’t even half way done.

Now, I’ve been an Ani fan for ages, but I never would have expected to see her at an Xmas Jam. Which is of course the beauty of the Xmas Jam. She did a fantastic mix of original material and covers. Her on stage doing a song with Warren Haynes isn’t something I ever expected to see in my lifetime. Together they did a terrific version of the folk classic “Which Side are You On”. Jeff Austin came out to join her for Freight Train, and then the stage FILLED when George Porter Jr., Nigel Hall, Jeff Austin, Craig Sorrells, Ron Holloway, Warren Haunes, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Adam Deitch & Eric Krasno ALL joined her for Overlap. I would say this was one of the highlights of the evening, but the evening was nothing but highlights.

Ani DiFranco

Due to a flight related issue moe. had to switch stage times with the Counting Crows. Now I’ll admit, I was skeptical about the Counting Crows being a part of the lineup. In all honesty I didn’t even know they were still performing together. My skepticism ended quickly. The did serious justice to a number of cover songs, including Girl From The North, Friend of the Devil and Thunder Road – which was played right smack in the middle of their own song, Rain King. The sit-ins during the Counting Crows set were fewer – Warren joined them for You Aint Goin Nowhere and Sullivan St.

Counting Crows w/ Warren Haynes

Up next was moe. Their set seemed a bit short, but the guests were back. They did Opium w/ Danny Louis and Mike Barnes and 32 things w/ Jeff Austin & Allie Kral (of Cornmeal). Adam from the Counting Crows was sitting at the back of the stage watching the moe. set (he was visible at various points all night at different locations on stage, watching the performances). I saw him w/ his phone, but didn’t find out until later that he was in fact twittering at the time.

moe. with Jeff Austin

The final act was of course, Gov’t Mule. I’ve seen the Mule quite a few times this year, and this set was up there with the best of them. They started out with a smokin’ Railroad Boy, and then another tune from their latest album (By a Thread) – Monday Morning Meltdown. Then the guests started to come out. They did Feel Like Breaking Up Somebodies Home w/ Ron Holloway and Brad Whitford, then Polititian w/ Brad Whitford, Ron Holloway & Fred Eltringham. It was during Politition that I had to dig into my pockets to find my earplugs, because Brad was not only tearing it up, he was loud. After another new tune, Inside Outside Woman Blues, they brought out Jackie Green to help with yet another Neil Young cover, Southern Man. The crowd wasn’t quite ready to leave, so they came out to kick some more ass with Broke Down on the Brazos.

Gov’t Mule with Jackie Green

21st Annual Xmas Jam Pre-Jam setlists:

Warren Haynes
Mad Man Across The Water
Forevermore

Cornmeal
Long Hard Road
Better off This Way
River Gap w/ Jeff Austin
Jenny in the middle w/ Jeff Austin

Xmas Jam Band
(Kevn Kinney, Audley Freed, Robert Kearns, Fred Eltringham, Ron Holloway)
I Ain’t Waitin on Tomorrow
Jumpin Jack Flash
Tax man w/ Jackie Greene
Ohio w/ Warren Haynes and Jackie Greene

George Porter Jr, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno, Ron Holloway, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andres and Craig Sorrells
Look A Py Py
Africa
Everbody Loves a Winner w/ William Bell
Be all Right w/ Warren Haynes

Ani DiFranco
Swan Dive
All of This
Which Side are You On
Freight Train w/ Jeff Austin
Overlap w/ George Porter Jr., Nigel Hall, Jeff Austin, Craig Sorrells, Ron Holloway, Warren Haunes, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Adam Deitch & Eric Krasno

Counting Crows
Girl From The North
Hangin Tree
Richard Manuel
Friend of the Devil
You aint Goin Nowhere w/ Warren Haynes
Sullivan St w/ Warren Haynes
Meet on the Ledge
Rain King>
Thunder Road>
Rain King

moe.
Akimbo
She
Opium w/ Danny Louis and Mike Barnes
32 things w/ Jeff Austin & Allie Kral

Gov’t Mule
Railroad Boy
Monday Mourning Meltdown
Feel Like Breaking Up Somebodies Home w/ Ron Holloway and Brad Whitford
Polititian w/ Brad Whitford, Ron Holloway & Fred Eltringham
Inside Outside Woman Blues
Southern Man w/ Jackie Greene
Encore:
Broke Down on The Brazos

Download the 21st Annual Xmas Jam Pre-Jam sets:

Cornmeal
The Xmas Jam Band
George Porter Jr. and the Funk Band
Ani DiFranco
Counting Crows
moe.
Gov’t Mule (includes the Warren Haynes solo songs from the beginning of the Pre-Jam)

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• Warren Haynes Christmas Jam | 20th Anniversary, Lineup
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On Sunday night I saw The Disco Biscuits at Brooklyn Bowl, one of Brooklyn’s hottest new venues. I haven’t caught the Biscuits for a few years, so it was great not only to be able to check them out again but to do so in my new hometown of Brooklyn.

Unfortunately, the night got off to a rough start with a complete clusterfuck at the will-call line. After waiting for at least a good 45 minutes, I was kicking myself in the ass for not making the trek up to the venue to grab my tickets earlier in the day. Although the long wait sapped a good amount of my energy, once I was inside, full beer-in-hand, the night started to look up.

Brooklyn Bowl is a killer new spot in Williamsburg, the latest venue project from former Wetlands owner Pete Shapiro. I’ve been impressed with their continually-evolving calendar of live events and consistently up-to-date website and social net sites. Plus, they’ve got great beer selection, very friendly staff and bar food that’s definitely a step above the norm. Since the band usually plays shows to crowds in the 1,000+ range, the 600-person capacity Brooklyn Bowl was a much more intimate affair and definitely pushed the venues capacity limits. As a result, the sellout crowd made things pretty damn tight getting in and out of the stage/bar area. But will-call line and crowding issues aside, this place is a great spot, and may just be my new favorite venue in Brooklyn.

Before the band took the stage, Pete Shapiro gave a little intro speech about how he’d watched the band grow and witnessed many special nights of the Disco Biscuits playing to packed/sweaty crowds at the Wetlands in the late 90s. It was nice way to reflect on how far these guys have come over the last 10+ years since those early days playing endless sets, especially at a venue that played a key role in the early careers of so many other great touring bands. It was also a fitting way to celebrate the band’s new EP release, On Time, which they gave away to each fan as a freebie on the way out of the show (more on the EP later).

As it was the EP release party, it only made sense that they bust out some of the songs from the new release. They kicked things off with an odd new tune called “Loose Change,” which I can only describe as having the feel of a more ambient pop anthem by Moby. They followed it with another newer song, called “Pimp Blue Rikki,” which was a slow-groove number that featured bassist Marc Brownstein having some fun with his midi keyboard bass tones for some serious low-end. As would be the theme of the night, the energy didn’t totally pick up until the band dropped into their heavy-hitter tunes like “Mindless Dribble” and “King of the World,” both uptempo highlights from the first set.

The Disco Biscuits – live at Brooklyn Bowl 10/11/09 [YouTube]

For the second set, they again combined some of their old-school jam vehicles like “Basis for a day” and “Save the Robots” with some newer tunes like “¿Donde?”, “Mirrors,” and their brand-new EP title track “On Time.” The drop into “Basis” and the outro jam that followed was probably the highlight of my night. This song never ceases to get fans completely riled up and rowdy (see videos below).

Basis for a Day – The Disco Biscuits – live at Brooklyn Bowl 10/11/09 [YouTube]

Basis jam – The Disco Biscuits – live at Brooklyn Bowl 10/11/09 [YouTube]

“¿Donde?” and “Mirrors” are both newer tunes that find a perfect mix of being interesting and fresh, yet still sounding distinctly like the original Disco Biscuits. I really dig the Indian-influenced samples in “”¿Donde?” which give it a bit of a world beat feel. The “Mirrors” outro and its progression into the finale of “Save the Robots” was another high-energy highlight of the night that got everyone moving. The “I-man” that closed the second set lost me a bit towards the end, but I really enjoyed the long intro. I have no idea if this is something they’ve been doing with this song lately, but to my ears, the intro seemed completely fresh and something I’d never really heard them do with “I-man.”

At this point in the night, my buddy Jon and I were starving, so we decided to take advantage of the kitchen being open late. We grabbed some great grub during the encore, which was a fairly straight-forward take on “Rockafella.” Overall, this was a really fun show, but nothing all that mind-blowing compared to what I have seen this band pull off in the live setting in the early part of this decade.

As I said earlier, the band gave a copy of their new EP to everyone at the show on their way out. I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on it a bit here. There’s something interesting going on with this new EP. The new songs they are writing these days have taken a step in a very different direction, which has a lot of old-school/hardcore fans scratching their heads. Personally, I’m a bit mixed on the overall evolution and a bit more forgiving when bands try something new. I’ve always respected the Disco Biscuits for being original and doing their own thing. I also think that fans easily forget all the many odd/misguided sonic experiments that the Disco Biscuits have undertaken in the last 10 years. Songs didn’t always work perfectly from their early beginnings. In fact, you’d almost expect some songs to fall flat and need to be re-worked after their initial debut, because the stage has always been the band’s best testing ground. “Save the Robots” is a prime example of a song that was debuted and then shelved for a while before it eventually morphed into one of the bigger tunes in the band’s arsenal.

But this On Time EP is probably the most blatant turn towards the mainstream I think I’ve ever seen from any jamband. The EP’s title track, “On Time,” sort of epitomizes the new direction. It has pop club hit written all over it and basically amounts to a cheesy dance tune of the R&B/Hip-Hop club variety. It seems purposely designed for Top 40 radio with its vocoder-laden vocals and almost laughable lyrics, which I can only describe as “techno-sexy.” With that said, this song is catchy as hell! The chorus has been stuck in my head for two days straight, and it’s got me thinking that it could even get some decent radio/club play if it were marketed properly.

Of course, the Disco Biscuits have never been that kind of band, but maybe they finally figured they’d give it a shot. Hey, if you’re a successfully touring band of the jamband variety that isn’t known for albums, why not try something completely different when working with a studio release? Why not aim for top 40 when you’ve already got the touring thing locked up? Why not try to make the most “bangin’ single” for the clubs? Fuck it, right?

The Disco Biscuits might just be onto something with this new studio approach, but I am still very mixed on the actual execution in terms of the songs. They may just be a bit too cheesy and too blatantly top 40 for this band. And even if they were successful at pulling in some more mainstream fans, I’d wonder whether those new fans would really dig the band’s live shows. Won’t the long jams, guitar solos and sub-par vocals just drive them away? Who knows.

Either way, it’ll be interesting to watch how this unfolds over the next few months. Their fans across the spectrum seem to be a bit perplexed….and that may be a bit generous given some of the negative reaction I’ve seen on the message boards. But overall, I like the fact that they’ve got their fans talking — whether it’s negative or not — because it means they’re keeping things interesting, challenging themselves and their fans, and generally trying to push the envelope. Besides, as long as they keep playing amazing live shows and don’t totally change their game, I just don’t see their hardcore fans turning away in droves…because once a Bisco fanatic, always a Bisco freak.

You can view the full photo set here.

The Disco Biscuits @ Brooklyn Bowl, 10/11/09 (setlist via PT Bisco)

Set I: Loose Change, Pimp Blue Rikki> Mindless Dribble> Minions> King Of The World> Mindless Dribble> King Of The World
Set II: On Time, Save The Robots> Basis For A Day, ¿Donde?, Mirrors> Save The Robots, I-Man
Encore: Rockafella

Related posts:

• The Disco Biscuits Add EP Release Party at Brooklyn Bowl
• Review: Gov’t Mule Listening Party @ Brooklyn Bowl, NYC 9/30/09
• Tonight: Disco Biscuits Webcast CD Release Party from Philly TLA

Our friend Alex Borsody went to the Gov’t Mule listening party at the Brooklyn Bowl and did this review for us. His friend Rob Chapman took some amazing photos…

The Wetlands Preserve served as the springboard for some of the best bands during the mid 90’s rock renaissance. Peter Shapiro ran the Wetlands at just 23 years old and he is now the founder of Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. The place is truly unique from other Williamsburg venues and should bring a new variety of music to the area. The whole building is L.E.E.D certified and all electricity comes via wind generation. The stage is made out of recycled tires and there are no bottles or cans used at all. Of course there is also bowling and the fried chicken is actually pretty good according to this hypocritical vegetarian.

Gov’t Mule played to a fraction of the crowd they would usually perform for, in celebration of the release of their first album in three years By a Thread. The energy was, in a word…nostalgic, with hindsight always being 20/20.

The 90’s music scene was not only a renaissance for jambands and alternative rock, but the beginning of the modern American music festival, with the H.O.R.D.E tour and it’s alt-rock counterpart Lollapalooza. Along with the bands that hit the jackpot like Dave Mathew’s Band and Blues Traveler, the era nurtured hundreds of other great improvisational rock groups. Government Mule was one of these bands, and they had come back triumphant to pay their respects to the new venue.

Gov’t Mule was originally formed as a power rock trio by Warren Haynes, Matt Abts and bassist Allen Woody. Woody’s untimely death eventually ended up with Andy Hess the former bassist for the Black Crowes being chosen to fill his big shoes. The addition of Danny Louis on keyboards made the group a quartet. This past year Hess left the band to be replaced by a relatively unknown bass player, Jorgen Carlsson. By a Thread is the first album with Carlsson playing on it. The band sounds different but in a good way, the drum and bass have a very close connection with a tight sound.

Mule opened the set with “Broke Down on the Brazos,” the opening track off their new album which features Billy Gibbons of ZZ top. The song uses blues clichés while at the same time expanding beyond them. This is Gov’t Mules signature style. For this song and most of the night, Haynes was playing a reissue of Duane Allman’s Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul. Haynes also used a Diaz CD-100 amp with various pedals. Jorgen Carlsson had about four MIDI interfaces plugged into his keyboard and the P.A. equipment had Allman Brothers Band markings it. Haynes broke out the electric twelve-string guitar on “Railroad Blues,” playing in the slow hand, slide guitar style. The only cover of the night included Alice Cooper’s “Is It My Body?.” They closed with one of their more often played tunes “Thorazine Shuffle.”

The first 50 minute set was about half of what the band usually plays. They went off stage, had a group huddle, and came back with a cake to wish Carlsson and Matt Abts a happy birthday. You could feel the family vibe in the room. The band then played a 20 minute encore, with a cathartic version of “Inside Outside Woman Blues,” another song off of By a Thread.

Haynes is often called the hardest working many in show business and has earned that title. He not only produces the music festival Mountain Jam but also plays lead for The Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule. The man knows how to put on a party thick with southern hospitality. After this jam, even the Williamsburg music snobs in the room couldn’t help but want to listen to an epic 30 minute long “Whipping Post.”

Setlist
Broke Down On The Brazos
Railroad Boy
Monday Mourning Meltdown
Frozen Fear
Beautifully Broken
Is It My Body
Brighter Days
Thorazine Shuffle

Encore
Any Open Window
Inside Outside Woman Blues

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• Review: The Disco Biscuits EP Release Party @ Brooklyn Bowl, 10/11/09
• Someone’s Got a Case of the Mule Mondays
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On Saturday night, I clocked in a third night of a full weekend of live music in NYC with a bangin’ finale: Brothers Past at the Bowery Ballroom with The Indobox opening.

My buddy Jon and I made it in early enough to catch a few songs by the opening band, The Indobox, another live, electronic jamband from the Northeast. These days, I’m a bit pickier when it comes to dance-rock and electronic-oriented bands (i.e.the Disco Biscuits, the New Deal and STS9), but these guys honestly have a lot of potential. I liked that they were pretty song-oriented and unafraid to sing songs that were much more poppy than what you hear from other bands in this same genre.

They also seemed to have honed some solid improv chops, as they wrapped up their set with a super high-energy jam that garnered a nice-sized crowd of people bouncin’ up in front. I remarked to my buddy Jon that I hadn’t seen an opener get that kind of reception in a long time. We’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from these guys.

Brothers Past kicked things off with a killer segment that really set the tone for the evening: a one-two-three punch of “Celebrity” segueing into “Let’s Start a Gang,” followed by a raging “Bitches & Candy.” Starting a show with two powerhouse songs like “Celebrity” and “Gangs” was definitely a statement that the band was on a mission to beat the Bowery into submission. Although the improv took a while to fully coalesce — “Celebrity” clocked in at 20-plus minutes — they eventually found their groove and got the crowd amped up and rowdy. The refrain from “Let’s Start a Gang” sort of summed up the atmosphere that was beginning to take shape at the Bowery…”No rules! No rules! No rules!”

Brothers Past – Celebrity into Let’s Start a Gang – Bowery Ballroom – 9-26-09 [YouTube]

Although I really liked the two tunes that opened the show, I think “Bitches & Candy” may have been the highlight of the first set. It provided a prime example of what this band does best: play a well-crafted, electronic indie-rock tune and then follow it with a deep, dark jungle jam to work the crowd into a dance frenzy:

Brothers Past – Bitches and Candy – Bowery Ballroom – 9-26-09 [YouTube]

Next up was “The Ceiling,” a big “bust-out” tune for BP fans (I believe this was the first time it was played since the band re-united with their original lineup last Fall). After a long “Ceiling” middle section, they found their way into the moody, maybe even naughty “Can You Keep a Secret?” This tune continues to be a catchy, pop powerhouse from the band’s more recent song rotation. A fairly standard “Dead Clowns” came next, but I don’t mean standard in a bad way. They’ve consistently nailed this song for a while now, typically doing so with some high-energy drum’n'bass improv. This was no exception.

Towards the end of “Dead Clowns,” Hamilton toyed around a bit more on his laptop, helping create a glitchy swath of noise as the band gradually tapered down the sound. They then mellowed things out with a rare version of “Exhale,” an ambient, acoustic tune from their last album This Feeling’s Called Goodbye. For “Exhale” drummer Rick Lowenberg stepped out from behind the drum kit to join lead guitarist Tom Hamilton at center stage on acoustic guitars. It was a nice way to settle the crowd down at the end of the first set.

In retrospect, the first set was really just a primer for the rowdy & raucous party they brought in set two. Although they started off slowly, opening with “Inhale” — the more electronic, ambient counterpart to “Exhale” on the album — the energy then quickly picked up when the band dropped into an up-tempo cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.”

(“Enjoy the Silence” lyrics on paper plate)

Apparently, they just started playing this cover song, but I’m not sure why they didn’t put this in the rotation years ago. In my opinion, it’s nearly a perfect cover for this band. There’s just something about the electro-pop instrumentation, minor key tone/mood, and the lead vocal timbre that nicely suits Tom Hamilton’s voice and the band’s overall sound:

Brothers Past – Enjoy The Silence – Bowery Ballroom – 9-26-09 [YouTube]

While “Enjoy the Silence” was a great treat to open the second set, it was the segment that followed that really tore the roof off the Bowery: “State Police > Tired Sigh > Forget You Know Me > The Ceiling Pt. II.”

This four-song segment was my favorite of the night, and it really exemplified the band’s ability to combine great songwriting with intricate and energetic electronic improvisation. I especially liked the outro of “Tired Sigh,” when they headed into more of a major key jam. To my ears, it sounded almost like an instrumental version of U2, and definitely in a good way:

Brothers Past – Forget You Know Me – Bowery Ballroom – 9-26-09 [YouTube]

The final segue from “Forget You Know Me” into “The Ceiling, Pt 2″ was really a quintessential example of Brothers Past at the top of its game. The jam progressed from mid-tempo drum’n'bass to a slower kind of electro-dub, all before exploding into a techno throw-down bordering on the industrial. Rick Lowenberg started pounding out a relentless 4/4 beat on the kick-drum, while Tom Hamilton unleashed a guitar shred-fest, and then all hell broke loose. As Tom McKee started belting out the song’s ending vocals, crazed fans bounced up and down, pumping fists in a reckless frenzy. The song’s final lyrics “You’ve Reached the Ceiling” served as an apt metaphor for the energy level in the Bowery reaching a peak:

Brothers Past – The Ceiling Part 2 – Bowery Ballroom – 9-26-09 [YouTube]

As the band came out for an encore, guitarist Tom Hamilton blurted out a simple “Fuck!” presumably as an exclamation about what they had just performed and the audience reaction they received. They asked for encore requests, gave a birthday shout-out, and then proceeded with a solid “Year of the Horse” encore. Although it couldn’t really compare to the pandemonium that preceded it, the tune created a fun dance-party vibe to end a stellar performance overall.

I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what a great experience I had with the Brothers Past crowd at the Bowery. I said “hi” to a few familiar faces and met a few nice folks up towards the front of the stage who were dancing but weren’t too rowdy. I even met some guys who knew and read Live Music Blog (hey Adam and co., if you’re out there, don’t be shy; come on in and drop a comment). I also had a nice conversation about the poster art scene with the dudes selling posters downstairs. I mentioned that I loved the color scheme in their poster for the show, and before I knew it, they had coaxed me into buying one….which I basically never do. It’s pretty nice piece, don’t ya think? By the way, my buddy Jon definitely enjoyed the show, though he may have put down a few too many drinks to come away with a vivid take on the show. I guess we’ll just have to take him back next time. I know I’ll be there.

Read on for a bit more media, including photos, audio, all the videos and a setlist:

Photos:
Although I’ve just about had it with my camera, I managed to grab a few decent photos; my full photo set is available here. For a bit more professional quality, I’d recommend checking out Jeremy Gordon’s flick set as well.

Audio
Thanks to some quick work by taper Scott Schneider, I’ve already been listening to the audio from this show (which obviously helped me make this a pretty thorough review). The show is available on the Live Music Archive here.

Video
Lastly, a big shout-out to dperls for all the stellar videos above. Great work. I went ahead and linked all of the videos in the setlist below, if you want to check out a couple more.

Setlist:
Full setlist (via bpradio forum):
1: Celebrity > Let’s Start A Gang > Bitches & Candy, The Ceiling Pt. I > Can You Keep A Secret?, Dead Clowns > Exhale
2: Inhale > Enjoy The Silence, State Police > Tired Sigh, Forget You Know Me > The Ceiling Pt. II
E: Year Of The Horse

Related posts:

• Downloads: Brothers Past at Bowery Ballroom Soundboard
• Preview: Brothers Past at Bowery Ballroom Tomorrow
• Jason Isbell @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC

On Friday night, I was able to head over to Tribeca and catch the Marco Benevento Trio, currently touring with drummer Andrew Barr (from the Slip) and bassist Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey). The trio has been on the road for some time, and it was evident in their playing as they provided a super tight, yet amply loose take on Marco’s latest instrumental creations.

My wife and I got held up at home a bit longer than we planned. Because of that and a little bit of fun with unfamiliar NY subways (hey, we’re newbies), we unfortunately just missed Nathan Moore’s opening set. I was bummed since I was definitely looking forward to hearing more of his well-crafted modern folk. That said, the show’s main event was a stellar Marco Benevento Trio production, a perfect combination of indie/art-rock songwriting, well-practiced jazz chops, and plenty of effects-laden avant-garde noise.

First off, Marco has pulled together a killer combo. Though I’ve always dug Andrew Barr as a member of the Slip, it seems like he is given a lot more space to unleash the drum hounds within the context of Marco’s sonic template. And Reed Mathis is a monster on the bass. He’s able to find a perfect place in the rhythmic pocket yet occasionally lay down Jaco-style fills when they’re warranted. Also, it’s clear these guys are having a blast playing together, which is always a big plus in my opinion; when the band has fun, usually the audience does too. They were all smiles.

In terms of the song selection, they played tracks culled primarily from his recent solo albums, Invisible Baby and Me Not Me. From the former, we heard some of the more bouncy, casio-keyboard laden numbers like “Atari” and “Bus Ride” as well as a rocking version of “The Real Morning Party” that pumped up the audience and got people moving nicely. From Me Not Me, they hit the high notes, nailing some of Marco’s best originals and doing some stretched-out versions of covers like My Morning Jacket’s “Golden,” the Knife’s “Heartbeats,” and Led Zeppelin’s “Friends.” They also treated us to a little A/V presentation, playing “Now They’re Writing Music” timed with the music video for the song, which was displayed as a backdrop on the large screen behind the band (we recently posted that video here). Of course, it wasn’t all album material. They managed to work in a nice cover of an Amy Winehouse tune; the name of the tune escapes me, but hearing it in instrumental form really brought out some soulful and funky textures.

Overall, as a fan of Marco’s solo material and generally of rock-oriented avant-jazz, I don’t see how you would not dig this show. It was a killer combination of well-crafted melodic instrumentals, top-notch musicianship, and creative improvisation. My only complaint was the mixed vibe of the crowd and venue. It was set-up more as a jazz-lounge sit-down affair. But clearly, both the band and a good portion of the crowd wanted space to dance, so all the people sitting in tables and chairs in front of the stage were a bit inhibiting. Marco even noticed it and felt compelled to make a comment at one point, giving the front-row folks a little push to get off their butts. Unfortunately nobody took the cue. Although a little inconvenient for a band and a crowd probably more accustomed to rock clubs, it didn’t stop most of us from getting down and it certainly didn’t put a damper on an overall stellar show.

Related posts:

• Preview: Marco Benevento Trio at Y92 Tribeca
• Sights and Sounds: Marco Benevento Trio @ Carnegie Hall, 7/20/09
• NYC Jazz Fest: Marco Benevento Trio, Bitches Brew Revisited, Dr. Lonnie Smith