By: David Schultz
Tea Leaf/Galactic Photo: Jeremy Gordon


The set list included significant time devoted to Tea Leaf’s loose jangly side, notably “My Bastard Brother” and “Let It Go,” an increasingly powerful version of guitarist Josh Clark’s “Carter Hotel” and the groove heavy “Sex In The 70s.” It also contained quite a few new songs like “Training A Cloud” and “Germinatin’ Seed,” always a fine sign for an evolving band. For those who weren’t familiar with Tea Leaf Green before Friday night, their opening set was not the best introduction to the San Francisco based foursome. In their element, Tea Leaf Green masterfully builds off the excitement of the crowd, patiently letting the music evolve. A fair number of people arrived early to catch TLG but the cavernous warehouse known as Terminal 5 can make a sizable crowd feel sparse. Although hey had a little more than an hour to work with, they never seemed to find that zone that TLG fans rave about.

Labels: Galactic, Tea Leaf Green, The Who

By: David Schultz

Right about the time that Phish went on their recently ended hiatus, the mood on their message boards started to turn. Instead of the Phish forums becoming a place where people could share their common love of the band, swap stories and exchange ideas, they became a venomous pit of mean-spirited criticism. Keeping in mind that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, Tea Leaf Green guitarist Josh Clark has scolded the fans on the TLG forum for overstepping their bounds with their remarks about bassist Reed Mathis.

One of the friendliest and easygoing people you will meet, Clark gently chastised a segment of the fan base in his own inimitable manner. In a post on the forum Clark wrote:

"While we appreciate and thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our art with you and complete the creative circle, I feel it necessary now to remind you of the amount of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice that goes into being in a grassroots band like this one. The reward is not mansions, Lamborghini's and caviar, its the pleasure of making great music exclusively. The demands of constant touring are not easy to survive under and its your support that makes life on the road bearable."

"Having said that I would like to address the current discussions going on here regarding our very own Reed Mathis. First of all he is Tea Leaf Greens Bassist. This constant stream of petty criticisms and comparisons is juvenile and embarrassing. Ben left the band. We want to keep playing, let this forever be the light above the door if you want to go with him."

"Tea Leaf Green is Reed Mathis, Josh Clark, Trevor Garrod and Scotty Rager."

"Reed has bent over backwards to assimilate his sound and styles into tea leaf green music and for the better if you ask me. You want the funk, go see Parliament. You want sparkling harmonies go check out the fleet foxes. you want to rock the fuck out stay right here, but figure it out and let us work."

"This is not an overnight process. When Tea Leaf Formed Ben had been playing the bass for less than a year, I the guitar for three, Scotty on the kit for four, and Trevor had just begun to explore his songwriting talents. Fortunately we had great fans with patience to allow us to develop individually and collectively, simultaneously granting their support. Here I ask you of this again. I know this is a public forum, but this is also our house. show some respect. Don't shit where you eat. "

"Reed has been changing his life completely and putting up a great deal of sacrifice to help make Tea Leaf Green the best band in the land. He's here to stay and I expect him to be welcomed as one of four and kindly at that. "

"Don't be Hateful, Be Grateful."

THE VERVE HAVE APPARENTLY BROKEN up again. Were this 1994, people might care. I'm sure they'll be back when The Rolling Stones license "Bittersweet Symphony" to a popular film and there's money to be made on a reunion tour.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green, The Verve

By: David Schultz

In September of 2007, right on the heels of three stellar shows at New York City's Gramercy Theater, Tea Leaf Green packed fans into the upstairs lounge of the now-defunct Mo Pitkin's for an all acoustic show. At the time, I recall hearing that the set was earmarked for either satellite radio or some sort of Internet release in conjunction with eMusic. With neither of those options coming to fruition, the set finally sees the light of day as Coffee Bean Brown Comes Alive, released today on the Tea Leaf Green Partnership imprint.

Coffee Bean Brown has long been the transparent alias of the acoustic version of Tea Leaf Green and despite the fact that the Mo Pitkin's show was supposed to be a stealth performance, it turned out to be not that well kept of a secret. Along with a few dozen other Tea Leaf fans, I was present at the extremely tiny room for one of the more intimate shows I've ever seen. Although no one knew it at the time, this turned out to be one of Ben Chambers final shows with the band, his romp on "Biscuits" serving as an unknowing farewell to the New York Leafers. A fine mix of old tracks and, at the time, new songs, this set is more than a snapshot of one of Chambers' last gigs; in showcasing the quality songwriting and breadth of musicianship that makes Tea Leaf so intriguing it's well deserving of this featured release in its own right.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz

The Band used to famously sing about life being a carnival, two bits a shot. Keeping the spirit of the Helm/Danko-sung classic alive, the travelling road show that is Tea Leaf Green likens itself to the circus coming to town. Without resorting to death defying stunts or sideshow freaks, Tea Leaf Green generates the equivalent wide-eyed excitement and exhilarating sense of wonderment as a night under the big top. Getting past the red and white tent that adorned the cover of last year’s Raise Up The Tent, Trevor Garrod has always filled his picaresque songs with the mindset of a self-aware, rakish vagabond and on “Criminal Intent,” Josh Clark’s demand to be taken to the circus comes straight from the seamy underbelly of the carnival. Just recently, the Tea Leaf Green three ring circus returned to New York City for a Saturday night show at The Fillmore NY at Irving Plaza as a stop on their just-concluded "Got No Friends" tour.

On their return to Irving Plaza, Tea Leaf didn’t stray far from their bread and butter, the complementary styles of Clark and Garrod, the yin to the other’s yang. For bands to be a true cohesive unit and propel themselves along a path to longevity, there needs to be more than one personality of intrigue. The Velvet Underground’s most inventive period occurred when John Cale was around to play the foil for Lou Reed, The Grateful Dead could become a different band depending on whether Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir were up front and the academic analysis of the Lennon/McCartney dichotomy has been run well into the ground. Throughout their two sets spread out over three hours, Tea Leaf moved between Garrod’s easy-going songs, filled with bucolic images and rural bonhomie, and Clark’s edgy bursts of primal, swaggering rock and roll. All the while, drummer Scott Rager and bassist Reed Mathis, who has returned to the band on a more permanent basis after splitting the past year between Tea Leaf and his commitments with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, provide the framework that allows the music to travel in any direction they choose.

In a nod to their surroundings, Tea Leaf scattered hints of The Big Apple throughout the night: the show’s opener, "Carter Hotel," one of Clark’s most complete songs, takes its name and casts a rosy glow on one of Manhattan’s more infamous hotels and their encore, a heartfelt cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” openly pines for a return to the familiar confines of New York City. More subtly, Clark worked in the distinctively angular licks commonly associated with Talking Heads into “Soldiers Of Kentucky.”

After the “Carter Hotel” opener, Tea Leaf moved through a upbeat first set that played out with a sense of immediacy. An early run through “Incandescent Devil” and the live gem “Mistletwo” got the majority of the crowd moving and a measured run through the catchy “Don’t Curse At The Night” involved the rest. Easy going fare like "Papa's In The Back Room" and a cover of Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" yielded to a mighty take on “Can You Guess It” which segued into Garrod’s steamy “The Devil’s Pay.” Normally an engaging stage presence, Mathis, who also opened the night with the Marco Benevento Trio, remained a sedentary, yet no less potent force on this night. More importantly, he and drummer Scott Rager, are starting to find a very comfortable zone together, coming together as a more cohesive unit.

Perhaps the most striking thing about Tea Leaf’s gig at the Plaza, especially the second set, was its tempest-in-a-teapot passion. Clark’s normally raspy voice tends to give his songs an air of confidence but the added bite with which he snapped off the lyrics to “Stick To The Shallows,” his effort at writing a Garrod-style tune, imbued the song’s folksy wisdom with an adamant mandate. Garrod seemed particularly moved by the spirit: at Clark’s urging, Garrod emerged from behind his keyboard setup during “Let Us Go” to uncharacteristically prowl the stage for his harmonica solo. Pumping one fist in the air in a slightly geeky fashion, Garrod got into Mathis’ face, much to the bassist’s delight, before riling up the crowd by taking his harmonica solo up onto Rager’s drum riser. The excitement of Garrod doing something unexpected and the cheers and smiles it provoked fulfilled the purpose that all good circuses serve: it truly made children of us all.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

San Francisco's Connecticut Yankee will host the February 20 debut of Counterclarkwise - a band made up of Tea Leaf Green's Josh Clark and Scott Rager, Particle and Phil Lesh & Friends keyboardist Steve Molitz and ALO bassist Steve Adams. The band, which will be playing a batch of Clark originals, should be quite familiar with each other: Adams spent lengthy stretches of 2008 with Tea Leaf Green while Reed Mathis toured with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Clark spent a month with Particle in late 2007 when Ben Combe left the band before their winter tour.

Clark can put on a great show with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and a glass of scotch, he should tear it up with Molitz, Rager and Adams sharing the stage. This might be a one-off performance for the group, so act accordingly.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz

For bands that spend a lot of time the road, the release of a new studio album usually fails to generate high levels of excitement. The loyal fan base is already familiar with many of the songs, having heard them in concert; for others, the mantra of “you have to see them live” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for any new record. With Raise Up The Tent, San Francisco based Tea Leaf Green have created an album that rewards both groups: it’s fresh enough to satisfy the thirst of those who have already drunk deep from TLG’s cup and potent enough to given new listeners a decent sense of what this band is all about.

A mighty live force, Tea Leaf Green’s last release, Rock ‘N’ Roll Band, a companion disc to the DVD of the same name, served as a Cliff Notes summary for those arriving late to the Tea Leaf Green party. Taking their time in following up, Raise Up The Tent opts against the formula of simply hitting the record button while the band does their thing in the studio. Rather, Raise Up The Tent complements rather than substitutes for the band’s live show. To wit, “Let Us Go” and “Not Fit” fade out right at the point where live versions would soar to another level.

Tea Leaf’s first studio release in close to three years, Raise Up The Tent puts Trevor Garrod’s melodious keyboards, mellifluous voice and thoughtful lyrics at the forefront with the talents of Josh Clark (guitar), Scott Rager (drums) and especially Reed Mathis (bass) only sporadically coming to the forefront. Instead of focusing on Tea Leaf’s exceptional musicianship, the album places emphasis on the songs. A loose, relaxed effort, Raise Up The Tent plays up Tea Leaf Green’s strong points, pulsing and bouncing along to a sprightly beat best exemplified by the frisky opening trio of “Let Us Go,” “Don’t Curse At The Night” and “Red Ribbons.”

Noticeably absent are a proliferation of Josh Clark’s guitar heroics. There are some nice solos scattered throughout the album but his most noticeable effort is his own “Stick To The Shallows,” a reflective tune that benefits nicely from Garrod’s Hammond organ work as well as his understated banjo, which gives the song a slight country twang. “Shallows” and Garrod’s slacker-tinged “Not Fit” have nice lyrical turns but it’s “Slept Through Sunday” and “Keeping The Faith,” which gets a nice kick from Rager’s jaunty drumbeat, that are Raise Up The Tent’s most complete efforts and nicely showcase just how good Tea Leaf Green truly are.

Bands painted with the jamband brush often have trouble getting their studio work taken seriously. With more efforts like Raise Up The Tent, that perception will have to change.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz
Photo By: Stacy Berger

The pages of TMZ are filled with stories of musicians treating their friends and too often their fans with a deplorable lack of respect. Tales of selfish behavior make for great press and unfortunately seem to nestle snugly inside the glove that is the egocentric world of celebrity. On the flip side, whenever a musician performs a good deed that’s falls short of bringing debt relief to the Third World, adopting a Malawaian child or staging a benefit concert, such news usually flies under the radar; that is, unless a reporter wants to cast a skeptical eye upon the situation. Josh Clark, guitarist for San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green, performed one of those rarely discussed acts of kindness by flying across the country to participate in a Friday night farewell soiree for one his fans. In playing an acoustic set at the Bowery Poetry Club, just across the road from the John Varvatos store occupying the former home of CBGB, Clark, along with upcoming local jamsters Turbine, gave the club a decidedly rowdier form of lyrics, meter and verse.

Seated on stage, Clark ran through a ninety-plus minute set of stripped down Tea Leaf Green tunes, accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar and occasionally on harmonica. It’s always fun to see a skilled guitarist play in an acoustic setting and Clark didn’t disappoint. He provided a small amount of fretboard fireworks but for the most part, closed his eyes and focused on the music. Initially, Clark battled an unnecessarily chatty crowd by offering acoustic renditions of hard-edged songs like “Dragonfly,” and “Bouncin’ Betty” as well as “Stick To The Shallows” off of Tea Leaf’s recently released Raise Up The Tent. As the set progressed, Clark charmed the crowd, bringing them into his world. Whenever he would banter with the audience, flash a mischievous smile or simply get them into the partying mood with songs like “The Bacon Song” (what you get when you give the guitarist whiskey), “Relax And Get Naked” and an emphatic rendering of Ween’s Spaghetti Western styled “Buenos Tardes Amigo.”

Clark may not have hit the right vocal heights for his cover of The Beatles’ “In My Life” but for “Working Class Hero,” Clark clearly inhabited the song’s proletariat soul. By the end of the night, Clark and the crowd, which contained a healthy smattering of Tea Leaf’s active New York fan base, were working as one, with the fans providing supporting vocals to “Piss It Away” and howling along to a cover of G&R’s “Used To Love Her.” Clark finished the night with a pair of his finest compositions, the wistfully hopeful “Carter Hotel” and the slightly harrowing “Jackson Hole,” which he segued nicely into The Meat Puppets’ “Lake Of Fire.”

Following Clark, New York City’s Turbine kept the BPC dancing till the wee hours of the morning with their jamtastic blend of funk, blues and rock. They may not have conjured up the restless spirit of CBGB but they did raise the ghost of Wetlands Preserve. In that vein, Turbine does sound a little too derivative of the jambands of yore; over the course of the night you could detect some Widespread Panic as well as some Grateful Dead, Eric Johnson and Justin Kimmel do a good job emulating the rhythm section of The Police and when a band prominently features a harmonica player, you’re going to have Blues Traveler flashbacks. Blatantly showing your influences isn’t that much a drawback though; O.A.R. has made an entire career out of serving up healthy doses of warmed-over Bob Marley. That all being said, Turbine possesses a fine spark and built their songs into satisfying jams, displaying a fire and creative energy that kept their set interesting. Jeremy Hilliard plays an enjoyable lead guitar and Ryan Rightmire does wonders with his harmonica. When Rightmire’s not engaging in John Popper inflected riffage, he uses an assortment of pedals to transform the sound with a wide range of effects. For the end of their set, Clark returned to the stage with an electric guitar, joining in on an extended run through Eric Clapton’s “Got To Get Better In A Little While” that, for some reason, moved along to the beat of “Forever Man.”

After the Labor Day weekend, Turbine will be heading west for a number of dates in Colorado and then pass through upstate New York in early October. After his one-off solo performance, Clark will rejoin Tea Leaf Green and, as is there wont, hit the road. They will return to New York City’s HighLine Ballroom for a pair of pre-Thanksgiving shows on November 25th and 26th.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green, Turbine

By: David Schultz
Photos by Jeremy Gordon

Since its inception three years ago, the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival has grown from an ambitious local weekend-long New York City counterpart to the Jammy Awards into an equally ambitious nationwide endeavor raising environmental awareness in conjunction with Earth Day. For this years Festival, Green Apple organized and produced “America’s largest Earth Day celebration” which consisted of open admission shows in eight different cities, including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, New York City’s Central Park, Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

As the Green Apple Festival has grown in stature, so have the bands that have helped GAM&AF attain its well-deserved reputation for presenting bands whose relevance matches the importance of its activist message. In its inaugural year, San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green played CBGB, bringing their easy-going rock and roll into the storied punk club. For the 2008 Green Apple Festival, Tea Leaf Green returned to New York City, only this time packing people into the HighLine Ballroom for a wonderful two-night run.

In many ways Tea Leaf Green is a band that keeps its fans young. They have tapped into the same fount discovered and perfected by the Grateful Dead and their shows, which differ from night to night, contain a palpable energy, bristling with a tangible excitement uncommon to the typical concert experience. Their fan base seems to reflect the timeless aura, it transcends age demographics and brings together a wide spectrum of fans who all revel in their communal love of the band and their music. Trevor Garrod, Josh Clark, Scott Rager and Reed Mathis are sitting at the epicenter of a perfect storm that should catapult them onwards and upwards. While true that there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert; there is also nothing like a Tea Leaf Green concert.

With bassist Reed Mathis on tour with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Tea Leaf has brought ALO’s Steve Adams into the fold for their Spring tour. If Adams had any nerves about stepping into the breach, they hardly showed. For the two HighLine shows, Adams comfortably prowled and bounded about the stage, meshing with Rager as if they had played together for years. Clark enjoyed goading Adams on, giving him a beaming grin whenever Adams found the right bass lick and busting into a funky little dance in response to an Adams solo during “Zoom Zoom.” If the HighLine nights were your first TLG shows, you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking Adams had been with the band much longer than four shows.

It’s hard to quibble with anyone branding Tea Leaf with the jamband label unless you are going to assume that the term includes lengthy noodling. Tea Leaf does not mess around with endless soloing and directionless jamming. A song oriented band, Tea Leaf explores the possibilities of their songs in a live setting. Over the HighLine weekend, they inserted a wonderful psychedelic interlude into Garrod’s folksy “Taught To Be Proud” and brought the house down with a tightly wrought reading of “Carter Hotel,” a song that could someday be Tea Leaf Green’s breakout crossover hit.

On the opening night, Tea Leaf interacted marvelously with fellow San Franciscans Hot Buttered Rum. Garrod emerged near the end of HBR’s opening set to sit in on a simmering version of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Retuning the favor, violinist Aaron Redner gave a down-home feel to a cover of The Band’s “Ophelia” to close the first set and during the second set, simply transcended the middle portion of “Criminal Intent,” turning Clark’s hard-charging rocker into a sultry, backwoods charmer. For night two, which coincided with Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York City, Garrod’s references to Jesus in “I’ve Got A Truck,” which came with an assist from Moonalice’s Barry Sless and Pete Sears, and Clark’s pronouncement during “Wet Spot” about finding God and buying him a drink had a slightly thematic tinge to them.

Not a band that gears its show towards excessive soloing, the second night’s encore featured some impressive (and rare) individual efforts. Clark opened the extra set on his own, offering a resounding reminder that he is one of the most gifted axemen currently practicing the craft before guiding the band into "Hot Dog." Towards the close of “Morning Sun,” Garrod, Clark and Adams slipped into the dark recesses of the stage giving Rager the opportunity to showcase the skills that make Tea Leaf such an intriguing band. A common thread running through Garrod’s melodic tunes and Clark’s straight-up rockers is Rager’s uncanny ability to find the right measures; it’s a trick he performs with the skill of the finest jazz drummers and he does it so well, it’s sometimes easy to overlook.

About a year ago, Tea Leaf’s set lists felt in stasis, as if they were pausing so that everyone could catch up. In the past few months, such criticism would be unfair. At the HighLine, Tea Leaf included beloved tunes like “If It Wasn’t For The Money” and “Kali-Yuga” but also included newer songs like “Let Us Go” and “Red Ribbons.” You sense that Tea Leaf is sitting on a geyser of creativity and it is taking all their effort not to drown their fans in what they have at their fingertips. It makes for a fun time to be a Tea Leaf Green fan. If you’re not on board yet, drink the tea now before it becomes too hot to handle.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

In an e-mail sent out to Tea Leaf Green's fan base, bassist Ben Chambers announced he was leaving the band to pursue other interests. "After ten great years on the road as a touring musician, I have come to the realization that this life is not for me," says Chambers in the e-mail. "As a result, I have decided to leave Tea Leaf Green to pursue some of my life's other passions. I wish my brothers in the band only the best."

For the time being, Reed Mathis, best known for his work with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, will be temporarily filling in for Chambers on Tea Leaf's upcoming shows. There seems to be some good karma at work as Josh Clark will be handling guitar duties for Particle in the wake of Ben Combe's departure from the band.

On a personal note, I wish Ben nothing but the best. On the occasions that I've met him, he's always been warm, gracious and extremely funny. I'll miss seeing him when Tea Leaf next comes to New York City (which will be December 29th at the Beacon Theater with Gov't Mule).

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

Labels: Live Reviews, Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz
Tea Leaf Green photos by Sugaree.
U-Melt Photos by Alison Holmes.

A little over a year ago, San Francisco based Tea Leaf Green sold out a two night run at New York City's Knitting Factory featuring hometown foursome U-Melt providing an eye-popping opening set. With U-Melt's irresistibly catchy grooves and Tea Leaf's polished mélange of all that's right about music, the scene seemed too large for The Knit to contain. This past Saturday, history wonderfully repeated itself when both bands showed how much can be done in a year before a sold-out crowd at the 1,000 person capacity Irving Plaza.

Tea Leaf Green manages to be a jamband without belaboring a single musical passage beyond the point of interest and into an experimental abyss. Tea Leaf's nicely timed instrumental breaks leave much room for improvisation, rarely running astray. That ability was very much on display this past Saturday night as was their versatility: their set list contained nearly three hours of their greatest hits while still providing a couple surprises.



With green lights twinkling amidst the crowd, Garrod, who would occasionally slip into a dreamy trance, led Tea Leaf through a powerful reading of "Taught To Be Proud," their Jammy winning Song of the Year, keyboard fueled rockers like "These Two Chairs" and "Morning Sun," the country-tinged "Faced With Love" and "It Wasn't For The Money" and an ardent, steamy run through "The Devil's Pay." Tea Leaf's heavy side comes through when guitarist Josh Clark steps forward on vocals. During the second set, Clark laid his measured, impassioned rasp over the bluesy stomp of "Dragonfly," let loose on the rowdy "Criminal Intent" and perfectly gave the right feel to AC/DC's "Have A Drink On Me," the night's one cover.

Not only is Tea Leaf's fan base growing, they are becoming much more attuned to the band's musical cues and segues. Once Scott Rager began the drum kick that leads into "Franz Hanzerbeak," the crowd burst into cheers well before Ben Chambers walked in the song's ridiculously funky bass line. Given the familiarity, Tea Leaf's inversion of the "The Garden, Part III" and "The Garden, Part II" brought loud applause. Even those introducing themselves to the band this night needed no back story to find the band's segue from Garrod's leisurely "Trouble" into a reprise of "Criminal Intent" intriguing. Making the transition between the songs with the same precision as an Indy race car driver speeding quickly into a toughly banked turn, Tea Leaf showed an impressive dexterous tightness that needs to be heard to be appreciated.

Making their first of what will likely be many appearances on Irving Plaza's stage, U-Melt triumphantly debuted before a great deal of fans who arrived early to catch the much-buzzed about band. With their fast-paced, high-octane fusion of electronica, rock, funk and jazzy intrigue, U-Melt gave notice that their sound is ready for bigger and larger arenas.



Guitar heroes always attract attention and Rob Salzer is no exception as his stunning solos continue to dazzle without shattering the framework of any song. The balance isn't solely a factor of Salzer's impressive skills, Zac Lasher on keys, George Miller on drums and Adam Bendy, who dropped a magnificently funky bass solo into "Air," thrive on pushing each other to loftier heights, nicely showcasing their singular skills without ever disrupting the groove. Their hour-long set included Salzer's "Different Things" and Miller's "Air" from The I's Mind, recently written tunes like "A Robbin's Tale Part I (Marx Marvelous Moans)" and "Clear Light" and splendid cover of "Once In A Lifetime." The brevity of the opening set only served to whet the appetite for what U-Melt has to serve.



U-Melt's next New York City gig will be on May 12th, when they return to the main stage at the Knitting Factory, a venue that seems that much smaller every time U-Melt revisits. The same hype currently swirling around U-Melt feels oddly reminiscent to the buzz that surrounded Tea Leaf Green at this time last year. Unsurprising, as both bands follow the credo of broadening their fan base with constant touring, winning hearts with their amazing live performances. The only thing keeping U-Melt from catching Tea Leaf Green seems to be the relentless pace the San Francisco rockers are setting. However, as David Letterman has always been fond of saying, "it's an exhibition not a competition, please no wagering." But, if you must gamble on being blown away by a band, laying down money to see either Tea Leaf Green or U-Melt may be the surest bet of all.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green, U-Melt

We here at Earvolution have decided that the Best Albums of 2006 idea has probably run its course. Let's be honest, you don't need us to tell you that Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs and Pearl Jam put out great albums; that The Hold Steady, Cold War Kids and Wolfmother had breakout years and Gnarls Barkley put out the Song of 2006.

What we can do for you is list, in no particular order, a handful of albums that though worthy, many not have received the attention they deserved.

U-Melt: The I's Mind

U-Melt spent 2006 establishing themselves as one of the hardest-working bands on the jamband touring scene. Shortening the solos, U-Melt successfully brought the fun and intensity of their live shows into the studio. Zac Lasher talked to Earvolution about the new album and more here.




Tea Leaf Green: Rock 'N' Roll Band

A companion to the identically titled DVD, Tea Leaf Green's live album gave long time fans a high-quality audio version of the San Francisco rockers' best songs and offered new listeners a perfect introduction to their sound. More on the DVD/CD releases here and our exclusive "embedded" weekend interview with TLG from the Dave Matthews Randalls Island Getaway is here.





Block: The Last Single Guy

The star-crossed love child of Beck and Lou Reed, the New York singer-songwriter poetically captures the fading beauty of the Big Apple, ruing the day that Avenue A turned into a "punk theme park." Read our full album review here.





Willy Porter: Available Light

Born of loss, Porter celebrates life on Available Light. Containing a nice dose of Porter's inimitable guitar, it's his songwriting, especially on the post September 11 elegy "One More September," that stands out. Check out our full album review here.




Carolina Chocolate Drops: Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind

The sounds of the Carolina foothills as channeled through a trio of twenty-somethings that know the era only through history books . . . and their mentor, legendary fiddler Joe Thompson.

More on the album here.




Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: Nothing But The Water

How can you not love a girl who demands her J.J. Cale records back from her ex? And, who looks better in an Earvolution t-shirt? Technically a 2005 release, this album got the remastering and rereleasing treatment for 2006. Anchored by a transcendent title track, Potter & The Nocturnals get bluesy, funky and little gospel on their debut disc. More on the band here.



Foundry Fields Recordings: prompts/miscues

Bleak musings on a post-apocalyptic future never sounded so enjoyable. Front man Billy Schuh's airy voice gives even the direst of visions an optimistic slant.

More on the album here.




Radio Birdman: Zeno Beach

Australia's version of The Ramones wakes from a lengthy slumber and comes up with one of the freshest albums of the year. The veteran rockers crisp, in-your-face songs prove that hard driving rock isn't solely the province of the young.

More on the album here.





Vernon Reid & Masque: Other True Self

Exploring jazz, funk and avant-garde, Reid brings the rock instrumental album out of the doldrums. With Leon Gruenbaum alongside, Masque interprets Depeche Mode and Radiohead and give life to Reid's excellent originals. Vernon Reid spoke to Earvolution about the album and much more here.

Labels: Block, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Foundry Field Recordings, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Masque, Radio Birdman, Tea Leaf Green, U-Melt, Vernon Reid, Willy Porter

By: David Schultz

Over the last couple years, Tea Leaf Green has become one of those bands most associated with the phrase, "Dude, you have to see these guys live." Well, for those who have yet to experience a Tea Leaf Green show for themselves (and for those who have), their latest release Rock 'N' Roll Band, a DVD directed by Justin Kreutzmann, and its companion CD soundtrack of the same name, provides a nice snapshot of one of today’s most electrifying live acts. The DVD/CD documents Tea Leaf's May 19, 2006 performance at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO. Although you get a healthy dose of Tea Leaf, the DVD isn't a full concert release. Kreutzmann compiled the footage into a documentary style production, artfully catching the band within its native habitat, on the stage.

The son of Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Justin Kreutzmann knows a thing or two about bands that thrive in the concert environment. In filming Tea Leaf on stage and at rest, he's provided a lengthy look into the TLG concert experience as well as some quick snapshots that provide some insight into Tea Leaf's personalities. Kreutzmann tries to present the band from untraditional angles, both in his filming perspective and personal insights. He contrasts the energy of the concert footage with one-on-one interview segments taped in the band's hometown of San Francisco, CA. The live segments are nicely filmed, giving an interesting close-up perspective as opposed to the traditional back of the arena camera angle. The one drawback to Kreutzmann's technique: too few shots of the audience, which, as the band says in the DVD, can sometimes be the difference between a good show and an incredible show.

The concert scenes and the interviews focus heavily on keyboardist Trevor Garrod and guitarist Josh Clark. As they are the two most talkative members of the band, it's not surprising that Kreutzmann featured them heavily in the interview segments. However, in the concert footage, Ben Chambers' animated bass is often relegated to the background and drummer Scott Rager appears primarily in the background of shots of Clark. The DVD contains some extras not present on the CD release. In addition to the encore of "Don't Let It Down" and "Sex In The '70s," the end credits feature Garrod and Clark's "Truck Stop Sally," the chorus of which might nicely sum up the band's philosophy. "If you want to get high with the band, you got to get the band high too."

One of the more fan-friendly bands, Tea Leaf happily allows and encourages their fans to trade bootlegs over the Internet. Although Clark pointed out to Earvolution that "we dressed up nice and shaved," Tea Leaf claimed they did nothing special for the taped performance. Consequently, a live CD seems, on the surface, like a teaspoon of water poured into the ocean. However, there's something here for everyone. Hardcore Leafers can appreciate the superior sound quality of the CD, which far surpasses even the best bootlegs. For those getting their first introduction to TLG, the CD provides a nice introduction to the band. The package includes exceptional takes on "The Garden (Part III)" and "Taught To Be Proud," their two most accessible songs, wonderful jams on "Jezebel," "The Garden (Part II)" and "Devil's Pay" and a relentlessly cool take on "Franz Hanzerbeak." If you can’t get into "Franz Hanzerbeak," just stop listening to music, it's probably lost on you.

No DVD could ever serviceably replicate the feeling of being at a Tea Leaf Green show or any other concert for that matter. While Kreutzmann's close-up documentary isn't the same as sitting in the front row yourself, it does give a good sense of how much fun a Tea Leaf Green show can be.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz

For anyone with the desire to seek it out, this past weekend in New York City yielded a bounty of exceptional live music. Saturday night's option was easy to locate: the scalding hot Tea Leaf Green made their return to New York City for a show at Irving Plaza, their largest Manhattan venue to date. On Friday night, the intrepid and the mobile had plenty of time to catch the funky Afroskull ensemble at the Lower East Side's Parkside Lounge before Licorice's late-night set at The Knitting Factory.

A Band On Fire:

On the same weekend that Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein played CBGB's last notes, Tea Leaf Green made a triumphant return to Manhattan for the first time since headlining the beloved punk club during last April's Green Apple Music & Arts Festival. Without question, Tea Leaf Green is simply a band on fire right now. Portended by the increasing size of each ensuing venue, Tea Leaf is attracting a great number of new listeners to go along with their growing legions of converts. While newcomers may be daunted by Tea Leaf's sizable repertoire of concert staples, they can bring themselves up to speed with their new CD/DVD release, Rock 'N' Roll Band, which will be released on October 31st.

Ridiculously punctual, Tea Leaf took the Irving Plaza stage promptly at 10:00 p.m., opening with a rollicking "Jezebel" before segueing into a harmonica laced "Incandescent Devil." Their short first set featured a good dose of their laid-back jamming centered on Trevor Garrod's flowing pseudo-folksy keyboard riffs and featured spirited versions of "The Garden, Part II" and "Panspermic De-evolution;" the latter anchored by Ben Chambers' nifty bass work. A heavier second set really showed off Tea Leaf's burgeoning confidence, especially during the uber-cool "Franz Hanzerbeak." Fresh off of sharing the stage with Trey Anastasio in Charlottesville, VA, Josh Clark ripped through a number of crisp solos, closing the set with "Death Cake," one of their heaviest songs. Given the charismatic personalities playing in front of him, it's easy to overlook the drumming of Scott Rager, but his versatility gives Garrod, Clark and Chambers the freedom to explore musical possibilities without wandering far astray. Moving beyond the music, Tea Leaf's stage show received a boost from their lighting director, Alan Sezak. In step with the band the entire evening, Sezak used Irving Plaza's lighting system to a degree rarely seen at the venue, accentuating the music and adding an arena-like dimension to intimate venue.

Right about now, Tea Leaf Green are a high precision machine splendidly working on all cylinders. If for some reason you've missed this band: by any means necessary find one of their CDs, check out their MySpace page or even better, go see them when they come to your town. If for some reason you don't get it upon your first listen: play it again, because you did something wrong the first time.

1:00 a.m. Is The New 10:00 p.m.

With a California based band dominating Saturday night, New York based bands prodigiously plied their craft on Friday. Licorice, closers of our 2006 Summer Jam battled some scheduling uncertainties to pull of a wonderful late-night set at the Knitting Factory's Tap Room befitting of their status as a former New Groove of the Month. In an ode to Friday the 13th, Licorice took the stage with hockey masks that might have led the unaware to think they were seeing a Slipknot homage. Their set consisted of a nice mix of familiar staples, like the melodious "Freeze" and the lively avant-garde-ish "What's Your Status In London," with a couple relatively new tunes and some nicely selected covers.

Despite the late hour, Licorice kept the crowd energized. Even after seeing Licorice on many occasions, their ability to keep a loose jazzy feel while retaining their tightness as a band remains striking. Though impressive, it's not surprising: all four are such talented musicians. Bassist Matt Epstein and drummer Josh Bloom provide fertile soil for guitarist Dave Lott and keyboardist Chad Dinzes to improvise over. If anything, Epstein needs to face the audience more so they can get a better idea of his skillful bass playing. Before closing with their slick adaptation of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita," Licorice ran through a couple of their latest songs. The bouncy "All Kings Fall," which rides on a funky bass line, features some jazzy drumming by Bloom; "A Million Grains Of Sand" begins as a pleasing pop song before sharply shifting gears into a closing jam a la Yes' "Starship Trooper." Lott dove heartily into a cover of Eric Clapton's "Got To Get Better In A Little While" and though Dinzes may not have nailed Thom Yorke's relatively inimitable vocals, he masterfully got Radiohead's "National Anthem" across on his keyboards.

Afroskull's Funky Friday

With their roots in New Orleans, the now New York based Afroskull played an early evening show at the Parkside Lounge, one of their frequent haunts on the lower east side. Led by guitarist Joe Scatassa, Afroskull follows in the footsteps of the bands of the seventies that amassed a troupe of musicians to form their funky sound. Since transplanting from the Crescent City, Afroskull has kicked around New York for a couple years while their current lineup gels acquiring a fine little horn section along the way. Friday night's show appears to be their last for a couple months as they are about to retreat to the studio to record a new album.

With space at a premium, percussionist Seth Moutal and the horn section were relegated to playing on the floor as the stage barely held Scatassa, bassist Dan Asher, keyboardist Matt Iselin and drummer Dan Asher. Perhaps owing to the configuration, there were moments when the musicians seemed to playing over each other, struggling to find their space within the groove. On other occasions, their interaction worked perfectly, mimicking their blend of sweaty seventies soul and New Orleans funk. There were relatively few solos as the band went from one funky jam into another.

Besides the seventies era funk, Afroskull's show bears noting for one of the more astounding individual performances I've ever seen. Before closing with Santana's "Soul Sacrifice," Scatassa invited a couple friends on stage, an especially tall bassist and a slight statured drummer, whose names I unfortunately missed. Iselin remained on keys, Asher dropped to the floor to play bongos and the horns took a break. The scaled down band skillfully ran through a couple bluesy numbers but it the drummer's unique style that drew my attention. It wasn't until the drummer stood up to leave the stage that it became noticeable that the drummer didn't have any hands and had secured the drumsticks to his arms with a relatively inconspicuous contraption. Quite a revelation: but at its core it's all just part of your typical New York concert weekend.

Labels: Afroskull, Licorice, Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz
Photos from Madison House Publicity and TeaLeafGreen.com

Karma, instant or otherwise, has always had a place within the world of rock and roll: everything that goes around seems to come around. In that vein, Tea Leaf Green's recent weekend stint on the side stage at New York City's Randall's Island as part of the Dave Matthews Band Island Getaway brought to mind the DMB's 1995 two night stand in Las Vegas opening for the Grateful Dead. In the same manner that many young fans who found the Dead during their resurgence in the late eighties/early nineties eventually adopted the Dave Matthews Band as their own, many high school and college age Matthews fans, right at the impressionable age where the band they find today can stay with them for life, are getting their first exposure to Tea Leaf Green.



Taking a page from Mohammed, if the people will not come to Tea Leaf Green, Tea Leaf Green will come to the people. Since forming in 1998, the San Francisco based band, made up of keyboardist Trevor Garrod, guitarist Josh Clark, bassist Ben Chambers and drummer Scott Rager, have been slowly developing a devoted following, building their reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts through memorable festival appearances and noteworthy headlining club performances. Over a hectic weekend, which saw them open both days with condensed sets, Tea Leaf Green spent some time with Earvolution, revealing themselves to be a thoughtful, humorous and down-to-earth bunch of guys that are clearly appreciative of the accolades bestowed upon them by their fans. Also evident, they are having a lot of fun on their journey, remembering not to miss the forest for the trees.

Whether as a group or individually, Tea Leaf gracefully welcomes others into their world; extremely at ease around each other, the band's laid-back nature makes them a lot of fun to be around. Such collegiality seems logical given the band's origins, which trace back to their time at San Francisco State. After class one day, Clark approached Chambers and asked him where he could get some weed and a friendship between the two was immediately born. When Chambers showed up in class a couple days later with his bass, Clark told him he played guitar. They quickly started playing with Rager; Garrod, a botany major, coming into the fold last. Like most college friendships, they run deep. "We can actively hate each other and love each other; it's unconditional love," explains Garrod.

It doesn't take long to discern that Garrod and Clark are the more animated and vocal members of the group, quick to interject a quip or a joke into the conversation. When asked about whether they had an opportunity to meet Dave Matthews over the weekend, Garrod, with a devilish grin responded that, of course, they met the man. "He came in and threw Scotty against the wall and yelled at him for drinking all the whiskey," deadpanned Garrod. He then self-effacingly understates the matter. "He doesn't even know who we are." Clark can't help but be friendly and chatty; it seems inimical to his nature. After delicately rebuffing some insistent young ladies who recognized the talented guitarist and relentlessly beseeched him to bring them backstage, Clark joked about the debauchery they would have faced. When informed that they really wanted to get backstage to see Slightly Stoopid, the good-natured Clark wasn't fazed one bit, finding the whole situation humorous.

In contrast to his extroverted stage persona, Chambers, while no less expressive than his eloquent band mates, comes across as more reserved and thoughtful in his responses. Where Clark and Garrod seem quick to share their thoughts; Chambers often reflects for a moment, weighing his words carefully. Betraying the stereotype of the wild, uncontrollable drummer, Rager is a pretty quiet individual. While lounging in the hospitality trailer after their Sunday set, a couple of Slightly Stoopid fans joined the conversation. Mistaking me for a member of Tea Leaf Green, they proceeded to congratulate me on how well Tea Leaf played this afternoon. As I tried to focus their attention to Rager, the proper recipient of the praise, the non-plussed drummer gave me a smile and a shake of the head as if to say, "nah, go ahead, enjoy."

During their Saturday morning sound check, Tea Leaf cut through the sleepy silence of the empty, spacious Randall's Island acreage with a brief run through "These Two Chairs." Sitting in the shade of the sound booth, a tiny oasis in the bright and sunny field, it was, for a brief moment, like you had the band for your own personal concert. Indicative of the band's appeal, their short warm-up caused everyone setting up the various beer, water and eco-friendly booths to pause from what they were doing to check them out. Despite tired souls - the group had flown in from California the night before and anonymously partied at a midtown karaoke bar until the wee hours of the morning - the band possessed an energetic vibe they can't help but invest into any performance, large or small.

Known for their lengthy club shows, notable for the number of songs they manage to work into their set, Garrod expressed a bit of concern over the makeup of the crowd while crafting Saturday's set list for their 45 minute set. Acknowledging that they would essentially be introducing themselves to a good number of DMB fans; Garrod looked at their time on stage pragmatically, describing the set as essentially "a movie trailer." In trying to predict their audience for the weekend, Garrod imagined, "a lot of young kids that have yet to learn to rock." With a grin, Chambers added, "We're going to try and teach them."

If the sets were a movie trailer, they would be generating Oscar buzz. Over the two shows, Tea Leaf offered a tremendous display of what they can do: "Taught To Be Proud" and "The Garden (Part III)" showed off Garrod's prodigious gift for songwriting; "Sex in The 70s," from Saturday's set, offered Clark the opportunity to rip off a handful of amazing guitar riffs and solos, playing off of Garrod's equally impressive keyboards; Sunday's rendition of "Franz Hanzerbeak" showed off Chambers' ability to carry a song with an extraordinary bass hook and throughout, Rager's understated proficiency on the drums kept the various styles from going astray. Economically packing great songs, funky jams and an evening's worth of energy into a festival length performance, Tea Leaf finished when they otherwise might just be hitting their groove. In doing so, they adhered to the old show business adage: they left the crowd wanting more.

In the same way that fans were coming to check out Tea Leaf Green, they were likewise checking out the fans, seeing what they enjoyed. "It looked like they were responding the songs when there was someone singing," noted Garrod, comparing the reaction to the instrumental jams. Clark's reaction to the fans was a bit more comical. Realizing that a lot of the younger fans who are into the music were concentrating on what he's doing, Clark felt a little self-conscious. "The kids are really into it, really paying attention, really watching; it was kind of weirding me out a little," joked Clark. "I had this group of young boys just staring at me." Clark pauses for a second, basking in the bemused stares of his band mates. "It's cool cause they get into it in their own way, they're checking out my chops; but I'm like 'Don't look at my chops,' 'I'm sensitive about my chops,'" he says with playful exasperation. "They also like a lot more sharpness in the music; years of drug abuse haven't set in yet."

While the Island Getaway makes a wonderful opportunity to play for newer ears, Tea Leaf are cognizant of how they have come to the attention of the majority of their fans, attributing a good deal of their success to the increased communicative power of the Internet. "If there was no Internet, there would be no Tea Leaf Green," overstates Clark. "If you want to go around the record companies with an untraditional model, you need the Internet to make that happen," explains Garrod. "With us, it first started with 'I heard about you guys on jambase,' then it became 'I heard you guys on nugs.net' or the archives; now kids are coming up saying 'I heard you on Sirius' or 'I've got you as a friend on myspace.'" The band has even entered the foray of online sales: making their first three self-produced albums, Tea Leaf Green, Living In Between and Midnight At The Reservoir, available on TLG's Corner Downloads, their own BurnLounge site.

The online activity has resulted in new fans arriving at each show: some who have heard of the band and others who have literally heard the band through the band's enormous body of live material. While Tea Leaf freely acknowledges the benefits of having their live shows easily available, they also note the flip side. "A lot of people go download the music first to check it out," says Garrod. "They'll either be into it or not. So it can work against you too. We have so much free live stuff. You don't know what kind of recording they're getting." Clark also sees quality control as a problem. "We've changed as a band," he says. "You don't know if you're sucking that night." Garrod puts it succinctly, "Here's a trade secret: sometimes your band sucks."

One of Tea Leaf Green's live shows (recorded on a night that they didn't suck), a May 19, 2006 performance at Boulder, Colorado's Fox Theater, will be prominently featured in their latest project, Rock 'n' Roll Band, their identically titled CD and DVD releases that hits stores on October 31, 2006. The DVD project originated with Justin Kreutzmann, son of Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann. Chambers explains that the genesis of the project came when Kreutzmann, a fan of the band, brought the idea to their manager. "He wanted to do a film of a band that could be big, before they were big." The band claims they didn't do anything special or different, playing a normal show. "We dressed up nice and shaved," concedes Clark. While essentially a Justin Kreutzmann project, they did insist that the DVD, which will not be a full concert release, contain complete renditions of songs instead of snippets or partial performances. There will also be one or two songs unique to each release, offering fans two subtly different experiences.

Tea Leaf doesn't consider themselves a jamband: although they realize the appropriateness of the classification and do not shy away from the term; considering the jamband label both a blessing and a curse. "When your first coming up it really helps, because it's a community," says the soft spoken Rager. "As you try and work your way up the ladder though, it definitely hinders you a bit." Clark echoes Rager's opinion, noting, "You get written off fast." Clark marvels a bit at the loyalty inherent in the jamband scene. "They're very obsessive. It really is an individual thing, a connection to the person on the stage. They call Jerry, Jerry, not Mr. Garcia; they call all their favorite musicians by their first name." Referencing the Phish boards, especially some of the extremely harsh and mean comments oftentimes posted there, Garrod notes that, "For the most part we have a pretty positive community." "Our fans haven't turned on us yet," he says with a mischievous grin. When do they expect their fans to turn on them? "When we make a lot of money," beams Clark. "Then they'll call us sell outs. And I'll be like, 'I got a lot of money, cool.' I'll buy myself new friends." "It'll be a bunch of Russian mail-order brides," teases Garrod.

The strength of the songwriting in Tea Leaf's songs sets them apart from the stereotypical jamband. Influenced primarily by the music of the sixties and seventies, Garrod draws inspiration for his songs from just about anything he comes in contact with. While too many jamband songs seemed structured as a framework for instrumental improvisation, Garrod's songs are fully fleshed out thematically tinged works, touching on historical figures, religious imagery and good old ambiguous metaphors and poetic turns of a phrase that have always had a place in folk, country and rock and roll. "I have a theory about this," Garrod proclaims. "Jambands are usually fronted by excellent guitar players who have no business writing lyrics to sing." While Garrod strolls about with a Patron bottle in hand expounding on this theory, Clark, a guitarist and songwriter, looks on in bemused disbelief as if to remind Garrod that he's still in the room and can hear him. In support of his theory, Garrod notes that Jimmy Page was smart enough to get Robert Plant to sing his songs rather than try himself. When Garrod finishes, Clark asks him, "So my songs are shit and I have no business singing or writing?" With a grin, Garrod dismisses Clark's protests, quickly replying, "I'm not talking about you." Clark then spends the next few seconds staring at Garrod until they both start laughing. "It's a theory," finishes Garrod. "An unproven theory."

The guys in Tea Leaf raise very few obstacles between themselves and their fans. "You want to create that sort of environment, where it's very informal," notes Garrod. While they enjoy meeting the very people who make it possible for them to do what they love, they also realize that you can't always be everything to everybody. Clark expressed a great appreciation for the passionate fans, showing great understanding when their enthusiasm takes them overboard, realizing there is a meaningful connection at work. "It's weird when someone comes up and says 'I love you, man,'" points out Clark. "You want to say, 'Have a seat,' 'Have a beer,' and have a regular chat; but it goes in a different direction. Your 'mythical' stage persona is all that they know." Chambers notes that the desire to be social can also be a bit of an onus, "cause if you're not, they'll think you're an asshole." Although the Tea Leaf guys have managed to maintain relatively normal personal lives, Chambers concerns on the invasions of privacy drew boisterous, good-natured teasing from Garrod and Clark who questioned whether "Hanzerbeak's got the paparazzi following him." "We're in the limelight. Lots of times it's very restricting," Chambers explains with seriousness. "If all of us walked outside naked right now and rolled around in the dirt, people in the west coast would know about it." Still playfully mocking Chambers, Clark points out, "No one is peering in my bedroom window."

The raves of the community that has formed around Tea Leaf Green have resulted in fans inflating their expectations as to what the band can deliver. While they normally meet such raised hopes, they don't feel any real obligation to live up to any hype generated outside their control. "Nobody ever lives up to any of that pressure," says Garrod. "We're thrilled that people are interested, period." Chambers shrugs off any perceived burden. "We give them the best gig we can have." As for negative publicity, they are more than rational and understanding about its role in the larger scheme of things. "There's always going to be someone talking about you," explains Clark. "The more you hear people talk shit about you, actually, the more popular you are," reasons Garrod. "The more you hear the harsh criticism, the more it's a function of your success." If anything, Garrod feels the criticism pales in comparison to the analysis he could provide to his and Tea Leaf's own material; Garrod being his own harshest critic.

Their reputation as road warriors is borne out by their constant touring. In estimating that they are on the road for about seven months a year, all agree that it feels like one endless tour. "When they say they're going to break a band, they mean it," says Garrod. Although they match their three to four weeks on the road with the same amount of time at home, they rarely get a chance to rest, playing shows along the west coast instead of lounging on the couch. "The only reason I got into rock n' roll was so I don't have to wake up before noon," says Clark of the irony of his hours. "We hardly sleep because we have to get up for the next sound check." Chambers describes the schedule as "pretty brutal." As for the dark side of touring people that don't get to see: Garrod points out that "we're getting up at the crack of dawn;" Clark chimes in with "the perpetual hangover." Over the weekend, their reputation for being party-loving guys, one not rebutted by Clark and Garrod's good-natured battle over whether they should be a whiskey or tequila drinking band, may have led to some chafed feelings with their fellow side stage bands. On Saturday, they may or may not have drank the Yonder Mountain String Band's liquor (they honestly don't know), leading to an awkward conflict and clearly marked coolers the next day.

On their last trip to New York in conjunction with the Jammy Awards and the Green Apple Music Festival, Tea Leaf played the soon-to-be-closed CBGB, comparing the experience with their first show at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium. While others may have seen their show at the historic club as an honor bestowed by the Festival's organizers (one likewise given to Umphrey's McGee), Tea Leaf humbly took it in stride, accepting the opportunity to play without seeing it as their right. "I licked the walls," says Clark about their time in the dank club. "I have a cough I can't get rid of. Joey Ramone had the same cough," brags Clark.

The CBGB show also served as a bit of a celebration for winning the Jammy award for Song of the Year for "Taught To Be Proud." "Our management knew [that they had won] about two weeks beforehand and didn't tell us. They wanted to surprise us," related Chambers. "We were trashed; I didn't think we were going to have to talk; I thought we were just going to sit and watch the show," recalls Clark. The surprise might have worked had they not bumped into Vinnie Amico of moe. shortly before the award presentation. "I came out of the bathroom," says Clark. "Vinnie saw me and said 'Dude, shouldn't you be on stage.' That's when I figured out we won." Although they didn't have any remarks planned, Chambers ad-libbed marvelously: examining the microphone carefully before memorably asking the crowd, "Where's the carb on this thing?"

In the always turbulent music industry, Tea Leaf Green are currently at the center of their own personal storm of goodwill: fans around the country are excitedly raving about them; their concerts are being swapped and downloaded with great frequency and the venues they are playing are increasingly getting larger. Despite all their success, to a man, they remain extraordinarily grounded; seeming to remember the truly important things in their lives. Early Sunday evening, Chambers and Garrod could be found standing alongside the Harlem River catching up with friends. Approximately forty yards behind them, a legitimate rock spectacle - a Dave Matthews Band concert for 60,000 plus people - was about to take place; the excitement palpable. Unconcerned with the excitement to their backs, Garrod and Chambers opted instead to calmly take in the sunset over the Queens landscape while listening to one of their friends discourse on the beauty of the moment.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green

The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival continued throughout a rainy New York weekend with the festivities spreading into numerous venues. Officially commencing on Thursday evening with the Jammy Awards, the Green Apple Festival seemed to offer something for everyone, ranging from two afternoons of free shows outside of Grand Central Terminal to two evening shows where jambands packed in CBGB, the legendary punk rock club.

With the buzzes not yet faded from the last evening's Jammy Awards, New Groove of the Year recipients Grace Potter & The Nocturnals performed a lunchtime set on Vanderbilt Avenue. Just hours later, Potter and her band moved a few blocks west, opening for Toots & The Maytals at Times Square's Nokia Theater. In addition to the New Groove honoree, Umphrey's McGee, Assembly of Dust and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones also offered abridged sets.

On Friday evening, commuters were met by the weekend's most ubiquitous performers, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart and percussion/performance art troupe, The Mutaytor. Anyone patient enough to catch a later train managed to catch a reprise of Hart's percussion extravaganza from the prior evening, including guest appearances by Mike Gordon and Steve Kimock. On Wednesday evening, Kimock (and others) joined in with Hart and Bill Kreutzman's Rhythm Devils at The Canal Room. Hart repaid the favor on Friday night, joining Kimock and drummer Stephen Perkins for their Canal Room set. The following evening, Kimock and Perkins moved their act down to the Blue Note Jazz Club for a late night set.

San Francisco based Tea Leaf Green, fresh off their victory for Song of the Year, stormed into CBGB playing three sets in just under 5 hours. In addition to playing their award winning song, "Taught To Be Proud," Tea Leaf Green paid homage to the New York underground scene upon which CBGB's reputation is founded, covering The Ramones' “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” and "Teenage Lobotomy" as well as The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For My Man." While maybe not the type of performance the punk rock gods envisioned as one of CBGB's last, Tea Leaf Green left their indelible imprint on the soon-to-be-closing venue.

In line with the eco-friendly theme of the weekend, fans attending Particle's Friday night show at the Bowery Ballroom were encouraged to leave their cars at home and ride their bicycles to the arena. While the weather didn't entirely cooperate with such a venture, the really nasty downpour didn't occur until the next evening.

The festival wound down last night at the Ziegfeld Theater with the debut of the documentary, Wetlands Preserved. The film recalls the history of the beloved club that was once owned by Green Apple Festival organizer Peter Shapiro. Centering the close of the festival on the film makes a proper honor for the individual whose efforts made possible this year's inaugural event.

Labels: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Tea Leaf Green

By: David Schultz

More than eight hours after the music began at the 6th Annual Jammy Awards at the Theatre at New York City's Madison Square Garden, U-Melt wrapped up their late-night, after-hours set at Lucille's Café inside the B.B. King Blues Club. By the time U-Melt launched into a seamless version of "Jacob's Ladder" and "Cloud Box" to close the show, the main stage area had been emptied, cleaned and locked up, Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil Zappa's revue honoring his father Frank Zappa, having finished long ago. Even with sunrise looming on the horizon, Lucille's remained filled with exhausted but frenzied fans relishing the experience and planning their excuses for skipping work the next day. And, it's just the beginning. In past years, U-Melt's after-Jammy show, which featured a guest appearance by Rob Somerville of Deep Banana Blackout, would end the festivities, but this year the Jammy Awards are the springboard for the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival that will inhabit New York City throughout the weekend.

Without question, the Jammy Awards generate more excitement than any other awards show. In celebrating the spontaneity, excitement and enjoyment of live music, the Jammys have a well-deserved reputation as a show where you will get to see and hear something you're unlikely to see anywhere else. 1/10th awards, 9/10ths concert, the Jammys pair musicians together for live performances that seem awkward on paper but, more times than not, sound phenomenal on stage.

Even with jamband titans regularly in attendance, the show typically gets stolen by an artist that seems foreign to the scene. At last year's show, Huey Lewis' strong performance with Umphrey's McGee brought down the house and Ryan Adams amazed the crowd by bringing out by freeing his inner Deadhead, teaming with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh for a spot-on reading of "Wharf Rat" and "Bird Song." This year, Peter Frampton turned in the standout performance. That is not a typo and bears repeating, Peter Frampton rocked the Jammys. Playing with Guster and guitarist Martin Sexton, Frampton came alive once again with a rendition of "Do You Feel Like I Do" complete with seventies-era talk box. No longer the fresh faced youth depicted on his most successful album, Frampton showed why his name will always be associated with live music in the annals of rock history.

The Mutaytor, a troupe of drummers, percussionists and performance artists, provided another of the evening's pleasant surprises. Joining Grateful Dead drummers and Jammy Awards co-hosts Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman, The Mutaytor's dozen or so members gave proper thunder to a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile." The Rhythm Devils' set seemed to clear the backstage area as by the time they finished running through Santana's "Jingo" and "Iko Iko," Steve Kimock, Mike Gordon, Charlie Musselwhite and many others had joined the tribalesque fun.

As he did at Woodstock ages ago, Richie Havens, wearing what looked like a homemade dress, opened the evening with The Mutaytor drums performing an inspired "Freedom" before yielding the stage to Mutaytor's performance artists. Blues Traveler teamed up with DJ Logic and R & B legend Bettye Lavette that featured the spry 60-year-old soul singer own the stage, forcing John Popper to keep up with her on their cover of "Magic Carpet Ride." One of the evening’s more intriguing pairings involved Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and tap dancer Savion Glover. The only thing more enjoyable than Victor Wooten and Glover's bass/tap dance duo was the bemused expression on Tyner's face as he tried to comprehend what he was watching.

After engaging in a competition as to who could wear the silliest hat, Steve Kimock and Joe Satriani teamed up for some guitar fireworks. Midway through their set, they were joined by Grace Potter on keyboards for a mindblowing rendition of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer." Potter and her band the Nocturnals received the New Groove of the Year award earlier in the show and the young singer/guitarist/keyboard player more than held her own with the two veteran guitarists.

Frank Zappa, whose inventive influence plays an enormous role in the jamband world, posthumously received the Lifetime Achievement Award. In accepting the award on behalf of his father, Dweezil Zappa noted that his father really didn't like awards or award shows but thinks he would have really appreciated his honor from the Jammys. Zappa then took the stage with Napoleon Murphy Brock and his new Zappa Plays Zappa ensemble for, what else, a set of Zappa tunes. Even though the set contained standout solos from keyboardist Chick Corea and Umphrey's McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger, the set wasn't the blowaway transcendent performance most hoped for.

At the 3rd annual Jammys, moe. braved the chants of "More Cowbell," playing with Blue Oyster Cult. This year, moe. had the stage relatively to themselves, being lent an unintrusive hand by The Mad Professor, covering "The Guns of Brixton" and offering a lengthy version of "Buster." Little Feat and blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin, anchored the final spot in the lineup, being joined by Stephen and Ky-Mani Marley and ultimately everyone else for an all-star finale of "One Love." Once the Bob Marley tune, intended as the evening's last number, concluded, Little Feat broke into an impromptu rendition of "Dixie Chicken," ending the night with a flourish.

Amidst all the excitement, awards were handed out in categories like Live Performance of the Year, Live Album of the Year, Studio Album of the Year and Tour of the Year. Like any awards show, it's tempting to parse through all the trophies handed out, the speeches of gratitude and the recognition of exceptional achievement in an attempt to discern a winner. At the Jammys, such an endeavor always leads back to the same winner each year - - - the audience.

The 2006 Jammy Awards went to:

Tour of the Year:
Big Summer Classic Tour (String Cheese Incident, Keller Williams, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee, New Monsoon, and Xavier Rudd)

Live Performance of the Year:
moe. Tsunami Relief Benefit, Roseland Ballroom, NYC, 2/10/05 (with Trey Anastasio, Sam Bush, Jennifer Hartswick, John Medeski and Ray Paczkowski)

Live Album of the Year:
Widespread Panic - Live at Myrtle Beach

Studio Album of the Year:
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon - Sixty Six Steps

Archival Album of the Year:
Phish - Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995

Song of the Year:
Tea Leaf Green - "Taught To Be Proud"

New Groove:
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

DVD of the Year:
Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

Global Rhythm World Music Award:
Baaba Maal

Labels: DJ Logic, Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, moe., Peter Frampton, Steve Kimock, Tea Leaf Green, U-Melt, Umphrey's McGee, Victor Wooten, Zappa Plays Zappa

By: David Schultz

Just ask Bode Miller, the pressure of living up to any type of hype or advance publicity, oftentimes generated outside of your control, can be a crushing weight: especially, if you are a band in the process of establishing your name. Such a burden has been placed squarely on the shoulders of Tea Leaf Green as, over the past year, a pleasant groundswell of goodwill towards the San Francisco quartet has spread through the jamband world.

With each show, Tea Leaf's current fans find themselves mingling with an equal but growing number of new ones who have heard the word or, more appropriately, the torrents, and want to see for themselves whether Tea Leaf's worthy of the acclaim. Upon their first exposure to Trevor Garrod, Josh Clark, Ben Chambers and Scott Rager, most are discovering that the believability of hype spread by fans differs exponentially from that spread by the music industry. Big labels hype what needs to sell; fans hype what they know to be good.

Tea Leaf Green returned to New York City this week for their first time in 2006, playing two shows at TriBeCa's The Knitting Factory with the equally exciting U-Melt. On Friday night, the two bands combined for an orgiastic musical feast of groove-heavy, eyebrow-raising rock and roll that lasted nearly five hours and left the normally tireless New York crowd spent by the end of the evening.

Tea Leaf Green's music boldly and refreshingly defies definition by genre. At times TLG sounds like a 21st century Grateful Dead and other times like a throwback version of Phish. However, listeners looking to Tea Leaf Green as a logical successor to either would be missing the forest, or rather the tea leaves, for the trees. While comparisons to the musical gods of the jamband scene aren't unfair, any attempt to pigeonhole Tea Leaf Green into a singular genre doesn't do justice to the considerably singular musical style they've crafted. Throughout the night, country, blues, jazz, funk and straight forward rock and roll could be detected, but not in any distinctly tangible form. Their set list and catalog do not include a country song, followed by a blues song, followed by a funk tune, etc. Instead Tea Leaf incorporates the various styles that have clearly influenced them into one fascinating fusion that keeps listeners on their toes and fans on their feet.

Whether seated at the keyboards pounding out melodies, standing and leaning into the audience with a surprisingly pliant microphone stand or simply taking a second to stand back and join the audience in dancing while guitarist Josh Clark and bassist Ben Chambers did their thing, keyboardist Trevor Garrod funnels an enormous amount of energy into his performance. Tied but not anchored to his keyboards, Garrod remained in perpetual motion throughout the entire show. The only complaint about Garrod's performance would center on the creepy set of X-ray specs that he wore throughout the second set opener "Lil' Hood." As Tea Leaf's main songwriter, Garrod takes a Dylanesque approach to his lyrics, preferring eloquent though often ambiguous turns of the phrase over more direct descriptions. Not everything is kept cryptic though; "Morning Sun" and "Las Vegas" contain simple choruses reflecting Garrod's celebration of life's joys.

Possessing a voice more akin to someone from Virginia then California, Garrod's mellow countrified tones provide a laid-back counterpoint to Tea Leaf's powerful style, much of which comes from guitarist Josh Clark and bassist Ben Chambers. Clark matches Garrod's keyboards and lyrics with his impressive guitar. At center stage throughout the show, Clark's blues and hard rock oriented guitar solos perfectly complimented Garrod's keyboards. Chambers, who inexplicably also refers to himself as Franz Hanzerbeak, remained in stoic bass repose for the portions of the show that he wasn't jumping and boogieing like a madman channeling Les Claypool. In appearance, Chambers looks like he was separated at birth from The Slip's bassist Mark Friedman, and in spirit he may have been separated from Snoop Dogg. Chambers' questioning of whether anyone in the house smoked marijuana before taking the lead on the Cypress Hill tinged "Planet of Green Love" brought an expectedly raucous ovation and his methodical rapping showed a deft aptitude for dope-inspired hip-hop. Although taking a set break, TLG played for close to four hours with drummer Scott Rager providing unrelenting drums. Although able to provide a couple jazzy cymbal breaks and occasionally taking a brief drum solo, for the most part Rager tirelessly pounded away, performing exceptional yeoman's work.

Opening the show with "These Two Chairs" and "Moonshine," Tea Leaf set an extraordinary pace that they maintained right through the entire evening. No small feat for a near four hour show. While Tea Leaf jammed consistently, they never stretched a song out to an interminable length. Most songs clocked in between five and eight minutes, allowing them to pack a lot into a show. Their ability to move seamlessly from country influenced songs like "Papa's In The Backroom," to groove-heavy tunes like "Georgie P" and folksy-bluesy material like "Deep River" shows off their versatility while also keeping the show fresh.

On his late-night radio program, Idiot's Delight, Vin Scelsa would ask any musical guest performing in the studio to play a cover song, believing that you can learn a lot about a musician from the songs and other artists they choose to cover. Applying that axiom to Tea Leaf's Friday night show, you would find a band drawn to well-written, well-crafted and intelligent rock and roll, an inference that would not miss the mark. TLG closed their first set with a tight rendition of The Beatles' "I've Got A Feeling," and eased through a deliberate reading of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For My Man" midway through the second set. The second set also included an impassioned and up tempo reading of Bob Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb Blues," turning the lines about going back to New York City into an audience sing-along. For their second encore, Tea Leaf rewarded those who stayed till nigh 3 in the morning with The Who's "Eminence Front." Unlike TLG's other covers this evening, this one deserved more applause for the effort than for the actual performance.

As for the experience of the show, it deserves mention that Tea Leaf's fan base are a wonderfully inclusive group, eager to share their stories and memories of past performances and impart their thoughts on the greatness of their band. In the tiny, standing-only club atmosphere of the Knitting Factory, a sense of communal experience developed with numerous instances of fans considerately making sure others could see without selfishly worrying about how close they could get to the stage.

U-Melt, Jambands.com's New Groove Of The Month, opened up the show, returning to New York after their winter tour, which including their first southern string of shows. No worse for wear after their tour, U-Melt returned from the road sounding like a band truly hitting their stride and gaining the finesse developed from constant touring and playing. Favorites like "Air" and "Green Amber" sounded strong and, with each playing, their version of "Praise You" becomes more a U-Melt song and less of a Fatboy Slim cover. Packing three hours worth of energy into their hour-long set, U-Melt quickly turned The Knitting Factory into an uncontrolled rave. The buzz around U-Melt has already started and with their momentum already headed in that direction, U-Melt should soon be generating the same type of excitement currently surrounding Tea Leaf Green. Fast forward to a year later and instead of opening for TLG, the pairing of the two will be an extremely attractive double bill.

U-Melt has an exciting couple months ahead, including another March 16 date with Tea Leaf Green at The Paradise in Boston with some exciting announcements coming in the next few weeks regarding U-Melt's future gigs. Tea Leaf's future looks rosy, as well. As part of the Green Apple Music Festival that hits New York at the end of the April, TLG will be playing the legendary punk club CBGBs on the festival's closing evening, April 22. In addition to hitting the festival circuit, TLG will also be featured on the side stage at the Dave Matthews Band Island Getaway taking place August 5 and 6 at Randall's Island.

Tea Leaf Green's New York shows seem to have the same effect as their others across the country. By the close of their second encore in the wee hours of the morning, many new converts had happily drunk from the carafe of Tea Leaf Green Kool-Aid and, once again, Tea Leaf Green lived up to the daunting task of meeting expectations, large and small. Wandering off into the refreshingly springlike New York night, fans rested comfortably that evening with the knowledge that shows like this one may soon be few and far between as intimate venues like The Knitting Factory will soon no longer house Tea Leaf Green's burgeoning fan base.

Labels: Tea Leaf Green, U-Melt