By: David Schultz


Over the course of three plus hours, Anastasio stretched out solo material like “Drifting” and “Night Speaks To A Woman” and Phish-TAB hybrids like “First Tube” and “Gotta Jiboo.” He even included a remarkable faithful cover of Dire Straits’ “Sultans Of Swing,” which received a phenomenal jolt from the horn section of Jen Hartswick and Natalie Cressman. At the end of the second set, Hartswick managed to steal the show, letting loose on “Black Dog,” her voice coming closest to Robert Plant’s preternatural howl then he has in decades. Still, the star of the show was the man whose name topped the marquee. Anastasio remains an enthralling guitarist, possessed of that rare ability to bring a crowd wherever they want to go. Songs that went five minutes, could have gone ten, those that went ten could have gone twenty. His is a rare and often undervalued gift.

For all of Terminal 5’s faults, it can be a tremendous room when the vibe is right and it takes a jamband crowd to make that happen. Aloof hipsters can’t generate the feel, if a truly collective moment happened in their presence, their ethic wouldn’t let them participate as it would make them part of the crowd. Younger crowds can’t do it either; forced eagerness kills the mood like Lenny handling rabbits. Jamband crowds get it right, whether through conscious recognition or an innate feel, they appreciatively dive right in and embrace the occasion. For those who don’t understand, being part of a crowd willing to briefly shut out the worries of the world and share their excitement over hearing a song may seem like a silly concept. Those who have experienced it, like those at Terminal 5 this past Tuesday, will tell you that it can revitalize the soul.

Labels: Licorice, Trey Anastasio, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

As the kids would say, The Chair In The Doorway, Living Colour's fifth studio album dropped yesterday (yes, I am aware the kids would have said it like that a couple years ago). The day before they showcased the album for friends, family and press, I interviewed Corey Glover for Hidden Track at their Brooklyn rehearsal studio.

A proper write-up of the album will come at a later date. For now, click on over to Hidden Track and see what Corey had to say.

THIS PAST WEEKEND, TREY ANASTASIO teamed up with the New York Philharmonic for a show at the venerable Carnegie Hall. Getting past the proliferation of nitrous oxide being blatantly hawked outside the theater (this is a story that you are going to hear a lot about in the near future), Anastasio and the orchestra came up with an awesome arrangement of the Phish warhorse "You Enjoy Myself." Apparently there are some issues with what versions of the video are YouTubeable, but Justin Ward over at Live Music Blog seems to be on top of what's what. Check it out here.

RUMOR HAS IT THAT PAVEMENT will reunite in 2010. If this happens, it will be salivated over to a degree that exceeds its actual import as everyone overhypes the return that not many paid attention to when they were around. Nonetheless, this is a good thing.

OBAMA CALLED KANYE WEST A JACKASS . . . and that makes news? What's next? Do we stop the presses if he calls Angelina Jolie hot?

Labels: Living Colour, Pavement, Phish, Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

Following the announcement of Phish’s recently-ended hiatus, Trey Anastasio spent the ensuing months recording Shine. Upon its release, the self-entitled phuckheads that thought Phish should tour in perpetuity took out their frustration over the band’s absence by instinctively heaping mountains of scorn the guitarist’s solo effort. Even at the time, the insulting and derogatory nature of the reaction towards Shine seemed more like the prattling of spoiled children throwing a tantrum that they can’t have their Phish than it did reasoned criticism. Now that Phish has made their triumphant return, completing their much anticipated summer tour, perhaps it may be its time to revisit and reevaluate Anastasio’s much-debated 2005 album.

Too poppy for the classic rock format and to jammy for mainstream radio, Shine nimbly managed to avoid catching on with either. Especially when compared to the rest Anastasio’s catalog, Shine compares to Eric Clapton’s output from the Eighties, before the Crossroads renaissance rejuvenated his career and cast Slow Hand in a more staid light. The title track, one of Anastasio’s sunniest, is a fine little pop song, although its weird overdub at the end of the chorus proves distracting. In contrast to the organic nature of the brunt of Phish’s catalog, some of the more obvious vocal tweaking on Shine still comes across as slightly jarring. Even now, the poppy nature of Shine retains its ability to baffle: that a jamband legend could come up with something so accessible and, dare anyone say it, simple, seems to betray an inner weakness. After all, how dare Phish's heart and soul create something that's meant to be enjoyed by people outside the Phish sphere of influence? What was he trying to do? Turn the whole scene into the Dave Matthews Band? There’s no denying that the album has its fill of catchy tunes and Anastasio foreshadows the orchestral base of Bar 17 and possibly his recent Times Turns Elastic with string arrangements lurking subtly beneath the surface of some of the tracks.

Anastasio would ultimately reclaim Shine in the time-tested jamband manner: on stage. Listening to songs like “Shine,” “Tuesday,” “Air Said To Me” and “Sweet Dreams Melinda” within the context of their live versions, they hold up as the blueprints from which Anastasio built something fine. Shine never had prayer of finding favor with Phish’s fanbase: it was too much of a marked shift from what many of Phish’s fans expected or wanted from their leader. In hindsight, the criticisms hurled at the album may have been fair but the venom with which it was spit forth still remains unconscionable.

Labels: Trey Anastasio

The preliminary line-up for the 10,000 Lakes Festival includes Bob Weir & RatDog, Trey Anastasio, Umphrey's McGee, Gov't Mule, Little Feat & The Derek Trucks Band.

Slate will premiere the new Bob Dylan video for "Thunder on the Mountain," from his latest Modern Times tomorrow. The video features archival footage of Dylan performing over the past four decades and Slate will also be hosting a contest where you can try to identify the years various pieces of footage were shot with the winner getting a guitar signed by Dylan.

Mp3s worth checking out -

Kristoffer Ragnstam: "Breakfast By The Mattress"

The Slip: "Even Rats"

Jeremy Enigk: "Been Here Before"

Robbers On High Street: "The Fatalist"

Pablo: "Loser Crew"

Glasgow's The Cinematics - a band I think we'll hear a lot more of in 2007 - will include this cover of Beck's "Sunday Sun" on their debut full length A Strange Education is due out in February and the lads hope to do some extensive US touring in support. That's a show I will surely try to catch. Viva Scotland!

Keller Williams is about to kick off a winter tour and announced his new record will hit stores February 7th - dream will feature appearances from various luminaries including Béla Fleck, Bob Weir, Martin Sexton, Michael Franti, Steve Kimock, The String Cheese Incident and Victor Wooten.

Labels: Bob Dylan, Jeremy Enigk, Michael Franti, Mp3s, Robbers on High Street, Scotland, Spearhead, The Slip, Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

With Bar 17, former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio holds out no olive branch to his phormer phans who wish him to remain phishy. Although it has its upbeat moments, Trey's latest, featuring Don Hall's lush orchestral arrangements, retreats from the spontaneity of Anastasio's mythical live performances, coming instead from the same part of Anastasio's soul as the softer Billy Breathes-era "Waste." For the opening night of his fall tour at New York City's Webster Hall, his first headlining show in months outside of this summer's G.R.A.B. performances, Anastasio made the decision to forego focusing the entire evening around his relatively plaintive new release, sagely opting against alienating the sold-out boisterous crowd. Those in attendance knew not to expect a Phish phest, but meditative, reflective album or not, they came to Webster Hall for some good-old jam-based rock 'n' roll. A consummate performer, that's exactly what Anastasio gave them.

Anastasio's enthusiasm in returning to the stage transformed itself into a marathon performance. While he showcased new material like "A Case Of Ice And Snow" and "Host Across The Potomac" he didn't ignore other signature, crowd-pleasing solo tunes like "Tuesday," "Come As Melody" and "Money Love and Change." Admittedly looking forward to getting a chance to perform, Anastasio's excitement also seemed linked to the fun of playing with some old friends. Joining longtime band members Jennifer Hartswick, Christine Durfee and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, who has become "The Big Man" to Anastasio's "Boss," are drummer Jeff Sipe and bassist Tony Hall. While Trey and Sipe can trace their history back to recent stints with Phil Lesh & Friends, their relationship goes back to the early 90s, when Sipe's Aquarium Rescue Unit regularly toured with Anastasio's Phish. Anastasio clearly relished playing with Tony Hall, facing off with him during second set renditions of "Gotta Jibboo" and "Night Speaks To A Woman." Anyone thinking Anastasio's guitar heroics are simply masturbatory wanking might have a field day with his near orgasmic facial expressions, especially during his center stage face-offs with Hall. However, the ecstatic expressions matched the inspired solos.

For the New York shows, Don Hall and a revelatory string section appeared for the tail ends of each set, providing soaring orchestral passages akin to those from the most indulgent Seventies' disco tracks; an astonishing counterpoint to Anastasio's guitar work. On "Goodbye Head" and "Shadow," Hall's strings recreated their lush arrangements from Bar 17, accentuating the music to such a degree that their prowess seemed out of place for Webster Hall. While the strings blended nicely, if not understatedly, with Anastasio's Zappa-esque guitar solos and Paczkowski's piano ruffles during "Bar 17," they seemed a tad misplaced during "Come As Melody," where they struggled to find their proper space. The evening's standout moment, an exquisite version of Phish's "The Divided Sky" with a slight detour into "Guyute" saw the most polished interaction between Anastasio and the strings. Played in honor of Anastasio's mother’s birthday, Anastasio played the tune solo on an acoustic guitar, allowing the talented orchestra to gloriously interpret the rest of the song.

Bar 17 features notable guest performances from the likes of Mike Gordon, John Medeski and the Benevento/Russo Duo. Opening night didn't include an appearance by any of Anastasio's recent collaborators but it did include a song from an old one. Although one of the night's weaker moments, old friend and Phish lyricist Tom Marshall joined Anastasio for "Skip The Goodbyes." The overly poppy tune seemed out of place amongst the guitar heavy tunes, although it did provide an interesting segue into the orchestral part of the evening.

Since beginning the solo phase of his career, Anastasio has weathered blistering criticism from some corners. That part of Anastasio's audience either stayed away from the guitarist's opening night or quite possibly, are warming up to his individual efforts. The perception shift seemed clearest during the crowd's warm reception of a wonderfully spirited rendition of the unfairly denigrated "Shine." A vocal segment of Anastasio's listeners seem to be trolling for a big catch in waters their quarry no longer calls home. They catch a nibble here and there, as in the orchestral "The Divided Sky," but for the most part they're missing Anastasio's evolution into a solo performer, best typified in the night's encore. In returning to the stage, Anastasio spoke to the crowd for a few minutes, introducing the band, providing an update on Phish drummer Jon Fishman and telling an interrelated anecdote about Paczkowski's prowess at milking cows. After the strings interpreted the psychedelic Beatles-ish opening to "Cincinnati," Anastasio led the band through one more jam, satisfyingly ending the evening close to four hours after it began.

Labels: Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

Large Photos Courtesy and Copyright of Greg Aiello.
Smaller shots, excluding cd cover, via Flickr.

If Lemony Snicket were enlisted to write the history of the Benevento/Russo Duo, he would be hesitant to name it anything other than A Series Of Fortunate Happy Accidents. Since forming, seemingly on the spur of the moment during Joe Russo's residency at New York City's Knitting Factory, the Duo have won over fans and their fellow musicians with their inventive combination of organ and drums. In the past two years the Duo have garnered the 2005 New Groove of the Year Jammy Award; embarked on several tours across the United States; released two critically acclaimed albums and, just this past summer, shared the stage with two of the jamband scene's most revered performers, Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. With a career marked by fortuitous developments, it would be hard to say that things are going according to plan for keyboardist Marco Benevento and drummer Joe Russo since the relatively rapid pace at which they've progressed has left them little time to form one.



In the short interim between the end of their highly publicized summer tour with Anastasio and Gordon and the commencement of their own headlining tour in support of their recently released second album Play Pause Stop, Russo spoke to Earvolution during a break from a recording session in Philadelphia. Benevento found time to chat, pleasantly multitasking the interview with maintenance of his Wurlitzer electric piano. While you might imagine that two separate conversations on the same topic would provide divergent responses, both Benevento and Russo are remarkably like-minded in how they view and interpret the events that have marked their career's past, present and future. Their similar views are indicative of the wonderfully symbiotic relationship that has resulted in the creation of some of rock and roll's most startlingly innovative instrumental collaborations.

Middle school classmates in Franklin Lakes, NJ, Benevento and Russo trace the Duo's origins to New York City's Knitting Factory. The small stage and lack of material prompted the Duo to face each other, giving birth to the unique stage setup they use today. "The first time we set up, we said 'Let's face each other cause we're going to be improvising," remembers Russo. "It made sense for us to watch each other: to communicate visually and vocally at times; to be right in each other's face. It made such a great connection for us. We didn't even think about changing it. It's such a great way to play music when you're staring into the other guy's face and able to see the facial emotion and really feel what the other person's feeling."

While their studio albums have received considerable critical acclaim, it's the Duo's live performances that started people talking. The two regularly amaze mystified concert-goers who sometimes have trouble explaining exactly what it is they just saw. Benevento's and Russo's effect on their audience isn't accidental. It stems from their refusal to limit themselves to traditional roles. "We started as a band playing totally free-form jazz," says Benevento of the Duo's maturation. "We use everything to our advantage," states Russo. "Charlie Hunter, when we first met him years ago, told us, 'Just because you guys are a duo doesn't mean it just has to be organ and drums. There are two men on stage, two musicians, do whatever the fuck you want,'" recalls Russo. "That was something that spoke to the both of us at the time. It took a little bit of time for us to come full circle, but now, we're at the point of complete abandonment of our roles. We know I play the drum set and Marco plays the keyboards, but we don't confine ourselves to those roles. We want to be two guys on stage that make music, whatever the instrument is or however we do it. We just want to hear what's in our heads live and play it for people." In acknowledging the difficulty of explaining what the Duo accomplishes on stage, Benevento has a perfect solution. "You just have to come out and see it," he explains. "If you have ADD, you're going to love this show. There's so much different shit going on every second that anyone with a mind that likes to drift will have a hard time drifting at a Duo show."

This past summer, which saw the Duo hit up many of the numerous festivals that have sprouted up around the country, seems to have flown by in a blur. When asked about their experience at Warren Haynes' Mountain Jam, Russo had to rack his brain to recall the event. "It feels like so long ago," said Russo, finding humor in his struggle to remember the early June festival. "I remember having a good time there," he chuckles, marveling over how much can happen to a band in a very short time.

Old hands of the festival circuit, both Benevento and Russo expressed their thrill at playing the Fuji Rocks Festival in Niigata, Japan. Russo compared the diverse lineup of bands to that of this year's Lollapalooza festival. "It was such a refreshing vibe," he said. "It was different in almost every way possible. People there go to really enjoy the music. There's not as much of an obvious, people just want to get fucked up kind of thing. They're there, they're psyched for the music and they treat the grounds with such respect." Benevento echoes Russo's observations about the respect the Japanese crowd showed for the venue. "They recycled every bit of garbage. I was just about to throw a water bottle in the trash: they had me pull the label off the water bottle; throw the bottle in one place; the label in another place and the cap in another place. They had truckloads of chop sticks just to be recycled. There was no trash anywhere; everybody was very peaceful." Benevento also had nothing but kind things to say about the locale itself. "The scenery was gorgeous. It was really misty and humid. You would walk through the woods from stage to stage and there would be these cool art installations with laser beams shooting through the forest like a disco ball. It was very magical; a cool little hobbit world to be in."



The Duo didn't just appreciate the respect the Japanese showed for the festival; they also enjoyed the reception they received during their performance. "People there knew our music better than the people know it here," Benevento explained eagerly. "They were behind every dynamic change and behind every little thing that anybody could cheer. They made so much noise. I've never seen Joe smile on stage before; he was smiling the whole set. It was totally incredible: one of the highlights of my life to play there." Russo also enjoyed the Japanese audience's familiarity with their music. "It's how a concert should be. It felt so good playing for that crowd; just really being there for the music."

With the festival season coming to a close, the Duo are preparing to head to the west coast to begin a two month tour in support of their recent album Play Pause Stop. Their newest release marked a significant step forward for the Duo. "We tried to embellish on the concept that we wanted on [their debut album] Best Reason To Buy The Sun," explained Russo. "We were still coming out of a more improvised sound on Best Reason and there's more of a jazzlike feel on that record. On this one, I think we realized that we can play instrumental rock music. We weren't really afraid: people like what we're doing; they like what we're going for, so let's go for it. We were more confident on this one and got closer to the mark of what we wanted." Typical of the Duo's ability to collaborate unselfishly, Benevento explains that, "There are some songs that are more Joe and there are some songs that are more me. But for the most part, the arranging and the decision as to how we're going to play them as a band is done by both of us." Russo and Benevento are incredibly open in describing the writing of their songs, each remembering the details of how their songs came to be. As an example, Benevento, describes the creation of Play Pause Stop's title song. "I wrote the beginning of the tune; I had the melody in my head," explains Benevento, singing the opening melody for emphasis. "That was my idea. The middle idea was our idea, Joe was like, 'Why don't we circuit out in the middle.' The ending was his chord progression." If the songwriting style sounds familiar, it may be because a certain couple fellows from Liverpool found success writing songs the same way.

In bringing their songs into the studio, the Duo curb their prodigious ability to creative improvise wonderful melodies. As their catalogue grows and matures, they realize that the room for odysseys and explorations diminishes. "For the most part, the songs are the songs on Play Pause Stop," explains Benevento. "There's not much variation to be done on any of those. Not that we're playing them note for note every night, but the tunes that we can stretch seem to be 'The Three Question Marks,' 'Becky' and a lot of the covers." Russo enjoys the freeing aspect of improvising, especially with Benevento, because there's not much room to hide. "Say I go for something and don't pull it off, Marco's right there with me to get me back on track. We'll throw little shots at each other, especially when we're improvising and getting into something heavier, in the moment stuff. It doesn't feel like there are any mistakes: just going for it and the result is whatever the result is; it's never wrong. Sometimes it feels totally right, but it's never wrong."

The free-form improvisational nature of the Duo's performances succeed due to their respective mastery of the keyboards and drums. However, Russo may have the deck stacked biologically in his favor. Anyone who has ever seen him stretch by throwing both arms directly over his head in a manner that would dislocate the shoulders of your average man, drummer or not, can attest to his near super-human flexibility. When asked if he is double jointed, Russo laughs. "I have something called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome," he discloses. "It's something where the ligaments in my arms are connected in a different place from normal people, so I'm able to do weird shit." Does it help him play the drums? "When I really get into it, I get into a rubbery zone and my body kinds of moves with it. Maybe it lets me relax a little or get into the music or something easier for me," Russo explains before breaking it down to its essential components. "I just kind of flail around and hit shit."

Inspirationally, Russo traces his passion back to one of the original rock masters: John Bonham. "He just had that don't care attitude and just did whatever," states Russo. "That was the first guy, when I was younger, that had that impression on me. After that, when I started playing with the Fat Mama guys, they would take me to see Joey Baron, Bobby Previte and Kevin Wolleson, playing this stuff; Jack DeJohnette, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams as well. It was so freeing: they didn't fit in this mold; it was in the moment stuff; it relaxed me into that feel of being able to be a musical drummer without having to play just a kit and a snare drum, even though that can be musical too." Those drummers taught Russo to not be afraid of the pressure and not be afraid to mess up. "That was the biggest lesson I learned: messing up can be really cool."

The Duo indulge their love of Led Zeppelin with "Bustle In Your Hedgerow," their Zeppelin cover band, whose current lineup includes RANA and former Particle guitarist Scott Metzger and Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz. Just as he provided Joe Russo the Knitting Factory residency from which the Duo sprung, Wetlands owner Jake Szufnarowski was the catalyst for this project. "For his birthday, Jake wanted Joe and I to play with Scott Metzger and he wanted us to play all Led Zeppelin," recalls Benevento. "We both love Led Zeppelin; so we learned a bunch of tunes. It was great to go back and learn all the tunes that I listened to a shitload of times when I was a kid. They were definitely one of the first bands that I got every album and listened to every day when I was 12 or 13." Russo clearly relishes the opportunity to step into the shoes of John Bonham for a night. "You get a couple drinks in you and get to play music of the best band ever. It's supposed to be fun for us and fun for the crowd. It's fun playing your idols' music. It's a treat."



Inventive and influential in his own right, Benevento seems to thrive on soaking up knowledge from his fellow musicians. In fact, it's that aspect of the business that he appears to enjoy the most. "The musicians you hang out with are so willing to share: always talking about stuff that they're being hip to or getting in to," explains Benevento. In listening to Benevento, it becomes evident that his home, while serving as a hostel for all musicians traveling through New York, also doubles as a think tank for emerging musical thought. "Every musician that I know is just sharing information constantly. There's no musician saying 'I'm not telling you what's in my iPOD. You got to find it yourself bro.' You can't hide anything in music, everyone wants to share. That's what I love about all the people in my music world. When I get turned on to something, it immediately changes the way I play or the next thing that I'm looking for." He also enjoys the personalities inherent in the business. "In music there's no 'I'm better than you.' You're just on stage being as honest as you can."

One of those relationships, that with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, helped thrust them into the spotlight, greatly accelerating their progress on the national recognition curve. Like most events in the Duo's career, their affiliation with the Phish bassist just kind of organically occurred. "I met him [Gordon] at one of the shows we were doing for Ropeadope [Records]," explains Russo. "Mike and I played together and then went back to his apartment and jammed a little bit and we said 'Oh we've got to do this again.'" Soon thereafter the Duo agreed to participate in a benefit being organized by Disco Biscuit Mark Brownstein for the voter registration organization HeadCount. "I was like 'I kind of just met Mike. Maybe he'd be down for doing a trio with me and Marco," recalls Russo. Brownstein agreed that this would be an excellent idea and encouraged Russo to make the call. "So I called him up and was like, 'Hey Mike, would you be down for doing this benefit show for Headcount?' He was like, 'Yeah, how much rehearsal?' I was like 'none.' To which he immediately said, 'absolutely,'" recalls Russo. "We went on stage and played for 45 minutes to an hour: completely improvised music. We all went into it without great expectations or really, any expectations. We walked off stage and thought, 'Wow! That was some real cool shit going on.'"

From there, their musical connection with Gordon continued to progressively pick up steam. "After that we thought, 'Well, now we have some material: Mike learned some of our stuff; we learned some of his; we did some covers," said Russo of the evolution of the trio's catalogue. "We thought that maybe we would do a little run. Then, like everything does, it just kind of organically snowballed into three or four tours with Mike . . . and then Trey had us come in and all play on his record for two songs . . . and then that starts a whole other thing of us going 'Wow, that was real fun; let's play a gig' . . . and then 'Let's do a tour' . . . .and then 'Holy shit! We're actually doing a tour,'" marvels Russo over the events that rapidly developed. "There was nothing preconceived or anything like that. That's been Marco and my history the whole time. There's never been any set thing: we play, have a good time and luckily, things have just been happening."

The latest "thing" to have happened to the Duo was a high profile pairing with their friend Mike Gordon and his former bandmate Trey Anastasio on a tour that overlapped many dates with Phil Lesh & Friends. Obviously, the Duo realized the opportunity presented to them. "We both listened to Phish," said Russo. "To be able to play with two guys who we respect immensely and experience that whole side of the music business that a band of our size normally would never get to see. It was really quite a gift."

Most new groups warm up with a couple club dates or small arena shows; so of course, the G.R.A.B. quartet debuted on the main stage at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival with an unannounced performance in front of approximately seventy-five thousand people. Although the gig had been scheduled for a couple months, it was a well kept secret; at least until that day. "During the day I started telling people," admitted Benevento. "I had to tell someone." After only four rehearsals at Benevento's house, the Duo took the stage before the largest crowd ever assembled to see them play. With Russo describing the event as "awesome" and "very intense," Benevento termed it "the incredible high of the summer for sure." "The first five to ten minutes of that show kind of got all that anxiety of playing for a crowd that big over with," said Russo. The initial amazement of the number of people in the audience quickly passed and then it was simply business as usual. "I don't think it was the tightest show but I think the energy was so cool because we were all so excited," Russo further explained. "Just as much as the fans, we were excited to hear what it was going to sound like."

In joining up with Anastasio and Gordon, Benevento and Russo found themselves in different roles, musically and logistically. "I haven't played in the back of a band . . . ever," explained Russo. "I always set up on the side so I can see the musician's faces or their hands or read their body language, so that was real awkward for me." From a musical perspective, Benevento approached the venture as a bit of a working vacation from his role in the Duo. "I didn't really have to change my style; I just changed my role from more of a lead player to more of a piano player. With Joe, I'm the bass, the chords, the melody, the soloist and everything. With Trey and Mike, Trey takes a lot of the leads and Mike plays the bass line and I was a lot freer to fill in the texture. I turned into more of a keyboard player: I'll just play those chords under Trey, I can figure this out," Benevento explained of his approach. "I played piano a lot on the Trey tour so I would do a lot of chordal accompanying. It was a different way to think. I had to tune my ears to a different place by being the piano player." Russo concurs with Benevento as to the necessity of finding a new role within the foursome. "We all went into it not being very rehearsed or familiar with playing as a four piece. It took time talking with each other about what needs to happen and how we can all make this sound like a band within 2½ weeks," explains Russo. "Instead of trying to force your own vibe; you had to try to figure out what's better for the whole. We figured it out towards the middle and once we really started clicking, near the end, it was over."



There are no future G.R.A.B. shows planned for the near future, but Russo did not rule out the possibility of further performances. "I don't see why there wouldn't be. We've made no plans; we all have such busy schedules. When time allows, in some facet we'll all play together again. Maybe we'll just do a random club show in New York. We would do it just for fun, just to enjoy playing with each other again."

While the Duo's tour with Anastasio and Gordon excited many, Russo was aware of some the criticism leveled at the G.R.A.B. quartet. "We all knew going into this thing that everybody wasn't on board with what we were doing: especially dealing with a band like Phish that is so dear to people's hearts that everybody feels so involved. So many people want to hear Phish and the last thing we wanted to do is pretend that we were Phish. I'm not John and Marco's not Page and we never wanted to portray that we were trying to fulfill that role," explains Russo. "I think some people really respect the fact that we did it; I think some people hated the fact that we did it."

The small ripples of resentment Russo sensed gave him an insight into Anastasio's post-Phish existence. "It's appalling the things I've read and heard about him as if he owes people things. He was in a band that people really enjoyed and the fact that people can say fucked up hurtful shit about him because that band's not around any more and he's trying to do something different; I find it insane and that shit pisses me off so much when someone says something like that that's so stupid or so ignorant . . . but let everybody have their opinion." The discussion over a certainly vocal minority leads to a broader discussion over the relationship between jambands and their fans with Russo noting a sense of entitlement that seems to arise. "I'm not trying to bash anyone," Russo states with honesty. "They get so involved where they think they can control the band. The reason they liked [the band] in the first place was cause they were a fan of the music. It seems like a group mentality to hop on the bashing train. To be so involved with something you don't like is such a waste of time. That's something that a lot of scenes don't have; it's kind of specific to that audience. A normal music fan will go 'I like this band; I'll go see them' or 'I don't like this band; I'm not going to go see them.' Some of these kids will get so aggravated, so personally involved in hating something; which seems that it would be the complete opposite of this scene. If you want something that you know you're not going to get and then get pissed off: well then, don't come."

The extended tour with Anastasio and Gordon as well as Lesh made a lasting impression on the Duo. "An unforgettable experience and an amazing moment of my life," states Benevento. "I played at a place where I saw Phish 11 years ago." However, what they will take away from the tour goes beyond melodies and chords. "Those guys have had so many experiences and have been doing it for so long," relates Russo, explaining that his time with Anastasio and Gordon left him with a feeling of optimism. "The knowledge of being a lifelong musician: hearing the stories of what they went through when they weren't PHISH; when they weren't this huge band and seeing that they went through the same shit that every small band goes through. Sitting back and listening to them talk about old times and the war stories of Phish puts a lot in perspective." Benevento had a more pragmatic take on the subject. "Mainly the thing I'm taking away from [the tour] is that it's going to make touring a lot easier. It's going to make our whole operation a lot more pro, a lot more efficient."

Once the Duo's fall tour concludes, Benevento will take up residency at New York City's Tonic for the month of November. Stanton Moore, Skerik, Bobby Previte and Russo are already scheduled to make appearances over Benevento's slate of Wednesday night gigs. "Any moment I can get to play with different people, I'll take it. It's really awesome to have the Duo and have our little musical baby per se and then go and freak out with all my friends and play totally improvised music," says Benevento. "I love playing free music. Every chance I can." How much of the Tonic residency will be laid out beforehand? "None," Benevento replies and without seeing him, you can imagine the smile accompanying the statement.

Since their debut at the Knitting Factory, the Duo's career has moved ahead at light speed. Benevento attributes the pace of their career to not vacillating over decisions. "Joe and I are definitely good at deciding quickly; which has pretty much been the theme of the Duo," explains Benevento. "Knitting Factory show, no problem; Mike Gordon wants to play with us, sure we'll do it; want to get in the car and do a tour, no problem. We're quick to decide yes or no." So far, the path of the Duo's career has emulated their approach towards their music: by refusing to be confined to a regimented plan, they have been able to benefit from the myriad of opportunities generated by their inventive talent and robust creativity. Like most things associated with the Duo, it seems to be something that only Benevento and Russo could accomplish.

Labels: Benevento/Russo Duo, Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio

While most CD pre-orders seem to offer nothing more than the opportunity to take your money before the release date, Trey Anastasio will be offering a full disc of new music as an enticement to purchase his upcoming album Bar 17 before it's released on October 3. Anyone purchasing the album beforehand will also get 18 Steps, a mini-album of 9 songs recorded at the Bar 17 sessions.

Recorded in Vermont and Brooklyn, NY, Anastasio's new album will feature many guest appearances. In addition to his former mates in Phish, Don Hart (strings), keyboardist John Medeski, the Benevento/Russo Duo, Carmen Keegan (I Nine), Joan Wasser (Dambuilders, Joan As Police Woman), Todd Sickafoose (Ani Difranco), Ben Perowsky (Walter Becker, John Scofield) and Stephen Bernstein (Sex Mob) will appear.

Anastasio previewed some of the Bar 17 material on his summer tour with Mike Gordon, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo. If "Dragonfly,""Mud City" and "Goodbye Head" are any indication of the strength of Bar 17, even the most devout Trey-haters, who seem to revile him primarily because Phish no longer exists, should have reason to rejoice.

Labels: Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo Join Lesh For A Jamming Night On Long Island

While Deadheads worldwide prepare to honor the memory of Jerry Garcia on the 11th anniversary of his passing, Phil Lesh & Friends, the eponymously named band led by the Dead's bassist, and Ratdog, guitarist Bob Weir's longtime band, are doing more than simply keeping the Grateful Dead's legacy alive; they are adding a satisfying afterword to the band's storied career. Despite the lack of any significant new material since Garcia's death, both Lesh and Weir have proven to be consistently successful touring attractions by using the same simple, battle tested formula: play Grateful Dead songs for Grateful Dead fans. The old fans still turn out in droves but it's the new fans, most too young to have experienced the Dead in their prime, if at all, that are keeping this franchise afloat. This past week, both Lesh and Weir brought their respective "second acts" to New York: Phil & Friends playing an outdoor show on the Long Island Sound at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York; Weir bringing Ratdog to New York City's world-famous Radio City Music Hall.

Since gathering his friends around him, Lesh's Friends have included musicians of All-Star proportion, including such notable names as Steve Kimock, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Al Schnier and current Lesh fave Ryan Adams. His current group of Friends is comprised of musician's musicians: singer Joan Osborne, guitarist Larry Campbell, keyboardist Rob Barraco, pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless, drummer John Molo and saxophonist Greg Osby. Osborne may be Phil's most recognizable Friend, having had a moderately successful solo career highlighted by the 1995 radio success of "One Of Us." The versatile and multi-talented Campbell handles lead guitar duties, coming to the Dead bassist's side after spending much of the past decade touring with Bob Dylan. Campbell, one of the newer members of the band, joins longtime Friends Barraco, Sless and Molo. Veteran saxophonist Greg Osby rounds out Phil's latest batch of acquaintances, braving the often troublesome brass-unfriendly winds of Jones Beach. As Phish's Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon and the Benevento/Russo Duo (unofficially referred to as G.R.A.B.) have been opening a good number of Phil & Friends' summer shows, Anastasio, a former Friend himself, has been regularly joining in the fun, usually replacing Sless during the second set. For their Jones Beach show, Anastasio did not disappoint: without fanfare, he returned for the second set to the unabashed delight of the crowd.

Even though his name is on the marquee, Lesh hardly conveys a sense of superiority or entitlement because the songs on the setlist are primarily Grateful Dead chestnuts. Instead, he disperses the leads of the various songs, smartly matching each Friend to the proper song: Barraco's voice perfectly suited the evening-opening "Playing In the Band" and the encore of "U.S. Blues;" Larry Campbell handled vocals and fronted the band on an extended run through "Big River" and Osby replaces the distinctive guitar runs of "China Cat Sunflower" with weighty saxophone licks. When not dancing sultrily along with the music, Osborne delivered bluesy vocals, standing out on a lengthy trip through "Stella Blue." Even Anastasio got into the act, his voice and guitar a perfect match for second set's opening couplet of "Scarlet Begonias" and "Fire On The Mountain."

In 2005, when Lesh co-hosted the Jammy Awards, he joined temperamental guitarist Ryan Adams for a sterling performance of "Wharf Rat" and "Bird Song." Since then, whether present or not, Lesh has incorporated an Adams song into most of his shows. On this temperate evening at Jones Beach, he included Adams' Cold Roses track "Let It Ride." In contrast to the crisp first set, Lesh & Friends' second set consisted of spacey, drawn-out instrumentals. The effect may not have been entirely intentional: too often, Lesh seemed to be singing without realizing that his voice wasn't making it to the audience. When Lesh's microphone did work, he struggled with the words to "Dark Star" and "The Other One," replacing the ones he forgot with a sheepish grin that brought laughter from the crowd.

Admirably, Lesh and Weir are doing more than just fostering interest in the continually thriving Deadhead scene: having inspired numerous other bands with their psychedelic improvisational live performances, the two are exposing their fans to bands and musicians that are carrying on the Grateful Dead tradition. While Lesh pairs up with Anastasio, Gordon and The Duo, String Cheese Incident, fronted by the bluegrass loving Bill Nershi, will receive equal billing with Weir's Ratdog. The cross-pollination of the Dead's older fans with Phish's and String Cheese's younger fans has resulted in exceptionally full and wide-ranging evenings of music. In contrast to String Cheese, G.R.A.B. comes with a more complex subplot. Similar to how Lesh and Weir have moved forward in the post-Dead universe, G.R.A.B. have been drawing interest as an intriguing chapter in the ever-developing post-Phish saga. This episode: how will the Phish duo interact with the Duo?

Their lengthy opening set at Jones Beach encompassed the balmy early evening, consisting of a nice mix of Anastasio's solo material, a couple Gordon compositions, a Benevento/Russo Duo tune (the gorgeous "Something For Rockets") and a pair of wonderfully eclectic covers. The sharing endemic to the jamband scene spread comprehensively throughout the foursome: Anastasio and Gordon's fame, experience and recognition providing the rub to the Duo; Benevento and Russo's freshness, youth and innovative energy spreading to the veteran musicians. At 5:00, while most of the audience obliviously tailgated or remained stuck in the Friday evening morass known as the Long Island Expressway, The Duo performed an all-too-brief opening set focusing primarily on material from their new album Play, Pause, Stop. Those who made it into the amphitheatre early quickly learned why Benevento, an inventive keyboard player, and Russo, a masterful drummer, have drawn the raves they have received, including the 2005 Jammy Award for New Groove Of The Year. Strutting their estimable stuff much earlier in the afternoon freed the Duo to fill less prominent but still significant supporting roles for Anastasio and Gordon.

Even though G.R.A.B. had a couple weeks together under their belt, they were still finding their comfort zone with each other. Benevento and Russo are adept at predicting what directions each will go in; obviously, so are Anastasio and Gordon. As a foursome, they seem to be in the final stages of finding a true comfort zone, resulting in some wandering instrumental interludes. On the opener, "Plasma," they engaged in some traditional jamming; offering more distinctly Phishy jamming later in the set on "Suskind Hotel" and "Dragonfly." The shrewdness of the group's decision to cover Wings' "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," which segued nicely into Stealers Wheel's "Stuck In The Middle With You," wasn't matched by the actual performance; a trait shared by a number of Phish's covers (e.g. "Tubthumping," "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It"). The reaction of the audience to the familiar tunes, especially Gerry Rafferty's Reservoir Dogs classic, indicated that they appreciated the effort. In closing with Anastasio's "Shine," G.R.A.B. finished on the highest of notes, even if the bespectacled singer's voice seemed to give out during the set closer.

Lesh & Friends, along with Ratdog, are continuing a legacy that began in the sixties, extending their reach to a newer generation of fans. Towards the end of Lesh's show, he guided the band into an old Dead set-closing standard, a percussion-heavy, thumping version of "Not Fade Away." The classic Buddy Holly song seemed sharply poignant: anyone boating on the Sound that night surely heard the honest and heartfelt exhortation of Deadheads, both young and old, joyously proclaiming a truth that has become self-evident over these many years: "No, our love will not fade away."

Labels: Benevento/Russo Duo, Bill Nershi, Bob Weir, Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Mike Gordon, Phil Lesh, Ratdog, Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

When compiling a shortlist of the greatest rock bands of the last thirty years, it's quite likely that Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers wouldn't make the cut. However, next time a classic Petty song comes on the radio; take note: not only will you probably sing along, you'll know all the words.

To celebrate their thirtieth anniversary and the impending release of Petty's latest solo album, Highway Companion, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are taking their enduring brand of stoner southern rock on the road. This past week, Petty & The Heartbreakers came to Madison Square Garden for their first New York City appearance in three years. Cherry picking from three decades of hits, the Manhattan crowd continuously sang along with Petty while he ran through a set list that, even in the absence of beloved tunes like "The Waiting" and "Breakdown," didn't suffer for recognizable classics.

Fresh off of their co-headlining stint at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Petty played under a set of video screens that provided distracting close-ups of the band throughout the night. Given the relatively good sightlines in the Garden, they were unnecessary; only serving to provoke discussion as to whether the 55-year-old Petty once portrayed Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears. After opening with the early-era "Listen To Her Heart," the band went right into "You Don't Know How It Feels," marking their first but hardly last foray into Petty's stellar solo material. While egotistic on the surface, the Heartbreakers contributed significantly to Petty's individually-titled efforts, making their inclusion into the show quite appropriate. Petty's 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever received the most attention; the crowd drowning out Petty's voice on the choruses of "Free Fallin'" and "I Won't Back Down" and doing a little hippie headbanging to "Runnin' Down A Dream." In addition to the smoothly rendered reading of "You Don't Know It Feels," they went back to Wildflowers for the encore, an energetic version of "You Wreck Me" that far exceeded its studio counterpart.

Petty spent a portion of the show reclaiming old songs and old melodies: offering a twangy version of the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care," recently covered by Jenny Lewis, Conor Oberst and others, as well as a scorching rendition of "Mary Jane's Last Dance," in which he laid ownership to the guitar line allegedly purloined by Red Hot Chili Peppers for "Dani, California." However, if Petty is truly upset over the similarities between his 1981 hit and the Red Hot's new single, he should perhaps take a look in the proverbial mirror to see if he's a pot calling the Peppers' kettle black; Petty's new single "Saving Grace," seems to borrow just as heavily from John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom."

Perhaps influenced by his recent time at this year's Bonnaroo, Petty sought the crowd's approval to "jam a little bit" in their encore. While they didn't take that moment to experiment with interminable noodling, Petty & The Heartbreakers zipped through a medley-type jam that borrowed as much from the Isley Brothers' "Shout" as it did from Them's "Mystic Eyes." Always eclectic with their covers, Petty nodded to the band's influences earlier in the show; putting down his guitar in favor of a tambourine and maracas while the Heartbreakers quickly ran through The Yardbirds' "I'm A Man" and pre-Stevie Nicks Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well."

Often overshadowed by Petty's subtle superstar status, The Heartbreakers remain an exceptionally tight band, responsible for some of the more subtly ubiquitous songs of a generation. From within his cube of keyboards, Benmont Tench had chances to solo, excelling on the greasy bridge of "Refugee." More than Petty's equal on the guitar, Mike Campbell ceded the center stage guitar theatrics to Petty, throwing off his guitar riffs with modest aplomb. Petty's rhythm section, made up of original Heartbreaker Ron Blair, who returned to the band after a lengthy absence on The Last DJ, and Steve Ferrone, formerly of the Average White Band, toiled admirably in relative anonymity. Likewise, Scott Thurston offered additional guitar, keyboards and the occasional harmonica solo in yeoman fashion.

As she has for the early shows in the tour, Stevie Nicks, the band's "little sister," joined Petty & The Heartbreakers for a reprise of their 1981 hit "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," and took lead on Petty's own "I Need To Know." Wearing a new outfit, Nicks returned a couple songs longer to duet with Petty on a quiet version of the introspective "Insider." Once the ruling earth-mother of seventies rock and roll, Nicks, who thankfully no longer looks like she possesses her own gravitational field, seemed content with a supporting role, singing background far to the right of the stage, spreading her arms wide while providing her distinctive harmony to "Learning To Fly."

Nicks wasn't the only notable name appearing with Petty at the Garden this evening. While fronting Phish, Trey Anastasio used to headline Madison Square Garden regularly; as a solo act, he’s become an illustrious opening act, returning to MSG for the first time since joining The Black Crowes for a memorable New Year's Eve show. Focusing his one hour set on newer songs, Anastasio offered solo faves like "Night Speaks To A Woman" and "Come As Melody" before concluding with a groove-heavy rendition of "First Tube." The fact that Anastasio didn't come back to join Petty & The Heartbreakers during their set might be the only disappointment of his Garden appearance.

Petty & The Heartbreakers have a catalogue broad enough to offer a different show each night. However, the set lists for the early shows have remained substantially similar. Fittingly for a show dedicated to their length career, Petty & The Heartbreakers have been finishing each show with their first true success, the arena anthem "American Girl." While the boys from Gainesville, Florida have had bigger hits, "American Girl" remains the song that tears the house down; the sinuous opening chords drawing raucous shrieks from all the American girls in attendance. Petty's traveling roadshow continues on throughout the summer. While Anastasio occupies himself with his own mini-tour with Phish bassist Mike Gordon and the Benevento Russo Duo for a highly anticipated slate of shows with Phil Lesh & Friends, Pearl Jam and The Allman Brothers Band should provide suitable alternatives in the supporting slot.

Labels: Tom Petty, Trey Anastasio

Ramble Dove & Grace Potter And The Nocturnals at Irving Plaza

Live Photos Copyright of Mike-Gordon.com

By: David Schultz

Shrewd followers of the jamband scene knew not to expect a Phish Phrenzy at last week's Ramble Dove show at New York City's Irving Plaza. Even though the Vermont based honky-tonk collective features Mike Gordon on bass, Ramble Dove has remained true to the raved-up country music that brought them together. So, of course, no one had visions of "Foam" dancing in their head or "You Enjoy Myself" expectations lurking in the dark recesses of their soul as Gordon and Ramble Dove soared through an upbeat set of their country favorites....but then Trey Anastasio walked on from back stage and ten minutes later, they broke into "Possum." Simply Phantastic!

Ramble Dove's origins trace back to the Radio Bean coffee house in Burlington, Vermont. It is there that the band's guitarist and lead singer, Brett Hughes, began a tradition that became known as Honky Tonk Tuesdays, where he and other like-minded musicians would keep alive the spirit of country music by exposing new audiences to the genre's great songs and songwriters. What began as a labor of love soon grew in exponential proportions, attracting musicians of all stripes, most notably fabled former-Burlington resident, bassist Mike Gordon. As Hughes told Glide magazine, the ragtag bunch gelled into a "pretty regular crew" with Hughes and RAQ's Scott Murawski on guitar, Gordon handling bass, Marie Claire on piano, Gordon Stone on the pedal steel and Neil Cleary on drums.

Over the course of the evening, Ramble Dove covered Lefty Frizell, Dolly Parton and George Jones, among others, and sang joyously about trucks and the simple fun of getting loaded. Hughes sang lead for the majority of the night, occasionally yielding the mike to Gordon, who's a much better singer he's usually given credit for. Rising intermittently from the piano, Claire shared the female leads with the diminutive Aya Inoue, whose low cut blouse showed off a surprisingly intricate yet demure tattoo across her chest. Claire and Inoue got into the swing of the music, almost unconsciously grabbing the tops of their lengthy skirts to do a little country sashay. New York City may not be the city you immediately think of as being receptive to traditional country and honky-tonk, but, like the ladies, the Irving Plaza crowd quickly found much to enjoy in Ramble Dove's music and musicianship.

Gordon's undeniable star power attracted a great number of New Yorkers in attendance this night. People may have come for the Phish bassist, they stayed for the music. As you would expect with any Mike Gordon project, Ramble Dove remained tight throughout the entire show. While honky-tonk songs aren't really the best showcase for flashy intricate bass work, Gordon found spots to insert his inimical sound without intruding on the overall performance.

To a deafening roar, Anastasio came on stage near the close of the first set and played with Ramble Dove through most of their second set. Refusing to upstage the lesser-known members of the band with his sheer presence, Anastasio remained near the back of the stage, periodically coming forwards to offer a solo or engage in a nifty give-and-take with Murawski. The country music and honky-tonk homilies didn't really seem to tax or challenge Anastasio or Gordon, both gifted musicians. At times, watching Gordon and Anastasio saunter through a tune seemed like watching Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code; definitely enjoyable, but you know they are capable of doing more with stronger material. While each added their unique spin on the honky-tonk tunes, the two, to the delight of the crowd and the other members of Ramble Dove, couldn't help but turn a couple of them into full-on jams complete with the groove-based style that made their old band such a popular attraction.

Ramble Dove closed their second set with "Jackson," a song about the city that sleeps. In making reference to one of New York City's many monikers, Ramble Dove also reaped its benefits, ending their 2 ½ hour show shortly before 1:30 in the morning. The lengthy show did not work to Ramble Dove's advantage; a marathon of country-drenched honky-tonk can wear thin. However, the festival circuit and their shorter sets should mesh well with the band's high-octane ramblings.

Gordon and Ramble Dove weren't the only Vermonters (Vermontonians? Vermontites?) in the house. Newly crowned New Groove of the Year honorees Grace Potter and the Nocturnals treated those wise enough to arrive early to a sampling of songs from their now nationally released album Nothing But The Water as well as some newly written tunes. Not only was the band celebrating Water's widespread release but the winsome Potter proudly showed off her new B3 organ before unleashing some torrid, nearly wardrobe malfunctioning, keyboard work upon it.

Taking the stage without fanfare, Potter sang the a capella opening to "Nothing But The Water," her tambourine a clarion call cutting through the din of the arena. The band's romp through the southern Baptist/gospel influenced tune quickly warmed up the early evening chill that always greets Irving Plaza's early arrivals. After running through the bluesy "Treat Me Right" and the gorgeous "Ragged Company," Potter and the Nocturnals introduced the audience to newer songs like "Ain't No Time" and "Bella Donna" that already play like old favorites. They closed their hour long set with "Every Mile" which had the audience gleefully singing along while Potter and guitarist Scott Tournet, whose always exceptional solos exceeded themselves this night, teamed up on the song's "Crimson and Clover" like guitar riff. Gifted performers, you could never tell that Potter and Tournet battled spring colds throughout the day, with Potter taking an old Irish remedy prior to taking the stage.

With every show Potter and the Nocturnals are taking great strides forward while rapidly acquiring new fans that connect to their charming personality, exceptional music and exciting musicianship. Great things are in store for Grace and The Nocturnals, but they don't take for granted what others see as self evident. Despite the wonderful press and growing acclaim, drummer Matt Burr and guitarist Scott Tournet expressed mild but genuine surprise when I informed them of the sizable crowd that came early to catch their set. In an era when fame and popularity can come over the week that it takes for a reality show to unfold, there is something wonderfully endearing and refreshing about musicians who express an earnest gratitude towards those that genuinely appreciate the results of their hard work. This summer will be busy but ultimately productive for the group as they will be appearing on many of the upcoming summer festivals with Tournet looking most forward to the High Sierra Festival in Quincy, California.

Anastasio's appearance with Gordon at Irving Plaza offered a little prelude to their summer tour where they will play a series of shows with Marco Benevento and Joe Russo. Given Jon Fishman's (announced) and Page McConnell's (unannounced) appearance at this past weekend's fund raiser for Vermont Senatorial candidate Bernie Sanders, the rumors can start (and already have) that a Phish reunion looms on the horizon, possibly later this year. After concluding their set at Warren Haynes' Mountain Jam in Hunter Mountain, Gordon jumped in the car with The Benevento Russo Duo and headed to New York City to meet up with Trey to begin rehearsals for their highly anticipated summer stint with Phil Lesh & Friends. With the pieces almost in place, now we can begin a summer of speculation about the potential future of Phish.

Labels: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Mike Gordon, Ramble Dove, Trey Anastasio

Late last week, Trey Anastasio announced on Sirius Radio and Marco Benevento confirmed from the stage at New York City's Bowery Ballroom, that the Benevento Russo Duo would unite with Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon for a series of sure-to-be-electrifying summer shows. The group, billed as G.R.A.B., will play ten dates with Phil Lesh & Friends.

The foursome came about when the Duo and Gordon, who have performed together as a trio on numerous occasions, joined Anastasio at a Brooklyn recording studio to lay down some tracks for the former Phish guitarist's new album. For their summer dates, the all-star jam band will play some new songs as well as draw on their respective repertoires. As an added bonus, The Benevento Russo Duo will open up each show with a set of their own.

The dates announced so far:

June 28: Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek
June 30: Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center At The Waterfront
July 1: Homdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
July 2: Saratoga Springs, NY - SPAC
July 3: Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Center
July 7: Wantagh, NY - Nikon Theater at Jones Beach
July 8: Darien Center, NY - Darien Lakes PAC
July 9: Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
July 11: Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
July 12: Essex Junction, VT - Champlain Valley Fairgrounds

Labels: Benevento/Russo Duo, Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio

On the heels of the announcment that the blues power trio Cream will reunite for a series of shows later this year comes the news that another trio, Oysterhead, will regroup for this year's Bonnaroo Festival. The supergroup, comprised of Phish's Trey Anastasio, Primus' Les Claypool and The Police's Stewart Copeland, will perform together for the first time since 2001.

Originally formed to play a one-off performance at the 2000 N.O. Jazz Fest, the trio rode that momentum into the studio for 2001s The Grand Pecking Order. Oysterhead's inclusion in the 2006 Manchester, TN Festival bolsters an already stellar lineup, featuring headliners Radiohead and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers as well as numerous groups from the jamband scene.

Labels: Trey Anastasio

By: David Schultz

Concert reviews very rarely offer practical advice. Save for occasional moments during a U2 show, rock concerts seldom provide a fertile environment for obtaining answers to life's mysteries. However, Trey Anastasio's Tuesday night show at New York's Roseland Ballroom served as a Petrie dish for a clever observer to detect whether the date you brought to see Trey might be "the One." Consider this to be the litmus test for discerning the solution to one of life's more difficult dilemmas: at the conclusion of Anastasio's acoustic bridge between his two sets, ask your lady friend what she thinks of the show so far. Should the response include any type of overly enthusiastic appreciation for the show, consider proposing. If in order to pose the question to her, you have to interrupt her from talking to one of her friends on her cell phone, a call that obviously couldn't wait until the show finished, and overhear her say "I'm at a show by some Phish guy," consider the prospects dim. If she blatantly feigns illness and wants to leave, usher her to the door and wish her a nice life. Consider this the musical equivalent of Chazz Palminteri's advice to C in A Bronx Tale and Earvolution's contribution to greater harmony and happiness amongst true music aficionados.

Anastasio's practice of shunning the traditional set break began this past summer. Preferring to let the band rest, Trey foregoes a short respite, opting instead to entertain the crowd with acoustic readings of songs from the Phish catalogue. This night, the acoustic set included the latter-day "Pebbles and Marbles," the old-school "Sample In A Jar," and Phish's oft-played Rolling Stones cover of "Loving Cup." In addition to affording Anastasio an opportunity to relax with intimately familiar material, the acoustic break also provided a lull from the locomotive pacing of the first set.

Those expecting to see Trey play a two hour set of Phish tunes with the 70 Volt Parade substituting for the absent members of the band will be sorely disappointed. Unlike a Ratdog or Phil Lesh & Friends show, Anastasio refuses to use his prior band’s major accomplishments as a crutch and falls back on the more popular selections of the Phish catalogue as infrequently as Jerry Garcia fell back on the Grateful Dead's while touring with his eponymous band. Phish's free-spirited live shows, which were closer in nature to Frank Zappa than to any of the other jambands that preceded them, succeeded on the strength of the band's communal spirit. No such shared vision exists with Trey’s current project: Trey’s backing band, the 70 Volt Parade, take their cues and direction from their leader. The musical direction may be different, but the joyous results produced on stage have remained the same.

When not bouncing energetically in place, Anastasio blows through solo after solo, coming across as a younger, funkier more amiable version of Eric Clapton. Focusing primarily on material from his solo career, Anastasio preserves Phish's spirit of exploring every possibility of a song. Although most of Trey's solo songs start awkwardly, they gel quickly and close with intense fury. Longtime concert gems like "Night Speaks To A Woman" and "Simple Twist Up Dave" as well as the Round Room Phish era "46 Days" enraptured an audience yearning for Anastasio to let loose and unleash a whole new set of guitar licks. The only misfire of the evening came during the Layla-like finish to "Wherever You Find It" as the band never seemed to get find their comfort level with one of the newer songs from Shine, Anastasio's most recent solo effort.

Phish provided Anastasio with ample room to explore the arena space, however, he was never able to jam as hard and to the extent that he does during his solo performances. Feeling the passion with which Trey played at the Roseland Ballroom, it's easy to question whether the fabled Vermont foursome held Trey back from accomplishing greater things. Before the seed of such a notion could germinate, the encore eliminated any such doubts.

For the first encore, Page McConnell appeared on stage with Trey, marking their first joint appearance on stage since Phish's last performances in August 2004. With Anastasio on acoustic guitar and McConnell on keyboards, the two countered the rambunctious reaction caused by Page's appearance with a quiet, sweet encore of Phish songs consisting of "Strange Design," "Waves" and "Waste." Phish devotees incessantly shushed a restless minority during the pair’s charming, engaging set. However, the show didn’t end on a quiet note. McConnell rejoined Anastasio for a second encore along with the 70 Volt Parade and yet another guest keyboardist, John Medeski. The unassuming Medeski and McConnell skillfully traded riffs with Anastasio on "First Tube," closing the show with an energetic finale.

Listening to Trey and Page rekindle their musical flame erased any qualms about Phish restraining Anastasio. Playing alongside McConnell, Anastasio displayed a different side of his multifaceted musical personality. Trey's solo performances allow him to freely explore his pure rock guitarist side. Rather than hold back Trey, or any other member of the band for that matter, Phish allowed each of them to stretch beyond comfortable limits and develop and explore diverse facets of their musical personas. Prior to the encore, Anastasio smilingly looked over at McConnell and joked with the audience that they were seeing the debut of Halfway There. If Gordon, Fishman and McConnell have as much left in the tank as Anastasio, Phish may still have more to offer than a legacy of impressive bootleg concerts.

Labels: Trey Anastasio

By David Schultz

The Dave Matthews Band has worked hard to cultivate a reputation that they are a band who cares about their fans. Unsurprisingly, the DMB used their popularity to turn the New York leg of their summer tour into a weekend festival that would present established acts like the Barenaked Ladies and the Black Eyed Peas and give exposure to wonderful new burgeoning superstars like Ray Lamontagne and Robert Randolph & The Family Band. While the DMB should be commended for putting together a terrific slate of performers, their choice of venue was horrific. On this last weekend in July, the Dave Matthews Band showed not love and respect for their fans but rather complete and utter disdain for their audience’s concert-going experience.

DMB billed their weekend shows at New York City’s Randall's Island, an inconvenient and relatively inaccessible venue, as an Island Getaway. Although they created a viable festival atmosphere, complete with a wide variety of food and beverages, the resemblance to any proper lawn concert ended there. Notably, there was no lawn! Concert-goers with general admission lawn seats, who were forbidden from bringing beach chairs and the like, were offered a large expanse of dirt for their blankets. Within moments of claiming a patch of dusty earth, each blanket and its occupants were immediately covered with the dirt kicked up by the breeze or tramped onto them by other people ambling through the grounds. Those who seated themselves to the rear of the lawn were forced to watch the bands through a Pig-Pen like quarter mile dust cloud that defiantly hovered over the crowd. This weekend's badge of courage is surely a hacking case of "brown-lung."

Inversely proportional to the excessive number of food and drink vendors were the number of garbage cans. Those that did exist quickly overflowed and were rendered useless by 3:00 in the afternoon. Rather than create garbage mounds in the vicinity of the cans, fans simply dropped their refuse at their feet. If your ideal concert experience involves sitting and standing amongst garbage, this weekend was made just for you.

For the right to sit in dirt and garbage to catch the faintest sight of the bands onstage, Dave Matthews charged his beloved and adored fans $54.50 apiece - with an additional $9.60 if you purchased them through Ticketmaster. Anyone who still believes that Dave Matthews and his band love their New York fans deserves a punch in their nose, a kick in the stomach and the most egregious of atomic wedgies.

The Dave Matthews Band does attract a mighty crowd, and deservedly so. I am sure the majority of the thousands of fans that were drawn to the shows mistakenly imagine themselves as children of the Deadheads. With exceptions, this scene falls far short of embodying the camaraderie and compassion of the Dead crowds. A Dave Matthews fan will just as soon stomp you into the ground as share his joint with you. Scratch that, DMB fans don’t share their weed with anyone. The Daveheads are also well equipped and proficient with their cell phones. While useful for finding your friends if you get separated, the mobiles have led to a disconcerting proliferation of phone calls to friends to tell them what they’re missing at the show.

Given all the venue’s annoyances, and there were many, the music was well worth it. Each night's concert was apropos to the weather. Saturday was hot and humid so DMB kept the music upbeat, giving the crowd a reason to sweat with Matthews and violinist Boyd Tinsley cranking up classics like Tripping Billies and Warehouse. Sunday night was cooler with a nice breeze and Leroi Moore's sax solos were the centerpiece of a laid back and relaxed show that featured a beautiful rendition of Under The Table And Dreaming’s #34.

Ever the gracious hosts, DMB invited Robert Randolph onstage to close out both shows. Imbuing the band with what seems to be an endless reserve of enthusiasm, he was the center of gravity for Tinsley and Matthews during Saturday's blistering version of Stand Up's Louisiana Bayou. The next night, Randolph emerged for the news album's titular Stand Up and remained on stage for the band's warhorse cover of All Along The Watchtower. After Matthew's dreary intro, Randolph was handed the entire song and nearly set his pedal steel on fire with his scorching solo. Randolph was not the only guest in the house. Phish's Trey Anastasio appeared onstage on Saturday and helped give Jimi Thing an exciting 20 minute workout that included an extended intro incorporating Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth. Putting on airs for the important guest, every member of the band amped up their game with Trey on stage.

The arrangements of most DMB songs are not simple and Carter Beauford does an amazing and usually underappreciated job of anchoring the band. Over the course of the weekend, each band member was given time to shine. Tinsley, shredding strings, literally and figuratively took center stage during Dancing Nancies. Sunday's encore of Seek Up featured bassist Stefan Lessard and Leroi Moore, who soloed often throughout the night.

The only change in the weekend's lineup was the penultimate act in which the Barenaked Ladies narrowly edged the Black Eyed Peas in the battle to shameless suck up to Dave Matthews. With every rap, the Ladies and the Peas worked in references to the headliner. Unsurprisingly, the Barenaked Ladies crafted the more entertaining and witty freestyle references, with Ed Robertson winning significant brownnosing points for incorporating and plugging Matthews' appearance in Because of Winn-Dixie.

Outside of currying favor, the Saturday concert was greatly improved by the Ladies' presence. Aware that they had a stadium to entertain, BNL made sure to mix their well-known songs like One Week, complete with Chicken Dance, and the always popular lottery promoting If I Had $1,000,000 with the idiosyncratic Pinch Me and the weepy ballad Break Your Heart. They also got huge bonus points by acknowledging the back of the crowd.

The Peas appearance at this show, as well as others on the upcoming tour, is a troubling proposition. Your thoughts on whether the Black Eyed Peas belong on the same bill as Dave Matthews depends upon your thoughts of where DMB sits on the musical landscape. If you think of them as an offshoot of the jamband scene, then the Peas are sorely out of place; but, if you think of them as a Top 40 radio darling, then the Peas are right at home.

It is the Peas' Top 40 leanings that fail them in an expansive setting. The Peas are essentially four average singers and none of them have a strong voice like Mariah Carey or the charisma of Bruce Springsteen to keep the interest of a stadium audience. To put a band behind them that could keep the interest of the back rows would be to upstage the stars of this act and obviously there is no chance of that occurring. The Peas tried to play reggae, 70's funk, blues and surf rock, succeeding only in presenting a generic, homogenized version of music ill-suited to the band's strengths.

While not inspiring the audience to wonder whatever happened to the Fugees, the Peas offered an overly simplistic but well intentioned rationalization that our gathering together to listen to music was an effective way to battle the evils of terrorism. They then immediately implored us all to "get retarded." Quite possibly, they wanted company.

Ray Lamontagne, looking very shaggy and a bit uncomfortable in the midday sun, was the star of the side stage. Lamontagne's warm and intimate songs, which are better suited to a candlelit late night listen with a friendly companion, were not especially suited to the brightly lit open-air venue. However, there is no denying the power and emotion of Lamontagne's wonderful, emotional Van Morrison-esque songs.

Every bit the musician that he is not a performer, Lamontagne opened both sets with his yearning heartfelt ballad Burn. Plagued by an apathetic audience and apparent sound problems on Saturday, Lamontagne unnecessarily apologized to the audience, feeling he was having a bad day and that he shouldn't be up there. With a more appreciative audience on Sunday, Lamontagne played a longer set, closing with Danielle, a new song which held its own with any other rocker played that day.

After Lamontagne closed the side stage, Jem and Mike Doughty performing earlier, the focus moved to the grand main stage and Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Randolph's set has evolved but not changed much over the past 18 months. Although they clearly know what gets the crowd on their feet, Randolph & the Band run the risk of becoming a cliché by overusing the stage tricks that are currently endearing them to fans everywhere.

On this weekend, Randolph shuffled the set list but retained the core elements that have become trademarks of his shows. Drummer Marcus Randolph and bassist Danyel Morgan seemed to relish the opportunity to dive into the rhythm sections of the now obligatory Michael Jackson cover. In a sly nod to the "Hendrix of the pedal steel guitar" raves, Robert Randolph always makes sure to include a scorching rendition of Voodoo Chile or Purple Haze. Saturday's performance closed with Unclassified's Nobody, during which Randolph and his cousins took turns playing each other's instruments. Just to show that they truly could switch off at will, they did it again on Sunday during the gospel inspired I Don’t Know What You Come To Do.

It is a shame that the weekend's concerts were marred by the abysmal conditions of the venue because the music, for the most part was fantastic. It is an even worse shame that most of Matthews' fans consider these conditions acceptable and felt no compunction about spending a ten-hour day in a scene straight out of The Grapes Of Wrath. If his fans will sit through this, you can expect the New York leg of the 2006 Dave Matthews Band tour to take place in a Staten Island landfill.

Labels: Dave Matthews Band, Ray LaMontagne, Robert Randolph, The Family Band, Trey Anastasio

Australia's chart topping John Butler Trio, will kickoff more U.S. tour dates beginning April 29th at Jazzfest in New Orleans. The acclaimed three-piece will be hitting the ground running in support of their recently released U.S. debut "Sunrise Over Sea." The album, which hit stores March 15, sold over 4000 units its' first week and landed at #8 on the Alternative New Artist Chart. In May, Trey Anastasio of the legendary Phish, will join the band for a few shows.

Critics across the country have praised the group. According to the New York Post, [Butler] plays "the best acoustic soul since Dave Matthews," while Billboard calls Sunrise Over Sea, "wonderfully overwhelming." The kudos don't stop there, Performing Songwriter calls Butler "a force to be reckoned with," and the Dayton Daily News cites the trio as "blending styles of the two Bobs - Dylan and Marley."

The John Butler Trio established themselves as one of Australia's most successful independent artists in recent history. Sunrise Over Sea debuted at #1 in their native country and is officially four times certified platinum in Australia and platinum in New Zealand. The band was nominated for five ARIA Awards in 2004, (Australian Grammys) taking home a total of three including "Best Male Vocalist," "Best Roots & Blues Album" and "Best Independent Artist." In addition, John Butler recently set up his own Arts Grant Scheme in Australia to help benefit emerging artists.

The John Butler Trio just completed a successful run of dates, which included sold out shows in San Francisco, New York and Austin. The band have diligently built a substantial touring base and are committed to spending much of 2005 on the road here in the States.

Dates follow:

4/29 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazzfest
5/01 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsay
5/05 Indianapolis, IN In Vogue
5/06 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre *
5/07 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre *
5/08 Milwaukee, WI Eagle's Ballroom *
5/10 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
5/11 Portland, OR Douglas Fir Lounge
5/13 Joshua Tree, CA Joshua Tree Music Festival
5/14 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
5/15 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/18 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
5/22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
6/12 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
6/16 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival
6/18 Lawrence, KS Wakarusa Music Festival

* w/ Trey Anastasio

Labels: Trey Anastasio