By: David Schultz


In just his 5th show since stepping into the breach created by founding member Rob Salzer’s departure from the band, guitarist Kevin Griffin has already had a noticeable effect on the band. Wisely, Griffin doesn’t try to mimic Salzer’s solos or guitar style. Everything is still eminently recognizable but since it’s being filtered through a different musician with his own unique set of sensibilities, the end result is refreshing variations on familiar themes; a little less tronica in the jamtronica. Griffin’s presence was felt the most during “The Eternal Groove,” when he set the guitar aside and turned one of U-Melt’s signature tunes on its head by adding some tasty licks on the tenor sax. The new instrument also added some jazzy life to a cover of Robert Palmer’s “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On.” Griffin’s buoyant stage personality seems to be contagious: Adam Bendy, the band’s normally stoic bassist, cracked a smile or two and the band played with an extremely loose feel.

At their release party at The Knitting Factory for The I’s Mind, U-Melt debuted “Clear Light,” “Elysian Fields” and “Perfect World,” all of which appear on the new album. Three years later, those songs found their way into the setlist, which featured many of the tracks from Perfect World, their development over that time noticeable. While U-Melt didn’t offer a preview of their fourth album, they did open their second set by busting out a phenomenal cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” the opening riff getting a loud response of delightful recognition. Filling the room quite nicely, keyboardist Zac Lasher’s voice sounded remarkably strong. His confidence as a lead vocalist seems to be growing at the same rate his keyboard setup approaches Benevento-like size and complexity.

It would be ignoring the stress on the floorboards to ignore the weight of the 800 pound elephant of Salzer’s absence. He’s been so integral to U-Melt’s development and signature sound that it would be naïve not to muse over the unavoidable changes that are to come. Stasis never fosters growth though and from a creativity standpoint, change is always good. Near the close of U-Melt’s 3 ½ hour extravaganza, the band’s past and future meshed melodically as "Panacea" veered significantly into “Shakedown Street” territory. Coming from Reckoning, a decidedly Grateful Dead influenced jam fell right within Griffin’s wheelhouse and while U-Melt have never been Dead-averse, this is the most Dead-friendly I can remember hearing them. It’s just the start of the Flash Sideways that U-Melt’s going to offer their fans.

YOU MIGHT BE AS SHOCKED AS Claude Rains to find out that Internet rumors could get out of hand, run wild and gain steam. But yes, Virginia, they do. Rolling Stone magazine didn't forget to renew their domain name or run into any intellectual property issues. It appears they are just experiencing technical difficulties and will be back soon. At least that what's I read on the Internet.

Labels: U-Melt

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

“When you read about a Bob Dylan or David Bowie making a new-sounding record after they made one that was popular, or even loved by a couple of people, people were really mad,” [Keating] said. “Then it’s only in hindsight that it was cool. It’s cool to keep moving.”

BUZZUNIVERSE WILL ALSO BE MAKING new friends in the Spring, making their first venture to the Midwest. The New Jersey based band will be bringing their progressive and eclectic brand of music to Cleveland, Ohio on April 15, Indianapolis, Indiana on April 16 and Kalamazoo, Michigan on April 17. They'll return to New York City for an April 30 gig at the Ace of Clubs (w/ Leroy Justice) to celebrate Willie Nelson's birthday. Check out BuzzU's full Spring schedule by clicking here.

Labels: BuzzUniverse, U-Melt, Yeasayer

By: David Schultz


Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: Not The T-Bone Burnett Album

U-Melt: Perfect World

Pavement Reunion

Peter Gabriel: Scratch My Back
With his last studio effort coming in 2002, Peter Gabriel’s most significant accomplishment over the past few years has been getting reverently namechecked by Vampire Weekend in “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” Not typically known as an interpreter of other’s material, Gabriel will release Scratch My Back, an album exclusively of covers, on February 15. Gabriel’s latest will include his take on David Bowie’s “Heroes,” Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble,” Bon Iver’s “Flume,” Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is A Cage” as well as versions of songs from Elbow, Lou Reed, The Magnetic Fields, Randy Newman, Regina Spektor, Neil Young, Radiohead and The Talking Heads.

Blues & Lasers New Album

Pete Townshend At The Super Bowl

Backyard Tire Fire: Good To Be

The Kinks Reunion

Vampire Weekend: Contra

A Genesis Reunion With Peter Gabriel

Labels: Backyard Tire Fire, Genesis, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Pavement, Peter Gabriel, The Kinks, The Who, U-Melt, Vampire Weekend

By: David Schultz
Photo: Jeremy Gordon


In addition to being Salzer’s farewell performance, the Sullivan Hall performance marked U-Melt’s final gig for 2009. In 2010, Kevin Griffin, formerly of The Point, will have the unenviable task of filling Salzer’s inestimable shoes as U-Melt treks across North America in support of Perfect World, their upcoming third studio album. Salzer’s absence from the band he helped found is the elephant in the room that many may not want to talk about, his role in U-Melt far from one that’s easily replaceable. I can’t provide any firsthand assessment as I haven’t had the opportunity to hear Griffin play. By all accounts though, Griffin is up to the task at hand and his inclusion into the band will take place under Salzer’s tutelage. Perhaps the most exciting aspect about the future for any band is that it’s yet to be written; whether you entitle this new chapter Nu-Melt or U-Melt 2.0, it’s sure to be an exciting one.

Labels: U-Melt

Labels: Cornmeal, Phish, Steve Kimock, Steve Molitz, The Strokes, U-Melt

U-Melt Signs With Harmonized Records
New Album Perfect World To Be Released Nationally on February 23, 2010

Brilliantly capturing U-Melt’s amazing ability to shatter musical boundaries and transcend genre classification, Perfect World, U-Melt’s eagerly anticipated third studio album will soon be released on Harmonized Records. Recorded in their home base of Brooklyn, New York within the confines of their self-constructed studio, Perfect World will capture your imagination and commune with the existential part of your soul that responds to mind-expanding music played by a band whose creativity knows no limits.

Consisting of 10 road tested tracks, the carefully crafted music and philosophical lyrics of Perfect World shows off U-Melt’s inimitable skill in its finest form. It is a rare band indeed that can navigate the intricate twists and progressive rock turns of “Panacea," "Question Matters" and “Elysian Fields,” offer up the eminently danceable riffs of “Pura Vida” and “Clear Light” and gorgeously imbue the title track with a warily optimistic idealism. With a national release date of February 23, 2010, the inescapable rock and roll energy and dance grooves of U-Melt's Perfect World will move your psyche as well as your feet.

In February of 2010, U-Melt will kick off their “Perfect World Tour” which will carry the band across the nation and bring them to a city and venue near you. Dates, places and times will be forthcoming on U-Melt.com.

In the meantime, U-Melt will perform their final show of 2009 on December 4th at Sullivan Hall in New York City. The show is a late night Post Phish show following Phish's final night at Madison Square Garden.

Labels: U-Melt

By: David Schultz

Last week, Zac Lasher, Rob Salzer and Adam Bendy - 3/4 of U-Melt - offered a quiet little early evening acoustic set at New York City's Rockwood Music Hall, which long time readers will recall as the locale of Earvolution's first New York City showcase. I'd love to offer a lengthy dissertation on the set but due to the rigors of maintaining a day job, I only caught the tail end: the last half of "Folded" and the bawdy "Ballad Of Peniston." I can say that what I saw was pretty damn impressive. Playing on a stage slightly bigger than the piano, the stripped down setting let you really focus on how great each of these guys are. I only got a small taste, so I'm hoping there will be more Acousti-Melt in the future. In the meantime, U-Melt returns to Sullivan Hall on Friday night December 4 for a post-Phish after-hours gig.

AFTER ROCKING THE GARDEN AS part of the opening night of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary celebration, Bruce Springsteen returns this weekend for a pair of shows. As he did at Giants Stadium, he'll be playing an album in its entirety each night. Saturday night, he'll play The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle and Sunday night, he play The River.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

If Disney were tasked with the job of describing U-Melt, they would proclaim them “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” It takes that many syllables to properly relate the complexity, creativity and energy of the New York based band. Microsoft seems on board with this as well. Unless they were planning on Word being used to create documents discoursing of flying nannies, they have it spellchecked awaiting its application here. (Don’t believe me? Go check it out, I’ll wait).

Much like Lost rewards those who pay close attention, U-Melt’s shows build off those they’ve played in the past. Combinations and segues from one tour will be tweaked and modified for the next and songs started at the beginning of the set may not be completed until the end; new songs usually sit comfortably next to the old and any covers quickly become their own. Putting such a premium on the live performance is a philosophy that has worked wonders for bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish in the past and it’s serving U-Melt well in the present.

At Sullivan Hall, U-Melt wrapped “Red Star,” their sweeping opus around a first set that included “A Portrait Of Kismet,” the debut of a new song, “Almost Perfect,” “Pura Vida” and a cover of The Police’s “King Of Pain” cribbed from their cover of Synchronicity from last months Wormtown Festival. While hipsters flock to stand and nod approvingly at MGMT and Hot Chip, people come to dance and have an unabashed time at a U-Melt show. For the second set, a cover of Medeski, Martin & Wood’s “Bubblehouse” with subtle teases of Salt-n-Pepa’s “Push It” flowed into keyboardist Zac Lasher’s melodious “Disclaimer” and guitarist Rob Salzer’s electrifying “Elysian Fields.”

During an encore run through “Tomorrow Never Knows,” the facility with which Salzer, Lasher, drummer George Miller and bassist Adam Bendy can bring together a broad range of styles was on full display. Working within the spacey psychedelic framework of the Revolver classic, they tossed in flourishes of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough” and Robert Randolph’s “I Need More Love” as if they were a natural extension of the song. Nearly four hours after they took the stage, they finished up with “Air.”

On October 27, Lasher and Salzer will play a rare acoustic set at 6:00 p.m. at the Rockwood Music Hall on Allen & Houston and U-Melt will return to Sullivan Hall on December 4 for a post-Phish at MSG after-hours. After that, keep your ears pealed: there should be some exciting news coming up to coincide with U-Melt’s winter tour.

Labels: U-Melt

By: David Schultz

Taking their cue from an article by Grateful Dead historian David Gans, jambands.com keeps a section on the site entitled Box Scores where you can find the setlist from the previous night’s Bob Dylan, Phish or Dave Matthews Band show. Likening the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of a well-played Dead show to those found at any baseball game, Gans understood that despite the uniformity of the context, the particulars can be endlessly diverse and like snowflakes, never the same. U-Melt may not be the only band providing a different wrinkle with each individual show but they are one of the few that continuously and reliably keep things fresh. Each U-Melt show is worth attending; you will see something memorable.

This past Saturday night, U-Melt returned to New York City for a late night gig at Greenwich Village’s Sullivan Hall. Their first Manhattan show since headlining the BB King Blues Club this past April turned out to be a boisterous affair, the crowd revved up with a rambunctious enthusiasm that added to the atmosphere. A second set romp through “Marvin The Pussy” saw U-Melt working in tandem with the crowd, who hung with every peak and valley of the songs swirling bounces as if it was Phish playing “You Enjoy Myself.” The set featured long time U-Melt staples like “Green Amber” and “Green Paper Society,” relatively newer tunes like “Question Matters” and “Tiny Giants” and the debut of two new tracks, Lasher’s “Honey Sucker” and Salzer’s “Momentary Luminaries.”

With the weekend marking the anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s passing, guitarist Rob Salzer teased bits and pieces of The Dead throughout the night, drawing the biggest reaction when he inserted the squonky riff of “Shakedown Street” into an encore cover of Kool & The Gang’s “Get Down On It,” a song introduced as one that Garcia would never have played. Dead samples notwithstanding, Salzer once again established that his reputation as one of the most electrifying young guitarists is far from hyperbole. Easily the most mild-mannered member of the band, it’s easy to overlook bassist Adam Bendy, so we won’t do that here. Matching Salzer and keyboard maven Zac Lasher’s creative and intricate licks, Bendy artfully weaves his bass lines around the mania, especially while Salzer shreds. Over my last few U-Melt shows, I’ve started to gain a real appreciation for what Bendy does on stage.

Lasher creates such lush melodies and atmospheres with the keyboards, guiding the mood from the carnival trot of “The Fantastical Flight Of Captain Delicious” through Disco Biscuits-style electronica. To appropriately provide an edification of drummer George Miller’s capabilities of synchronization and metronomony, you occasionally have to make up a word or two. He puts forth a Herculean effort behind the kit, relentlessly keeping the energy of the crowd from waning and nailing the vocals of the Frank Zappa covers as if channeling the man himself.

Their extended first set featured a pair of notable guest appearances from singer Jenn Ritchie and saxophonist Ed Palermo. As Ritchie stormed through a rampant version of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll,” you couldn’t help but realize that Robert Plant’s otherworldly voice hit levels that most male singers can’t reach. To really do the song the same way, you do need a powerful female lead. Given the complicated twists and turns of even your average U-Melt song, the straightforward amped-up blues framework of Zeppelin classic seemed relatively simple in comparison.

Sharing U-Melt’s fascination and appreciation with the complex arrangements of Frank Zappa, the eponymous head of the Ed Palermo Big Band was a match made in Joe’s Garage. After combining on a stout run through “Cosmik Debris,” Palermo added extraordinary flourishes to an extended take on “Apostrophe,” the result being one of the finest versions of the song I’ve heard to date. Palermo also showed a wonderful facility for adaptation, deftly picking up on the subtle Latin flavors of U-Melt’s “Carne.”

Labels: U-Melt

By: David Schultz

Brooklyn . . . the County of Kings . . . home of the hipsters. If you have a black T-shirt, thick blocky glasses and can quote lyrics from The National’s last album with the gravitas of Walt Whitman poetry, this is the locale for you. For all the things that you can say about Brooklyn, there is one deep truth about the borough: Brooklyn don’t jam. It’s a fact that can be said with the same certainty that Robert Duvall knew that Charlie didn’t surf. Despite Brooklyn’s preference for the pithy and concise, every so often a band from the jamband community makes a bit of a dent in the aloof community and this past weekend it was U-Melt’s turn to introduce their blend of electronica and progressive rock to Park Slope’s Southpaw.

Doing more in a Mets #7 jersey than the individual who presently wears it, U-Melt’s Rob Salzer continues to build on his reputation as one of the most-electrifying young guitarists. Opening the second set with a psychedelic cover of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows,” Salzer matched Zac Lasher’s vocals with his guitar, transforming the trippy Revolver classic into a high-powered jam. In a nod to the recently departed Michael Jackson, the song segued into “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” with Lasher pounding out the vocal melody on his keyboards while bassist Adam Bendy and drummer George Miller had the crowd moving with the song’s sinuous beat.

It’s easy to gush over U-Melt – as I have ample times in the past on this site and recently over on jambands.com – and for good reason. This is a fantastic band hitting their stride and building a lasting relationship with their fans. Perhaps a fine sign of the burgeoning community, one of the fans at Southpaw had a gigantic tattoo of the U-Melt logo on his upper arm. If you haven’t yet made it to see U-Melt – shame on you; remedy this.

On July 4, U-Melt will return to The Stone Pony, the site of their last New Year’s Eve gig, for a performance inside the Asbury Park, NJ haunt following moe.’s show just outside. After a headlining set on July 18 at the Somerset County Jam Fest in Harmony, Maine, U-Melt will return to New York City on August 8 for two sets at Sullivan Hall.

Labels: U-Melt

At the end of January, U-Melt revved up for their Winter tour with an excellent Saturday night show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. Although I normally subscribe to the "No Jersey" rule when it comes to going to shows, U-Melt's Hoboken gig would be their only local appearance under they return to New York City and take over B.B. King's on April 10. Among the show's highlights: Zac Lasher playing Paul McCartney's "Let Em In" as an intro to a wild cover of The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows," the debut of a new tune, ,"Tiny Giants" and the revival of an old one, the beautiful "Twilight's Song" and a fine run through "Question Matters" which included a segue into and out of Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe." Often overlooked, Adam Bendy is continuing to emerge as a strong bass presence, a worthy foil to the electrifying guitar work of Rob Salzer and a fine compliment to exemplary skills of drummer George Miller.

Earvolution has long sung U-Melt's praises and it seems like others are catching on. Hidden Track recently posted an insightful interview with Lasher and Jambase has a thoughtful review of U-Melt's recent gig at Higher Ground in Vermont which also has a brief yet funny Q&A with the band.

Labels: U-Melt

By: David Schultz

New York City never lacks for quality concerts on New Year’s Eve: Patti Smith can always be found on the Lower East Side at the Bowery Ballroom, Gov’t Mule usually hitches their post further north and this year, My Morning Jacket headlined Madison Square Garden. For the past three years, U-Melt has offered a late night addendum to the annual festivities, starting their set while most of Manhattan crawls into bed and customarily jamming to the break of dawn. This year, U-Melt moved from the after hours to the main event, ringing in the New Year at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey with special guests BuzzUniverse, The Point and guitarist Keith Kenny.

Originally scheduled to take place at The Stone Pony, the venue where local boy Bruce Springsteen first practiced his craft, the Asbury Park extravaganza had to relocate down the street due to unfinished repairs. Opening with Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years,” U-Melt - Zac Lasher (keys), Rob Salzer (guitar), Adam Bendy (bass) and George Miller (drums) - peppered their first set with both parts of “A Robbins Tale” and disconnected versions of “Schizophrenia” and “Red Star” Undaunted by the change of venue, U-Melt flourished in the excitement of the waning moments of 2008, shifting quickly into “Auld Lang Syne” as the final grains of sand passed through the hourglass. We’ll discount the fact that they announced 2009 about a minute early; their timing will be much better for 2010.

Prior to U-Melt’s set, New Jersey’s own BuzzUniverse played a marvelous eighty-minute set that gradually and assuredly got the growing crowd into the spirit of the evening. Fresh off of playing one of the final sets at New York City’s Knitting Factory, BuzzUniverse took the Asbury Park stage as a lean, stripped down four piece, with guitarist Alex Garay, drummer Dave Migliore, bassist Greg McLoughlin and saxophonist Brian Ciufo broadening the confines of the intimate stage with grooves like “Hydroponic Boogie,” “In The Sun” and “Hour.” BuzzU’s expertly wrought tunes are perfect for making guests feel welcome on their stage. At their Jingle Jam Christmas party, Jason Crosby seamlessly worked his violin into “This Ol’ Cowboy” and “Earth Is Moving” and on New Years, Lasher provided a potent dose of keys on “Round And Round.”

Seeing as U-Melt wavered slightly from tradition this year by moving their New Year’s after-hours set to prime time, I too will adjust with the times. Every year around this time, I implore you to make listening to U-Melt a part of your New Year’s resolutions; I do not waver on that point but I will broaden it to include BuzzUniverse, another band that is worthy of your attention. Get on this: Now!

Labels: BuzzUniverse, U-Melt

By: David Schultz
Photo: Jeremy Gordon (via Wikipedia)

There’s a flip side to seeing a great band in their early stages: for as great a thrill it can be to see them grow, build confidence and broaden their fan base with every show, it’s frustrating when the genius and talent you see isn’t catching on worldwide with the same viral rapidity that propels vacant, untalented pop stars to the upper echelons of notoriety. For all the fond remembrances people have of Phish’s early days, it’s often forgotten that it took them almost a decade before the H.O.R.D.E. tour propelled them on to headlining amphitheaters. Having first seen U-Melt in late 2005, I’ve had to cope with the fact that the realities of building a successful band that can carry on a sustained career really doesn’t correspond to my timetable of how quickly I think it should occur. Said a little less eruditely: I know that U-Melt puts on some of the most eclectic, energetic and flat-out fun live shows of any band out there today, so why am I not being joined by tens of thousands of people at every show?

My unrealistic views aside, U-Melt’s appeal is definitely growing at an above-average pace. Their New York City New Year’s Eve after-hours shows, especially this year's edition at the HighLine Ballroom, are things of beauty and wonderment and with every show; bigger rooms are needed to handle their expanding fan base. Far from complacent, U-Melt - Rob Salzer (guitar), Zac Lasher (keys), Adam Bendy (bass) and George Miller (drums) – are consistently growing bolder and more confident with each show and it was evident this past Friday night when they made their return to NYC’s HighLine Ballroom.

Songs like “The Fantastic Flight of Captain Delicious” and “A Robbins Tale Nos. 1 & 2” have evolved into remarkable live pieces (and prompted the crowd to beckon for “A Robbins Tale No. 3”), longtime staples like “Red Star” and “Sequel” remain potent and in covering Black Sabbath’s “Faeries Wear Boots” and Billy Joel’s “Pressure” showed that they remain deft interpreters of other artist’s material. Playing for nearly 3 ½ hours, U-Melt kept the crowd deeply involved with the show, seeming to respond to any slight energy lag with something to raise the room’s collective spirit. Bendy now segues songs together with his bass work, Salzer continuously finds new ways to impress with his guitar-God like skills, Miller, one of my favorite drummers, always finds new ways to keep things pulsing and as exemplified on the Joel cover, Lasher knows how to send the band soaring on the wings of his keyboards.

U-Melt will make their way to Colorado via the Midwest for shows with Particle and The Breakfast and will be covering a lot of ground on their fall tour before their next local performance, a proper New Year’s Eve headlining gig at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey with BuzzUniverse opening the festivities. Lasher is an avid Springsteen fan, so those who like to speculate on cover tunes can start doing the math yourselves. Shows in legendary rooms aside, I will expect to see U-Melt grow faster than Phish in one regard - they have until 2015 to move the New Year’s Eve show to Madison Square Garden.

Labels: U-Melt

The debut of Rob Salzer & Friends was unceremoniously postponed this past Saturday when Crash Mansion, the Lower East Side haunt tabbed to host the event was forced to lock its doors after a Friday night raid by the local authorities. While it would be fun to claim the venue's difficulties stemmed from calling U-Melt's guitarist "Ray Salzer," it more than likely stems from their reported difficulties with minors getting hold of alcoholic beverages while within the premises. As of now, the date has not been rescheduled.

In other U-Melt news, the band has teamed up with livedownloads.com to create U-Tunes -pristine soundboard recordings of select shows available for, as the name would suggest, download. For the first shows, U-Melt has selected their two March performances from New York City's Sullivan Hall, the second of which consisted of a musical palindrome that needs to be heard to be completely understood. The cost of the mp3s is in line with iTunes pricing model with the FLAC version costing slightly more.

For New Yorkers who like their U-Melt live and on stage, they will be returning to the scene of their triumphant New Year's Eve gig, the HighLine Ballroom, on October 3rd.



Photo by Jeremy Gordon.

Labels: U-Melt

By: David Schultz

For Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Steven Spielberg envisioned music as the most basic form of communication. Since musical tones affect the brain and touch the soul at its most primitive and sensorial cores, the director credibly imagined that two different species could establish the most elementary contact by replaying five notes to each other over a state-of-the-art sound system. While Spielberg may have overestimated the power of music as an information delivery system, he did correctly assess that, regardless of spoken language, music enters the brain and pleases the psyche at its deepest emotional level. U-Melt may not have found the key to communicating through the power of song during their weekend run of shows at New York City’s Sullivan Hall but for those who were willing, Rob Salzer, Zac Lasher, Adam Bendy and George Miller spoke to the part of their existential soul that responds to live music performed at its highest level of perfection.

With the baseball season just around the corner, U-Melt got in the spirit of the season and played two for their hometown fans at the recently renovated Sullivan Hall. It’s the next phase of the band’s evolution; already masters of the late-night, after-hours marathon, U-Melt’s catalog now has the breadth and depth to allow them to play a weekend’s slate of show with Friday night’s gig taking on a completely different character from Saturday night’s.

The shows may have been completely different but they shared some thematically similarities. U-Melt used their first sets to introduce new songs as well as test themselves with a couple covers. On Friday they debuted “Twilight’s Song,” a slightly reggae tinged number and on the next night gave the first live rendering of the groove-heavy “Pura Vida.” In addition to covering the Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime,” they flexed their musical muscles by breaking out Frank Zappa’s “Cosmik Debris” and “Apostrophe.” U-Melt does more than just cover Zappa, they give his music the attention to detail that makes it so special. They don’t gloss over or simplify the complex changing time signatures and Miller simply channels the uniquely zany guitarist through his vocals.

A thinking man’s (and woman's) jamband, U-Melt turned their last set of the two nights into a musical palindrome, nesting songs inside of each other like a musical Matryoshka doll. Opening with Lasher’s “Clear Light,” they were only halfway through the tune before segueing into “Panacea.” They repeated the trick by moving through the first halves of “Schizophrenia,” “Late July’s Lament” and “Green Paper Society” before knocking off a complete run through “Kind Insight.” The band then hit reverse and finished off all the songs. For anyone who was able to follow along, the highbrow concept provided rich rewards. Of course, they worked the concept on multiple levels as the entire show was bookended by “A Robbin’s Tale, Parts 1 and 2.”

U-Melt seamlessly wove their sets together, pausing momentarily between songs when they bothered to stop at all. The band has grown into an extraordinarily tight unit and it’s allowed them to build on their own estimable individual skills. Salzer’s guitar solos are so tied in to each song that it sometimes takes a while before you realize that he’s tearing through one. Usually good for a couple funky bars whenever U-Melt plays “Air,” Bendy’s bass solos were a bit more prevalent and seeing and hearing him assert himself on stage is an extremely welcome addition to the band.

For their Saturday night encore, U-Melt shifted gears and opened their extra set with “Perfect World.” The leisurely paced tune, which concludes with a marvelous Salzer solo, has an understated strength and is a noticeably change of pace from the group’s high octane, prog-rock jams. “Perfect World” might very well be the song that attracts the casual fan to introduce themselves to the tightknit U-Melt community; it has all the makings of a crossover hit. For anyone so inclined to treat themselves to a fabulous evening of music, U-Melt will be heading out on an East coast tour before linking up with the summer festival circuit. If they are coming anywhere near you, just GO!

Labels: U-Melt

Labels: moe., U-Melt

[Ed. Note: Earvolution's artist development and production side of the business has a few tricks up its sleeve for 2008 as well; new Pawnshop Roses coming soon and expect a major announcement involving the marrying of new media technology with one of the most revered brands in American music history.]

Labels: Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Drive By Truckers, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Licorice, North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes, The Hold Steady, U-Melt

Labels: U-Melt

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

Justin Timberlake continues to amaze. Not just on stage, but off. Perez Hilton - ok, not exactly a journalistic icon - reports that Timberlake was joined at Sundance by Jessica Biel. Now, that my friends certainly qualifies as sexy back.

Keith Richards, who may or may not have recovered from falling out of that tree last year, is apparently on a health kick. The "walking dead" guitarist has reportedly taken to drinking "organic vodka." The healthy booze was supposedly a gift from Ronnie Wood's wife, who is reported to be encouraging a more healthy lifestyle for the group of sixty-somethings.

Jason Mraz composed "The Beauty In The Ugly" in support of the "Be Ugly 07" campaign as "Ugly Betty" seems to be all the rage these days. The show appears Thursdays on ABC at 8/7c.
Stream: real / windows

U-Melt's Winter Tour will be kicking off tonight, Friday, 1/26, with a show at Mexicali Blues Cafe in Teaneck, NJ. Saturday night, U-Melt will be travelling down the Jersey Turnpike to headline The North Star in Philly. More tour dates here.

The Arctic Monkeys reportedly were victims of theft. The band was said to have set up a photo shoot near some unoccupied Liverpool houses and were planning to feature a toilet in the shots. But, some local kids reportedly spoiled the fun when the ran off with it. Now word on whether the loo-ters were caught.

The Safes get a mention here because of a song title I liked. Their "Phonebook Full of Phonies" title reminded me of my favorite book Catcher in the Rye. You'll recall Holden Caufield's fondness of the word phonies. But, back to the Safes, the Chicago band of brothers just released their latest record Well, Well, Well. and are embarking on a club tour.
MP3s: "Phonebook Full of Phonies" and "Fairy Tale Tomorrow"

The legendary B.B. King was reportedly hospitalized last night. King is reportedly in good condition and under observation in the University Of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. No reason was reported for the visit. King's hospitalisation meant a scheduled gig last night at the Grand Opera House had to be cancelled.
Video Flashback: B.B. King joins Stevie Ray Vaugh for SRV's "Texas Flood" in 1988.

Labels: Arctic Monkeys, BB King, Justin Timberlake, The Rolling Stones, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

The jamband scene has delightfully become quite varied and splintered since the whole genre could be encapsulated by the Grateful Dead or Phish. Where the jamband term once brought to mind a neo-hippie style derived from jazz improvisations that featured lengthy solos, it now can't be so narrowly defined.

In recent years, jambands have simply become a difficult animal to categorize: Railroad Earth and the Yonder Mountain String Band have a bluegrass tinge; Particle and the Disco Biscuits opt for a rave-like electronic vibe, Tea Leaf Green derive their sound from their California roots and Umphrey's McGee brings the lofty goals of the progressive rock era into the 21st Century - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In this wide ranging "post-jam" universe, improvisation still rules but the term now best signifies a band that thrives in a live environment and has found a way to build a meaningful relationship with their audience.

As it's usually impossible to get a sense of a jamband from just one song, the "genre" doesn't lend itself to compilation form in the same manner as pop music is wedded to the Now That's What I Call Music series. With their Stages compilations, Apogee Records has found a clever way to introduce new jambands to their prospective new fans. Rather than selecting just one song to represent the band, they treat each artist like fine wine, giving them room to breathe by allotting them significant time to get their sound across. On Stages, Apogee featured emerging bands like Umphrey's McGee, Particle and the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey; on Stages 2, Apogee once again picks up their crystal ball compiling more than 2 hours of music from 7 up-and-coming post-jam bands.

The Brakes and Licorice, co-headliners of the Stages 2 release party, get the most time and offer a nice contrast in styles. The Brakes' selections focus on their songs as opposed to their jamming. They they end "After The Storm" at a point where some other bands would springboard into a long instrumental. In contrast, Licorice, features their skillful musicianship, showing their impressive range, going from neo-avant-garde in "What's Your Status In London" to jazz on "Swisher." When combined with U-Melt's relatively short (for them) version of their eminently danceable "Schizophrenia," the first disc offers a treasure trove of good tunes.

The second disc is a bit spottier, containing some well-played but clichéd jams. Signal Path's selections spotlight their electronic-style songs and contain the disc's brightest moments. Green Lemon's reggae-infused "Desire Is A Gun" plods but their lengthier "Flight Of Manwe" does soar. On "Oblique," Bump gives a glimpse of what would have happened if an eighties Breakfast Club-era band decided to jam. Focusing on their horn section, (and adding the Addison Groove Project's horn section on "Free Time"), Akashic Record offers a good smattering of seventies-style funk. It's well done but too similar to what many other funk-based bands are doing.

If you're not already predisposed to the whole "jamband scene," Stages 2 won't make you a convert. However, if hearing musicians doing their thing in a live setting already appeals to you, Stages 2 provides a nice introduction to some new grooves for the New Year.

Labels: Akashic Record, Apogee Records, Bump, Green Lemon, Licorice, Signal Path, The Brakes, U-Melt

By: David Schultz

Since the dawn of time, Dick Clark has come to New York City's Times Square for New Year's Eve and drawn the nation's attention to the dropping of the ball in the Big Apple. In addition to this year's major television networks' canned and lip-synched Midtown celebrations, New York City also had their customarily varied slate of actual concert options.

Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule played the Beacon Theater, jamband veterans moe. took over Radio City Music Hall and the venerable Patti Smith rang in the New Year at the Bowery Ballroom, a familiar haunt just down the road from CBGB, the club whose closing she presided over in October. Over at B.B. King's, last-second replacement Chaka Kahn filled in for the recently departed James Brown. Instead of ringing in the New Year in funky style, The Godfather Of Soul lay in state at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Clad in a vintage purple suit, Brown's wake gave mourners a surreal opportunity to pay their final respects to The Hardest Working Man In Show Business while his music played one last time in the hallowed hall.

Jammin' Until The Break Of Dawn

While the "ball drop" may be New York City's most well-known year-end tradition; emerging jamband icons U-Melt are well on their way to starting a wonderful new one. U-Melt's late-night show at The Knitting Factory marked the third straight year that Rob Salzer, Zac Lasher, Adam Bendy and George Miller have taken the stage well after Britney Spears has been carried off to bed and past the time most New Yorkers have stumbled home to sleep off the evening's festivities. Playing until the crack of dawn, U-Melt kept raising the energy level of the room with each song; running through numerous grooves, some old, some new but all definitely original. U-Melt kept the Knit's packed crowd moving with old favorites like "Marvin The Pussy" and "Green Amber," newer songs like "Elysian Fields" and George Miller's exceptional "Perfect World" (which finished with a triumphant segue into Pink Floyd's "Eclipse") as well as well-chosen covers like the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979." Even with night becoming morning and the crowd beginning to physically run on empty, it was simply impossible to leave. Believe me, I tried; I could not pull myself away.

The relentless months of touring have honed U-Melt's skills to near-razor-sharp precision. Salzer's growingly lethal guitar solos and Lasher's luxurious keyboard rolls rightfully garner glowing raves but U-Melt's rhythm section truly makes their achievements possible. The pace of George Miller's drumming reveals an impressive stamina and the subtlety of Adam Bendy's skills on bass can sometimes be criminally overlooked. That U-Melt had the crowd still dancing at 6:30 in the morning is the best testament that can be offered to Bendy and Miller.

For those who forgot to make resolutions this past New Year's, allow me to help: make this the year you become a U-Melt fan. The existential part of your soul that thrives on excellent music will be eternally thankful.

One moe. Time

As they did in their last visit to New York City in 2005, moe. provided the first part of an amazing double-bill with U-Melt for those motivated and intrepid enough to catch both shows. The night before their New Year's Eve show at Radio City Music Hall, moe. returned to Irving Plaza, a venue they have long outgrown, for a bit of a warm-up. Breaking with tradition, moe. forewent their customary post-Thanksgiving shows at the much larger Roseland Ballroom this year, opting instead to join New Yorkers in ushering in the New Year. With the 1,000 person capacity venue busting at the seams, moe. kicked off the night with "Meat" and, but for an intermission, never slowed down over the course of their three hour set. Although The Conch, their new studio album, comes out next month, moe. focused on their back catalogue full of guaranteed crowd-pleasers like "Kyle's Song," "Akimbo" and "Rebubula." Returning from a bout of tendinitis that caused moe. to cancel some fall dates and kept him from playing guitar for many weeks, Al Schnier seemed no worse for wear, rejoining his fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey to recreate the band's distinctive double guitar sound. Flanking bassist Rob Derhak, their conversion of the zany "Dr. Graffenburg" into a sinuous groove that seamlessly segued into The Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" may have only been matched by their bouncy first set melding of "Y.O.Y" and "George;" the finishing jam leaving people humming and whistling it into the second set. With Jim Loughlin and Vinnie Amico providing double-barreled percussion, the stalwart jamband erased any mystery as to the cause of their longevity.

Vernon Reid & A Night Of Pure Guitar

Friday night saw Steve Vai's Favored Nations label present A Night Of Pure Guitar at Tonic on the Lower East Side. Headlined by Vernon Reid & Masque, the showcase also featured the Dave Weiner Band and Rob Balducci. Although the three bands had different styles, the limitations of guitar-centric instrumentals were impossible to ignore. Notable for the impressive guitar pyrotechnics, the evening begged the question of how much guitar is too much. The Weiner quintet and the Balducci trio put the focus of their sets squarely on the ample guitar wizardry of their namesakes who ripped off technically precise guitar riffs in such quick succession that they started to lose their freshness and diminished the ability to appreciate the creativity and technique at hand. Vernon Reid & Masque closed the evening with a tight hour long set that showed Reid's mastery of the skill of performing as well as the art of playing guitar. Conscious of the fact that the prior bands may have sated the audience's fill for pure guitar, Vernon Reid wisely offered a pleasant change of pace by allowing keyboard genius Leon Gruenbaum, bassist Steve Jenkins and drummer Don McKenzie ample opportunity to shine. Although billed as a guitar extravaganza, Reid's decision to not overpower the set with his own considerable guitar heroics after the audience had been treated to two hours of the same proved a wise success. Jenkins, a recent addition to band, really shone on Masque's cover of Radiohead's "National Anthem" as well as the homage to James Brown, keeping up with Reid's "Sex Machine" derived riff. Masque's set may have been the most well-rounded one, but it didn't betray the theme of the evening. When all was said and done, Reid left no doubt that he deserved his headliner status on a bill full of guitar maestros.

A Peek Into The Future

One of the thrills of going to a minor league baseball game is getting the opportunity to see young ball players destined for the pros. Although their skills aren't entirely perfected and they don't play with the same finesse that they someday will, the glimpses of raw talent can provide ample enjoyment and quite a bit of anticipatory excitement. That type of emerging, developing talent was on display at The Canal Room on Thursday night with New York singer-songwriter Jonah Smith and The Ryan Montbleau Band bringing their considerable skills to the classy venue.

After a brief opening set from the Josh Dion Band, Montbleau took the stage, seated as is his custom upon a simple swiveling bar stool. With Laurence Scudder (viola), Matt Giannaros (bass) and brothers Jason Cohen (keys) and James Cohen (drum), Montbleau led the band through a wide-ranging set that included some old-style Stevie Wonder soul, some country-blues and a roaring cover of Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science." Curiously, Dolby had just played the tune there himself last week, marking some sort of weird eighties confluence of the collective unconsciousness.

Backed by a trio, Jonah Smith followed with a lengthy set featuring songs from his self-titled Relix Records release, including "My Morning Scene" which has received some nice airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio. Montbleau and Smith's sets had their moments where everything clicked, but they also had occasional periods that unnecessarily rambled. Proving himself to be an amiable and unflappable performer, Smith weathered the efforts of a persistent fan who wanted his vintage era U2 shirt. Much like seeing a future superstar while they play AAA ball, both The Ryan Montbleau Band and Jonah Smith are going to be quite fun to follow as they develop and worth checking in on in a couple years, if not a few times before then.

[Johan Smith Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob]

Labels: Dave Weiner, Jonah Smith, Masque, moe., Rob Balducci, Schultz In The City, The Ryan Montbleau Band, U-Melt, Vernon Reid