|
|
Roadtrip of the Month
Edited by Rob Turner
by Rob TurnerThis month's road trip is dedicated to Dick Latvala. The Grateful Dead's archivist passed away on August 6. He will be remembered as a very funny, down to Earth guy. He will forever be immortalized as the man who chose the shows to be released on his "Dick's Picks" series. Thanks Dick, see you in your next incarnation.
I would also like to congratulate my good friend Jon Shain for finally getting to perform at the Newport Folk Festival. Jon played guitar with the wonderful Kletter Sisters, who were very well received at the Festival. Jon will celebrate the release of his new CD "Brand New Lifetime" on Flyin' Records with a concert at the Arts Center in Carrboro, NC on September 18.
This month I hit Memphis for a Summer Session show Those of you touring through the Southeast with Phish, Widespread, moe., Galactic, Disco Biscuits or any other band this fall may want to check out the legendary burger shack I visited in Holly Springs, Mississippi. I relate my experience with this place at the end of this article.
I also wanted to include this awesome quote from New York Governor George Pataki (who was elected with the help of one Howard Stern by the way). Where was Pataki in the eighties when Dead Heads were getting blasted by the major media?
"It seems to me the whole reason Woodstock '99 failed was because of the kids. Kids from all over came to Rome and had no sense of authority and did not care about any but themselves. The promoters should be held to blame, but also the irresponsible people who attended. It seems a strange contradiction. The week before Woodstock '99, 120,000 people gathered in Oswego, New York, to see the rock band "Phish". The event was in more cramped quarters, and was just as hot, and to my understanding no major problems were reported. Maybe if people behaved like they did at the Phish event this wouldn't have happened. A final thought on this topic: As long as I am governor, nothing like Woodstock '99 will ever happen in my state."
Government Mule's raucous set which closed the memorable Atlanta Summer Session show (reviewed in the "South regional" section) was still fresh in my brain as Jennifer and I sped over to I-20 to begin our road trip through Alabama and Mississippi. We were headed to the pearl of the mid-South, Memphis, for another Summer Session show. This one was to be at the very special Mud Island Amphitheatre.
We parked at the Memphis Visitors Center, just across the street from where folks board the Tram that glides over the water to Mud Island. When we got out of the car we were overwhelmed by the severe heat that was in the air. This was not a shocker, as we had heard a weather forecast on the radio that said, "tomorrow the temperature will be cooling down to about 98-100 degrees." Yikes. We had a bunch of food ready for picnicking, so we headed into the actual Visitors Center itself where we were greeted by powerful air conditioning and a statue of BB King, "King Of The Blues." I peeked around my right shoulder and there was the back of what looked like Elvis. I went over and was about to slap his ass when just in time I saw the "please don't touch, alarm protected" sign. I restrained myself and wondered aloud if others had the same instinct to whack the butt of a legend. Whatever they used to make the statue made Elvis look black, the ultimate irony, as much of his music came from the black musicians of the 40s and 50s.
We found some shaded picnic tables by the water, a lovely site to inhale my long overdue chicken fix. After this we headed over to the tram, which seemed like a bit of a hassle, so we used the footpath which also crosses the river. I remembered from seeing Phish here in 1995 that there was a huge display on rivers on part of the Island. So, with a little less than an hour remaining until Government Mule opened up tonight's Summer Session, we poked around the display for a while. There is a full blown replica of the entire Mississippi River on the Island, with interesting relevant facts provided to accompany various port cities. There's also a bunch of historical facts about the importance of America's rivers over the years, and one could easily spend a couple of hours wandering this tiny gem of an island.
As six o'clock approached, we made our way to the little Amphitheater which is the centerpiece of the island. As we handed in our ticket, we heard The Mule start their set with their trademark instrumental approach to Frank Zappa's "Pygmy Twylyte." Immediately, my fantasy of seeing them collaborate with the Disco Biscuits (they also rip off phat versions of this song as well, with guitarist Jon Gutwillig singing Zappa's lyrics) on a super jam of this Zappa classic resurfaced. I looked over the Amphitheatre, and everyone was sitting dutifully which was a stark contrast from the wildly dancing crowd during their closing set the night before. We hung in the middle toward the back so we could boogie, and we were rewarded with a cascading Warren Haynes solo during "Pygmy." Then the band offered a slow grinding version of "Lay Your Burden Down," which will be on their next album. This proved to be one of only two songs that a Summer Session artist would offer that had also been performed the previous evening in Atlanta. Then The Mule surprised their own fans with a version of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing." This rarely played chestnut (the only other electric version I know of was during the encore of their June performance at The Gathering of the Vibes) may have been a reaction to the seated crowd. Abts and Woody set up a sumptuous rhythm for Warren to lend some contemplative guitar leads over. I myself even sat down and melted into this unexpected number. Alan Woody played some gorgeously fluid bottom as Warren tickled his fretboard effortlessly. Then their tribute to Charlie Parker, "Kind of Bird" followed, which built from a whisper to a furious climax in much the same fashion that many of Parker's songs did. It was a slightly different approach than the one taken on their "Live at The Roseland Ballroom" album. There were musical references to Hendrix's "Foxy Lady," and even some slide work that was particularly reminiscent of Haynes' Allman Brother days. Toward the end of the song there was a breathtakingly gentle passage which was difficult to hear over the loud conversation the laminate waving muscle bound men that had plopped down near us were having. I wondered why this conversation couldn't take place backstage where there were no audience members struggling to hear the music they had paid to hear. They were quickly drowned out as the band veered into a Santana style breakdown which eventually brought the song to a close. The next song is new to the Mule repertoir. I'm not sure of the title, but it's featured line is, "It takes more than a hammer and nails to make a house a home," and it segued beautifully into another blues based tune, "Rockin' Chair." These two songs are great vehicles for Haynes' soulful pipes, and he even sang completely free of instrumental accompanyment a couple of times during this bluesy pairing.
Then it was time for some Government Beatles as they delivered yet another muscular version of "She Said, She Said." I love the way Alan Woody expands on the original bass line, making it a considerably more interesting and danceable number. As the song ended, Matt Abts played a little "Oye Como Va" thing which bridged the band into a great jam that ended up blatantly referencing the Beatles psychedelic masterpiece, "Tomorrow Never Knows." At one point, Warren held a single note for a period during which Abts and Woody completely changed the tempo of the jam. Then Warren started throwing out little chordal bursts of notes which built to the climax with Warren playing the melody from the "In the beginning" portion of the song. This was some absolutely stunning ensemble playing by the Mule. Although I love their take on Elmore James' "It Hurts Me Too," it was anti-climactic after the powerful five songs that preceded it. Al Schnier is a great guitarist, but he seemed a bit out of place guesting on a blues number.
Chuck Garvey from moe. gave Kevn Kinney something of a half-hearted introduction. Kevn delivered a set that was even stronger than his set in Atlanta. His second song offered the line, "let's go dancing" seemingly poking fun at the crowd that had gawked at The Mule like they were on a life size TV set. He also brought Alan Woody out to play some mandolin on a song that is slated to appear on a new Kevn Kinney album which will feature Woody and Warren Haynes as guest musicians. As he was playing String Cheese was setting up, each member occasionally peeking over to see what Kevn was up to. I think their decision to play on oriental rugs is a nice nod to The Grateful Dead, be it intentional or not. They opened with the bluegrassy "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" which featured some tasteful Michael Kang leads. Kyle Hollingsworth stepped up with some sweet playing behind the keys. Their music is considerably less powerful and challenging than The Mule that they had to follow, but SCI did get people to get up and dance. The next song "Mrs. Brown's Tea House" sounded like something Paul Simon might have written if he was a bit more "hippie friendly." It was more for toe-tapping than mind bending as much of SCI's music is. SCI's music is definitely more accessible than most jam bands. This, combined with their genuine concern for their fans (they reserved over 500 rooms in Portland so their fans can have options for a place to stay this coming New Year's Eve) almost assure that as long as this band stays together, they are sure to grow into a big time act. They still aren't quite my cup of tea however. Please don't get upset if you are a hard core SCI fan, if everyone liked them it would be very hard to get tickets for their shows. Their popularity is about to boom anyway, so SCI fans should start hoping more people have my opinion before y'all can only see them in large venues, like Phish. Even when they seem to introduce an edge, like Hollingsworth's Bitches Brew style keys on "MLT" the band still eventually settles back into gentle territory. Michael Travis took a very impressive drum break on this one which was augmented by quick chords played in tight unison by the other band members. One of the band members mentions Paul Simon's "Graceland" as something he has been listening to recently. So, it wasn't that surprising when the introduction to "Little Hands" sounded like it could have been lifted directly from the classic Simon album. I walked to the back of the theater during this song, and found it a perfect soundtrack for watching birds fly in front of a dark red and orange sunset over the Mississippi. (By the way, I was very impressed that Michael Kang listed Buckshot LaFonque and Michael Camilo in his "What We're Listening To" entry, and Keith Mosely listed Ozomotli.)
The band closed their set with a tribute to the deceased birthday boy, known by many "jambands" fans as "The Godfather," Jerry Garcia. This was fitting, as their music appeals to many of the people I know who used to chase the Dead like lost puppies. SCI brought Keller Williams out, and he did an outstanding job singing "Franklin's Tower." I am often overly critical of Grateful Dead covers, but this one was very strong. Keller knows how to sing with exuberance, yet without over-singing. He even changed one familiar line to, "if you get confused listen to Michael Kang play." Hollingsworth ripped a solo that was eerily reminiscent of Brent Mydland's approach to the song in the late eighties. They also added a stop/start to the final out chorus.
Many times in baseball, when a guy makes a great play in the field he leads off the next inning. I thought it was fitting that Keller was next on the side stage after lighting up the end of SCI's set. Keller's first song (maybe called "All Worn Out"?) mentioned Mud Island, and it featured some fancy pickin' and mouth trumpet. As if that wasn't enough, it segued into The Dead's "The Eleven." This was the second tribute to Garcia's birthday, and many in the audience did not pick up on it. He handled both vocal sections himself, making it look much easier than it must have been. After he finished, it was over ten minutes before Galactic started. This left many in the audience wondering aloud as to why he couldn't play one or two more songs.
Al and Chuck from moe. gave a spirited "team intro" to Galactic, and then proceeded to dance in unison behind the band during the beginning of "Root Down." After some brief sound problems, this turned into a very strong version. It featured some virtuosic drumming from Stanton Moore who incorporated some kind of sampled drums into his solo with relative ease. "Tchfunkta" was highlighted by Jeff Raines' absolutely spectacular guitar solo. Vocalist Theryl deClouet then made his entrance to sing, "Something's Wrong With This Picture." He sounded like Al Jarreau after he'd been injected with a heavy dose of soul. I have grown to really dig this guys vocal approach, and he really sang the crap out of Lee Dorsey's "Get Out Woman." This may have been another Garcia tribute, as Jerry used to perform this song with his side band. Theryl delivers some lyrics that Garcia never did, like "Get out of my life woman, I gotta climb to the top. Get out of my life woman, and who gonna make me stop?" There was also a sort of "alternative ragtime" solo delivered by Rich Vogel. (Editor's note, there were only two full time keyboard players on this tour, Vogel and SCI's Hollingsworth, both of whom are simply outstanding players...Phil Lesh must get around to playing with both of these guys.) Alan Woody guested on bass for this one, and he even was given a spot to solo. The band kept the energy up with a tremendous "Backpack," and a set closing "Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro" which concluded with some more mastery from Stanton Moore.
Gibb Droll surprised the more savvy Dead Heads in attendance with a fantastic version of Garcia's "Gomorrah." Al Schnier guested with some expertly finessed guitar lines on this gem that Garcia performed not only with JGB, but also in many of his acoustic shows with John Kahn. The younger folks in attendance talked loudly through this one, which seemed to me as a harsh reminder that Jerry has been dead for over four years now. College kids are less and less familiar with his brilliance every year.
Gibb offered an outstanding lead vocal, and Al's quick left hand was clutch in delivering this extremely enjoyable Garcia tribute. Gibb followed that up with another version of the instrumental he had performed in Atlanta the night before, but again, the young folks up front found it impossible to halt their inane conversations. Even though I was two rows from the stage at this point, it was hard to enjoy this super Droll composition above the loud monotone babble that surrounded me.
Moe. then took over the stage and opened with the psychedelic slam rock of "Plane Crash." I'm not a big fan of bassplayer Rob Derhak's voice, but the band threw this one down hard. Al ripped a solo that sounded like something that might have been heard at one of the Fillmores in the early 70s. The vocals were a bit low, and this problem was not corrected as the band performed their first version of "20th Century Man." The beginning sounded a bit messy, with the low vocals and Chuck's guitar seeming a bit loud in the mix. However, as they got into the instrumental break some of the unusual character of this song emerged. The wild chord progression propelled the band to a searing Al solo. The second instrumental break built to a wild "Baba O'Riley" conclusion. This song definitely needs work, but I find moe.'s new material very interesting and they seem to be pushing themselves as songwriters.
The band then brought Alan Woody up for his second mandolin performance of the night. The band romped through the bluegrassy, "Time Again." This is an unusual number as when Al sings the verse the tempo quickly grinds to a halt. The band's tight delivery of this unusual number won over the audience. We were cash poor, hungry, thirsty, and planning to leave early. Not tonight, as moe. sucked me in for the second night in a row! Alan ripped off a mandolin solo that was surprisingly impressive (I didn't know he played mando before his two guest spots at this show). The band delighted the moe.rons in attendance with their second debut of the night, "Captain America." There were some nice jazzy sections to this piece, and Chuck played his finest guitar solo of the night. I may be right, and I may be wrong, but I think this is gonna be one hell of a song! The band was joined by Michael Travis to close their set with the gentle chop rhythm of "Bring It Back Home." This song had a nice African beat and a long gentle build with quick tempo changes. Then there were sudden energy blasts slamming the band back to the body of the song. The quick energetic breaks in sections of this song had a similar feel to Phish's "Guyute." One of Al's solos built to a kind of "Scarlet Begonias" feel which may have been one last nod to our fallen hero. Vinnie Amico and Michael Travis concluded the set with a drum duel that many danced to as they headed for the exit. This was a great song to showcase Al's considerable talent, but after the previous night's rousing Galactic and Colonel enhanced Mule close, tonight seemed to go out with a whisper.
I hit the Waffle House on exit 134 off Rte. 78 in Olive Branch, Mississippi (just walking distance from our Comfort Inn) and was inspired by the dedication that the cook Daniel put into what must be a mundane job at times. He was a great guy, and he inquired about everything from the show I had been to, to the Marvin Gaye songs I had played on the juke box. He whipped me up an outstanding plate of chicken and eggs with some scattered, smothered, diced, and peppered hash browns. Yummie! This was a top notch Waffle House for those of you who enjoy their good food...which is served fast.
The next day we hit Holly Springs, Mississippi to learn that we had missed the end of the "Kudzu Festival" by two days. We were listening to the Howard Stern talk about his inability to find his way around Long Island as we searched Holly Springs for a special hamburger joint called, "Phillips Grocery." I was wishing my friend Darren Reynolds was with us as he could've shared his architectural knowledge with us as we drove through this interesting town. There was all kinds of interesting architecture dating back as far as the late 1800s in this quaint little town. One of the many friendly locals told us the restaurant we were searching for was hard to find, so he let us follow him there. Phillips Grocery is a throwback if there ever was one. It's in a little shot gun shack right next to an active railroad. Inside is a plethora of cultural landmarks dating back as far as the (previous) turn of the century. There were a bunch of old school Coke, Olympia Beer, Beech Nut, and Pear's Soap advertisements. There were also some ancient coolers that soda companies like Royal Crown Cola used to sell back in the forties, and even a Royal Crown thermometer. A John Deere bicycle and a huge hornet's nest were hanging from the ceiling. An old milk pasteurizer sat inches from a recent USA Today article that mentioned this lil' nug of a restaurant. Those who choose to eat in sit on little wooden chairs that are paired up with wire-legged little tables. If you dine alone, you can sit at one of the desk chairs that look like they came out of an old schoolhouse. It seemed like most take their burgers to go as there were more fans than tables in this establishment. The building was built in 1882 as a saloon by a former Confederate soldier who had been a prisoner of war of the Union Army. At the time it was built it was adjacent to the main railroad line between Chicago and New Orleans. There is only one other building of this kind left standing in the country today.
The building we were in was almost torn down when prohibition hit the country in 1919, but it was saved by being turned into a grocery store. The Phillips family purchased the building in 1948, and they began to grill burgers and sell them. Their secret recipe became a quick local favorite, and although they kept "grocery" in the name, the burgers gradually overshadowed the groceries, and today it is a restaurant with a few other items (among them penny candy) available. The grill they cook the burgers on has been in use for 50 years, and the burger I ate from the grill was incredible even though it was a bit over cooked. If you go, I would recommend asking them to cook it "rare" or "medium/rare." The prices are incredibly low, especially for anyone used to Northeast prices. You can get two fat cheeseburgers for the price of a slice of cheese pizza in New York. Jennifer doesn't eat burgers, but she enjoyed her fried green tomatoes and fried okra nonetheless. They say, "we talk southern and we're not as fast as the big chains and everyone here calls our town Holly Spraaangs." When a train came by, the two kids from a family that regularly travels here from Lamar, Mississippi ran outside to wave at the conductors. I suddenly felt as though I was in a time warp. A nice older couple near us were visiting from Washington DC, and had diverted their trip to Holly Springs just to hit this famous burger shack.
I will definitely be going back to that shack just across the railroad track.
I hope this month's diatribe wasn't too long for anybody, I'll see you next month.
August Issue: Home | Editors | Features | Columns | Photos | Regional | New Groove
Road Trip | Tour Journal | Venue | Levels | Ghosts | Homegrown | Inaudible | CDs | Charts
JamBands.Com is published on the 15th of every month. Submissions are due ten days earlier on the fifth of each month. Please contact the specific editor for the section you are interested in contributing to. For general content comments, please e-mail jambands@jambands.com. For all technical web site related issues, please contact Sarah Bruner or David Steinberg