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Mid-Atlantic Report
Edited by Anthony Coloneri - ester8@mindspring.comHappy New Year! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did this past holiday. Plenty of great shows were going on and the energy level, especially in NYC, was just unbelievable. While Im at my sporadic ramblings, I should say greetings to all of my compadres in the aqua lounge. Never a dull moment, always a good time. Now to the music:
In This Issue:
Madison Square Garden, NYC - Phish - 12/28/98
Madison Square Garden, NYC--PHISH--12/28/98--- Madison Square Garden, NYC - Phish - 12/29/98
- Madison Square Garden, NYC - Phish - 12/30/98
- Madison Square Garden, NYC - Phish - 12/31/98
- Wetlands, NYC--Yosi Piamenta--12/16/98
- DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT NEW YEARS EVE REVIEW
- Native New Years & Horizon
By WendyAahhh. Once again Phish had wandered down to NYC to perform a holiday run at MSG. To compliment 1997's 3-day holiday run, Phish decided to end 1998 with a four day holiday mini-tour. This year's show opened perfectly with an AXILLA part I!!! In my opinion, a raging way to open up any show, but to open up a 4 day stay in one city, put a huge smile on my face. I think the words were a little bobbled at the end, but who's paying attention to that anyway. The scene inside the garden this year couldn't have been better. There was a definite sense of excitement in the air. This, coupled with the knowledge that you still had 3 more shows coming(sick), was enough to make everyone in the stadium happy!
Phish looked comfortable on stage amongst the paper decorations surrounding them. It looked as if there were a chandelier made of white paper hanging above Page, which shot out bubbles at the end of the show. Above Trey in the middle of the stage, there were paper clouds hanging down. Fake green grass covered the stage, and a big, purple, four quadrant spotted flower about 6 feet in diameter was perched behind Fishman. Moving on with the show. STASH was good, similar to Vegas '97, but not as long, maybe 10 minutes or so, definitely solid. FARMHOUSE was a welcome surprise, and only the second time I've heard it in 23 shows. I like the subtleness and the wah of the guitar in this song. After Farmhouse came a perfect TASTE. Every note sounded better than I've heard before, and it had a crispness to it. Then, the lights went out. For a couple minutes there was shuffling around on the stage, and when the lights came up, a mini-stage had been set up toward the right side of the stage, in front of the purple flower. From left to right on stage was Fishman, then Mike, Trey, and Page on his piano to the far right. Here phish did 3 beautiful, light sounding acoustic songs-SLEEP into ALBURQUERQUE and lastly DRIVER to end their acoustic stint.
Phish played nonstop from here on through the end of Set I playing an always welcome TUBE?GOLGI?GOODXBADX. Tube into Golgi made me reminiscent of 12/29/97 set I, and both songs were comparable to the 12/29 versions. The set ended on an extremely positive note with everybody really getting down to Good Times Bad Times and seeming to already have the feeling that this night was a great night so far, and was just going to get better. I was happy!
Phish came out wailing in Set II. There are nights when I am just in awe at the screaming of Trey's guitar, and the incredible jams phish spins off from it. CARINI was a high energy opener that segued into an incredible jam and an amazing WOLFMAN'S BROTHER. This Wolfman's Brother/Jam was eerily similar to the Wolfman's/Jam from 10/31/98. A very solid, not so predictable Wolfman's. The jam surrounding Carini through Wolfman's stopped twice and each time turned into a completely different direction from whence it came. Birds of a Feather followed Wolfman's. It was pretty funky and good. Many people seemed disappointed after Birds when Phish then played WHEN THE CIRCUS COMES, but again, it reminded me of last year's tour, and that was the last time I had heard it, so I was pretty excited to hear it. Besides, my head needed to relax after all the whacked out jamming from the beginning of the set! Next up was QUINN THE ESKIMO. This revved me up! This was the first time I had ever heard Quinn, and I had listened to it for the past week constantly. It was on the one tape I scammed from a friend while at home, since I had forgotten to bring any with me for the two week journey. Needless to say, it was great. Then, finally, came DAVID BOWIE. All set I could swear I was hearing the teasing phish does before Maze/Down with Disease/David Bowie. My mind was put to ease when I figured out they were in fact teasing Bowie. The opening notes came and went, along with another show.
For the encore, Phish came out on stage and once again showed their likeness for Jane's Addiction by playing BEEN CAUGHT STEALIN. It was a good version, and only the second time I've ever heard it. The energy wasn't quite as extreme during this rendition as it was at UIC on 11/8/98, but it was a great end to the evening. After this night, I couldn't wait for the next three.
Madison Square Garden, NYC--PHISH--12/29/98-- By Kristina
The second night of the 4-day holiday Phish run found me sitting in a direct line from the back left corner of the stage-Page side, and I was ecstatic that I was so close. To open the show, Phish came out on stage and busted into ROCK N’ ROLL. This fall I managed to see Phish in Las Vegas for the Halloween run, in Chicago for three nights at the UIC Pavilion, and lastly in NYC for the holiday tour. Of those 9 shows, this was the third time I caught Rock ‘n’ Roll. It was a tight version, and a great way to get everybody grooving. Following in the groove came FUNKY BITCH, highlighting Mike’s singing ability with Trey wailing on guitar. Though this version didn’t stray much from previous versions, it was pretty solid and overall sounded really good. For their third song of set I, phish did what they normally do, and took me completely by surprise by what they played next One note and I knew-PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE!! Yes! With Axilla I opening the first night of the run, PYITE completed the two songs I was hoping to hear in four days. The entire garden seemed thrilled with the song selection, and displayed this when PYITE arrived at the “HEY” shouts between verses. >>From here, phish went directly into HORN, slowing down the pace slightly, as the smile on my face was growing wider. Horn always makes me laugh. GINSENG SULLIVAN turned the arena into a more lighthearted mood, again Mike was crooning to us. The lights during Ginseng complimented the feel of the song.
I should mention, during the entire set, there are 6 dancers and a turkey looking animal/person dancing and grooving all around. The dancers were clad in spandex outfits that culminated in the middle of their body at these large hoops inside the outfit. There was enough material that if the dancer didn’t hold her hoop, it hung below the knee, with the top part of the outfit being one color. A dancer could hold the hoop and dance around, too. If they lifted the hoop to their waist, the underneath material of the hoop and bottom half of the outfit were a second color from the top part. All in all, it made for great visuals. They were dancing in the aisle in the middle of the floor, as well as around the lowest part of the arena seats. On with set I. After Ginseng was SPLIT OPEN AND MELT. Once again, I was fooled. The SOAM started as it usually does, so I remember, but then classic phish was thrown on me. They went into a pretty sic jam not even resembling SOAM.
At one point during this ambient jam, I had to stop figure out what song I was actually hearing. BRIAN AND ROBERT was next. The way the vocals sounded were as soothing as always. But wait, the set’s not over. Next came the guitar scratch at the beginning of GUYUTE-just like the album. Guyute, Guyute, nothing more needs to be said. MY SOUL rolled on by like it usually does, everyone was still dancing and had been the entire set, except when collecting their heads during Brian and Robert. Then the lights went black, out came the phat acapella mic, and then a set I ending FREEBIRD! Set I? I was saying Freebird when I saw the mic, but I didn’t believe phish would really play it then. Like Rock’n’Roll which opened the set, this was the third time this fall I was witness to a Freebird. This song brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it on tape, and I couldn’t believe I heard it three times in two months. What a good night so far!!
The second set opening was the second best set opener I’ve ever seen, next to the Axilla I, PYITE on 10/30/98. I didn’t hear FREE for the first time until my 19th show, and then at my 21st show, it was the second set opener, truly unexpected. LIMB BY LIMB came next, and after that, the most incredible 2001 I’ve ever heard. It started with a spacy, spooky sounding, "I’ve heard that before" type of jam. It went on for at least ten minutes(at least, it felt like ten minutes) Then, the jam turned into a funky 2001, with the first Crosseyed and Painless tease I’ve ever recognized at a live show. I usually miss the teases.
The music hadn’t stopped since Limb by Limb started, when phish launched into BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN,! Woo-hoo! This was the first song phish played in the NYE run that I hadn’t ever seen live. It was definitely a treat. The set ended with another incredible YEM. I just never get sick of that song. YEM was funky and jammed out, ending with a trippy vocal jam. For the encore, Phish came out and played a beautiful DIVIDED SKY to end the show. There couldn’t have been a more perfect encore to round out the evening. At the pause in the middle of Divided Sky, phish, completely still, paused for at least 3-4 minutes. Page was facing me directly, with one arm outstretched on the upper keyboard, and his head tilted down. He looked as if he never even moved a muscle to breathe. Once, I saw Trey almost flinch once. The song was finished perfectly, again, leaving with nothing but anticipation for the remaining two shows. I knew after that night, there was no turning back: the aqualounge was in full effect.
Madison Square Garden, NYC--PHISH--12/30/98 By Dan Shinneman
The third night in the run...I had high hopes returning on what was the best night last year. It was raining and chilly outside. The acoustic stage was still out and kept me eager for a few more acoustic songs. The band came out a little after 8pm. CHALKDUST TORTURE is good for getting you moving followed by a BIG BLACK CREATURES FROM MARS ( BBFCFM). This was a first for me so I was very happy with the selection. Things were slowed down with ROGGAE and MOMA DANCE and FRANKIE SAYS. The set ended strongly with Stones' LOVING CUP and Phish's classic REBA. The set also was highlighted with WILSON, SPARKLE, OLD HOME PLACE, SAMPLE IN A JAR and MAZE.
All in all it was about an hour and a half. It was a nice long set. There were dancers out again in costume. This time they had wings and wore white tight clothing with some draping white fabric. They were spinning and dancing in the area on the floor between the soundboard and the front floor seats. They occasionally moved up and down the outside aisles on the floor chased by a photographer in a similar costume. According to a newsletter passed around at the show this is the same dance group that appeared at MSG ith Phish on October 22, 1996. (See also page 34-35 of The Phish Book)
The second set was full of long jams which was expected after hearing a 12 song first set. Extended versions of DOWN WITH DISEASE>PIPER>CASPIAN went for a total of 40 minutes. Then a SQUIRMING COIL went into a SLAVE TO THE TRAFFIC LIGHT for a total of 30 minutes. Phish left the stage and encored with lyricist Tom Marshall along. Trey told how this next song was not on Billy Breathes, but Tom was pushing for it. It was going to be the World Debut of GRIND. The song lasted about 1 minute and had some weird lyrics sung by Tom. It was followed up by a rip roaring POSSUM with a wipeout jam thrown in. I was happy with the show, I was only disappointed that they did not bust out the acoustic stage again. I felt it could have been put to more use.
Madison Square Garden, NYC--Phish--12/31/98 By Anthony
Set I
To tell you the truth, I didn't know what to expect this year. After seeing last year's new year show, I had mixed emotions about the hype and expectations I should feel. After all, the first three shows were solid, and the song selection was great. However, unlike the last few hours of 1997, everyone had a dog, and his name was jim.
The garden still had the HAZE floating around aimlessly from the last three nights of Phish. You really can't beat that place for a show, or four. Security is just perfect. You can sit anywhere and pretty much do anything in that place. The great thing is that nothing bad happens as a result. Everything kind of just happens.
I was pretty sure phish would start things off with a cover but didn't really think they would predictably play "1999." As predictable as it was, though, it was one of the best all around stage performances I ever saw Phish display. I mean, how many times a year do you see two musicians play a song with their backs on the floor. Page handled the lyrics like a pro as Mike came in for the low notes. Great way to get the audience pumped.
Secondly came MIKE'S SONG (I immediately started to pray for anything but Simple). Didn't get it yet at the garden so I knew it was on its way, as I welcomed it with open arm. Really tight Mike's that eventually got spacy enough to melt into I AM HYDROGEN. I haven't heard this in quite a long time (94' I think) and really enjoyed it. I love the melodic phrases Trey plays on top of this cloud of musical bliss. I never wanted it to end but ofcourse it fell right into a tight, funked out version of Weekapaug. I love where they are taking this song these days. Really stretching it out towards the end as the whole band plays together, instead of backing up trey for 15 minutes.
After a rocking WEEKAPAUG, I was ready to chill out and get a bit funked up. GHOST was a nice choise. I never really thought Fishman could get so deep but he does in this version. Between delay loops washing overhead and sonic booms pulsing my every vein, I started to feel the vibe of the show. The boys started to settle into tonights performance, and ripped into a historic (for me, anyway) HA HA HA . I've been trading jokes with a friend since the wheel about this classic but never thought I would see it with him. Here's a toast for cheesehead. Truly a fun moment. Giving way to the heavy metal notions quite common in some jams as of late, Phish closed things out with a tight, rockin version of CAVERN. Although some people around me were having trouble finding their shoes, I took their advice and got ready for the next set.
Set II
I couldn't ask for anything better than NICU to open up the second set. Although my favorites change now and then, NICU has been on the top of my list for a while. The words stick to me like glue and leo lets me dance forever. Great way to start the second set. My only complaint is that this damn song is never long enough. Although I could here a 30 minute version and still want more so I'll keep it to myself.
CHARACTER ZERO has never really been a favorite of mine. It really get the crowd into it and fills the garden well but my mind was on the next song.....which was TWEEZER. I have mixed feelings about tweezer. Maybe because I still have tremors from last years new year's eve Tweezer, which was bombarded by balloons and sloppiness as Trey tried to bat balloons with his guitar. Tonight, history would not repeat itself. Im glad they got it out of the way because it improved the song and gave the boys some room to actually play and not worry about interferences. They must have felt the same way because I simply lost my mind when they played....
CITIES. Perfect. I love the placement. I've been telling a friend the entire run this one was coming out and sure enough they belted it out. Such chilled out funk but so deep and intense, until finally fading out into a very relaxing, tranquill....
WADING IN A VELVET SEA. I'll tell you what, I was really happy to sit down, sip on a beer, partake in mother earth's kindness, and enjoy the song. A nice break for me and the boys Im sure. One thing I love about the garden is that you can feel at home anywhere and actually take that break without feeling crowded, which is quite uncommon with east coast venues these days. It's amazing how comfortable 18,000 people can be when security is having as good a time as anyone else.
Again, Phish's placement of songs was just perfect. ANTELOPE just tore me up, swallowed me whole and then spit me out, only to slice me in half when FRANKENSTEIN came to town. Two raging songs in a row that just destroyed me, in a good way. The jams Phish were doing this run, especially in Antelope, are just amazing to my ears. At certain points, keeping time is not that important. I'm hearing these sonic webs of music that are engulfing my ears. The jam before the funked out reggae sections is turning into one huge climatic jam and I love it. For years they went from collages of chaos to Trey hitting high solos but now a days Trey's solos are just flowing with everyone else the entire time. It's blowing my mind because they are just starting to hit a sound that is completely defining itself. After 2 hrs of music and dancing, I was ready to spend the new year with phish, friends, and .......
Set III
RUNAWAY, RUNAWAY RUNAWAY. I've been waiting the entire year for Runaway Jim. I've been to my share of shows this year but never saw this gem. Ofcourse, in typical Phish style, they decided to treat me to it in the last 15 minutes of 1998. What a gift. I particulary enjoyed the fact the MSG decided to keep the time on the scoreboard throughout the entire song. I don't remember if they did it last year (they probably did) but it gave the band a good sense as to when things should happen. This was evident with one minute to go, when the boys, for exactly 60 seconds, went crazy and made every possible noise I think they could create from their instruments. Their entire approach to the countdown was much more organized than last year and therefore so much more fun for me. I love wigging out for the last few seconds of a year.
The next song couldn't have been better. SIMPLE. It was the perfect song to hear with thousands of balloons floating in the hazy air. It really was a great way to bring in the year and the band really seemed to enjoy singing, although I couldn't tell if Trey was playing hockey or guitar. In any case, he was having a blast out there, swatting balloons and enjoying the party. It's is nice to see those guys having as much fun as we do. HOOD was nice to hear. I really like the intro they played. A bit spacy and odd. Perfect. Glad to see more glow wars without the stick. Ring wars are a better idiea. . TWEEZER REPRISE as the usual but I did not expect them to belt out LLAMA to end the show. A rocking Llama to say the least. taboot. taboot.
E: WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS-I didn't think they would play this Beatles classic and I thought I would be dissappointed when it started but it was a really good version so who am I to criticize. They can play whatever they want. Besides, is there an other band out there who can open a show with Prince (whoops "The artist formerly known as Prince", or just the "artist", who cares) and close it with the Beatles.
Once again the Garden did not let me down. Being surrounded by Manhattan, the energy just drives me through the roof. I love being able to grab a bite or have a beer hours after the show. There's always something to do
Wetlands, NYC--Yosi Piamenta--12/16/98
By AJ Abrams (fusionaj@aol.com)I walked into Wetlands, took a quick walk around the club and immediately noticed something was different. The club was packed, yet I was all alone in my own club. Where were the familiar faces of Wetlands regulars? There wasn't a tie dye shirt in sight. Instead, the tie dyes were replaced with hundreds of yarmulkes on the heads of every guy in this place. The sight was surreal. Wetlands, the biggest Deadhead/Jam band club on the east coast had been taken over by Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish college and yeshiva students. Instead of looking like a rock club, the place looked like a bar mitzvah. Even though I am Jewish, I felt like an outsider. Wetlands is my home turf, yet I was outnumbered by these Yeshiva kids.
But we were there for the same reason. To see Yosi Piamenta rip it up on electric guitar. And rip it up he did. Piamenta is the best undiscovered guitarist on the jam band scene. At this Wetlands gig, Yosi played in a power trio format with a bassist and drummer. But Yosi always has different guest musicians join him, so you never know what kind of band he will be playing with. Yosi shreds on guitar and he never disappoints.
He is one of the most electrifying, energetic and awe inspiring guitarists you will ever see. His playing is focused, but also filled with reckless abandon at the same time. He can play slow, soulful and emotional solos yet he also attacks his guitar with fiery, fierce rock and roll abandon. Two of his nicknames sum up how he can be fiery yet soulful at the same time - Hasidic Hendrix and Gefilte Garcia. He resembles Jerry Garcia both musically and in personality. He is a rather large man with a big bushy beard and glasses.
When he talks he is an amicable man, with a huge smile and kind vibes that rub off on you. He emits an aura of energy that lifts up the spirits of any room, just like Garcia did. In between songs, he is all smiles while talking to the audience. But while he is playing,he has an extremely focused look on his face as he attacks his guitar with precision.
Yosi worked the crowd of yeshiva students into in an immediate frenzy with his opening tune. The yeshiva students were getting rid of all the stress bottled up inside them. It's difficult work studying the torah and Jewish laws and customs and now it was time for them to let loose in a real rock club. The concert was only ten minutes old, yet a mosh pit had already erupted in front of the stage. The most pit was all fun and games until a yarmulke flew off a head onto the floor. When that happened, the mosh pit came to stop, so the yarmulke could be safely picked up and given a gentle kiss. But as soon as the guy who lost it put it back on his head, the moshing resumed. The guy got so excited that Yosi had to tell them to calm down. "I appreciate very much you enjoying the music. There is no problem with moving and dancing, just don't hurt anybody, don't hit anybody please." But, unfortunately, Yosi's request was ignored. The moshing continued all night as the guys terrified girlfriends looked on from the edge of the club. The only thing that could stop the moshing was a fallen yarmulke. There was even an occasional stage diver flying off the stage and into the crowd's waiting hands.
Halfway through the first set, I was finally joined by some familiar Wetlands faces. I told many friends to come experience the mind blowing guitar playing of Yosi Piamenta,and they finally showed up. A small group of Wetlands regulars had arrived and started dancing right alongside all the religious kids. The first set was filled with mostly straight forward hard rock songs. Most were sung in Hebrew, but a few were in English and there were also a few instrumentals played. When he sings in Hebrew, it doesn't matter that you don't know the words because the music flat out rocks. You'll hum along to Yosi's singing and play air guitar. He may be singing in a different language but the melodies and music are catchy and memorable. One of his best Hebrew songs Yosi said was 500 hundred years old "and still a classic." This song contained a jam that easily could have been modern day Phish instead of being centuries old. As the first set came to a close Yosi reminded everyone that "the second set has no songs from the first set."
It was the second set where this show really took off and Yosi showed off his rock and roll side more than his Jewish side. Most of the songs in the second set were his incredible instrumental compositions. The instrumentals, some of which are named after his five children, were Piamenta's best and most unique songs. These instrumentals were well crafted, psychedelic progressive rock excursions like nothing you have ever heard. He used middle eastern guitar scales and chords combined with the playing styles of John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Garcia. He created a stew of fusion and progressive rock that would impress the most demanding listener of these types of music. His fingers flowed effortlessly, smoothly, and quickly across his guitar as he played intricate, complex musical passages.
To live up to his nickname, Yosi played Hendrix's Little Wing with Marty Bastoff (bassist of Toni Brown Band and Tiberius) on vocals. But the real cover tune treat came at the end of the show. Believe it or not Piamenta played a scorching version of Men at Work's classic 80s cheeze, "Land Down Under" sung in Hebrew. The crowd went nuts, singing along with every Hebrew word. Yosi played guitar behind his back, including a blistering solo. It 's been years since I've seen someone do this stunt and I enjoyed it immensely. The crowd stormed the stage, and jumped up and down,with their arms wrapped around their guitar hero. A few kids went to grab mics to sing along, but the sound engineer smartly cut off the mics before they could be heard. It was a friendly rock and roll riot to end the night, only few of these yeshiva students have ever been to a real rock and roll concert before.
-Bonni Fierstein
bonnif@yahoo.com
DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT NEW YEARS EVE REVIEW
by Bonni Fierstein - bonnif@yahoo.comNew Year Eve is overrated. For months in advance, we all try to figure out where to go and who to go with. We spend exorbitant amounts of money to party like rocks stars and try to outdo the past 364 days. And for what? To start on that obligatory list of resolutions? Let's face it, many of us wake up on January 1st and can't even remember the previous evening's activities. And, if you're from the Northeast like myself, it's a harsh blow that signifies the end of the holiday season, and three more months of dreary weather and freezing temperatures. Yes, New Year's Eve is definitely overrated. Unless, of course, you were one of the lucky 1100 who attended the Deep Banana Blackout (w/ special guest Michael Ray) New Year's Eve bash at the Wetlands in New York City.
For the majority of the decade, I've spent New Year's Eve with those boys from Burlington. I've shuffled from arena to arena and have been wowed by a giant underwater scene, a flying hot dog, and countless balloons. Every year I've come home saddened by the fact that I will not be able to see Phish for at least a few months, which has always added to my winter blues. This year, for the first time in my life, I am actually ecstatic this early into the year. Not only is DBB continuing to tour throughout the winter, but the show was a perfect ending to the year I've spent following the band religiously, and a phenomenal sneak preview to what potential DBB has to virtually explode in 1999.
New Year's Eve was a culmination of all the hard work DBB had done in 1998. Not only did they play over 200 shows and add over 30 new markets from Burlington, VT to New Orleans, LA this year alone, but they also shared the stage with legends such as Maceo Parker, Taj Mahal, and George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars. Another turning point for the band in '98 was the addition of Cyrus 'Brown Julius' Madan on keyboards to the Deep Banana Blackout family. Cy's organ grooves completed DBB's already full sound.
DBB sold out The Wetlands days before the show, leaving many fans literally out in the cold. The line stretched down the block, and the very competent security staff at the club let extra people in a few at a time. The patient fans waited for hours, and long lines were reported from 6:30pm to 4:30 am.
Once inside the club, we were met with hundreds of others who were vying for a small space on the dance floor. The energy of the room was extremely positive well before show time. "There was a nice vibe when you walked in", commented E, DBB's road manager, "the DJ's were great and kept everyone dancing before the band even went on stage".
DBB began the show with 'Brandy Wrecker', an instrumental that is the first track off of their album, 'Live in the 1000 Islands'. Like a ray of sunshine, Jen Durkin, DBB's lead vocalist made her way to the stage decked out in full New Year's Eve garb to welcome the crowd to the party, and to promise us a long night of non-stop funk. A band that practices what they preach, DBB did just that. The band exhausted the crowd with three long, energetic sets, hitting on a plethora of other genres such as jazz, latin, rap, metal, and reggae. Durkin commented that "(Tonight is) one of the closest experiences I've had to realizing the true union and cooperation that I feel is the most exciting part of music"
1999 came in with a bang at midnight in the midst of an extended jam during the Parliament/Funkadelic tune 'Standing on the Verge (of Getting it on)'. The crowd went ballistic as party horns were blown, confetti was thrown, and everyone was showered with the precious bubbly that one concert goer whipped feverishly from a champagne bottle he had spinning over his head. Hugs, kisses, and new year's tidings were exchanged between friends old and new, and DBB carried 'Verge' into the much anticipated theme song of the year, a cover of Prince's '1999', followed by DBB's legendary 'Boot', a song that fuses funk with rap and metal, throws in some crowd participation, and of course, a huge boot. Saxophonist Rob 'Brass Tongue' Sommerville led the crowd in the mantra "yeah, yeah, yeah, we're gonna put the boot down". This turned the already riled up crowd into even more of a frenzy. And the band played on. Feeding off the energy of the club, DBB continued and ended their extremely solid first set with 'Tug'. Durkin, as always, floored the audience as she belted out the powerful lyrics from her tiny frame. Everyone was relieved to get a breather, but also psyched to see what other surprises DBB had up their sleeves for the next two sets. "The band was on fire,", commented Otis Horning of New Haven, CT after the set. "They had everyone shaking and getting their groove on".
Michael Ray's guest appearance was an added bonus for band members and fans alike. Ray, a critically acclaimed trumpet player who is best known for his work with Sun Ra and Kool and the Gang now leads his own band, The Cosmic Krewe. Ray is a veteran musician who has graciously lent his knowledge and experience to other artists. He has played with the likes of Phish, Widespread Panic, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Porno for Pyros, and Col. Bruce Hampton. Ray's performance on New Year's Eve further demonstrated that he is phenomenal horn man. "What a professional!", Sommerville marveled. "(Ray) showed up already knowing our tunes with his own charts that he had made from listening to our CD. What a great night for us and our fans!" Ray had a two-hour jam session Sommerville and Rob Volo (trombone) the evening of the show. "It was neat to walk backstage and see such a legend jamming with the horn section," said Eddie Gutkowski of Norwalk, CT. Ray quickly stepped into DBB's groove and added his own "jazz-funk-of-the-future" stylings. The now three man horn section quickly fell into a common, cosmic connection that transcended all barriers, space and time.
Rays finest moments were during the second set which opened with 'Homo Lingo', and had all horn players trading mind-blowing solos. Ray also shone on Tower of Power's 'What is Hip?', and Sun Ra's 'Saturn', where not only was doing a lot of fancy horn work, but was featured on lead vocals as well. The second set which lasted for two hours was filled with favorites such as Parliament's 'Flashlight', which included an excellent bass groove from Benj LaFevre, and an intense version of Santana's 'Soul Sacrifice'. The song featured incredible playing by Fuzz, DBB's lead guitarist who I can honestly say is the most passionate guitarist I have ever seen. 'Soul Sacrifice' was rounded out by a contagious percussion jam between Eric Kalb on drums and Johnny Durkin on congas. After an impressive 'Getchall in the Mood '96' in set I, DBB finished off set II 'Getchall in the Mood '99', a faster, more upbeat version of the song which featured a stunning solo by Rob Volo. In my opinion, 'Getchall '99' sounds remarkably like last year's 'Getchall '98', but since we were only a mere few hours into the new year, I have high hopes that the 1999 version of the song will reach new plateaus.
In the wee hours of the morning, The Wetlands still packed a full house. Then again, DBB always packs a full house. They have an entourage of fans, lovingly called 'The Funk Mob', a core group who shows representation at each and every show. "This is the greatest night of my life', commented Chris Greco a "mobster" from Massapequa, NY. "I don't care if DBB does New Year's (Eve) in Europe next year, I'm definitely going!". "This is the biggest indoor new year's festival I've ever been to", said mobster Scottie O. of Bridgeport, CT. The crowd was calm, and "the evening went without incident", reported Scott Long, manager of The Wetlands. He continued, "The band nearly brought me to tears. I cannot believe they worked that hard and played for so long".
DBB returned for a third set at precisely 4:20 am. At this time, Iceberg, the Jewish Rapper who debuted at the band's Halloween show, made his triumphant return. "The crazy ass jew with a biblical message", ascended onto the stage with an oversized gold bagel hanging around his neck. He astonished fans with a hardcore rap that featured Fuzz and Johnny, who were dressed as a cross between a Hasidic Jew and an Israeli soldier, as backup MC's. The band, recently relentless in their lyrical stylings, carried this into 'Ripshit', another brash rhyme that was led off by Scottie O. "When I got up on stage and said 'Make some fucking noise', and the crowd went wild, I got such a rush", he said. This just proves that the energy that DBB had started the first set with was still hanging over the crowd. As dawn broke and the sun was rising outside, DBB did a passionate cover of Bob Marley's 'Mystic Morning'. Due to the mix of the sheer energy of the deep crowd and the early hour, DBB now knew that they owned the audience until they were done. When their written setlist ended, DBB jammed on. Scott Chasolen of the New York City based band Ulu, joined the band on keyboards during a rendition of The Temptations 'Shaky Ground'. The third set saw the band flitting through genres. They did everything from Janis Joplin to Duke Ellington, with DBB classics such as 'Rocker' interspersed throughout the set. The night ended with a DBB rarity, a cover of the 'Jefferson's Theme', which topped the evening off on a high note and was a testimonial that the band is definitely "movin' on up". (In italics): Deep Banana Blackout will return to The Wetlands on February 5 to celebrate the club's 10th anniversary and host a CD release party for their double live album, "Rowdy Duty".
A Word From:
Deep Banana BlackoutThank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to everybody who helped us make New Years Eve 1998 the most memorable one ever. Special props go out to Michael Ray for coming out and playing two amazing sets with DBB. Don't forget to drop him a line to say thanks if you get the chance (visit his web site at http://www.satchmo.com/CosmicRay ) We love all of you so much! Thanks for making '98 a year to remember.
In other news, we will be taking a week off at the end of February to rest up for our first foray to Colorado in March. We'll probably do a few Northeast shows and then spend the middle two weeks hitting college towns and ski towns. Help us spread the word to all of your friends out there! If you have live tapes, start sending 'em west!
We also have a new "Funk Mob" discussion group. For info on that, go to http://www.deepbananablackout.com/maildig.html.
Here are our confirmed dates for Jan/Feb:
1/12 The Downtown, Farmingdale, NY 21+ 1/14 Larkin's, Fairfield, CT 21+ 1/15 Snow Barn, Mt. Snow, West Dover, VT 21+ 1/16 Snow Barn, Mt. Snow, West Dover, VT 21+ 1/20 Jimmy's, Stamford, CT 21+ 1/21 Middle East, Boston, MA 18+ 1/22 Toquet Hall Teen Center, Westport, CT (open to Westport Teens only) 1/23 Tune Inn, New Haven, CT All Ages 1/27 MT Muggs, Moreau (Saratoga), NY 18+ 1/28 Black Oak Tavern, Oneonta, NY 21+ 1/29 Planet 505, Syracuse, NY (opening for Percy Hill) 1/30 Showplace Theatre, Buffalo, NY All Ages (with Sonic Garden) February 2/3 Terrapin Station, College Park, NY 18+ (w/ God St. Wine) 2/4 Rec-Room, Towson, MD 18+ (w/ Jah Works) 2/5 Wetlands, NYC, NY 18+ (Wetlands 10th anniversary party, stay tuned for some special info!!) 2/10 Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA 18+ 2/11 Husky Blues, Storrs, CT 18+ 2/12 Snow Barn, Mt. Snow, West Dover, VT 21+ 2/13 Snow Barn, Mt. Snow, West Dover, VT 21+ 2/14 Snow Barn, Mt. Snow, West Dover, VT 21+ 2/17 Libby's, Durham, NH 18+ 2/18 Higher Ground, Winooski, VT 18+ 2/19 Wobbly Barn, Killington, VT 21+ 2/20 Wobbly Barn, Killington, VT 21+ 2/21 Wobbly Barn, Killington, VT 21+ 2/22 - 2/28 VacationGet some peace when you can my friend
Silent screaming's got to find some kind of way to escapeDBB Home Page http://www.deepbananablackout.com
DBB Funk Mob Listserv http://www.deepbananablackout.com/maildig.html
Native New Years
Native rocked in the new year at the Underpass in Elmwood Park, NJ, where lights were a-flashin,' kids were a-dancin,' and White Lightnin' was a- crashin!' The evening was a true success, thanks to the crack staff of both the Underpass and Native Productions. There was an intense light show, which provided that transcendental element to the whole event. At times, one might have though they were in the future, or something like that. Possibly it was all my imagination and that futuristic, psychedelic feeling was all because of that crack staff of bartenders I just spoke of. Either way, '99 was kicked off in a groovin' way. As the fans entered the Underpass, their tickets were marked so that they could keep them. Native's soundman/tech. Master extroidinaire, John Fitzwater, designed a scrapbook-worthy ticket, which everyone wanted to keep. Let's just say the beauty of Mother Nature was displayed on the ticket, along with the concert information, and an already famous quote often muttered by singer/rhythm guitarist Mathew Hutt, which goes: "Drinkey, Drinkey, Smokey, Smokey." Along with the ticket, fans were given a complimentary Native New Years Eve T-shirt exclusively designed by Karl Ottersburg for the New Years show. It is an animated color drawing of Native crashing their van off of Route 80 right into the Underpass. (The Underpass is so named because it is located under Route 80…. pretty clever, wouldn't you say?) Native played an explosive 3-set show, displaying their ability to keep the groove going all night long. They played their ballads, the rockers, the country, the blues, and it was all that Native sound. The first set began and the energy was high from the get go as Native played "Outlaw." A champagne toast, as the midnight countdown expired, signified the beginning of a New Year with a fresh start for all. The show was highlighted in the second set with a rendition of Prince's "1999." Something tells me that Native wasn't the only band to play that tune on this particular evening, but Native's version was amazing! Then there was a third set, when guitarist Mike Jaimes likes to step it up another notch and starts to really wail. (As if he weren't wailing before!) I can't remember what time the night/morning ended, but it didn't matter. Everybody there had a blast, and 1999 was in full effect, Native-style.
Bryan Aderhold
Native Horizon 1999 will not only bring anticipation of the new Millennium, but also Native's highly anticipated third CD, "Exhale on Spring Street," which will be distributed by Ground Zero. It will also be available through the Home Grown Music Network presented by Leeway Productions, (800) 6LEEWAY and www.versnet.com/homegrown. The CD will be released at the end of January, and consists of newly recorded Native material. This is a great display of the growth of Native. Through the six years of their career, they have continued to hone their jamming craft, but what makes Native different is that they are a song-oriented jam band. Drummer Dave Thomas and singer Mathew Hutt provide the lyrics and the musical foundations of the songs which Native elaborate on as a unit, creating a Native song. Native has a unique sound, which is easily distinguishable. On this new recording, Native was blessed with several guest musicians. Buddy Cage, who has recorded with Bob Dylan on "Blood on the Tracks," was formerly with the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and currently performs with Stir Fried, added his tasteful colors to the country tune, "Pendleton Roundup." Catherine Russell, who has performed with Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, and Steely Dan to mention a few, appears on many tracks with her dynamic and beautiful voice adding a new dimension to Native's lush harmonies. Pete Levin, who is God Street Wine's keyboard player, donated his groovy trademark flavor to the mix also. Craig Dreyer, saxophone, can be found "Exhaling" a bit on this record too.
Native kicks off their national "Exhale" tour very soon to support the release of "Exhale on Spring Street." Look for them in your area, and check out the website at: www.nativenyc.com. For bookings, contact Native Productions at: (973) 616-9577, or e-mail at: nativenjproduct@hotmail.com. Native merchandise, presented by Running Smooth Merchandise, is available on the website, and also will be available soon through Jam Rock Merchandise, a mail order catalog presenting Native merchandise, as well as merchandise from other Jam Bands. For information or to receive a catalogue, e-mail Fred Cox at: runinmerch@aol.com.
Bryan Aderhold
Native Productions - Publicist
Bryaddy@aol.com
(201) 612-0425
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