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Big Sky Regional Report
Edited by David Shulman - ds0623@aol.com

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Nebraska Report for June/July 1999

by Paul "Pro" Pearson, Ph.D.

This month has been a great one for shows in the Midwest.

Chris Duarte Group at the Grand Emporium in KC-don't let the blues tag fool you, these guys are 100% jamband and they kick ass. Their version of "Just Kissed My Baby" blows me away every time I see it. There aren't many three-pieces that can do it like these guys.

Phish at Sandstone-I was a bit disappointed with the lack of coherence in this show, and the new stage setup seemed distracting to Trey. However, I can't argue with fifth row seats! A good show, but nowhere near their potential.

Highlight Strange Pleasures show of the month was opening for Canned Heat at Knickerbocker's in Lincoln NE. Throw a few old Woodstock hits in with some beer-drinking boogie-blues and you are bound for a good time. Canned Heat has it as a blues band and they like to jam a little too. Strange Pleasures played a tight hour set that got things kicking right.

We also had our first appearance in St. Louis this past month at Cicero's. The Amorphous Band opened with a nice set, particularly since they had 6 hours experience with their drummer. They will develop as they continue to play together. Our crowd was small, but loyal and complimentary. I think we'll have a larger reception the next time we're in town.

Once again, a wonderful two-night stand at Quixotes in Aurora CO. The Friday show was locked in from the beginning and a 45 minute jam in the second set went ballistic.

Upcoming Strange Pleasures shows this month:

July 15 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha NE with special guests: ALLSET psychoactive music makers from New England

Friday July 16 Hooter's 6th Anniversary 132nd and Center, Omaha NE 9-10 PM, with Whiteman's Overbite

Sunday July 18 Earl Bates' Sunday Night Revue-Pastimes Bistro, Omaha NE Semi-acoustic Pleasures with Miss April Domet

Monday July 19 Zoo Bar, 14th&P, Lincoln NE

Wednesday July 21 Bodega's Alley, 14th & O, Lincoln NE

Thursday July 22 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha NE with special guests: Paddy O' Furniture

Wednesday July 28 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha NE opening for the Big Wu

Thursday August 5 University of Nebraska Summer Concert Series Nebraska Union Lincoln, NE 12PM-1 PM

Thursday August 5 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha NE with special guests: ALLSET from New England

Monday August 9 Quixotes True Blue Café, Aurora CO 9 Days of Jerry…

Thursday August 12 Saddle Creek Bar, Omaha NE

Sunday August 15 Earl Bates' Sunday Night Revue, Pastimes Bistro, Omaha NE Semi-acoustic Pleasures with Miss April Domet

Check out Uncle Sid's Music Farm, S.O.U.P., Cashambah, Meandering Blue, Jungle Butter, Cosmic Ripple, Zen Mothers (from ND), Happy Dog and others in the Lincoln/Omaha area this coming month!

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KGB Information - St. Paul area

BANDhistory ~ KGB was founded in 1998 by keyboardist Scott Rapp, bassist Paul Kammeyer, and drummer Chris Maffei as The KGB Trio, playing primarily jazz and funk in the Frogtown area of St. Paul, MN. With the addition of current guitarist Paul Woell in September of '98, the band dynamic was transformed. What resulted is the powerful, musically diverse jams the band now performs. With strong support from friends and long hours at City Sound Studios in St. Paul, they were soon playing weekly shows at Sweeney's on Dale St. This lasted from October to March of 1999, while the band played assorted shows in the Twin Cities area, St. Cloud, Mankato, and St. Peter. The band was inspired by the support they received as they landed a coveted New Year's Eve show at the Legendary Blues Saloon. The band emerged with an increased drive to continue to play as many live shows as possible, as well as continuing to develop new songs in the studio. The workload has grown with the band, with members continuing to attend classes full time at St. Thomas University and hold down part time jobs, as well as participating in an assortment of musical side projects. With the summer will come the band's first studio album, in addition to a tour spanning five cities, fourteen shows to date with the final three shows taking place outdoors in Glacier National Park.

Scott Matthew Rapp ~ Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes, Piano, Clavinet~
Scott is currently a senior at St. Thomas University studying music performance with an emphasis in jazz. His academic musical pursuit centers around the vibraphone and the marimba. He studies under Rebecca Kite, considered to be one of the world's foremost marimbaists. Jazz piano study takes place under Bill Duna, a prominent jazz pianist in the Twin Cities. These pursuits are his focus within a diverse curriculum of music study also including violin, viola, guitar, bass, vocals, percussion, and composition.

Paul John Woell ~ vocals, guitar ~
Paul taught himself to play guitar at the age of fourteen, by seventeen he was chosen to perform with the all-state jazz band in Minnesota. He was in Los Angeles in 1994 playing with the all-Grammy jazz band at the Grammy Music Awards. Paul is currently a junior at St. Thomas University studying music performance with a jazz minor. Playing with the likes of Her Favorite Things, La Te Da, the Beads, and Three Fish Dish.

Paul Matthew Kammeyer ~ fretless and fretted bass ~
Paul began studying and playing bass at the age of fifteen. Currently a senior at St. Thomas University studying under Joan Griffith in the jazz department. He has played with the likes of Steam Roller, Moonraker, the Peter Parker Trio, Three Fish Dish, Ryan Smith, and the Industry. At times, Paul has resorted to heavy metal to pay the bills.

Chris Maffei ~ drums, vocals ~
Chris is currently a junior at St. Thomas University studying as a History major. Chris began playing drums at fourteen and has continued to learn and progress since. With numerous musical projects drifting through his life, his efforts came together last year when KGB was founded. He has played with the likes of 10and2 and Mossimello, in addition to being a fixture on the jazz coffeehouse scene in Frogtown.

Frequent Sit-I members:

Molly Dean Anderson ~ vocals, guitar ~
Molly Dean is a sophomore at St. Thomas University studying music with a focus in vocal performance. She plays at various venues around the Twin Cities area, playing solo acoustic guitar and singing, much to the delight of her admirers. She has plans to study vocal performance in London, England next year, and will be sorely missed for the duration of her absence.

The Dale St. Horn Section ~ trumpet, sax, and trombone~
Composed of Jeff Olson on trumpet, Tim Dickson on trombone, and Adam Mass on alto saxophone. Adding their tight horn playing to KGB on many occasions, this group is known to jam with the band on originals, as well as some Phish, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock covers. Plus they are really nice guys who like to hang.

KGB is excited to play music anywhere, and everywhere. Let us know what your needs are, and we'd love to work with you. For more info, contact: Scott or Chuck (sound tech)-> 651-602-0680 or Jon-David @ 612-879-9576 for information on the band. Thanks for your time.

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Day By The River - Gov't Mule
June 25, 1999 - Mississippi Nights St. Louis, MO

by Mo Recanati

Perhaps it has always been that way and I never noticed but St. Louis seems to be getting a larger array of jam bands coming through town. On this night, Allman Brother Band alums Warren Haynes and Allen Woody brought their hard-rocking power trio band Gov't Mule into Mississippi Nights for an evening of blues-laced rock and roll. Along with them, they brought the relatively unknown Day By The River, a band hailing from Athens, GA (home of WSP). Although I had seen the name crack the top-25 jam-band list in the 8/99 issue of High Times Magazine, I hadn't had the pleasure of hearing their interpretation of jazz, blues, funk, fusion, and psychedelic rhythms until this past Friday night.

Day By The River, a five-man unit consisting of drums, keyboards, bass, lead and rhythm guitars, reminded me of Widespread Panic upon first hearing their singer belt out his initial notes. An easy connection due to their shared hometown, I soon realized that there was more than WSP in this band's repertoire. Not coincidentally, I heard some hints of Gov't Mule in their sound as they rocked segments of their jams back and forth between blues ethic and hard rock n roll. Their first number, "Story" featured excellent work on the bass-lines, combining thick, rich slaps with great keyboard interplay, allowing the rhythm section to dominate the majority of the song.

"Bus," their next tune, played out much like "Story," relying on Panic- and Mule-staple sounding bass licks and solid, precise drum work. The major transition of the show came in the Bus>B Jam transition where Day By The River showed the audience its jam-band mettle. Adhering to the conventions of acid-jazz jams inspired by such bands as Galactic, MMW, and even some work by Phish, they took the transition slow, lulling us into a false sense of security. A few minutes into the guitar's exploration of single drawn-out notes, they pulled the tablecloth trick, changing gears on the audience with a sudden burst of energy that sent the jam soaring. Although the format and sound of the jam wasn't necessarily unique, their musicianship and energetic style of improvisation had the small contingent of dancers hopping and shaking their bones.

What could possibly come next after such a great jam? The surprise of the evening! Day By The River allowed the audience a minute to cool down before engaging us in "Magic," a total departure from their thus-far straight jam-rock sound. "Magic" evoked an SCI feel, with up-tempo jazz and calypso rhythms and a great bass solo that culminated in a floating, ethereal phrase of gentle guitar sounds. After leading us into this gentle lullaby, the guitars exploded into a crescendo of psychedelic and jazzy explorations, alternating between long and short bursts of notes. With each note, the jam twisted and turned its way up to the peak of tension before the inevitable release of energy that led to cheers and more exhausted danced-out bodies.

The final two numbers, "Nova" and "Some People" were, in all fairness, not the band's best work. I felt that perhaps their set list could have been rearranged in order to highlight Bus>B Jam, Magic yet I was still satisfied that I had seen a great set from an up and coming jam band. Day By The River will return to St. Louis on 7/23 for an evening at Cicero's Entertainment Complex at the corner of Delmar Blvd and Kingsland Ave.

After a 30 minute intermission, Gov't Mule charged the stage at approximately 9:45 p.m. to a round of rousing cheers for the portly Warren Haynes (guitar) and Allen Woody (bass). Drummer Matt Abts, the band-member I was least familiar with, took his place behind the drum kit and immediately went to work, laying down a bass-drum foundation as Haynes and Woody tuned up and exchanged friendly words with the fans at the foot of the stage. Within moments, Warren belted out the first notes of "John the Revelator" and the crowd erupted, soaking in the deep-South feel of his throaty blues voice. Now it must be said that because of my unfamiliarity with Gov't Mule I was unable to keep up with the number of songs they teased during their rendition of "John the Rev." I was reminded, however, of the song "Trane" from their Live at Roseland Ballroom CD where they journeyed in and out of tunes by Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead, among others.

Their next two songs, "Mule" and "Thorazine Shuffle" were familiar to me from the Live At Roseland and Dose CD's, respectively. Both were played capably, bolstered by Abts' lightning-quick drum fills, all thunderous and powerful in magnitude. Also, Abts showed a versatility in sound I had never expected, dropping some cowbell and Afro-Latin beats into his drumming, providing a jazzy feel to the hard-edged rock licks that guitarist Haynes was spitting out, machine-gun style.

The highlight of my experience with Gov't Mule came during their many covers of popular tunes. "Can't Quit You Babe," a song popularized by Led Zeppelin I and Coda was done in Allman Brothers' style, with Haynes' mastery of the slide guitar in full display. Incredibly soulful vocals coupled with a slowed-down rhythm section provided blues-master Haynes the necessary space to improvise mightily and he took full advantage of the opportunity, slamming down the best blues I had heard since Clapton's From The Cradle tour of '94-'95.

Although it would be hard to characterize "She Said, She Said" as anything but a cover, Gov't Mule's adoption of that song as a part of their repertoire shook me as a totally genuine and authentic version of the Beatles' 1966 classic. The fuzzy guitar and emotional delivery of the lyrics was a huge departure from the Fab Four's version, however, it rocked the crowd into a head-bobbing frenzy as the psychedelic elements of Lennon's song remained in tact. Also, as the tempo alternated between heavy-metal and psychedelic, Woody and Haynes never missed the opportunity to bridge the gaps with incredible improvisational work, bounding up and down the scales in order to reach maximum emotional effect.

The final two covers came in the encore, with a very Pigpen-sounding "Hurts Me Too" and the Haynes classic ABB tune "End of the Line" rounding out the evening. On "Hurts Me Too" the band played it much rougher, harder, deeper and angrier than the Dead, allowing each lyric to sink in right before Haynes hammered each point home with a burst of searing blues from his Gibson Les Paul. "End of the Line" was played without alteration, Haynes and Woody offering the by-now spent fans a chance to get one last dance in with the familiar sounding slide jams and powerful bass licks of the Great American Peach Band.

During the show, Warren seemed genuinely interested in connecting with the fans that came out to see the band and interspersed some conversation into the set. Also, he announced 9/21 as the tentative date of their new studio release and then followed up the announcement with a sneak peak at two of the new songs, "Life Before" and "Burden." Both were heavy blues and evoked an image of Ozzy Osborne sitting on a porch in Dixieland sipping mint juleps with a Rebel flag draped around his shoulders.

Gov't Mule has no plans to return to St. Louis this summer as they are part of String Cheese Incident's Summer Session. They will be in the region for shows in Memphis, TN, Peoria, IN, and Indianapolis, IN, as well as a two-night stand with Phil and Phriends at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO. Check out www.stringcheeseincident.com for more details about the Summer Session Tour.

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Day by the River June 25, 1999 - Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO
opening for Gov't Mule

by Lance Stack

Setlist:
Story
Bus
Bee Jam
Magic
Taking Over
Some People

The evening started out pretty good, with a bunch of the Midwest crew meeting up early at the venue. Myself, Rich, James D, Travis, James from KDHX, and another friend of ours, Brooks, all just hung out on the street until doors opened, chatting and discussing upcoming shows.

Since Gov't Mule started their sound check late, DBR had just started sound checking when the doors opened. Since they were only allowed to play a 45-minute set, I don't think they had much time to do anything other than make sure the equipment worked before performing.

With such time constraints, the band didn't have much time to go off on tangents, but they were definitely into the groove. When the set started off with Story, the room was just starting to fill, so there weren't too many vibes going around yet. I'm pretty sure that 95% of the crowd had never seen DBR, and they weren't quite sure what to expect. As the band played Bus and Bee Jam, I think the crowd was starting to like what they heard, as people were starting to trickle down onto the floor and dance. An older guy we had met outside the venue came down to the floor as well, and I know he was enjoying the tunes (the band reminded him of Little Feat).

My personal highlight of the show was Magic. I think I've only heard this tune live one other time, but this version had a lot of energy. Taking Over was a pretty standard version, as I think the band was trying to end it quickly and get in another tune before the set was over. After finishing Taking Over, Ted found out that the band only had six minutes left, so they ended up playing Some People instead of what was originally on their set list (which was likely 411 or Naked).

It was a good move for the band to open for the Mule, since a lot of people at the show Friday will go down to Cicero's and see the band when they return to St. Louis in July. But even though the set was great, 45 minutes of DBR just isn't enough music! The band was feeling unfulfilled as well, which leads us to...

Day by the River
June 26, 1999 - KDHX Studios, St. Louis, MO

Before the Mississippi Nights show, some discussion was going on about having DBR come down to KDHK 88.1 when they return to St. Louis in July and play a few songs on the radio to promote the Cicero's show. While we were packing DBR's gear off the stage, Tony (music manager at KDHX) came up and asked the band if they wanted to go over to the studio "right now" and play a few songs. After some discussion, the answer was "yes". So we packed the rest of the gear into the trailer and drove over to the KDHX studio.

By the time we got to the studio, it was around midnight. Other than Dave, who brought his full drumset inside, the band members brought minimal equipment. Walt just played the piano which was already in the studio. It took awhile to set up and get things working properly, so the rest of us just chilled and listened to the hip-hop show which was on the air. ;) Other than the band members and splendid 3-person crew, only 4 people were in the audience, those being myself, James D, Rich Bob, and James Mullins. Yep, a pretty intimate performance.

After things were working, the band decided to play a couple of songs and then stop to see if the tapes sounded good. They decided to Fly and Taking Over. This 2-song set smoked! Fly was almost 20-minutes long, and the acoustic sound of the piano made things sound really nice. The middle-jam was so long and out-there that I wasn't sure if they were still in Fly or had gone into a totally different song. Taking Over started out with a peculiar ambient jam, which reminded me of a non-violent spring shower approaching, wind chimes ringing on the porch, etc. etc. The jam started quietly, with a lot of chaos, and then slowly got louder and more structured. You really couldn't be sure as to what the song was until Jason ripped into the opening guitar riffs.

After closing out Taking Over, the band took a break. Lee (the soundman) played back the tape to see how it sounded. We then reconvened in the studio. Walt suggested that they play some songs they don't play very often, and the band decided on It's Not for You, Drive, Thru, and Sunday. At the end of 'sNot, we discovered that the piano wasn't getting added to the mix and took a few minutes to replace the microphones. By this time, people were getting pretty tired, and it was decided that only one more tune would be played. The band ended up playing both Drive Thru and Sunday. I wasn't in the room for Drive Thru, but Sunday was a beautiful treat.

As Rich said, "There was a good deal of noodling, talking, etc. between songs including a light jam on the Chili Peppers' Under the Bridge, but not really full songs. Ted wasn't in the room for the Chili Peppers tune, so we had to settle with Andy A. on vocals! Well, not really... ;) The only other song I remember was Camarillo Brillo (a Zappa tune). The entire evening was a really fun time, and it was nice seeing the band play what they wanted without the restrictions of a large audience. A great way to start their first ever Western US tour!"

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Day by the River
June 25, 1999 - Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO

by Rich Bob Vining

Setlist: Story, Bus, Bee Jam, Magic, Taking Over, Some People

Following their first visit to the "Gateway to the West" on a co-bill with the Ominous Seapods, those of us in the local contingent of DBR hardcores were ready for a full show in St. Louis. Unfortunately, the fates saw fit to make it otherwise. Rather than a full show at Cicero's, we were to be given only a 45 minute set to leave us drooling as the band opened for Gov't Mule at Mississippi Nights.

In typical fierce Day by the River fashion, they opened with a driving rendition of "Story" which grabbed the crowd's attention. After "Story" was a powerful version of "Bus" which continued the trend which would sustain throughout this set - rage! "Bee Jam" is raging by its very nature, and this version was as crunchy and jammed as any. It seems that Pat has dropped his scream from the tune, for better or worse depending on your preference. Personally, I was never too attached to it but always got a good laugh out of it.

For my money, "Magic" was the highlight of the set. The composed part of the tune is a fun ride in itself, but this jam was amazing. It wandered from place to place with little noticeable effort and kept us all keeply enthralled as it took shape. At one point Walta B's keyboard playing was so fierce that it seemed he would crush his Hammond by sheer force of his fingers... and it's always cool to see him headbanging. Did anybody else think they caught a "Phase Dance" jam in there? Mmmmm... Metheny...

"Taking Over" was not the monster it usually is for me, since it was harnessed by time constraints into a mere ten minute baby when its fully capable of being a 20+ minute monster on any given night. That's what comes with being in the opening slot though I suppose. After the call of "one more" came from Lee back at the board, the guys had to think of something short. Rather than pull out "OJ" or maybe "See You" like I expected, they whipped out one of the gorgeous slower tunes debuted this year (well, technically on 12/31/98)... "Some People". I don't think I'd ever heard of "Some People" closing out a show, and after this time I can't imagine why. It's almost too perfect as a closer. The "bye, bye, bye, bye" segment is a fitting farewell to an appreciative audience. "Dance myself into the next millenium..." Indeed, guys.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the DBR's first full solo show in St. Louis on July 23 at Cicero's. Hope to see a great crowd of folks show up to wish the band well on their way home from their first western tour capped by the amazing shows on 6/27 in Boulder and on 7/3 in California. More from me next month on the thriving homegrown music scene in St. Louis... until then, have fun and be safe!