Superfriends at the Philmore
The Fillmore - Denver, CO
February 9-10, 2001 by Jeff Buske

What can I say? February had some nice shows, including the triumphant return of Phil Lesh and his Superfriends! The Denver Philmore once again held the majestic beauty and sonic intensity that is Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Rob Barraco, and Joltin' John Molo. The night started out spacey and turned into a jamfest. Highlights included a "jam>Mississippi 1/2 Step", a rockin' "Smokestack Lightnin'", a partyin' "Shakedown", a nice rendition of "Ramble On Rose" and wound it up with Robbie Robertson's "Broken Arrow" and a rip-roarin' "Cold Rain & Snow". The second set was even sweeter with the ultimate in segues, "Help>Slip>more Slip>numerous song teasing>Franklin's". A lovely treat of "Crazy Fingers" a short rockin' "NFA", a reggae-tinged "Soulshine", a concise "Fire on the Mountain, and to top it off a verrry intense "Morning Dew", which included some very tasty Phil emoting the vocals like the legend he is. Phil came back out for his donor rap, and to remind fans that he would be signing autographs at the Bonfils Blood Bank. I definitely recommend listening to Phil and donating any good organs you may have left, I mean how vain can you be to actually think a grave is needed at all? Well, Back to the show, or the encore at least. "The Wheel", a song much teased through out the night, with a bizarre twist, it had an "Other One v.1" sandwiched in the middle. What a night, and without a pause , we have night two. With the many rumors flying about, the only one I felt credible was concerning Mr. Derek Trucks, who was playing down the street. And there he was to bask in the glory that is Haynes and Trucks together in slide guitar mayhem. A slide-tinged "Birdsong", many jams and an "Eleven" later, and the crowd was movin'! Next was a tasty treat,"Keep On Growin'", which I've been told is a Clapton tune. Warren comes through on "Built to Last" which segued into a crowd pleasin' "Dear Mr. Fantasy". The first set was topped off, with a song I thought I would never have the chance to hear live, "Doin' That Rag". After a break, Derek returned with his girl and great vocalist/guitarist, Miss Susan Tedechi, who wowed us all with "Lovelight". A tender "Mt's of the Moon" followed into "Just a Little Light", I for one can not get enough of Warren singing Brent tunes. A little "Milestones", some swing music several jams led into Warren's fairly new tune "Patchwork Quilt", which is a tribute to the late great Garcia. Garcia's spirit certainly shone through on the "St. Stephen>Mt. Jam>St. Stephen" onto the "Golden Road". The night was capped off with the always enjoyable "Tom Thumb's Blues", with Phil's take on the lyrics. This night the lyrics Phil sang seemed especially fitting, "My eyestalks are all twisted, my tentacles all all in a knot.", and "My best friend my drummer won't even tell me what it is that I dropped."

The month of February had a few more shows up it's sleeve,as I will relate. Miracle Orchestra, for one played nicely albeit to a nearly empty house at Quixote's in Aurora, also a group I am just becoming familiar with, The North Mississippi AllStars, a seriously hard-drivin', bluesy power trio tore it up. It's too bad Miracle didn't have the benefit of the lively crowd the Allstars had. Oh well, NMAS is a band to watch for, let me tell you. It was a powerhouse of a show at the Gothic. Hookah at the bluebird was also nice with great covers of Cream and Jethro Tull. Well , out of time until next time. And there will be a next time with such great upcoming shows as moe., Leftover Salmon, Sam Bush, MMW, Dr. Didg, Umphree's McGee among many others. See ya next time!

Goodnight Muse or The Muse's Last Stand
by Lindsy Solomon

it was a steller evening....the wooden floors filled in like water in a tub...the merch. table was full with last tokens of love like johns documentary, my limited edition posters signed by the band, leather logo patches, and the last of some cds.....fans showed up with camcorders to capture an event that we'd all remember.

the band all assembled on stage, and it was like seeing triple digits line up on a slot machine. bing! they opened with "thank you chris vincent" and as nathan sang, "some nites i'm talkin crazy as a lune.....some nites i am the elbow of the english language" it was clear that this was not one of those nights. the band was tight, concise, paced. david had a new mandolin, a much different crisper sound arriving to us. nathan sang "walk right out" without any of those tom waits growls...it sounded more like a bluegrass vocal, kinda bela fleck-like. aimee opened her lungs on the fourth song(?) with "just in the band", a favorite of mine and many, for we all were singing right along...even when some dude tried to get her to blow bubbles by sticking a bubble wand in front of her mike...she did not even miss a note, just kept singin i say.

the crowd, all 350 of us, were so ripe and ready for dancing and gratitude. one could hear the crowd singing just as loud as the band at times during "nothin like lovin" or other favorites, everybody was so glad to be there. plain and simple.

there were some newer tunes played that we heard, like: "how could i write you a song" with nathan on lead vocals, and old stuff like, "down the road" and "slow song". the set list seemed to be well thought out, each song somehow relating a message of goodbye. and there were the classic favorites: wagon, movin by lovin, if i was a cat, rocky mountain richochet, come on, nothin like lovin....

it was sure beautiful--complete with fullhouse om's and spontaneous crowd circles....nathan spoke about the love of jesus and i cried.

String Cheese Incident
The Fillmore - Denver, CO
February 16, 2001
by Shawn Kallet

Drawing from their wealth of musical talent on February 16, the second night of its Mid-Winter Music Festival 2001, String Cheese Incident rocked the sold-out Fillmore Auditorium in Denver.

The Boulder-based group jammed for over three hours, crossing over numerous musical genres and playing songs that clearly reflect the varied influences of the members of the band.

Opening for SCI was the Blind Boys of Alabama, a quintet of musicians that amazed audience members with their powerful gospel tunes. The Blind Boys, who have been playing together since 1937, combined original tunes with covers by artists such as Nat King Cole.

SCI opened the show with a strong blues-based jam, "Got What He Wanted". As was the case with most of their blues jams, keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth laid the tracks with his simultaneous piano and organ playing. The complimentary dueling of Bill Nershi, acoustic guitar, with bassist Keith Moseley and Michael Kang on the electric mandolin provided a rich, full sound that primed the audience for the night to come.

After "Inspiration", a lighter, more melodic tune, the guys geared things up with an extended jam that really demonstrated their musical talents. "Sing a New Song" displayed elements of classic southern rock and also incorporated a slow spacey jam that went just to the brink of losing people's interest before being pulled back into a funky different tune, "Rhum 'n' Zouc". Kang switched from the mandolin to the violin during the space jam but switched back as the group varied things up with some Latin jazz beats during "Rhum 'n' Zouc."

When the Blind Boys of Alabama walked back out onto the stage to join SCI in a single file line with a hand draped on the shoulder of the man in front of them it was a crowd-pleasing sight. When the first notes heard of their first song together were undoubtedly from "House of the Rising Sun", by The Animals, the crowd roared even louder. Not following traditional methods however, the song was actually "Amazing Grace" performed to the tune of "The House of the Rising Sun."

The Blind Boys played three songs with SCI, including a never before performed song form their upcoming album, "Soldier in the Army of the Lord." Numerous times during the set, Blind Boys guitarist Joey Williams had to place a hand on the shoulder of lead singer Clarence Fountain to ease him back onto his chair for fear of the older man hurting himself on the crowded stage.

The first set ended with the strongest jam of the night up to that point. "Sand Dollar" turned into "How Mountain Girls Can Love" and was a powerful finish to a great first set.

Michael Travis, the gray-haired drummer who jumped onto stage and did a hand-spring flip at the beginning of the show, led the group with his rapid conga playing setting a fast beat for his band mates to follow. Kang's violin and mandolin playing demonstrated some traditional blue grass style and combined well with the acoustic guitar, electric bass and organ that produced a more bluesy sound during the long jam.

The first set was a nice balance of softer melodic tunes and hard jamming tunes that kept the crowd into the show and the band into the music. The second set was when it really started to heat up.

Beginning the set with a poem read by "Lester," a wild haired hippie in colorful stockings, khaki shorts and converse sneakers, the band embarked on one of its stronger jams of the night.

"Rivertrance" turned into "Under African Skies" and sequed back into "Rivertrance", and along the way it ran the gamut of musical abilities demonstrated by the band up to this point in the show.

Kang's mellow violin playing that complemented Lester's poem so well turned led the way for a funky bluegrass jam that had numerous tempo and style changes along the way. The crowd really responded to the extended jam and was extremely loud expressing their thanks at the end of this awesome number.

Next SCI played the title track to their soon to be released album, "Outside, Inside". The funky nature of this song was increased exponentially by the face-to-face dueling of Kang and Nershi. This song was a whole lot of rock and roll, their most straightforward rock tune of the show. "Outside, Inside" managed to top the "Rivertrance" jam judging by the crowd's response, but it was not surprising as the guys were now cranking it up a notch with each successive tune.

They went from rock and roll to a little Latin jazz, with just a hint of Caribbean thrown in for their next song, "Latinismo". Travis and Hollingsworth got this one going with some conga playing and lighter sounds coming from the keys.

Taking another step down the tempo scale the next song was a slower number with some soul and a little country mixed in. "Let It Go" was a heartfelt number and the last mellow tune the guys would play before rocking the Fillmore for the final few tunes.

"Best Feeling" was a jamming blues tune, and the spacey jam in the middle kind of unwound the crowd for just a couple of moments before reeling them back in with a gradual change up tempo.

The extended jam, which ended with "Search" at around 11:50 p.m., got a unanimously positive response form the crowd. As the band left the stage for a short break before the encore the crowd revved up and let the guys know they were more than ready to keep on jamming.

Bouncing back on stage for one final number, "Sittin' On Top of the World", gave the audience one more look at the diverse group of musicians that had entertained them for over three hours. The blending of so many different types of music is a difficult task but one which SCI did with incredible results. They were firing off on all cylinders and gave every fan at the show incentive to make it to another one.

Little String Cheese Feat
The Fillmore - Denver, CO
February 17, 2001
by Jim Vanos

It was a brisk Denver evening this past Saturday, of Feb. 17th..I took a long stroll down Clarkson St. to Colfax. Just so happens a friendly venue called the Fillmore Auditorium was hopping to life, for there was an event cookin' and the energy oozed with smiley vibes. The String Cheese Incident and Special Guest Little Feat were to perform later. There is a watering hole I frequent at times on the NorthWest corner of Clarkson/Colfax, directly across from the Fillmore called Sancho's Broken Arrow. It is " A Thinking Place" as the sign displays out front. The proprietors Jay and Phil Bianchi, whom also run Quixotes True Blue ( A Live Jamband Music Venue) were at the door to greet the hippies/heads/freaks to join their tavern in celebration of the mighty music to unfold at the Fillmore. Both corners were packed with all walks of Colfax life..plenty of Miracle Fingers flying in the air.. A young hippie chick saying " ShakeDown, so I can Throw Down, I need a Miracle,"...a woman showing off her photo goods of SCI past shows (quite good shots I might add)....and of course The Drive-Bye Spectators taking in the outdoor Carnival.

I wandered in Sancho's, bellied up to the rail and ordered the usual pint of Guinness on tap...ahhhhhhhhhh......Sancho's was filled to the brim, just as my pint..the juke box blaring out Dick's Picks...Columbus, Ohio show in 1971, at the Ohio Theatre. It was such an intense energy, and Phil Bianchi came over expressing that Miracle Tickets were thin pickings. I could not agree more, as I coveted going in. He was on the search for me the past two daze as well.

After a couple of pints, I went on the prowl for my own Miracle. One hour later, I had conversation on the corner with a woman, roughly my age, that really wanted to see Little Feat...ironically another woman came up to me and asked if I was in need of a ticket..I looked at my new acquaintance, smiled and quickly deferred this Miracle to her. I have seen Little Feat throughout the past 24 years and felt no loss at this time. The Featsters are one of my favorite pickers.

A little later, the Fillmore Staff packed in all the railings and the Local District 6 po-po cleared the stragglers out of the block. Thus I went across the corner and leaned against a light pole, sponging up all stimuli around me...Somewhat like the Deads "Shakedown Street" LP cover...I just grinned from ear to ear..thinking of old times, new times and now times...Traffic's "Mr. Fantasy" was pouring out of Sancho's outdoor speaker, and the grin just kept on widening. The streets cleared and so did my brain attic. Just when I was about to pack it in and grab another pint or two..Phil Bianchi came out of Sancho's and said to me...The Miracle has arrived, his girlfriend fell ill, and now it was my turn. So the ever widening smile kept up pace with my thoughts..Karma>>yea thats it. I entered the Fillmore with a new found energy to converse with all walks of kind folk and music...I missed Little Feat's set, and came upon SCI's first set...The old hustle came back to my feat, and the slithering spirit landed me in the Eye of The Storm.......Ground Zero, on the middle of the floor...with kind olfactory hues surrounding me and hippie folk with wide smiles. During SCI's third tune Fred Tackett of Little Feat (trumpet) blew out some ragtime trumpet, and Sam Clayton of Little Feat (percussion), skinned in with his percussionistic expertise, collaborating for "MLT". It was the beginning of an inter-mingling of musicians. Then, in the midst of madness, Billy Payne of Little Feat (organ/piano) began tickling the ivory, on both organ an piano..Paul Barrere of Little Feat (lead guitar), chimed in with high steppin' Fender Bender blues notes, and the frenzy was on, playing "Born on The Wrong Planet." Both groups went into The Band's "The Weight", and the crowd jangled right along with lyrics. The violet chandeliers hanging from the Fillmore's ceiling, were having their own shakedown..wanna get down. Three to four other tunes followed. With each piece, Billy Payne and SCI's Kyle Hollingsworth were in total sync on organ and piano. They both were playing off each other beyond real description. The adventure changed gears onto another highway - yes folks, the fast lane. SCI's Michael Kang and Bill Nershi meshed real well with Paul Barrere and the complimentary workings with all came together, after all this is what I came here for. ..The new meets the experienced....It was a great mix...after the break SCI went on their own Carnival and Round the Wheel...just a funky bluegrass shakedown...I did not want to leave or for them to succumb to a time crunch and wander off stage...however this Miracle ended with SCI and Little Feat encoring with "Fat Man In The Bathtub"......and this was my swan song to a profound experience...I left and went back over to Sancho's to process the evening with Phil...and then went home to my wife Mia and 16 month old daughter Guinness Finn.. The walk home was sobering, and I was thankful for all things, especially Miracles. This was no small feat. After all, we are professionals and can handle these kindz of experiences...Can't We.......Peace

The East Colfax Allstars with The Miracle Orchestra
Sancho's Broken Arrow - Denver, CO
February 26, 2001
by Racheal Altman

For myself, The East Colfax Allstars Weekly gig at Sancho's Broken Arrow has become one of the only reliable sources of creative musical exploration offered by educated players with an original vision and an ability to fuse ideas that I have found here in Denver. Their "Dark Jazz" explorations are some of the more fearless and inspired bits of improvisation one can hear in town. Their weekly gig every Monday night at Sancho's Broken Arrow also proves to be a pretty crazy party with plenty of good folks uniting to rock out with the East Colfax Allstars.

Last Monday the music took a step further when one of Boston's more Brilliant touring groups, The Miracle Orchestra, joined the Allstars for an evening of top notch playing. Their set consisted mostly of their own material, and I must say not just as a fan of MO but an a rather opinionated listener that these guys are hard core. I have come to the following two conclusions about MO; 1. There is nothing these guys cant do and 2. even if they cant really do it they are at least going to try. Especially noteworthy was a new song built on a Drum n Bass groove they closed their set with. Good stuff.

The Allstars set that followed was definitely played a bit better than usual. They seemed inspired by MO's music and ready to hold up their end of the evenings entertainment. The East Colfax Allstars original compositions are gritty and sometimes downright ugly. I guess the easiest way to say it is that its like Bicthes Brew pumped full of lead and then resurrected in a mad scientist's laboratory for purposes of mass destruction - a jazz soldier of fortune gone fusion Frankenstein if you will. The Allstars set that night was an assault on anything cute, cuddly or week hearted. In the Allstars, there are four music degrees as well as a former Marine, so, as you might assume, there are definitely enough skills and brawn to go around. Particularly noteworthy are solos by drummer Andrew Lindstrum, bassist Alan Berkie and the fiery shredding by guitarist Mike Brick. No one in really gets down quite as hard as these guys do around here.

The real action took place during the evenings third and final set which included all of the members of both bands at once (Excepting Miracle bassist Garret Sayers, who had to leave early because he had the flu. ) I have heard MO do a jam like this with The Slip once, but I would have to say I have never heard anything like the music they played together this Monday night. They played "Black Satin" together for about 40 min., and it was amazing. The bands styles gelled together very well. Each player knew which space to occupy without being in the other's way or being too passive. The bands played right up until closing time, so we were all asked to leave as soon as the music stopped. We all headed to the White Spot Diner for some snacks after the show and we just couldn't stop buzzing about the music. This was absolutely the most memorable musical event I have witnessed in Denver.The Allstars are definitely holding things down in these parts.