March Issue: Home | Editors | Features | Columns | Photos | Regional | New Groove Road Trip | Tour Journal | Venue | Levels | Ghosts | Homegrown | Inaudible | CDs | Charts

West Regional Report
Edited by Sarah Bruner - syrup@aloha.net

In This Issue

Happy Birthday, Merl

Box Set @ Slim's - February 20, 1999, San Francisco, CA

Dub Narcotic Sound System

The Recipe, February 20, 1999, Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, NV

The Disco Biscuits, February 19, 1999 Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, NV

Kimock Vega White Hertz, Febraury 26, 1999, Fillmore Aud, San Francisco, CA

Susan Tedeschi's Soulful Groove - Feb 17, 1999 - Fillmore, S.F., CA

Another Night Wasted?

---

Happy Birthday, Merl by Elisabeth Warren

Merl Saunders is one of San Francisco's legendary musicians, and at 65, shows no signs of slowing down. In 1998 he released 4 albums, and has just departed for another United States tour. To kick off the Merl Saunders' 65th birthday weekend, the Mayor of San Francisco ("his Williness") declared February 13th Merl Saunders Day. The weekend also included a guest appearance on "Nash Bridges" (Merl of course was playing his heart out) and the piece de resistance, a huge birthday bash at the legendary Fillmore!

The evening of February 13th opened with fiddle guru Vassar Clements and his Little Big Band. Vassar just keeps on getting better! A steady stream of rocking hillbilly tunes including classics such as "Catfish John", a rocking "Midnight Moonlight", "Panama Red", the Hobo song, "Gamblin' Man", and "High and Lonesome Wind", among others. The entire set was packed with great upbeat violin bluegrass and many talented artists - mandolin players, violin, fiddle: it was a tub-thumping gathering!

The Fillmore was full - but not uncomfortably packed. It seemed like an enormous family birthday party, and Merl was thrilled to be there with 4 generations of Saunders in the house. When Merl took the stage, the whole room knew it was going to be a special evening. Wearing his trademark leather hat and an enormous loving grin, he stood behind Jessica (his organ) and thanked the crowd for coming to celebrate with him. Onstage were horns (sax and trombone), bass, guitar, and drums. Merl segued through many of his different albums and material, including "Dance with me", which was followed (in honor of Valentine's Day), by a moving, instrumental "My Funny Valentine" with a gorgeous bass solo by Michael Warren. Merl played piano, which was a treat to hear. Following a Reconstruction jam (great sax licks) the next song was dedicated to Merl's father sitting upstairs, who had first encouraged Merl in music. Louis Jordan originally did "Caledonia", and Merl's interpretation was a strutting, thumping, classic that sounded fantastic with the horns and the audience participation. To round out the first set, Merl did a song that was one of his favorites, and was most notably done by some friends that he liked to call "Jerome and the Crew". At first, the funked up sounds of "Sugaree" slipped by the crowd, but when everyone caught on they were 'shakin' it shakin' it! Another great sax and horns section solo, and some remarkable guitar work. Merl even turned himself around to shake it and did a backwards solo on the keys.

Following the setbreak, Merl announced that he would be bringing in guests to help him celebrate his birthday. True to his word, the first song after the setbreak was "Put a spell on you" with guest vocalist Mariana (also on Fiesta Amazonica and Funky Friends). Her soaring harmonies and sexy tone led into "Nobody's Business", another rendition that got the Fillmore rocking to it's feet. Following Mariana, Merl brought out Vince Welnick, who jammed in on a fantastic rendition of the Grateful Dead classic "Franklin's Tower". Both Vince and Merl swapped on keys and vocals, and Vince even let loose with a couple of signature Welnick wails. Merl's grandson came in as a guest vocalist, belting out "Just want to be your lover man". The promise of other funky friends held true, as Vassar Clements, Peter Albin (from Big Brother & the Holding Co.), Mike Lawson (love that guitar playing!), and Tony Saunders all joined Merl to round out the evening. All in all, it was a splendid party. Happy Birthday to Merl, and may you celebrate 65 more!

http://www.merlsaunders.com and http://www.mikelawson.com

---

Box Set @ Slim's
February 20, 1999
San Francisco, CA
by Michael Braude

Jim Brunberg - Acoustic/Electric Guitars, Mandolin & Vocals
Jeff Pehrson - Acoustic Guitars & Vocals
Mark Abbott - Drums
Chad Heise - Bass
Sam Johnston - Keyboards & Harmonica

A capacity crowd turned out at Slim's, an industrial-style club located in the heart of San Francisco's SOMA district, for Box Set's first hometown show of 1999. For those unfamiliar with Box Set, their music revolves around the expressive songwriting and strong vocal harmonies of Jim Brunberg and Jeff Pehrson. After starting out as a folk duo in the San Francisco coffeehouse scene, Box Set has been performing electrified, upbeat roots/Americana as a five-piece band for the past several years. This show started strong with newer (unrecorded) material, continued building with a mix of new and old during the second set, and closed triumphantly with a string of older tunes.

Right from the start, the band was sounding tight and explosive. "Hollow", with its distorted guitar riff, charged straight at the crowd. Jim's song for his mother, the power ballad "I Owe You Something", made a strong statement with its anguished ending of the reluctant acknowledgment a grown child gives to a parent. As "Nothin' Like Janine" finished with a tight jam, Mark just kept beating on the drums, and the band jumped into an especially energetic "Difference Makes A Day". "18 Days of Rain", making a welcome return to the songlist after a lengthy absence, found Jim playing his riffs more sparingly, adding to the longing feel of the tune. "Central Park", a new song penned by Jeff, was inspired by the band's time in New York last summer. "Mazola Anoint The Dog" sported a new opening; this instrumental is constantly changing while simultaneously maintaining its experimental spirit.

The second set opened somewhat surprisingly with Jeff's classic "Amsterdam", which seemed to have taken up residence as an encore. This change gave the celebratory song a more deliberate, edgier sound, reigning in its energy which threatened to burst out at any moment. That moment occurred during "Ophelia" as the song exploded with intensity near the end. "Ramona", an exploration into the institutionalization of commitment, is probably my favorite among the new tunes with its catchy melody and alliterative choruses. "Misfits" showcased the band's playful side with its outlaws-on-the-run-and-having-fun lyrics and its bossa nova-flavored musical stylings. An even bigger surprise than "Amsterdam's" unusual appearance occurred near the end of the set. After beginning "Train" in its current, deliberate style, Jim turned to the band, made some comment, and then they launched into the old, rollicking version. It sounded so tight, it made me wonder if they occasionally play it that way when rehearsing. Sam took a long harp solo as the jam before the final verse was fully extended. Following this up with a blistering cover of Prince's "Purple Rain" and a rousing "Ode". the band left the stage to hearty applause which turned into a rhythmic demand for more.

By the time the encore was over, the hometown crowd also was thanked, metaphorically speaking. Both Jeff's road song "Back To You", with its promise to perform incredible feats just to return home, and Jim's anthem "Something", with its hard-earned knowledge that love has been found, conveyed the musicians' passion for not only performing music, but performing it in front of appreciative fans as well. That's a good feeling for everybody, one the band manages to convey regularly; this must be why I see so many smiling faces after a Box Set show.

Set I:
Hollow
I Owe You Something
Nothin' Like Janine
Difference Makes A Day
18 Days Of Rain
Central Park
Take You
Mazola Anoint The Dog
Every Waking Moment

 Set II:
Amsterdam
Ophelia
Not Fit To Care
Valentine
Nothing
Ramona
Misfits
Like A Train
Purple Rain
Ode

Encores: 
Back To You
HBWA
Something

---

Dub Narcotic Sound System
by Streator Johnson

Olympia, Washington

The debate rages as to the intelligence and desirability of signing with a major label (See, the column BRAIN TUBA: Who Needs The Gold Ring? by Jesse Jarnow in last month's Jambands.com), and it seems that in this day and age, all to often art is forced to take a back seat to entertainment and they both are controlled by the almighty dollar. However, it doesn't have to be that way and it is always refreshing to see a band that follows its muse rather than the scent of money.

One that takes its artistic and commercial future into its own hands and answers only to themselves. This is not to say that the staunchly independent and idiosyncratic "Dub Narcotic Sound System" (DNSS) isn't happy getting paid for what they do, but its far more important to do it their way than it is to follow some tired and outmoded formula to success. And in the final analysis, it far more important thing for this band is to lay down some rockin' grooves so those who come to see them can shake a little booty, than it is to be a part of the star making machine.

Though not a jamband in the traditional sense used by this publication, this Olympia, WA band is worth checking out. More well known in the underground indie scene than the jamband arena, DNSS is a band ready made for the jamband audience. Led by underground mainstay Calvin Johnson (vocals and funky dance steps) and ably assisted by Brian Webber (guitar/keyboards), Chris Sutton (bass) and relatively new drummer Heather Dunn, DNSS plays a throbbing mishmash of funk, dub and plain old rock and roll that is totally unique AND gets everyone in the house up and moving.

In preparation for a short west coast swing, DNSS recently opened for _Fugazi_ here in Olympia, Washington, on . Using the opening number "Cheerleader" to work out the kink in the sound system, they slowly got the crowd's attention. Bit by bit, the audience began swaying to DNSS's slinky sounds. Soon they had the whole place bopping along and enjoying themselves watching Calvin dance across the stage.

I now have seen several shows with Heather behind the drums and she has fully integrated herself into the band and her presence has definitely changed the tone of the music. Larry, the previous drummer, was an incredibly talented skinsman, but he had a more funky/jazz feel to his playing. Heather, on the other hand, comes from the straight ahead rock school and it shows up clearly in their live shows. Even with the more funkier numbers like "Wicked Bad", there was a harder edge to the sound. And when they performed the more rockin' numbers like "Teen-Age Time Bomb", well, it was rock and roll at its finest and the audience responded in kind. Even quirkier tunes like the drums and vocals only "Bite" had a difference feel them. They played for approximately 40 minutes and left the stage with crowd wanting more.

DNSS sets out as headliners (on tour with K Records labelmates "The K.G.", "icu" and performance artist Miranda July) through the western United States on March 11th. I highly recommend that you hear them live if you have the chance. This package tour is made up of underground performers who have made the conscious choice not to be a part of corporate America. This tour was booked by the bands and will be all ages shows for all of the people who want to see the show. Ultimately, you may love it, you may hate it, but you will definitely won't walk away saying you have heard it before. So, visit the JamBands.com tour database for DNSS shows near you and check them out!

Set List:
Cheerleader
Love You Large
Wicked Bad
Teenage Time Bomb
Bite
Rebel Makes Rhymes
Belly Warmer

---

The Recipe
February 20, 1999
Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, Nevada
by Lee Abraham

What better way to cap off a momentous weekend of kind jams at Legends than an evening with the Recipe! Wise Monkey Orchestra rocked the house on Thursday and last night the Disco Biscuits shook Legends to its very foundation. Tonight, the Recipe made their Las Vegas debut as part of a 3-night extravaganza celebrating the official release of "Music for a Desert Island", a limited edition CD featuring killer performances by some of the top jambands to have graced Legend's Tie-dye stage. (Check out an article in Las Vegas CityLife magazine on the CD at http://www.lvcitylife.com)

Having seen the Recipe at both of the Walther Productions festivals last year at Wilmer's Park in Brandywine, Maryland, I knew that Legends was going to be a good match for the Recipe's tasty blend of West Virginia homegrown. The band's inspired acoustic jamming, infectious sing-a-long melodies and good time vibe are made to order for Legend's intimate ambiance.

Somehow maintaining her balance while successfully navigating what appeared to be eight inch thick soles on some super funky, gotta-see-'em-to-believe-'em bonzo boots, Kristen's strong, belting voice at times got into the Janis zone. Totally absorbed with the music, Kristen's never ending screen saver of facial animation and occasionally wild, always captivating eyes are a joy to experience. In tandem with her role as the band's lyricist, her poly-octive range and pinpoint tonal accuracy, there is no doubt that Kristen is a critical ingredient to this particular Recipe.

"We hear you people in Las Vegas party late, so let's get started early," laughed Joe Prichard, the Recipe's other lead vocalist, primary songwriter and resident visionary. From there, the down-home "You Make My World So Happy" spirit of a Recipe family gathering had the crowd dancing, singing, and in the end, seriously considering chartering a bus to Aurora, Colorado to catch the Recipe's next show at Quixote's!

In addition to being able to spend a little quality time with Allissa, my inner circle chum and spirited co-conspirator, who also happens to be the Recipe's highly valued merch lady/PR person and #1 fan, here are some of this show's highlights from my spot on the dance floor:

Set I: 
Wrecking Ball 
Luna Parade
Bonemeal 
I'm missing your..? (a slower ballad)
Scary Wish 
Out of the Rain
Aurora Borealis 
Sibling Revelry 
I've been drinkin', drinkin', drinkin' all night long
Day in the Life (Beatles)
They love each other
Whiskey Pickle > 
Folsom Prison Blues > 
Whiskey Pickle

Set II:
Affected Specimen
Goldmine
World Swirl 
Playground Bellyflop
Ring of fire 
Theme from Petticoat junction
The Dali Llama's last dream? 
I love you the best I can
Midnight Moonlight
Drink the Wine 
In the morning, in the afternoon
I am the Walrus 
We try talkin' through music..?
Rise
Direwolf
Amoonda

** Special thanks to Taper RJ, for his help with this show and all the others he's spun. Thanks to his kind efforts, folks from far, wide and all unknown points in between, can enjoy a lot great music that otherwise would drift into the far corners of the universe, forever lost to the ages.

---

The Disco Biscuits February 19, 1999
Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, Nevada
by Rudy Jalio - Owner, Legends Lounge

The ring of the phone woke me. It was the bartender at Legends. The company we hired to bring out the hot air balloon to mount on the roof for tonight's show had called with bad news. The winds were blowing at 25 miles per hour, so it wasn't going to be possible to put up the balloon. No Hot air Balloon tonight from Legends or the band. Great! I hadn't even had a chance to remove the hemp-webs from my brain left over from last night's Wise Monkey Orchestra blowout and I'm hit with the reality of doing tonight's show.

A quick glance at the morning -Review Journal-, Las Vegas's major daily newspaper, finds us being bumped off the front cover of the weekly entertainment section by Frank Marino, the premier Las Vegas female impersonator. Hey, this is Las Vegas, great music can't rival female impersonators! But a nice write-up did appear in the Night Beat section by Mike Weatherford who is always helpful in getting the word out. As always, CityLife gave us great support with an article, as did the Las Vegas Weekly.

I walked into the door of Legends and was immediately handed the phone. It was Johnny Z. For those of you who don't know, John is the Disco Biscuits manager along with The Ominous Seapods and Juggling Suns. The negativity of the morning was changed in a flash! It's always great to talk to Johnny and our conversation reminded me that tonight was about the music and this particular night was about Bisco!

The rest of day was taken up with routine show day preparations, until about 4:00 PM when Max and the rest of the -Brown U- crew showed up. After a round of Newcastles they were off to dinner. About 5:00 PM a knock on the back door signaled the arrival of the Biscuits. Wow, the band was early. Now anyone who has dealt with bands knows that band time and everyone one else's time aren't the same. If a band says they will arrive at 5:30 that means 7. Having spent three nights with the band last August, introductions weren't necessary, the greetings were more like the coming together of old friends who hadn't seen each other for a while.

As we proceeded with the load in and sound check, I noticed a difference in the band from their last visit. They had a confidence and excitement with every thing they did. It wasn't a cockiness, but an energy that they were doing something they truly loved and things seemed to in harmony for them. During the set-up I gave them a copy of our "Music for a Desert Island" CD which included the -Basis for a Day- they performed here on 8/2/98.

The King Cartel, a local Vegas band fronted by Chris King, son of legendary Las Vegas performer Sonny King, opened the show. Chris's style is very unique and Vegan, he has show biz in his blood. He grew up in a house frequented by The Rat Pack, you know, Frank and Sammy? His Godfather is Dean Martin for Chrissakes. After a well received set it was time for Bisco!

A quick check on things found Linda, my lovely wife of 22 years and the infamous Las Vegas hippie, Louie Omaha, manning the Biscuit merch table and Home Grown CD table. Everyone was in an ecstatic mood as the Biscuits hit the stage.

At this point I have to revert back to last summer's show. At that time I felt the band was good but they seemed to be searching for something in the music. That little edge or X-factor that makes the difference between just another band and music that takes everyone to another place. Well, no more than 2 minutes into the show opener, "Pygmy Twylyte", I knew that they had found the key to unlock the door. This show was like an early 70's rendition of the Dead's "Playing in the Band". Wild and out there, but at the same time, tight and progressive.

I don't know if it was because of the -Basis- on our CD that motivated them, but the song appeared three times during the show, with the end being played first and the beginning being played last. The jam between M.E.M.P.H.I.S and Berstein & Chasnoff in the second set was truly indescribable and must by listened to at any cost. In talking with Brownie (Marc Brownstein-bass) after the show, he voiced an opinion that it couldn't get much better than that jam, and I'd have to agree. I had just been Bisco'd. As DJ George said afterwards, "You either got it or you never will."

---

Kimock Vega White Hertz
February 26, 1999
Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
by Charlie Dirksen

They say IT happens every thirty years.

The KVHW show on February 26th was so powerful musically and spiritually that some folks couldn't help but reflect on improvisational rock in 1969 at the Fillmore. Did this sold-out, packed from start to finish, KVHW event share anything in common with the Grateful Dead shows at the Fillmore on 2/27/69 through 3/2/69? Will this KVHW show also become a legendary show, but one nevertheless out-gunned by many subsequent shows? Was the vibe at the Fillmore thirty years ago related at all to that which we experienced last night?

At the time doors opened around 8pm, several dozen fans - many with cash in hand - searched diligently for extra tickets out front. Few expected the show to sell out much before 9pm, but it apparently sold out a day or two before KVHW took the stage. I arrived only about twenty minutes after the doors opened, and there were already a good 50-100 people inside.

By the time KVHW came out to play (shortly after 9pm, if memory serves), the crowd was more than ready. The vibe was incredible. The band opened up with a fiery, extended "It's Your Thing", which featured Ray's invigorating tenor right out of the gate. Ray was sporting on his left wrist what looked like remnants of the exact same cast that he had had on in Arcata a few weeks ago. He was back on rhythm guitar this evening, and in excellent shape! Bobby Vega played as expertly on this tune as he would throughout the evening.

The enchanting instrumental "Why Can't We All Just Samba?" came next. Kimock eagerly pulled out the stand-up dual-necked lap steel, and brought forth wistful, soaring melodies from it. A gorgeous version, KVHW veterans will likely find it more agreeable to them than any other version that they've heard.

"Five B4 Funk" - a jazzified funkalicious instrumental in five time - most likely convinced anyone with lingering doubts that they had made the right choice in attending this show. It was truly a monster, with the full band raging mightily in the jam segment. Kimock in particular was showering the audience with quick, passionate, mellifluous riffs, capable of singing to your soul and shaking your booty. Indeed, all night, Kimock paid a great deal of attention to the audience, facing them as he played.

A straightforward R&B tune, "Let Me Love You Baby", came next, and though short, contained a spirited solo from Kimock, and demonstrated the band's mastery of The Traditional Blues Tune.

Though many fans love every minute of "Slumber", the opening composed section is awfully repetitive and mind-numbing. It sets the mood to slumber, to be sure, but I'm not sure if that's always the right thing. It need not take so much time before the jam. The chit-chatting in the back of the room picked up mightily in this opening, but quieted to a dull buzz for the inspiring, magnificent jam segment. You didn't have to be a fan of this tune to appreciate the improvisational genius of the entire band on this instrumental.

"Nine Rings Around the Moon" alone created many new KVHW fans last night. The opening and closing segments (in nine time) always entertain, but the highlights - as they were in last night's version - are usually Ray's vocals, and of course Kimock's serene, soothing, and soulful soloing. Much like both "Samba" and "Five B4 Funk", this Nine Rings will likely be regarded by KVHW fans as the version to beat.

Probably the most noteworthy jam of last night's show came during the first set closing "Pau Pau Go". The entire band launched into an improvisation that reminded me of the finest melodious, intricate, spell-binding, exploratory-yet-directional jams that I'd ever heard, primarily from the Grateful Dead, Zero, and Phish -- despite the lack of keyboards. I'd love to hear this number on a professionally produced live CD one day. It closed the hour and a half long first set superbly. The audience had already got their money's worth, and there would still be more than two hours of music to go.

After the usual 40 minute or so setbreak, "Spring Water" and "Point of No Return" commandingly opened the second set with some dazzling improvisations. How these versions managed to improve on all, if not most, of the impressive versions of the past amazed me. Hear them for yourself. This band is ALMIGHTY!

The "Drums>Poonk>Express Yourself>Manic Depression Quoting>Poonk" excursion that may have been (or was) performed next was amusing, though not overwhelming musically. Ray apparently didn't have the lyrics to "Manic Depression" down, since he shook his head when Bobby started blistering its opening riff on his badass bass. There was a Pipeline tease, and a Yes "Roundabout" quote somewhere in here, too, if memory serves. Maybe some Zepplin, too.

"Tangled Hangers", like the entire show, needs to be heard to be believed. It was a gem of improvisational genius. Kimock's Middle Eastern riffs, present throughout the gig (particularly in the second set), bewildered and hypnotized the crowd. When you finally hear this version, I urge you to avoid operating heavy machinery.

The Sly and the Family Stone tune "In Time" was performed next, and like almost everything else played last night, was incredibly well done. The mellifluous instrumental "You're the One" -- with sweet riffs from Kimock -- similarly ripped people's faces off. "Footprints" was perhaps the most skilled, most beautifully flowing version KVHW has performed to date. "It's Up to You" was so spectacular that if your jaw isn't left on the floor after hearing Kimock's solos, then you deserve to have your ears hacked off with extreme prejudice. The "City of Tiny Lights" set closer was well-played, with Ray's gorgeous vocals in particular carrying it.

I was exhausted by the time the encores came around. Though I have no idea where the band got its energy, they played an OK "Hillbillies" and an average, strong "It's Not Impossible." You know the show was an exceptional one when the weakest tunes of the evening were average-great versions of "Hillbillies" and "It's Not Impossible!"

Every band member shined at this gig. Ray's voice never sounded better, and his accompaniment on rhythm guitar never more perfect. Alan ferociously attacked the drums all evening, helping to carry the improvisations ever forward, and almost always to a smooth, tight close. Bobby's active stage presence and powerful lead bass were appreciated by all. I'd never seen him more animated during a gig. And Kimock? If there was ever any doubt that he is one of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock music, that doubt was removed last night. Kimock, all evening, was in the zone. There were many times that I thought - with my eyes closed, head bobbing, and butt shaking - that he was communicating directly with my spirit (as very few guitarists ever have). And I wasn't at all alone in this feeling. He was definitely in tune with the sounds created when the universe began.

All this notwithstanding, the real highlight of the evening was that the four members of KVHW played as one. There was more improvisational rock at this show that clicked -- that sounded as beautiful and perfect as if it had been brilliantly composed -- than the vast majority of rock concerts that I have ever heard or seen.

The improvisations weren't simply "jams," in which everyone just surfed along with the groove, or someone led here, and another led there. Many "jam bands" can do this, after all. Big deal. But KVHW's jams last night could have been composed in advance. Every note from every instrument seemed perfectly placed within each melodiously charming, musical scheme. Everyone was leading together. There was a Full-Band dynamic at play in most of the jam segments. It was a majestic evening of music that made me reminisce about some of the shows that have really moved my soul in the past, such as the Dead at the Boston Garden on 9/26/91; Phish at the Madison Square Garden on 12/31/95; the Other Ones and Zero shows last June in San Francisco. If you are missing KVHW, you are missing IT.

I wish I were exaggerating when I make all of these bold claims. A band like KVHW is very challenging for a critic. If they were more inconsistent, perhaps I wouldn't feel so foolish claiming, as I do after almost every show that they play these days, that the show was "the greatest one that I've ever heard," or that such and such a version was likely "the best ever." But KVHW has been consistently awe-inspiring. I've seen hundreds of Phish, Dead, and other improvisational rock concerts, and heard thousands more, and yet I cannot help but be somewhat defensive and insecure reviewing this band's music. Everything is NOT ALL GOOD. But you know what? Everything last night WAS all good!

"Oh yeah, I'm suuuuure it was the best KVHW show ever. Uh-huh." But to me and every other KVHW fan I talked with last night, the show was easily "the greatest KVHW show to date." Can they top it? I'll be balling my eyes out with Joy if they do. And at the rate they are going, it wouldn't surprise me if they play even more profoundly (somehow) than they played last night at the upcoming April Great American Music Hall shows. Go at all costs.

KVHW continues to exceed my own high expectations, and blow out the minds of those who check them out, whether for the first, or even the 30th, time. If you consider yourself a fan of improvisational rock music (particularly exceptional improvisational rock, like that of the Grateful Dead, Zero, and Phish), you owe it to yourself to see or hear KVHW as soon as you possibly can. They are winning True Believing converts these days. Don't be one of the last to hear the Good News!

KVHW has a live CD that will be available soon from Grateful Dead Merchandising. Call 1-800-CAL-DEAD for more information.
http://www.kvhw.com

Set One: (1:30)
It's Your Thing
Why Can't We All Just Samba?
Five B4 Funk
Let Me Love You Baby
Slumber
Nine Ring Around the Moon Nine
Pau Pau Go

Set Two: (1:51)
Spring Water
Point of No Return>
Drums>Poonk>Express Yourself>
Manic Depression Quoting>
Poonk
Tangled Hangers
In Time
Footprints
You're the One
It's Up to You
City of Tiny Lights

Encore: (0:15)
Hillbillies >
It's Not Impossible

---

Got her mojo workin': Susan Tedeschi burns down the Fillmore
February 17, 1999
The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
by Elisabeth Warren

Susan Tedeschi has been playing in bands since she was 13 years old, and in live performance her on-stage experience shows through. After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in 1991, she has been progressively working the blues scene and incorporating all types of musical influences into her songwriting. After releasing her album Just Won't Burn in 1998, she has hit the Bay Area twice: once at the Boom Boom Room (sold out) and another sold-out show at the Fillmore on February 17th showcased why she has recently skyrocketed in popularity.

Susan is a petite redhead who carries a big green guitar decorated with Winnie the Pooh stickers and an autograph from Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Walking onto stage, she looked small in the Fillmore lights, but the minute she opened her mouth you knew she had come to rock the house down. She began the show the same way her CD starts, belting out the a capella opening line to "Rock me Right". Tedeschi's voice can slip from a bluesy gritty howl to a sexy coo in nothing flat, and the vocal duality had the audience rocking and the men swooning. Her guitar work is extraorindarily talented and gutsy - she goes for it, and calls to mind Bonnie Raitt and essences of Stevie Ray Vaughn.

She performed songs predominantly from her recent album, including "Friar's Point", "You Need To Be With Me" "Little By Little", "Just Won't Burn", "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (dedicated to Ruth Brown who was in town) and the radio hit "It Hurt So Bad". She also added in "Voodoo Woman", "Wait for me", and Muddy Waters' "Mojo", which had the audience singing along. Tedeschi is superbly backed by bass, drums, and a keys/harp combination (her album also features Sean Costello on guitar). On the album, Tedeschi uses a Hammond B3 for the blues organ tunes, and that was missed at the show - hopefully she'll add organ to the synthesizer that was used. The keyboardist was an excellent honky-tonk player, and very good on the harmonica as well. Drums and bass were consistently steady, and Tedeschi incorporated a lot of reggae-ish skip beats into her music. She doesn't adhere to the strict blues progressions, but mixes them up with all different beats, progressions, and rhythms.

Tedeschi is currently touring and is hitting the midwest in March and east cost in April; I cannot emphasize enough how strongly I recommend going to see her. She'll be on the Conan O'Brien show on March 3rd, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the road of fame takes her next.

Susan Tedeschi Band: http://stb.home.pipeline.com/

---

Another Night Wasted?
by Martin Acaster

This was intended to be a review of the recent moe. show at the Crystal Ballroom. Instead it has become a reason to remember the past, and an opportunity to look to the future. It is likely that we all will find ourselves reflecting on the past as we approach the most awaited threshold of time to occur in the last 1,000 years. Good times, Bad times, you know I've had my share... but ultimately we must treasure time since without it there could be no music.

For fans of improvisational music, the Pacific Northwest is presently alive and kicking. Since the end of February alone, Strangefolk, The Slip, moe., The Disco Biscuits, and String Cheese Incident have all passed through Portland, Eugene and Seattle. In the coming weeks Portland will also be treated to a two night run from Medeski, Martin and Wood, a Bela Fleck and the Flecktones hootenanny, and a KVHW and Jazz is Dead double bill at the end of April to usher in the summer. (Yes, summer arrives in May here.)

Unfortunately, all this good music now will likely have a less than desirable effect on the summer. The out of town "jam bands" will probably stay away until the fall (if the past is any key to the present). Ugly rumors even suggest that Phish will abandon the West this summer. Say it ain't so! What is the mind-bending-jam-addicted west coast fan boy supposed to do? Spend the summer touring with the Jive Talkin Robots and Soular? Probably not. Tracking down the Fireballs of Freedom is more likely.

Since "the journey is the prize", if the music doesn't come to me, I will undoubtedly go to the music. Two of the recent shows I have attended have clarified my choices between some of my prospective summer destinations. On back to back evenings, I ventured out to see moe. at the Crystal Ballroom and the Disco Biscuits at the Mount Tabor Pub. Both bands have undergone some changes since the last time we crossed paths, and it appears (to my ears) that one band has been distinctly influenced by the sound of the other since then.

The new moe. is improved by a new band member. Chuck, Al, Rob and Vinnie are now joined on stage by a guy named Jim. At the Portland show, Jim was laying down a frenetic beat on a second drum set. The extra percussion increased the beats per minute to the point that they were actually playing a trance-inducing Techmoe. groove. The setlist:

moe. at the Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
March 4, 1999

Set I:
Timmy Tucker
Jazz Wank > 
Spaz Medicine
Time Again
Brent Black
The Faker

Set II:
Buster
She Sends Me
Happy Hour Hero
Big World
Recreational Chemistry
Water
Plane Crash

E: Fire

Timmy Tucker was a monster, approximately 28 minutes long, featuring the first of two outrageous rave-like jams that were the high points of the first set if not the entire show. Rendered delirious by Timmy Tucker, I drifted back to the first time I had heard it performed at Valentine's in Albany, New York. The infamous night of the debut of the moe. "Mock Opera" TIMMY. That show had ended early the next morning with my friend Phlimsy Motorhome and I the only moe.-rons left in attendance. Now, half a decade later, here I was in a crowd numbering in the several hundreds, the stage awash with computer-programmed lights, and they were throwing out a sound that I should have been hearing on the floor of the Limelight underneath the caged robo-babes and the dude with the blue metal ears. Stunned by what had just occurred I was unaware that three more songs had passed through my ears, by comparison, uneventfully. With Brent Black, the Techmoe. fury was back in full effect, spinning me into the vast reaches of time gone by once again. The set closed out with the ambivalent country dirge of The Faker as I ran to the beer trough at the far end of the undulating dance floor.

The second set seemed to lack the intensity of the first. Or perhaps the old "standard" moe. style of improvisation which had returned, was a let down by comparison to what had just happened. The effect was quite pharmacological. I was addicted, I needed more, another hit, to feel that rush again. Nothing would approach that high again that night, not even Plane Crash (my former favorite moe. song), because I had just gotten too fucking high during the overwhelming Timmy Tucker and Brent Black. Thankfully, I new my jones for this "new" sound would be satiated the next night. The Disco Biscuits were coming to town, life was good.

If mad techno beats are what you are looking for in a jam-band, by all means go see The Disco Biscuits. The "new" sound of moe. probably has its roots in the sound of the Biscuits. The Disco Biscuits have techno-oriented jamming down to an art form as evidenced by their volcanic performance at the Mount Tabor Pub. The setlist:

Disco Biscuits at Mount Tabor Pub- Portland, OR
March 5, 1999

Soundcheck: Above The Waves

Set I:
Morph Dusseldorf
M.E.M.P.H.I.S. 
Little Betty Boop
I-man

Set II:
Shem Rah Boo
Plan B
Smoothie King
Little Shimmy in a Conga Line
Magellan

The show was slated to begin at about 11:45 but was delayed a few minutes by a spirited back-stage discussion centered on the "new" moe. sound. From the outset of the show the Biscuits were intent on displaying, to the crowd in general, and me in particular, just who was responsible for the smooth blend of jam-rock and acid-house trance that is becoming so prevalent in the world of improvisational music today. Whatever the magic toy is that the Biscuits use to make that sound... I want one.

I have several tapes of 1997 Biscuits shows from the East Coast. None of them prepared me for what would erupt from the band at the Mount Tabor. Old songs which I had heard were completely revitalized. New songs which I hadn't heard were blistering head-charges. I have the unfortunate (as far as show reviews go) habit of getting lost in the music when I am touched on a transcendent level by the sounds that fill my ears. By my recollection, when asked after the show, I had heard 4 songs (M.E.M.P.H.I.S, Little Betty Boop, I-man and Little Shimmy) in a single set. As you can see above, I theoretically missed a whole lot of music during my time in my "special place". Actually, I had become the music, making it impossible for me to hear myself. I know the music was good when I go to that place. Which brings me back to traveling once again, with the threat of no local shows looming on the horizon. If the Disco Biscuits come within a 12-hour radius of my home this summer I will make every effort to go see them. You should too.