News
Edited by Staff
6/20/03
Win a Guitar Autographed by Widespread Panic’s John Bell in MidX Charity Raffle
The Mid-Atlantic Music Festival will be raffling off a Washburn HB 35 acoustic guitar autographed by Widespread Panic’s John Bell. Anyone that orders tickets before midnight on Friday June 27 will be automatically entered into the raffle and MidX will donate $5 to the raffle for each entry. All proceeds will benefit the Greenbrier County Public Schools' Music Departments. You can also stop by the merchandise tent at the festival to enter the raffle.
The event will take place July 11 – 13 in Lewisburg, WV and feature performances by Widespread Panic, moe., Medeski Martin & Wood, Rusted Root, The Disco Biscuits, Les Claypool's Frog Brigade and Karl www.midxmusic.com.
Line-up for Evolve Music Festival Announced
The line-up for this year’s Evolve Music Festival has been confirmed. The event is slated for August 22 – 24 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Performers include Medeski Martin & Wood, Grand Theft Bus, Jimmy Swift Band, Mark Farina, Booty Juice, Batuka and Blue Quarter, among several others. Tickets are on sale now.
The official website is located at www.evolvefestival.com.
The Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner Jams "Thriller" with Quagmire Swim Team
Keyboardist Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits took the stage with Quagmire Swim Team last night at the North Star in Philadelphia. Magner emerged for a 25-minute version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” playing a vintage synth-guitar. He also added the famous Vincent Price vocals at the end of the song.
Quagmire Swim Team will perform at the Endless Mountains Music Festival in Union Dale, PA on July 19. Sucker Punch, which features Magner and bassist Marc Brownstein of The Biscuits, will also appear.
Martin Sexton, John Cowan, Members of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Join String Cheese Incident at Telluride
String Cheese Incident welcomed several special guests last night at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. Martin Sexton added vocals to Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and “Can’t Stop Now” midway through the set. During the encore, Sexton returned for “Amazing Grace” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” which both also featured John Cowan and John McEuen, Jimmy Ibbotson, and Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
String Cheese plays next on June 26 at Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark. For the complete itinerary, visit www.stringcheeseincident.com.
In other news, fan organization Friends of Cheese is currently accepting donations for the Aron Ralston Fund. Ralston is the mountain climber who was trapped by an 800-pound boulder for five days and was forced to amputate his own arm – and survived. String Cheese Incident will play a special show for him on July 5 at Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre in Santa Fe, NM. Anyone who makes a donation of $25 or more will receive a poster created by graphic artist Michael Everett. For details, visit www.friendsofcheese.com.
Also look for an article on Ralston in the new issue of Relix Magazine.
They Might Be Giants: moe. Finalizes Line-up of 4th Annual moe.down
moe. has finalized the line-up of the 4th annual moe.down, which is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend, August 29 – 31 in Turn, NY. They Might Be Giants and Antigone Rising have both been added to the line-up, which also includes the Flaming Lips, Rusted Root, Yonder Mountain String Band, Peter Prince and the Trauma Unit, Reid Genauer and AOD, Umphrey's McGee, Vorcza Trio, Al and the Transamericans and Swamp Donkey. moe. will perform six sets throughout the weekend. “Now we can finally make our posters,” jokes guitarist Al Schnier, referring to the latest additions to the festival.
“The thing I like most about moe.down, and this year is no exception,"
says moe.'s Chuck Garvey, "is that we'll be playing in the company of
friends that we've known for years, as well as influences both past and
present - meaning They Might Be Giants and the Flaming Lips,
respectively."
For complete details, visit www.moe.org.
6/19/03
The Dead to Play Letterman Tonight
The Dead will perform on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight. The show airs at 11:35 p.m. EST on CBS (although it just finished taping moments ago). The group, which is currently touring with new vocalist Joan Osborne, sound-checked both “Casey Jones” and “Alligator.” Tune in later to see which tune is played during the show.
The band plays tomorrow night at S.P.A.C. in Saratoga Springs, NY. For the full schedule, visit www.dead.net.
Rebirth Brass Band kicks off 20th Anniversary Tour Tonight
The Rebirth Brass Band kicks off its 20th Anniversary Tour tonight at the Colorado Brewing Company in Danbury, CT. The group, fresh from its appearance at Bonnaroo, recently celebrated 20 years of touring with a two-night run at Tipitina’s in New Orleans. Both shows were recorded and for an upcoming DVD and live album due out in the coming months. The current tour includes stops in New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maine.
The band’s full itinerary is up at www.rebirthbrassband.com.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Releases Additional Summer Dates
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey has confirmed new dates on its summer schedule. The trio is currently touring in the Midwest and will route west in the coming weeks. After several shows in Oklahoma, the band heads to California for the High Sierra Music Festival over the weekend of July 3 – 6. The itinerary also includes several other California dates as well as gigs in Oregon and Washington. In mid-August, Jacob Fred travels east for a performance at Berkfest, and then will head back west to Colorado and Washington.
The group plays tonight at the Living Arts Gallery in Tulsa, OK. For complete details, visit the official website.
Members of Los Lobos, Deep Banana Blackout and Mean Willie Green Collaborate
Several musicians took the stage for a jam session at Tobacco Road in New York City last night. The show was a birthday celebration for Livingston Leo, a member of the Los Lobos road crew, and also a guitarist. The first set included Leo and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo on guitar along with drummer Rich Monica (Papa Chubby) and bassist Mike Merrit (Late Night with Conan O’Brien). Drummer Mean Willie Green (Neville Brothers) later joined in on a second drum kit. Later in the second set, bassist Conrad Lozano (Los Lobos) and Deep Banana saxophonist Rob Somerville and trombonist Bryan Smith emerged for “Big Railroad Blues,” “Not Fade Away” and “Lovelight.”
ulu to Release New Studio Album This Fall
ulu is currently putting the finishing touches on its first studio album in five years. The quartet, which presently includes drummer Josh Dion, bassist Brian Killeen, keyboardist Scott Chasolen and flautist/saxophonist Aaron Gardner, plans to release the disc this fall. To date, the band has only released one studio record, its 1998 self-titled debut. The summer months will be spent on the road, where the group will perform mostly in the Southeast and Midwest.
The next show is Friday at Tobacco Road in New York City. The complete schedule is available at www.ulu.net.
6/18/03
Warren Haynes, Al Schnier & Keller Williams Featured on CNN Headline News Tonight
Guitarists Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers Band), Al Schnier (moe.) and Keller Williams will be featured on a Bonnaroo segment scheduled to air tonight on CNN Headline News. The piece will air at 7:24 EST and again at 8:54 EST.
Eric Krasno, Les Paul Collaborate with B.B. King
Eric Krasno, Les Paul, Hubert Sumlin and DJ Logic were among several guests to join B.B. King on stage last night in New York City. The concert was a private event held at King’s Time Square venue, which was celebrating its 3rd anniversary. Following Krasno’s solo, King turned to Paul and joked, “You better start practicing.” The show included several blues instrumentals as well as King’s classic “The Thrill is Gone.”
Mountain of Venus Announces Summer Dates
Mountain of Venus will kick off its summer tour tomorrow at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS. The jaunt also includes multiple stops in Colorado, Utah, California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Missouri, Massachusetts, and New York. Midway through the tour, MOV plans to enter the studio in Colorado to begin work on a new album (although no further details are known at this point).
The group will also make several festival appearances in the warm months, including High Sierra, Together Fest and Berkfest.
The complete schedule is available at www.mountainofvenus.com.
String Cheese Incident, Flaming Lips, MMW, The Disco Biscuits, Soulive & Kaki King to Play One-Day Event at Waterloo Village
A handful of the artists originally scheduled to appear at Bonnaroo NE will now perform on August 9 at Waterloo Village in Stanhope, NJ. String Cheese Incident will headline the show and play two sets. The line-up also features The Flaming Lips, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Disco Biscuits, Soulive and Kaki King. Gates open at noon. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 24 through Sciticketing.
For details, visit www.stringcheeseincident.com.
Bonnaroo NE was canceled last week due to concerns over permits and environmental issues that surrounded the Field Day Music Festival, which was scheduled to be held at the same site. The event was ultimately forced to relocate to Giants Stadium.
Steve Winwood Performs with The Dead on "Loose Lucy"
Steve Winwood sat in with The Dead last night at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, VA. Winwood, who also opened the show, took the stage midway through the first set for “Loose Lucy.”
Both Winwood and The Dead play tonight at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. For the full tour schedule, visit www.dead.net.
To read daily updates from the band members themselves, check out Jambands.com’s Dead Summer Getaway Diaries.
6/17/03
Jennifer Hartswick to Release Debut Album
Trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick will release her debut album, Fuse next week. Hartswick, who is a member of Trey Anastasio’s band, is joined on the disc by fellow touring mates Russ Lawton (drums), Ray Paczkowski (keyboards), Dave Grippo (saxophone) and Andy Moroz (trombone). The line-up also includes Bullah (bass), Dave Diamond (guitar) and Eileen Rossetti (percussion). The band will appear at this summer’s Berkshire Mountain Music Festival in Great Barrington, MA.
The album can be ordered throught Hartswick’s website, which is still under construction.
Anastasia Rene Joins Gent Tredly
Vocalist Anastasia Rene has become the latest member of New York-based Gent Treadly. Anastasia (Percy Hill, Reid Genauer) first sat in with the group nearly a year ago and has collaborated with the band several times recently. “There's
no doubt that Anastasia's vocal prowess dwarfs the vocal efforts of anyone
in this band,” says bassist Greg Koerner. “The first time she opened her mouth everyone knew she was the real deal. It is such a joy to work with such a gifted musician and
wonderful person." The band plans to record a new album this summer.
The next gig is Friday at CODA in New York City. For more dates, visit www.gent-treadly.com.
Cecil “P-Nut” Daniels, Carlos Washington Jam with Sonic Ether
Sonic Ether welcomed special guests to the stage last night at the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco. The group is comprised of guitarist Chris Rossbach (Zigaboo Modeliste), bassist Darryl Anders (Zigaboo Modeliste, Tower of Power), Eamonn Flynn (Zigaboo Modeliste, the Commitments), Tony Dunn on drums (Tree o' Frogs) and saxophonist Michael Myers (Tree o’ Frogs). Last night’s show included drummer Eric Bolivar (formerly of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), who played the entire first set. The majority of the second set featured trumpeter Carlos Washington (Giant People, formerly of Tiny Universe) and midi-trumpeter Cecil “P-Nut” Daniels.
The band returns to the Boom Boom Room on June 30th. The official website is www.sonicether.com.
Line-up Finalized for Floydfest; Babatunde Olatunji to be Honored
The line-up for this year’s Floydfest…Outta This World Music Festival has been confirmed. The event is slated for August 15 – 17 in Floyd County, VA. Performers include Nickel Creek, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, The David Grisman Quintet, Kaki King, Yonder Mountain String Band, Garaj Mahal, Baka Beyond, Acoustic Syndicate and TruMystic. In addition, The Kusun Ensemble and the African Showboyz will be paying tribute to Babatunde Olatunji, who recently passed away. Olatunji helped bring African Showboyz from the northern bush of Ghana to the festival for their first visit to United States.
Complete festival details are available at www.floydfest.com.
Dr. John Joins Super Jam at Bonnaroo
Dr. John made an unannounced appearance Sunday at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. He took part in the Super Jam, which also included bassist Mike Gordon (Phish), guitarist Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic). The set featured John’s classic “Right Place Wrong Time” as well as “Iko Iko,” “Tennesee Blues” and Professor Longhair’s “Tipitina.” There were also guest appearances by guitarists Dwayne Burnside and G. Love.
Dr. John's performance was quite appropriate, as the festival draws its name from his 1974 album, Desitively Bonnaroo (which loosely translates to “logically, a real good time").
6/16/03
Benefit Concerts Planned for The Big Wu’s Chris Castino
Big Wu guitarist Chris Castino continues to recover from the open-heart surgery he underwent last month. Because he has no health insurance, the Big Wu community has established a legal trust called “Our Heart’s in the Right Place.” Donations will go directly to paying Castino’s medical bills. A few benefit concerts are also planned, most notably the Irregular Heartbeat Reunion & Benefit scheduled for June 22 at the Cabooze Bar in Minneapolis. The line-up features God Johnson, Kubla Kahn, Levitt8, Rare Medium, Sweet Potato Project and White Iron Band. There will also be a silent auction, which will include one of Chris's mandolins, former Wu guitarist Jason Fladager's custom made Ted Vig guitar, plane rides and original Big Wu illustrations and photographs.
Complete details are available at www.thebigwu.com. Donations can be mailed to
Our Heart's in the Right Place, 917 Columbus St., Wilmette, IL 60091.
Castino is expected to make a full recovery.
Baja Bash Moved to New Location
Promised Land Productions has announced that Baja Bash XIII will be moved to a new location this year. The event, which is slated for July 24 – 27, was originally scheduled to take place in Salsopeudes, Mexico, but will now be held at the La Jolla Indian Reservation in California (roughly 50 miles northeast of San Diego). The line-up includes Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Robert Walters w/ Will Bernard, New Monsoon, the McCloskey Brothers,
Psychedelic Breakfast, Tea Leaf Green and Ten Ton Chicken.
For more information, visit www.bajabash.com.
Jeff Coffin Announces Summer Tour
Saxophonist Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones has announced plans for a brief summer tour. Coffin’s band will include drummer Jeff Sipe (Susan Tedeschi, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Leftover Salmon) guitarist Pat Bergeson (Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell), and bassist Derek Jones (Nickel Creek). The itinerary includes stops in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Massachusetts. Coffin is touring in support of his latest release, Go Round, available now on Compass Records.
For tour specifics and other details, visit www.jeffcoffin.com.
Adam Deitch Jams with Garaj Mahal
Drummer Adam Deitch took the stage with Garaj Mahal Saturday night at Tobacco Road in New York City. Deitch (John Scofield Band, Lettuce) stepped in for “Cosmic Elevator,” which segued into “7-Up” as Garaj drummer Alan Hertz joined in for a dual drum attack. There was also an appearance by Govinda “Flute Girl” Meyer, who sat in for “Gulam Sabri” earlier in the set. Keyboardist Dan Nimmer (Fareed Haque Group) played the entire show, filling in for Eric Levy who had a family commitment.
Garaj Mahal plays Thursday at the Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN. For more dates, visit www.garajmahal.net.
Collaborations Aplenty at Bonnaroo 2003
MANCHESTER, TN – As would be expected, several musicians shared the stage with one another over the weekend at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Friday night, Galactic, along with special guest Charlie Hunter, played a surprise show on the back of a traditional Mardi Gras float, which made its way through the campgrounds and eventually parked in Centeroo. About 100 yards away, guitarist Warren Haynes was jamming with the Funky Meters in This Tent, joining the group for a few songs, including “Voodoo Chile.” On Saturday, Susan Tedeschi and her son Charlie joined Robert Randolph & the Family Band for a cover of “I’ll Take You There.” Randolph later collaborated with Widespread Panic for “Ride Me High.” The song also featured Haynes, who played on “Don’t Wanna Lose You” and “Surprise Valley.” Mike Gordon joined Sound Tribe Sector 9 during the tail end of its late night set. “We wandered over to Sector 9,” said Gordon. “I had never seen them before, but I was really into it. We left before the encore, but then it occurred to me that maybe I could play, so I ran back.” Meanwhile, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and Cyro Baptista (Trey Anastasio) were on stage with Medeski, Martin & Wood. Particle provided the late late show, kicking off around 4 a.m. and welcoming moe. guitarist Al Schnier for “Golden Gator” (the set lasted until 8:10 a.m., shortly after the Bonnaroo Beacon newspaper was put to bed).
On Sunday, Haynes sat in with moe. for “Opium” and Blues Traveler’s John Popper added harmonica to “Bring it Back Home.” Prior to the song, Schnier called his dad on his cell phone and prompted the audience to scream “Happy Fathers Day” in unison (he also suggested that fans call their dads at the same time). “I’m speechless,” Schnier said following the set. “I got to see so many of my favorite bands this weekend, from Tortoise to Sonic Youth to the Flaming Lips to Neil Young and now The Dead. It’s been an amazing experience to say the least.”
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