Outformation Into 2009

A number of bands have already hatched their New Year's Eve plans, with the Disco Biscuits and My Morning Jacket among the first artists to confirm December 31 shows. Joining these groups is Outformation, which has announced it will perform a three show run at the Pour House in Charleston, SC, starting on December 29. The quintet, which recently recorded new material in Mitch Easter’s studio will return to the road starting on August 28 at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC.

Warren, Billy Bob and The Boxmasters

On Monday night in New York City, The Boxmasters headlined a gig at Highline Ballroom. The group, which features actor-director-drummer Billy Bob Thornton was in the midst of a cross-county tour in support of its self-titled release, a double-CD set, featuring one disc of original music and one CD of covers. Similarly, the event was divided up into a first set of self-described "electric hillbilly" followed by one that delved more into classic rock realms. Monday was also as off-day for the Allman Brothers Band, while touring from Mansfield, MA to Saratoga Springs, NY. As a result, Warren Haynes was in town and stepped on stage for a song with the Boxmasters. Thornton, who cast Col. Bruce Hampton in Sling Blade began his directorial career with Widespread Panic Live at The Georgia Theatre. This evening, the Boxmasters are in Baltimore at Ottobar.

DMB Crew, Trey Anastasio Remember LeRoi Moore

As previously reported, Dave Matthews Band cofounder LeRoi Moore passed away yesterday afternoon in Los Angeles due to complications stemming from the injuries he suffered in an ATV accident in late June.

The Dave Matthews Band commented on the loss via the On The Road page of the group's site. Today's entry reads:

We are mourning our fallen brother. As we sat this afternoon, contemplating the news we had just received, we wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective stating, "There's no place I'd rather be than here with you guys right now." We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the stage, and LeRoi leaned on the register because "standing had become a chore" and then played the most beautiful version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Dave said, "that was the day I fell in love with him." It's safe to say we all were in love with him. "It's always easier to leave, than to be left." -DM

In addition, Trey Anastasio has offered his own memories of Moore.

When Phish played Virginia Beach in 1997, LeRoi came on stage and started playing three saxophones at once and set off the most hilarious chain of events. Within minutes Page was playing four of his keyboards with his hands and feet and I had three guitars on and drumsticks in my hand banging on Fish's drums. and Mike was playing two basses. It was just a phenomenal moment! And I remember LeRoi laughing with his mouth full of saxophones.

We miss you LeRoi and thank you for the joy you brought all of us.

This evening, DMB will appear at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Double Chef Dave

Seth Davis will bring his Nashville-based group, Chef Dave, to Ohio for two gigs next week. On Friday August 29 the group will deliver an afternoon set at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, as part of Gratefulfest. Then that night the band will travel on to Cincinnati for a midnight gig at Stanley's Pub. The latter show will serve as the CD Release event for Chef Dave's new No Strings Attached disc.

Captain America for Kids at moe.down

moe. has confirmed that the theme for its moe.down Kids' Tent will be Captain America. In keeping with the spirit of the Dither track, kids are encouraged to dress in superhero costumes or masks during the moe.down Kids' Parade or even throughout the entire festival if they'd like. While in the Kids' Tent, parents can also sign their children up for the 2nd Annual Kids' Tent Talent Show, which will boast its own stage and PA. Also, for the 2nd year in a row, a used book drive will be held to benefit the Turin Public Library.

moe.down's performance schedule is also now live. As previously reported, the ninth annual event will take place in Turin, NY Labor Day weekend, featuring performances by moe., The Levon Helm Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn & Bela Fleck, Presidents of the United States of America and the Benevento Russo Duo, among many others. Look for our interview with moe.'s Chuck Garvey, which will appear on the site tomorrow.

LeRoi Moore: 1961-2008

LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, from complications stemming from an ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, VA. The 46-year-old saxophonist was injured in an ATV accident on June 30, 2008 and has been off the road since that time. Though the saxophonist originally seemed to be recovering, he was readmitted to the hospital in mid-July. Moore recently has returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program and died at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.

Before helping popularize the second generation jamband movement, Moore was a local Virginia jazz musician proficient on such instruments as saxophones, flute, bass clarinet and wooden penny whistle. Along with Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford and bassist Stefan Lessard, Moore co-founded Dave Matthews Band in 1991. He appears on all six of the group’s studio releases, as well as the band’s numerous live documents. His co-writing credits include such DMB cuts as “Too Much,” “#34,” “Pig” and “Stay.”

Though Moore was the least visible member of the band offstage, he appears on an eclectic mix of non-Dave Matthews Band releases, ranging from Nas’ Hip Hop Is Dead to Soko's In November Sunlight to Hootie & The Blowfish’s Musical Chairs and Code Magenta's self-titled release. In addition, Moore sat in with a wide number of musicians over the years, including five cameos with Phish between the years 1994 and 1997. Along with his bandmates, Moore also participated in Warren Haynes’ 1993 Ritz Power Jam, a seminal jam session that featured Haynes, John Popper, Noel Redding, Chuck Leavell, Chuck Leavell, Bernie Worrell, Jaimoe, Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, among others.

Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin has been subbing for Moore throughout Dave Matthews Band’s summer tour. The group took the stage as planned the night of Moore’s passing at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and opened with “Bartender,” a song whose opening lyrics include the lines “if I go/before I'm old/ oh, brother of mine/please don't forget me if I go." At present, the group has made no statement about its future plans.

A Semi-SCI Reunion

Copper Mountain, CO’s annual Yarmony Grass Festival took place over the weekend, boasting performances by the likes of Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan, Hot Buttered Rum, Boris Garcia and Keller Williams. The members of String Cheese Incident were also onsite to play with a striking number of musicians and bands: Strings for Industry featuring Michael Kang, Keith Moseley & Friends, the Kyle Hollingsworth Band, the Emmitt-Nershi Band, Keller Williams with Moseley, Droll & Sipe, EOTO featuring Michael Kang and Honkytonk Homeslice Electric. Bruce Hayes, a founding member of String Cheese Incident who left before the group blossomed into a national attraction, even performed an hour-long set Saturday. But, though all the members of the String Cheese Incident were onsite at the same time, the group’s oft-rumored reunion performance never occurred.

The six musicians did, however, collaborate in a number of different settings throughout the weekend. The most complete reunion occurred in the festival’s Revival Tent during the late night Rebel Alliance Jam Saturday. Led by Kang, the loose jam session promised performances by String Cheese members Bill Nershi, Michael Travis, Jason Hann and Keith Moseley, but the latter musician felt under the weather and never made it onstage. The Rebel Alliance Jam did, however, include a surprise appearance by String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth, as well as Keller Williams, bassist Tye North, guitarist Scott Law and Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone, among others. The jam began with a cover “Will It Go Round In Circles” that featured Kang, Hollingsworth, Travis, Hann, North, Law and Carbone, before the full Tim Carbone Band took the stage for “Shine On.” From there the performance unfolded into something of a revue, with musicians moving on and off the stage throughout the night at an almost dizzying speed. Highlights included a take on “Pretty Polly” that featured Nershi, Kang, Travis, Hann, Carbone and Law, as well as Williams-led covers of Bob Marley’s “Trenchtown Rock” and the Grateful Dead’s “Franklin's Tower.” According to reports, Nershi and Kang were seen smiling and interacting musically throughout the night.

The members of String Cheese Incident collaborated elsewhere at the festival as well. Kang, North, Law and veteran drummer Jeff Sipe all made cameos during Mosley,’s performance, while Mosley played in Nershi’s Honkytonk Homeslice Electric group. As previously reported, Kang also played throughout EOTO’s improv-heavy set. Likewise, Nershi and Law paid a surprise visit to Hot Buttered Rum during the former New Groove’s set, and Railroad Earth’s string of special guests included Law, Cornmeal’s Allie Kral, vocalists Sheryl Renee, Coco Brown and Shelly Lindsey and Panjea trumpeter Dan Sears. The weekend’s festivities then climaxed with an all company joint set anchored by Railroad Earth and Nershi that drew in most the weekend’s performances.

Kang, Nershi and Mosley will take the stage together once again at Camp Zoe’s Schwagstock 39 this September. For more on the current state of String Cheese, please read our recent site interview with Kang.

Perpetual Groove’s Thunder Construction Tour

Perpetual Groove will hit the road with new keyboardist John Hruby this fall for what is being billed as The Thunder Construction Tour. The Thunder Construction Tour will kick off close to home with a two-night run at Athens, GA’s The Georgia Theatre from September 4-5, before moving west to Colorado and then back to the Northeast for a series of headlining dates. In a show of support for The Georgia Bulldogs, the group’s hometown football team, Perpetual Groove will then kick off the annual Georgia vs. Florida weekend with a Halloween show at Jacksonville, FL’s The Freebird. The football giants have one of the biggest rivalries in college sports.

Soon after, the band will head to Florida for a pair of performances at The Bear Creek Music Festival and make a brief trip westward to Texas before breaking with family for Thanksgiving. Perpetual Groove will then make its annual trip to southern Florida for a series of December shows that will culminate with two nights at Ft. Lauderdale’s The Culture Room. The quartet will close the year back at the Georgia Theatre for performances on December 30 and 31. PGroove drummer Albert Suttle will open on December 30, while lead singer Brock Butler will supply opening duties on New Year’s Eve.

Finally, in the “looking ahead category,” Perpetual Groove has already locked in 2009 dates for its first appearance at Atlanta’s Tabernacle and its annual Memorial Day Celebration Amberland.

New Monsoon: Live in the Lone Star State

New Monsoon will record a live album in Texas next month. The group is currently touring in support of its aptly named New Monsoon V, which was produced by former Grateful Dead producer John Cutler. The San Francisco-based band will record its upcoming appearances at Dallas’ Granada Theater (9/17), Austin’s Parish Room (9/19) and Houston’s Warehouse Live (9/20) for its new live project, which is tentatively scheduled for release later this year. The album will be New Monsoon's second live release and first since the Jammy nominated Live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Dylan and Helm Cross Paths at S.P.A.C.

Old friends Bob Dylan and Levon Helm shared a marquee once again Sunday night at Saratoga Springs, NY’s S.P.A.C. as part of the first annual Saratoga Music Festival. The bill also featured next generation folk and roots-rock musicians like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Steve Earle and The Swell Season and Conor Oberst, the latter of whom performed with his new Mystic Valley Band. But, while the Poughkeepsie Journal reports that Dylan and Helm took in each others performances, the former bandmates did not collaborate onstage.

Dylan and Helm first performed together in the mid-1960s when Dylan recruited the drummer as part of his electric band. The Bard later took on Helm’s entire group and brought the former Hawks to Woodstock to record the sessions documented on The Basement Tapes. The Band, of course, went on to have a highly successful career, but continued to collaborate with Dylan on occasion. Helm and Dylan’s most recent collaborations have by and large been at high profile events like Bill Clinton’s 1993 Inauguration.

Though Helm did not collaborate with Dylan, the former Band drummer did bring Earle, Welch, Rawlings and The Swell Season/The Frames vocalist Glen Hansard out for a sing-a-long version of “The Weight.” Be sure to checkout Dylan’s latest setlists each day in the Box Scores section of Jambands.com

Trevor's Inaugural Blue Turtle Seduction Sit In

Blue Turtle Seduction headlined San Francisco’s 12 Galaxies Friday and marked the occasion with a special guest opener: Tea Leaf Green keyboardist Trevor Garrod. After his set, Garrod stuck around to catch the former New Groove of the Month’s performance and joined the group onstage for the first time for both an obscure cover by the Be Good Tanyas and the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle Me with Care.” Garrod will open for the Noah Plotkin Project at Evanston, IL’s Evanston SPACE this Thursday before Tea Leaf Green regroups for a show at Chicago’s Park West the following night. Blue Turtle Seduction is off the road until an August 28 appearance at San Diego, CA’s Winston's Beach Club.

Papa Grows Funk's Big Organ Bonus

Last Thursday, New Orleans-staples Papa Grows Funk headlined Los Angeles’ The Mint. During his performance, bandleader John "Papa" Gros invited fellow Hammond organist Mike Mangan onstage for the Papa Grows Funk original “Tootie Montana” and Jimmy Smith’s “Root Down.” Mangan is best known as the organist in the Los Angeles-based Big Organ Trio. Papa Grows Funk will play a free show at Crested Butte, CO’s Mt. Crested Butte tomorrow, while Big Organ Trio will appear at The Mint themselves on September 20 with Ian McLagan of The Faces.

Umphrey’s McGee Plan Atlanta Return Following S.T.U.M. Cancellation

On the heels of a wildly successful tour with Sound Tribe Sector Nine, Umphrey’s McGee has announced the bulk of their fall tour, including a surprisingly quick return to Atlanta where the final “S.T.U.M.” show was cancelled due to a storm-induced power outage.

“The Umphrey’s McGee/STS9 summer tour went off extremely well,” says Umphrey’s McGee manager Vince Iwinski. “We had a wonderful time working with their organization, and playing in front of the STS9 fans. Unfortunately, our last night of the tour on August 2 ended in a cancelled show due to a storm that hit the Masquerade Music Park, knocking out the power to the venue and neighboring areas. In the wake of this cancellation, we decided to add a show in Atlanta on Sunday September 14 at the Tabernacle. We love Atlanta and look forward to coming back next month.”

Tickets for the September 14 show are already onsale, and, as previously reported, the group’s fall tour will include multi-night stands in Burlington (October 10, 11), New York (October 14-16), Knoxville (November 18, 19) and Washington D.C. (November 21, 22). The New York run will be preceded by an October 13 performance at MOOGfest (an annual event celebrating the contributions of Robert Moog) at which Umphrey's will be joined by Bernie Worrell & the Eric McFadden Trio and Prison Shank (which features UM bassist Ryan Stasik, Disco Biscuits keyboadist Aron Magner, New Deal keyboardist Jamie Shields and Duo drummer Joe Russo). The special event will take place at the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom.

Umphrey’s McGee’s next performance is an opening spot of Gov’t Mule at Colorado’s Red Rocks on August 31. Umphrey’s will also offer a rare two-set acoustic show at the Boulder Theater on September 1. Report by Rob Turner

Mike Gordon Day on SIRIUS

Mike Gordon will take command of SIRIUS' Jam_ON channel on Monday, August 25. The bassist will act as a guest deejay from 6:00 AM -12:00 AM EST and is expected to spin material culled from throughout his career. He will also read excerpts from both his “Dream Journal” and his Mike’s Corner book, play previously unheard demos and conduct a phone interview with his mom Marjorie Minkin (the subject of the early Phish song “Minkin”). In addition, Gordon will play an in-studio acoustic set along with members of his current solo band.

For those who can’t tune in, Jam_ON will offer a bonus interview with Gordon on Friday, August 22 at 12:00 PM EST. A rebroadcast of the special will air Saturday, August 30 at 12:00 PM and 10:00 PM EST.

Wakarusa Promoters Speak Out Against "Hippie Discrimination," Ponder Location Change

The Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival may leave its longtime home in Lawrence, KS according to an article in the Lawrence Journal-World. In a recent interview with the newspaper, promoter Brett Mosiman says he will not return to Clinton State Park unless local authorities change their tune and treatment of his jam-leaning audience. He goes so far as to say the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks is “discriminating” against hippies when his festival’s contract is compared with the terms of the nearby country-themed Country Stampede. “You can say cowboys are cool and hippies drool, but not if you’re behind the state seal of Kansas,” Mosiman told the paper. “It is profiling, it is discrimination, it is like saying the black kids can’t use the pool.” The article also points to “differences in attendance caps between the two events and a significantly higher law enforcement bill for Wakarusa, and inequities in rent rates between the two events.” Though Wakarusa has been able to draw big names like Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, the Flaming Lips, Wilco and String Cheese Incident, an escalated onsite police presence has hurt the festival’s attendance over the years.

As of press time, Mosiman plans to move Wakarusa out of state next summer. The festival has been held in Kansas since its inaugural year in 2004.

ALO Through ’08

ALO will take the stage for the first time since February at San Francisco, CA’s Outside Lands Festival this weekend. The recharged group will then play a few select shows before beginning work on a new studio album. Of special note are the group’s upcoming appearances at the Halloween-themed Las Tortugas Music Festival from October 30-November 2 and a two-night run at San Francisco’s The Independent from December 30-31. ALO will then kick off 2009 aboard the traveling Jam Cruise.

Meanwhile, ALO keyboardist Zach Gill will hit the road this for a solo tour in support of his debut album, Zach Gill’s Stuff. In addition to a few stealth appearances in the Village Green activism center on Jack Johnson tour, the majority of Gill’s upcoming dates will be support spots for fellow Brushfire artist Mason Jennings, including a stretch of shows taking the pair from Carrboro, NC’s Cat’s Cradle on September 30 to Minneapolis, MN’s Orpheum Theatre on October 18.

Robert Plant and the "Battle of Evermore"

Robert Plant continued to explore his recent fascination with roots-music this weekend at Fairport Convention's annual Cropredy Convention. The folk festival has been held each year in August since the early 1970s in the village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England. While onsite, Plant sat in with Kristina Donahue during her set on a version of Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore.” During his performance, he also honored the memory of Sandy Denny, who sang the classic selection with Plant on Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album 37-years-ago. Plant's tribute to Denny also included a photo montage of the singer later on in the weekend. Report by Randy Ray

David Byrne for Download

David Byrne has quietly released his new album with veteran producer Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The longtime team’s first collaboration since 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is now available in digital form and will ship on CD “by November 30.” Byrne is also currently streaming the album at www.everythingthathappens.com as part of an experimental marketing plan. “If you like what you hear, please share the streaming player on the left of the page with your friends, or embed it on your Web site, blog or profile,” the former Talking Head singer said in a public statement. “Just click Embed/Share and you're good to go.” Byrne will kick off his most extensive tour since 2005 at Bethlehem, PA’s Zoellner Arts Center on September 16.

Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Brooks and Junior Mack Join the Allmans

The Allman Brothers Band’s summer tour with RatDog continued over the weekend and, as expected, so did the group’s string of collaborations. While performing at the Mansfield, MA venue once known as Great Woods, RatDog saxophonist Kenny Brooks took the stage with the Allman Brothers for a run through “Desdemona.” Derek Trucks’ wife Susan Tedeschi was also on hand and sat in with the group on both guitar and vocals for “It Hurts Me Too.” The Boston Herald also points out that RatDag may have opted to play Bob Dylan selections like “Maggie’s Farm” and “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall” as a nod to the Dylan and the Dead live album, portions of which were recorded at the nearby Foxboro Stadium.

A night earlier, while performing at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center, New Jersey-bred blues-guitarist Junior Mack also helped the Allman Brothers Band through show-closing take on “Southbound.” RatDog will support the Allman Brothers Band at Saratoga Springs, NY’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center this Tuesday.

PBS Releases MOODOO with Page McConnell

Porter Batiste Stoltz will release MOODOO this fall. The trio’s first-ever live release captures a November 2, 2007 gig at Burlington, VT's Club Metronome that featured special guest Page McConnell on several songs. McConnell first recorded with George Porter. Jr and Russell Batiste as part of the Gyptians, a supergroup featured on the 1999 benefit CD Get You A Healin'. McConnell has since formed Vida Blue with Batiste and appeared with PBS on the mainstage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

McConnell will join PBS on the road for a handful of shows this fall, including stops in Troy, NY (9/24), Providence, RI (9/25), New York (9/26) and South Burlington, VT (9/27). In addition to a number of Meters, PBS and Porter originals, MOODOO also features McConnell on a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Check Out Your Mind” and a medley of the Meters’ “Funky Miracle,” Sly Stone’s “Sing A Simple Song” and Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.”

Nate Wilson to Leave AOD Fulltime

Keyboardist Nate Wilson will scale back his time with Assembly of Dust to focus on his own music. In a public message, AOD said the following:

In an effort to focus his time and energy on supporting this project, Nate will not be touring with Assembly of Dust full time after AOD's fall tour. Nate made the difficult decision in order devote his time and energy to The Nate Wilson Group. He will however be joining AOD for their Summer/Fall tour and plans to appear live with the band, when time permits, beyond this tour. Nate will also stay involved with AOD on a creative level in their song writing and studio efforts and will always be a welcome part of the gang. Please join us in celebrating Nate's new album and please come and whoop it up with us over the next few months of AOD shows!

The Nate Wilson Group will release its debut album Unbound as a free digital download on September 1. Fans can currently preview Unbound in the music section of the band's website. In addition to the keyboardist, The Nate Wilson Group features AOD guitarist Adam Terrell, bassist Nate Edgar and former Uncle Sammy drummer Tom Arey.

Mike and Page Revisit “Makisupa”

Mike Gordon headlined a free, outdoor show at Burlington, VT's Waterfront Park on Friday as part of the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival. To mark his homecoming, Gordon shared the stage with a few of his former bandmates at various points throughout the night. After running through a cover of the Beatles' "She Said, She Said," Gordon invited out his Ramble Dove collaborators Brett Hughes and Marie Claire for the country-infused "On A Bad Day" and "Milwaukee Here I Come." Immediately after, once and future Phish keyboardist Page McConnell took the stage for the new Gordon originals "Andelmans' Yard," "Traveled Too Far," and "Voices," as well as Phish's "Makisupa Policeman." Before hitting the road for his current solo tour, Gordon still occasionally played both bass and piano with Hughes at Radio Beam's weekly honky-tonk jams. His current solo tour resumes this Friday at Seattle's Tractor Tavern.