JamBands.com Online Music Magazine

contribute | about us | what is a jam band?

Northeast Regional Report
Edited by Tony Oliveira

                      

Hi all, Going to keep this short and sweet as I am on the left coast at the moment.  I hope that many of you are catching all the shows that I have been missing.  I'm still getting my east coast fix from the east coast bands that happen to be out here at the moment (the disco biscuits and the Slip).  I shall be returning around the same time they do, so please keep sending in reviews, band links, and the like.  Also thanks to all those who have contributed in the past and the current issue. -Tony

           
                     

THE RETURN OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CALENDAR             SECTION!

           

No, this is not a take on the movie ground hog day, but I regret             to report that the Calendar section will be on hiatus while I am             gone.  Hey, at least I was nice enough to let it slowly             deteriorate and ween you off of it slowly.

Pretty much useless             unless you want see a listing of past shows you may have missed, but             still residing at:

http://necalendar.freeservers.com/Calendar.htm

check             back in November and we will see if we can't get it back in shape!            

I should mention that it doesn't load properly with Internet             Explorer (fault of the server not the browser or code). Also coming             soon: a venue links section and some other cool links as well. I             guess that's enough about it for now.            

           
           

NEW ENGLAND BAND LINKS?

           

Well, I've been mulling over the idea of adding a REGIONAL (NEW                       ENGLAND ONLY) band links section to which I think would go nicely             with our calendar section, which is finally up and running again!             Anyhow, if you are in a band, publicist, mgr or even friend of             a band that is both - from New England (i.e., currently calls New             England home) and has a website - then please feel free to send me             the URL for their site. Please verify the URL if you could, no use               listing broken links. Also, please include the state they are             from. That would be helpful. I would really like the focus of this             to be on the many smaller bands that never even get out of New             England and are mainly known to their local fans. These are the             bands that would benefit most from this. I've received a few of them             and you will see them in the appropriate section. Feel free to send             in ones you don't see yet. I'd also like to ask that the band be             true to the particular genre that this site caters to. Really, it's             a pretty wide label - Jambands - and basically, if a band does some             improvisation and the focus is on the live experience, then they             would qualify for this. I look fwd to getting your submissions and           hope this proves to be helpful to the bands and fans alike.            

           
                       

FREE REVIEW PRIZE: (Analog or CD-R)

           

Well, since it seems this Y2K crap came and went without the                     impending doom many feared, I figured why not make my offer Y2K             compliant, spread some good music, or at the very least make it               FREE. I will think of it as a sacrificial offer to the millennium             gods or quite possibly as a way to get more reviews. Either way, I'm             happy...new, updated info below: Just a reminder, I will pick one             review each month with the winner receiving a FREE show from my dat             (analog tapes) or from my CD-R list. A show will likely be limited             to 3 cds or tapes, and since I enjoy spinning analogs from my dats             about as much as I enjoy hangovers, this will for all intent in             purposes be a CD offer, though I may be willing to spin analogs from             my cds. I won't necessarily pick the most well written review; in             fact, the winner will be somewhat random (I am a bit partial to new             reviewers though)! Reviewers, please check this section to see if             you have won. This month's winner is Sam Sadowsky...Congrats!             and get in touch with me for details of the offer.

           

NOTE FOR PAST REVIEW "WINNERS": Fortunately for me,             but unfortunately for you all, I won't have access to a burner for             the next 6 weeks which means I can't catch with my current offer             backlog but if you send me a reminder, I will be sure to burn you a             show when I return in November.in time for Thanksgiving. Once             again, my apologies for the delay.

           

Looking forward to more great reviews in the coming months.                        

           
                      

* NEWS FROM NOWHERE * NEWS FROM NOWHERE *

           

Announcement: Boston Area Show Discussion List

A             Onelist email group called beantownshows has been started. Check             out: http://www.onelist.com/community/beantownshows             for more info. I haven't gotten a chance to check it myself, just             passing along the info because it sounds interesting.            

Head's Up The following is written by Max Marantz who is             throwing another one of these little electronic/jambands crossover parties

           

"Just wanted to let you in on a monumental Maxx Haze Production that I'm putting together on Sunday, October 22nd.  Before you scoff at the fact that you have work the next morning, let me tell you that this is an all afternoon party from 4-9 pm.  For those of you who really like to live it up there will also be a free afterparty from 10-1 am. This is a huge bash and is going to be held at a really swank club in downtown Boston, Venu.  Venu is located in the Theatre district of Boston, right in front of the parking lot next to the Roxy and next to Chap's/Vapor. It's beautiful.  I'll get back to that later, let me tell you what's going on there first. We're having the SYNERGY party, which proves to be the first step in bringing live music back to what are now DJ-dominated arenas.  I've taken three of the most electronic sounding bands and combined them with two upbeat yet ambient DJs to provide five hours of smooth-blending, soaring music that will hit the peaks and valleys of your soul.  Headlining this brigade will be the accepted masters of this trade, THE NEW DEAL, plus two bands that are hot on their tails as proving that they can do the live thing as well, PLEXUS and LOOP DREAMS.  The guys responsible for keeping the electronic element intact are S.O.R.A. and DJ JOY RIDE, a luscious trance DJ.  S.O.R.A. consists of drum'n'bass DJ Seishi, Wednesday night resident at Club Envy, and Mark Holmes of Actual Proof. Loop Dreams will be kicking things off, laying down some live Jungle beats with ambient guitar and keyboard effects.  This should flow pretty seamlessly into S.O.R.A., where Mark, who singing style is unique because he can sound like an effects machine, will sing over Seishi's beats through an effects processor, keeping things ambient and lively at the same time.  Then Plexus will take the stage.  These guys are rediculous.  The rhythm section is incredibly tight, with guitar and effects lightening up the mood over jungle beats.  To get our heads lifted before the New Deal sends us away, Joy Ride will spin a full set of progressive trance.  Then the New Deal, who just keep getting better and better at ripping it up, will finish things off with an improvised set fed off of YOUR energy. Of course, we'll have dual screens of trippy visuals provided by Human Mind Control, on bigger screens and in a darker club than the last time.   We've got access to fog machines and the whole club deal, plus an insane blacklight artist to decorate the place and really make this a party. Once again this is at Venu, which is located at 100 Warrenton St. in the Theatre district of Boston.  It's across the parking lot next to the Roxy in front of Aria, and next to Chap's/Vapor.  Warrenton St. is off of Stuart just before Tremont.  The afterparty will take place at the Phoenix Landing, at 512 Mass ave in Cambridge. Tickets are $10 can be purchased at 4Front Records, 279 Newbury St., or you can email me for mail order information.  This show is 18+.  Websites: Mine: www.maxxhaze.com The New Deal: www.sound-and-light.com Plexus: www.plexusmusic.com See you there! Peace, Maxx

           

Just thought some of you may be interested.  Sounds like a             good             time.            

           
           

SHOW REVIEWS: REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS!

           

GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

           

I pretty much accept anything as far as reviews go, as long as                         they pertain to jambands. Really, this is a very broad category, and             I give a lot of leeway on this too. Of course, I reserve the right             to not use anything or to edit them as I see fit. You will get             full  credit for reviews and I generally take a hands-off             approach to editing, meaning I don't want to change the feel of your             review. After all, YOU were there, not me. Some important things to             keep in mind. Deadline! Our deadline is the 5th of the month. This             may change in the future, but for now, that is it. You can still             send me your review if you miss the deadline; I "may" be able to get             it in,   if not; it will be used in the next issue. Please run             "Spell-Check" before submitting your reviews. Also, if you are             referring to song titles, please put them in "quotations". When             e-mailing them in, it's best to just put them in the body of the             e-mail or mail them as .txt. If you send something else there may be             a chance that I won't be able to open it because of software             incompatibilities. The best way to get a feel for what the reviews             are like is by reading past ones. Remember you don't have to be a             journalist or professional writer, you just had to be at the show.             If you have any specific questions just send me an e-mail: ne@jambands.com I             promise to be gentle. I guess that's it for now. Looking forward to             getting some new reviews and reviewers in the coming months.

           

p.s. I've added reviewer's e-mail addresses, so feel free to             contact them if you like their reviews or even if you             don't...feedback is always welcome.            

           
           

REVIEW: Phil Lesh and Friends
10/05/00 - The Orpheum             -Boston MA
by Sam Sadowsky
Samuel Sadowsky            

Golden Road--Never thought I would hear this song live. Warren sang it. Started off the evening with a rockin' tune. INTO>
  Viola Lee Blues--Warren and Jimmy Herring know their way around the blues. Took this song way out for at least 15 minutes and gently brought it down INTO>
New Potato Caboose--This song is hard to play! Lots of changes and weird vocal jumps, but they pulled it off beautifully. The jam in this started mellow and took it's time building to a huge climax where it shifted right back INTO>
Viola Lee Blues--For the final verse! The jam was dissonant, it was clear that they had left keys and time behind. This was free playing. But all eyes were on Phil and he stomped out 4 beats and they slammed down on the one with tremendous force, successfully bringing the whole crowd back to Earth.
Mr. Tambourine Man--Boring
Just A Little Light-- A Brent song! Sung by Warren, who actually does a great Brent vocal imitation. Great rock guitar solos in this by both Jimmy and Warren.
  Bird Song--They stretched out on this one. Real moody and emotional. This song was initially written by Hunter/Garcia for Janis, but now it may take on the role of being played for any of the fallen heroes, including Jerry, Janis, Jimi, Keith, Bonzo, Allen Woody. Very exploratory jam. Not really any ripping solos, everyone was just sort of toying with the theme, which was really nice, until it went INTO>
  Blue Sky--It is my opinion that this may be the single greatest Southern Rock Song ever written. Warren and Jimmy have both been members of the Allmans and these two really know how to play this. Jimmy lit it up first and then passed it to Warren who quickly gave the pianist the nod for some solo time and then with whom Warren traded slide guitar and piano licks. Did not stretch on this one. It was compact and well-structured.
  SET II
Dancin--Another early classic, got the crowd moving but did not take it very far out there before it went INTO>
Playin' Reprise--They had opened Playin' the night before and were properly finishing the song on this night. Cannot decide whether or not this was intentional. How they ended up jamming on that riff is beyond me INTO>
  Watchtower--Sung by Warren, but not an exceptional jam during this. Standard.
Cold Rain & Snow--Exceptional interplay between Jimmy and Warren for the first time all evening. This was the first time they really played together instead of just staying out of each others way.
Unbroken Chain--I'm a complainer. This song was so well-jammed that I can't think of anything to complain about other than the fact that neither of the guitarists bothered to learn that one little jazz riff that Jerry pulls off on the album. I would have, just as a way of giving props to Jer INTO>
Milestones--Jazz tune made popular by Miles Davis. Nice piano solo on this. Warren also took some time with his turn. Nice drum solo as well. Really cool and refreshing. INTO>
Cryptical--Another 60's tune! This was awesome and a crowd pleaser INTO>
The Other One--They decided to rock this out but it got  spacy too quickly for me. I was really needing some rock power chords here. Some big, gigantic E chords, and they were there, but they were gone as soon as they came INTO>
  Sugaree--Long and beautiful. The drummer took control of this tune during the jam. Really drove the song to new heights. And Warren Haynes singing Sugaree is like going to church.
Encore: Like a Rolling Stone--I left as soon as this started. No need to hear Phil sing 20 million verses of Dylan.

REVIEW: Phil Lesh and Friends
10/06/00 - The Orpheum -             Boston, MA
            by Sam Sadowsky

           

. . .Let It Shine On Me. . .

Set One:
Terrapin--Phil and crew wasted no time in elevating the crowd on the final night of a four night run. As Phil is wont to do, he and the band started out with what turned out to be a massive jam into Terrapin. This was definitely a composed piece as there were some strange, very Phil-esque changes that everyone was ready for, but there was also lots of room for Jimmy Herring to let it rip. Warren matched him for a while before he fell into the Terrapin rhythm w/ Phil. However, this was a new Terrapin. It was like a "disco Terrapin". Phil has put a new spin on the song. I have mixed emotions. It reminded me of putting Beethoven's 5th next to "A Fifth of Beethoven". Know what I mean? Any way this went in to a short little jam before Phil picked out the opening notes INTO>
Cumberland--Jimmy Herring burned over these major key changes. I think Jimmy & Warren might have traded fours during this.
Patchwork Quilt--First time hearing this. Pretty listenable. No complaints INTO>
Mirrors--New Phil song from summer tour. Same comments as Patchwork.
Bertha--Is now a full out rock song. They all came down hard on the one throughout this. Try and dig this "I had a hard run"chika chicka chick BRAAAANG"Runnin to your window." Total 'The Who Live At Leeds' version of Bertha. Awesome.
Ship of Fools--I always liked this. They played it pretty straight, maybe even a slight shuffle feel. Great line by Phil "With 60 years upon my head to have you call me child!" Ended with a jam led by Warren on slide right INTO>
Passenger--Totally unexpected. Jimmy let it rip on this. Sweep picking all around the fretboard. Jazz scales. Sick. Molo was locked in tight with Phil and Warren. This was a rock song.
Set Two: Jam>Wharf Rat--Mellow jam centered around a not quite Dark Star theme. Like an ocean. Warren does this song justice. He makes you believe it. He also took off on the end jam and led them way out. Once there he handed it over to Jimmy and Phil who were hitting some dissonant **** . This jam was also Dark Star inflected but soon came to a halt when Phil started>
Wish You Were Here--I'm not a huge fan of when Phil does this though on this night Warren's slide guitar made it all good. This went INTO>
JAM--Darkstar was permeating every jam. Everybody knew it was coming, just a question of when. Phil briefly kicked the Lovelight riff but left it soon after and brought it down INTO>
Stella Blue--Molo was playing with brushsticks. Warren's singing was beautiful and worthy of the song. I thought for a while that phil wouldn't touch this song out of respect for Jerry, b/c nobody could possibly do it justice in the same way Jerry did. Convey the emotion that the tune calls for. Warren can deliver. Beautiful. He also led them INTO>
Dark Star--Lots going on in this. Everybody was throwing out licks and ideas. Really nice effect. Phil would step to the mike and then keep deciding to go with a different idea for a few more minutes. This was awesome. Finally they came together to sing the verse INTO>
  St. Stephen--Don't get me wrong, this was sweet, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. When I saw Phil in the spring with Jimmy and Jeff Pevar on guitar, the two had worked out an amazing harmonized, Southern Rock dual guitar line based on the St Stephen riff. I was so looking forward to hearing that again but it wasn't there. Warren played chords and jimmy played the line. Still a well jammed version. Really heavy in the middle.
Jam>The Eleven--Phil started up a jam that could have been "Road House Blues" but it morphed into the Eleven with vocals. INTO>
Lovelight--Highlight was Warren whooping it up at the end with the "Turn on your light, let it shine on me!" The roof had been sufficiently raised. 
Enc: Scarlet--Perfect ending to an awesome run. I had so much fun. Grinning right now.
                      
                       

NEW ENGLAND SHOW CALENDAR

Editor's Note: The Calendar, as mentioned earlier, has vanished             again...where it's gone nobody knows. It should return right around             the time I do if all goes well. Patience.                        

           

If youwould like to add a show that you don't see on the                         calendar listing please e-mail Armand at armand.turcotte@bigfoot.com             . You can also e-mail him if you'd like to receive it as a once a             month e-mail.  Please be aware that Armand puts this out             on a monthly basis (the first of the month) so he needs sufficient             time to update it.

 

Questions or Comments?
Content: jambands@jambands.com | Technical: Sarah Bruner and David Steinberg