Phil Lesh & Friends Central Park Saturday Setlist

Review to come.

PHIL LESH & FRIENDS - 05.31.14 - RUMSEY PLAYFIELD

SET I (1 hour, 26 minutes) -
Jam > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Cassidy / Night Time is the Right Time / Blue Sky / Mountains of the Moon / The Shape I'm In

SET II (1 hour, 28 minutes) -
Jack Straw / New Minglewood Blues / The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Caution (Do Not Step on Tracks) > Hard to Handle > Caution (Do Not Step on Tracks) > All Along the Watchtower > Death Don't Have No Mercy / In the Midnight Hour > Purple Haze (tease) > In the Midnight Hour

ENCORE (9 minutes) -
Donor Rap / Into the Mystic

I Missed Phil Lesh at Jazz & Colors, But I Did Get a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard

The Jazz & Colors Festival celebrated its second year in Central Park on Saturday.  Sadly, my photographer Carrie and I got a late start on the day, and only made it for the final 45 minutes of the event.  Most of that time was spent attempting to match the skyline in the pic of Phil Lesh, Eric Krasno, and Joe Russo I'd seen on Jambase.  Little did I know that the trio had already called it quits after a brief half-hour set consisting of two jams and a cover of "Get Back."  The other thirty bands participating were supposed to be following the same setlist, though you wouldn't have known it if you were there.  Aside from the bands being too spread out for a continuous listening experience, the different configurations of instruments and the improvisational nature of jazz combined to make each stop along the path and entirely different show.

Starting at the Pond on the park's southeastern corner, we passed right in front of Walking Distance, who were stationed at one of Central Park's most scenic vistas.  Though several trees in the area were still green, the view was accented by splashes of yellow, red, and purple.  We made our way though the park, passing rock-climbing children and an imitation Big Bird posing for photos.  I caught a bit of the Hot Future Five in the Dairy, but their position under the roof wasn't conducive to taking in the autumnal scenery.  Eventually we were able to follow our ears to the Naumberg Bandshell for Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.  Situated on the stage, this was the largest group of musicians I saw during the day.  They had attracted quite the crowd due to their prominent spot, and people were dancing to the music.  We heard more sounds coming from the Bethesda Terrace, but upon discovery, it was just some band of gypsies.  We retraced our steps to go meet our friend Maritza back at the Pond.  On the way, we happened upon Frank London's Klezmer Brass All Stars at the bottom of the Mall.  It was hard to get a good view of the players, so we continued back to catch the final notes from Walking Distance.

I wished I'd gotten there earlier to hear more (especially the Phil Lesh set), but now I know for next year.  Which means yes, I would go again next year.  I'd recommend they cram the park with even more bands though, allowing the music to never stop.  The three of us extended our autumn-themed journey with a trip on the Staten Island Ferry to NYC's lone Dairy Queen for a pumpkin pie blizzard.  Despite the wonderful fall foliage I'd seen earlier, the Statue of Liberty in front of the blood red sunset was my favorite view of the day.

Shuggie Otis Slurs His Way Through Summerstage

Those who saw Shuggie Otis hammer out a dazzling solo at Metrotech Commons on Thursday would have been surprised to see him at Rumsey Playfield yesterday... hammered.  To think that some people at Summerstage who hadn't yet seen him now believe that he's some washed-up alcoholic is sad, considering the brilliance displayed just three days before.

Before I ramble too much (like Shuggie did), let me commend opener, José James.  There's a small, white patch of hair in the center of James' scalp, likely a birthmark of some sort, as he's only 35.  It serves as an emblem of the old soul living inside him, the one with the classy, baritone voice.  His music exists somewhere near the crossroads of jazz and R&B, just around the corner from the Roots.  In fact, listening to Nate Smith's breakbeats combined with Kris Bowers' Fender Rhodes, it was easy to imagine Black Thought stepping in and dropping a conscious verse or two.  After crooning the sultry "It's All Over Your Body," James grabbed an acoustic guitar for "Sword & Gun."  Takuya Kuroda sparked up a jazzy trumpet solo that cued some crowd members to spark up their bud.  James questioned an audience member in the front about his t-shirt that read, "New Designer Drugs."  "It's for you!" offered the guy.  "I'm from the D.A.R.E. generation.  Me and McGruff the Crime Dog, we go way back," quipped James with a chuckle.  The set progressed as No Beginning No End does, with "Trouble" and "Vanguard," before taking a detour with a Bill Withers medley as the sun broke through the canopy of clouds.  After a round of "Ain't No Sunshine," Bowers took the reigns on a Rhodes solo, sneaking in a taste of "Use Me" before tossing it back to James for "Grandma's Hands" and the "No Sunshine" bookend.  The sun disappeared again, James remarking, "How's the sun gonna come out only for that song?"  Bassist Solomon Dorsey supplied some excellent vocal harmonies on "Come to My Door," probably my favorite of the songs.  They followed it with a brand new one, "Anywhere You Go."  Joined by some hipster on electric guitar, James showed off yet another side on the pop/rock song, though the guitar-playing was entirely too pedestrian to add anything to his lavish voice.  "This is that beautiful Sunday late-afternoon song going out to Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin," he said before closer, "Do You Feel."  Not three lines into the song, he called out to the bleachers, "I see you makin' babies back there."  Each musician took a relaxed solo during the slow jam, coming together at the end for a collective bow.

I usually start recording set times when the first note is played.  You can add another 6 or 7 minutes onto Otis' set for the time he spent talking when he took the stage.  Smacking on gum and slurring his words a little, Shuggie cheerily introduced each member of the band.  "We came here for a reason, and I'm gonna run my mouth for about another 30 minutes," he said with a laugh.  Disapproving looks from every bandmate aside from saxophonist Albert Wing, who doesn't look like he'd be able to frown.  When Larry Douglas attempted to get Otis' attention, Shuggie interjected, "I forgot to tell two members of my band to shut the fuck up when I'm talking."  A helicopter hovered overhead for a second, and Otis turned his focus to the sky: "I'll be through in a minute. Get lost!"  Introducing his guitar tech by the wrong name, "Paul Young," Otis then corrected himself, "Paul Lamb. Well, he's young."  Drink a little before the gig, Shuggie?


Eventually, they finally kicked into "Inspiration Information."  Immediately after it ended, Shuggie was at it again.  "I wrote 'Strawberry Letter 23' for someone to cover it. And they did, six years later," he said.  "I still like my version the best," he taunted in a silly voice.  Before Shuggie could go any further, Nick clacked his sticks together to start "Tryin' to Get Close to You."  After "Aht Uh Mi Hed," you could tell by his face that Swang was getting restless.  "I got about 20 more minutes of a dialogue," claimed Shuggie.  "Do you want me to have fun, or do you want me to leave the stage? I'll leave the stage in a hot second," he threatened, though it wasn't clear if he was directing it to his bandmates or the dissipating crowd.  The lowpoint of the set came next.  I'm only identifying it as "Island Letter" based off its position in the setlist, but it bore little resemblance to the undulant guitar tune I heard on Thursday.  After mumbling his way through the song, he tried to find the guitar part, and only managed a bit of the cascading solo found at the end of "Strawberry Letter 23."  "This next song is called 'Me & My Woman.' Woman, shut up!" he yelled.  No idea who he was talking to, but he was tickled.  When it came time for "Miss Pretty," I don't know why, but I still had hope for some Metrotech magic.  Alas, his left hand spent most of its time where the neck meets the body, typical guitar solo stuff, not the staggering genius from three days prior.  At least the funky number gave Swang a chance to work out some frustration on his Electro 3.  As the show went on, Shuggie sang further and further away from his microphone, more likely obliviousness than self-censorship.  Introducing "Strawberry Letter 23," Shuggie marveled, "What a name for a song. But it makes sense. I finally found out what it means, but I ain't gonna tell you."  Thankfully, by this point, he was starting to sober up a little, but there was only one song left, "Ice Cold Daydream."  Even Larry Douglas' rabble-rousing shouts of "Ladies and gentlemen, Shuggie Otis!" seemed less enthusiastic, leaving James Manning to clean up the mess with an awe-inspiring bass solo.  See Shuggie as early in the day as you can, I guess.

JOSÉ JAMES - 08.11.13 - RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (1 hour, 3 minutes)

SET -
It's All Over Your Body / Sword & Gun / Trouble / Vanguard / Ain't No Sunshine > Use Me (tease) > Grandma's Hands > Ain't No Sunshine / Come to My Door / Anywhere You Go / Do You Feel

SHUGGIE OTIS - 08.11.13 - RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (1 hour, 21 minutes)

SET -

Inspiration Information / Tryin' to Get Close to You / Aht Uh Mi Hed / Island Letter / Me & My Woman / Sparkle City > Miss Pretty / Sweetest Thang / Wings of Love / Doin' What's Right / Strawberry Letter 23 / Ice Cold Daydream

Thirty Bands Cover Jay-Z in Central Park Tomorrow!

I don't know if I'll make it to Jazz & Colors or not, but it seems interesting at the very least.  Tomorrow from 12-4pm, thirty jazz bands will take spots in various locations of Central Park and play two sets of jazz standards by Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and more.  The bands will all perform the same setlist, so you'll be free to stroll through the park without missing a note.  (Or find your favorite of the bunch and stick around.)  A jazzy spin on Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' 2009 hit "Empire State of Mind" will close out the festival. If you don't have anything to do tomorrow, head to Central Park.  It's not even supposed to be that cold.  Just cool. Like jazz.

Global Festival Setlists, Photos, & Review

On Saturday, 60,000 global citizens in Central Park (and many more watching the largest webcast in history) experienced Global Festival, a concert to raise awareness and end extreme poverty.  I read some statistics, watched some videos, signed some petitions, and was fortunate enough to receive tickets to the show for my efforts.

I met my friends at 72nd St and Central Park West around 3:30, and we made our way down the half-mile-long chute to get onto the Great Lawn.  Divided into six pens, we were corralled into the front of Pen 3 (left side, middle).  It was the furthest back I've ever been for a concert, but seeing how far the crowd went behind us at the end of the night, we had a great spot.

A gigantic stage with a large circular screen framed by a proscenium of the Global Poverty Project's red O logo, sat imposingly at the north end of the lawn.  I went to grab food before it got too crowded, so I missed most of Katie Couric's greeting, but I did make it back in time to see Beyoncé's music video for "I Was Here."  Which is a relief, considering it was the biggest waste of time of the night.  Not only had I seen it at work before, but why was I watching a fucking music video when the opening act only got to play for 15 minutes?!?

Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan kicked things off with "In the Beginning," banging on a drum in front of him as he shouted the lyrics.  He then played new song "The Seed," which traced his origins to a refugee camp in Africa.  His worldwide hit "Wavin' Flag" was an obvious choice for his final number, but in an effort to "reclaim that song as a personal song," he added an opening verse, sans instruments, about moving to Harlem in the '90s and having problems with the INS.

Band of Horses opened with new single "Knock Knock" and transitioned into "The Great Salt Lake."  Ben Bridwell stomped his foot before singing the title lyrics each time, which reverberated off the wooden stageof House of Vans nicely, but went unheard in the huge open space of the park.  Introducing the next song, Ben said, "We have to play our best songs even if they're really sensitive.  Here comes a sensitive song."  As the chiming guitar of "No One's Gonna Love You" came in, my body was overtaken by euphoria (as usual).  Before their last song "The Funeral," the ever-gracious Bridwell said with a big grin on his face, "Man, this is such a great event.  I can't get over it.  We get to play with our heroes.  We get to play the Lawn.  This is just so incredible.  Even if you don't know who we are, I just wanna say thank you so much for listening and having us, really." 

Video pieces from countries around the globe, highlighting individuals who have made personal goals to eradicate polio, malaria, and other diseases, were introduced by a cavalcade of supermodels urging us to take action by tweeting (We really are the laziest country.).  After hearing the shocking statistic on global infant mortality ("While you're here at this incredible concert tonight, 4000 babies will die."), I was curious as to how much awareness without action really matters.  Does being a "global citizen" really just entail having a smartphone and sharing these facts on Facebook?  Why wasn't anyone collecting donations?  Did anyone else there actually watch the videos online, or just sign petitions unknowingly because they'd get to see Foo Fighters?

Surprise guest John Legend appeared at a piano stage left and said, "You might have heard this song before.  It was written by a guy named John Lennon."  He led the crowd in a singalong of "Imagine" and was gone just as quickly as he'd arrived.

Worried that they'd just do the same setlist as they did when I saw them at Catalpa (and that they've been playing for a year now), I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Black Keys perform "She's Long Gone," which has normally been reserved for encores.  The appearance of "Gold on the Ceiling" later in the set, where it belongs, was also a nice change. The biggest Patrick Carney flub occurred during the second part of "Little Black Submarines," where he couldn't keep cadence.  In contrast, Dan Auerbach mastered his guitar solo on "Tighten Up" for one of their best performances.  Having played with their band for the whole set, they finished as a duo with "I Got Mine."

The crowd reached critical mass before Foo Fighters.  It was probably the wrong time to bring out UNICEF ambassador Selena Gomez to speak on eliminating the number of preventable deaths of children.  People around me started booing her for being a better person than they will ever be.  Audience members talked over the presenters throughout the evening, however, proving that the organizers should have cranked up the audio on the activists so more would pay attention to what this was really about.

Just before 7:30, Dave Grohl took the stage alone in front of an illuminated Foo Fighters logo on the back screen.  "I'm not playing for you; I'm playing with you tonight," he announced to the army of fans, and began strumming the opening chords of "Times Like These."  The band made their way onto the stage halfway through the song to finish it out with him, and then amped it up with the balls-to-the-wall "All My Life," igniting a mosh pit nearby.  They segued into "My Hero," which had the whole crowd singing its triumphant chorus.  Grohl admitted, "I wish we could play all night, you know what I mean?"  Cheers.  "But I'd rather see Neil Young," he laughed maniacally.  He went on to explain that they didn't know when they'd be performing next, and decided this would be the perfect last show until then.  They followed "Learn to Fly" with three songs from Wasting Light and a so-so "Best of You."  "I don't know when we'll see ya, but we'll see ya around," Dave remarked before they launched into their normal closer "Everlong." 

The crowd thinned a little after Foo Fighters, but those who left missed the highlight of the evening.  Topping their set from last week's Farm Aid, Neil Young and Crazy Horse played a blistering mix of new songs from the upcoming Psychedelic Pill, and classics like the 15-minute opener "Love & Only Love."  Young, Poncho, and Billy Talbot huddled together in the center of the stage, churning out waves of distortion into the crisp night air.  Before playing new tune "Born in Ontario," Young reminisced about the first time he came to NYC for an audition: "This is a great place… even though I didn't get it."  The band showed off their whistling skills on "Walk Like a Giant," the 18-minute song culminating in a series of noisy strikes led by drummer Ralph Molina, that simulated the crashing footsteps of a giant.  Crazy Horse left the stage for Neil to perform a pair of acoustic tunes, the quintessential anti-heroin song, "The Needle & the Damage Done" and the new "Twisted Road."  "Road" recalls what it's like to listen to the music of your idols, and it's even sweeter when you realize that Dylan and the Dead aren't just Neil's idols, but his peers.  Crazy Horse returned to the stage for "Fuckin' Up," and the whole night came to its finale with "Rockin' in the Free World," where Dan Auerbach, K'naan, Foo Fighters, and Band of Horses all got in on the action.  After a cacophony of guitars soloed at the same time, just when everyone thought the song was over, Neil whipped his finger around like a lasso to signal everyone for another round of the chorus.  Here's to rockin' in a world free of preventable diseases and full of free concerts.

 

K’NAAN – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (15 minutes)

SET –

In the Beginning / The Seed / Wavin’ Flag

BAND OF HORSES – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (20 minutes)

SET –

Knock Knock > The Great Salt Lake / No One’s Gonna Love You / The Funeral

JOHN LEGEND – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (6 minutes)

SET –

Imagine

THE BLACK KEYS – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (52 minutes)

SET –

Howlin’ for You / Next Girl / Run Right Back / Same Old Thing / Dead & Gone / Little Black Submarines / Money Maker / Strange Times / Nova Baby / She’s Long Gone > Tighten Up / Gold on the Ceiling / Lonely Boy / I Got Mine

FOO FIGHTERS – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (51 minutes)

SET –

Times Like These / All My Life > My Hero / Learn to Fly > Arlandria / These Days > Walk / Best of You / Everlong

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (1 hour, 10 minutes)

SET –

Love & Only Love / Powderfinger / Born in Ontario / Walk Like a Giant / The Needle & the Damage Done / Twisted Road / Fuckin’ Up / Rockin’ in the Free World 

Dr. Dog, Delta Spirit, and Kishi Bashi Play Central Park Autumnstage

My work computer's clock is four minutes slow.  I adjust it to the actual time occasionally, but somehow each day when I return to the office, it has reset itself to four minutes ago.  I think it's a conspiracy and my employer is stealing my life away, four minutes at a time.  To counterbalance, I come in late.  Yesterday, it did more than just thieve four minutes; it almost made me late to the Dr. Dog and Delta Spirit show at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.  You see, Google Maps reads the computer time to make its subway recommendations, and when it told me I could take the B at 5:16, 5:16 had already passed.  I realized this when I was on the platform, terrifyingly watching D train after D train pull through the station.  When the B finally dropped me off at 72nd with fewer than ten minutes before 6pm, I drew upon my former life as a cross-country runner and sprinted across the park.  I got to Rumsey with a few minutes to spare, and took a spot in the center.
Why the big rush?  Kishi Bashi was opening, and this marked my third time seeing him this year.  He walked onstage impeccably dressed in a suit exactly at 6, accompanied on banjo by Mike Savino of Tall Tall Trees, as he was at Joe's Pub two months prior.  They began, as the album does, with an instrumental intro that found its way into "Pathos, Pathos."  Although he impressed them with his beatboxing skills on the "Atticus" that followed, the bearded fans of Dr. Dog and Delta Spirit were not the ideal crowd for a Kishi Bashi performance.  Whereas normally the audience would be raptly listening to each layer as it was created, twisted, and turned, mouths agape in awe, this crowd came to see the headliner, so talking came out of their mouths in between puffs of tobacco smoke.  The hoedown section of "Bright Whites" won their attention back, just in time for Kishi Bashi to dismiss Savino for some solo tunes.  "I'm just gonna do a few more songs and then an incredible concert will ensue.  I'm just as excited as you," K gushed.  Now that he had everyone's eyes and ears, he delivered a dramatic "It All Began with a Burst" and finished up with an extended "Manchester."

Desperately trying to shed their folk-rock label, Delta Spirit unveiled a new sound when they released their polarizing eponymous album back in March.  Longtime fans said they'd sold out.  Newcomers loved it.  I listened to the album for the first time the morning prior to the show, and while the last song lulled me to sleep, I enjoyed the record.  There's nothing on it as beautiful as "Devil Knows You're Dead," but I really dig the chugging drums and guitar licks of "Tear It Up."  "Get your jock jam on!" Matt Vasquez shouted as the beat started.  When I originally saw Vasquez as part of Middle Brother, his raucous onstage antics, long hair, and shitty beard reminded me of Andrew WK.  A shave and a haircut later, I'm happy to report that he doesn't store that energy in his hair.  He was just as wild, making eye contact with individual crowdmembers and mugging at them with raised eyebrows while singing.  And he has a terrific voice.  He screeches and growls his lyrics so effortlessly that it seems like anyone could do it, but they can't.  It's almost uncanny because it doesn't feel like he has to build up any emotion to take him to that timbre.  He really wanted the audience to clap to the songs, and "People C'mon" was the singalong clapalong he was thirsting for.  "We're playing in New York in November, folks!" he announced (11/27 @ Irving Plaza, tickets go onsale next Friday) before closer "California."

The sun dropped to the west and a giant flag dropped behind the stage, signaling that it was almost time for the headliner.  When the opening chords of "Shadow People" were met with cheers, it was immediately clear I was in a crowd of Dr. Dog-lovers.  I'd seen them twice before and enjoyed it, but aside from their earlier albums, I felt like their studio work didn't come close to capturing the sound of their live show.  That is, until they put out Be the Void this February.  Minus the stupid lyrics of the overlong "Warrior Man," the LP succeeds in accurately presenting their ramshackle instrumentation, golden harmonies, and bass-forward grooves.  That groove is the secret weapon of Dr. Dog, and it likely comes from having bassist Toby Leaman split lead vocal duties with guitarist Scott McMicken.  Put a bass player in the driver's seat and you're gonna go on one hell of a trip.  The Pennsylvanians didn't talk much between songs, or even leave space between songs, best exemplified during the mid-set sequence of the harmony-laden "Do the Trick" to a fiery "Beach" to a heartfelt "Way the Lazy Do" to a rollicking "Vampire."  They followed that with a "Heavy Light" that went into jam territory, and I didn't think it could get much better than that...


They finally took a break to mention how great it's been to have watched Delta Spirit perform and grow over the six years they've been touring together.  And then, sure enough, things got better.  On Tuesday I got to see Band of Horses play one of my favorite songs ever, so imagine my delight when they launched into Architecture in Helsinki's "Heart It Races."  (The Dr. Dog version is another all-time fave.)  A joyous "Lonesome" with keyboardist Zach Miller on slide guitar ended the set, the audience shouting out the "hey"s.

Returning to the stage for the encore was a pared down band of drummer Eric Slick, Miller, and McMicken on an acoustic guitar emblazoned with fluorescent orange tape and the words "Strum Machine."  They eased into oldie "County Line" from Toothbrush, and the remaining members appeared and joined in.  When the band charged into "Worst Trip," Matt Vasquez stormed the stage with a shaker, climbing on top of Leaman's shoulders for the song's ending.  "Oh No" brought everything to a close with a clamorous singalong.  "We'll be at the White Castle tonight," offered Leaman before leaving the stage.  If you were looking to buy Easy Beat on vinyl, I got the last copy.

KISHI BASHI – 09.20.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (37 minutes)

SET –

Intro > Pathos, Pathos / Atticus, In the Desert / Evalyn, Summer Has Arrived / Bright Whites / It All Began with a Burst / Manchester

DELTA SPIRIT – 09.20.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (54 minutes)

SET –

Strange Vine / White Table / Tear It Up / Idaho / Parade > Empty House / Time Bomb / Bushwick Blues / People C’mon / Money Saves / Children > California

DR. DOG – 09.20.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (1 hour, 34 minutes)

SET –

Shadow People / Stranger / That Old Black Hole / The Ark > The Rabbit, the Bat, & the Reindeer / These Days / Do the Trick > The Beach > The Way the Lazy Do > Vampire / Heavy Light / Hang On / I Only Wear Blue / Heart It Races > Jackie Wants a Black Eye > Shame, Shame / The Old Days / Lonesome

ENCORE –

County Line > Worst Trip > Oh No

Alabama Shakes Don't Live Up to Hype & March of the Penguin Prison

I did a double-header last Sunday: Alabama Shakes at Rumsey Playfield, followed by Penguin Prison at Brooklyn Bowl. I'm probably going to upset a number of you when I say Alabama Shakes are really good, but not great, live. If you want to just believe all the hype and quit reading now, I understand. You're a hipster. But if you're a real music fan, I encourage you to read on.

Doors for the 3pm show were at 1:45, and I was actually freaking out during my commute, believing that I wasn't going to get in because I was going to arrive around 2:15. Thankfully, there was no line, and I made my way to a choice spot in the center. The standing room tightened with each minute and by the time Houston-based Robert Ellis walked onstage, the venue was about 500 humans short of capacity. Those who made it early were exposed to his take on outlaw country, from barnstormers like "No Fun" to introspective ballads like "Photographs," the title track off his latest release (which I would've bought if the vinyl wasn't fucking $25. Come on.). Having played to eight people, one of which was his wife, the previous night in West Virginia, Ellis and his band lapped up the energy from the mass of people, and injected it back into the highlight of the set, a cover of the bluegrass tune, "Ruby, Are You Mad?"

After a short break, the nine to eleven members of Diamond Rugs, who I was almost more excited to see than Alabama Shakes, piled onto the stage. After about a minute of incoherent chatter, they oozed into "Hightail," the first song off their eponymous album. John McCauley of Deer Tick fame grabbed the mic for second song, "Gimme a Beer," with joyous trombone and baritone sax parts punctuating the chorus. Hardy Morris of Dead Confederate took the reigns for "Big God" and traded the microphone back to McCauley for what is sure to become one of my favorite songs this year, "Call Girl Blues." It was at this point I realized they were playing their album in order, and they kept this formula for their set. It worked well, though, because no one member sang lead vocals for more than two songs in a row. "Totally Lonely" was exponentially better live than recorded, with all the members joining producer Justin Collins on the final refrain. For the set-closing "Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant," which I had seen Deer Tick perform before, the group thinned its ranks to a duo of McCauley and Los Lobos' Steve Berlin. The fact that it was merely days after the summer solstice only amplified the beautiful sadness of the song.

The most glorified band of the year, Alabama Shakes, were up next, packing Summerstage to its limits. Thankfully they chose to forgo the rigidity of their album, quietly welcoming the crowd with "Goin' to the Party," which I had predicted would be the only placement for the song in a live setting (It kind of kills the momentum of the album, but it probably wouldn't work as an album lead-off track either.). Exploding into "Hang Loose" and "Hold On," the Shakes had the crowd eating it up, but I wasn't totally sold.

Here's the deal. Frontwoman Brittany Howard is a sight to behold. Her powerful voice, accentuated by the pronounced shapes of her mouth while she's howling out her lyrics, makes her the prime candidate to lead a band. Unfortunately, the rest of the members don't live up to her. Don't get me wrong; the Shakes are all great musicians and they do sound better live than on record. But they made me realize how important stage presence is. Save for a few smiles from guitarist Heath Fogg, you couldn't

tell if the band members were actually enjoying it, or even if they knew they were playing to a crowd. Perhaps this concentration is what keeps them on top of things musically, but I like a little showmanship with my rock 'n' roll. When Brittany set aside her seafoam green Gibson and took the mic from its stand for "Be Mine," things improved. Stuck behind her stand for the previous numbers, she barely moved, aside from her aforementioned mouth and her curls billowing in the summer breeze. When she traversed the stage, you could follow her with her eyes, distracting you from the statues making the bluesy funk behind her. I hope that with more and more stage time, the young band will develop a little more sizzle in the future, or at least acknowledge that they are playing to 5000 adoring fans.

I hightailed it home so I could eat dinner and a half a brownie before heading over to Brooklyn Bowl for the next show. It started an hour later than advertised, so I made it in time to see two shitty support acts. Before Penguin Prison's set, I situated myself about three people back in the center. Chris Glover and band geared up and took us on a trip on the "Golden Train," with Glover climbing off the stage and into the crowd, pacing through us as he sang. It's not uncommon for artists to bring the show onto the floor, but I don't think I've ever seen it happen during the first song. I think it represents Chris Glover's newfound confidence by using the Penguin Prison moniker. He has always seemed a little socially awkward introducing songs, though it usually came off as funny, almost Hedbergian. Now that he has reincarnated himself as a new disco/remix artist with a ridiculous name, he seems more comfortable in that he's playing a game, not baring his soul. Hell, even when he performed as Chris Glover, he made sure to put it in quotation marks ("Chris Glover"). "Golden Train" segued nicely into "The Worse It Gets," as did "Animal Animal" into "A Funny Thing." He finished the set with "Blue Jeans," a remix/cover of a Lana Del Rey song, which you can download here. As I could give two shits about Lana Del Rey, it was a little disappointing. For the encore, he broke out "Multi-Millionaire," this time entering the crowd with his guitar. My main criticism would be the meager 47-minute set duration. Chris Glover has several unreleased songs from the period of his career directly preceding Penguin Prison that I find to be his best work. A well-placed "Hold My Soul" or "Tear Stains" would not be too much of a departure from his new sound, and would undoubtedly prove his versatility. I can't really complain. I had a great time dancing and singing along, and isn't that what it's all about?

ROBERT ELLIS – 06.24.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD

SET –

Westbound Train / Comin’ Home / What’s in It for Me? / Two Cans of Paint / Flames of Hell* / Pride / No Fun / Photographs / Jam > Ruby, Are You Mad?

DIAMOND RUGS – 06.24.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (58 minutes)

SET –

Hightail / Gimme a Beer / Big God / Call Girl Blues / Out on My Own / Country Mile / Totally Lonely / I Took Note / Blue Mountains / Motherland / Tell Me Why / 100 Sheets / Hungover & Horny / Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant

ALABAMA SHAKES – 06.24.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (1 hour, 4 minutes)

SET –

Goin’ to the Party / Hang Loose / Hold On / I Found You / Rise to the Sun / Always Alright > Boys & Girls / Be Mine / I Ain’t the Same / Mama / Hurricane Strut / Makin’ Me Itch / Heavy Chevy / You Ain’t Alone

ENCORE –

Worryin’ Blues / On Your Way / Heat Lightning

PENGUIN PRISON – 06.24.12 – BROOKLYN BOWL (47 minutes)

SET –

Golden Train > The Worse It Gets / Something I’m Not / Animal Animal > A Funny Thing / Fair Warning / Don’t Fuck with My Money / Hollywood / Blue Jeans

ENCORE –

Multi-Millionaire

Soulive and Karl Denson Play a Quick Set

I went to Summerstage today to see Soulive play with Karl Denson. I've had mp3s by the goateed saxophonist for ten years now, and I was introduced to Soulive five years ago, when I worked with the Evans brothers' brother. This was right when they released No Place Like Soul, adding Toussaint the Liberator to their lineup as vocalist. Purists rejected the new sound and Toussaint moved on, which was a letdown for me because I found him to be quite a welcome addition. Admittedly, I've never been a huge jazz fan. I can appreciate it, but it's not something I listen to frequently. I'd never seen Soulive or Karl Denson, so now was the time.

The line to get into the event was long, likely due to opener Riq & Rah (Black Thought and Rahzel). I caught some of their performance, but mainly had to listen in line as they covered recent hip-hop songs like "Hip Hop is Dead" and "Otis." "If your friends are out there now, wave goodbye to 'em," informed the security guard who let our batch of the queue inside. I made my way in just as they took things way back with Slick Rick's "Children's Story." Their set ended with the last verse of "The New Style" in a tribute to Adam Yauch.

Soulive and Denson took the stage modestly, and then dropped a bomb on the crowd, with what would possibly be their funkiest song of the night. Guitarist Eric Krasno played with an intensity that suggested he was fighting inner demons, and Neal Evans spun sonic spiderwebs with his Hammond B3. Karl then traded out his sax for a flute, and they played the title track off their collaborative EP Spark! that comes out on Tuesday. The release is a tribute to jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks, but I'm not sure if the songs are covers or just similar in sound to his work. Song three featured an amazing saxophone solo by Denson (Maybe it was the funkiest?) and some slick drumwork by Alan Evans, who holds his drumsticks in the traditional grip, making it appear so effortless.

After three jazzy workouts, the final song was a misstep in my opinion. It began with some ominous bass keys and flute, but then Krasno started sprinkling Moroccan guitar riffs into the mix, causing the groove to sort of unravel. Amping up the licks with Hendrixian distortion towards the end of the song seemed a last ditch effort to bring it back together. It would've been less of a disappointment if they had played another song after, but those 37 minutes were it. It burned bright at the start, but before you knew it, it fizzled out and was over. Spark indeed.

Ozomatli Soaked in Strings

Yesterday, Los Angeles-based multicultural band Ozomatli took the Central Park Summerstage by storm... literally. A soggy day deterred the crowds, but those who attended (maybe 200 tops) were fortunate enough to witness something special as the group played its songs with accompaniment by the New York Pops, a professional symphonic orchestra. The Pops, led by Steven Reineke, added a variety of touches to Ozomatli's anthems. Songs like "Elysian Persuasion" and "Saturday Night" went into disco territory, while "Cuando Canto" was a beautiful waltz.

Although the rain stopped for the start of the show, about halfway through the set, the skies opened up and things got downright torrential. (Cue token comment about how much I hate the people around me at shows.) Too bad the asshole in front of me had to pull out the world's largest umbrella and block my view. I backed up and moved out of the center, and the band kept playing. Ozomatli and the Pops were joined by some Harlem School of the Arts' jazz students, including one amazing 11-year-old blind keyboardist, for oldies "Cumbia de los Muertos" and "Como Ves." The latter was taken to new heights with the orchestral backing.

I've never seen Ozomatli do an encore. They've always finished their set, and started a chant of "Ozomatli, ya se fue, ya se fue!" They then grab portable instruments and venture into the crowd for sing-a-longs of anything from the theme of Sesame Street to "Give Peace a Chance." After the set, the band waved goodbye, and the orchestra began packing up. The house lights came on and the PA started playing some music. Diehard Ozo fans like the ones who stayed for this monsoon of a show weren't going to just leave without a little more. After 3 minutes, the band came back out. "You ready for us to do this L.A.-style?" asked bassist Wil-Dog Abers. "Yeah!" we cheered, expecting "City of Angels," which come to think of it, would sound awesome with strings. But "City of Angels" we did not get. "Caballito," in my opinion, a weak song, closed the night, and they never came out into the audience. I guess people from L.A. melt if they get wet.

OZOMATLI WITH THE NEW YORK POPS – 06.12.12 – RUMSEY PLAYFIELD (1 hour, 25 minutes)
SET -
La Gallina / Elysian Persuasion / Dos Cosas Ciertas / Can’t Stop / Nadas por Free / Believe / Cumbia de los Muertos / After Party / Ya Viene el Sol / La Temperatura / Malagasy Shock / Chango / Cuando Canto / Here We Go / Saturday Night / La Misma Canción / Como Ves

ENCORE –
Caballito