Lucius Prospect Park Setlist

LUCIUS - 06.13.15 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 21 minutes)

SET -
Keep Going On* > Don't Just Sit There / Wildewoman / Tempest / Nothing Ordinary / Until We Get There (feat. Pavo Pavo) > Instrumental* / How Loud Your Heart Gets / Monsters / Maybe I'll Drive Myself to Madness* / It Shines* / Go Home / Turn It Around / Genevieve

ENCORE -
Two of Us on the Run / You Were on My Mind

Amos Lee & Lake Street Dive Celebrate Brooklyn Setlists

Review to come.

LAKE STREET DIVE - 06.20.14 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 10 minutes)

SET -
Stop Your Crying / What About Me / Clear a Space / Look at What Mistake / Bad Self Portraits / Love Doctor / Henriette / Use Me Up / Neighbor Song / Spectacular Failure / Bobby Tanqueray / Just Ask / Rabid Animal / Seventeen / Hello? Goodbye! / You Go Down Smooth

AMOS LEE - 06.20.14 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 27 minutes)

SET -

Windows Are Rolled Down / Jesus / Stranger / Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight / Bottom of the Barrel / Tricksters, Hucksters, & Scamps / Flower / Seen It All Before / Simple Things / Arms of a Woman / Cup of Sorrow / Fat Bottomed Girls > Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) / Won't Let Me Go > Freestyle > Shower of Love > If I Ever Fall in Love > Won't Let Me Go (feat. Mutlu) / Sweet Pea / Street Corner Preacher > Game of Thrones

ENCORE - 

End of the Road (feat. Mutlu & Lake Street Dive)

The Soul Rebels & Jon Cleary Celebrate NOLA in Prospect Park

When the weather is perfect in New York, there are few things better than a Celebrate Brooklyn concert in Prospect Park.  Last night's show brought New Orleans to the borough, with sets from the Soul Rebels and Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Jon Cleary and his Gentlemen represented NOLA's cherished history of piano-based fonk, continuing a lineage of artists that includes Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair, and James Booker.  Beginning with a medley of "Fools Game" and "Just Kissed My Baby," Cleary interjected, "Somebody needs to shake somethin'!" and swerved into "Loose Booty."  The sound was great, but a careless cameraman stood right in front of Jon, blocking him from view.  This was especially annoying because it wasn't apparent why they were actually shooting it, considering the bandshell doesn't use screens during their concerts.  As Jon sang, "I feel so damn good I'll be glad when I got the blues," no one was more the embodiment of that feeling than drummer Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander, who played the entire set with a huge grin.  Though Cleary took obvious pleasure in performing fan-favorites like "When You Get Back," he also made time for some new numbers, which included "Beg, Steal, or Borrow" and "Pump It Up."  The latter took on an island vibe with its chorus of copious congas from percussionist Danny Sadownick.  A low-flying helicopter sent a quick burst of excitement through the crowd during "Groove Me," and the funky ditty sustained that momentum, ejecting several asses from their chairs.  They remained standing for the Absolute Monster Gentlemen's anthem, "Mo Hippa," which featured some supremely fat synth flourishes from Cleary on his Nord keyboard.  I taped a podcast interview with Jon earlier in the day, so be on the lookout for that.

The Soul Rebels took the New Orleans tradition of the brass band and updated it for the 21st century.  After coaxing the crowd to their feet, they used "2013" to teach some simple choreography to the crowd, miming a lasso movement.  Following "Rebelosis," a screen descended behind the eight-piece, and it lit up with a live feed from the cameras.  (It was nice to see Celebrate Brooklyn stepping up their game, but why did they have the camera guys out there to block Cleary?)  The group proceeded with "Thank You," a Jay-Z medley found on their new mixtape, Power=Power (Download it for free.).  Finishing with "Hard Knock Life," the brass mash-up was a hit with the Brooklyn crowd.  For those too old to appreciate rap, the band embarked on a cover of "Billie Jean" with Marcus Hubbard's trumpet replacing MJ's vocals.  They segued into "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," this time with Erion Williams' saxophone playing the part of Daryl Hall.  A large portion of the crowd took a minute to relax during a drum solo from Derrick Moss and Lumar LeBlanc, but they rocketed upwards at the first notes of the Latin scorcher "Work It Out."  "504" allowed for some easy hand choreography, and then the Rebels educated the audience on the 2-1 handclap to set the pace for Pharrell's "Happy."  Cameras tracked across the barricade, capturing Park Slope matrons unabashedly shimmying to the mom-dance song of the millennium.  During closer "Get Up," Hubbard instructed the Brooklynites to get down as the band lessened its volume.  Singling out a few ladies that remained upright, Marcus scolded, "Y'all with the umbrellas need to get down.  I know you second line."  The raingear-wielding women obeyed.  He continued, "I want people on the other side of the park to say, 'Man, what's going on over there?' letting us know that we were supposed to go wild.  With everyone crouched and ready for liftoff, the band teased the classic "engine, engine number 9" line from "The Choice is Yours," and the crowd exploded with delight.

JON CLEARY & THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN - 06.07.14 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 3 minutes)

SET -
Fools Game > Just Kissed My Baby > Loose Booty* / So Damn Good / Unnecessarily Mercenary / Beg, Steal, or Borrow / Right Here in My Arms* / Sometimes I Wonder / When You Get Back / Pump It Up / Groove Me / Mo Hippa

THE SOUL REBELS - 06.07.14 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 14 minutes)

SET -

Here Tonight* > 2013 > Rebelosis / Thank You (Jay-Z Medley) / Turn It Up > Billie Jean > I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) > New Song* > Now That We Found Love (tease) > New Song (cont.)* / Drum Solo > Work It Out > 504 / Happy > Get Up > The Choice is Yours (tease) > Get Up

*If anyone knows the titles of these songs, please let me know.

They Might Be Giants Treat Brooklyn to Their Best Show in Years

"It will be the greatest night of all time!" tweeted They Might Be Giants yesterday before their Celebrate Brooklyn concert in Prospect Park.  Even with setting expectations the highest they could possibly be, They indubitably brought their A-game.  Shaking up the setlist and digging deep into their back catalog, TMBG unleashed the best show I've seen from them since 2005.  Maybe even 2004.

When I got to the venue, the standing room in front of the stage was sparsely populated.  That all changed as soon as Wenzl McGowen blew his saxophone up through a long construction cone in "Tubes."  People poured into the area to watch Moon Hooch, toddlers dancing on their shoulders.  Over the course of 32 non-stop minutes, the trio took the crowd on a journey deeper and deeper into their cave.  The theatrics of saxmen McGowen and Mike Wilbur kept the audience attentive, whether miming a tug-o-war in "Number 2" or McGowen deploying a goose honk at the front rows in "Number 9."  Following the set, Wenzl got emotional as he admitted that sitting in the Bandshell crowd four years ago, he thought to himself, "Damn, I gotta play this stage at some point in my life."  He added, "It's always funny that the universe provides."  Some fans wanted them to continue providing, starting a substantial chorus of "One more song!" but the show was already running behind.

As the lights went down for the main event, the mangled Sammy Davis, Jr. intro music played, and Dan Miller entered alone.  He picked up his electric guitar and started cranking out the riff to "You're on Fire."  He kept plugging away until the other members ran out to join him, John Linnell sporting a new haircut.  Taking stock of the crowd, Linnell offered, "Beautiful spread."  "This is the nicest brownstone I've ever been to," confirmed John Flansburgh.  "Withered Hope," came next, assisted by the Tricerachops Horns, who would accompany on ten numbers throughout the night.  Prior to "Nanobots," the Johns did a bit with JF speaking through his robot mic.  "What have you been doing in August?" Robot-Flans questioned Linnell.  "I've been lying on the floor with a damp cloth over my forehead," JL responded.  "It's funny because I know that," he said, breaking character to laugh.  Explaining how he'd taken a part-time job with NSA, Flans continued, "I've been reading your instant messages.  Like this morning: 'Adjusted the damp cloth on my forehead.'"  The horns were dismissed for "Damn Good Times," which benefited from a nice Dan Miller solo.  For "Icky," Miller played the melodica, a fitting instrument for the song, as Flans revealed its tube may have been confiscated by the health department.

When the band eased into "New York City" for their seventh song, I knew this show was different.  The tune is usually reserved for encores, especially when performed in NYC.  And then the band made one of the most inspired segues I've seen, injecting into its finale the crashing chords of "Ana Ng," effectively reacquainting NYC with its '64 World's Fair.  The Tricerachops Horns returned for another typical late-set tune, "When Will You Die," and it was interesting to watch parents dancing with their children in the aisles to such morbid lyrics.  The horns departed once more, and Flansburgh shared some advice from his father: "Whenever you're performing in front of 10 to 13,000 people, do not play a new song."  In defiance of his dad, Flansy unveiled a new, rocking version of "Black Ops" with JL on bass clarinet.  Linnell held onto the instrument for another Flansburgh-sung tune, "Cloisonné."  At its end, Flans led a crowd chant of "Bass clarinet!" that began to pick up steam.  Linnell attempted his own refrain of "The cheese stands alone!" but it didn't take.  While "The Mesopotamians" is far from my favorite TMBG song, I found myself singing along as I marveled at the lights, which were on point the entire show.  Dedicated to all the apartment-dwellers, "We Live in a Dump" followed, my first time seeing it live.  And then "Don't Let's Start?"  Damn, They were not messing around.

Then They surprised us all with the performance of the night.  Stripping themselves down to the original duo, the Johns took on "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)."  Having grown so accustomed to the show-closing full-bander with elongated Dan Miller acoustic intro, it was incredibly refreshing to hear it this way.  The song morphed into a comedy sketch as Flans whimpered to be taken back to Constantinople, each request of "Please?" or "Once?" met with a tugboat's "Noooooo" from Linnell.  The crowd howled with laughter at every refusal.  After that, They could've just coasted for the show's remainder, but They took no prisoners, dropping "Lost My Mind," "Puppet Head," "Doctor Worm," and super-rarity "I'll Sink Manhattan."  After a horn-speckled "Call You Mom," Flans announced that the band would be playing their debut album in full at Terminal 5 in November.  "We've been working in conjunction with NASA to come up with a special ticket code," he said, attesting that it could be found in the Perseid meteor shower.  (I won't share the code here because I'm going to try to buy tickets at the venue when they go on sale.  I can't stand service fees.  Flansburgh shared his feelings on the modern ticketing mechanism as well: "It's like a shitstorm from outer space.")  "We've got one more song.  It's from our second album, and it's called 'Mr. Me,'" said JF.  And then They launched into "Hey, Mr. DJ."  Had I heard him incorrectly?  No matter; I took the trade-up.

Marty Beller returned to take a seat at his drumkit to rev up the clap-happy "123 Band Intro," which saw Danny Weinkauf playing his bass with a drumstick.  The sleepy "Tesla" seemed out of place for the encore, but after such an energetic set, I understood.  Flansburgh upheld my suspicion, and admitted he flubbed the "Mr. DJ" thing.  So They invited the horns back out, and performed "Mr. Me" as a "special dedication to all the people who got their hopes up."  After such a spectacular run of songs, truth be told, I'd forgotten about "Birdhouse."  Then They played it, in all its glory, bringing the concert to its triumphant conclusion.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - 08.10.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 35 minutes)

SET -
You're on Fire / Withered Hope / The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) / Nanobots / Damn Good Times / Icky / New York City > Ana Ng / When Will You Die / Black Ops / Cloisonné / The Mesopotamians / We Live in a Dump / Don't Let's Start / Istanbul (Not Constantinople) / Lost My Mind / Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head / Doctor Worm / I'll Sink Manhattan / Call You Mom / Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal

ENCORE -
123 Band Intro / Tesla / Mr. Me / Birdhouse in Your Soul

Kishi Bashi Opens for One of His Idols at Prospect Park

In the summer of 2005, Celebrate Brooklyn programmed a screening of the 1931 film, Dracula, with accompaniment by composer Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet.  A violent thunderstorm caused the movie to be aborted barely 15 minutes in.  In the crowd that day was Kaoru Ishibashi, the frontman for an indie rock band called Jupiter One.  Little did he know, eight years later, he would be opening for Glass at the film's raindate.

Kishi Bashi took the Bandshell stage promptly at 7:35 despite the long lines of people waiting to get in.  The venue was already packed, and the only free space being the pathway between the seats and the lawn, I picked a spot to stand and watch.  "You can't stand there.  You have to go in the grass," demanded a security guard.  Having been to several Bandshell shows over the years, I knew that this area always becomes standing room.  "Where is everyone else gonna go when they come in?" I asked.  "Not here 'cause I'm gonna make them move," said the asshole on a power trip.  I would have rather focused on K's opening improvisation, but by the time I was able to find a small piece of mud to stand on, he was already joined by Mike Savino (Tall Tall Trees) on colored-light-changing banjo and Elizabeth Ziman (Elizabeth & the Catapult) on drumpads.  "I'm gonna do a song called 'Chester's Burst Over the Hamptons,' which ends in chaos. I'm sorry," he warned.  Assuming the crowd was there for Philip Glass, I'm not sure what he was worried about.  "Chester" never truly ended either, transitioning out of the chaos into "Beat the Bright Out of Me."  Halfway into "Bright Whites," K began one of his trademark beatbox breakdowns, singing "Celebrate Brooklyn" (Just the words; not the They Might Be Giants song.) to cheers from the crowd.  "We're gonna calm things down for a minute. This song was placed strategically in the set so I wouldn't have a heart attack," he said before "Wonder Woman, Wonder Me."  It was hard to hear with all the chatter coming from the hill, as I realized that the crowd wasn't necessarily there to listen to Philip Glass, but to see a free movie outside.  K sensed some reluctance from the audience too, clarifying, "I'm not on drugs; I'm just having a great time, okay?"  It was quite clear he was, especially being able to open for Mr. Glass.  He was visibly choked up talking about the influence minimalism has had on his music, and admitted fanboyishly, "I got a picture with him. That was cool."  He attempted another improvisation in honor of Glass, but felt it wasn't up to par. "That didn't do him any justice. That was terrible; I'm sorry. That's the nature of improvisation," he shrugged.  He redeemed himself with "Manchester," performed solo with a little assistance from nature's disco ball: a crew of lightning bugs that flickered with scattered beauty.  Though I would've liked to experience Dracula, there was no place to stand, at least where anyone would let me.

KISHI BASHI - 07.13.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (59 minutes)

SET -

Improvisation 1 > Evalyn, Summer Has Arrived / Atticus, In the Desert / Chester's Burst Over the Hamptons > Beat the Bright Out of Me / Bright Whites / Wonder Woman, Wonder Me / It All Began with a Burst / I Am the Antichrist to You / Improvisation 2 / Manchester

Jim James & the Roots Team Up at Prospect Park

Two of my favorite concerts this year have been the Roots and Jim James, so for me, it was a no-brainer to attend State of the Union in Prospect Park.  Billed as "an evening of collaborative performances," the show only featured four such collaborations, but solid sets from both acts satisfied the soggy spectators.

"A little rain's nothin' to be afraid of.  I think it makes it more fun," remarked Jim James as raindrops fell on the Brooklyn crowd.  "Every time we've played in the rain, we've been lucky enough to get a beautiful rainbow."  While we never got the rainbow, we did get to watch James have a blast.  On "Know Til Now" alone, he mimicked a sax solo on a real saxophone and danced around with a golden teddy bear statue held high above his head of wild hair.  If it was your first time seeing Jim James in concert, it would've been hard for you not to be completely hypnotized by the charismatic frontman.  However, I attended his fourth solo show ever, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, so I was more interested in seeing how the band (guitarist/keyboardist Kevin Ratterman, keyboardist Dan Dorff, bassist Alana Rocklin, and drummer Dave Givan) would gel now that they'd had more gigs under their belt.  Although they didn't top the dark magic they conjured in "God's Love to Deliver" at MHOW, their time playing together resulted in a few new glorious jams by stretching out some of the other Regions of Light tracks.  After Jim James' solo on "Dear One," he left Dorff, Ratterman, and Givan onstage for a pounding three-member drum section that was then reduced to a Givan solo, packed tightly with propulsive fills.  James returned with a black towel on his head to slow things down with "A New Life," taking what seemed like a minute-long pause before delivering the final "Once more!" into the song's joyous ending.  "Of the Mother Again" benefited from some sweet vocal harmonies from Rocklin and Dorff, as well as a groovy closing trip.  

"All is Forgiven" was the standout. The band ripped open the dirge with sounds resembling the crackling electricity of the switch used to bring life to the Frankenstein monster. They continued down the macabre path with James adding some sax to the high-voltage mix before making his way into the wings.  As it turns out, Jim was the reanimated monster, creeping stiff-leggedly back onto the stage while singing the opening lines of "God's Love to Deliver." The 13-minute opus featured laser keys, a saxophone reprise, and a ferocious electric solo that had the roadie struggling to put the guitar's wireless transmitter back in JJ's suit pocket. "It's a real goddamn pleasure being out here," James said, having finished the Regions album, minus "Exploding."  He capped it off with Monsters of Folk's "The Right Place" and the Woody Guthrie-penned "Changing World" just as the rain stopped.

I was glad the storm ceased, though I knew the weather would have no effect on the legendary Roots crew. Their uninterrupted set in the rain at Beale St. Music Featival in May was the best of the fest. They took the same non-stop house party approach, albeit abridged. Pausing during "Mellow My Man," Black Thought polled the audience, "Brooklyn, y'all still with us or what?" It was a warranted question, as a snippet of "Jungle Boogie" was unfortunately the only tune that had succeeded in igniting the crowd. This made the heady keyboard jam following "Jusufckwithis" an even bolder decision, whereas in Memphis they went with a ?uestlove drum solo that whipped the crowd into a frenzy. If I had to pinpoint the moment things turned around, it was a little ways into the epic "You Got Me" sequence, the hallmark of any Roots show. Percussionist Frank Knuckles jumped from his riser and did a lap around the stage, raising his sticks in the air to elicit applause, and sprinted back to hit his cymbal perfectly in time. This lead into Kirk Douglas singing along with his guitar notes, climaxing into "Sweet Child o' Mine," where audience excitement hit an all-time high.  The Roots owned everyone from that juncture on.  The band fed off the energy of the fans, and vice-versa, creating that perfect concert symbiosis.

I found it a little disheartening that so much love was shown for the covers as opposed to the originals, but then again, several Roots' classics like "Proceed" and "Step Into the Realm" weren't on the setlist.  But now that we were eating out of their hands, they brought their own material back, and we lapped it up.  The crowd smiled at F. Knuckles' silent hypeman schtick on "Here I Come," but they absolutely lost their shit when the entire band broke into a choreographed dance.  Cody Chesnutt may not have performed "The Seed" at the Bandshell last week, but the Roots plunged into it with gusto, and the fans responded by singing along even louder.  Nobody cared that they were playing it safe by ending with two more covers, especially during "Move on Up" when Capt. Kirk and Tuba Gooding, Jr. leapt off of the stage and raced into the center lane that divided the venue.  "Celebrate Brooklyn! Celebrate life!" Black Thought yelled to the screaming masses.

The stage was dark, but camera flashes illuminated the lion-like Jim James smiling for photos with the band.  We kept cheering for the partnership we'd been promised, and two minutes later, the lights popped on, revealing Jim and the Roots.  They began with "Dear God," bringing to life the Roots' 2.0 version of the Monsters of Folk track. James sang the hook and even busted out some more saxophone. The Roots-James union reached its pinnacle with a reggaefied take on Prince's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," so unique in sound that it wasn't immediately recognizable.  They followed with two songs James performed at last week's Bonnaroo Rock n' Soul Dance Party Superjam, Bill Withers' "Use Me" and John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" While typically a fail-safe cover, "Use Me" was a strange misstep, seemingly done in a different key.  "Instant Karma!" was good, but it was over too quickly, possibly because the encore itself was so brief.  Hell, it was only twice as long as "God's Love to Deliver."  And though I would've preferred more of the alliance, I walked home in a good mood, a Jim James' shirt in hand and a Roots' song in head.

JIM JAMES - 06.18.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 15 minutes)

SET -
State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) / Know Til Now / Dear One / A New Life / Of the Mother Again / Actress / All is Forgiven / God's Love to Deliver / The Right Place / Changing World

THE ROOTS - 06.18.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 10 minutes)

SET -

Table of Contents, pt. 1 > The Next Movement > Get Busy > Jungle Boogie > Mellow My Man > Jusufckwithis > Keyboard Jam > Who Are You & Who Are Your Crew* > Break You Off > Turn on the Lights* > You Got Me > Shame on You* > Love to Love You Baby > Shame on You* > Sweet Child o' Mine > Bad to the Bone > Who Do You Love > Bad to the Bone > Immigrant Song > Welcome to Jamrock > You Got Me > Unknown (tease)* > Thought @ Work > Apache / How I Got Over > Get Into It* > Here I Come > The Seed 2.0 > Move on Up > Men at Work

JIM JAMES & THE ROOTS - 06.18.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (25 minutes)

ENCORE -

Dear God 2.0 / I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man / Use Me / Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

Mavis Staples & Cody Chesnutt Bring a Whole Lotta Soul to Brooklyn

While I was at Barclays with the Postal Service last night, Dry Paint Signs' frequent photographer, Carrie Soom, went to Prospect Park to celebrate Brooklyn with Cody Chesnutt and Mavis Staples.  I ganked her camera for my show, but she was able to snap a few iPhone pics and provide me with enough material to write a review.

Having just watched Cody Chesnutt give an unforgettable performance at SOB's the previous night, it was intriguing to see how he would translate his act to a much larger venue.  As it turned out, it was very similar.  Towards the end of "Everybody's Brother," Cody instigated, "The clouds have parted.  It's time to celebrate, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than singing together in a communal way."  He led the crowd on a "not turning back" singalong, which was extended while the sound crew fixed a tech issue with the drums.  Cody even found a way to make it into the audience, hopping offstage and over the barrier to dance with an elderly woman during "Do Better to the Young."  Do better to the old as well.  While Carrie preferred the intimacy of SOB's, the addition of a saxophonist and trumpeter was a real treat, bringing a whole new level to "Love is More Than a Wedding Day" and a round of solos during "What Kind of Cool."  "Brooklyn is like a second home to me," Chesnutt admitted.  You're welcome back anytime you please.

Carrie and I caught the tail end of Mavis Staples' set at Beale St. Music Festival last month, so she was excited to see a full show from the queen of contralto.  Despite the fact that she has a new album coming out in two weeks, Staples kept the setlist fairly standard, getting two new tunes out of the way early to make room for some Staples Singers' classics.  "We have come this evening to bring you some joy, happiness, inspiration, and positive vibrations. Enough to last for the next... hmm... six months," Mavis offered, a possible clue that she'll return to NYC at the end of the year.  Which is good, considering knee pain almost stopped her from making it yesterday.  "I'll tell you, ol' devil, the devil is always busy.  He tried to keep us from coming to Brooklyn.  He starts messing with my knee. I said, 'Satan, get back! I'm going to see my friends in Brooklyn!'" Mavis said, eliciting cheers from the Brooklynites before dropping into "The Weight."  Following "Creep Along Moses," she revealed, "I came out here to have a good time, and thanks to y'all, I'm doing just that."  The set ended like it did in Memphis, with Mavis riling up the crowd for "I'll Take You There."  "We're gonna take you way on back.  1970!" she yelled before pointing at someone in the crowd. "You weren't even born!"  In the midst of the song, Mavis demanded, "Brooklyn, can I hear you?"  "Woo!" cheered the crowd.  "Donny?" said Mavis, turning to backup vocalist Donny Gerrard.  "Sounds like Yonkers to me," he egged on.  "Booooooo!" bellowed Brooklyn.  "Oh, Donny, I think you hurt somebody," said Mavis with a laugh.  If the staggering amount of embarrassing mom-dancing was any indication, Staples took everyone there.  Her new LP, One True Vine, drops on June 25th.

CODY CHESNUTT - 06.14.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 12 minutes)

SET -

That's Still Mama / 'Til I Met Thee / Everybody's Brother / Under the Spell of the Handout / What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next) > Goin' Downtown (tease) > What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next) / Love is More Than a Wedding Day / Do Better to the Young > Where is All the Money Going / Don't Wanna Go the Other Way

ENCORE -
I've Been Life / Gunpowder on the Letter > Jam

MAVIS STAPLES - 06.14.13 - PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 12 minutes)

SET -

Can You Get to That / Eyes on the Prize / I Like the Things About Me / The Weight / Too Close > On My Way to Heaven / Creep Along Moses / Freedom Highway / We're Gonna Make It / Instrumental 1* / Instrumental 2* > Let's Do It Again / I'll Take You There

Great Googamooga My Ass!

Just waited in the rain for an hour to have them cancel it. Rain or shine, huh?

Jimmy Cliff Busts Open the Bandshell (Part 2)

Jimmy Cliff opened this year's Celebrate Brooklyn Concert Series in Prospect Park.  Relive the magic by reading my coverage of the event, and listening to the entire concert here on NPR.

Upcoming concerts:
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings @ Williamsburg Park
2 Skinnee J's @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Matt Embree @ Mercury Lounge

Jimmy Cliff Busts Open the Bandshell

Jimmy Cliff kicked off the 34th season of Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park tonight with a set of favorites. You'd never know that Cliff is 64 the way he dances rambunctiously around the stage. While his voice sometimes went a little flat in his old age (He was never one to hold back, so he still belts this shit out of his songs.), the show was fun and full of energy. The backing band was solid, with a real horn section, including a trumpeter that toasted and sang.

Leaping right out of the gate with "You Can Get It If You Really Want" set the tone for the hit parade that was to come. Following that with a cover of Rancid's "Ruby Soho" was an inspired choice, charging my brain with the task of figuring out who had actually written the song. The first of three medleys came next, a Special-themed one going from "Treat the Youths Right" into "Rub-a-Dub Partner" to "Reggae Movement" back into "Rub-a-Dub."

Listening to Cliff on my iPod this morning, I wondered if Cliff would play "Viet Nam." "Yesterday I got a letter from my friend fighting in Vietnam," doesn't exactly reek of topicality in 2012. As if he read my mind from the B train, Cliff changed the song to "Afghanistan," even going so far as to sing, "Yesterday I got an email." I guess snail mail is even out-of-fashion in Jamaica.

Jimmy skanked all the way along the amphitheater stage for a ska medley of his early '60s singles "King of Kings" and "Miss Jamaica," but the real audience treat was the set-closing mash-up of the Medlodians' "Rivers of Babylon" and Cliff's own "Bongo Man." Leading everyone on stage on hand drums and everyone in the crowd on vocals, Cliff saturated the air with such a communal vibe, one could not help but feel "irie."

JIMMY CLIFF – 06.05.12 – PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL (1 hour, 33 minutes)

SET –

You Can Get It If You Really Want / Ruby Soho / Treat the Youths Right > Rub-a-Dub Partner > Reggae Movement > Rub-a-Dub Partner / Wild World / Rebel Rebel / Save Our Planet Earth / Afghanistan (Viet Nam) / World Upside Down / King of Kings > Miss Jamaica / Many Rivers to Cross / Let Your Yeah Be Yeah / I Can See Clearly Now / Rivers of Babylon - Bongo Man Mash-Up

ENCORE I –

One More

ENCORE II –

One More

ENCORE III –

The Harder They Come / Sitting in Limbo / Wonderful World, Beautiful People

And You May Ask Yourself...

Where is the mega-post about Los Angeles?  Not here yet.  I got a new phone after I went, so I need to get the pictures I took with my old one transferred over first.  Instead, how about David Byrne opening the 31st season of Celebrate Brooklyn! at Prospect Park Bandshell?

On June 8th, David Byrne brought his retinue of dancers and musicians to Prospect Park for a stop on his Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno Tour.  Byrne emerged onstage completely dressed in white, and casually remarked, "Hi.  My name is Dave.  I'll be your waiter this evening."  That was pretty much all of the witty banter that could be heard for the remainder of the night, a disrespectful crowd and sound problems muddling a good portion of the show.  Still quite enjoyable though, even without a large knowledge of Byrne's work.  The choreography made it almost seem like a Broadway production.  Although seated for "Life is Long," Byrne and the band made sure to use swivel chairs to be able to spin to the song.  Oddly enough, my favorite song of the night may have been the first, "Strange Overtones," from his newest album with Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.  "Once in a Lifetime" was pretty amazing, but some sound issues kept it from perfection.  Three encores!  "Burning Down the House," not an Eno song, but a fan favorite, featured the entire band in tutus.  I'm not a huge fan of the song, but it was a great performance.  Check it out if you please.

DAVID BYRNE – 06.08.09 – PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL

SET –

Strange Overtones / I Zimbra / One Fine Day / Help Me Somebody / Houses in Motion / My Big Nurse / My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks) / Heaven / Moonlight in Glory / Life is Long / Crosseyed & Painless / Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) / Once in a Lifetime / Life During Wartime / I Feel My Stuff

ENCORE I –

Take Me to the River / The Great Curve

ENCORE II –

Air / Burning Down the House

ENCORE III –

Everything That Happens

After the show, I met up with my old roommate and his friends.  As we walked up 5th Ave, a group of people were congregated on the sidewalk at a hangout near Aunt Suzie's.  "Amazing performance, man," I heard someone say, amongst similar compliments.  David Byrne was standing there, graciously accepting the praise.