Minus the Bear Celebrate Ten Years of Planet of Ice at Irving Plaza

The first song I ever heard by Minus the Bear was "Knights" in 2007, but I never saw them in concert. When I got the opportunity to catch their stop at Irving Plaza on the 10th anniversary tour for Planet of Ice, I was ecstatic. Outside of building a time machine and  then using it for such a trivial reason, it was the closest I would get to seeing a show by the band when I'd first gotten into them.

To be honest, I had no idea what they'd even look like, as their album artwork doesn't feature the members, so it was a little surprising to learn that frontman Jake Snider has a graying Mark Hamill beard. But it's not about looks with MTB; it's about the music, as evident in their sparse stage setup of a few standing light rigs in front of a backdrop of the cloudy snowscape of Planet of Ice's cover. The band wasted no time in revisiting the record, revving up the opening cut "Burying Luck" to start the show. "You guys are fucking incredible. Thank you," said Snider, who couldn't seem to address the crowd without using the f-word. And that fucking crowd was full of diehards, singing to the rafters on "Ice Monster" and even along with the guitar part on "Knights." While it was annoying to have my favorite POI song blemished by the guy behind me doing just that, you almost couldn't blame him, as guitarist Dave Knudson posted himself at the front of the stage to rock out. As they progressed through the album's tracklisting, the entire band played with such confidence and passion that it was apparent they weren't going to phone these numbers in, even if they were a decade-old. I will admit that my ear can get a little fatigued listening to math rock, so Alex Rose's saxophone on "Part 2" and the extended noise jam in "Lotus" were welcome diversions. They followed the Planet of Ice portion by hopping around their discography, going as far back as 2002's Highly Refined Pirates and as recent as last year's Voids. The Coathangers, who had opened the show, introduced some red balloons (not 99, like 8) into the audience to toss around during a righteous "Secret Country." This kicked off a trio of the only tracks the band would play from 2010's Omni, culminating in the smooth synth lines of "Dayglow Vista Rd." to finish out the set.

It was Alex's birthday, so for the encore, his bandmates presented "the old man" with a cane as a gift. "It was gonna be cake!" spoke Jake. As a cake materialized from backstage, he added, "And it is. There's cake. Eat up, motherfucker." After a round of "Happy Birthday to You" from everyone in the venue, Rose rested his birthday treat precariously on the top of his keyboard while he played on "Invisible," the standout track from Voids. They wrapped things up with an emo-flavored pair of tunes that have by now become MTB standards, "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse" and "Pachuca Sunrise." I'm glad I finally got to see them, and it's likely I'll be in the fucking crowd for the Omni anniversary in a few years.

MINUS THE BEAR - 04.27.18 - IRVING PLAZA (1 hour, 44 minutes)

SET -
Burying Luck / Ice Monster > Knights / White Mystery / Dr. L'Ling / Part 2 / Throwin' Shapes / When We Escape / Double Vision Quest / Lotus / Hooray / Last Kiss / Women We Haven't Met Yet / Michio's Death Drive / Secret Country / Hold Me Down / Dayglow Vista Rd.

ENCORE -
Happy Birthday to You / Invisible / Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse / Pachuca Sunrise

Jimmie's Chicken Shack Returns to Rams Head Live for 25th Anniversary

"We're officially classic rock," joked Jimi Haha, the eccentric frontman of Jimmie's Chicken Shack, who celebrated their 25th anniversary last night at Rams Head Live in Baltimore. While their 20th anniversary show had purposefully highlighted the band's different eras, the silver anniversary was a decidedly looser affair, with no setlist to guide them through an evening of jams and personnel changes.

Former-WHFS disc jockey Rob Timm had the honor of introducing them, encouraging the audience to "Please welcome the fowlest band in the land, Jimmie's Chicken Shack!" As the crowd cheered with acclamation, the guys (Haha on vocals/guitar, Christian Valiente on bass, Jerome Maffeo on drums, and Dave "Double D" Dowling filling in for the band's current lead guitarist Island Styles) got things rolling with a pair of classics, "Sitting with the Dog" and "Blood." "Dropping Anchor" was dedicated to a fan/friend who'd flown in from San Diego to have his bachelor party at the show. "Give it up for him. He's dropping anchor and getting married," Haha said, offering him the first shot from a bottle of Patrón that would be empty by the night's end.

"Lazy Boy Dash" marked the first selection from Bring Your Own Stereo, and although Haha flubbed some of the lyrics, he got a chance to redeem himself on his favorite track from that album, "Fill in the Blank." Jimi called up guitarist Matt Jones from the back of the venue to join them on a rowdy "School Bus" detour back to their first album, before they swerved back into BYOS territory with "Pure." That song's backing vocals were impeccable, but Haha messed up his guitar part on the mellow "30 Days" that followed. No longer in possession of the Afro-puffed "wig of shame" used to humiliate members after they fuck up, Haha volunteered to wear a set of pink, light-up cat ears that Double D dubbed "the ears of fear" during "Let's Get Flat." Casey Hean accompanied them on the number. Hean was not present at the 20th anniversary, so it was my first time seeing the wild guitarist. While most members have always been willing to let Haha take the spotlight, Casey's ebullience created an interesting dynamic onstage, as he competed for attention. Jimi eventually gave up on the tune, claiming, "No one wants to hear any more of this fucking song. This song is stupid," before wrapping it up with a noisy "big rock ending." During "Outhouse," the crowd tossed a big-titted blow-up doll around like a beach ball. She ultimately made her way to the stage, where Haha demonstrated on her inflatable breasts how assholes in the '90s would grope crowdsurfing girls, and maintained that he would stop songs when he saw this happening. Keep in mind, this was decades before the Architects and Drake went viral for doing the same thing last year.

Mike Sipple, whose ":" jersey still fit, took a seat at the drums for "Spiraling," which also featured an all-too-brief sit-in from original bassist Ché Lemon, who was then traded out for Derrick Dorsey on rarity "Slow Change." While it may be Haha's favorite JCS tune, it had only been available on a mail-in EP, so its scarcity resulted in fewer crowdmembers singing along and a consequential drop in the room's energy level. Fortunately, a raging "When You Die You're Dead" brought everybody back onto the same page. My personal favorite, "Another Day" came next, with a surprise drop-in from Kelly Bell on congas. I didn't take note of the time, as I never expected them to jam on it so long, but several solos took it well over the ten-minute mark, culminating in a swirling, almost psychedelic groove. For a cool-down, Matt Jones returned for "Beautiful," the only number performed from Re.Present and the only song of the evening that Double D did not play on.

As the lineup switched yet again, Jimi remarked, "We've got three songs left. We're supposed to be done at 1, but fuck that. 'Cause George Clinton fucking went past 1." (P-Funk had played Rams Head the previous night.) The first of the three was their 1999 charting single, "Do Right." Jimi went the reggae route towards the song's end, delving into Sublime's "Smoke Two Joints" and teasing "No Woman, No Cry." "I've never played a solo in that song since I wrote it," he revealed with a smirk after plucking out a slinky improvised passage. Then they loaded the stage with all three lead guitarists, both drummers, Ché, and Kelly Bell. "We're like the fucking Allman Brothers," chuckled Haha before giving props to John Mayer for his guitarwork in Dead & Company. He then proclaimed All Mighty Senators to be the best Maryland band, spouting off a few lyrics from "No Clothes On" prior to "Milk." Every guitarist took a solo, with Haha holding up a wooden Maryland flag with the word "Boo" emblazoned across the Calvert sections during Double D's. Before his own solo, Jimi boasted that we were about to witness the "best guitar licks you've ever seen," and lapped his tongue up and down the fretboard of his six-string. "Eric Clapton will never do that," confirmed the drunk guy next to me.

As the show wound down, things got emotional, with Double D disclosing that Kelly Bell had saved his life a few years back, and a misty-eyed Haha referencing the lyrics to "Stop." "We had a song where I said, 'I feel lucky I made it to 25.' Now the band is 25." He also made sure to clarify that we weren't supposed to be booing Dave's solo, but that the sign was in tribute to Ramon "Boo" Valdez, Rams Head's talent buyer that passed away in 2016. Of course, no JCS show would be complete without their raucous first single, "High," so they made it their closer. "I don't want to end this show or concert or whatever the fuck it was with applause. I want to end it with a 'Boo,' requested Jimi. As he held up the the flag artwork again, the crowd booed their approval, grateful to have had this band in their lives for 25 years, not to mention twenty minutes after curfew.

JIMMIE'S CHICKEN SHACK - 02.17.18 - RAMS HEAD LIVE (2 hours, 20 minutes)

SET -
Sitting with the Dog / Blood / Dropping Anchor / Lazy Boy Dash / Fill in the Blank / Waiting / School Bus / Pure / 30 Days / Let's Get Flat / Outhouse / Spiraling / Slow Change / When You Die You're Dead / Another Day (feat. Kelly Bell) / Beautiful / Do Right > Smoke Two Joints > No Woman, No Cry (tease) > Do Right / No Clothes On (tease) / Milk (feat. Kelly Bell) / High

J. Roddy Walston & the Business Brooklyn Steel Setlist

Review to come.

J. RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS - 02.07.18 - BROOKLYN STEEL

SET -

Don't Break the Needle / Full Growing Man / Ways & Means / Marigold > Same Days / Bad Habits / I Don't Wanna Hear It / Numbers / Take It as It Comes / Brave Man's Death / Caroline / American Girl / Bleed Out / Used to Did / Midnight Cry

ENCORE -

Sweat Shock > You Know Me Better / Heavy Bells

Deer Tick Shows Two Sides at Brooklyn Steel

"This show has two sets: one quiet, one loud. The drunker you get, the louder we get," Ian O'Neil informed the Saturday night audience at Brooklyn Steel. I first got word of Deer Tick's "Twice is Nice" tour in June by way of an email containing a pre-sale code. The band would be playing an acoustic set and an electric set, representative of their upcoming albums Vol. 1 & 2, and a stand-up comedian would be opening the show. I bought my tickets immediately, and anxiously waited for December like a kid who's been good all year. After a long walk from the subway and an even longer security process, I made my way into the showroom at Brooklyn Steel to find the comic already onstage. It turned out to be my pal, Nore Davis, who once headlined my comedy show, Free Rad Jokez. Wearing a red bandana, Nore made the packed house laugh at his desire to open a 24-hour farmers market to compete with fast-food chains. Not even ten minutes past nine, he welcomed Deer Tick to the stage.

While normally content to wear white t-shirts or nothing at all, the band dressed up for the occasion, looking quite dapper in various combinations of crimson and black. They greeted the crowd and began with "Sea of Clouds," the first track on Vol. 1. They followed promptly with the tango intro to "Card House," the record's second song and coincidentally my personal favorite of the two-disc collection. "Do an oldie," McCauley declared, leading the band on "Art Isn't Real (City of Sin)" and alleviating worries that a) the albums would be performed in sequence, and b) they'd only be playing songs from Vol. 1 & 2. Highlights included "Me & My Man," which made way more sense to me after Dennis Ryan revealed it to be about his dog, and "The Dream's in the Ditch," my most-played Tick tune. "Mange" capped off the unplugged portion with an energetic finish, McCauley and O'Neil embellishing their guitar strums into a choreographed routine à la ZZ Top.

During the break, stagehands traded the red backdrop for a yellow one, keeping with the ketchup and mustard theme of the albums' artwork. Nore emerged once again to introduce the band, this time donning a yellow bandana. I suddenly understood why he'd worn a red one earlier, and sure enough, Deer Tick also returned with an ochre wardrobe change. Taking a cue from the first set's structure, the boys led with the first two songs from Vol. 2. They broke the order with "Clownin Around," Dennis Ryan's ode to John Wayne... Gacy. Ian O'Neil informed the crowd that the show had sold out during set break, and the band appeared to relish the news, kicking off "The Bump" with an extended jam. While I'd enjoyed the first set, it was apparent that they were having more fun in the second frame, even dipping into Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" mid-"These Old Shoes." Ryan sang "Wants/Needs" from behind his Plexiglas drum fortress before careening into Chris Montez's "Let's Dance," McCauley strapping on a harmonica for the ride. Covers of the Pogues' "White City" and Tommy Keene's "Places That Are Gone" injected some '80s guitar tones into the mix. Following the latter, the band departed stage left, with the exception of John, who moved to the keyboard. Although he admitted he was a bit under the weather, he persevered on a spirited take of "Christ Jesus," his bandmates rejoining him after the second refrain. Deer Tick wrapped up the set with a trio from Vol. 2, "It's a Whale," "Look How Clean I Am," and "Mr. Nothing Gets Worse," and left the stage.

Would they come back and play more songs? Would they be acoustic or electric? A minute later, John returned, took a seat at the keyboard, and said, "Alright, we'll do a few more." While the lyrics to "Goodbye, Dear Friend" made it a good encore choice, it's a bit of a downer to end on, so the band fired off a joyful "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding?" with John windmilling through the closing power chords. They kept the party going with a pair of their most beloved tunes, "Baltimore Blues No. 1" and "Ashamed," the crowd offering ample vocal assistance. McCauley wanted to ensure that his appreciation for the fans didn't go unnoticed, remarking, "Some people think this is bullshit, but it isn't," as he segued into Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." After the ketchup and mustard of the first two sets, the encore was gravy.

DEER TICK - 12.02.17 - BROOKLYN STEEL

SET ONE, ACOUSTIC (56 minutes) -

Sea of Clouds / Card House / Art Isn't Real (City of Sin) / Houston, TX / Smith Hill / Hope is Big / Me & My Man / Cocktail / The Dream's in the Ditch / Only Love / Mange

SET TWO, ELECTRIC (1 hour, 11 minutes) -

Don't Hurt / Jumpstarting / Clownin Around / The Bump > Easy / Tiny Fortunes / White City / These Old Shoes > Superstition (tease) > These Old Shoes / Twenty Miles / Wants/Needs > Let's Dance / Make Believe / Miss K. / Dirty Dishes / Places That Are Gone / Christ Jesus / It's a Whale / Look How Clean I Am / Mr. Nothing Gets Worse

ENCORE (19 minutes) -

Goodbye, Dear Friend / (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding? / Baltimore Blues No. 1 / Ashamed > You Are So Beautiful

Alex Lahey Music Hall of Williamsburg Setlist

NERVOUS DATER - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (28 minutes)

SET -
Fun Dumpster / Vominos / Run Home / Bad Spanish / Pigeon Language / Serenity / Don't Be a Stranger

DUDE YORK - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (34 minutes)

SET -
Black Jack > Lonely Girls* / Something in the Way > Tonight / The Way I Feel > Love Is / Twin Moons / Paralyzed

ALEX LAHEY - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (1 hour, 11 minutes)

SET -

Every Day's the Weekend / Wes Anderson / Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder / L-L-L-Leave Me Alone / Awkward Exchange / I Want U / Ivy League / Let's Call It a Day / I Love You Like a Brother / Lotto in Reverse / Backpack / Torn / I Haven't Been Taking Care of Myself

ENCORE -

There's No Money / Let's Go Out / You Don't Think You Like People Like Me

White Reaper Le Poisson Rouge Setlist

Review to come.

WHITE REAPER - 11.10.17 - LE POISSON ROUGE (1 hour, 1 minute)

SET -

Wolf Trap Hotel > Last 4th of July > Pills / Little Silver Cross / I Don't Think She Cares > Crystal Pistol > Sheila / Eagle Beach / Friday the 13th / The World's Best American Band / The Stack / Judy French / Make Me Wanna Die > B.T.K. / Tequila Crowdsurfing Jam*

ENCORE -

Half Bad

Elizabeth & the Catapult Shares Her Keepsakes at Le Poisson Rouge

Last night at Le Poisson Rouge, Elizabeth & the Catapult (Elizabeth Ziman) performed an intimate album release show for her fourth LP, Keepsake. The collection of songs is aptly named. It's a sophisticated pop record that travels effortlessly through styles while still packing a melodic punch. I've already listened to it multiple times, and it hasn't even come out yet.

The subterranean space was arranged in a way I hadn't seen there before, with the stage in the center, surrounded by a flotilla of tables. My view of the stage was bisected by a column, but I was able to see Elizabeth take a seat at the piano in the right half. She began with LCD Soundsystem's sombre "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" before brightening things up by segueing into her own "Mea Culpa." With an intrusive squeal, the noisy air conditioner above the stage kicked on right after the song's final lyric, "More bad mistakes for us to make before we fuck it all up," which was actually kind of endearing in that moment. Elizabeth thanked the audience and promised, "I'm just gonna give you everything I've got tonight until until I burst into a million pieces, and then I just have to lie down." A five-piece band materialized onstage to back her on the chorus of "Magic Chaser." After a pair of tunes from her previous LP, Ziman got on her feet and moved to keyboard to her right for a breakneck "Less Than You Think." Despite a technical issue with the keyboard that required Elizabeth to switch to the piano during "Method Acting," the song was one of the evening's best performances, culminating in a beautiful vocal harmony that included Secret Someones' Hannah Winkler. Ziman conceded the keyboard to Winkler and took a handheld mic to the center of the stage. The band proceeded with Keepsake's first single/track, "We Can Pretend," with its lush, Polynesian sounds evoking imagery of Technicolor musicals. They followed it with the album's peppy second single/track "Underwater" and then the band scattered, leaving Elizabeth alone. She performed a solo vocal rendition of Greg Laswell's "Embrace Me" and then shared acoustic guitar duties with Jonno Linden on "Let's Make a Mess of Our Love," a number new enough to not even be on the record.

"So the experiment continues," Ziman said, returning to the keyboard. "I had a children's choir sing on this song on my album, but I couldn't get them in here 'cause they're children." "We'll sing! We'll sing!" offered an eager crowdmember. "Will you be my children?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh. Looping her breath as percussion, she pressed on with "Ambrosia." While it may have been a lot to ask the audience to sing along on a song that they'd never heard before, its hopeful lyrics over a plucky, staccato refrain just beg for audience participation, and I have no doubt that over time this will become an Elizabeth & the Catapult concert staple.  At its denouement, Ziman held up a paper to read a list of thank yous, as well as a political speech in which she encouraged the crowd to "keep spreading love however you know how."

Elizabeth welcomed a mustachioed Jeff Taylor to the stage for his clapper "Kadoka," which was followed by a quick round of "Happy Birthday to You" for Wiman's mom and a "Better Days" bouncier than its studio version. "I just threw the setlist out the window," Ziman announced as she invited Emily Mure and Jeff Taylor to help close out the set with "Where Were You the Night," her reaction to last year's surprising election results. The elegy crescendoed into a chaotic jam, the vocalists' haunting wails intertwining to suggest a ghostly choir of past presidents spinning in their graves.

ELIZABETH & THE CATAPULT - 10.18.17 - LE POISSON ROUGE (1 hour, 26 minutes)

SET -

New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down > Mea Culpa > New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down > Mea Culpa / Magic Chaser / Salt of the Earth / Happy Pop / Less Than You Think / Method Acting / We Can Pretend / Underwater / Embrace Me / Let's Make a Mess of Our Love / Ambrosia / Thank You for Nothing / Kadoka (feat. Jeff Taylor) / Happy Birthday to You / Better Days / Where Were You the Night (feat. Emily Mure & Jeff Taylor)

ENCORE -

Go Away My Lover (feat. Jeff Taylor)

Afropunk 2017 Sunday Setlists

Review to come.


SON LITTLE - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (25 minutes, 30 seconds)

SET -
Alice / Blue Magic (Waikiki) > Go Blue Blood Red / Your Love Will Blow Me Away / The River / Charging Bull

GARY CLARK, JR. - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (53 minutes)

SET -
When My Train Pulls In / Next Door Neighbor Blues / Ain't Messin' 'Round / Our Love / Cold Blooded / Bright Lights / Things Are Changin' / You Saved Me

RAPHAEL SAADIQ - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (1 hour, 23 minutes)

SET -
Intro > 100 Yard Dash > Heart Attack > Be Here > Will It Go Round in Circles / Movin' Down the Line > Good Man > Get Involved > I Chase You* > Dance Tonight > Don't Mess with My Man / Let's Get Down > Still Ray > Blind Man / Oph > Charlie Ray / You're the One That I Like > Never Give You Up > Just One Kiss / (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow > Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop) > Anniversary / Kissin' You > It Never Rains (in Southern California) / Soul Sista (feat. Bilal) / Ask of You / Lady > Just Me & You > Cranes in the Sky > Skyy, Can You Feel Me > Outro

Nicky Francis Pete's Candy Store Setlist

Review to come.

NICKY FRANCIS - 05.18.17 - PETE'S CANDY STORE (35 minutes, 30 seconds)

SET -
Meant to Last / Don't Push Me / Crooked Path / Did Her for the Love / Tattoo / Nobody Knows / Talking / The Way That We Are

Matthew Logan Vasquez Rough Trade NYC Setlist

Review to come.

MATTHEW LOGAN VASQUEZ - 04.29.17 - ROUGH TRADE NYC (1 hour, 26 minutes)

SET -

Old Ways / Personal > Same / Fires Down in Mexico / Red Fish / Maria / Halfcolt / Crippler King > Ace of Spades (tease) > On the Road Again > Crippler King / Spanish Moss > Bushwick Blues / The Old Revolution / From Behind the Glass / Blue Eyes / Theater / Stand Up > Everything I Do is Out > Shit Luck > Little Star of Bethlehem (tease) > Everything I Do is Out

Caleb Caudle Gets Intimate at Rockwood Music Hall

"New York City. Friday night. There's a lot of things going on. Thanks for choosing this thing," Caleb Caudle addressed his audience in the subterranean Stage 3 of Rockwood Music Hall. Armed only with an acoustic guitar and his twangy mid-range, Caudle began his set by stripping down "Piedmont Sky" and "Tuscaloosa" from last year's Carolina Ghost. He followed with "Trade All the Lights," a fan favorite in which Caudle claims he'd trade all of NYC's luminance to be in New Orleans with a loved one. "No offense," he assured the crowd of New Yorkers at its conclusion. After all, the song was written in a different time in Caleb's life about a woman he's no longer with. He'd explained to me in a podcast interview before the show that even if he doesn't have the same connection to its lyrics as he once did, he realizes that his listeners might, so he has to give it his all for them.

The excellent acoustics of Rockwood's basement made it possible to hear every little nuance of the performance, with Caleb demonstrating a soul singer's keen awareness of his spatial relationship to the microphone. In the small room, remarks from the crowd were also amplified, promoting conversation between Caudle and his fans and fostering the kind of intimacy that the venue is famous for. Following "Uphill Battle," Caleb admitted that he'd only just noticed that he'd sung the first five songs with a cough drop in his mouth. He was supposedly battling springtime allergies, but you wouldn't have known it from his impassioned cover of Springsteen's "Atlantic City" that had an Asbury Park-native in the front row swooning like a young Courteney Cox. Caudle also unveiled "Stack of Tomorrows" and "Madeleine," two numbers from his upcoming record, Crushed Coins. If they're any indication of what's on the way, it's gonna be a doozy. The latter ranks among his best songs and was captivating enough that the waitress didn't dare interrupt to take orders for a second round. Caleb finished off the show with a toe-tapping "Borrowed Smiles," not a person in the room second-guessing their Friday night plans.

CALEB CAUDLE - 04.14.17 - ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL (51 minutes)

SET -
Piedmont Sky / Tuscaloosa / Trade All the Lights / Broken Hallelujah / Uphill Battle / Stack of Tomorrows / Anne Marie / White Dove's Wing / Atlantic City / Madeleine / Carolina Ghost / Come on October / Borrowed Smiles

Tall Tall Trees Takes His Greasy Dance Party to Rockwood Music Hall

Mike Savino has been growing a beard for five or six years.  By now, the tangled nest of brown curls extends down to the middle of his chest.  It's the first thing most people notice, but if you'd seen him on Saturday night, it would've been his toothy grin as the capacity crowd at Rockwood Music Hall sang back to him: "I was a seagull / You were an eagle."

Just three songs prior, a good portion of this choir had never heard of Tall Tall Trees, the name Savino performs under.  While it's a delight to see a musician enjoying himself so much, one of my favorite things to do at a Tall Tall Trees show is to watch people's awed expressions as they first experience the spectacle of what Savino is able to do with a banjo.  I should mention that Mike doesn't play an ordinary banjo.  His "Banjotron 5000" is a custom-rigged Swiss Army knife of an instrument that he fingerpicks, bows, pounds with a mallet, sings through, etc., effectively transforming Mike into one-man band.  In an upcoming podcast interview that we taped before the show, he explained that many of the instrument's features come as a result of him breaking it and re-breaking it.  Its latest casualty was its trademark ring of flashing lights, inexplicably stuck on red.  "I think it's out of anger," quipped Mike.  "It's gonna stay red for a few years, and then we'll have to get the Banjotron back to blue... hashtag."

Although he normally performs solo (when not improvisationally sparring onstage with Kishi Bashi), Savino was joined by Ashevillean Micah Thomas on drums.  "After four years, I got tired of driving alone," Savino admitted.  He introduced "Say Something Real!" as Micah's favorite, the bombastic march of its refrain allowing for Thomas to pound away joyously.  The duo had been playing together for less than a week, and it was exciting to watch Mike keep Micah on his toes.  During the aforementioned "Seagullxeagle," an interspecies romance that Savino described as "Romeo & Juliet for the David Attenborough set," Thomas stood up at his drum kit, spread his own wingspan, and cawed like a bird.

The singalong helped the crowd to loosen up a little in the sauna-like conditions of the small room.  "Are you guys ready to have a greasy dance party?" Mike polled the sweaty audience before plunging into the bhangra-informed "Waiting on the Day."  Mike's foot missed a pedal during the intro to "Being There," and he decided to restart the number, owning up to it with an "I effed up, bro."  The mistake was quickly forgotten as the duo veered the song into a spacey jam, with Savino utilizing a toy megaphone and a laser gun to interact with the Banjotron's electronics.  The jam segued into final number "Highwire," Savino again enlisting the crowd for accompaniment on a few takes of its falsetto chorus before Mike and Micah brought it all home with a circusy dirge.

TALL TALL TREES - 02.25.17 - ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL (56 minutes)

SET -
Picture Picture / Backroads / Say Something Real! / Seagullxeagle / Waiting on the Day / Being There > Jam > Highwire

Phish MSG Night Two Setlist

Review to come.

PHISH - 12.29.16 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET I (1 hour, 18 minutes) -
Sweet Adeline / Peaches en Regalia > Mike's Song > Secret Smile > Weekapaug Groove / Roses Are Free / Poor Heart / 46 Days / Brian & Robert / Beauty of a Broken Heart / Theme from the Bottom > Split Open & Melt

SET II (1 hour, 14 minutes) -
Down with Disease > What's the Use? > Fuego > Meatstick / Twenty Years Later > Kung > Twenty Years Later > Makisupa Policeman / Harry Hood

ENCORE (8 minutes) -
Julius

Phish MSG Night One Setlist

Review to come.

PHISH - 12.28.16 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET I (1 hour, 20 minutes) -

The Star-Spangled Banner / Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan / Lonesome Cowboy Bill > Free / Train Song / Prince Caspian / Roggae / Funky Bitch / Halfway to the Moon / Corinna / Stash / Cavern

SET II (1 hour, 19 minutes) -

Wolfman's Brother / Golden Age > Simple > Chalk Dust Torture / Martian Monster > Tweezer Reprise > Martian Monster / Wingsuit / Possum

ENCORE (7 minutes) -

Good Times Bad Times

The Majorleans Return to Mercury Lounge

Mercury Lounge's most iconic feature had to have been its wall sconces.  The dim incandescent bulbs entrenched in decorative wire cages looked like giant firefly abdomens, just barely illuminating the showroom's brick walls to give it a feel that was somehow simultaneously dingy and classy.  They were even used in the lounge's website design for years until the Bowery Presents overhauled the page to include their other venues.  So imagine my shock last night when I stepped into the room to find them replaced with new fixtures that appear as if someone sliced a scalloped pitcher in half, stuck it over a LED light, and glued it to an elongated octagon made of reflective material streaked with blue wisps.  They look like shit and I don't know what they were thinking.  Almost exactly a year ago, when the original sconces remained, the Majorleans played the Mercury Lounge, unveiling a selection of new tunes that Nicky Francis and Chris Buckle had been workshopping for their next album, Carouser's End.  Last night, the band played all seven songs from the upcoming record.

The set got off to a shaky start, as inconsistent monitor levels had the members struggling to hear each other, with Buckle having difficulty harmonizing during "Mr. Magic."  After some adjustments, the band rallied behind "Give It All to Me," having lived in the Carouser's tunes long enough now that they've become staples.  The older Black Belt numbers benefitted from being reworked as well.  "Imaginary Plane" has always been my least favorite Majorleans song, but for this go-round, they slowed it down, allowing me to hear just how deep the pocket of rhythm section Bongers & Brooks goes.  By the time they'd reached the end of "What I Mean" five songs in, the confidence was visible, Nicky shaking his narrow hips as the crowd clapped for more.  "Once the pendulum starts swinging, it doesn't stop," Francis acknowledged.  "Not in those jeans!" came a teasing rebuttal from a crowdmember.  Trading out his Rickenbacker electric for a Gibson acoustic, Nicky led the band on a duo of Carouser's ditties, "Under the Spell" and "Sunrise Mary," the latter of which was greeted with knowing cheers from the audience.

Almost as big of a surprise as the new lighting on the walls, but entirely more welcome, was the second live performance ever of "Lonesome Seaside Driving School."  Written while driving along the southern coast of France, the introspective and atmospheric ballad stood proudly amid the band's rockers.  Having pulled it off without a hitch, Nicky warned the people, "It's all biscuits in your mouth from here on out, so be ready."  He held onto the Gibson for a terrific "Under Ma Wheels" before returning to the Rick on "Tattoo."  Chris sustained the song's final note to give Francis enough leeway to slap on a capo for their frequent closer and time-tested crowd-pleaser "Never Had Enough."  While it definitely sucks about the sconces, fortunately the Mercury Lounge will always be about the music, first and foremost.

THE MAJORLEANS - 12.07.16 - MERCURY LOUNGE (53 minutes)

SET -

Mr. Magic / Give It All to Me / Imaginary Plane / Set to Receive / What I Mean / Under the Spell / Sunrise Mary / Lonesome Seaside Driving School / Under Ma Wheels / Tattoo > Never Had Enough

Mike Doughty Rough Trade Setlist

Review soon.

MIKE DOUGHTY - 10.25.16 - ROUGH TRADE NYC (29 minutes)

SET -

Busting Up a Starbucks / Janine / Wait! You'll Find a Better Way / Lazybones / I Can't Believe I Found You in That Town / Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future / Making Me Lay Down

Cris Jacobs American Beauty Setlist

Recap to come.

CRIS JACOBS - 10.19.16 - AMERICAN BEAUTY (1 hour, 16 minutes)

SET -

Delivery Man / Jack the Whistle & the Hammer / Hallelujah Hustler / Kind Woman / Samson & Delilah / Bone Digger / The Devil or Jesse James / Be My Stars / Bad Locomotive / Cold Carolina / Good to You / Shine Your Weary Light

Matthew Logan Vasquez Bowery Ballroom Setlist

Review to come.

MATTHEW LOGAN VASQUEZ - 10.18.16 - BOWERY BALLROOM (40 minutes)

SET -

Stand Up / Fires Down in Mexico / Personal / Maria / Halfcolt / Crippler King > Land of 1000 Dances (tease) > Crippler King / Blue Eyes / Theater / Everything I Do is Out

Rx Bandits 10th Anniversary of And the Battle Begun Irving Plaza Setlist

Review to come.

RX BANDITS - 10.10.16 - IRVING PLAZA (1 hour, 33 minutes)

SET -

ntro / ...And the Battle Begun / In Her Drawer / Only for the Night / On a Lonely Screen > 1980 > One Million Miles an Hour, Fast Asleep / Apparition / A Mouth Full of Hollow Threats? / Mirror in the Bathroom > Epoxi-Lips > Tainted Wheat > To Our Unborn Daughters / Crushing Destroyer

ENCORE -

Overcome (the Recapitulation) / Ruby Cumulous / Unknown* > Stargazer / Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers > Spottieottiedopaliscious (tease) > Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers / Decrescendo

Kishi Bashi Webster Hall Setlist

Review to come.

KISHI BASHI - 10.02.16 - WEBSTER HALL (1 hour, 51 minutes)

SET -
Statues in a Gallery / Hey Big Star / M'Lover / Carry on Phenomenon / Atticus, In the Desert (feat. Philip Mayer) / Improvisation > Bright Whites / Who'd You Kill > Can't Let Go, Juno / Say Yeah / Ode to My Next Life / I Am the Antichrist to You / Bittersweet Genesis for Him & Her / The Ballad of Mr. Steak / Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! / It All Began with a Burst

ENCORE -

Honeybody / Q&A / Manchester