Top 25 Live Songs of 2013

In 2012, I made a list of the Top 20 Live Songs I'd seen.  I went to even more concerts last year, so here's 25.


25. "Snake Farm" - Sometimes We Sing Together, 07.17, Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
Adorable and hilarious.

24. "I Thought You Were My Friend" - Incidental Animals, 11.21, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
I'm not even sure if this is the name of the spunky number, but I hope it's on the next ALO album.

23. "Wild Places" - Chris Mills, 02.16, Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
From the first note, Mills made it clear he was an opener you couldn't ignore.  Stunning.

22. "If Only" - Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, 09.21, SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
The first time the duo performed the song.  The pain in the lyrics was all over Dave's face.

21. "Patience" - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, 06.28, Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
It may have been 100 degrees, but Jr. Gong delivered this one with cool precision.

20. "Woke Up This Morning" - Dragon Smoke, 06.24, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY

A funktastic tribute to James Gandolfini mere days after his death.

19. "Flake" - Jack Johnson, 09.21, SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
Lukas Nelson plugged in and reinvented this one with complementary flourishes of electric guitar.

18. "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)" - Jim James, 02.19, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Perfect opening cut, which built steadily to its electrifying conclusion.

17. "Is This Love" - Allen Stone, 08.02, Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
So good that even his bandmates didn't want him to stop singing.

16. "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over & Done)" - Bleu, 09.18, Bowery Electric, New York, NY
Eat your heart out, Jeff Lynne.

15. "I Wanna Be Your Lover" - Penguin Prison, 06.26, Commonwealth, Las Vegas, NV
It was a DJ set, so he was basically doing karaoke, but he fucking crushed it.

14. "Miss Pretty" - Shuggie Otis, 08.08, Metrotech Commons, Brooklyn, NY
Saw three Shuggie shows.  He annihilated the solo here.

13. "Bulls on Parade" - The Revivalists, 11.22, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
It's not every day you hear a Rage cover with baritone sax AND lap steel.

12. "Doesn't It Remind You of Something" - Ken Stringfellow, 02.16, Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
Hard to pick a favorite from this excellent show, but this duet with Darling Cait was superb.

11. "The Big Bad Wolf" - The Heavy, 08.24, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
I'd already seen them play it earlier in the night, but this time the stage couldn't contain Kelvin Swaby, who leapt into the crowd.

10. "Does It Really Make a Difference" - Galactic, 04.13, Terminal 5, New York, NY
If Galactic toured with a vocalist aside from David Shaw, it most certainly would make a difference.  He absolutely killed it.

9. "Third Stone from the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say" - Gary Clark, Jr., 05.05, Beale St. Music Festival, Memphis, TN
Best guitar solo of the year.

8. "I Feel So Bad" - Steve Kimock, 02.23, Stage 48, New York, NY
This had very little to do with the Chuck Willis tune by the time Kimock and his friends sent it out on a journey through the solar system.

7. "The Road" - Frank Turner, 03.04, Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
Sometimes one perfect scream is all you need to turn a good song into a great song.

6. "Always" - Broken Anchor, 02.15, Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
Impossible to believe it was only two dudes pumping out such a huge anthem.

5. "Spiderweb" - Jimmie's Chicken Shack, 01.11, Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD
H1 may have flubbed some lines, but the energy was off the charts.

4. "Running Red Lights" - The Postelles, 05.14, Standard Hotel, New York, NY
Daniel Balk had enough swagger and soul in his voice to make Mick Jagger blush.

3. "Ghost" - Phish, 12.30, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
In a run full of improvised heady excursions, surprisingly this type-I jam was my favorite.  The joyful energy that radiated throughout the remainder of the second set could not have been there without this friendly "Casper" to guide it forth.

2. "Everybody's Brother" - Cody Chesnutt, 06.13, SOB's, New York, NY
"Oh... my... goodness!"

1. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - They Might Be Giants, 08.10, Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, NY
Over the past 11 years, I'd grown accustomed to seeing the song performed by the full band, but the Johns defied expectations with this amazing turn as a comedy duo. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a concert.

Top 15 Concerts of 2013

I saw easily over 100 acts last year.  Probably closer to 200, but I'm not gonna go back and count.  Anyway, these were 15 of my favorites.

15. The Flaming Lips - 05.05, Beale St. Music Festival, Memphis, TN
From a four-foot-tall platform amid a nest of sparkling tubes and silver globes, Coyne coddled a baby doll while he sang over the nightmarish groove of "Look... The Sun is Rising."  At the song's end, he informed us, "This baby's sleeping," and set it aside for a louder, more frightening version of "The Terror," the screen behind him rapidly hurtling through a succession of sharply toothed mouths. (Read full review)

14. George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic - 08.22, Beekman Beer Garden, New York, NY
"Nothing Before Me But Thang" took on a heady liquid groove as Greg Thomas skimmed the surface with his saxophone.  Then keyboardist Jerome Rodgers stepped in, his staccato notes injecting a chilliness that turned the jam into the march of an army of ice creatures. (Read full review)

13. Galactic - 04.13, Terminal 5, New York, NY
Corey took the mic to rap "From the Corner to the Block" and passed it to Shaw to lead the crowd on a singalong of ODB's "Got Your Money."  And then he sang "Better Off Dead."  Not many singers can transition so smoothly from Ol' Dirty Bastard to Bill Withers, but then again, not many singers have the chops that David Shaw has. (Read full review)

12. Allen Stone - 08.02, Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
This wasn't Allen Stone inciting a crowd to dance with a preacher-like authority; it was Allen Stone using his dazzling voice to make a room fall silent while his friend tickled the keys of a real, wooden piano.  Brent, on backup vocals, made hand signals to Josh to watch Allen for the end, but then found himself laughing in awe at Allen's vocal ability, not wanting the tune to stop. (Read full review)

11. Toots & the Maytals - 04.13, Terminal 5, New York, NY
At 70 years old, he sounds even better than he did on the Maytals' LPs from the 1960s and '70s.  Time has ripened his already rich vocal palate, and he made his way deftly through hit after hit: "Pressure Drop," "Time Tough," "Pomp & Pride," "Sweet & Dandy." (Read full review)

10. Jim James - 02.19, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
James came to the line "The power's goin' out," and the room abruptly went black.  The lights popped on again as the music returned, and the grinning audience immediately adapted to cheering "Woo!" on the return beat.  Those who listened to Regions of Light and were let down by the lack of guitar solos didn't have to worry about the Flying V going to waste, with James shredding a killer one here, and on two later tunes. (Read full review)

9. Jimmie's Chicken Shack - 01.11, Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD
"Let's bring out the original recipe in this bitch.  And I'm keepin' my shirt on," Jimi said, as the other founding Jims, McD and Chaney, took their spots with Haha and Ché.  The band was back!  McD's guitarwork showed hints of the blues that the night's previous axemen did not have, and despite not having all played together in 15 years, they were remarkably tight. (Read full review)

8. Gary Clark, Jr. - 05.05, Beale St. Music Festival, Memphis, TN

"Travis County" and "Ain't Messin' 'Round" charged up the audience for the set's biggest moment: Clark's re-interpretive "Third Stone from the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say" medley.  While returning to "Stone" from Collins' song, Clark transmogrified his guitar into a turntable, scratching out a string-breaking solo that dropped jaws.  "Y'alright?" Clark asked with a wry grin. (Read full review)

7. Broken Anchor - 02.15, Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
For new tune "Head is a Hole," Austin cut his number of strings in half, trading his guitar for a bass with only three strings that he played capoed and with a pick.  It was the perfect spot for the dour ditty, juxtaposed against "Always," which soared to anthemic heights, propelled by Duffy's blows on the toms with mallets instead of sticks. (Read full review)

6. Alabama Shakes - 02.14, Rocks Off Boat Cruise, New York, NY
Brittany put down her six-string and won everyone back with what I've come to see as their signature live song, "Be Mine."  All the more poignant on Valentine's Day, Brittany erupted in the last chorus, grabbing a few guys in the front row to dance with. (Read full review)

5. Phish - 12.30, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Anastasio revved up the rollicking "Chalk Dust Torture," and an arsenal of cow-patterned balloons exploded from the center of the crowd.  Trey's guitar evolved into a humpback whale, searching for mates across a swirling sea.  Then Mike dropped "the brown noise," clearing the air for a short, gentle section prior to the final uptempo groove. (Read full review)

4. The Roots - 05.04, Beale St. Music Festival, Memphis, TN
The first third of the set focused mainly on Roots classics like "Table of Contents," "The Next Movement," and "Proceed," with the first pause coming 33 minutes in, mid-"Mellow My Man."  Black Thought breathlessly remarked, "I need a cup of coffee, y'all," and they jumped back into the song, not breaking for another 28 minutes until a fake-out ending in "Immigrant Song." (Read full review)

3. They Might Be Giants - 08.10, Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, NY
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 its namesake.  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. (Read full review)

2. Cody Chesnutt - 06.13, SOB's, New York, NY
He took another beat before crooning the first line, "I used to smoke crack."  "Oh... my... goodness!" clamored an awestruck female in the front, not at the admission to drug use, but at Cody's honey butter voice.  Marvin Gaye may have been murdered before I was born, but his spirit is alive and well inside Mr. Chesnutt. (Read full review)

1. Ken Stringfellow - 02.16, Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
I magically found myself in the front row when he parted the crowd like Moses to play "110 or 220V."  Now mere inches away from Stringfellow, I learned what intimacy was, as he played his guitar directly in front of me.  It was such a strange feeling, almost uncomfortable, yet welcoming at the same time, as the show transformed from a concert in a room full of people to an incredibly personal experience. (Read full review)

Phish 12/31 Review: Phans Get Their Cake & Eat It Too

After three nights of escalating energy, the audience inside MSG was literally buzzing with anticipation for the final installment of Phish's 2013 New Year's run.  Walking out to thunderous applause, the band members took their positions and ripped into "AC/DC Bag."  The fairly standard version unraveled at its end, and the boys plunged into "A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing."  The first Undermind track of the run, Trey opened it up a little with some shimmery licks.  Then those whose mouths had been watering since Saturday's fakeout finally got their "Wilson."  Page's gurgling organ was the high point of "The Divided Sky," but the mid-song pause went on a little too long and damaged the flow.  Towards the end, Trey was visibly laughing at some of his flubs.  They followed with "Ocelot," letting it breathe a little to nice results.  They took longer than normal to figure out what would be next, and "Sugar Shack," with some notably warbling vocals from Gordon, was not the best choice.  It was chased with the piano-based "Halfway to the Moon."  I'd never heard the song before, and judging from the tepid crowd response, neither had most of the audience.  Everyone, however, knew the song that came next: "Fluffhead."  It wasn't exactly a saving grace; more of a pretty ribbon to wrap up the weakest set of the run.  But as was evident the previous night, it's not about the first set.  The band carried a keyboard onto the stage as an homage to the photo on the cover of Colorado '88.  "We made everyone a cake," announced Trey as he began divvying up the 30th birthday treat. "We're gonna hand out some cake for the set break."  They passed out maybe three pieces, and left the stage.  Did anyone get a slice?  How did it taste?

The time to get a beer to wash it down wasn't yet.  The screen on the new scoreboard flickered, and a video began.  Dilapidated remnants of past New Year's gags were all collected in a rural junkyard.  Set to a "2001" jam, a bearded Fishman resurrected a box truck from the ruins, and started driving it south.  Aside from one major accident that scarred the truck's roof, he eventually made it to New York City and up the halls of MSG until the physical truck pulled into the corner of the arena.  As the truck made its way to the center of the floor, tunes from 1983 like "Let's Dance," "Rockit," and "Rock the Casbah" played out over the PA.  It was amusing to hear what the musical climate was like at the time of Phish's inception.

The band climbed out of the hatch in the truck's cab, and took their places on their new, much smaller stage.  With hockey sticks serving as mic stands and Page sitting on a cushion atop two milk crates, this was going to be interesting.  They began with "Glide," last played at MSG on 12.28.11, the only show I missed that run.  The rumble of Fish's opening salvo to "Llama" was met with cheers, and then they delved even further into Gamehendge with "Colonel Forbin's Ascent."  The mere mention of Icculus' name in "Forbin's" elicited a roar from the phans, so you can only imagine how nuts they went for the actual "Icculus."  Anastasio was convinced that some in the masses of people surrounding him were not getting the message, so he recommended that they read the Helping Friendly Book ("You can't get it at Barnes & Noble's").  Trey admitted at its end, "We used to play that song every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday down at Nectar's in our little hometown, and I did not think, 'Hey, someday I'll be playing that at Madison Square Garden.'"  "I actually thought that we'd be playing it right here, tonight, thirty years later.  I had a premonition," jested Page.  Having barely spoken to the crowd in the last three days, it was great to finally hear them engaging on this level.  While I completely understand why this set was so significant for the long-time diehards, I started listening to Phish when Farmhouse came out in 2000.  Aside from the jaunty calypso of "The Lizards," I found a lot of their early work to be too proggy.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.  Quite the contrary, it made me want to hear some of the songs I was more familiar with performed in this stripped down setup.  "Reba" with its sweet jazz jam and "Split Open & Melt" were my favorites of the bunch, if only because I knew them better.  They climbed down off the truck, which backed out of the building during the final set break.

With just eight minutes to go before midnight, the band returned with a joyous "Character Zero."  The Madison Square Garden and Chase logos may have been glowing proprietarily at the top of the scoreboard the whole night, but make no mistake, at that moment, Phish owned that arena.  The countdown on the screen began at 30 (obviously), with the crowd counting down from ten.  As 2014 hit, balloons and confetti drenched the room, with Phish shifting into "Auld Lang Syne," the first and only cover of the entire run.  They transitioned into "Fuego" as roadies furiously used razors to pop balloons and leafblowers to clear pedalboards.  Anastasio forced the segue into "Light," but that became a distant memory once the song went off on a funky tangent that quickly smoothed out into a melodic summery groove.  His lighting options limited during the truck set, Chris Kuroda unleashed a rainbow of effects from his arsenal as the jam morphed again into a propulsive rock beat.  By the time it reached its dolphins-in-space resolution, the crowd was squealing with approval.  "Twenty Years Later" was a little choppy at the start, but it recovered with a balls-out, rocking finish.  A nicely layered "Bouncing Around the Room" rounded out the six-song continuous part of the set.  What now?  A little "YEMSG" anyone?  Maybe Michael Gordon should pronounce the G in his name differently 'cause he slam-dunked this one.  And they all nailed the a cappella finale.

They departed, and center screen illuminated once more.  Beginning with animated versions of the band's first college flyers, a montage of classic Phish photos and moments played out for all to reminisce.  Even me, as it included the three latest MSG NYE stunts.  (Watch it below.)

For the encore, the fellas gathered around to sing "Grind," though Trey made a slight modification: "When I come here for my 60th anniversary with these guys, thirty years from now, we'll have lived for..." with each adding an extra 10,957 days to their ages.  Adorable.  They picked up their instruments and capped off the run with "Show of Life."  A "Save the Date" for their 60th anniversary on December 31, 2044, complete with a Photoshopped pic of the guys in their 80s, appeared on the scoreboard.  Even though the Garden likely won't be there then, I can't wait 30 more years to see them.  Looks like I'm gonna have to go to an outdoor concert.

PHISH - 12.31.13 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET ONE -
AC/DC Bag > A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing > Wilson > The Divided Sky / Ocelot / Sugar Shack / Halfway to the Moon > Fluffhead

SET TWO -
Glide / Llama / Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird / Fuck Your Face / Reba / Icculus / The Lizards > Split Open & Melt

SET THREE -
Character Zero > Auld Lang Syne > Fuego > Light > Twenty Years Later > Bouncing Around the Room / You Enjoy Myself

ENCORE -
Grind / Show of Life

Phish 12/30 Review: The One Where I Surrendered to the Flow

Just a few days ago, I still didn't have tickets for the 12/30 Phish show.  Thanks to CashOrTrade.org, I was able to trade two of my 12/29 extras for a pair of 30ths... behind the stage.  I was slightly worried that it'd be too frustrating a position to really enjoy the concert, but now it pains me to think of not being there for last night's second set.

Phish began the night with "Kill Devil Falls."  It's not my favorite song, and the sound was reverberating a tad off the back wall.  I was also experiencing a certain sort of disconnect.  I'm tall, so I typically don't have a lot of trouble seeing at concerts.  My eyes are usually on the musicians: their faces and their hands on their instruments.  And I couldn't really do that from my vantage point.  In fact, I could see Mike Gordon only when his left hand ventured close enough to the headstock to hit the lowest notes.  It did, however, offer me a better view of Jon Fishman, who is usually fairly hidden behind his cymbals.  Now over his shoulder, the complexity of what my ears were hearing didn't match the simplicity of what I was seeing.  A total sensorial trick that could only be pulled off by such a talented drummer.  "Bathtub Gin" was a fun follow-up, especially the "shave and a haircut" tag at the end.  Having been stuck in my head for the whole run, "Wombat" finally reared its funky head next.  Personal desire withstanding, it was the most inspired performance in a predominantly straightforward set.  The reggae of "Yarmouth Road" was a refreshing genre change before the rocking "46 Days," which got the floor quaking beneath my sneakers.  "Lawn Boy" saw Page visiting Mike on stage left (Weirdly, also my left.), and Fishman even came out from behind his kit to join them.

When Phish returned to the stage after that song-focused first set, Mike had a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck.  I was secretly hoping it was there to keep his head from floating away in the middle of a particularly spacey trip.  Anastasio revved up the rollicking "Chalk Dust Torture," and an arsenal of cow-patterned balloons exploded from the center of the crowd.  Trey's guitar evolved into a humpback whale, searching for mates across a swirling sea.  Then Mike dropped "the brown noise," clearing the air for a short, gentle section prior to the final uptempo groove.  By this point, I had accepted my view of the stage.  I was listening to the music.  Surrendering to the flow.  "Mike's Song" developed into a funk rock piece that just begged to be made into a "Frankenstein" monster.  But they resisted, and a clunky transition into "Devotion to a Dream" kept the no-covers streak going.  I like the Wingsuit ditty, but as the newcomer, it was the obvious weakest link.  "Ghost" followed, and it was incredible to hear the arena fully singing along to a song, not just a single line or wooing in unison.  Once it reached the breakout, you could call this one Casper, because this was a friendly "Ghost."  The radiant jam took on more and more positive vibes until it couldn't contain them anymore, and ruptured into the fat bass intro of "Weekapaug Groove."  The song continued along the established sunny path until it too had to burst, this time into "Simple."  After the silly lyrical part, the band pushed forth, eventually taking the song inward.  The hive mind of these guys just astounds me; the way they rarely even look at each other (generally only for the endings of songs), but are so telepathically aligned, they can improvise a song that constantly evolves.  Bouncing along on Mike's trampoline bassline, Page and Trey twinkled on until the whole thing sounded like blissed out electronica.  Scraping some of the resin leftover from "Yarmouth," they dropped into "Harry Hood."  I think I preferred last year's version, but then again, last year I wasn't right in front of a girl screaming like Miss Piggy right before a karate chop.  Eventually it wound down to a feedback-y denouement, which most assumed would be the set's finish (My brother even left to go to the bathroom.), but Fishman crashed right into "Cavern."  "They faked me out!" yelled my brother once he returned for the singalong.  Then they faked everyone out again by descending into "First Tube" for a victory lap.  The guys took a bow, and Trey collected what appeared to be books and a framed photograph from the front row.

At that point, Page could've returned, played only the fart sound he finished last night's "Gumbo" with, and I would've been happy.  Instead they chose "Slave to the Traffic Light."  After such a euphoric second set, it seemed even more relaxed than usual.  It was the satisfied exhale, the cigarette after sex.  And it was my favorite Phish show.

PHISH - 12.30.13 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET ONE -

Kill Devil Falls / Bathtub Gin / Wombat / Yarmouth Road / 46 Days / Lawn Boy / Heavy Things / Punch You in the Eye > Sample in a Jar / Gotta Jibboo

SET TWO -

Chalk Dust Torture > Mike's Song > Devotion to a Dream / Ghost > Weekapaug Groove > Simple > Harry Hood > Cavern > First Tube

ENCORE -

Slave to the Traffic Light

Phish 12/29 Review: Stepping Up Their Game

After a scattered first night, which found the band struggling to find setlist slots for their new Wingsuit tunes, Phish turned in a much more cohesive second show at the Garden.  "The Moma Dance" kicked things off, and the middle-aged woman next to me began the mommy dance.  Phish never got too funky with it, taking a laid-back approach that they extended well into the set.  "Roggae" had its moments, and the band found the perfect spot for possible radio single "The Line," tucked snugly between "Sparkle" and "Stash."  The latter served as the framework for the first true jam of the night, a major-key journey signaled by a CK5 projection behind the stage that resembled maybe snow, maybe not, as my brother swore it looked like "maggots and bacteria."  The Gordon-led "555" followed nicely.  Trey's guitar and Page's organ both got a little too shrill by the end of the improvised section, but the transition back into the vocal was on point.  Then they busted out the dankest funk since the previous night's "Wolfman" with "It's Ice."  Gordon made meatballs while McConnell poured on the clavinet sauce.  With the arena pre-heated, it was time for the cooks to serve up some steaming "Gumbo."  Page simmered on the organ for a bit, but he really brought things to a boil once he returned to the clav.  Sous-chef Gordon snuck in some well-timed notes, but he dropped back and let Page continue his ride, all the way to the final farty flourish: a single staccato note to end the song with a laugh.  Closer "Walls of the Cave" suffered from a little too much guitar grandiosity from Anastasio, but it wasn't a total misfire.

Set two began with a tiny bit of ambient experimentation.  Trey mumbled something incoherent into the mic, and then Gordon's flange bass triggered "Down with Disease."  The band oozed confidence on the lyric start to the song, and then it came time for the jam.  Last year's 12/30 "DWD" was my favorite performance of the entire year from any band, so my hopes were probably too high.  Though it was never dull, it jumped around a little too much, Trey steering it from a gentle guitar melody to crunchy riff rock to an uptempo blues.  Emerging on the other side, Anastasio finished out the chorus center stage, and then charged into "Carini."  Unlike the sinister cave creature they uncovered last year, this version let in more light, sonically represented by simultaneous death ray whooshes by all members.  The spaceflight continued, and then Page let loose some keyboard noises that sounded like the sweetest dial-up modem.  It was enough to cement his status as the night's MVP.  "Waves" flowed into a "Twist" that at times recalled Bill Withers' "Use Me."  They closed out the set with well-executed, well-lit renditions of "Golgi Apparatus" and "David Bowie."  As they came forward to take a bow, someone in the crowd threw a bouquet of roses at Trey.  He tossed the flowers to Fish, who held them for a photo op before flinging them over the drums to Mike.  Sadly, Mike's cross-stage pass to Page went wild, and landed on top of the piano.

When they emerged for the encore, Page was holding the bouquet.  Hell, he earned it.  "Possum" was a pleasant last dance, albeit a tad overlong.  "Thanks, everybody.  We'll see you tomorrow night," offered Trey.  Tonight's show is Phish's 30th at MSG, in their 30th year, so expectations are colossal.  Should they continue on this trajectory, though, there's going to be an arena's worth of satisfied Phans pouring out of MSG at 11:40.

PHISH - 12.29.13 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET ONE -

The Moma Dance > Rift / Roggae / Sparkle / The Line / Stash / 555 / It's Ice / Gumbo / Walls of the Cave

SET TWO -

Jam / Down with Disease > Carini / Waves > Twist / Golgi Apparatus / David Bowie

ENCORE -

Possum

Phish 12/28 Review: When Shall I Don My Wingsuit?

In what has been a historic thirtieth year for Phish, the band decided to cap it off with their fourth consecutive New Year's run at Madison Square Garden.  After a summer tour chock full of jams, the band has most recently been at work crafting their next album, Wingsuit.  Would their time in the studio rein in the jams, or would the new songs breathe even more life into the sets?  More importantly, where would they go in the rotation?

The Phab Four emerged at 8:16, greeted by applause and an inflatable sheep that was tossed onto the stage.  Trey Anastasio placed the sheep beside his amps, where it would remain for the entire set.  As Jon Fishman kicked into "The Wedge," a lot of first song bets were lost.  The sound mix left more to be desired, with clipping from Mike Gordon's bass and flat vocals all around.  I'll blame the Chase Bridges for disrupting the room's acoustics, though it is interesting to think that over these past four years, Phish have played the Garden during each phase of its transformation.  As this was my first Phishing trip of the year, I was also taking in Chris Kuroda's new lighting rig, the band's modified stage positions, and what I assume was a fresh addition: a small podium next to Trey that offered him hand control of his effects.  A shining "Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan" brought some much needed energy into the building, but a sloppy "Mound" failed to continue the upward climb.  "Axilla" segued into "Birds of a Feather," which featured a small jam, a funky hint of what was to come next.  "Wolfman's Brother" was my first-set highlight exactly one year ago, when they dropped a perfectly timed "Little Drummer Boy" in its midst.  While they didn't delve into any Christmas carols this go-round, the boys took the tune to Funkytown, with Page McConnell as mayor.  While the return to the song's theme could've been smoother, the jam was at least proof that the show wasn't going to be a Saturday Night Special.  Trey began the chunky first chords of "Wilson," and immediately aborted the idea.  Moments later, they started up the Wingsuit number "Monica."  Choosing an unreleased song over their one with the most crowd participation unsettled the audience a bit, and Phish didn't fully regain everyone's attention until the arena-tailored "Free."  "Julius" ended the uneven set on a dancey high note.

Jam vehicle "Sand" was an even more surprising set opener than "Wedge."  Unfortunately, right when the trip was at its tastiest, the purple and blue lights shifted to red, red for "Piper."  I've always found "Piper" to be a bit too fast, but the boys handled the breakneck tempo well.  Trey hacking at his guitar wasn't necessarily the most seamless transition into "Back on the Train," but the crowd cheered appreciatively.  Then Phish barreled into "Tweezer," and the energy in the room exploded in a shower of glowsticks.  Last year's 12/28 "Tweezer" was quite the competition, however, especially considering last night's jam dropped off just as it reached its most dark and alien section... into "Backwards Down the Number Line?"  Thankfully it was the best rendition I've heard, culminating with some excellent guitar work by Anastasio.  "Steam" followed, revived for its first MSG appearance since two years ago's NYE stunt, which saw crowd members floating towards the venue's famous ceiling.  While the smoke machines in the rear of the stage couldn't contend with the stunt's aerial theatrics, the band were determined to best it musically, and did.  In an already expansive set, "Steam" was the "jampion," Trey huddling with Page to create some far-out layers.  A "Horse"-less "Silent in the Morning" was trailed by "Waiting All Night."  It's one of my favorite Wingsuit tunes, but it was sadly relegated to that cool-down recovery slot, before an extended "Run Like an Antelope" finished out the set.

"Thank you guys so much.  We are so happy to be back here," gushed McConnell.  "We're here for a few more minutes," he added, and revved up "Suzy Greenberg."  As Page took a ride on the piano, Trey and Mike pretended to swordfight with their guitars.  They proceeded to mirror each other's moves and twirl their instruments as if they were in a color guard before turning their headstocks towards the crowd like applause-locating divining sticks.  That would've been a fine conclusion, but a "Tweeprise" was due.  Confetti cannons in the front row rocketed shiny streamers onto the band, and Trey danced around giddily.  It's too bad it took until the encore for the band to visibly have so much fun.  Perhaps they were just relaxed after having the first show in the bank, but I hope their enthusiasm picks up right there for tonight's festivities.

PHISH - 12.28.13 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

SET ONE -

The Wedge / Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan / Mound / Axilla > Birds of a Feather / Wolfman's Brother / Wilson (tease) / Monica / Seven Below > Tube > Free / Julius

SET TWO -

Sand > Piper > Back on the Train > Tweezer > Backwards Down the Number Line / Steam > Silent in the Morning / Waiting All Night / Run Like an Antelope

ENCORE -

Suzy Greenberg / Tweezer Reprise

The Majorleans & Sundelles Play Real Indie Rock at Mercury Lounge

Over the years, the definition of "indie rock" has morphed from a business term into a genre.  Originally a way to categorize rock bands who were independent from the major record labels, it has become more a descriptor of a sound.  This is semi-logical, as many of these "indie" artists are now on thriving smaller labels.  And while they may not possess the coffers of the industry giants, they still have enough clout to garner airplay and sell tickets.  The fundamental flaw in using "indie" to describe what you're actually hearing is that the gamut is stylistically too diverse.  Does a grunge revival band count as indie even though they're paying tribute to a major label genre?  How atmospheric must a song be before it's considered indie?  At what point does the singer's voice become too tonally developed that the moniker no longer applies?  Last night, I went to the late show at Mercury Lounge to catch two Brooklyn indie bands, Sundelles and the Majorleans.  They're unsigned, so they are truly independent, but they don't sound anything alike.  And they shouldn't.

First up was the hirsute honcho of Sundelles, Sam Sundos, who exemplified the jangly lo-fi found on Teenbeat Records in the early '90s.  After opening with a medley of three of his oldest ditties, Sundos shifted the tides towards his latest release, No Milk, released a few weeks ago for free via Mediafire (download here).  Entirely backlit, Sam was hard to see, save for a shimmering crucifix dangling from his left earlobe.  "Are you guys taking me seriously?" he questioned halfway through the set.  "I wore this earring for Christmas, and no one's taking me seriously!" he shouted, feigning a temper tantrum.  The poppier No Milk numbers were definitely the crowd favorites, along with an unexpected cover of Big Star's "Thirteen."  "I didn't write that song, and I didn't sing it right," Sundos remarked before bringing his set to a close with the Beach Boys-flavored "Blue Sky."  I was a little let down that he didn't play my favorite song from the album, "Why (Make Up Your Mind)," but I guess that means I'll just have to see him again.

The Majorleans seemed looser than when I first saw them in April.  Perhaps it's because their long-overdue debut, Black Belt, is looming just around the corner.  Perhaps it was the inherent confidence that comes with headlining.  Perhaps they just felt at home in a room thick with friends.  No doubt it was a combination of all these things, and it resulted in a relaxed hangout vibe.  The feel of the show could be summed up by the enthusiastic yell of "One more!" from a crowdmember after the rocking opening cut "Go Down All the Time."  Nicky Francis laughed, and the band continued with nine additional tunes, including two I'd never seen live: "Mercy" and "Real Bad."  For the latter, dancers in the front row took to reenacting their roles from the music video (below).  Sound issues with the acoustic forced Francis to forfeit his guitar before the second verse, but that didn't stop him from miming a jam with his bandmates.  It was also nice to hear the song minus the harmonica that at times overpowers the studio version.  The Majorleans then moved the party to the roadhouse with the country-stomp of "Under Ma Wheels," another highlight.  And while they may have kept the mood casual, they still put the music first, as evidenced by Chris Buckle's searing classic rock solo on "Coal Mine/Cold Mind" and the tight pocket stitched by Hurricane Bells' rhythm boys on "Mr. Magic."


The plan is to spend next week pumping out the backlog of podcasts, which includes an interview with the Majorleans and Black Belt co-producer "Bassy" Bob Brockmann, so get your ears ready.

SUNDELLES - 12.18.13 - MERCURY LOUNGE (29 minutes)

SET -

Gold > Dead Youth > Waiting / Can't Win / Fight for My Time / Taking All the Fun / I'm Trouble / Thirteen / Blue Sky

THE MAJORLEANS - 12.18.13 - MERCURY LOUNGE (44 minutes)

SET -
Go Down All the Time / Coal Mine/Cold Mind / Imaginary Plane / Baby, Where Have All Your Lights Gone? / Real Bad / Under Ma Wheels / Never See the Seams / Mercy / Mr. Magic / Never Had Enough

Sasha Carlson Debuts Two New Splashh Tunes at Brooklyn Night Bazaar

Last year saw the inaugural run of the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, a holiday pop-up festival in Williamsburg featuring food, music, and art.  Its latest incarnation, located at 165 Banker St, is no longer a seasonal event, but a permanent attraction.  Regrettably, it has become much more sterilized and streamlined, primarily focused on artisanal foods from the usual suspects like Arancini Brothers, Ample Hills, and Fatty Cakes, than arts & crafts.  One improvement from last year, however, is a dedicated concert area that has already seen a number of local and international acts.

One such act was the London-based dream pop band, Splashh, who performed this past Friday and Saturday.  I went Friday night, and quickly realized that this wasn't the normal lineup I'd witnessed at Bowery Ballroom earlier this year.  With the rest of his bandmates still in the UK, lead singer/guitarist Sasha Carlson brought along two of his mates from Australia to assist on keys, bass, and programming.  As they dipped into "Lemonade" with help from a drum machine, it was apparent that this wasn't going to be the wall of guitars approach that has come to define Splashh's live show.  A crowd gathered by the picnic tables to watch, not yet ready to commit.  Complemented befittingly by a backdrop of animated spirals, "Headspins" followed, and Sasha's screams of "Yeah yeah yeah" sliced compellingly through the haze.  The tune assured the shy spectators that this was an act worth moving closer for.  "This song's a brand new one," echoed Carlson, the reverb effect still heavy on his microphone.  Built around an electronic loop, "646" culminated in repeated strains of Carlson crying the three digits of the title.  Screechy crackling from the programming console marred the beginning of "All I Wanna Do," but the issue was resolved by the song's middle.  "Sorry about that hectic feedback and shit," Sasha apologized.  They wrapped up the brief set with "Sandy's Dream," another dreamy noise-drenched track to add to the Splashh canon.

I spoke with Sasha before his Saturday Bazaar performance, where he shared the exciting news that the band's remaining members plan to join him next year in NYC to gig regularly and record their second record. The interview will be on The Next Round, so stay tuned.

SPLASHH - 12.06.13 - BROOKLYN NIGHT BAZAAR (27 minutes)

SET -

Lemonade / Headspins / 646 / All I Wanna Do / Sandy's Dream