Phish in Portsmouth review, Deer Tick, Buckwheat Zydeco, Earth, Wind & Fire

The Phish show in Portsmouth on Tuesday, 6/15, was splendid with the band firing on all cylinders.  The nTelos Pavilion is a great place to see a show, only holding 6500.  We started the show on the "lawn" which is a narrow strip of grass at the back of the amphitheater, maybe 15 rows deep.  The breeze was coming in nicely off of the river, cooling things down.  With the cool grass between our toes, the band started with a request shouted out by someone in the audience of "Tube".  This went into the boogie of "Kill Devil Falls" and then the prog-rock-ish "Slave to the Traffic Light" for a nice 1-2-3 punch to open the show. 

Keyboardist Page McConnell chilled everyone out (in a good way) with his lounge lizard song, "Lawn Boy", stepping out from behind the piano to croon.  "Poor Heart" was next bringing us some country boogie-woogie.  Next was fan favorite, "AC/DC Bag", then the "Moma Dance" which, with its lyrics about sailing, was an appropriate song for a venue next to a marina.  "Moma" also provided some nice funky dancing.  "My Friend, My Friend" built up to a nice climax and then the band debuted their cover of Tom Waits' "Cold Water".  That was a bluesy number which was kind of a break from the intensity of the last three songs.  Another fan singalong fav, "Bathtub Gin" was next and then they closed the first set with a powerful version of "Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan" with Trey Anastasio wailing on guitar and left the whole crowd singing the chorus "Got a blank space where my mind should be" well into the intermission.


As intermission ended, I found myself with some friends waiting in line (which were not long at all) for drinks so I missed the beginning of "Wilson" but could hear it fairly well.  About halfway into the song, we entered via the closest entrance back into the amphithater and found ourselves at the back of the standing section on the floor.  Not a bad space to be and I would stay there most of the second set.  "Wilson" led into "Seven Below" into "46 Days" and at this point all was a dancing blur as the light show was incredible as usual and the band was burning.  Another new song, this one an original, "Idea", was next.  That was played somewhat tentatively and never really gelled but may have some potential down the road.

Next was the dance/funk/lights mania that is their disco-fied cover of "Also Sprach Zarathrustra" aka "2001 Theme". 


That led into the rockin' singalong of "Simple" which made me smile because its one of the Phish songs my kids have on one of the mix CDs I made for them.  Next was what I felt was the highlight of the second set, "Taste" which found the band really locking in and reaching the height of "group mind" playing, everyone playing in perfect sync and hitting everything just right.  They closed the set with the psychedelic combo of the lush "Theme From the Bottom" featuring excellent bass work from Mike Gordon who was on all night....


That went into a killer cover of The Beatles' "A Day In The Life".


For the encore, they came out with the pleasant song "Heavy Things" but "Heavy Things" seemed a little light to end such a great show with and everyone knen it.  And they didn't disappoint.  They built the show to an amazing funky driving rocking climax with "First Tube", with the band and the lights driving everyone into an absolute frenzy and Trey ending the night with guitar raised overhead, wringing every last ounce of feedback out of the night.  A great venue and a great show from a band that seems absolutely energized right now.


Now that I've got you all excited about Phish, a reminder that I have 4 lawn seats for the Sunday, 6/27, Merriweather Post show available.  I'm selling them for the list price of $50 or best offer.  If you live in the Richmond area, I will deliver them personally.  If you are interested, you can contact me by leaving a comment below.

And the local press even had some good things to say about Phish and all of us Phish heads:


Onto this weekend's Richmond shows.

Friday Cheers features Deer Tick, which sounds like some kind of heavy metal band, but is, per the Venture Richmond site, "a combination of folk, blues, and country with a strong grunge influence".  You can take a listen yourself on their MySpace page.  Entry fee is just $2 and the show starts at 6:30 PM with opener Former Champions.  I think I'll be going so if you want to join me, let me know. Here's the band on Letterman last night:


If you want to get your zydeco on, check out the great Buckwheat Zydeco at the Capital Ale House Downtown Friday night.  The show starts at 10 PM and its $20 to get in. Buckwheat puts on a fun show. Here's Buckwheat and band this Feburary:


Classic funk masters Earth, Wind & Fire come to Innsbrook on Wednesday night.  Tix are $21 in advance, $25 at the gate, Gold Circle seats are sold out.  Gates open at 6, and EWF comes on at 7.  There is no opener.  Here they are back in the day doing their classic "September":


Innsbrook announced a great show today, The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue 2010 Featuring Michael McDonald, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Boz Scaggs on Sunday August 29.  Tickets go on sale Friday, June 18 at 10 AM.  This lineup is very similar to the NY Rock & Soul Review which was an excellent show (and live album) I saw back in the early 90's with those three, Walter Becker (Steely Dan) and Phoebe Snow.  At that show, the players just took turns playing each others songs and backing each other up and it was phenomenal. 

Finally, Tift Merritt will be at Ashland Coffee & Tea on Tuesday night.  Show starts at 8 and tix are $20 in advance, $25 day of show.  Her new album "See You on the Moon" is getting great reviews (a score of 75 on MetaCritic).  Tift plays alt-country similar to Sheryl Crow, Shelby Lynne, Lucinda Williams, or Emmylou Harris.  Here's the video for her new song, "Mixtape":


That's it. Have a great weekend and I'll see you at Friday Cheers!

Tony Jordan

Disco Biscuits, Buckwheat Zydeco, Unknown Hinson

Hey now, everybody!

The Michael Franti & Spearhead show on Friday night at The National was quite excellent. Not only did we get a show that had the whole crowd jumping ("I wanna see you jumpinnnnnn!) and dancing but we got:
- a wedding proposal during a song (she said yes) and the couple slow dancing on stage during a song.
- a ten year old kid who took over on the mic for Michael while the kids friends rocked out on stage. Michael got them some guitars (not plugged in) and had the kids doing metal rock star poses. It was funnier than it sounds.
- Courtney John and Cherine Anderson, the openers, joining the band often throughout the set. Cherine especially was a great addition to the band with her amazing voice and enthusiasm. Her duet with Michael on Nobody Right Nobody Wrong was a definite highlight.
- A nice cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Don't Look Back" segueing into the Dead's "Casey Jones".
- I can't remember the song (sorry) but there was a point in the show where the band went into a drum/bass dance groove, the lights went crazy and the crowd went absolutely ballistic dancing. Totally intense.
- Speaking of the bass, Carl Young was bringin' the bass deep and loudy loudy all night.

Onto this week's highlights:

At the National on Wednesday night, electronica jam band Disco Biscuits take over. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, tix are $25. This band is starting to get big. They have recently announced that they'll be headlining at Red Rocks in Denver, Red Rocks being Mecca for all jam bands. I would love to see a show out there someday.

A little band called Phish is coming back after four years off. They'll be playing three sold out shows at nearby Hampton Coliseum Friday - Sunday.

Closer to home and not sold out, you can get some of that lingering Mardi Gras feeling with Buckwheat Zydeco (perhaps one of the greatest band names ever) at the Capital Ale House Downtown on Saturday night. Doors open at 8 PM. There are few better ways to spend a Saturday night than with great beer and a great zydeco band, especially with the warmer weather expected this weekend. Here's what the Ale House web site says about BZ:
"As Buckwheat Zydeco looks forward to celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2009, the band can also look back with pride on an amazing three decades for Louisiana's barnstorming musical ambassadors.
The well-known leader of Buckwheat Zydeco is the first zydeco artist signed to a major record label, the first zydeco artist to perform on a national television show, the first zydeco artist to release a children's album, the first zydeco artist to launch his own record label, and the first zydeco artist to win an Emmy award. Now the Bayou's barnstorming bandleader is back with Jackpot!, his first studio disc since the acclaimed, Trouble, in 1997. The album is Dural's fourth for Tomorrow Recordings (distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance), the label he and longtime manager and collaborator Ted Fox co-founded in 1998."

Unknown Hinson will play at the Canal Club on Saturday. Show time is at 9 PM and tix are $16.50. Here's what his web site says: "Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this red-necked crooner gained regional popularity with a self-produced television show in 1992 and soon was touring nationwide, wowing audiences with his outrageous and campy, white-trash persona and freewheeling, sleazy tone. "

Richmond band The Palominos are having a CD Release party at The National on Saturday night. You can listen to the new CD by going to their web site (linked above). Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Also playing will be Farm Vegas, Exebelle and The Rusted Cavalcade, and Buff Shaggy. Tix are available for just $10 and The Palominos want you to buy directly from them. Why? "The benefits of buying a ticket from us are many:
1. This show will more than likely sell out. Getting them early ensures that you aren't left out in the cold.
2. Buying from the band helps the band by letting the venue know that we have many great fans that are willing to come out and support us, which will help us be invited back for more shows.
3. If you buy a ticket from us we will GIVE you a copy of the new cd free of charge.
4. Pre-sale tickets are only $10. The day of the show they will not be that price [they'll be $13]nor will you get a copy of "Egos".
So plan on getting a ticket from us. We look forward to seeing ya'll at the show. Thanks again for the support. "

Just for fun, here is the Indian George Michael:


Enjoy the weather this weekend. We are going from frigid snow to 70 degrees in four days. Gotta love Richmond weather.

Tony Jordan

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Hurtling Toward Irrelevance?

Sorry I've been away for a while. Between the holidays, not much live music during the holidays, kids not sleeping and my grandmother passing away, I've been pretty busy. But I'm back and will hopefully get back into the swing of things.

This week's headliners are Ween at Toad's Place on Thursday. Doors at 8, show at 9. Tix are $25 in advance and $30 day of show. Ween has touched on just about every type of music during their long career and you'll probably hear it all during their show. Whether its parody or tribute or both is up to you to decide. They've done metal (It's Gonna Be A Long Night), to psychedelia (Mutilated Lips), to funk, folk and punk, all with their twisted sense of humor. As I've started to learn more about Ween, I find myself hearing one of their songs and going, "Huh? That's Ween? That sounds nothing like the other stuff I've heard." And that's a good thing.

On Saturday night at Capital Ale House Downtown, Buckwheat Zydeco brings his zydeco greatness to town. Show starts at 9 and is $20. If you wanna dance and just feel damn good about things, this is the way to do it. Good beer, Saturday night, and the hoppin' music of zydeco. Here's the blurb on the Capital Ale House site about Buckwheat:

Buckwheat Zydeco (born Stanley Dural, Jr. on November 14, 1947) is an American accordionist and Zydeco performer. He is one of the few to achieve mainstream success. In 1971, he founded Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers, a funk band that he led for five years before switching to Zydeco. He began backing Clifton Chenier, one of the most legendary Zydeco performers. He set out on his own with The Ils Sont Partis Band; they debuted with One for the Road in 1979 and were nominated for a Grammy Award for "Turning Point" and "Waitin' for My Ya Ya" (1985) after switching to the Rounder Records label. He soon signed to Island Records, the first zydeco act on a major label, and released On a Night Like This, a critically acclaimed album that was nominated for a Grammy as well. The band soon appeared in The Big Easy. Buckwheat's latest album, Jackpot!, was released on June 7, 2005 on the Tomorrow Recordings label.

An especially powerful and haunting version of the Classic "Cryin' in the Streets" appears on the Benefit album for Hurricane Katrina recovery, "Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast".

Also at the Capital Ale House downtown this week are:
- 3 Borne on Friday at 5 PM for free.
- Virginia Coalition on Friday at 9:30 for $15. I know these guys built a large fan base but I haven't been impressed the couple times I saw them. I heard they were better when they were a four-piece.
- Dixie Power Trio on Sunday at 5 PM for $5.

At Toad's Place:
- Friday it's Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime. Show starts at 8 and tix are $18.
- As I Lay Dying on Saturday at 6 PM for $18.
- HELLYEAH on Sunday at 7 PM for $28. You may have heard their catchy little number "Alchohaulin' Ass". This band sounds like they would be a good band to get drunk to/with.

My rant this week is on the increasing irrelevance of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I enjoy my rock and roll history so I've enjoyed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and what they do. However, the cracks started to show in 1995. As you may know, a band/artist must be 25 years past their first release to be eligible to be inducted. In 1995, Black Sabbath became eligible. Whether or not you personally like Black Sabbath, you cannot deny that they have been one of the most influential bands. They helped invent heavy metal. Every guy around my age went through an Ozzy/Sabbath phase during high school. Mine came freshman year and Ozzy was my very first concert (Feb. 1983 at Atlantic City Convention Hall). However, it took 11 years for them to be inducted. Why? The Board and voters are largely made up of baby boomers who vote in their heroes or bands that appeal to them. You can see this whenever you come to those periods in rock and roll when new sounds arose that didn't appeal to the boomers. Cases in point: Black Sabbath, and the Sex Pistols (eligible 2002, inducted 2006) who, while inducted, should have been easy first-time inductees.

What has been more apparent is some of the inductees who can't make a case as an influence at all. This year they inducted the Dave Clark Five. I have never heard a band, even a contemporary of that band, say they were influenced by the Dave Clark Five. Yes, they had some hits (8 top tens between '64 and '67) but hits aren't the only, and shouldn't be the only, decider of induction. If the British Invasion was a basketball team, the Dave Clark Five would have been second string at best (the starters = Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, Yardbirds) and would probably have been more like the guy who sits on the end of the bench and cheers and plays 2 minutes every other game. They also inducted John Mellencamp this year, and while I am a fan, I'm just not feeling that he has been a great influence on the history of Rock music. Another case is when Percy Sledge was inducted in 2005. A fine soul singer, sure, but he got in because he had one big song. Can anyone point to a body of work that would have justified his induction?

Let's take a closer look at this years inductees. Leonard Cohen certainly was an influence on a large number of artists (see the movie "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man"). It probably helped that his song "Hallelujah" has been covered numerous times and been in tons of movies & TV shows. Madonna is probably the most influential female artist of the last 25 years. One could certainly argue that she's not Rock & Roll. However, the Hall has already shown an inclination to include pop singers, so I have no argument against her inclusion. The Ventures surf rock was hugely influential, especially for guitarists, so again no argument. I already mentioned Mellencamp and Dave Clark.

Eligible but not getting in were the Beastie Boys. How the Dave Clark Five gets in and the Beastie Boys don't is beyond me. The Beastie Boys have been critically acclaimed and hugely popular over the last 25 years. They took sampling to a new level on the "Paul's Boutique" album. They have at least one of the greatest music videos of all time (and a damn great song) in "Sabotage". They've been politically active, setting up the Concerts for Tibet. Doesn't all of that trump "Glad All Over"?

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is at a turning point. The acts eligible this year had their first release in 1983. That is when most of the boomer artists began to be relegated to oldies stations or the repetition of classic rock radio. That is also two years after MTV and a new generation began to fragment the pop music/rock & roll world into rap, heavy metal, dance, alternative and the other genres that fall under the "rock/pop" music of today. At the very least, it will be harder to determine what is "rock & roll". Will the Hall begin to reach back and induct marginal artists from the 60s and 70s who may hold a fond place in boomers' hearts but have no impact on the music of today? Or will they embrace those artists who had a great influence but may not meet the 60s rock template of three guitarists and a drummer playing blues-based music? Besides the Beasties and Afrika Bamaataa (big influence on rap & dance but no hits), up for induction next year for the first time or eligible already are The Cure, Run DMC, Husker Du, Judas Priest, Los Lobos, Metallica, The Replacements, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. That list there shows the variety of genres in the 80s that all fall under the "rock and roll" umbrella but any one of them may have a hard time getting enough of the vote (must be voted in by more than 50% of the voters) to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Tony Jordan