Live Music

Old News and Other Current Events

Here at rowjimmy.com, as we’ve pressed into the new year, I’ve continued to maintain my high standards of neglect. So, today, I’m going to fill you in on a slew old music news as well as a couple of current items.

“Why old news?”
C’mon, it’s not as if anyone is reading this to get the latest scoop.

So, what’s new?

 

Phish Summer Tour:

06/04 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
06/05 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
06/06 – Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA
06/07 – Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ
06/09 – Asheville Civic Center – Asheville, NC
06/16 – Fox Theatre – St. Louis, MO
06/18 – Post Gazette Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA
06/19 – Verizon Wireless Music Center – Noblesville, IN
06/20 – Alpine Valley – East Troy, WI
06/21 – Alpine Valley – East Troy, WI

Pretty cool little run if you live on the East Coast. The Asheville show is pretty small (fewer than 8000) but the St. Louis show is crazy small (approx. 5000.) Good luck to those trying to get into that one.

If those dates don’t suit you, do not despair. Word is that West Coast dates are pending for late Summer. Also, watch for the Bonnaroo line-up to be announced on Feb. 3.
Edit to add: Red Rocks, too!

The lottery for Phish Ticketing is open now. Click here to get in on the action.

 

 

 

‘The Dead’ will be hitting the road this Spring on what’s become a somewhat controversial tour. The so-called “core-four” (Lesh, Weir, Kreutzman, Hart) have hired Warren Haynes to sling the lead guitar and Ratdog’s keyboardist to fill out the stage, replicating the favorably reviewed line-up from the recent Barack Obama fundraiser.

The controversy arises from the ticket prices. While not “Rolling Stones” high, tickets for this tour are nearly double what Phish is charging for their shows. Add to that the outrageous “VIP” bundles that sell “premium” seats along with special entrances, posters and a private cash bar for nearly $500 per person. The pre-sale has already begun and tickets ARE selling but, I’m afraid that you won’t see me at the local shows.

 

Instead, I’m planning to catch Keller Williams whose Winter > Spring solo tour gets underway this week. I taped his annual Xmas SPCA Benefit last month am had a great time. You can stream and download the show here.
Check out Keller’s website for more music, tourdates, tickets and more: http://www.kellerwilliams.net.

 

 

 

Speaking of taping, I’ve had the pleasure of taping several local bands in my neighborhood venue over the past few weeks. Prize Money, from the Charlottesville area, and Seven Minutes, from Richmond, played a hot rock show at The Loft in Fredericksburg, VA. The following week, local reggae band, The Transmitters made the walls sweat as they, accompanied by a three-piece horn section, danced through two great sets of original reggae laced with a couple of old favorites. I’ll see about posting streams from each show up here soon.

 

 

Lastly, I just got word that The Decemberists are offering a free mp3 of a song from their upcoming album, The Hazards Of Love. The song is entitled, “The Rake” and is available at http://www.decemberists.com.  Also, be sure to check out their singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy, this afternoon on World Cafe on XPN (http://xpn.org)

 

Thanks to Here Comes The Flood for the Decemberists tip!

Janes Addiction: Another Quartet From The 80s Reforms

The original lineup of Jane’s Addiction (Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, rj.com number-one drummer Stephen Perkins, and original bassist Eric Avery) played on Thursday night in LA.

Setlist:
Up The Beach
Trip Away
Whores
1%
Ain’t No Right
Pigs In Zen
Ted… Just Admit It
Oceansize
Had A Dad
Been Caught Stealing

Straight up old school.

If you were never a fan of Jane’s Addiction, you still have time to learn about one of the most powerful bands to rise up out of the 1980s. Try to imagine a blend of psychedelic surf, punk, metal and a bit of glam (they are an LA band, after all) and you’ll find that your mind cannot conceive of anything greater than Jane’s Addiction.  They’d hade “reunion” tours and even an album but all left Eric Avery behind. He may not be the best bass player of his generation but there is much to be said for the synergy between these players. Flea, as capable as he may be, could not properly fill that gap.

Hopefully, this one-off gig turns into more gigs and a tour and a hot night in a club near you (and me!)

Read the recap from Dave Navarro here.

Check out a couple of videos too:
Ted… Just Admit It

 

Ocean size

More videos here.

Phish Returns

 

Three weeks ago, on a Tuesday night, word flew all over the internet about the impending announcement of Phish’s return to touring. Wednesday, October 1st, it came to fruition. I’ve got to say, I was barely able to keep my seat at work that day. The excitement of a kid who just learned about Christmas comes to mind. Only bigger. Imagine if, at six years old- when Christmas is the biggest freakin day of the year- someone told you that Christmas was going to happen 20 times in the next year.

Bigger than that.

This is one of those, “if you know; then you know,” sort of things. If you don’t get it, it probably seems a little ridiculous.

But, it’s not.

Phish is coming back.

The implications of the reunion are broad. In 2004, as they played their final shows, it was stated repeatedly that this wasn’t like the previous “hiatus”. This was for real. This time it was for keeps. Problem is, the shows were abysmal. The near-toxic combination of drug addictions and depression hit members of the band; Trey in particular had been having a difficult year onstage (and, it was later confirmed, off.) The missed notes, flubbed cues, etc,  made it all the more depressing that not only were we not going to see these guys again, but we had already lost them. Phish, as we knew it, was already gone.

In retrospect, that may have softened the blow. One could justify the loss as being “for the best.”

But now, despite their previous statements, Phish is returning to the stage. Trey has come through to the other side of a painful and public ordeal with a drug arrest and rehab. They’ve all explored solo projects (Mike Gordon’s recent tour garnered very positive reviews from the fanbase and Trey’s current solo tour is getting rave reviews) and, it would seem, they are intesested in being a band again. The question is, are they out for redemption and a new lease on life? Or are they reaching for dollars and nostalgia? 

As a fan, I’m hoping for the former.

 

When Phish played what was their final song, I, like so many fans, was extremely sad. Not just because they weren’t able to play my favorite song correctly (that did not help!) but because I felt as if a chapter of my life had just been closed forever. Getting into parenthood early, I did not spend as much time on the road with Phish as many of my like-minded friends. For me, Phish became a long weekend, once or twice a year; sometimes close to home, sometimes not. Their music connected these ‘weekends’ to earlier points in my life like beads on a string. The end of Phish’s touring career meant the end of that string. Listening to a show on cd or watching it on dvd can never supplant the actual, visceral, live experience.

Now, as I see it, that chapter cannot be reopened. The past is past. But a future with Phish shows is a pretty good future, indeed.

In March, when the lights go down on the first show back, I’ll be there.

Deadheads For Obama

Fact: I’m a Deadhead.

Fact: I’m very interested in politics.

Fact: I’m a big supporter of Barack Obama (you should be too!)

So when the surviving members of the Grateful Dead get together to play a benefit for Barack Obama, I pay attention. Attending wasn’t in the cards but, thanks to their generous taping policy, we can listen right now, from home.

Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart
With: Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti
Change Rocks: A Concert to Benefit Obama for America

Bryce Jordan Center
State College, PA
October 13, 2008

Setlist:
Obama Speech (via video)
Truckin > 
US Blues 
Help on the Way >Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower 
Playin’ in the Band> 
Dark Star 
St. Stephen >
Unbroken Chain > 
The Other One > 
Throwin’ Stones > 
Playin’ reprise 
Touch of Grey >
Not Fade Away

Listen to the stream: here. 
Download the lossless audio via etree: here

Thanks to wklitz for taping and sharing!