The Dead Weather: Horehound

Delicious debut from yet another project involving Jack White. He is on drums for this latest effort, of course chiming in with some of his familiar vocals. Also alongside him is his buddy Jack Lawrence on bass who collaberated with White in The Raconteurs, and is from The Greenhornes. Guitarist Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age fills in as the band's guitarist, rather than White who for this go around does not touch the guitar and experiments on drums through the albums entirety. The true highlight of this album is the mystifying Vocalist Alison Mosshart from The Kills. She is channeling something incredible for this outing. Check it out and enjoy:

Horehound - The Dead Weather

Taken Away, Or Hovering For Safety??

Phish is magic. They know how to place their fans in the palm of their hands, and really force us to figure out the hidden treasures.

California is still in the picture. Of course since we all booked hotels there, Phish wants to throw us off and confuse everyone. However, if you zoom in with your browser on using CTRL ++, you will see that California is merely hovering above the Save The Date sign at the top of the country.

It seems pretty clear now that within a day or so, a natural disaster or alien attack will decimate the rest of the country, and California will be brought back down to safety by the balloons which carried it up in the sky.

Basically, California is just gettin' high for a bit. Nothing new :-)

Phish Halloween Festival: California Taken Off The Map

www.phish.com/savethedate

Thousands were stunned today as the Phish.com Save The Date page was updated today.

For weeks now, they have systematically been removing states in the most creative of ways.

First fire ants, then a ship, then Vanna White cyclops squid, then God, then Mike on a Segway, then Alaska coming in and having arrows turn into missiles and blow it up.

The thousands of us who booked hotels in the area to the point where every lodging location was booked solid for quite a while now, are in complete shock.

Indio, CA was the site. It was known throughout the Phish world. We all booked hotels. It was possibly the strongest rumor in ages, all but official. Until this outrageous curveball comes and takes California off the map.

I am not cancelling my hotel reservation until the official announcement, however.

It is all too much like Phish to screw with our heads and do this. California was removed by balloons which had up and down arrows on them. All of the other states were DESTROYED. California was lifted up with balloons above the Save the Date sign on the website.

I would not be surprised if Phish did this to SAVE the STATE and while the rest of the states are destroyed from disaster, California will come floating back down with the balloons and land in its rightful place for the announcement.

This is very possible and would not surprise me one bit with the way Phish messes with their fans. I mean, look at this map already for god's sake, what a lengthy ever exciting way to announce the location of a festival over a month plus of updates on the site.

Granted, it may be time to accept the fact that California was removed like all of the states preceeding it, and that the festival is not in Indio.

Where is it then? Is it in AZ at the Dateland Farm? This has also been rumored, but was supposedly fictitious. It wouldn't be shocking since an abandoned Air Force Base exists there, and mostly every major Phish Festival has taken place at abandoned Air Force Base (Loring Air Force Base in Maine for multiple festivals, and Plattsburgh Air Force Base for Clifford Ball) and the weather would be as conducive as California.

Or is it in Texas, South Carolina, Georgia? Maybe the dark horse of Big Cypress in Florida??? Rather than play New Years there again, maybe they will commemorate the grounds with a 10 year anniversary in the form of a Halloween Festival. This seems unlikely with Miami New Years Run pretty much in the bag, but then Indio was pretty much in the bag too wasn't it?

Ah, the mystery of Phish, always keeping us on our toes. What a treat this all is.

Quest For Fire: Self Titled Debut

Quest For Fire is a crackling Toronto quartet who just released a self titled debut album "Quest For Fire" which is sure to be one of the more exciting albums this year.

The album only has 6 tracks on it, but it clocks in at 43:09. It is difficult to describe this band's style of music since they cover a good amount of ground. Vocalist Chad Ross sounds like a dreamlike Kurt Cobain with his own style mixed in. The music at times has the feel of Nirvana grunge, but is much more spacey and exploratory. It is impressive to hear them mix in that type of sound with authentic psychedelic rock which spans the styles of Led Zeppelin and occasionally Pink Floyd, with mammothly brilliant spiraling solos by guitarist Adam Moszynski, and a little bit of The Doors schmoozy bluesiness, with beautiful acoustic guitar undertones at times.

Drummer Mike Maxymuik comes out pounding at the gates in the opener 'Bison Eyes' but the song still takes on a dreamy state of pleasant noise. 'Strange Waves' which is 7 minute and 35 seconds is a steady spaced out building rock gem. The centerpiece of the album 'Hawk That Hunts The Walking' is nearly 9 minutes long, and is a dark opus of psychedelia to be wreckoned with. There is a point in the 2nd half which is reminiscent of 'No Quarter' by Led Zeppelin. The song is filled with scorching guitar solos and a comfortable gloomy feeling that is great to kick back and zone out to repeatedly. The following song 'I've Been Trying To Leave' starts out right off the bat with blazing guitar notes and commanding drumming. While the vocalist is extremely reminiscent of Kurt Cobain, his singing is much more subdued and far less abrasive, and the music behind him is more beautiful and reaches much more ground.

'You Are Always Loved' is a the slowest spaciest song on the album. It has a gorgeous mix of distorted electric guitar and acoustic with a patient drum beat and a real chilled out vibe while still maintaining the dark mysterious sound this band possesses. The finale 'Next To The Fire' is simply a sonic masterpiece. They saved the best for last on this debut album without question. At over 9 minutes long, the song is sprawling with brilliant layers of firey music from all ends. It is intense and wonderful, with the name being very appropriate for its sound. The song fully brings the heat, and we all end up feeling 'Next To The Fire' closing out the album with a memorable epic of psychedelic hard rock.

Quest For Fire, one of Toronto's newest exciting quartets, has created an extremely memorable and worthy debut album. This will be repeating on many playlists in the year to come.
Feel free to listen to the album below:

Quest For Fire - Quest For Fir...

Save The Date: A 3 Day Festival

www.phish.com/savethedate

One of the most hallowed (pun intended) nights in the history of Phish is Halloween.

They have played 4 legendary Halloween concerts in their 25 year career.

Each show was comprised of 3 sets, the first and third sets being Phish sets, with the 2nd set being an entire album by another band that they chose to cover in full.

In 1994 in Glen's Falls, NY they covered the entire Beatles 'White Album' in the 2nd set.

In 1995 in Rosemont, IL they played the entire rock opera 'Quadrophenia' by The Who.

In 1996 in Atlanta, GA they played all of 'Remain in Light' by the Talking Heads.

In 1998 in Vegas, they covered 'Loaded' by The Velvet Underground.

These are all mythical shows, and the only Halloween concerts played by the band.

It is now 2009.

Phish has announced that they are playing a 3 day Festival which falls on Halloween from October 30th through November 1st.

In Phish-like fashion, they merely announced that the festival will be taking place, but not where it will be taking place. All that showed on the site when 'Save the Date' was announced was a map of the United States with Halloween colors. They have brilliantly kept us on the edge of our seats by creatively removing states little by little as time passes.

First, an army of fire ants crawled all over the map and devoured 3 states. Then, a ship came in from the Atlantic near Florida and threw fishing reels onto two more states, ripping them off the map.

For the past few days, in certainly the oddest exhibit to date, we hear and see 6 states "ding" across the map and then a creepy version of Vanna White with a cycloptic squid for a head skirts across the country flipping states over like letters on Wheel of Fortune with the same sound it makes when she flips the letters on the game show.

Now the site just changed literally a few minutes ago with the remaining states, and either God or Zeus came in from the Pacific Ocean, extended his hand, and blew a gigantic wind from his mouth with ripped 3 more states off the map!!

16 states have already been eliminated in the most bizarre fashion imaginable. Check out the map to see what is gone and what is left. It seems as though they are only eliminating 2 or 3 states at a time, so we should have much more shenanigans in store for our delight. I for one have been having a ball kicking back and watching the site updated every few days with a new wacked out method of eliminating states from the map. It's complete wonderful craziness, and as Phishy as you can get.

Inside information points to the festival being at the Polo Fields in Indio, CA where the Coachella Festival takes place. To be on the safe side, I have already gone and booked a room at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas Resort for an incredible price per night, only 10 minutes from the site. I apparently was not the only one who jumped on this, as it is a known fact that every single hotel/motel within the vicinity of the location is completely booked solid for that weekend.

While I am pretty confident that the festival and first Halloween concert by Phish in 11 years will take place in Indio, I am still enjoying the hell out of the creative ways that they are incrementally eliminating states leading up to the announcement of the official location and details of the event.

This is one of the endless reasons why I love Phish, and I plan on being in attendance with bells on.

Phish Summer Tour: First Leg

Truthfully, it is difficult to decide where to begin when attempting to encapsulate the first leg of the first Summer Tour Phish has played in 5 years. After hearing the first two shows, I was able to see 4 consecutive shows early in the tour and then kick back and listen as the rest of it all unfolded. The part of this tour which differed from all preceding it was the new phenomenon of the ability to stream the shows live on the internet via an Iphone with an external microphone plugged in, allowing the sound to come through in quality fashion. If you weren't able to make it to the shows, you had a good chance of catching each one in the comfort of your own home while it was occurring, aside from the few nights there was little to no service where the show was being played.

Phish opened up their Summer with a bang at Fenway Park, walking up to the pitcher's mound all wearing Red Sox jerseys and singing the National Anthem before proceeding to take the stage for what was probably as exciting a moment for them as it was for all of the fans in the audience. This was the first real stadium show of their career, and in the oldest most historical Baseball park in the country which has been standing since 1912. Mike Gordon was born and raised in Boston, so this must have been a dream for him.

The show was solid, and had some fully unexpected bustouts such as Destiny Unbound and The Ballad of Curtis Loew. It may have been one of the worst shows of the tour musically, but that does not detract from the enormity of the actual event that took place.

Next, Phish was headed to take over Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantaugh, NY for 3 shows. They started out on a Tuesday night and really came out to play, sounding much better than they did at the previous show at Fenway. Songs such as 'Cities', 'Timber', 'Reba' and 'Harry Hood' were played with brilliance, and everyone there was treated to a sleeper show on a Tuesday night.

The next show at Jones Beach was my first Phish show since New Years '03 in Miami. Needless to say I was ecstatic. The seats we had were right up front, and with the way the venue is set up as a steep high reaching amphitheater, the incredible feeling of being down in those seats was one I will never forget. The sound was crystal clear, and before I knew it I was immersed in my first thrilling ride in 5 years at the grandest musical theater on earth, a Phish concert.

After an acapella opener of the song 'Grind' in which each member states how many days they have been alive (which was appropriate since it was Mike Gordon's birthday the previous day) they went right into the first 'Divided Sky' of the Summer, and it was a clear statement that they were not messing around and were back and here to stay. The jam in 'Divided Sky' was so nostalgically gorgeous and yet so refreshingly exciting that I was beyond elated to be back sharing in the groove. They then played a new song called 'Ocelot' which was played quite a bit during the tour, and is an extremely uplifting glorious song with beautifully placed guitar notes from Trey. The highlight of the show and one of the highlights of the entire tour was the 'Ghost' that was played in the first set. Trey was using this incredible whale call sound effect on his guitar and took the jam from dark funky territory into blissful zenlike waterfalls of soaring melodies. After that mindblowing expedition, they gave us not a second to rest as they blew right into 'Run Like An Antelope', a raucous high energy marathon of excitement. Trey yelled out the lyrics "Set the gearshift for the high gear of your soul!!! You've got to run like an antelope, out of control!!" with such fervor and energy that we all were instantly running in place as fast as possible as the band closed out the song and the first set with an emphatic sense of return.

The second set also had its brilliant moments. Opening with the slow shmoozy version of 'Water in the Sky' as everyone trickled back into their seats was a great lead in to a rocking 'Birds of a Feather' followed by one of their most exciting covers, 'Drowned' from the rock opera 'Quadrophenia' by "The Who". It was very fitting being right on the ocean at Jones Beach to hear the lyrics "Let me get back to the ocean, let me get back to the sea ... let me be part of the tide that set me free". This jam opened up new channels that blew everyone away. They then played the first 'Meatstick' since '00 and included the Japanese lyrics. I haven't seen them have so much fun in ages like I did during that portion of the show. It was gooey discoey funk and we were all getting down. With a little lull in the middle of the 2nd set, they came back strong with a powerhouse version of the song 'You Enjoy Myself' playing the composed sections beautifully, and raging the jam taking the peaks higher and higher. All in all this was one of my favorite shows that I have seen, and it will always be etched in my memory as the show where everything was in synch and nearly perfect.

The following night at Jones Beach leading up to the show was a complete mess. It was cold and raining, and there was a wierd energy compared to the night before. They played a decent first set with some rarities like 'Buried Alive', 'AC/DC Bag', and 'Yamar' but nothing was played exceptionally well. It was the 2nd set of this show which has now in retrospect become my favorite set of the 4 shows I saw, and maybe one of my favorite sets of the first leg of the tour.

Opening with a version of 'Down With Disease' which was so rollicking and explosive that we could hardly catch our breath, they came back for a 2nd set of non-stop insanity. 'Disease' was stellar, and went right into 'Twist' in which Santana's 'Oye Como Va' played with firey intensity encompassed the entire jam. Without stopping from the start of 'Disease' through 'Twist' they went right into 'Piper' which rocked us all immensely. This 3 song wallop to open the 2nd set was what has always drawn me to Phish for as long as I can remember. When the song 'Free' began, I began glowing, as it is one of my favorite songs. Hearing the lyric "I feel the feeling I forgot" brought a gigantic smile to my face as my eyes were closed and everyone cheered. It was at that moment that I really felt back in the beautiful world of Phish after a grueling period of over 5 years without it being in existence. 'Free' entered dark delicious territory with oozing bass notes from Mike and had everyone dancing dirty style.

Following 'Free' was a debut of a new song on the upcoming album "Joy" which is being released on July 28th right before Phish kicks off their 2nd leg of the Summer with a 4 night stand at Red Rocks, their first appearance there since being banned from the venue 15 years ago. The name of this debut was 'Twenty Years Later'. At the time, I enjoyed it and thought it had some great lyrics, but I sat during it in order to catch a breather since it was rather slow. Now, I simply cannot get enough of it. After 'Twenty Years Later' came the gravy of the set, 2001>Slave to the Traffic Light. This was one of those segments that provide spiritual clarity. The funky dance party of '2001' with the blissful resonating classical notes of Mozart as the lights of Chris Kuroda mezmerized us all, which went right into an utterly sublime version of 'Slave' closed out the set on such a wonderful note. They encored with "A Day In The Life" by 'The Beatles' which they have played throughout their career, but I have never had the pleasure of seeing. The 2nd set of this show will be one that I listen to continuously for a long time to come.

The next show was at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA. The driving from NY to MA, and then back down to Camden, NJ the next day was rather hectic, but it was worth it to be at that beautiful venue enveloped in nature. The vibe of this show was different altogether. It was far from a rocking rager, but it was filled with positivity and happiness. Songs like 'Golgi Apparatus' and 'Sparkle' brought beaming smiles to all of our faces in the first set. The 2nd set opened up with the only appearance of the song 'Seven Below' on the entire leg. It was a fun and hypnotic version. Following this was the gem I had been waiting to see for my entire time loving Phish. This gem was the song 'Fluffhead', one of the band's oldest songs, and a song they did not play once when they were back post-hiatus in 03-04. They opened up their first show back at Hampton Coliseum with the song, which surprised everybody in the greatest of ways, but it wasn't played nearly as tight as it could be. This version was on point, and I feel privileged to have been there to experience it. The 'Fluffhead' alone was worth the trip to Mansfield.

We drove down to Camden, NJ the following day for what would be my 4th show in 4 days, and my last show which I would see of the first leg of tour. What went down in Dirty Jersey was an onslaught of energy that will never be forgotten. The first set was good, but we chose to be on the lawn for the first half of it even though we had seats, thinking it would be a nice change from having seats the 3 previous nights. The sound was awful and the vibe was weak on the lawn. Once moving into the pavillion it was like entering a portal into another dimension. The sound was unbelievable, the lights were hypnotically mindblowing, and the energy was oozing throughout the entire covered pavillion. Songs like 'The Wedge', 'The Lizards', 'Tube', and 'First Tube' sounded incredible as opposed to the first half which was hard to even decipher. Moving to the seating area was the best move imaginable.

The 2nd set was one for the books. They opened up with the only 'Sand' played on the tour, and it lasted 22 minutes. They truly reached liftoff with this jam, and explored horizons which they had yet to arrive at up till that point. The rest of the set was good, with the energy continuing, but it wasn't until the song 'Character Zero' ended and 'Tweezer' began that the place truly exploded. 'Character Zero' is nearly always a set closer, so everyone was certain that it was the end of the 2nd set, when out of the depths of the song came the epic funk rock anthem 'Tweezer', which had been played to close the 2nd set only one time before in the band's history. They blew the roof off with the jam in this 'Tweezer'. It took us all by storm and there was not one person in the entire place that wasn't breaking it down emphatically. This was classic Phish, climbing and catapulting higher and higher, taking it up until it seems impossible to reach another level of intensity, and then exploding into another heightened platform of musical bliss.

After 'Tweezer' ended, we all knew what hit us, and it felt unbelievable. They came back out for an Encore, and Trey asked us if we were in a rush to go anywhere and that they thoroughly enjoyed the Northeast run that they're completing and want to stick around and play a couple more songs for us. They proceeded to play a FOUR song encore!! They began the encore with the debut of the title track from their upcoming album "Joy". It is an absolutely beautiful and moving song written by Trey during his sister's bout with cancer prior to her death. The chorus where the band harmonizes "We want you to be happy, don't live inside the gloom, we want you to be happy, come step outside your room, we want you to be happy, coz' this is your song too." are healing lyrics that will most likely sooth many individuals who feel unhappy or unimportant. After 'Joy' they played 'Bouncing Round The Room' an old staple which even the least knowledgeable of Phish fans know. We were sure that this was the end of the encore, and then they began 'Run Like An Antelope' which was fully unexpected and caused the crowd to break into an all out dance party as the rollicking ride of 'Antelope' made us feel fully satisfied and showered with love from the band. They were giving us more than the norm. 'Antelope' went right into a rocking 'Tweezer Reprise' to close the encore in which everyone was pumping their fists in the air, rejoicing together over the brilliant madness they just experienced.

This was the last stop of tour for me. The rest was all experienced through friends who went, watching the streams, reading the message boards & reviews, and listening to the soundboards of the shows.

They continued on to play a really special show in Asheville, and then played an incredibly solid sleeper of a show in Knoxville, TN leading up to Bonnaroo. They took Bonnaroo by storm, playing a late night set Friday night, and rather than play two sets as usual, they blew through a 3 hour set with no break. It was a mammoth show which had a little bit of everything, and proved that they certainly still have stamina. The Sunday headlining show to close out Bonnaroo was a fun show as well. I watched it on the stream, and they played a pretty good show which was centered around the guest appearance of Bruce Springsteen who sang & played guitar with Phish for 'Mustang Sally' 'Bobby Jean' and 'Glory Days'. This was a fun segment, but took away from the cohesiveness of a Phish show. While it was a great moment, that show will not be heralded over time by any means.

After Bonnaroo, they were off to St. Louis to play at The Fabulous Fox Theatre which holds only a few thousand people, and is the most intimate venue Phish has played at in the United States in ages. Two friends of mine drove 2300 miles total just for that one show. From what I heard, the atmosphere and experience of seeing them in such a small theater was unexplainable, and worth every hardship it took to get there. Musically, the show did not live up to the hype by any means. It had some real highlights like the "Halley's Comet" which opened the 2nd set and clocked in at around 14 minutes, and the 'Possum' which built great tension, and 'Mcgrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters' being busted out in the encore. Overall though, it doesn't hold together as that special of a show on tape, and was probably truly extra special to those who were there.

The next show was at Star Lake Amphitheater in Burgettstown, PA near Pittsburgh. Everyone who I know that went to this show claimed that it was filled with energy. It translates on tape for sure. In the first set, 'Wolfman's Brother' and 'Divided Sky' were crackling with excitement, and the 'Tube' was a completely dirty funk fest. The 2nd set was a rocker opening with 'Down With Disease' followed by 'Free', 'Guyute', a rocking 'Piper', the beautiful and rare 'When The Circus Comes To Town', gorgeous versions of 'Harry Hood' and 'Squirming Coil' and closed out with a channeled 'You Enjoy Myself'. The encore was centered around acapella songs and Jon Fishman with 'Grind', 'Hello My Baby' and then 'Hold Your Head Up>Bike>Hold Your Head Up' making fun of Fishman in loving jest the entire time. After the shenanigans they finished the encore with their glorious cover of the Rolling Stones song 'Loving Cup'. Oh what a beautiful buzz indeed!!!

The tour was four fifths complete at this point. 12 out of 15 shows had been played, and they trekked back across the country to close out the first leg with a weekend that stamped Phish once again as the force to be wreckoned with that they have always been. The last weekend included a show on Friday night at Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN and two shows on Saturday and Sunday at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI which are two of the band's most legendary venues.

It was a crazy lightning storm with pelting rain at Deer Creek. The band certainly rewarded the fans for sticking it out. The first set was well played with classics like 'Moma Dance', 'Limb By Limb', 'Split Open and Melt', 'Lawn Boy', 'The Wedge', as well as another rocking version of 'Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan' which is on their upcoming album. They didn't really open it up though until the last two songs of the first set. 'Ocelot' also on the upcoming album, was played with lovely energy and really lifted the vibe up. The set closer of the 2nd 'Fluffhead' of the tour was completely on point in the midst of a lightning storm. It was one hell of a way to close out the first set of Deer Creek, paving the way for one of the most exploratory and exciting sets played so far this summer.

The 2nd set opened with 'A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing' from their album 'Undermind' which was released in synchronization with their breakup announcement. Overlooked by many, this song is a force of its own, and really broke some ground this Summer with the psychedelic jam it produced clocking in at around 14 minutes. This went right into 'Drowned' and I can't decide which was better, this version or the one I saw at Jones Beach. I am leaning toward this version though, because it truly errupts with its placement in the set and the momentum continued with 'Twist' aftwerwards which was a nice 9 minute rock and roll party. The 'Tweezer>2001' provided meaty improvisation and high energy late in the set and the 'Possum' which closed the 2nd set finally had the intensity and power that 'Possum' should have, only comparable to the Fox Theater to the other 'Possum' versions this tour. The encore of 'Sleeping Monkey' into 'Tweezer Reprise' was classic Phish and closed out a truly special show. It was time for Alpine Valley.

The 1st night of Alpine Valley was a completely solid show throughout. Opening with a bang with the intense rocker 'Punch You In The Eye' the show was off and running with an onslaught of exciting music. To follow was 'Runaway Jim', 'Stash', 'Yamar', an incredible Summery version of 'Bathtub Gin', and another balls to the wall rocking version of the new 'Kill Devil Falls' which also is appearing on their upcoming album. Then the peaceful beauty of 'Train Song' allowed everyone to take a deep breath and feel soothed, as the band went into the happiest song in their repertoire 'Sparkle'. Closing the 1st set with 'Run Like an Antelope' made this a killer set. The 2nd set would start off a little slow, but once the first couple of songs were out of the way they tore it up. The entire segment of 'Maze', 'Makisupa Policeman', 'Ghost', 'The Lizards', 'You Enjoy Myself', 'NICU', and 'Prince Caspian' was a nonstop thrill ride. The encore of the beautiful 'Waste' into the raucous 'Fire' by Jimi Hendrix capped off the show with a bang and led brilliantly into the 2nd night at Alpine Valley, and the final night of the first leg of tour.

The 2nd night of Alpine Valley turned out to the be THE show that I was waiting for. Phish pulled out all the stops at this show in comparison to any other show on the tour. Opening the 1st set with one of their biggest rarities 'Brother' caught many by surprise, and segueing into 'Wolfman's Brother' was a fun play on song titles and turned out as a genius move by the band. The fact that 'Funky Bitch' by Son Seals followed this, made the first set already top anything previous this Summer. It was the only version of one of my favorite covers all tour, and this was not the only time during the show that occurred. 'Divided Sky' followed these 3 songs and it was already stamped that this was one of the more special shows of tour. The rest of the first set was well played and had some fun songs, but it wasn't until they went into the ultimate rarity of 'The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday>Avenu Malkenu>The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday' that this shows leaped to the best show of the tour in my eyes. They are slick too, playing Avenu Malkenu (Our Father Our King) on Father's Day. This was the major highlight of the first set for me amongst all of the other surprise moments.

The 2nd set was one that dreams are made of. Opening with the Talking Heads 'Crosseyed and Painless' for the only time this tour, and only the 2nd time in over 9 years, they reached liftoff to the max with the ultimate funky dance party. Fishman was fantastic on the vocals, sounding more like David Byrne than ever before, and the jam that ensued was mammoth. Clocking in at 15 minutes, this blew everyone's minds as an opener to a 2nd set of a show which already had such a special 1st set. 'Crosseyed' went right into the biggest heavy hitter of the tour 'Down With Disease'. Everytime played, this anthem has been executed wonderfully, and it kept the energy flying higher than imaginable. 'Bug' was a nice break from the craziness that just ocurred, but still brought with it high energy blissful jamming. The 'Piper' that followed may have been one of the more intricate and exploratory jams of the first leg of tour, and the band was simply on fire at this point. They gave everyone a breather with the beautiful 'Wading in the Velvet Sea' and then went right into the gooey funk of Stevie Wonder's 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' which is always a dance party and a half. Closing out the set with a beautiful 'Slave to the Traffic Light' and encoring with the acapella song 'Grind' followed by the heavy rock and roll classic 'Frankenstein' by the Edgar Winter Group, closed out the tour with ferocity. This was a show of shows, closing out the first chapter in the new Era of Phish giving us all excitement, faith, and anticipation for what is to come.

Phish is back and they mean business, and we are all privileged to be a part of the magic. They reconvene touring on July 30th for a 4 night run at Red Rocks to kick off the 2nd leg of the Summer. The excitement runs wild throughout the community to be able to experience the growth of one of the greatest bands in music history as they continue to improve and find themselves uncovering new ground. We are the lucky ones.

Summer 98 Funkalicious Grooves: A Look Back Before Re-Joining The Ride

I realized that I owe a big Thank you Mr. Miner.

The man is a machine, who is easily the greatest Phish Blogger period, and we are blessed to have him. Months before Phish announced their return, he was holding it DOWN with consistent daily posts getting us all psyched for the comeback. He is infectuous with his writing caliber as well as his knowledge. His passion for Phish is one that has been felt by us all, but he is able to transcribe it daily in new forms, inventing on top of himself constantly.

The "No Spoilers" Project which he did was brilliant, and allowed all of us to experience the thrill of the ride of the comeback shows at Hampton without ruining it prior. The greatest part of a Phish show is the mystery, and the anticipation. What is next? Oh damn! Who expected that?! Wow I wonder what they are going to pull of after this!!?

We got it all. Mr. Miner was able to have each show uploaded within an hour after its completion, without one detail to the show aside for a download link to each full length set without song titles or individual song lengths. We who could not be at Hampton will never forget what you did for us Miner. You came through with flying colors then, as you did leading up to Hampton and have done so since. You are our sage through the return of Phish, and we all appreciate you for it.

While listening to the shows which made me fall in love with them and musical journeys which parallel life that only Phish can produce, I am reminded of the tension and release of true genius musicianship and risk taking exploration that has inspired me so much over the years.

Therefore, regarding the wonders and care free joys of Summer, and what Phish can do to us all during the upcoming season, I must represent Mr. Miner and post a link to his blog. One of his recent posts "The Laid Back Funk of Summer 98" was one that caught my eye, as many of his posts do.

He is dead on regarding the delicious funky grooves which Phish brought out in the Summer of 1998. They were a balanced band, breaking out into landscapes of oozing textural expeditions of molten firey funk.

Miner wrote a beautiful post illustrating what that Summer meant to him, and his words are representative of the entire Phish community, which is what is so magical about his work.

He chose to pick one monumental jam from each show on that US Summer Tour which encompassed this style and era of Phish, totalling over 7 hours of music.

Here are the songs he chose, and venues they were played at:

1-4. “Tweezer > California Love > Tweezer > Free” 7.15, Portland, OR
5. “Reba” 7.16, The Gorge, WA
6. “Gumbo” 7.17, The Gorge, WA
7. “YEM” 7.19, Shoreline, CA
8. “Bathtub Gin” 7.20, Ventura, CA
9,10. “Ghost > She Caught The Katy” 7.21, Phoenix, AZ
11,12. “Wolfman’s > 2001″ 7.24, Houston, TX
13. “Tweezer” 7.25, Austin, TX
14. “YEM” 7.26, Dallas, TX
15. “The Moma Dance” 7.28, Bonner Springs, KS
16. “Tube” 7.29, Riverport, MO
17,18. “Curtain > Free” 7.31, Columbus, OH
19. “Mike’s Song” 8.1, Alpine Valley, WI
20. “Ghost” 8.2, Deer Creek, IN
21. “Halley’s Comet” 8.3, Deer Creek, IN (Forgot the “Gumbo!”)
22. “Wolfman’s” 8.6, Atlanta, GA
23. “Ghost” 8.7, Raleigh, NC
24. “Sneakin’ Sally” 8.8, Merriweather Post, MD
25. “YEM” 8.9, Va.Beach, VA
26,27. “Wolfman’s > Time Loves a Hero” 8.11, Star Lake, PA
28. “YEM” 8.12, Vernon Downs, NY
29,30. “Gumbo > Sanity” 8.15, The Lemonwheel
31. “2001″ 8.16, The Lemonwheel

Below is a link to his blog where you may read his inspiring words and download all seven hours of his top funkalicious picks from the Summer of 98.

I cannot wait until Phish Summer 09!! Enjoy!!!!

http://phishthoughts.com/2009/04/02/the-laid-back-funk-of-summer-98/

Ultra 2009 Shenanigans

There we all are, standing juxtaposed to the beautiful Miami skyline at night.

At least 40,000 people if not more attended the 11th Annual Ultra Music Festival at Bicentennial Park in Miami.

Ultra was in full swing. I was rather annoyed that those bastards jacked up ticket prices from $99 for the day to $125 for the day, which was a slight punch in the gut on the way in. Yet I knew that no matter what I was making the right decision because the things that would ensue are things that you simply cannot put a price on.

We got in at 5:30ish. Unfortunately, since it started at noon we missed some good acts like M.A.N.D.Y vs Tiefschwarz, 2020 Soundsystem (although it was just a DJ set), and The Presets. However, we arrived just in time for LA Riots to rip up a really sweet 30-40 minute set at the Bayfront Live Stage, which was the largest, most salivatory stage at Ultra aside from the Main Stage, which was larger but not quite as salivatory.

I had yet to see BOTH of LA Riots together, as all I have ever seen of them is one out of the duo. It was a good time, but I was catching my bearings having just arrived at one of the largest festivals in the world with over 50 countries representing musically. It was then time for Cut Copy.

Cut Copy, who many people think is one person, is actually a 4 piece band from Melbourne, Australia. I found this out not long prior to Ultra, and therefore when they came out with the drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards, I was stoked!

They played one hell of a set, reminding me of LCD Soundsystem and other funky disco electro dance punk rock bands out there. There was even a point at the end when Dan Whitford, the DJ who originally started Cut Copy in 2001, exclaimed that "We realize that everyone here are DJs and everything, but this is LIVE MUSIC from Melbourne, Australia!! So put your hands together and get ready for this last one! I hope to see all of you dancing!" and then they completed their set with "Lights and Music" which is possibly my favorite song of theirs. The set was refreshing as hell, and it was a pleasure getting to see the one true live band of the day.

As a matter of fact, here is Lights and Music from their Ultra Set for you to enjoy:




I forgot to mention that upon walking into the festival that the thing which put the biggest smile on my face was seeing the word LIVE next to Booka Shade. They played the Get Physical Late Night Saturday Night which has been held by Justice in 07 and Simian last year. However, they were playing a DJ set at the late night. I figured this would be the case at Ultra as well. Nope, not at all. The Booka Shade Live Set which I had heard endless things about as being one of the most revered sets in live electronic music was about to become a part of me.

We left the Bayfront Live stage to go to the Main Stage for Booka Shade's 6:30 performance. We got nice and close, but not right at the front. It was perfect. What ensued was hands down one of the most jaw dropping sets I have ever had the privilege of partaking in as an audience member by two German machines.

They were each wearing all black, and were standing upright and tall above their machinery. On the left he was throwing down on the E Drums like no one I have ever seen and dropping reverberating bass bombs which made my arm hairs shake, and on the right he was throwing down beats, melodies, and playing keyboards of different types.

Aside from Simian Mobile Disco, which I will speak about later, this set pretty much made the day worth it for me. It was full of everything I could want from live electronic music. They were consistently going places, taking our brains on an interesting rather than mundane journey, and doing it with a forceful power and confidence that I have seldom seen. Throwing in the live Electronic Drums and Keys into the mix made it that much more insane.

I am actually in this clip when the cameraman pans to the right, if you can spot me:




Mindblowing stuff isn't it? Here is a shorter clip with some more closeups so you can really see what is going on up there:




As if that was not enough, we moved back over the the Bayfront Live Stage to see what was going on, and while we thought we had missed Boyz Noize & Bloody Beetroots during Booka Shade, we were happily surprised to walk up in the middle of the Boyz Noize set and catch a little 30 minute set which delighted us all of the Bloody Beetroots.

Shaky as hell on the video tip, but showing the raw craziness of his set:




And while I spoke of The Bloody Beetroots in great detail in my post about the Dim Mak Records Party, they still blew my mind for their short set in the late afternoon on Saturday. They played a longer set at night on Friday at Ultra, but I did not attend since I was recovering from the previous day and night. Still, any Bloody Beetroots is better than none, and this was a wonderful injection of energy as the night had arrived. And it's edited, thowing some real raw energy in your face!!




Next up, on the same stage, was Crystal Castles. I don't have much to go on about them aside from their set being wonderful. It was a great tripped out sound going into MSTRKRFT. I was not too familiar with their music, but it made me smile.

Here is the song Crimewave from the set. I loved it:




Next up was MSTRKRFT. They rock, as always. I wrote quite a bit about them in my post about the pool party, but it was obviously wonderful getting to see them again in the Ultra setting. The thing I have been forgetting to leave out is how unbelievable the production value of the festival was. It was worth attending just based on the sound production, the lights, the artistic performers they had in addition to the DJs and musical acts. The vibe was also phenomenal. Everyone was wonderful, and it just felt great to be there and walk around to explore the endless unique individuals who had flocked to this great festival.

While there are many videos of them playing Ultra, I must include the one of them spinning "Da Funk". One, it's Daft Punk, and two it encompasses the craziness of the stage. Here you have it, Kraft spinnin Daft:




After seeing this go down I decided that I would head over to the main stage to see The Prodigy.

I had seen MSTRKRFT two days ago, and other times in the past, so I left their set early to catch The Prodigy.

Needless to say, this was a major mistake. They were supposed to come on at 9 ocklock, so I left MSTRKRFT at 8:55 to head over. I met some other friends at that stage, and stood there with them for 30 minutes waiting and waiiiiting for them to come on. It was ridiculous. After one of the Ultra promoters annoying us on the microphone, asking us if we were ready to see one of the best shows ever about 10 times over 30 minutes, they FINALLY came onstage.

The sound was AWFUL. We were at the main stage for Booka Shade, and it sounded absolutely incredible with the bass booming through our beings. During Prodigy, the sound was terrible. They were playing 'Breathe' which is one of my favorite songs by them, and barely anyone could make it out. I stood there annoyed that I had left MSTRKRFT early to wait 30 minutes for them to come on and play so terribly. After sticking around for a little to see if it improved, I realized the sound was not getting any better, and the vibe at the stage was horrible. I went from an ear to ear pasted smile on my face all day to wanting to get the hell out of there.

Therefore, I made the right decision and left the Prodigy stage to meet up with my other friends for Deadmau5. As you can see, I am not posting any videos of The Prodigy set as it was a horrible experience for me, and I do not feel it is worthy to share visually. If you feel like checking it out you may, but I must say it comes out a bit better on video than it did being there, which is a wierd thing but it is the case.

Now Deadmau5 was a completely different story! The madman who wore a huge mouse head with X's over the eyes signifying him being a dead mouse was wonderful, and the energy, lights, crowd, and music was absolutely off the chain. This was my first privilege of getting to see Deadmau5 and I could not have been more pleased. He blew my mind, and everyone who was lucky enough to be at the stage during his maniacal set. I am so glad that I came back to catch Deadmau5 after realizing that The Prodigy (who I was most excited for) completely turned out to be a major letdown.

Here is a taste from far away to catch a full scope view of the crazy lights:




Here is a little bit closer of a view to provide a more raw intensity of what it was really like being up in the thick of the crowd during Deadmau5 at Ultra:




As I'd said earlier, aside from Simian Mobile Disco, Booka Shade made the day for me.

Well, if Booka Shade made the day for me, than Simian Mobile Disco made the night.

They brought it harder than I could have ever expected in every way imaginable.

I consider myself extremely lucky, along with everyone who was there to witness the spectacle that went down during Simian Mobile Disco. Ultra brought Simian their own mobile disco to blow our minds the entire set. There were at least ten acrobatic dancers onstage, all dressed in different costumes of freakishness. This was the ultimate creepy circus all dancing to every beat and move Simian made.

It was unbelievable! Simian Mobile Disco stood at the back of the stage, the two of them facing one another, encompassed by smoke. At the front of the stage was the freakshow. There was someone dressed up as a bunny with a pink umbrella when it was beautiful out (I could not tell whether it was a guy or a girl). There was a woman on stilts with a long feathery costume, and a bondage S&M bitch all scantly leathered out with spikes and a ball & chain. There were so many different types of costumed acrobatic dancers onstage that we didn't even know what to do with ourselves. Between the unbelievable music that Simian was throwing down, the lights of utter insanity blinding our retinas, and the dance show of freakish tripped out proportions it was nearing sensory overload.



















(Above: Dancers During Simian - Photo by Ian Matz)

Then an Asian man approached the front of the stage with no shirt on, and placed a balloon over his whole head. He then proceeded to blow up the balloon with his head inside it as it grew larger and larger. Before we knew it, we had a crazy shirtless gigantic balloon headed man in front of us and he was dancing his ass off to Simian, and pulling it over his chest while moving his arms pressing outwards on the balloon as he danced his ass off to Simian, in one of the trippiest, most unique combination of artistic dancing combined with earth shattering music that could possibly exist.

Simian Mobile Disco, along with Booka Shade, made my Ultra Music Festival experience absolutely 100% worth it. Here are a few clips from the Simian Set. I am waiting for more to surface which capture the mania of the dancers on stage & how they appeared, but here's a taste:







Ohhhh this one I just found shows the dancers onstage!!! I still want closer views in order for the details to be visible, but this will do for now!!!




Closing out Ultra, Simian Mobile Disco left an imprint on me and endless others that will last for quite a while. The vibe that existed throughout the entire day was one that is unparalleled to few things in this world, aside from a Phish show. A Phish show does way more for me in an endless list of ways, however the raw excitement and energy of the vibe at Ultra with so many people from everywhere in the world all there to party their asses off and have the time of their lives is a feeling that I would not have passed up for the world.

Not to mention that my friend who was taking me home knew some kids who were staying at the Opera Suites right near the new gigantic gorgeous Opera House and Symphony Hall built this past year. They had a suite on the 45th floor! We went back there to hang out a little bit after Ultra to rest, recoop, and wait until the traffic died down. The balcony was literally a bird's eye view of the entire Bay of Miami to the right, and the entire City of Miami all lit up to the left.

The Bay was a deep vast dark abyss to look out on at night, with one sole bright light in the midst of it all. It was a beautiful sight to see. What was most impressive however, was the endless view of the bright lights encompassing the massive City of Miami at night. The entire city all the way to the horizon was lit up and moving like some unbelievable futuristic Tron 2.0 world. I grew up down here and in my entire life have never seen a view like I saw the night after Ultra on the 45th Floor of the Opera Suites. It will stick with me forever, and in its own right made the entire day and night worth it, Ultra experience aside.

There are really some things in this life that you really just can't put a price on.

From Mr Miner's Phish Thoughts Blog: Undecided, Undefined...

"Perhaps the most symbolic debut of the weekend was “Undermind.” The long awaited title track made its appearance in the first set of the last show, foreshadowing what is to come in the Phish world. Tweaked musically, the performance featured crunchier grooves than we were used to hearing on the album. Downplaying melody in favor of rhythm, the song adopted a funk-reggae feel. But as infectious as the grooves were, the lyrics painted a playful picture of where the band is at right now.

Undecided, undefined
Undisturbed, yet undermind
Relocated, not retired
Reprimanded and rewired
Mystified and mishapen
Misinformed, but not mistaken
Reinvented, redefined
Rearranged, but not refined.

With the repetitive line of “Undecided, Undefined” leading out of the jam into the end of the song, the message was clear- the future is wide open. A song that seems like it was written and shelved just for the band’s comeback, the synchronicities between its lyrics and the state of the Phish scene are remarkable. Perhaps the most exciting debut, musically, fans immediately foresaw this groove-based vehicle going places come June and beyond."

Nothing could be more true of Phish right now, and many of us in our lives currently.

The future is WIDE open. We all can go from being Undecided & Undefined to being Reinvented and Redefined multiple times through our lives. Phish has gone through that as a band a multitude of times, this time perhaps being the greatest test. Yet, it is truly an inspiration hearing those lyrics and realizing that even a band like Phish is constantly experiencing a battle of having to continue to reinvent themselves over the course of their career and lives. Being Undecided and Undefined is a good thing, because it allows us the freedom with no ties to become Reinvented and Redefined. Phish is a major motivation in the way they are evolving & growing at this stage in order to cement themselves in another chapter of history, rather than wither away.

There is ALWAYS a path to continue on, it is up to us to walk down it.

My Kickoff to Winter Music Conference 2009

Steve Aoki (above)



My goodness am I spent and speechless after the partying that went down yesterday and the world class music my friends and I were able to see, all for free. The wizardry that occurred over nearly 15 hours of music was impossible to describe and needed to be witnessed.


We attended the 9th Annual Bacardi B-Live WMC Party which was held this year at the Fontainebleau Pool. It's hard to top a private press pool party of this caliber the day before Ultra Music Festival. People from everywhere in the world were getting down and dirty all day long, and it was wonderful to observe and partake. As if getting to see all of the acts on the bill and being a part of such an exclusive party wasn't enough, Bacardi chose to sponsor ALL of the drinks ALL day long!! Unlimited Mojitos, Daquiris, Rum & Coke, etc. This blew my mind since I figured being on South Beach during WMC that getting in for free was more than I could ask for, and expected drinks to be close to $15 a pop. Nope, drinks cost us nothing from 3pm until 9pm!


The music was unbelievable, and the energy really something else. DJ Jazzy Jeff played early, and was hands down the worst DJ there. He barely mixed anything, and pretty much just played medleys of artists. It was very reminiscent of what a Bar/Bat Mitzvah DJ would play, and the MC onstage was not only worthless, but very annoying. However, I still got a major kick out of seeing Jazz, thinking of all the times he made me laugh on Fresh Prince.


His slight dud of an early set meant nothing, as everyone hadn't arrived yet. All was quickly forgotten once Diplo hit the stage. He is a madman. This was the first time I had the pleasure of seeing Diplo, and he had me breaking it down to nasty Baile Funk beats which were so grimey & dirty that my jaw was dropping. He played for about an hour or so, and then A-Trak took the stage.


A-Trak, a NYC resident, who happens to be Dave One from Chromeo's little brother, is a DJ I became familiar with very quickly at the Fool's Gold Records party after Ultra last year. It was his birthday, and he owned the stage for most of the night. This year he topped himself by spinning seamless mixes of dirty south beats and electro. From Robot Rock to Killing In The Name, A-Trak took us all on a delicious journey. At that point the place had filled up quite a bit and everyone was getting down. After about an hour or more, A-Trak stepped down and DJ AM played a really tight set which continued my dancing spree.


Then, unexpectedly, it was time for MSTRKRFT. They were billed as the top act but played 3rd to last. The second I realized they were onstage, we booked it towards the front for the onslaught of MSTRKFT. It had been a year since Ultra last March that I've had the privilege of seeing MSTRKRFT. I saw one of them spin at Camp Bisco last year, but that doesn't count. Needless to say, they shredded our faces into the ground unapolagetically. We were standing up on the ledge of the hot tub for a sick view & great sound, dancing our asses off and pumping our fists endlessly in the air. Their set flew by like a blur, leaving us dumbfounded.




My belief as to why MSTRKRFT went on a little earlier (which was no problem for me because it was as the sun was setting on the beach at the pool) was that Kid Sister was supposed to play a live set, but I gather she had not arrived yet, since she came out after MSTRKRFT for a really kickass short set of about 5-6 songs or so. It was a pleasure getting to see a live Kid Sister set, as she can spit out the lyrics with the best of them.


The party by the pool closed out with a Chromeo DJ set. I love Chromeo. I love Dave One. He is one of my favorite musical characters for so many reasons. After having seen Chromeo play a DJ set this past Halloween, I knew that we were in for it. They crafted together one of the funkier more dancetastic sets I have gotten down to in quite a while. The entire pool was bouncing in unison, and it was impossible not to get lost in the endless disco funk.


All in all, the Bacardi B-Live Party by the pool yesterday from 3pm till 9pm was way more than I could have ever imagined or asked for. I had my reservations and skepticisms, but the day was flawless. From the people around us, to the quality of music, to the unlimited free drinks all day, we were beyond satisfied and spent.


Yes, this is when the party was really getting started!


We went into the hotel to get a slice of pizza in order to refuel a bit, and then entered Blade, one of the two brand new clubs at the Fontainebleau. The Dim Mak Records Party was underway.
I was looking forward to this party, but had no idea how much of an impression it would leave on me. This party destroyed the Fool's Gold Party from last year by every means possible.


I will skip the early DJs, and go right into the night's special secret guest DJ Mehdi.


I watched DJ Mehdi spin for a little bit with A-Trak last year, and he was good, but it was hard for him to stand out. Last night, the man threw my head into a tizzy, playing well over an hour and a half set of massive proportions. He was grinning the entire time like a little kid, and you could tell he just did not want to leave the stage. I don't blame him. He had the entire place in the palm of his hand. I couldn't believe that at close to 2 AM that I was still dancing my ass off and having my mind blown, after having raged the pool party drinking & dancing in the sun all day. That is how good DJ Mehdi was, and how good the Dim Mak Records party was.


After DJ Mehdi's epic long set, Steve Aoki came onstage. Let me preface this by saying that I have never seen him, and last night he proved to me that he is hands down one of the top DJs in the world. He is a MADMAN, and even though saying this is not in line with my true belief system, the man shines like a God in his own right. Not only was the music he was playing completely fresh sounding and out of this world, but I have never seen a DJ truly COMMAND the stage like him period. He is the most energetic spazoid freakout that I can possibly imagine, and he ripped through our brains like a relentless Japanese combat robot. He was flipping out the entire set, jumping up and down, throwing his hands everywhere, hair flying all over the place, and dancing his ass off with every break and switch. Every move he made, the crowd followed, and we were dancing harder than we had danced in ages. My friends and I could not believe what was happening, neither could anyone in the crowd, and I am still completely dumbfounded by what I witnessed last night of the superhuman Steve Aoki, who is now in my opinion one of the best DJs in the world.


It was almost 3 am, and we had just danced our faces off between DJ Mehdi and Aoki. We didn't know how we would keep it up, but Armin Van Helden came on next and played a damn good set. It was certainly a step down from the mania that was Steve Aoki's set, but it kept us going for a bit. We went outside by the pool for a little to catch a breather and some delicious beach breeze, in order to save up the last potential ounce of energy we had for my most awaited act, The Bloody Beetroots.


Well, they lived up to everything I had been hoping for. Those Italian fly mask wearing maniacs are a mysterious force to be wreckoned with. The entire set was utter insanity. Steve Aoki came onstage for part of it and went absolutely nuts being held up by people on the stage while shrieking into his headphones. The Bloody Beetroots, who play Italian Melodic House music, have a sound like few others. It is so elastic and bouncing, with such pummeling force yet at the same time a beautiful classical melodic style to their madness. It was great getting to see them play their Il Brutissimo Remix of Crookers' Il Brutto, which is one of my favorite songs in electronica. Pretty much they are like evil Nintendo music on crack with a full decimating attack of mind and body. Basically, they drilled a hole into my head.


Once The Bloody Beetroots set ended, we stood there completely in awe of what we just experienced. It was nearly 5 am and we had been partying for 15 straight hours. We were on our last leg about ten times, but the music and energy was just TOO damn good and kept getting better and better in order to cave in and succumb to the exhaustion. We left feeling more satisfied than we had felt in a very long time.


I still need to recover from yesterday, and while I wanted to go to Ultra tomorrow, I really don't want to spend the money, but even moreso I think I got my fill of DJs for another year. I feel violated after that marathon yesterday, in the greatest of ways, but I'm not so sure I can take another 12 plus hours of Electro partying. I got juuuuust what I needed all day yesterday and last night, without having to pay anything.


That's right. As everyone kept saying throughout the day in accordance with the LMFAO song...


I'm in Miami biiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!

The Wonder Jam

In honor of the Wonder Years kick that I am on, and the multiple episodes Aylon and I watched directly prior to tonight's jam:

"The Wonder Jam" - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V6XBZPS0

My dear friend Aylon and I have been jamming together on and off for nearly 8 years.

Tonight he came by to hang, and we watched 3 straight episodes of The Wonder Years.

I just downloaded all 6 seasons, and have been in absolute heaven watching them.

After he left, I watched 8 more episodes in a row without moving an inch.

I forgot how that show is so wonderfully filled with hilarious moments, chunks of life values, and wholesome truths which are rarely covered in today's sitcoms. It truly is one of my favorite shows ever on Television, and I feel so privileged to have all 6 Seasons downloaded to my external hard drive for viewing whenever I get the craving. Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold (who everyone told Aylon he looked like as a little kid) growing up & living in Suburban America in the late 60s and the realistic internal struggles which he, his family, and friends must go through is something that I could watch endlessly & still be filled with every possible human emotion, in the most genuine & authentic of ways.

However, the true reason why Aylon came over was to throw down a sick jam. He uses an extremely old Yamaha Keyboard which he got passed down to him by his close friend's brother about 8 years ago when we began jamming. The thing is beyond outdated, and even he has claimed that it "feels almost like a toy to him in comparison to what a top of the line keyboard sounds like when you try it in stores".

Yet, somehow we have managed to connect up & communicate together musically through his Keyboard & my Fender Mexican Stratocaster. Slowly but surely, things evolved. He began to utilize the beats more on the keyboard, and change the tempo or style of beat, which started to make things more interesting.

We are now at a point where he comes up at least 2-3 times a week in hopes of getting in a dirty, nasty jam where we each end up in the zone with both of our eyes closed, soaring on a delicious cloud of musical goodness.

For the first time ever, we are going to release a clip of our most recent jam, both having agreed of its worthiness. Never before have we exposed our private jams of personal intimacy to the public. We have always kept it in the jam room, but felt that the last 6 minutes of the jam was too wonderful to keep to ourselves. It gets real balanced, funky, and makes me wanna shake it.

Mind you, this is not a band. It does not have a drummer, bassist, etc. This is a musical jam which was built with a really old lower end model Yamaha Keyboard with cheezy sounding beats, together with my guitar. We also were using the microphone on my webcam to record with, so the sound quality is far from professional. Yet, we end up having a ball everytime, and realizing that with all of the right equipment that we could really have something to work with. We felt this clip was worth having people hear. Hope you enjoy!

Dark Was The Night: A Red Hot Compilation

This heavenly compilation will be released Tuesday February 17th, 2009.

British Indie Label 4AD have had this in the works for quite a while. They are putting out this compilation in congruence with The Red Hot Organization which benefits AIDS research.

The day they chose to announce the artists who would be performing on the double disc, as well as the release date, was December 1st, which is World AIDS Day. In honor of that day, the lengthy list of gifted artists who would be recording new songs, covering some classics, and collaberating together on some new tracks as well, was announced to the world.

The release date of February 17th, which was announced on December 1st, World AIDS Day, is rapidly approaching. This Tuesday we will all be lucky enough to listen to one of the most incredible assembly of musical geniuses who have come together to create new music for the sake of finding a way to end to one of the greatest plagues of that past 30 years.

Every single person should purchase this double disc compilation. I realize in today's world that one is able to obtain anything for free from the internet. In fact, I have just downloaded the compilation because it does not come out until Tuesday, and if I have the chance to listen to it on the Sunday before it comes out, I will most certainly do so. I have not listened to it yet, hence the title "Preview Before the Review", but am extremely excited to listen to it tonight & over the next couple of days.

If I enjoy it, which I have no idea how I could possibly even remotely dislike it, I will purchase it on Tuesday upon its release in order to join this wonderful cause of musical creativity for the growth of AIDS Research.

Here you have it folks! The full tracklist of artists and songs created solely for this purpose, which is in my opinion one of the greatest collections of genius artists on one compilation in history.

Dark Was The Night: A Red Hot Compilation (4AD)

Various Artists

Disc 1

01. Knotty Pine (Dirty Projectors and David Byrne)
02. Cello Song (The Books and José González) [orig. Nick Drake]
03. Train Song (Feist and Ben Gibbard) [orig. Vashti Bunyan ]
04. Brackett, WI (Bon Iver)
05. Deep Blue Sea (Grizzly Bear)
06. So Far Around The Bend (The National and Nico Muhly)
07. Tightrope (Yeasayer)
08. Feeling Good (My Brightest Diamond)
09. Dark Was The Night (Kronos Quartet) [orig. Blind Willie Johnson]
10. I Was Young When I Left Home (Antony and Bryce Dessner) [orig. Bob Dylan]
11. Big Red Machine (Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner)
12. Sleepless (The Decemberists)
13. Stolen Houses (Die) (Iron & Wine)
14. Service Bell (Grizzly Bear and Feist)
15. You Are The Blood (Sufjan Stevens)

Disc 2

01. Well-Alright (Spoon)
02. Lenin (Arcade Fire)
03. Mimizan (Beirut)
04. El Caporal (My Morning Jacket)
05. Inspiration Information (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) [orig. Shuggie Otis]
06. With A Girl Like You (Dave Sitek) [orig. The Troggs]
07. Blood Pt 2 (Buck 65, Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti) [orig. The Castanets]
08. Hey, Snow White (The New Pornographers) [orig. Destroyer]
09. Gentle Hour (Yo La Tengo) [orig. Snapper]
10. Another Saturday (Stuart Murdoch)
11. Happiness (Riceboy Sleeps)
12. Amazing Grace (Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues)
13. The Giant of Illinois (Andrew Bird) [orig. Handsome Family]
14. Lua (Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch)
15. When The Road Runs Out (Blonde Redhead and Devastations)
16. Love vs. Porn (Kevin Drew)

Brother Bean's Next Show - The Dive Bar - Ft. Lauderdale, FL. - 02/21/09

This is a band to be wreckoned with. Originally a quartet, with Tony Hume on Guitar alongside Eric, the group fused into a trio in mid 2007 when Hume left the group.

In my opinion, this was the greatest thing to possibly happen to the band. Over the past 2 years or so, they have formed such a tight core that gels together magically. Their bassist Russ and drummer Pat lock in together to create some of the most driving, flowing, danceriffic grooves imaginable. This provides the trampoline for their guitarist Eric to soar with. It has also been wonderful watching Eric have the freedom to let loose and play all of himself since Hume has been gone. I felt like Hume was stepping on Eric's toes in the past, and now since that isn't the case we have had the privilege of watching Eric shine incredibly with his bandmates.

Brother Bean will be playing The Dive Bar in Ft. Lauderdale, FL this coming Saturday night February 21st, 2009. I can assure anyone that has not seen this band, that it will be an epic show of monumental proportions. You will be graced with at least 3 hours of music if not way more, and every second will have you captured and absorbed in a magical wonderland.

I will be at that show with bells on!! Hopefully some new faces will come out to catch what I believe to be one of the most talented bands that I am lucky enough to get to keep seeing.

To give you a better idea of what their music does for me whenever I see them, below is a review I wrote of the last set that I saw them play on January 10th 2009 at the Open Grass Music Festival in Delray Beach, FL.

I cannot speak for the rest of the festival, as I showed up just on time at 8:28 to pay my $20 to see an overdue set of Bean. It had definitely been too long, and thank goodness Ill get another dose next month at the Dive Bar at least double in length.

All I have to say is, I simply do not understand how a band of 3 chill guys from St Lucie area who are only known locally and dont play nearly as much as other local bands do, are able to summon the power and true insanity that DOES it for me everytime more than mostly any band I see.

There is just something about the chemistry now, the ebbing & flowing of the sounds, the mixture and variety of grooves, and the times when it sounds like another band or style but in an amazing way rather than a stale way because its still always part of Bean.

I thought it was pretty tight with that DJ Craig playing in the beginning. It was a cool sound, but it wasnt until later in the set when we had our faces stomped on taken directly from a phatty quote from Russ on my Facebook page.

"F YEAH!!!! we've been working hard to specifically rip YOUR face off and stomp on it.
can't wait to see you man!"

Haha, love ya Russ. It was great to see you and boy did you all RIP my face off and STOMP on it
I say this specifically in regards to the Better Days. That was the nastiest breakdown I have witnessed of one of my favorite grooves. The little spacey psychedelic transition from the song into the breakdown, and Pat reaching a speed of light drum rool in the midst, with a pause, and then DIRTINESS OF DOWNRIGHT UNSANITARY PROPORTIONS!!!!!!!

That has to be one of my favorite basslines, and it was driven into the ground like madness, yet with an ease & liquid groove that was far from coarse.

This jam literally was flawless, and reached points that blew my mind more than many jams from many bands in years.

I remember the way I was moving & how I felt the second that breakdown emerged, and the way it ensued drove me into the most loosened state I have experienced in quite a while.

All I have to say is, that groove especially, was the absolute heat! I have honestly not surrendered to the flow like that in way too long.

I must thank Brother Bean for once again for making a gigantic impression on my musical soul, leaving me wanting more and more.

Here is link for a show they just recently played in Tampa, FL at Crowbar on 01-24-09:

http://www.archive.org/details/bb2009-01-24.sbd

Enjoy, and if you live in South Florida I better see you at the Dive Bar!!!

The Feeling of Phish Tickets in Your Hand

"I saaaaaaaaaaaaaw youuuuuuuuu, with a ticket stuuuub in your haaaaand!!!! Under the light, middle of the night, couldn't get it wrong. I saaaaaaaaaaaaaw youuuuuuuuu, with a ticket stuuuub in your haaaaand!!!!"

That line from the chorus of one of the first Phish songs ever written, while Trey & Mike were in science class, take's on entire new worlds of meaning at this juncture.

Above are the 4 tickets to the last New Years Run that Phish ever played, as well as the last shows I had the pleasure of seeing from December 28th through December 31st 2003. That run was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had, almost topping when I got to see them come back from their hiatus for New Years in 2002 at Madison Square Garden.

They played with such fervor, busted out incredible rare songs and first timers, threw down mammoth jams, and most of all went wild with the shenanigans appearing as though they were having the time of their lives!!! Fishman played the vacuum twice in the same run for goodness sake! They played Tube, Cities, Weigh, Mule, and endless other gems we seldom get to hear, first time covers like LA Woman, Iron Man, Jungle Boogie & others, and were joined by George Clinton & P-Funk for Give Up The Funk & other P-Funk classics.

The countdown to New Years had a MINI automobile lowered from high above Fishman's drum kit to the stage. Dozens of marching band members and cheerleaders emerged, one by one from the car until the stage was overrun by drumming marching band members playing a MEAN version of "Jungle Boogie" joined by Phish. Fishman then counted down to NYE and they went right into Auld Lang Syne which went into a first time played "Iron Man" and then a Phish staple on New Years, Runaway Jim.

The illusion of well over 50 people getting out of a tiny vehicle one after the other was a magical and hilarious delight. Obviously they were coming from a secret passageway from under the stage, as there is simply no way for them to have all been in the car. Yet, the way it was executed was brilliant, and a lot of what makes Phish who they are, and why they are endeared by so many individuals who have had their lives touched by all of the beautiful times they have experienced with the Phish community and the band over time.

I speak about these shows in Miami in great detail because of their deep importance to me.

Those shows were so special in so many ways, and it appeared as though Phish was truly BACK and here to stay. I remember feeling that, and saying it at the time, and the sad truth of the matter is that they were having the time of their lives on those 4 nights, but that was the crescendo of their return and it was downhill from there.

They ended up announcing the breakup a few months later declaring that the Summer Tour which had already been on sale for a bit would be their final tour. They informed us they would be closing out the era of Phish in Coventry, VT near their hometown for what would be the last of the giant Phish Festivals which had brought 70,000 plus people to areas in Upstate New York, Limestone, ME & of course Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades for the legendary Millenium New Years extravaganza.

Also, that New Years Run means so much to me because they were the last shows I got to see before they broke up. I have heard strong rumors that they will be returning to Miami for their next New Years Run. There are also heavy rumors of their mythical New Years venue, Madison Square Garden, being the home of what would be the first Phish New Years Run in 6 years.

However, it would only be fitting in my eyes for them to return to the spot where they played their last New Years run in 2003 prior to breaking up, and come back full circle to enter a new decade of 2010 in the warmth of Miami for New Years. It makes the most sense to me. They played Big Cypress for '99 into '00 New Years Millenium Festival which would be ten years ago to the day of the upcoming New Years Run, and Miami was the last place they played for New Years from '03 into '04.

We shall see what they decide, but let's just say that if they do another 4 night Miami Run for New Years 09 into '10 nobody will be able to wipe the shit kickin' perma-grin off of my face for quite a while.

So yeah, those tickets in the photo at the top of this post were the last Phish tickets I had the privilege of holding in my hands.

Not anymore!!! Nooooope, not anymore!

As I checked my mail the other night and realized I was holding 2 Phish tickets to Mansfield, MA it barely hit me. It was the first time in over 5 years that I had PHISH TICKETS in my HANDS!!!!!!!!!! That may have been one of the most surreal moments of my recent life.

It would be impossible to truly describe the feeling it invoked, but to say that I was ecstatic would be an understatement.

At that moment it struck me. That is what it felt like to hold those tickets. Of course the entire process of Phish being back and touring period, tickets going on sale, and a close friend of mine having already notified me that they received our tickets in the mail for the tour opener at Jones Beach, has all been beyond the point of exciting. Yet, nothing can touch the feeling of actually holding hard tickets in your hand, and having the word PHISH stare you in the face from a ticket that is in your hands.

I am hoping to utilize the tickets to Mansfield in order to trade for the 2nd night of Jones Beach on Friday June 5th. My friend who got us 2 for Jones Beach Night One Tour Opener, was only able to get 1 ticket for the 2nd Night of Jones Beach, so I currently do not have a ticket for the Friday night Jones Beach show. However, he ended up getting 3 tickets for Mansfield, and I got 2. Therefore, a trade of a Mansfield ticket for a ticket for me to be able to hit up Jones Beach Night Two, while still having enough tickets for my homeboy and I to attend the Mansfield show is all completely in the cards.

Either way, I am either going to get to see 3 out of the first 4, or ALL 4 shows to open the first Summer of Phish in FIVE YEARS.

I'm tellin' ya that for me there was nothing like the feeling of holding Phish tickets in my hands for the first time in over half a decade. Nothing.

Only Phish can do that for me. I can't help but laugh and laugh and fall apart from the excitement of simply having tickets in my possession. I can't even fathom the bottle of emotions which will be flowing through me upon entering the lot scene, walking into the venue, taking our seats, waiting for the first note, and then its on!! Every twist and turn, zig and zag, and the return of the completely unknown mysterious journey of a Phish show twirling and whirling through us all, and then we get to do it again!!!!!

Less than 3 weeks until Hampton! Just the thought of getting to see NEW Setlists and hear NEW shows makes this guy a happy camper. I can't wait to hear the new Phish, and even moreso I cant wait to be there and immerse myself fully in the grooves. What a gift Phish gave us when teaching us to "surrender to the flow". It has been WAY to long for us all, and I think many of us not only forgot to do so, but forgot how to do so.

Not for long! Get ready to surrender to the floooooow once again come next month, all Summer long, and hopefully for years to come. Something tells me with the return of Phish will come renewed clarity for many of us.

See you in June!!!!

Su-Shin & The Obama Roll

Being that Sushi is my favorite food in the world, if I am to have a blog, it is imperative that I give due ode to the Sushi spot closest to my heart, which is Su-Shin located in Lauderhill, FL.
This is the place where dreams come true for any real Sushi afficionado.

My dear friend Jon & I have had a soft spot for this place for nearly a decade, however I have not had the pleasure of eating there since before I moved to NYC for a year, and I have already been back in South Florida for over a year and a half.

Since I have been living in Boca Raton for the entire time since I returned from the city, I found my own favorite local sushi joint, Fuji. I formed a cameraderie with the proprietor Jammy Yan, and believe his place to be one of the best in Boca. However, I unfortunately never found myself in a convenient situation to go hit up Su-Shin due to its location.

Last night marked my return to my beloved Su-Shin. I was at my homeboy Aylon's place, and he had to send out a package at the Fed Ex Kinkos at 9:45 at night. I was a bit perplexed as to why it so imperative that it had to be dropped off at FedEx that late at night rather than the next day, but was informed that it was the tracking number that was the key factor of this errand, and that it rested on being compensated for freelance videography work sooner than later. At this point, I fully understood.

The real mission at hand though was to figure out where to eat.

This usually tends to be a very important mission. We went over place after place in our heads until it hit me that we were within the vicinity of the mighty Su-Shin!!

I insisted that we go there, and he had no qualms about it. I was surprised since I didn't think he had the knack for sushi. I also forgot that Su-Shin was literally minutes from his place. The excitement I began to have build within me was hard to contain. I began to pound on the ceiling of the car immersed in a chant regarding our near presence at my ultimate favorite Sushi restaurant.

I even called Jon to share in the excitement, and he was quite stoked for me to get to be back there for the first time in almost 3 years, and for Aylon to get to try it for the first time ever. We walked in, and the place was as beautiful as I remember it.

The 2008 Zagat sticker was at the front as we walked in. Now, I am not really one to care for Zagat ratings, especially in NYC where Zagat restaurants abound like the salmon of Capistrano, and there are so many other restaurants that are not Zagat rated which are way better than the plethora of Zagat restaurants. Part of the fun of the city is finding your own favorite spots, and I would say that only 20% of those places in the city were Zagat rated for me. Yet, down here in South Florida, only the absolute best of the best are given the Zagat recognition. It takes on a new meaning when a Sushi restaurant has a Zagat rating down here.

Now, enough about the Zagat talk, and let's cut to the chase. Zagat or no Zagat, Su-Shin absolutely held up and surpassed itself since my last romance with it, to cement the top spot in my Sushi love. I boldly will say that it is more quality than any place I frequented in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens, and I ate a lot of sushi all over those boroughs. If you don't believe me, take a trip down and give it a shot. It's worth it, trust me. Even moreso, if you live locally in the South Florida area, dont even hesitate. Get in your car this second and make your way to the savory Su-Shin.

http://www.sushinthai.net/

Now that I was there for the first time in about 3 years, I knew that I had a lot of catching up to do. I decided that it was going to be a free for all.

I ordered a bottle of the Ozeki Nigori Sake (the milky unfiltered kind served cold) which I can never get enough of. Aylon and I split the Tuna Tataki appetizer with Ponzu Sauce and a pile of scallions and incredible hot sauce in the center. What I love about this place is they allow you to get full or half rolls of many of the choices, realizing that variety is the spice of life, and providing it for their customers.

Even a half roll includes 6 large pieces. I'm telling you this place is incredible.

I ordered a half of a Chronic Roll. Yes, that's correct, a Chronic Roll. It had White Tuna, Asparagus, Masago, Fried Jalapeno, Spinach Reversed W/Aonori Regular and dill on the outside layer of the rice.

I also ordered a half of a Tropical Roll which had Eel, Shrimp Tempura, Cheese, Masago Reversed Top Layer w/Avocado. These rolls were incredible, the Tropical Roll being the better of the two.

The other roll I ordered was called the Dreaming Roll. This roll had Eel, Cream Cheese, Avocado, Topped with Crispy Tuna, Sweet Miso Sauce, Tempura Flakes. Now tell me that doesn't sound unbelievable!

However, I felt that it would end up being too similar to the Tropical Roll. Right as I was thinking this, I looked up and saw on the light up neon board that the Chef Special was the Obama Roll!!!! All it said was Obama (NY Steak) Roll. I had no idea what was in it aside from NY Strip Steak, which I love to death, but when it comes to Sushi I like to keep it to Sushi. I thought to myself, NY Steak in a Sushi Roll?? I've seen many rolls with teriyaki chicken, beef, etc but I have chosen not to partake in that type of roll because then it isn't really technically Sushi.

I decided to screw the rule I had invoked for my entire Sushi lifetime and cancel the Dreaming Roll to substitute the Obama Roll. I figured it was worth taking the chance just in honor of our prophetic & wonderful new President.

I was so pleased to see a Japanese Restaurant showcasing the Obama Roll, reminding me what a difference Obama's victory has made already regarding the way the rest of the world views our country. The woman even said to me, "You try the Obama Roll yea? It's now your favorite right?" I avidly acknowledged that she was right.

This roll was something else. It was the first time I had ever eaten Sushi and felt something much deeper.

Here I was, at my favorite Sushi spot that I have ever had the privilege of eating at anywhere, and I was eating a roll created in honor of our daring new President who I respect and admire so much. I felt true peace and unity while eating my food last night.

The roll was obviously going for symbolism. It had savory juicy chunks of NY Strip Steak at the center, Cream Cheese, Avocado, Red & Yellow Sauce. It had black sesame seeds mixed with the outer layer of white rice, the only roll to do so, as the others has brown or white sesame seeds. I thought all of this was wonderfully thought out, showing through the art of food how all colors can co-exist and look absolutely beautiful and balanced to form an incredible whole.

As Reverend Joseph E. Lowery eloquently, humorously, and stirringly stated "Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. "

I say Amen to that!!! That's what I'm talking about! I could not get that speech out of my head while eating this delicious Obama Roll.

Of course I also couldn't help but crack up remembering Jon Stewart's parody of that speech with the words "When Blue will be allowed in two, when Puce will be set loose, when we rise above the minutiae of Fuchsia, and Orange …. screw Orange!"

The best part about the roll was the presence of the lettuce. Each piece had lettuce, but like the Spider Roll would have Soft Shell Crab poking far out of two pieces, or the Mexican Roll would have two large Shrimp Tempura tails poking out, this roll had giant pieces of lettuce poking at least 2-3 inches out of two of the pieces.

I have never seen this in a roll ever, and was trying to make sense of it. The lettuce was blatantly in your face. To me it spoke loudly of a clever pun with food of "Lettuce have hope! Lettuce make a difference! Lettuce change!"

After all was said and done, I had spent nearly $70 on what was possibly the most delicious, sentimental, memorable, moving, and inspiring meals I have had in ages. What else would I expect from my dear Su-Shin after such a long hiatus??