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Sirius XM NYE Broadcasts

FURTHUR, BISCUITS, DBT, AVETTS AND MORE

Eminem

SIRIUS XM Radio announced yesterday that it will celebrate the new year with a wide-ranging lineup of live concerts, special performances, exclusive DJ sets, a special New Year’s Eve music channel and various year-end countdowns. Here’s the rundown:

-Eminem’s “Home & Home” concert – featuring guest appearances from 50 Cent, Drake, B.O.B. and Dr. Dre, was recorded live at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI, and will play exclusively on his Sirius XM channel Shade 45 and XM channel 66 on Friday, December 31 at 8:00 pm ET.

-A special encore broadcast of Paul McCartney’s performance from the Apollo Theater from December 13 will air on The Bridge, SIRIUS channel 33 and XM channel 27, on Friday, December 31 at 9:00 pm ET.

Other NYE performances being broadcast live on Sirius XM include:

-Furthur from Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA
-The Disco Biscuits from the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia, PA
-Southside Johnny at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ
-Patti Smith at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, NY
-The Avett Brothers at Ashville Civic Center in Asheville, NC
-Phil Vassar from downtown Nashville, TN
-Drive By Truckersfrom Terminal 5 in New York, NY
-Pitbull from House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV
-Little Feat at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA

Sirius XM will also broadcast historic and special concerts by Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Flaming Lips, Jack Johnson, Phoenix, Bachman & Turner, Peter Noone, Gerald Albright and Vampire Weekend.

For dance music fans, Sirius XM will broadcast DJ Paul Oakenfold live from Rain in Las Vegas and Swedish House Mafia’s Steve Angello will DJ live from Roseland in New York, NY. In addition, listeners can hear DJ sets by Paul van Dyk, Armin van Buuren, Swedish House Mafia’s Axwell, as well as a special presentation of Tim Berg presents “Avicii LEV7LS” on New Year’s Eve. The DJ sets will air on Electric Area, Sirius channel 38 and XM channel 80.

Real Jazz, Sirius channel 72 and XM channel 70, will present NPR’s 30th “Toast of the Nation” featuring live jazz, coast to coast, with performances from Dianne Reeves, Lionel Loueke Trio, Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra with Nnenna Freelon, Jimmy Heath, Cyrus Chestnut, Nicholas Payton and Benny Green.

Metropolitan Opera Radio, Sirius channel 78 and XM channel 79, will present a live broadcast of the new production premiere Verdi’s La Traviata.

Sirius XM’s New Year’s Nation channel, Sirius channel 3 and XM channel 23, has been custom-created to serve as the soundtrack to New Year’s Eve parties around the country and will feature party hits from genres across Sirius XM’s music platform. The channel will launch on Friday, December 31 at 12:00 pm ET and will air through Saturday, January 1 at 11:59 pm ET.


Jack Johnson | Santa Barbara | Review | Pics

Words & Images by: L. Paul Mann

Jack Johnson :: 10.13.10 :: Santa Barbara Bowl :: Santa Barbara, CA

G. Love by L. Paul Mann

Jack Johnson brought his feel good road show to the Santa Barbara Bowl for the first of two sold out nights. In fact, the shows had sold out shortly after they went on sale last April. Johnson, who has become one of the most successful pop stars in the country, has headlined nearly every major music festival in the nation. So the solid turnout was no big surprise for the hometown hero and master of California beach pop.

The show began early, in typical Jack Johnson style, with an impromptu acoustic jam in the garden just inside the venue. Johnson and longtime friend G. Love performed a short pre-concert jam, before most fans had any idea what was happening. After a few quick songs, Johnson bolted up the hill with his newest offspring in tow, just as a bewildered crowd began to jam the walkway.

The main stage show began right on schedule with an opening set by miniature Malaysian singer Zee Avi. The tiny singer with a big voice has become a recording sensation with a large Asian fan base on the heels of her self-titled debut album. Her music was discovered on YouTube, and found its way to Jack Johnson’s record company with the help of Patrick Keeler of Raconteur fame. Avi paints an interesting musical canvas with her pleasantly soothing voice wrapped around sounds from many musical genres. When playing her ukulele, she channels the sounds of the Pacific Islands, but with her band, the sound blends indie pop and jazz to create interesting textures. In a true testament to the power of the Internet, her music has become popular purely by the will of her fast rising fan base. The early bird crowd responded politely to her sweet sounds.

As the afternoon light faded to twilight, G. Love and Special Sauce hit the stage. G. Love has been making his own unique brand of hip hop infused Philadelphia blue since the mid 1990s. Always a great live performer and consummate entertainer, the musician seems equally at home as a street musician with a harmonica & beat-up guitar or a bandleader in front of a large amphitheatre crowd. G. Love has become forever entwined in the career of Jack Johnson. He first featured Johnson on his 1999 album Philadelphonic and played a version of “Rodeo Clowns” long before the world knew of the future California surfer musician phenomenon. Johnson opened for G. Love on his earliest tours. Now G Love records on Brushfire Records, Johnson’s label, and frequently opens for the musical prodigy he helped discover. G. Love and Special Sauce offered a funky, blues drenched live show that had many of the elements that make New Orleans music such a great live sound. The crowd greeted the band with an enthusiastic response throughout their 60-minute set.

Jack Johnson by L. Paul Mann

As a cool October evening fell on the Bowl, Jack Johnson emerged right on schedule to begin his triumphant two-hour set. It was no surprise that his presence was a catalyst for a vociferous, adulate crowd since the local surfer still maintains a house in Santa Barbara, and is considered a local hero. What was a surprise was how much his music and live performance have matured. Johnson has sold over 8 million records in less than a decade with his largely innocuous soft rock sound. His simplistic approach to music with a fine laidback sound has endeared him to a huge worldwide fan base. At the same time, fans of more complex music have criticized his sound as monotonous and uninspired. In fact, his live shows over the years have been lessons in minimalism, in both style and substance. But with the release of his most recent album and the subsequent tour, a more complex, mature musician has emerged.

Johnson now spends extensive time on the electric guitar, playing more intricate chords and riffs than in the past. His band has also followed his more upbeat, evolved sound. His drummer now sports a complete drum set and uses it to create a much more complex backbeats than in the past. His keyboard player Zach Gill (ALO) plays extensive honky tonk solos in the new work, too. Even Johnson’s bass player has taken on a new deeper, richer sound live. To be sure, Johnson still pulls out the acoustic guitar for some of his early, simpler hit songs, but his newer, throatier material provides a perfect juxtaposition to the older classics, painting a much more interesting and varied live portrait.

Johnson’s use of multimedia in his live shows also continues to morph into new and interesting directions. A large panoramic screen was painted in layers of environmental colors and images, interspersed with live inserts of the band and the crowd. The ever-evolving backdrop created a living link to the performance in a unique, artistic way. A steady stream of musical guests, also added additional layers to the show. Guests included Zee Avi on ukulelele and ALO guitarist Dan Lebowitz, amongst others. But it was the extended appearance near the end of the show by G. Love that was the highlight, and brought the evening full circle back to the impromptu garden jam. Singing, dancing and playing guitar and harmonica, the musical maestro clearly reveled in his performance with his former protege turned pop icon.

Fans of jam music may dismiss Jack Johnson’s music as being too simplistic, but they may want to give his newer music another listen. They just may be surprised at how much the surfer boy sound has matured. He may grow up to be a true jam musician yet.

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”24″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=150″);}); 10/13/10 – Jack Johnson @ Santa Barbara Bowl (Santa Barbara, CA) View Photos

Jack Johnson Tour Dates :: Jack Johnson News :: Jack Johnson Concert Reviews

JamBase | Wave Ridin’
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Running Down Miles’ Voodoo

By: Ron Hart

Bitches Brew 40th Anniversary
Collector’s Edition

2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Bitches Brew, an album long considered to be one of the pivotal turning points in the history of jazz. Change was indeed in the air when Miles Davis initially incorporated electronic elements into 1968′s Miles in the Sky and 1969′s Filles De Kilimanjaro. However, when he created an album with an all-electric ensemble with In A Silent Way (also released in ’69), it was met with a staggering combination of awe and angst by both jazz and rock critics, particularly because they really didn’t know what to make of the album’s experimental nature, which was billed as Davis’s debut foray into the then still-emerging fusion movement, as well as his first collaboration with longtime producer Teo Macero.

However, when Bitches Brew was released in April of 1970, Miles had fully immersed himself into the rhythmic propulsion of the psychedelic funk and rock sounds popularized by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Santana, James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone, most of which he was introduced to by his ex-wife, R&B sex kitten Betty Mabry-Davis, whose inspiration is all over the record. Putting together a veritable supergroup of collaborators including Wayne Shorter on soprano saxophone, keyboardists Chick Corea and the late Joe Zawinul, bassists Dave Holland and Harvey Brooks, drummers Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette, clarinetist Bennie Maupin, conga players Don Alias and Juma “Jim Riley” Santos and guitarist John McLaughlin, Miles crafted a double album that took the explorations of the outer perimeters of exposition, development and recapitulation featured on In A Silent Way and sent them even further into the freak zone, incorporating such special effects as tape looping, electro-acoustic reverberation and frequency filtering spurred by Macero’s fascination with the musique concrète movement of the late 1940s and the works of Edgar Varese and Karlheinz Stockhausen, only propelled by an acid jungle groove that would eventually become Miles’ calling card in the early-to-mid 70s on albums like (A Tribute to) Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, On The Corner, Big Fun and Get Up With It.

The end results were nothing short of a sonic revolution across the jazz landscape equal to what The Beatles were doing to the pop idiom with Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and The White Album, creating even more of a furor at the time with stuffy-shirted critics who clung to their copies of Birth of the Cool and Kind of Blue as if they were bracing themselves for a hurricane of Katrina proportions.

Original gatefold album art

In honor of this legendary album’s historic 40-year milestone, Legacy Recordings has released a gorgeous anniversary Collector’s Edition of Bitches Brew. Similar to the monster celebration for the 50th anniversary of Kind of Blue the label released in the fall of 2008, this version contains two CDs containing the original six tracks plus six more bonus cuts, a third disc containing a previously unreleased live performance of the Miles/Keith Jarrett/Chick Corea/Dave Holland/Jack DeJohnette/Airto Moreira/Gary Bartz lineup from an August 1970 concert at Tanglewood, a DVD of another unissued show from Copenhagen in November 1969 featuring the Davis/Shorter/Corea/Holland/DeJohnette quintet, plus the original album on 180-gram vinyl housed in a gorgeous double-LP replication.

JamBase was lucky enough to catch up with two key members of the Brew crew, Messrs John McLaughlin and Lenny White – both of whom would take the fusion genre to new heights of innovation with their respective groups Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever – to discuss their roles in the making of this monumental masterstroke.

John, tell us about the first time you ever met Miles Davis and how you came to join his electric ensemble for In A Silent Way?

John McLaughlin: I met Miles on the first day I arrived in NYC from London. It was during the first few days of January 1969. I’d been invited to join Lifetime with Tony Williams and Larry Young. However, since Tony was doing his final week with Miles before leaving and devoting himself exclusively to Lifetime, that week was at Club Baron in Harlem – long since disappeared. Even though we’d never met, Miles knew about me since he was losing Tony as his drummer, and was naturally curious about what he was planning. We met that night at the club, and the following day I was with Tony at Miles’ house, and out of the blue Miles said to me, “We’re recording tomorrow. Bring your guitar to the studio.” That was it.

Lenny, when did you first meet Miles and how did you come to join the band for Bitches Brew?

Lenny White by Susan J. Weiand

Lenny White: The first time I met Miles was at The Village Gate. I took the subway from Queens into the Village and went to see Miles. I heard he called my house the same day but I had left to go see him. Miles dressed in back asked me, “Can you play fast?” I said yes and he said “When?” and I said, “Whenever I’m asked.” He then said to be down here every night this week. I got a call to be at his house on 77th St. for a rehearsal. Jack, Chick, Wayne and Dave were there and we rehearsed the beginning statement of “Bitches Brew.”

How much input did you have in the blueprints of Bitches Brew? What were your thoughts on how this new form of electric jazz could be taken to the next level?

McLaughlin: By the time Miles was ready for Bitches Brew, I’d gotten to him very well. Right after the In A Silent Way sessions he kind of took me under his wing and was inviting me to play concerts with him even though I was with Tony and Lifetime. He’d become fascinated with guitar – he loved guitar and eventually got one for himself (I played it on On the Corner). I would go over to his house several times a week and he’d ask me about this or that riff, what would I do thythmically with such and such a chord, things like that. By Bitches Brew, he was moving ahead of everyone else (like always) into the world of fusion.

White: Miles said to me, “Jack will play the beat. I want you to play all around it, like a spice in a big brew.” So, I wanted it to sound like one drummer with eight hands.

Do you have a favorite story stemming from the Bitches Brew sessions?

John McLaughlin

McLaughlin: I have a better story for Jack Johnson, but what maybe was one of the nicest things was that Miles invited sitar player Balakrishna and tabla player Badal Roy, both of whom I’d introduced to Miles.

White: Yeah, I learned a great lesson on the very first day. I had been playing all kinds of music, and R&B and funky stuff was a big part of what I did along with playing jazz. On “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” he wanted a straight, simple funk groove. We had done a few takes that I thought were great but he wanted something simple. I played what I thought he wanted; more like Tony was playing and it wasn’t what he wanted. Don Alias, who played percussion, said, “Miles, I have a beat,” so he got on my drums and played this real simple beat. Miles loved it and I wound up playing percussion instead of drums on that track. The lesson I learned was don’t pot-think yourself by doing what you think somebody wants. Ask and find out what is needed.

Lenny, being so young going into the Bitches Brew sessions, was it intimidating to be in the room with all of these established cats?

White: It was scary. This was my first real recording session and it was with my idol. Everybody was cool, especially Miles.

What kinds of music were you listening to personally that may have influenced the direction of Bitches Brew?

original cover

White: We all were listening to Tony Williams, but along with Tony and Elvin [Jones], I was listening to Clyde Stubberfield and Jabo Starks with James Brown’s band and John Bonham.

McLaughlin: At that time I was listening to the heroes of my youth – Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc. – but also I was listening to Bartok, Webern, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, The Beatles and The Eagles, amongst others. I guess they all played a greater or lesser role. An anecdote about Jimi: One day I was with Miles at his house and I was telling him about Jimi and what he’d done with the electric guitar. Miles had never seen Jimi play so I looked in the Village Voice and found out that the Monterey Pop Festival movie was playing in the Village. So, I took Miles down to see the movie. It was great to see Miles watch Jimi, especially when he burns his guitar. All Miles could say was, “Damn, damn…”

Any truth to the rumor that Miles and Jimi were in talks to record and/or jam together?

White: As far as I know, this was definitely talked about, even to the point that Tony Williams and Larry Young did record a jam with Jimi. One of my big regrets is Miles asking me if I wanted to play with Jimi, and I said no because I wanted to play with [Miles].

Did Miles have a favorite Jimi Hendrix song or album that was crucial in inspiring the Bitches Brew sound?

White: I know he loved “Machine Gun” and around that time the version we were all listening to was from the Band of Gypsys recording.

What is your personal favorite track on Bitches Brew and why?

Lenny White by Lynn Goldsmith

White: “Spanish Key” because it was the first song of the second day after my big mistake with the direction on “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” and I no longer had any fear. I went into it all the way.

John, how did your name become the title of a song on the album, and why was it that Miles didn’t play on “John McLaughlin”?

McLaughlin: This was and remains to this day a mystery to me. I was kind of shocked when I saw the album. We, most times, never knew the titles during Miles’ recordings. I really don’t know the why of anything about his decision to give the tune my name.

How much did the music you created with Tony Williams and Larry Young in Emergency come into play with your role in the Bitches Brew sessions?

McLaughlin: Playing with Tony and Lifetime was a different creative environment for me. Tony encouraged me from the start to write music for Lifetime. Miles never did this, and I was very happy with this situation, too. Miles would pick my brain for riffs and stuff like that and then adapt it in his inimitable way. This was a really deep learning process for me. I should say that a tremendous amount of Mahavishnu music was born during my tenure with Lifetime. Miles has had a profound impact on me since I discovered him in 1958, and even more so when I had the opportunity to play with him. It really is impossible to quantify or qualify the degree of influence Miles had on me, musically and personally. It’s just enormous.

Lenny, how much of an influence did your time in Miles’ electric ensemble have on your work in Return to Forever, Azteca and Twennynine?

White: It didn’t just shape my attitude in playing in those music projects it changed EVERYBODY’S attitude. After this you were obligated to take chances, try new directions.

In listening to new music now in 2010, where do you most hear the influence of Bitches Brew

White: I hear the influence in the jam bands. I think they have taken the spirit of what we did and brought it to a present day audience.

JamBase | Steeped
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JamBase Questionnaire: Ryan Montbleau Band

Welcome back to JamBase’s baker’s dozen to the bright lights of the music world. Last time we heard from Spiritual Rez.

Being effortlessly charming and pumping out highly infectious music with a quickness seems to come easy to the Ryan Montbleau Band. For this bunch “pop” isn’t an ugly word. Montbleau’s tunes possess the sort of wide reach that lodges records in car stereos, video countdowns and beloved dorm room stashes. But for all the readily likeable traits, Montbleau’s music possesses an undisguised lustiness and clever streak that recall early Randy Newman, which hints that we’re only in the early stages of what he and his band will become.

Press play on Heavy On The Vine (released September 21) and the hooks just keep on coming, and in a wide variety of styles – pure radio fare, blue-eyed reggae, crooner territory and folksy shuffles – each delivered credibly. The whole band plays with lovely texture and the songs are ripe for live expansion, something the many miles already behind RMB have well prepared them to do. Martin Sexton‘s production accents a warm, group sound but still makes sure to let Montbleau’s crush-ready pipes stand out on every track. His voice marries Jack Johnson’s slacker drawl to Stevie Wonder’s brightness and dexterous way with a melody, and the whole album seems just one good soundtrack placement away from blowing up. Big.

In the meantime, Montbleau and his merry band will keep working clubs and theatres nationwide, as well as backing up Sexton from time to time. This weekend they’ll be in Albany, NY (9/24), Rochester, NY (9/25) and Ithaca, NY (9/26). For full tour schedule pop over here. (Dennis Cook)

Here’s what Ryan had to say to our inquiries.

Ryan Montbleau Band

1. Great music rarely happens withoutÂ…
Listening. Actually, it never happens without listening.

2. The first album I bought wasÂ…
Huey Lewis and the News’ Sports.

3. The last song or album to really flip my wig wasÂ…
“Sissyfuss” by Surprise Me Mr. Davis

4. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to beÂ…
A pro baseball player

5. My favorite sort of gig isÂ…
A quiet, listening environment, although I enjoy the others, too.

6. One thing I wish people knew about me isÂ…
I just want to get better.

7. I love the sound ofÂ…
The word “book”

8. One day I hope to make an album as fantastic asÂ…
The Beatles’ White Album

9. The best meal I ever had on tour was atÂ…
Tim Hardiman’s catering for us in Utica, NY

10. I always find the coolest audiences inÂ…
The smallest towns, but any show can be great; you just never know.

11. The worst habit I’ve picked up being on the road all the time isÂ…
Drinking more and sleeping later

12. The Beatles or the Stones? Por que?
The Beatles. I just don’t think the Stones can even touch the amount of great songs that The Beatles wrote.

13. The craziest thing I ever saw wasÂ…
I don’t knowÂ…Davy Jones from The Monkees at one of our gigs in Knoxville, TN? That’s a tough one.

Ryan Montbleau Band Tour Dates :: Ryan Montbleau Band News :: Ryan Montbleau Band Concert Reviews

JamBase | Straw In The Wind
Go See Live Music!


Pearl Jam Frontman Eddie Vedder Married Jill McCormick In Weekend Wedding In Hawaii

Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder married his longtime girlfriend, model Jill McCormick, in a weekend wedding in Hawaii.The Saturday afternoon ceremony was attended by approximately 70 guests, including Oscar winner Sean Penn and White Stripes musician Jack Johnson, who are friends of the groom. The couple got engaged in December 2009 when the 45-year-old singer proposed [...]

Beats Antique: Live Webcast Tonight

NEW ALBUM CUTS LIVE THIS EVENING

Beats Antique

Exotic electro-pop/fusion/gypsy hip-hop act Beats Antique will celebrate the release of their new album, Blind Threshold (out today, September 14), with a live webcast concert tonight.

Blind Threshold is now available in all major download stores and CD Baby, and this evening the band will perform selections from the album at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET broadcasting live from the campus of Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, CA. The webcast is free and hosted by CreativeAllies.com, an online design community that lets anyone submit art in official contests for artists like M.I.A., OK Go, Amanda Palmer, Jack Johnson and Thievery Corporation.

Tune in to the webcast here at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET tonight.

Beats Antique Tour Dates :: Beats Antique News :: Beats Antique Concert Reviews


Mile High Festival iClips Broadcast Schedule

WHAT’S ROCKIN’ IN THE ROCKIES THIS WEEKEND

The Mile High Music Festival is a two-day, five-stage event happening in Denver, Colorado this weekend, August 14-15. The good folks at iClips will be there broadcasting the action. Here’s the schedule:

Mile High ’09 by Pamela Martinez

Saturday, August 14

1:15p – 2:15p One Eskimo
2:15p – 2:55p The Motet
2:55p – 3:00p Festival b’roll
3:00p – 4:00p The Samples
4:00p – 4:45p Donavon Frankenreiter
4:45p-5:45p Cypress Hill
5:45p – 7:15p Steve Miller Band
7:15p – 8:30p Nas & Damian Marley
8:30p – 11:00p Jack Johnson
11:00p – 12:30p Slightly Stoopid

Sunday, August 15
2:00p – 3:00p Drive-By Truckers
3:00p – 4:00p Ozomatli
4:00p – 4:45p Keane
4:45p – 5:45p Train
5:45p – 7:15p My Morning Jacket
7:15p – 8:15p Weezer
8:30p – 11:30p Dave Matthews Band
11:30p – 12:30p Jimmy Cliff


Mile High Music Fest: DMB, Bassnectar, Stoopid

MILE HIGH MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY KYOCERA
ANNOUNCES PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE; ELECTRONIC MUSIC ADDED: “BETA BEACH”


Dave Matthews Band

With just four weeks until Colorado’s third annual Mile High Music Festival, today festival organizers
announce the weekend’s performance schedule. Unveiled with the schedule is Mile High Music Festival’s brand new
Beta Beach. Booked in partnership with Denver’s world-renowned Beta Night Club, the already diverse festival
expands its musical terrain by now hosting an impressive list of Denver’s most cutting-edge DJs and electronic
music including Second Sun, Halo
and Hipp E, and Dragon. Visit www.milehighmusicfestival.com/schedule for
complete schedule details and to purchase tickets.

Also released today, Mile High Music Festival’s custom schedule feature created by Gigbot. Visit www.milehighmusicfestival.com to create a schedule to highlight
the artists you want to see most.

Bands confirmed to perform at Colorado’s Mile High Music Festival presented by Kyocera, happening at the Fields at
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on August 14 and 15, include headliners Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson, also Weezer, Steve Miller Band, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid, Atmosphere, Phoenix, Train, Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Keane, Bassnectar, Cypress Hill, Z-Trip, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Drive-By Truckers, Railroad Earth, Ozomatli, and many more.

Tickets for Mile High Music Festival presented by Kyocera are on sale now, including Single Day Tickets and 2-Day
Packages, plus VIP Ticket options and hotel packages. Get tickets online at www.tickethorse.com and
www.milehighmusicfestival.com, by phone at 866-461-6556 and at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Box Office. They
can also be purchased with a credit card at the Ticket Outlet Kiosks in the twelve Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods
stores.

Visit www.milehighmusicfestival.com for complete details. The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park are conveniently
located just nine miles from downtown Denver, and only 1.8 miles from the I-70 and Quebec exit.

Check out the schedule for Mile High Music Festival presented by Kyocera at www.milehighmusicfestival.com/schedule


180º South: Modest Mouse Shins, Jennings Jack Johnson

CHRIS MALLOY’S 180° SOUTH SOUNDTRACK TO FEATURE ORIGINAL SONGS BY
UGLY CASANOVA (ISAAC BROCK OF MODEST MOUSE), JAMES MERCER (THE SHINS) & MASON JENNINGS
ALSO FEATURES SONGS BY JACK JOHNSON & LOVE AS LAUGHTER

Mason Jennings

Brushfire Records will release the original soundtrack to director Chris Malloy‘s film 180°
South
on June 22, 2010. The 180° South soundtrack features new music from James
Mercer
(The Shins, Broken Bells w/Danger Mouse), Mason Jennings and Ugly Casanova (Isaac Brock of Modest
Mouse
with various collaborators) – all of whom participated significantly in the overall film project. Songs by
Jack Johnson and Love as Laughter also appear, as well as
James Mercer’s cover of Neil Young‘s
“Journey Through The Past.” The compilation was assembled by the film’s producer, Emmett Malloy, who recently
directed The White Stripes‘ “Under
Great White Northern Lights”.

180° South (select markets nationwide) retraces Yvon Chouinard‘s and Doug Tompkins
epic 1968 journey
to
Patagonia through the eyes of adventurer Jeff Johnson. Along the way, Jeff is shipwrecked off Easter
Island, surfs the
longest wave of his life and plans a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff’s life takes a turn when he meets with his
heroes Chouinard and Tompkins, now spending their fortunes to save Patagonia’s wild lands from damming and
development. Director Chris Malloy’s film strikes deeply into the heart of Patagonia’s wilderness – it was there,
during the making of the film that the soundtrack was conceived.

Mason Jennings and James Mercer visited Patagonia during the shooting of the film. Deeply impacted, they spent the following weeks, months and years that followed, writing music and enlisting friends such as Modest Mouse’s Isaac
Brock and Jack Johnson to help get the soundtrack made.

“When we had a rough edit of the movie, we headed to Portland to Isaac’s studio to record the soundtrack for
180º
South
. Pulling up to an old two-story craftsman house, we could hear the peaceful sound of guitars through
the
windows” says producer Emmett Malloy. Chris and I stopped and stared up at the attic, completely captivated. It was not long before we were
watching footage and going over ideas and it wasn’t long after that before we heard banjo, trumpet, squeezebox,
drums and harmonies coming from every corner of the house. That did not stop for almost two weeks.”

Track listing:

1. “MOUNTAINS OF STORMS” – Ugly Casanova
2. “HERE’S TO NOW” – Ugly Casanova
3. “MACHINES” – Mason Jennings
4. “DOUG’S THEME” – James Mercer
5. “WAVE GOODBYE” – Ugly Casanova
6. “LONESOME BLUES” – Ugly Casanova
7. “JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST” – James Mercer
8. “HOTCHA GIRLS” – Ugly Casanova
9. “SPRING WIND” – Jack Johnson
10. “MAYBE WE’RE LOST” – Ugly Casanova
11. “CORCOVADO” – Ugly Casanova
12. “COCONUT FLAKES” – Love as Laughter
13. “THE GEEZER” – Ugly Casanova
14. “LAY ME DOWN” – Ugly Casanova


Mile High Fest Lineup: DMB Johnson, MMJ, Trucks, DBTs, RRE

Mile High Music Festival on August 14 & 15 On The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Weezer, Steve Miller Band, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid

Atmosphere, Phoenix, Train, Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Keane, Bassnectar

Phoenix, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Drive-By Truckers, Jimmy Cliff, Railroad Earth and Many Others

Gov’t Mule :: Mile High 2009 by Martinez

Colorado’s Mile High Music Festival officially announces its 2010 event: August 14 and 15 at The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. With Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson topping the bill of over 40 bands over two days, 2010 promises to be the festival’s biggest and best year yet.

In addition to the headliners, 2010 performance highlights include Weezer, Steve Miller Band, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid, Atmosphere, Phoenix, Train, Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Keane, Bassnectar, Cypress Hill, Z-Trip, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Drive-By Truckers, Railroad Earth, Ozomatli and many others. The complete list of performers is listed below. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. each day.

A relative newcomer on the national festival scene, Mile High Music Festival has already become a summer tradition for Colorado residents and for music fans from coast to coast. The festival grounds, with its remarkable views of the Denver skyline and Rocky Mountain Front Range, is the perfect backdrop for this diverse, lively, and distinctly Colorado music and arts festival.

The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is conveniently located just nine miles from downtown Denver, and only 1.8 miles from the I-70 and Quebec exit.

TICKET INFO:

2010 Mile High Music Festival Ticket prices follow. No additional charges or fees apply!


Mile High Music Festival Early Bird Tickets are $150.00 for a two-day pass. Early Bird Ticket supplies are limited and will go quickly. Once the Early Bird Tickets are sold, the ticket price will be adjusted to $175.00 for a two-day pass while supplies last. The next ticket price level will be $200.00 for a two-day pass. No single day tickets are available.

VIP Passes, Hotel Packages and Layaway options are available. Visit www.milehighmusicfestival.com for more information.

Tickets go on-sale on Saturday, April 10 at 10:00 a.m. MDT at www.milehighmusicfestival.com and www.tickethorse.com

LINEUP INFO:

The complete lineup for Mile High Music Festival is:

Saturday, August 14

Jack Johnson

Steve Miller Band

Slightly Stoopid

Phoenix

Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Keane

Cypress Hill

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band

The Samples (all original members)

Keller Williams

Rusted Root

Donavon Frankenreiter

One eskimO

Mayer Hawthorne & The County

ALO

Amos Lee

The Constellations

The Motet

Bobby Long

MyNameIsJohnMichael

Sunday, August 15

Dave Matthews Band

Weezer

My Morning Jacket

Atmosphere

Train

Jimmy Cliff

Bassnectar

Z-Trip

Drive-By Truckers

Railroad Earth

Ozomatli

Punch Brothers

Tim Reynolds & TR3

Trevor Hall

Matt Morris

BoomBox

On My Stars

Joe Purdy

The Knew

Danielle Ate the Sandwich

For more on Mile High Music Festival see our 2009 review here.


Jack Johnson New Album To The Sea & Charity Tour

JACK JOHNSON TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM, TO THE SEA, ON JUNE 1, ON BRUSHFIRE RECORDS

JOHNSON ANNOUNCES U.S. SUMMER TOUR; TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 10

JOHNSON TO DONATE 100% OF TOUR PROFITS TO CHARITY

Jack Johnson

Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter Jack Johnson will release his new album, entitled To The Sea, on June 1, 2010, on his own label, Brushfire Records. The first single from the album, “You And Your Heart,” will be released to radio in early April.

To The Sea, Johnson’s fifth studio release, was co-produced by Johnson, his bandmates bassist Merlo Podlewski, keyboardist Zach Gill, and drummer Adam Topol, and Johnson’s longtime engineer Robert Carranza. To The Sea was recorded at Johnson’s two solar-powered studios: The Mango Tree in Hawaii and the Solar Powered Plastic Plant in Los Angeles. Johnson has sold more than 18 million albums worldwide, and over 9 million in the United States alone. His last album, Sleep Through The Static debuted at #1 and remained there for 3 weeks.


Johnson, who will embark on a world tour in support of To The Sea, has announced dates for his upcoming summer tour in the U.S., which begins July 9 in Hartford CT and ends on the West Coast with two nights at the Santa Barbara Bowl on October 13 and 14. Highlights include stops at Madison Square Garden, Jack’s first headline appearance at the Hollywood Bowl, and two nights at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Tickets will go on sale to the public on April 10. Visit jackjohnsonmusic.com for news and details about special ticket pre-sales.

For Johnson’s To The Sea tour, his production team, with the support of Reverb and MusicMatters, will continue to pave the way in green touring practices and community engagement. Greening actions include fueling tour vehicles with sustainable biodiesel, offering eco-friendly tour merchandise, and promoting ride share programs. In addition, venues and fans are encouraged to reduce waste, recycle, use water refill stations and offset carbon emissions. Visit jackjohnsonmusic.com/greening for all tour greening details.

Johnson’s tour will also collaborate with over 150 hand-chosen community groups around the world as part of Johnson’s All At Once Community. This year’s All At Once campaign will focus on supporting non-profit groups and engaging fans in the realms of plastic waste reduction and sustainable local food systems. As in 2008, Jack Johnson will donate 100% of his tour profits to charity. Visit AllAtOnce.org for additional information.


U.S. Tour dates are as follows:

07/09 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

07/10 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

07/11 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

07/13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

07/14 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

07/16 Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach Amphitheater

07/17 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

07/19 Toronto, ONT Molson Amphitheatre

07/20 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

07/21 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

07/23 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

07/24 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

07/25 Somerset, WI River’s Edge

08/13 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre

08/16 Bonner Springs, KS Sandstone Amphitheater

08/17 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

08/18 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

08/20 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

08/21 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

08/22 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte

08/24 Orlando, FL Amway Arena

08/25 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre

08/26 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

10/01 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place

10/02 George, WA The Gorge Amphitheatre

10/03 Ridgefield, WA The Amphitheater at Clark County

10/05 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre – Berkeley

10/06 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre – Berkeley

10/08 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

10/09 Chula Vista, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

10/10 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion

10/12 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

10/13 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl

10/14 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl

Jack Johnson Tour Dates :: Jack Johnson News :: Jack Johnson Concert Reviews


1% for the Planet Album Johnson, Browne, Potter, ALO

Artists Raise Money and Awareness with 1% for the Planet Album

1% for the Planet, a global network of 1,200 companies that donate 1% of annual sales to environmental causes, has released a digital music compilation: 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1, the world’s first music compilation dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations working to create a healthy planet. The album aims to accelerate the 1% movement by engaging more people and inspiring more companies to join.


In early January the album hit #1 on Amazon.com’s MP3 download chart, and broke into the top 50 on iTunes’ bestselling album list. Featuring more than forty tracks for only $9.99, the album can be found on the 1% music web site, and on all major music download sites.

More than 40 musicians have donated music to the album and are featured on the 1% music site. Leading artists, including Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, and Grace Potter, gave rare and exclusive tracks. “The artists are amazing. They have been incredibly supportive of the project from the beginning, and their passion is infectious. Fans hear the artists’ music and are inspired to get involved themselves” says Melody Grote, VP of Marketing and Acquisitions, 1%.

In the spirit of reducing waste generated from the distribution and disposal of traditional CDs, the album is an all-digital release. At the new 1% music web site, fans can sample and buy the music, see what the artists are saying about their involvement in the cause, and spread the word online. Supporters can visit the site to get a web badge to display on their site or blog, or use social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.

Though the release is all-digital, the compilation is also available to offline purchasers. With a greater number of consumers buying CDs only to store them after they’ve saved the music digitally, 1% for the Planet offers consumers and retailers a more earth-friendly option in purchasing music. Eco friendly download cards allow the music to be merchandised in retail stores alongside regular CDs. The download card evokes the look and feel of a CD but is made entirely of recycled paper. Consumers purchase the download card with an enclosed access code which allows them to download the music. The new format is available now to retailers worldwide.

1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1 is an easy way to make a difference for anyone who loves good music,” says Grote. “Listeners can share the music online with their friends, family and colleagues in order to exponentially increase giving to the environment.”

Details on all 41 tracks can be found at music.onepercentfortheplanet.org.


Truth & Salvage Co. Album On Tour with Avett Brothers

TRUTH & SALVAGE CO. TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM MAY 25 ON SILVER ARROW/MEGAFORCE RECORDS

PRODUCED BY THE BLACK CROWES’ CHRIS ROBINSON

ON TOUR WITH THE AVETT BROTHERS IN APRIL

Truth & Salvage Co.

Truth & Salvage Co. will release their debut studio album on May 25 through Silver Arrow/Megaforce Records. Produced by Chris Robinson, the self-titled 12 song collection is centered on the band’s soaring four-part harmonies and Americana rock ethos. Truth & Salvage Co. developed much of the material while opening for The Black Crowes over the course of 2009. With four lead singer/songwriters each contributing to the effort, the tracks range from the clever lyrical style of “Old Piano,” the epic bohemian rocker “Jump The Ship,” to the band’s staple set closer “Pure Mountain Angel.”


The six musicians of Truth & Salvage Co. (vocalist/guitarist Scott Kinnebrew, vocalist/guitarist Tim Jones, vocalist/drummer Bill “Smitty” Smith, vocalist/keyboardist Walker Young, bassist Joe Edel and keyboardist Adam Grace) hail from diverse Southern and Midwestern backgrounds. Prior to their conception, the veteran members had been involved in well-regarded regional bands like Scrappy Hamilton and Old Pike, while performing with acts such as The Moldy Peaches, Ben Folds Five, Jack Johnson, and The Squirrel Nut Zippers, as well as members of My Morning Jacket and Rogue Wave.

All six musicians migrated to Los Angeles, meeting at Hollywood’s famous Hotel Cafe where singer Tim Jones served as the venue’s Sunday night talent booker. First performing together during casual late-night jam sessions, they quickly discovered their chemistry was undeniable. It was on that very stage that Truth & Salvage Co. was born.


Truth & Salvage Co. return to Hotel Cafe every Friday night for a four week residency that runs through March 12. In April they’ll join The Avett Brothers. Plans for an extended tour around the album’s release will be announced shortly.

Daytrotter recently debuted 4 songs available for free:

http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/truth-and-salvage-co-concert/20030993-37382166.html

Truth & Salvage Co. Tour Dates:

03.05 | Hotel Cafe | Los Angeles, CA

03.12 | Hotel Cafe | Los Angeles, CA

04.17 | The Fox Theatre | Oakland, CA*

04.18 | Grand Sierra Theatre | Reno, NV*

04.20 & 21 | Boulder Theater | Boulder, CO*

04.23 | Rialto Theater | Tucson, AZ*

04.24 | Mesa Arts Center | Mesa, AZ*

04.25 | Stage Coach | Indio, CA*

04.27 | Crest Theater | Sacramento, CA*

04.29 | House Of Blues | San Diego, CA*

09.04 | Red Rocks | Morrison, CO**

*Opening for The Avett Brothers

**Opening for Gov’t Mule & The Avett Brothers


Best of Bonnaroo: Climate Change In Action

By: Jason Greenfield

When My Morning Jacket played the Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” at their legendary late night set at Bonnaroo 2008 it ranked as one of the most emotional moments in the festival’s rich history. To this point, the only way to hear it was via a few audience tapes making the rounds. Today MMJ is releasing the song for the first time, for free, as part of a campaign to spur music fans to take action about climate change.

The campaign, called Music for Action, is a partnership with Bonnaroo, HeadCount, the NRDC Action Fund and JamBase. As part of the campaign, 17 artists including Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson and Wilco are donating favorite tracks from their appearances at Bonnaroo to a special album that will be available only through the Music For Action website.

To download the tracks, the musicians are asking fans to visit www.musicforaction.com and take action about climate change by writing a letter to their senators and local news outlets urging for the passage of climate change legislation. The website automates the process of letter writing, and once the process is completed fans will be able to download the tracks from a unique download page.

The campaign was created to urge the Senate to pass climate change legislation. In June of 2009, the House of Representatives narrowly passed cap-and-trade legislation that is intended to fundamentally restructure the way the U.S. uses and produces energy. The bill is now waiting for a sponsor to introduce a similar bill in the Senate while supporters try to round up the 60 votes necessary to overcome a Republican filibuster.

My Morning Jacket :: Bonnaroo 2008 by Vann

Speaking between stops on tour with The Disco Biscuits, who contributed “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night” from their 2008 Bonnaroo appearance, HeadCount’s Andy Bernstein said, “Our campaign is about speaking out and having elected officials hear from music fans. We’re big believers that music can inspire participation in democracy.”

Bernstein’s sentiments are echoed by Jack Johnson, who says, “This generation has an opportunity to be remembered as one that confronted environmental challenges and took responsibility for the future. With that opportunity comes the responsibility to speak out.”

The other partners are just as enthusiastic about the project. Guster‘s Adam Gardner, who with his wife Lauren runs the non-profit concert greening organization Reverb, says, “This is the exact sort of thing that Reverb’s Green Music Group was created to support, getting fans and musicians together around an environmental action.”

Rich Goodstone of Superfly Productions, the company that produces Bonnaroo, says, “[Superfly] is a proud supporter of HeadCount and the work they do. We are also supporters of the environment and doing whatever we can to make people aware of the dire situation global warming is creating.”

Our warming climate

Goodstone and Superfly are providing support for Music For Action in several ways. In addition to promoting the campaign on the Bonnaroo website and at the event itself this June, Superfly also lent their massive music collection to the cause. Ever since the first event, Bonnaroo has been recording every song played on every stage with 48-62 tracks per stage. The event’s archivist, Jon Altschiller, receives the raw tracks on hard drives and has spent the last four months remixing the majority of the tracks to ensure that they are some of the best quality concert recordings ever released.

Altschiller, who cut his teeth in the mixing booth recording Phish’s Rift, is wild about his newest assignment. “Musically, I don’t think there’s been a better collection of stuff put out by Bonnaroo,” says Altschiller, who is particularly excited about the amount of artist involvement in this album who see the importance of this cause. “I had direct contact with Warren Haynes on his track, Trey Anastasio was directly involved with ‘Kill Devil Hills.’ Jeff Tweedy was listening to these mixes. ‘Bull Black Nova’ is a headphone dream. I can’t get over the music selection. This is not just a thrown-together thing as a giveaway.”

Aron Magner, keyboardist for The Disco Biscuits, agrees, “Bonnaroo has always been a really exciting time for the Biscuits. There’s a lot of incredible energy with our performances. [Guitarist Jon Gutwillig] brings out the moment of actually being there as a fan.”

Like everyone else involved with the project, Magner is as serious about the cause behind the album as the album itself. He wants young voters to start “putting their words into actions.”

JamBase readers can get their headphones ready and start putting their words into actions now at www.MusicforAction.com.

Best of Bonnaroo Track Listing
Wilco – Bull Black Nova
Pearl Jam – Animal
Jack Johnson – Inaudible Melodies
Dave Mathews Band – Rapunzel
Death Cab for Cutie – Cath…

Ani DiFranco – Fuel
Phish – Kill Devil Falls
Gov’t Mule – Banks of the Deep End
OAR – Delicate Few
moe. – Not Coming Down
Raphael Saadiq – 100 Yard Dash
Bob Weir & RatDog – Throwing Stones
The Disco Biscuits – And The Ladies Were the Rest of the Night
The Decemberists – Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid
My Morning Jacket – Oh! Sweet Nothin’
Guster – Happier
Phil Lesh and Friends – Box of Rain

JamBase | Worldwide
Go See Live Music!


Phish, Lesh, DMB & More Offer Free Bonnaroo Tracks

NRDC Action Fund and HeadCount Give Away Best of Bonnaroo Compilation to Drive Action on Climate Change

Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Phil Lesh and many more provide tracks for free download

Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Jack Johnson and other top artists are donating their music to encourage Americans to speak out on climate change. Organized by the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, HeadCount and the NRDC Action Fund, this collaboration marks the first time free music has been used to prompt Americans to contact their elected officials.

Best of Bonnaroo, a compilation of 17 different live performances from the festival, is available for free at www.Musicforaction.org. Before downloading the music, visitors are asked to email their Senators, the President or their local newspapers about climate change. The music is free no matter what, but the artists hope all their fans join them in taking action on this issue.

“This generation has an opportunity to be remembered as one that confronted environmental challenges and took responsibility for the future,” said Jack Johnson, whose song “Inaudible Melodies” can be heard on the compilation. “With that opportunity comes the responsibility to speak out.”

The compilation also includes live tracks from Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, O.A.R. and Ani DiFranco, among others. In most cases these recordings have never before been released to the public, and were hand-picked by the musicians themselves. Other featured artists include: The Decemberists, Guster, Gov’t Mule, Raphael Saadiq, Bob Weir & RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends, moe. and The Disco Biscuits, whose bass player Marc Brownstein is the co-chair of HeadCount. All of the featured tracks are original songs, with the exception of My Morning Jacket‘s performance of The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’.”

America is closer than ever to passing its first federal climate change-related legislation, but many hurdles remain. The House of Representatives approved an energy bill last June that would reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases and encourage the development of green jobs. President Barack Obama then told world leaders that the U.S. will reduce carbon emissions by 17 percent over the next 10 years (compared to 2005 levels). However, there has been little movement in the Senate, leaving one crucial step incomplete. Literally the whole planet is waiting to see what the U.S. will decide, as India and China are not likely to act without the U.S. doing the same.

With climate change legislation now at a critical juncture, several organizations teamed up to use the gift of music to inspire citizens into action. HeadCount – a nonpartisan civic engagement organization best known for registering voters at concerts – conceived the idea as a way to point new voters toward being informed and active citizens. The NRDC Action Fund – an advocacy group committed to passing legislation that jump-starts the clean energy economy and reduces pollution – stepped in with resources, research, strategic guidance and a base of 250,000 supporters.

“The musicians we work with are very passionate about this topic and have great power to drive change,” said HeadCount’s Executive Director Andy Bernstein. “Their music will serve as a soundtrack for action.”

“Forging a clean energy future means healthier kids, a safer world, and more jobs,” said Heather Taylor-Miesle, director of the NRDC Action Fund. “This is our moment to demand that Congress put us on the path to a clean energy future by beginning to address climate change. We are excited about the opportunity to work with musicians and new activists throughout the country to make it happen.”

Others involved include JamBase.com, which is actively promoting the campaign to its base of more than half a million users. Music publications Paste, Relix, and Spin are also providing marketing support. The nonprofit environmental groups Oxfam America, the Energy Action Coalition, The Worldwatch Insitute, Grist.org and 350.org are supporting the initiative as coalition partners, as is the music-oriented environmental organization Reverb, which will promote the campaign through its new Green Music Group. Reverb’s founder Adam Gardner can be heard on the compilation performing with his band Guster. “This is the exact sort of thing that Green Music Group was created to support, getting fans and musicians together around an environmental action,” Gardner said.

“There have been so many incredible performances at Bonnaroo over the years,” said Richard Goodstone, one of the founders and principals of Superfly Presents, the co-promoter of Bonnaroo. “We’re very happy that we could work with our family of artists in this way and inspire people to be active citizens. Climate change is the single biggest challenge our planet has ever faced and we all need to pitch in and be part of the solution.”

“The decisions made today will affect you and your children for many years to come,” said former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, a member of HeadCount’s board of directors who can be heard on the compilation with has band RatDog. “Whether it’s voting in an election or speaking out about issues like climate change, it’s critical that we all make enough noise so that politicians have no choice but to listen.”

Best of Bonnaroo Track List:

Wilco Bull Black Nova

Pearl Jam Animal

Jack Johnson Inaudible Melodies

Dave Mathews Band Rapunzel

Death Cab for Cutie Cath…

Ani DiFranco Fuel

Phish Kill Devil Falls

Gov’t Mule Banks of the Deep End

O.A.R. Delicate Few

moe. Not Coming Down

Raphael Saadiq 100 Yard Dash

Bob Weir & RatDog Throwing Stones

The Disco Biscuits And The Ladies Were the Rest of the Night

The Decemberists The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid

My Morning Jacket Oh! Sweet Nuthin’

Guster Happier

Phil Lesh and Friends Box of Rain

The Best of Bonnaroo compilation is available for free at www.Musicforaction.org. Please email your Senators, the President or a local newspaper about climate change before downloading.


ALO | 02.20 & 02.14 | California

Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Josh Miller

ALO/Poor Man’s Whiskey :: 02.20.10 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA

ALO :: 02.20 :: San Francisco

To say the future feels precarious in 2010 seems a gross understatement. Even the days immediately in front of us seem shaky and unpredictable, and even if our own lives have some stability one need only switch on the news to see it’s not a shared state by much of the planet. Amidst such turbulence, a night of joyfully delivered, passionately built, high quality music is an oasis – an extra serving of solace for our dinged up souls and a respite from the quaking earth and falling bottom lines outside the theater walls. ALO and sympathetic opener Poor Man’s Whiskey created just this sort of environment, conjuring music that bypassed our cares as it dove straight for our collective pleasure center.

What made this pairing – further enlivened by tasty pre-show and ‘tweener sets in the upstairs Poster Room from gifted pop craftsman Chris Velan – so satisfying was not just their significant good time quotient but their ability to weave that vibe with subtle substance. The toss ‘n’ turn of the world isn’t absent in their compositions but neither is it as bloodied and bloodying as the news, politicians and Wall Street can make things. Within both ALO and PMW there lies a core desire to entertain – a yen to tap the lover or child within their listeners – that’s evolved over time to encompass the harder edges of adult reality. So, while many focus on the effervescent qualities of both groups, there’s been something deeper and ultimately more enduring creeping up in their songs for some time now. This marriage of the jubilant and the weighty – splashed by humor, effective showmanship and crowd pleasing covers – proved a very effective recipe at The Fillmore.

PMW with Gill :: 02.20 :: San Francisco

Poor Man’s kicked it off with significant twang that bloomed into a succulent psych groove. One finds the incongruous makes sense in PMW’s sphere, where strangely seamless transitions and a wide musical vocabulary lurk within their surface vaudevillian nature. While they convincingly invited us to “ball that jack,” they were also just as persuasive and emotionally on-point singing about coming home after a long time away. Those less familiar with PMW see them as a fiery, fun string band but increasingly they’re plugged in and anxious to carve out a dynamic sound much closer in spirit to S.F.’s pioneering ’60s rockers. ‘String bands’ don’t bust out extended, vaguely possessed Theremin solos or neatly sculpted space rock trips, and Poor Man’s did both in their rollicking 45-minute set, which also included a visit from all of ALO on an obvious but enjoyable cover of Men At Work’s “Land Down Under” performed because both bands are scheduled to play the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia this April. While PMW can come off a touch cartoony at times, yelping about spilling whiskey on the dance floor while winking at the clogging hippies stage front, there’s more to them than their rep sometimes accounts for. So, if you haven’t checked them out in a spell this is a good time to catch up.

A few songs into ALO’s first set – watching the smiling, giddily undulating crowd from the balcony – it occurred to me how easily this could be someone’s favorite band. Every tune, regardless of era or which guy brought it to the table, is so ridiculously well built and insidiously melodic. This music gets stuck in your head and you have no desire whatsoever to banish it. Without sounding precisely like any ancestor in particular – though there’s a pinch of almost every notable pop-rock heavyweight from the past 50 years floating around in their DNA – ALO delivers music with fundamental charm, killer construction and boffo vocals (keyboardist-lead singer Zach Gill, in particular, has one of those endlessly malleable, perfect pop voices on par with past standouts like Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, Todd Rundgren and Paul Carrack). And The Fillmore performance simply accentuated every single positive in their makeup.

Zach Gill – ALO :: 02.20 :: San Francisco

While the setlist steered away from some of the darker currents on their newest and best-yet album, Man of the World (released February 9 and available for stream on JamBase), there were touches of the group’s advancing maturity sprinkled amongst diehard faves like opener “Hot Tub” and a sly, jazzy “Plastic Bubble,” the latter featuring a cool sit-in from guitarist Mark Karan (RatDog). For instance, the new record’s title cut seemed all sweetness and light if you just bopped to it, but parse the lyrics and you’re in the shit, brushing elbows with a man of war who don’t know why he’s waging it and can never quite seem to get enough. The ability to merge heft with lilt is rare and one of several elements in today’s ALO that remind me very acutely of late period Beatles, with the added bonus of rarely aping Lennon and McCartney’s moves.

While a majority of the audience seemed most tickled by established, older material, it was the new songs – every last one of them – that laid me flat. The first set ending one-two punch of “I Love Music” crashing into a ballsy, delightfully calamitous version of “The Champ” proved a fantastic juxtaposition that first crept up one’s thigh with a grin only to eventually knock one for a loop with drummer-vocalist Dave Brogan‘s modern zeitgeist capturing lyrics:

Every morning when he wakes up
He looks out his window and wonders about leaving
He’s dialing in distant DJs
And thinking about feeling
And he starts thinking about all the signals he’s receivin’
And whether they’re worth believin’
Probably not

It’s a safe bet that ALO will always throw a damn fine shindig live, but my gut says it’s their growing depth and sophistication as players and composers that will put them in the rock history books. Two of the key themes ALO is exploring these days are the constant influx of input we all receive and the insidious notion that there’s never enough to satisfy the ache inside us. In exposing these ideas to sunlight, debunking them and offering a restorative respite to all the hustle ‘n’ bustle – as they did at The Fillmore – ALO is forging music that makes folks happy and maybe does them some greater good, too.

Continue reading for a review of ALO in Los Angeles earlier in the week…

Words & Images by: Patrick Mucha

ALO :: 02.13.10 :: The Troubadour :: Los Angeles, CA

ALO :: 02.13 :: Los Angeles

ALO‘s performance at The Troubadour in Los Angeles was a great reminder that music, like love, is supposed to be something fun that brings people together, and luckily, ALO bassist Steve Adams‘ mom was there to reinforce the lesson.

The proud mother, on tour with the band, was happily mingling in the front lobby of the famous L.A. venue, introducing herself to show-goers and telling stories from the “Tour d’Amor” opening performances that she had been a part of in the coastal cities of Southern California just days before.

The Troubadour seems an unlikely place to hang out with anyone’s mom, really. Though quaint and intimate, it’s a venue that has an outstanding timeline, housing some famous events in musical history – though usually the ones where elements of “family” and “love” were likely pretty heavily ignored. This, after all, was one of the venues Lenny Bruce was arrested at for public obscenity, the place where acts such as Cheech & Chong and Guns N’ Roses were discovered and made famous, and reportedly was one of the spots Janis Joplin partied the night before she was found dead of a heroin overdose in the nearby Landmark Hotel.

But ALO is not the type of band to get caught up in the self-destructive stereotypes of typical rock ‘n’ roll, and the fact that their families were a part of the tour was actually not such an anomaly: The band’s latest studio effort, Man of the World released just four days prior to this performance on Jack Johnson‘s Brushfire Records, contains the voices of ALO keyboardist-singer Zach Gill‘s daughter and Johnson’s children as well. The kids were onsite when the band tracked the recordings live over a three-week session at Johnson’s recording studio in Hawaii, and are frequently brought on tour with their families to support their fathers when scheduling permits.

Adams & Gill – ALO :: 02.13 :: L.A.

Many of the songs from Man of the World were nicely woven into to the band’s usual Tour d’Amor repertoire of sing-song, happy melodies and up-beat, dance-friendly jams, but the smooth combination wasn’t from any attempt at sneaking the new material in – the album’s title track kicked off the show opener after a supporting set from singer-songwriter Chris Velan. New songs “Big Appetite” and “Country Electro” soon followed, mixed in with the older fan-favorites “Walls of Jericho,” “Plastic Bubble,” “BBQ,” and an extended version of “Try” that contained a mashed up cover of Neil Young‘s epic ballad “Helpless” intermingled without breaking the rhythmic style of “Try” during an instrumental flurry.

Second set highlights included a formal introduction to the crowd of Adams’ parents and Gill’s mother, who was also in the VIP section of The Troubadour’s balcony for this performance. As the band introduced the song “Valentine’s Day,” Gill described its lyrical origins as a summary of an incident that occurred many Valentine’s Days ago when Adams’ car broke down in the small suburban town of Gilroy, CA, and their mothers rescued them from the ordeal.

The lengthy set two closer mashed up “I Love Music,” a song that also ends Man of the World, with the band’s older classic “Time is of the Essence,” and culminated with a breakdown from Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” The song was introduced as a “time warp” by guitarist Dan Lebowitz, a fusion of young and old, and prefaced a double encore of “Put Away the Past” and “Maria” that would leave the audience with a love song ringing in their ears as they left, now after midnight and officially Valentine’s Day.

Though she did seem like the band’s biggest fan while cheering loudly and dancing freely in the balcony the entire evening, ALO definitely gave much more than a performance that only Steve Adams’ mother could love.

The Tour d’Amor concludes with four more dates in the Pacific Northwest with Galactic beginning Wednesday, February 24. Full ALO tour dates available here.

ALO :: 02.13.10 :: The Troubadour :: Los Angeles, CA

Set I: Man of the World, Monday, Big Apeptite, Try (Helpless), Walls of Jericho, Shine, Country Electro, Plastic Bubble, BBQ
Set II: Don’t Touch My Stuff, Valentine’s Day, Wasting Time (IV Song), Spectrum, Suspended, Girl I Wanna Lay You Down, I Love Music > Time is of the Essence (Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’)

E: Put Away the Past, Maria

For more on ALO see our recent feature/interview here. And don’t forget, you can stream ALO’s brand new album on JamBase.

Continue reading for more of Josh Miller’s ALO in San Francisco pics…

JamBase | Suspended
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ALO Tour Dates ::: ALO News ::: ALO Concert Reviews


Jack Johnson: Tour Dates

JACK JOHNSON ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson has announced 15 tour dates for 2010, spanning April, June and July. With no shows slated for the continental U.S., stops include Australia’s Byron Bay Bluesfest, England’s Glastonbury Festival and Hawaii’s Kokua Festival.

Given Johnson’s preferred, limited live appearance nature, it’s unsure whether the singer/songwriter will add additional 2010 dates.

Ticket and individual show information can be found here.

Jack Johnson Tour Dates

04/01/10 Thu East Coast Blues & Roots Music Fest Byron Bay, AU

04/03/10 Sat East Coast Blues & Roots Music Fest Byron Bay, AU

04/23/10 Fri Waikiki Shell Honolulu, HI

04/24/10 Sat Waikiki Shell Honolulu, HI

06/16/10 Wed Tempodrom Berlin, GER

06/18/10 Fri Southside Festival Neubiberg, GER

06/19/10 Sat Hurricane Festival Scheeßel, GER

06/21/10 Mon Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam, NL

06/23/10 Wed Zenith Paris, FRA

06/26/10 Sat Eden Project Cornwall, GB

06/27/10 Sun Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury, GB

06/29/10 Tue Cardiff International Arena Cardiff, GB

06/30/10 Wed O2 Arena London, GB

07/02/10 Fri Rock Werchter Festival Werchter, BEL

07/04/10 Sun Roskilde Festival Roskilde, DK

For more on Jack Johnson, see our exclusive feature/interview here.


Rebelution | 01.20 | San Francisco

Words by: Sam Martin | Images by: Kelsey Winterkorn

Rebelution :: 01.20.09 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA

Rebelution :: 01.20 :: San Francisco

Santa Barbara-based Rebelution may have been at the front end of its Winter Tour, but there was no rust during the band’s performance. Maybe it’s because touring is something this veteran road act is known for; it is the method by which they paid their dues and built up such a loyal fan base. Selling out The Fillmore in San Francisco two nights in a row is not an easy task, especially mid-week, but Rebelution did it. The first of these two shows was a perfect cross-section of what this reggae-rock band is all about. They play very catchy, almost pop-like songs with lyrics that are easy to relate to, and even easier to sing-along with. Think somewhere along the lines of 311 and the lighter side of Sublime and you’re on the right track.

After two opening acts – Oakland hip hop duo Zion I and the reggae heavy Soja from D.C. – the lights dimmed and the crowd starting chanting, “Rebelution! Rebelution! Rebelution!” Within moments, the smiling quartet came out and delved into a high-energy show.

They catered to the local crowd by referencing the Bay Area on multiple occasions. Switching between punk-influenced reggae songs and soft ballads that could easily be out of Jack Johnson‘s catalog, their range is formidable and their setlist was well put together. Where the studio versions are very accessible, they expanded on that at The Fillmore, getting the crowd riled up and then slowing things down just at the right time. Segueing songs into each other and jamming out at times, Rebelution showed an appealing command of the stage. They played their hits, and explored songs from their latest release, 2009′s Bright Side of Life. With such a devout following – created by heavy touring, raw talent and tight clean tunes – Rebelution’s Fillmore show was just another step in the right direction.

Rebelution :: 01.20.09 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA
Attn. Span, Feeling Alright, Running, From the Window > Suffering, Lazy Afternoon > Too Rude, Wake-Up Call, Otherside, Night Crawler, Book by the Cover, So High, Safe and Sound, More Than Ever > Green to Black > Hip-Hop > Bump, Outta Control, Bright Side

Rebelution tour dates available here.

Continue reading for more pics of Rebelution in San Francisco…

JamBase | Irie
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Most Important Shows of The Decade

JamBase’s Most Important Shows Of The Decade

Everything changed over the last decade. Never mind the political, social and economic upheaval, musically everything changed. Ten years ago we didn’t own iPods or Smart Phones; we rocked a Discman and in some cases an old yellow Walkman. We didn’t download tracks or stream shows; we bought albums and traded live Maxell tapes. Then technology set us free and the record industry collapsed. After peaking in 2000, CD sales have plummeted by more than 50-percent, dropping further into oblivion every year. Meanwhile, digital sales continue to rise and free music (both pirated and authorized) is everywhere, flooding hard drives like never before. Surely this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.

The old model is dead. It’s a new game and the rules are still being defined. One thing, however, is for sure, the music industry needed a colossal change and it’s getting it. The days of boy bands selling 2 million units in a week are gone. And for that, you can thank the digital download. Online music is on the way to making radio irrelevant and no one seems sure if MTV even plays music anymore. It’s not that people listen to or want less music. The way we get it has simply evolved. We no longer need anyone to spoon-feed us lowest common denominator crap. Now we’ve got a billion ways to get turned on to the latest thing, and with advancements in how music is made there’s more to choose from than at any other time in history.

But one thing didn’t change in the past ten years. We still go see live music. As album sales fell through the floor, live music revenue has grown by 150-percent. Here at JamBase, we’ve always known the live experience is where it’s at, and now that all bands (not just the ones this site was founded upon) are forced to survive on touring dollars, the rest of the music world is catching on. That’s one change we’re happy to embrace.

At the beginning of the decade, JamBase was just starting to really take form. Surviving the dot-com bubble burst, we were a small team working out of an even smaller house in Mill Valley, California. Soon we sprouted legs, and as our vision and team evolved, we moved into a real office South of Market in downtown San Francisco, where we’ve been since 2003. Now JamBase has the most complete tour date information anywhere in the world, providing concert listings for AOL, Billboard, Spin, Rhapsody and many more, and our content has evolved into a leading source for live music editorial. Part of our mission has always been to use technology to help you get to the show and we know today’s music fan is often on the move, that’s why we created our lauded iPhone App that puts all our concert info straight into your pocket.

Even a cursory look at the articles on this website over the past decade indicates great change. From the way we look to what we cover, change has perhaps been the only constant at JamBase. Clearly, we report on more than just jam bands now (we like to think we cover the live music scene as a whole, with no genre being off limits), but if we go back to our roots and look at the band that started it all for JamBase (which grew out of Andy Gadiel’s Phish Page), we’re reminded that change is an essential part of life. It’s often hard, but almost always exciting, and if you aren’t changing and evolving, you’re probably dying.


In the past decade Phish quit (2000), came back (2002), quit again (2004), and finally got it right and resurfaced with purpose in 2009. For the most part, this was a messy decade for Trey, Mike, Page and Fish. With personal struggles taking center stage and the music falling off, when the band finished their final set at Coventry in 2004, in many ways, things couldn’t have been worse. The muddy fields were a metaphor for the state of the band and the sloppy performances an indication of just how bad it had gotten. But they overcame their challenges, and that’s certainly part of why we love them. Who amongst us hasn’t made poor decisions and paid the price? And if there’s one thing Americans love it’s a comeback story. During the ’90s this band dominated. The pressures of fame brought stress unlike anything they’d experienced, and in the 2000s they fell hard. But as we close the book on this decade, Phish is back on top in a major way. No band’s comeback has made a bigger impact on our world this decade than Phish, and we couldn’t be happier to have chronicled every step of their triumphant return.

But there’s more to Phish than just sick jams and transcendent rock shows. The ups and downs experienced by the band in many ways mirrored America’s path this decade. Coming out of the ’90s, everything appeared peachy. Mainstream music desperately needed help, but economically and politically, America was mostly doing great. September 11, 2001 thrust change upon us in ways we may never fully understand. Our collective psyche shattered, we’ve been at war ever since. Our economy has collapsed, and we’re facing a rising environmental crisis. Like Phish, America had a rough decade, but hopefully we can grab the strands of hope we’re starting to see and rise to the occasion like our favorite bands seem to do.

While it’s not likely that Phish’s trajectory had any tangible affect on our nation, it definitely affected the music scene. Phish’s hiatus (especially the first one) opened the door for a plethora of talent to flourish. With no one band filling the void, a wide array of acts like The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, The Disco Biscuits, Keller Williams, and many others were able to rapidly gain new fans and separate themselves from the pack as the premier new crop of jam bands.

Michael Jackson

The changing scene and lack of a clear improvisational concert king also allowed a host of bands hovering on the borders of jam to emerge more prominently in the live music space. With the help of festivals like Bonnaroo, websites like JamBase and open-minded fans like you, artists such as My Morning Jacket, Jack White, Drive-By Truckers, The Hold Steady, Arcade Fire, and The Mars Volta all experienced incredible breakthroughs.

But, that didn’t mean the pillars of the jam scene crumbled in the 2000s. The granddaddy of ‘em all, The Grateful Dead found ways to reform, reinvent and move on after Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. moe. proved to be one of the most consistent acts of the decade, Gov’t Mule survived the death of Allen Woody, and Widespread Panic managed to find new life with Jimmy Herring after Michael Houser passed away in 2002.

Though we lost some legends, including Johnny Cash, James Brown, George Harrison, Vic Chesnutt and Michael Jackson, we did get a bunch of reunions and even a few rebirths this past decade. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream, The Police, Van Halen, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Polvo, Meat Puppets, Smashing Pumpkins, Gang of Four, Rage Against the Machine, Leonard Cohen and The Stooges all returned to the stage, and all were in consideration (some more than others) for this feature.

In fact, there were pages upon pages of possibilities pored over while creating this list. Trying to determine 10 shows that stood out in a decade packed with powerful performances proved daunting, and we’re sure we left off something critical, which is why we’d love to see you set the record straight by sharing your own list in the Comments Section. But this is our list. After serious internal debate, discussions with artists and industry insiders, and careful consideration of your comments and emails, these are JamBase’s Most Important Shows of The Decade, presented to you in chronological order. It all starts with a special night in Florida that many fans spent the next decade reminiscing about or wishing they’d attended. (Kayceman)

Continue reading for The List…

Phish | 01/01/00

Big Cypress | Seminole Indian Reservation | Everglades, FL

Photo of Phish at Big Cypress by Danny Clinch

The decade began with Phish performing for over seven straight hours from midnight until sunrise in the middle of the Florida Everglades. The band arrived on stage riding their trademark giant Hot Dog as it paraded through the audience to a recording of their song “Meatstick.” As they took to their instruments and finished the tune, the final moments of the ’90s came to a close and an audience over 85,000 strong was led in a Millennium Countdown before the band launched into their anthemic “Down With Disease.” About an hour later, “Heavy Things” (cheesecake!) would be telecast live on ABC Nightly News‘ special New Year’s Eve coverage from around the world to over 100 million people.


Significant for its timing, location and endurance, the show featured some of the most powerful and definitive versions of the band’s staple songs including “You Enjoy Myself,” “Slave to the Traffic Light,” “Reba,” “Sand,” and “David Bowie.” They also showcased several beloved covers including The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” The Who’s “Drowned,” and Ween’s “Roses Are Free.” The set was so powerful for the band that after leaving the stage at sunrise they opted not to return for an encore, instead leaving it to Mother Nature and a recording of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” to send the audience on their way. This ultimate “long gig” left those in attendance satiated, awe struck, and thankful that the world (Y2K) did not come to and end. (Andy Gadiel)

Setlist (courtesy of Phish.net)

Meatstick > Auld Lang Syne, Down with Disease > Llama, Bathtub Gin, Heavy Things, Twist > Prince Caspian > Rock and Roll, You Enjoy Myself, Crosseyed and Painless, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Sand > Quadrophonic Toppling, Slave to the Traffic Light, Albuquerque, Reba, Axilla, Uncle Pen, David Bowie, My Soul, Drowned > After Midnight Reprise, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Bittersweet Motel, Piper > Free, Lawn Boy, Hold Your Head Up > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Roses Are Free, Bug, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Meatstick


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Phil & Friends | 12/31/00

Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium | Oakland, CA

Photo of Gordon, Herring, Lesh & Haynes on NYE 2000 in Oakland by Dave Vann

In no small way, this night was the relaunch of The Grateful Dead NYE tradition. Despite the fact that RatDog had been playing December 31st since 1998, after numerous lineups, Phil Lesh & Friends settled into a stunning aggregate in 2000 that happily reminded many diehards why this music endures. The Dead tribe had set their calendars for decades around where the band would land on key dates like NYE, Mardi Gras, etc. and the buzz leading up to this evening had the same run-away-to-the-circus, butterflies-in-the-tummy vibe that The Grateful Dead always engendered. “The Quintet,” as they came to be known, of Lesh (bass, vocals), Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Rob Barraco (keys, vocals) and John Molo (drums) attacked this music like it was alive – rangy and unruly like days of old – and that in turn put the electrodes to this beloved catalog. For perhaps the first time since Jerry Garcia passed, it felt like there was a real tomorrow for this music. The heightened atmosphere was further elevated by the recent passing of Allen Woody, putting the future of Gov’t Mule in question and leaving Haynes and Matt Abts to open the night as an acoustic duo. Toss in several guest turns by Mike Gordon, which poignantly reminded one that Phish was not holding their annual NYE festivities, and you had a gathering that directly and indirectly grappled with death and rebirth in stirring ways. (Dennis Cook)

Setlist

Show Download/Audio

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The Concert for New York City | 10/21/01

Madison Square Garden | New York, NY

With the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11 still stingingly fresh in our collective memory, Paul McCartney gathered together The Who, Bon Jovi, Macy Gray, John Mellencamp, Backstreet Boys and more, plus film and political luminaries like Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Tom Daschle and Harrison Ford for a benefit concert that was a defiant affirmation of the United States’ ability to endure almost anything and thrive. Where most events of this sort truck in near-somber sincerity, The Concert for New York City welcomed in laughter and entertainment, both of which were in short supply for the many NYC firefighters and policemen and their families in attendance. Though studded with stellar turns like Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy doing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards getting gospel on “Salt of the Earth,” the pinnacle of the night might be Billy Joel‘s one-two punch of “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” and “New York State of Mind,” where MSG exploded as he punched lines like, “They turned our power down and drove us underground, but we went right on with the show,” with an emotion impossible to duplicate. An incredible example of where the worst in human beings can sometimes be a catalyst for the very best in us. (Dennis Cook)

Full Lineup and Songs Played

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Widespread Panic | 04/28/02

Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Pelham, AL

Photos of Widespread Panic at Oak Mountain on 04/28/02 by Jackie Jasper

As far as anyone knew, this was it. By all accounts, Sunday, April 28, 2002 at Pelham, Alabama’s Oak Mountain Amphitheatre appeared to be Widespread Panic lead guitarist and co-founder Michael Houser‘s last concert. It was the final night of a brief eight-show spring tour that felt like, and in many ways was, the “Goodbye Houser Tour.” Although not an official word had been uttered, most fans knew that Houser had contracted pancreatic cancer, and one could tell just by looking at him up close onstage that his time was drawing near. Although he would bravely perform seven more shows as he began the spring tour two months later, at this point, Sunday at Oak Mountain looked like the final one.

The venue, set in the heart of Panic Country, was packed with 10,000 serious fans and there was a tension and energy hanging in the humid Alabama air unlike anything I have personally ever experienced. The band rose to the occasion; from song selection (there wasn’t a dry eye during the “Trouble” encore) to execution to the Jerry Joseph guest appearance, it was nearly flawless and one of the best shows of the band’s legendary career. But it was more than just that. It was the way the weather coincided with the music, making it feel like bandleader John Bell had created rain during “Cortez The Killer.” It was the undeniable sense of community. It was the bittersweet, sad-yet-grateful feeling for the opportunity to say goodbye properly and rage it one more time. It was the weight of it all. Standing at Oak Mountain, bitter tears and warm rain washing over one’s face, wrapped in arms from friends both old and new, truly believing this was the final Houser jam, it felt like we were part of history on that day. (Kayceman)

Setlist

Stream this show for free at Panicstream.com

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Bonnaroo Music Festival | 06/21/02 – 06/23/02

Manchester, TN

Photo of Phil Lesh and Friends with Bob Weir at Bonnaroo 2002 by Dave Vann

Selling out 70,000 tickets in advance to an untried mega-festival in the Tennessee hills with roots in the jam scene would have been accomplishment enough, but the inaugural Bonnaroo had ripples far beyond great sales. In no small way, Bonnaroo put this subculture on the larger cultural map, joining Coachella and Lollapalooza as one of few festivals covered by MTV and other mainstream outlets. However, from the start Bonnaroo has embraced tradition and heritage artists AND cutting edge talent in a way no other super-sized fest had, putting the likes of Blind Boys of Alabama and the Del McCoury Band right next to Ween and Les Claypool. In going big from the get-go, Bonnaroo established itself overnight as a destination for music lovers worldwide. Using the abundant energy and vast subterranean network of live music loving jam fans, the organizers launched something part intrinsically “jam” that was also something much, much larger in scope and vision. While subsequent years have found the likes of Tool, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlining, for some ‘Roo vets there’s perhaps no more enduring, moving set than Widespread Panic performing one of their final shows with Michael Houser this first year, a pulsating, powerhouse display that included “Testify” with Dottie Peoples, where Dave Schools says he looked out over the crowd and they were “levitating.” In an age where small ideas and limited expectations prevail Bonnaroo actively reaches for grandeur and all those involved are encouraged to stretch beyond their normal limitations and ways of seeing. (Dennis Cook)

2002 Bonnaroo Artist Lineup: Widespread Panic
* Trey Anastasio
* Ben Harper
* The String Cheese Incident
* Phil Lesh and Friends (w/Bob Weir)
* Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer
* Galactic with Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry
* Gov’t Mule
* Jack Johnson
* Norah Jones
* Jurassic 5
* Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
* Les Claypool
* moe.
* Ween
* Keller Williams (WMD’s)
* Acoustic Syndicate
* The Big Wu
* Blind Boys of Alabama
* Blackalicious
* John Butler Trio
* Campbell Brothers
* Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains
* Cut Chemist
* The Del McCoury band
* Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* The Disco Biscuits
* Gabe Dixon Band
* Donna The Buffalo
* Dottie Peoples
* Drums & Tuba
* Gran Torino
* Col. Bruce Hampton & The Code Talkers
* Corey Harris
* Lil’ Rascals Brass Band
* Llama
* DJ Logic
* Mofro
* North Mississippi Allstars
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Particle
* RANA
* Soulive
* Amon Tobin
* Umphrey’s McGee
* Jim White
* Vinroc
* Z-Trip
* Mark Eddie
* Mike Birbiglia
* Vic Henley

JamBase Show Review

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Gov’t Mule – The Deepest End | 05/03/03

Saenger Theatre | New Orleans, LA

Photo of Haynes, Abts, Newsted and Louis at Gov’t Mule’s “The Deepest End Concert” on 05/03/03 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob

If one ever needed proof that Gov’t Mule was a band adored by their fellow musicians, then “The Deepest End Concert” in New Orleans should provide all the evidence one needs. The culmination of three years of recording and mourning the loss of founding bassist Allen Woody, this five-and-a-half-hour marathon performance found this contemporary classic rock unit joined by some of the finest bassists in the world – Jason Newsted (Metallica, Ozzy, Voivod), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck), Rob Wasserman, Paul Jackson Jr., Mike Gordon (Phish), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Jack Casady (Hot Tune, Jefferson Airplane), Conrad Lazano (Los Lobos), Les Claypool (Primus), and then Mule regular Greg Rzab. If that weren’t enough, the night also had guest turns from Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Karl Denson and more. A largely unrehearsed affair, the show was rich in what Mule leader Warren Haynes calls “spontaneous composition.” The range of material was off the chain, including Sabbath covers with Jason Newsted, Purple’s “Maybe I’m A Leo” with Glover, and a blinding version of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” with studio whiz Paul Jackson Jr. whipping the low end every which way. The art of focused, meaty improvisation has rarely had a finer showing than this gig, which also served to highlight what a ridiculously diverse bunch Gov’t Mule is – a big tent capable of holding just about anything if these cats (and their collaborators) put their backbone into it. (Dennis Cook)

Setlist

JamBase Show Review

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New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

04/28/06-04/30/06 & 05/05/06-05/07/06

Fair Grounds Race Course | New Orleans, LA

Photo of Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest 2006 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. One of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, around 2,000 people died with several hundred more declared “missing.” When the levees broke on August 29, 2005 water covered 80-percent of the Crescent City. With the pathetic, disorganized response from our government and the days of bedlam that followed, it appeared that America’s most unique, most culturally significant city (giving birth to jazz is often considered this country’s crowning artistic achievement, not to mention the food!) might be gone forever, submerged under six feet of water never to return. And that’s why eight months later when the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrated its 37th year it was much more than just another Jazz Fest.

No one was sure if the organizers would even be able to make the event happen, and there were serious questions about if anyone would come. What transpired was an emotional celebration that marked a critical point in our nation’s history. It was a symbol of hope and a statement of purpose from the city, the musicians and the fans. 4,000 artists performed on ten stages over the two-weekend event, with headliners including Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Dave Matthews, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It was a stake in the ground that said, “We won’t let New Orleans die.” The massive surge of tourist dollars clearly helped, but what New Orleans needed even more was the knowledge that we cared, that despite our government’s lack of commitment, the American people valued New Orleans and we would help bring her residents home. And while there is still so much more that needs to be done, we learned that no flood could drown New Orleans. Music is the blood of the city (and those who flock there), and Jazz Fest 2006 jumpstarted her heart and began the long, slow, still ongoing recovery of New Orleans. All you needed to do was step foot on the Fairgrounds that spring to know it was happening. The smell of crawfish Monica wafting in the air and the sound of The Boss singing, “We Shall Overcome” to hordes of weeping, dancing masses was enough to make us believe again. (Kayceman)

JamBase Show Review

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Daft Punk | 04/29/06

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival | Indio, CA

Photo of Daft Punk at Coachella 2006 by Casey Flanigan

Daft Punk built a pyramid of lights and broke down walls. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo were hardly the first act to blur genre lines, but what they did at Coachella in 2006, their first U.S. appearance since 1997, shattered the boundaries of electronica. Transformed into robots and perched inside a 40-foot shape-shifting LED covered pyramid, the French duo manipulated the crowd’s movements (serious dance party) and emotions (laughter and tears were both common) with brilliant super anthems like “Around The World,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “One More Time.” It was pop music, but smart, funny and designed to make you think as well as move. It brought elements from the dance world into stadium rock and the over-the-top production felt like a Broadway play from the distant future. And the fact that two guys not playing any traditional instruments could be this completely captivating was revolutionary. When that pyramid touched down in Indio, all of a sudden music made by machines was for everyone. Rockers pumped their fists, hip hop enthusiasts bounced, teenage girls screamed, doubters instantly became believers and everyone was blown away by the most elaborate, intricate and arguably greatest light show ever put together. It was a life-affirming experience that brought every person to the table, and no one has come close to duplicating it since. (Kayceman)

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Radiohead | 06/17/06

Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN

Photo of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on 06/17/06 at Bonnaroo by Dave Vann

Few bands are more un-hippy than Radiohead, so their Saturday night headlining slot at Bonnaroo ’06 signaled a sharp turn towards modernity for the festival. It was hardly the first time these Glastonbury vets had played for mud flecked, long haired masses, but there’s something resolutely non-jammy about Radiohead and attendees were pretty evenly split between those thrilled to have arguably the greatest rock band in the world serenade them and those who genuinely thought they were a duck out of water at the ‘Roo. However, once they started playing their hyper-alive sound and permeating depth swiftly gathered up the packed crowd. A young, dreadlocked, peasant skirt wearing String Cheese fan told us before the show that she’d never heard a note by Radiohead but was curious based on their rep. A few songs in, having been splendidly tousled by “There There,” “2+2=5″ and a pre-In Rainbows “15 Step,” she bellowed from the back of the huge field, “I like your music!” It was a succinct, heartfelt exclamation and serves to illustrate how intensely moving Radiohead’s music can be. And the band appeared to be just as smitten with the Bonnaroo audience, with frontman Thom Yorke giving as good as he got in a glow stick war and shimmying like a jellyfish that’d just been hit with a car battery. The first encore was almost a second set with eight songs, including a blistering early “Bodysnatchers,” and the second encore delivered us to the celestial plateau of “Everything In Its Right Place.”

Afterwards, Yorke told BBC Radio, “We did this festival called Bonnaroo. We did 2.5 hours. And there’s 80,000 people, admittedly they’ve been smoking the sticky green all day – probably wouldn’t go anywhere anyway. It was just amazing. We played loads of new stuff. We did whole sections of quiet piano songs and it sounds like the most grotesque, self-indulgent nonsense, but it probably is my favourite gig for years and years and years.” (Dennis Cook)

Setlist

JamBase Show Review

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My Morning Jacket | 12/31/06

The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA

Photo of My Morning Jacket on 12/31/06 at The Fillmore by Dave Vann

There have been many epic My Morning Jacket shows over the past decade – their “coming-of-age” afternoon set in the rain of Bonnaroo 2004; their marathon late night set there four years later; the hometown party in Louisville at Waterfront Park in August 2008; and the huge NYE gig a few months later at Madison Square Garden. Any of these concerts could have made our list, but it was MMJ’s New Year’s Eve 2006 run at The Fillmore that takes the cake. The band was experiencing huge growth, both musically and in terms of ticket sales and would soon be dubbed “America’s best live band” by Rolling Stone, LA Weekly and many JamBase writers to name a few. This show put them on one of the most famous stages in the world on the biggest night of them all and they killed it.

The three-night extravaganza culminated in a sprawling NYE celebration that included an ambitious theatrical element inspired by the old video game The Oregon Trail. The mood was built upon a “Donner Party meets Little House On The Prairie” theme with the band dressed as settlers and native Americans, and the spirits came to life with a number of well executed skits that eventually found bassist Two-Tone Tommy coming back from the dead and killing his bandmates in retribution for eating him earlier in the show (food was scarce on the trail). And that was just the backdrop for a night of extremely well played classic Jacket tracks mixed with rare nuggets and a slew of covers including AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” Wham’s “Careless Whisper” and Prince’s “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” The show was an instant classic. But like most of the bands that really stick with us, a Jacket concert is more than just a rock show. It’s big, heady stuff and has the ability to open us up and help us feel and connect. It’s an experience, and on NYE 2006 My Morning Jacket seized the moment and created something special. What The Fillmore run announced was a world class band with ambitions beyond just performing their songs well. (Kayceman)

Setlist

JamBase Show Review

JamBase | Happy New Year
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