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Posts Tagged ‘Northern California’

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey: Three New Live Clips

THE ODYSSEY CONTINUES

Lovers of instrumental gold with a jazz soul know that Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a great fount of such richness. The relatively new incarnation of the quartet with double bassist Jeff Harshbarger joining Brian Haas (keys), Josh Raymer (drums) and Chris Combs (lap steel) earlier this year. The foursome has been busy building their road legs and diving into a new batch of exciting studio recordings since debuting Ludwig! this past June (JamBase review).

JFJO’s recent West Coast Tour found them recording a new album direct to lathe for a vinyl release coming next April featuring two new songs and two improvs. Next January recording will occur in the band’s native Tulsa, OK on Chris Comb’s Race Riot Suite at the legendary Church Studios with special guests Jeff Coffin, Steven Bernstein, Peter Apfelbaum and Mark Southerland. That release is due out next fall.

Jacob Fred will perform a very special New Year’s Eve show at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, where they will deconstruct and Fred-i-fy the music of Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Madonna. One hopes tape will be running so those of us not fortunate enough to be in Oklahoma at the dawn of 2011 will get to experience this splendid freak show after the fact. Tickets for the NYE show are available here.

In the meantime, the band offers us a trio of fine live offerings, starting with a new B.Haas song entitled “Myers Flat to Miranda,” which is a stretch of the Avenue of the Giants in Northern California.

JFJO Tour Dates :: JFJO News :: JFJO Concert Reviews


Las Tortugas V | Review | Pics

Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Chad Smith

Las Tortugas – Dance of the Dead V :: 10.28.10-10.31.10 :: Evergreen Lodge :: Groveland, CA

Las Tortugas V by Chad Smith

We are pulled through this life by small miracles. One needn’t be religious or even spiritual to understand this. The muck of bosses, bills and bullshit we trudge through would be simply unbearable if not for the oases along our trek. For several years, a nigh-perfect music festival in the lush Yosemite woods has proven such a blessed respite for a growing tribe, and the fifth anniversary installment was far & away the finest outing yet, one of those small miracles that makes all the weary miles fade and invigorates us for the rocky road ahead.

Las Tortugas V, like previous outings, miniaturized and refined all the best aspects of a festival, throwing an incredible four-day party with an extraordinary soundtrack. While other fests may have bigger names and carnival rides, Tortugas focuses on serious musicians who overflow with passion and heartfelt artistry. This is a showcase for some of the best music coming out of California today paired with kindred spirits from around the country, a place where veterans embarking on a new thang (7 Walkers), utter pros seeking one of the most engaged, joyful audiences they’ve ever encountered (Yonder Mountain String Band), workingman’s lifers (The Mother Hips, ALO, Cornmeal) and crazy talented comers (Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Antioquia, Big Light, Pimps of Joytime) mingle. A feeling of creative freedom and smiling connection with all the things that originally got these players into the music game floats in the air.

And this palpable, happy charge buzzes in equal amplitude from the attendees. Perhaps more than any other festival I’ve experienced, Tortugas creates a beautiful crucible that burns hot and bright because EVERYONE throws a pinch or two into the pot (Jam Cruise is the only thing that compares, though each gathering is singular & beautifully strange in its own way, and something any serious music geek should experience at least once, like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and a handful of others). With most folks bringing different costumes every day and an all-in enthusiasm that hums loudly before the first set kicks off, Tortugans are a rare breed. The near total absence of thievery, sketchiness and rudeness common at most music fests immediately sets Tortugas apart in a big way. It’s not to say that everyone is cool but un-cool moments are quickly defused, and there’s so much obvious love and care bouncing around the tents and trees that even grumps inclined to kick up dust are charmed into grinning contentment. The depth of conversation and generally open-handed attitude that abounds at Tortugas is a glimpse of our better angels, the way the world might be if we shared our bounty and lived with less fear and worry.

If this seems like an overreach for a music festival it isn’t. Las Tortugas is a playground for music loving people with an amiable synergy that relaxes muscles, eases minds and lifts spirits. Scoff if you must – modern cynicism is hard to shake – but four years running I’ve witnessed this vibe grow & grow & grow, seeing it put the zap – in the best way – on the heads of first timers that leaves them pleasantly shaken by weekend’s end. It is why the vets scheme all year long on how we might delight others, tickling fancies and pricking up ears in any way we can dream up, and then sharing that dream with anyone willing to jump through the looking glass with us.

Nestled in one of the most unique, idyllic settings in the United States (Evergreen Lodge), Las Tortugas situates about a 1000 people in a world apart and lets them share in a fully communal shindig. Each year a couple tunes spring into my head during the course of my wooded walks, a few lines that repeat like mantras as I gather up as much Tortugas mojo as I can before heading homeward. This year it was these verses from Jackson Browne’s “Farther On” and the Grateful Dead’s “The Music Never Stopped.”

Las Tortugas V by Chad Smith

Adrift on an ocean of loneliness
My dreams like nets were thrown
To catch the love that I’d heard of
In books and films and songs
Now there’s a world of illusion and fantasy
In the place where the real world belongs
Still I look for the beauty in songs
To fill my head and lead me on

AndÂ…

There’s a band out on the highway.
They’re high-steppin’ into town.
They’re a rainbow full of sound.
It’s fireworks, calliopes and clowns

And everybody was dancing, drink hoisting blurs of color and laughter that convinced one that the world might not be so bloody awful after all.

What follows are some musical highlights, pointers towards sweet new bands, and a whole bunch of great pictures from Chad Smith, heavy on Tortugans and their mirthful ways. Even if every band isn’t mentioned it’s important to point out that EVERY band that graced a stage at Tortugas V was the real deal, dedicated craftsmen born to meld melody and verse. Where one might wonder at other fests why a band made the lineup, Tortugas only presents quality, ranging from the newly born to the well-seasoned. It’s a formula that’s generated a lot of connections between the bands, resulting in some of the finest sit-ins one can find in the festival world. The sense that we’re ALL in this together – both for this weekend and in a much larger sense – is inescapable on both sides of the stage at Tortugas.

Continue reading for Thursday highlights…

Thursday Highlights

See the full gallery for Thursday here

Theme: Gypsy Circus

Lebo by Chad Smith

1. Lebo :: 2:15-3:30 am. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

With a shortened introductory day, it wasn’t hard to stay up for the first rousing late night set in what turned out to be Tortugas’ finest night owl programming to date. As usual, Thursday felt like a Saturday here, and ALO’s guitar shredder and a special rhythm section were the flaming cherry atop everything. Flowing loose ‘n’ heavy, Dan Lebowitz, playing a hollow-body electric instead of his usual axe, gave us a commanding showcase that reaffirmed his place amongst today’s very best guitarists. Backed by ALO bandmate Dave Brogan (drums) and Tracorum‘s jaw-dropping rhythm section, Ian Herman (drums) and Mark Calderon (bass), Lebo stirred up his own Band of Gypsys roar, jamming with impunity and instigating some of the fiercest rhythm work heard all fest. Lebo’s versatility as a singer also shown through, and the obvious camaraderie these guys displayed made for some of the least predictable, most immediate music I’ve heard from any of them.

2. Poor Man’s Whiskey :: 9:15-10:30 pm :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

PMW pulled off a real neat trick: Playing the iconic, deeply held music of Old & In The Way – an obvious root source for their music – while authoritatively putting their own stamp on the material. For one thing, bassist Aspen holds his own against John Kahn’s original bass work, and he’s got a whole new sonic range to explore with drummer George Smeltz, bringing a whole new beat to things. As great as the musicians were in Old & In The Way, they weren’t exactly forthcoming performers. By contrast, PMW boasts two natural born rock stars in multi-instrumentalist/singers Eli Jebidiah and Josh Brough, who have that thing that gets everyone in the room off. Ably goosed by guitar-mandolin whiz Jason Beard, the boys made the well-tread newly furrowed and showed once again that Poor Man’s Whiskey is one of the premiere country-rock outfits today, a wild bunch that could have handily shared bills with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Goose Creek Symphony and Garcia and his picking pals.

Allie Kral by Chad Smith

3. Cornmeal :: 11:45 pm-1:00 am.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

I like when Chicago’s Cornmeal get weird and they certainly did on this inaugural eve. There’s no doubting their hard strummin’ might – bluegrass doesn’t get more blue or grassy – but like a lot of quality acts lumped into the string band basket, Cornmeal have a LOT more variety in their Crayon box, and they didn’t hesitate to color outside the lines at Tortugas. Especially impressive was their ability to move from incredibly melodic strains to downright psychedelic runs, each feeling a part of the other instead of bordered off segments. The many raised glasses and elevated bonhomie in the tent spoke to their pronounced ability to lift heels, and the whole lot of them is goddamn charming as hell. Extra gold stars for ever-compelling violinist Allie Kral, who seemed possessed in a lovely way at several junctures, and dead-on-it drummer JP Nowak. Also, I’m kind of in love with their easy flowing songwriting and the entire delivery and style of banjoist-singer Wavy Dave Burlingame after this set.

Ones To Watch

Jack Grace Band
Full of good time, bohemian energy of the sort Tom Waits left behind when he grabbed a bullhorn, Grace and his slinky compatriots are a bar band in the archetypal sense, specializing in Latin tinged, gold standard song craft instead of by-the-numbers boogie, but still perfect for tossing back a few. First band to play the Tuolumne Hall and one I came home anxious to explore further.

Dead Winter Carpenters
With members of Montana Slim, it’s no surprise these cats ‘n’ kittens twang a bit, but they do so very winningly, and while their set on Thursday was appropriately uptempo, their recent self-titled debut shows a knack for slower, more meditative fare. They’re still getting their feet fully under them but there’s already some very appealing things happening in this band.

Continue reading for Friday highlights…

Friday Highlights

See the full gallery for Friday here

Theme: Decade Dance (retro looks from TV, history, etc.)

ALO & Friends by Chad Smith

1. ALO :: 2:00-4:00 am. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

What other band could meld Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ In The Years” with snippets of The Four Seasons’ “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” with the whole panoply of pop past & future sandwiched in between? Dressed in the outfits from the Man of the World photo/video shoot, ALO lived up to every part of their name at this dawn chasing performance. In fact, keyboardist-singer Zach Gill even got so in touch with his animal side that he started talking to the stuffed birds on the branches decorating the stage late in the set. When these boys are on – and believe you me, this was as ON as I’ve ever seen them – music feels alive and organic, something to be touched and tasted, savored and slathered all over. That its also incredibly tuneful and you can dance to it speaks to their great talent and dedication to making even outside-the-norm music conform to something more sophisticated and thoughtful. After spending the better part of the summer and fall opening up for pal Jack Johnson, ALO played like men balling without a condom for the first time in a LONG time – liberated beasts whose bite set a good many of us free, too.

2. New Monsoon :: 6:15-7:30 pm. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

For a band that doesn’t play out that much anymore, New Monsoon commanded the stage like utter professionals. There’s so much damn talent in this quintet that it remains shocking to me that more people don’t know and adore them. But regardless of stardom, San Francisco’s New Monsoon demonstrated how adept they are at commingling styles and giving all of them rock ‘n’ roll oomph in this early evening set. Filled with rhythm and force, their mix of originals and tasty covers (and a whole lot more well-picked, well-executed covers on Saturday from ZZ Top and more) goes down so smoothly that the many hours of woodshedding and sweat that lay before each performance are invisible. What we got at both sets this Tortugas was a band fully in control of their instruments and material, able to knock it out with aplomb at a moment’s notice. Drinking in electric guitarist Jeff Miller – long a personal favorite – renewed my desire to see him form a Derek & The Dominoes tribute band since he’s one of the few axe slingers who could generate the same guitar magic as Clapton at his inarguable peak.

Pimps of Joytime by Chad Smith

3. Pimps of Joytime :: 8:45-10:00 pm. :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Dressed as ragtag cowpokes, the Pimps offered a master class in funk and its roots, showing equal flair for gutbucket blues, silky soul and myriad other variations on what seem like overplayed, boring forms in lesser hands. This band knows groove, way down in their bones, and they move with harnessed power and abundant natural charisma. Every single time I see the Pimps I like them WAY better. Shooting straight, I haven’t been this wholly charmed by a band in the funk-rock vein since I first saw Prince back in the day. Only Seattle’s Staxx Brothers are competing in the same arena, and rather than play favorites, I’ll just say that anyone who likes to get more than knee-deep as they howl about atomic dogs and funky drummers should get familiar with both. Quickly.

4. Antioquia :: 10:15-11:45 pm. :: The Tavern

With the propulsive energy of Remain In Light Talking Heads and political dance-mindedness of The Clash, SF’s Antioquia turned heads in their Tortugas debut. Admittedly, it wasn’t just their reach-out-and-grab-ya sound alone that did the job. The band set a new fest record for the most exposed flesh by dressing as the cock-socked Red Hot Chili Peppers with lead singer Maddy Streicek dolled up like an actual chili pepper. In their veins flows the sticky stuff that agitated early Brian Eno, the initial wave of jazz-fusion cats, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and similar inspired wackos. In so many ways, this set showed that Antioquia is exposed, fearless and free of boundaries, and they’ve got the chops to back up the bravado with substance and style.

Continue reading for Saturday highlights…

Saturday Highlights

See the full gallery for Saturday here

Theme: Monsters vs. Aliens

1. 7 Walkers :: 4:00-7:15 am :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Bill Kreutzmann by Chad Smith

Bill Kreutzmann returned to Tortugas with his new labor of love, 7 Walkers. Hitting the stage in the middle of the night and playing till well after sunrise, Billy, Papa Mali, George Porter, Jr. and Matt Hubbard took us into the thickest, headiest swampland, brimming over with bayou shuffles, primal rock, psychedelic sparks and other rich, earthy textures. The only break any of them had during this three-hour-plus journey – and if you took the whole trip you really felt like you’d conquered a major peak – was when Papa and Matt paired off for some harmonica pierced deep blues and tender balladry followed by a bass-drums conversation between Bill and George. Each is a marvel in their own right but the chemistry in 7 Walkers just bowled folks over during this set, where they offered almost all of their fabulous self-titled debut, Dead & New Orleans chestnuts and fat-free jams that pounced and tore at one like a hungry gator. 7 Walkers feels vibrantly alert, alive in all the ways that count, and this only seems like the beginning of more and better music to come. [The band killed it again on Sunday night, only 13 hours after this set, where they leaned more heavily on Dead tunes like "I Know You Rider" and a great "Sugaree" with George on lead vocals. What's so cool about this band is how the familiar numbers feel freshly washed and ready to be pushed into service in the way they handle them. The final encore of "Iko Iko" lit up the tent with a light that comes from within, steering our ragged conga line into folklore and festivity with sure hands and hearts.].

2. Guitarmageddon:: 3:00-4:15 pm :: Terrapin Big Top Stage

Under the new leadership of PMW’s Eli Jebidiah, this starts-over-the-top celebration of shred science topped themselves with this Prince themed set. Any serious fan of His Purple Mounted Majesty would have stumbled away grinning ear-to-ear after this display that launched with a sizzling reading of “Let’s Go Crazy” but then weaved into killer recent tunes (“Chelsea Rogers,” “Musicology,” “Guitar”), the infamous Black Album (“Rockhard in a Funky Place”) and the choicest medley ever (“Raspberry Beret > Kiss > Sexy MF > Little Red Corvette > 1999″). The core band consisted of Eli (guitar, vocals), absolutely stunning heavy hitter Daria Johnson (drums, vocals), bassist Mark Calderon (doing some primo tough-funk bass faces), Tracorum keyboardist Fletcher Nielsen (the “Doctor” suited up in scrubs!) and guitar marvel Sean Leahy, who also summoned up a host of voices to fill different Prince-ly holes. Guest six-stringers included former Guitarmageddon leader Josh Clark (TLG), NM’s Jeff Miller, Newfangled Wasteland’s Chris Haugen, Tracorum’s Louis XIV-attired Derek Brooker and Big Light’s Jeremy Korpas, with each cameo suiting the songs to a tee and showing off how much amp-rattling guitar talent resides in Northern California today. The material was well rehearsed but not so much so that flashes of inspiration didn’t prevail. The whole gliding, intoxicating set ended in Gold Experience standout “Endorphinmachine.” Let’s hope that tapers were active during this one because the Minneapolis faithful just gotta hear this performance. One of the absolute best times all weekend.

3. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers :: 4:15-5:15 pm :: Tuolumne Hall

Nicki Bluhm by Chad Smith

It’s a blast to watch an audience be warmed by Nicki and her gifted Gramblers. It starts slow, the potency of their songwriting and their leader’s obvious vocal pow scooping one up, pulling them in close, and whispering sweet, softly wise things in their ears. Once snuggled in, well, they’ve got you and good. Bluhm is a throwback to classics like Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and other strong women who carved their place in the largely male rock game. She’s a far cry from the manufactured divas and half-talents that pass for “female artists” in the mainstream today, and it’s her abiding quality, natural gifts and good instincts for collaborators that are making her an artist to watch VERY closely. The new songs from her forthcoming sophomore album were uniformly excellent, and as ever guitarist Deren Ney is a haunting knockout, especially when he works a slide. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers are the full package, and they left Tortugas with a LOT of new fans this year.

4. Sean Leahy Trio :: 12:00-1:45 pm :: The Tavern

Leahy may be one of THE best guitar players you’ve never heard. His cult amongst Northern Cali musicians and serious music nuts is well established, but it probably wouldn’t have taken more than a single tune at this blazing trio set to win over almost anyone with a six-string boner. Lean, fast and highly interactive, Leahy’s trio consists of himself on electric guitar and lead vocals with Tortugas all-star Mark Calderon on bass (only ALO/Big Light bassist Steve Adams worked as many sets) and drummer Daria Johnson, equally fantabulous here as her Guitarmageddon stint earlier in the day. The gal is a real talent and a show unto herself – just watch her face if you want a whole movie to accompany the music. Blues, classic rock, fleet-fingered jazz and more were explored in this set, and all of it packed with thick, ropy muscle. When Leahy lets go and trusts in his abilities, as he did here, he’s positively superhuman and a joy to watch. Johnson and Calderon are perfect foils, and they even made time for a brief M80 Mailbox cameo, a Leahy project with Dave Brogan and Josh Clark, that included a bruising cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name Of.”

Ones To Watch

Five Eyed Hand
The Tavern seemed wonderfully afloat when this SF unit unleashed their energetic, free flowing music on Saturday night. For sure there’s a foundation of rock ‘n’ roll but things sizzle and switch around with the technically possessed feel of Weather Report taken down to “Shakedown Street.” Mix in the phased dynamics of Bill Frisell, the swerving violin of Mahavishnu and more than a dollop of quality space rock and you’re getting closer to the ballpark. Five Eyed Hand showed being hard to place is a virtue, and jam kids looking to do some traveling between their ears should definitely investigate their self-titled album and fine live show.

Continue reading for Sunday highlights…

Sunday Highlights

See the full gallery for Sunday here

Theme: The Masquerade Ball – Halloween

1. The Mother Hips :: 5:30-7:00 pm.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

The Mother Hips by Chad Smith

Having seen a ludicrous number of Hips shows (quickly approaching triple digits and spread over the group’s entire history), it’s heartening and more than a little shocking that these guys can still completely blow me away. That’s what happened at this late afternoon set that began with a surprising cover of “Long Black Veil” and seemed like it was going to be one of the band’s cozier, country-tinged daytime sets (“Whiskey On A Southbound,” “Later Days”). Then, they took a wide left turn with a stunning reading of “Young Charles Ives,” fired up the over-thrusters and charged into the unknown, unleashing all the brilliance they possess in a rock show that knocked far more than me back on our heels. Other highlights included “October Teen,” “Chum” and “Precious Opal,” but for sheer audacity and skill it’s hard to beat the rush from “Mission In Vain” into Grateful Dead classic “The Other One,” which the Hips made their own, layering on hard guitar and limber rhythms in a way that nailed the original and infused it with newness. After The Mother Hips recent barnburner at The Fillmore, it’s clear this band is on a very nice tear right now – one more reason to fully commit to one of America’s best bands, as if folks really needed more inducements with the Hips!

2. Yonder Mountain String Band :: 11:00 pm-12:45 am.:: Terrapin Big Top Stage

A couple things struck me quite poignantly at this Yonder performance: 1) What a massively satisfying sound, and 2) how little this music relates to bluegrass despite the stupid label they’ve been given. For just four guys, playing rather quietly, YMSB generates voluminous waves of music, each player accenting and commenting on the lead lines in a clever, unobtrusive way that nonetheless supports the main thrust at all times. In about two hours, one heard echoes of small group jazz from the 20s/30s, 60s modal exploration, hardcore traditional folk, good ol’ fashioned rock, early country music and some of the free-ranging stylistics Oregon introduced to acoustic music.

Yonder Mountain String Band by Chad Smith

There was none of the showy, dick measuring, spotlight grabbing qualities one finds in most actual bluegrass bands, and even when they took solos, they didn’t go on endlessly or freeze out what everyone else was doing. Where at times I’ve found some of Yonder’s selections a little jokey, today’s YMSB came off as relatively serious and considered, but not too much so. There’s no being overly stuffy when you’ve got a natural born court jester like Jeff Austin dancing on the needle’s head, and though a touch jet-lagged, Austin didn’t disappoint. He makes everyone feel welcome and serves as the chief ambassador to Yonder Mountain, though never staying so long in the foreground that the other three guys are overshadowed. Like most aspects of their music, there’s a hearty balance that’s refreshing and worthy of a lot of respect and genuine enthusiasm.

And jeezus can these guys play! As pickers, each is a blast and perfectly attuned to their brethren. A delight in all ways and one of the best closing night exclamation points ever at Tortugas.

3. Tracorum :: 12:45-1:45 am.:: Tuolumne Hall

Sometimes we listen to music without really hearing it. However, when we’re ready to open up and experience a thing as it truly is, well, it can feel like a baptism. Such was my experience with Tracorum on Sunday night. Having enjoyed them at previous Tortugas, this time I got it in a huge way. What they do is rock ‘n’ roll but done so fundamentally right it makes you want to kiss them when they power down their instruments. This night, as the festival raged like we’d never seen before on a Sunday eve, Tracorum embodied our collective high spirits and unspoken ache at this experience coming to a close and put those elements to work in some of the best boogie-minded, straight-great rock heard all weekend. Comparisons to The Band and studio aces The Wrecking Crew flitted through my brain as I danced to the heart of this fleeting makeshift town next to my loose-limbed sisters and brothers. Every aspect was right on the money and every man showed himself a massive talent on their respective instruments, pouring soul into every note, their conviction becoming our own. While they display a lighter hand and more Latin-y hips on their new album, The Lesson, live this band exudes legend-making magic.

4. Big Light :: 12:45-2:00 pm.:: Tuolumne Hall

Big Light belongs on big stages. They are rapidly outgrowing small spaces, pushing their already appealing material into skyward reaching constructs that need room to breath and cavort. A modern rock band to be sure, Big Light betters the majority of the Pitchfork darlings by being able to deliver in a salacious, snarling way live, which is exactly how they charged at folks on this afternoon. A guest turn from Izabella keyboardist Jeff Coleman stirred up the best “Panther” to date, and nothing else was less than excellent. An ever-forward arching NEED to be better is what’s fueling Big Light’s rapid growth. Seeing them onstage in a set like this is to watch evolution take place in real time. It’s exciting and more than a little fun to behold. Based on showings like this, only expect more and finer music from this quartet in the future.

Ones To Watch

Kate Gaffney

Gaffney is a real emerging talent, filling The Tavern with songs that were easy to like but filled with nuances that make you want to hear them again right away. She’s got an instantly likeable voice that’s only growing more subtle and powerful the longer she plies her craft. She’s surrounded herself with top-notch players and keeps adding interesting material to her songbook. So, in short, there’s nothing not to dig about this Bay Area lady.

Newfangled Wasteland

A Beck cover band is a clever idea. Better still is a Beck cover band that plays nearly unrecognizable versions of Beck’s tunes. Dave Brogan, Chris Haugen, Steve Adams and TLG’s Trevor Garrod hit a sublime groove in their Sunday night set, showing that the longer they toy with these mutations the more they become their own. Said it before but it bears repeating: Festival bookers need to pay attention to this band.

The Hydrodynamics

The Hydrodynamics are the new project of former Blue Turtle Seduction chief songwriter/singer/guitarist Jay Seals. While his old band gave folks warm fuzzies in their festival one-off reunion, it’s clear this is where Seals’ heart is. Filled with hooky, bouncing melodies and abundant female energy, The Hydrodynamics were a touch ragged in their Tortugas debut but it was still evident that this is catchy stuff, pulling from the pop side of The Clash and marrying it to smoother vibes. A young band worth putting on your radar.

Epilogue

There’s no real way to say goodbye to Las Tortugas. Life over these four days is so wonderfully intense and happy that disconnecting from it and returning to time sheets and business calls is inevitably a shock to the system. Still, it’s incredible that Tortugas exists at all. What one finds at Tortugas is the sheer capacity for human beings to share and cavort is FAR greater than we might imagine. This feeling stays with us if we’re conscious about it and nestle away a portion in our breast for the long haul that awaits us beyond Evergreen Lodge. Everywhere one turns at Tortugas is evidence of human ingenuity and compassion delivered with melody and harmony. If you didn’t get kissed, bear hugged or otherwise lovingly groped it’s because you didn’t open your arms. But, as we revel, we’re given chances for revelation, too, and these deeper currents make Tortugas more than just a good time. The idea that we might be better citizens of the world – more loving neighbors, more welcoming strangers – is writ large at Las Tortugas, interwoven with the notes hanging in the air, ephemeral but real all the same.

Continue reading for Thursday/Friday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”16″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=166″);}); 10/28/10 – 10/29/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

Continue reading for Saturday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”25″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=167″);}); 10/30/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

Continue reading for Sunday pictures…

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”60″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=168″);}); 10/31/10 – Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead (Evergreen Lodge) (Groveland, CA) View Photos

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Head for the Hills: Fall Tour Halloween Colorado Run

SPECIAL HALLOWEEN SHOWS WITH PETER ROWAN & THE FREE MEXICAN AIR FORCE

Head for the Hills have
announced the first leg of their 2010 Fall Tour which visits northern California, the Midwest, and a festival stop at
Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Festival in Ozark, AR at Mulberry Mountain. Following that, the tour
culminates as the group returns to Colorado for a special Halloween run in Boulder, Aspen, Denver, & Fort Collins.
Special guests, Peter Rowan & the Free
Mexican Air Force
join the festivities in both Denver and Fort Collins. Tour dates are below.


TOUR DATES

9/23 Boom Boom Room-San Francisco, CA
9/24 Ashkenaz-Berkeley, CA
9/25 Humboldt Hills Hoedown-Redway, CA
10/6 Bourbon Theatre-Lincoln, NE
10/7 Iowa City Yacht Club-Iowa City
10/8 Windy City Harvest Festival-Abbey Pub-Chicago, IL
10/9 Cranky Pat’s Neenah, WI
10/11 Tres Hombres-Carbondale, IL
10/12 Redstone Room-Davenport, IA

10/13 Bottleneck-w/ Cornmeal-Lawrence, KS

10/14 Old Rock House-St. Louis, MO

10/15 Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival-Ozark, AR
10/16 Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival-Ozark, AR
10/27 Fox Theatre-Boulder, CO
10/28 Belly Up-Aspen, CO

10/29 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom-Denver, CO (with special guests: Peter Rowan & The Free Mexican Air
Force)

10/30 Aggie Theatre-Ft. Collins, CO (with special guests: Peter Rowan & The Free Mexican Air Force)

Head for the Hills
Tour Dates

::
Head for the Hills News
::
Head for the Hills
Concert
Reviews


Primus & Gogol Bordello | Red Rocks | Pics

Words & Images by: Mike Hardaker

Primus/Gogol Bordello :: 08.12.10 :: Red Rocks Amphitheatre :: Morrison, CO

Gogol Bordello and Primus returned to Red Rocks Amphitheatre earlier this month. Primus features Les Claypool (bass, vocals), Larry LaLonde (guitar) and multi-talented drummer Jay Lane, who left touring with the latest Grateful Dead act, Furthur, to join Primus on the road in 2010. Primus formed in Northern California, with musical influences like Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa. There musical style is hard to define, and Primus has been referred to as psychedelic polka, thrash-funk, alternative rock, and much more.

Gogol Bordello’s eight band members hail from across the globe. The band formed in 1999 on NYC’s lower east side, and is known for theatrical stage shows and catchy polka sounding punk songs. Much of Gogol Bordellos sound hails from Gypsy music, and features violins, accordions, guitars, drums and other noisemakers. The last time Gogol Bordello played at Red Rocks Amphitheatre the band sat around with Manu Chao and played music outside of Red Rocks Park until the sun came up in true gypsy style.

Primus Setlist
Pudding Time, In The Flesh (Pink Floyd cover), Here Come The Bastards, Behind My Camel (Police cover), Groundhog’s Day, Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers, Golden Boy, American Life, Big In Japan (Tom Waits cover w/ Gogol Bordello), Over The Falls, Drum & Whamola Jam, Eleven, Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Over The Electric Grapevine, Harold of the Rocks. E: Tommy The Cat

Gogol Bordello Setlist
Intro (Illumination), Ultimate, Not A Crime, Wonderlust King, My Companjera, Tribal Connection, Trans-Continental Hustle, We Comin’ Rougher, Break The Spell, Immigrant Punk, When Universes Collide, Pala Tute, Start Wearing Purple, Break The Spell (reprise). E: Sun Is On My Side, Punk Rock Parranda, Sacred Darling

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Primus Tour Dates :: Primus News :: Primus Concert Reviews

Gogol Bordello Tour Dates :: Gogol Bordello News :: Gogol Bordello Concert Reviews

JamBase | Rockies
Go See Live Music!


Las Tortugas: Nathan, Newfangled Blue Turtle Seduction Reunion

LINEUP FOR HALLOWEEN WEEKEND JEWEL GROWS

Blue Turtle Seduction

Recently disbanded Lake Tahoe rock-fusion pros Blue Turtle Seduction will reunite for Las Tortugas – Dance of the Dead V, taking place October 28-31 at
Evergreen Lodge near Yosemite, CA. In addition to BTS’ happy reunion, Tortugas V will be joined by singer-
songwriter extraordinaire Nathan
Moore
and Beck revampers Newfangled Wasteland, who join the already rich lineup featuring Northern California
gems ALO, The Mother Hips, Tea Leaf Green, Poor Man’s Whiskey and many more, including the Tortugas debut of
BTS’ Jay Seals‘ new solo outfit Hydrodynamics. All told close to 30 acts will perform over this 4-
day festival set in a bucolic forest outfitted with cabins, a general store, a full bar and more. For tickets and further
details hop over here.

Check out the JamBase review of Las Tortugas IV here.


Las Tortugas V: ALO, Hips Cornmeal, TLG, HBR, 7 Walkers

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF WOODED JEWEL

Bill Kreutzmann at Tortugas IV by Chad Smith

The premiere intimate West Coast fall music festival, Las Tortugas – Dance of the Dead V, returns October 28-31. The fifth annual Halloween weekend gathering once again takes place at Evergreen Lodge in Groveland, CA (located at the Western Gate of Yosemite National Park), offering a musician-positive, fan-friendly experience in a bucolic forest setting. With cozy cabins, a general store, restaurant and bar, daytime hiking adventures and many more unique features, Las Tortugas offers a handpicked, standout assortment of diverse music with a strong emphasis on the cream of Northern California’s rock scene.

Super early bird ticket sales – $175 for a festival pass until August 15 – are available at www.lastortugasmusic.com on Wednesday July 21 at 10am PST, and on-site camping for this intimate festival begin Wednesday, July 21st at 10am PST. Please call the Lodge at 209-379-2606, for on-site camping at 10am PST on July 21.

To enter the random cabin drawing, you must email tortugascabin@gmail.com by Friday, July 16th. All information regarding the cabin random drawing can be found on the website.

More information on tickets, cabins and on-site camping visit www.lastortugasmusic.com.

This year’s lineup features:

ALO
7 Walkers feat. Bill Kreutzmann, Papa Mali and George Porter Jr.
The Mother Hips
Tea Leaf Green
Hot Buttered Rum
New Monsoon
Cornmeal
Melvin Seals and JGB with Stu Allen
Pimps of Joytime
Poor Man’s Whiskey, including a performance of Old and In the Way
Lebo
BLVD
Big Light
Guitarmageddon feat. the music of Prince
Montana Slim String Band
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers
Dead Winter Carpenters
Tracorum
Trevor Garrod
Nat Keefe and Friends
Sean Leahy and Friends
Jack Grace Band
Moonalice
Antioquia
The Hongs
Kate Gaffney
Honeymoon

After playing Las Tortugas for the first time last year legendary Grateful Dead percussionist Bill Kreutzmann said, “I had a GREAT time. It feels like a party.” Tortugas inspires attendees and performers to dig into their full capacity for fun and joy, with an ever-changing array of costumes and joyful distractions floating past one at any given moment. This on top of a musical lineup that has solidified into a vibrant, collaborative extended family of players that fill the entire weekend full of surprises and once-in-a-lifetime moments. A strong sense of community infuses Las Tortugas, with daily themes, special one-off sets (TLG’s Trevor Garrod‘s annual Sunday morning solo performances, Guitarmageddon‘s themed throwdowns), quality, reasonably priced food and a wonderfully immersive feel that marks this as a truly unique experience every single year..

Check out JamBase’s rave for the Las Tortugas IV here.


Earthdance Festival 2010 Spearhead, Matisyahu, EOTO, Shorty

FAREWELL TO BLACK OAK RANCH

Earthdance ’09 by Michael Buchanan

The 14th annual Earthdance Festival will take place September 17-19 at the renowned Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville, CA, a property rich in native history and old growth oak trees. The ranch has been home to Earthdance for the past 8 years, but due to expanding audiences, the festival will be moving to a larger facility for 2011. Often described as a festival that combines the artistic liberation of Burning Man with the socially responsible conscience of the Oregon Country Fair, the festival has gained international recognition as one of the best “boutique” festivals on the West Coast.

This year’s lineup includes:

Michael Franti and Spearhead
Matisyahu
Zap Mama
Ivan Neville’s Dumstaphunk
Kinky
Trombone Shorty
Beats Antique
Rootz Underground
Yard Dogs Road Show
Lyrics Born
Gift Of Gab
Delhi 2 Dublin
Heavyweight Dub Champion
EOTO
BLVD
Lynx and Janover
And many more

For 2010, Earthdance Northern California will unite with over 350 locations in 60 countries across the world. To make this year a “grand farewell” to remember, the festival will present an incredible lineup of conscious musicians, visual artists, DJ’s, speakers and activists, who believe in a sustainable future for our planet. Working with the theme of “Unity In Diversity,” the festival will host five music stages and will feature high profile conscious artists from many genres of the international music scene. Also included will be an indigenous elders council, made up of indigenous elders from many nations, who will share wisdom and sacred ceremony.

An important part of the festival will be a compelling educational component called the “Activist Alley,” where festival patrons can interact with both local and international non-profit groups. These organizations will share information and workshops on relevant global and local issues, inspiring local participants to take a stand for the future of our planet.

A highlight of the festival will be a synchronized global link up, taking place on Saturday the 18th, when at 4 pm (PST), Earthdance California will synchronize with over 350 locations in 60 countries. At this precise moment, a specially created song called the “Prayer for Peace” will be played in every location at the same time. The festival will also feature a wide variety of healthy vendors supplying many types of international foods and eco wares. Shaded camping and hot showers are also available to festival attendees.

Part proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Earthdance non-profit, A California based 501c3 organization.

Check out JamBase’s coverage of the 2009 Earthdance here.


Wavy Gravy’s All Star Jam | 6.13.10 | SF

YOU’VE GOT GRAVY IN YOUR EYES!

Photos by Susan J. Weiand

On Sunday, June 13th, various All-Star musicians converged on stage at The Great American
Music Hall to benefit the Seva Foundation. The
cast of characters included Steve Kimock, Mark Karan, Billy
Kreutzmann
, Melvin Seals, Papa Mali, Lebo, Dave Brogan,
Bo Carper, Reed Mathis, Matt Hubbard, special guest Bobby
Vega
and Wavy Gravy himself.

The evening started off with a set by Lebo, Carper and Brogan performing “Spike Driver’s
Blues”, “Pallet on your Floor” and Old Crowe Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” joined by Karan & Seals. The band played
on for a Dave Brogan tune “Infinite Eye” before Vega joined in for a soulful offering of Allen Toussaint’s classic “On
Your Way Down”.

Steve Kimock then took the stage with Vega, Seals & Brogan for an epic version of
the Zero fan favorites “Cole’s Law” > “Tangled Hangers”. The first set then closed with a
ripping rendition of Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” featuring Karan, Lebo, Brogan, Kimock,
Seals & Vega.

Set two featured 7 Walkers: Papa Mali, Billy Kreutzman, Steve Kimock, Reed Mathis and Matt
Hubbard along with a variety of the aforementioned musicians joining in a setlist that
included “Jam” >
“Sugaree”, “He’s Gone”, “Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues”, “Bertha”, “Jump Back”, “Mr. Charlie”
and “Lovelight” amongst others.

Photographer Sue Weiand was on hand to document the experience for your visual enjoyment.

JamBase | Bay Area


Thank to various helpers for piecing together the setlist. Pardon any omissions or
errors.

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6/13/10 – Wavy Gravy Seva Jam @ Great American Music Hall (San Francisco,
CA)
View Photos

Seva Foundation was founded in 1978 by a group of people who helped eradicate
small pox,
and inspired by that achievement, joined together to alleviate other suffering caused by
poverty and disease. Seva’s public health programs in India, Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia
Bangladesh and Tanzania work to eliminate curable blindness. Over two million people have
received sight-restoring surgeries. In Mexico and Guatemala Seva assists indigenous
communities with training and resources to attain literacy and economic self-sufficiency.
In the United States, where diabetes claims Native American lives at four times the
national average, Seva offers diabetes prevention and small grants programs, created and
directed by Native Americans.

Wavy Gravy, activist clown, former Ben & Jerry’s flavor, hippie-icon, flower-
geezer, is a
founding board member of the Seva Foundation. He is the creative director of Camp
Winnarainbow, a circus and performing arts camp in Northern California.


Heart Attack rate declined 62%

In past 10 years, serious cases of heart attack have declined by 62 percent in Northern California. Other lighter such cases have decreased by 24 percent. This was revealed in a study that involved more than 46,000 patients.
The decline was due to the countrywide efforts to keep the risks of heart disease down [...]

The Go-Go’s Farewell Tour Cancelled!

Drats! The Go-Go’s have cancelled their summer farewell tour! The ’80s pop tarts have decided against hitting the road one last time after gal rocker Jane Wiedlin suffered a torn ACL in a 20-foot fall in the California mountains last month. The injury will keep the guitarist sidelined for much of the summer and could take [...]

Furthur Festival | 05.28-05.30 | California

By: Garrin Benfield

Furthur Festival :: 05.28.10-05.30.10 :: Calaveras County Fairgrounds ::
Angel’s Camp, CA

Phil & Bobby by Susan J. Weiand

Arriving at the site of the Furthur Festival, I wondered why it had been so long
since the previous Mt. Aire gathering. The setting is classic Northern California –
rolling golden hills punctuated by groves of oak trees, miles of free form campgrounds,
and a lovely grass concert bowl. Clearly the one narrow, congested road into the grounds
could be a major temporary inconvenience to local residents, but it seems the revenue
generated by this mostly supremely mellow, polite crowd would easily offset any
frustrations. Once inside, things mostly ran like clockwork, and the 10,000 or so
gathered were treated to an intimate, bucolic weekend of rock ‘n’ roll.

Perhaps as a nod to those who thought the notion of Furthur
announcing it would perform six Grateful Dead records a bit, shall we
say, antithetical to the Dead ethos, the first night’s “sound check” featured a circuitous
setlist heavy on classics but not tied to any particular era. An inspired “Eleven” opener
gave way to one hell of a set that was dialed in from the get-go. I was struck right away
by the detail of the mix that allowed every instrumental voice to be heard with clarity
and volume. As a full moon rose over the early arriving crowd, the band patiently made
it’s way through a full one-set show, clearly surprising many who were not sure what to
expect from this first evening. Personal highlights for me included John Kadelecik
quoting Trey’s “First Tube” during a heavy “Let It Grow” and Bobby delivering a
stately “Standing On The Moon,” proving the old adage that “if at first one does not
succeed…” Satiated, we all slowly made our way back to the campgrounds, which were
still springing to life in the chilly darkness.

Dan Bern

On Saturday, I wandered over to the Acoustic Stage and caught a beautiful set by Mark Karan and
Friends
. While I was there they played an assortment of leftfield covers by
Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman and the Dead. I had never seen Karan in this context and
he really shone, singing and playing with sensitivity and conviction – a lovely way to
ease into the day. On the Sunshine Stage, Dan Bern delivered
newer songs with his usual incisive, sardonic wit, backed by his new project, Common Rotation.
I’m happy to see Dan on the road again, and especially pleased to have his uncompromising
insights floating about the sometimes pollyana-ish jam scene. Next, James Nash, Joe
Kyle Jr.
and the rest of a temporary Waybacks lineup
brought their absolute A-game to the sweltering afternoon, pleasing those perhaps
unfamiliar with their own material with masterful versions of “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and
“Shady Grove.” These guys are virtuosos with real heart and soul.


What was exciting me most about Furthur’s first “classic albums” sets was the tunes I’d
never seen performed live, or in some cases had never seen the light of day at all.
Oddly, the first half of the American Beauty set, comprised of songs these guys
have played hundred of times, was stiff and a bit rusty. This trend continued into the
first rarely performed song, Pigpen’s “Operator,” this time sung tentatively by
Phil. Happily things warmed up significantly with JK’s reading of “Candyman” (who
can resist “Hand me my old guitar…”) and the rest of the set was a pure joy of
monumental pieces from the dead canon, aided by Larry Campbell‘s
fiddle and guitar, and his wife Teresa Williams‘ vocals. I think for many who grew
up going to or listening to live Dead shows it will always be disorienting to hear
“Ripple” and “Brokedown Palace” in the middle of a set, but “Truckin’” brought it all home
with classic slow burn!

The Workingman’s Dead set busted out of the gates with “Uncle John’s Band” and
never let up. The band had clearly relaxed, and spent the next hour reveling in more
classic tunes that this time benefited from years of having been in the performance
repertoire. Larry Campbell’s biting Strat work lent a shimmer to “Cumberland” and
everything that followed, without impeding Furthur’s own identity and chemistry from
clearly emerging. The Anthem of the Sun set, the most anticipated by many as it
represents perhaps the pinnacle of “primal” Grateful Dead, was a monster from top to
bottom, climaxing with crushing versions of “Alligator” and “Caution.” I hope the
bruising guitar exclamations in “Caution” translate to tape, because, wow, they needed no
explanation under the rising moon!

The Mother Hips

I soldiered on and caught sets by three great bands on Sunday prior to Furthur. The
biggest surprise discovery of the weekend was the towering psychedelic progressive rock of
Carney.
Led by a fantastic and charismatic vocalist/guitarist and the most passionate, fiery band
I witnessed all weekend, Carney’s music seemed to fall in the Jeff Buckley meets Radiohead
universe, a welcome change of pace from the mostly Americana proceedings on the side
stages. The always-great Mother Hips were joined on the main stage by Jackie Greene,
who proved himself more than able on organ. The Hips designed their set for a gentle
afternoon and stuck mostly to their sunny Pacific stylings, save for the odd time changes
and riffage of their mid-nineties classic, “Magazine.” I wouldn’t have missed Electric Hot Tuna,
who were next up on the main stage, for the world. Stalwarts of blues, garage rock,
massive riffs and some of the original diplomats of the Haight-Ashbury, Jorma and
Jack have been playing together for 52 years. I was moved not just by their gnarly
set, but also by their longevity and by the Dead organization’s insistence on their
presence at this Festival. Loyalty does exist in the music business!

Hot Tuna

Initially I thought we were being thrown for a loop when Furthur came out and did not bust
into the expected “Help on the Way” to begin their Blues For Allah set. Instead,
the band leapt into one of those “same tempo as the next song but in a different key” jams
before beginning perhaps the Dead’s most progressive and esoteric collection. “Help >
Slip > Franklin” was pretty happening but not earth shattering. Far more moving was the
intense detail and thunder of “King Solomon’s Marbles,” which I’d vote for most welcome
comeback of the songs Furthur has reintroduced over the last year. “Music Never Stopped”
featured some searing runs by JK, and he delivered “Crazy Fingers” beautifully. Weir’s
dense but lovely “Sage and Spirit” was saved by Jeff Chimenti, who appeared to be
the only person who knew it that well. The “Blues for Allah” suite was a thrill to hear
live, but if you want to hear the only (?) other live version, you might be better off
checking out One From The Vault, as this well-intentioned attempt was gauzy and
confused around the transitional moments. Still, who’s complaining? Standing there
watching these guys try this stuff out and letting these songs wash over me was a thrill.
Joe Russo really distinguished himself deep in this second night with momentum and
focus, as Phil and Bobby seemed to show some wear and tear. There’s more than one reason
to hire a young, talented drummer, right?

Jackie Greene

After a wonderfully trippy set break that allowed some of the evening mist to begin
seeping into the amphitheater, the band returned and brought us back further in time with
a complete performance of Aoxomoxoa, the record that includes perhaps some of the
least performed Dead material of all. After a typically awesome “St. Stephen” (though I
would argue this might be the most over-performed song of the post-Jerry years), JK segued
right into a “Dupree’s” that also featured Larry Campbell on fiddle. For me, the two most
significant tunes that followed were Phil’s reading of Jerry’s “Rosemary” and the 11-
minute, genuinely psychedelic “What’s Become of the Baby?” which asked the pressing
question clearly on everyone’s mind: “Where is the child that played with the sun chimes
and chased the cloud sheep to the regions of rhyme?” Teresa Williams’ vocal wails and
white gown perfectly embodied the acid-queen-diva-goddess on this excursion. “Cosmic
Charlie” brought us home, and almost sadly, to the precipice of the last set of the
weekend.

Mark Karan

Despite mild exhaustion setting in, the Terrapin Station set rocked. To segue from
the set break music, Radiohead’s In Rainbows to a 14-minute “Estimated Prophet” was
perfect. (As a side note, all weekend the house music was very inspired, from Beck at
sunset to James Brown and Billy Preston! Yeah!) “Dancin’ in the Streets” was given its
full disco treatment (minus the convoluted outro jam of the celebrated ’77 versions),
“Passenger” was spot on, and Bobby really rallied for “Samson.” The last awesome surprise
was Teresa Williams returning for a song most people in attendance had surely never seen
performed, the Jerry-penned Donna Gauchaux showcase “Sunrise.” I felt a real affection in
the crowd for this one, a deep track that those of us who spent a few years scouring Dead
records before entering the tape trading community remember fondly. Teresa received a
real ovation before we glided into the B-side of this record, the entire 26-minute
“Terrapin Station” suite. What a way to bring it home!

Sir Joe Russo by Susan J. Weiand

After Phil thanked the crowd for being at our “family picnic,” he generously mentioned all
the people who worked so hard to make the festival happen, which received the largest
cheer of the weekend, hands down. Deadheads can be a wonderfully gracious bunch. The
appreciation was heartfelt, though. The whole weekend had that inescapable quality of
people fully absorbing the music, the scene, the memories, the personal connections, and
the uniqueness of a phenomenon that is not going to last forever. As I listened to the
weave of “Lady with a Fan”, convinced the band had intended this to be a sonic response to
the ecological tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, I closed my eyes and said my own
thank you. Thanks, San Francisco! Thanks, Grateful Dead! Now what are we gonna do with
this energy?

JamBase | Awakened
Go See Live Music!


Memorial Day Weekend Fest Preview

By: Dennis Cook, JamBase Associate
Editor

Summer festival season kicks into high gear this coming weekend with dozens of festivals
around the United States. JamBase takes a look at five of the finest gatherings coming up
and makes a few helpful suggestions beyond the big names at the top of the bills for those
about to rock beneath the stars around this great country.

Summer Camp Festival | Chillicothe, IL

We begin with one of the jewels of the jam world, the
10th Annual Summer
Camp
, taking place Friday, May 28 through Sunday, May 30, with a pre-festival
party on Thursday, May 27 in Chillicothe, IL, at the Three Sisters Park.
Anchored by three days of moe. and Umphrey’s McGee performances, the tenth edition of this festival
also includes headlining sets from The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule and
Yonder Mountain
String Band
. Here’s a few acts well worth working into your schedule if you’re
heading to Summer Camp.

1. Backyard Tire
Fire
:: Thursday :: 6:30-7:30 pm :: Starshine Stage

Ed Anderson is one of the few singer-songwriters out there to give Tom Petty and
Springsteen an honest run for their money in the meat ‘n’ taters rock game. With his
stalwart bandmates, Anderson makes music for the day-to-day slog and those sweet moments
away from the grind of it all. Foot stompin’ greatness is all but guaranteed at this set,
which could set your whole weekend at Summer Camp off on just the right foot. BTF also
plays on Saturday from 1:00-2:15 pm on the Sunshine Stage.

2. Split Lip
Rayfield
:: Friday night :: 12:30 am-2:30 am :: Campfire Stage

A great number of top-flight musicians have been seen sporting Split Lip Rayfield t-shirts
over the years. That’s a positive sign right there, and if you dig into their rootsy,
irreverent music you’ll probably want to wear one, too. There’s something intrinsically
right and unpasteurized about Split Lip, a spirit punk rockers and bluegrass lovers can
both vibe on equally. Their Late Night Campfire Jam is likely to have a gravitational
pull to many of the musician fans at Summer Camp, so don’t be too surprised at the
surprises likely to ensue.

3. The New
Mastersounds
:: Sunday :: 4:00-5:00 pm :: Sunshine Stage

Simply put, if you love soulful, funky music you’re missing out if you don’t check out
England’s New Mastersounds, who possess one of the sharpest, coolest approaches to the
genre going today. There’s just the right mix of rawness and polish to them, and the
quartet’s interplay borders on telepathic.

Summer Camp
Schedule

Summer Camp
Directions

Summer Camp
website

Continue reading for DelFest…

DelFest | Cumberland, MD

DelFest is a string band mecca
sporting three sets from hosts the Del McCoury Band. This year’s DelFest happens May 27-30 in
Cumberland, MD, and includes performances from Yonder and The Avett Brothers (they do
get around
), Railroad Earth and many more. There’s tremendous overlap and bounteous
collaboration at this festival, which somehow takes the spirit of back porch jamming and
gives it flair and style without losing the essential hominess. Here’s some acts worth
putting on your dance card at DelFest this year.

1. Uncle Earl
:: Friday :: 6:15-7:30 pm :: Grandstand Stage

These crazy talented ladies haven’t been out live much lately, so one should enjoy them
whenever they can. What’s wonderful about Uncle Earl is how they stitch together so many
different threads from string music past and present. There’s a timeless vibe to their
originals and their interplay is pretty spectacular in general. Uncle Earl also performs
on Saturday at DelFest on the Potomac Stage from 12:45-1:45 pm. For more on Uncle Earl,
peep the JamBase feature centered around their last studio release.

2. Dave Rawlings
Machine
:: Sunday :: 10:15-11:55 pm :: Grandstand Stage

Though he’s often the only one standing next to Gillian Welch,
Rawlings is often overshadowed by his longtime partner in crime. She is pretty compelling
but so is this hyper-gifted multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. The longer the
Rawlings Machine trundles along in recent years, the more fascinating it becomes, both in
his own compositions and inspired cover choices.

3. Trampled By
Turtles
:: Saturday :: 5:15-6:15 pm :: Potomac Stage

Singer-guitarist Dave Simonett writes some of the most enduring, resonant songs
coming out of any contemporary string band, and he and the rest of the Turtles breath fire
live, stirring up a ruckus that seems nigh impossible for guys seated onstage. They’ve
also got a tender side that’s genuinely stirring. Young and possessed with a real drive
to show the world what they’ve got, TBT has all the makings of a future headliner at fests
like Del’s and Northwest String Summit. See ‘em now so you can tell your kids about it
when they’re famous. TBT also plays a special Friday Late Night set at 12:15 am – 1:15 am in Delfest Music Hall.

DelFest
Schedule

DelFest Directions

DelFest website

Continue reading for Sasquatch! Festival…

Sasquatch Festival | George, WA

Sasquatch!
returns to The Gorge in
George, WA, May 29-31. If one wants a barometer of the next wave of artists to crest into
cult or even alternative mainstream success, this is the spot to take your readings. With
a finely tuned mixture of emerging and well established acts, Sasquatch! is a vibrant,
fascinating rock microcosm in a fab setting. Headliners My Morning Jacket, Pavement, Massive Attack
and Ween
will undoubtedly deliver the goods, but here’s three acts we’d also like to put on your
radar.

1. Dawes ::
Saturday :: 12:00-12:35 pm :: Bigfoot Stage

After releasing one of the finest rock debuts in ages in 2009, the stunningly resonant
North Hills (JamBase review), this Los Angeles band has pretty much stayed on the road
honing their craft and further fleshing out what were already wonderful songs. Anyone
with a love for The Band, vintage Crosby, Stills & Nash (or especially their respective
early ’70s solo work) or simply beautifully crafted, powerful, well-rooted rock will find
almost too much to adore in Dawes. They are the first band to hit the stage at Sasquatch!
this year but they will likely be one of the best anyone sees.

2. Vetiver ::
Sunday :: 6:25-7:10 pm :: Yeti Stage

Talk about a band that has ALL the fundamentals locked down – strong songcraft,
empathetic, intelligent playing, potent heart and soul – Vetiver pretty much nails the
core things that make a band interesting and worth allowing into one’s life. Bandleader
Andy Cabic pens tunes that hum and skip on the order of folk’s like Nick Drake, Kris
Kristofferson and other prime root sources, and then he and the band take them to places
both rocky and patiently lovely.

3. The Mountain
Goats
:: Monday :: 5:40-6:25 pm :: Bigfoot Stage

If you mixed up Jonathan Richman, Woody Guthrie, Syd Barrett and a traveling holy roller
preacher into one person you might get head Goat John Darnielle.
There’s something strangely moving and off-kilter funny about the Goats’ music, and yet
one has no problem imagining any of the named touchstones pulling up a chair and drinking
in what Darnielle is dishing out.

Sasquatch!
Schedule

Sasquatch!
Directions

Sasquatch! website

Continue reading for Furthur Festival…

Furthur Festival | Angels Camp,
CA

There’s likely only one prime destination for lovers of Grateful Dead music over Memorial
Day Weekend, and that’s the Furthur
Festival
in the Sierra Foothills at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, May 28-30.
Centered around a series of full album presentations (see full details here) by Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, there’s
more than just Dead to enjoy at this new fest.

1. Mark Karan &
Jemimah Puddleduck
:: Saturday :: Furthur Stage

One of the joys of Puddleduck is it lets Karan’s MANY gifts shine. Largely known for his
ever-tasty guitar work with RatDog, Karan is also a dead good singer-songwriter with a
real knack for picking really satisfying cover material with his own band, including Randy
Newman, Little Feat and other kindred spirits. Puddleduck is a good time starter to the
main stage well worth getting out of your tent in time to catch.

2. The Mother
Hips
:: Sunday :: Further Stage

It’s kind of dangerous to call any band “perfect” but there’s a lot of mounting evidence
over the decades that Northern California’s roots-rock-pop stalwarts The Mother Hips are
just that – freakin’ perfect. For charged, wonderfully executed, guitar heavy rock ‘n’
roll WITH a truly breathtaking catalog and one of the tighest, coolest rhythm sections
ever, well, one would be very hard pressed to find better. Seeing the Hips for the first
time is a conversion experience for most. Don’t be surprised if you go scrambling to hear
every note you can after you experience this set.

3. Dark Hollow Stage :: All Weekend

The small acoustic showcase stage will be curated by Larry Campbell and Teresa
Williams
and will likely be ground zero for some stunning troubadour action. Folks
will be treated to an array of “friends” dropping by, and even if it’s just Campbell and
his missus wooing you with song you won’t go wrong!

Those wanting an additional day in festival bliss can check out Furthurmore on Monday, May 31, at River Ranch
Campground in Tuolumne, CA. This fine epilogue to the first Furthur Fest features 7 Walkers
featuring Bill Kreutzmann and Papa Mali, Everyone Orchestra
featuring Steve Kimock, Melvin Seals, George Porter Jr, Dan Lebowitz, Aaron Redner, Dave
Brogan, Nat Keefe, Jans Ingber and more, plus the triumphant return of Holy Kimoto with
Steve Kimock, Kyle Hollingsworth, Michael Travis, and Jason Hann.

Furthur Festival Schedule

Furthur Festival Directions

Furthur Festival website

Continue reading for Desert Rocks…

Desert Rocks | Moab, UT

With crowd pleasers like Melvin Seals & JGB, Groundation and The Mother Hips topping the bill and a
unique, stunning setting in the Moab Desert in Utah, this smaller fest is shaping up to be
one of the best annual gatherings of truly talented working bands in the U.S. Without
relying on safe, name brand festival anchor bands, Desert Rocks – taking place this year May 27-30
- has grown each year by the merits of its spirit and good taste in lineups. Here’s three
worthies attendees should check out this year.

1. Lubriphonic
:: Thursday :: 8:00-9:15 pm :: Uncanny Stage

This Chicago-based self-describe “rock & soul stew” has the sophistication and sharp edges
of vintage Steely Dan but a blues soul that’s dusty and rugged as one could want.
Lubriphonic has killer tunes and is a reliable powerhouse live. If you’re headed to
Desert Rocks looking to come home with a new favorite, this band is likely to be a strong
contender for that position.

2. Wisebird ::
Friday :: 7:30-8:45 pm :: Desert Rocks Stage

If you love crankin’ good ol’ rock & roll with the windows down and the white lines flying
past at an alarming pace, then Wisebird is gonna hit your sweet spot like an Everlasting
Gobstopper. There’s a ton of abundant boogie soul to these boys and a little of the
battered denim je ne sais quoi one finds in The Black Crowes and Drive-By Truckers. Pour
some whiskey down your gullet and just dance like your body wants to as Wisebird plays and
things are gonna loosen up for you in a real nice way. Added bonus: the Bow &
Sparrow Aerial Ballet
will join them for this set. Wisebird also performs on Saturday
night, 12:20-1:50 am.

3. David Gans ::
Saturday :: 5:00-6:00 pm :: Desert Rocks Stage

While known for his work around the Grateful Dead both in print and on the radio for
decades, Gans is a damn fine songwriter and performer in his own right. Yes, his
interpretations of Dead numbers are great, but it’s his nose for primo work from other
contemporaries like Railroad Earth and his own songs that increasingly knock one out. And
you gotta have respect for anyone who can hold an audience rapt or make them skip standing
alone with just a guitar on stage, something Gans accomplishes and makes look so natural
it doesn’t seem like work.

Desert Rocks
Schedule

Desert Rocks Directions

Desert Rocks website

For a full list and links to other festivals happening this Memorial Day Weekend,
sure to visit the JamBase Festival
Guide

What are you doing this musical weekend? Add your comments to the Forum linked below.


Dead Winter Carpenters: Tour

NEW GROUP MERGES SF AND LAKE TAHOE BANDS

Dead Winter Carpenters

With feet firmly planted in the Northern California music scene, Dead Winter Carpenters is a newly formed quintet emerging on the shores of North Lake Tahoe, CA. Boasting members of San Francisco’s Montana Slim String Band and Lake Tahoe’s Rusty Strings, Dead Winter Carpenters are poised with an arsenal of original material and are preparing for a summer that will establish their presence on the national touring circuit beginning this June. DWC’s debut multi-city tour stops throughout Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

Laced with elements of bluegrass, folk, ragtime, blues, reggae and rock and roll that incorporates styles inspired from musical influences ranging from Jerry Garcia and Neil Young to David Byrne to Ryan Adams, the band embraces their musical roots enabling them to traverse genres and defy musical boundaries. This combination is a unique blend of genuine, authentic songwriting and dynamic musicianship. When asked what the band is most excited about for their debut tour, the band all agreed to the answer provided by fiddler Jenni Charles: “The opportunity to continually challenge our abilities to bring the best performance we can to our fans playing music we all deeply believe in.”

The band consists of fiddler and vocalist Jenni Charles, upright bassist Dave Lockhart, guitarists and vocalists Jesse Dunn and Sean Duerr, and drummer Ryan Davis.

June Tour Dates

June 8th – Mt. Tabor Theater, Portland
June 9th- John’s Alley, Moscow, ID
June 10th – John’s Alley, Moscow, ID
June 11th – Di Luna’s Cafe, Sandpoint, ID
June 12th – Love Your Mother Earth Festival, Missoula, MT
June 13th – LYME festival, and Chico Hot Springs, Pray, MT
June 16th – Filling Station, Bozeman, MT
June 17th – Top Hat, Missoula, MT
June 18th – Terrapin Station, Boise, ID

Dead Winter Carpenters Tour Dates :: Dead Winter Carpenters News :: Dead Winter Carpenters Concert Reviews


Tim Bluhm: House of Bluhm

Tim Bluhm: House of Bluhm

Tim Bluhm, singer/guitarist for Northern California’s Mother Hips recently released a solo record called House of Bluhm. The record was produced by Jackie Greene who also plays on several tracks along with members of The Mother Hips and ALO.

Below is a video of “Spooked Cat Blues,” one of the tracks from this new album. The video was directed by long time Mother Hips photographer Jay Blakesberg and was shot at Bluhm and Greene’s Mission Bells studio in San Francisco where the CD was recorded. For more info go to www.timbluhm.com.


Primus Tour & Album

PRIMUS CONFIRMS U.S. TOUR / TICKETS GO ON SALE MAY 8, 2010

NEW ALBUM IN 2011

Primus

Influential alternative rock icons Primus are back and have confirmed their first headlining tour in four years. Old friends Gogol Bordello will be joining them on the road playing such venues as the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn, NY, and the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug 12. More dates to come as the band refines their chops before heading into the studio to record their first album of brand new music since 1999′s Antipop. The new album will be released in 2011.

Primus formed in the late ’80s in Northern California, releasing their first album, Suck On This, in 1989. They signed to Caroline Records and released the now classic Frizzle Fry in 1990. As part of the alternative rock explosion of the ’90s, the band signed to Interscope and gave the world some of the biggest records of the decade, including Sailing The Seas Of Cheese, Pork Soda, Tales From The Punchbowl and The Brown Album, had several Billboard top 10 debuts, garnered a Grammy nomination and wrote the internationally loved and enduring theme song for South Park.

The dates for the tour are below. Fall dates will be announced soon.


07.27 Toronto, ONT Sound Academy

07.29 Essex Junction, VT Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley w/ Gogol Bordello

07.30 Brooklyn, NY Williamsburg Waterfront
w/Gogol Bordello

07.31 Bridgeport, CT Gathering of the Vibes

08.01 Charlottesville, VA Charlottesville Pavillion
w/Gogol Bordello

08.03 Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
w/Gogol Bordello

08.05 Columbus, OH LC Pavillion w/Gogol Bordello

08.06 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

08.07 Milwaukee, WI The Rave

08.09 Council Bluff, IA Stir Cove at Harrah’s w/Gogol Bordello

08.10 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater w/Gogol Bordello

08.12 Denver, CO Red Rocks w/Gogol Bordello

08.13 Salt Lake City, UT The Rail w/Gogol Bordello

08.14 Las Vegas, NV The Joint

08.15 Santa Barbara, CA County Bowl w/Wolfmother

Primus Tour Dates :: Primus News :: Primus Concert Reviews


Seth Green Married Clare Grant In Weekend Wedding Ceremony

Seth Green got hitched! The pint-sized star exchanged vows with actress/model fiancee Clare Grant in a weekend wedding ceremonyat a private vineyard in Northern California on Saturday. The newlyweds will spend their days working together on the animated series Robot Chicken — which is executive produced by Seth and features voiceover work by Clare. Congrats!

Sleepy Sun Dates/Fever Out 6/1

SLEEPY SUN ANNOUNCE MORE U.S. TOUR DATES

RECORD RELEASE PARTY ON JUNE 10 IN SAN FRANCISCO AT GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL

FEVER OUT JUNE 1

Sleepy Sun

Sleepy Sun is a California
band from many Californias. They hail from the rolling oak and sage hills of Sierra Gold Country, The San Francisco
Peninsula, where Kesey raged and the Dead were once Warlocks, and the forever-sunshine climes of the Southland.
They came together—young and garage strutting in the coastal Northern California crucible of Santa Cruz. And
there they birthed the Sleepy sound — dead blues shaken alive, razor sharp and ramblin’, soul, sonic science and
dead-on pop surgery. Wooden, earthy, stratospheric, and swinging… California music of beautiful contrasts for
conflicted times.

Now, two records into a frighteningly fast-blossoming evolution, Sleepy Sun are a living machine of fire and focus. Their first release on ATP records Embrace illuminated the golden path to Sleepy land — hard-riffing, delicate, dreamy and cultivated. The latest ATP release, Fever, is arrival at the palace the path
promised.

The record release party for Fever is June 10 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Opening
acts include Fresh & Onlys, Moon Duo, and DJ Brit Govea from (((folk yeah))).

Fever is out June 1 on ATP/R and digitally May 18.

Track List:

01 “Marina”
02 “Rigamaroo”
03 “Wild Machines”
04 “Ooh Boy”
05 “Acid Love”
06 “Desert God”
07 “Open Eyes”
08 “Freedom Line”
09 “Sandstorm Woman”

Check below for additional summer North American tour dates.

Sleepy Sun Tour Dates :: Sleepy Sun News :: Sleepy Sun Concert Reviews


Jesse James Without Wedding Ring Photo

Jesse James was spotted out and about today sans his wedding band – check out all the latest details over @ PEOPLE.com!Is this really a surprise? He turned his back on the vows attached to that ring a long time ago. James, 40, checked into an Arizona treatment center for sex addiction as a tabloid-driven [...]

Sandra Bullock pictured sans her wedding ring

Actress Sandra Bullock was recently photographed without her wedding ring.
Bullock, 45, had not been seen for more than a month after her husband Jesse James’ cheating scandal first broke out, reports Radar Online.
The picture, which is a first since then, was taken in Northern California during a hike on April 16. It shows Bullock wearing [...]

Benefit Concert In Sebastopol

FUNDS RAISED WILL PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL MUSIC THERAPY TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SURVIVORS

Kathryn Keats from kathrynkeats.com

Local non-profit Chords for Change is hosting its First Annual Empowering Voices Benefit Concert on May 8, 2010 at the Sebastopol Community Center from 5:30-10:00 p.m. The organization provides free of charge
professional music therapy services to domestic violence shelters in Northern California. Music therapy, as
administered by a board certified music therapist, has been widely studied as an effective method for generating
positive emotional change, increasing self-esteem, and teaching important communication and coping strategies. It
has also been proven to successfully decrease feelings of anxiety, isolation, fear, and regret. The Empowering
Voices Benefit Concert will feature original music by The Kathryn Keats Show, a collaboration of artists
including community activist, domestic violence survivor and professional musician Kathryn Keats; award winning
composer and master percussionist Joe Venegoni; solo bassist Michael Manring; internationally
known Brazilian drummer Celso
Alberti
; “Mercer Ellington Jazz Masters Award” winner, pianist Kelly Park; and special guest, local
guitar virtuoso Rob
Freguletti
.

In 1989, working under the name Ellen Munger, Keats earned a New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for
her performance in the original stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Unfortunately, it would be
her last public performance for two decades, after her former collaborator, plagued by schizophrenia, began
threatening her life relentlessly. This experience culminated in a precedent-setting jury trial in Oakland, CA, in
which the abuser was ordered held in a mental hospital temporarily. When he was released, he resumed pursuing
and threatening Munger. At the urging of law enforcement officials, she changed her name to Kathryn Keats and put
her promising show business career on hold until 2005, when she learned that her abuser had died.

Keats’ harrowing story, first told in Reader’s Digest in March 2007, is now being developed as a stage
musical and book titled After the Silence. Her heroic journey from captivity to freedom has inspired
audiences in Europe and the United States. This will be Kathryn’s first time appearing in Sonoma County.

Tickets for the Empowering Voices Benefit Concert are available online at
chordsforchange.ticketleap.com.