Mischief night, October 30, 2010, the Los Angeles-based band Particle brought their brand of ‘electro-funk rock’ to the University Hill area of Boulder, Colorado. The venue was the popular Fox Theatre. This show was to be a culmination of a run of four shows in Colorado, and a celebration for the band of 10 years in the business. Particle keyboard player and bandleader Steve Molitz is a University of Colorado at Boulder alumni, and honed his skills in several bands around Boulder before relocating to California and assembling the pieces of Particle.

Particle has undergone many changes over the last decade, mostly due to fact that the outfit has had as much trouble retaining guitar players as Spinal Tap had retaining drummers. For this 10^th anniversary tour though, Particle invited back its original guitar player, shredder extraordinaire Charlie Hitchcock. Since departing Particle in 2005 under un-amicable terms, Hitchcock went on the explore different musical realms, and Particle went through a series of replacements on guitar, and, in the process, lost quite a bit of steam as a touring band, despite having toured in its early career with the likes of and Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart, and becoming known for their strong late-night sets at major music festivals. With Hitchcock back in the fold, however, Particle’s original music was to transport the audience back to the prime of the band. In addition, this particular gig, being on the eve of Halloween, was to feature one set of Particle original music, as well as a full set of Pink Floyd tribute material.

The first set featured mainly Particle ‘classics’, instrumental songs written in their early career, and featured on their 2004 debut album, Launchpad, which was recorded during the era in which Hitchcock first was slinging his six-string in the band. A notable exception to this was the song that got the party started, “Triple Threat”, an upbeat groove vehicle that operates by each band member contributing a distinctly different sonic layer to a multi-faceted composition. This song allowed plenty of room for Molitz to do some slick pitch-bending on the dial of his Moog, and Hitchcock to carry the jam afterwards. The jam eventually slipped back into the control of Molitz’s spacey work on the keys, and soon was drawn to a close with some great lick-doubling between Molitz on the keys and Hitchcock on his axe. After “Triple Threat”, the band paused for a few seconds before bass player Eric Gould launched into the jumpy bass intro to “Roads a Breeze (@ 3AM)”. While this tune is one of my favorites off of the Launchpad album, Molitz’ early keyboard solo seemed quite subdued to me. Fortunately, my initial impressions of this particular rendition did not last, as the song kept driving along, including some snappy drum fills by Darren Pujalet. When Molitz gave Charlie the nod that it was his turn to shine, Hitchcock did not disappoint. He smoothly escalated the shreddery on his six-strings, incorporating bluesy bends, muted funky strums, and lightning quick ascending and descending modal runs that allowed no mercy for the faint-hearted. Then after Hitchcock built the tension to a peak, it was time for Molitz to ‘do his thing’. The whirring, pitch-bending, and welcome audible assault from the keyboard seemed to come from all sides just as the main groove of the song started again, and sent the audience into a dancing-frenzy until the song concluded with some precise rock-chops and heavy hitting by Pujalet.

Particle’s next song in the set was the much less-frenzied, much more chilled-out number, “Below Radar”. This song’s intro featured some tricky stick-work by Pujalet and some melodic chords executed by Gould on his Modulus bass. When the relaxed groove of the song kicks in, Molitz took a back seat and played some background textures on his keyboards while Hitchcock played the beautiful and melodic Joe Satriani-esque lead. After “Below Radar”, which is Particle’s version of a sad ballad, I thought that the band needed to bring the energy back up. They did, as Pujalet drove up the tempo into a funky, quirky-beat jam which soon melded into “Double Helix”. While I was not overly familiar with this song, Hitchcock’s guitar was soon cranked and he again went into his fiery scale runs, string bends, blazing hammer-ons, and jazzy textures. Next up was the 1^st set closer, the prog-metal-esque selection from Launchpad, “The Elevator”. This tune is unique, in that this minor-key rocker seems that it would fit just as well in a Dream Theater concert with a mosh-pit, if this were not a jam-band show. Regardless, Particle clearly loves playing this tune, and the ‘Particle People’ clearly embrace the energy of this song. This song builds and builds, spearheaded by Hitchcock’s harmonic-minor scale melodic licks. Again, once the tension builds to a pinnacle, Molitz provides the release. His multiple keyboard instrumental section can only be described as sounding Middle-Eastern in nature from several decades into the space-age future. After this showcase by Molitz, it was back to Hitchcock to up to try to up the ante. After a furious final jam in the song, the set came to an abrupt end. Up next was the widely anticipated set of Pink Floyd tribute.

While walking around the Fox Theater, I noticed that the venue was becoming significantly more crowded than it had been for the first set. When the members of Particle sauntered back on stage, I noticed that they were not alone. A guest saxophone player, Pete Wall, would sit in for this entire set (Wall added sax to a couple of interludes in the first set as well), and I also observed two microphone stands at the rear of the stage, which would later be used by two female vocalists, Kimberly Dawson and Kelsey Shiba. Once the band was situated, Charlie Hitchcock began the opening muted slides, delay-driven effects, and harmonics of “Run Like Hell”. Like the Pink Floyd original, this take featured multiple band members contributing the vocal lines, in this case it being Molitz and Gould exchanging the vocal lines. After a seemingly brief version of this song, Gould’s Modulus bass churned out the 5/4 time signature intro to “Money”. This song got a great crowd reaction, and included a rousing saxophone solo from Pete Wall. Particle then segued into “Young Lust”, which I believed to be one of the stronger songs of this set, both vocally and instrumentally. Particle jammed out the end of “Young Lust” extensively, until it segued seamlessly into “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, another strong offering. After “Crazy Diamond” came the Pink Floyd instrumental, “One of These Days”, with Hitchcock using a searing metal slide to emulate David Gilmour’s lap steel of the original.

Hitchcock’s overdriven and delay-effected guitar sent this jam soaring to all corners of the venue, and after an impressive take, he and his band-mates brought the tempo back down in perfect time to mellow out for “Great Gig in the Sky”, sung by the two aforementioned female singers. Next in the set was the predictable “Another Brick in the Wall Part II”, sung by Molitz and Hitchcock, which seemed like a very brief rendition before settling into a nice funky jam driven by Gould’s bass and Molitz’ keys. Suddenly, on cue, all the band members ceased jamming, and Molitz immediately began playing the keyboard solo which normally occurs at the crux of the Particle original tune, “Sun Mar 11”. After several moments of extended keyboard wizardry from Molitz, the rest of the band kicked back in and the group stormed ahead to complete “Sun Mar 11”, which grew in intensity as the song built. The crowd was clearly back in frenzy now, as glow-sticks were thrown about and there was not a soul standing still in the venue. The conclusion of the song was met by rousing cheers and applause. I nearly expected “Sun Mar 11” to be the last song of the set, but the members of Particle had other plans. After soaking in the vibe of the crowd, Particle gently slipped into the Pink Floyd song, “Keep Talking”, which again featured the female backup singers and Molitz on lead vocal. “Keep Talking”, which is a somewhat mellow offering, gradually sneaked into a funky groove,  powered by Pujalet’s pounding of the skins, and aided by some drippy tones on Molitz’ keys. The funk slipped into a jam that reminded me of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”, however that song never materialized. After this un-named jam got the “Particle People” back moving, it was time to switch gears again. It was time for some more choices from Dark Side of the Moon. “Any Colour You Like” segued into the “Brain Damage” / “Eclipse” combo, which ended the set. After an ovation, the band returned to the stage for their encore, which began with a strong version of the Particle original “Eye of the Storm”, segued into the thick space-funk of “Launchpad”, then into the early Floyd –era song, “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”.

Upon completion, Steve Molitz thanked the crowd for the awesome Colorado run, and let concert-goers know that the band would be hanging out in the lobby of the venue. Molitz was all smiles during his address to the crowd, and he clearly got as much fun out of his band’s music as the crowd seemed to have. Here’s to hoping Particle and Charlie Hitchcock decide to keep the jams coming with more shows in the future, as the Charlie’s guitar work is clearly the best fit for them.

Check out some photos from the show.

When a renowned musician rolls through a music-oriented town such as Boulder, CO, area musicians will take notice. That’s exactly what happened when the Stanton Moore Trio made a stop at the beautiful Boulder Theater on December 2, 2010. Musicians of all types made the trip to the venue to watch Stanton and his two pals, guitarist Will Bernard and organist Wil Blades, jam on the this cold winter night. Musician attendees included, but were not limited to, mandolin hero Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), guitar whiz-kid Matt Flaherty (Hot Soup, Matt Flaherty Trio), bass funkateer Otis Lande (Smack Thompson, Rogue Sound, Matt Flaherty Trio), and snappy drummer Tim Dennis (Cherry Place Allstars). Musician attendees were not a surprise, however, as Stanton Moore is an icon to many funk and groovers, nearly reminiscent of Neil Peart’s following of dedicated prog-rock drummers.

On this tour, the Stanton Moore Trio is supporting the release of a tri-faceted media release of Groove Alchemy, which is the title of Stanton’s latest drumming instructional book, accompanying DVD, and the name of the Trio’s latest album. The book and DVD aim to focus on the roots of funk drumming by examining the work of funk drum pioneers, while the CD puts into practice the methods covered in the aforementioned media, as well as act as a funk and jazzy CD that serves up hip-shaking, virtuosic grooves separated by loungy, laid back numbers. The CD features Stanton on drums, Will Bernard on guitar and Robert Walters on organ. For this tour, however, Moore invited up-and-coming San Francisco Bay organist Wil Blades to fill Walters’ place in the band’s lineup. Blades has been coined a ‘rising star of the Hammond B-3’, and has been honing his skills with many Bay-area musicians, as well as organ pioneer Dr. Lonnie Smith. Blades’ relatively new reputation would be deemed correct, as he would prove to have many shining moments during the show.

The first set started off strong, with some straight-ahead, hard-hitting funk, channeling the spirit of the Meters, the 1970’s New Orleans funk band that was a major influence on many of today’s R & B and funk groups, including all the members of Moore’s full-time band, Galactic. This first song was anchored by Moore’s frantic hits, while Bernard and Blades exchanged solo passages throughout the tune. The second song was another similarly structured song, before mellowing out into a much slower, nearly “smooth-jazz” passage for the third song in. Next in the set was a Blades’ powered organ song. The follow-up to this tune really got the crowd into a dance mood. This next tune, another quick tempo, funky groove, ala The Meters, really hit its stride when it came time for Blades to take the lead on his Hammond B-3 organ. Blades took his organ and his twin rotating Leslie speaker cabinets to new heights during this one, clearly displaying playing chops reminiscent of legendary P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worell, filling all corners of the spacious venue with thick, full sounding chords and lightning quick lead phrasing with both hands. After Blades’ soaring ascent to his musical summit, it was time for Will Bernard to attempt to reach the peak that Blades had established. Bernard came very close, as he switched on a bit of fuzz for his guitar, and his right foot hammered on his wah-wah pedal as he channeled some Jimi Hendrix en route to a loud flurry of string bending and flashy cross-picking that contrasted his ‘cool as a cucumber’ demeanor, while simply flashing a wide grin at the end of his musical passage. Shortly after Bernard’s stoic execution of six-string madness, the tune segued back into a simpler danceable groove that Moore subsequently mentioned was on the new CD.

After this selection came to a halt, Moore again addressed the crowd with excitement, and stated that the next tune was a lullaby that his grandmother used to play for him. While I myself did not recognize the song, it was a short, slower melodic number that gave the sweaty dancers on the floor a much needed break. After this lullaby song, Stanton once again spoke into his microphone. This time, an enthusiastic Stanton stated that the band would play one more song in the first set, and then take a break. He stated that he would be in the lobby of the venue during setbreak to sign copies of all his newly released media projects. He proceeded to announce that the last song of this set would be “Late Night at the Maple Leaf”, which is a song off of his 2008 Stanton Moore Trio album, Emphasis (On Parenthesis). The song started off with a Wil Blades executed New Orleans style organ intro, which was then powered by layers of precise rhythm hits by Moore, and jangly chords by Bernard. The song featured a quick, passionate solo by Blades, before Bernard turned up his volume for a Brian Jordan-esque guitar solo. Next up was a Stanton Moore spotlight, as he executed some smooth, rapid rolls on his snare drum, accented by hits on his toms. The song’s bridge took a quick turn into swing-jazz territory before returning to the 70’s style funk riffage that defined the main melody.

After the set-break, I observed that the crowd had thinned out significantly. Fortunately, there was to be some high-caliber moments left for those that remained. Stanton thanked the crowd for staying through the longer than anticipated set break, and introduced the second set opener as the Will Bernard penned tune, “Neeps and Tatties”. This song appears in the middle of the Groove Alchemy CD, and, after a subsequent listen to the disc, is one of the heaviest and most unique tracks on the album. The song started off with a rolling Moore drumbeat, quickly joined by Bernard sliding up into a funky chord strum on his semi-hollow guitar, while Blades played the main hook on his Hammond. The second part of this tune had Bernard and Blades switching roles – Bernard played a strong, heavier hook, while Blades played the backing chords. The song switched back and forth between two main musical themes, separated by some tricky stickwork by Moore, before Blades again used all four limbs on his organ and bass pedals to fill the cavernous venue with sound. Soon after, Bernard played his guitar solo, combining wah-wah pedal pitch manipulation with slinky string sliding to reach one of his many fine moments of the evening. The next song in the set was a John Scofield-esque sounding tune, with Bernard pulling off the Scofield tone and style with great precision. During an extended jam in this tune, however, Wil Blades added the most unexpected turn to this number. Blades began making some haunting tones on the Moog synthesizer positioned atop his Hammond B-3, really adding a unique element to the tune.

For the next song, Moore rolled out an extended drum intro that had me wondering where the music would ultimately go. The intro eventually settled into a short boogie groove once Bernard and Blades settled in. After this jam, it was time for one of Stanton Moore’s renowned drum solos.  During his solo, he began with a simpler beat and gradually added more beats to the phrase and switched tempos with ease. After a quite impressive display of drumming prowess, it was on to another new song from the recently released CD.  This new selection started with one of my favorite drum beats of the night, the “thwack-boom-boom-boom-boom-thwack” of the tune “Knocker”. This beat led a female attendee to exclaim “This is rock-n-roll!”.  This song clearly jarred the crowd back into a dancing frenzy, as suddenly there was a sea of bodies all in motion at once. The song shifted into a stellar organ solo by Blades, all the while keeping the thick groove of the song going by use of the organ’s bass pedals.  Bernard then again stepped up with another smooth, flailing guitar solo, which increased in intensity as the seconds passed. The next song in the set was another tune from the CD “Shiftless”. Stanton’s drum intro quickly caught my attention on this one; because Stanton’s multi-layered beats would have a mere listener convinced that there were at least two drummers playing on this one. The song rollicked into a tight, fast groove, with all three players taking plenty of time to showcase their talents yet again.  Upon completion of this longer jam, two slower, quieter songs followed.  The last song of the second set was the opening track off of Groove Alchemy, “Squash Blossum”, another song rooted in the heavy, in-the-pocket funk of the 70’s. Will Bernard, in particular, wailed on this one during his guitar solo. After this song was complete, Stanton Moore thanked the crowd and left the stage. Shortly after, the band returned to the big stage for an encore. The encore song was, as Stanton explained, a tribute to one of his most influential groups. Not surprisingly, the song he chose was The Meters “Funky Miracle”. The song was a fitting end to an impressive night of music, as the Meters influence was heavily heard all throughout the band’s set.

The Stanton Moore Trio is definitely a band to catch on tour, particularly for fans of funk, groove, jazz, or music fans that are interested by the merging of retro 70’s tones that merge with the contemporary. Musicians would clearly enjoy the virtuosic skills of all three members of this band, as is commonly the case in an all instrumental band, each member is given liberal time to shine in the spotlight. The tightness of this group impressed me as well, and it is always interesting to me to check out what kinds of projects Stanton Moore gets himself involved with. The only negative feedback I heard about this show is that the slower, loungy songs were too long and detracted from the party crowd wanting to dance into the night.

Check out some more photos from the show.

On December 11, 2010, party-jammers Hot Soup once again hit the stage at the popular Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO, to reprise their ‘musical costume’ of Ween from from their Halloween show at the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery. (An interesting choice at the time, as Ween themselves played on Halloween night only a few miles away at Broomfield, Colorado’s, 1^st Bank Center). For this show, Hot Soup planned to cover the 2003 Ween release Quebec in its entirety.  While my musical fandom has not coalesced very deeply into Ween’s catalog, I have rapidly blossomed into a Hot Soup fan in 2010.

A typical Hot Soup night encompasses compelling covers alternating with well-crafted original songs. After witnessing the band several times this year, I have realized that a Hot Soup gig is a fun party, whether it’s a packed, sweaty dance-off at Conor O’Neils, a sparsely attended, last minute, drunken rock n’ roll night at the Whistler Café in semi-remote Nederland, or a triumphant show at the Fox Theater on University Hill.  It is important to note that this was to be the 2^nd time in slightly over 5 months that Hot Soup was to headline at the Fox Theater, and they have a penchant for “turning it up a notch” at their higher profile gigs. In addition to their plans to roar through the Ween album in its entirety, the band encouraged its fans to don “ugly holiday sweaters” to the Fox. Some fans happily took to this request, including good friend and musical collaborator of mine, Daryl Dorgan, who sported some interesting threads that my great-grandfather would likely consider out of date.

Hot Soup took the stage promptly at 10:45 PM on this night, decked out in their own horrendous holiday sweaters.  Guitarist Matt Flaherty strapped on his Heritage SAE custom six-string, bassist  Adrian Engfer slung his bass over his shoulder, keyboardist / saxophonist Mirco Altenbach climbed behind his encampment consisting of a Fender Rhodes, electric piano, MicroKorg synth, and Mac computer, and Paul Kemp snuck behind the skins. The band did not hesitate as it launched into the appropriate “It’s Gonna Be A Long Night”, the opening track from Ween’s Quebec. This quick tune rippled with rock energy, sounding a bit like punk-trash-metal pioneers Motorhead, and was sung by bassist Adrian Engfer. The follow-up to the opening number proved to be a complete change of pace, the ethereal “Zoloft”. The pairing of songs was befitting of Hot Soup’s talents, as the two songs contrast each other completely, one being the straight-ahead rock, the latter being a slower, trippy voyage carried by Flaherty’s vocal and spacey lead guitar melody.  After “Zoloft”, Engfer greeted the enthusiastic crowd, and the band brought up a guest guitarist for the next couple of songs, a straightforward “Transdermal Celebration”, followed by a spiritual “Among His Tribe”. The latter featured Flaherty strumming an acoustic guitar, while he and Engfer harmonized on soft vocal lines, and multi-instrumentalist Mirco Altenbach contributed some spacey textures on his MicroKorg Synth during the middle section of the offering.

Drummer Paul Kemp pounded out the perseverant beat to “So Many People in the Neighborhood”, a creepy, yet infectious march that had fans singing along to the low-octave chorus. (I myself found myself humming this chorus in subsequent days as I started my Christmas shopping in the packed markets of Boulder).  The song itself is such an odd ditty that it sounds like something that would be found among deep tracks in a Tom Waits or Les Claypool catalog.

After the quirky and ominously delivered “So Many People in the Neighborhood” came another contrasting sequence; the poppy “Tried and True”, one of several songs in which Flaherty and Engfer combined forces on  strong vocal harmonies.  After the feel good aura of “Tried and True”, the band switched gears again, delivering “Happy Colored Marbles”, a slow dirge featured Engfer singing the low vocal and Flaherty singing falsetto before the song turned to a haunting section which had Flaherty using his pedalboard and resonant qualities of his semi-hollow guitar to produce swirling atonal textures that likely warped the minds of at least a couple show attendees.

After the sensory overload of “Marbles” came the upbeat and goofy “Hey There Fancy Pants”. Engfer delivered the vocal “Hey there fancy pants. Play the songs that make us dance. Play the tunes that make the ladies swoon….”.  As if on command, the audience on the floor began buzzing about to the song that has a 1960’s retro dance feel to it. Flaherty grinned as he played the quick guitar solo which included some lightning-quick trills and flashy cross-picking. Clearly everyone in the room, audience and band alike, was having a blast with this tune. Soon after a slightly extended version, drummer Paul Kemp began to slow the tempo, and the rest of the band eased from the happy-go-lucky chords of “Fancy Pants” to a dark, minor-key jam. The band used a lot of time and space to channel a psychedelic haze, utilizing some Pink Floyd-esque massive orchestral swells and some treacherous wailing on guitar by Flaherty, before Engfer began repeating the lazy lyrics to “Captain, Turn Around and Take Me Home”. Though this song should have been one of the simpler songs of the set, Hot Soup made this tune sonically huge, with well placed instrumentation producing multiple layers over the repetitive chord changes. After an extended take on “Captain”, the band forged ahead with more tunes from the Quebec album, continuing with the rolling snare drum of “Chocolate Town”, a country tune which was again highlighted by vocal harmony of Flaherty and Engfer. Next was the touching, but anti-climactic “I Don’t Want It”,  then the electronic “The Fucked Jam”, followed by the moody “Alcan Road”, and the 70’s prog-rock sound of “The Argus”. The lyrically-beautiful and Floyd-esque "If You Could Save Yourself (You'd Save Us All)" closed the set.

With the excited crowd lingering around for more, Hot Soup returned to the Fox Theatre stage for their encore. With the Quebec album complete, the band launched into the popular Ween song “Roses Are Free”, but executed the song more closely to the style that Phish plays the tune in their rotation, rather than the Ween original. By this point in the show, I was in the mix of the floor crowd, and, looking around, everyone was dancing, twirling, singing, and smiling. Immediately after “Roses Are Free” was complete, the band members glanced at each other, and, without hesitation, the band soared into one of their fan-favorite originals, “Animal Buttplug”. Engfer excitedly slid into the funky bass line, Flaherty churned out the slick guitar strums, Altenbach reached for his saxophone, and Kemp clicked on the skins. By now the crowd was well entrenched in a body-flailing frenzy as the groovy vibe permeated through the building. The band was clearly amused, exchanging smiles with each other right before the song hit its signature “Crazy Train” interlude. The song settled back into its jazzy funk theme, and eventually came to a close. Flaherty raised both arms in a victorious manner as the show concluded.

Upon the conclusion of the show, I had gained a newfound appreciation for the genre-bending and possibly nightmare-inducing Ween, and was even more impressed with the ability of Hot Soup to take such adventurous material and offer such a diverse show.  Some fans were slightly disappointed that more of the band’s original material was not played at this show, while others were quite content to hear the band’s take on the weird album. Friend and singer-songwriter Chris McKee, who attended Ween’s Halloween concert, stated, “Seeing Hot Soup play Ween was more fun than seeing Ween play Ween”.  It is evident that this band is improving consistently, and is not afraid to take chances and bring something special to their bigger gigs. Already being aware of the band’s indelible instrumental prowess, I was highly impressed by the vocals, both solo and harmony, that were exhibited at this show. Special thanks to friends and music aficionados Harrington Baker and Becca Sherman for assisting me on the Ween song titles for this review.

Next up for Hot Soup is their New Years Eve show at Conor O’Neills, 1922 13^th St, Boulder, CO. The band is treating this one as another high-profile gig, describing it as “A very special evening with Hot Soup performing circus acts”, and promising many surprises for this show.  Music fans who have not yet solidified plans for this night should consider attending. The cover for New Years Eve is only a mere buck, and Hot Soup’s party is guaranteed to be leaps-and-bounds above the entertainment value that a dollar would usually translate too. See you there!

It was over a decade ago, when I was barely of legal age to gain entry into a bar, that I used to frequent a small, smoky bar in my native Long Island, NY, and used to catch the house band that played every Monday night. The house band was a blues, funk, and roots-rock outfit that played a wide array of music, and was known for the stellar musical prowess of its members. Anchoring this band was lead guitar player and singer / songwriter Andy Falco, whose slick bluesy electric guitar solos were an oft anticipated segment of each song. Every so often, Falco would reach for his acoustic guitar and the band would deliver a bluegrass number, which also showcased Falco’s rapidly developing flat-pick skills.  Sometime thereafter, the band members went their separate ways. Many years later, I found myself at a small bluegrass festival on the north shore of Long Island. It was at this festival where I learned from fellow performers that six-string extraordinaire Andy Falco had moved to Nashville, TN, and had joined a band called the Infamous Stringdusters.

After subsequently moving to Colorado in the summer of 2009, I recalled the Infamous Stringdusters name and quickly became interested in their music. Though they have been through Colorado multiple times since my relocation, and have played such festivals as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Rockygrass Festival, I wasn’t able to catch my first ‘Stringdusters’ show until their gig at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO., on March 18, 2011. This was a gig that had them sharing the bill with Michigan-based Greensky Bluegrass.

Upon arrival to the Fox Theatre on this particular night, I couldn’t help but notice an enthusiastic buzz in front of the venue. The show had sold-out, and many were desperately looking for a hard-to-find extra ticket to gain entry to the show. Though I missed much of Greensky Bluegrass’ set, people were still lining up to enter for the Infamous Stringdusters widely anticipated set.  “Bluegrass on Ecstasy”, is how one show attendee described the music that was to commence shortly. Another female fan alluded to the Infamous Stringdusters’ music as being comparable to the soulful delivery of Chicago bluesman Muddy Waters.

Many of the songs performed by the Infamous Stringdusters included appropriate lyrical content about mountain life, relationship successes and woes, and vagabond lifestyle. However, the virtuosic nature of every member in the band on his instrument, as well as strong vocal harmonies and tight chord changes puts this group in an elite class. Setlist highlights were numerous, including tunes such as “The Hitchhiker”, sung by fiddle player Jeremy Garret, and including vocal harmonies by bassist Travis Book and dobroist Andy Hall. This song featured a lightning quick banjo solo by Chris Pandolfi after the first chorus, and a slinky Dobro solo by Andy Hall. Guitarist Andy Falco led an extended jam, which meshed well with the swirling lights behind the band. After a couple minutes, Falco’s licks were doubled by the mandolin of Jesse Cobb, and soon tripled by Garrett’s fiddle.

A few songs into the set, the band executed an instrumental jam, at first led by Jesse Cobb’s melodic mandolin licks, punctuated with some muted strums by Falco. The jam quickly gave multiple band members a spotlight, as Pandolfi was first to crank out a down-and-dirty banjo solo. Fiddle player Jeremy Garrett was next with an over-the-top fiddle solo. The attention then turned to Andy Falco’s guitar as he led off his solo with some lightning quick picking that found himself navigating up and down his guitar’s neck. After some acoustic shreddery, Falco brought it down to a slower melodic pace, before the rest of the band brought the pace back up in time for Andy Hall’s slithering slide solo on the Dobro.

The crowd and the band were clearly warmed up when the group segued into the Andy Hall penned tune “Well, Well”, as the entire floor of the venue danced to the loose country groove offered by the Stringdusters.

“Pioneers”, a more laid back number, was beautifully sung by bassist Travis Book.  ‘”Echoes of Goodbye’”, sung by fiddle player Jeremy Garrett, and backed up on vocal harmonies by Book and Andy Hall, was a fast number defined by Chris Pandolfi’s banjo during the verses, and Garrett’s own raging fiddle solo, and Cobb’s superfast fingers over his quick mandolin turn. Everyone took a high-speed solo on this one.

A break mid-set allowed bassist Travis Book to lead a birthday toast for the Dobro player, Andy Hall. After the toast, the birthday boy questioned “So what else could happen tonight?", a sly hint that there were surprises to come.

A short time later, the Infamous Stringdusters welcomed some special guests to the stage; Jeff Austin and Adam Ajala from the Yonder Mountain String Band. The expanded group settled into the Peter Rowan cover “Moonlight Midnight”, with Travis Book contributing the lead vocal, and joined by others for vocal harmony. The first instrumental break of this song had Cobb taking the first solo, while Jeff Austin contributed the mandolin rhythm ‘chop’. After Cobb concluded, Austin took the lead with a tremolo-picked solo, and then both mandolin players locked in with each other and doubled licks in unison. Everyone on stage had huge smiles on their faces, as everyone was clearly excited about this collaboration. Hometown hero Jeff Austin led the charge into “High on a Mountaintop”, and an enthusiastic cover of the John Hartford tune “Up On the Hill Where They Do The Boogie”. Nick Forster (of Hot Rize, as well as local ETOWN radio show host) and his wife Liz joined the band for several more songs.

After a highly energetic set, The Infamous Stringdusters welcomed several more musicians to the stage for the encore. All of Greensky Bluegrass appeared on stage, and the expanded lineup of performers launched into a massive encore, which included four ‘Police’ covers, commencing with ‘Walking on the Moon’, then a furious jam which eventually segued into ‘Driven to Tears’, sung by Greensky mandolin player Paul Hoffman. One of the extended jams showcased in this tune had Jesse Cobb picking his mandolin lead at an intense pace that would turn heads of bluegrass fans and rock fans alike. Just when it seemed that the tune would reach its conclusion, Falco burst in with a tasty, precise flatpick solo, and the other musicians on stage took the hint, bringing the intensity back up. Greensky Bluegrass guitarist Dave Bruzza followed up Falco’s solo with a turn of his own, a uniquely tremolo picked lead with a more Santana-esque feel to it. This great cover was followed by “Roxanne’, and concluding with ‘Canary in a Coalmine’.

This night out at the Fox Theatre was perhaps one of the most enjoyable nights I have had at this venue. Clearly, the bands on the bill had plans to make this a special evening, and the collaborations with the guest musicians had all performers on stage smiling and obviously having a blast. Most notably, I believe this show will continue to vault the Infamous Stringdusters into the upper echelon of the bluegrass / newgrass genre.  Despite the band’s relative brief history, they have already released three albums, with a live release in the works for release later this year. This year also saw the band nominated for a Grammy award; their song “Magic #9”, was nominated for “Best Country Instrumental”, and is featured on their 2010 release “Things That Fly”.  The Stringdusters already have plans to return to Colorado for high profile gigs at least twice this summer. First up is June 16 at the famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and on August 20 they hit the big stage at Red Rocks Ampitheatre, opening for Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth. The Red Rocks show will be a party not to miss!

As I eagerly anticipated INXS’ show at Denver’s Ogden Theatre, I will admit that I didn’t know if I was going to witness an act that was well past its prime and just going through the motions. Though the band, hailing from Sydney, Australia, achieved world-wide acclaim in the mid- 1980’s, the 1997 death of beloved long-time frontman Michael Hutchence put a stall on the band’s career many years ago.  For nearly 20 years, Hutchence was the face of the band, a frontman of upper-echelon status worthy of mention in the same sentence as Bono or Jim Morrison. INXS’s music itself was a conglomeration of New Wave, funk, hard-rock, pop, and has sold over 30 million records world-wide.  In a year that I have been attempting to re-connect with music I enjoyed in my youth, I was interested to hear how the band has adapted since Hutchence’s death. I still consider the 1987 INXS release Kick to be one of the most consistent and wonderfully produced albums of the day. Once hailed by music journalists as one of the “3 biggest bands in the world” alongside U2 and Guns N' Roses, I feel that a lot of the INXS catalog is timeless and does not feel dated, unlike much of the 80’s rock and pop bands that co-existed with INXS. Thus, I was relieved to see that the audience at the Ogden was demographically diverse, with ages ranging from early 20’s to late 40’s.  In addition, I was excited to see this legendary group perform at the Ogden, perhaps one of the smallest and most intimate venues that INXS will visit on their current tour.

Finally touring in the US in support of the late 2010 album, Original Sin, INXS was sure to play a solid offering of their many hits from the 80’s and 90’s, mixed with some selections off the new Original Sin album. The album itself is described as a “re-imaging of notable INXS songs from the past”, and features guest singers on each track, such as Ben Harper, Pat Monahan of Train, Tricky, Rob Thomas, John Mayer, and others. Singer J.D. Fortune, winner of the 2005 TV-show Rockstar: INXS (an American-Idol like singing competition in which the band chose a new lead singer), was re-hired by the band to be the primary frontman for this tour.

The show’s opener was a “Drum Opera”, which featured drummer Jon Farriss, flanked by brothers Tim Farriss and Andrew Farriss standing while banging away of other percussive toys such as roto-toms, cymbals, tambourines, cowbells, and woodblocks. The opening number quickly got into a tribal dance beat before stagehands gradually removed Andrew and Tim’s instruments and replaced them with Tim’s guitar and Andrew relocated to his keyboard. The rest of the band members, guitarist / saxophonist Kirk Pengilly, bassist John Kirk (who was filling in for original bassist Garry Gary Beers, who was absent while his wife was imminently expecting the birth of twins) and frontman J.D. Fortune, then filtered out to the stage while Jon Farriss kept a beat going. The beat sequed into INXS’ 1990 hit “Suicide Blonde”, by way of Andrew Farriss’ distinctive harmonica intro. The song was a high-energy kick-off to a set filled with memorable songs of decades past. Following “Suicide Blonde” was  “Devil Inside”, one of four mega-hits from their 1987 album Kick. After a crowd-pleasing “Devil Inside”, came “The Stairs”, “Listen Like Thieves”, and  “Kiss The Dirt”. “Pretty Vegas”, the first INXS tune penned by new frontman J.D. Fortune in 2005, was next.  “Bitter Tears” and the powerful “Mystify” followed (with the crowd singing along to the catchy chorus of the latter). After “Mystify”, a brief hiatus occurred, allowing the stagehands to prepare the stage for the next part of the show.

The next segment of the show continued with several offerings off of the Original Sin album, with re-worked arrangements of “Don’t Change” (which featured band members Andrew Farriss, Tim Farriss, and Kirk Pengilly all playing acoustic guitars and singing it as a sensitive ballad, with precise vocal harmony), “New Sensation”, and “Beautiful Girl”.  The most drastic arrangement was “New Sensation”, which was transformed into a laid-back country number, led by the beautiful vocals of Argentine singer Deborah de Corral (who also contributed back-up vocals throughout the show). While this unique take on the song was sonically beautiful, and also featured Kirk Pengilly on a melodic slide-guitar, the song was a bit of a disappointment, and the slower tempo and delivery did not seem to mesh well with lyrics about a partying lifestyle. After “Beautiful Girl”, the lights went down once again while the band briefly exited the stage. Suddenly, a pulsing electronic beat could be heard, and the video screen behind the stage came alive, streaming the words to “Mediate”.  After a few minutes, the band returned to the stage, with J.D. Fortune center stage, completing “Mediate”, with Fortune nearly rapping the quick rhyming lyrics to the tune, while multi-colored lights illuminated the back of the stage. The pulsating rhythm of the tune continued, with the bassist John Kirk getting a bit funky before the opening jangly chords of “Need You Tonight” were played. The opening chords of “Need You Tonight” were met with uproarious cheers from the crowd, and suddenly the floor of the Ogden turned into a dance party, with guys twirling their girlfriends, and groups of girls shakin’ their goods, and everybody else getting loose. The band members worked the stage well on this tune, strutting back and forth to both ends of the stage, as well as smiling at each other, all while executing tight pauses in the music towards the end of the song. The set rolled on with tines such as “Not Enough Time”, “Disappear” (another song that was met with great fanfare), “Taste It”, and a powerhouse extended “Original Sin”.

At this point in the show, J.D. Fortune made a somewhat awkward attempt to connect with the Denver audience, commenting on the high altitude and relating the altitude to getting “high” on booze and marijuana. However, the point was made, and by the time the band launched into “What You Need” (likely INXS’ first breakthrough song), it was clear that everyone, band and audience, were feeding off each other. Guitarists Kirk Pengilly and Tim Farriss continued to move around the stage as the crowd beckoned them to each side. Keyboardist Andrew Farriss would also be handed a guitar and walk around the stage and join his band-mates. During this song (as well as several others), a stagehand would hand guitarist Kirk Pengilly his saxophone, and he would deliver a signature sax solo with precise notes and charismatic showmanship, then hand the sax back to the stagehand just as quickly as it appeared.  After this party tune, it was time for “Never Tear Us Apart”, another hit from the 1987 album Kick. Another one of INXS’ most recognizable tunes, it was flawlessly delivered.  During the first musical pause in the song, guitarist Tim Farriss stood on the edge of the stage, soliciting noise from the crowd. Only when he was finally satisfied, Farriss led the band into the powerful four-note, trademark guitar riff to move the song along, with another poignant saxophone solo by Pengilly. Upon the tune’s conclusion, the band members took a bow before the crowd, and exited the stage.

The crowd continued to roar until INXS re-emerged for their three song encore. The first offering was “By My Side”, which was delivered with the majority of the band seated on the drum riser and sung impressively by J.D. Fortune.  After this bouncy ballad, it was time for the band to get the crowd dancing again. The crowd instantly recognized the funky guitar chops of “New Sensation”. I was pleasantly surprised, as this was the second time the tune was played during the show. (The first was the mellow re-interpreted country version played much earlier in the set). This was the original version of the tune, and one of the bands most upbeat tunes. The crowd was electrified, and the audience was ready to sing the first lyrics along with J.D. Fortune: “Live Baby Live! Now that the day is over. I gotta new sensation in perfect moments. Impossible to refuse”. The final tune of the evening was another reprisal of a previous song: “Don’t Change”, the original arrangement from INXS’ 1982 album Shabooh Shoobah.

While this show featured mostly songs that were penned over twenty years ago, it did not feel like a mere nostalgic experience. The members of INXS clearly were still enjoying playing music in front of an audience, and the show had a contemporary feel to it.  That is quite an accomplishment for the band and the songs that vaulted them into the limelight many years ago. The band played like consummate professionals. Frontman J.D. Fortune sounded great, even if a couple times, it seemed he was a bit disconnected from his much older band-mates. I applaud the band for continuing to enjoy playing and touring world-wide, even many years after the loss of their most visible member and spokesperson, Michael Hutchence. I sincerely hope the band continues to tour and experiment with their material, and I will encourage all those familiar with INXS to catch a show on their current US tour.

1968. Oakland, California. R & B, funk and soul legends Tower of Power kept reminding us of their roots all throughout their show at the Boulder Theatre on August 7, 2011. A much older crowd populated the Boulder Theater on this evening, another indication of the band’s longevity. Still, the band had a dedicated group of fans dancing and singing along on the floor, as well as a packed balcony of fans who somehow opted to sit throughout the show.

Through the years, many musicians older than I would frequently rave about Tower of Power. In the days preceding Tower of Power’s show in Boulder, I was surprised to discover that many music peers in Boulder were not familiar with Tower of Power’s catalog, which has left a lasting legacy on a vast amount of music played today. Thus, I’ve always regarded Tower of Power as a “musician’s band”.  The Tower of Power horn section (today’s version consisting of founding members and principal songwriters Emilio Castillo, 2^nd tenor sax and background vocals, and Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, baritone sax, as well as “newer” members Tom E. Politzer, lead tenor sax, Adlofo Acosta, trumpet, and returning member Lee Thornburg, trumpet) is a legend even as it’s own entity. Over the years, the Tower of Power horns have collaborated with a variety of artists, such as Little Feat, Santana, Elton John, Huey Lewis, Phish, Aerosmith, and many others.  The rhythm section is also heavily renowned among musicians, consisting of Dave Garibaldi on drums, and Francis “Rocco” Prestia on the bass. These two icons construct some of the tightest and bounciest grooves in the funk & soul genre, and their unique playing styles have rendered them among the most influential players among newer generations of musicians.. Rounding out the current cast of players in Tower of Power are Roger Smith (keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ, and background vocals), Jerry Cortez (guitar), and Larry Braggs on lead vocals.

Making the set list on this night in Boulder, CO, was a wide variety of songs from the band’s lengthy history. “Soul Vaccination” and “Down to the Nightclub” were a couple of the early set “heavy hitters”.  A welcome surprise was the quick and bouncy “There’s Only So Much Oil in the Ground”, a TOP song that contains one of my favorite bass lines executed by Prestia.  Mid-set, the energy seemed to hit a lull a bit with the slow soul number, “Below us, All The City Lights”, but TOP quickly brought the energy back with a monster “You’ve Got to Funkifize”.  Other slower soulful tunes such as “Mrs. Jones” and “I Like Your Style” made the setlist as well. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of the slower soul ballads, but the careful setlist placement of these tunes (which are not numerous) makes the fast rippin’ funk that Tower of Power executes so well pack an even bigger punch..

Somewhere in the second half of the set, “Maybe It’ll Rub Off”, was a roller coaster of infectious funk, and perhaps the highlight of the evening for me.  While I was previously unfamiliar with this tune off of Tower of Power’s 1975 release Urban Renewal, it will now be in frequent rotation on my playlist. When the band started playing this tune, the groove took over my body, somehow convincing me to down the beer I had just ordered and join the group bouncing away on the dance floor. The interplay between all of the various instruments in this tune, including Roger Smith’s Hammond B-3 organ filling a lot of space, was the song that truly captivated me at this show. “Soul With a Capital S” was also a solid, danceable offering late in the set.

Nearing the end of the set, Emilio Castillo removed his saxophone, and proceeded to grab a microphone. Castillo took on the frontman persona for a few minutes, enthusiastically introducing each band member. Castillo showed exceptional excitement when introducing his longest friend and TOP co-founder, Stephen “Doc” Kupka. “Doc” played a few low notes on his massive baritone sax after his introduction, and appreciated the loud applause. Castillo then again reminded the audience that Tower of Power is celebrating 43 years together this year and solicited some audience response. “After all this time”, Castillo relayed, he “still be diggin’ on James Brown”. He the led the band into “Diggin’ On James Brown” while working all ends of the stage, while the remainder of the horn section executed some hilarious dance moves in unison while continuing to play their instruments.

The next offering, and perhaps Tower of Power’s signature song,  “What is Hip?” segued smoothly into an extended James Brown cover,  “Soul Power”, (a tune in which lead tenor sax player Politzer particularly shined). Frontman Braggs brought the crowd into this one, offering the microphone to the audience for the chorus, before leading the band back into “What Is Hip?” to end the set.  Raucous crowd chants of “TOP” coaxed the band out for a two-song encore.

Throughout the show, it was evident that these players are a group of consummate professionals. The lack of a big light show seemed appropriate, as this is a band that has become an institution, and does not need gimmicks or distractions to help further their reputation. Emilio Castillo and his longtime core, Kupka, Garibaldi, and Prestia, have all aged into their 60’s, and all remain in top form musically. The entire horn section was positioned at the front of the stage, clearly designed to show of the talents of the horn quintet, but unfortunately this placement partially obscured my view of the great rhythm duo of Garibaldi and Prestia. Guitarist Jerry Cortez played his funky chops in the rear of the stage as well, next to keyboardist Roger Smith. Larry Braggs worked all ends of the stage, with slick dance moves and a confident demeanor reminiscent of Prince.  I feel privileged to have finally seen these musical legends in action, and they will continue to reign as one of the classics in the funk/soul genre.

Check out more photos from the show.

Cheer Up! Robert Randolph and the Family Band are in town! The established pedal-steel player and his band came through Colorado in October, and made sure to add a tour stop at the beautiful Boulder Theater on October 21, 2011. The band is has built quite the reputation for high-energy, danceable, uplifting concerts during their relatively short career.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band, though their uplifting music and lively stage performances, continue to add to their impressive merits as a band.  In the past decade, the group has already contributed a song for NBA promos on the ABC network, has had a tune used for commercials on the NBC network and a promo for the Discovery Channel, had another song used by ABC throughout college football coverage, and played live before the start of an NHL All-Star game.  These accomplishments are in addition to several late-night television show appearances, sit-ins with legendary musicians such as Eric Clapton, and numerous gigs at the biggest music festivals in the nation. Furthermore, Rolling Stone has listed Robert Randolph on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

A close friend of mine likens a Robert Randolph and the Family Band concert to “going to church”.  This analogy likely has less to do with Robert Randolph’s early musical training as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church in his native New Jersey, but more to do with the uplifting feeling that one gets at the concert. I myself was not in the best of moods on the day of this concert, but I was confident that worries would disappear as soon as the show started.

Canadian alt-rock band The Sheepdogs opened the show, excited to bring their gritty blues and heavy chords to a new audience.  The venue was more crowded than I expected for this opener, and the audience appeared very receptive to the music.

An excited crowd welcomed Robert Randolph as he took a seat at his pedal steel. The rest of the band entered the stage moments later (drummer Marcus Randolph, bassist Danyel Morgan, and guitarist Brett Haas).  Randolph warmed up with his metal slide on the pedal steel before the band took the mic for some chanting. The drum beat started, and the band launched into the gospel-esque “Traveling Shoes”. This tune was a great opener, as the song is mid-tempo, features beautiful vocals,  thumping bass and drums, and has several instrumental breaks between verses and chorus which compels Randolph to wail and send searing, sliding notes all around the venue. Following the tune, the show rolled on with some swampy retro-blues, gospel lyrics, and instrumental selections.

Still relatively early in the set, the band knew their tune “Good Times”, from the group’s 2003 release Unclassified, was going to be monster.  The extended intro, which featured Randolph again executing some scorching slides from his 13 string instrument,  created some of the most musical suspense I have ever witnessed.  Extended jam is a token in this song, and the energy kept building with each instrumental verse. Just as the last chorus hit, Randolph lept back off of his chair with a microphone, landed to the left of the drum riser, and belted out the words “Good time!, Good time! We’re gonna have a good time!”. The crowd erupted with enthusiasm at Randolph’s acrobatic move at the crux of the tune.  After the band wrapped up this mammoth song,  hey settled into a much needed laid-back blues groove.

A short time later, the band segued into a newer tune of theirs,  “If I Had My Way”, which appears on the group’s latest studio release We Walk This Road. The release itself is an homage to gospel and soul-oriented songwriters of years past, and this song in particular is very reminiscent of the old gospel tune “Samson and Delilah” which was often covered by the Grateful Dead.  The group’s execution of this danceable tune included a lyrical and musical tease of the Doobie Brother’s “Black Water”.

Soon after, it was time for The Family Band to play a well-known staple of theirs: “Shake Your Hips”.  The blues groove in this tune always reminds me of ZZ Top’s “La Grange”, and anyone who has seen the group perform this tune knows that this is the time for Robert Randolph to invite all the ladies in the house on stage to dance.  It was humorous to watch more than a couple males attempt to climb on stage, only to be rebuffed by security.  This evening’s take on the tune also featured the band’s members switching instruments, and even Randolph’s cousin, drummer Marcus Randolph, took a turn of the pedal-steel. Members of the opening act The Sheepdogs also joined the group on stage during this party.

The beautiful tune, “Keep On Movin’” appeared next in the set, featured vocal harmonies and an inspirational lyrical message.  Randolph again dazzled with his slide work on this one, especially with his long wah-pedal outro solo to the song, which was also a fitting outro for the set.

The band returned for their encore. Tonight is was the infectious “ I Need More Love”, driven by slap-thumping bass guitar, some falsetto singing, screeching pedal-steel, chomping rhythm guitar funk, crowd fist-pumping, and furious crowd dancing.. This tune always seems to inspire some great extended jams.  During this exceptionally high-energy rendition, Randolph slid in a musical tease of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.  Later on during the jam, Randolph again teased the melody from the song and the rest of the band caught on as they sang the chorus.  As the night concluded, I looked around the venue and saw that audience smiles and high-fives permeated the dance floor of the venue. Just another night of work for Robert Randolph and the Family Band. But a night of ‘salvation’ for the audience members.

It had been way to long since I last saw Leftover Salmon play together as a band. I recall the last time, way back in 2004, driving to the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York, destined to see the band play as a festival headliner in one of their final gigs before ‘hiatus’. I was a frequent listener of Leftover Salmon’s albums as a east coast college student in the late 1990’s, and had seen the band several times sporadically during that time period.  Essentially, they were the band that got me interested in Colorado’s music scene many years ago. Since that time, Leftover Salmon has been a big influence to subsequent ensembles such as The String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, Elephant Revival, and numerous others. The band had only reunited for a handful of gigs in the past several years, as band members’ other collaborations took priority.  However, the unique and frolicsome nature of Leftover Salmon’s musical creations and animated performances were missed. Aware of the bands various lineup changes throughout their career, I was ecstatic that the lineup has remained fairly consistent behind founders Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt. (The lone new addition being the highly-touted Andy Thorn, taking over the banjo duties). Attending a night of a special holiday run at a favorite Denver, CO venue seemed the perfect opportunity to bring myself back to the fold.

Slotted to open the festivities was Fort Collins, Colorado’s Head For The Hills. These rising bluegrass mavens are one of the Front Range’s hardest working bands, and always a treat to the ears.  The long lines for entry to the sold-out Ogden Theatre relegated me to only hearing a good portion of their set from the exterior, but I did make it inside in time to hear their extended rousing cover of the 1980’s Yes song “Owner of a Lonely Heart”.  I am quite a sucker for bluegrass versions of rock songs, so this was a perfect warm-up to the main event.

The house music blared Bob Dylan right up until Leftover Salmon took the stage.  This made for great foreshadowing, as the opening number was a cover of Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue”, sung by Drew Emmitt. Right from the start of this tune, the stars on this take were Drew and banjo player Andy Thorn. After several minutes, Drew steered a long segue into “Pay My Dues”.  A strong jam carried by Thorn’s banjo kept Vince Herman smiling as he egged-on Andy and encouraged him to show off his chops. When Thorn’s soloing reached a peak, the jam snuck into Little Feat’s “Two Trains Runnin’”. Keyboardist Bill McKay led the muscular vocal on this one, and punctuated the number with the swirling sounds of his Hammond B-3 organ. Another captivating banjo solo by Thorn, and the band led back into “Pay My Dues”. Twenty minutes after the band took the stage, the band paused to acknowledge the crowd’s cheers.

Vince Herman commented that “Music sure feels good” right before the band started the bouncy “Everything is Round”. This feel-good song had everyone smiling and several twirling as the party continued.  At the conclusion, Herman excitedly announced that the band would be heading into the studio to record a new album.

Drew Emmitt exchanged his acoustic mandolin for the electric, then chomped out the intro chords for “The Other Side”. This song has long been a favorite Salmon tune of mine, primarily because of Drew’s slide mandolin solo, but this take had Andy Thorn taking the first solo and reaching the highest registers of his banjo, followed by another thick wall of sound courtesy of McKay’s Hammond organ. Emmitt then finally entered with an absolute scorcher of a solo with his slide on the overdriven mandolin. He wrangled the song back in for the last section of the tune, only to conclude the tune with the slide going all the way up the neck and hitting the highest note possible.

Vince Herman hinted that it was Bill McKay’s birthday, and then McKay proceeded to lead the band into his rock and blues groove, “Just Keep Walking”.  I noted that Drew Emmitt strapped on a Fender Telecaster for this tune, and shredded the guitar solo as well. Bassist Greg Garrison meandered through the tune with a solid low-end rumble, inconspicuously driving the tune from the rear of the stage. Herman introduced the next song, “Blue Kentucky Sky”, as a song he wrote about the first time he saw Bill Monroe play. Herman explained that “he’s been chasing bluegrass ever since” he first saw Monroe play at a bluegrass festival in Kentucky.

Andy Thorn began the next tune, “Doing My Time”, with a great banjo intro. This tune likely yielded the most spontaneous jamming of the night, as Herman contributed some flashy flat-picking, and extended instrumental jams carried by Andy’s banjo and Drew’s mandolin went deep into unexpected musical realms, accented by McKay’s phrases on piano.  “Doing My Time” clocked in at a solid 15 minutes, and was certainly a highlight of the evening.

Before the audience could catch a breath, Herman belted out his trademark “Fessss-tivalll!!!!” call, and a rapid fire “Euphoria” commenced immediately. Such a fun, playful song, Herman was somehow able to sing all the words though a perma-grin, only stopping to allow Emmitt to contribute another slide-mandolin solo as the tempo continued to increase. After the sequence of tunes so far in the show, it was a good time for a set break.

Set 2 opened with another favorite Salmon tune of mine, “Dance On Your Head”.  This Calypso-influenced tune is one that well-represents Leftover’s Salmon’s unique sound. Great vocals by Herman, and a walloping Hammond B-3 solo by McKay, and a great way to open a set. Vince Herman told a story about a Thanksgiving meal of stuffed squirrel at a friend’s house, then introduced the next song as “Squirrel Heads and Gravy”. This humorous song featured some fast picking, and playful lyrics that rhymed with the title, such as “Roll another fatty!” and “My Ferrari”. Drew Emmitt also picked up his fiddle for the first time in the show, showcasing his skills on yet another instrument. The country song, “Get A Rolling” was next, with more fiddle from Drew, who sang the tune in his country drawl. Another danceable tune followed, Herman’s “Oh Eliza”, with its memorable chorus and head-bopping chords. Band newcomer Andy Thorn sang the next song, the slower “Light Behind The Rain”, after a dynamic instrumental build up.

“Bend in the River”, another of Drew Emmitt’s country ditties (with a memorable chorus that one might sing while driving through the hills to a weekend destination), was followed by Bill McKay’s take on “Junco Partner”. This New Orleans-inspired, boogie-woogie selection is an old tune from at least the 1950’s, about getting high on booze and drugs, and showcased some tricky slide guitar by Emmitt, and a solid jam in which Andy and Bill traded licks off each other on banjo and piano, respectively.

The next song was the laid back and beautiful rendition of “I Don’t Know You”, highlighted by rolling piano and calm vocal harmony. At the song’s conclusion, Vince coaxed the crowd with “Let’s hear it for music, huh?… Don’t you wish everyday could be like this?”.  Herman was clearly touched by the holiday spirit and felt fortunate that he could be playing music for a living for over twenty years, creating a sense of community around his music.

At this point, it was time for another classic Salmon tune, “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”. This simple blue-grassy song, featuring some furious picking, is nostalgic for me, as I used to sing a revised version to a ‘slacker’ college roommate of mine in the late 1990’s, in which I changed the lyrics to “Ain’t Going to Class Tomorrow”. Thus, this song brings up fond memories of my younger days. The version on this night hit the spot, eventually leading into an impromtu drum jam from Jose Martinez, culminating in a furious mandolin and banjo jam, which segued into a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”.

Herman’s oft-played “Can’t Get No Better” was next in the set, followed by a spacey interlude which soon led into a monster “Breaking Though”. Yet another well-written Drew Emmitt song which I thoroughly enjoy, the dynamics in this tune hit every corner of the theater.  Andy Thorn had an extended banjo passage in which he was more subdued than other jams during the night, but the notes he chose were beautiful and eloquent, aiding the band in extending the song into a ten-minute masterpiece. The set closer was the high-octane reggae-rocker “Better”, but there would be more fun to be had in the encore.

The band sauntered back out to the stage for the sold-out crowd, engaged in some spirited band-member introductions, and started the extra session with the audience participation song “Hot Corn, Cold Corn”. The welcome goofiness of the song eventually subsided, and Emmitt reached for the fiddle again as the band started the Rolling Stone's “Dead Flowers”. A solid rendition of the classic was followed by the last song of the evening, “Rise Up (Wake N Bake)”, and the crowd continued to chant the song’s title as the band left the stage one-by-one.

This first night of the two-night Thanksgiving run was a joyous occasion indeed, as Leftover Salmon is one of those few bands that can change one’s disposition through their music. It wasn’t until the next night at the Ogden that Vince Herman relayed the sad news of the passing of ‘Michigan’ Mike Torpie, the bands one-time archivist and creator of the popular Nederland Music and Arts Festival. The band went on to schedule a last minute gig on Sunday, November 26, at Rollinsville, CO’s Stage Stop Inn, as a tribute to Michigan Mike and a suicide awareness benefit. After so many years away from seeing Leftover Salmon in concert, it was a welcome reunion for me.  I’m looking forward to catching more of the fun in 2012, when the boys launch a full tour in support of the upcoming new release.

Upon hearing that G. Love and Special Sauce planned to ring in 2012 in Boulder, CO’s Fox Theatre, I was initially surprised. A lot of bands generally try to play big holiday and New Years Eve run shows in, or in close proximity to, their hometowns, so it initially seemed odd that G. Love (a.k.a. Garrett Dutton), who is famously from Philadelphia, PA, would come to a small city in northern Colorado for a two-night run. (At the time, I was not aware of G. Love’s affinity for Boulder and his lengthy history at the Fox). Nonetheless, I was excited to have a festive opportunity to catch the group, whom I haven’t seen live for perhaps 8 years.

The first night of the two-night run, December 30th, sold out well in advance, so I knew I wasn’t alone in my excitement.  I knew that G. Love and his band, Special Sauce (which consists of Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens on drums, and newer member Timo Shanko on bass.) would provide a fun party to close out 2011. G. Love has always been an admirable performer on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, and his bluesy, soulful, and honest stylings, combined with a bit of urban flair, have made the group a unique ensemble for nearly 2 decades.

The sold-out crowd packed the Fox Theatre very early on the on the first night of the run on December 30, as Denver band The Lumineers were billed in the opening slot. This band is rapidly picking up steam in the indie music circuit. The three-member group features guitar, piano, drums, and cello in their folky sound, creating catchy tunes in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. The group performed such songs as “Flowers In Your Hair”, and “Ho Hey”, the latter of which was performed completely acoustic in the middle of the floor at the Fox Theatre, sans amplifiers and microphones. It instantly reminded me of a campfire sing-along, and was a really cool nod to their fans to create such an intimate performance.

G. Love and Special Sauce hit the stage just after 10 PM, the set opener on this night “Don’t Drop It”, from the band’s 2004 release “The Hustle”. The opener had many in the crowd dancing to the funky groove, and G. Love smoothly rapping the lyrics, and contributing some harmonica in the instrumental breaks. The set rolled along with such selections as “Back of Da Bus”, “Dreamin’”, and “Walk to Slide” making early set appearances. I have to admit, much of the early portion of the set seemed to flat line and not differentiate in tempo and style much, until the band hit “The Hustle” in the set. This song switched gears a bit, offering some tasty, slow blues shuffle, which showcased a more soulful feel in the set. G. Love’s guitar playing turned heads in this tune as well, as he hit the right bends in his strings and worked both sides of the stage during his solos. After this point, the show seemed to get a lot stronger, as the band got warmed up and better song pacing was utilized.

“Garbage Man” followed, a track that appears on the band’s 1994 debut album, and seemingly about relationship revenge. The tune was driven by pounding drums by Clemens and dissonant chords by G. Love, resulting in a grittier, interesting offering. “Garbage man” segued into “Small Fish”, an upbeat tune marked by snappy drums and Shanko’s impressive groove. In fact, this was the first song of the night that Shanko’s bass playing really stood out to me. Shanko played a tight, tight groove, and the funkiness got me moving for the first time in the show. Shanko’s bass solo shined, the band remained in the rhythm pocket while Shanko moved up the neck of the bass for Jaco-esque melodic lines.

G. Love and Special Sauce rolled along with selections such as “Holla”, “Missin My Baby”, and “Hot Cookin”. The band fit in one of their best known songs, a playful “My Baby’s Got Sauce”, right before a “mini “set break.

The “mini” set break consisted of a pause in the action for several minutes, after which G. Love appeared on stage all alone with an acoustic guitar and his harmonica. G. Love played several songs in this format, most notably “Booty Call”, which was well-received, especially by the show’s female attendees. After the brief solo acoustic set, the Special Sauce band members returned to the stage, while G. Love retained his acoustic guitar.  With all three musicians back on stage, the band executed the retro-bluesy “Fixin’ To Die”, and a rousing cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Lose Your Lover”. After these tunes, G. Love strapped an electric guitar around his body, and the set continued. Highlights included a “Samson and Delilah” tease. Also, G. Love took the time to mention that he also enjoys playing the Fox Theatre, and that he has been playing the venue since 1994. He also gave recognition to Boulder’s iconic independent music store, Albums on the Hill, for support over the years. After G. Love’s shout-outs, G. Love commented that he’d ‘like to take us back to the streets of Philly”, and commenced his ode to Philly “I-76”. This song features G. Love rapping about famous Philadelphia landmarks and athletes, and always seems to incite the crowd. The band moved along to a “Right Place Wrong Time” tease, before settling into “Cold Beverage”, G. Love’s party anthem. G. Love worked the crowd a bit for this one, soliciting audience sing along for the repeating chorus “I like cold beverages”. After a couple more danceable tunes, the show concluded.

Clearly, G. Love knew that he had a plethora of fans in Boulder, CO. The crowd grew more rowdy as the night went on, with G. Love even enjoying a true “rock-star moment” at approximately mid-show when a young female fan sat on someone’s shoulders and displayed her breasts to the frontman.  While G. Love has always been known as a charismatic frontman, his guitar playing is severely underrated. The members of Special Sauce impressed me greatly, with Clemens’ energetic style, and Shanko’s groovy, unrestricted funk on his Fender Jazz Bass. Shanko’s playing even had me scouring the Internet in subsequent days for videos of his playing. Even if the show started a bit underwhelming, it soon turned a corner into a funky party, and a great way to end 2011. Good luck to Special Sauce in 2012!