thejivefather

National Jukebox

2011-05-13T16:42:00.002-04:00

The Library of Congress recently launched a new online jukebox with 10,000+ early recordings (1900's-1930's). These were originally issued as 78 rpm record sides from the Victor Talking Machine Company. . Early recordings can be tough to listen to (pops, clicks, noise), but to the careful listener they offer a glimpse into history being made. Check this side from December 4, 1901:

Phil Lesh and Friends 1999-08-22

2011-04-21T15:26:00.000-04:00

Phil Lesh and Friends
1999-08-22
County Bowl
Santa Barbara, CA
(Download or Stream)

My first experience with Phil Lesh and friends was in the summer after I graduated from high school. My old friend Critical Chris and I decided to go Gathering of the Vibes in upstate New York. I was already big into Gov't Mule and the Grateful Dead, and Mule was featured one of the nights of the festival followed by Phil Lesh and Friends. We had a devilishly smart plan to fund our entire trip by selling grilled cheese sandwiches once we got inside the festival. Who could possibly turn down a delicious and competitively priced grilled cheese sandwich? Apparently a lot of people, because we sold very few of them.

I found this Phil Lesh and Friends show by accident. I was searching for something with an entirely different vibe, but was drawn in by Soulshine on the track list. Warren wrote the song for the Allman Brothers, and he took it with him when he left for Gov't Mule. If you asked me in high school what my favorite song was, I would have told you hands down Soulshine. Older and wiser now, I am no longer bold enough to answer that question with anything less than a top 25 list. This potent blend of memories combined, and I downloaded the show and made myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

Youth, large, lusty, loving--youth full of grace, force, fascination,
Do you know that Old Age may come after you with equal grace,
force, fascination?

Day full-blown and splendid-day of the immense sun, action,
ambition, laughter,
The Night follows close with millions of suns, and sleep and
restoring darkness. -Walt Whitman

The set is rambling and perfectly fit in with my day off today. There is a lazy organ intro to Soulshine, and drawn out My Favorite Things. The show ends entirely within the vein of the Grateful Dead with a upbeat and loose version of Iko, Iko. Sound quality is good. Sorry about the lack of pictures in this post. I had difficulty finding royalty free images....

Papadosio 2010-08-21

2011-03-27T16:46:00.016-04:00

Papadosio 2010-08-21
Camp Barefoot Music and Arts Festival
Bartow, WV
(Stream or download)

I've always been a big fan of the so-called "Livetronica" movement, listening to bands like Sound Tribe Sector 9 (I posted a show of theirs back in 2008), Brothers Past, The New Deal, Particle, Club D'Elf, The Histronic, and so on. The best electronic/techno is designed to pull you in, to work you into a frenzy of anticipation during the build and the break, and then explode in that nearly orgasmic release known as "drop". When it's done well, it's like mainlining a drug. It's everything that, musically, we're programmed to react to emotionally and chemically, distilled and purified a thousand times. Livetronica combines that with everything I love about the free-form and improvisational elements of a traditional jam band, in order to form a more perfect union. It's fantastic stuff and I'm honestly surprised that it's not more popular than it is.

Livetronica, by its nature, is very well suited to live recordings, since the entire point is about the experience created for the listener at each show. If you can't make livetronica outside of a studio, you're not going to last very long, and indeed some of these bands don't even record studio albums. It's also a genre with a very taper-friendly culture, and it is very well represented on share and trade sites like archive.org. Touring is the bread-and-butter aspect of this music, and any savvy act is going to gladly trade a free live show for a new fan that's going to buy a ticket to see them the next time they come to town.

Papadosio is one of the up-and-coming groups representing the genre. Hailing from Athens, Ohio, they've been around for about four years. I actually found this show while looking to see if recent dance music icon Deadmau5 was represented on archive.org. He's not, but Papadosio has chosen to be and it so happens that they periodically do a great cover of the Deadmau5 remix of "I'm Not Alone".

Papadosio is excellent at really ranging across the different sounds of the genre. They've got a chameleon sound, for sure. At times, you'll think you're listening to Sound Tribe. The next track, you'd swear it might be The New Deal. On a cut like "On Cue", you could easily convince yourself that you're listening to Umphrey's McGee. I wouldn't honestly say that they're breaking a ton of new ground just yet, but the meld of existing styles is a very interesting one and they do quite a good job with it. This is a band that is still developing their sound and yet sounding really good as they do it. Mark my words, you will be seeing and hearing these guys on the big festival circuit quite soon, so get in on the ground floor with me. You can sound smart when they show up at your favorite fest and you are able to tell folks you've been listening to them for a while...!

This set is from a live late-night performance at the Camp Barefoot Music and Arts Festival, the late hour of their set is immediately apparent when they start out by apologizing to anyone trying to sleep. "On Cue", "I'm Not Alone", and "Eyes Have Eyes" are personal favorites of mine.

Sound quality is an A for sure, it's a super-clean soundboard recording with some crowd sound from right in the front.

The Radiators 2011-02-11

2011-02-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

The Radiators 2011-02-11
The Bluebird Theatre
Denver, CO
(Download)

This is the second time I posted a Radiators show on this blog. They are one of my favorite bands to explore on archive.org. They have over 500 shows available for streaming and downloading and always seemed to be doing something interesting. I was pretty sad to read the following on their website a few weeks ago:

FOLD UP THE BIG TOP After 33 years..over 4500 live shows..and a dozen albums..legendary New Orleans rockers The Radiators are finally calling it quits. The band has officially decided to break up in mid-June following their final tour which will include one last New Year's Eve run, a MOMs Ball and also headlining their final appearance at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band will honor all dates already on their schedule and are planning to add as many shows as possible before ending their storied 33 year career. The guys want to whole-heartedly thank their long time fans for making this ride as amazing as it has been. They truly feel that their fans are the best and most dedicated in the world and have kept their traveling circus alive. Individual band members will announce their plans in the near future.

I can only guess why the band decided to call it quits. It is not easy keeping a group of musicians moving forward on the same musical path, and it is remarkable the band has toured, recorded, and performed for so long. In the meantime, they are still putting out great music. I can never seem to get over the interplay between the bass, drums and keyboard. Not to discount the guitar playing, it's just as a bass player I enjoy listening to a great rhythm section at work.

This show is only encoded in FLAC. See my previous on how to listen to this format. The sound quality of this recording is excellent.

Justin Townes Earle 2010-12-17

2011-02-09T19:00:00.001-05:00

Justin Townes Earle 2010-12-17
Royale
Boston, Mass.
(Stream and Download)

I should have gone to this show. What was I doing? I don't remember, but it probably wasn't as important as seeing Justin Townes Earle. Justin released his third album Harlem River Blues last year, and it's been in my playlist ever since. The quality of the recording is excellent. To friends who are automatically turned off by country, watch the video bellow. It's a live performance from Letterman. I'm loath to promote Letterman's show, but Paul Schaffer sits in and kills it. It will also determine in 3 minutes and 41 seconds if you like Justin Townes Earle.

Grateful Dead 1970-08-19

2011-02-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

The Grateful Dead 1970-08-19

Fillmore West

San Francisco, CA

(Download and Stream)

I am a deadhead. Jerry Garcia may have died before I was old enough to see them, but the spirit of the band always resonated with me. I am a long time subscriber to the weekly Grateful Dead podcast, the Deadpod. My roots with the band go back as far as middle school. I remember trading Grateful Dead cassettes with my friends. Finding a new one at a yard sale made you a hero. Maybe I ran with an odd crew, but we passed Dead tapes around in the same way our peers passed around adult magazines. They were a glimpse into another world, one meant to be surreptitiously enjoyed.

The Dead have their own section on archive.org. Many of the shows are either stream only (in the case of soundboard recordings) or are listed, but are no longer available (put out on a commercially available release). It is a reminder that for all their taper friendly policies, the Grateful Dead are still a multi-million dollar business. This show is available for download (only mp3!) or streaming directly from the site.

This show is divided into two sets; the first acoustic and the second electric. For me, the acoustic set stole the show. A version of "The Monkey and the Engineer" recently appeared on the David Rawlings solo CD, and I have never heard someone else cover it. The song "Dark Hollow" is a bluegrass standard. It's inclusion foretells much of what Jerry would go on to do with his solo projects. Fans of Old Crow Medicine Show will recognize "Cocaine." This traditional tune appeared on OCMS' self tittled album as "Tell it to Me." The electric set contains the staples of this period of the Dead. I especially liked the version of "I Know You Rider" and "Not Fade Away."

The audio quality on this recording is poor. It is an audience recording done with an old Sony TC-124. There are tape squeals and the frequency response is compressed. To be honest, I am totally fine with that. Sounds like a good Dead tape should.

A Reintroduction

2011-02-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

We have decided to slowly bring back thejivefather. In the years since we last posted on this blog much has changed. There are additional distractions and downward pressure on free time. The importance of live record music only increases with these pressures. Neither of us seem to have the free income or time to hit up all of the live shows we would like. Searching through archive.org helps ease that pressure by giving an outlet to approximate the live music experience at home.

This blog is a musical conversation between two friends. It is an easy way for us to share shows with each other, while at the same time sharing with the world. Stylistically, we are all over the map. Show to show we jump from genre to genre. The only thing tying it all together is good music. Until someone starts paying us to write (or to stop writing), this rough-hewn and disjointed trip through music will continue.

The lossless audio tutorial is now updated and available as a stand alone page.

How to: FLAC, Shorten (.shn), Lossless Audio

2011-02-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

Lossless vs. Lossy

The majority of our digitized music collections are stored as mp3, aac, or ogg vorbis files. These formats (or codecs) are popular, because the file size is small and the audio quality decent. Like most things in life, the benefit comes with a price. To create small file sizes, the encoder compresses the file by jettisoning elements of the recording it deems unnecessary. It's a pretty advanced process and the results can be quite convincing, but it still looses elements of the original recording. In audio circles, these are called lossy formats.

A lossy audio codec is great when importing your CD collection to your computer. People have been doing this for years. They offer compatibility across platforms and devices. Especially when you have the original copy to refer to. Lossy audio codecs are also the default for purchasing music online from iTunes, Amazon or eMusic.

Lossless audio formats (like FLAC, Apple Lossless, Shorten, and others) maintain all elements of the recording. Encoding music in one of these formats creates smaller file sizes than raw digital audio, but are still much larger than those using a lossy codec. Keeping audio in this format insures that the recording will retain its original quality. While conventional wisdom says this doesn't matter if you have crappy speakers, I disagree. Even on shitty computer speakers, lossless sounds better.

FLAC (free lossless audio codec) is currently the most popular format to trade live shows. Shorten (.shn) is an older format, but still found on many shows on archive.org.

My Approach

There is no one solution for how to deal with these lossless files. iTunes will not play them natively (attention Apple: after all these years, still a major drawback. Instead of creating a music social network that few use, create an extensions framework for adding additional codecs). Personally, I use the Mac application xACT. It can decode both FLAC and Shorten to a wav file or a AIFF file. I'll import the files into iTunes, and convert them to the Apple Lossless format. Delete the raw audio files and tag the tracks. I usually retain the FLAC or Shorten files for future reference. It takes some time, but works well. If I just want to listen before I decide to go through the effort, I'll use Cog.

It is considered poor form to convert a lossless audio file to a lossy format (ie. FLAC to mp3 for the sake of iTunes). My personal view is: do whatever you want with the audio on your computer, but don't even think about redistributing in a lossy format.

Players (contact with others to include):
xACT (Mac) - will decode FLAC and Shorten to a wav or aiff file that iTunes can read.
VLC Player (Mac, Windows, Linux) - FLAC support. Most people already have this player.
WinAmp - (Windows) FLAC support.
Cog - (Mac) will play Shorten / FLAC.
Sogbird - (Mac, Linux, Windows) FLAC support.

More information:

Audio Compression on Wikipedia
Xiph - Official home of FLAC, OGG and others.
etree.org

The Decemberists 2008-01-22

2008-09-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

The Decemberists
January 22, 2008
The Crystal Ballroom
Portland, OR
(Download)

With all honesty, I don't remember exactly how I first learned about the Decemberists. Two weeks ago, I found the name on a scrap of paper stuffed in the center console of my truck. Could have heard about them on NPR. Or maybe it was from a friend. Judging by the coffee stains decorating the paper, it was some time ago. Luckily, the band is taper friendly and allow their shows on archive.org.

The Crane Wife 1 And 2/The Crane Wife 3
Billy Liar
The Legionnaire's Lament
The Engine Driver
Eli, The Barrow Boy
The Gymnast, High Above The Ground
Odalisque
O Valencia
Leslie Ann Levine
The Chimbley Sweep
The Perfect Crime 2
The Tain
California One/Youth And Beauty Brigade
I Was Meant For The Stage

Out off all the Decemberists shows on archive.org, it was difficult for one unfamiliar with the band to choose. After a few false starts, this 2008 show stood out for its diversity of material (old and new), excellent sound quality, and high energy. Listen to the "The Crane Wife Pt 1, 2 & 3" and "The Legionnaire's Lament." You will find out very quickly if the Decemberists are for you. These tracks are the best of indie rock: rich musical texture and infectious melodies. Run time is 2:05:02. Sound quality is A.

Poor Man's Whiskey 2007-05-18

2008-08-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

Poor Man's Whiskey 2007-05-18 The Mystic Theater Petaluma, CA (Stream and Download)

There are certainly many occasions for dissecting, discussing, and microanalyzing a live show. Occasionally, there is a time where you simply cannot speak for a show better than it can speak for itself. For the first time in my history writing for TheJiveFather, I have found myself deciding to use the latter strategy.

It comes down to this: I could tell you all about Poor Man's Whiskey, but since I've only just become aware of them myself, I'm sure they'll do a better job. I could tell you about my love of Pink Floyd and the Dark Side of the Moon album in particular, but if you're here you're probably either aware or on the same page at least. I could tell you about how awesome it is to hear a bluegrass take on said album, but I simply don't possess the mastery of language to do it justice.

Just listen to it.

Until a band decides to cover my favorite Floyd album, Animals, and do it really well, this will stand as my favorite Pink Floyd cover.

You know the album, but formalities beckon:

1) Speak To Me
2) Breathe
3) On The Run
4) Time
5) Breathe - reprise
6) Great Gig in the Sky
7) Whiskey(Money)
8) Us and Them
9) Any Colour You Like
10) Brain Damage
11) Eclipse

Sound is a B, it's good but the crowd noise is a little too prominent. Taped/Transferred by Eric Walton, thanks for allowing the lunatic to be in all of our heads. Photo credit to the band's website. Thanks to the curators at archive.org for making this a Curator's Choice show, I'd have never found it otherwise.

Michael Franti and Spearhead 2007-05-26

2008-07-30T15:57:00.000-04:00

Michael Franti and Spearhead 2007-05-26 Cuthbert Ampitheatre Eugene, OR (Download)

We don't overtly do politics on this site. There's no shortage of material, but it's not what the JiveFather is about. Political commentary has been expressed through music for a very long time, however, so it's bound to make its way here from time to time.

At no time in history was politically oriented music, or "protest music", more prevalent or popular than the 60's. Music was used to express explicitly both a dissatisfaction with war, violence, social injustice, and inequality, as well as a desire and a call to action to work for peace, love, and a harmonious existence. There was also music expressing contrary opinions, particularly about Vietnam, ranging from moving tributes to glorification.

Over the last several years, an increasing number of musicians have been providing a soundtrack to the various movements and causes of our time. Today's post is about one such musician.

Michael Franti and his band, Spearhead, have been making fantastic politically charged music for over a decade now. His work covers war, government corruption, racial and religious intolerance, and numerous other topics, though personally I find most important his primary request of humankind, which is that we all remember to "stay human". He's played huge venues around the world, but he's also played to countless people in the streets, including in Baghdad.

Today we are in a war against war - Music is our power.
-Michael Franti

This particular show is a really good overview of his work with Spearhead, and there's some great storytelling in between tracks as well. Some highlights for me were a very interesting version of "Rock the Nation", a charged take on "Hello Bonjour", and a finale of "Everyone Deserves Music". The full set follows:

Time To Go Home, We Don't Stop, Sometimes, Hey Now Now, People In The Middle > Sweet Little Lies, East/West, Stay Human, Have A Little Faith, Rock The Nation, Nobody Right/Nobody Wrong, High Low, What I Got, Everything's Changed, Hello Bonjour, Light Up Ya Lighter, Yell Fire, I Know I'm Not Alone, One Step Closer, EDM, Everybodyonnamove, band intros

Sound quality is a B+, levels are off at times but it's very solid overall. Taped and transferred by Dean Grabski, we appreciate it! Photo credit.

*Michael Franti recently released a film called "I Know I'm Not Alone" about his experiences in Iraq. I highly recommend it, it's to my knowledge the only documentary in existence focusing on a musician speaking to, and playing music for, the regular people in that country. It's amazing, but don't take my word for it- Check out the trailer (below) and the acclaim from the critics.

On Medeski, Martin and Wood

2008-07-11T14:13:00.000-04:00

*Tangential Rant*

I just downloaded a fantastic Medeski, Martin, and Wood set that was one of the highlights of my experience attending the Bonnaroo festival in 2006. It's been a long time since I've paid for a live set, and it was well worth it. I wanted to put up a new post (long overdue) about the trio, but in looking for a show I discovered that they've declined participation on archive.org. That's really too bad. To be fair, they do allow taping and some of their shows are available on etree.org. The problem that I have with this is that etree is, well, kind of a pain in the ass to navigate and use if you don't know what you're doing. A primary mission of our work on TheJiveFather is to expose people to the joys of live recording who might not otherwise have the inclination or know-how to use some of the traditionally available methods of finding shows. We spend our time searching and scouring precisely so that you don't always have to, and archive.org has proven time and again to be the simplest place to point someone who just wants to enjoy a show without taking a course in file conversions or Bit Torrent optimization. The band's opt-out describes their reasoning as wanting the sharing process to transpire entirely between fans. Huh? Maybe I'm missing something, but a circle jerk amongst the already converted will help your group increase the fan base how, exactly? I'm a big fan of the band and I am willing to shell out $14 (waaaaay too expensive, by the way) for a FLAC copy of a great set of sentimental value to me, but what am I to use to turn new people on to your live music?

For shame...Anyway, on to our scheduled programming!

Benevento Russo Duo 2004-05-20

2008-07-11T12:40:00.000-04:00

Benevento Russo Duo 2004-05-20 The Boom Boom Room San Francisco, CA (download)

Doing a Benevento Russo Duo post takes us on another "What F&%$ing Genre is This?" adventure. I've always thought of them as the lovechild of a sticky summer tryst featuring jazz, trance, and rock, played on a keyboard and drums and computers...but that sounds pretty gross. Not quite as out there as Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (try as I might, I can never wrap my head around the musical mess that is JFJO), but not quite structured enough to be defined in any traditional way. What is it that they do? Luckily, the band was nice enough to help me out by putting this gem in their bio:

"They were an indie-rock band that jammed. They were a jazz-combo that rocked."

I couldn't put it better myself.

They're also known for doing some sweet Zeppelin and Radiohead adaptations, which you'll get to hear in this set as well. In fact, the entire 2nd set is all Zeppelin tracks. I'm not a big fan of posting cover bands, but I think when you hear this you will see why I decided to refer to these as adaptations. If you're a fan of The Bad Plus, expect something similar, and if these are elevator music covers as I have heard from a critic, I'll ride that elevator any day of the week.

I chose this set because it's very true to the Duo as I found them 5 or 6 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I really like their newer stuff too, but this is a great starting point for a new Duo fan and a nice trip down memory lane for longtime fans. The first set is a great cross section of old Duo tracks, and the Zeppelin set is quite good, and also just a lot of fun to listen to. Benevento and Russo have a really noteworthy ability to build up a track, so many start of slow and minimal, layers are slowly added, and suddenly several minutes in you will find yourself rocking out, frenzied and really experiencing a musical climax with them. The Duo at their best has an ability to build anticipation and provide payoff that so few groups can manage. Pardon me if I am offending any of our more chaste readers, but it's a musical orgasm, frankly. Get an extra pair of undies ready for listening to this show.

See for yourself in this very small sampling at the end of a performance of "Big Whopper":

The full set was:

Set 1: Vortex, Abduction Pose, Darts, Myxamatosis, Sunny's Song, Mephisto, ?, Marzipan

Set 2: The Song Remains The Same, The Ocean, What Is And What Should Never Be, Immigrant Song, Ramble On, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Four Sticks, Bring It On Home,

Encore 1: Fool In The Rain
Encore 2: Black Dog *

Sound Quality is an A-. Thanks to Jeff Patton and Brad Leblanc for taping and transferring!

The Radiators 1999-06-18

2008-06-11T18:28:00.000-04:00

The Radiators
The Call - Providence, RI
June 18, 1999
(download)

The Radiators have much to choose from on archive.org. There are shows stretching back as far as 1979, and ones from just the other day (a show I wished I'd gone to). They are a great band, who's work will make frequent appearances on this blog as time goes by. The Radiators carry with them the sound and feel of their home down in New Orleans. In rhythm: the bass guitar chugs along like a tuba, the drum set sounds like individual instruments, the piano frills along in that Professor Longhair style.

To get what I am talking about, listen to "Come on in my Kitchen." I have heard dozens of bands cover this song in several different styles. It's a common Robert Johnson blues standard that even has its own wikipedia page. The Radiators just slide into the song with a little piano riff. They are in no rush to get things started. The tightest the song gets is during the unison lick on the turnaround, but besides that the song celebrates laid back funk. A rare thing in most of the covers of this song.

With all that said, this Radiators show is a bit different. This acoustic performance from 1999 offers up the funkiness of the Radiators mixed with intensity of an acoustic performance. It is not the only time the band has done this-and I did pick this show a bit randomly-but I wanted to continue on my acoustic music kick. I settled on this particular show, because of the cover of "Soul of a Man" they ended their second set with.

Set l-
You Aint Goin' Nowhere, Back To Loveland, Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home -> Highway 61 -> Honky Tonkin', Girl With The Golden Eyes, Black Dog, Diamond Joe -> Salty Jane, If I Were A Carpenter, My Sweet Nightbird, Soul Of a Man

Set 2-
Come On In My Kitchen, He's Misstra Know-It-All, Rosie, King Of The Road, My Home Is On The Border, Nadine, I Don't Worry About A Thing, Viva Las Vegas, You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond, Parchman Farm

Encore-
Life Ain't Nothing But A Party, For What It's Worth

The run time of this show is 2 hours and 35 minutes. Thanks to whoever uploaded this one. And no, I have no idea what Heatgen is.

Society! 2008-05-24

2008-06-04T18:05:00.000-04:00

Society! 2008-05-24 Winston's Ocean Beach, CA (Download)

***I'm going to keep this post very short as the first heat wave of the year and it's reaching the "Witching Hour" in my apartment, when it will be too hot to be inside until after the sun sets. Worcester is definitely living up to its reputation as the Death Valley of New England today!

As I may have mentioned before, I love afrobeat. Good music should take you somewhere, and where better to be taken than to a vivid mental image of chilling in a seedy corrugated steel walled Lagos bar, chasing away the day's heat with a cold one? For today's post, I decided to follow Dave's brave lead from a few posts back and pick a show from a band that I've never heard before. After a few false starts, I found a winner.

I'd love to tell you all sorts of things about Society!, but damned if I can find much of anything other than that they play a lot in the San Diego area. Their website is unbelievably sparse as far as providing any bio on the band, but I can also tell you now that they put on an extremely good live show. The mix of straight afrobeat and rock works well and really stands to highlight the differences between the two sounds as well. Listen to the first track and you'll notice that in typical afrobeat fashion, the guitar sets the tempo. This leaves the percussionist(s) free to tear it up. This in in definite contrast with the orck oriented tracks, where the guitar runs the show creatively.

Here's the setlist in its entirety:

01 - Into the Frenetic
02 - Shock Shock Shock
03 - Halo on a Mountain Lion
04 - Go to War with Fire
05 - Rise from Black Waters
06 - Off the Streets
07 - Guinea Fowl
08 - Seas of Red
09 - Ready, Sedition

Sound quality is B+, it's a bit dirty but still quite enjoyable. Tyler Huff taped this show, thank you! Photo credit goes to the band.

Reid Genauer 2008-4-24

2008-05-29T19:28:00.000-04:00

Reid Genauer
Higher Ground
April 24, 2008
(download)

Whether around a roaring bonfire with friends or outside lounging on a beach blanket at a summer concert, there is a deep connection between the lazy weather of summer and acoustic music. It is why I have written about so many acoustic bands lately. I really want summer to be here. The chosen show for this week is a solo performance from April, 2008 at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. This is also going to be a pretty short write up, because I want to get outside and enjoy some of this beautiful weather.

Reid Genauer normally plays with Assembly of Dust, but did a string of solo dates at the beginning of the year. Tracks I especially enjoyed from this show are “Love Junkie.” “Corpus Christi," as well as “Cool Water.” Genauer does an excellent job using the rhythm of his guitar to drive and push his singing. Listen to the way he does it during “Crackling.”

"It's the birth of the eventual ending
of a life that took me half of my days
I shall find a commandeering advantage
When I look to go the rest of the way."

Mandolinist Jamie Masefield joins Genauer on a number of tracks, including a great cover of Sam Bush’s “Same Old River.” In my last post, I wrote about Blueground Undergrass’ cover of “Helpless.” I was searching the archive for others that covered the song, and ran across this show. Sometimes you just cannot get enough of a particular tune.

Genauer’s main asset is definitely his voice. While technically an accomplished guitarist, I found his guitar tone a bit too thin for my taste. An acoustic guitar should sound equal parts of the resonance of its strings and body. This is especially apparent when Masefield steps into the mix. While the sun is still out, I’m going to go load this show onto my iPod and take a good long sit out on the front stoop. Enjoy!

Run time is 1:32 and sound quality is A. Thanks to Jonah S. for posting this show. I stole the photo from AssemblyofDust.com and it was taken by Greg Kessier.

moe. 2007-12-31

2008-05-21T17:51:00.000-04:00

moe. 2007-12-31 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY (Download)

New Year's is one of my very favorite holidays, right up there with those that allow me to use a tenuous connection to my ethnic heritage as an excuse to drink heavily during the daytime (St. Patty's, I'm looking at you). I always welcome the opportunity to look back, smile about the good times and make constructive observations about the not-so-good ones, and then wipe the slate and try to do better. That's what New Year's is all about. Well, that and some heavy imbibing and rabble-rousing of course...

The New Year's show: It's a very unique experience when a band works a set around a climactic moment in time which itself is unrelated to music. Musicians (and drugs, for that matter) are typically at their peak quality, and when the event is done properly it can be a musical journey different than any other. Having your year end reflection accompanied by a bitchin' live soundtrack amongst good friends is an experience I can't recommend enough, if you haven't done it already.

So if you're feeling anything like me and New Year's just isn't coming fast enough for you, let's have an impromptu year end experience right now with moe. Screw the calender, tell your mother I said it's OK.

moe. is a band that has always kept my attention by constantly crossing the figurative line between rock & roll and whatever "jam" is. I was a late adopter when it comes to the jam and festival experience, and moe. was one of the bands that definitely helped me dip my toe in. I was introduced to moe. long before Government Mule, Widespread Panic, and many other touring regulars who have been around longer. The first time I heard "Plane Crash" and "Timmy Tucker", I was blown away. Other than Pink Floyd, I had never heard something so explorative that still managed to have a distinctly rock & roll feel to it. Unfortunately, neither of these made the cut for this show, but it's still a classic.

I'm going to pretty much let this one speak for itself, after trying and failing to pull favorites out of such a solid trio of sets. Here's the setlist in full:

1: Recreational Chemistry > Blue Jeans Pizza > Recreational Chemistry
2: Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Wind it Up, So Long > Rebubula
3: Lazarus > New Years Countdown [banter], Raise a Glass, Brent Black > Lazarus > Brent Black, Letter Home, Spine of a Dog > Plane Crash
E: New Year's Day > George

Sound quality is an A-, occasionally the levels are just a bit off, but it sounds great even using the live stream. Thank you to Alex Prestin for taping and transferring. Photo credit goes to Joseph Vala.

Blueground Undergrass 2007-04-13

2008-05-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Blueground Undergrass

Boone Saloon - Boone, NC

April 13, 2007

(download)

When Chris and I first started the thejivefather I envisioned scouring the archives like some modern day Alan Lomax. Turning over the heap to find previously undiscovered music. So far, all of my entries have been about bands I have some familiarity with. There are many reasons for this. It is much easier to crank out a post on a band you know than one you don't. I recently started a new job that is not conducive to active listening. Enough excuses. Enough of self reflection. For this review I wanted to discover a band I knew nothing about.

With that said, Bluegrass Underground is hardly an unknown band. They have a catalog of music that stretches back to 1999. Founder Jeff Mosier played with Col. Bruce Hampton, and notes in his biography that he "shared the stage" with Leftover Salmon, Widespread Panic, Vassar Clemens, and Phish. The rest of the current Blueground Undergrass is David Blackmon is on mandolin and fiddles, Johnny Mosier on guitar, Kyle Spark on bass, Mark van Allen on pedal steel, and Vic Stafford on drums. For this review I downloaded their latest release Faces from emusic.com.

Blueground Undergrass mixes the gamut of american roots styles in a very raw and informal way. So many bands shoot for this, but in the process end up loosing their voice. While I found them to be a bit too smooth on Faces, this live show carries enough edge to make them convincing. Take the supercharged bluegrass "Clintch Mountain Backstep" and "Old Joe Clark." I would have loved to be there for those tunes.

There is a bit of old AM radio country in "Lay Beside Your Mother." I should have played it on Mother's Day. Would have looked like a hero. I found the expanded version "Ole Love, Ole Tune" from the live show more meaningful than the pop infused version on Faces. Plenty of tight bass riffs. The cover of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a Changin" is way out there. Not to be cynical, but I was laughing a bit during the "group thinking is not thinking" part. Guess you just had to be there. Two other soulful highlights is the cover of "Helpless" and their song "Renee." There is a lot there to enjoy and take in.

The live recording is direct from the mixing board, so the mix is not optimal for home listening. It took me a couple of tracks to become comfortable with it. Thanks to Travis Viars for transferring and posting this show. Sound quality is B+ and runtime is 2 hours and 26 minutes.

Sweet Charity

2008-04-29T22:03:00.000-04:00

"We literally watched 150 years of music wash away..."

This blog, as you probably know, is dedicated to enjoying wonderful live shows for free. Technology and the generosity of artists and tapers help to allow Dave and I to access and share with you the works of these artists, and we do this all out of appreciation for them and their toils. This particular post constitutes a rare but important deviation from our normal mission of reviewing and sharing live shows.

It is sometimes overlooked that there are countless talented people who never make any real money in the circus that is and has been the music industry. For every artist we honor and share here, there are hundreds who make great music that never recorded and only heard their neighbors in a divey club or a backyard barbeque. For every millionaire musician, there are a thousand others that only barely made a living at it if they were lucky. It's a fickle business, and even those who scratch out a living are in peril of seeing that living evaporate at any time and for any reason. Pensions, healthcare, 401k, and stock options are all but unheard of in their line of work. Actually, even those who have seen the brief glimmer of popular acclaim at some time often walk away with nothing due to the raw deals they got. Musicians are not generally great businesspeople, which is why the major labels employ so many people who often aid in their exploitation.

As if many musicians, specifically in the Delta region, didn't have it bad enough, Hurricane Katrina dealt a serious blow to thousands of already vulnerable artists and former artists. Scores of people lost their homes, their belongings (including many priceless and irreplaceable instruments), and even their lives. Lots of these folks found themselves displaced to other places with little or no say in their relocation. They were left largely to fend for themselves. The governmental response to Katrina constitutes what I consider to be the worst mistreatment of our fellow citizens in my lifetime. Because New Orleans in particular was such musically rich area, it also meant that musicians took a huge hit.

This has been on my mind lately as I've been looking at increasing my charitable donations in the near future. I'm outlining a plan to make my own small statement, mostly to myself, by donating as much of my economic stimulus check at I can afford to. I've said before that this is not a political blog and I don't intend to be overly political here, but I'll just say that I've decided that I reason it's a better use of the money than buying crap I don't need (mostly made in China, where we're basically borrowing the money from in the first place).

I was trying to remember the name of a foundation I had heard about a few years back, I believe on NPR. I only remembered that they focused on assistance for blues artists, mostly elderly, who were going through hard times and needed help with their basic expenses such as rent, home repair, medical/burial expenses, and the like. I took what I knew to Ask Metafilter, which like the main Metafilter site (where I'm proudly member #31756) is frequented by some of the smartest people I've never actually encountered.

I was not disappointed. Below are the organizations suggested as good places to drop a few bucks to help out musicians in need:

Music Maker Foundation- This was the foundation I was looking for in the first place. Music Maker, in their own words, strives to help the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. This involves helping out with basic life needs, artist development, and the preservation and proliferation of American musical traditions. They are also involved in providing assistance specifically to musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. They focus specifically on low-income musicians 55 years or older. A really cool aspect of the foundation is that they provide the opportunity for many of these talented individuals to create and earn income from recording their music, which many have never had the luxury of doing before. If you are so inclined, you can support the foundation and and your love of music by choosing from the dozens of exclusive recordings they've made possible, rather than or in addition to the standard straight donation option. Also worth noting is their myriad of tangible donations. For example: If you decide to donate to support their headquarters, you can choose the specific piece of the project you want to cover, you can decide to feed an artist for a year, etc...All for "braggin' rights", as they put it.

Tipitina's Foundation- Tipitina's is on a mission to "to support Louisiana’s irreplaceable music community and preserve the state’s unique musical cultures. The history of the Tipitina’s Foundation originates from the Tipitina’s music venue, a revered New Orleans cultural icon that continues to be instrumental in the development and promotion of Louisiana music around the world. The Foundation works to support childhood music education, the professional development of adult musicians, and the increased profile and viability of Louisiana music as a cultural, educational, and economic resource." They seem to focus primarily on supporting school-age musicians, which is fantastic. Tipitina's offers a programs to provide instruments to music programs in public schools, an internship program, a musicians co-op, and music workshops as well. A donation here will go far in assisting Professor Longhairs, Dr. Johns, and Neville Brothers in the making.

The Jazz Foundation of America- The Jazz Foundation is the oldest foundation here, providing various forms of assistance to jazz and blues musicians for over 20 years. They've assisted thousands in obtaining shelter, food, medical care, replacement instruments, and more...and that's just since Katrina hit. They also put on an annual concert, "A Great Night in Harlem", to raise funding for their projects. CDs of last year's performance are available at their website.

The Rhythm & Blues Foundation- The R&B Foundation looks to be a provider of similar assistance as the groups already mentioned, but with a focus on R&B and soul musicians. Several grants and funds under their care are dedicated to giving a helping hand with necessities such as doctor visits, medication, eyeglasses, hearing aids, etc.

Musician's Village- This project, an offshoot of New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, focuses on creating a community in the Upper 9th Ward for a mix of displaced musicians and other community members. Upon completion, it will feature 72 new homes and a wonderful centerpiece: The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. The Center for Music will include music classrooms, an attached toddler park and elderly housing, and a state of the art 150 seat performance space. In their words, "America is better than this...Music Redeems". I couldn't agree more.

The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians- The Alliance works to assist Austin, TX musicians in obtaining low-cost sliding scale healthcare, focusing on wellness and preventative services. It's important to remember that Austin, like New Orleans, has been a hub of live music for some time. A lot of displaced Nola musicians have landed here, so helping the Austin alliance means you're helping displaced New Orleans musicians as well. Many active musicians lack healthcare coverage, so services like this one are instrumental in keeping them healthy and playing the tunes you love.

New Orleans Musician's Clinic- This group has essentially the same mission as the Health Alliance in Austin, but works with musicians who remained in or have returned to the Big Easy. They're a recipient of assistance from the Congo Square Project as well (website very much a work in progress, it appears...).

Well, there you have it. I hope that perhaps if you were thinking of supporting musicians in need, as I am, you now have some good places to look at. If you weren't considering it, hopefully you will think about it now. It's important to remember that much of the advancement and innovation in music doesn't occur in the pricey recording studios and it doesn't happen at the hands of multimillionaires; it has happened and will continue to happen in jam sessions in small apartments and performances in small clubs and bars, and it occurs at the hands of people who are often lacking cash and the basic necessities that it buys. The industry has proven time and time again that, by and large, it cares even less for the artists than it does for the consumers. If the health of this cherished art form is to be preserved, it will have to be through our efforts.

Dave and I make basically nothing from ad clicks. That's OK, because we don't do this for the money. However, we're going to put our scant money where our mouth is on this issue: If we ever get enough revenue for Google to cut us a check, we pledge to donate 50% of said revenue to the Music Makers Foundation to help struggling artists.

---Special thanks to Metafilter members dawson, arnicae, netbros, xo, cachondeo45, legotech, starfish and New Orleans' own ColdChef for their help with suggesting these great organizations.

*Please note that most of these organizations are new to me as well. While they all pass the fairly extensive look I've taken at the authenticity of their respective missions, as always you should ask questions if you have any concerns about how your money will be used. Charity Navigator is a good resource for larger charities than most of these. This is not a complete list, I'm sure, of all of the worthy groups providing assistance to musicians in need. Omission of any organization means nothing except that I am unaware of it.

G. Love and Special Sauce 2008-01-23

2008-04-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

G. Love and Special Sauce 1-23-2008 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY (Download)

Praise god, for it was written in numbers;
Soon you'll know of the great joy we feel today to be able to speak freely and talk eye to eye with a small group of Americans;
We feel that the time has come for your nation to awaken to its true spiritual import,
and we wish to do everything in our power to help you to that realization...

It's amazing to me how strongly our mind can decide to tie sensory input together. I'm sure you've all had this experience many times, for better or worse. While the vast majority of information sent to your brain to prioritize is basically thrown in the bulk mail bin, there's always those occasional things that your brain strongly indexes together. These memories lay dormant indefinitely, hiding in the depths of the brain until being brought back by a smell, a taste, or a melody.

So I fire up a show today, and suddenly...BAM! It's the late summer of 2000. I'm visiting any number of friends at whatever college they're attending here in the Northeast, and we're partying. We're in that same worn down, sparsely accessorized apartment that serves as the headquarters for every soiree at this stage of life. You know the one: The floors are sticky and crooked, you can find the low point of a room by watching where the beer pong ball ends its meandering. Ragged drug and drinking related posters are high art. The sickly sweet aroma of bad beer and good weed hangs thick in the air, and you avoid the couch because you can't even guess what made a stain like that.

Those were the days indeed; when a given evening could result in a brawl, a lay, an overdose, a trip to lockup, a deep sleep on an uncomfortable surface, or any combination thereof...And for me, there's no music that brings this specific experience back quite like G. Love and Special Sauce. My experience is not unique, for anyone reading this who is in their 20's or 30's and experienced their formative years in the region, G. Love and the band are an animation of all of those hazy nights spent on the precipice of trouble and pleasure.

Perhaps their ability to create a soundtrack for this stage of life is what has carried them so far musically. They've never experienced huge success, but GLaSS has been making good, relatable music for 16 years and counting. I don't think anyone will accuse them of being virtuosos or of taking music to a higher level, but that's OK. Sometimes we just want to kick back, crack a brew, light a spliff, and try to talk that beautiful girl out of her boyfriend and into your apartment.

What's interesting about the music that GLaSS makes is that it's often just sort of thrown into this party category, as if it doesn't deserve respect in it's own right. Look at my article so far, in fact, because that's pretty much exactly what I've done. The fact is that these guys deserve respect not only based on their staying power but also how they're able to make us feel via their music. Can you think of another laid back, relatable style of music which is meant to speak to the good an bad times in the average life?

I've got a hand in the back of the class. Yes, you...What's that? The blues? Yes, you're absolutely correct. The blues style is very much evident in the music of GLaSS. Don't let the modernized sound and the rapping lyricism fool you into thinking otherwise. This sound is all about putting to music a myriad of experiences, good and bad, that any of us could be going through at any given time, and the ability to do that well is what separates G. Love from just another party band. For who amongst us hasn't had made a booty call, hustled for the attention of a fine lady/guy, or thirsted mightily for a cold beverage? Cast the first stone then, you prude...

Recoil Magazine: Do you think there's a message in music that's been lost due to the value our culture puts into money?

G Love: Yes and no. I think the most important thing of music is to make people dance and make people feel emotional. Giving people those chills in their spine when they're driving home from work in their car, I think that's the function of music and probably always has been. Music continues to do that whether you like it or not. I don't think this, but you might think Justin Timberlake is a terrible artist just because he's pop. But shit, he's got a great voice and he makes people dance. I know people really get off on his shit, and that's the point of music. Whether you like Justin Timberlake or Bob Dylan, at the end of the day it's music coming into your brain and going into the neural receptors that process the music in your brain. It's all releasing the same chemicals in your body. And that's what music has always done since people started originally making music. I think you can say a certain kind of music has been more successful than others because of the marketplace, but I don't necessarily think that's a crime. Like you said, there's niches, and if G. Love was as big as Justin Timberlake or if Bob Dylan was as big as Puff Daddy, then you'd probably be talking shit about Bob Dylan and G. Love.

I've seen G. Love and Special Sauce too many times to recall them all. I chose this show because, like everything I try to showcase here, it holds an appeal to both the novice and the experienced fan. This is the band at their finest, rocking the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY.

Almost all of the classics are included, although I almost nixed this show due to the omission of one of my favorites, "Don't Drop It". I've talked way too much already, so let me just say that this is almost everything I'd want to throw at the uninitiated, and it's also a perfect show for a seasoned veteran of the band. Highlights are a great "Honor and Harmony", "Kick Drum", "Peace, Love and Happiness", the Tribe Called Quest cover "Can I Kick It", and the extended "Gin and Juice/Cold Beverage" encore. The version of "Garbage Man" in this show is also not to be missed! The whole set is deep and solid, in full it was:

Back of the Bus, Dreamin', Honor and Harmony, Holla!, Give It To You, Garbage Man, Booty Call >Why Don't We Do It in the Road?, Kick Drum, Hot Cookin', No Turning Back, Stepping Stones, G Love blues, Baby Got Sauce, Blues Music > Walk on the Wild Side * > Can I Kick It?, , E: Rainbow, ?, Sunshine, Beautiful, Rodeo Clowns, Peace, Love and Happiness, Cold Beverage >Gin & Juice >Cold Beverage

Sound quality is an A-, some slight dullness but otherwise a great representation of both band and crowd. Taped and transferred by S.Nochajski, so toda raba to you! Photo credit to Smashing Mag, interview credit goes to Recoil Magazine. If you haven't vicariously lived my early 20's enough just yet, check out my Deep Banana Blackout and State Radio posts, and be on the lookout for an upcoming post on Dispatch...!

Umphrey's McGee 2006-11-17

2008-04-17T18:59:00.000-04:00

Umphrey's McGee 2006-11-17 The Tabernacle Atlanta, GA (Download)

A few years back when I first moved to Worcester and Dave and I were roommates, he was nice enough to give me a year's subscription to Relix for my birthday (thanks Dave!). I remember getting my first month's issue (December '04) which had a cover story about a band I'd heard of only in passing. The magazine had decided to make the audacious claim that this band could be the next Phish. Surely, I thought, this was a ploy to boost sales by inciting Phish fanatics worldwide to buy all copies in order to burn them. A magazine catering to the jam band crowd couldn't possibly have the balls to talk about replacing the irreplaceable, especially when the figurative body wasn't even warm yet...Right?!?

Well, that band was Umphrey's McGee. While I will not start Live Band War I by giving full creedence to this claim, I will say that they've developed a touring regimen, technical ability, and friendliness to the concept of freely distributable live music that at least makes this a debate worth having. As I write this, the band is booked as virtually solid through August as they have been for most of the past six years, and in addition to the more traditional taper mediums they've also reached out to the iPod and iTunes savvy with a podcast that features full shows divided into 1 hour segments. It's one I never allow myself to miss and I can't recommend it enough if you like the band. The band has a ton to offer technically, these are all guys who can play virtually anywhere in the musical spectrum. The repertoire of music that they can cover is also exhaustive, in this performance alone there are teases or full covers of Blue Oyster Cult, Depeche Mode, Marilyn Manson, and Kiss. They've also covered Radiohead, the Rolling Stones, Lionel Richie, Steely Dan, Snoop Dogg, and many more. Pretty impressive stuff.

Speaking of jam bands and musical diversity...Umphrey's really does manage to reach beyond the boundaries of that title. Or, perhaps what they do is offer more evidence that there really are no boundaries in this "genre" which is where, rightly or wrongly, bands that aren't easily classified and play great extended live sets wind up getting put. Neither Dave nor I have ever tagged a show "jam", and I personally do not intend to. I don't have any huge beef with the term, but I don't ever know what to expect when I see it and therefore I don't think it has much of a place in how I classify music.

patchcord.com's Derek Martin: The term “jamband” often gets thrown around when you guys are talked about, while other people point to more prog rock influences. Do you think either of these terms clearly defines you or is it more of a mesh of the two?

Ryan Stasik of Umphrey's Mcgee: I think it’s definitely a mix of the two. We just went on tour with the band OHM, and they’re definitely a progressive rock band; they are definitely fusion and they’ve got the chops and odd meter and no vocals. We also had Kick The Cat, our drummer’s old band, and that’s definitely fusion. I don’t think we tend to sound like that for the people who label us “prog rock,” although we definitely vibe on that a little bit, and “jamband” is so vague and so big. We’re really proud to be part of the scene and everything that’s going on with the festivals and the music and we’re kind of trying to find our own niche that’s between those. It’s like saying you’re a rock ‘n roll band, that’s a huge range, you go from AC/DC to Guns N’ Roses: both rock and roll, but very differently. I think we’re a little bit of everything.

This show offers new listeners a taste of the epic that is a UM live show, and will not disappoint the already converted. It's also helpful that The Tabernacle is where many a great show is played and recorded. Something about the venue lends itself very well to the artists and performances that get talked around for years to come. Some personal favorites in this set are "In the Kitchen", "Ringo", "Words", and their encore of Kiss cover "God Gave Rock n' Roll to You". It's a longer and thoroughly satisfying show, in full it was:

Set One: Got Your Milk Right Here, Push the Pig, Walletsworth>Nothing Too Fancy>Thin Air^, In the Kitchen@, The Bottom Half

Set Two: Power to Love, Ringo>"Jimmy Stewart", Words>, Nothing too Fancy#, Morning Song, Mulche's Odyssey*

Encore: 2nd Self, Dirty Love>God Gave Rock & Roll To You**

Notes: Outformation opened
^ with Sam Holt (Outformation) on guitar, @ with Brendan and Jake on acoustics, # with Don't Fear the Reaper tease, * with Pesonal Jesus (Depeche Mode) and Beautiful People (Marilyn Manson) verse, ** first time played, Kiss; the band left the stage one by one, leaving only Joel

Sound quality is an A-, it's about as good as it gets when it's not from the soundboard. Taping and transfer credit goes to Dennis Taylor, danke schön Dennis! Photo credit to Ben Garmisa Photography.

Rating Recording Quality

2008-04-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

At the bottom of each post is a sound quality grade. If you've ever wondered how it is that we arrive at this rating, I wanted to offer an explanation.

First, the grading system- We use a traditional "A-F" method that most of you are all to familiar with from your primary school days. Plus and minus grades (A+ or A-, for example) are allowed. One thing that you might notice is that although we techically grade A-F, there's no C's, D's, or Fs in the ratings we've given so far. Don't ever expect to see them. This is a blog dedicated not to live shows per se, but really good live recordings by the best live musicians. Personally, we don't care how amazing a show was when you were there, if it was recorded on a $5 mini-cassette in someone's pocket it's not worth our time or the time of our readers. Live recording is an art and it requires good equipment and a good mix/transfer.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way...In order to grade a show, here are the main factors we at the Jivefather weigh:

--- Equipment/Software- Is the "lineage" acceptable? Lineage put simply is the path that the music took to get from where the artists played it to where you're listening to it right now. Equipment needs to be used and positioned properly to make sure that sound is not squished, expanded, or otherwise altered. This must also be factored when transferring and "touching up" sound from a live performance. A typical lineage looks like this (taken from the Addison Groove Project show I posted):

Schoeps CMC64 > SonosaxSX-M2 > ApogeeA/D1000 > Emagic A62m > iBook via USB @44.1/16

This will look like gibberish to some, and that's fine. What it should tell you every piece of equipment used in the taping and transfer of a recording in chronological order. For example, let's look at the lineage above and work with the first piece, a Schoeps CMC64. In a fraction of a fraction of a second, Google provides the following links regarding what you should expect from this piece of equipment. We now know it's a high-end stereo mic that's perfectly suited for this application.

The real questions we're looking to answer here are: Were decent mics and recorders used? Was the transfer done using appropriate equipment and software?

To look at lineage in a sense that more people can relate to, let's work with the idea of freshness and let's make a sandwich. Assume that the base ingredients come from the same source and are of acceptable quality. Do you want the loaf of bread that was sealed airtight and transported carefully, or the one that was left out in the air and crushed beneath a leaky box of raw chicken? Speaking of chicken, do you want the sandwich with the chicken that was kept at safe temperatures or would you prefer the chicken that was transported to you in a 99 cent foam cooler with a hole in it? Doesn't crisp, clean, and cold lettuce sound better than floppy brown junk that picked up a few critters in its travels...?

The idea is optimum preservation, and the best recordings deliver the show to you just as the musicians intended it to be heard when they played it. Let's chill with the food references (they're making me hungry), but the same ideas apply to the other criteria.

--- Accurate Representation of Venue Sound- Anyone who has been to a few live shows will know that the acoustics, setup, and crowd of a venue have a huge effect on what the audience hears, and in the interest of reliving a show, these factors should be evident in the recording. Hearing the same band at a local coffee house, Irving Plaza, Red Rocks Ampitheatre, and the Sydney Opera House will produce very unique sound experiences. Any or all of these can be wonderful, the real question is whether the recording properly represents the venue. Is the building small or large? What is the place made of, literally? What's the ratio of people to open space? How does the sound system interact with that building? Is the show even in a building?

An example of this that should be easy to relate to would be the Railroad Earth show I posted a bit ago. It's an outdoor setting and the crowd is definitely present in the recording as are the qualities expected in an open air recording. What really adds authenticity is the fact that twice during the show a freight train rolls through about 15 feet from the stage. You'll hear it clearly (click the link above and look for the tracks marked with **), and you'll hear the reaction of the crowd as well. That's probably almost exactly what you would have heard if you were at the Blue Plum Festival listening to it. Some people would be really bothered by that in the recording, but to me it is perfect. That's what happened in that place on that day, and we want to hear it.

Basically. if the show was recorded at a place where you've been before, this is pretty easy: Does the recording capture the quirks of the place or not? If you're listening to a performance from a place you've never been, what does Google tell you about the place? A quick search should let you know if the sound is appropriate. If the venue is an open air stage and the recording sounds like it's from a cinder block room, there's a problem.

--- General/Other- This covers the rest of what factors into our grading, and sort of overlaps on the first criteria. It's almost solely on the shoulders of the person who recorded it, although it certainly could be attributed partially to the person controlling the sound at the venue. The recording should be "even", which is to say that the levels should be appropriate (not too much bass, nor a "tinny" recording with too much high range). It should sound like it was recorded roughly from the "middle of the middle", or the absolute center of the audience. I shouldn't feel like I'm hearing sound from left/right/front/back more than the other. I'm not a taper, but I've seen plenty: The best set up in the middle and midway between the front and back of the audience, or at least centered to the stage but in the back. This is also where most "taper" tickets are sold when applicable.

This is by no means meant to be a definitive guide, it's simply an explanation of what we do here at The Jivefather. Live music is very subjective. What we might think is an A+ recording might be viewed totally differently through the eyes of another (quite possibly more knowledgable) fan.

In other words, your milage may vary, but this is how we read the odometer.

Another guide on how a show should be taped, from Titus Films.

Soulive 2005-08-20

2008-03-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

*If you enjoy this show, you might also enjoy similar posts on Deep Banana Blackout, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Addison Groove Project.

Soulive 2005-08-20 Celebraterie Festival Erie, PA (Download)

I don't know why Dave and I do this to ourselves. He just finished a show review of the Hardest Band in the Universe to Genre-fy, and here I am trying to talk about a band only slightly less difficult to describe. A lot of the bands that I follow do a lot of this style melding, and it's no small part of why I like them so much. Musicians who turn live performances into the art-form it has become understand that their mission is greater than traveling to a bunch of places to play the same songs over and over.

I know some people hate looking at music as a business, but that doesn't change the fact that it's exactly that. So let's look at a band using a business analogy: The music of a great band is like a great software package. It starts with a solid base of something that is in demand, and it is constantly revised and improved based on what what will keep the end user (or fan) coming back for more. Does anyone think that The Dead would have nearly the following they still do if not for the fact that they toured constantly and were always learning and growing along the way...?

There is an excitement and anticipation for what will come from the next stop on the tour. What new cover or rare song might make it on to the setlist...? The best of the best (The Grateful Dead, Phish, Govt. Mule, Umphree's McGee, Widespread Panic, etc.) recognize that the product of their endless touring is more than showing up in different places and playing. It's about creating a running narrative with their fans that will keep them coming back for more, and it's also about the growth of the band itself.

A Soulive show illustrates this perfectly. The first time I ever saw this band was at the (unfortunately now defunct) Berkshire Mountain Music Festival. They played short sets each day of the festival and I was so impressed with the diversity of their sound and repertoire that I became a fan and remain one today. Was I hearing a jazz band, a live hip-hop band, or a James Brown/Jimi Hendrix cover band? No, I was hearing what can only be described as Soulive.

Tim Hammer of LAist- What do you think has been the secret to Soulive’s success?

Eric Krasno- I think it’s what we do with our live shows. We always bring energy to our live shows that our fans can appreciate. We are also trying to change what we do. We’ve been criticized a lot for changing our sound but in the end of it all, that’s what makes us happy. That’s really what helps us stay into this thing and stay fresh and stay excited.

Soulive is jazz and funk seasoned periodically with R&B, rock, hip-hop, reggae, and whatever else they feel like at any given time. Although centered around the trio of Eric Krasno, Alan Evans, and Neil Evans, the lineup of the band has also reflected the constant evolution of their sound, including at various times Sam Kininger, Rashawn Ross, Ryan Zoidis, Toussaint Yeshua, and others.

Here's "Reverb", which is included on the setlist for today's show-

This show is from 2005 and features the band in its 2nd "incarnation", when it included the Sam Kininger-led horn section and shows were more vocal heavy than they had been previously. The set is performed before an obviously involved audience, and the band has them worked into a frenzy by the end of it. In general, this was a very special time in the sonic adventure Soulive is on, and I think you'll be able to hear that. Some favorites of mine are the dub-infused "Reverb", a version of "Do it Again" with some stellar work on the keys and vocals reminiscent of "The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness", and their covers of "Slippin' into Darkness" and "Crosstown Traffic". Here's the whole setlist:

1) Intro>Spinna>Uncle Jr., Vapor , Reverb, Slippin' Into Darkness *, One In Seven, I Know You Got Soul (Bobby Byrd), Crosstown Traffic, Do It Again *, (Crowd Noise), Tighten Up *

* Alan Evans on vocals

Sound is a B+, thanks to Levi Hunt for taping this show and DJ Necco for transferring it. Photo Credit is to the band's website, interview credit goes to Tim Hammer and the LAist.

-Soulive has a somewhat new album out entitled "No Place Like Soul" and I highly recommend checking it out if you liked this performance. The link above allows you to purchase it directly from the band's website and maximize your financial support to them.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones 1999-04-30

2008-03-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones 1999-04-30
Merle Watson Memorial Bluegrass Festival
North Wilkesboro, NC
(Download)

Writing about a band like Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is hard. Should they be categorized as jazz, bluegrass, instrumental, crossover (?!?!) classical, country, or world. It's difficult to decide, because the band or its members have won Grammy Awards in each of these categories. Once decided, the writer is presented with the additional daunting task of describing the Flecktones music and abilities.

To avoid sounding too gushing, one could take the position of a contrarian. That, however, doesn't seem very easy either. Just google "flecktones suck." Maybe the best advice comes from the editor of the Wilkesboro Journal-Patriot in introducing the Flecktones for this show, "Just shut up and introduce them." Plus, track four includes everything you need to know about the members of the band.

Intro > Throwdown, Imagine This, Band Intros, Big Country, Enter Sam Bush, Spanish Point, Stomping Ground, crowd, Encore: Cheeseballs In Cowtown

I ended up choosing this show by accident. I was searching archive.org for a Sam Bush show when I ran across it. If the Flecktones are normally missing something, Sam's presence fills the gap. He comes in halfway through the set, right after an excellent performance of "Big Country." He jumps right into "Spanish Point," off volume two of the Bluegrass Sessions album. While Sam and Béla have a long history playing together, it is such a treat to hear him with the Flecktones. It's sets like these that make going to a music festival worth it.

"They think the banjo can only be happy, but that's not true." -Bela Fleck

One complaint often aired from people that do not like the Flecktones, is that their music is too busy. While I'm often quick to dismiss this, the complaint does have some merit. Combining different styles of music like the Flecktones do creates compositions that are challenging and complex. For most people, they've never heard anything like it. In an effort to impose order on music, our brains tend flatten it out and listen superficially. The result is a cluttered wall of sound. I'm not trying to sound like an elitist, but to recognize that most people no longer listen to complicated music. Music that requires your full attention. There are just too many things competing for it. Active listening is a tricky skill to master, one that needs to be started at a young age (link).

For a quick exercise, let's listen to what is going on beginning at 2:24 on "Stomping Ground." The band launches into a call and response. It opens with Victor Wooten on bass laying down a groove, the rest of the band supporting. Jeff responds with his sax, then it repeats with Béla, and then Sam. Futureman stays in support, but he responds to what is being played. After listening closely to each individual instrument, you should be able to pick them up when they are playing together. At 3:03 the band comes back together into a unison. Can you still hear each individual voice? Now listen to another track. The things discovered make getting into music like this worth it.

Toubab Krewe 2006-02-03

2008-03-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Toubab Krewe 2006-02-03 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC (Download)

I have a great love of African rhythms and it was only a matter of time before that manifested itself here. Africa is quite possibly the cradle of mankind, but it is certainly the origin of almost every type of music that I currently enjoy. I'm no expert on the subject and I am aware that human music has many ancient origins...but long before Europeans were rigidly dancing to dulcimers and such Africa was alive with the sounds of drums, claps, stomps, and voices, and these are the sounds which most closely form the base of almost all of the live music featured on this site. People often discuss Congo Square, but fewer look very closely at where the influences that made that place special actually came from.

Beautiful things usually occur when two or more distinct strains of music are melded together well, and this is showcased magnificently by Toubab Krewe. "Toubab" is a word used in a number of African languages to define a foreigner, and it's a fitting self-description for the Asheville, NC based act which specializes in a blend of afrobeat and southern influenced rock. The band has played major festivals throughout the country and the world, including the Festival of the Desert in Mali.

And speaking of Congo Square...

(jambands.com's Randy Ray interviews Toubab Krewe member Justin Perkins)

RR: I know that word ‘Krewe’ is an ambiguous nod to the city of New Orleans. How important is New Orleans to the Toubab Krewe sound?

JP: It’s extremely important. The history and culture of New Orleans is the thickest and richest in this country. New Orleans was such a huge portal to so much music that came into this country—whether it be music, people or food, it is such a rich place and it’s a shame to know the situation of that place, right now.

This Toubab Krewe show comes to us from the band's virtual hometown of Charlotte, NC. The band consistently works in the influences of West African sounds as well as rock, jazz, and even a tinge of surf. The stage is definitely front and center in this recording, there's not much crowd noise except at the end of songs. At various times during this show I find myself thinking I'm listening to anyone from Tom Petty to String Cheese Incident to Fela Kuti. That's a pretty unique listening experience, and it's just a powerful performance from start to finish. The full set list:

Hang Tan, Diggi, Malawi, Sonrai>Autorail, Djarabi, Bani, Lamines, Mali Sadjo, Zaouli, Touromaka, Wassoulou/Bani, Rooster, Roy Forrestor, Buncombe to Badala, Asheville to Abdijan, Bamana Niya, Chasse, Moose

Sound quality is an A, it's a soundboard recording and it shows. Taped and transferred by Jah of Jah Jam Productions, so praise be to you! Photo credit is to the band's MySpace page and Flickr. Justin of Toubab Krewe is also featured on the Matisyahu show I reviewed a bit ago.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals 2008-1-17

2008-03-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals 2008-1-17 WorkPlay Theater Birmingham, AL (download)

I love "old souls". Possessing the qualities of an old soul, in my estimation, has very little to do with the religious connotations that are sometimes applied. I think it's really a matter of exhibiting a wisdom and maturity beyond your years. I mention this only because I've been sitting here for a half an hour and more than half of a strong cocktail trying to put into words why Grace Potter appeals to me so much musically, and I think her old soul is exactly what it is.

Bear with me here...

Grace brings to music a voice and songwriting ability that will have you constantly questioning her age (she's 24). It's kind of what I'd imagine Janis Joplin would sound like were she alive today, and I mean that in all of the best ways possible. In no way to I want to demean her band because they are rock solid, but Grace is truly a force even when it's just her and a tambourine, as evidenced in the first few minutes of this video:

I first saw Grace and the Nocturnals at the Bonnaroo Festival in 2006. The quality of their performance was such an pleasant surprise that what started as a quick wander past "This Tent" (those who have Bonnaroo'ed will know exactly what this is, for the uninitiated the 5 main performance areas are Which Stage, What Stage, This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent) turned into sticking around for the rest of the set. I'll be the first to admit that she's a looker and that didn't hurt in capturing my attention initially, but a pretty face doesn't pull my focus from good music for long. I stuck around because this band sounded good, really good, and her pipes and lyrics could've kept me there all day if she'd just kept singing.

(I took this shot of the day's offerings right before she went on. I used these pictures throughout the day to remember who was on each stage so I could plan my wanderings...)

This show is definitely a keeper amongst the GP&N live performances. Everything is just "on": The band is great, Grace is...well, Grace, and the stories and banter throughout are very entertaining. Some favorites for me are "Stop the Bus", the extended "Nothing But the Water", and her version of an old-timey favorite of mine shines in "Angel Band". Her cover of Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" is also pretty damn good. Here's the full setlist:

Ain't No Time, Treat Me Right, Stop The Bus, Here's To The Meantime, Belladonna, Joey, Falling or Flying, Pain, Ah Mary, Mastermind, Apologies, Sinking Man >Delta, If I Was From Paris, Nothing But the Water >Drums >Nothing But The Water >Crowd, Angel Band >Big White Gate, Jet Airliner

Sound Quality is an A, I can clearly hear the acoustic quirks of a venue I've never even been to. Taping credits go to Jeff Hatcher, muchas gracias Jeff! Photo credits go to the band's website and to yours truly. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have a recent release, This is Somewhere, which I recommend wholeheartedly.

Del McCoury Band 1969-08-08

2008-03-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Del McCoury Band 1969-08-08
Shade Gap Bluegrass Festival
Gettysburg, PA

A couple of days ago, I went through the agonizing process of moving apartments. So this post will be pretty short, but I want to share this show. I burned it out to CD some time ago-something I rarely do anymore-but never got around to listening to it. When I ran across the CD, I tossed it into the truck to listen to between apartments. This recording of the Del McCoury Band from 1969 became the instant soundtrack of the move.

As many readers of this blog know, both Chris and I are big bluegrass fans. While I listen to a lot of it, I don't tend to spend much time with the folk/bluegrass music of the 1960's. It just doesn't resonate with me. Not my generation. While Del McCoury was on the scene in the 1960's, he has stayed on to be part of the bluegrass music I listen to. How is this possible?

I've often heard that an artist needs to evolve to stay relevant. To keep pushing and testing the boundaries of art. That's certainly one approach, but Del indicates that there might be another. It seems to be one more black and white. Find good music, and keep playing it. For if it's good, people will listen to it. I'm not suggesting that Del isn't innovative, but that there is a certain attraction to carrying on a tradition.

Here is the show, in two sets for your enjoyment:

I Wonder Where You Are Tonight, John Henry, Footprints In The Snow, John Hardy, Bringing Mary Home, Slewfoot,The Crippled Boy, Katie Hill, Blue & Lonesome, Flower Blooming In The Wild, Working On A Building, Outroduction, Introduction, Dark Hollow, Bonnie And Clyde, Uncle Pen, Sitting Alone In The Moonlight, Old Joe Clark, Prisoner Song, Orange Blossom Special, Outroduction

Del McCoury - Guitar
Dick Stabler - Mandolin
Billy Sage - Fiddle
Donny Eldredge - Banjo
Dewey Renfro - Bass

Thanks to who recorded and transfered this show!

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

2008-02-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Robert Randolph and the Family Band 2005-7-29 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ (dowload)

Does great music sometimes compel you to throw your hands up and let out a "HELL YEAH!", much to the disdain of your significant other/children/co-workers/etc.? Do you enjoy this guilty pleasure?

If you've answered yes to these questions, I've got just the show for you, and if you're not on your feet by the end of this one, I'll give you your money back.

(Of course, you haven't paid any money...But we'll worry about that later, OK?)

If a Robert Randolph and the Family Band show is vaguely reminiscent of every hands-in-the-air Sunday morning church service you've ever seen (think Blues Brothers, the James Brown church scene), this isn't an accident. Randolph and the band cut their teeth playing in the band at the House of God Church in New Jersey. Way back when it was founded, the church couldn't afford an organ, so they opted for a pedal steel, or "Sacred Steel", instead.

(Excerpt from a Puremusic Interview with Robert Randolph):

PM: And it's the worship instrument in the House of God more than the organ, is that right?

RR: Yeah, exactly.

PM: That's interesting, because I've always thought that it's an eerily human sounding axe. I mean, it really sounds like somebody crying and somebody laughing, you know.

RR: Yeah. I mean, that's the way we was taught up to play it, like a singer moans and groans and weeps and hollers and screams, like the old Southern Baptist singers. You know how people in church go [singing] mmm-hmmm, and do a lot of moaning and carrying on.

This show comes to us from the Starland Ballroom in the band's home state of New Jersey, and it's a scorcher right out of the gate. The band opens with "Run For Your Life", a frantic get off your ass and move kind of tune that showcases the pedal steel really well. Both the cut and the crowd enthusiasm make this sound like a show ender rather than the first song of the night. (Check out a video snippet of this track being performed at this very show. Video is shaky, but the sound quality as pretty good for the 'Tube).

It just gets hotter from there, and this is how the set went down:

Jam>Run For Your Life, I Need More Love, The March, She Waits, Shake Your Hips, Dont Bring Me Down, Everything Is Going To Be Alright, Nobody, Dont Worry Be Happy>Squeeze>Soul Refreshing>Purple Haze, Roll Up>Warpigs jam>Roll Up

Sound quality for this set is an A-, there's a few variances in volume which keep it from being a solid A. The show was taped by Tim in Jersey, thank you Tim! Photo credit.

Rebirth Brass Band 2006-06-30

2008-02-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

Rebirth Brass Band 2006-06-30

High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA

(Download)

New Orleans music just has it. Music historians will talk about the march beat, the history of congo square, mardi gras, and the big chief, but for me the music that comes out of that city is the best our culture has to offer. It is what we will be remembered for. For over 25 years the Rebirth (sometimes ReBirth) Brass Band has been carrying the torch. Their name takes on renewed importance in our post-Katrina world. Most recently they released a live DVD entitled From the Big Apple to the Big Easy ; a NYC Gulf Coast benefit.

This performance from the High Sierra Music Festival is a show stopper. They opened by sliding into a high-powered version of the Fats Domino tune "I'm Walking." Rebirth covers one of my favorite party tunes, "Big Chief." I think "Rollin" best captures the spirit of the set, including dropping in a little Parliament tease. Anyone familiar with the Blues Brothers movie will recognize the last song of the set, "Everybody Needs Somebody." No slight to the movie intended, but this is how this song should be done. The rest of the set played out like this:

This is not jazz or brass band music in the form that you might be tempted to think of. When Rebirth started in the early 80's, they incorporated the musical developments around them (mostly the burgeoning genre of hip-hop) into their interpretation of New Orleans music. One can sense it from their choice of topics for their own compositions to the banter between the songs of this show. It's so seamless that I wonder if they are even separate. While this is music for a Friday night, it is Monday, I'm feeling shitty, and this show made me smile. Thanks to Freddie G for recording and posting this show. Photo comes from rebirthbrassband.com

Kaki King 2004-6-10

2008-02-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

Kaki King 2004-6-10 The Iron Horse Northampton, MA (download)

Many people make great music. Some do it in a form easily classified and understood, and a few do it in a way different than anything done before. I have respect for both, but musicians who can create something unprecedented hold a special place in my heart. Great music is made, as they say, standing on the shoulders of giants, but it is those that stand on those shoulders who open the next door.

Kaki King makes music that isn't easily cornered. She's been compared to Michael Hedges and Preston Reed, but this doesn't really do her justice. For one, Kaki does her thing with a pretty normal 6 string guitar (more recently adding lap steel and some other toys).

"I played guitar in loud rock bands," she says. "But at some point I'm like a martial arts student. I learn all kinds of different stuff but I find this obscure Taiwanese art ... well not Taiwanese. But you know what I mean, something that is very obscure. I put myself to the challenge: Here are the rules. One guitar. Not a lot of instrumentation, or none preferably. No singing. Different tunings. I kind of just went with that. I didn't know it would be my career, it just was something I like to do."

This show brings Kaki to the Iron Horse in Northampton MA, which is a pretty hallowed venue around these parts due to the quality of both the acts and the sound. She opens up the set in a pretty shocking way, playing a short piece of "Georgia on My Mind" and then announcing to the crowd that Ray Charles had passed away that day. The recording captures the audience reaction, and it's obvious that some members of the audience hadn't heard yet. She then lets people absorb the news to the melancholy "All the Landslides that Birds Have Seen" before launching into the trademark "Playing With Pink Noise", which is the song previewed in the video above, and she spun a great set on from there. Highlights of this show also include "Magazine" and my favorite which neither I nor archive.org have been able to find a title for.

1. Intro/Georgia on My Mind
2. All the Landslides Birds Have Seen
3. Playing With Pink Noise
4. Neanderthal
5. Solipsist
6. Ingots
7. ???
8. Lies
9. Can the Gwot Save Us
10. My Insect Life
11. Magazine
12. Doing the Wrong Thing
13. Carmine Street

Kaki has a new album coming out on March 11th called "Dreaming of Revenge". No doubt it will be as innovative as her previous releases. Check out her site for more info.

Sound quality is A+, this is about as clean and tight as live performance gets unless you're paying $15 for a mastered CD. It was recorded by Clinton Vadnais, so thank you Clinton! Photo Credit.

Rebel Music: The Bob Marley Story

2008-02-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

Today is Bob Marley's 63rd birthday. While musically living in the past is a common mistake, the occasional looking back to the music of a different time can be inspirational. Like all life on earth, music is in a constant state of evolution. Each new artist that comes along builds upon what came before, creating something new. That's why seasoned musicians always urge the younger generation to listen ferociously. Plus, I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy Bob Marley. Take Rebel Music: The Bob Marley Story for a spin. It streams off of archive.org in Real format-please contain your moans of frustration-but the sound and video quality are pretty good.

Matisyahu 2006-6-18

2008-01-27T18:26:00.000-05:00

Matisyahu 2006-6-18 Bonnaroo Music Festival Manchester, TN (download)

I always try to keep an open mind on most things, particularly when it comes to music. However, in an age where marketing is so pervasive and subversive and where the cool video you saw on Youtube or the street graffiti promoting a website winds up being a viral marketing scheme, it's really tough not to be skeptical that you're not being sold something at any given time.

Such was my intro to Matisyahu, the Hasidic reggae beatboxer. I caught a Letterman clip almost two years ago selling him as such, and then a news article soon after that. As I checked out his music, I figured the labels surely must be pulling a fast one on me. "There's just too many silly points to market this guy on," I said to myself. "He's a Hasidic Jew who plays reggae, and beatboxes, and stuff," I thought. I figured for sure Matisyahu was another act to make rounds through, and then be supported by, the musical underground, only to find out that yet again we'd been tricked into promoting another act being guerrilla marketed by a major label.

Good Morning America addressed exactly that when they did a segment on him, in the fumbling way that most reporters approach culturalphenomena they're not familiar with:

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, as far as I can tell, Matisyahu is the real deal. The real selling point involved my trip to the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2006. In the middle of a hot day, Matisyahu commanded a large crowd while playing Which Stage at the festival. He and his band represented well what has made them so popular to this point.

Trey puts it pretty well, too...

"When he's singing, he's singing for God," says Trey Anastasio, the former Phish frontman, who invited Matisyahu to perform with him at Bonnaroo 2005. "It's incredible to be next to him onstage."

Anyway, I had the great pleasure of baking under the Tennessee sun to catch this set personally back in June '06. Matisyahu opened with a prayer, and the set continued to rock throughout. The whole set is pretty fantastic, his 2nd prayer break (track 9) is mesmerizing. It's honestly difficult to pick other favorites, this set is pretty solid as a whole. I remember it being worth it in the baking heat and it's even more worth it now that you can enjoy this set in the comfortable shade of your home.

The full set list:

SEA TO SEA, BLESSING, X OF YOUR SONG, EXALTATION, ANCIENT LULLABY, CHOP EM DOWN, TZAMA L'CHOL NAFSHI > GOT NO WATER > CLOSE MY EYES, BONNAROO BOX JAM, NIGUN, JERUSALEM, KING WITHOUT A CROSS, E: FOH/AOE INDESTRUCTIBLE > HEIGHTS

Sound is a B, and the show was recorded by Michael Miller.

Bernie Worrell & the WOO Warriors 2002-04-20

2008-01-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

Bernie Worrell & the WOO Warriors
2002-04-20
The Downtown - Farmingdale, NY (Download)

Bernie Worrell. Oh great and powerful "Wizard of WOO." He is classically trained from the New England Conservatory of Music. He co-wrote Parliament/Funkadelic classics like "Flashlight," "Atomic Dog," and "Cosmic Slop." In 1997, he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. His career to date includes enough twists and turns that I gave serious consideration to creating a resume to keep it all straight. Just check out the video bellow.

The WOO Warriors play a mix of Parliament and Funkadelic songs, as well as others that Bernie has worked on. I chose this show because it was Bernie's birthday, and I love birthday concerts. The show opens up with a jam into "Why can't we WOO together?" "Volunteered Slavery" is a departure from the way most bands interpret this song. It's slower, more deliberate. That feeling is carried through "Outerspace Ways, Inc" right into the beginning of "Biological Speculation." The show ends with a strong version of "Thumpasasaurus." The rest of the show played out like this:

Intro-> Jam-> Why Can't We WOO Together, Gamin' On Ya, Super Stupid, Red Hot Mama, You and Your Folks Me and My Folks, Drums, Volunteered Slavery, Outerspace Ways, Inc., Biological Speculation, Happy Birthday, Bernie, Trash A-Go-Go, Standing On The Verge *, Cosmic Slop *ENCORE: Thumpasasaurus

Bernie Worrell, Gary Sullivan, Donna "Lady Bass" McPherson, "The Flash," Jen Durkin, * w/ John Hickey

Sound Quality is A- and the files are encoded in Shorten (see our new how to). Show clocks in around 1:40:58. As a side note, Jen Durkin is a member of Deep Banana Blackout and previously highlighted on thejivefather here. Show seeded by WOOFAN.

State Radio Single From Year of the Crow

2008-01-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

After publishing our State Radio post, we received an MP3 from Misty at their record label Nettwerk. It's called "Unfortunates", and it is from their upcoming album "Year of the Crow", which releases on Feb. 5th. We tossed around what to do with this and we decided to put it on the site. State Radio has supported the taping and distribution of their live shows, and we feel this a fitting reciprocation.

(Download)

Railroad Earth 2006-6-3

2008-01-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

Railroad Earth 2006-6-3 Blue Plum Festival Johnson City, TN (Download)

There are lots of reasons why I love living in New England and Massachusetts: The endless history, the fact that the mountains, the ocean, and a number of culturally rich cities are within an hour or two from where I sit right now, and our sports teams of course...!

One of the things I love most is our diverse seasons. In the span of 12 months, most of New England goes from 95 degree highs to -10 degree lows, and back again. There are four distinct seasons and I have fond memories attached to each of them. I think this leads to an appreciation of both the first warm spring day and the first crisp fall afternoon, to both the 24" blizzard and the wicked summer night's thunderstorm. In short, I think we hold an awareness and a wonderment associated with our meteorological surroundings that people in other parts of the country (I'm looking at you, L.A.) don't always have the fortune to experience...

Sunny and 75 AGAIN?!? No thank you.

One result of these drastic seasons is of course dreaming of one while in the midst of another, and during these bitter winter months my thoughts do turn longingly to lazy outdoor summer experiences. At the moment, my mind has me sitting in a lawnchair, barefoot with my toes in the deep green grass, sipping a cold one and listening to some great live music. The band for this post has it well represented.

Railroad Earth is a band I actually have never seen live, I was turned on to them via the nugs.net live music podcast and I've spend a lot of time with their live sets since then. They're out of Sparta, New Jersey and they have been laying down a roots/bluegrass/celtic style all their own for several years now.

(Guitarist Todd Sheaffer) "I’m excited about the possibilities musically. I’ve really been learning a lot, first of all. We’ve talked a lot about the lyrics, but musically there’s been a lot of interesting stuff going on. I’ve learned a lot from the guys in the group and its exciting to me the wide diversity of areas we can explore. I’m practicing a lot on the guitar, more than I have in a long time, trying to expand my musical vocabulary. I’m trying to learn a little bit and get a little better as a soloist. Even trying a little flat picking, but trying to keep it within my own style. I’m really interested in trying to grow as a musician in not just the songwriting but in the playing. A lot of times as the front man, the singer, I’ve had a tendency to say, “You take the solo,” or, “you guys do the musical stuff.” But I’m trying to also throw myself into the mix a lot more."

In this particular show, Railroad Earth takes on the Blue Plum Festival in Johnson City, TN. It's a great set and a great recording which really captures the open air and rowdiness of a good ole' Southern outdoor music fest. Of particular note for me are "Shining Like a Buddah" and "Water Fountain Quicksand", as well as the track that originally captured my interest in the band, "Long Way to Go". A special treat of this show is the freight train ripping right through the recording during both "Old Man and the Land" and "Head". Some people might see this as a detriment, but I think that it really sets a mood for the whole taping. Along with the noise of an engaged crowd and the acoustics of the open air show, it will transport you right to that day in Johnson City.

Often the greatest asset of a live recording is this peripheral activity, this is the very reason why we listen to live shows instead of just collecting studio records.

On to the full set...

intro, dandelion wine, 420, bird in a house, smilin' like a buddah, old man and the land, mission man, peace on earth, head, railroad earth, water fountain quicksand, long way to go, (encore) ragtime annie lee

Sound Quality is an A-, it would be a B+ except for capturing a lively crowd and those freight trains...! Taping credit to David Randle, thanks David! Remember to download these shows at their highest availably quality! Photo credit.

State Radio 2006-4-10

2008-01-13T16:39:00.000-05:00

State Radio Fox Theater Boulder, CO 2006-4-10 (download)

As the presidential campaign has hit high gear, it's gotten me thinking a lot more about the situation we're in here in the US, and what qualities we will need from our next leader to fix them. Dave and I are both very politically aware and active, but this isn't the forum for a diatribe on politics. You're here for some free and legal music, and that's exactly what we aim to deliver. These sorts of politically important times do tend to steer me to certain bands, and atop that list for the past few years has been State Radio.

State Radio was formed by former Dispatch member Chad Stokes Urmston in the wake of the breakup of Dispatch, one of my favorite bands to follow through their live shows around New England, first in college gyms and small clubs and later at larger venues such as the Garden and the (then) FleetBoston Pavilion.

Urmston took State Radio in a decidedly more politically active direction, actively speaking out against the war and the current administration along with other themes.

MM: How has doing your own thing with State Radio been?
CU: It’s been fun. Great people. Great musicians. Politically, we feel no holds barred on what we say. In Dispatch, the other two guys don’t necessarily feel the same way that I do about different issues. What was important to me about this band is that we wanted to be on the forefront and be very politically conscious. We want awareness and involvement and activism and education. Because it is an interesting but terrible time in our country. I wanted to be a part of a band where we can express those views.

MM: Do you think that rock and roll can create actual positive change in the world?
CU: Yes, I do. Even with some of those big tours, people are there for the music and to have a good time. There is always a fraction of the audience who take it to heart. We may not see that in consensus numbers but there are always a few people, a fraction of the total audience who really take it to heart. We’ve noticed it and it keeps us going.

One of their better sets I have heard comes to us from Boulder, CO. State Radio brought their message and sound out to the mountains, and they didn't hold back. Before a wild crowd at the Fox, they ran through a classic State Radio setlist, including favorites such as "Democracy in Kind" and my personal favorite, a frank commentary on the old mental asylum called "State Inspector". Here's the whole set, free and legal:

Intro, Right Me Up, Mr. Larkin, CIA, Democracy in Kind, Gunship Politico, Held Up, Man in the Hall, Camilo, State Inspector, The Harder They Come*, First One Shot -> Just Like Larry, Time Served, The Diner Song, Encore break, Black Cab Motorcade, Rushian

Sound quality is a B+. Thank you Ethan Alper for taping this show. Photo Credit.

The Gourds 2004-09-03

2008-01-11T06:01:00.000-05:00

The Gourds

2004-09-03

Rhythm and Roots Festival

Charlestown, RI

(Download)

Time for a little taste of Austin. The Gourds first entered my life back in the early days of file sharing. This burning bluegrass version of Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" was traveling around the internet, wrongly attributed as a Phish cover. This prompted an open letter of denial from Phish properly attributing the cover.

Awakened to this band out of Austin, I watched them release an intriguing collection of CD's featuring their mix of tex-mex cajun country rock. They were even featured on PBS' Austin City Limits. Although I've never been to Austin, this is the type of eclectic sound I'd expect to hear walking down the street. Kind of ironic then, that the one and only Gourds show on archive.org was recorded in Rhode Island.

"We came up here to promote our music...promote music...we're almost out of music...and to drink beer...and we promote tooth decay" -Ants on the Mellon 4:23

Three themes dominate this Gourds show: drinking, carrying on, and to a certain extent loving. Therefore the choice quote of this post. It seems that most of the shows I've chosen for this blog could be described by some as having a loose feel, but this one is different than the others. There is some significant banter and time between most songs, but it adds to the allure. Crafting a relationship with the audience is an important part of a live performance, and this is one way to do it. Choice cuts are "LGO," the "Maria" and "Illegal Oyster." The whole show played out like this:

Intro, LGO, Bottle and a Dime, Maria, Jesus Christ with Signs Following, Shamrock Bound, Whiskey and Blood, Take Me Back to Tulsa, Hell Hounds, Omaha, Ants on the Mellon, Illegal Oyster, Cracklins, You Boys Need a Spanking, Cranky Mullato, All the Labor, Grievin' and Smokin'

Kevin Russell, Jimmy Smith, Claude Bernard, Keith Langford, Max Johnston

Sound quality is B+. Runtime is 1:07:15 and is available in a variety of formats. Show recorded by Jerry C.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 2002-12-5

2008-01-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

Sound Tribe Sector 9 2002-12-5 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA (Video Stream/Download)

I had intended today's offering to be a New Year's set featuring Sound Tribe Sector 9. I love a good New Year's show to get pumped up for the next 365 day haul, and STS9 has done a number of them. However, I've realized that a good number of people even within the festival and taper community actually aren't that familiar with them, and the experience simply isn't complete without the colorful visual aspect they bring to their shows. STS9 offers a unique multimedia experience to the live showgoer, on stage there are likely flowers, rocks, and gems. They also invite painters, floral arrangers, and even mechanical typewriter-artists to participate.

Jefree Lerner (Percussionist) "There are lots of forums for live music, but there's not too many forums for live painting. We kind of wanted to open up the stage as a platform for any type of art. We've had people typing on a manual typewriter behind us. We have had everything from people reciting poetry to offering flower arrangements. Basically, we want to maintain the stage as an opportunity to showcase different forms of art, as well as interpreting music. "Sound Tribe" refers to a collective of artists and musicians. They are all part of the family."

Luckily, a great primer for the Sound Tribe experience has already been created: A one hour set graciously provided for our free, legal, non-commercial enjoyment by the GrooveTV crew over at SCCTV, a community television station in Santa Cruz, CA. It is with great pleasure that I present the Jive Father's first video post. But first, a bit about the band...

Sound Tribe Sector 9, as a sonic entity, really defies labeling. At this very moment, I tremble anxiously at the prospect of genre tagging this post as I know I must do when I finish it. (I'm hopeful another beer might help...?) They've been embraced by many in the "jam band" crowd, but they only really fit that mold based on audience. It's a sort of ambient electrojam, I suppose. Whatever it is, they do it very, very well. Listen for one or two minutes, and you might find yourself saying "What is this noise, and what drugs was Chris on to recommend it?!?", but give it another few minutes and you'll start to hear the elements pull together: Zach Felmer doing his best Jon Fishman impression, holding a robotically precise drumbeat; Dave Murphy making sonic glue with his bass lines; David Phipps adding dimensions of depth on keys; Hunter Brown with his ethereal guitar work; and Jefree Lerner with his percussive work. Listen through the show, and I hope you are wondering why you've slept on them before or why you haven't seen them live lately.

They are truly greater than the sum of their parts, and they play like some universal force brought them together to make this beautifully eclectic mess.

The set is a crisp and wild one hour investment. The show vaults from good to excellent as soon as they hit "Tap In" and its electrifying intro, and the greatness doesn't stop from there. The track listing looks like this:

Moonsocket, Call > Tap In, Ramone & Emiglio > Eb > Ramone & Emiglio. End credits: Baraka

David Phipps - Keyboards, Hunter Brown - Guitar, Jeffree Lerner - Percussion, David Murphy - Bass, Zach Velmer - Drums

Sound quality is A+, video quality is an A- as long as you download the MPEG1 version, which I highly recommend. Please resist the urge to stream this show, it's convenient but the quality isn't there. Sound credits go to Marco Walsh and GrooveTV. Photo credit.

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe 2001-12-31

2007-12-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
2001-12-31
Warfield Theater
San Francisco, CA
(Download)

My new years eve traditions have evolved over the years to throw aside anything frantic, and focus in on welcoming in the new year relaxed and reenergized. What I really like to do is gather with friends to take a hike during the day, and at night enjoy an old favorite, plus something new, and listen and play music. In that vein I started exploring new years eve shows on archive.org. This Karl Denson's Tiny Universe show caught my attention. While I want to sit around and hang out, I still want to listen to something that emanates energy. It is new years after-all.

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." -Oscar Wilde

Sometimes Denson is refered to as neo-bop. In my mind nothing fits that label closer than this interpretation of "Auld Lang Syne." It is a little dissonant and busy (some might call it noisy), so if you don't like it skip ahead a track. Nobody will tell on you. A pretty ballsy opener. My two favorite tracks from the show are "All the Brothers and Sisters" and "The Answer." "Spanish Castle Magic" is about the slowest feeling track in mix. It's afrobeat rhythms take you down low. The set played out like this (note the differences in track listings hear vs. archive.org. This is the correct order and song names.):

Auld Lang Syne* > All the Brothers and Sisters*, Steamed Water#@, The Answer, How fine is that?, Elephants#, Spanish Castle Magic%, Because of Her Beauty, Crosswinds, Freedom, Jam > Fallin'

Karl Denson- saxes and flute, Chris Littlefield- trumpet, Brian Jordan- guitar, David Veith- keys, Ron Johnson- bass, Zak Najor- drums Mike Dillon- percussion, * with Skerik- sax, # with Chipito Ayeres- percussion, @ with Adrian Ayeres- percussion , % with Fareed Haque- guitar

On this particular night, KDTU opened up for Galactic. Hard to believe, considering their opening set clocks in at over two hours. Karl had a pretty busy night joining Galactic for "Baker's Dozen" and "Shucktime," before heading across town to joining String Cheese Incident on "Round the Wheel." Sound quality is B+, a little bass heavy. Show is encoded in shorten info on how to play shorten files can be found on etree.org. I recommend using xACT for the Mac. Happy New Year!

Grateful Dead 1985-03-29

2007-12-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

The Grateful Dead is the granddaddy of taper friendly bands, and Archive.org is the internet repository for Dead shows. There are over 2,000 live Dead shows to explore. They come in two flavors downloadable shows (like this one) and stream only. The downloadable shows tend to be audience recordings, while the streaming shows are sound board recordings that the band has or might release on CD.

The 1980's are a period that I haven't explored with the Grateful Dead, so I wanted to choose a mid-decade to share for this post. The sonic mixture of this show is rich and tasty (if that can be used to describe sound). As a bass player I tend to focus first on that area of the spectrum, and for this show Phil Lesh was on fire. His bass tone during this period retained his earlier upper end definition, while adding a smooth mid-range growl.

"So we are pretty convinced we don't want to play huge stadiums unless we can play them well." -Jerry Garcia

The first part of the set is stronger than the second. I love the fact they opened up with "Cold Rain & Snow." This is a staple of Garcia's acoustic work, and it was enjoyable to hear the whole band playing it. "Johnny B. Goode" is notable for its fast tempo, but isn't my favorite Dead version. Overall a very satisfying show. The set played out like this:

Set I
Cold Rain & Snow
Down In The Bottom > I Ain't Superstitious
Friend Of The Devil
Supplication Jam >
My Brother Esau
Tennessee Jed
Minglewood Blues
Donít Ease Me In

Set II
Terrapin Station >
Women Are Smarter >
Goiní Down The Road Feeliní Bad > Jam >
Baby What You Want Me to Do? > Jam >
Drumz >
Space >
Wharf Rat >
Throwiní Stones >
Johnny B. Goode
E: Brokedown Palace

This show was recorded by the Oade brothers. Thank you, sound quality is A.

Addison Groove Project 2004-5-22

2007-12-12T18:14:00.000-05:00

Addison Groove Project 2004-5-22 Webster Theater (Download)

As Thanksgiving came and I had some time off to sift through some more shows, my thoughts turned to Addison Groove Project, the Boston-based funk/jazz group which provided me with some amazing show nights and many hours of free and legal live sets due to their "taper friendly" policies.

Unfortunately, the association between Thanksgiving and the band is a sad one. AGP bassist John Hall succumbed to cancer on Thanksgiving night of 2004, a great musician and person who left the party too soon. John played through his illness as often as he could, and seeing the band during this period it was obvious that performing for his friends and fans provided him with a joyous diversion from a terrible disease.

This show was one played by John and the band during his illness. The venue is the Webster Theater in Hartford, CT, a fantastic little concrete box with uniquely and surprisingly warm acoustics. AGP opens up the set with some serious style, launching into the opening tracks of Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Visions of an Emerald Beyond". As anyone who has heard "Visions" knows, that's some pretty challenging material to warm up with. (if you haven't heard it, pick it up!)

After returning to some of their mainstays like "Crullers and Nyquil", they also pull off a respectable cover of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar", before playing their ode to renter's hell, "Small Apartment".

Addison Groove is sadly on extended hiatus and there are no shows planned for the forseeable future. Some members are involved in a new project, Skinjer.

The full set list:

Eternity's Breath Part I
Eternity's Breath Part II
Goodness Only Knows
Crullers And Nyquil
Wolfgang
The Ibim
Brown Sunlight
Cross The Tracks
Have A Cigar
Beantown
Beat Me Til I'm Blue

Sound quality is a B+, it receives the plus only because the recording captures the sonic essence of the Webster Theater rather well. Recorded and transferred by Dave Flaschner. Photo Credit.

Donations in memory of John Hall can be made to the Mockingbird Foundation

Hackensaw Boys 2003-06-19

2007-12-05T23:36:00.000-05:00

Hackensaw Boys 2003-06-19
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
(Download)

The first dusting of snow arrived in Worcester over the weekend, and few things mix more enjoyably than falling snow and acoustic music. So it's in that spirit that this weeks foray stars the Hackensaw Boys of Charlottesville, Virginia. Telluride is a big and important stage to play in the world of bluegrass, and one can only imagine what a thrill it is to play there (check out the banter right before "Black Canyon").

"You see them in the early hours of the morning walking hotel corridors, or boldly traversing rush hour streets. They are sincere, polite but talkative men with instrument cases. They admire the local scenery and appear unfed. By day they seem incapable of action but at night they step onto a stage and with taut fiddle bows, worn cutlery and dirty strings bring you a focused, vibrant and joyful sound. They are the Hackensaw Boys—and they are in your town." - Hackensaw Boys Lore

The Hackensaw Boys, however, were well equipped to impress. Consisting of six members for this show-down from a high of twelve when the band formed in 1999-they have enough instruments and voices to create a sonically rich mixture. They can range from the tight and fast and harmonies of "We Are Many" and "Cannonball Brokedown" to the loose and open "Buildings Are the Cages" and "Parking Lot Song." The set played out like this:

01. June Apple
02. Gordon's Still
03. Cannonball Brokedown
04. Keep It Simple
05. Gospel Plow
06. Blue Run
07. Big Bob Billy
08. We Are Many
09. Nashville
10. Smilin' Must Mean Something
11. Black Canyon
12. Blue Eyed Girl
13. Buildings Are the Cages
14. Ruby Pearl
15. Kelly's Reel
16. Parking Lot Song
17. Kiss You Down There
18. Limousine Lady
19. Sweet Petunia

Run time for the show is 1:09 and sound quality is A. Transfered by: Joe Steffen. Photo Credit.

Deep Banana Blackout 2006-3-18

2007-11-29T18:49:00.000-05:00

Deep Banana Blackout 2006-3-18
The Paradise Lounge - Boston, Massachusetts
(Download)

Deep Banana Blackout has been bringing the funk from Fairfield County, CT for over 10 years now. They formed and thrived in a state that, in my lengthy experience while living there, has produced some of the worst white guy pseudo funk (and pseudo-fratperson-funkateers) in the universe.

DBB has always been a taper friendly band, which may stem from the fact that they've relied on people passing bootlegs to create the following they have today. They're a band that thrives on live shows, and all but one of their released albums are live performances. Studio work just doesn't capture their essence, and I think they were smart enough to realize that after the tepid release that was Feel the Peel.

They've earned recognition in my inaugural post because they chose not to sign with a large label and decided instead to continue playing small shows to a loyal fan base, even though this is cited as a factor in the financial issues which caused the band to cease existence as a full time act in 2003.

Also, did I mention that they lay the funk down so hard that your ass will be shaking for weeks...?

In 2005 and 2006, the band reunited to play a few shows around St. Patrick's Day. On March 18th 2006, Dave and I attended one of these shows at the Paradise Lounge in Boston, MA. It was what DBB dubs their 10th anniversary show. We showed up early and had dinner and a drink in the restaurant area of the club. As we went into the back venue, the room was empty save a taper in an old school Public Enemy shirt setting up a rig worthy of serious envy. At that moment, I had a feeling we were in for good things, and I wasn't wrong. Kudos to Rob Adlers. The sound is top notch.

The set played out like this:

Set 1 Disc 1
Tr-01 Bring it up the Rear
Tr-02 Breakfast @ Volo's
Tr-03 Booty Ooty
Tr-04 Custard Pie
Tr-05 Stiff Pickin'
Tr-06 Mama's Ebding
Tr-07 Homo Lingo
Tr-08 Underdog
Tr-09 Take Me
Tr-10 Get Chall 98

Set 1 cont. Disc 2
Tr-01 Storm Bringer
Tr-02 Take The Time
Tr-03 Hear My Song
Tr-04 Standing on the Verge
Tr-05 Super Bad
Tr-06 Ascension
Tr-07 Gossip

Set 2 Disc. 3
Tr-01 Doin it to Death
Tr-02 Banter
Tr-03 Part Time Love
Tr-04 Bump And Sway
Tr-05 Rocker
Tr-06 Crowd
Tr-07 Boot!

The band played like they were blowing off steam from missing nearly a year of each other's musical company. They played like they'd spent 10 years faithfully funking out for the crowd. In fact, they funked like it was the last time they'd ever get to do it again!

The Deep Banana classics are well represented and there are some quality covers as well. The band was ON: They sweat and bled and laid it all out, and you can hear it. Fuzz's guitar work and Jen Durkin's vocals stand out in excellence as usual. In short, it's a blowout show. It's on par with the last DBB show at the Higher Ground just before the Winooksi, VT club closed, and that's really saying something.

It's hard to pick favorites from a show of this caliber, so I won't. Download the whole damn thing and judge for yourself! (If you like the show, I also recommend throwing the band a few bucks and picking up Rowdy Duty)

Derek Trucks 2005-02-27

2007-11-28T16:51:00.000-05:00

Derek Trucks 2005-02-27
Red River Saloon - Colorado Springs, Colorado
(Download)

The Derek Trucks Band is an ideal candidate for the inaugural post of thejivefather. Not only is DTB one of the strongest touring acts found today, but they follow in the tradition of allowing free and open distribution of recordings of their live performance. It seems more and more bands are trying to lock down the distribution of live shows. These efforts range from online stores that sell digital copies, to restriction to bit torrent, or to outright prohibition. I personally have a great deal of respect for bands that allow their music on archive.org. It's easy and accessible.

Question: How is the setlist decided for each show? Do you keep track of what was played the last time playing the city?
Answer (Yonrico): Actually, we get a list of all the songs that we played during that tour and the last 3 times we were in that city. Then we also think about what we played the night before and what we are reaching for. For instance, in San Francisco we wrote all 4 sets at one time but we only repeated 2 songs in 4 sets. -DTB.com

2005 was a special time to be a fan of the Derek Trucks Band. They were riding a groove and pumping out incredible performances. In a field of amazing shows, this one stands out. I saw them in November at the Avalon in Boston, but that show lacked some of the energy from this one earlier in the year. Give a careful listen to interaction between the Trucks and Smallie (bass) on "For My Brother." The bass moves through the song like a funky freight train. Trucks rhythm playing while Mattison sings is interesting to listen by itself, but somehow does so without being distracting. Other stand outs from the night include "Hey Driver! What City?" and "Soul Serenade." The set played out like this:

01) Preachin' Blues
02) Down, Don't Bother Me
03) Chevrolet
04) Hey Driver! What City?
05) Lonely Avenger
06) Soul Serenade
07) Crow Jane
08) I'll Find My Way
09) My Favorite Things
10) I Wish I Knew
11) For My Brother
12) Joyful Noise
(Encore)
13) Rasta Man Chant
14) Freddie's Dead

This DTB show comes to us by way of Chuck Miller. Sound quality is an A with a run time of 1:41:52 The show is encoded in FLAC , for information on how to handle this codec visit etree.org. Photo Credit.