PHISH LATE SUMMER 2009 from Phish on Vimeo.

Pre-sale lottery via Musictoday is open now through Sunday, March 22 at 11:59 PM, EDT.
Phish Second Summer Leg includes:

7/30/09 Red Rocks, Morrison, CO
7/31/09 Red Rocks, Morrison, CO
8/1/09 Red Rocks, Morrison, CO
8/11/09 Toyota Park, Chicago, IL
8/13/09 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, NY
8/14/09 Meadows Music Theater, Hartford, CT
8/15/09 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
8/16/09 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
8/2/09 Red Rocks, Morrison, CO
8/5/09 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
8/7/09 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
8/8/09 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA

Notable: Band will return to Red Rocks for firt time since 1996.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written about the Bays. These guys really continue to push the envelope with live, improvised electronic dance music. You might compare them to U.S. acts doing similar styles (the Disco Biscuits, STS9, Lotus), but their whole schtick is that they do not record albums, have songs, or really practice together as a group. They improvise, live and onstage. And they’ve been touring this with this strategy for years.

A while back, I put together a “Best of the Bays” podcast, featuring some of my favorite moments of Bays improv. It’s a good example of their standard live sound. But I recently decided to check back in with these guys, and I came across their latest progression…

The Bays have paired up with an orchestra and a composer to perform their standard set with a seriously cool twist. Through the use of composition software that allows the composer to compose on-the-spot, they’re creating live electronic dance music with an orchestra.

They’ve released a new (free) podcast of their collaboration with the Ensemble at Integra and also have this video that runs through the entire project:

The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra at The Liverpool Phil [YouTube]

This is some groundbreaking shit.

It’s only Saturday and Kurt654 has compiled some solid cuts from Metallica, the Raconteurs, and the Fiery Furnaces from the festivities down in Manchester so far. Here’s a little sample from the Raconteurs:

The Raconteurs – Bonnaroo – Consoler of the Lonely [YouTube]

Hat tip to Stereogum for the link.

Tea Leaf Green cruised through Charlottesville last Thursday night and tore threw two sets of loud, sweaty, guitar-driven rock’n'roll. I hadn’t seen TLG for at least three or four years, so it was cool to re-connect and see how they’ve matured…and matured they have. While they stayed true to their song-driven brand of stretched-out bluesy rock, their sound was more focused than I remember and their confidence was palpable.

Review, photos, and video after the jump…

Tea Leaf Green tends to focus on feel-good, groove-oriented rock’n'roll. I’d say that they fall squarely into the jamband category, but rather than really jam out the improv sections of every tune, they tend to stretch songs within their normal structure. They also jump from one tune to the next to keep up the energy and momentum. It’s a strategy that works pretty well for them, and one they employed nicely in their 1st set on Thursday night. First set highlights included the straight-forward party rock of “Morning Sun,” “If It Wasn’t For the Money” with a sweet opening riff, and a choice cover of the Band’s “Ophelia.”

Their second set highlighted a bit more of their improv chops, with songs being stretched into more experimental territory. Highlights for me were their disco-funk vamp “the Invasion,” and a seriously groove-heavy “Devil’s Pay” and “Sex in the 70s.” Josh Clark plays a mean guitar, and plays a lot of it. He has nicely captured a bit of Trey Anastasio’s soaring tone, but his playing is more raucous and reminiscent of your standard late 60s/early 70s rock gods. On keys, Trevor Garrod found some nice spaces to play with his midi keyboard, setting more of an electronic feel and adding a little bit of the more of the experimental sound I was hoping to hear. Unfortunately, it is that more experimental side that TLG didn’t really give me enough of during this show. There were a few exceptions to this trend during the show, but overall Tea Leaf Green’s songs don’t really push the envelope for me.

Then again, maybe their shows are not really meant to push the envelope as much as I expected. Simple, feel-good rock’n'roll certainly has its place, especially when you add lots of beer and a rowdy crowd. And the folks at the Satellite definitely ate it up. Read on for more photos and some video clips…

The fine folks over at the Butter Room grabbed a few segments on video and also offered a brief review of the show. Here’s a nice version of TLG covering the Band’s “Ophelia” and a pretty kickass “The Devil’s Pay > Sex in the 70s” segment:

Ophelia – Tea Leaf Green from The Butter Room on Vimeo.

The Devil’s Pay > Sex in the 70s – Tea Leaf Green from The Butter Room on Vimeo.

Setlist:
4/17/08 Satellite Ballroom Charlottesville, VA
Opener – Kings of Belmont

Set 1: Georgie P, One Reason > Make A Connection, If It Wasn’t for the Money > Morning Sun, The Garden (Part I) > The Garden (Part II) > The Garden (Part III) > Slept Thru Sunday, Jubilee, Ophelia*

Set 2: Ride Together > Red Ribbons > Lil Hood, Earth and Sky, The Invasion > The Devil’s Pay > Sex in the 70’s, Can’t Get High, Precious Stone, Country Seduction

Encore: Rattlin’, Rapture

Notes: All w/ guest bassist Steve Adams (ALO), *The Band cover

To enter the CD giveaway contest, all you’ve got to do is share your thoughts or memories in the comments section. Although we already have a bunch of good commentary, we decided to keep it open until next week, when we’ll choose our favorite comments as winners for the following prizes:

Top prize: All 4 Island Tour shows on disc and a Phish Tiki Sticker
1st runner-up: Both Nassau shows and a Phish Tiki sticker
2nd runner-up: Both Providence shows and a Phish Tiki sticker

And because there’s just so much good material from this legendary run of shows, I thought I’d include a series of videos that round out one of my favorite segments from the run…

Phish – 040398 – Loving Cup — Antelope (intro) [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Run Like an Antelope [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Antelope – Part II — encore break [YouTube]

Phish – 040398 – Carini [YouTube]

Have a great weekend…but don’t let Carini get’cha!

A little over a year ago, Live Music Blog friend, Gibs, treated us to his thoughts on what he considers to be one of the more complete and perfect sets that Phish has ever played: Set II from the Clifford Ball on 8/17/96.

Due to my recent discovery of some great late-90s Phish videos, I decided it might be cool to connect one of my favorite Phish Friday posts with some of the videos of those same tracks that Gibs featured. I added a little extra commentary on each of these, because I just couldn’t help myself…

Phish – 081796 – Fluffhead – Part II [YouTube]

The ending solo flight from “Fluffhead” is what really gets me. I remember hearing this track during my early days of playing guitar being utterly in awe at how Mr. Anastasio could pull off those amazingly quick little “hammer-on” notes…

Phish – 081796 – Brother

We’re treated to even more of those cool little riffs during “Brother.” The Ben & Jerry’s vocals are a tad silly, but that solo really “slays me” too, Gibs.

Phish – 081796 – Slave to the Traffic Light – Part II [YouTube]

And then there’s the second half of an epic set-closing finale…yep.

You can check out more of silverchair97’s vids here.

Cheers and remember to check back this weekend!

Case in point…this great video of the second half of “Reba” (the improv half) from 4/3/98, a well-known show in Phish history that I was lucky enough to have attended. Although it isn’t a pro-shot video, this clip nicely illustrates the way that Phish’s light man, Chris Kuroda, played a huge role in the band’s stage production and the way Phish improvisations developed. My favorite part comes around the 6-minute mark, when Trey’s solo and the lights come together in a huge crescendo. It’s not only classic Phish, but classic Phish/Kuroda improv. Check it out:

Phish – 040398 – Reba – Part II [YouTube]

I think most Phish fans tend to agree that the four shows the band played in the Spring of 1998 — aka the ‘Island Tour’ — were some of its best. I love them all, but 4/3/98 — the band’s second night at Nassau Coliseum — is probably my personal favorite. It is also one of my more vivid concert experiences. As a result, this is not my first post about this show….and it probably won’t be my last.

A special thanks to the fan or taper that captured the video of this show for all of us fans. On a personal note, I was in an odd position for this show: off to the band’s left side, but way high up in the Coliseum seating. Although it was a really cool vantage point to watch the band’s onstage movements and signals, I never got to see the true brilliance of the full light show until these videos surfaced. Muchas gracias silverchair97!

The Whigs on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’

Letterman: “Power trio Paul?”

Heh. I’d say so…

Pretty solid performance by the Whigs on Letterman last night. And since I’m still listening to this track — which I posted last week — I figured I might as well continue to fluff this band a little more.

Honestly, I wouldn’t say that I’m loving every track from their new album, but this cut and a few others are definitely getting some serious playing time.

White Stripes – Icky Thump – Official Video [YouTube]

In case the video is pulled from YouTube, you can also watch it (and other White Stripes videos) at AOL Music.

Is it just me, or does this song kick some serious behind? More please.

Read on for their updated worldwide tour dates…

White Stripes Summer and Fall Tour Dates:

05-31 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival
06-01 Nuerburgring, Germany – Rock Am Ring Festival
06-02 Nurnberg, Germany – Rock Im Park Festival
06-04 Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
06-06 Rome, Italy – Tenda Strisce
06-07 Milan, Italy – Idroscalo
06-09 Lisbon, Portugal – Alive Festival
06-11 Paris, France – Zenith
06-14 London, England – Hyde Park (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-15 Leeds, England – Harewood House (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-17 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Festival
06-24 Burnaby, British Columbia – Deer Lake Park
06-25 Whitehorse, Yukon – Yukon Arts Centre
06-26 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – Shorty Brown Multiplex Arena
06-27 Iqaluit, Nunavut – Arctic Winter Games Arena
06-29 Calgary, Alberta – Pengrowth Saddledome
06-30 Edmonton, Alberta – Shaw Convention Center
07-01 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – TCU Place
07-02 Winnipeg, Manitoba – MTS Centre
07-03 Thunder Bay, Ontario – Community Auditorium
07-05 Toronto, Ontario – Molson Amphitheatre
07-06 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
07-07 London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre
07-08 Ottawa, Ontario – LeBreton Flats Park (Ottawa Bluesfest)
07-10 Moncton, New Brunswick – Moncton Coliseum Arena
07-11 Charlottetown, Price Edward Island – Charlottetown Civic Centre
07-13 Halifax, Nova Scotia – Cunard Centre
07-14 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia – Savoy Theatre
07-16 St. John’s, Newfoundland – Mile One Center
07-22 Portland, ME – Cumberland Civic Center
07-23 Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
07-24 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
07-25 Wallingford, CT – Chevrolet Theater
07-27 Wilmington, DE – Grand Opera House
07-28 Fairfax, VA – Patriot Center
07-29 North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
07-30 Birmingham, AL – Sloss Furnaces
07-31 Southaven, MS – Snowden Grove Park Amphitheater
09-04 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
09-05 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
09-06 Lincoln, NE – Pershing Center Auditorium
09-07 Fargo, ND – Fargo Civic Auditorium
09-08 Rapid City, SD – Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
09-10 Jackson Hole, WY – Snow King Center
09-11 Boise, ID – Idaho Center Theatre
09-12 Salt Lake City, UT – The “E” Center
09-13 Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium
09-15-16 Austin, TX – Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
09-19 Inglewood, CA – The Forum
09-21 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
09-24 Anchorage, AK – William A. Egan Civic Center
09-26 Seattle, WA – Paramount Ballroom
09-27 Seattle, WA – Paramount Ballroom

The White Stripes Extend Tour Into Fall [via Pitchfork]

After a brief false-start yesterday afternoon, it looks like BeastieBoys.com has now gotten its official makeover. It’s kind of ‘bloggy’ and includes a lot of fun little places to get lost.

And we’ve got yet another video from the B-Boys in the lead-up to the release of their new album, the Mix Up. This one is a simple, black & white studio take for “Off the Grid.”

I think it’s official. The Beastie Boys have become a jamband:

Beastie Boys – Off The Grid [YouTube]

Oh no he didn’t! Yep, I did.…I dropped the “j-word” again. To me this is the B-Boys doing their patent white-boy funk with a little twist in instrumentation. I especially like the opening keyboards.

More please.

Thanks to Culture Bully for the tip.