The Allmans Brothers Band is once again slated for its annual “Peakin a the Beacon” thang, but this time the band will do a 13-night run of shows at the famous NYC venue (which is apparently getting restored after being bought by the folks who own MSG). And even better, it looks like Derek Trucks will be playing lead (slide) guitar alongside Warren Haynes.

the Slip continue to get some well-deserved hype…this time as the featured artist on AOL Music’s Interface

The guys that put on Bonnaroo said “screw it” and just went ahead and bought the farm — looks like they’re planning on keeping the festival in Manchester, TN for a while

The New Democratic Congress: A bunch of hippies at heart? — the incoming Dems celebrated with “Your House Band” made up of Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, Bruce Hornsby, Bill Kreutzmann, Warren Haynes, and Mike Gordon (setlist and deets here)

So after his arrest last month, Trey appeared in court and it sounds like he may have had heroin on top of all of those “powerful pills.” Ouch. Trey, go clean up buddy!

The 2007 South by Southwest festival is shaping up nicely. The initial artist line-up has been announced and includes the Stooges, Interpol, Lily Allen and Bloc Party. Also, the keynote speaker is Pete Townshend of the Who, and other speakers/interviewees include: David Byrne, Emmylou Harris, Gilberto Gil, Terry McBride, Rickie Lee Jones, Booker T, and Joe Boyd

Keller Williams has lined himself up with quite a spring tour

New Jimi Hendrix track found?!?!

So much for that break to “get his life in order” or whatever he used to mask what we all knew was rehab.

Ouch, that certainly doesn’t help his already worsening condition of “wankerific guitar-playing” and weak songwriting, which is just a bit too “adult contemporary rock” for LMM.

Hate to rip into Trey so much, but he’s just been making it too easy over the last few years.

(Thanks to Los for the tip!)

Trey Anastasio, ex-Phish frontman, is playing’ a two-night stand in Chicago at the Vic, tonight and tomorrow night. If this were any time that Trey did a solo spot between the years of 1999 and 2002, I‘d have definitely gotten off of my butt for the mid-week show and checked him out. But I won’t be there tonight or tomorrow night. I have more on WHY below, but let’s just sat that what I’ve heard from his studio and stage projects of the last few years has been unimpressive. And all this from a guy who has done so much to shape my musical interests, my guitar playing, and my openness to improvisation.

In honor of the occasion, I’ve decided to post a sampling of the original Trey Anastasio Band, formed back in the spring of 1999, when it was just a little side-project for this prolific songwriter/lead guitarist. This original line-up holds a sweet spot in my music collection. Perhaps this is because the original Trey solo tour was just a novelty and all the Phish fans new he’d be back with the band later that summer. Trey set himself up with a relentlessly groove-oriented rhythm section that served as a simple backdrop for his experiments with looping effects and guitar-madness. The line-up and the selected tracks from this show–from 5-13-99 in Binghamton, NY–are not perfect, but I selected them because they expose the raw experimentalism of Trey when he originally went out on his own. And it’s a side that, in my eyes, he has been unable to capture for some time now (although, I admit his other more expansive line-ups after 2000 certainly had their moments). Perhaps I’m just stuck on the nostalgia trip or maybe I haven’t opened up to Trey’s new sound? Maybe his new line-up will breathe new life, but until I hear otherwise, I’m sticking to some of the old stuff. Here’s the run-down of tracks with a little commentary for each:

• Get Back on the Train (early acoustic version)
• Billy Breathes (a beautiful version w/ Trey on piano)
• Gotta Jiboo (with cool looping effects w/ a funk breakdown)
• Windora Bug (experimental looping effects over mellow reggae groove)
• Wind Cries Mary (decent Hendrix cover)
• First Tube (with lots of guitar theartics, and just a great example of what this guy could pull off with that axe)
• Sand (a long/dark version + more experimental madness with the guitar loops)
• Ooh Child (a little cheesy, but somehow it still feels alright)

more…

WHY I won’t be there (the long version)

So last I saw Trey was when he teamed up with former Phish bassist, Mike Gordon, plus the duo of Marco Benevento and Joe Russo (who I’ve been digging for quite some time, and whose album is linked to Amazon through this site; down and to the right ->). They toured as a blockbuster line-up this summer, dropping the Duo’s patent punk-jazz craziness along with some Mike and Trey originals. Mike Gordon was as funky and tasteful as always, and there were moments of greatness and nostalgic glimpses back into the sheer revelry of a Phish summer tour. When the two sat down for a few songs on acoustic guitar and banjo, it was once again, simply all good on a beautiful summer night.

But something about that concert bugged me; Trey was throwing out some great guitar licks but when he stepped up to the plate with his own tunes, I couldn’t help but think his ability to craft a solid tune had suffered. Trey was never a great vocalist, but he could usually make up for it with a great guitar lick, a rockin’ chorus, or just “something else” out of his bag of tricks. But it wasn’t there. His songs were more of an awkward “adult contemporary” style and failed to move the crowd—though, they were the perfect time and excuse to hit the bathroom and get a beer.

So when I recently heard the announcement of his new album “Bar 17″ and a tour including a two-night stand at the Vic, rather than hop at the chance to see a (former?) guitar hero, I sort of shrugged it off until I could read a review of his latest album or hear some opinions on his latest line-up. Well, then I read this Jambase review of “Bar 17.” The online publication that would normally fawn over anything Trey offered a mixed review, thoroughly reinforcing my recent impressions of Mr. Anasatsio. I also gave a listen to the Relix Radio podcast of “Bar 17″ and decided that I felt the same as the Jambase reviewer: I was a bit confused about its direction (what an odd attempt at falsetto vocals), but more importantly, my feeling was something more along the lines of “meh.” And then I read the full feature on Trey and, though I felt a bit bad about all the criticism (including my own), I simply do not feel as if I’m a fan that’s “mad” at him because of a turn in direction (as the article suggested and offered the analogy of Dylan’s old folkie fans anger at his “going electric”). It’s more that I’m uninterested and lacking in emotional reaction. I’m not a mad fan, just not really all that much of a fan…and honestly, it’s a bit of a bummer, because I’d like to get excited about it. But there’s so much good music, so many great live bands, and so many other amazing guitarists out there to be a fan of these days, so why waste my time?

So I won’t be at the Vic tonight or tomorrow night. If I had all kinds of cash and no day-job, I’d probably check it out, but it’s not going to “get me off the couch.” I’ve just been too unimpressed with Trey’s solo output too many times over the last few years. That said, I’m hoping he will prove me wrong. I recently mentioned all of these thoughts to a friend and, although he agreed about my most recent impressions, he suggested the possibility that Trey was going through a kind of “Clapton in the 80s” cheesy phase and would be eventually be back. Let’s hope that’s the case, but for now, I’m sticking with the original line-up and checking out other up-and-coming live bands.

A few fall tours not to miss

…with Chi-town shows noted for my local peeps.

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The Benevento-Russo Duo

Fresh off a full summer tour with ex-Phish members, Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, and their stellar performance at Lollapalooza, the Duo (Marco Benevento and Joe Russo) continue their path towards world domination. I like to thing of them as the punk-jazz duo, but not only do they sound like much more than just a Duo, it’s hard to do them justice by branding them with any genre labels (though I still like the “punk-jazz” stamp and think it fits quite nicely).

They’re in Chi-town: 10/7 @ the Park West

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My Morning Jacket (w/ the Slip in support for several dates)

In my opinion, this is a perfect match-up with these two bands playing together. I’m loving the two tracks I’ve heard from the Slip’s forthcoming release (available at their site). There’s just something about Brad Barr’s vocal delivery and the way the bass and guitar interact that feels right about this band.

And I can’t believe it took me until this past Spring to get into MMJ. Jim James’ (add the usual “reverb-drenched” descriptor) vocals just hit you in the chest and their big-stage sound has just the right amount of added textures and harmonies to create something unique. “Z” continues to be on my list of favorite albums of ’05, and the band is about to release a double live album, called “Okonokos,” on Tuesday, 9/26. They delivered a really solid performance at Lollapalooza this August, so I can’t wait to check out this match-up at the Riv this November.

In the Chi: 11/24 @ the Riviera Theater

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Beck

And then there’s Beck, who just recently made the cover of Wired for his bold approaches to releasing his music in various formats, chunks, and mediums. Beck’s always been a pioneer, and it looks like he’s ready to release yet another “album,” (if that’s really what it’s going to be). Whatever it is, it’s called the Information, and he’s headed on a small tour in support of it. If you’re a music fan who’s into getting into the “process” then be sure to read that Wired piece, because Beck is definitely helping turn the standard album-releasing practice on its head.

He’s in Chi-town: 10/14 @ UIC Pavillion

• The latest tour buzz on the Phantasy Tour message boards, is that ex-Phish frontman, Trey Anastasio just announced his summer tour plans (on Sirius’s JamON17 channel). He’ll be playing with fellow Phish bassman, Mike Gordon, and the Benevento-Russo Duo (Marco Benevento and Joe Russo). The group will also play alongside Phil Lesh & Friends for a three-week tour (it is yet to be confirmed who will open for whom). Details are still a bit vague.

• Apparently, Trey also said he hopes to see Phish back together some day. We’ll see…they already pulled that trick one time.

• Previously, Mike Gordon has toured with Benevento and Russo, but the addition of Trey Anastasio could will definitely change their dynamic. Either way it goes down, it’s certainly an interesting development and bodes well for the young duo from NY. More on this when the offfical announcement is released (Phil’s site says May 2nd).

• LMM really digs the punk-jazz craziness that the Duo brings to the stage. With just the two of them and a few gadgets, these guys can really put together some interesting sounds and make a hell of a lot of noise!