STS9 | NYC | 10.22.2011

Words By: Carly  Photos by: Nick Irving NEW YORK, NY – In support of their latest EP When The Dust Settles, Sound Tribe Sector 9  (STS9) made a stop in New York City to visit Times Square’s Best Buy Theater (formally the Nokia Theater) and the scene outside was just as busy as the rest of the Square. Fingers were up for the sold out show and even though police were present, the lot kids designated a corner for smoking and selling wraps adjacent to the venue. Getting in was no problem, security was loose and the spacious theater is quite welcoming. DJ opener Polish Ambassador had over an hour before STS9’s set but unfortunately,…

Particle and Shwizz @ Mexicali Live – 9/22/2011

Mexicali Live – Teaneck NJ This past Thursday, Particle and Shwizz co-headlined Mexicali Live in a two team tutorial on everything jazz and funk. Shwizz is a young six piece featuring Gerson Rosen on trumpet, Brad Pfiefer on trombone and 2 percussionists- Andy Boxer and Paul Hollands,  along with Ryan Liatsis AKA Shwizz on guitar,and  lead bass. Their bass player, Frankie Coda, is one of the most dynamic players in the tri-state area,and primed to be the next Bootsy Collins. For their last tune at Mexicali, Shwizz was joined by Particle’s Steve Molitz for a heavy jazz rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” (see video below). Shwizz has been quickly rising from side stage…

YMSB @ The Landing 8.16.11

I had the privilege of seeing Yonder Mountain String Band, one of my favorites, on August 16th in Peoria on the banks of the Illinois River. Before arriving at the venue, Jay Miller (photographer) and I stopped at Richard’s for a quick bite to eat. We stepped outside for some fresh air before our food arrived and were treated to the sight of Jeff Austin, Yonder’s mandolin player, walking by on a jaunt through downtown Peoria. We hollered hello and he waved and continued on his way as cool as a cucumber. That was definitely a highlight of our night and really pumped us up for the show. After a delicious dinner we made our…

Gallery: UV Hippo

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus is a five piece rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan whose strength in original compositions and ability in effortlessly flowing from one genre to another has made them a captivating force in the midwest music scene.  The energy, crowd banter and light show make this band hard to ignore.  It started in the summer of ’04 when a few friends from Big Rapids, Michigan got together for a few low-key jam sessions.  Before they knew it, they had established a couple of sets of music containing fun covers and even some original musings.  As they tried to settle on a name for their new group, they stumbled across a story containing a fictional…

Gallery & Review: Umphrey’s McGee @ Orbit Room | 2011

(Please allow us to introduce a new contributing member of the BTJ team, Victoria Zegler. Zegler is a student at CMU and recently worked with us documenting the Electric Forest Festival for Docufest: Music | Ambiance | Production.) I have a confession to make: This is my first time seeing Umphrey’s McGee live and I am now hooked. Once I was given the opportunity to capture the Chicago based jam band, I was interested to see what all the noise was about. Little did I know you don’t go to an Umphrey’s concert for the madness; you go to witness larger than life improvisation by an incredible group of musicians. When Umphrey’s played the Orbit…

Umphrey’s Mcgee | 7.16.2010 | Meijer Gardens

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Frederick Meijer Garden. Grand Rapids, MI Photos and Words by Benjamin Slayter. Set I: Alex’s House > Made to Measure > Bright Lights > Alex’s House, 2×2, Thin Air Set II: NothingTooFancy> Conduit, Africa, Phil’s Farm > Kula > Phil’s Farm, Gulf Stream, 2nd Self, Night Moves > NothingTooFancy. E: Orfeo, 1348 Stream “Made To Measure” from this show. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Quote of the evening: “Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart would have been able to use Kris Myers’ drum sticks as tooth picks after what happened here tonight.” – Z Brah Zink. When you’re expecting to have you mind blown, things can be…

Phish | Blossom | 06.12.09

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Phish kicked off the 2nd show of the 2010 summer tour with a blistering rendition of The Band’s “Look Out Cleveland” to a crowd of 13,000 ecstatic fans. Talk amongst Phish fans before the show was that after Chicago’s mind blowing event the night before this one would pale in comparison. Phish didn’t let the fans and down delivered for a 2nd night in a row. We had a chance to catch up with Brian from Rochester after the show and he had this to say about the first set. “My first set highlights were Stash, Curtlis Loew, and Mike’s Groove. The composed section of Stash was played flawlessly, and the jam set…

Umphrey’s McGee Delivers Unique Experience at UMBOWL 2010

Lincoln Theater, Chicago - April 24 Umphrey’s McGee kicked off the inaugural UMBOWL in their home town of Chicago to rave reviews. Those who were lucky enough to get tickets were treated to the most unique concert experiences ever. For those of you not familiar with UMBOWL here’s the break down. The show consisted of 4 “quarters.” Each “quarter” was approximately an hour long. The first set was acoustic and the band played songs chosen by the fans. The second quarter featured improvs by the band with suggestions from the fans who sent requests via text. The 3rd quarter was an all electric request set. The 4th quarter was “Choose Your Own Adventure” where the band…

Gallery Umphrey’s McGee | NYE Run 2009 Night 1

The Vic Theatre – Chicago, Illinois 12.29.2009 Set One – Andy’s Last Beer, Walletsworth, In the Kitchen, 40′s Theme, Front Porch*, The Floor, JaJunk Set Two – Preamble > Mantis Ghetts > Pay the Snucka > Mantis > Mantis Ghetts > Mantis > Pay the Snucka, Partyin’ Peeps > Nothing Too Fancy**, Nemo’s Fat Bottomed Good Times Encore Nopener, Steppin’ Razor$ > Nothing Too Fancy Notes * with Little Drummer Boy tease ** with Don’t Fear the Reaper tease $ first time played, Joe Higgs (Peter Tosh) source: umlive.net

Gov’t Mule Rocks The Harbor 08.02.2009 Buffalo NY

Last year we witnessed the band play Art Park in nearby Lewiston NY at probably the best venue in WNY. Gov’t Mule made the trek up river this year and played the best rock/blues in the country for the Buffalo faithful. This year the Erie Harbor Basin was the party spot for the rock legends massive following. The crowd here was the biggest we’ve seen at the waterfront with Warren attracting the old timers, bikers, and the festival kids as well. Warren opened the set with John The Revolver and had those who brought chairs on their feet by the time he got into the 2nd song Banks On The Deep End. Warren opened the…