Phish - Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - 07 August 2015

Phish - Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - 07 August 2015

Live Music Review

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Set One: A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, My Sweet One > Wilson > Timber (Jerry), Roses Are Free, Rift, The Moma Dance, Ginseng Sullivan, Wingsuit, It's Ice > Bathtub Gin

Set Two: Chalk Dust Torture > Tweezer > The Lizards, Makisupa Policeman > Ghost > Harry Hood > Tweezer Reprise

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

     New city.  New venue.  New show.  And I was more than ready for this Phishing trip to ensue.  My first Blossom experience began under the balmy blue of a warm and sunny afternoon sky as we pulled into the lot to commence proper preparations for heading into the show that night.  It was one of those perfect summer days that never gets too hot but keeps leading you back to the cooler for another cold one.  Just the right kind of setting for catching up with friends, meeting new ones, hitting up Shakedown, and getting oneself ready for the tasty Phishy music on its way.  It had been a hot minute since I'd seen the boys from Vermont, so my anticipation level was understandably high.  After a few blissful hours lotting it away in the lot, it was time to head inside the venue for the fun and frivolity we all paid for.  Loved the Blossom as a venue in general, although, it must be said that security was strict and tight and unrelenting and the venue has a long list of prohibited items (many more than most venues - for instance, "No Toys" i.e. hoops, rage sticks, mascots, etc.) so to avoid stressful situations at the front of the long lines just keep this in mind.  Once past all that rigamarole, we descended into the bowl with the gorgeous wooden pavilion stretching up and off to our right and the lawn casting up and around, thousands of folks already in their places and eager to hear those first notes ring out.  We made it to our spots with a few minutes to spare, got ourselves all nice and situated, and then, that's when the magic that is a truly fantastic Phish show all began.

     Phish kicked off this Ohio hoedown under Blossom's impressive and beautiful wooden stage and band shell with "A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing" and with Trey leading things into a mellow jam to get things going, then building with intensity in that fine Phish fashion for a nice, big finish.  Then it was time to get a little bit grassy for the first time that evening with "My Sweet One" as we all "pondered the yonder" with the best of them.  The crowd was already close to bursting with excited energy...and it was only the second song!  Things were shaping up for the makings of a very fine Phish show indeed.  "Wilson!  Wilson!  Wilsoooooon!!" Can you guess which song came up next?  Three guesses and the first two don't count.   A crisp, clean, and kinetic version of this Phish classic blanketed the crowd as we all sang our parts like the happy little heads we were.  It was a very energetic moment early on in the night and one which they took right into Timber (Jerry) the first unexpected treat of the night.  There were to be quite a few of those, gratefully.  And here we had our first true big jam of the evening...nothing like a delicious Timber jam right?  Which swelled and grew and gained some mighty steam before closing things down.  And talk about gaining steam -- this show was quickly moving off the tracks.  For instance, who likes Ween covers?  If you said "I do" then me telling you they covered "Roses Are Free" next should make you happy.  It sure made us happy.  This is definitely one of my favorite Phish covers and their take on it last night did it complete and joyful justice.  Trey was clearly thrilled to be there playing for us, loving every second of his job, the truth of it written all over his grinning face as he jumped up and down to the rhythm.  Like so many others in music, he is such a treat to watch since he shares so freely his experience with this powerful, wonderful music.  Just don't believe the florist, ok?  Another personal fave followed in the form of "Rift" which sounded almost album perfect until they tore things open during the jam and Page showed us just what it meant to "rage" in all the right ways unleashing a storm of keys and notes on us all, his hands a-flurry, the Professor hard at work. Bravo, good sir!  And bravi to the band!  But, of course, they weren't even remotely done amazing us for the evening.  Which meant an excellent, right on the money "The Moma Dance" was next on the menu for our musical feast.  And this crowd was getting really into the show by now, lots and lots of random crowd surges of screams and hoots and hollers and every foot dancing and shaking the ground beneath.  Then we got another rare enough gift and some more bluegrass as another cover unfurled for us.  "Ginseng Sullivan", one more grateful treat.  Many thanks for that one, fellas!  "Wingsuit" followed "Ginseng" and quickly traded its mellower beginnings for one of the larger jams of the first set featuring so much of that delicious Trey guitar that we all yearn to hear not to mention the hundreds of notes emanating from Page side, rage side.  A hell of a tight jam.   Then we got a little "It's Ice" with Page up to the mic to tell us the strange tale of duplicitous identity on the rocks only to have the whole thing breakdown into a nasty good and funky jam and then back out again.  Gotta love you some Phish for just that reason!!  Finally they brought their first set to a close by going straight into a big, scrumptious "Bathtub Gin" which contained the longest jam of the night's first half and intensely and energetically came crashing down into set break.  Damn.  What a first set!

     A healthy dose of rock and roll opened up the second set with "Chalk Dust Torture" and with the fellas throwing down a lengthy, focused jam for good measure, Fishman's metronomic drum spells providing that well-established and so easily recognizable Phish backbone.  Bang, zoom, and we were off again!!  They took "Chalk Dust" directly into Tweezer, those unmistakable chords and riffs driving the audience to the expected frenzy.  Truly this was a great crowd -- way to go, Ohio!!  So into it, so much interaction with the band, so much singing along, and so, so much dancing.  It was a real pleasure to catch a show alongside a Blossom Music Center crowd!  The lengthy "Tweezer" jam began with a smoldering feeling of mystery which built and built and built over the many minutes to another great feeling of pure rock and roll music.  Not to be outdone, Phish then decided to take things into "The Lizards", one of those wonderfully fantastic songs you only hear once in awhile when you get lucky.  And luck be a Lizard tonight!!  Nothing like listening to Trey tell you a tale from Gamehendge like a lovable, nutty insanely musical uncle from Vermont.   Especially "The Lizards".  And especially when Page rips it apart like he did smack in the middle of the song -- another perfect example of one of the myriad reasons we all come to see this sublimely skillful band.  "Makisupa Policeman" came after and reggae-ed things up a bit for this second set with a really funked out and mellow-grooving bass solo from Mr. Mike Gordon.  This they then, in turn, took into "Ghost" for one of the high points of the night.  The jam ended up being one of the most intense of the night with yet one more space filled with the spirit of rock and roll, each string played, each drum head smacked, each key pressed in the full embodiment of the genre, even straying into some hard rock moments.  One of the better "Ghosts" I have seen to be sure.  This elided directly into a "Harry Hood" about which we all felt good.   Because you can feel good, good, good about Hood, you know.  Right into "Tweezer Reprise" for a massively huge ending to this mighty fine show.  Bam.  And the crowd went freakin' mental.  As well they should with all that superb music floating around in their heads and hearts.  But they weren't done yet!!  A Led Zeppelin flew over the pavilion bringing the encore vibe of a bumping good "Good Times Bad Times" to bring the whole shebang to a final end.  A rock solid show all the way around...very impressive.  Great song selection and execution all evening long.  There were several first-timers in our group and I had to marvel at that being a first-show experience for them.  What a sweet deal, right?  All I know is I had a madly fun time all evening thanks to the expertise of those four, venerable Vermonsters.  Many thanks for a hell of a show, fellas, and many thanks to the Blossom for being such a lovely host.  Rock and roll.  Live it.  Love it.  With the Phish.  Money.

The String Cheese Incident - 26 July 2015 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

The String Cheese Incident

26 July 2015 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Set One:  Close Your Eyes > Far From Home, Blue Bossa, Water, Joyful Sound > Miss Brown's Teahouse > Bollymunster

Set Two:  Howard > Tom Sawyer > Howard, Stop Drop Roll, County Road Blues, Sirens, Don't Say > Beautiful > Colorado Bluebird Sky

Encore:  This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) > Jellyfish > I Know You Rider

    Sunday Funday.  And doesn’t that just about sum things up for the third and final night of music with The String Cheese Incident?  After two nights of the musical dynamo tearing Red Rocks to pieces, we were all ready for lightning to strike a third and lucky time as the sun was setting slowly and warmly behind us.  Bathed in the rosy  evening’s light reflected from the red, red rocks all around us, the whole amphitheatre emanated love and joy and happiness, all to be expected from Cheese fans and the Amphitheatre.  Bedecked in the characteristic finery and costumery of our SCI clan, none of us was going to let the last night of the run be a reason to not fly one’s freak flag high and proudly.  Which is just one of the countless reasons I love my Cheese Fam so very much.  Nahko and Medicine for the People simply killed it opening up that evening — I heard tons of positive comments about them from several friends and even more “strangers” (I hesitate to use that word with Cheese Family since those whom you don’t know are just ones you haven’t met yet, however, it’s hard to call them strangers.  It’s a Cheese thing, you see.)  They certainly whipped the audience energy up to a lovely level readying us all the more for some String Cheese in our lives.  And speaking of SCI, why don’t we discuss a bit of music from Sunday’s proceedings?

    An old, but great favorite jumped the whole shebang into life that evening, Kyle Hollingsworth’s familiar voice singing out the lyrics to “Close Your Eyes” as well all began the non-stop dancing that would typify the remainder of our night.  They took this right into a selection from their latest album, Song in My Head, with Billy Nershi up to the mic for “So Far From Home”.  Jason Hann picked up his washboard for this one, sometimes the perfect percussion to back a guy like Nershi.  Not to mention Kyle’s big, ol’ fat solo on organ smack dab in the middle of the song.  Crushed it.  “Blue Bossa” followed with its Latin beat and prolific cowbell providing the perfect rhythm for some serious dancing.  And dance seriously the people did with reckless abandon and hearts full to bursting as Michael Kang picked out a sweet melodic solo line over the top of the energetic ensemble sound.  Up next in the line was a lengthy and powerful “Water” with “Joyful Sound” coming right after.  Another personal favorite of mine, the band knocked this one right out of Red Rocks Park — they really sounded spot on for it.  Kang’s rock-heavy solo in the middle was money as it comes especially when you have Kyle wailing on the keys at the same time.  It was plain to see that the group’s energy levels tonight were at the same astronomic ones as both nights before…and we in the crowd were trying to match that energy.  And it was glorious.  After a wicked closing jam, they took “Joyful” directly into “Miss Brown’s Teahouse” which is yet another favorite of mine from Sunday’s setlist.  Michael Travis laid down the solid phatty beat as Hollingsworth nailed a nasty solo only to hand the reigns to Keith Moseley for a sweet bass run during the central jam.  It was a groovy, chill, and bouncy version all at once that kept the people moving to the music, smiling all the while.  The exotic chords of the instrumental “Bollymunster” heralded the end of “Miss Brown’s” and the beginning of another minutes-long dance fest as we stomped and jumped and laughed and twirled along the packed tiers of Red Rocks.  What a set!  What a setlist!  What a Sunday!  Well, so far that is.  I feel the grand majority of us there present needed that set break more than ever — we are all of us human, after all, and after the way Cheese had rocked it all weekend, many of us were understandably spent…even though we were all full to capacity with the happiness and joy that SCI brings.  Hence the interesting and delightful paradox about shows such as this.  And how about the rest of that show, hmmm?

    Boom.  “Howard” lit the second set afire as Kang nabbed the mic and the band exploded into another hour-and-a-half’s worth of marvelous music.  Nershi threw down a big, bold, boisterous acoustic guitar solo at one point (thanks, Billy!) and later in the song we found ourselves in a tripped-out, very spacey jam that morphed into the classic, intricate, Cheese-style kind of breakdown that is such a distinguishing mark of SCI’s performing.  And then something magic happened.  The notes of “Howard” began to die away as new notes took their place, songs eliding into one another.  And these new notes were so well-known, so accustomed — but what song was it?  And then it hit us all, like a velvet hammer to the forehead.  “A modern day warrior. Mean, mean stride.  Today’s Tom Sawyer.  Mean, mean pride!” Yes, you read that correctly.  A Rush cover.  And “Tom Sawyer” to boot!  Hells to the yeah!  Kang took the vocals and the band proceeded to do an amazing impersonation of that grand Canadian band.  Kyle’s keyboards were perfect, just perfect.  And playing Neal Peart’s drum parts?  Travis and Hann teamed up for an impressive display of percussion skill and acumen that well-nigh mirrored Peart himself.  All so very good.  Another one for which I am eternally grateful.  String Cheese took this right back into “Howard” to finish things up with a monster “Howard” jam.  A super mellow and rather long instrumental interlude led us to the tongue-in-cheek “Stop, Drop, Roll” with its funky almost disco-like feel at points.  Really fun song, that one.  Later down the set it was time for “Sirens”, the minor, almost sinister sounding chords and riffs starting the song up unmistakable from the beginning note.  However, when Moseley hits that chorus, the whole song changes in spirit to the refrain of “I just want to say I love you…”  Man, what a great song and what a great one live.  And this time was no exception whatsoever.  Kyle took the lead next for “Don’t Say” which the band then took into “Beautiful” featuring two pretty amazing solos from Kang and Hollingsworth.  Just what to expect from a Cheese show:  incredible solo work, phenomenal talent and skill, monumental ensemble sound, and fun, fun, fun.  They slid right into the final song of the set from “Beautiful” with Nershi back up to sing us a little “Colorado Bluebird Sky”.  And what a gift that was!  Suffice it to say, that song kills it every time here in Colorado.  What can we say?  And, of course, it’s always nice to get some fast pickin’ from Cheese and, thanks to Billy’s acoustic skills, that’s exactly what we got!  Chill-up-to-quick jamming in full-effect, like they do, Kang and Nershi trading off guitar lines, every member of the band bringing the heat — this was definitely the best version of the song I had ever heard.  It was as if the group was trying to prove something all the way to the end of the show.  Amazing.  But, they weren’t done yet!  One encore?  Nope.  Two?  Hardly.  Three encores??  Yup.  That’s right.  Three.  And Talking Heads up first??  Baller.  “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” kicked off the ‘encore set’ with Kyle heading up the merry band.  This is certainly one of my favorite covers of theirs so I was so grateful to get it before the end of the run.  Great job of it, too, of course.  Not slowing down a beat, Cheese elided the Heads right into their own “Jellyfish” for a wild and crazy version of it.  Sure made a lot of people in the crowd ecstatic.  Billy stopped the lyrics a few lines in only to head off to the side to grab his, presumably, tequila for a cheers and a drink before continuing on and restarting the lyrics.  Classic Nershi.  Love it.  Rocking out pretty hard, the boys brought it until the very end, never slacking in energy or stage presence.  And, just when we thought the final chords were being played, whammo!  The Grateful Dead.  “I Know You Rider”.  In our faces.  Quick and spry and fun and the perfect way to end the juggernaut that was the past three days at Red Rocks.  What a run!  What a combination, String Cheese and Red Rocks!  If you’ve not yet made the pilgrimage to the Rocks, I highly recommend SCI’s next run there as your first.  Incidents in that magical place are truly special things to behold.  And so very worth the time, cost, and effort.  Hope you’ve enjoyed this little Sunday recap.  Happy music in your future, my friends!

A huge thanks to String Cheese, Red Rocks, and my Cheese Family for such a wonderfully wonderful weekend!!

Many thanks to Brady Cooling for his amazing photography!!

The String Cheese Incident - 25 July 2015 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

The String Cheese Incident

25 July 2015 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Set One:  Song in My Head, Eye Know Why, Sweet Spot, Stay Through, Please Send Me Someone To Love, Round the Wheel > Drums > Sweet Melinda > Wheel Hoss, Live And Let Die

Set Two:  Tinder Box > Restless Wind, You've Got the World, Hotel Window, Rivertrance, Way Back Home > Looking Glass > Just One Story

Encore:  Drums > Rosie > Billie Jean > Rosie

    I’m not really even sure how to begin this review.  Not for any bad reason, mind you, to the contrary.  I mean, how does one adequately do justice in a write up of String Cheese?  Especially given the fact that they brought so very much to the table this weekend and then some, Saturday night being no exception.  The Red Rocks scene was picture perfect:  azure blue skies overhead, the sunlight bathing nearby downtown Denver in shining golden light, the green foothills standing verdant and proud, and all of us nestled between the magnificence of Creation Rock and her sister Ship Rock, those iconic ruddy monoliths who hold all concert goers in their gentle, familiar embrace while hearts soar, feet dance away madly, faces melt and joys unleash themselves out into the glorious ether that coats the amphitheatre in its sweet, subtle magic.  And Cheese on the Rocks is always an affair to attend and remember.  Suffice it to say the Cheese boys really like to bring their A+ game to one of their favorite home venues.  Must be incredible to be able to call Red Rocks a “home venue”, no?  Not to mention my Cheese Family — by far my very favorite fan base of any band going.  The sweetest most fun-loving, costume-wearing crazy people in the world and, en masse, a force to be partied with.  There is just something so inherently special about a show with folks such as these:  you always leave fulfilled and soul-filled.  Never mind all the unstoppable smiling and grinning as you survey the entire vista and take it all in, every feather boa, every jellyfish umbrella, every guy in a shark costume.  But I suppose it’s time for some Cheese, eh?

    Night two of SCI’s Red Rocks run opened with Billy Nershi up on lead first with “Song in My Head”.  Kyle Hollingsworth showed instantly he was up for a big night with a monster organ solo, just wailing away as the band grooved along behind.  Already we were off to an auspicious beginning to our evening.  Kyle was then up to the mic for “Eye Know Why” which got down and funky and blissfully bass-heavy for a bit in the middle.  The next song saw guest singers Rhonda Thomas and Tony White join the band on stage, and man were they fabulous.  “Sweet Spot” featured a particularly tight solo from Michael Kang as well as the extra voices.  Great additions to the show!  The sweet and tender syncopation of “Stay Through” (from their most recent album Song in My Head) followed with Kang on his usual lead.  Then we had a nice bluesy little number in the form of B.B. King’s “Please Send Me Someone to Love” with the supremely talented Rhonda Thomas on lead vocals — what a performance!  Wow!!  Love hearing my Cheese get down like that!  Then we got the tried, true, triumphant old school “Round the Wheel” which was a delight for experienced Cheeseheads and first-time Incidenters alike.  Always nice to hear an old friend.  Plus, the lengthy mellow jam in the mid section didn't hurt things much either…especially when it turned intense on us.  Classic SCI.  Loved it.  Oh, and a quick mention about their new lighting design and set-up:  HOLY SCHNEIKIES!!!  Lasers, fog machines, tons of new colored spots and backlights — it must have cost a fortune.  However, it was certainly put to marvelous use all weekend not to mention during “Round the Wheel”.  Bravo to all those responsible for this new direction!!  After Michael Travis and Jason Hann’s wicked percussion duet at the end of “Round” the band went directly into “Sweet Melinda”.  A dirty good Kang-led breakdown ensued with Keith Moseley laying down some fat, fat bass (in addition to the song’s vocals) while Nershi strummed like a madman playing to Kang.  Again, more of that classic Cheese feeling that we all come for.  And they still weren’t done with the set!  Kang busted out the fiddle for “Wheel Hoss” which followed “Melinda” — a bit of fast pickin’ to round out the night.  Not bad at all.  Finally, saving the best for last, Rhonda and Tony rejoined the band for the simply stunning cover song:  McCartney’s “Live and Let Die”.  A Beatle and a Bond song all wrapped in String Cheesy goodness??  Yes, please!  I’ll order a dozen!  And they just freakin’ killed it, even Cheesing it up in the middle, Kang and his instrument crooning to the crowd.  One of the absolute highlights of the weekend for me.  And it was only set break.  Hard to imagine.

    And then it was Set Two.  And we were all so ready for it.  All the hoopers on standby, every foot poised for dance, all the rage sticks a-ragin’…so ready.  Things kicked off with a banging “Tinder Box”, those familiar guitar and other electrified strains so recognizable to the myriad fans on countless tiers rising as if to the very skies.  More big riffs and rock from Kang during his solo here, helping to make up such an important part of that ‘SCI Sound’.  This, in turn, they took into another beloved standard:  “Restless Wind”.  The guest singers came back out for the organ and percussion-heavy “You’ve Got the World” which followed and which had a really nice groove to it.  Very danceable.  Bill took things down a bit for us all with the mellow “Hotel Window” but the boys instantly shoved things back into ‘Ludicrous Speed’ with Kang jumping up on fiddle again for that incomparable, intense, impossibly incredible insanity that is “Rivertrance”.  I was already getting exhausted from the nonstop dancing…but there was more Cheese.  Had…to…press…on.  That’s when a really tight three-song combo started off with “Way Back Home” which contained a sizable, spacey jam and went directly into the Nershi-led “Looking Glass” (another track from their most recent album) and eliding right into Kang singing “Just One Story” to close out the second set.  Whoa.  What a freight train of musical goodness that was!  And then there was a huge encore set that night leading off with Dave Watts (The Motet) and Jeremy Salken (Big Gigantic) joining Jason on his kit for a four man drum and percussion exhibition along with Travis.  So many beats, so much rhythm!  And things just kept rolling — right into a huge, fat, awesome “Rosie”, purple, green, magenta, blue lights all aflutter to the unmistakable chords from Kyle at the keys.  We all danced and jammed and got our Cheese on encore-style when the song began to morph.  But to what?  Ears straining for recognition.  And then the notes hit you, those ones burned into your memory since childhood — there is never mistaking the sound of a Michael Jackson song.  “Billie Jean”??  Are you kidding me???  Tony White grabbed the mic for this solo and he just nailed it to the wall.  And the band?  Killer.  Thriller.  You name it, they were magnificent.  Another huge highlight of my weekend with Cheese on the Rocks.  But they weren’t done yet!  They took a big turn right back into “Rosie” for the big, big finish filled with “Billie Jean” teases and even a “Crosseyed and Painless” tease.  I mean, what more could you ask for?  I certainly couldn’t and didn’t as the show finally drew to a close, just so happy for all I had seen, all I had heard.  My joy factor was riding high — the perfect way to leave a Saturday show such as this.  What a weekend so far!  Certainly made the prospect of a Sunday show all the sweeter…but you’ll have to wait for that one.

Many thanks to Brady Cooling for the incredible photos!!

Stay tuned for Sunday!!

The Brummy Brothers - 23 July 2015 - Cervantes’ Other Side - Denver, CO

The Brummy Brothers

23 July 2015 - Cervantes’ Other Side - Denver, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Setlist:  Cruisin’, No Good, Quiet Life, Jersey Devil, Hub City Hoedown, Time on My Hands, War Pigs, Light, Cell Phone Blues

    Rounding out their three night Colorado run, the Brummys found themselves back in Denver, this time at Cervantes’ Other Side.  A perfect venue for a hat trick show.  Talking with the band members beforehand, I was able to tell just how excited they were to be playing at Cervantes’ so I knew to expect a really great one from them.  A what a set it was, too!!  Dave Brumberg was up to the mic first for the light and lovely “Cruisin’” — well, light and lovely up until the nasty good breakdown at the end of the song featuring a super long mandolin solo from Eric Brumberg even including a little Beethoven tease with some “Ode to Joy”.  Quite a way to kick things off!  Things continued with Andrew Morris on vocals for “No Good” and what better way to get a sense of this song and its central jam than to take a watch, right? 

The Brummys finished out their three night Colorado run in Denver at Cervantes' Other Side on 23 July 2015. Here is there second song of their set...enjoy!!

The tale of two juxtaposed individuals followed with “Quiet Life” — “you reach for the Bible and I reach for the knife.”  Yeah, sounds pretty juxtaposed to me.  Fun song, though, especially given Russell Gottlieb’s incredible banjo solo and Andrew’s amazing solo on guitar.  Then it was time for more grit and attitude with “Jersey Devil”, a song I was beginning to know rather well.  This one was probably the most energetic of the three nights, and the crowd certainly dug it.  And I certainly dug Russell’s super jazzy, funky banjo work during “Devil” — that dude has some serious chops, no doubt!  Instrumental time?  You bet your boots!  “Hub City Hoedown” was a throw down-and-a-half addition to the setlist that evening.  And the people were dancing, everyone seemed to be responding to the music.  A lot of smiles and a lot of cheering.  Just what you want as a band, I’d imagine.  Then Dave was back up to the microphone to sing us a really nice “Time on My Hands” which contained a fantastic guitar solo from Andrew and superb one on mando from Eric.  Oh and that sizzling solo from Russell on banjo.  Just more fine examples of the excellent musicianship of this group.  Who thought they’d get some Black Sabbath, grassed-up style?  I certainly hadn’t until the first strains of “War Pigs” rang out on mandolin.  Yet another really well-imagined and well-executed cover from this band, something I was coming to rely upon from them.  And they knocked “War Pigs” right out of the park throwing in a supremely long and dirty jam towards the end.  Next up was “Light” (which has those amazing harmonic progressions that I really liked from their first CO show) followed by their last song of the evening, “Cell Phone Blues”.  A bouncing, boisterous, and pretty funny song, it made for a great closer, hard drivin’ fast pickin’ right up until the end.  What a bow to tie around a great run here in Colorado, fellas!!  It was great getting to know both you and your music…definitely looking forward to my next Brummys show.  Until then, SHAKE YOUR BRUM!!

The Brummy Brothers - 22 July 2015 - Owsley’s Golden Road - Boulder, CO

The Brummy Brothers

22 July 2015 - Owsley’s Golden Road - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

    Brummys.  Boulder.  Bring it.  Nothing like heading to a show a mere few blocks’ walk from The Lot Scene’s Colorado office.  Certainly makes for an easily accessibly night of music…and I was definitely looking forward to more Brummy Brothers in my life.  Anchoring down another awesome Dead bar, the fellas took to the outdoor stage (ah, outdoor shows in the summer — is there anything nicer?) just after eight that evening.  They opened things up with a little “I Know You Rider” tease during sound check which was a nice little intro to the night.  Then the show proper began with a track from their album called “60 Miles to Boston” with Dave Brumberg on lead vocals.  My camera was rolling for this one, so please enjoy: 

The Brummy's hit up night two of their Colorado run on Wed the 22nd of July at their Boulder debut -- Owsley's Golden Road. A great outdoor show under some amazing skies. Shake your Brum!!!

Next up was Andrew Morris on vocals for “Wise and Jaded”, continuing the mellower vibe for the evening.  Great song with an easy groove.  After that we got a really nice “Blue Ridge Blues” featuring Eric Brumberg singing lyrics for us.  He also graced us with a long and lovely mandolin solo before things were through — really gorgeous.  Well done.  Then it was time for a perfect cover choice for the mild and gorgeous summer evening:  The Beatles’ “Day Tripper”  which had Dave back up to the mic.  Like all their covers I have heard so far, I really enjoyed their version of this classic song.  Playing around with tempo and rhythm, The Brummys possess a transformative element in their approach to cover songs that truly change the original into something fresh and new.  The mellow “No Good” (another track from their album, On Our Way) followed the Beatles up with Andrew on lead vocals, the song transitioning into a heated breakdown at the end with Russell Gottlieb just destroying the banjo in such a wickedly wonderful way.  I really enjoy his playing style all the more I see them perform.  Later on in the set I got another incredible musical gift from The Brummys:  they played more Pink Floyd.  And for me as fate would have it.  Their “Money” was, in a word, money.  Not an easy song to do justice to, but Dave’s stellar vocals plus the double-time mid section plus the excellent mando solo from Eric really made for a fantastic version of this iconic classic rock song.  Just another hallmark of how versatile and broad this New Jersey band really is.  One hell of a solid way to end their first set!!  Thanks again for the Floyd, boys!!

    The second set opened with a couple of Andrew-led songs, featuring some of that really tight harmony singing that I have come to admire in this band as well as a blistering, crazy good guitar solo from Mr. Morris.  Afterward we got the rollicking and darkly intense “Jersey Devil”, a song I was very glad to hear again that night.  Really growing to dig that song.  Then the band channeled their inner Peter Rowan throwing down a superlative “Moonlight Midnight” — what an unexpected treat.  Later on down the set it was time for more Colorado love in the form of “Weed, Whiskey, and Women”.  Certainly went over well with the University of Colorado crowd at Owsley’s that night.  There was a monster, monster jam at the end of this one with magnificent solos from Russell, Eric, and Andrew — really amazing music.  A third cover comprised the final song of the evening, this time “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen.  Excellent choice.  Bravo!!  A fast pickin’ string band version of this song is something to be heard, my friends.  And the big, bold breakdown at the end?  Marvelous.  Very well done, indeed!!  Another great show from these boys from back East.  More to come from them tomorrow down in Denver…can’t wait for another set!!