May 7, 2012 in 06, 09, 11, 12, 2, 25, 28, 3, 30, 50, 9, a, acoustic, after, Again, age, all, Also, am, American, an, and, another, Arc, Are, around, as, at, ATLANTIC, attempt, Austin, ban, band, bands, Bass, black, Burn, but, by, Byrne, ca, can, cat, cc, center, chicago, color, Colors, conan, Crowd, cute, dance, dancing, Day, does, down, en, Encore, end, Enjoy, eq, Eve, Famous, fee, fi, final, First, FOR, four, Frenzy, Friend, From, front, gag, gain, Genre, get, gin, glow, golden, Good, great, ground, Guitar, hall, hampton, hi, high, home, How, ice, in, interview, into, is, IT, IX, jam, John, Joy, juice, key, Keyboard, Keyboards, King, know, lang, las, Last, late, leave, Led, Lee, let, light, Like, live, live music, lol, long, lot, love, lover, MA, Main, maine, MI, mix, mod, mouth, Much, Music, My, name, Nat, nate, nc, New, new york, News, NH, night, NJ, no, nothing, NV, ny, of, on, one, op, Open, opening, out, PA, Part, party, Phish, play, player, Pop, post, pro, Pt, rage, rare, raz, read, return, rev, roll, room, row, rs, run, Say, SC, scent, set, show, Shows, So, Something, song, sound, SPAC, St, stage, step, storm, Strokes, style, Summer, super, tab, That, the, third, Thunder, times, to, Too, tour, track, Trip, Trippy, tub, Tube, Tv, two, uic, us, va, van, venue, view, vocal, WA, Walk, we, with, woods, words, york, You, Young, Your, youtube |
Words by: Chadbyrne R. Dickens | Images by: Lauren Ensler
Portugal. The Man :: 04.20.12 :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Brooklyn, NY
 Portugal. The Man by Lauren Ensler |
I heard the whispers amongst friends for weeks. No one likes to be the last to hear about the party, so some even like to pretend to know something they know nothing about. With a strong inclination to learn more firsthand, I eagerly strolled into the Music Hall Of Williamsburg to witness the experience that is Portugal. The Man. The sidewalk had filled up quickly with overtly enthusiastic patrons, loyal to a band that not too long ago toured as the opening act for The Black Key but was now fully prepared to engage in another sold out show all of their own.
The lengthy wait was slightly frustrating for the band to finally own center stage at 11:00 pm. The opening act, The Lonely Forest, energized the crowd proper with a pounding cacophony of guitars led by the strong vocals and stage presence of frontman John Van Deusen. When Portugal. The Man surged onto the stage, the crowd greeting them like a familiar lover, ready to reciprocate with energy and applause, knowing in their bones the band was eager to please. John Gourley (vocals), Zachary Carothers (bass), Kyle OQuin (keyboards) and Noah Gersh (guitar) were lost amidst a sea of interconnected large white bulbs reminiscent of a DNA double helix thread across, up and around the entire stage, with multiple, different color schemes flashing about and creating reflections of band members and casting shadows and silhouettes reminiscent of a 1930s German expressionist film. One easily slid into a seemingly private world of sound and thunder only accentuated by this surreal stage design.
 Portugal. The Man by Lauren Ensler |
When attempting to assimilate into a new bands scene, one can often learn a lot from the veteran or more enthusiastic members of the fan base. A professional living in New York named Melissa possessed such strong affinity for the band she had just the day before travelled four hours down to Baltimore to catch a gig, only to just as eagerly return the following night to do it again near home. A crowd of younger fans stormed me after learning I was writing a review and strongly directed me, You must write a positive review for PTM! They are INSANE! Luckily for me, no ones superlatives or guidance were required to become cognizant that this band is special. I was surprised at the heaviness of their sound an exhausting, throttling, and in your face pounding of heavy guitar riffs on almost every track while melding background harmonies infectiously invaded my auditory senses. The music raged so contagiously hard throughout I was consistently thrown around a bit and constantly pushed while situated in the front row touching the stage, a low-key mosh pit forming near me with one brazen fan diving into the crowd from the stage.
A minimal number of patrons departed the dance floor for a drink or a bathroom run as the band carried on solid for one and half hours. The third song, So American, was the one that initially most involved the crowd, and the catchy, repetitive chorus was the reason why. Another song with instant appeal was apparent when a fan insistently inquired of a dancing stranger, What is this called?!? The dancer responded in matter of fact understanding, Got it All, which is the newly released single. A fan of any genre of music would have trouble not liking this cut. After the sexy single The Woods, the group mixed in a trippy anthem version of Helter Skelter and also shared a solid alternate take of Hey Jude as adulation poured in from the packed house.
 Portugal. The Mans Gourley
By Lauren Ensler |
This group of talented men from Alaska and Oregon has already released six albums since their self-titled debut in 2006. I would not want to be the one tasked to pigeonhole their unique style or delivery into any genre. Portgual. The Man, if anything, throws everything into the mix, including the proverbial kitchen sink in case you need to wash up post-afterglow. Recently, they have achieved monumental gains in popular success. They polished their skills in front of large crowds at Bonarroo the past two summers and at last years Lollapalooza, where someone infamously stole all their gear from the tour van. An intelligent band with a very specific vision, PTM succeeds in exploring a distinctive sound and a place within the current music scene that is rare and thus refreshing and appealing to a listener. Similar to the fresh air pumped into a stale market place by grunge in the early 90s, PTM manages to keep the audience off guard with heavy licks, contagious choruses, and a surprise mix of genres and styles continuously alternated.
The co-founders of the band, Gourley and Carothers, take their stage persona to the next level. Gourley innately makes an impression the moment a note leaves his mouth. Projecting from a quite high vocal register, his range instantly recalls an edgier Adam Levine, Stephen Jenkins when singing falsetto, Ray LaMontagne if he got kicked in the crotch, or even a bit Sebastian Bach. The flawless, high-pitched delivery is effortless, clear, beautiful and pleasurable like a rage-ier, tripped-out Barry Gibb. Meanwhile, Carothers brings exuberance to his performance that is pleasantly contagious with constant jumping and moving and frenetic playing that mirrors how much he loves what he does. His expressive body language and take charge entertainer persona were a far cry from the laid-back, unassuming man I interviewed prior to the festivities this night.
 Portugal. The Mans Carouthers
By Lauren Ensler |
Carothers, a skilled bassist influenced by Claypool/Flea/Commerford, is a cordial, low-key man who spent much time speaking in vivid detail about a variety of topics including his love for music. After we separated, I was most impressed with his modesty, how thankful he was for the upswing in his career, and how he remained steadfast in continuing to work hard creating music others can enjoy. He still beamed when recanting the bands first national TV appearance on Conan as if it happened the night before. Generally, men claim they cant discern when other men are good looking, but I soon learned from many females enthusiastically whooping at this show that he is a bit of a heartthrob. A group of young girls explained that he possesses that cute boy-next-door with-an-edge quality that women in the scene are attracted to a la Marco Benevento.
Carothers said he was eager to record their next album, one he said would be different from the all the others. Who wants to make the same album twice? But, due to the extensive touring, it may not get going until the winter. When I suggested that leaving the indie world behind and signing with Atlantic Records often translates into a band losing control and thus hindering the creative juices, Carothers happily claimed, No, not at all. They let us do basically whatever we want. They are great. How many times does one hear that from an artist? In fact, the day before I spoke with another artist who had been on Atlantic in the 90s who claimed to have left because the label was asking him to make more commercially viable records different times, different strokes. There had been some mystery over the sudden exit of the touring drummer a week prior, requiring PTM to carry on acoustically without a percussion section, but Carothers explained how he departed due to exhaustion, and on this night, with a full complement of players, they didnt miss a beat.
Strangely, as I walked out of an intense night, I felt that urge to walk back in and do it all again. Alternatively, I returned home and settled for a night of PTM YouTube frenzy. Satiated and exhausted, I was satisfied that I could now legitimately claim to know what Portugal. The Man was about. The boisterous crowd had wailed in unison just an hour earlier, Theres madness in us all, and for an hour and a half inside a Brooklyn music hall, the madness in us all was fully unleashed and unfettered, leaving us feeling all the better for it.
Setlist
All Your Light, The Woods, So American, Work All Day, Devil>Helter Skelter, M80, Shade, Floating, The Sun, Colors, Chicago, Got It All, Do You, Golden, Head Is a Flame, My Mind, People Say, Bellies, Sleep Forever Encore: And I
Portugal. The Man Tour Dates :: Portugal. The Man News
JamBase | Not Portugal
Go See Live Music!
Tags: Colors, conan, cute, dance, gin, images, lol, new york, opening, raz, run, strokes, super, trip, veteran
May 5, 2012 in 10, 11, 12, 2, 27, 28, 29, 3, 50, 9, a, acoustic, age, all, am, American, an, and, Are, around, as, at, attendees, Bad, Ball, ban, band, bands, beach, big, blue, blues, book, Boys, brother, brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Burn, but, by, ca, can, center, City, Clapton, Clarence, Clemons, close, COMPLETE, Crowd, dance, Day, definition, down, en, Encore, end, Eve, fairgrounds, fall, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, First, FOR, Free, friday, Friend, From, front, gag, Genre, get, Ghost, gin, give, Good, great, ground, grounds, Guitar, guitarist, hampton, hi, high, How, ice, in, inspired, into, is, IT, jam, jazz, John, jon, key, Keys, King, know, las, Last, late, leave, Led, Lee, lesson, let, light, lights, Like, LITTLE, live, live music, long, lot, love, MA, Made, MI, mike, Much, Music, My, name, nc, New, NH, night, no, NV, ny, of, on, one, op, out, PA, Phish, photos, pk, play, Pot, pro, Pt, r&b, rare, recording, rev, rock, roll, rolling, Rolling Stones, row, rs, run, SC, second, set, show, So, Something, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, spring, Springsteen, St, stage, start, state, stone, stones, story, street, studio, tab, That, the, to, tone, Too, track, Tribute, Trip, two, us, va, venue, view, WA, water, we, Wednesday, Weekend, Ween, with, words, You |
Words by: Andrew Bruss | Images by: Scott Fleishman
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival :: 04.27.12-04.29.12 :: Fair Grounds :: New Orleans, LA
Photo gallery below review!
Between the food, the booze, and tunes crafted by American icons, the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival masterfully displayed to attendees, and the world, just how much New Orleans has contributed to the cultural conversation for generations.
The festival has done a good job of booking a lineup that hosts an overwhelming majority of artists from Louisiana while securing enough big names to ensure satisfying attendance figures.
Jambase was on-site, hopping from stage to stage, to get a feel for who gave the best performances and what fell flat.
Highlights
 Bruce Springsteen by Scott Fleishman |
The Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closed out the weekend with nearly three-hour performance that was light on the hits and heavy on the jazzy-side of things. The Boss brought out Dr. John to play an old R&B standard called Something You Got, following a handful of tunes hed performed off his latest studio release, Wrecking Ball. My City of Ruins served as a tribute to the victims of Katrina, 9/11, E Street big man Clarence Clemons, and anyone the audience had lost who the boss said were with us as ghosts. For audience members who were hoping to hear more of a hits filled set, the Boss killed it with an encore of Born to Run, Dancin in the Dark, 10th Avenue Freeze Out and Rocky Ground.
Bon Iver: To many, this may be considered blasphemy, but Bon Iver blew Springsteen out of the water. It was hands down the most powerful performance of the weekend and everyone who was in attendance seemed to agree. While The Beach Boys played a hits-filled set across the fair grounds on Friday, Justin Vernon and his recently expanded ensemble took their audience to a whole other place. New tracks like Holocene and earlier tunes like Skinny Love gave the audience a rare experience where everyone felt as one. The set closed with The Wolves (Act I and II) and the audience yelling along during the songs climax may have been the loudest any crowd got during the entire weekend. Vernons tunes summon more emotions at once than any current recording artist around. During his show couples kissed, newcomers engaged, and complete strangers danced in each others arms. Everyone wore their heart on their sleeve, and to have been at this show and not be utterly moved would be to not have a soul.
 Tom Petty by Scott Fleishman |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Petty is one of the greatest American songwriters of the late 20th century and his first performance at Jazz Fest did not disappoint. While the middle chunk of the set seemed to give guitarist Mike Campbell a little too much spotlight, tunes like Free Fallin are the definition of timeless, and his one-two punch of Last Dance With Mary Jane into American Girl, might have been the best two songs performed together the whole weekend.
Chuck Leavell & Friends: Leavell kicked off his celebratory set with a cover of Statesboro Blues and didnt let up for over an hour. Leavells been playing keys for acts ranging from Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers to The Rolling Stones, so seeing him front a group was a real treat. His band included the boys from Bonerama, and Leavells performance Friday in the blues tent acted as a history lesson on the genre. Seeing him work the crowd from the front of the stage really gave his audience an appreciation of how much he has learned to hold back when playing second fiddle to Mick and Keith.
Bummers
 Cee-Lo by Scott Fleishman |
Cee Lo Green: This set was a mess from the start. His work as half of Gnarls Barkley made him a star, Fuck You sealed the deal, and now his role on NBCs The Voice has made him a household name. These are all good reasons why he should not have been stuck on the side stage. The audience was so large it literally overflowed into other stage areas, resulting in terrible views and even worse sound. As for his performance, he spent the end of it sitting down because he cant even stay on his feet. Based on his mishaps at other festivals, the promoters of Jazz Fest should have known better than to rely on someone with a reputation for being inherently unreliable.
Bruce Springsteens Sound: The show was great but the sound was poor. The night before, Tom Petty performed on the same stage during the same time slot and had crystal clear acoustics. It may be a result of the size of his band, but the Boss set sounded muffled and was laden with feedback.
Dr John: It may be bad form to give Mac Rebennack poor marks in his own town but a half-assed show is a half-assed show. The Night Trippers pre-Springsteen slot featured a few tunes off his incredible new album, Locked Down, as well as old hits like Right Place Wrong Time, but that didnt save his set from feeling phoned in and uninspired. Even though seeing him sit in with Springsteen was watching history unfold at no point during his Fair Ground appearance did he seem interested in being there.
4/27/12 – 4/29/12 – New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival @ New Orleans Fairgrounds (New Orleans, LA) View Photos
JamBase | New Orleans
Go See Live Music!
Tags: clapton, Eve, festival, Ghost, images, light, photos, r&b, recording, rolling-stones
May 3, 2012 in 10, 12, 17, 2, 25, 3, 30, 50, 9, a, acoustic, age, all, am, an, and, Arc, Are, as, at, Ball, ban, band, brother, brothers, brown, Burn, but, by, ca, can, center, City, cup, cute, dave, Day, dirt, DIXIE, en, end, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, FOR, friday, Friend, From, Funk, George, get, give, Glen, grace, great, hall, hampton, hi, high, How, ice, in, is, IT, IX, jam, jazz, Jimmy, John, Jr, light, lights, live, MA, MI, mouth, My, nc, New, News, no, nocturnals, ny, of, on, one, op, out, PA, Phish, photos, Pot, potter, pro, Pt, rage, rev, rock, row, rs, run, saint, saturday, SC, second, show, So, SPAC, St, stars, string, tab, the, times, to, Tribute, tub, Tube, us, USA, va, van, venue, WA, we, Web, Weekend, with, You, youtube |
WEBCAST INCLUDES MY MORNING JACKET, BON IVER,
GRACE POTTER, ZAC BROWN BAND, FUNKY METERS, AND MORE
As previously announced, select performances during the second weekend of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will be streaming live on youtube. Now, the official schedule has been released. Check it out below. All performance times are in CDT, and select performances will be time-shifted to provide greater festival coverage. Click here to watch the action live this weekend.
Friday, May 4
14:00 Marcia Ball
14:05 Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers
15:00 Roddie Romero & the Hub-City Allstars *
15:15 Papa Grows Funk *
15:25 Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
15:45 Bonerama
16:35 Voice of the Wetlands Allstars *
16:55 Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes *
17:15 Zac Brown Band
17:30 Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A.
19:00 Glen Hansard *
19:00 GIVERS *
19:30 The Dirty Dozen Brass Band *
19:55 Bon Iver *
20:00 Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue *
Saturday, May 5
14:00 Allen Toussaint
14:05 Anders Osborne
14:55 The Dixie Cups *
15:05 Cowboy Mouth *
15:10 Irma Thomas
15:35 Better Than Ezra
16:45 George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners *
17:25 Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone *
17:25 My Morning Jacket
17:55 Zebra *
18:55 Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk *
20:00 Janelle Monae *
Sunday, May 6
14:00 Galactic
14:00 funky METERS
15:15 Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers
15:45 Bonnie Raitt
17:10 Tribute to Alex Chilton feat. Dave Pirner, Alex McMurray, Susan Cowsill, Doug Garrison and Ren Coman *
17:10 Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys *
17:45 The Neville Brothers
18:10 The New Orleans Bingo! Show *
19:00 Creole String Beans
19:40 Preservation Hall and Friends
20:00 Jimmy Buffett, Acoustic – with Mac McAnally *
* Exclusive pre-recorded highlights from Weekend 1
Tags: cup, dave, dixie, friday, friend, hampton, light, nocturnals, Phish, Pot, saturday, spac, update, Web
