Hampton Phish – 2009 Hampton, VA Phish Video and Audio Clips

Signal Path

Kicking off on March 18 for a weekend of shows in the North West, live electronic
artists Signal Path are pleased to announce their U.S. Spring Tour 2010. The tour includes
SP’s highly anticipated return to the East Coast, a string of shows with friends Two Fresh, and their first Montana dates since the band’s return to the national tour circuit. Signal Path are also thrilled to play some brand new markets in the Midwest, West Coast,
and in the SE on top of a late night Jazz Fest Appearance in New Orleans! Signal Path will be debuting new music throughout the run off of their forthcoming full-length
album due out September 2010.

Tour Dates

Mar 18 – WOW Hall – Eugene, OR

Mar 19 – Crown Room – Portland, OR

Mar 20 – Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA

Mar 25 – Cooper’s Ale Works – Nevada City, CA

Mar 26 – BLU Nightclub – South Lake Tahoe, NV

Mar 27 – SE7EN – Reno, NV

Apr 2 – 412Market – Chattanooga, TN

Apr 3 – The Pour House – Charleston, SC

Apr 9 – Zebra Lounge – Bozeman, MT

Apr 10 – The Top Hat – Missoula, MT

Apr 14 – The Higher Ground – Burlington, VT *

Apr 15 – TT the Bears Place – Cambridge, MA *

Apr 16 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY *

Apr 17 – MarBar – Philadelphia, PA *

Apr 22 – Boom Boom Room – San Francisco, CA

Apr 24 – Arcata Theatre – Arcata, CA

Apr 30 – The Dragon’s Den – New Orleans, LA **

May 21 – The Strutt – Kalamazoo, MI

May 22 – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI

* with Two Fresh

** Jazz Fest Late Night (set starts early morning 5/1)

Signal Path Tour Dates :: Signal Path News :: Signal Path Concert Reviews

Words & Images by: L Paul Mann

Experience Hendrix :: 03.04.10 :: Arlington Theatre :: Santa Barbara, CA

A sold out crowd packed the elegant Arlington Theatre for the opening salvo in a guitar heavy super tour of legendary American axe-men. The Experience Hendrix Tour was born out of the first Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Festival in 1995. This first tribute concert was the headline act at Seattle’s (Hendrix’s hometown) annual Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival. That show spawned more than a decade of similar tributes, culminating in what is now the second year of a nationwide tour.

The testosterone-laced atmosphere was evident not only in the all-male musical lineup onstage but also in the lobby, where the usual long line to the girl’s restroom was replaced by one to the men’s room. The mostly male baby boomer crowd had come to see generations of guitar wizards perform some of Hendrix’s most beloved songs. Along with the ten guitar gods, a rotating stage of supporting musicians, including Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton and Hendrix’s only surviving compatriot, bassist Billy Cox, brought the music to life in evolutionary ways.

The undisputed king of the electric guitar produced a treasure chest of music in four short years. His first album, 1967’s seminal Are You Experienced?, introduced the world to his distorted, blues inspired, psychedelic guitar playing. His revolutionary sound and style continue to influence almost every guitarist alive today. On his second album, 1967’s Axis: Bold As Love, Hendrix mostly turned down the distortion to reveal more inventive guitar playing and songwriting. His final album with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968’s double-album Electric Ladyland, pushed electric guitar to the outer limits of sound.

After The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up, Hendrix joined up with bassist
Billy Cox, with whom he had played in the army in the early 1960s. Cox was on board for Hendrix’s legendary Woodstock performance and the stellar live Band of Gypsys, the last album that Hendrix officially authorized before his untimely death in 1970. Cox is the last surviving member of Hendrix’s core band and provided pivotal bass for many of the songs at this concert, which reverently paid tribute to Hendrix.

Several generations of the nation’s best electric guitar masters took the music in a multitude of directions. The first part of the show covered much Hendrix-inspired territory, including a smoking opening set with Cox and Chris Layton joined on guitar by Ernie Isley from The Isley Brothers, who employed Hendrix as a touring guitarist before he made it big. Isley told a story about being an 11-year-old boy when Hendrix came to live at his house for two years.

Living Colour brought a whole new generational take on the music with a less bluesy, more modern, heavy metal style. Doyle Bramhall II brought the pace down with his trademark acoustic and pedal steel guitar picking, before launching into a few more electric numbers with Los Lobos‘ David Hidalgo.

Eric Johnson’s set included an awesome version of “Are You Experienced?” that nicely simulated the backwards guitar effects from Hendrix’s studio version. Next up was a high-energy set by Jonny Lang joined by Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, which began with a heated version of “Fire,” followed by a soulful take on “The Wind Cries Mary,” and ending with “Spanish Castle Magic” with extended guitar soloing.

Then came Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who displayed the best Hendrix-like guitar jams of the evening. Joined by singer Noah Hunt (Kenny Wayne Shepard Band), Shepherd ripped through “I Don’t Live Today” and “Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)” before the masterful slow blues of “Voodoo Chile,” which morphed into the concert highlight jam of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Shepherd seemed to channel Hendrix at this point, including playing guitar behind his head a la Hendrix himself.

In the next set, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos played tastefully, including a nice take on the beautiful “Little Wing,” but they had the unenviable task of following Shepherd, who had whetted the audience’s appetite for guitar heroics. One very awesome historic moment occurred during their set when they were joined by 78-year-old Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who offered up “Killing Floor,” a song that Hendrix memorably covered at the Monterey Pop Festival.

This was followed by the pairing of Living Colour and Joe Satriani for a set that included “Third Stone From the Sun,” “Foxy Lady” and “All Along the Watchtower.” All featured impressive shredding by Satriani, in his progressive, electronic style, that may have been the direction Hendrix himself was heading just before his untimely death.

The show ended nearly four hours after it began with Hendrix’s first single “Hey Joe,” a jam session involving Hidalgo, Rosas, Whitford, Satriani and Billy Cox.

The new Experience Hendrix tour coincides with the release of Valleys of Neptune, a collection of previously unreleased Jimi Hendrix music (JamBase review).

Continue reading for more pics…

Ernie Isley – Experience Hendrix Tour

Ernie Isley – Experience Hendrix Tour

Eric Johnson – Experience Hendrix Tour

David Hidalgo – Experience Hendrix Tour

Doyle Bramhall II – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang & Brad Whitford – Experience Hendrix Tour

Brad Whitford – Experience Hendrix Tour

Vernon Reid – Experience Hendrix Tour

Living Colour – Experience Hendrix Tour

Vernon Reid & Joe Satriani – Experience Hendrix Tour

Joe Satriani with Living Colour- Experience Hendrix Tour

Joe Satriani – Experience Hendrix Tour

Cesar Rosas – Experience Hendrix Tour

Hubert Sumlin – Experience Hendrix Tour

Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Experience Hendrix Tour

Experience Hendrix Tour

Experience Hendrix Tour Dates :: Experience Hendrix Tour News :: Experience Hendrix Concert Reviews

JamBase | Electric Ladyland
Go See Live Music!

Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Dave Vann

Big Light/Everest :: 03.04.10 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA

Rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well, and I know this because of another faith affirming night at The Independent. There’s so many winning, pleasure inspiring aspects to rock as it is that often the best times occur when bands simply rub our noses in all the musky, tormented, turned-on, foot stomping things that keeps the genre rolling along. However, this only really works if the participants onstage truly believe rock has the power to liberate us – a potential beyond merely putting together songs and playing them for folks. And the sweat and strut of all three bands on this bill announced that they’d long ago committed their souls to the cause and were ready to take the rest of us along with them.

Entering to the seductively curved, thick vibe of Guns For San Sebastian one felt in their bones that good times lay ahead. That’s a powerful trick up any group’s sleeve, and GFSS kept up this sleight-of-hand throughout their tight, dynamic set. This S.F.-based quintet plied dead sexy material and looked good doing it in suits and ties. There’s a touch of Bad Company and Prince to them, particularly the exposed, potent pipes of lead singer Charlie Marvin and the jazz-inflected grope of lead guitarist Lorne Smith. The blues are also in the mix, and I’m talking 1960s electric revival blues, the kind that sells shots and gets folks laid. Just based on this small taste, Guns For San Sebastian are well worth looking into. And hipster bonus points for naming themselves after a fab ’60s spaghetti western featuring Charles Bronson and Anthony Quinn.

Watching Everest writhe dexterously it was hard to escape the feeling that we were witnessing the ascent of one of today’s great rock bands. Loaded claim but everything about these Los Angeles vets screams “classic,” right down to their rumpled, charismatic look and everything-on-the-table energy. While only officially a few years old, this band boasts guys who’ve been chasing the dream for years in different bands before coalescing in Everest in 2008. Russell Pollard (lead vocals, guitar, drums, lyricist), Jason Soda (guitar, keys, vocals), Joel Graves (guitar, keys, vocals), Elijah Thomson (bass, vocals) and Davey Latter (drums, percussion) offer quality craftsmanship in songwriting, musicianship, studio savvy and live execution, a callback to a time when band’s earned their stripes and honed their individual sound through long miles, constant vigilance, naked musical curiosity and unrelenting dedication to bettering their music at all times. Little wonder that they’ve attracted the attention of Neil Young, whose Vapor Records put out Everest’s debut, Ghost Notes, and will release their stunning sophomore spinner On Approach on April 20, 2010.

Dan Lebowitz (ALO) w/ Big Light :: 03.04 :: San Francisco

While the crowd was packed with Big Light’s hometown faithful, those that tuned into Everest mostly wound up wowed and a touch slack-jawed. Heavy, befuzzed new one “I’ve Had This Feeling Before” piled on triple guitar goodness and was one of several numbers that felt like future concert staples likely to evolve into extended, shattering workouts. The sense of barely tapped but enormous potential lurks within all the new cuts, and the dovetailing evolution of the earlier catalog feels like everything is coming into sharp focus for Everest. As Ms. Penny Lane once said, it’s all happening.

Everest understands the power of amp shaking bigness and the smaller potency of pop shorthand, often exhibited in their concise track lengths and lyrical bent, which anchors universal lines like “I need time to make this right” or “It’s good to be alone” to fully developed melodies textured with care by the entire band. With one of the finest, most versatile, least guarded lead singers going and an interlocked group unity, Everest was by turns lovely and shaking, aggressive and feather light, jangly and mean, jammy and focused. If you met them even halfway during this set you found rockers who represent the whole package. Won’t be long before they’re not opening for anybody anymore, if there’s any justice.

Big Light had played The Independent a number of times but never as the main event on a big night like this. From their blistering opener “Heavy” all the way through to the end, they played like headliners and future rock stars. I offer either of these observations with serious care – it’s never wise to stoke musician dreams if there’s no substance or real shot. Big Light’s performance this night completely affirmed all the faith and great love that’s already shined down on this Bay Area comer in the past year. Beginning with one of their tried-and-true staples was a fine move since it both instantly calmed any nerves about being at the top of the bill (especially after Everest’s powerhouse display) and gathered up the packed in audience with a strong, sure hand. Big Light is most commanding when they play right to their strengths, which they did all night, exposing the nitty gritty, grin inducing rock children at their core.

Fred Torphy – Big Light :: 03.04 :: San Francisco

Looking Trouser Press cool, swathed in smoke and exhilarating lights, dressed in mostly black and oozing surprised confidence, Big Light showed off the best they’ve got in them. In some ways, it’s their rawness and directness that really grips one. Drummer Bradly Bifulco could be the Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) of his generation, keeping time with power and effective purity that highlights the band’s general modus operandi – i.e. an active desire to connect with people and their lives in ways that make them shake off concerns and dance into a better place. As I’ve pointed out before, their name fits them well because they really do strive to bring illumination to darkness, sunshine to life in the shadows. The Trouser Press reference isn’t casual; Big Light has the markings of enduring cult darlings The dB’s, The Sneetches, Let’s Active, The Soft Boys and the like, plus more pronounced pop chops akin to the aforementioned Cheap Trick and clear inspiration Wilco. And all this positive stuff was on giddy, bouncing display at this gig.

There’s no mistaking when a band is feeling their oats, and within a few songs Big Light settled into a groove that worked for them and just tore ass towards the climactic finish. Fresh cuts like “Monster” and “Superfuzz Fine” off their boffo debut (JamBase review) exploded live, only increasing the sense that one day we might see this band cavorting on MTV. Hooky and deliriously delivered, these songs and many others in the set simply made people shine brightly, happy in the here and now and feeling blessed to be awash in such pleasant sounds. It’s a point I’m harping on a bit in 2010, but music that encourages us to rise, to reflect on what’s good in our lives, is necessary and highly welcome. There’s so much dragging us down – dusty bank accounts, gridlocked politics, unstable jobs, ludicrous social tribalism – and art that offers respite from this crapola is a particular boon right now. Big Light specializes in rock of this sort, and even manages to slip some subtle substance into their catchy-as-shit tunes. Taken to the stage like this night, it’s an especially successful commingling of elements and one that’s likely to continue to woo many new fans as they take this show on the road this year.

Big Light are currently playing their first New York shows and will headline Sullivan Hall on Saturday night. They will also make their SXSW debut in Austin next week at the Relix Party and Kayceman’s Treehouse.

Big Light Tour Dates :: Big Light News :: Big Light Concert Reviews

JamBase | Lit Up
Go See Live Music!