April 19, 2012 in 10, 11, 12, 17, 2, 25, 29, 3, 30, 31, 50, 9, a, after, age, all, am, American, an, and, Are, Artie, as, at, attendees, Ball, beach, big, black, Boardwalk, bouncing, Boys, Bug, Burn, but, by, ca, can, cart, cat, cc, center, City, close, COMPLETE, daily, David, Day, en, end, Entertainment, eq, Eve, Famous, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, fight, fire, fish, Foam, FOR, Free, Friend, From, get, gin, great, hall, hampton, hi, high, ice, in, is, IT, jam, jersey, Jimmy, July, late, leave, Led, Lee, let, light, Like, love, MA, Main, maine, Mars, MI, Michael, mike, Mr, Music, My, nc, New, New Jersey, News, night, no, North, NV, ny, of, on, one, op, otis, out, PA, Park, Part, party, Paul, Phish, photos, pro, Pt, rage, rock, rs, SC, set, So, Soul, sound, SPAC, St, stone, story, tab, the, to, tone, Too, track, Tribute, us, va, WA, Walk, water, we, with, years, You, Your |
BAMBOOZLE FEST EXPANDS ENTERTAINMENT WITH AFTER PARTIES
FEATURING SKRILLEX, DJ PAULY D, THE BARSTOOL BLACKOUT & MORE
The Bamboozle, the annual three-day music spectacular, will offer non-stop music and entertainment with after-parties planned each night as it celebrates its 10th anniversary on the beach and boardwalk in North Beach Asbury Park, New Jersey on May 18-19 and 20.
After-party headliners, Skrillex, DJ Pauly D and the Barstool Blackout will close each night’s after party line-up in the Convention Hall, the legendary Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar.
The after parties scheduled to begin at 11:00 PM will feature performances by Skrillex and Friends, DJ Pauly D, the Barstool Blackout FOAM party, Fishbone, Big Freedia, White Panda, Datsik, T. Mills, Dramarama, Tragedy: A Tribute to the Bee Gees, Outasight, and more, plus The Bamboozle special guest.
A separate purchase is required for the after parties and is only available to festival attendees. For a complete schedule, please visit: www.thebamboozle.com
Headliners for The Bamboozle Festival include Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Skrillex, Blink 182, Incubus and Brand New.
Single day, three-day and after party passes are currently available for purchase. For more information about passes, after parties, a complete list of current scheduled performers, the daily festival line-up and transit information, please visit: www.thebamboozle.com.
MAY 18
Skrillex
Incubus
Mac Miller
Aer
Aiden Chance
Anamanaguchi
Armor For Sleep
Big Freedia & The Divas
David Garibaldi
DJ Prime
Casey Veggies
Gonzo
Kreayshawn
Mike Posner
Miss May I
Sailesh The Uncensored Hypnotist
Stray From The Path
The Receiving End of Sirens
The Wonder Years
Timeflies
V-Nasty
Volbeat
We Came As Romans
Whitechapel
MAY 19
Foo Fighters
Blink 182
A Great Big Pile of Leaves
A$ap Rocky
Action Bronson
All American Rejects
Anti-Flag
Attila
Ballyhoo!
Big Chocolate
Boy Sets Fire
Close Your Eyes
Datsik
DJ Pauly D
Emmure
Hi-Rez
Hot Water Music
James McCartney
Iggy Azalea
Jimmy Eat World
Less Than Jake
Make Me Famous
Matt Toka
Michael Monroe
Motion City Soundtrack
Mr. MFN eXquire
MyChildren MyBride
Never Shout Never
Periphery
Powerglove
Protector
Protomen
The Dear Hunter
The Knocks
The Maine
The Promise Ring
MAY 20
Bon Jovi
Brand New
The Gaslight Anthem
Action Item
Alesana
Andrew Dice Clay
Ashland High
Bayside
Boys Like Girls
Buckcherry
Catch 22
Comeback Kid
Cris Cab
Dramarama
DJ Toro
Folly
He Is We
Like Moths To Flames
Marianas Trench
Murphy’s Law
Obey The Brave
Outasight
Patent Pending
Plug In Stereo
Riff Raff
Sammy Adams
Skizzy Mars
Spacehog
Star Slinger
T. Mills
Texas In July
The Bouncing Souls
The Story So Far
Trapped Under Ice
Wallpaper.
White Panda
Woe Is Me
Tags: bouncing, boys, chocolate, daily, famous, friends, lee, light, north, rock, set, track
April 18, 2012 in 09, 12, 2, 25, 28, 29, 3, 30, 50, 9, a, after, Again, age, all, Also, am, an, anastasio, and, another, Are, around, as, at, August, ban, band, bands, Bass, bouncing, bowl, Burn, but, by, Byrne, ca, can, cat, catapult, cc, center, classic, concert, Crowd, curtain, dance, dancing, David, Day, dragon, Drop, Drums, Edit, en, Encore, end, Enjoy, Eve, fame, fee, fi, First, FOR, Free, Frenzy, Friend, From, Funk, gain, Genre, get, Gf, gin, Good, Groove, Guitar, guitarist, Gus, hampton, hi, high, Hope, How, improvisation, in, into, is, IT, jam, Jams, jazz, Joy, July, key, Keyboard, Keyboards, King, know, Kung, Labor, las, late, Laugh, Led, Lee, let, light, Like, live, live music, long, love, MA, Made, Main, maine, MD, Meat, MI, monday, Mr, Much, Music, My, name, Nat, nc, New, new york, News, night, NJ, no, NV, ny, of, on, one, op, Open, opening, out, PA, Part, Phish, play, player, Pot, pro, Pt, Quarter, rad, rage, rain, rare, read, reggae, rev, rock, room, row, rs, Saw, SC, scent, set, show, Shows, So, solo, solos, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, St, stage, start, Starting, step, storm, tab, That, the, to, todd, tone, Too, tour, Train, trey, Trey Anastasio, two, uic, us, va, van, venue, vocal, WA, Walk, waves, Way, ways, we, with, words, years, york, You, Young |
Words by: Chadbyrne R. Dickens | Images by: Mark Dershowitz
Kung Fu :: 04.09.12 :: Brooklyn Bowl :: Brooklyn, NY
 Kung Fu by Mark Dershowitz |
As I walked into my favorite familiar haunt, the magical musical venue Brooklyn Bowl, I held out hope for the best. Despite having never heard a note of the headlining band, Kung Fu, prior to that evening, I wasnt worried. Many friends I respect had repeatedly sung the praises of the band about to commence the first of numerous successive Monday night gigs in a rare Bowl residency. In America the obvious connotation for most when one hears the words Kung Fu is images of Bruce Lee kicking ass in Enter the Dragon. However, Kung Fu may also be used in a manner unrelated to martial arts, as a reference to any skill or accomplishment attained after long, hard work. After developing a thick sweat from many hours of grooving around the vast concert space, on the relatively quiet first night after Easter, I soon realized the band Kung Fu – for a moment in space and time – had captured my mind, body and soul.
Kung Fu consists of professional players Tim Palmieri (guitar), Robert Somerville (tenor sax), Todd Stoops (keyboards), David Livolsi (bass guitar), and Adrian Tramontano (drums/percussion). With no preconceived notions, I was simply not expecting what the band delivered with authority commencing with their first note after storming the stage. The quintet – the pride of Connecticut – took control of a Brooklyn Bowl crowd eager to rage after the conservative Easter Holiday, though the audience was already whipped into a small frenzy from the opening acts. After the first bars of Do the Right Thing permeated the airwaves, Mr. Jensen took over, manipulating his saxophone to display showmanship, talent and a gift for pseudo-hypnosis, which quickly mesmerized those in attendance and won them over for the night in a flash. Immediately reminiscent of parts Lettuce and Karl Densons Tiny Universe, I settled in, ready to wade into this foray of funk fusion!
 Tim Palmieri by Mark Dershowitz |
With their ticketholders bouncing in the palm of their hand, Kung Fu continued to jam consistently for an hour and half without interruption. The free-form jams were so complex and intense that I heard more than a few patrons exclaim, Im going to the bathroom, I need to take a break from thisIts so intense.
The seasoned musicians displayed their mettle best when alternating solos during a euphonious riff trade-off jam, and remained most adept at effortless collaboration alternating the sax, keyboard and guitar throughout a comprehensive improvisation session. I enjoyed watching the two guitarists whispering and laughing in one anothers ear during the peak of an adventure, obviously discussing what they planned to tackle next. Fortuitously, I witnessed the brilliant idea manifest itself. Call and response, when done right, can often be the most memorable moment for the concert goer and Kung Fu did not disappoint.
Despite being a team of musicians, bonded together without a weak link, the stand-out of the performance was clear. Tim Palmieri, formerly of The Breakfast, displayed subtle nuance when appropriate, despite often playing with the speed of Eddie Van Halen, intuitively knowing when to hit his spots for a long solo or simply fill-in in order to catapult the energy within the Bowls walls to the next level. Although veterans, with a legion of credits and experience, it was still surprising to witness the level of musicianship and cohesion demonstrated from a band only two years in existence.
 Kung Fu w/ Hartswick & Cressman by Mark Dershowitz |
Some Kung Fu fans were overheard discussing the experience, They are too good, and They always go right to the jam. They were almost dismissive, similar to those who love reggae but claim it all sounds the same. I disagree. Although they often found themselves back in a comfortable session of a symphonic congruence of sounds that was satisfactory as a jam groove, they varied the mood, tone, primary instrument of focus, and vibe throughout the concert experience.
About three quarters through the show, they invited Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman onto the stage. If you have been lucky enough to catch this duo as part of the NY Hustler Ensemble or as part of the Trey Anastasio Bands brass section you would not be surprised at their powerful addition to the proceedings. Whenever I hear their trombone and trumpet infiltrate a setting such as this one, far removed from a traditional classical or jazz scenario, I am moved by the rare air they breathe into the environment. It is a nouveau take which provides a fresh palette of sounds unfamiliar to the average persons ear. Hartswick and Cressman opened for Kung Fu with the energetic Nu Disco master Wyllys, who continues to revolutionize the genre while dropping surprises each time I see him perform. Hartswick, as known for her powerful singing as much as her trumpet skills, has been a respected force in the scene as a bandleader for years. As an ideal mentor, she has clearly harnessed the seemingly effortless performance of 20-year-old Natalie Chainsaw Cressman (this moniker blessed upon her by Anastasio, who claimed she looks like she is starting a chainsaw when blowing her horn). Cressman will be dropping her debut CD, Unfolding, in August and it will mark her initial experience as a bandleader.
 Kung Fu w/ Hartswick & Cressman by Mark Dershowitz |
Although there was not a weak song in the setlist on this night, I concluded, based on audience participation and applause, that a highlight was the cover of Steely Dans Kid Charlemagne. No rational person would juxtapose it to the original, but Mr. Stoops utilized clear vocals to effectively steer the signature Donald Fagen classic. Multiple kaleidoscopes of pin-wheels silhouetted the flowing curtains behind the drum kit as the lighting flickered from overhead on to the bastion of young fans dancing to the kinetic energy flaming from the songs quick-tempo beat. However, again it was Palmieri who stepped up, ripping it up on his axe as if the song were a showcase to show off his chops and thus make sure everyone would remember his name. I know I did.
This experience left an indelible mark which will serve as an impetus to voyage on the L train for a plethora of Mondays to come.
If one cant make the upcoming Monday gigs (which continue through the end of April and promise to include many guest starts including Barber of Disco Biscuit fame), you can also share in the Kung Fu groove at Gathering of the Vibes or Camp Bisco in July.
Setlist
Do The Right Thing, Rocks, You Know What I Mean %, Belatone, S’all Good **, Kid Charlemagne **, God Made Me Funky **, Chakrabarty Overdrive **, The Ventriloquist, The Hammer. Encore: You’ve Got The Love **
% with Rob Compa
** with Jen and Natalie
Kung Fu Tour Dates :: Kung Fu News
JamBase | New York
Go See Live Music!
Tags: anastasio, bowl, brooklyn-bowl, cat, dance, Eve, friend, hampton, lighting, read, tour, words
April 7, 2012 in 09, 10, 11, 12, 17, 2, 25, 3, 4th, 50, 9, a, acoustic, after, Again, age, all, Also, am, American, an, and, another, Are, around, as, at, audio, awareness, away, Bad, ban, band, bands, Banjo, Bass, big, brother, brothers, Burn, but, by, ca, can, Carolina, cat, cc, center, chris, close, Crowd, dancing, Day, Day., does, en, end, Enjoy, eq, Eve, fail, fall, Famous, Fat, fee, fi, First, Fog, FOR, four, Friend, From, gain, get, Ghost, gin, give, glow, Good, grace, great, ground, Guitar, guitarist, hall, hampton, hi, high, home, Hope, How, ice, in, into, is, IT, IX, jam, John, Joy, June, key, Keys, King, know, las, late, Led, let, life, light, Like, LITTLE, live, live music, long, love, MA, Made, Main, maine, MI, mix, Music, My, Nat, nate, nc, Neil, New, News, NH, night, NJ, no, North, ny, of, on, one, op, Open, opener, opening, out, PA, Part, Phish, play, pro, Pt, quartet, rad, rain, rant, rare, rev, Road, rock, room, row, rs, santa, SC, sci, set, shooting, show, Shows, So, Something, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, St, Stab, start, state, step, stick, storm, style, tab, Taste, That, the, times, to, Too, tour, track, Train, two, uic, underground, us, va, van, velvet, venue, view, vocal, WA, Walk, war, water, waves, Way, ways, we, with, years, You, Young, Your |
By: Dennis Cook
Megafaun with Field Report :: 04.04.12 :: The Crepe Place :: Santa Cruz, CA
Megafaun and Field Report continue their tour tonight, April 6, in Tempe, AZ and roam together through April 14th in Saxapahaw, NC. Megafaun then plays a few opening dates with the Drive-By Truckers in April. Full tour schedule here.
 Megafaun |
Early in Megafaun‘s set I had a powerful urge to slip off my shoes and shuffle around dreamily and carelessly, eyes closed, smile broad. An undulating spirit inhabits the music of this North Carolina quartet, a friendly, slightly-holy ghost that embraces the soul dancing beneath our skin. While I remained shod, clinging to civilized restraint, it was apparent that this evening was more happening than gig, the band shepherding us towards breeze stroked green fields aglow with burnished light, a chance to dangle our toes in cooling waters, a respite from our rut delivered by realists with wide eyes and big, beating hearts.
The feeling one was present at an unexpectedly special gathering began soon after opener Field Report started to weave their spell, which overtook the room like a fragrant fog, surrounding and gently confounding. This is Field Reports first national touring outside of their Wisconsin home base, and a more copacetic pairing with the headliner one could hardly imagine. With judiciously picked guitars, atmospheric keys, insistent, patient rhythms and bright peels of pedal steel, Field Report created a slow cooked sound, all the more flavorful for the control and sparseness of their touch and seasoning, a chefly appreciation of what the careful mingling of ingredients can achieve. Something about this band inspires metaphorical description, one wary of coming at what they do too directly and defusing its delicate, intricate magic. But make no mistake, these are conjurers true, bringing together appealing bits of raw edged Americana with a more benevolent Velvet Underground-y approach, where the mood and message are inextricably tied up in one another, a quiet wrestling match of emotions and deep sounds that occasionally exploded into dissonant shards the contrasts in their music arriving with an off-hand deftness that speaks to long hours spent honing their vision to a fine point.
 Field Report w/ Megafauns Brad Cook on bass |
Bandleader-songwriter-guitarist Chris Porterfield – a former bandmate of the Megafaun guys in DeYarmond Edison with famous chum Justin Vernon – is one of those beautifully dented lightning rods that pulls dishwater tears and crippling joy from the human condition and transmutes them into songs that burrow tenaciously, his wounded, life-saturated voice the center of their storm. The whole band played with tuned-in awareness in Santa Cruz, serving the songs and pouring their own honest emotion into the mix. They remind one a bit of under-sung contemporaries Richmond Fontaine, 13ghosts and Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), where the sticky, complicated things of life are what draws their attention – scabs picked at and examined, the footsteps leading up to each stumble and leap retraced with insightful honesty. As first impressions go, Ive rarely had a better one, and Im anxious as hell to hear their full-length debut album (arriving this June but yall can get a taste of two tracks here).
Just before Megafaun entered the performance area – everyone stands on equal footing at The Crepe Place – I flashed back five years to the time Id seen the core trio of brothers Phil (keys, banjo, guitar, vocals) and Brad Cook (guitars, vocals) and Joe Westerlund (percussion, vocals) perform at this venue as part of an expanded lineup of Akron/Family, the culmination of a week where I got to know these special, special, special musicians (for a glimpse of that time check out this review). The inner zeitgeist of Megafauns music was just forming, a wilder, rangier thing than what it quickly grew into, the trio showing increasing compositional flair and sophistication with each progressive release that their early shooting-arrows-into-the-cosmos style only hinted at. And here they were again, the main event now, and grown to a four-piece with live bassist Nick Sanborn. Even more clearly today, this is a band of unique talents offering uncompromising yet ever-more appealing music with each successive year, something opener Real Slow encapsulated well with a tactile fullness one felt they could trust-fall into. Right away, there was harmony and richness, a welcoming come-hither that only grew and grew in this intimate setting, a healthy handful of people clustered around the band, drawn more directly and actively into the experience with each selection.
 Megafaun |
Show me no resistance
Understate your case
Time behind your only saving grace
Stalwart disposition hard to penetrate
All you’re looking for is a little space
Several times, Megafaun evoked After The Gold Rush-era Neil Young, particularly on tarnished country-rock shuffle State/Meant, which was full of ache and good intentions, a combination that made ones muscles relax a little. What they do is hopeful but not hollow, the grind of days not forgotten in their verses but something better and brighter peeking in at the edges. Positive musical sentiments can often feel forced or just plain comic in the face of reality, so its especially impressive to me when a band can stimulate faith and good vibes, and not many pull this off as well as Megafaun. Even if our fate is uncertain, our hands shaky and voice hesitant, Megafaun engenders the feeling that it may all work out anyway while never dismissing doubt or fear, understanding that these are components of a truly examined life.
A trio of off-mic acoustic numbers with the band immersed in the center of the crowd may have been the highlight of the diverse-yet-effortlessly-flowing set, with Westerlund reminding us on the first selection that we are the light of the Lord which is a wonderful thing to sing in public even if one has their own internal doubts as accordion moaned and hands reached for the rafters. Afterwards, Brad remarked, Im sensing a nice sense of un-self-consciousness. Were going to take advantage of that. During the audience bolstered take on The Longest Day it hit me that this is a band one could enjoy to the exclusion of other music and always be satisfied, nurtured, challenged, and tickled in fresh ways. Its never great to monomaniacally focused on one thing but its powerful when a band can get one thinking along these lines. Its hardly what such open-minded musical omnivores would want for their fans, but in the moment, fully plugged into what theyre doing as some, present company included, were at this show – it seems a splendid idea to love them and their creations with the same degree of love they pour into them and the experience of sharing them with others.
 Megafaun |
Waves crash on a vacant pier
Boats rock on a sea of fear
The tide is high, your hope still floats
Pull the anchor, cut the ropes
Ride the rails and sing the songs
In the pine’s where we belong
The proximity of the ocean and forests to where we stood in Santa Cruz made the closing, exploratory, jam-dappled Where We Belong especially poignant. Unless one is a rare exception these days, the world does seem at least to a degree rocked by fear. Its often used as a cudgel to control and dupe us into bad decisions by those in power, but theres also legitimate instability most of us are grappling with every day. To be reminded that hope still floats has real force when delivered by messengers like Megafaun. With all the obvious failings and shortcomings out there its amazing to see goodness and caring given incarnation in this way. What they do is easy enough to enjoy at arms length, but if one let them in opened up to that ghost we discussed earlier then one surely left this show warmer, fuller and quietly happier than when they walked in.
Megafaun Tour Dates :: Megafaun News
JamBase | Illuminated
Go See Live Music!
Tags: dancing, Guitar, jam, John, mix, News, night, quartet, santa-cruz, venue, young
