UMPHREY'S @ RED ROCKS 2020

General tickets for this year's Umphrey's McGee Red Rocks run went on sale today.  Get yours here.

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TnJ 777 (1/30/20)

Special Superjam Session!

-HOUR ONE-

GRATEFUL DEAD – Eyes of the World [w/ King Solomon’s Marbles tease]  (2004 Dick’s Picks Volume 31, 8/6/74 Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA)

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND w/ WARREN HAYNES – Jimi Thing [w/ For What It’s Worth tease]  (2003 the Central Park Concert, 9/24/03 Central Park, New York, NY)

DAVID GILMOUR – Sorrow  (2017 Live at Pompeii, ca. Jul 2016 Amphitheatre of Pompeii)

-HOUR TWO-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Chilly Water  (8/26/17 LOCK’N Festival, Arrington, VA) livewidespreadpanic.com

UMPHREY’S McGEE – Puppet String  (2/18/17 ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Asheville, NC) nugs.net

CREAM – Toad  (1968 Wheels of Fire, 3/7/68 the Fillmore, San Francisco, CA)

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TnJ 776 (1/23/20)

-HOUR ONE-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Party at Your Mama’s House > Stop Breakin’ Down Blues  (4/21/17 Wanee, Live Oak, FL) livewidespreadpanic.com

KITCHEN DWELLERS – Broken Cage  (2019 Muir Maid)

GRANT FARM – Life of Riley  (2019 Broke in Two)

CHICAGO FARMER – All in One Place  (2020 Flyover Country)

WOOD BROTHERS – Don’t Think About My Death  (2020 Kingdom In My Mind)

FLAMING LIPS w/ MICK JONES – All for the Life of the City  (2019 King’s Mouth)

-HOUR TWO-

THOM YORKE – Twist  (2019 Anima)

ANTIBALAS – Fight Am Finish  (2020 Fu Chronicles)

UMPHREY’S McGEE – Suxity  (2020 TBA)

ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Whipping Post  (2014 Play All Night – Live at the Beacon Theatre 1992)

NEIL YOUNG and the STRAY GATORS – Don’t Be Denied  (2019 Tuscaloosa, 2/5/73 Memorial Auditorium, University of Alabama)

TINARIWEN w/ CASS McCOMBS – Kel Tinawen  (2019 Amadjar)

DEAD & COMPANY – Franklin’s Tower  (2020 Playing in the Sand, Riviera Maya, MX, 1/17/19)

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ROGER WATERS in DENVER, SEPTEMBER

Attention, live music lovers: Roger Waters' closest playdate to us is the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020.  Tickets go on sale January 31st.

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DMB PLAYS ABQ in 2020

Just announced!  Dave Matthews Band will play Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque on Wednesday, September 16th.  Tickets on sale February 21st.  Warehouse Fan Association members can start buying on January 23rd, go here for details.

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TnJ 775 (1/16/20)

-HOUR ONE-

G. LOVE w/ ROBERT RANDOLPH and KEB’MO – Birmingham  (2020 the Juice)

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS – Up and Rolling  (2019 Up and Rolling)

ALBOROSIE meets the WAILERS UNITED w/ RAGING FYAH – Unforgiven  (2018 Unbreakable)

ALTIN GÜN – Ervah-I Ezelde  (2019 Gece)

JON STICKLEY TRIO – Don’t Slip  (2019 single)

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Black and White > On the Road  (5/24/03 Georgia Frontiere Pavilion, Sedona, AZ) livecheese.com

FLASH MOUNTAIN FLOOD – Any Place  (9/9/18 Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple, Denver, CO)

-HOUR TWO-

VULFPECK – Beastly  (9/29/19 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY)

DR. BACON – Scrumptious  (2019 Fast & Loose with the Essentials)

PHISH – Tweezer  (12/30/19 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY) livephish.com

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JAZZ FEST LINEUP

Tickets are on sale now, boyee!  NOJazzFest.com

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HIGH SIERRA INITIAL LINEUP

Looks like all the festivals are coming out of the woodwork now that the holidays are over!  Here's the initial lineup for HSMF, more to be announced.  Tickets are on sale here.

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NWSS INITIAL LINEUP

This is a special festival if you're a nature lover.  See Toast's review of last year's festival here.  Tickets are already on sale here.

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FLASH MOUNTAIN FLOOD in NM

An up-and-coming roots rock jamband from Boulder, possibly making their NM debut just north of Taos on Jan 18th!  Word is it will we well worth the trip (^_^)

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TnJ 774 (1/9/20)

-HOUR ONE-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > I’m Not Alone > Driving Song > Breathing Slow  (10/22/17 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI) livewidespreadpanic.com

MANDOLIN ORANGE – the Wolves  (2019 Tides of a Teardrop)

KITCHEN DWELLERS – Muir Maid  (2019 Muir Maid)

BEDOUINE – One More Time  (2019 Bird Songs of a Killjoy)

JOHNNY, THOM & a CR78 – the Numbers  (2016 promotional video by Paul Thomas Anderson)

-HOUR TWO-

HANDMADE MOMENTS – Home Sweet Home Again  (2015 Eye in the Sky)

TEMPLES – Holy Horses  (2019 Hot Motion)

JOE RUSSO – Molly & Anni  (2019 phér·bŏney)

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – Seek Up  (1997 Live at Red Rocks 8/15/95)

LED ZEPPELIN – Over the Hills and Far Away  (2018 / 2007 the Song Remains the Same [remastered], ca. 1973, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY)

DAVID BOWIE – Let’s Dance  (2018 Glastonbury 2000 CD/DVD, 6/25/00 Pilton, Somerset, England)

the DOORS – Who Do You Love?  (1970 Absolutely Live, 1/17/70 Felt Forum, New York, NY)

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BONNAROO 2020 LINEUP

Tickets for this year's mega-festival go on sale Thursday, January 9th.  Go to bonnaroo.com

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TnJ 773 (1/2/20)

-HOUR ONE-

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG – Johnny’s Garden  (2014 CSNY 1974 [box set])

LED ZEPPELIN – the Rain Song  (1973 Houses of the Holy)

KURT VILE – Lost My Head There  (2015 b’lieve I’m goin’ down)

TRAMPLED by TURTLES – Fake Plastic Trees  (2019 Sigourney Fever EP)

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! w/ DAVID BYRNE – Heroes  (1/13/18 Under the Radar Fest, New York, NY)

FRUITION – Dawn  (2020 Broken at the Break of Day)

UMPHREY’S McGEE – Ride On Pony  (2019 single)

BUDOS BAND – Maelstrom  (2019 V)

TURKUAZ – Heat Drop  (2019 Kuadochrome EP)

-HOUR TWO-

GREEN LEAF RUSTLERS – That’s Alright  (2020 From Within Marin)

JERRY GARCIA & MERL SAUNDERS – the System > Honey Chile  (2019 Garcia Live Volume 12, 1/23/73 the Boarding House, San Francisco, CA)

JACKSON STOKES – You and Your Partner  (2019 Jackson Stokes)

WOOD BROTHERS – Alabaster  (2020 the Kingdom in My Mind)

SPAFFORD – Comfortable > Down Under  (10/29/19 Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, NM) nugs.net

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TnJ BEST of 2019

-TOAST’S FAVORITE STUDIO ALBUMS of 2019-

01) BLACK KEYS – ‘Let’s Rock’

In a world where nobody rocks out anymore, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney absolutely still do.  Individually, they both managed to produce outstanding albums for other artists this year (Auerbach produced Yola, Carney produced Jessy Wilson), but seemingly held back enough of their own material to top even themselves in 2019.  Their love for vintage-sounding rock music continues unabated, and if a 4-year hiatus is what it takes to deliver the goods, I’m inclined to allow it without complaint.

HIGH POINTS: Shine a Little Light, Lo/Hi, Get Yourself Together, Go, Fire Walk with Me, Eagle Birds

02) CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD – Servants of the Sun

It’s a shame it took CRB so many years to record and release an album that lived up to the promise of their first (Big Moon Ritual, 2012), and especially so that there’s unlikely to be another, with the untimely death of guitarist Neal Casal (d. 8/26/19).  In the press materials which accompanied the release, Chris Robinson admitted that, unlike previous albums, “Every one of these songs will fall into the live repertoire.”  Bravo, and why did you wait so long?

HIGH POINTS: Let It Fall, Venus in Chrome, A Smiling Epitaph, Stars Fell on California, Some Earthly Delights

03) YOLA – Walk Through Fire

Nominated for Best New Artist at the upcoming Grammy Awards – and deservedly so – British singer Yolanda Quartey wraps her velvety voice around some stunningly memorable songs.  It certainly didn’t hurt that she hired Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) to produce, but this is an auspicious and alarmingly confident debut album any way you slice it.

HIGH POINTS: Love All Night (Work All Day), Rock Me Gently, Faraway Look, It Ain’t Easier, Ride Out in the Country

04) CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM – South of Reality

This is a step up from CLD’s 2016 debut, “Monolith of Phobos,” with the namesake craftsmen working harder to bring out melodies and harmonies from their brilliant psychedelic stew.  Given Les’ past history with side projects, I’m a little shocked they made a second album, but I’m glad they did.

HIGH POINTS: Blood and Rockets, Easily Charmed by Fools, Amethyst Realm, Cricket Chronicles Revisited, Little Fishes

05) INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Rise Sun

While it is notoriously difficult for even the greatest of jambands to “catch lightning in a bottle” when recording a studio album, the ‘Dusters come very close to conveying the powerful surge of their live shows on this album.  I saw them live four times this year, and they never cease to amaze me.

HIGH POINTS: Rise Sun, Somewhere In Between, Cloud Valley, Last of the Lucky Ones, Carry Me Away

06) JENNY LEWIS – On the Line

With a stellar roster of guests helping out (Ryan Adams, Beck, Ringo Starr, Don Was, and Benmont Tench among them), Lewis cobbles together a disparate yet intriguing set which showcases her indie chanteuse persona while implying she may not have needed all that help in the first place.

HIGH POINTS: Rabbit Hole, Heads Gonna Roll, Party Clown, Red Bull & Hennessy

07) BUDOS BAND – V

I once read someone describing these guys as “doom rock,” and it’s fair to say that flavor is in the mix.  However, I think of them as more of a soundtrack to my favorite 70s action films which never existed.  This is probably as “in your face” as instrumental jazz-funk-rock can get.

HIGH POINTS:  Arcane Rambler, Old Engine Oil, Maelstrom, Ghost Talk

08) MICHAEL KIWANUKA – Kiwanuka

At once a throwback yet intensely modern, Kiwanuka is easily one of the most talented recording artists on the planet.  Danger Mouse again lends a subdued texture to the production, and seems to have no trouble coaxing Kiwanuka’s inherent musical heroism to the forefront.

HIGH POINTS: Hero, You Ain’t the Problem, Hard to Say Goodbye, Rolling

09) GHOST LIGHT – Best Kept Secrets

Admittedly generated in an “acid haze,” Tom Hamilton and Raina Mullen work incredibly well together.  Along with Holly Bowling, Steve Lyons and Scotty Zwang, the total is far greater than the sum of its parts.  Cinematic and introspective, but with a bold swagger.

HIGH POINTS:  Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear; Best Kept Secret; Keep Your Hands to Yourself; Isosceles

10) STURGILL SIMPSON – Sound & Fury

Simpson has proven to be the country music iconoclast by releasing this album with an accompanying anime-style long-form video on Netflix.  Also by not kowtowing to anyone’s preconceived notions of “what country music is supposed to be,” least of all his own.

HIGH POINTS:  Ronin, Best Clockmaker on Mars, Remember to Breathe, Sing Along

-TOAST’S FAVORITE LIVE ALBUMS of 2019-

GOV’T MULE – Bring on the Music – Live at the Capitol Theatre

JERRY GARCIA BAND – Electric on the Eel

BOB DYLAN – Rolling Thunder Revue – the 1975 Live Recordings

-BEST LIVE STUNT-

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND w/ TREY ANASTASIO and DOYLE BRAMHALL II – Performing Derek & the Dominos classic album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” 8/24/19 Lockn’ Festival, Arrington, VA

-TOAST’S FAVORITE SINGLES of 2019-

01) LIZZO – Juice

02) JADE BIRD – I Get No Joy

03) BLACK PUMAS – Colors

04) X AMBASSADORS – Boom

05) TAME IMPALA - Borderline

06) CAAMP – Peach Fuzz

07) MADISON CUNNINGHAM – Pin It Down

08) FANTASTIC NEGRITO – A Boy Named Andrew

09) NUDE PARTY – Chevrolet Van

10) IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE – Wanna Come Down

-LOCAL SINGLES-

DUST CITY OPERA – Heaven

HIGH VIBES – Smile

HOTH BROTHERS – Dreamin’ and Workin’

-COVERS-

LETTUCE – Everybody Wants to Rule the World

GUSTER – Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying

RODRIGO y GABRIELA – Echoes

-FOLK-

BILLY STRINGS – Home

-AMERICANA-

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – The Saint of Lost Causes

-INDIE-

BETTER OBLIVION COMMUNITY CENTER – Better Oblivion Community Center

-ELECTRONIC-

FLYING LOTUS – Flamagra

-FUNK-

KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE – Gnomes & Badgers

-REGGAE-

the MOVEMENT – Ways of the World

-WORLD-

RODRIGO y GABRIELA - Mettavolution

-BLUES-

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM - Kingfish

-JAZZ-

JAMES CARTER ORGAN TRIO – Live from Newport Jazz

-TOUR DIARY HIGHLIGHTS-

FRUITION – 2/6/19 Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, NM

ORGŌNE – 2/9/19 Taos Mesa Brewing, El Prado, NM

KURT VILE – 3/6/19 Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, NM

WIDESPREAD PANIC – 6/29/19 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

GHOST LIGHT – 7/18/19 Northwest String Summit, North Plains, OR

PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG – 7/19/19 Northwest String Summit, North Plains, OR

STING – 9/2/19 Kit Carson Park, Taos, NM

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM – 10/20/19 Tumbleroot, Santa Fe, NM

SPAFFORD – 10/29/19 Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, NM

LETTUCE – 12/7/19 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO

-MORE, PLEASE!-

BEDOUINE

the COMMONHEART

HANDMADE MOMENTS

KITCHEN DWELLERS

MOLLY TUTTLE

NEAL FRANCIS

OMICRON J TRAUMA

SPACE TALKER

TWIN PEAKS

WHITE DENIM

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