Tune in 98-1 Radio Free Santa Fe Tuesday (4/20) around 2pm for Toast's live interview with LUKAS NELSON, who hits the SF Brewing Company stage Tuesday night for a FanMan 4:20 party!
Listen online here...
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Showing posts with label santa fe brewing company. Show all posts
Showing posts with label santa fe brewing company. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
DUMPSTAPHUNK 01/11/10
Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
By Ian's own admission, they went off the list at times. This was their first show of the new year, and though the setlist was similar to their last Santa Fe visit, the arrangements were definitely tighter.
I seem to remember "Standin" happening much earlier in the show than as listed, and the band invited several ladies to shake it onstage during that number (despite the SF Brewing Co's stage being the size of a postage stamp).
Practice makes perfect: on this particular evening, signature songs "Meanwhile...," "Put It In the Dumpsta (curiously not listed, though appearing within the first half-dozen songs)," and especially "I Cannot Make It" were some of the tightest, phat-est, low-down-funkiest jams ever known to man.
In the unlikely event you've seen them before and were unimpressed, try again - they've ripened nicely.
Ivan Neville, Nick Daniels, Tony Hall, Raymond Webber, and Ian Neville are A TEN-ARMED FUNK JUGGERNAUT! Only James Brown and Parliament were ever any funkier.
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By Ian's own admission, they went off the list at times. This was their first show of the new year, and though the setlist was similar to their last Santa Fe visit, the arrangements were definitely tighter.
I seem to remember "Standin" happening much earlier in the show than as listed, and the band invited several ladies to shake it onstage during that number (despite the SF Brewing Co's stage being the size of a postage stamp).
Practice makes perfect: on this particular evening, signature songs "Meanwhile...," "Put It In the Dumpsta (curiously not listed, though appearing within the first half-dozen songs)," and especially "I Cannot Make It" were some of the tightest, phat-est, low-down-funkiest jams ever known to man.
In the unlikely event you've seen them before and were unimpressed, try again - they've ripened nicely.
Ivan Neville, Nick Daniels, Tony Hall, Raymond Webber, and Ian Neville are A TEN-ARMED FUNK JUGGERNAUT! Only James Brown and Parliament were ever any funkier.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
IF I HADN'T SEEN IT...
...I wouldn'ta belieft it. If the Chuck Mead / Felice Brothers / Old Crow Medicine Show combo rolls through your town (and I think I overheard them saying they were going through Arizona next) -- YOU -- MUST -- SEE -- THIS.
I was so transfixed by the amazing, bestial showmanship on the stage tonight, I couldn't even bring myself to break away for a "trip to the loo." For like, 3 hours.
I'm still too shell shocked to make any cogent statements right now, actually.
SEE THIS
You won't be sorry. Forget what other people are saying is worth checking out. This is it. The most authentic, jubilant, visceral, insane, possibly deadly spectacle I've ever witnessed. Their energy level was so off-the-chart I kept thinking they were gonna hurt themselves. If they can keep this up indefinitely, they're definitely on to something.
God bless you all for such a magical night (^_^)
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I was so transfixed by the amazing, bestial showmanship on the stage tonight, I couldn't even bring myself to break away for a "trip to the loo." For like, 3 hours.
I'm still too shell shocked to make any cogent statements right now, actually.
SEE THIS
You won't be sorry. Forget what other people are saying is worth checking out. This is it. The most authentic, jubilant, visceral, insane, possibly deadly spectacle I've ever witnessed. Their energy level was so off-the-chart I kept thinking they were gonna hurt themselves. If they can keep this up indefinitely, they're definitely on to something.
God bless you all for such a magical night (^_^)
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
FELICE BROTHERS interview
Tune in this Thursday (9/17) to hear Toast's interview with James Felice of The Felice Brothers - then catch The Felice Brothers live at the Santa Fe Brewing Company on Tuesday (9/22). They're on the bill with Old Crow Medicine Show!
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Sunday, August 30, 2009
SHOW REVIEW - Yonder Mountain String Band 8/29/09, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
First of all, Ben Kaufmann is a gracious, thoughtful human being. He soldiered on through not one, but two interviews. I am a technical Neanderthal. If you'd like to hear what the second interview sounded like, it will be posted on kbac.com (HERE)
I felt as though there were some things worth repeating from the first (unrecorded) interview, though. Firstly, Kaufmann is 5 months clean and sober, not that he was anxious to be preachy about it - far from it, actually - but he seemed very forthcoming about YMSB and their place in the world. I am truly sorry that his insights were lost to the ravages of technical ineptitude on my part.
Let me just say in summary, because I feel it may be a document to anyone who may write about them in them future, that when pressed to sum up the 4 characters who comprise YMSB, he listed them as follows:
Ben, himself, "The Foundation," which I took to mean "The Roots," as in, without those you have nothing upon which to stand, musically, philosophically, what have you.
Jeff Austin (mandolin), "The Rockstar." Hardly surprising an assessment, as I've seen him play that role happily through many years, despite not being in a rock band.
Adam Aijala (guitar), "The Rock," as in solid, the touchstone which grounds all the madness -- and grounded Ben after a particularly "out there" episode involving multiple shots of tequila. Not that Kaufmann wants to say that anyone out there doing something similar shouldn't be allowed to gauge their own abilities, just that it was, for him, time to rein it back and see whether or not he could perform sober. He admitted it has been, at times, difficult.
Dave Johnston (banjo), "The Mad Genius." Actually, what Kaufmann said was that he reminded him of Keith Richards and that he's written more amazing, groundbreaking material than will probably ever see the light of day. Apparently, Johnston has notebooks full of unrecorded, unreleased, absolutely brilliant material.
As for the show, itself - fun, fun, fun.
Xavier Rudd, the opener, said it best when he said it was like "being at a family barbeque." I didn't take it as an insult (though it may have been meant to be, due to the change of venue from an amphitheatre to a large outdoor patio). It really did have that casual feeling, as if you vaguely thought you actually knew everyone there, but just couldn't quite remember their names.
Carolyn Wonderland and Pigment both seemed good sports about sharing the evening with the displaced Rudd and YMSB, who'd been scheduled for a date at Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre which was, we are told, suffering from severe old age in the plumbing department.
After hearing YMSB rip through the John Hartford number "Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie," via Leftover Salmon's arrangement, they had me very nearly from the beginning.
Somewhere in the middle of the show they managed to invent, on the spot, a nice little ditty about changing a string while Dave Johnston restrung his banjo. It seems these guys are so dedicated to the string band art form they each have only one instrument, so all we could do was wait while Jeff Austin regaled us with ad libbed “lyrics” to the string-changing song, teasing Johnston for not being ready because he “never breaks a string.” Austin conceded to a string-breaking tally in the thousands, and told how even Kaufmann had broken a bass string once (in Moscow, ID, for the curious – having grown up near Moscow, I wondered if the gig might’ve been at John’s Alley, a quintessential roadhouse-style dive bar where many amazing up-and-comers have played). Finally, the banjo was restrung and retuned, and the show continued. Maybe I imagined it, but the banjo seemed particularly bright and plucky (no pun intended) for the remainder of the show.
Absolute highlight was their rendition of Frank Zappa's "I'm the Slime." You should be so lucky to hear something this amazing in your lifetime. After Adam Aijala's brain-melting guitar solo, the band seemed a little amazed as well.
I've seen Yonder many times over the years, and listened to many show recordings besides, and they seem to have a whole new show every time I see them. Yes, they played the "Boatman" dance, and yes, I've sat through many a rendition, and it's just impossible for me to resist its charms every time.
But most of the material was new to me, possibly because they just finished a new studio album (one of few in their collective career), and that's one thing I really like about YMSB - like snowflakes, no two shows are even remotely alike.
Kaufmann expressed immense gratitude that the audience seems to be there for their particular brand of jamgrass, which I can't help feeling needs some official moniker to carry it into the annals of music history. I was enjoying the show with an acquaintance from “the south” and it occurred to me that this kind of bluegrass might be a little different from the traditional "Kentucky" style, and I decided to call it "Colorado Bluegrass." The kind Sam Bush (uncrowned "king" of the venerable Telluride Bluegrass Festival) and Benny Galloway (unsung architect of the Colorado folk sound) have been championing for years without getting radio play. Though YMSB are about to release a studio album ("The Show," in September), I suspect their real fans have accumulated through word of mouth on the "Colorado Bluegrass" scene. It's like bluegrass, only without having to apologize for taking you into orbit for a few turns around the planet.
Thank you all for a great show. And if rumors that the opening soundcheck number was Metallica were true, and I missed it, well, sucks to be me.
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I felt as though there were some things worth repeating from the first (unrecorded) interview, though. Firstly, Kaufmann is 5 months clean and sober, not that he was anxious to be preachy about it - far from it, actually - but he seemed very forthcoming about YMSB and their place in the world. I am truly sorry that his insights were lost to the ravages of technical ineptitude on my part.
Let me just say in summary, because I feel it may be a document to anyone who may write about them in them future, that when pressed to sum up the 4 characters who comprise YMSB, he listed them as follows:
Ben, himself, "The Foundation," which I took to mean "The Roots," as in, without those you have nothing upon which to stand, musically, philosophically, what have you.
Jeff Austin (mandolin), "The Rockstar." Hardly surprising an assessment, as I've seen him play that role happily through many years, despite not being in a rock band.
Adam Aijala (guitar), "The Rock," as in solid, the touchstone which grounds all the madness -- and grounded Ben after a particularly "out there" episode involving multiple shots of tequila. Not that Kaufmann wants to say that anyone out there doing something similar shouldn't be allowed to gauge their own abilities, just that it was, for him, time to rein it back and see whether or not he could perform sober. He admitted it has been, at times, difficult.
Dave Johnston (banjo), "The Mad Genius." Actually, what Kaufmann said was that he reminded him of Keith Richards and that he's written more amazing, groundbreaking material than will probably ever see the light of day. Apparently, Johnston has notebooks full of unrecorded, unreleased, absolutely brilliant material.
As for the show, itself - fun, fun, fun.
Xavier Rudd, the opener, said it best when he said it was like "being at a family barbeque." I didn't take it as an insult (though it may have been meant to be, due to the change of venue from an amphitheatre to a large outdoor patio). It really did have that casual feeling, as if you vaguely thought you actually knew everyone there, but just couldn't quite remember their names.
Carolyn Wonderland and Pigment both seemed good sports about sharing the evening with the displaced Rudd and YMSB, who'd been scheduled for a date at Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre which was, we are told, suffering from severe old age in the plumbing department.
After hearing YMSB rip through the John Hartford number "Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie," via Leftover Salmon's arrangement, they had me very nearly from the beginning.
Somewhere in the middle of the show they managed to invent, on the spot, a nice little ditty about changing a string while Dave Johnston restrung his banjo. It seems these guys are so dedicated to the string band art form they each have only one instrument, so all we could do was wait while Jeff Austin regaled us with ad libbed “lyrics” to the string-changing song, teasing Johnston for not being ready because he “never breaks a string.” Austin conceded to a string-breaking tally in the thousands, and told how even Kaufmann had broken a bass string once (in Moscow, ID, for the curious – having grown up near Moscow, I wondered if the gig might’ve been at John’s Alley, a quintessential roadhouse-style dive bar where many amazing up-and-comers have played). Finally, the banjo was restrung and retuned, and the show continued. Maybe I imagined it, but the banjo seemed particularly bright and plucky (no pun intended) for the remainder of the show.
Absolute highlight was their rendition of Frank Zappa's "I'm the Slime." You should be so lucky to hear something this amazing in your lifetime. After Adam Aijala's brain-melting guitar solo, the band seemed a little amazed as well.
I've seen Yonder many times over the years, and listened to many show recordings besides, and they seem to have a whole new show every time I see them. Yes, they played the "Boatman" dance, and yes, I've sat through many a rendition, and it's just impossible for me to resist its charms every time.
But most of the material was new to me, possibly because they just finished a new studio album (one of few in their collective career), and that's one thing I really like about YMSB - like snowflakes, no two shows are even remotely alike.
Kaufmann expressed immense gratitude that the audience seems to be there for their particular brand of jamgrass, which I can't help feeling needs some official moniker to carry it into the annals of music history. I was enjoying the show with an acquaintance from “the south” and it occurred to me that this kind of bluegrass might be a little different from the traditional "Kentucky" style, and I decided to call it "Colorado Bluegrass." The kind Sam Bush (uncrowned "king" of the venerable Telluride Bluegrass Festival) and Benny Galloway (unsung architect of the Colorado folk sound) have been championing for years without getting radio play. Though YMSB are about to release a studio album ("The Show," in September), I suspect their real fans have accumulated through word of mouth on the "Colorado Bluegrass" scene. It's like bluegrass, only without having to apologize for taking you into orbit for a few turns around the planet.
Thank you all for a great show. And if rumors that the opening soundcheck number was Metallica were true, and I missed it, well, sucks to be me.
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
SHOW REVIEW 7/10/09
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS 7/10/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
I don’t know how they do it, but they seem to get better every time. This is a band at the height of their magical powers. See them now!
Surprises/highlights:
“High on a Mountaintop,” an old Del McCoury tune they’ve added to their sets. They may well have sacrificed small animals to elder gods to obtain this dark, swampy arrangement. Bluegrass meets Metallica by way of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Haunting and brilliant.
“End of the Line” could be one of those songs music historians look back on 20 years from now and say, “Right there, that’s where the whole thing started to take off.” Though it hails from Jeremy Garrett’s solo disc, “I Am a Stranger,” this tune really comes alive when the whole Stringdusters combo lays into it. Instantly memorable.
“In God’s Country” – yes, the U2 song off “The Joshua Tree,” though you’d barely recognize it. The Stringdusters have made this one their own by re-arranging it into what they’re best at: psychedelic bluegrass. I hope they keep it in their repertoire, because I can’t wait to hear what it morphs into.
“Get It While You Can” just keeps getting funkier. I thought the last time I heard them do this was just a fluke, but they actually seem intent on trailblazing the new hybrid of bluegrass-funk. More power to them.
If you’ve ever wondered where the next Johnny Cash might be coming from, check out Jeremy Garrett on “Tragic Life.” Originally from the Stringdusters’ first album, “Fork in the Road,” this tune about infidelity and murder has become a sprawling, dusty, bloody epic. Worthy of the label “outlaw country.”
Every single one of these musicians managed to amaze me at one point or another during the show. Jesse Cobb was the first – pushing his mandolin to the extreme on several of the opening numbers. Though I love bluegrass, I’ve never been particularly fond of the mandolin. I always felt its sound was too wispy to really get down and dirty, but Cobb proved me wrong.
Andy Falco did the acoustic guitar proud, picking faster than my eyes could follow at times. Could it be they were just trying to outdo each other, tag-teaming our eardrums? One Stringduster would blow the top of my head off, only to have another step in with their musical pastry torch and caramelize my brain like a crème brulee.
I can’t believe the punishment Andy Hall was dishing out to his dobro, particularly during the one-two punch of “Deep Elem Blues” and “Black Rock.” I love the sound of a dobro, but have never seen one played so insistently; the kind of pummeling you might resort to when you realize your bed partner enjoys things a little rougher than most.
And Travis Book on the upright bass – I’ve never known how one mere mortal can rock that instrument. It seems so huge, like one of those insanely oversized motorcycles you could practically live in. Someone driving an upright bass down the freeway I could believe. They’re tanks. Book holds down the groove, jams, sings, and somehow makes it look effortless.
As usual, banjo picker Chris Pandolfi was the last to join the fun. Maybe it just takes him a while to get into it, or maybe the banjo is just that hard to play, I don’t know, but he always seems to be kind of holding back until the very end. Man, when he finally lets loose though, it is truly amazing to behold.
At one point in the show, my friend, Darla, commented that Jeremy Garrett plays the fiddle with his whole body. I had just noticed him writhing and slithering through one of his numbers, possibly the aforementioned “Tragic Life.” I had to agree that Garrett seemed to be leeching energy from the earth, up through his feet, stirring it up through his knees and waist, and finally, blasting it straight through his arms to the fiddle, setting it ablaze with psychic fire.
Actually, in the end, I think the band had set us all ablaze with psychic fire.
The Infamous Stringdusters are the most amazing and honest acoustic combo out there right now. If you are not ready for the next level of bluegrass, best you just stay home and leave more room for me and mine to shimmy.
~ Chris Diestler, AKA “TOAST”
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I don’t know how they do it, but they seem to get better every time. This is a band at the height of their magical powers. See them now!
Surprises/highlights:
“High on a Mountaintop,” an old Del McCoury tune they’ve added to their sets. They may well have sacrificed small animals to elder gods to obtain this dark, swampy arrangement. Bluegrass meets Metallica by way of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Haunting and brilliant.
“End of the Line” could be one of those songs music historians look back on 20 years from now and say, “Right there, that’s where the whole thing started to take off.” Though it hails from Jeremy Garrett’s solo disc, “I Am a Stranger,” this tune really comes alive when the whole Stringdusters combo lays into it. Instantly memorable.
“In God’s Country” – yes, the U2 song off “The Joshua Tree,” though you’d barely recognize it. The Stringdusters have made this one their own by re-arranging it into what they’re best at: psychedelic bluegrass. I hope they keep it in their repertoire, because I can’t wait to hear what it morphs into.
“Get It While You Can” just keeps getting funkier. I thought the last time I heard them do this was just a fluke, but they actually seem intent on trailblazing the new hybrid of bluegrass-funk. More power to them.
If you’ve ever wondered where the next Johnny Cash might be coming from, check out Jeremy Garrett on “Tragic Life.” Originally from the Stringdusters’ first album, “Fork in the Road,” this tune about infidelity and murder has become a sprawling, dusty, bloody epic. Worthy of the label “outlaw country.”
Every single one of these musicians managed to amaze me at one point or another during the show. Jesse Cobb was the first – pushing his mandolin to the extreme on several of the opening numbers. Though I love bluegrass, I’ve never been particularly fond of the mandolin. I always felt its sound was too wispy to really get down and dirty, but Cobb proved me wrong.
Andy Falco did the acoustic guitar proud, picking faster than my eyes could follow at times. Could it be they were just trying to outdo each other, tag-teaming our eardrums? One Stringduster would blow the top of my head off, only to have another step in with their musical pastry torch and caramelize my brain like a crème brulee.
I can’t believe the punishment Andy Hall was dishing out to his dobro, particularly during the one-two punch of “Deep Elem Blues” and “Black Rock.” I love the sound of a dobro, but have never seen one played so insistently; the kind of pummeling you might resort to when you realize your bed partner enjoys things a little rougher than most.
And Travis Book on the upright bass – I’ve never known how one mere mortal can rock that instrument. It seems so huge, like one of those insanely oversized motorcycles you could practically live in. Someone driving an upright bass down the freeway I could believe. They’re tanks. Book holds down the groove, jams, sings, and somehow makes it look effortless.
As usual, banjo picker Chris Pandolfi was the last to join the fun. Maybe it just takes him a while to get into it, or maybe the banjo is just that hard to play, I don’t know, but he always seems to be kind of holding back until the very end. Man, when he finally lets loose though, it is truly amazing to behold.
At one point in the show, my friend, Darla, commented that Jeremy Garrett plays the fiddle with his whole body. I had just noticed him writhing and slithering through one of his numbers, possibly the aforementioned “Tragic Life.” I had to agree that Garrett seemed to be leeching energy from the earth, up through his feet, stirring it up through his knees and waist, and finally, blasting it straight through his arms to the fiddle, setting it ablaze with psychic fire.
Actually, in the end, I think the band had set us all ablaze with psychic fire.
The Infamous Stringdusters are the most amazing and honest acoustic combo out there right now. If you are not ready for the next level of bluegrass, best you just stay home and leave more room for me and mine to shimmy.
~ Chris Diestler, AKA “TOAST”
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
FROGFEST 4 THIS SATURDAY
The place to be this weekend - C U there (^_^)
For details, visit FROGVILLE
(See the poster much larger by clicking on the thumbnail)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
CORNMEAL show review
Though sparsely attended, I hear the Cornmeal show at SF Brewing was smokin'. Based on this review from Lael Eccard (drummer of local jamband Pigment), I'ma hafta make sure I show up for Cornmeal's next visit (^_^) TOAST
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CORNMEAL 4/23/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
Being the musician and jamband music fan that I am I knew I had to attend the Cornmeal gig at the Santa Fe Brewing Co. this past Thursday. Boy was I impressed. They started off with that very familiar banjo and stand up bass driven southern bluegrass feel. Boom chick, boom chick goes the drummer with viola and acoustic guitar playing steady rhythms. Just then a voice takes the limelight with that wonderful twangy, nasally sound that is all too indicative of bluegrass. This is just the calm before the storm. These guys kick bluegrass is the ass! With a couple hits of his pedals Kris Nowak has taken flight. Instantly there is this mean sounding guitar that demands attention as he fiddles the upper register...morphing the song into a psychadelic jam that made me grin from ear to ear! If these guys come through Santa Fe again...do not miss them. Thank you to the band and to David "Wavey" for a brief chat outside the venue. My hat is off to you!
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Thanks, Lael! And, since one good turn deserves another:
Up and coming PIGMENT shows:
May 23rd
Bull O the Woods Saloon,
Red River, NM, Bike Weekend
4-8pm...outdoor stage
May 24th
Vietnam Memorial Amphetheater
Benefit Concert, (Donation to benefit the memorial)
1-3pm
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CORNMEAL 4/23/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
Being the musician and jamband music fan that I am I knew I had to attend the Cornmeal gig at the Santa Fe Brewing Co. this past Thursday. Boy was I impressed. They started off with that very familiar banjo and stand up bass driven southern bluegrass feel. Boom chick, boom chick goes the drummer with viola and acoustic guitar playing steady rhythms. Just then a voice takes the limelight with that wonderful twangy, nasally sound that is all too indicative of bluegrass. This is just the calm before the storm. These guys kick bluegrass is the ass! With a couple hits of his pedals Kris Nowak has taken flight. Instantly there is this mean sounding guitar that demands attention as he fiddles the upper register...morphing the song into a psychadelic jam that made me grin from ear to ear! If these guys come through Santa Fe again...do not miss them. Thank you to the band and to David "Wavey" for a brief chat outside the venue. My hat is off to you!
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Thanks, Lael! And, since one good turn deserves another:
Up and coming PIGMENT shows:
May 23rd
Bull O the Woods Saloon,
Red River, NM, Bike Weekend
4-8pm...outdoor stage
May 24th
Vietnam Memorial Amphetheater
Benefit Concert, (Donation to benefit the memorial)
1-3pm
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INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS show review
I hung onto this for a long while hoping it would get printed, but the editor told me in the end it was too long for his needs, so I'll share it with you now. BTW, The Infamous Stringdusters return to SF Brewing Co this July. See you there (^_^) TOAST
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THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS 2/21/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
How to speak about my recent -- and first -- live concert experience with The Infamous Stringdusters without stealing previous writers’ hyperbole may be difficult, but I’m gonna give it a try:
These guys are IT.
I’d managed to divert them to KBAC-FM (98.1 Radio Free Santa Fe) on their way to soundcheck for the closing night of their soon-to-be (pardon the pun) infamous Ski Tour 2009 long enough to interview them and get them to play a few songs live on the air.
I’ve interviewed many bands, but never before has a 6-piece acoustic band arrived early with smiles on, got tuned, and hit the airwaves with a live jam right at the previously agreed-upon show time. I guess when you’re only 3 ½ years into your run, have already won a platoon of awards, shared the stage with living legends of your root genre (in this case, bluegrass, for those not yet hip to their thing), and book some 130 shows a year, a certain level of professionalism is to be expected, but these guys are like clockwork.
This is not to say they don’t jam. It’s just not a lazy, aimless, meandering kind of jamming. They don’t noodle – they PLAY.
They seemed a little stunned when I asked how they felt about the being called a more progressive kind of jamgrass or newgrass, as though no one’s ever labeled them that before (they have), but new kid Andy Falco – who replaced founding guitarist Chris “Critter” Eldridge, now playing with Chris Thile in the almost excessively baroque Punch Brothers – stepped in to fill the void with a humble, “Cool, yeah, thanks.”
I came to realize this band is almost reverently aware of their roots, but are nevertheless taking what has gone before and doing something new with it. My mom would call it “taking the scenic route” on interminably long car trips in the summer. This band likes the side roads. Yes, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, New Monsoon, Yonder Mountain String Band and Hot Buttered Rum have blazed similar trails, but The Infamous Stringdusters have an almost transcendent songsmanship (if I may coin that term) usually missing from the typical jamgrass stew.
Maybe it’s because they cut their teeth on the demanding Nashville scene, paying their dues if you will, playing as sidemen for names that are bigger than theirs might ever be (though I’m certainly rooting for them to prove me wrong there). Maybe it was just a matter of right place, right time, when they realized what chemistry they had and decided to devote themselves to it full time. Whatever cosmic alignment of arcane tides formed such a band, we are all enriched because of it.
On to the show:
Stupendous.
The Santa Fe Brewing company wasn’t yet full-to-bursting on this Saturday night, but after the warm-up on the radio earlier, we were ready for a SHOW, by cracky. Opener was “Travelin’ Teardrop Blues,” a gem from also-Nashville-based Shawn Camp, segueing into “Three Days in July” – a song from the new IS release penned by Jon Weisberger and Mark Simos, both of whom seem to have been around the block; both somehow having managed to avoid widespread fame thus far. The Infamous Stringdusters seem intent on spelunking the furthest, unexplored reaches of the talent pool they have access to, both in Nashville and on obscure nuggets from their record collections.
During the interview I asked if there was anyone who tops their dream list of people to someday work with. Having already shared the stage and/or the production studio with legends in the field like David Grisman, Del McCoury, and Tim O’Brien, they all agreed next on the list would be Tony Rice. On the air as well as at this show they pulled out Rice’s cover of Jerry Reed’s “Likes of Me,” which comes from a Tony Rice album called “Cold on the Shoulder,” released in 1984, back when a whole lotta not-many-folks were buying bluegrass records.
But they’re not just historians, archaeologists, or curators of the unusual. They’ve got an impressive repertoire of originals. I’m guessing some of the songs we heard tonight might be new songs-a-brewin’ – they hinted at recording a new album (their third as a combo) this spring. Personally, I can’t wait. Two Travis Book numbers from the second album – “Won’t Be Coming Back” and “You Can’t Handle the Truth” – highlighted the first set, showcasing the bittersweet and the wryly lively sides of Book’s talent, and proved he’s got what it takes to hold up his end of the lead vocal duties.
IS have 3 lead vocalists if you’re keeping score at home but, true to bluegrass tradition, excel at vocal harmony and interplay, and use them often. This is definitely a group effort, greater than the sum of its parts, as proved by the first set’s closing two-fer: “Lovin’ You,” written by Sarah Siskind (recently on tour with critic’s darling Bon Iver), from the current album, and the wistful “Dream You Back,” one of IS fiddler Jeremy Garrett’s from their debut. “Dreambacks,” as it’s referred to on the hand-written setlist, is the kind of contemporary bluegrass number that feels immediately familiar, like an old pair of slippers you can’t bring yourself to throw out because their comfort far outweighs their antiquity. And I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think their recording of “Lovin’ You” is absolutely the best single of 2008, regardless of genre. Every time they perform it, it’s a little different. I caught Book and Garrett leaning into the studio monitors earlier at the radio station while I spun a live version of “Lovin’ You” from the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO (4/15/08). It had never occurred to me that performers like this wouldn’t be just constantly revisiting past performances like a star ball player might review old plays on “tape,” or whatever passes for tape these days. But they were listening to the jam on this recording with big old smiles on their faces and nodding their heads in approval, much like I probably did the first time I heard that show (it’s amazing). Tonight’s “Lovin’ You” was perfect during the verses, and completely original and amazing during the extended jam which always seems to follow. It’s as if any-and-every jam conceivable with a 6-piece acoustic combo can, has, or will be explored during this song’s stagelife, long may it be.
At this point, I’d already witnessed the most rousing newgrass set in years and we all adjourned briefly to the patio to discuss its merits with an entire second set yet to be experienced. One thing we talked about was the instrumentals.
The Infamous Stringdusters have more than a few outstanding instrumental numbers. My last question to them during the interview was how they settled on some of said instrumental’s names. I will recount them for you now, in case you’re the sort who also finds such minutiae interesting:
“Glass Elevator” was named after banjo picker Chris Pandolfi had apparently watched Willy Wonka. I neglected to ask which version, but here’s hoping it wasn’t Tim Burton’s “more accurate” atrocity.
Pandolfi’s “Moon Man” makes reference to a colorful fellow in Georgia they took a “shine” to. Shine as in what them Duke Boys ran. Yep.
Dobro player Andy Hall’s “No Resolution” was dubbed thusly by one Kitsy Kuykendall – wife of Bluegrass Unlimited’s editor, and board member of the International Bluegrass Museum – apparently due to the song’s unpredictable, open-ended nature (which of course means it’s a great one to jam on).
“Black Rock” was the instrumental title I had wondered the most about prior to the interview. My bet was on some kind of Burning Man Festival connection, though I also thought it might be a super-obscure reference to the very old, yet amazingly preserved, derelict galleon on the best science-fiction show ever to air, “Lost.” Nope. Turns out Hall was surfing Google Earth one day, looking at islands near the coast of Maine and “Bam!” there it was. Now you know.
Jesse Cobb’s “40 West” – named for, you guessed it, US Interstate 40 West, opened the second set. And what a set it would be.
A Bill Monroe tune called “Blue Night” was an early 2nd set highlight for me. I had heard they performed it once with David Grisman in San Francisco, but this was my first listen. You know when the old timers say “they just don’t write ‘em like that anymore”? This is one of those. Pristine and gorgeous, you’re almost afraid of listening too closely for fear of accidentally breaking the damn thing.
“Poor Boy’s Delight” is always one of mine. You can’t beat a line like “The Devil would die if you danced one with me.” Credited to Benny Galloway, perpetually nearly-famous Colorado folkster with a list of finely crafted songs a mile long, this is one of the most memorable songs on the first album – heartfelt, exquisite. And, surprise! They pulled Galloway himself from the crowd for a quick run through “Sugartown” halfway through the second set, and the now-capacity crowd really started getting into it.
Oh, but The Infamous Stringdusters weren’t done with us yet. In fact, though they’d certainly managed to give everyone their money’s worth at this point, I got the feeling they were just getting started. Something Falco said earlier on the radio replayed itself in my mind: “We really like to play, so we tend to play as long as possible.” They didn’t mention they were going for the world record. Almost 2 hours and counting – land sakes!
“Fork in the Road,” an award-winning track from their debut, still sounded lively and fresh. If they’ve played it a thousand times and are sick to death of it, none of that showed tonight.
By the time they made it through the aforementioned instrumental “No Resolution,” I was sure they must be winding down.
But no! Special guest #2 took the stage – Bob Heminger from Pagosa Springs, CO, and get this: he brought a sax. Yes! A sax in a bluegrass combo. Who’da thunk it? You know what happens when you throw a sax into a bluegrass combo? You get the funkiest reading of “Get It While You Can (a Danny Barnes tune from 2003’s ‘Dirt on the Angel’)” y’ever did hear. Heminger admitted afterwards it’s very difficult to coax the sax into playing something that meshes with bluegrass, but he managed to work it through several numbers, and stayed with them through to the end, possibly because it’s nearly impossible to get off the SFB stage once the crowd has filled in – most concert stages have an area accessible to the performers but not to the audience, usually dubbed “backstage” or, in theater, “The Green Room.”
Well, right about here the official setlist runs out, but either because the SFB has no backstage or the IS were having such a good time, Andy Hall announced they would simply launch right into the encore. These included Jeremy Garrett’s heartbreakingly beautiful “Starry Night” and Travis Book taking front and center for John Hartford/New Grass Revival’s “Steam Powered Aero Plane,” as well as at least 2 extended instrumental jams, but I was so into it at this point I failed to keep track. Seriously, the encore was as long as a traditional bluegrass combo’s entire set.
The weird thing about the show was this: I’m pretty sure some or all of the IS had smiles on their faces the whole time. Sure, when Jesse Cobb or Andy Hall were in the middle of a particularly blazing solo, they may have temporarily adopted a concentrative look, but mostly they were smiling. Right down to clowning around with a cardboard cutout of Roy Rogers I never was really sure if they had brought in as a mascot or if it was always part of the SFB stage props. When I thought about it, I realized I was probably smiling the whole time too. We all were smiling for some 3 hours straight.
A nice couple let us share their portable fire pit in the lot afterward. They were a little older, and their fifth wheel and camping gear implied they’d traveled to a lot of festivals. They’d seen the IS several times before, but were quick to point out that this time the whole band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. As Steve Martin once said, “you can't play a sad song on the banjo - it always comes out so cheerful.” I know I had certainly come out cheerful.
If you’ve seen the IS before, or listened to their formative shows, as I have, you know they’ve always had something extra special. But, as the lot couple observed, maybe they’re just now really hitting their stride. Or maybe this is just one of several plateaus in what will hopefully be a long and storied career.
Regardless, when they come to a venue near you, you must check out the Infamous Stringdusters. Bring your party hat and be ready to dance, clap, stomp, whistle, and sing. But mostly, be ready to smile.
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THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS 2/21/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM
How to speak about my recent -- and first -- live concert experience with The Infamous Stringdusters without stealing previous writers’ hyperbole may be difficult, but I’m gonna give it a try:
These guys are IT.
I’d managed to divert them to KBAC-FM (98.1 Radio Free Santa Fe) on their way to soundcheck for the closing night of their soon-to-be (pardon the pun) infamous Ski Tour 2009 long enough to interview them and get them to play a few songs live on the air.
I’ve interviewed many bands, but never before has a 6-piece acoustic band arrived early with smiles on, got tuned, and hit the airwaves with a live jam right at the previously agreed-upon show time. I guess when you’re only 3 ½ years into your run, have already won a platoon of awards, shared the stage with living legends of your root genre (in this case, bluegrass, for those not yet hip to their thing), and book some 130 shows a year, a certain level of professionalism is to be expected, but these guys are like clockwork.
This is not to say they don’t jam. It’s just not a lazy, aimless, meandering kind of jamming. They don’t noodle – they PLAY.
They seemed a little stunned when I asked how they felt about the being called a more progressive kind of jamgrass or newgrass, as though no one’s ever labeled them that before (they have), but new kid Andy Falco – who replaced founding guitarist Chris “Critter” Eldridge, now playing with Chris Thile in the almost excessively baroque Punch Brothers – stepped in to fill the void with a humble, “Cool, yeah, thanks.”
I came to realize this band is almost reverently aware of their roots, but are nevertheless taking what has gone before and doing something new with it. My mom would call it “taking the scenic route” on interminably long car trips in the summer. This band likes the side roads. Yes, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, New Monsoon, Yonder Mountain String Band and Hot Buttered Rum have blazed similar trails, but The Infamous Stringdusters have an almost transcendent songsmanship (if I may coin that term) usually missing from the typical jamgrass stew.
Maybe it’s because they cut their teeth on the demanding Nashville scene, paying their dues if you will, playing as sidemen for names that are bigger than theirs might ever be (though I’m certainly rooting for them to prove me wrong there). Maybe it was just a matter of right place, right time, when they realized what chemistry they had and decided to devote themselves to it full time. Whatever cosmic alignment of arcane tides formed such a band, we are all enriched because of it.
On to the show:
Stupendous.
The Santa Fe Brewing company wasn’t yet full-to-bursting on this Saturday night, but after the warm-up on the radio earlier, we were ready for a SHOW, by cracky. Opener was “Travelin’ Teardrop Blues,” a gem from also-Nashville-based Shawn Camp, segueing into “Three Days in July” – a song from the new IS release penned by Jon Weisberger and Mark Simos, both of whom seem to have been around the block; both somehow having managed to avoid widespread fame thus far. The Infamous Stringdusters seem intent on spelunking the furthest, unexplored reaches of the talent pool they have access to, both in Nashville and on obscure nuggets from their record collections.
During the interview I asked if there was anyone who tops their dream list of people to someday work with. Having already shared the stage and/or the production studio with legends in the field like David Grisman, Del McCoury, and Tim O’Brien, they all agreed next on the list would be Tony Rice. On the air as well as at this show they pulled out Rice’s cover of Jerry Reed’s “Likes of Me,” which comes from a Tony Rice album called “Cold on the Shoulder,” released in 1984, back when a whole lotta not-many-folks were buying bluegrass records.
But they’re not just historians, archaeologists, or curators of the unusual. They’ve got an impressive repertoire of originals. I’m guessing some of the songs we heard tonight might be new songs-a-brewin’ – they hinted at recording a new album (their third as a combo) this spring. Personally, I can’t wait. Two Travis Book numbers from the second album – “Won’t Be Coming Back” and “You Can’t Handle the Truth” – highlighted the first set, showcasing the bittersweet and the wryly lively sides of Book’s talent, and proved he’s got what it takes to hold up his end of the lead vocal duties.
IS have 3 lead vocalists if you’re keeping score at home but, true to bluegrass tradition, excel at vocal harmony and interplay, and use them often. This is definitely a group effort, greater than the sum of its parts, as proved by the first set’s closing two-fer: “Lovin’ You,” written by Sarah Siskind (recently on tour with critic’s darling Bon Iver), from the current album, and the wistful “Dream You Back,” one of IS fiddler Jeremy Garrett’s from their debut. “Dreambacks,” as it’s referred to on the hand-written setlist, is the kind of contemporary bluegrass number that feels immediately familiar, like an old pair of slippers you can’t bring yourself to throw out because their comfort far outweighs their antiquity. And I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think their recording of “Lovin’ You” is absolutely the best single of 2008, regardless of genre. Every time they perform it, it’s a little different. I caught Book and Garrett leaning into the studio monitors earlier at the radio station while I spun a live version of “Lovin’ You” from the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO (4/15/08). It had never occurred to me that performers like this wouldn’t be just constantly revisiting past performances like a star ball player might review old plays on “tape,” or whatever passes for tape these days. But they were listening to the jam on this recording with big old smiles on their faces and nodding their heads in approval, much like I probably did the first time I heard that show (it’s amazing). Tonight’s “Lovin’ You” was perfect during the verses, and completely original and amazing during the extended jam which always seems to follow. It’s as if any-and-every jam conceivable with a 6-piece acoustic combo can, has, or will be explored during this song’s stagelife, long may it be.
At this point, I’d already witnessed the most rousing newgrass set in years and we all adjourned briefly to the patio to discuss its merits with an entire second set yet to be experienced. One thing we talked about was the instrumentals.
The Infamous Stringdusters have more than a few outstanding instrumental numbers. My last question to them during the interview was how they settled on some of said instrumental’s names. I will recount them for you now, in case you’re the sort who also finds such minutiae interesting:
“Glass Elevator” was named after banjo picker Chris Pandolfi had apparently watched Willy Wonka. I neglected to ask which version, but here’s hoping it wasn’t Tim Burton’s “more accurate” atrocity.
Pandolfi’s “Moon Man” makes reference to a colorful fellow in Georgia they took a “shine” to. Shine as in what them Duke Boys ran. Yep.
Dobro player Andy Hall’s “No Resolution” was dubbed thusly by one Kitsy Kuykendall – wife of Bluegrass Unlimited’s editor, and board member of the International Bluegrass Museum – apparently due to the song’s unpredictable, open-ended nature (which of course means it’s a great one to jam on).
“Black Rock” was the instrumental title I had wondered the most about prior to the interview. My bet was on some kind of Burning Man Festival connection, though I also thought it might be a super-obscure reference to the very old, yet amazingly preserved, derelict galleon on the best science-fiction show ever to air, “Lost.” Nope. Turns out Hall was surfing Google Earth one day, looking at islands near the coast of Maine and “Bam!” there it was. Now you know.
Jesse Cobb’s “40 West” – named for, you guessed it, US Interstate 40 West, opened the second set. And what a set it would be.
A Bill Monroe tune called “Blue Night” was an early 2nd set highlight for me. I had heard they performed it once with David Grisman in San Francisco, but this was my first listen. You know when the old timers say “they just don’t write ‘em like that anymore”? This is one of those. Pristine and gorgeous, you’re almost afraid of listening too closely for fear of accidentally breaking the damn thing.
“Poor Boy’s Delight” is always one of mine. You can’t beat a line like “The Devil would die if you danced one with me.” Credited to Benny Galloway, perpetually nearly-famous Colorado folkster with a list of finely crafted songs a mile long, this is one of the most memorable songs on the first album – heartfelt, exquisite. And, surprise! They pulled Galloway himself from the crowd for a quick run through “Sugartown” halfway through the second set, and the now-capacity crowd really started getting into it.
Oh, but The Infamous Stringdusters weren’t done with us yet. In fact, though they’d certainly managed to give everyone their money’s worth at this point, I got the feeling they were just getting started. Something Falco said earlier on the radio replayed itself in my mind: “We really like to play, so we tend to play as long as possible.” They didn’t mention they were going for the world record. Almost 2 hours and counting – land sakes!
“Fork in the Road,” an award-winning track from their debut, still sounded lively and fresh. If they’ve played it a thousand times and are sick to death of it, none of that showed tonight.
By the time they made it through the aforementioned instrumental “No Resolution,” I was sure they must be winding down.
But no! Special guest #2 took the stage – Bob Heminger from Pagosa Springs, CO, and get this: he brought a sax. Yes! A sax in a bluegrass combo. Who’da thunk it? You know what happens when you throw a sax into a bluegrass combo? You get the funkiest reading of “Get It While You Can (a Danny Barnes tune from 2003’s ‘Dirt on the Angel’)” y’ever did hear. Heminger admitted afterwards it’s very difficult to coax the sax into playing something that meshes with bluegrass, but he managed to work it through several numbers, and stayed with them through to the end, possibly because it’s nearly impossible to get off the SFB stage once the crowd has filled in – most concert stages have an area accessible to the performers but not to the audience, usually dubbed “backstage” or, in theater, “The Green Room.”
Well, right about here the official setlist runs out, but either because the SFB has no backstage or the IS were having such a good time, Andy Hall announced they would simply launch right into the encore. These included Jeremy Garrett’s heartbreakingly beautiful “Starry Night” and Travis Book taking front and center for John Hartford/New Grass Revival’s “Steam Powered Aero Plane,” as well as at least 2 extended instrumental jams, but I was so into it at this point I failed to keep track. Seriously, the encore was as long as a traditional bluegrass combo’s entire set.
The weird thing about the show was this: I’m pretty sure some or all of the IS had smiles on their faces the whole time. Sure, when Jesse Cobb or Andy Hall were in the middle of a particularly blazing solo, they may have temporarily adopted a concentrative look, but mostly they were smiling. Right down to clowning around with a cardboard cutout of Roy Rogers I never was really sure if they had brought in as a mascot or if it was always part of the SFB stage props. When I thought about it, I realized I was probably smiling the whole time too. We all were smiling for some 3 hours straight.
A nice couple let us share their portable fire pit in the lot afterward. They were a little older, and their fifth wheel and camping gear implied they’d traveled to a lot of festivals. They’d seen the IS several times before, but were quick to point out that this time the whole band really seemed to be enjoying themselves. As Steve Martin once said, “you can't play a sad song on the banjo - it always comes out so cheerful.” I know I had certainly come out cheerful.
If you’ve seen the IS before, or listened to their formative shows, as I have, you know they’ve always had something extra special. But, as the lot couple observed, maybe they’re just now really hitting their stride. Or maybe this is just one of several plateaus in what will hopefully be a long and storied career.
Regardless, when they come to a venue near you, you must check out the Infamous Stringdusters. Bring your party hat and be ready to dance, clap, stomp, whistle, and sing. But mostly, be ready to smile.
# # #
Check out The Infamous Stringdusters’ official site here.
And listen to the entire KBAC IS interview/performance here.
# # #
Monday, November 10, 2008
AMAZING GRACE
GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS
11/10/08 Santa Fe Brewing Company
Concert Review by Chris Diestler
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OMG!
I had heard they would be great, but OMFG!
Apologies to those who didn’t hear the word in advance – it was a last-minute addition to the FanMan calendar – but GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS blew the roof off the Santa Fe Brewing Company last Monday.
Crikey! If this show isn’t talked about ten years from now as one of the best Santa Fe’s ever seen, I’ll eat my hat.
With the crowd a scant-yet-robust 150 strong at its wintery peak, the setting was, to say the least, “intimate.” Instruments and stagehands spilled out onto the floor, because the stage just wasn’t big enough to contain all the gear, and this band (who’s accustomed to playing festivals in front of 25K) wasn’t phased at all as they ripped into an incredible set.
The stuffed mascot attached to Grace’s front mike was “Animal,” the crazed drummer from Jim Henson’s beloved “Muppet Show.” Watching her work the crowd, I could see her affinity with this character. Grace was all over the place, switching from acoustic guitar, to a Flying V, to her trademark Hammond B3 organ, and always belting out the strongest, sweetest voice this side of Bonnie Raitt.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHICK ROCK SO HARD!
Opener was “Joey,” perhaps not surprisingly, but a good opener, followed by the big radio hits “Ain’t No Time” and “Treat Me Right.” All well and good. By the time they busted out “Ah Mary” five songs in, we were collectively eating out of the palms of their hands. Their tunes aren’t exactly jammy, but they do jam, and they certainly rock when called upon, but they also have a bluesy-country flavor. If I had to describe this band to someone who’d never heard them, I’d say “Allman Brothers with a female vocalist, but with twice as much energy and can’t-hold-back dance grooves.” Granted, ABB in their heyday were a formidable beast, but this girl’s got it going on NOW.
It seemed as though the Santa Fe crowd might just have been on the cusp of recognizing more than a few of their tunes, and the Nocturnals are SOLID backup -- however grungy they might’ve looked on the outside, these boys know how to play. Surprise covers included the Stones’ “No Expectations” (ethereal and sublime) and Petty’s “Running Down a Dream” (exuberant, playful, and over too soon). I thought I detected a little Talking Heads’ “I Zimbra” in the middle of the encore – “Nothing but the Water” – but I can’t be sure. It sure was a tasty groove to end the night on, though.
Thanks to Jamie Lenfesty for snagging this outfit at the last minute when he had the chance. I predict, by the time they swing back around to Santa Fe, it will be difficult to get this close to them, but they’ll probably sound just as good. And I bet they’ll come back, because as great as it was for us to see them in this intimate a setting, it looked as though they were really enjoying themselves too.
# # #
11/10/08 Santa Fe Brewing Company
Concert Review by Chris Diestler
# # #
OMG!
I had heard they would be great, but OMFG!
Apologies to those who didn’t hear the word in advance – it was a last-minute addition to the FanMan calendar – but GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS blew the roof off the Santa Fe Brewing Company last Monday.
Crikey! If this show isn’t talked about ten years from now as one of the best Santa Fe’s ever seen, I’ll eat my hat.
With the crowd a scant-yet-robust 150 strong at its wintery peak, the setting was, to say the least, “intimate.” Instruments and stagehands spilled out onto the floor, because the stage just wasn’t big enough to contain all the gear, and this band (who’s accustomed to playing festivals in front of 25K) wasn’t phased at all as they ripped into an incredible set.
The stuffed mascot attached to Grace’s front mike was “Animal,” the crazed drummer from Jim Henson’s beloved “Muppet Show.” Watching her work the crowd, I could see her affinity with this character. Grace was all over the place, switching from acoustic guitar, to a Flying V, to her trademark Hammond B3 organ, and always belting out the strongest, sweetest voice this side of Bonnie Raitt.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHICK ROCK SO HARD!
Opener was “Joey,” perhaps not surprisingly, but a good opener, followed by the big radio hits “Ain’t No Time” and “Treat Me Right.” All well and good. By the time they busted out “Ah Mary” five songs in, we were collectively eating out of the palms of their hands. Their tunes aren’t exactly jammy, but they do jam, and they certainly rock when called upon, but they also have a bluesy-country flavor. If I had to describe this band to someone who’d never heard them, I’d say “Allman Brothers with a female vocalist, but with twice as much energy and can’t-hold-back dance grooves.” Granted, ABB in their heyday were a formidable beast, but this girl’s got it going on NOW.
It seemed as though the Santa Fe crowd might just have been on the cusp of recognizing more than a few of their tunes, and the Nocturnals are SOLID backup -- however grungy they might’ve looked on the outside, these boys know how to play. Surprise covers included the Stones’ “No Expectations” (ethereal and sublime) and Petty’s “Running Down a Dream” (exuberant, playful, and over too soon). I thought I detected a little Talking Heads’ “I Zimbra” in the middle of the encore – “Nothing but the Water” – but I can’t be sure. It sure was a tasty groove to end the night on, though.
Thanks to Jamie Lenfesty for snagging this outfit at the last minute when he had the chance. I predict, by the time they swing back around to Santa Fe, it will be difficult to get this close to them, but they’ll probably sound just as good. And I bet they’ll come back, because as great as it was for us to see them in this intimate a setting, it looked as though they were really enjoying themselves too.
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