TnJ 126 (7/8/10)

-HOUR ONE-

BLACK CROWES – Movin’ on Down the Line (2009 Warpaint Live, 3/20/08 the Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA)
WALTER TROUT – May Be a Fool (2010 Common Ground)
BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO – When the Levve Breaks (2009 Lay Your Burden Down)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Junker Man (2006 Live at the Leaf)
DELBERT McCLINTON & DICK50 – Until Then (2009 Acquired Taste)
TOM WAITS – Get Behind the Mule (2009 Glitter and Doom Live)
MODEST MOUSE – Gravity Rides Everything (2000 the Moon & Antarctica)

-HOUR TWO-

PHISH – Slave to the Traffic Light (2009 the Clifford Ball DVD box set, 8/17/96 Plattsburgh, NY)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Daddy Learned to Fly (2010 The Big To-Do)
TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – Don’t Pull Me Over (2010 Mojo)
GOGOL BORDELLO – Immigrant Punk [demo] (2009 Live from Axis Mundi)
ALI BABA’S TAHINI – Unity (2010 Living Room)
NATHANIEL RATELIFF – Boil & Fight (2010 In Memory of Loss)
BÉLA FLECK w/ SAM BUSH, JERRY DOUGLAS, GABE WITCHER, BRIAN SUTTON, and MARK SCHATZ – Same Old River (9/5/99 Strawberry Festival, Yosemite, CA)

# # #

Back in the saddle live this week. Last week’s session was a repeat from 12/20/04, featuring our “Best of the Boots” picks at the time. Hope you enjoyed the trip through the wayback machine. For the curious, here’s what Jen and I played all those years ago…

-HOUR ONE-

GALACTIC – Intro > Shibuya (5/1/04 State Palace Theater, New Orleans, LA)
MOFRO – How Junior Got His Head Put Out (6/23/02 Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN)
PHIL LESH & FRIENDS – Blue Sky (7/27/01 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdale, NJ)
LEFTOVER SALMON – Up On the Hill Where We Do the Boogie (8/10/02 Mishawaka Amphitheater, Bellvue, CO)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – If You’re Ever in Oklahoma > Elzic’s Farewell > If You’re Ever in Oklahoma (9/1/01 Thirsty Ear Festival, Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, SF, NM)

-HOUR TWO-

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Desert Dawn (6/19/03 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Chilly Water > Barstools and Dreamers > “Satisfied” rap > “Time Waits” rap > Chilly Water (12/31/99 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain (5/8/77 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY)

# # #

THE LAST FRONTIER

I just finished my second trip to Alaska and have a few notes to share for the curious traveler.

The sun doesn't set in Alaska (at least not that I saw) this time of year. I arrived on the solstice, a.k.a. the longest day of the year, and bars appeared to be open all night long for a celebration. The pictures I've posted of myself here weren't taken at midnight - but they COULD HAVE BEEN.

Of course, it's the exact opposite in the winter: the sun never rises. I suspect if I lived there year-round I'd have to hibernate all winter and stay up all summer just to match my body's rhythm with the environment's.

Denali National Park is astonishingly beautiful, but this time of year there are too many tourists and not enough wildlife if you ask me. When I went in early May one year, the Nenana River was still frozen (and I mean SOLID), and I saw a moose, a bear, and herds of caribou roaming free. Now it's tourist season. Don't get me wrong, Alaska is beautiful this time of year - it's just less distinguishable from similarly gorgeous places in Colorado, or Minnesota, or British Columbia this time of year.

Thanks to my very good friends Don and Kassandra and Lonnie for putting me up and just putting up with me during my visit. I had a great time and hope to go back again soon, at a time when the tourists have mostly dissipated (^_^)

# # #

TnJ 125 (6/24/10)

My thanks to guest toast (and KBAC mastermind) IRA GORDON for stepping in while I was galavanting across the last frontier. Anyone who knows of Ira's fondness for The Boss shouldn't be surprised he brought an all-Springsteen set list to play (^_^)

Hour 1
Born to Run - Roxy, L.A. 10/17/75
Badlands - Sports Arena, L.A. 4/16/09
The Fever - Winterland, S.F. 1978
Seeds - Stockholm 6/4/09
Johnny 99 - Stockholm 6/4/09
Ghost of Tom Joad - Stockholm 6/4/09
Ramrod - Madison Sq Garden, N.Y. 7/1/00

Hour 2
Light of Day - Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, Ca 5/3/88
Gonna Fly Now / Rosalita - Spectrum, Philadelphia 10/14/09
Thunder Road - Civic Auditorium, Pittsburgh 4/26/00
The Rising - Fleet Center, Boston 2002
Glory Days - Berlin 7/22/88
Trapped - Omaha 10/26/99
She's the One - Fleet Center, Boston 2002
London Calling - Live in Hyde Park 2009 DVD

# # #

STRINGDUSTERS STRANDED?

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS - 6/8/10 Anglada’s Dance Hall, Taos, NM

Set List:

Fork in the Road
In God’s Country (U2 cover)
Gettin’ Down the Road
Likes of Me (Tony Rice cover)
Loved in Vain
Steam-Powered Aeorplane (John Hartford cover)
Black Rock (instrumental)
Get It While You Can
You Can’t Stop the Changes
You Can’t Handle the Truth
Deep Elem Blues (traditional)
High On a Mountain Top (Del McCoury cover)
Magic #9 (instrumental)
Well, Well
It’ll Be Alright
Home of the Red Fox (traditional, instrumental)
Uncle Pen (Bill Monroe cover)
Moon Man (instrumental)

E: (acoustic)

Blue Night (Kirk McGee cover)

# # #

Thanks to soundman extraordinaire Drew Becker for helping me decipher the set list shorthand. I hear their van broke down between Reno and Cali! That’s a terrible place to be stranded, as you may know. Send ‘em your good vibes (or a working passenger van) and hopefully they’ll be back in action soon. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

(^_^) TOAST

# # #

TnJ 124 (6/17/10)

-HOUR ONE-

KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE – Expressions (2009 Brother’s Keeper) karldenson.com
GREYBOY ALLSTARS – Old School Cylons (2007 What Happened to Television?) greyboyallstars.com
THE ORIGINAL WAILERS – Who the Cap Fit (1998 Reggae on the Rocks – Live & Direct Vol. 2, c.1997)
TODD SNIDER – America’s Favforite Pastime (2009 the Excitement Plan) toddsnider.net
GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – Cold Lonely Town (2010 Reckless Habits) greatamericantaxi.com
CHERRYHOLMES – Weaver of Lies (2010 Cherryholmes IV – Common Threads) cherryholmes.com
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ – I Made a Lover’s Prayer (2010 Love and Circumstance) carrierodriguez.com
JASON ISBELL and the 400 UNIT – Streetlights (2008 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) jasonisbell.com
OAKHURST – Close Your Eyes (2008 Jump in the Get Down) porchmusic.com

-HOUR TWO-

INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Midnight Moonlight (8/8/09 Dead by the Creek Festival, Laytonville, CA)
CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS – Snowden’s Jig (Genuine Negro Jig) (2010 Genuine Negro Jig)
DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE – Sweet Tooth (2009 A Friend of a Friend)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – Dreams (2009 the Show) yondermountain.com
FURTHUR – Help On the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower (3/3/10 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL) further.net

# # #

NEXT WEEK - Toast needs to hit the road and see a few shows, so KBAC Program Director Ira Gordon steps in with (what else?) an all-Springsteen bootleg edition of Toast-n-Jam (^_^) Enjoy!

# # #

NEW MEXICO'S RYAN McGARVEY GETS NOD from CLAPTON FESTIVAL

Congratulations to Albuquerque's Ryan McGarvey - he'll be rubbing elbows and swapping licks with some of his idols, no doubt, at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, June 26, 2010 (^_^)

Knock 'em dead, sir!

# # #

THIRSTY EAR FESTIVAL 2010

SAM BUSH BAND – 6/12/10 Thirsty Ear Festival, Santa Fe, NM

Set List:

Uncle Pen (Bill Monroe cover)
Puppies N’Knapsacks (instrumental)
Mahavishnu Mountain Boys (instrumental)
Eight More Miles to Louisville (Louis M. “Grandpa” Jones cover)
Ridin’ That Bluegrass Train (traditional)
Whisper My Name
Circles Around Me
Out on the Ocean
The Ballad of Stringbean & Estelle
Blue Mountain (instrumental)
Same Ol’ River
Howlin’ at the Moon
Bringin’ in the Georgia Mail (Flatt & Scruggs cover)

Encore:

One Love * (Bob Marley cover)
Up on Cripple Creek > Goin’up Cripple Creek * (The Band cover > Lester Flatts & the Nashville Grass cover)

Lineup: Sam Bush Band: Sam Bush, Todd Parks, Chris Brown, Scott Vestal, Stephen Mougin, guest (*) Johnny Burns

# # #

Or, as I’ll refer to it for years – the Dusty Ear Festival (^_^)

I like that Santa Fe’s the kind of place where I can show up late in the day to a festival with work clothes still on (i.e. cowboy boots and hat) and feel neither out of place nor that others are constantly staring at me. Of course, the Dusty… er, Thirsty Ear Festival was being held – for one final time – at the Eaves Movie Ranch. You know those movies and TV shows they occasionally make, called Westerns? Apparently this is one of the places they make those. I went to a ghost town once in my Idaho childhood (although, how much of a “ghost town” could it have been, when tourists paid money to view it?) that was very much like this – only less dusty.

The bizarre thing about western movie towns (of which the Santa Fe area boasts at least three) is, much like Hollywood and most of their product, they are very nearly 2-dimensional. Well, not in the scientific sense, of course, but in that only the outer front (or façade) is wholly convincing. The innards of all the buildings are mostly empty and void of furniture, or even paint. It looks great in pictures but can haunt you with a pinprick of suspicion that maybe you’re just as hollow on the inside.

Luckily, there was plenty of good vibes and great music filling, almost literally, every minute of 2 full days, and that made my insides swell with a happiness that proved I wasn’t merely a worker drone after all. Maybe that’s why people flock to hear this kind of, well, antiquated music – it reminds them that they are still human beings.

Darrell Scott was a much-anticipated treat for me to see live. I got wind of him around 2004 (with the stellar “Live in NC” album), but so far hadn’t managed to catch him in the act. Though he played almost his entire hour-long set solo on an acoustic guitar (occasionally joined by Bob Hemminger of Pagosa Springs, CO, as noted below), his songs carry such lyrical weight, emotional resonance, and sure-fire melody, I felt like I had just read a very satisfying novel. Almost all of the songs were from his new album, which I’ve not yet heard, yet I still felt wrapped in them like a threadbare heirloom quilt, familiar, tattered, and loved.

Catching a glimpse of Allison Russell, the statuesque and stupefyingly beautiful darker half of the duo Po’Girl “in the wings” was almost enough to distract me from my trance – almost. Scott sings with the words of a cowboy poet, but his musings are far darker – almost too bleak to find purchase within the constraints of a typical “Nashville” production. If he’s determined to sing songs that way, especially in Nashville, I hope he’s prepared to live within humble means. I also hope he keeps it coming, because music needs a voice like his.

Read more about the Thirsty Ear Festival on Steve Terrell’s music blog – he’s a much better blogger than me anyway, and has more pictures (and better pictures – stupid “free” phones). I just wanted to try and capture proof that Sam Bush was wearing an Albuquerque Isotopes t-shirt, because I’m not sure even I would’ve believed me on that one.

A few notes I jotted down during Sam Bush’s Saturday-closing set: apparently, “Stringbean” was a banjo player for Bill Monroe who was, in fact, killed for the money he was known to keep in his bib overalls, just like the song says; “Blue Mountain” is named for a 150-foot-high hill in Florida where Sam Bush once rented a bicycle and realized, shortly thereafter, the extent of his age; he swapped out mention of “Spike Jones” during “Up On Cripple Creek” for living bluegrass legend “Del McCoury;” and I need to get some New Grass Revival recordings – any recommendations?

# # #

DARRELL SCOTT – 6/13/10 Thirsty Ear Festival, Santa Fe, NM

Set List:

Miracle of Living
The Dreamer
A Crooked Road
The Day before Thanksgiving
Long Wide Open Road
The Man Who Could Have Played Bass for Shanana *
It’s the Whiskey That Eases the Pain *
Love’s Not Through with Me Yet
River Take Me *

* indicates guest Bob Hemminger on tenor sax

# # #

TnJ 123 (6/10/10)

-HOUR ONE-

GRATEFUL DREAD – I Know You Rider (2010 The Grateful Dread Live) thegratefuldread.com
DARRELL SCOTT/DANNY THOMPSON/KENNY MALONE – Miracle of Living (2005 Live in NC, c. 2003) darrellscott.com
PO’ GIRL – Deer in the Night (2009 Deer in the Night) pogirl.net
SAM BUSH BAND – Mr. Freddy (12/31/03 Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO) sambush.com
GOGOL BORDELLO – Trans-Continental Hustle (2010 Trans-Continental Hustle) gogolbordello.com
30db – One More (2010 One Man Show) 30db.net

-HOUR TWO-

GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS – Paris (Ooh La La) gracepotter.com
JASON ISBELL and the 400 UNIT – Good (2008 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) jasonisbell.com
KARL DENSON – Sunday School (1997 the D Stands for Diesel) karldenson.us
TEA LEAF GREEN – Dreaming Without Sleeping (2010 Looking West) tealeafgreen.com
OAKHURST – Run Run Run (2008 Jump in the Get Down) porchmusic.com
SOL DRIVEN TRAIN – Believe (2010 Believe) homegrownmusic.net
TOMO FUJITA – That Girl (2010 Pure) tomofujita.com
THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Everything’s Raising (2010 the Wages) bigdamnband.com
JIM LAUDERDALE – Jawbone (2010 Patchwork River) jimlauderdale.com
RatDog – Samson & Delilah (9/15/02 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, CO) ratdog.org

# # #

TnJ 122 (6/3/10)

-HOUR ONE-

moe. – St. Augustine (1994 Headseed, 2010 Smash Hits Volume One) moe.org
G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE – Lay Down the Law (1997 Yeah, It’s That Easy)
DR. DOG – The Unicorn (2010 Twistable Turnable Man – a Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein)
THE BELLEVILLE OUTFIT – Safe (2009 Time to Stand) thebellevilleoutfit.com
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Moon Man (4/15/08 Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Those Who’ve Gone On (2010 Things That Fly) infamousstringdusters.com
LEFTOVER SALMON w/ DAVID GRISMAN – Ain’t No Use (1/29/03 McNear’s Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA)

-HOUR TWO-

MEDESKI, MARTIN and WOOD – Amish Pintxos (2009 Radiolarians – the Evolutionary Set, “Explorarians” live album, c. 2008-09) mmw.net
JOHN BUTLER TRIO – Pickapart (2006 Live at St. Gallen, c. 2005)
FUTURE ROCK – Blink (2010 Live in Wicker Park) homegrownmusic.net
SUN TRAVELLERS – Skywalker (2010 Excursions) suntravellers.com
GOV’T MULE w/ ROB BARRACO, DAVE SCHOOLS, KEVIN KINNEY & AUDLEY FREED – Masters of War > Rockin’ in the Free World (2001/2010 Warren Haynes presents – the Benefit Concert, Vol. 3) evilteen.com
WIDESPREAD PANIC – St. Louis > Shut Up and Drive (2010 Dirty Side Down)

# # #

TnJ 121 (5/27/10)

Former co-host TOM WATTS stops by with his nephew and some songs to play (^_^)

-HOUR ONE-

HOT TUNA – Mann’s Fate (1998 Live in Japan, c.1997)
RAILROAD EARTH – Railroad Earth (2005 Elko)
TOM WATTS of LARRY – Caravan > Somewhere Over the Rainbow > If I Only Had a Brain (live @ KBAC, Santa Fe, NM 5/27/10)
TOM WATTS of LARRY – Rain (original) > Señor Blues > Bean Time (same as above)
TOM WATTS of LARRY w/ CHRIS DIESTLER – Summertime (same as above)
TOM WATTS of LARRY w/ JASPER RODRIGUEZ WATTS – SMB (original) (same as above)

-HOUR TWO-

MILES DAVIS – the Little Blue Frog (alt) (1998 Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, c. 1969-70)
MOKSHA – Open the Door (2010 Mammal or Machine) homegrownmusic.net
WIDESPREAD PANIC – This Cruel Thing (2010 Dirty Side Down)
TROMBONE SHORTY – Something Beautiful (2010 Backatown)
LEVON HELM BAND – the Shape I’m In (4/26/08 Merlefest, Wilkesboro, NC) festivalink.net
GRATEFUL DEAD – All Along the Watchtower (9/15/90 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY)
THE GREENCARDS – Outskirts of Blue (2009 Fascination)
TAARKA – Lost In the Loop (7/18/09 8th Annual Northwest String Summit, Horning’s Hideout, North Plains, OR)

# # #

TnJ 120 (5/20/10)

-HOUR ONE-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Dirty Side Down (2010 Dirty Side Down)
“SQUIDBILLIES” TV audio – Widespread Panic On Your Back 40
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Saint Ex (2010 Dirty Side Down)
INTERVIEW > David Gans (via telephone)
DAVID GANS – Life Is a Jam / E Minor (“B” side) dgans.com
BOOKER T – Reunion Time (2009 Potato Hole)
GALACTIC f/ WALTER “WOLFMAN” WASHINGTON – Speaks His Mind (2010 ya-ka-may)
THE METERS – Fire on the Bayou (2003 Fiyo at the Fillmore, Vol. 1)

-HOUR TWO-

BLACK JOE LEWIS & the HONEYBEARS – Sugarfoot (2009 Tell “Em What Your Name Is!) blackjoelewis.com
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – One Way Out (1971 At Fillmore East)
THE CONTRIBUTION – Fear of Nothing (2010 Which Way World) thecontribution.net
THE BELLEVUE OUTFIT – Let Me Go (2009 Time to Stand)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Y2K (9/13/08 Normal, IL) livedownloads.com
GOGOL BORDELLO – My Companjera (2010 Trans-Continental Hustle) gogolbordello.com
THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Just Getting By (2010 the Wages) sideonedummy.com
HAPPY APPLE – You and Mattel vs. Me and COleco (2001 Please Refrain from Fronting)
COPE – Creeker (2009 Going Home) homegrownmusic.net
DISCO BISCUITS – The City (2009 Planet Anthem) discobiscuits.com

# # #

NEW WIDESPREAD GITS 'ER DONE

Tune in, turn on, and jam out with Toast-n-Jam this Thursday night and feast your ears on preview tracks from the forthcoming Widespread Panic album Dirty Side Down, to be released next Tuesday (5/25/10).

The Athens, GA touring juggernaut has gone back to the well, as it were, to record with producer John Keane, who's always had a nice touch with the band's sound (maybe I'm the only one who thinks 'Til the Medicine Takes was a great record, but no one can argue against Space Wrangler, can they?).

Official 5-word review upon first listen: 1) Best 2) Album 3) Since 4) Mikey 5) Died.

No offense to George McConnell lovers (he's a great guy and an excellent axe slinger), but I think Jimmy Herring and the boys - with John Keane at the helm - demonstrate an outstanding chemistry on this release.

# # #

TnJ 119 (5/13/10)

Because it’s always fun – ALL COVERS!!! Phish’s “Exile On Main Street” Halloween Masquerade from 10/31/09 was the original inspiration, then Jimmy Fallon announced Rolling Stones week. Phish plays tonight. Wanna bet they do “Loving Cup?” Some birthday covers and other fun stuff thrown in for good measure.

-HOUR ONE-

PHISH – Torn and Frayed (10/31/09 Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com
JANE’S ADDICTION – Sympathy for the Devil (1987 Jane’s Addiction [live])
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO – Sway (1998 More Miles Than Money – Live 1994-1996)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – City of Dreams (2004 Über Cobra)
GOV’T MULE – Sad and Deep as You (1999 Live…With a Little Help from Our Friends, 12/31/98 the Roxy, Atlanta, GA)
U2 – Paint It Black (1992 Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - CD single)
HAWKWIND – Gimme Shelter (1994 It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous)

-HOUR TWO-

PHISH – Let It Loose (10/31/09 Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com
BEN HARPER and RELENTLESS7 – Red House (2010 Live from the Montreal International Jazz Festival, c. 2009) benharper.com
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Rebels (2009 the Fine Print – a Collection of Oddities and Rarities, c. 2003)
LEVON HELM - Stuff You Gotta Watch (2009 Electric Dirt) levonhelm.com
JERRY JOSEPH – BRET MOSLEY – STEVE DRIZOS – Missed the Boat (2009 Charge [charj]) cosmosexschool.com
KELLER & the KEELS – Rehab (2010 Thief) kellerwilliams.net
LUTHER ALLISON – You Can't Always Get What You Want (1997 Paint It Blue – Songs of the Rolling Stones)
PHISH – Loving Cup (2001 Live Phish 03, 9/14/00 Darien Center, NY)

# # #

PHISH COVER STONES AGAIN

From phish.com:

On Thursday, May 13th, Phish will be the musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as part of the show’s Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” week (each night of the week a different band will cover a song from the classic Stones album). This will be the band’s first televised late-night appearance since 2004.

# # #

So, obviously, this calls for some Phish flashbacks from last Halloween's Indio, CA show (where they covered "Exile" in its entirety). I started digging and found a bunch of other band's Stones covers as well, and then I thought, "Why not just do a whole 'covers' show?" So, tune in this Thursday for a great batch of covers, some Stones-related, some not. Yeah, I know it's not Halloween or New Year's, but what the heck?

(^_^) TOAST

# # #

WIDESPREAD GET TOONED ON "SQUIDBILLIES" 5/16/10

One of my favorite "just plain wrong" cartoons - Adult Swim's "Suidbillies" - will feature Widespread Panic in their season premiere. I got wind of it on jambase.com

# # #

TnJ 118 (5/6/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS – Drivin’ Down to Georgia (2009 the Live Anthology, c. 1993 Gainesville, FL)
MEAT PUPPETS – Touchdown King (1999 Live in Montana, c. 1988)
DELTA SPIRIT – Golden State (2010 History from Below) deltaspirit.net
GRATEFUL DEAD – China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (2010 Road Trips vol. 3, no. 2 “Bonus Disc,” 11/14/71 Fort Worth, TX)
MAMA’S COOKIN’ – Sanctified (2007 Mama’s Cookin’) mamascookinmusic.com
SOULFÉGE f/REGGIE ROCKSTONE – Beans N Rice (2008 Take Back the Mic) soulfege.com
EUFÓRQUESTRA – Ochosi (2009 Soup) euforquestra.com

-HOUR TWO-

JAMES BROWN – Cold Sweat (1967 Cold Sweat)
JOE BONAMASSA – Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter (2009 the Ballad of John Henry) jbonamassa.com
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE – Texas Flood (1999 In Step – Legacy Edition, c. 1989 Denver, CO)
RED ROOSTER – Black Point Road (2009 Walk) redroostermusic.com
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND - Criminal (2009 the Show) yondermountain.com
WIDESPREAD PANIC – North > You Got Yours (11/12/09 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA) livewidespreadpanic.com

# # #

VOTE for TnJ

Land sakes!

It has come to my attention that it is possible to vote for TOAST-n-JAM as your "Favorite Radio Show" in the current Santa Fe Reporter "Best of 2010" online poll.

Please do, by following the link above, if you're so inclined (^_^)

TOAST

# # #

TnJ 117 (4/29/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JEFF BECK – Let Me Love You (1968 Truth)
JERRY JOSEPH and the JACKMORMONS – Pumpkin Time (2010 Badlandia, c. 8/09 Virginia City, MT) download it from amazon.com
30db – Grave (2010 One Man Show) 30db.net
JIM LAUDERDALE – Patchwork River (2010 Patchwork River) jimlauderdale.com
WILLIE NELSON / ASLEEP at the WHEEL – Bring It on Down to My House (2009 Willie and the Wheel)
SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS – Jah Come Down (2010 Rise & Shine)
FELIX y los GATOS – Palenque (2009 Felix y los Gatos) check ‘em out on facebook
MILES DAVIS QUINTET – So What (4/8/60 Zurich, Switzerland)

-HOUR TWO-

INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – All the Same (2010 Things That Fly) infamousstringdusters.com
THE STATESBORO REVUE – Shine On (2009 Different Kind of Light)
GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – Get No Better (2010 Reckless Habits) greatamericantaxi.com
FLYINFISCH – Blueberry Oats (2010 Flyinfisch) flyinfisch.com
PHISH – Run Like an Antelope (12/31/96 Fleet Center, Boston, MA)
THE PNUMA TRIO – Shindahla (2006 Live from Out There) homegrownmusic.net
BROKEN BELLS – Trap Doors (2010 Broken Bells)

# # #

ALBUM REVIEW – TROMBONE SHORTY “Backatown”

Trombone Shorty "Backatown" - released 4/20/10 on Verve Forecast

Festivarian legend has it that Bonnaroo started as an outgrowth of New Orleans Jazz Fest’s epic after-hours jams, which may be why both present such a lively musical stew. Trombone Shorty’s new album, “Backatown,” borrows this recipe, to tasty effect.

“Backatown” struck me immediately as the kind of record Galactic would like to make, but have never managed quite as successfully. Diverse yet cohesive, this album gives the listener a musical tour of New Orleans, almost like hopping from bar to bar and hearing bits of Dixieland here; smooth Soul there; hints of Gypsy Jazz, Glitch, Punk, even Metal – all intertwined masterfully with bandleader Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ self-coined anchor sound: “Supafunkrock.”

The album opens with the cinematic instrumental, “Hurricane Season.” Is it a spy theme, a punk thrasher, or a party anthem? It actually seems to be an unlikely combination of all three. It’s a perfect track to kick off such a steadfast and varied album.

Aside from the sure-handed shifting of musical styles, this album also manages to season what could have been merely a collection of memorable instrumentals with what some might call “actual songs (which, to those people, means “tracks with lyrics”),” all with a seamless and integral journey between aesthetics, like a perfectly sequenced mixtape. Whether the credit should go to Andrews as bandleader, or Galactic’s Ben Ellman, as producer, or to both, for the album’s sheer listen-ability, I can’t say.

From the Trip-Hop twinge of the title track, through the drum and bass-inspired acid jazz of “Neph,” the fat-back funk of “In the 6th,” the sweet Soul of “Fallin’” like a serene island surrounded by adventuresome seas, to the final, traditional Dixieland rave-up of “928 Horn Jam,” this album is a rewarding listen all the way through, unless you’re expecting a straight-ahead jazz album, or a solid rock album. It’s like the everlasting gobstopper of Wonka lore – each new layer is a delightful and unexpected flavor.

The Metal-infused “Suburbia” and “The Cure” remind me of another New Orleans band – Bonerama, and perhaps laying down ominous, foreboding bass-lines is what trombones do best. Andrews is apparently equally adept at trumpet (despite his moniker), as rump-shakers like “Where Y’at” and “Quiet as Kept” readily prove. But c’mon, would you pay serious attention to someone dubbed “Trumpet Shorty?”

Recommended tracks for the casual listener: “On Your Way Down,” a funky cover which boasts a guest-appearance by the tunes’ writer, Allen Toussaint, and the Bill Withers-esque “Something Beautiful,” which features guitar and vocals by Andrews’ old boss – Lenny Kravitz.

Be sure to catch Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue if you can. They’ll be all over Jazz Fest in New Orleans, of course, and are slated to play both High Sierra and Bonnaroo this summer. After listening to “Backatown” several times, I’ve definitely bumped them up on my short list of “must-sees.”

~ Chris “Toast” Diestler

# # #

TnJ 116 (4/22/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TROMBONE SHORTY – Hurricane Season (2010 Backatown)
OZOMATLI – 45 (2010 Fire Away)
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Dirk > Cheap Sunglasses > Dirk (7/9/09 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
THE GOURDS – Gin and Juice (1998 Gogitchershinebox EP, 2001 Shinebox)
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND – Tulsa Sounds Like Trouble to Me (2009 Speed of Life)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Deal (11/30/80 Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – If We Could (2008 All Rebel Rockers – Special Edition Box Set)
KAKI KING – Everything Has an End, Even Sadness (2010 Junior)

-HOUR TWO-

JAY FARRAR & BENJAMIN GIBBARD – The Void (2009 One Fast Move or I’m Gone – Music from Kerouac’s Big Sur)
JOHN COURAGE – Ode to the Open Road (2010 Lovers Without a Care)
LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE of the REAL – Mystery (2009 Brando’s Paradise Sessions EP)
THE HUE – Bipolar Pride (2009 Beyond Words)
DISCO BISCUITS – Big Wrecking Ball (2009 Planet Anthem)
WILCO – Casino Queen (1995 A.M.)
FRANK ZAPPA – I’m the Slime > Big Swifty (1988 You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, 12/12/73 the Roxy, Hollywood, CA)
TEA LEAF GREEN – Borrowed Time (2008 Raise Up the Tent)

# # #

PROMISE of the REAL

Missed the KBAC interview with Promise of the Real's Lukas Nelson and Anthony LoGerfo on 4/20? LISTEN HERE


Stunning show at the SF Brew Co last night - covers from Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Beatles and (incredibly) Supertramp; originals from the extant EP and a bunch of great new songs, which will hopefully be on the new full-length album due soon!

PROMISE of the REAL 4/20/10 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM set list:

I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY
THE AWAKENING
PEACEFUL SOLUTION
MYSTERY
SOUND OF YOUR MEMORY
PALI GAP > BONNIE
DON’T LOSE YOUR MIND
L.A.
TOPPERS
HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
THE TRUTH
I HAVE NO FRIENDS
WANTED TO TRY
DOWN BY THE RIVER
MEET ME IN THE MORNING
MAKING A CASE FOR LOVE
START TO GO
2012 THE HAPPY ENDING

Encore:

ALL THE PRETTY HORSES
DEAR PRUDENCE

These guys may have had a thin mid-week turnout, but they played like they were in front of a festival crowd of thousands.

Road trip? Catch them tonight (4/21) at the Shadows Lounge in Taos.

# # #

LUKAS NELSON INTERVIEW TUESDAY ON KBAC

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...

# # #

TnJ 115 (4/15/10)

Big ol' THANKS to everyone who contributed recordings for this week's show - you know who you are. Literally couldn't do the show without your help. Keep 'em coming!

-HOUR ONE-

MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD – Chasen vs. Suribachi (2009 Radiolarians – the Evolutionary Set, live “Explorarians” disc) mmw.net
HERBIE HANCOCK – Actual Proof (1974 Thrust)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Who’s Been Talking (6/5/09 Wanee Festival, Live Oak, FL)
SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS – Tamagbondorsu (2010 Rise & Shine)
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Masquerade (2010 Things That Fly) infamousstringdusters.com
JENNIE ARNAU – the Sparrow & the Gods (2009 Chasing Giants) jenniearnau.com
LITTLE FEAT – Willin’ (1972 Sailin’ Shoes)

-HOUR TWO-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Last Dance (11/12/09 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA) livewidespreadpanic.com
LUKAS NELSON and PROMISE of the REAL – the Awakening (???? Brando’s Paradise Sessions EP) promiseofthereal.com
PUMPKIN HEAD TED – Eugene (2010 the New Bedford Knockabout) pumpkinheadted.com
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ – Eyes on the Prize (2010 Love and Circumstance) carrierodriguez.com
DR. DOG – Stranger (2010 Shame, Shame) drdogmusic.com
U-MELT – Green Paper Society (2009 Perfect World) homegrownmusic.net
THE DEAD WEATHER – 60 Feet Tall (2009 Horehound)
JIMMY PAGE & the BLACK CROWES – Ten Years Gone (6/28/00 Star Lake Amphitheater, Burgettstown, PA)

# # #

SCI ANNOUNCES HULAWEEN @ HAMPTON

From Madison House Publicity:

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT
October 29 - 30, 2010
Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA
www.hamptoncoliseum.org
Friday, October 29 with special guests The Disco Biscuits
Saturday, October 30 A 3-Set Evening with The String Cheese Incident

Ticket Prices: 10/29 - $49.50 10/30 - $49.50 Two Day Ticket - $94.00
Travel Packages will be available beginning April 20 at www.stringcheeseincident.com


Hampton Coliseum On Sale Information:
Fan Club pre-sale begins Tuesday, April 20 at 12:00 pm EDT at www.stringcheeseincident.com

General Public on sale begins Friday, April 23 at 12:00 pm EDT at www.ticketmaster.com

.25 cents from each ticket will go to benefit HeadCount, Rex Foundation, and Conscious Alliance.

Every ticket order placed at www.stringcheeseincident.com will receive a download code to LiveCheese.com for a FREE Best of SCI sampler – “Hulaween Cheese”. This download features over 75 minutes of memorable Hulaween moments to get you ready for this fall’s Hampton Incidents!

In addition, every fan club ticket buyer will be automatically entered to win a limited edition Trick or Treat Box Set, signed by the members of SCI! Visit www.stringcheeseincident.com for all the details.

# # #

TnJ 114 (4/8/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JOHN BUTLER TRIO – Ragged Mile (Sprit Song) (2010 April Uprising)
NATHANIEL RATELIFF – Whimper and Wail (2010 In Memory of Loss) nathanielrateliff.com
JERRY JOSEPH & the JACKMORMONS – Fiona (2010 Badlandia, c. 2009, Virginia City, MT) jerryjoseph.com
DEER TICK – Straight into a Storm (2009 Born on Flag Day) deertickmusic.com
DR. DOG – Where’d All the Time Go? (2010 Shame, Shame) drdogmusic.com
PHISH – Horn > Chalk Dust Torture (1993/2008 At the Roxy, c. 1993, Atlanta, GA)
NATHAN & the ZYDECO CHA CHAS – Outside People (2010 Rounder Records 40th Anniversary Concert)
CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS – Trouble in Your Mind (2010 Genuine Negro Jig) carolinachocolatedrops.com
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – Out of the Blue (2009 the Show) yondermountain.com

-HOUR TWO-

BLACK PRAIRIE – Across the Black Prairie > Red Rocking Chair (2010 Feast of the Hunter’s Moon) blackprairie.com
MULESKINNER – I Am a Pilgrim (1991/2009 Live - Original TV Soundtrack, c. 1973, KCET-TV, Hollywood, CA)
LEVON HELM – White Dove (2009 Electric Dirt) levonhelm.com
GRATEFUL DEAD – Tennessee Jed (5/5/77 Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT)
ACTUAL PROOF – the Ride (2009 Paradigm Shift) actualproofband.com
MATTHEW STUBBS – Uncle Sonny (2010 Medford & Main) matthewstubbs.net
LUBRIPHONIC – Devil’s in the Details (2009 Super Moncho, c. 2006, Chicago, IL) lubriphonic.com
INDUBIOUS – Mushroom Man (2009 Cosmic Seed) indubiousmusic.com
QUACTUS – Fantazor’s Escape (2008 Once a Pond, a Spine…) homegrownmusic.net

# # #

MILE HIGH MUSIC FESTIVAL TIX

The Mile High Music Festival is set for Commerce City, CO (near Denver), August 14-15, 2010.

Line-up this year sports Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson as co-headliners. Also appearing this year: The Steve Miller Band, Cypress Hill, My Morning Jacket, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Keller Williams, Jimmy Cliff, The Motet and tons more.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT on Saturday, April 10, 2010. Go HERE for details.

# # #

TnJ 113 (4/1/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – Friend of the Devil (2009 the Live Anthology, 2/3/97 the Fillmore, San Francisco, CA)
JIMMY CLIFF – You Can Get It If You Really Want (1976 In Concert: the Best of Jimmy Cliff)
GIFT of GAB – El Gifto Magnifico (2009 Escape to Mars) giftstribution.com
LUBRIPHONIC – Soul Solution (2008 Soul Solution) homegrownmusic.net
OUT to LUNCH – the Diminutive Swashbuckler (2009 Melvin’s Rockpile) outtolunchmusic.com
WIDESPREAD PANIC w/ JERRY JOSEPH – Light Is Like Water (11/13/09 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA) livewidespreadpanic.com
MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD – Clifton (2009 Radiolarians: the Evolutionary Set) www.mmw.net
D NUMBERS – the Adventures of IIX + XII (2010 Onda) dnumbers.com
MIGUEL KERTSMAN – Promises, Lies, and Deception (2009 Time? What’s Time?) miguelkertsmanmusic.com

-HOUR TWO-

JIMI HENDRIX – Bleeding Heart (2010 Valleys of Neptune)
THE BURNED – Where Are We Now (2010 the Burned) theburned.com
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – You Got Another (2010 the Big To-Do) drivebytruckers.com
GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – Unpromised Land (2009 Reckless Habits) greatamericantaxi.xom
NICK MOSS – Privileged at Birth (2010 Privileged) nickmoss.com
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – In God’s Country (2010 Things That Fly) infamousstringdusters.com
GRATEFUL DEAD – Fire on the Mountain (1978 Shakedown Street)
JOHN COURAGE – Take Yer Own (2010 Lovers Without a Care) frogvilleplanet.com
DEREK and the DOMINOS – Roll It Over (1994 Live at the Fillmore, 1973 In Concert, c. 1970)
BLUES TRAVELER – Brother John (1994 Four)

# # #

ROBERT PLANT WILL PLAY ALBUQUERQUE

Robert Plant has re-formed BAND of JOY, and their summer tour will make a stop @ Albuquerque's Sandia Casino Amphitheater July 18, 2010.

The line-up also includes vocalist extraordinaire Patty Griffin, as well as twin studio-powerhouses Darrell Scott and Buddy Miller.

Tickets on sale May 14, 2010. Sandia's website is HERE

Read the Rolling Stone post I got word from HERE

# # #

TnJ 112 (3/25/10)

Special thanks to Eufórquestra for calling in while driving to their Albuquerque gig tomorrow night (El Rey Theater)! You can listen to the conversation if you missed it @ kbac.com

-HOUR ONE-

GOV’T MULE – Tastes Like Wine (4/28/07 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM)
JASON ISBELL and the 400 UNIT – Seven-Mile Island (2008 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) jasonisbell.com
EUFÓRQUESTRA – Backbone (2009 Soup) *FREE DOWNLOAD*
EUFÓRQUESTRA – Melody Truck (2009 Soup) *FREE DOWNLOAD*
Interview > Matt Grundstad (Eufórquestra percussionist) *LIVE!*
JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE-WIDE – Héroes de Acción (2010 Puppet Mischief) johnaxsonellis.com
BONERAMA – Hard Times (2009 Hard Times EP) boneramamusic.com

-HOUR TWO-

ROBERT PLANT | ALISON KRAUSS – Rich Woman (2010 Rounder Records 40th Anniversary Concert)
DEER TICK – Houston, TX (2009 Born on Flag Day) deertickmusic.com
THE WAYBACKS – Brundlefly (2003 Way Live) waybacks.com
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Jellyfish > Drum Jam > Texas (1999 Carnival ’99)
JOHN BROWN’S BODY – Give Yourself Over (2008 Amplify) johnbrownsbody.com

# # #

JOE BONAMASSA INTERVIEW

Broadcast live on KBAC 3/19/10 - listen back if you missed it HERE


Don't forget to check out Joe's new disc, "Black Rock," due in stores and online March 23, 2010 (^_^)

# # #

TnJ 111 (3/18/10)

-HOUR ONE-

THE RADIATORS – Devil’s Dream (2009 the Lost Southlake Sessions) theradiators.org
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Coconut (7/21/08 Myrtle Beach, CA) livewidespreadpanic.com
JOE BONAMASSA – A New Day Yesterday / Starship Trooper / Würm (2008 Live from Nowhere in Particular) jbonamassa.com
JOE BONAMASSA – Lonesome Road Blues (2009 Live from Royal Albert Hall DVD)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Yell Fire (7/1/07 Taos Solar Music Festival, Taos, NM) festivalink.net
THE CONTRIBUTION – Which Way World (2010 Which Way World) thecontribution.net
MATT BUNSEN and the BURNERS – Sings (2009 Greatest Hits) mattbunsen.com

-HOUR TWO-

THE LOW ANTHEM – Home I’ll Never Be (2009 Oh My God, Charlie Darwin)
HANK WILLIAMS III – Pills I Took (2006 Straight to Hell)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Fork in the Road (2007 Fork in the Road) thestringdusters.com
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – 40 West (12/6/08 Morse Theater, Chicago, IL) archive.org
GRATEFUL DEAD – Truckin’ (2010 Road Trips, Vol. 3, No. 2, 11/15/71 Austin, TX) dead.net
BUILT to SPILL – Wherever You Go (2006 You in Reverse)
THE SKYS – Turtles (2009 Songs from Small Dreams in an Elevator) homegrownmusic.net
DISCO BISCUITS – Loose Change (2009 Planet Anthem) discobiscuits.com
PHISH – Casino Boogie (10/31/09 Festival 8, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com

# # #

PHISH ANNOUNCE TELLURIDE, SUMMER SHOWS

Hey, Phish-heads ~

Just got word there will be 2 Phish dates at the breathtakingly gorgeous Telluride Town Park (regular home to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Telluride Blues and Brews), August 9 and 10. Get your ticket requests in by Friday, March 26, 2010, as whatever's left goes to general public sale on April 2nd.

HERE's the page I linked from. Good luck (^_^)

~ TOAST

# # #

TnJ 110 (3/11/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JOE BONAMASSA – Jockey Full of Bourbon (2009 the Ballad of John Henry) jbonamassa.com
JIMI HENDRIX – Hear My Train a Comin’ (2010 Valleys of Neptune)
moe. – Spaz Medicine (2002 Warts & All Vol. 2, 2/23/02 the Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA) moe.org
ALO – the Champ (2010 Man of the World)
MARK EGAN – Frog Legs (2010 Truth Be Told)
THE DUHKS – Down to the River (2006 Migrations) duhks.com
JOHNNY CASH – Aloha Oe (2010 American VI: Ain’t No Grave)
JIMMY CLIFF – Many Rivers to Cross (1976 – In Concert – the Best of Jimmy Cliff)

-HOUR TWO-

LEGION of MARY – Harder They Come (6/8/75 El Camino Park, Palo Alto, CA)
MANDOMORPHOSIS – Out of the Furnace and into the Fire (2009 2010) mandomorphosis.com
CORNMEAL – When the World’s Got You Down (2009 Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 1) http://www.cornmealinthekitchen.com/
BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS7 – Lay There & Hate Me (2010 Live from the Montreal Int’l Jazz Festival) benharper.com
SWAMP CABBAGE – More Booty with Buddha (2010 Live from New York City… On the In Tune) swampcabbage.com
LAURIE MORVAN BAND – Come On Over to My BBQ (2009 Fire It Up!) lauriemorvan.com

# # #

CONCERT REVIEW - EMMITT-NERSHI BAND

EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – 3/10/10 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM

Two giants of the jam genre – Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon and Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident – have spent several years building a viable side project called the Emmitt-Nershi band, drawing heavily from the bluegrass/jazz hybrid style of newgrass (pioneered in the 70s by the likes of Tim O’Brien, Béla Fleck and Sam Bush). This was the first night of the 2010 tour and, after admitting they had no set list and would be making it up “on the fly,” the quartet launched into a 2-hour set of ripping originals, covers, and occasional jams which indicate this combo knows exactly what they’re doing, even if they’re making it up as they go.

Opener was Drew’s “Lonesome Road,” recently from his 2002 solo release “Freedom Ride,” but also on the out-of-print “Ask the Fish” from Leftover Salmon in 1995. Being a newgrass show, I should’ve known this would not be the only time the themes of “lonesome” and “road” would come up. Any mando players at home who want to know Drew’s secret on this one: upstroke. Lots and lots of upstroke.

Second song was Bill’s (he dislikes being addressed as “Billy,” by the way, even though everyone I know calls him that) “These Days,” from the Emmitt-Nershi band’s debut album of 2009, “New Country Blues.” Bill admitted in an interview it’s one of his favorites from the new crop, and it seems like a declaration of sorts for him, trying to carve out a quieter, rootsier niche for himself than the overblown colossus that String Cheese Incident became.

Drew took the lead on song three (“Gold Hill Line”), setting the pattern for a mostly back-and-forth-between-Bill-and-Drew show, with occasional instrumentals and duets thrown in for good measure. You may remember this as the standard pattern Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir fell into during the Grateful Dead’s glory days. Of course, if Emmitt-Nershi were going to borrow more heavily from the jam-band template, they’d have to have 2 drummers or 2 guitarists, but they seem content with the string band configuration of banjo, mandolin, guitar, and – oops, electric bass.

But, as stated earlier, this is not your grandpa’s bluegrass. This is newgrass. All bets are off. I did make a note during the next song (Bill’s “When You Coming Home”) that they could’ve sorely used a fiddle in the mix, but this was the first hint at “jamgrass” they’d laid on us all night. The banjo picker, Andy Thorn (from North Carolina, by way of Colorado, according to Drew), laid down some nice fills, and took the lead on the following instrumental, which Drew dubbed “Thorn Pipe.” Whether this was a surfing or smoking reference, I can’t say, but I hope that track makes it onto a recording someday.

Drew and Bill joined voices to lead the cover of Bill Monroe and Hank Sr.’s “Blue and Lonesome,” which might just be the wellspring from which all bluegrass streams flow – note the recurrence of themes like heartache, loneliness, and the healing power of music. As Steve Martin (now a professional banjo picker himself, in a bizarre twist of fate) once said, it’s hard to feel blue when the banjo’s pickin’.

I’ll call everything up to now a warm-up. Next stop on the Emmitt-Nershi train: the String Cheese classic, “Born on the Wrong Planet,” from the 1997 release of the same name. The band and the audience seemed ready to really stretch out at this point and get into a good, long jam. The overall flavor of the show from here on seemed to adopt a “no shoes required” approach. I would later notice (during the super-jammy SCI call-back “Love Is Like a Train”) that Bill wasn’t wearing any shoes on stage – only socks, and that seemed as good an indicator as any that these guys wanted the show to feel like a good porch session. Mission accomplished. I think we all felt like taking our shoes off at this point. Maybe it just took this long for the pre-show ingestions to kick in

I snuck out back to a spot where I could still hear the band but also feed my nicotine addiction, and noticed their unassuming transportation was a Chevy extendo-van with a Thule rack on top. I smiled to think they were touring the country in such an understated ride, and wondered what Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys might’ve used in the early days. Another microbrew from the bar and I was ready to jump into the second half of the show. No set break, by the way, for the curious.

After the instrumental “Flight of the Durban”, which reminds me of “Cosmic Hippo”-era Béla Fleck, Drew told us it was Andy Thorn’s birthday (which it wasn’t), and the audience spontaneously broke into singing “Happy Birthday, Dear Andy,” like suckers. Drew Emmitt – merry prankster, compulsive liar, or too stoned for public? You be the judge.

Drew claimed the next song, “This House,” was co-written with Jim Lauderdale, and that the SCI jam “Jellyfish” was a “true story, written in 4 different bars in Telluride,” but after the not-really-Andy’s birthday thing I’m not sure when we’re supposed to believe him, exactly. “Jellyfish” seemed a good choice to sample from the SCI catalog, with Bill’s rap about hitching a ride from Telluride to Santa Fe with some girls and getting stranded there without a ride back. Appropriately, “Jellyfish” clocked in at 10+ minutes.

“All Night Ride” is a Drew co-write with Colorado near-legend Benny Galloway from 2005’s “Across the Bridge.” Great song, maybe the best on that album – and the “Look for Sasquatch” jokes played well to those familiar with Monarch Pass – but it got me to wishing there had been more sampling from the Leftover Salmon backlist.

Perhaps Drew Emmitt is determined to draw a line in the sand, as it were, gerrymandering his own territory separate and distinct from LOS, similar to what I inferred from Bill’s “These Days” with regard to SCI. If this is indeed the case, they seem to be off to a great start.

Set List:

01) Lonesome Road
02) These Days
03) Gold Hill Line
04) When You Coming Home
05) Thorn Pipe (instrumental)
06) Blue And Lonesome
07) Born On the Wrong Planet >
08) > "Keep Looking for a Train" Jam
09) Down in the Hollow
10) Good Times Around the Bend
11) Flight of the Durban (instrumental)
12) This House
13) Jellyfish
14) Long Road
15) Love Is Like a Train
16) All Night Ride
17) Black Clouds

Encore:

18) New Country Blues

# # #

THX to Matt Hogan @ SciFidelity for helping me identify most of the song titles!

# # #

CONCERT REVIEW - NEKO CASE

NEKO CASE, KELLY HOGAN, PAUL RIGBY – 3/5/10 Greer Garson Theater, College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM

Ethereal, magical, sublime, transcendent - I don’t think I can conjure any adjectives reviewers haven’t already used to describe Neko Case in concert, so I’ll just leave it at this – perfect. Not that mistakes weren’t made (Kelly Hogan’s music box solo during “Middle Cyclone” was marred by a series of thunderous electrical shorts), but Neko and company seemed so comfortable onstage and with each other that they just rolled right through the rough spots with a wink and, more often than not, a quip. Their humorous, self-effacing camaraderie was endearing – almost familial – making it seem less like (fanfare) THE AMAZING NEKO CASE SHOW (more fanfare), than an intimate front porch jam with friends. Okay, maybe a perfectly rehearsed, mic’d, and amplified front porch jam with friends.

Until now, I never realized Neko Case uses a harmony vocalist. Kelly Hogan’s voice matches so perfectly, I had always assumed Neko just doubled her own vocals in the studio. Because they sing SO well together, I wondered how far back they’d been doing it. My guess is early childhood. They might’ve learned to sing together before either could walk. Kelly was always ready with a friendly jab toward Neko too, like, “Oh, another song about an animal, imagine that,” which kept the mood light even when the lyrics implied gloom and foreboding (the song was “The Tigers Have Spoken”). When Kelly returned from what I assume was a bathroom break, to find they were about to launch into the Sparks tune “Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth,” she rolled her eyes and decried it as the “nut-buster” of the set, but nailed it anyway.

Much has been written of Neko’s “well-honed machine” of a voice, and everything you’ve read is true. She must have what my choir teacher in middle school called “perfect pitch,” because even a cappella, she belts out the right note every time, no approach, no waver, no glissando. Even when she aborted her reading of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain” before finishing the first verse, thinking she had somehow flubbed it (she hadn’t), she got right back on the horse and nailed it a second time. This is a hard one to find in her catalog – only available on the Live from Austin TX disc, or on an obscure compilation called “Sweetheart” from 2005.

Whether due to the acoustic trio arrangement, or due to what they called Santa Fe’s high-altitude “freaky air,” they played a good half-dozen songs that rarely appear on Neko Case set lists, including tracks from the little heard 2001 release “Canadian Amp.” They admitted the oft-requested “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” is rarely played because it’s “scary,” and Neko characterized the Harry Nilsson cover of “Don’t Forget Me,” (which appears on her latest release, “Middle Cyclone”) as “cruel.” “Scary” to play? “Cruel” to sing? As in, “these notes are such a vocal workout it’s cruel to ask anyone to sing them?” Whatever. They sounded great. Even on the first “high-notes” number of the night (“Maybe Sparrow”), their collective perfection thrilled. It was kinda like watching a trapeze act or a NASCAR race – part of the thrill was in the anticipation it could all go horribly wrong at any moment. But it never did.

“Star Witness” was epic, even for an acoustic trio – a real “show-stopper.” We could’ve all gone home ecstatically happy at this point. The show had already been the length of 2 full Neko Case albums. But, after an almost non-existent encore break – about 15 seconds – they hustled back onstage and admitted they “didn’t really want to leave in the first place,” and proved it by playing a 6-song encore.

I’d be remiss not to mention Paul Rigby, the very-nearly one-man band, who had quite the array of effects pedals for an acoustic performance. He accompanied the madness from start-to-2-hour-finish with a smile, a “Rex Harrison hat” (yes, Neko quoted the John Hughes film “Weird Science”), and just the right amount of flair. If the acoustic trio configuration is this good, I can only imagine what the full band sounds like (not that they were missed at all during this performance). This was my first Neko Case show, but I certainly hope it won’t be the last.

~ Chris Diestler, A.K.A. “Toast”

# # #

Set List:

A Widow’s Toast
Margaret vs. Pauline
I’m an Animal
That Teenage Feeling
Tightly
Polar Nettles
Maybe Sparrow
The Tigers Have Spoken
Favorite
Things That Scare Me
Middle Cyclone
People Got a Lotta Nerve
Hex *Catherine Ann Irwin song*
Dirty Knife
Buckets of Rain *Bob Dylan song*
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth *Sparks song*
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
In California *Lisa Marr song*
Star Witness

Encore:

Vengeance Is Sleeping
Sometimes When I Get to Thinkin' *Buffy Sainte-Marie song*
Ghost Wiring
Don’t Forget Me *Harry Nilsson song*
Knock Loud *Sook-Yin Lee song*
John Saw That Number

# # #

TnJ 109 (3/4/10)

-HOUR ONE-

PHISH – The Curtain With (11/1/09 Festival 8, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com
MAX ALLEN BAND – Carina’s Song (2009 Ending Sun) homegrownmusic.net
MICHAEL ROSE – Sensemilla > How You Fi Do That (1998 Party in Session – Live, 6/21/98 Slim’s, San Francisco, CA)
SLY & the FAMILY STONE – MEDLEY: Music Lover / Higher (2009 the Woodstock Experience, 8/17/69 Woodstock Music and Art Fair)
INDUBIOUS – Presto Chango (2009 Cosmic Seed) indubiousmusic.com
EUFÓRQUESTRA – Soup (2009 Soup) euforquestra.com

-HOUR TWO-

UMPHREY’S McGEE – Wife Soup (12/31/04 Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL) livedownloads.com
THE DEAD – The Weight (5/7/09 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO)
NEKO CASE – Prison Girls (2008 Middle Cyclone)
JEREMY KITTEL – Woods (2010 Chasing Sparks) jeremykittel.com
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – Restless Wind (2009 New Country Blues) emmittnershiband.com
GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – One of These Days (2009 Reckless Habits) greatamericantaxi.xom
LEFTOVER SALMON – Breakin’ Thru (12/31/04 Fox Theater, Boulder, CO)
JOE BONAMASSA – India / Mountain Time (2008 Live from Nowhere in Particular) jbonamassa.com

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CHECK IT OUT...

Many of the Santa Fe jam faithful already know Woody Duncan as the ex-guitarist/songwriter for the sadly-defunct band Pigment. Well, apparently he's been busy recording solo in the home studio of late. Sample his work
HERE

TnJ 108 (2/25/10)

-HOUR ONE-

EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – Flight of the Durban (2009 New Country Blues) emmittnershiband.com
ROSE’S PAWN SHOP – Blood Running Rivers (2006 the Arsonist) rosespawnshop.org
GRATEFUL DEAD – Big River (1973/1993 Dick’s Picks Vol One, 12/19/73 Tampa, FL)
GEORGE HARRISON – Wah-Wah (1970 All Things Must Pass)
JOHN BUTLER TRIO – One Way Road (2010 April Uprising) johnbutlertrio.com
CHUCK MEAD – She Got the Ring (I Got the Finger) (2009 Journeyman’s Wager) chuckmead.com
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley (7/18/09 Mile High Music Festival, Denver, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com

-HOUR TWO-

JOE BONAMASSA – Blue and Evil (2010 Black Rock)
JOHNNY WINTER – Mean Town Blues (2009 the Woodstock Experience, 8/17/69 Woodstock Music & Art Fair)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Fire in the Garage (2001 Doin’ It) papagrowsfunk.com
JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE-WIDE – Okra & Tomatoes (2010 Puppet Mischief) johnaxsonellis.com
TEN TON CHICKEN – Minus Man (2010 Efitol) tentonchicken.com
MATT BUNSEN and the BURNERS – Beer (2009 Greatest Hits) mattbunsen.com
KELLER WILLIAMS – Freeker by the Speaker (2002 Laugh) kellerwilliams.net

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TnJ 107 (2/18/10)

Big thanks to guest toast Michelle LaFlamme-Childs (A.K.A. DJ Funky Shalom) for sharing her musical treasure this week! Listen if you missed it @ kbac.com

-HOUR ONE-

GOV’T MULE – The Shape I’m In (2007 Mighty High)
RatDog – Two Djinn (9/15/02 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, CO)
PRIMUS – Southbound Pachyderm (1995 Tales from the Punchbowl)
TV on the RADIO – Crying (2008 Dear Science)
U-MELT – Perfect World (2009 Perfect World)
YEASAYER – Wait for the Summer (2007 All Hour Cymbals)
TINARIWEN – Cler Achel (2007 Aman Iman: Water Is Life)

-HOUR TWO-

DR. DIDG – Bob’s Cloud (1998 Seratonality)
MATISYAHU - Temple (2009 Light iTunes exclusive)
RADIO LA CHUSMA – Travel Wide (2007 91.5 MexM)
LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY – Pussyman (2004 Panic in Babylon)
CORNMEAL – Heaven on Time (Tales from Magic Stone Mountain)
LEFTOVER SALMON w/ MICHAEL WOOTEN – Catfish John (12/31/04 Fox Theater, Boulder, CO)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – Keep on Going > Legalize It (2001 Mountain Tracks: Volume 1, c.2000)

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FESTIVALLLLL!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Legendary Musicians Phil Lesh and Bob Weir Bring Furthur to Nateva Music & Camping Festival this Summer
Renowned Jam Band to Headline Three-Day Festival with Performance on Sunday, July 4th; Moe. and The Flaming Lips to Headline First Two Nights Respectively

The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Keller Williams, Lotus, Moonalice and
Zappa Plays Zappa Also Set to Perform in Oxford, Maine

OXFORD, MAINE (February 19, 2010) - This 4th of July weekend, music fans have a new reason to celebrate as Nateva Music & Camping Festival organizers today announced that FURTHUR, founded by the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, will be the closing headliner of the inaugural event at the Oxford Fairgrounds in Oxford, Maine on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Joining Furthur at Nateva, moe. will be the Friday night headlining band on July 2nd, while The Flaming Lips will headline on Saturday, July 3rd. Additionally, for those who wish to arrive at the Nateva Music & Camping Festival in advance of the official kick off, Lotus will headline the Thursday night festivities on July 1st. Organizers have also noted that Zappa Plays Zappa, Keller Williams, and Moonalice will join The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band to perform as featured artists at Nateva. Dozens of additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Weekend passes with and without camping are $249/$229 but are on sale now for a very limited time for $199/$179 at NatevaFestival.com. A limited number of VIP packages ($425) featuring special viewing platforms, preferred parking, camping, dining, a full-service bar, and more are also available.

15,000 music-loving campers are expected to flock to the scenic, 100-plus-acre site to take in world-class bands and special entertainment, including stilt-walkers; magicians; jugglers; and art installations. Dozens of the world's most acclaimed bands, including accomplished and up-and-coming jam, country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie artists, are scheduled to perform on multiple stages during the intimate, three-day spectacle.

"We set out to create a festival that would offer an unprecedented line-up of the world's top musicians in an intimate festival setting," said Frank Chandler, CEO of Nateva Music & Camping Festival. "With Furthur and the astounding line-up of artists that have already committed to Nateva, Northern New England is sure to get the music festival of their dreams this summer."

Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir are embarking on a musical adventure with their new band Furthur. Fans can expect Lesh & Weir to push the musical envelope with jaw-dropping improvisations and loving renditions of Grateful Dead classics, with an all star band that includes keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and percussionist Jay Lane (RatDog), drummer Joe Russo (Benevento - Russo Duo, Trey Anastasio), and guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra). New and old fans of the Grateful Dead alike will be entranced as Phil & Bob take the musical journey "further," exploring some of the Grateful Dead's most beloved songs in a tour that promises to keep the feet stomping and the bodies shaking.

moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band with a remarkable career that's touched on three decades and produced 17 albums. The quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey (guitars and vocals), Rob Derhak (bass and vocals), Jim Loughlin (guitar and vibes), and Vinnie Amico (drums) continue to push the standard on performance art. Critical acclaim and a solid national and international fan base have built a dedicated following that grows each year. Whether touring across the globe, headlining music festivals, or sharing the stage with such celebrated acts as the Allmans, The Who, or Robert Plant, among others, what keeps moe. at the forefront of the music scene is not only the energy and vitality of their music and songwriting, but the showmanship in which it is delivered.

The Flaming Lips are an American experimental rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983. The band features founding members Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, theremin, keyboards) and Michael Ivins (bass, keyboards), longtime member Steven Drozd (keyboards, guitar, drums, synths, vocals) and Kliph Scurlock (drums). The Flaming Lips are known for their lush, multi-layered arrangements, spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles. They are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which typically feature animal suits, puppets, streamers, video projections and complex stage light configurations. From their beginnings as Oklahoma misfits to their pop culture breakthrough in the mid-'90s to their status as one of the most respected groups of the 2000s, The Flaming Lips have ridden one of the more surreal and haphazard career trajectories in pop music. An acid-bubblegum band with as much affinity for sweet melodies as blistering noise assaults, their off-kilter sound, uncommon emotional depth, and bizarre history firmly established them as true originals.

As Northern New England's premier jam-based music festival, Nateva has set out to bring music to fans in the true jam band tradition, while offering a mix of country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie artists. With Furthur, and the eclectic festival line-up of innovative artists announced to date, Chandler and his team have done just that. The artists that will join Furthur, The Flaming Lips and moe., along with the entire line up of world-class talent, offer fans a significant musical range with a roster that includes some of the industry's most inspired musical talent.

Located just two hours and 25 minutes from Boston and only 45 minutes from Portland, Maine, the Oxford Fairgrounds feature electricity, water, bathrooms, 150 RV hook-ups, shower trucks, free WiFi, flat land, plenty of shade, and easy access to Route 26. Family and VIP camping areas will also be available.

ABOUT NATEVA MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival is a three-day, multistage outdoor camping event held July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the beautiful 100 acre Oxford Fairgrounds, located 2 hours and 25 minutes from Boston and 45 minutes from Portland, Maine. As Northern New England's premier jam-based music festival, Nateva brings together artists in the true jam-band tradition - as well as an eclectic mix of performers spanning the country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie genres.

For more information on the Nateva Music & Camping Festival, visit NatevaFestival.com.

TnJ 106 (2/11/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JOHN POPPER w/WARREN HAYNES – Alone (2007 Warren Haynes Presents: the Benefit Concert Vol. 2, c. 2000, Asheville, NC)
JOE BONAMASSA – One of These Days (2007 Sloe Gin)
BAYLOCK – Kind of Strange (2009 One Good to be Told)
moe. – Lazarus (2008 Dr. Stan’s Prescription Vol. 2, c. 2001, Turin, NY) moe.org

-HOUR TWO-

MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD (produced by DJ SPOOKY) – Free Go Lily (2009 Radiolarians: the Evolutionary Set, “Remixolarians” disc) mmw.net
ZACH DEPUTY – Cool Yourself Off (2009 Sunshine) homegrownmusic.net
DENIS AUSTIN – Lazarus Man (2002 In the Raw)
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Shakin’ the Tree (7/4/00 Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre, Santa Fe, NM)
ALO – I Love Music (2010 Man of the World)
GARAJ MAHAL – Celtic Indian (2003 Live Vol. 1, 8/23/02 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA) homegrownmusic.net
JOHNNY SKETCH and the DIRTY NOTES – Curb (2004 Live at the Spleaf) johnnysketch.com

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NEXT WEEK > Guest Toast Michelle LaFlamme-Childs brings tasty nugs to share (^_^)

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TnJ 105 (2/4/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TOUBAB KREWE featuring UMAR BIN HASSAN – Moose (2008 Live at the Orange Peel) toubabkrewe.com
TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS – Mary Jane’s Last Dance (2009 the Live Anthology, 9/21/06 Gainesville, FL)
BOB MARLEY and the WAILERS – Trenchtown Rock (5/26/76 the Roxy, Hollywood, CA)
EASY STAR ALL-STARS – Speak to Me > Breathe (In the Air) > On the Run (2003 Dub Side of the Moon)
PINK FLOYD – One of These Days (1971 Meddle)
LOTUS – Scrapple (2009 Oil on Glass EP) lotusvibes.com
DAVID FIUCZYNSKI – Moonring Bacchanal (2008 KiF Express)

-HOUR TWO-

CHARLIE HUNTER – High Pockets and a Fanny Pack (2010 Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not be Getting Paid)
OUT to LUNCH – To the Queen (for Cyp’s Parents) (2009 Melvin’s Rockpile)
HILL COUNTRY REVUE – Intro (“The Modern Blues Band for a New Generation,” avail. only @ HCR shows, c. 2008)
THE STATESBORO REVUE – The Painter (2009 Different Kind of Light)
PHISH – Wolfman’s Brother > Prince Caspian (3/7/09 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA) livephish.com
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – 45th of November (7/10/04 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
BORIS GARCIA – Scootch (2008 Once More into the Bliss) borisgarcia.com
LIPBONE REDDING and the LIPBONE ORCHESTRA – The Whistle (2008 Party on the Fire Escape) lipbone.com

# # #

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT 2010 NEWS

From SCI's publicist:

THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT ANNOUNCES
SELECT INCIDENTS IN 2010

THE BAND WILL PERFORM
RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE ON JULY 23, 24, AND 25
AND HORNING’S HIDEOUT JULY 29 – AUGUST 1

SCI’S RECENT DOUBLE LIVE CD RELEASE, TRICK OR TREAT, IS AVAILABLE NOW; ALSO SCI’S ROTHBURY PERFORMANCE NOW AT iCLIPS

The String Cheese Incident will perform a handful of “Incidents” in 2010. The band will play their greatest hometown venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, on July 23, 24, and 25. In addition they’ll set up camp at a site close to the band’s/fans’ hearts, Horning’s Hideout (near Portland, Oregon), July 29 through August 1.

This announcement ends a three-year break from performing; a hiatus interrupted only once - this past summer - when SCI united to headline ROTHBURY for one incredible Incident. (Fans can download SCI’s epic ROTHBURY 2009 performance in its entirety at www.iClips.net, and check out a sneak peek at www.stringcheeseincident.com).


2010 Show details are as follows:

July 23, 24, and 25, 2010
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Morrison, Colorado

Red Rocks Ticket Information:
Tuesday, February 9 at 10:00 am MST – Presale at www.stringcheeseincident.com
Friday, February 12 at 10:00 am MST – KBCO Presale at www.kbco.com
Saturday, February 13 at 10:00 am MST – Public On Sale www.ticketmaster.com

Hotel/Travel packages for Red Rocks shows available at www.stringcheeseincident.com


July 29 – August 1, 2010
Horning’s Hideout
North Plains, OR
Full Festival Line Up and Schedule To Be Announced
Presented by Madison House Presents

Horning’s Hideout Ticket Information:
Tickets available beginning Tuesday, February 9 at 10:00 am MST
Only at www.stringcheeseincident.com

Four- day tickets and RV Passes available.

Every ticket order placed at www.stringcheeseincident.com will receive a download code to LiveCheese.com for a FREE “Best of” SCI sampler – “Cheese on the Rocks” (RR) and/or “Cheese in the Trees” (HH) - depending on the tickets purchased. Each download features over 100-minutes of old-school SCI.

Visit www.stringcheeseincident.com for all the details.

By all accounts, The String Cheese Incident’s only performance in the past three years - at the ROTHBURY music festival in July 2009 - was magical. It left the band and its community itching for more. This summer, SCI steps into a new decade to deliver…

For this new era, SCI stays true to its roots - by nurturing their community and creating live musical experiences rather than just concerts. In 2010, look for SCI to continue to think out-of-the-box about their musical journey – hosting special events instead of the typical tour-routing, exploring new ways of releasing new recordings, and building on their reputation as innovators of fan participation.

The String Cheese Incident’s recent live release, Trick or Treat (SCI Fidelity Records / October 2009), offers fans a chance to relive the group’s legendary “Hulaween” Incidents. Known to perform special concerts comprised heavily of cover tunes each Halloween, Trick or Treat offers selections from SCI performances recorded at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse (1998), Philadelphia’s Electric Factory (1999), Portland’s State Theatre (2000), New York City (2001), Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium (2002), Sin City’s Cox Pavilion (2003), and Madison Alliant Energy Center. The two-disc release is available now on CD, vinyl, and digitally at www.stringcheeseincident.com.

TnJ 104 (1/28/10)

-HOUR ONE-

RatDog – One More Saturday Night (12/3/05 Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, NM)
COL. BRUCE HAMPTON & the QUARK ALLIANCE – Open the Door (2007 Give Thanks to Chank) homegrownmusic.net
SWAMP CABBAGE – New Voodoo Boogaloo (2008 Squeal) swampcabbage.com
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (5/16/09 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA)
ROBERT LUSSON & the SOCIAL BEAT – The Egalitarian Café (2010 Loveland) thesocialbeat.org
ROUND MOUNTAIN – Burn It Down (2007 Truth and Darkness) roundmountainmusic.com
DAVID BOWIE – Sunday (2009 A Reality Tour, c. 2003)

-HOUR TWO-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Thought Sausage (7/19/09 Mile High Music Festival, Denver, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com
SOULFÈGE – Do Right (2008 Take Back the Mic) soulfege.com
BONERAMA – Mr. Go (2007 Bringing It Home, c. 2006)
THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Wal-Mart Killed the Country Store (2008 the Whole Fam Damnily) bigdamnband.com
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Tennessee Pusher (2009 Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre DVD)
CHARLIE HUNTER – Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid (2010 Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid) charliehunter.com
RODRIGO y GABRIELA featuring ALEX SKOLNICK – Atman (2009 11:11) rodgab.com
SANTANA – Soul Sacrifice / Head, Hands & Feet (1977 Moonflower)

# # #

TnJ 103 (1/21/10)

-HOUR ONE-

SOULIVE – So Live (live) (2000 Turn It Out)
JANIS JOPLIN / BIG BROTHER & the HOLDING COMPANY – Ego Rock (1972 In Concert)
GREEN LEMON – Shoulder (2003 Green Lemon)
THE SKYS – Different Faces (2009 Songs from Small Dreams in an Elevator) homegrownmusic.net
THE MOTET – Tonight It Belongs to You (2009 Dig Deep)
U-MELT – Elysian Fields (2010 Perfect World) harmonizedrecords.com

-HOUR TWO-

REBEL ALLIANCE JAM – Will It Go Round in Circles (8/16/08 Yarmony Grass, Copper Mountain, CO) festivalink.net
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – I Come from the Country (2009 New Country Blues)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – No Resolution (9/13/08 Normal,IL) livedownloads.com
SARAH JAROSZ – Tell Me True (2009 Song Up in Her Head)
REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Why Is Everybody Getting Paid But Me (2008 The Whole Fam Damnily)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Fish-Eyed Fool (2006 Live at the Leaf)
GREAT CAESAR’S GHOST – Les Brers in A Minor (2009 First There Is a Mountain)

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COACHELLA FESTIVAL TIX ON SALE FRIDAY

COACHELLA FESTIVAL in Indio, CA has announced their lineup for this year, and are putting the tickets up for sale this Friday.

April 16-17-18, 2010

Tickets on sale 1/22 @ 10am

TnJ 102 (1/14/10)

-HOUR ONE-

LEGION of MARY – I’ll Take a Melody (5/21/75 the Keystone, Berkeley, CA)
LEO KOTTKE & MIKE GORDON – Rings (2005 Sixty Six Steps)
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE – Do Wrong Right (2009 Do Wrong Right)
JOHN HARTFORD – Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie (3/27/83 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse)
REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Worn Out Shoe (2008 the Whole Fam Damnily)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY – Imam (2009 One Day in Brooklyn EP)
CADILLAC JONES – Moneyshot (2009 Rhythm Method)
GALACTIC – Two Clowns (2001 We Love ‘Em Tonight: Live at Tipitina’s)
KINGS of LEON – Crawl (2008 Only by the Night)

-HOUR TWO-

TR3 – Do You Wanna (2009 Radiance)
THEM CROOKED VULTURES – Scumbag Blues (2009 Them Crooked Vultures)
CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED – Overtable Interlude > Pretty Lady (2009 Happiness and All the Other Things)
SCARECROW COLLECTION – Act That Way (2007 Radio Frequency Disaster)
DUMPSTAPHUNK – Meanwhile… (2007 Listen Hear EP)
AFROSKULL – Me and My TV (2009 to Obscurity and Beyond)
THE PEACE – Goin’ to Yoga (2009 the Peace)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Hatfield (6/11/05 Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN)

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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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TnJ 101 (1/7/10)

* BEST of 2009 FLASHBACK *

-HOUR ONE-

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Wagon Wheel > Tell It to Me (2009 Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theater)
SAM BUSH – Roll On Buddy, Roll On (2009 Circles Around Me)
SHEMEKIA COPELAND – Big Brand New Religion (2009 Never Going Back)
The GumboProject – Phrygian Funk (2009 roux EP)
ASSEMBLY of DUST featuring AL SCHNIER – High Brow (2009 Some Assembly Required)
SON VOLT – Exiles (2009 American Central Dust)
JEFF BUJAK – Yogoque (2009 Alive Like the Spine)
FELICE BROTHERS – Cooperstown (2009 Yonder Is the Clock)
THEM CROOKED VULTURES – Spinning in Daffodils (2009 Them Crooked Vultures)

-HOUR TWO-

CAGE the ELEPHANT – Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked (2009 Cage the Elephant)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – George Jones Talkin’ Cell Phone Blues (2009 the Fine Print: a Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008)
CASEY DRIESSEN – Regarding Life Thus Far (2009 Oog)
RODRIGO y GABRIELA – Buster Voodoo (2009 11:11)
PHISH – Down with Disease > Free (8/1/09 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
OUTFORMATION - Eleventeen (2009 Fastburn)

If you want to read more about this year's picks, start with the Toast-n-Jam Best of 2009 post on this here blog.

Looking forward to more great jams in 2010 (^_^)

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