1/8/11 - Ronnie Penque Band + Wigjam @ Mexicali
The Mexicali Live venue in Teaneck, NJ has been a hometown venue of mine for years. One of the chillest spaces I know - really easy entry and a relatively respectable and sane group of concert-goers due to the Dead-central nature of it as well as the wealth and age of the surrounding population. Ronnie Penque is the bass player from the New Riders of the Purple Sage - a very talented musician both as a player and a singer. Was not particularly impressed with his band, however.
Wigjam is a Hudson Valley / Long Island Grateful Dead cover band... a talented group who have a particularly intense and electric sound - they truly do the music justice. This night was no exception.
Their 1/15 show at the 76 House was totally different due to the space - the 76 House is a historical venue where patriots dined during the American Revolutionary War. It is a wonderful place for dinner... but not so much for a show. Have not been back since.
1/15/11 - Wigjam @ 76 House, Tappan NY
Shakedown is a Grateful Dead cover band based out of Connecticut - they have a wonderful sound to them and a very devoted following in their region. This was a free show. I drank before the show, got sick, and spent the first set asleep in my friend's car - but miraculously covered and threw myself into an hour and a half of raging in the second set. Not my finest hour, but recovered nicely.
1/21/11 - Shakedown @ Plainville, CT
1/21/11 - Shakedown @ Plainville, CT
1/23/11 - Reflections + Peach Project + The Band Band @ BB Kings, NYC
Now THIS was a show. The Band Band is a Band tribute group. They are talented players who faithfully cover tunes from the aforementioned group - but as a whole I would say they lack the fluidity and flow of the following two bands. The Peach Project is a KILLER Allman Brothers Band tribute group - they rock out and really dig into the material... see this group whenever you can! Not too many bands cover the ABB well... but the Peach Project is a marked exception. Reflections is essentially a Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia tribute band... these folks are amazing players and their shows are always really kind and positive. I will, at some point, write an entire blog about this band.
1/25/11 - Jam Stampede @ Brooklyn Bowl
The Jam Stampede is a rotating Grateful Dead cover band. (Noticing a theme here? I see more music than GD cover bands, January was just a heady Deady month! Sorry phans!) Different players flow in and out of this versatile group... ex members of Ratdog, the Zen Tricksters, current members of Garcia Grass and other group.
Brooklyn Bowl is the best venue in New York City and possibly the East Coast. Cheap tickets (I've never paid more than $25), open dance space, delicious food and drink and a seemingly neverending supply of wonderful music make this my favorite place to see a show. Despite the relatively small size, I have seen such gifted individuals as Les Claypool, Bob Weir, Taleb Kwali and Robert Randolph grace the Bowl's stage... magic happens here.
1/28/11 - Umphrey's McGee + Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad @ Best Buy Theater, NYC
1/31/11 - Umphrey's McGee @ Brooklyn Bowl
Umphrey's McGee is a jam band that leans heavily towards the genre of progressive rock. They play with a relentless energy and skill that has attracted fans across several genres of music. People in my life as different as flower wearing twirlers, members of death metal bands, Orthodox Jews, teenagers and senior citizens and people from every walk of life can be spotted at their shows.
While the Best Buy performance was a treat, the 1/31 show at Brooklyn Bowl was beautiful. To see this band in such a small space was an intense experience. I've provided an archive.org link to the 1/28 performance as there did not appear to be any tapers at the 1/31 show.
http://www.archive.org/details/um2011-01-28.km184.flac16
Hope you enjoyed reading about January... up next is February!
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