Greetings Campers!
Summer Camp is almost upon us. We wanted to let you know that we'll be offering a brand new 2 GB USB drive loaded with all 3 of our Summer Camp shows. In addition to the audio (256kbps MP3), the drives will also contain exclusive bonus video, behind the scenes photos & audio from the weekend that will only available on these USBs.
These will be available on site at the merchandise tent shortly after Sunday's performance concludes (around 4pm). For your convenience, you'll be able to purchase a UMLive voucher at any point throughout the weekend & simply swing by Sunday afternoon to pick up your USB. Sound good?
\mm/
$40 for the USB, 7+ hours of music and all the bonus goodies.
Is everyone ready for the best Summer Camp festival yet?
We certainly are.
In addition to playing 3 shows on the Sunshine Stage for you this
year, we've added a very intimate VIP set at Three Sisters Church followed by a BBQ
picnic & hang with the band. We'll be well stocked margaritas & beers to ensure your thirst is properly quenched. For those of you familiar with Summer Camp, the
church is where we've done workshops in the past -- it is easily the smallest
space Umphrey's McGee has played in the past 10 years. This is your
chance to feel what it was like to see the band in 2001 (in a church no
less). The tiny venue also means we'll be on our practice gear, which you
might remember seeing from the hurricane ravaged Mulberry Mountain set or
during the sick Wizard Burial Ground in the cooking section of Ann Arbor's
Borders. Good things seem to happen when we break it all down.
I
should also mention that we're going to play something for you there that we
haven't played in a long time. Original or cover bust out......hmmm.....I
think we'll keep you hanging on that for the moment. We'll be taking a
request or two as well so in theory, anything could happen. Snag a ticket here or email vip@umphreys.com to sign up for the picnic package (which also includes a host of other VIP amenities) and come join the fun!
Joel Goldside Cummins
@goldlikejoel
Last year at Summer Camp Music
Festival we held the first Golden Ticket event, another curveball
offering from team UM. Given the ferocity with which you snapped up a few
hundred golden ticket packages, we figured we'd roll out round two this
year.
What is the Golden Ticket you ask? It's your
chance to win free tickets for you and a friend to every UM show for a year*. Or ride shotgun for a
golf cart tour of Summer Camp with Stasik. Perhaps you'll snag the golden
ticket that has Joel prank calling your buddy. Maybe you'll go home with 1 of
100 Death By Stereo deluxe packages included in this year's offering! At a
minimum, you'll take home more merch than you paid for. It's like playing the
lottery but you're a guaranteed winner.
This year we'll be offering 500 DBS tote bags
filled with a myriad of supplies from UM HQ. Every bag's contents will remain a
mystery until you have it in your hands. But the options are endless. We're
hiding 20 Golden Tickets in this year's loot alongside a whole host of new prizes. Along with attending every Umphrey's show for a
year, a partial list of items that you could find
residing in your bag this year also includes: Death
By Stereo Deluxe Packages (1 in 5 wins!), various UM posters, T-shirts,
UMLives, download cards, mouse pads, puzzles, DBS demo cassettes, CDs, Vinyl,
stickers, and more. Golden Ticket winnings include: photo pass access to the
pit for Summer Camp, private meet 'n greet for you +3, 2 tickets to the 5 shows
of your choosing*, play the set break music of your choice at a UM show, instant
photo shoot with Stasik, tickets to every Summer Camp late night show and the
list goes on.
Like last year, we'll be donating a portion of the proceeds to one of Summer Camp's many not-for-profit charities. This year proceeds will benefit Food Patriots, a charity designed to educate the next generation about the importance of healthy, sustainable eating. So head over to the Soulshine Tent after moe.'s
set on Friday and join us for the shenanigans. You can't lose.
Friend & photographer Brian Spady motors away with his bounty to see what awaits him
What: UM Golden Ticket
Where: Summer Camp Festival, next to Soulshine Tent
When: Friday, May 25th, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
How Much: $30 per bag. No limit.
Why: Because we love you
#goldenticket
*Tickets are non transferable and are solely for the winner +1 to attend. Festivals are not applicable (unless we can swing it).
Stasik signs some autographs, Joel defends his age
Longtime UM fan Hal Cohen revels in the glory of his Golden Ticket
Relive the glory
"From the very beginning we said, I'm the frontman & you're the guitarist with mystique. That's the dynamic we agreed on, Page, Trey...Barber, Brownie...JB, Schools."
Good people of the internet, our remix album is officially yours for the taking.
At the end of 2011, we asked fans, musicians, producers, remixers & your grandmother to take a stab at remixing one of four tracks from our latest release Death By Stereo. For this EP, we've taken the winners of that contest and sweetened the deal with a foray into yet another musical direction. In addition to the four electronic leaning tracks, Death By Remix features a killer hip hop remix of Deeper by Sumpump Productions & The Palmer Squares (including the man, the myth, the legend Andy Farag). And a short remix of Hajimemashite with an isolated string section & acoustic guitar is the cherry on top (also available as a ringtone).
You can download The Plot Thickens right here, for free, because we love you. And you can return the favor by downloading a copy of Death By Remix (or better yet, send one as a gift) via UMLive.net, iTunes, or Amazon. If you're old school and want a compact disc, head over to UMLive.net and order yourself a hard copy. Thanks for supporting the cause.
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If you are a fan of Umphrey’s McGee, you know we are huge
fans of Chicago. We’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world over and there
is simply no place quite like it. So when the opportunity arose to represent
Chicago in a fresh & fitting way, rest assured we weren’t going to pass
that up.
In a serendipitous meeting at one of Chicago’s many great
watering holes, Don Welsh (President & CEO of Choose Chicago) and Kevin
Browning (Manages Creative & Business Development for UM) found
themselves in a conversation about a new marketing campaign for the city. Don
mentioned his desire for a song that would both encapsulate all that is Chicago
& serve as a rallying point for the city.
Kevin told him to look no further.
And so a nine month project to craft a Chicago centered,
Umphrey’s original was born. Next week the track officially hatches and we
wanted you to be the first to know what’s coming.
Chicago is a
little bit of everything you’ve come to expect from UM. A funky intro that pays
homage to the Chicago’s early urban sound gives way to a feel great, head
bobbin’ verse. The chorus warrants a gratuitous fist pumping as an anthemic
tribute to Chitown ensues. It’s rooted in rock but laced with just enough pop
to cast a wide net. (The heavy metal
version may not have played as well).
We’re honored and elated to be part of a project that gives
back to Chicago, a city that has given us so much. We hope the song will take
on a life of its own and become something bigger than any of us. If we can help
turn on even a handful of new peeps to the gem that is Chicago, it will be a
success.
The official launch is April 26th but check back
soon because we don’t think we can wait that long. Thanks for being the best
fans around. Your support allows us to continue to look outside of the box for
new & interesting ideas like this.
This City shines, There's no limit to how high
With no comparison don't try, Always a smile so come see why
After a week of posts highlighting all things Raw Stewage, we figured it was only fitting to cap it off with a free tune for your weekend. Hope you don't mind.
This version of Nemo has long been a favorite of mine. The improv in the middle of this feels like anything but improv, rather a well rehearsed, finely executed song of its own. But in classic Umphrey's fashion the basic chord progression was made up backstage two hours prior to show time & quickly rehearsed a grand total of once. The vocal stewart in the middle of this Nemo gets me every time. So add this one to your collection on us. Make sure to check out the complete Raw Stewage collection if you're hungry for more.
-Kevin
Nemo 04.08.05 Murat Egyptian Room, Indianapolis, IN (10:18 Total Running Time)
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"The simple fact here still remains, we have no reason to complain"
Long form is the new black. Settle in for another great read.
Now that we've opened the whole "Jimmy Stewart" worm can over here at The Floor, I thought I'd take the opportunity to expand on the song creation potential contained within these nightly improvisational forays. This companion piece to UMcast #125 gives you a tour of one of the methods through which an UM tune might come together. Today's subject: the Evolution of Ocean Billy.
It's a well known fact that Jake Cinninger has music running through his veins. Like many blessed/cursed with an inner muse: that hussy just won't shut up, providing a challenge to keep up with everything that pours out. Fortunately, multi-instrumentalist and 4-track guru, he can create fully arranged demos at will, with results varying from Liquid to Wizard Burial Ground.
Jake: Billy was conceived on my old cassette four track, in the basement of my W. Addison apt. in Chicago during Winter 2003. I was playing around with odd meter grooves that didn't feel too jagged. King Crimson ideology was an inspiration, but in a minimal sense.
Fripperies, indeed. The Ocean Billy demo is one of the many revealing tracks on The Bottom Half's disc 2. I love how after the thematic intro is established, he adds layer upon layer of guitar, up to 6 or 7 by the end. The ensuing two segments demonstrate just how scattershot his ideas can be in a short time span. It's likely he cooked all of that up in a day or two (while working on a few other pieces as well).
Next up, we've got the first live attempt at the demo that took place 3/29/03 at Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO. The first set featured a one-of-a-kind Jamie Janover guest spot in 40's Theme that gave rise to the famed "Zsa Zsa Gabor Fi Fi," plus one of my favorite Triple Wides opens the 2nd set. Towards the end of the show they get into "Jimmy Stewart" mode and see what they can create. Not only do we get the first appearance of Ocean Billy, but also the first appearance of the Wife Soup intro!
Though his freestyle rap career may never take off, Brendan has an equally unique talent of being able to channel his inner emotions, our inner emotions, stamp them with his melodic DNA and project them onto improvised music. His notebook of ideas can provide fodder for just that right moment in time when the band is locked in.
Local Band Does Oklahoma's Pennis is the nonsensical title given to the "Jimmy Stewart" with lyrics that's a darker, more explosive attempt at Jake's demo. I can't really make out what Brendan is saying, hell, I'd be surprised if he could. But that haunting melody is there...he captured the emotion of the music. Another piece of the puzzle...
The 9/4/03 Der Bluten Kat was one of those magical moments in UM history. I still recall driving back to Chicago after the show with @soundcaresser, we were both giddy and had to immediately listen to the tape (after which, we decompressed with some Buena Vista Social Club). Few Stewarts better exemplify spontaneous composition. You will recognize bits and pieces of these lyrics making the complete version.
The song was debuted, titleless (shocking, I know), on Halloween 2003. I chose the 2nd version from the following night, slightly improved, still a little raw and in progress. The post-song banter includes the titling and shows just how random the UM song naming process can be. On the other hand, the lyrics are very deliberate and have a serious meaning in regards to the band.
BB: I was trying to link the song with Jake's tune "Mulche's Odyssey" based on the "missed the boat" lyric. I'm not sure, but I thought he was referring to his efforts with Ali Baba's not panning out. This is also right around the time Kris was coming into the band and i felt like we "stole" him from his band Kick the Cat....so lyrically i thought about the making of a band, the breaking up of a band, how the whole thing works...."what's possible holds even more".
Little known fact...and one I'm sure Brendan will lament allowing me to post:
BB: At one point in this process I began to think we could link "mulche's", "billy" and "2x2", as they all dealt with the same subject matter. Then the grand vision of the rock opera popped up...we could write a few more songs about this and have a huge piece of music that would be linked thematically.
Alas, this never came to fruition. There have been many more songs written about the band...hell, I might contend pretty much all of them are, but that's for a future post.
You all know where the song grew from there...it slowly transformed into a jam vehicle. That original demo taken in two directions, a sparse dramatic intro, and the climactic, haunting crescendo, each a perfect bookend for sets and shows.
To round out this episode, we feature last month's monster version that took place in front of a sold-out Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. A quick jaunt down the road from Boulder, where it all began...
Outstanding versions on past UMcast episodes:
#30 - acoustic version from SIN release party at Park West
#44 - Ocean Billy > Blue Echo > Ocean Billy from epic 3 night Wisco run in 11/06
#117 - 42 minute Miami Virtue > Ocean Billy that captures a wide-spectrum of UM
Keep an eye out for more "Jimmy Stewart"/UMcast related posts and a new album in the near(ish) future... - @McL2016. Art by @wittybanterism
We are joined by another guest blogger this week, long time UM friend & trusted consigliere Syd Schwartz (@sydster) who speaks about the inception of UMBowl III's Quarter 4.
I love a well constructed/well jammed long form piece of music, but length alone does not necessarily mean quality. For instance, the Grateful Dead played a version of "Playin' in the Band" on 5/21/74 that ran nearly 47 minutes, but that performance is notable largely for its length as the quality throughout the jam is inconsistent (occasionally veering into snoozefest territory). At the same time, two or more shorter pieces of music from different eras of a band can fit together to form a new composition as if it was always meant to be. In fact two of my favorite Yes tracks, "Starship Trooper" and "Close to the Edge" were written by 3 different band members in the years before they became Yes, with new music and new lyrics created to join the sections into something that was bigger than the sum of its parts.
This got me thinking about the possibilities using Jimmy Stewarts...what if UM took some fan favorites, some band favorites, and used them as the foundation for a long form piece, with new music that bridges the sections that would be both created in advance (where it made sense) and created on the spot during Q4--live in the moment in the truest essence of Jimmy Stewart. I first broached the subject during Hauntlanta with Joel, and then Ryan...neither of them pelted me with rocks and garbage and seemed intrigued by the idea. Encouraged by the initial interest, I looped @soundcaresser into the conversation and many discussions ensued such as these:
Brendan: Syd. He doesn't even play an instrument! What the hell does he know about creating music?
Kevin: Would you rather play "Bob"?
Brendan: I'll get my Jimmy Stewart notebook.
Vince: Jake, what do you think about the idea of playing an all-Stewart quarter during the UMBowl?
Jake: Will I have to wear a hat?
Kris: Hey Joel, do you need a hand with that box?
Joel: No thanks Kris...when you get to be my age, a few extra Depends backstage are needed just in case the all-Stewart quarter makes me lose control of my bodily functions. Can't allow an unplanned Dump City to get in the way of a good face melting...now where did I put my AARP card?
Ryan: Epic. Confirmed.
Andy: The all-Stewart quarter? I agree.
Ryan: No, I was looking at the photo of me wearing the banana hammock.
Brendan: I'd like bigger bread.
Nigel Tufnel: Write your own material.
And soon the band will find themselves locked in their secret underground rehearsal facility, armed with the ballot results, 2 terabytes of Stewart recordings and enough Fritos & Mountain Dew to choke Rosie O'Donnell. What will emerge? How will the pieces fit together? What will the new pieces sound like? And where might it all go once Q4 begins? Will this new piece have an official name? The answers to these questions and more are only weeks away...
Syd Scwhartz is founder & CEO of Linchpin Digital, providing marketing & digital solutions for music, media & tehcnology industries. You can typically find him at his desk listening to aggressively loud prog rock while donning a cape.
When we released the Q4 stewart selections for UMBowl, many of you wanted to delve deeper than just the 90 second samples. And since we love you, we figured we'd make it nice and easy for you to get real deep.
We are pleased to offer a metric ton of UM via a new UMLive release: Raw Stewage (Unfiltered). This new bundle contains all 33 tracks that are finalists for Quarter 4, available as MP3s or FLACS, including 8 tracks that have never been available via umlive.net. And the best part? All 33 songs (7 hours) are only $12.95 for MP3 or $19.95 for FLAC.
Get it now: Raw Stewage (Unfiltered)
Full Track Listing:
2003.03.29 - Boulder, CO - 40's Theme - w/Jamie Janover
2003.04.01 - Lawrence, KS - Example 1- w/lyrics
2003.04.23 - Oklahoma City, OK - FDR
2003.05.22 - Indianapolis, IN - Intro
2003.06.18 - Palatine, IL - Uncommon
2003.08.16 - Palatine, IL - Front Porch - w/lyrics
2003.12.03 - West Lafayette - Sweetness
2004.02.21 - Baltimore, MD - FF
2004.12.03 - Atlanta, GA - The Haunt
2004.12.11 - Washington, DC - The Triple Wide
2005.02.18 - Madison, WI - Tribute to the Spinal Shaft
2005.03.11 - Atlanta, GA - Phil's Farm - w/lyrics
2005.04.08 - Indianapolis, IN - Nemo - w/lyrics
2006.02.10 - Milwaukee, WI - FF
2006.02.15 - Providence, RI - Visions of Parin
2006.02.24 - St. Louis, MO - Visions of Parin - w/lyrics
2006.06.10 - Indianapolis, IN - The Haunt
2006.11.02 - Madison, WI - Groove Holmes
2007.03.22 - Madison, WI - The Crooked One
2007.03.23 - Minneapolis, MN - Intentions Clear
2007.05.05 - Dallas, TX - E.T.I.
2007.07.13 - Denver, CO - The Bottom Half
2007.10.14 - Fairburn, GA - Higgins
2007.10.20 - New York, NY - Mulche's Odyssey
2009.01.22 - Ft. Collins, CO - In the Kitchen
2010.11.05 - Washington, DC - Phil's Farm - w/lyrics
2011.01.30 - Baltimore, MD - Blue Echo
2011.02.11 - Denver, CO - Bright Lights
2011.03.03 - Madison, WI - Intentions Clear - w/lyrics
2011.09.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Bridgeless
2011.11.05 - Milwaukee, WI - The Haunt
2012.02.16 - Charlotte, NC - Resolution
2012.03.25 - Missoula, MT - JaJunk
For years the band has received emails, fielded requests and received the occasional bribe to repeat a Stewart. They may occasionally feel something in the moment and go back to listen to it the next day, but only rarely does a Stewart return as an entire piece. Usually those are built around a lego someone brought into the mix, Day Nurse and Night Nurse being perfect examples. More often than not, these nightly creations are left to the tapes for the dedicated archivist to sift through and savor. We came up with Q4 to give fans a chance to hear us give these babies another spin.
How do you make 33 selections out of 5000 pieces of improvisation? With a little help from your friends.
We started with the results from yearly fan polls, added band recommendations and a smattering of suggestions from @Jwelsh8 (webmaster, “Jimmy Stewart” enabler) and @McL2016 (yours truly, UMcast curator, “Jimmy Stewart album” guy).
After the culling, some mulling (over) of the 150 finalists; strident advocates, ardent opponents, cogent moderators, ambivalent indifferents. Disputes were resolved by an array of games including, but not limited to, thumb wars, pennis, freestyle jumprope, Native American leg wrestling and rochambeau. When all was said and done, a puff of white smoke was released from the tour bus to signify the final decisions had been reached.
And now we present unto you, the UMBowl III Q4 Raw Stewage selections (in 90 second snippets)
Are these the 33 Greatest “Jimmy Stewarts” in Umphrey’s McGee History? Not exactly. Many of the past standouts have become originals, graduating from the accidental to the intentional. There’s at least 20 alumni by my estimates. A handful of songs have been crafted from multiple graduates, Bridgeless being the mother of all Frankenstewarts, stitched together from four Stewarts and a few original sections!
Of the unsonged...Why these 33? What makes these indispensable? What makes them worth revisiting? Why take the spontaneous and attempt to recreate it? Can you capture lightning in a bottle twice? My, aren’t you full of questions.
Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own. Have you ever listened to a Stewart so many times that you can replay that transcendent Jake solo note-for-note on your mental jukebox? Or walked down the street with one of Brendan’s grinding riffs propelling your pace forward? Or left a show with that lyrical Stewart still running through your head, Brendan having somehow captured aspects of your emotional life that you hadn’t been able to quantify?
The best Stewarts can make you feel as if you’ve been transported to another dimension...close your eyes...it’s no longer 12 arms, 6 hearts, but a oneness, a mindmeld tickling the hairs of your ear canal, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Others are just kinda catchy.
Can the band make Q4 live up to its lofty aspirations and expectations? Time and again, Umphrey’s McGee has proven they can rise to the occasion, take that expectation and one-up it. They will no doubt attack Q4 with ferocity, a game plan mapped out, but always ready to alter course when the opportunity presents itself.
22 days and counting...
Join the @soundcaresser as he wanders the stage during NYE 2010 rehearsals at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago. Get up close & personal with Kris for a mini tutorial in rock drumming, peer over Ryan's shoulder as he head bobs along & watch Jake shred light on the matter.
Enjoy a front row seat from a few angles you don't often get to see. Forgive the raw audio & video, this one isn't winning any awards - we're just pulling back the curtain a bit.
This Sunday night marks the debut of another curveball event from your friends here at UM. With the help of our friends at Fankix, we'll be broadcasting a unique webcast like none you've ever seen.
Taped in front of a live studio audience last weekend in LA, you'll see an hour of acoustic Umphrey's coupled with candid, behind the scenes banter about the songs you love. Ever wonder where the title 'Plunger' came from? Or who Brendan was talking to when he wrote it? Ever realized how literal In The Kitchen lyrics were? Plenty of hilarity weaves its way through a setlist comprised of new and old favorites alike.
Brendan sound checks Plunger at the House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA.
(Spoiler Alert) You will see the following tunes and hear corresponding stories for each:
Plunger, In the Kitchen, Conduit, Booth Love, Liquid, Words, Hajimemashite
But what makes this LiveCast unqiue from any other is that you'll be partcipating while you watch. The Fankix platform gives every viewer an avatar (think turntable.fm for video) & encourages you to hang with your friends while you watch. You'll be able to dance, drink, chat, rock UM merch and more (virtually, of course). Additionally, the band will take live Q&A from the internet audience after the performance (the band will be hanging backstage in Missoula, MT for those of you scoring at home). As a special bonus, fans who attend the online show will get a special promo code to receive discounts in our online merch store.
Joel warms up his digits on Liquid
We would sincerely appreciate your help in spreading the word about this innovative (and free) event. We're aiming to get 50K viewers to tune in for the performance and set a Fankix record. Think we can get there? We do too, but only with your help. We know we've got the best fans in the game, help us prove that to everyone else by spreading the word.
What: Umphrey's McGee: True Hollywood Stories
When: Sunday, March 25th, 5:00 PT, 6:00 MT, 7:00 CT, 8:00 ET (UPDATED TIME)
Where: www.facebook.com/umphreysmcgee or Fankix.com
How much: FREE
How Can I Help: SPREAD THE WORD
Fankix Mission Control during the live taping
P.S. Have a UM story of your own that you want to tell? Head over to our facebook contest page for full details and upload your best photo(s) and tell us what a UM tune means to you. Winner gets a free trip to the moon (or something like that).
We spend a lot of time around here focusing on the present and planning for the future, which means we don't always have time to reflect. Putting together a UMLive sale always brings back poignant memories of shows gone by and allows us to ponder some of those evenings past. Today, I want to share a few march memories that have stuck with me over the years.
03/10/06 Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
If you've ever stepped foot inside the Chicago Theatre you understand just how magnificent a place this is. Playing this room was a big deal to us. The stage has been graced by many of the greatest acts of all time and to join their company was truly an honor. It was a particularly special evening for me as I was joined by pal & audio legend Jim Gamble*, who built (by hand) the soundboard I was mixing on. No pressure there. Fortunately enough, it was just one of those nights where everything clicked. The band played magnificently, the room was dialed in tight, and my hero was standing over my shoulder rockin' out all night. It was a complete and total affirmation of why we do what we do. A few acoustic tunes kicked off the evening but the band never looked back as they crushed prog staples like Out of Order & The Fussy Dutchman yet seamlessly wandered through upbeat, exploratory territory in Triplewide & JaJunk. And the debut of Liquid capped off a night that I'm not soon to forget. Listen closely for various audio samples that both Farag & I sprinkled throughout the evening. Ear candy makes the world go round.
Liquid debut (having just finished mixing Safety in Numbers with long time UM partner Manny Sanchez, I felt compelled to add much of the sonic weirdness that you hear around 2:45-4:00)
As amazing as the Chicago Theatre show was, we were only getting started. The following morning we headed to O'hare and flew south to Florida for two (2) shows at Langarado in one (1) day. And less than twelve hours after the last note in Florida, we were airborne to Europe for seven shows in ten days in five countries. We didn't sleep much in our twenties.
Each show on our European tour was incredibly memorable for a smattering of reasons....
03/14/06 Mean Fiddler, London, England
As we prepared for the release of Safety in Numbers, we were honored that Storm Thorgerson (you may remember him from such album covers as Dark Side of the Moon, In Through the Out Door, Slip Stich & Pass) had contributed his talents by designing the artwork for the album. Storm came to the show & regaled us with tales that told me I was in the presence of a life well lived. Jake's solo at the end of a stretched out Syncopated stil makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
Team UM with Storm Thorgerson
03/15/06 Transilvania Club, Milan, Italy
We were officially exhausted upon our arrival in Italy. Nonstop travel amidst rock shows had taken it's toll. After arriving at the frigid (read: freezing cold) venue hours before any local crew would show, we all scattered throughout the club trying to find a couple of nap worthy square feet. In comically short supply, we crashed on cold linoleum floors, wooden church pews & stiff upright throne style chairs. After a delerious sound check the local promoter took us on a lengthy stroll through a dark neighborhood until we popped into an unmarked, empty Italian restaurant. Without speaking a word, the proprietor proceeded to bring us enormous bowls of salad, antipasto, homemade pastas, freshly baked loaves & never ending bottles of chianti. Life has a funny way of reminding you that it's all going to work out. Salute!
Young & hungry
The show ended up being full of 40 something German men who were clearly there for prog rock. I think it's safe to say they were both throughly entertained and totally confused. #5, Moccassins, & Morning Song satiated that demand, but were soon followed by the metal tinged Snucka, jazz laden Kat's Tune & pop leaning 2nd self. Who the hell are these strange American kids?
03/16/06 La Boule Noir, Paris, France
Show of the tour. By a landslide.
At some point you just have to stop worrying about gear not working, adaptors frying electronics, and being awake for days. Paris is a magical place, even its shitty clubs have panache. La Boule Noir was proof of concept. Stuffed with about 200 folks (192 from the good old USA), you just knew it was going to speicial from the moment the guys walked on stage. Kris welcomed the crowd and introduced the band in well accented French before the guys launched into a Hurt Birth Bath you absolutely must hear. From the Bitches Brew-esque patient opening notes, you could just sense it was going places. 32 minutes later, it proved to be the start of an incredible evening. It's still one of my favorites. Bright Lights & Resolution improvs are must listens as well. If you only buy one show from this March Madness sale, buy this one. I promise.
These three nights in Amsterdam are worthy of a full wrap up on their own. Sour Diesel, Northern Lights, White Widdow....I could tell you but the list goes on and on. When in Rome right?
03/23/06 Knust, Hamburg, Germany
Bottom Half, All Things Ninja, Eat, Believe The Lie, Water, White Man's Moccassins, YYZ, Get In The Van, Plunger...yeah, it was pretty much all dudes. And you gotta give those German chaps what they want, right? We actually have this show on DVD as an eager Frenchman insisted on filming. It was a perfect way to wrap up as memorable a tour as any.
YYZ from Knust
March has been good to us over the years. With many Amsterdam visits & more than a couple First Ave. residencies, there is plenty to choose from for this week's march madness sale. Thanks for being the best fans in the business.
Kevin
*Note this iconic moment in rock 'n roll history that features Jim Gamble risking himself to save the microphones. As Pete Townshend smashes his guitar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Gamble (far left) rushes on stage to keep him from destroying his precious mics. Think Pete would have smashed all those guitars if he had to fix them?
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