“What do you get when you pile a bunch of great musicians into a small space for a night of swing dance music?” I wondered to myself heading into the Main Street Public House in Philmont, NY last Thursday night. I opened the door still pondering this philosophical question and stepped inside. Turns out the answer was fun, lots of it. The Main Street Public House is a great place, and the food is not your average bad bar grub but delicious fare made from local, organic fruits and vegetables and free range meats. The pub is a place where people can drink margaritas and beer (not necessarily together), and the bands are as varied as funky rock, country inspired folk, and swingin’ jazzy blues. The band playing on Thursday fell into that last category. They didn’t really have a name per se, although at the show they took to calling themselves the Hot Club of Mellinville (Mellinville is the town that borders Philmont and is just as small, if not smaller).

Jonathan Talbott is the mastermind behind this venture, and what an exciting venture — and adventure — it is. He’s the one who decided the pub needed a night of swing, and how right he was! The place was packed, and nearly everyone was dancing — a difficult feat considering just how packed the pub was and just how small the place is, but the crowd managed all the same. Many of the musicians playing on Thursday are in other bands or are involved in their own musical endeavors, so hearing all of them together was a real treat. The other musicians blasting through tunes along with Jonathan (Mother Fletcher, Simple Machines) were Seth Travins on upright bass (Chops, Sauerkraut, and the Velvet Frog), Teddy Weber on lap steel guitar (The Wiyos), Lyon Graulty on clarinet and sax, Peter Jung on guitar, Mark Herschler on guitar, Michael Farkas on harmonica and washboard (The Wiyos), and Ian Solomon on drums (Simple Machines). It brought a smile to my face just seeing all of them together, and when they started playing my smile only got bigger. Some of the most cheerful, synergistic sounds I’ve ever heard were produced by the impromptu octet. As Peter yelled out when Teddy took a solo, “I love that sound!” So do I, and steel guitar makes my heart melt faster than an ice cream cone on a summer day… Michael too lent some beautiful solos that would melt the coldest of hearts. The duo rhythm guitars of Peter and Mark gave gorgeous depth to the band’s sound, fiddle soared blissfully in a gypsy-inspired fashion, and Ian played with drum brushes creating a soft, suave feel.

The band started out playing mainly instrumentals, but as the night progressed different members took turns singing. Highlights included a killer rendition of “Summertime” sung by Michael, a delightful “On The Sunny Side of the Street” which Seth sang, a great version of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” sung by Peter, and one of my favorites, “Dinah,” which featured the vocals of Michael again. The number of members in the band allowed musicians to step out into the audience and dance, which a few did at various times throughout the night. There’s no removal between band and audience, and it’s that integrated sense of community that makes the shows so special. Jonathan is trying to start a monthly night of swing music and dance, but because many of the musicians are in other bands the line-up will likely be slightly different. No matter, though. I don’t know who will be playing next time (if there is a next time, which there hopefully will be), but I don’t care. All I know is that when the next swing night is held, I’ll be there.

Gracing the Main Street Public House in Philmont, NY on Thursday night was Shotgun Party, an exuberantly energetic powerhouse of a band. Based of out Austin, TX, Shotgun Party is a fine medley of killer fiddle, soothing guitar, gorgeous vocals, and percussive bass. The band plays badass bluegrass, swing, and gypsy music, yet in a curiously endearing manner.

Each of the three times I’ve seen Shotgun Party there has been a different bassist. The first time I saw the band was at Jason’s Upstairs in Hudson, NY and Christopher Crepps was playing. He was the original bassist for Shotgun Party but stopped touring with them because he didn’t want to leave his family for extended amounts of time. The second time I saw the band was at The Main Street Public House, and bassist Jared Engel was filling in for Christopher during tours outside of Texas at that point. The bassist this time was Andrew Thomas Austin-Petersen. Andrew is the band’s new bassist, now a permanent fixture in the splendor that is Shotgun Party. Andrew, Jenny Parrott, and Katy Rose Cox have been playing a lot of shows together and, although Shotgun Party was never less than great, after Thursday’s show I was ultimately rendered speechless. Part of the reason why was because of how impressive they were, while the other part was because I was having so much fun I couldn’t stop smiling — it’s a little hard to talk when your cheeks are stretched as wide as mine were…

The musicians were wearing matching outfits, but each had their own individual style and variation on a theme of red. They always color coordinate what they wear, a charming fact that I forgot. The band plays and sings fun swing numbers, fiery tangos, and mysterious waltzes, and all the songs performed on Thursday were made more exciting by eerie lighting set up at the pub courtesy of the band. Topics among the songs included cowboys, love, and…pickled eggs! Indeed. I love a good offbeat band, and Shotgun Party most definitely is just that. As for the music itself, a lot of the tunes are catchy without having the slightest hint of earworm (a song that gets stuck in your head) annoyance to them. Jenny plays guitar and is the lead singer of the band. She has an adorable yet sophisticated voice, a rare duality, and she and Katy have lonesome sister vocals even though they’re not related. Andrew has a pleasing voice, singing lead on a few songs, and was amazing on bass. He creates distinct percussive sounds with his instrument and has a unique way of playing it. Katy is honestly one of the most incredible fiddlers alive today, and watching her go wild with her instrument is both exhilarating and slightly terrifying at the same time. I’m not at all superstitious yet I can’t help but feel as though she might be conjuring the devil when she plays, and I mean that as the most generous of compliments.

The band played three healthy sets, each one chock full of delightful songs. At the beginning of the third set, musician and Shotgun Party friend Seth Travins joined Jenny and Katy for a song, and Andrew joined the audience and danced. Later in the third set Seth took up bass a few more times, Andrew stepping out into the audience again and dancing with various people. In addition to being a great bassist he’s an excellent dancer! He caused a ruckus on the dance floor with his two-stepping, swing dancing, girl twirling moves. As the night went on the atmosphere at the Public House got more relaxed, and by the end of the night nearly the entire packed pub was dancing. It was hard to resist the power of the music, for it kept increasing in brilliance. Rising above all my preconceived notions of greatness, Shotgun Party delivered one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended.

Here are two videos from the show:

Shelly Swore

Yell Out The Chords

Last Saturday night the Acadien Cajun Band returned to The Rosendale Cafe for what was their second time playing there. The first song the band played stirred something inside of me, just as the first song the band played the last time they were at the cafe did. Both times I felt excited, happy, and content. Those are reactions I experience whenever I see a band that has real Cajun soul, and the Acadien Cajun Band certainly does.

The band played one long two and a half hour set that helped to ward off winter for a little bit — if only by one day — and both my heart and feet were warm from the music and dancing, respectively. The waitresses weaved in and out of the two-steppers, doing their own sort of dance. The crowd showed their joy through shouts and claps during songs and, well, shouted and clapped in-between songs also. Playing along with the Acadien Band line-up of Ryan Simon on accordion, fiddle, and vocals, Brandon Moreau on fiddle and vocals, and Jay Miller on drums was Drew Simon of The Pine Leaf Boys (who happens to be Ryan’s brother) on guitar, accordion, and vocals. Filling in for usual Acadien guitarist Joe Romero, Drew fit seamlessly into the band. If I didn’t know otherwise I would think he’s a regular member.

There’s something about the music of the Acadien Cajun Band that really speaks to my heart. Or maybe it’s because the musicians put so much heart into their music that I’m drawn in… Whatever the reason, the music makes me feel full of life. Excercise releases endorphins so maybe it was dancing that boosted my mood as well, but there wasn’t a face in the cafe that wasn’t smiling — not even those of the non-dancing folk — so there must be more to it than that. In fact, it was the people who weren’t dancing that kept up the clapping during the songs. Shortly after the start of the band’s set Ryan switched from accordion to fiddle, and along with Brandon’s playing created double fiddle bliss. Later in the set Drew switched from guitar to accordion, at which point Ryan switched to guitar.

As the evening wore on more and more people got up to dance,  their self-consciousness dissolved by the infectious energy of the band. Both the music and dancing got progressively more exciting as the night went on, and time flew by as fast as Brandon’s fingers on the fiddle, Ryan’s on the accordion, Drew’s on the guitar, and Jay’s hands with his drum brushes. I knew I would have fun, and the concert was just what I needed for my impending winter blues. Speaking of winter, more places should host Cajun bands like the Acadien during that season. The venues would cut back considerably on heating bills due to increased room temperature from the dancing!

Two-step

Waltz

The Wiyos‘ new CD “Broken Land Bell” actually came out a few months ago, but the band was busy touring this summer so they were unable to have an official release party for the album until last Friday night. Having returned from playing a whirlwind of stadiums opening for a triple feature of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Melloncamp, The Wiyos brought the house down at The Gramercy Theatre which hosted the band’s night of celebration. There was a lot of music to be heard, and not just The Wiyos’.

MICHAEL CULMELLA

The first set of music was by Sxip Shirey and Adam Matta. No, scratch that. The very first set of music was during the interesting pre-show, courtesy of DJ Michael Cumella. He’s not your typical DJ, that’s for sure… What Michael spins is 78’s featuring music from 1900-1929 (I believe I heard a bunch of Annette Crenshaw in the mix), which he plays on a gramophone. How cool is that? I’ll tell you one thing, I would be happy to attend any wedding that Michael is DJing. However, if there aren’t any weddings scheduled on your calendar but you still want to hear the vintage goodness, you’re in luck! Michael has a radio show every Tuesday at 7pm on WFMU. It is called “Antique Phonograph Music Program” and can be heard on 91.1 FM in NYC. You can also listen live online, play archives, and sign up for a podcast of the show at www.wfmu.org/playlists/AP. For more information about Michael you can check out his website at www.michaelcumella.com.

ADAM MATTA AND SXIP SHIREY

After that came the music of Sxip Shirey and Adam Matta. Adam is a one-man drum set/sound effect creator/vocal trumpeter extraordinaire. He’s a New Yorker, and by what I gathered from audience’s reaction when he took the stage Adam apparently has quite a devoted following. No surprise why — the guy is impressive. I have wanted to see him for a while now, and was thrilled to finally get the chance. While Adam creates cool effects with voice, so does Sxip Shirey with his ensemble of assorted items which include bells, whistles, flutes, maracas, and a harmonica. Sxip uses microphone effects to achieve some of the sounds he creates, but even still, not everyone can make pan pipes sound like an organ! Sxip is a genius who looks like a mad genius, but then, that might just be the hair… It really is quite fantastic…

After a few songs Adam left the stage and Sxip performed solo for a while, Adam later returning towards the end of the set. Listening to Sxip was like getting a history lesson, comedy show, and concert all rolled into one. He talked about New York City and personal events that have shaped who he is, doing so with the humor of a stand-up comedian. He has a mind of incredible inspiration and appreciates not just musical notes as we know them, but abstract sound. He hears the world differently than everyone else does, and during the show on Friday Sxip explained how his inspiration for a particular song came from an unconventional source: apparently he was in his apartment one night and heard the most beautiful noise he had ever heard, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Sxip thought he might have dreamt it, but he awoke the next night to the same noise. As it turns out, it was a train rounding a curve in the tracks. Each train car that passed had a different pitch, and all of the cars harmonized with each other to create a symphony of sorts. Only Sxip can hears things that way, and then recreate the auditory experience perceived through his own ears for the audience. He used paper clips on his guitar strings to produce the sound he wanted — I mean, who else would think of doing that? I don’t know how in the world he comes up with some of the unusual uses that he does for random items, but Sxip Shirey is the McGyver of music. When Adam came back out he and Sxip played some more great songs, and seeing the two guys perform together was like witnessing a hip-hop/avant-garde/performance art/technological sound scape/theatrical opera masterpiece.

THE WIYOS

The spotlight was then handed over to The Wiyos, although Sxip and Adam — both of whom are on tracks from “Broken Land Bell” — played with the band for the majority of their set. Seeing Michael Farkas, Parrish Ellis, Joseph “Joebass” Dejarnette, and Teddy Weber with Adam and Sxip was like seeing The Wiyos for the first time, the addition of the latter two musicians giving the music a new spirit. The musicians took the stage one at a time amid shouts of excitement from the crowd, Teddy going first. He proceeded to play an edgy repeating pattern of music, making the anticipation in the room build, and continued playing that as the other musicians stepped onto the stage from the wings. As each musician came on they started to play along, and when everyone was onstage the musicians burst seamlessly into song with “Stomp.” The Wiyos’ set was off and running from there.

The band’s performance was even more theatrical than usual, and was a feast for the eyes and ears alike. The Wiyos had more energy than I’ve ever seen them have, both in their music and movements, and energy is certainly not something the band has ever been lacking in! The Teddy Weber original “All Aboard” had a carribean-esque groove that I hadn’t heard before, and I was in bliss when the musicians played “Tennessee Tango” (which appears on The Wiyos’ first album, “Porcupine”) because I got to hear the song live in all its destined glory, complete with sound effects and embellishments. I’ve never seen The Wiyos in a venue that has rock lighting, as The Gramercy Theatre does, and I have to admit it was a cool experience. The Wiyos aren’t a rock band by any means, but it was exciting to see them on a stage with different colored lights flashing and that only added to the already brimming enthusiasm of the crowd. The Wiyos topped off their marvellous set with an encore, which there wasn’t time for since everything at The Gramercy was kept on a tight schedule, but the crowd persisted. The venue finally consented to the chants of “One more song… One more song…” and The Wiyos delivered a smooth rendition of the classic “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby.”

The farther The Wiyos stray from the path of what is the norm (not that they were actually ever on it), the better they sound. They just keep rising to new levels of artistic brilliance, and I feel they are one of the most note-worthy alternative bands of our time. They play music with deference to old-time tradition, yet infuse their music with a progressiveness and a relatability. Music that the very old, the very young, and everyone in between can enjoy and appreciate. The band has been playing together for six years now and I’m glad to they’re climbing out of general public obscurity, slowly but surely. Where before upon mentioning the band’s name I would get a “Who? How do you spell that? W-I- what? Nah, never heard of them,” I now get a “Yeah, The Wiyos! I’ve heard of them… Who are they?” (Hey, I never said there isn’t room to grow on the part of the ignorant.) Opening for Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Melloncamp gave The Wiyos the wide exposure they deserve, and I’m happy to find that new audiences are getting into the band’s music.

LAS RUBIAS DEL NORTE

The last band to play was Las Rubias Del Norte, a band based out of Brooklyn whose influence is drawn heavily from the music and rhythms of classical latin music. They’re equal opportunists however, and cover music from as wide a variety of sources as Wolfgang Amadaes Mozart and the opera Carmen to Venezuelan folk songs. Emily Hurst and Allyssa Lamb are the founders and lead vocalists of the band, and are both alumna of the New York Choral Society. Las Rubias Del Norte also includes Taylor Bergren-Chrisman on double bass, Olivier Conan on cuatro and vocals, Giancarlo Vulcano on guitar, and Timothy Quigley and Greg Stare on percussion. The seven piece band played gorgeous music, Emily and Allysa’s voices blending beautifully together and swirling around the audience in a haze much like the smoke effects from the stage did. The percussion section was amazing, and Giancarlo had superb technique on guitar. I unfortunately couldn’t stay for the band’s whole set since I had a dark, rainy two-hour drive upstate ahead of me, but I am really grateful that I got to hear the music of Las Rubias Del Norte that I did. Although my ride home was indeed dark and rainy, I was warm of heart as I basked in the joy I felt from being at the show; a joy that was contributed to by each band and musician.

Videos from the show:

Adam Matta and Sxip Shirey:

Rain On The Roses

Istanbul

The Wiyos:

Stomp

Jack and Boon

All Aboard

Promenade

Cherry Ball Blues (Skip James cover)

Tennessee Tango

Las Rubias Del Norte:

El Gavilán

Seguedille

*If you’re interested in watching footage of The Wiyos from their summer tour, they have a videoblog on YouTube. You can find their account at www.youtube.com/thewiyos1

I go to a lot of concerts, as anyone who looks through my old posts will see. Although it doesn’t take much for me to enjoy myself at a show, I am not easily impressed. Having said that, last Sunday I was at the Towne Crier in Pawling, NY for what turned out to be one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Sonny Landreth was playing there, and by the end of the night my mouth was literally gaping open in awe.

Geoff Harwell and the Geoff Hartwell Band opened the show. Aside from Geoff Hartwell on guitar and vocals, the band is J.J. Clarke on drums, Rich Kelly on bass, and Steve Gottlieb on baritone sax. Geoff is a great guitarist, and his band brought a dark blues club feel to the Towne Crier. The opening song, “I Hate To See You Go,” started off mellow but quickly built in intensity. The band then brought things back down to a soft, suave level to end the tune. For the rest of their set, in between simply gorgeous slow to medium tempo songs the band ran through rockabilly tinged blues tunes. Geoff had a wide grin on his face for nearly the entire set he and his band played, and he made his guitar sing just as much as his vocals. Each of the musicians had some nice solos, and as a band they had a synergistic energy, the individual parts unifying in a wonderful way. Steve was the only one who didn’t play for the whole set, leaving the stage midway through. The band didn’t play as a trio for long, however, for Sonny Landreth joined them shortly thereafter to sit in for the last few songs. The room became a metaphorical inferno, Sonny and Geoff heating things up by trading solos back and forth. Each solo topped the previous one, continuing all the way through the last song the Geoff Hartwell Band played, called “Tumbelina.”

When Sonny Landreth and his band came on for their set, the whole room went to Hell. Not literally, of course, but figuratively — because their music was so damn hot. David Ranson was on bass, and his playing was incredible. He played in a casual manner, but there was nothing casual about his playing. By that I mean that he didn’t play with ‘in your face’ power, but with understated capability so as not to distract from Sonny’s performance. The power was there in David’s playing though, it was clearly evident. Playing with power that is obvious but not full-blown is incredibly difficult, yet David achieved that duality. Brian Brignac was great on drums, and he also played with understated power although it was obvious that he has exceptional capabilities.  (Towards the end of the evening Sonny also brought Geoff back onstage for a few songs, the two once again trading solos). As for the man himself, Sonny Landreth, he employed a variety of techniques when playing: brushing the neck of his guitar with his left hand, stroking the strings with his right hand, at times only using his right thumb, at other times using all five fingers of his right hand. I loved watching him play, seeing how his fingers dance along the strings… He is a truly unique musician, in a category that nobody belongs to but him. I never thought that seeing a guitarist would – or could – remind me of ballet’s beautiful movements, but Sonny’s playing did just that. No-one caresses their guitar and creates sounds like Sonny Landreth, no-one. There’s something sacred about a man and his guitar, and the bond between Sonny and his (well, the two guitars he alternated between on Sunday) was apparent.

Sonny Landreth and his band played the last few songs of their set non-stop, one flowing right into the next. I have no idea were his inspiration comes from, but Sonny’s playing was spontaneous and he played improvisations that were several minutes long. It almost seemed as though he put himself into a trance through his playing, similar to the traditional Persian drummers who do so with their rhythms. Time flew by and when the band’s set was over, everyone in the crowd jumped to their feet as the musicians left the stage. The audience wanted to hear more, a fact they made well known through two minute long applause, stomping, hooting, hollering, and full-on screaming. The band didn’t come back to the stage at first though, and around the two minute mark I was beginning to wonder if they were just seeing how long we’d keep on clapping. Either that or Sonny Landreth was really tired, and I can’t say I’d blame him if that was the case… He gave some performance… Whatever the reason for the delay, the band finally did come back out to give the audience the sheer joy of listening to another song. For his encore, Sonny Landreth surpassed anything he had played up until that point. Because of him my entire perception of music has forever been changed — for the better.

Videos Geoff Hartwell and the Hartwell band:

Mess With The Kid

Tumbelina (with Sonny Landreth)

Videos of Sonny Landreth and his band:

The Promise Land

Hell At Home (with Geoff Hartwell)

Blue Tarp Blues

Key To The Highway

The Towne Crier in Pawling, NY is a really classy place. Open since 1972, it is a restaurant that hosts live music every weekend. The crowd that the Towne Crier draws is a warm and enthusiastic one (at least it has been all the times I’ve been there) and I love the atmosphere of the place. Every musician or band the Towne Crier hosts is high quality, and last Saturday I was there for a show by two musicians: Joe K and Garrin Benfield.

Joe K (that’s short for Krzyzewski) was opening the show. He is a 16 year-old guitarist singer-songwriter, and his writing is more poetic and heavy than a lot of musicians three times his age. One of the songs he played on Saturday was a bluesy one he wrote called “Heart of A Woman.” Joe explained that it is “about the problems with women all of us men have,” cracking up the audience. His writing, playing, and singing are no laughing matter though, even if his jokes are. Joe’s voice has a vigor and spirit at times, a broken weariness at others, all the while weaving a compelling story. A highlight of Joe’s set was when he brought his friend John Stegmaier onstage and the two sang a song about the Civil War called “Put Me In Blue” (John and Joe are actually in a band together). Should Joe choose to become a musician for a living, it will be interesting to see how he progresses in his music as he gets older.

Garrin Benfield plays a smattering of folk, soul, jazz, and blues, among other styles. He’s not your average singer-songwriter, or your average solo act for that matter. Listen to a live video of him — without watching it — and you won’t believe that what you hear is not a whole band. The reason you would think you hear a full band? Because Garrin sets up a loop station during his shows which he lays multiple tracks down on and then plays over. That allows him to improvise with, well, himself! Not only does he lay down multiple guitar tracks, but he also achieves percussive effects by recording loops of himself tapping the guitar. The loop station expands the traditional definition of a “solo” show and adds unique variety to the concert. He doesn’t use it for every song however, and although I think what Garrin does with the loop is incredible, some of my favorite songs on Saturday were actually played without it. They were stripped down, just bare guitar and vocals, and the most poignant. It’s good to have a mix of songs though, and Garrin played a healthy blend: sunny tunes, dark ones, energizing songs, lullabies… During his set on Saturday he also played a beautiful cover of Gillian Welch’s “Annabelle.” It’s a haunting song and Garrin’s voice was well suited for it. During the slower songs such as that one his voice had a clarity and strength, the gorgeous tones of it really shining through and piercing my heart. Near the end of the night Garrin gave a performance full of intensity involving the loop, waves of multi-layered music emanating from the stage, before closing the show with a sweet and tender song he had just written that morning. Garrin’s entire set had perfect balance, and the last song was the perfect choice to cap off a great evening.

Joe K:

Heart Of A Woman

Put Me In Blue

Garrin Benfield:

Are You With Me

What You’re Hiding

Unbound

Give Peace A Chance

Now that the weather’s getting colder, there really is no place more inviting and warming to both body and soul than a pub. Not just any pub, but the Main Street Public House in Philmont, NY. The inner warmth comes from enjoyment and contentment, the physical warmth comes from sitting or standing in the cozy pub surrounded  by cheerful people. What could make a situation like that even better? Why, live music of course! That is something there’s no shortage of at the Main Street Public House, and last Thursday evening I attended a show by The Minivans.

The band opened with “My One Desire,” and throughout the night their music had a great rural country sound. They played rockabilly, western swing, bluegrass… Cowboy music, I guess you could say. They looked the part too, outfitted in flannel shirts and worn jeans. This isn’t your typical hipster look though, folks… You can’t fake those dirt and grease stains! The Minivans are the real deal, both musically and as people. Kiki Dufault played guitar and sang, and her vocals have a real nice twang. Jim Krewson played electric bass and sang, and as for his vocals, he has shades of that high lonesome traditional style in his voice. Seth Travins sang as well, in addition to playing guitar, and the other musicians playing in The Minivans on Thursday were Evan Paluzzo on piano, Pete Adams on lap steel guitar, and Rick Leab on drums. For the most part Jim, Seth, and Kiki took turns singing lead or harmonies with each other, but Pete sang lead on a song as well, called “San Antone.”

The Minivans played a well balanced set of swing tunes, slow ballads, and…a song about Wal-Mart? Yep, that would be a funny song Jim wrote about how he will “never go in that big grey store again.” At one point the pub turned into a 50’s high school dance, when the band played Elvis’ “Wearin’ That Loved-On Look” and the entire crowd — save one or two people — rock and roll danced along. I go to concerts at the pub quite often, and it’s always great to see people appreciate the music that is taking place. I said there’s nothing better than a cozy pub and live music but ,after thinking about it, I’d like to add to that statement. There’s nothing better than a warm pub, great music, and an enthusiastic and happy crowd. I got to experience all three on Thursday.

You know a band is good when at the end of their sound check the audience starts clapping, as the crowd at the New Paltz Cultural Collective (also known as 60 Main) did last Saturday night. The Underscore Orkestra was playing there and, having seen the band in Hudson, NY two weeks ago, I knew what a treat I was in for. I guess the sound check gave everyone else a glimpse of that knowledge. The line-up in New Paltz was slightly different than the previous weeks, but there was one unexpected similarity: Kip Beacco of The Blue Ribbon Boys, the band that opened for the orchestra in Hudson, was playing clarinet. As for the rest of the musicians, Jorge played violin, harmonica, and sang, Joe played sousaphone and electric bass, Cody played guitar, and a girl named Linzay played drums. Leslie, who played sopranino saxophone at the show in Hudson, couldn’t make it this time. I guess the additional members who were planning on playing couldn’t make it either, such as Willo who plays accordion and sings. No matter, the music was just fine as it was. Scratch that, the music was more than just fine, it was great.

Cody’s playing is distinct and sharp, and his hands move so fast they would challenge the speed of a cheetah’s legs. Jorge plays his violin with continuous fluidity, and as I said in my last post, drums and electric bass add a modern feel to the orchestra’s sound. The band delivered a whole bunch of swing tunes varying in tempo, bouncing from lively ones, to laid back jazz infused ones, back to fast paced spirited ones. They also performed some great Balkan folk tunes that were full of intensity. The Underscore Orkestra have their sound down to an art form, and that’s just what their music is — a form of art, and one that’s an interactive experience. You’re able to clap and sing along, and by the end of Saturday’s show the large crowd that had accumulated at the cafe was also dancing. I love being at shows were there’s a camaraderie between band and audience, and the energy between the two on Saturday was a delight. The band’s second to last song was one Jorge wrote while in Romania, called “Horamore,” and they closed their set with an instrumental. During that tune the band continued to play while walking to the back of the room, weaving through people along the way, only to return to the front to finish.

The members of The Underscore Orkestra are modern day gypsies. They don’t seem to need much, and are just trying to make a living as musicians. That’s a hard thing to do, period, especially when all earnings have to be split between anywhere from four to nine people. So please, do yourself a favor: go out and support live music! The joy you get will be well worth the price of admission, especially if the show is put on by The Underscore Orkestra.

After being devastated about missing what was, as I knew it would be, an amazing concert by Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird on the 12th (my sister went and gave me the full report), I at least got to see another Klezmer-laden band last weekend, of equal talent. That would be The Underscore Orkestra , who played a double-bill with The Blue Ribbon Boys at the Basilica Industria in Hudson, NY on Sunday night.

There are actually two performance spaces at the Basilica, one large, the other more intimate. The show on Sunday was held in the smaller of the two, which is a cozy room consisting of a rug thrown over the floor, couches and lounge chairs set up along the walls, and dim lights hung from the ceiling. It was a perfect setting for the music that took place. The Blue Ribbon Boys opened the show, and they sounded incredible. Kip Beacco was outstanding on clarinet, his playing beautiful and clear, Lukas Schwartz played fiddle and had some great solos, Seth Travins sang lead on a number of songs and played guitar, Matt Downing kept things steady on upright bass, as did Scott Marks on drums, and Evan Paluzzo played some honky tonk piano.

The Blue Ribbon Boys’ rousing set was chock full of Balkan sounding music, jazzy swing numbers, and originals written by Seth. I love his songwriting not only lyrically, but musically as well. Both aspects sound as though they’re from another era (in a good way), yet the songs display a timelessness. The Blue Ribbon Boys also played a crazy polka, followed by a gorgeous instrumental ballad. Midway through their set, the band called two friends to the stage who are also musicians: Jonothan Talbott on violin, and Evan Randall on vocals. Evan has an amazing voice and sang “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” while Jonathan’s duo fiddlin’ with Lukas added a new dimension. As the night progressed, the room got hotter and so did the musicians. They were creating music like an old-time improvisational band, and by that I mean the likes of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France. Such sweet sounds came from the Basilica stage! The Blue Ribbon Boys’ set was over much too soon, but at least more great music came after…

The Underscore Orkestra just got back from playing in Europe, and this is their first time touring the East Coast. The band didn’t have all of it’s usual members at the show on Sunday, but the music was certainly not lacking in richness. Their style and use of guitar, fiddle, and tabla drums create a heavily gypsy sound, while saxophone and electric bass add a somewhat modern feel, blending the energy of history and tradition with that of the 21st century. The “orchestra” does a marvellous job of creating a balance between the two, and they easily fascinate the listener with their intriguing music. Playing on Sunday were Jorge Kuchmari on violin, harmonica, and vocals; Cody Pratt on guitar; Leslie Wacker on sopranino saxophone; Joe Correia on sousaphone and bass; and Enrico Solano on tabla and drum kit.

For the opening tune of The Underscore Orkestra’s set, Leslie did not play sax but instead performed a fluid dance while twirling a hula hoop around her entire body from neck to ankles. After that she joined the others, and the sopranino sax contributed a great deal to the mystique of the music. During the show Enrico alternated between tabla and full drum set, as did Joe with bass and sousaphone.  Sousaphone, you might ask? Heck yeah. When Joe first picked it up the crowd cheered, but he set it down without playing it and picked up his bass again, to the dismay of the audience. They yelled out that he was teasing them, to which he responded, “Yeah! You like that, don’t you!” making everyone laugh. He finally did play the sousaphone, and it gave a great sound to the songs. Jorge has a really interesting voice and a naturalness with his violin, meanwhile Cody blew me away. His playing closely resembled that of a classical master, and his hands moved so fast they were nothing more than a blur.

I went to the show expecting to be impressed. What I did not expect was to be rendered speechless by the band’s music and playing — that was a pleasant surprise. The end of the night became a casual party among friends, for that’s what audience and bands alike were by that point, and The Underscore Orkestra brought a couple of The Blue Ribbon Boys back onstage to jam. The show was exciting, and The Blue Ribbon Boys and The Underscore Orkestra were a perfect match for each other. I can’t wait to hear the latter again tomorrow at the New Paltz Cultural Collective! I’m told the band will be bigger (although Leslie won’t be at the show), and I look forward to hearing them in their expanded glory.

*I unfortunately didn’t get any videos of The Blue Ribbon Boys, but I did get two of The Underscore Orkestra:

Mazel Tov

Horamare

I spent Labor Day weekend contra dancing to great music by no less than four bands (who all happen to have interesting names, as you can see in the title of this post). My friend and I started out on Saturday dancing to Wild Asparagus in Greenfield, MA, stayed with my friend’s cousin in Northampton that night, and drove to Brattleboro, VT on Sunday for an event called the Dawn Dance where the three other bands were playing.

During the dance in Greenfield, Wild Asparagus kept churning out impressive and energizing songs (along with some relaxing ones) while the dancers whirled, swung, and do si doed in bliss. Then, if you got too tired to dance, you could sit and enjoy the concert before jumping back in there (because you can really only rest your feet for a couple of dances until, as tired as you may be, you feel compelled to be on them again). Even a short lack of amplification during one of Wild Asparagus’ tunes couldn’t stop the devoted crowd who kept dancing all the same, and when the speakers started working again a few seconds later they hollered with an excitement that they never seem to lose. At one point, I forgot I was dancing and my partner had to good-naturedly remind me, I was too caught up in the music! But hey, given the band was Wild Asparagus it could have happened to anybody, a fact my partner understood.

After spending the night in Northampton, my friend and I headed to Brattleboro for the Dawn Dance, which is a contra dance held every Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend in Brattleboro, VT. The event is called the Dawn Dance because from 8pm Sunday to 7am Monday  is non-stop contra (there’s also an English Country dance from 2:30pm to 5:30 pm on Sunday). It’s surreal to be dancing when you’d usually be sleeping, and to watch the dawn erupt before your eyes outside the windows. The ride to Brattleboro was very nice, watching trees pass by while listening to an assortment of CD’s that made us tap our feet (not the one on the gas pedal, naturally) and nod our heads.

I walked into the hall at the Gibson-Aiken Center where the dance was being held and excitedly sat down to wait for it to start. Some people sat on the floor, some practiced dips with their partners, and everywhere you looked were bright colors and smiling faces, all joined for a common love: contra dancing. Eleven hours of it. The murmuring crowd hushed immediately as the caller took her place on the stage, and kicking off the festivities (for that’s exactly what they were) was Crowfoot, who is, in my humble — yet trust me on this — opinion, the most fun to dance to. The band is a trio of Adam Broome on guitar,  Jaige Trudel on fiddle, and Nicholas Williams on flute and accordion. I love their CD’s, but the energy they give in their live performances is truly extraordinary, not to mention a whole lot of fun to witness. To say the music they played was electrifying would be an understatement.

The next band to take the stage was Phantom Power, with Lissa Schneckenburger on fiddle, Mark Roberts on banjo, flute, and whistle, Bruce Rosen on guitar and piano, and Stefan Amidon on percussion. They had a full drum set which added great rhythms, something the audience responded to with extra stomps and claps, creating a unified force of energy and enthusiasm. After enjoying dancing to the band for a while however, my energy began to taper, and at 2am I decided I needed to sleep. I hated to leave the dance, but my joints were aching and fatigue was setting in. Luckily, even my nap in the car was enjoyable, because the music spilled out into the parking lot. After two hours, I was surprisingly refreshed and ready for another round of dancing.

Adding the beat to the last band, Magic Foot, was Bodhrán and feet. Magic Foot is Colin Lindsay on fiddle, Chris Stevens on button accordion, Brendan Taaffe guitar and feet, and Stefan Amidon on percussion. They had the 3:30 – 7am time slot, and when they took a short break around 6am (at which time volunteers for the Dawn Dance quickly swept the floor, as they had been doing during all the bands breaks), most people used the time to get bagels and coffee from the food room. Only a short break was needed before everyone jumped back into the swing of things — literally. The first song Magic Foot came back with was a red hot Louisiana two-step, an unexpected and nice surprise, and they went on to play more contras from there. When it was finally light enough outside to dance without fluorescents the lights in the room were turned off one at a time, and when the final switch was flicked the dancers marked the thrilling moment with an uproar. For the last contra of the morning, and this years Labor Day Dawn Dance, Magic Foot gave a super-charged performance, followed by two waltzes.

Dawn Dance was one of the coolest things I’ve ever participated in, and I’m happy to report that the only thing suffered on my part was bloodshot eyes. Overall I’d say my first experience was a great one, and I hope to have more in the future. Maybe someday I’ll attempt to earn the title of Iron Dancer: if you dance four nights in a row on a Brattleboro Dawn Dance weekend, including at the Dawn Dance itself, and on the fifth night go to the Monday night dance in Nelson, NH, you get an award and a certificate!