kikimartini's blog

Marco Benevento Live At Tonic

kikimartini — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:35:31 -0700

Well, it's been many months since Marco wowed us all at Tonic with his immense talent and infectious love of music. I've been lucky to have been basking in the sights and sounds of his residency since then, as I've been editing the footage from each of those delicious Wednesdays last November (and weren't we all glad the calendar graced us with FIVE Wednesdays that month...)

Below is a collection of some highlights from Marco's amazing residency. It features some of his rather talented friends, like Mike Gordon, Bobby Previte, Mike Dillon, Steven Bernstein... the list goes on and on. Yes, that's Brad Barr playing a drum with one of Marco's old Wurlitzer keys. Yes, that red-head dancing and playing the flute is none other than Sir Joe Russo. Even half of the Ween team, Claude Coleman and Dave Driewitz (pictured here), showed up one evening to back Marco, despite the fact that Coleman had never met Marco face to face before that evening. You certainly would never know it after listening to the two hours of music they created that night...

VIEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM MARCO'S RESIDENCY HERE:

The fine folks at Ropeadope are going to release much of the material on a multi-disc set this summer, and as you'll see in the clip, the range of Marco's material is vast. Thelonious Monk ditties sit beside Pink Floyd tunes, and little-known songs from Leonard Cohen and Elliot Smith will send you back to your record collection to revisit them. Marco's jazz chops being what they are, prepare to be floored by the free-jazz improvisations that he created each night alongside the likes of seasoned veterans like Matt Chamberlain or Steven Bernstein.

Ringing in the New Year with the Duo and the Slip

kikimartini — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:48:23 -0800

Benevento/Russo Duo perform "9 x 9" at the Chameleon Club 12.30.06:

It will come as news to nobody that there were a plethora of options available for New Years festivities on the East Coast this year. While the most enticing options almost always involve travel of some kind, I was lucky enough to find musical pleasures close to the Big Apple. However, my game plan involved turning a blind eye to the shenanigans in Atlantic City, and whether I could actually resist ringing in the New Year with the red-headed felon was a decision that many (including myself) wondered whether I could stick to. But stick I did, and I was rewarded with the warmest NYE run in recent memory.

The 29th began with a yummy double-header at Mo Pitkins of two sets of Honky-Tonk Allstars, Larune and Basement Band. Kamara Thomas bravely opened the Larune set with a solo acoustic debut of another of her signature panoramic song-writing journeys, and the band then joined her for favorites like "My Kentucky" and "I Just Don't Get It", the latter of which Jeff Malinowsky hilariously (and correctly) dubbed "Best song ever!". He thereafter took the stage with his Basement Band-mates, and delivered some wonderful a capella and acoustic numbers, including a lovely "Wagon Wheel". From Mo Pitkins, we hightailed it to the Knit to catch Rana's set, performing as a trio in the Tap Bar, and whilst the front row featured some distracting glow-ring e-tivity, Scott Metzger once again demonstrated his solid chops on guitar.

'Scuse me while I Slip into My Morning Jacket...

kikimartini — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 22:01:03 -0800

It is a rare thing indeed when someone tells you that a band is about to melt your face off... and they're right. I had heard studio work from My Morning Jacket, and I suppose I can recall a few recommendations to see them live, but I was nowhere near prepared for the tower of sound that engulfed me on Nov. 30th at the Roseland Ballroom in New York.

First things first, of course, which brings us to the delicious opening set by The Slip, a trio who earns more and more of my respect each time I hear them. (Which, fortunately for me, is rather often these days...) The songs that comprise their latest studio effort, Eisenhower, are all remarkably stage-worthy, continually evolving, and are profound enough to provoke both your grey matter and your dance moves.

The band took to the stage adorned with furry wildlife as headgear: Brad Barr (guitar & vocals) played Moose, Marc Friedman (bass) was the Fox, and Andrew Barr (drums) took on the Wolf. The story goes that the pelts were acquired somewhere in western Pennsylvania, and there were multiple plush accessories purchased (including one for My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, who brought his Bear onstage for portions of his set).

While Slip fans are now accustomed to getting their fill of Eisenhower's 'hits' like Even Rats and Children of December, songs like Paper Birds are developing into incredible live adventures, and Airplane/Primitive might just be my favorite rock song of the year. Do yourself two favors: buy the album, and see the band, and you'll be a much happier person. New York, are you listening? The Slip will be playing their New Years show at (soon-to-be-closed-for-renovation and returning-in-spring as the Williamsburg Music Hall) NorthSix in Brooklyn. You have been advised...

CMJ Music Marathon Highlights: Land Of Talk

kikimartini — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:44:56 -0800

The trio of northerly Indie-Rockers known as Land of Talk blew into New York City like a Canadian cold front last week for the CMJ Music Marathon, and then proceded to heat things up at venues all over the Lower East Side. Their sound simultaneously conjures archival rock like The Pretenders but yet feels as current as the sounds coming out of the Broken Social Scene camp.

The trio offered up a special never-before-attempted-or-rehearsed acoustic performance at White Rabbit on the afternoon of November 2nd, and although the set was as short as any other you may have caught at CMJ this year ('don't blink or you'll miss it' style), Land of Talk sounded as natural acoustic as they do on larger stages.

While the band expressed some uncertainty as to what the drum kit might consist of in this space, the absence of a bass drum was hardly noticeable because of the solid jazz-chops of drummer Bucky Wheaton. Elizabeth Powell's ethereal voice was particularly well-suited to the space, and besides his spot-on harmonies, you may notice in the clip that multi-talented bass player Chris McCarron somehow manages to sneak in some ironic punchlines on the bass.

The Wordless Music Series

kikimartini — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:43:07 -0700

The Wordless Music Series is a concept developed by Ronen Givony, based on the notion that the sonic worlds of classical and contemporary instrumental music share much more than we would commonly attribute. The series aims to blur the distinction between the two genres by pairing modern rock musicians with classical players, showcasing their talents in solo pieces, as well as in small improvised groups. The inaugural concert was held in September at the Good-Faith Shepherd’s Church near Lincoln Center, and drew a large crowd for two reasons: the first is that Givony aims to keep music accessible to all by pinning ticket prices at less than twenty dollars, and the second reason is that the two rock musicians on this particular evening are current members of the hugely popular Chicago rock outfit, Wilco.

In introducing the series, Givony described how he came to the decision to put together such a series:

“I started working at Lincoln Center about a year and a half ago, and [at that point] I knew next to nothing about classical music. I was talking with one of my colleagues and I asked her, “What is this thing we call chamber music that we are working to perpetuate?” And she thought about it for a minute and she said, “Well, basically it is music played by small groups, in a small intimate room.” And so I said, “That’s funny, I went to the Mercury Lounge last night and saw a trio--a cello, violin, and viola--and there were fifty people there… Is that chamber music?” And she thought about it for a minute, and she said, “I’m not too sure about that.” And so I asked her “Why is that not chamber music?” She answered, “Maybe a shorthand definition of it is that when you are at a concert with your friends, it’s considered acceptable to lean over to your friend and say, “This is a pretty cool concert’, whereas at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, that’s considered less than acceptable”. And the first thing that popped into my head was, “Have you ever been to a Wilco concert in your life?”

Trey Joins Los Lobos at Irving Plaza

kikimartini — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:58:13 -0700

Trey Anastasio popped in to Irving Plaza last night (Sept 28th) to join Los Lobos. He sat in on "Road for Gila Bend", "Mas y Mas", a lively "I Got Loaded", "Not Fade Away", and finally "Bertha". Trey has sat in with the band on previous occasions, and invited them to open for him in 2002 at Thomas & Mack in Las Vegas, NV.

Los Lobos is touring in support of their new album "The Town and the City". Trey has announced a few more dates on his fall tour, including a run through California in early December, which recalls last year's tour wrap-up from the Warfield down to the Wiltern.

Chris Harford & Band of Changes - Live at Grand Central Station

kikimartini — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:51:36 -0700

Chris Harford brought his Band of Changes to Grand Central Station in midtown New York on Wednesday, warming up for the following evening's gig at CB's Gallery on the Lower East Side. Harford fronts a band made up of guitarist Scott Metzger, Ween's Dave Driewitz, and School of Rock product Eric Slick. They performed outdoors for an eclectic crowd of suits, tourists, and spinning children. You can view the highlights here:

The next day saw Metzger doing double duty on the lower east side, doing an opening set for Fishbone with the Rodney Speed Experience and then at midnight rejoining the Band of Changes next door.

The Rodney Speed Experience was a lighthearted set of covers aimed at paying tribute to the soon-to-be-closed CBGB's, with songs from The Clash to the Rolling Stones. Rodney, a current staffer at CB's (and former Wetlands employee) made for a delightful front-man, and was backed by some pretty serious downtown talent with Metzger on guitar and Joe Russo on drums. Highlights include a "Should I Stay or Should I Go", where Joe and Scott chimed in on the backups "Rodney, Rodney, Rodney, Rodney!" Metzger and Russo later traded gear for a stab at "Wild Thing", and while Russo didn't conjure up a guitar face to rival Metzger's, there were plenty of smiles onstage to bid farewell to the club.

Earl Greyhound Rocks

kikimartini — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:20:42 -0700

Don't believe everything you've read. But if you happened upon a recent copy of 'The New Yorker' that suggested that Earl Greyhound just might be the second coming of Led Zeppelin, you probably wouldn't believe it until you witnessed the trio live. The hype this band is generating isn't unfounded: this is rock n' roll in its truest form.

The multi-talented duo of Kamara Thomas and Matt Whyte are certainly easy on the eyes up there, and now that they've joined forces with drummer Ricc Sheridan, the Earl Greyhound unit now seems complete and ready to dominate the rock scene here in New York.

It speaks volumes about the drawing power of a band to say that on a recent night at Tonic, it was well past 1 a.m. and the band had yet to begin, but the room grew more packed as the night slipped away and people eagerly awaited the buzzed-about band. Despite the fact that the monstrous sound that these three produce would perhaps be more suited to arena-rock stages than this intimate room on the Lower East Side, the crowd happily lapped up every loud note.

They began the set with two new tunes, including the stellar "The Ghost and The Witness" where Thomas trades up her bass for a Fender Rhodes. Both new songs show potential for the album which will follow up their critically-acclaimed current release, Soft Targets. There are indeed moments onstage which channel mighty Zepp, like the face-melting solo in "Monkey" but Earl Greyhound has crafted their own gritty sound, with searing guitar riffs from Whyte and a thunderous energy from Sheridan. That's not to say it's all hard rock riffs, because the trio have their share of undeniably catchy tunes like "Like A Doggy".

A don't be deceived by the presence of a lady on the bass: while her vocals occasionally add a soothing touch (as they do to introduce "Yeah, I Love You", they will just as quickly turn into an unfathomably fierce banshee wail that will knock your socks off. And she was recently featured in Bass Player magazine, to boot.

GORDO, DUO, TREY, QUATTRO...

kikimartini — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 16:24:55 -0700

There are many names being bandied about to describe the quartet of musicians known to us as Trey, Mike, Marco, and Joe. There are even more opinions as to how their music measures up, as each auditor hears this lineup with varying degrees of familiarity with the musicians’ prior work, and with different expectations as to what this musical incarnation should sound like. It should go without saying that this is not Phish, and why should it be? Comparisons are inevitable, but the fact remains that this is a new lineup, with different strengths and a different energy. They are taking risks, and sometimes this results in dissonant confusion, but other times they reach moments of total musical cohesion. This is a fertile lineup of talented musicians, and watching them grow accustomed to each other onstage was an interesting lesson in musical dynamics.

From jazz to rock, 'The Slip' to 'talk'...

kikimartini — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 22:58:39 -0800

Seeing 'The Slip' is always an occasion to celebrate, and I only wish I had seen them kick off the tour in their (newly adpoted) hometown of Montreal. I had to settle for seeing the next two nights in Burlington, VT and Albany, NY, and was happy to hear a new facet of their music brought out. There was a slightly rougher edge to their playing, more aggressive than what I've come to typically come to expect from this trio.

The band themselves concurred on this point, and said that perhaps it had something to do with the rock n roll sound of one of their opening bands. (Apollo Sunshine played a very unique set of blues-influenced electro-rock, with a guitar sound that recalled the dirtier sound of Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn)