Roll With It

The Allman Brothers Band March Madness run at the United Palace has come to a close after last night’s finale. Over the eight shows, the group played 64 different songs and welcomed 17 different guests to share the stage with them. The guest spots peaked during this weekend’s shows when the Brothers brought out drummers James van de Bogert and Justin Stanley; sax players Chris Jensen and Bill Evans; guitarists Doyle Bramhall and Junior Mack, flutist Kofi Burbridge, bassist Todd Smallie and keyboardist Danny Louis.

On Friday night, the group sold out the uptown venue for only the second time on the run. The full house, and those watching the nearly flawless Moogis.com webcast feed at home, were treated to the only United Palace versions of ABB classics Wasted Words, Soulshine and Stormy Monday. Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks’ band mate from his days touring with Eric Clapton, sat in on a sizzling Meet Me In The Bottom that kicked off the second set. Other highlights were Mule keyboardist Danny Louis’ work on Soulshine, Oteil’s solo bass version of Little Martha during Jessica and Bramhall returning for the One Way Out encore.

Saturday’s finale was a scorcher from start to finish. The third time through on the run for Derek’s Bag End instrumental and Whipping Post were a charm as the group delivered stellar, focused versions of each. As we’ve been harping on since the run started, the Allmans once again kept things all in the family welcoming Oteil’s brother Kofi Burbridge out for a slower version of The Same Thing than they usually play. Other highlights were Bill Evans’ sax work on Dreams and Liz Reed, the soaring Blue Sky instrumental and once again paying tribute to Rev. Ike with Preacher Blues.

Allman Brothers Band
March 20, 2010
United Palace
New York, NY

Set One: Hot ‘Lanta, I Walk On Gilded Splinters, Trouble No More, Rocking Horse, Wasted Words, Soulshine*, Good Morning Little School Girl**, Kind Of Bird**, Midnight Rider

Set Two: Meet Me In The Bottom***, Dreams, Anyday, Stormy Monday****, Jessica > Oteil (Little Martha) > JaBuMa > Jessica *****

Encore: One Way Out ******

* Danny Louis on keyboards, James van de Bogert on drums
** Danny Louis, keyboards
*** Doyle Bramhall on guitar, Justin Stanley on drums
**** Junior Mack, guitar
***** Chris Jensen, saxophone
****** Doyle Bramhall, guitar

Allman Brothers Band
March 20, 2010
United Palace
New York, NY

Set One: Don’t Want You No More > It’s Not My Cross To Bear, Statesboro Blues, Stand Back, Woman Across The River, All My Friends, Bag End, Blind Willie McTell, Whipping Post

Set Two: Little Martha > Blue Sky Jam > Little Martha, No One To Run With, The Same Thing **, Dreams *** > In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed *** > Oteil Scat (Kofi on piano) > JaBuMa > Oteil > In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

Encore: Preaching Blues, You Don’t Love Me ****

** Kofi Burbridge on flute, James van de Bogert on drums
*** Bill Evans, saxophone
**** Todd Smallie, bass

All in all, the band sounded great and well-rehearsed throughout the run. Sure, the special guests weren’t to the caliber of last year’s run, but that was to be expected. Next up for the Brothers is their annual headlining slots at the Wanee Festival in Live Oak, FL on April 14 and 15.

• Previously at the United Palace: Night One, Night Two and Night Three, Night Four, Night Five, Night Six

Here’s a quick note for any of our readers at Jam In The Dam that HT’s Wade “Wyllys” Wilby will be spinning tonight at Barney’s Uptown in Amsterdam starting at 11PM. Look for all new records from this completely spontaneous performance that promises to 100% crush.

It’s been a crazy day for the Disco Biscuits that started when guitarist Jon Gutwillig injured his wrist in an accident after the group’s show in Albany. The band decided to go on with their scheduled show at the House of Blues in Boston this evening and have turned the gig into a free one with refunds being given to all ticketholders. The group will invite special guests to perform with them for what’s sure to be an incredibly unique performance.

We’ve got a couple of HT staffers at the show that will report on the setlist and offer insights live from the House of Blues. We’ll keep updating the page, so be sure to refresh.

Disco Biscuits
March 19, 2010
House of Blues
Boston, MA

Set 1: Oname Wa, Park Avenue^, Orch Theme^, Tricycle^ > Uber Glue^, Mirrors^, Helicopters^^ > Gangster^^ > Helicopters^^

Set Two: Show Canceled due to “technical difficulties”

Without Jon Gutwillig

^ – w/ Chris Michetti on guitar, ^^ – w/ Michetti and Joey Zarick

7:45 PM: Check out the audio of the call that ticketholders received from Ticketmaster about tonight’s show…

READ ON for a transcription of the call and more of our live blog…

Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event sent on behalf of the House of Blues in Boston, MA: The Disco Biscuits scheduled at the House of Blues-Boston on Friday, March 19, 2010 with the doors opening at 7:00PM.

Please note: Following last nights performance, Jon Gutwillig fell backstage and broke his wrist. As a result Jon will not performing tonight. Tonight’s performance will still take place as scheduled with everyone rocking out at the House of Blues. Expect a big party tonight in Boston with special guests and lots of musical treats. Since the band is not at full strength, we are making tonight’s performance a free concert for all ticket holders. Please remember to bring your ticket for entry. Beginning on Saturday, March 20, 2010, your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10 business days. Please note, the $2.95 per order processing fee, any ticketFast, or UPS delivery charges and in-store pick up charges are non-refundable.

Thank you for using Ticketmaster. We appreciate your business and look forward to your continued patronage at the House of Blues in Boston!

More to come soon

9:03 PM: Indobox left the stage five minutes ago
9:51 PM: Lights. Band takes stage
9:51 PM: Barber back on guitar in 2-3 weeks so says the doctor. Triscuit trio to start the set.
9:54 PM: Oname Wa opener
9:55 PM: Brownie addressed the crowd before they started. Said they were fucking around backstage and Barber got hurt.

10:01 PM Brownie welcomes the extended Biscuits family. Chris Michetti. He got a call at 1PM and came to help them out. Warm welcome for Michetti. “long night of music” 3 guitarists. “We’re giving you all of your money back.”
10:03 PM: Park Avenue with Chris Michetti
10:08 PM: More banter from pre-Park Avenue – Michetti was in Vermont when he got the call and listened to the Biscuits the entire way down
10:10 PM: And Brownie didn’t know what day it was. Definitely up all night and said such

10:15 PM: Orch Theme

10:23 PM: Tricycle

10:25PM: Uber Glue, another welcome for Chris. “Living and breathing Disco Biscuits for seven hours.”

10:29PM: Mirrors

10:37 PM: Chris stays onstage. Additional guitarist setup. Brownie starts hating on iPhones. Joe Zarick from Indobox joins the band. Brownie says “don’t worry, they went to Berklee.” Brownie again mentions he didn’t go to sleep before band launches into Helicopters. Zarick handles Barber’s vocals.

10:45 PM: tDB with 2 guitarists that aren’t Barber. Gotta be first time played.

[Photo by B-Bry]

11:01 PM: > Gangster > Helicopters

11:02 PM: Setbreak

11:11 PM: First set was pretty damn good all things considered

11:40 PM: House lights came on and music on PA stopped. Weird.

11:43 PM: House music back on but house lights still on

11:45 PM: Pretty big scene sidestage. Not sure what’s goin’ on. Seems like they can’t figure out how to kill the house lights.

11:46 PM: Brownie joins the huddle sidestage

11:47: One of the Indobox guys comes out and announces the show is over due to technical difficulties.

11:49: Getting ugly. Shit thrown onstage. Brownie front and center trying to calm people down.

11:50: Brownie successful. People start clearing out.

11:51: Scratch that. Shit’s still getting thrown.

Sad to say it looks like that’s it from the House of Blues. I don’t know who the Disco Biscuits pissed off, but this shit only seems to happen to them. That being said, this was a free show and they played a solid 70-minute set under difficult circumstances. Official word on the cancellation – after a forty-minute setbreak – is “technical difficulties that would not let them continue the show.” The Disco Biscuits next play on Sunday night at Brooklyn Bowl.

This morning, The Internet was buzzing with rumors of a hospital trip for the Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon Gutwillig after last night’s show. Barber addressed the rumors with a posting on his Facebook…

tDB bassist Marc Brownstein has just confirmed the news with an update on his Twitter account that explains that the shows will go on despite Gutwillig’s injury with special guests and references the Triscuits shows that took place when Brownie left the band in 2000…

What we at Hidden Track want to know is, did somebody really pre-order the $100 guided tour of the Air Ducts at the Electric Factory?

Barber broke his wrist after a show at the Electric Factory in 2002 that derailed the band’s momentum for a while. While obviously a show without Barber isn’t the best case scenario, we’re glad to see this weekend’s shows might go on as planned especially since Sunday’s Bisco Power Mission is a benefit for a righteous cause. We’ll update this post with more information as it becomes available. Tonight’s show takes place at the HOB in Boston.

UPDATE: Hidden Track will live blog tonight’s show to keep you up-to-date with all the details of what is sure to be a very unique show.

UPDATE [3PM]: Brownie’s Twitter confirms Sunday’s show will go on. No confirmation about tomorrow’s show in Montclair yet.

UPDATE [4:50PM]: Here’s the official word from the Biscuits…

Last night following the show Jon Gutwillig injured his wrist in an accident. He received immediate medical attention and it was determined that he would need surgery to which he is having this afternoon in New York. Though we expect a speedy recovery, we will need to make the following adjustments to our 5 upcoming shows this weekend:

1. Tonight’s show in Boston WILL take place. Though Jon will not be there, we plan on still rocking out with everyone at the House of Blues. Expect a big party tonight in Boston with special guests and lots of musical treats. Since the band is not at full strength, we are making tonight’s show a free show. Refunds will be available for any ticket purchaser at point of purchase. If you used cash to purchase your tickets, remember to hold onto your ticket stub. PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL NEED TO SHOW YOUR TICKET TO GET INTO TONIGHT’S SHOW BUT YOU WILL STILL BE REFUNDED.

2. Tomorrow night’s show at the Wellmont Theatre is postponed. Because of the circumstances, we though it would be best to do this show later this spring. Details to be announced soon.

3. The Brooklyn Bowl show WILL take place on Sunday. Tom Hamilton is going to fill in for Jon and we are going to make it an extra special night to celebrate the launch of BPM.

4. We will be performing at Ultra Music Festival. We will have an
announcement of the lineup for that show next week.

5. The Tractorbeam show will also go ahead as planned. We will have an announcement of the lineup for that show next week.

UPDATE: [5:21PM] Sources close to the band confirm Chris Michetti will be one of the guest musicians joining the Disco Biscuits tonight.

Yesterday, we posted my list of the Ten Best Grateful Dead Bust Outs of All-Time and for this week’s Friday Mix Tape I compiled all of the tracks that were freely available through the Live Music Archive. All of these tracks are from audience recordings which is perfect for our purposes as it’s always nice to hear a crowd go bananas with joy and glee.

This mix starts out with the Hampton ‘86 bust out of Phil on vocals singing Box of Rain. It continues with the blissful Here Comes Sunshine bust out from Compton Terrace in 1992. Next, we’ve got the #1 entry on my list – Unbroken Chain at Philly 15 years ago today. We take it down a notch for a stirring version of Ripple from Landover in 1988 and end things with the dynamic Casey Jones from RFK ‘92. Enjoy!

• CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK’S MIX

The Allman Brothers Band @ the United Palace – March 15 and 18

I have a half-written column on the Allman Brothers Band that I’ve kept, sort of knocking around, for a few years now. It’s the one I plan to write when it’s clear the memories have been great but the thrill is gone, and that there’s not really any polish left on the shoe. It’s bound to happen, right? The Allmans, to their credit, seem to be slowly recognizing as much, thanks to scaled-back touring and the de-emphasis – can we just come out and agree there isn’t going to be another album of originals? – on, well, growth.

It hasn’t happened, the column. No matter how gently or artfully I try phrase those thoughts, they still sounds churlish. What other band has given us this much justifiable magic this late into its career, or hell, this late into its third act (or sixth or seventh, depending how you evaluate lineups and general eras)? If this is a band no longer much interested in growth as it is enjoying its twilight in grand fashion, fine. Nothing wrong with that at all, boys. No question you’ve earned it. No question you can still bring the heat.

This year’s March NYC run has felt a little muted, but only from afar. You wouldn’t call it a dearth of buzz and excitement – if you were in the seats for any of the United Palace shows so far, you still heard the roars and felt the radiant energy – but the move uptown, the hangover from last year’s 40th anniversary extravaganza (each show every bit as good as the hype, as those who were there and the Beacon Box will attest), and the decision to cancel the last five nights of the run cast something of a pall. But in two very different shows this week, Monday and Thursday, I found the confirmation I needed: the end is near, but I’d be out of my mind to quit on the Allmans until they say they’re done.

READ ON for more from Chad on the Allmans @ United Palace…

It’s clear the band is looking to present a streamlined, back-to-basics style NYC run where the emphasis is on digging deep and wringing new truths out of old songs, while slipping in a few new covers and an unexpected treat or two. The intensity is there – let’s face it, the Allmans could coast on their musicianship and towering individual skills alone and still serve up a strong set of shows – and the smiles are still plastered. The price tags are brutal, but most of the time, you don’t feel like you overpaid. That much.

Monday’s show, as opposed to the volcanic eruption that was Thursday, was a fairly vanilla affair – the type of show that left me sated but also ready to “call it.” There were choice moments of brilliance: Rocking Horse, which perhaps more than any other recent Allmans songs has evolved from place filler into a true set showpiece, opened up into the heavens. Kind of Bird – oh, welcome back, Kind of Bird! – was a groovy jazz-rock summit. I enjoyed Jessica a little less than I wanted to: fun solos, the driving rhythm, a tasty Will the Circle Be Unbroken breakdown, a decent drums, but overall a little cold and bereft of triumph. The drama had come earlier: the mesmerizing Derek solo in Black Hearted Woman, full of Hendrixian twists and turns, and the Derek-Warren duel in a slightly modified arrangement of Every Hungry Woman, true to this new Allmans trend of pushing those mid-set types of songs out of their pedestrian run-throughs.

The Monday show — I dug it, you know? No more, no less. It reminded me as much that the Allmans are neglecting some of their greatest material – seriously, what happened to Instrumental Illness – in favor of well, I don’t know what. Only You Know and I Know. It’s fun, really fun. Inspired? Nah. Give me a commanding Stand Back, or a charged High Cost of Low Living, in that mid-set spot. Hell, even the overplayed Woman Across the River always manages to win me back over by the time they’re done dismantling it. Monday’s show reminded me of the band’s current limitations as much as it did re-affirm my excitement in their abilities.

On Thursday, a different vibe. Fairly pedestrian-sounding first set that saw Ain’t Wastin Time No More almost fall apart at one point and overall, didn’t yield much in the way of exploration. Come On In My Kitchen and Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City both sort of drifted on by; Bag End, the new instrumental, has this wonderful air of mystery but no great hook to anchor it and too amorphous a jam segment.

But another slow, pleasantly average night? No. The energy shift happened some time around the relentlessly beautiful Into the Mystic, and then kicked into high gear with Scott Sharrard’s appearance on a crackling You Don’t Love Me. A fan two seats over from me said, “I think they’re ready to start cooking.” Yes indeed.

The second set on Thursday was a monster — the type of long, psychedelic, fiery-peak/depth-charge-valley excursion into which this lineup of the band, when everyone is locked in, really digs deep – and deserves an extended look. It began innocently enough with a deceptively calming Melissa that seemed to promise more of a leisurely pace, and then the full on announcement of Mountain Jam, complete with stately tympani and warm, gooey solos from Derek and Warren, refreshingly unhurried.

It was there things got interesting. Warren and Derek brought the Mountain Jam tempo from chug to crawl, making it appear as though the band was headed for the usual drums showcase, but instead, Warren sounded the pained first few notes of Desdemona and ace saxman Jay Collins slid in next to Oteil. Desdemona is, by now, a warhorse, capable of serious drama and no shortage of bravura improvisation, and Derek, Jay and Warren all took turns in the solo hot seat – Derek as sonic contortionist, Warren as chronicler of pain and Jay with seething anger. From there came another eruption: Black Hearted Woman, furious as always, yielding a bass solo from Oteil that felt, amazingly, both heavy and nimble and a throttling drums showcase with Oteil on Butch’s kit and Butch on tympani.

As the rest of the band returned to the stage, the song’s familiar wrap-up dropped in to the galloping jam that, for Derek’s solo, becomes the familiar Other One churn and then reverts back before the song’s conclusion. Hard to overstate either guitarist’s solo in this portion: Derek as usual brought jaw-dropping sorcery, but so did Warren, busting out of the “standard” Warren progression of heavy riffage followed by high register squealing or speed picking, and forcing himself into deep, nasty, growling runs and screaming resolutions that didn’t seem to come from his usual playbook. (That’s no slight on Warren, by the way, he just still tends to fall back on his most familiar riffs more noticeably often than Derek does.)

The close of Black Heated Woman weaved on back into Mountain Jam with a long, psychedelic climb into Dead territory: the type of group improv where disparate strands sound amorphous and then start tying together and resolve to a familiar place. The crowd, by this time, was ravenously eating it up and the cheer at Mountain Jam’s conclusion was the loudest I’ve yet heard for any song on this year’s residency. It was downright moving.

We had Whipping Post left to go before everyone got all misty-eyed. What a version: brutalizing, to say the least; surprising, with the addition of Jay on sax, who peeled off a scorcher of a solo while fully mindful of Whipping Post traditionally belonging to guitarists; and a knockout that left the United Palace audience in that warm, exhausted, dazed state that lingers after an A-level Allmans set.

Upon further review, maybe it isn’t  accurate to say the Allman Brothers Band is no longer interested in growth: the chemistry keeps evolving every year and does takes on new flavors. But it’s been seven years since “Hittin the Note” and it’s pretty obvious by now that any new output of studio material won’t so much be a glut of inspired originals than a few loosely organized themes dressed up as new instrumentals.

I’m cool with it. The Allmans haven’t done enough to convince me that this isn’t the slow fade to black: a new slate of decent to great covers every year and some setlist chicanery can’t mask the feeling that the band doesn’t have all that much new to say anymore. But they have convinced me – as they do, every damn year – to keep coming back until the final curtain. I’ll be there next year, and after. See you there too.

We’re down to the final eight contestants in our bid to crown the best cover among all the Cover Wars winners of the past 12 months. Thanks to everyone who came out to vote in the last round, which featured a couple of close bouts including Built to Spill winning by the smallest of margins over the Foo Fighters. Perpetual Groove gets the award for biggest ass-kicking as they nearly tripled the votes that Primus received.

Let’s take a look at today’s four bouts…

1. Trey Anastasio – Sultans of Swing vs. YARN – Oh! Sweet Nuthin’
2. Built To Spill – Cortez The Killer vs. UM – Can’t You Hear…
3. Phish – The Ballad of Curtis Loew vs. Pearl Jam – Baba O’Riley
4. GUTML – Godzilla vs. PGroove – This Must Be The Place

Four our first matchup, we’ve got Trey Anastasio and TAB’s version of Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits going up against Yarn’s take on the Velvet Underground’s Oh! Sweet Nuthin’…

Trey Anastasio – Sultans of Swing

YARN – Oh! Sweet Nuthin’

READ ON to place your vote on all four Elite 8 matches…

Which Cover Advances to the Final Four?opinion

Match number two finds Built to Spill covering Neil Young’s Cortez The Killer vs. Umphrey’s McGee channeling the Rolling Stones for Can’t You Hear Me Knocking…

Built to Spill – Cortez The Killer

Umphrey’s McGee – Can’t You Hear Me Knocking

Which Cover Advances to the Final Four?polls

For bout number three Phish’s cover of The Ballad of Curtis Loew by Lynyrd Skynyrd squares off against Pearl Jam’s take on the Who classic Baba O’Riley…

Phish – The Ballad of Curtis Loew

Pearl Jam – Baba O’Riley

Which Cover Advances to the Final Four?polls

Finally, our final match finds Give Us The Money Lebowski’s cover of Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult up against Perpetual Groove’s version of Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place) by the Talking Heads…

Give Us The Money Lebowski – Godzilla

Perpetual Groove – Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)

Which Cover Advances to the Final Four?polls

Here’s the rest of the March Madness schedule:

03/23 – March Madness Final 4
03/30 – March Madness Finals

Voting for this round is open until Monday at 11:59 PM (EDT).

The initial artist announcement for this year’s Gathering of the Vibes has just come out and features an eclectic group of acts. To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the festival, event organizers have signed up Damian Marley and Nas, Primus, Jimmy Cliff, Rhythm Devils featuring Keller Williams, Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, Jackie Greene and a slew of other artists.

Take a look at this video for a full list…

Gathering of the Vibes 2010 takes place at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT from July 29 to August 1. Tickets are available now for $165. This marks the first announced gig for the soon-to-be-reformed Primus. Other acts of note include Martin Sexton backed by the Ryan Montbleau Band and an incarnation of The Rhythm Devils featuring one-man-band Keller Williams.

What do you think of this initial artist announcement?

On May 11, The National will release their latest collection of brooding, moody smart-rock High Violet -  their first album since 2007’s critically acclaimed Boxer. The Brooklyn-via-Ohio act recently stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to preview the album’s first single – Terrible Love…

The National – Terrible Love

If you missed out on this past Monday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, you’ll have another chance to watch it on Fuse this Sunday at 5PM. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, Fuse cuts from live broadcast for this re-airing and others to follow.

[Photo by Mazur for WireImage]

Friday, March 19 [all times EDT]

• David Letterman: Sade [CBS 11:35PM]
• Jay Leno: Barenaked Ladies [NBC 11:35PM]
• Craig Ferguson: OK GO [CBS 12:35AM]
• Jimmy Fallon: Air [CBS 12:35AM]

Saturday, March 20

• Austin City Limits: Norah Jones [PBS]
• Opening Night Live: Bruce Springsteen [Palladia Noon]
• INXS: Live Baby Live [VH1 Classic 1:30PM]
• Saturday Night Live: The Ting Ting [NBC 11:30PM]

Sunday, March 21

• Behind The Music Remastered: Heart [VH1C 11AM]
• Hard Rock Calling: Ben Harper, DMB [Palladia 4PM]
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction [Fuse 5PM]
• Tina Turner: Live in Holland [Palladia 9PM]