live: Bonnaroo

"It's too f*ckin' hot for Santa Claus!"

Midway through Bruce Springsteen's 3.5 hr marathon set Saturday night at Bonnaroo, he descended into the crowd and grabbed posters from fans with song requests scrawled on them. One fan offered a full size picture of Santa Claus to which Bruce responded with the quote above, before he finally relented and busted out a truly inspired rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". This was just one unexpected and incredible moment in a weekend that was jam packed with them.

Simply put, the 8th Bonnaroo festival was a marvel in every respect. From the huge and diverse lineup, to the smart stage and vendor layout in Centeroo, to the meticulous organization of the campgrounds and the frequent porta-potty cleanings, it is obvious that the Bonnaroo team is a group of seasoned veterans.

And let's not forget the music! Aside from the epic headlining sets by Phish and Bruce (including an instantly legendary collaboration during Phish's set on Sunday), there was enough music to satiate even the most voracious live music fan. In fact, there was almost too much music, to the point where we had to miss a few acts we really wanted to see or else risk succumbing to exhaustion. Of the acts that we did catch, a few really stood out from the rest: Dirty Projectors, Amadou & Miriam, Santigold, Gomez, Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate, Jessica Lee Mayfield, Elivs Perkins in Dearland, David Byrne were among the highlights. We also really enjoyed the different atmospheres throughout the festival. For example, on Friday, The Other Tent was African themed; on Saturday it transformed into a Bluegrass hoedown. It's also really neat to be able to see an intimate show with 70 other people in a tent (Where Cafe) and then walk a few steps and be in a field with 60,000+ people watching Snoop Dogg!

The only negative thing I have to say about the festival was that I fear that Bonnaroo may have outdone themselves -- who on earth could they possibly put on the bill next year to top this year's lineup?!?

-MORT

PHISH 3/6-3/8 HAMPTON

"Won't You Please, Sir"

Phish 3/6-8 2009, Hampton Beach, Virginia
Somebody call the nitrous mafia, Phish is gearing up for a reunion tour. First stop, the mothership (aka Hampton). Goo balls, anyone?

Bobkast #9: <*))PHiSH><

"What is the central theme to this everlasting spoof?"
Without Phish, there would be no Bobka. You see, it was a shared love of all things Phish that initially brought the Bobka crew together, and our passion for the music and community has slowly evolved over the years into what you see today. And so, to honor the recently-past 10 year anniversary of (one of) our favorite Phish era(s), we have assembled a few choice cuts from the Fall/Winter 1997 tour for your dancing and listening pleasure. This segment of dirrty Cow Phunk mixed with spacey transcendental improv will remind even the most jaded of phans why they liked the band so much in the first place, and it is also a great starting point for newbies who want to get an idea of what the fuss was all about. Check out LivePhish for more information.

Bobkast #9: Phish - Fall/Winter '97 Gems
Halley's Comet (11/22/97)
Tube > Dayton Jam (12/7/97)
Theme From the Bottom (12/29/97)
Ghost > Fire (11/17/97)
TOTAL RUN TIME.......74:33
Bobkast #9: Phish - Fall/Winter '97 Gems (direct link; right-click to download)

Phish earned a reputation as one of the best live bands in the biz not only for their music but also for their dazzling light shows. Their lighting designer, Chris Kuroda, transformed a Phish "concert" into an "experience" by way of his mindblowingly synchronized lighting displays. Check the video below to understand why Kuroda was considered to be a member of the band, and why this particular jam had those in attendance thinking the Mothership was touching down for a visit.

Twist (from the Island Tour)

legundary: Haymaker Festival

"Always Knew My Home Was In Paradise"

Back in 1999, a venue promoter derided the Disco Biscuits and their fanbase as nothing more than a "traveling ecstasy circus." Rising to prominence during the twilight of Phish, the Disco Biscuits play what they describe as trance-fusion: a progressive blend of rock, jam, and trance music; the perfect soundtrack to jumping up and down with the rest of your spun kidzz while schwillin' Sammy Smiths and trying to keep your LRG fitted tilted at a crisp 45 degree angle.

However you describe their sound (or their fans), the Biscuits are best known for their energetic live performances. And arguably the best live performance of their career took place five years ago at a small music festival that was held on a family farm in the backwoods of Spotsylvania, Virginia. The inaugural edition of the Haymaker Festival featured two nights of Biscuits performing on a secluded "nature stage" from 2am-6am.

The Disco Biscuits' music was the perfect soundtrack to the latenight festivities at Haymaker. Not only does the music have the "untz" necessary for any good dance party, but it also expertly uses the "tension and release" technique that Phish perfected to whip the crowd into a frenzy. The Biscuits' music is heavily layered; each band member will play a repetitive line or progression that intertwines with one another to create something much greater than the sum of the parts. Listen to some excerpts from the weekend below, and download both shows in all of their serotonin-soaked goodness here.

The Disco Biscuits- Ladies Jam > Voices Insane
The Disco Biscuits- Hot Air Balloon Jam
The Disco Biscuits- Helicopters Jam > The Very Moon

nu musick: Brazilian Girls

I will argue til the day I die that no one on this here planet earth is sexier than Sabinna Sciubba of the Brazilian Girls. While not Brazilian, Sabinna is without a doubt just as fiery, mysterious and downright sexy as any hottie from the streets of Rio. We've seen them live and they definitely know, to quote the Wu, how to "bring the mutha fucking ruckus." Coincidently, so do the Talking Heads, which makes the Brazilian Girls dirty electro cover of the Remain In Light classick "Crosseyed & Painless", a sure fire party starter. While it doesn't hold a candle to the classick Phish version, it's definitely worth a listen. Peep it below.

Brazilian Girls- Crosseyed & Painless

Phish Island Run '98

"For Those of You Who Want to Stick Around and Dance to the FUNK..."


In the midst of what was arguably their most creative and productive practise sessions (which eventually led to the album The Story of the Ghost), Phish scheduled a quick run of four east coast shows in early April 98, known to 'phans' simply as "Island Tour." The gigs - two nights in Long Island, and two nights in Rhode Island - are considered by many to be the creative musical pinnacle of the band's career.

Coming off of a Fall tour and New Years 1997 run where the band began experimenting with a looser, groovier style of playing (which has affectionately been dubbed "Cow Funk"), the theme for the first shows of '98 was no doubt wah'd out PHUNK. The four shows featured some of the most intricate, awe-inspiring improvisational work the band ever created - the result of years of rigorous practice and musical camaraderie. The jamming from these shows is utterly egoless, yet the band maintains a clear sense of direction and purpose throughout; the music hovers as it progresses along, propelled equally by four distinct musical personalities and ideas, spontaneously and constantly morphing into something fresh and exhilirating.

Song selection over the four nights featured many new tunes that would later appear on "Ghost", longtime classics stretched to their mind-bending limits, and brilliantly executed covers that proved the band's versatility and ability to work in a miriad of different musical styles. Below is a selection from the final show's second set and encore. Listen as "Possum" is taken to uncharted territories, and then morphs into a funked out version of "Cavern" to close the set. The band then encores with a smoking version of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love". This mini compilation of tracks not only captures the spirit of the classic four night run, but more importantly shows how the Island Tour served to create an air of energy and excitment that would carry over throughout the summer and last well beyond the release of"Ghost" in the fall of 1998. Mmmm, Cow Funk.

Phish - Possum -> Cavern, Bold As Love (April 5, 1998)