Having recently returned from a trip out west opening for Trampled by Turtles that reportedly saw a great many full houses, The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank were in prime shape for a late December Sunday night show at the Cabooze. After a nice opening set from the Pistol Whippin Party Penguins, the place had a great crowd ready for some rock. Brothers Ian and Teague Alexy were joined by sometimes drummer Paul Grill for an energetic set that brought us favorites like "2010", "Holyoke" and "Minnesota Song". (I just noticed that the version of that tune on Myspace boasts guest Marco Benevento doing some big time piano work. http://www.myspace.com/hobonephewsofunclefrank)
Guest fiddler Ryan Young (of TBT and Pert Near Sandstone) joined for a few songs and incited more feverish grooving on the dance floor. These guys always throw down and put on a great show. You can catch them on Feb 14th along with TBT and Two Many Banjos at the Cabooze in what will surely be a sold out show and a hootin Happy Valentines Day.
Here in Minnesota, we have a State Fair so damn cool that they provided free Sharon Jones shows for fairgoers the first two nights of the yearly great Minnesota get together. So, fortunately this was the second time this season we got to see Sharon Jones and her fantastic funk soul backing band, The Dap Kings. Ms. Jones is simply phenomenal, and her energy is virtually unmatched in today's music biz. Our seats at downtown Minneapolis' beautiful Pantages Theatre were in the second row of the Orchestra Pit, but we were informed by security during the opening band's set that the seats would be removed and it would be a free for all dance party in front of the stage. No big surprise there, but Brianna managed to stay front and center the entire show and take what are some of the coolest concert photographs ever. Dig:
In the hotly contested, (although recently leaning towards Obama) state of Pennsylvania, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead reunited to support and raise money for Barack Obama. This was the second time in this election year that Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart got together to paly a show to benefit Obama's campaign. Back in February they did a show in San Fransico, spawning what might be the coolest fucking logo ever, Deadheads for Obama, shown above.
Joining the Dead for the duration of Monday night's show at Penn State were Jeff Chimenti of Ratdog on keyboards and one of my favorite musicians in the world, Warren Haynes on guitar.
Here's the full setlist:
Truckin'> U.S. Blues Help On The Way> Slipknot!> Franklin's Tower Playing In The Band> Dark Star St. Stephen> Unbroken Chain> The Other One> Throwin' Stones> Playing Reprise
Encore: Touch of Grey> Not Fade Away
I once decribed "Throwin' Stones" as the most overtly political song the Grateful Dead ever performed. Written in 1982, these lyrics couldn't be more relevant today:
Picture a bright blue ball Just spinning, spinning free Dizzy with eternity Paint it with a skin of sky Brush in some clouds and sea Call it home for you and me A peaceful place or so it looks from space A closer look reveals the human race Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face But afraid, we may lay our home to waste
There's a fear down here we can't forget Hasn't got a name just yet Always awake, always around Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down
Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime falls And again the hunt begins and again the bloodwind calls By and by again, the morning sun will rise But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes
It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets Staking turf, dividing up meat Nightmare spook, piece of heat It's you and me, you and me
Click, flashblade in ghetto night Rudie's looking for a fight Rat cat alley roll them bones Need that cash to feed that jones And the politician's throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down
Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price Money green or proletarian gray Selling guns instead of food today
So the kids they dance, and shake their bones And the politician's throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down
Heartless powers try to tell us what to think If the spirit's sleeping, then the flesh is ink, yeah History's page, it is thusly carved in stone The future's here, we are it, we are on our own On our own. On our own. On our own.
If the game is lost then we're all the same No one left to place or take the blame We will leave this place an empty stone Or that shinning ball of blue we can call our home
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones And the politicians, throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes, all fall down
Shipping powders back and forth Singing "black goes south and white comes north" And the whole world full of petty wars Singing "I got mine and you got yours" And the current fashions set the pace Lose your step, fall out of grace And the radical he rant and rage Singing "someone's got to turn the page" And the rich man in his summer home, Singing "Just leave well enough alone" But his pants are down, his cover's blown
And the politicians throwing stones So the kids they dance they shake their bones Cause its all too clear we're on our own Sing ashes to ashes, all fall down Ashes to ashes, all fall down
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free It's dizzying, the possibilities
Ashes to Ashes, all fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down)
Someone's got to turn the page indeed.
The Allman Bros. Band also performed, and they were joined by Susan Tedeschi on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Dont Think Twice". Here's their full setlist:
Revival Statesboro Blues Who’s Been Talking Midnight Rider One Way Out And It Stoned Me Dreams Don’t Think Twice Anyday Melissa Trouble No More Ain’t Wasting Time No More Jessica
E: Whipping Post
What an incredible show, I wish I could have been there.
For the first time ever, Bob Dylan will perform on the campus of the University of Minnesota, where he briefly went to school. The Northrop Auditorium is an old school ornate and intimate theater, with room for less than 5,000 people. Through sheer luck and the magic of the internet, I have already acquired tickets on the main floor and am very much looking forward to the results of the election being delivered by the man who has been a voice for change and progress for decades. Dylan endorsed Obama for president back in June. here is a link to that.
On the third night of the Republican National Convention, while John McCain's newly appointed Vice Presidential pick Sarah Palin was speaking to thousands of enthusiastic supporters across the Mississippi River, thousands of even more enthusiastic Rage Against the Machine supporters crowded into Target Center for a show sure to receive it's own share of the national spotlight. Police in full riot gear lined the sidewalks of downtown Minneapolis, but were especially concentrated near the Target Center. Fans were thoroughly patted down by Target Center Security before entering the arena. A more fitting scene for a Rage show I could not even imagine. There was rampant speculation about Rage Against the Machine inciting post concert riots and there being violence and arrests and who knows what else, but given the largely peaceful nature of the protests surrounding the RNC all week, I was optimistic that the night would go smoothly and we would all walk away without being teargassed.
Still, people were a little nervous. Rage against the Machine was in the local news already for performing a brief unscheduled (and unwelcome by authorities) two song a-capella set surrounded by hundreds of police the day before on the lawn of the state capitol. The performance, amplified only by a megaphone and the voices of fans, took place at the very end of a free, all day music festival boasting positive, peaceful acts such as Matisyahu and Michael Franti. Winona LaDuke, respected environmental activist, gave an impassioned speech for change, as did world famous explorer Will Steger. Rage showed up at the last minute and were refused access to the stage by police, who had been closely monitoring the proceedings from both near and afar, from horse top and roof top. The festival, put on by Substance, had permission to use the stage only until 7pm, so Zacary de la Rocha's lyrics were delivered from the grass where festival goers sat, presumably in awe. I was there at the capitol all day for the music but left before Anti Flag and the impromptu Rage set due to other fabulous music commitments. Here is footage of that from Minnesota Public Radio:
Rumors of a free Rage show had been abundant since the announcement of them doing a free concert in Denver outside the DNC, and since Tom Morello and friends was scheduled to play a Service Employees International Union benefit called Take Back Labor Day on Harriet Island the day before.
So there was a degree of uncertainty about how this show would go down and De la Rocha even admitted on stage at Target Center that he was not sure if the show would be allowed to go on. When we entered the venue just in time to hear opening band Anti-Flag ripping through "I Fought the Law (and the law won)", the place was perhaps half full but still there was a lot of energy in the place. When the house lights came up after the Anti Flag set, it was easy to see the place filling up. People flooded onto the arena floor both legitimately and by jumping from the lower seating areas, cheered on by thousands watching from above as security tried futilely to stop them.
When the four members of Rage Against the Machine came out in orange Guantanamo style jumpsuits complete with head covering hoods while a siren echoed through the Target Center, the place was on its feet and there was a tangible electricity in the crowd that I can only compare to the only other time I have seen Rage play, last summer at Alpine Valley. After standing in silence in the middle of the stage for several minutes, Tom Morello was given his guitar, Brad Wilk was given his drumsticks, Tim Commerford was given his bass, and Zach de la Rocha was given his microphone. RATM tore into a blistering version of one of their most recognizable songs, "Bombtrack". Next was "Testify", the song that came out in 2000 in the run-up to the election. Featuring the line "It's right outside your door..." there was no denying how well these lyrics, written some eight years ago, still captured the intensity of the moment.
"The war is right outside your door!"
Here's the full setlist:
Bombtrack Testify Bulls On Parade People Of The Sun Know Your Enemy Bullet In The Head Katrina song Born Of A Broken Man Guerrilla Radio Ashes In The Fall Calm Like A Bomb Sleep Now In The Fire Wake Up RNCFU Freedom Township Rebellion Killing In The Name
After an absolutely ablaze show ending "Killing in the Name" that had thousands of fans, many rocking brand new "The Battle of Minneapolis" T-shirts, jumping and screaming "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!". Before setting us loose into the well armed streets, Zackary took a moment to address the fired up crowd. He encouraged us to remain peaceful. I think a lot of people both inside and outside the arena were surprised and even more relieved that he did that. Throughout the show Zachary expressed the simple yet extremely poignant and powerful notion that just because we are peaceful, that doesn't mean we are passive.
Thousands of Americans from the Twin Cities and beyond had peacefully voiced their opposition to the war and their dissent from the Republican agenda throughout the week. We were peaceful, but not passive. We marched in the streets. We stood up, and we were counted. We proudly held signs demanding peace, and an end to torture, and an end of an era, and an end of an error. We attended free outdoor concerts on the lawn of the capitol, despite the looming squads of fully armed agents nearby and the heavily armed people looking down from atop buildings. We showed the cameras that we are proud participants in this democracy. We were not passive. We were peaceful. We did not stay home in order to avoid potential hassle. We did not avoid St. Paul, because that would have been passive.
Some people, an extremely small contingent of people, came with different intentions and wanted to disturb the convention. After the Rage show, 102 people were arrested. Initial results suggest that those arrested were given plenty of time to disperse after disrupting traffic. It seems some people wanted to be arrested, and some people took out their frustrations by screaming in the faces of police. That's not protest. That's not nonviolent demonstration. That's just being foolish.
From the lawn of the state capitol on the first day of the Republican National Convention, I and around 40,000 or so other patriotic Americans marched the streets demanding an end to the war and voicing our dissent from the Republican Party. Riot police made sure the march followed the designated route, holding batons and tear gas launchers and dozens of zip ties to quickly detain people, if necessary. Snipers could be seen on the tops of several buildings along the route. Tens of thousands of Americans marching in the streets, what do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now.
I suppose you would say this was the most hardcore punk show I have ever seen. The circle pit was huge and a little scary. The myth was huge and more than a little scary. Rancid was awesome, even if the only songs I really knew were "Ruby Soho" and "Time Bomb". These guys have been around for a long time and save for a new drummer in '06, its the same lineup as when they started in 1991. Impressive. It was a packed house with lots or long long time fans, and there was a pretty solid crowd for openers MXPX.
Sharon Jones got soul. Ms. Jones got so much soul, in fact, that people often compare her to James Brown. Could there be a more a more flattering compliment to someone who was born in the same town as the Godfather of Soul and grew up imitating his moves? No, there could not be a more flattering, or apt for that matter, comparison.
After the Dap Kings, the dynamite eight piece backing band that Amy Winehouse stole for a tour and a record, warmed up the crowd with about a half hour of groove inducing instrumentals, Sharon Jones was introduced as the star of the show. She immediately had the audience at the Minnesota State Fair's Leinie Lodge on board, saying she had a blast at the night before's free performance, also at the fair.
After summoning a few young women from the crowd to be her backup dancers for a song or two, Ms. Jones dismissed them and brought on a stream of young men who were thrilled to be onstage with her. Being a former Riker's Island prison guard, Sharon was easily able to escort an uninvited young man off stage until he was properly requested onstage.
A portion of the show was a James Brown tribute, with a medley of his songs and some mighty fancy footwork:
Here's a shot from the encore:
The MN State Fair is a fantastic place to see free, outdoor music, especially when it's this spectacular an act. Nothing beats relaxing with some great music after a day of pronto pups and bacon on a stick and various other things on a stick. Next weekend, the Fair brings us the brilliant Trampled by Turtles and the always hard rockin, hard drinkin White Iron Band. Both bands are playing free shows both nights.
Don't ask me how it's even possible, but I think this may have been the first time I have ever seen The Jones Gang. The fantastic first set started with a funky "Shakedown Street" followed by a sick "Walkaround" jam then back to "Shakedown" before transitioning into "Samson and Delilah".
Second set included "Crazy Fingers", "Good Lovin" and "Wharf Rat", and "Casey Jones", all classics.
Stu Allen, who is an amazing guitarist and sounds a lot like Jerry, has the most impressive of credentials, a full time gig with Melvin Seals and the Jerry Garcia Band. The rest of the band was great as well, with two drummers and an outstanding female backup singer. Chris Castino of the Big Wu sat in for a few songs during second set.
It was a great night of music and I would absolutely recommend The Jones Gang to any Grateful Dead fan.
