Amazing things Happen

Sunday 11/15/09 time 4:53 PM

Writen: by Kristen DeTroia

Photos by: Bobby Flammia

ROSS LIVERMORE BAND

In the dimly lit room of the Precinct bar in Somerville MA, all conversation abruptly stopped when the sound of an acoustic guitar and a unique voice began to sing. Shining brightly on stage, Ross Livermore has been proving himself again and again as a true musician here in Boston. Opening the set with a captivating acoustic tune, all eyes were fixated on Ross as he shared his music with the people of Boston.

In the studio now recording an album, the Ross Livermore Band has set a coarse for a new chapter in their musical career. The band is made of Ross Livermore as lead vocals and guitar, Brad Garone, an incredibly talented guitarists also lending a hand in vocals, Paul Dumas on drums, Max Spaderna playing bass, and Jon Bousquet belting on the saxophone. Being a fairly new band, tonight at the precinct they have shown their musical abilities by putting on a great performance. They displayed dexterity to balance and contrast musical elements of jazz, folk, soul and indie rock all into one. Offering tightly constructed melodic material with a folk song quality, the Ross Livermore Band creates flowing organic music that is great to experience live. Their music holds optimistic lyricism with a clear sense of melody and rhythm. Musically the themes of these songs are manifested in their use of many musical forms. With a diverse set list and arrangement of soloing talent, their set flows from ballads, to acoustic instrumentation, to funky beats and swinging jazz compositions. Ross Livermore is an expressive player, a splendid composer and just the sort of artist to keep this unique music alive.

RICHARD JAMES

Playing every Thursday night at the Precinct, the second band to take the stage was the memorable psychedelic indie rock band Richard James. With an ever-growing fan base, Richard James has been helping Boston release that crazy side of them during their shows. Hosting exhilarating and vibrant performances, these musicians execute more than the average show. With a kickin’ brass section, badass guitarists, playful piano harmonies and dynamic vocals, the soul of this music seeps into its listeners and makes them groove to the energy of the music and the band. The trumpet and trombone capture the spirit of a standard ensemble and replacing it with brass ecstasy. Richard James is an entrancing voice to watch, and clearly a leader of high caliber on stage. Every song emanates rich tone and lyrical freedom. As Richard James sings his voice adds a harmonic and rhythmic level to each song; his music is technically and blissfully pleasing to the ear. With the entire band adding funk, soul rhythms and free improve; the band unleashes a vital energy that pushes their music to the edge and then snaps their listeners into a swinging groove.

DOPAPOD

Your attention wanders for a bit, and then you realize that Dopapod’s music is kicking your poor cerebellum about like a two toned hacky sack; In the best way possible of coarse.

The genre bending jazz-fusion experimental band Dopapod has been honing their skills and expanding their musical ability with every passing show. After their tour down south it is apparent that together the band has become more telepathic with one another. The musical chemistry has proved to be abundant tonight at the Precinct. Throughout their set they play with charged alertness that makes everything lively and feel bigger than life. Every note played by these musicians holds a hypnotic and transcendent grip on their listeners. The talent that is alive in this band is overwhelming. One of Dopapod’s key strengths is the degree of focus they bring to the music, and nowhere is this more apparent than in their individual playing. When each member brings their own unique rhythm, tone, dynamic or texture to the music as a whole, what is created is some of the most psychedelic sounds ever made by 5 musicians. Expanding the song arrangements, Dopapod creates rich harmonies and rhythmic counterpoints while still leaving plenty of room for improvisation. The best moments during the shows are revealed when they create a slow build during a song and then immediately with full force dive into a heart pounding jam.

Mondo Gecko at the Barn NH

Monday 10/26/09 time 2:06 PM

Check out videos of Mondo Gecko back at the barn.

Now the very talented Rob Compa is playin with em' and they sound amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/higher25kd

Some Heady Stuff

Wednesday 10/14/09 time 11:14 AM - Kristen DeTroia

I have found the rare gem that is the underground Boston blues-rock and funk. Kicking it so hard and dishing out incredible jams, the B3 Kings is a sight to behold. Playing every Tuesday night at the House of Blues Restaurant does not do them justice; these guys should be on the main stage at the HOB. The five talented musicians have more than proven themselves as ear-grabbing artisans. The main ingredient they have that leaves the biggest impression on their listener is putting them in the midst of a vibrant arrangement of music; where intense activity becomes absolute calm, creating some of the most thrilling and genuinely psychedelic sounds.

When the band starts going they bring their music to a headily intricate groove. The B3 Kings were so good they had half the restaurant out of their seats and dancing.  Despite the couple of drinks that were already flowing through their bodies, I tell you it was the music that made these souls groove.  

While the guitarist feeds the ensemble with a range of voices and rhythms, their music comes and goes in ferociously fast rolls, tumbles, swells and explosions.  Each musician adds to the jams with their own solos, simultaneously creating an organic flow of 5 collective improvisations.  Eli the King’s organ/piano player is an atmospheric artist, whose solos venture to create a more relaxed slowly evolving ambiance. While the saxophone player leaves an artistic imprint to the music with his intrinsic whaling and tonic belting of the notes.  Simultaneously as all of this flows together the drummer sets up a powerful rolling groove in the background. If anything else the B3 Kings are so telepathic so that they rise and fall, swerve and swoop as one.

Tonight be a fine night for funky music and some rum!!

Wednesday 9/23/09 time 9:23 PM - Kristen DeTroia

 On International Talk Like a Pirate day, something more astonishing happened than people just embracing and celebrating the pirate culture; one of Boston’s own extraordinary up and coming bands Mondo Gecko dressed in pirate garb and ready to rock the sails off your ship played at a venue in New Hampshire called The Barn. And yes the name of the place does describe exactly what it is. It was one of the coolest places I’ve been to to see live music. Its been a whole summer since I’ve seen these guys and this was one of the Mondo Gecko shows that totally blew me away. This night was BEYOND amazing! They played 4 groovy sets and Eric added his own encore songs including Tiny Dancer, and other well known songs that some drunken “pirates” at the show got up to the front to add their own backup vocals.

I don’t know how to describe the ambiance of this epic night so you are just going to have to see it for yourself…… seriously go to this link and check out the videos….. http://www.youtube.com/higher25kd

As for the music, I am thoroughly impressed with Mondo Gecko. After hearing this show and experiencing it live as musicians they are all in tune with each other now. They are listening to each other and their music sounds the best it has ever been so far. And I know they will only continue to get better. Can I just explain to you how much FUN a Mondo Gecko show is! I have the best time of my life at these shows. Luke the lead singer is always cracking jokes and talking to the audience, Brad Garone busts out insane face melting solos, Andrew Walley is the sickest bass player I have ever met, Eric has such a great voice and really adds to the bands sound with his amazing keyboard playing and Aaron their drummer keeps everything all together. The crowd at gecko shows show their love and spirit for the band by dancing their asses off the ENTIRE NIGHT. With everyone grooving to the music and the band dishing out some epic jams, Its not just a show with Mondo Gekco, it’s a friggin party! Their music makes you dance, you will not stop I promise you. GO see mondo gecko and you will have one of the best live show experiences of your life I kid you not. 

You can download some of their shows for free from Jerry Jam and live at Harpers Ferry at http://www.archive.org/details/MondoGecko

Also Luke worked very hard on making some ill tie-dye mondo gecko T-shirts. I am the proud owner of one of them.  Free shipping check em out and get one and share the Hippie gecko love with the world… http://mondogecko.com/store    thanks for readin

Back to Boston: Starting the year off with Richard James and the Indobox

Monday 9/14/09 time 10:27 PM - Kristen DeTroia

Tonight’s theme was emanating psychedelic pop rock with some experimental thrown into the mix. Interesting genres mashed together right? Richard James and The Indobox sounded great tonight. This was the second time I saw both of these bands and I really loved them even more this time. Richard James just released their new album on September 12^th. Their new songs have a lot more dynamic to them. They added more catchy rock rifts and their music is so much fun I have to say. Each of their songs has  an uplifting energy to them that makes you move. This band is great. Two amazing guitarists, each capable of face melting solos, a horn section that blows down the doors, the lead signer has a great voice with a soulful feel to it. It is one giant dance party when Richard James performs. I highly recommend seeing them live. Their shows are amazing. I really found myself lost in their music just standing their in awe watching them play. You can hear some of their songs from this show at http://www.richardjamesband.com/music.html  check it out! Good stuff

Now with The Indobox. Very rock experimental band. As I peered out into the crowd it seemed like one giant rave party.  Instead of using a computer and synthing the crap out of their music, these guys actually perform this amazing music with good old fashion instruments, Guitars, a drum and keyboards and a bass. Yup it’s that simple for them and they can bust out some amazing jams. The only thing I don’t like about this band is the vocals. To be honest they sound like 15 year old emo boys.  That’s just my opinion. But once I got past the singing and focused on the music, they really are very talented. They seem like a mix of Ratatat and All Get Out. Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/theindobox   

As for the show as a whole, Harpers ferry seemed to get new lights for the stage. Maybe it was just for this show because of the type of music, but the lightshow for both bands was great. They had a row of multi color lights all strung up on the back wall and a strobe light that went off occasionally and the lights matched the music exactly. So it was great to see that harpers got the production aspect up to par.  Overall I had an amazing night, the music was great. It was different and I’m glad I got to experience it. I would definitely see these bands again. It’s great to be back in Boston after a long summer. =)  

All Points West Mud Fest

Sunday 8/2/09 - Kristen DeTroia

Ankle deep mud, 4 hour wait to get in, being a mud covered soggy wet hippie for more than 7 hours. This was no ordinary Festival, it was a muddy all points west suck fest.

Despite the bullshit that went on during this day I still had a good time. I love life and I go with the flow and I rarely get mad at anything.  My friend Steph and I got to the park around 1pm. As we got there, there was a sea of people outside the gates all sporting ponchos. Yes every, and I mean everyone and their mom was wearing a poncho. It was pretty funny and I did throw mine on as well. ☺ So due to thunder and lighting they said we had to wait an hour until they would let everyone in. So as it is still pouring rain on us we waited outside. With people getting bored and our feet ankle deep in mud, the sight was not pretty at all. Thank god I wore my jesus sandles. If I had shoes I would have thrown them out. All of a sudden we hear cheering behind us and this huge crowd of people formed a little ways away from the gates. I went over to find about 30 people playing Red Rover Red Rover. It was hilarious. When people tried to run over they all slipped in the mud and got covered in it. The rain stopped shortly after that and I relived myself of my poncho. Then it got really hot out and it smelled so bad cause of all the mud. Yeah this was fun. With more people gathering outside the gates and it was nearing 2:30pm, I wondered if they would ever let us in.

All of a sudden I hear cheering and people bum rushing the gates. Oh wait False Alarm. The people working said nope still cant come in. Everyone was booing and it was just awful. So finally around 3:30pm… yes its been almost 3 hours already and I still kept my sanity,  We were finally able to line up to get in. So me and Steph are crammed in gated lines with hundreds of people, again let me stress to you I am still barefoot in ankle deep mud, and the mud got worse the closer to the entrance you got, And then we were standing still, again. To everyone’s amazement they still did not let us in.  I thought the crowd was going to riot cause it was ridiculous. They kept us waiting in that line until 4:22 when I finally got into the damn place.

So walking into the festival there were hardly any venders, NO activities, I was sad, and the first stage to our left had a fucking comedian on it. He was good but I came here for music. So we kept walking deeper into this swampland… it was like living in a Bayou I kid you not. There were mass puddles that looked like you can keep alligators in them, mud EVERYWHERE. It was funny. So we splashed our way to the other stages.  So here I am barefoot, in shorts with mud caked onto my legs from feet to kneecap… don’t know how it got that high up there but it did and it was fun. An experience.

I was sitting at a table when I herd an announcer say the name Silver Sun Pickups. I was so happy. The first band I saw this day was one of my favorite bands. So we rush over… well hobble over covered in mud to the stage to find even more mud where they are playing. There were already tons of people there and I ended up getting pretty close. The Silversun Pickups were AMAZING. I was seriously blown away they sounded so good and they played all my favorite songs. Such a great band, they sound exactly like they do on their records and that is perfect. The lead signer (who I wish was also my husband) was thanking the crowd for being there after almost every song. He was really nice and very sincere. They played a great set and during the last song there was a giant Mud Dance pit in the front of the stage. It was so funny and the longer the song went on the more and more people started to go into this pit. After their set was over I saw all the dancing people make their way away from the stage completely covered in mud head to toe, but you could see they all had fun. Its what you make of this festival.

Still being in shock of the silversun pickups, I saw We Are Scientists next. Hippster band the fullest. Haha but they were really good to. After that we waited a couple of hours and saw freakin MGMT!!! OH my god so much fun! They were awesome. This was my first time seeing them and I had a blast. Constant cheering from the crowd, the lead singer covered in neon cloths, pulsing music… it was awesome. Kids, time to pretend, Eclectic feel…. Oh yeah they played the good ones. It was a lot of fun.

And Coldpaly was last. I have seen them before about 3 years ago at PNC and it was a great show. Tonight was an equally amazing performance.

So overall All Points West wasn’t the best experience ever, but like I said I go with the flow and I still had a lot of fun. Even though I smelled horrible and was covered in mud for more than 7 hours. Then again.. So was EVERONE ELSE.

I never had Dave Matthews Cornbread, I heard It's a Little Bit of Heaven and a Little Bit of Hell Yeah

Friday 7/24/09 - Kristen DeTroia

Shortly after Dave left Jason took the stage. Along with 10 other musicians with every instrument you could imagine. Jason Maraz was amazing. I was seriously blow away and I did not expect the kind of music he played. Every song was upbeat, crowd engaging and danceable. He was really good. He had a horn section, three percussionists, two guitarists and bassist. He was really great at getting the crowd involved in every song. It was so much fun!!..... well I had fun and I was smiling constantly. With reggae music blasting and Jason’s awesome voice, there was magic in the air. The last song he played was Bob Marley song “Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, Cause every little thing is going to be alright”.. and Jason said ok now sing that to the person next to you, and you could hear the entire crowd sing it, then he said sing it to a person you don’t know, so I turned to a person and we sang it to each other. It was a lot of fun.

Dave’s set was breathtaking. And It was awesome to see that one of my favorite guitarists Tim Reynolds was playing this night with Dave. So it was a double bonus for awesome musicians. He played all the good songs.. Satellite, Proudest Monkey, Funny the way it is, Crash into me (amazing!),  new song: Why I am,  Alligator Pie, Everyday, and my favorite song CORNBREAD! I fucking love that song.  If you havent herd this song yet listen to it right now.......

And then #41 and don’t drink the water.  Dave is a true artist. His songs are works of art, they really are. Everything he creates is amazing and catchy, Definitely a true genius.  Full of energy and amazing to look at Dave is one of my favorite musicians. His music makes me smile, and being apart of that 40,000 + crowd (no joke) It felt amazing to be at this show. Everyone was cheering and jamming out to his music. Their stage light show was really good to. They had four big screens set up. One on each side of the stage, a giant one in the middle and one in the middle of the floor crowd so the people in the back could see it. The production was great and everyone sounded amazing. Truly one of the best concerts I’ve been to. Its on my list.  The entire show was awesome. I can’t wait to see dave again.

A Language of Song

Sunday 7/19/09 time 12:58 AM - Kristen DeTroia

From folk, blues and rock to jazz and funk, this musician can play anything in the music spectrum. Hardworking and dedicated, Joe Kaplow is a genuinely talented musician with a hypnotic groove style of playing. At the Chesterfield Inn Joe played a 4+ hour gig performing for well over 40 people in the local tavern. Playing songs from Lenard Skynard, Allman Brothers, The Band to the illustrious Tenacious D, Sublime, RHCP and Oasis, his setlists’ are from beginning to end engaging. He also has a great way in getting the audience to interact with the music. Many times I found myself amongst an elated crowd all signing along to the current song and cheering when Joe busts out an epic guitar solo.

Watching Joe play is a very gratifying experience. Playing music live is not a job for him, it’s a true passion.  A distinctive guitarist and overall inspiring musician, Kaplow stretches the vocabulary of the guitar in many ways. With a voice like quality to his playing, he creates a euphoric and moving experience in his live music.

With transcending harmonics and rhythmic innovations, Kaplow takes performing before a live audience to a whole other level. Using the combination of improvisation and structured compositions, his live performances leave you in a haze of mind-blowing guitar playing and unique changes to songs. Playing with wholehearted passion, expressionism and powerful energy, Joe is an amazing musician to see live.

 
From his home-state of New Jersey to studying at the Berklee College of Music, Joe Kaplow is well on his way to becoming a further talented and well known musician.

Funkin' it up with Turkuaz

Friday 7/10/09 - Kristen DeTroia

Around 11:30 PM at the Bowery Poetry club in New York, a familiar band graced the stage of a local venue with their remarkably innovating and unique funk music.

There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of something done right. With the pairing of talented musicians and the growing exposure of funk, Turkuaz continuously produces music that is stimulating, electrifying and funkadelic. With their live music taking on a whole other persona than their recorded material, their live shows exhilarate music that reaches for a glimpse of divine and doesn’t stop until it gets you to that feeling of complete bliss.

There were well over 30 people packed into the small back room of the venue; Wall to wall and stage to curtain. Starting the night with the invigorating song Coast to Coast, Turkuaz was able to get everyone dancing immediately preceding the first chord of the song. Listening to Turkuaz live you can hear the incremental shifts of non-stop changing dynamics and uplifting peeks emanating from the entire band as well as David and Mike’s amazing guitar solos.  With the entire ensemble of the Turkuaz band on stage, it’s not just a show… It’s a party.  With non-stop funky grooves, fast paced rhythms, and the horn section orchestrating colorful pulsing textures during the entire set, Turkuaz is a band that can create an unforgettable night of mindblowing music.  Check out their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/turkuaznation  and experience the wonder that is Turkuaz.

The Wallflowers - yup kickin it 90's Style

Thursday 7/9/09 time 2:09 PM - Kristen DeTroia

Tonight I saw the 90’s alternative rock group The Wallflowers. I must say it was the mellowest concert I have been to…. Well EVER.  The music was good and Jacob sounded exactly like his father, the god Bob Dylan. But I’m afraid to say I was almost put to sleep. And Jacob didn’t talk that much to the audience, which was kind of a bummer. The most he ever spoke was to make fun of this guy for 5 minuets for falling asleep in the fourth row. Well I don’t blame the guy… I was almost right there with him. Nodding off and such.  But despite the negative connotations I am leaning you towards it was an overall good and different experience.

For the opening band, Wild Fire. Boy that was a train wreck.  For once I am going to tear apart a band on my website.  Ok here we go, I’m just going to list stuff. The four guys/boys sauntered out onto the stage and began immediately playing. No introduction, nothing. They all looked the same, it was like 4 grown up versions of the Jonas brothers. They all had the matching ridiculously tight pants and the man boots. You know the ones that look like cowboy boots with the pointy tips. Yeah, only certain guys could pull those off and with these tight pants and those shoes I was disgusted.  So every guy sang a different song and all their voices were winey and 16 year old boyish sounding tone.  Horrible and I couldn’t understand one word they said. This band was completely forgettable I would never sign them in a million years and they just had a record made.  Ok… who did that, which stupid A&R rep is responsible for this monstrosity of a band?? So the audience just sat there in their seats, no one moving and only clapping mediocre at the end of each monotone no dynamic song. The only positive thing was the drummer was very talented I’ll give him that. But he killed it when he used SLAY BELLS  in every friggin song. Really…. Yeah I guess it was Christmas time in morristown as a mellow band played and sang songs about being in California… makes perfect sense.  

Onto Jacob Dylan. He has the misfortune and curse of sounding and looking exactly like his father.  But he sounded great and I was in love with their lead guitarist. He was great… blues folk sounding… many guitar solos. The songs were great. But I reiterate that every song was flat. There was absolutely no dynamic in any song. And he played 4 slow songs in a row. I was zoning out. So it was really amazing and now I can say that I was 6 rows away from Bob Dylan’s son. But it just wasn’t a concert I would go to again. And they ended with the ever so popular One Headlight song and it was great. I sang along, everyone made an effort to get up on their feet.  It was cool.    

So Unless you want to be put asleep to good music., I would not go see the Wallflowers unless your like me and you just want to see good guitar playing and Jacob Dylan.

“Music, You’re My Constant Companion” Never Ending Summer With 311

Sunday 6/28/09 time 8:55 PM - Kristen DeTroia

So Ziggy Marley was the opener and fuckin awesome reggae music! Damn they sounded so good. Here’s a video I took of them…….


This was my 5th year in a row seeing 311 and damn they never stop to amaze me. I was 10 rows away from the stage this time and as you can imagine it was fucking awesome.  So lets talk new 311 album… yeah its amazing don’t argue with me. I really love every song…. The entire record is amazing. And I love how they made a song called “Never Ending Summer” it’s so 311! ☺ So they opened with that song and it sounded great. One of my favorite songs on the record is Mix it up  god I went crazy when they started playing that.  The entire setlist for this show was awesome. They played the most popular Come original and All mixed up.  I can proudly say I have memorized both songs to the fullest and it’s so much fun to sing it live. They also played the seriously bad ass song Freeze Time… I love the part where everyone puts their hands up and say “HEY!”  311 is so amazing, during their entire show its non stop energy and every song has the audience doing something.  I’m sorry but I have to go all girl on you for a second…. Nick and Tim were so fucking hot tonight!  Tim looks really good now with his short haircut and damn he can shred on guitar! All I have to say

Another awesome thing was Peanut had lights on the neck of his bass guitar. It looked so cool when the lights were dim on the stage… that was all you saw. And he did a really amazing bass solo that was like  5 minutes long. At every show they do a drum solo as a group….. its really cool check it out ……



So thank you 311 for an amazing show as usual! C ya next summer!

A talented musician, awesome bar and really nice people.... yeah i'd say I had a perfect night last night!

Friday 6/26/09 time 2:24 PM - Kristen DeTroia

Just an hour south of me in Jersey I went to the Chesterfield Inn. Tonight the talented musician Joe Kaplow was playing a three-hour set at this really nice local tavern/ restaurant. I had a really great time tonight. Heading into the Inn when you first walk in there is a bar in the middle with some high top tables around it and a dinning area to the right. It was nice to see that there were a lot of people there. Joe’s music filled the quaint bar area as people where hanging out and havin a good time.

 I really liked this place because everyone was very nice and the food was good. The atmosphere was a lot of fun. Full of energy as I looked around and saw all the “local” people come in.  Joe played a lot of great songs, and it was amazing to see that he played for 3 hours. Awesome. What’s cool is for some reason I had a lot of people come up to me and ask me if I knew Joe and everyone that spoke to me about him could not contain their astonishment of how talented he is. Everyone was really impressed with Joe’s playing. And it’s true, he sounded really amazing! Playing some Bob Dylan, Beatles, Grateful dead, Eagles, Dave Matthews, originals and many more, it was an excellent night of amazing live music!

I seriously recommend if anyone is in new jeresy go and see joe!! check out www.myspace.com/joekaplowfornow   for dates. 

PHISH at CAMDEN!!

Tuesday 6/23/09 time 11:14 AM - Kristen DeTroia

The first thing I want to tell you is…. So far one of the best concerts I have ever been to! And as you know I have been to a shit load of concerts. Phish seriously blew me away at this one.

Getting to the venue was actually hell all in itself. For some messed up reason roads were blocked off and cops were directing traffic to parking lots other than the one I was suppose to go to.  Before the show I spent the day in Philly just walking around and hanging out with my friend Katie. So driving to the venue it took at least an extra 20 minutes to get there. I was so pissed cause I was anxious as hell to see phish. After waiting in a long line to get into the parking lot I finally parked in this warehouse by the venue. Not sketch at all right. We went to the venue an hour early so me and Katie just walked around the parking lots and made our way down by this dock area with some boats. It turned out to be a really nice day and we just sat on a bench and peopled watched which is always fun. In the closest parking lot there was a band playing. It was pretty funny to see. It really added to the scene, live music before a concert…. Why not.

Around 6:30 we made our way to the gate to go in. There was a large crowd as you can imagine… people were cheering just like the show at Fenway. My seats were fucking amazing for this show. I was right next to the soundboard with only one row of people in front of me. I could see perfectly. Phish started a bit late because not everyone was in their seats yet. I looked behind me and the law was totally filled. It was a really amazing thing to see; so many people and everyone cheering. Phish started and the crowd erupted. In front of me there was a mass crowd of people hardcore dancing. I looked around and everyone was moving to the music. I didn’t see one person standing still. It was amazing!! The set list was awesome this show. My favorite songs were Tube, Sand, Guyute, 46 days and First Tube. I was breathless during First Tube. 9:18 long and it was so amazing. Seriously one of the best songs I heard live from phish.

I love phish so much! Their shows are incredible and I really want to see them again. I love when Trey is soloing and he hits those high notes and peeks during the songs… everyone starts to cheer and you get this amazing feeling of happiness. As corny as that sounds. I feel so in m element at these shows. The crowd’s energy and the music combined together just takes me to such a higher place. I feel the most happy when I’m at concerts and after seeing phish they are one of the few bands that have taken me to that next level at a show.

During the second set I feel something hit the back of my head and fall to the floor. It was a glow stick!! I look behind me towards the lawn section and for I swear like 5 minutes there was just a sea of glow sticks being thrown in the air towards to the stage! It was so much fun I got like 10 glow sticks and I threw some more towards the front. It was really cool to see with the dark sky above and just all these different color glow sticks in the air lighting up the sky above me. And then I look toward the front and there is a blow up Killer whale and a lizard being tossed around in the crowd!! This show was so amazing. And while all this is going on Trey is tearin it up on guitar and the band is just rockin out so hard! People are jumping in the air yelling and just having the best times of their lives. And so was I. With the glow sticks, blow up animals, people nonstop dancing and some of the best music I have heard live so far in my life, This was one of the best shows I have ever been to. And I really felt a connection with the music and I felt so happy through the whole show! Everything was perfect and I can’t wait to see Phish again.

new talent taking the music industry by surprise

Tuesday 6/23/09 time 10:32 AM - Kristen DeTroia

Young and determined, the hard working band The Window Theater has been climbing their way to success faster than most bands today. Only after a couple of months the talented trio has been playing in states such as Chicago, New Jersey, Texas and many more. With a folk rock alternative sound, the band has much more to give in terms of uniqueness and music quality. At their last gig in Jersey, they played in the Bridgewater Commons Mall Hot Topic store. They set up in the back of the store and many local friends and mall shoppers stopped in to hear them play. The store was packed as The Window Theater played with passion and enthusiasm. This band is really amazing. Eric and Joe are the main singers and work really well with each other adding unique vocal dynamics to each song. Also during their performance they talk to their audience and tell stories and jokes all throughout their set. Discussing their live performance act with them they told me about how they have a sort of campfire story time for kids that come to the show.  They are naturals and really get their audience engaged in the show. It makes the crowed feel welcomed and they connect on a personal level; and you can feel it in the room. It’s like one big happy family experiencing great music together. Recording and writing songs all this summer The Window Theater is working very hard to better themselves as musicians and to give the world inspiring and amazing music. Check their music out at  www.myspace.com/thewindowtheatre  

Phish at Phenway

Wednesday 6/17/09 time 1:53 PM - Kristen DeTroia

Starting early in the morning and going into the late night, Phish Phans from all over the United States came to experience the phenomenon that is sweeping the jam band scene. Soggy wet hippies, “running of the cops”, Trey melting faces, Sample in a Jar opener, epic set list and cardboard boxes holding jello shots; this was a weekend to remember.

On Saturday Jen and I made our way to Fenway to do some Phishing. But to our dismay there were 90% Dave fans stalking around Fenway. Jen was calling out “where are my Phish heads!?”  and just yelling Phish into random peoples cars as they slowly drove by. Since this was my first Phish experience it was really awesome to begin to see the scene. We found a couple of people wearing phish shirts. It was funny cause I could so tell who were the phish phans. They are easy to point out but it’s awesome.
Merry Christmas!! Its Phish day and Jen and I went back once again to Fenway around 2:30. But this time we were there to stay. The minute we got to Fenway hippies, phish phans and people of all ages began to pour into the Fenway area. As the hours went by more and more people started to make their way to the venue. Jen and I walked around Fenway at least 6 times. Jen had her video camera with her doing what she does best and filmed all the phans and the area around us. It was amazing when we started talking to people. There was a guy wearing as SpongeBob shirt, but SpongeBob Squarpants was wearing Fishman’s dress and holding a vacuum, this guy was my first encounter with a legit phish phan and it was awesome. Another guy was dressed in a tight green Celtics jersey and ridiculously short tight green shorts and a blond wig. There was a girl dressed as a pirate, a guy in a full cow costume; people with flowers hung all around themselves and Viking hats. Oh and I almost forgot….. AN ASSLOAD OF TIE DYE GRATEFUL DEAD SHIRTS, and dreads everywhere. The scene was awesome and it was so cool to see all these different people. I had so much fun walking around Fenway.

Everyone was so nice and friendly! During the entire day I didn’t see one fight, one belligerent drunk asshole or anything bad happen in general. You could tell everyone was there to experience amazing music and be surrounded by people that love and care about the band. I met a lot of cool people from all over the US; Missouri, Washington, California, Main. Think of a state in the US and I guarantee someone there traveled from their home state to see this show. Making our way down Lansdowne Street the Phish tour bus started to come in. Everyone made their way to the street and started to cheer and clap as the guys made their way to the gate to go into Fenway. People dropped to their knees on the road and began to bow down to the gigantic tour bus that was transporting their heroes to the stage entrance.

As it got closer to show time, there was an inconceivable amount of people walking around at Fenway. It was so much fun…… someone would start to cheer and then the entire street filled with fans would start to cheer as well till the whole place erupted with laughter and clapping.  
Onto the show. Holy shit there were so many people in the stadium it was awesome. My seats were in section 5 a little ways up from the field to the right of the stage if you are looking at the stage from the seats. A guy came out onto the field and started talking about rules and when he said no smoking everyone booed and some people cheered. He then said they were going to do the star spangle banner song. I thought some random person was going to come out and sing it but then all of a sudden, Trey, Gordon, Fishman and Page all came out onto the field wearing Boston red sox jerseys and sang and harmonized the Star Spangle Banner. It was so cool. Everyone went nuts and cheered as they came out and ended their song. Only 10 minutes later more cheering erupted from the 20,000 + fans and Phish took the stage. The opener began and Sample in a Jar blared out of the speakers… and yet again the entire sea of Phans went crazy.

Wash ufizi Drive me to Firenze!!!! YEM kicked ass!! Such an amazing song and yes Phish busted out the trampolines!! It was such an incredible feeling to see that live! So awesome. And Gordon had a sick bass solo that was soo FUNKY! Oh and I totally called it that they would play Moma Dance…one of my favorite songs and they did!!! It was the second song in the first set. Phish played 2, 2 hour sets and encore songs. It was an incredible concert to be at. The music is amazing and I now fully understand why people like phish so much. Their music is amazing and makes you dance and be happy as corny as that sounds. It was an unbelievable concert and I will never forget it. Can’t wait to see them again.

The rare occasion where jersey does not suck for once

Wednesday 6/17/09

As some of you know I have this dislike for Jersey because there is rarely anything fun happening in this state. But for the rare occasions I can find some good festivals here and there. June 4^th through the 6^th I went to the Red bank Blues and Jazz Festival. It was really great. I went on the 6^th and it turned out to be a really nice sunny day by the water. The venue is only about a 40 minute drive away for me. What was nice was the show was free to get in to. They had three main stages. The main stage was in the middle at the bottom of a small hill where everyone stationed their lawn chairs. To the right of that stage was an area with venders… There was a lot of really cool shit here that was fun to check out. Like rain sticks haha, Yeah me and my mom had to play with those for a while. I also got a free energy saving light bulb. And a little ways past the vendors there was a smaller stage set up. And to the far left hand corner on a dock area there was the third stage. I think that stage was for kids that went to music schools, and the main stage was obviously for the main bigger named bands. I must say I was thoroughly impressed with the bands. Almost every band was very talented. And was cool was so many of the musicians there were so young. Most of them looked not even 20 yet. For a while I stayed at the Right hand stage. There was a six member band and they were playing songs from the Allman Brothers! Hell yes!! And it sounded really good. There was also a girl signer and she was really good. I was going nuts be to truthful. I was singing along and dancing. People might have thought I was crazy, but fuck man if I hear the Allman brothers and it is being played well I’m going to go crazy.

The last band I saw before I left was this really talented blues funk band. They were amazing and got some videos of them. All and all this was a really great day of music and I was happy to be outside enjoying the weather and the music. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Thank you jersey….. I’ll be back next year for this show!

Spiritual Rez and Mondo Gecko

Tuesday 6/16/09

What a night, Some groovy jams, sick nasty reggae. There were also naked dudes, shirtless guitarists, and beer thrown on people and me. Heading into Harpers Ferry Mondo Gecko was well on their way dishing out some great jams. There was the usual dance pit going on in the front of the stage and everyone was getting into the music. Tonight Mondo Gecko played the best I have ever heard. Everyone seemed to be in sync with each other perfectly and the music sounded amazing! They are getting better every time I see them. You can download their entire set for free at http://www.archive.org/details/mgecko2009-04-24.sbdmix.flac16  and “feel that Alien Funk!!”

The first time I saw Spiritual Rez was at the House Of Blues opening up for the legendary George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. That show was awesome, but tonight at harpers spiritual Rez was even better. With a more intimate smaller venue I was able to get the full Rez experience. If I can remember correctly they played for at least 2 hours. I couldn’t stop dancing the entire night. Their music is so amazing. They have a mixture of reggae, alternative rock and funk. Sick band I’m tellin ya. Harper Ferry was packed when Rez started playing. Everyone was moving and the energy coming from the band was unbelievable. I love the lead singer, he is so enthusiastic and full of energy and gets the crowd moving.  The show was so much fun and everyone was having such a good time. Towards the end of their set probably in the  second to last song for some reason one of the trumpet players stripped to just his boxers and played the rest of the show practically naked. It was so funny to see and everyone was cheering. Do you hear that all you bands out there…. Wanna play a good show,  get naked!

The show was amazing and I had one of the best times at this venue. Go check out spiritual rez and if you can I HIGHLY recommend you see Mondo Gecko and Spritual Rez live!  check out spiritual rez at>>>>    www.myspace.com/spiritualrez 

Awesome night in Philly

Friday 5/15/09 time 10:51 PM

tonight Dopapod played at the Fire in philly. The place was nothing like I expected it to be. It was really small and narrow and the stage area was not big at all. But for a small venue the fans seemed to of had a great time. All I can say is I don't know how they mannaged to get all five band members on stage and me at some times up there filming... and dancing.

Dopapod started around 12:30 and it was great to see so many people come out to the show. There was something different about this night. The guys played with such energy and they all looked like they were having so much fun playing. They played some of their usual songs like Off the Cuff, Brookline bridge and Blue lemon, but they also played some new songs which were amazing and they changed Our Father a bit. This was such a great show I wish I could still be there right now listening to them. 

I had a really fun time fliming to cause I was able to get on stage and get some cool shots. awesome night

Perfect night

Sunday 5/10/09 time 5:52 AM

Such an amazing night.. great people, amazing music... watching the sun come up and not going to sleep...  ThANK YOU MONDO GECKO!!!!

I wish I was still at this show... 

"I Wanna Be The One To Put It In A Song"

Friday 5/1/09 time 6:20 PM

Tucked in amongst a very sweaty crowd I must say I enjoyed myself to the fullest tonight. The music was utterly amazing. Straight up rock with a little fun pop music intertwined in the mix. The first band up was Winston Audio. They literally rocked it. Great alternative rock band. Seriously go and check them out they were a great band to see live. I found myself moderately head banging to almost every one of their songs. It was a nice change to hear actual rock music tonight. As they were playing I peered over to the corner of the stage and saw Andy Hull signing along and taking pictures for them. That was awesome. Every band Manchester Orchestra plays with on tours they are always really good friends that know each others music. It's nice to see the mutual appreciation from both bands.

Up next was the Audrye Sessions. The only thing about the Middle east downstairs that I hated was the set up time. I swear I don't believe that could have taken any longer with the sound check than they did. I was starting to get a little antsy just standing there for like 30 minuets but when the first song began to play, It was all worth the wait. I didn't know what to expect with this band, I thought they were going to be another hard core rock band, but they ended up being more mellow, experimental. It was amazing though. I was hooked immediately during the first song. They played “Turn me off”. I was in shock.. it sounded amazing. The lead singer has an amazing voice with a  great range and can hold notes for a very long time. Melodically pleasing and puts you in a great mood. Check out the song..... http://www.myspace.com/audryesessions. Also during one of their songs, the lead singer played his guitar with a violin bow!! it sounded soo freakin cool! This band was definitely innovative and their performance was energetic and inspiring. They began and ended their set strong with great songs. I loved them!

FUN! The entire crowd was full of energy thanks to Nate and his amazing indie pop band fun and their unique music. The whole set was incredible. Everyone, I MEAN everyone knew the lyrics to every song this band dished out tonight. They opened with Benson Hedges, one of their most epic songs. It was a great opener, the entire place erupted with cheers and jumping up and down when the first 30 seconds of the song began to play. Nate didn't even have to sing if he didn't want to. The crowed got to sing parts of the song by themselves and it sounded amazing. They also played the famous “the first single” by his old band The Format. The place went nuts!! Again everyone was singing this song and the energy in the room felt amazing as Nate sang to the crowd and the crowd sang the song back to him. After the song, he thanked the audience for being apart of the music, and he was astonished that everyone knew the words. Fun played one of my favorite songs called “I wanna be the one”. Before they played it Nate talked about the band a bit and how some of them went to college in boston.... and he talked about the Berklee guys in the band. It was so funny... watch the video below. Nate is dead on about the “nerd berklee” stereotype. Funny stuff, made me smile and think about all my berklee friends. (love you guys! And all your music nerdyness) And it was so much fun to sing along to their single “At least i'm not as sad as I use to be”. This song has so much dynamic to it. Great song. Fun is an incredible band and I can't wait for their record to come out May 5th!!! the lyrics are amazing because Nate literally writes about things that are going on in his life and its very personable. And when he performs you can see he is telling the crowd and story and he is very passionate when he signs. Its like he is confiding in us, the audience, and I love that about this band. And as you can see I'm a bit in love with nate (ha, only cause he's a great musician I think) And during one of the songs I herd the lyrics “If you love somebody, you better let them know” that just really spoke to me because the room was almost silent because it was just nate sining and it felt amazing to hear that. Oh inspirig lyrics, where would I be without you? We'll I was so happy to see Fun again for the second time! check out the video!!.....


My skeptical mind was pretty much blown tonight. On to talking about the band I wish I managed. Manchester Orchestra. Enough said.....
 Ok maybe not. Andy Hull emerged onto the stage wearing a box on his head that said “Bulls suck” cause the celtics game was going on. Then robert came out and switched it with a Boston hat. So funny. To be quite honest their first album I'm like a virgin losing a child was so epic, its one of the albums that changed my life, and now hearing their new stuff I was not impressed at all. But tonight
after hearing some of their new songs live, my doubts have been changed. I got to see Andy Hull sing his lyrics live in the passionate way that he always does and it was great. I'm still not head over heals about their new material, but everyone around me knew the lyrics and it felt great to be part of the crowd. I was afraid they were going to play mostly new songs tonight but to my surprise and happiness they played some of my favorite tunes from their first record. Now that your home, Wolves at night, sleeper and golden ticket melted into my heart as Manchester Orchestra played for the crowd. I love all these songs and the entire crowd was sining along. It was such an amazing feeling tonight. I love being apart of crowds at shows that feel just as passionate about the band playing as I do. Seeing Manchester again for the second time now is mind blowing to me. After watching all 93 of their podcasts and following their music for years now I have finally seen my favorite musicians live and twice. Both times were great to experience, but this night was the best. I love them so much. Great night.

Check out the first two bands I mentioned, they were really great. And go and get FUN's new record May 5th cause they will rock your world. =) thanks for readin! I am happy to write about another musically successful night! 

 here are some pictures from the night... http://kdbostonmusic.moogo.com/album/?viewby=upload_time&howmany=10&order=desc