Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Related posts

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Related posts

Photo by Bailey Mohr. More on Flickr

Related posts

On Feb. 23, Eleven had the great pleasure of sitting down to interview DJ Parisian (Ian Jones) and Doctor Phelonious (Sean Price) of Safety Words, along with Bo Bulawsky and Trevor Berkholtz of Exercise, about their upcoming show (Friday, March 5th at the Firebird) What could have been a nice, civil discussion on music and philosophy quickly disintegrated into madness, when an anonymous Eleven staffer showed up with a case of beer and a video game called “NBA Hangtime.” Immediately, civil discourse gave way to barbaric trash talking and nonsensical yelling, and all hopes for a “normal” interview were tossed aside.

Exhibit A:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Hit the break for more interview, trash talking, and an exclusive new track from Safety Words.

As the festivities progressed, Eleven’s team managed to pull it together long enough to ask a question somewhat related to Friday’s show:

Matt:
Ian, here’s a serious question…
How do you plan to make up for your inferior NBA hangtime skills at the show?

Ian:

Are you serious!? I’m dunking all over your shit!

So would you say you are going to dunk all over the audience’s shit next Friday?
Ian:

Oh, I see what you did there.

I can tell you what I’m going to do. Now that I have an sp404 [sampler], I’m going to be taking songs I made from a long-ass time ago (like songs I made when I was in Japan), and piece them all together into two small 20 minute sets.

Sean:

With an hour break in between.

Ian:

An hour break for napping.

I took a bunch of clips from random movies that I like, to go along with the music …

At this point, the trash talking resumed in full force:
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Things get fuzzy from there out. More games were played, more beers were consumed, and more nonsense came out of everybody’s mouths. By the end of the evening, I had a pretty good idea of what the show on Friday would be; friends that play great music, playing great music. Nothing else needs to be said.

Actually, there’s one more thing to be said. Safety Words did Eleven the honor of remixing Giorgio Moroder’s “Baby Blue” into a track they call, “I’m Talking ‘Bout my Baby Blue.” Check it. (And be sure to check out the show Friday).

Safety Words – I’m Talking ‘Bout my Baby Blue
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Related posts

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Related posts

Photo by Alana Miller. More on Flickr

Related posts

Photo by Nathan Burrell. More on Flickr

“I’ll do this ‘till the day I drop dead in front of you,” Yonder Mountain String Band’s Jeff Austin shouted to a packed crowd at the Pageant Saturday night. This was the second night of their two-night stand, and YMSB were going to leave it all on the stage. At one point Austin, the group’s mandolin player, even looked at his watch and said, “we’ve got an hour and forty minutes till they kick us off.” It was that kind of night.

This four-piece from Colorado plays a style of bluegrass that nods to both their older bluegrass influence, as well as the newer jam scene of which they are part.  The playful banter of a mandolin solo and the quick twang of a banjo both added an older texture to the modern aspects of their sound. The guitar work was skilled and steady, and the back-and-forth bass lines were the perfect metronome for the band. With bassist Ben Kaufmann providing this backbone, the dancing came easy, even for those on the balcony. As the crowd moved like a tide, the solos went from player to player, guided by the spotlights of their state-of-the-art light show.

Yonder Mountain String Band had spent the last month on the road, and they gave special props to the avid followers in the front row. But, these folks were just the beginning of a mass of bouncing heads and arms waving in the air. With each song YMSB played, the crowd picked up the groove immediately and started getting down.  And with the end of YMSB’s second encore, no one was done dancing — House of Pain’s 90s rap classic “Jump Around” came over the PA, and the crowd took it to heart, vibing with the keyboard hook all the way out the doors.

Highlights from the show were the first set’s “Blue Collar Blues,” and “Troubled Mind” and “Snow on the Pines” from the second set.

Related posts

Photo by Nathan Burrell. More on Flickr

Related posts

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

For the last few years, every halfway decent hippie I know has tried to convince me that Galactic, the New Orleans birthed jam/funk/rock band is the second coming of Jesus, Buddha and Timothy Leary all in one.  So it was with high expectations that I headed to the Pageant last week to see the band touring on the strength of their new album Ya-Ka-May along with openers Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe was scheduled to play at 8 and started at 8:02 (!), to a suprisingly full and energized auditorium.  I’d like to send my appreciation out to the sound guy for the show; if you’ve been to the Pageant before, you know how sick the sound system is – and Thursday night, it was mixed damn near perfectly with crystal clear sounds befitting the amazing musicians in Tiny Universe.  The band played a nice mix of electric jazz/funk/soul with a definite 80s vibe.  Highlights included a long, moody take on Denson’s original “The Answer,” a grooving cover of the recently-departed Teddy Pendgrass’s “Love TKO,” and even a short version of Outkast’s “SpottieOtieDopaliscious.”  Denson was on top of his game wailing on the sax and soulful lead vocals – he even had people going crazy for a flute solo.  I haven’t seen that since middle school.  Stephanie G., Carbondale’s preeminent Denson fan, reported: “It was a great show because he played a lot of stuff off of his old album; sexy, neo-soul, R & B slower songs.  Karl Denson should have been the headliner, no question.  He is the best of the best!”

As for Galactic: damn, do they have some rhythm.  There may not have been a white band that can groove this well since the Allman Brothers.  They take the classic New Orleans funk and brass sound and make it heavy as shit with organ, bass, and drums; and, of course, let the horns blow, motherfucker, blow.  No bullshit subtlety here – saxaphonist Ben Ellman and guest trombonist Corey Henry of Rebirth Brass Band were at max volume the whole night, while the rhythm section produced a extra thick and hypnotyzing groove that was blowing minds (judging by the smell, there was some help) .  The band mixed long instrumental jams with some well known covers – and lots and lots of energy. Members of Denson’s band came out to help for two songs as well. The guy in front of me was dancing like a 4 year old, the guy next to me did the robot for two hours, and the guy behind me fell asleep after one song.  That’s what the audience response was: if you could lock in to their New Orleans via Detroit monster groove, it was a hell of a time; otherwise, forget it.

Related posts

Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr

Related posts