My Year in Music 2015

What’s the deal with publishing 2015’s Year in Music half way into 2016?  Well, life has been coming at me fast and carving out the time it takes to write this hasn’t been easy.  Anyway, better late than never I think is how the saying goes.

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 7

Other Shows – 29 (including 3 double bills)

Studio Albums

5) DRKWAV – “The Purge”

When John Medeski, Skerik and Adam Deitch get together you can expect some sonic weirdness to ensue, and “The Purge” does not disappoint.  There are plenty of heavy beats, saxophonics & keyboard freak outs to go around.  However this super-trio does find some danceable grooves on tracks like “Count Chokulous,” “Gazzelloni” and the African tinged “Shmeeans Kuti.”  This one might take a few listens to truly appreciate but once you are on their (dark?) wavelength it’s quite enjoyable.

4) ALO – “Tangle of Time”

While not on the level of 2012’s masterful “Sounds Like This” “Tangle” is no slouch and delivers more ALO goodness.  All four bands members contribute at least one song and bassist Steve Adams’ “Not Old Yet” will definitely hit a chord if you are getting up there like me.  Drummer David Brogan’s “Coast to Coast” is almost like 70’s funk and guitarist Lebo’s “Push” is close to pop-rock.  Keyboard ace Zach Gill supplies catchy ditties “There Was a Time,” “The Ticket” and “Sugar on Your Tongue” like only he can.

3) Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds – “The Weather Below”

On their first full length album since 2012’s “Pound of Dirt” Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds absolutely knock it out of the park.  Arleigh Kincheloe’s voice is obviously the main attraction, but the Dirty Birds have turned into an extremely tight and well-oiled machine backing her.  It’s hard to find a bad cut on the album with live showstoppers “Sugar,” “Mama Knows” and “We Need a Love” and personal favorites like “Prison Cells” and “Don’t Be Jealous” all getting their proper studio treatment.

2) Galactic – “Into the Deep”

Galactic has delved into the always dangerous guest-filled release in the past but never as successfully as this.  After the opening second line parade of “Sugar Doosie” the guests just kill it.  J.J. Grey on “Higher and Higher,” Macy Gray on “Into the Deep” and David Shaw & Maggie Koerner on “Dolla Diva” (my fave).  There are more though, Charm Taylor on “Right On,” Ryan Montbleau on “Domino” and Mavis Staples on “Does it Really Make a Difference.”  The best of the other three non-guest tunes is “Today’s Blues.”  This is easily the best Galactic album in 10+ years and comes highly recommended.

1) The Word – “Soul Food”

The second album, and first in 14 years, from this super group featuring Robert Randolph, John Medeski and the original North Mississippi Allstars was well worth the wait.  From the opening lick of Cody Dickinson’s “New World Order” it’s on.  “Play All Day,” “Soul Food I > II” and “You Brought the Sunshine” (a Clark Sisters cover) are all unmistakably The Word.  Medeski contributes the greasy “Swamp Road” and Randolph two winners in the form of “Chocolate Cowboy” and “The Highest.”  Guest vocalists Ruthie Foster on “When I See Blood” and Amy Helm on “Glory Glory” clinch album of the year honors.

Official Live Releases

2) The Heavy Pets – “Charlie Miller’s Picks” – 2 CD’s with highlights from the Illumination Tour (December 2010 to March 2011)

Long time taper Charlie Miller took a turn as the Pets official sound man for a spell and this double album is the result.  As a somewhat fanatic of the Pets Charlie did a great job picking out some tasty jams here.  “Xylophone > Sigismondi > Xylophone” is 28:53, “So Thank You Music” 23:35, “Sleep” 16:57, “Dew Point” 15:43, and “Keep Me Running,” “3 AM” and the long lost “Tortugas” are all around 10 minutes.  It’s not just the length that makes these jams great, it’s the intensity you can feel coming through your speakers.  The versatility of the band is also on display throughout, so if you aren’t a fan of the Pets yet these two discs should do it.

1) Phish – “Amsterdam” – 8 CD’s of 2/17/97 & 7/1-2/97

I have met some people who don’t care for the cow-funk of 1997, but not many.  For most phans 1997 is held in the highest of regards.  2/17 is probably the weakest show of the three included here, but it still opened with a debut of Bob Marley’s “Soul Shakedown Party” and features the debut of Phish classic “Carini.”  The money sequence is “Down with Disease > Carini > Taste > Down with Disease” that spans almost 48 minutes. 

7/1 is Phish at their face-melting best with a 22+ minute “Ghost” opener and sick first set versions of “Limb by Limb” (12+) and “Reba” (17+).  The second set starts with drummer Jon Fishman alone on piano before the rest of the band joins him on stage.  Pay dirt here is 39 minutes of “Bathtub Gin > Cities.” 

7/2 really gets cooking with a mid-first set “Maze” and closing “Weekapaug Groove.”  The second set is off the rails hot with a 43+ minute opening sequence of “Stash > Llama > Wormtown jam.”  Guitarist Trey Anastasio’s rap about killer worms in the canals of Amsterdam is hilarious.  To top it off the band came out for two separate encores (“Free” then “David Bowie”) which is extremely rare.  If you are a phan and haven’t heard these shows yet you’ve got some listening to do.

Top 7 Non-Phish Shows

7) 1/21/15 • The Wood Brothers • Eugene, OR • McDonald Theatre (6^th show)

Stumbled In, Wastin’ My Mind, Who the Devil, Blue and Green, Keep Me Around, The Muse, Shoofly Pie, Mary Anna, Losin’ Streak, You’ve Got to Love Her with a Feeling, When I Was Young, Don’t Look Back, Fox on the Run*, Fixing a Hole > Honey Jar, Atlas

E: Luckiest Man

* with Mandolin Orange

I’ve seen every show The Wood Brothers have played in Eugene except when they opened for K.D. Lang on 3/25/09.  This show makes the list because it was the best of the seven (including 2016’s).  I think graduating from the smaller confines of the WOW Hall to the more spacious McDonald amped them up or something.  Still, it was a Wood Brothers show so it’s not like they blew my mind or something.  The overall energy was fantastic and they responded dropping just about all of their heavy dance numbers.  “Who the Devil,” “Shoofly Pie,” “When I Was Young,” “Honey Jar” and “Atlas” all fit that bill.  The crowd singing along to the “Luckiest Man” encore sums up the night nicely.

6) 5/8/15 • Chris Robinson Brotherhood • Bend, OR • Domino Room (4^th show)

I: Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go, Jump the Turnstile, Someday Past the Sunset, Tornado, Little Lizzie Mae, Star or Stone, Clear Blue Sky & The Good Doctor, Beggar’s Moon

II: Try Rock and Roll, Meanwhile in the Gods > Tulsa Yesterday, Roan County Banjo, The Music’s Hot, Vibration & Light Suite > I Ain’t Hiding, Rosalee

E: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

I have to start this review by pointing out that the Domino Room is a very strange venue.  At the upstairs bar you can look through a window into the adjacent building and see wannabe MMA fighters squaring off in the octagon.  Yep.  Anyway, this show took a minute to get rolling but we were so close to the stage it really didn’t matter.  “Tornado” was my first highlight and then the show picked up steam from there with “Lizzie Mae,” “Star or Stone” and “CBS & TGD.” 

Set two took off with “Gods” and didn’t let up the whole rest of the way.  The heat got turned up yet another notch with Slim Harpo’s “The Music’s Hot.”  Then the closing 38.5 minute stanza of “Vibe & Light > I Ain’t Hiding, Rosalee” crushed everyone sweating away in the tiny room.  Bob Dylan’s “Hard Rain” is another cover CRB has made their own and sent many smiling faces into the mountain air.

5) 12/3/15 • ALO • Eugene, OR • Hi-Fi Music Hall (8^th show)

There Was a Time, All Alone, Not Old Yet, I Love Music, Girl I Wanna Lay You Down, Benny and the Jets, Coast to Coast, Kissing My Love*, Undertow, The Ticket, Plastic Bubble, Barbeque > Little Drummer Boy > Barbeque

E: Stereo Crickets > Isla Vista Song, Hot Tub, Happy Birthday

* with Brad Parsons on vocals

I met the band backstage before the show thanks to donating $200 to their Pledge Music campaign for their new album.  The guys were all very cool and I spoke to them all except Brogan who seemed shy or something.  Steve and Zach were the chattiest and Zach actually quoted a conversation we had during the concert.  Alas, since it wasn’t recorded by anyone I can’t brag that much. 

“I Love Music” was great but this was a pretty standard ALO show until “Girl.”  After “Girl” the band started getting really interactive with the crowd which led to them covering Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” out of nowhere.  “Coast” kept the funky vibe going and opener Brad Parsons just slayed the vocals on the super-funked out cover of Bill Withers “Kissing My Love.”  Even the guys in the band commented on what a good job he did.  Lebo’s “Undertow” was a much needed breather but then “The Ticket” ramped things back up again and they kept rolling that way through the end of the set.

The encore was really something special starting out with my first version of the über-rarity “Stereo Crickets.”  “IV Song” was played to the “Crickets” music and the pace was much quicker than normal.  In fact Brogan almost rapped the lyrics.  I thought that would be it, but nope, the holy grail of “Hot Tub” was next and was just as awesome as anyone could have hoped.  Show over then?  Nope.  Steve brought his Grandmother on stage and with the house lights up the crowd serenaded her with “Happy Birthday.”  A truly fun night of dancing was had by all.

4) 7/14/15 • Dopapod • Portland, OR • Doug Fir Lounge (3^rd show)

I: French Bowling, Upside of Down, Bubble Brain, Present Ghosts, Off the Cuff > Turnin’ Knobs

II: Dracula’s Monk > Vol. 3 #86 > PLSS > Vol. 3 #86 > Picture in Picture > Vol. 3 #86, FABA intro > Eight Years Ended

E: FABA

This was night two of my solo Pacific Northwest Dopa-terr, and man did they ever bring it.  The venue was crowded, but not sold out, leaving plenty of room to boogie.  I should have known good things were ahead when they opened with “French Bowling.”  The rest of the first set was pretty standard-good until the closing 24-minute duo of “Cuff > Knobs.”  It wasn’t the standout version of “Knobs” I was hoping to hear but the transition into it was silky smooth.

Set two went completely OFF as you can tell by looking at the setlist.  Sometimes what you see on paper can be deceiving, but fortunately for me this wasn’t one of those times.  “Monk” got the place jumping and then the “Vol. 3 #86” sandwich contained a 24+ minute “Picture.”  The “FABA” fake out showed just how much fun the band was having as did the teases throughout the night of Game of Thrones, James Bond, “Norwegian Wood,” Nightmare Before Christmas and “Tweezer.”  They left no one hanging though as they brought “FABA” back for the encore.  I was very glad to be heading to Seattle for the next night.

3) 2/21/15 • Lotus • Portland, OR • Roseland Theater (18^th show)

I: Middle Road, Nematode, Basin to Benin, Destroyer, Bubonic Tonic > Tip of the Tongue > Zelda > Tip of the Tongue

II: Bush Pilot, Livingston Storm, Arupa > Mikesnack, Lead Pipe > This Must Be the Place*, 128

E: Disappear in a Blood-Red Sky

* with Gabe Otto on vocals

This was another night that started off inauspiciously only to take off in set two.  “Nematode” and “Basin to Benin” were the main highlights in the first set for me.  The closing “Tonic > Tip > Zelda > Tongue” was good but believe it or not I’ve seen that exact same sequence of songs before.  Not that I’m a jaded vet or anything.

The crunch of “Bush Pilot” made for a good opener but the dance party really got cooking with the slinky 15+ minute “Livingston Storm.”  Next up was a super old school 21-minute one-two punch of “Arupa > Mikesnack.”  I knew we were in for a Talking Heads cover since Pan Astral opened the show and when “Lead Pipe” segued into “Naïve Melody” the crowd was richly rewarded.  “128” kept everyone moving non-stop and I about fainted when they left the stage.  They had almost no time left for an encore but that was inconsequential.  The second set had me smiling for a few days because it was the Lotus I remember from back when I first started seeing them in 2006.  It was just non-stop dancey jamtronica.  Good stuff.

2) 11/5/15 • Greensky Bluegrass • Portland, OR • Wonder Ballroom (12^th show)

I: Old Barnes, Into the Rafters, Reverend, 200 Miles from Montana, Indian Trail, Just to Lie, Ryder’s Song, Train Junkie, Can’t Make Time, Freeborn Man* > Ryder’s Song* > Freeborn Man*, Nine Days, Dry County, Against the Days, What’s Left of the Night

II: Jaywalking > King of the Hill, Dustbowl Overtures, How Mountain Girls Can Love, Broke Mountain Breakdown > I’m Still Here, In Control, Can’t Stop Now

E: Big Shot

* with Billy Strings on guitar

I went to this weekend run of shows in Portland in a very messy state of mind due to my marriage blowing up.  I caught myself fighting back tears several times and I’m sure the vibe I giving off was less than ideal to the people around me.  Enter my bluegrass heroes Greensky Bluegrass.  After the first four songs I was thinking to myself “Man, this must be my lucky night since they are playing all my favorite tunes in a row.”  It didn’t dawn on me until mandolinist Paul Hoffman mentioned that they were playing their album “Five Interstates” in its entirety after “Dry County.”  Yeah, I obviously wasn’t all there.

Even though I wasn’t aware that my favorite album of theirs was being played right in front of me I still danced my ass off.  Opener Billy Strings flat out destroyed Jimmy Martin’s “Freeborn Man” and the afore mentioned “Dry County” was also very well played.  The second set was made up of two big jammers.  The first was Bruce Hornsby’s “King of the Hill” which clocked in at nearly 17 minutes and then “Broke Mountain” went on for 17+ and slid ever so nicely into John Hartford’s “I’m Still Here.”  Billy Joel’s “Big Shot” was the icing on this fantastic cake.  It was a virtual coin flip between this show and number one on my list.

1) 6/27/15 • Grateful Dead • Santa Clara, CA • Levi’s Stadium (13^th show)

I: Truckin’, Uncle John’s Band, Alligator > Cumberland Blues, Born Cross-Eyed > Cream Puff War, Viola Lee Blues

II: Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven > Turn on Your Lovelight > Drums > Space > What’s Become of the Baby* > The Other One > Morning Dew

E: Casey Jones

* debut

With the massive success that the three Chicago shows turned out to be the two in Santa Clara get somewhat overlooked, and maybe rightly so since I’m not a huge fan of the second night myself.  But for my money this night delivered exactly what I wanted out of my Grateful Dead swan song.  First off much thanks to my boy Kenny for securing us tickets in the pit.  We were so close to the stage in that massive stadium full of people it was almost surreal.

“Truckin’” was an apropos opener and got everyone’s head in the game over its 15+ minutes.  “Uncle John’s” kept it rolling but the first big highlight for me was “Alligator.”  One of my favorite early Dead tunes and something I hoped I’d hear but never expected to.  You can throw “Born Cross-Eyed > Cream Puff War” in that same bucket and they were very well played which was an added bonus.  A 17+ minute “Viola Lee” sent us to what would be an hour-plus set break happy and smiling.

The setlist for the second set could have been plucked right out of the late 60’s, only it was 2015!  “Cryptical” was 21+ minutes, “Dark Star” 14+, “St. Stephen” 21+ and “The Eleven” 12+.  There’s not really any one song that stands out above the rest, although Trey Anastasio’s playing on “Morning Dew” would have made Jerry Garcia smile.  The second set really needs to be taken as whole and enjoyed as one single entity.

The Grateful Dead’s last show was 7/9/95 and I know that Trey’s inclusion means this really isn’t that no matter how they billed themselves.  That said, check out these stats.  “What’s Become of the Baby” was a debut (from the 1969 album “Aoxomoxoa”) and the last time “Cream Puff War” was played was 3/18/67, “Born Cross-Eyed” 4/3/68, “The Eleven” 6/7/70, “Viola Lee Blues” 10/31/70, “Alligator” 4/29/71, “St. Stephen” 10/31/83 and “Cryptical Envelopment” 9/3/85.  I mean, c’mon man.  Jaded vet or not you have to appreciate hearing all those tunes again for the last time ever.

Did I mention there was a giant rainbow over the entire stadium at set break?  Yeah, this night was pure magic.  Thanks again KRN!

Top 3 Phish Shows

3) 7/25/15 • Inglewood, CA • The Forum (164^th show)

I: Martian Monster, Down with Disease, Waiting All Night, Heavy Things, Axilla I, 555, Limb by Limb, Ya Mar, Fuego, Walls of the Cave

II: No Men in No Man’s Land > Carini > Tweezer > My Friend My Friend > Roggae, Backwards Down the Number Line, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: You Enjoy Myself

I had a tough time settling on a third best show of 2015…which could mean there really isn’t one.  In the end the energy and fun of this night proved too tough to ignore (plus I’m a sucker for antics these days).  In a continuation of this year’s theme the first set didn’t have much meat on the bone but any time a show opens with “Martian” I am happy.  “Disease” and “Fuego” were both solid but “Limb” was the standout jam of set one.  Oh yeah, and Trey and Mike Gordon lying on their backs while kicking their feet in the air during Cyril Ferguson’s “Ya Mar” brought a smile to my face.

Set two started off shot of a cannon with the second ever play of “No Men.”  The place went absolutely berserk when “Carni” dropped and again for the opening lick of “Tweezer.”  On paper that looks PHat but in reality it was only 29 minutes with Trey rip-cording both jams before they had a chance to take off.  “Roggae” was well played and a nice come down after 45 minutes of non-stop transitions.  You will never hear me complain about a show closing “Slave” and this version is no different.

If you are keeping track that second frame clocked in at under an hour so I figured something big was coming for the encore.  During the course of the 21+ minute “YEM” Trey stood behind Mike and played his guitar around Mike’s body.  Then, with Trey still standing behind him, Mike started playing Trey’s guitar and Trey moved to Mike’s bass.  Trey then went over to Fish’s drum kit for the drum/bass breakdown segment.  It was fun and the crowd totally ate it all up which is indicative of the night. 

I’ve seen Phish several times in Southern California and this was easily the best atmosphere of any show I’ve seen there.  The place was just cracking with energy from start to finish, like old school style.  While the band obviously fed off this and the setlist reflects it, face-melting jams were not on the menu this evening.  No matter as the post-show Forum parking lot provided many opportunities to melt your own face off if you so desired.

2) 7/24/15 • Mountain View, CA • Shoreline Amphitheatre (163^rd show)

I: The Line, The Moma Dance, Kill Devil Falls, Yarmouth Road, Undermind, Free, Reba, 46 Days

II: Blaze On > Twist > Light > Joy, Harry Hood, Cavern

E: Character Zero

I don’t know what happened to the stellar parking lot scene that used to exist at Shoreline but it is long gone now.  It’s like the lot got gentrified or something, just a lame scene all around with Johnny Law way too omnipresent.  In the broken record department of 2015 the first set was a little lackluster until the “Undermind, Free, Reba” section picked things up.  “Reba” was especially well played giving the ants in my pants something to dance about.

Set two opened with the second ever version of “Blaze On” and man-o-man was it ever a keeper.  It took me to that place where my body is dancing to the music but I can’t feel my extremities moving.  It’s that out of body experience where your eyes are closed and you are floating on a wave of music in your mind while hoping the people around you aren’t staring at you dancing like a fool.  This continued for the entirety of the nearly 47-minute run of “Blaze On > Twist > Light.”  Just top notch Phish all the way through with no let up.

“Joy” was obviously the let up but at my age one appreciates a breather now and then.  I was expecting them to play out the string and send us home with that hot opening sequence and truth be told I would have been ok with that.  Thankfully the boys had one more killer jam in them with a 16+ minute “Hood.”  The rest of the show was mailed in but nobody cared as we raced to our car to avoid the traffic jam to get out of there.

1) 1/3/15 • Miami, FL • American Airlines Arena (160^th show)

I: Maze, AC/DC Bag, Divided Sky, Cavern, Scent of a Mule, Plasma, Devotion to a Dream, Water in the Sky, Split Open and Melt, Character Zero

II: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Down with Disease > Light > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley, Sand, Harry Hood, Suzy Greenberg

E: Good Times Bad Times

This show happened so long ago that I’ve already seen Phish three times in January of 2016.  Out of context or not this is hands down the best show of the 2015.  When the band kicks things off with “Maze” you know you are in for a good night.  The “Bag” that came next kept the energy high setting up a soaring nearly 16-minute “Divided Sky.”  “Cavern” kept things peppy as did “Mule” and “Plasma” (only the third time ever played) was a real treat.  I thought “Melt” would close things down after such a high energy and well played set but they had to top themselves with a “Zero.”  You know that thing I’ve been harping on about lame first sets?  Well…yeah…this wasn’t one of those.

I think “Stealing Time” works better as a show opener but that internal debate was squashed once the epic 25+ minute “Disease” dropped and went way out there before landing in “Light.”  Allen Toussaint’s “Sally” always seems to feature in great shows I see and this version kept the dancing at a fever pitch.  But the set wasn’t nearly over with a big “Sand” and “Hood” up next.  “Suzy” capped off a set that had absolutely no let up, not a breather or ballad or down tempo tune in the bunch.  Just punch after punch straight to the noggin.

The run from “Disease” to “Hood” was 69.5 minutes of Phish completely in the zone, all four of them, and it was a pleasure to witness.  After a show like that a lame encore is to be expected but they decided to rock everyone’s socks off one more time with Led Zeppelin’s “GTBT.”  I mean, wow, jaws were on the floor everywhere on the walk out and water was needed by everyone in attendance.  Hopefully I see a few more like this one in the summer of 2016.

> The winner of 2015’s coveted NBA-Jam Band on the Rise award goes to Baltimore’s Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.  Silly name, but these boys can bring the heat and have lots of fun while they are doing it.