The drive up from Greenville, SC was well warranted for what awaited the four of us at the Asheville Music Hall Saturday night. We made sure to arrive early to get some grub and make sure we got our hands on tickets for the show at the Music Hall owned, One Stop Deli & Bar. The combination of menu variety, brews and atmosphere for live music makes this place a must anytime I ‘m in Asheville now. The free pre-show put on by Asheville ensemble, Jahman Brahman, definitely put the energy in motion for tonight’s Everyone Orchestra rage. We shifted upstairs as the crowd began to pour in, grabbed a few beverages from the venue’s helpful and friendly staff and readied ourselves for the jams to come.
Led by arranger and musician Matt Butler, the Everyone Orchestra consists of an ever changing cast of high talented musicians, which over the years has consisted of members from The Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic, moe., and a mix of many others. Tonight’s rage included Kyle Hollingsworth (String Cheese Incident) on keys, John Morgan Kimock on drums, Reed Mathis of Tea Leaf Green on bass, Dan Lebowitz of ALO on guitar, Anthony Thogmartin and Mike Healy of Papadosio, and Greg Hollowell of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band on saxophone. Matt Butler, adorned with a psychedelic top hat and overcoat, demonstrated a great balance between his use of a white board as a cue card to dig into the group’s improv musical talents, while at the same time involving the packed out crowd’s energy and assistance. Typically Everyone Orchestra tours the festival circuit but this tour was being referred to as "The Carolina Sessions" and Asheville happened to be the last stop on the tour. These shows are truly something special considering the amount of energy transferred between audience and band.
The first few songs started with somewhat spacey jams before Kimock and Healy’s drum solo into “People Say” saw a welcoming funk get down response from the crowd which ultimately never showed any retreat the rest of the show. It's always a treat to see a musician play outside of his typical style or genre. Mike from Papadosio was one person who caught my ear with his contagious funk grooves. Meanwhile, Hollingsworth was laying down his signature sound without hesitation. The night never let up and Butler never let the audience feel unnoticed. Constantly using crowd interactions with the music made it that much more special. Mathis held it down all night with his thick spastic bass lines that kept everyone bobbing their head through out the show. Two notable covers were the Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” and The Flaming Lips, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1." Hollingsworth and the others were musically connected and on point throughout the entire evening. I honestly can’t say I’ve seen such a well rounded group feed off each others' energy as well as these guys have in quite some time. If on the spot improv is what tickles your fancy then I suggest seeking out the next Everyone Orchestra show in your area and strap on for one musical roller coaster that never ceases to amaze.
Black Rock City, NV Words & Photos by Andrew Wyatt The first time I was born again, I was no more than a 12-year-old tadpole of a kid wriggling his way through chilly baptismal waters of my father’s tiny, rural Southern Baptist church. The first time I was born into the narrow confines of evangelical religion. The second time I was born again, I was a gangly young man born into the big, wide, roiling sea of the infinite universe. And it all happened on a pirate ship and a wacky dance club at Burning Man. In 2002, I was a self-doubting preacher unsure whether to continue a fledgling career calling, when a voluptuous mountain guide neighbor asked if I would join her on a week-long experience at Burning Man. “After the week is over, and you still want to preach. Then great. If not, then you’re welcome!” she piped up. Hesitantly I agreed. “Burning Man,” wrote journalist Daniel Pinchbeck in his book, Breaking Open the Head , “is more decadent than Andy Warhol’s Factory, more glamoro
Hill Auditorium University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI Words & Photos by J. Picard In the early 1970s the music world shifted with the coming of a transformative collaboration between John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain. The result was a relatively short-lived but incredibly impactful project that grew from the chance encounter. Shakti, from its inception, was destined to change not only the sound of Indian music and jazz, but the possibilities of musical collaboration as a whole. Nearly fifty years later, the impact of this project that began in 1974 and concluded in 1978, is immeasurable and spans generations of listeners. 2023 marked the return of Shakti, the release of a new album ( In This Moment ) and an extensive tour that wrapped around the globe from Europe to the United States. From the announcement of the American tour dates, it was decided that we would be making the long journey from Denver, CO to Ann Arbor, MI for a show at Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan
Bank of NH Pavilion Gilford, NH Words & Photos by Arlene Brown What happens when you have 9,000 people attending the biggest group therapy session of our lives? You get almost every single person at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in tears for an experience none of us will never forget. Disturbed’s “Take Back Your Life” tour swept through Gilford, NH with so much raw and honest emotion led by the breathtaking David Draiman, vowing to each and every person there that our lives matter and that our lives are important. Mental health affects everyone; either ourselves or someone we know who is living with depression, anxiety, and/or other debilitating issues. “We are not alone.” Disturbed’s night started with their normal “Hey You,” “Stupify,” and the pyro backed “Ten Thousand Fists” in which everyone was pumping their fists (not phones) in the air. Every single person was singing every single word to every single song. The whole night. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a crowd
Deschutes County Fairgrounds Redmond, OR Words by Ryleigh Hutson & Alexander Fornes We are counting down the days to the first-ever, Cascade Equinox Festival taking place September 22-24th. As we close out the summer months and welcome in the fall, we come to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond, OR & explore a diverse and eclectic blend of music including Jam, Electronic, Funk, Bluegrass, and Soul acts. With so many artists and genres to explore, it may be overwhelming to plan which are a must-see, and which sets you’ll spontaneously stumble upon. This could be one of the greatest line-ups Central Oregon has yet to see. The following are 5 artists not to miss at Cascade Equinox! 1. Pretty Lights Electronic music pioneer Derek Smith (Pretty Lights) is following a five year hiatus and Cascade Equinox is boasting its headliner as his only Pacific Northwest performance on his Soundship Spacesystem Tour . Pretty Lights took the hiatus at the top of his game after his 10th ye
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