South Memphis String Band -04.02.2010 - World Cafe Live (Upstairs)

Last Friday I was extremely privileged to have an opportunity to see the South Memphis String Band perform at the World Cafe Live. The trio of Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus all have found success in their respected musical endeavors: Heart as a Grammy winning solo blues musician, Mathis with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Dickinson with the North Mississippi Allstars and the Black Crowes. They brought along Justin Showah on upright acoustic bass as an added bonus to the String Band. The four musicians took their seats on the stage, cluttered with a wide array of instruments, ready to entertain. It was confirmed by Mathus early on that every instrument would be played and the mic would be passed between musicians all night.

And with that the room was transported to a front porch in South Memphis from yesteryear. The String Band played a collection of covers and originals rich with folklore. The first part of the set was highlighted by Worry 'Bout Your Own Backyard, Bootlegger's Blues, Deep Blue Sea and a cover of Woody Guthrie's Hard Travelin'.

Prior to Carrier Line, Mathus acknowledged the life work of Alan Lomax saying "[the song Carrier Line] might have been lost to time...if it wasn't for the magic of recording technology." If your not familiar, Lomax is a pioneer responsible for accummulating one of the largest collection of folk music through his job with the Library of Congress. He brought portable recording equpipment on location and captured interviews and performances of folk musicians amongst other things. Although the circumstances are different, I feel us "tapers" still play that role of preserving music for future generations. It was definitely gratifying to hear musicians acknowledge the efforts made to record live music on location.

The second half of the show was the most laid back AND absolutely raging set I've heard in a while. It was the heat even considering the relaxed nature of the show. What started with Carrier Line led right into Bloody Bill, a song they wrote on the way to their first gigs. I don't know much about the Civil War leader, but the I'm still scared shitless after this song. Using a flute, the jawbone of some large animal and a guitar that looked like a cigar box the four created some haunting themes.


Luther Dickinson then took over for about ten minutes and proved outside the electric realm why he is still king. He lead the band through a melody tunes including the NMA tune Mississippi Boll Weevil that was damn near perfect. Overall, I couldn't ask for a better show from this group. The level of playing from all four was top notch. Definitely check it out for yourself:

[Download flac Torrent]

[Download mp3 version]

tDB - 03.15.2010 - Planet Anthem Release Party

It was eight years in the making, but finally completed. The Disco Biscuits released Planet Anthem, their first studio album since Senor Boombox yesterday. Interest surrounding the album was suppressed, probably due in part to the band constantly revising the release date over the past couple years. The presale caused some hype by offering gag bonuses (Barber whispering the lyrics to Korkrete under your bed) for preordering the album, but also included some legit add-ons. One bonus was tickets to either of the album release parties at the Theatre of Living Arts. In my mind, for $30 you're getting a Biscuits' show, and as an added bonus their new studio release. I mean, do people actually listen to Disco Biscuit studio material?

I went into this show not knowing what to expect, but assumed a majority of the night would be allotted to the new material. What we got was the exact opposite. With the exception of the first song of the evening (Step Inside) and the last (a cover of Gary Numan's Cars), every song was debuted live by the Disco Biscuits in 2000 or earlier. To be in a building so integral in the band's history added to the nostalgia of the evening.


If all that wasn't enough, the Biscuits nearly segued the entire show. A short interval after the first song of each set was the only break the band would give themselves. After Step Inside warmed up the evening, the band played for an hour and thirteen minutes straight in what would be an awesome first set. The bluesy segment contained four songs that exemplify the Biscuits. The highlight being the 7-11 and subsequent segue into an inverted Boop. With a close to thirty minute Mr. Don to end the set, how could you complain?

When Down To The Bottom started the second set it almost seemed like this was a fan selected setlist from the Planet Anthem presale. The list of longtime fan-favorite, heavy-hitters didn't stop. The Biscuits would go on to play a segment of music nonstop for eighty minutes. Crickets was played from the beginning instead of the middle section being extracted and placed randomly in a jam. It was so good to hear a funked out crix intro. A Minions tease in a jammy intro to basis was the only hint of the new album we got all night. The jam in Basis got people moving, especially with Magner's "All your bases are belong to us" though the vocoder. The inverted Shimmy is easily the best part of the set and probably the highlight of the evening. Cars for an encore was fun, especially considering it's only the second time they've played it.

This was a more jazzed out bluesy night for the Biscuits and I loved it. It could be one from the annals of Bisco history that would've been considered great in the mid 90's to the present on setlist alone. Ironically enough, the setlist was trimmed significantly from the original (pictured below). The night felt like a intimate celebration of a milestone for the band. Play them all like that and we'll keep coming back.



The Disco Biscuits @ the Theatre of Living Arts 03.15.10 [Download or Listen at the LMA]

Cactus @ Theatre of Living Arts March 12,2010

Here's Mike Gordon's performance Friday at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia. Probably the hardest working member of Phish since Coventy, Mike hit the road with his band for an eight show tour. They made stops at some smaller clubs on the east coast. On the heels of Mike's release of The Green Sparrow in August 2008, this group of musicians has been performing together consistently for the last three years.

With any Mike show, it's not uncommon to hear some obscure covers that exemplify his musical tastes. This night was no different with covers of The Mustangs' Time For Lovin' Is Now and Peter Rowan's Walls of Time. Mike's original from Inside In, Soul Food Man, was the highlight of the first set for me. The end of the set included special guests Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Jeff White on guitar, and step dancers Nathan Pilatzke, Jon Pilatzke, and Cara Bultler. It's was a fun way to end the set, but also limited the band slightly from getting into a really tight groove. Regardless, you can tell everyone onstage was having a blast.

The second set started off strong with Sound > Another Door and never really let up. I believe Sugar Shack was the only Phish tune of the night. Niger River and Jones were a pair of tunes that let the band fall into a some smooth jamming, complete with that unmistakable Mike tone. The band finished the set with the Mike original, Suskind Hotel. The twelve minute exploration was a great way to end the set and easily my set two highlight. Overall, solid show that was tons of fun and chock full of some great moments. I'm very happy with the way this recording turned out.




Mike Gordon @ the Theatre of Living Arts [Download Torrent] [Download mp3s]

A Trifecta of Shows to End February

Last week, one of the coldest Februaries in recent years came to a close. Instead of watching the snow fall from home, I decided to hit the road for a trio of shows. The North Mississippi Allstars were headed to the northeast accompanied by the City Champs. Since two of my favorite venues were hosting, I had to hit both regardless of the elements. Umphrey's McGee was also coming to Philadelphia on Saturday. They brought with them Eric Kranso (Soulive) and Chapter 2. Six perfomances in three days sounded like a great way to stay warm to me!

Everything about Thursday night at the World Cafe Live was perfect. The snow was falling, just enough hardcores braved the weather, and I run into Luther Dickinson right before the Allstars' set. The exchange was brief, but definitely a cool part of the night. I'll have to remember to take a picture of their tour bus next time because it's definitely old school.


The City Champs blew me away with a solid seven song, forty-five minute set of Memphis music. The three piece comes at you from all angles with very danceable tunes anchored by Al Gamble on organ. The Leslie sounded amazing Downstairs at the WCL. I'm glad I got a chance to see them since it's undetermined when they'll be back around.

It was warming up by the time the North Mississippi Allstars took the stage. I can say without a doubt that this was the best performance I've ever seen from these guys. The pace started out fierce, peaking with Shake and continuing through Sugartown. Things got really good when Gamble came back out to the keys for Eyes and Storm. The set was sprinkled with some of my favorites and songs I've never heard. Luther tore up the last two songs of the set: Hear My Train A Comin' into Let My Baby Ride.

Good to see everyone from Team Philly who made it out. It's always better to have four different Schoeps rigs in attendance: mk4/8(m/s)>NBox, mk4>NBox, mk4>CMC6>V3>AD2K, and mk41>NBox. No excuses, just Schoeps :)


North Mississippi Allstars @ the WCL [Download or Listen on the LMA]
The City Champs @ the WCL [Download Torrent] [Download mp3s]

Night two was more of the same from these two bands. We just barely made the beginning of the City Champs set after a long day and were rewarded with a Luther sit in. I'm not sure of the title, but it ended the set and was the longest song played. This gave Gamble and George Sluppick time to weave though the guitar work of Luther and Joe Restivo.

North Mississippi's set varied in song selection enough to keep it interesting. Even the songs they did repeat had both a different tone and feel. After all, this was Friday night in the Big Apple. In typical move of NMA hospitality, the City Champs got a little more time onstage than the previous night. Gamble's presence was equally enjoyable. The Allstars with an organ onstage is a beautiful thing. Other highlights include Circle In The Sky, Mark On The Bus, Moonshine, Keep The Devil Down, and a duo with Chris Chew and Luther called Capricorn Brairpatch. Another strong taping turnout including Rory and Dan (check out his blog NYCTaper).



North Mississippi Allstars @ the Highline Ballroom [Download or Listen on the LMA]
The City Champs @ the Highline [Download Torrent] [Download mp3s]

The final night of the three night run found me back in Philadelphia for Umphrey's McGee. Eric Krasno of Soulive and Chapter 2 got the evening started with some smooth jazz guitar. I never heard of Chapter 2, but have seen Kranso with Soulive and Adam Deitch drumming most recently with Break Science. They were a tremendous opener and set the precedence for a Beatles kind of night with their improv fueled cover of Get Back.

I'll always admit Umphrey's McGee has become very hit or miss for me. I will, however, give credit when it's due. Tonight was one of those nights more than worthy of my praise. With the exception of Cemetery Walk, the entire first set was a nonstop dance party. Wappy Sprayberry is one of my new favorite Umphrey's songs after this night. What a way to start the show, especially with Partyin' Peeps to follow! Snucka with Kranso and Deitch came as an early first set treat. It bookmarked a series of songs that rounded the first out nicely.

I can't imagine how the second set would be anything but a dream set for any umphreak. It was basically four perfectly executed segments, when put together formed an incredibly enjoyable set for anyone:

Divisions > Wanna Be Startin' Something (Michael Jackson tease) > The Floor

Start the set off with a staple of any good set with a little extra improv of MJ. I think The Floor and the segue into it really set the feeling for the entire set.

Ringo > Glory > Ringo

Glory is a piece of perfect music in my book, and wedged between a funky Ringo was well placed

A cover of Abbey Road from Mean Mr. Mustard through Carry That Weight

Um, yeah... are you F'in kidding me?!?! One of the best segments of any album of all time absolutely NAILED! I'm convinced Umphrey's can cover any song to a T.

2x2 > Mantis Ghetts > Divisions

I've been chasing 2x2 for a long time, so this one made me happy. Mantis was phenomenal and the obligatory ending to Divisions sealed it.

Oh yeah they played an intense 15 minute encore too. Top to bottom, this show was pretty incredible. I'm really glad Merin convinced me to run FOB for the first time at the Factory because the tape absolutely smokes! Good to see Tim and Tom making the trip from Baltimore too.



Umphrey's McGee @ the Electric Factory [Download or Listen on the LMA]
Eric Krasno & Chapter 2 @ the Electric Factory [Download Torrent] [Download mp3s]

Hey there

It's been a while since I've actually written anything here, so I might as well keep that streak alive and post someone else's article. Sometimes I think it's difficult to describe this taping hobby to others. It can sound complicated depending on what you're talking about and leaves them scratching their heads. Thankfully Steven Hoffer, the editor of the McGill Tribune in Monteal, summed it up perfectly for us. Great article!

Link to the original article

Audiophile

The live concert-taping subculture

No more than two dozen patrons have filed into the upstairs concert hall of Montreal's La Sala Rosa for an evening of live jazz. Among the dedicated few sits Mark Crawford, a beer in his right hand and a focussed yet unassuming countenance on his face. Positioned front and centre, Mark is preparing a medium-sized microphone stand that is wired through a pre-amplifier, digital to analog converter, and power supply into his digital recorder. Mark will leave the show with a personal recording of the performance.

Mark is a member of the small-yet-vigilant Montreal "taper" scene. He has been trading live concert recordings since the late eighties and has recorded performances at Metropolis, Le National, and Le Divan Orange, among other venues in Montreal and across North America. He claims that the Salle Wilfred-Pelletier theatre at Place des Arts has the best acoustics in the city.

"I have a need to hear bands evolve, a need to hear the bands I like explore," Crawford says.

A taper profile

The tapers comprise a subculture of music fandom. A mix of obsessive-compulsive music documenters, former party animals, tape collectors, and hobbyists, it's difficult to pin down the taper subculture to a single personality type. The lowest common denominator is simply a true love for music.

Most tapers arrive at the show early enough to be the first admitted, gear in hand and mind focussed on constructing their rig. While the band is finishing its sound check, the tapers are busy searching for the room's "sweet spot," assembling and stabilizing their microphone stands, clamping and connecting cables, and making sure their recorders are fully charged for show time.

A taper might invest over $10,000 in equipment. A set of high-end Schoeps or Neumann brand microphones cost about $5,000 alone. Factor in preamplifiers running as much as $6,000, digital recorders for up to $2,000, digital to analogue converters, power supplies, cases, cables, and clamps, and most tapers have gear valued around the price of a well-running used car. Some, like California-based taper Ian Stone, have gone as far as running their own private server.

"I was going to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and I had just gotten a new computer. I had a T1 Internet connection in my dorm room, so I took advantage of it," says Stone.

The tape collections range into the thousands, often consisting of several hundred recordings documenting a taper's favorite acts. Crawford estimates that he owns between 600 and 800 recordings of the recently reunited improvisational rock band Phish alone.

"There are some people that don't care if they tape the show, because they are happy playing their CD 50 times in a row and waiting until next year to hopefully see the band again," says Crawford.

The word "dedication" as a description is an understatement. New York-based taper Ray Ackerman recalls a stealth taping experience that required some smooth talking and a disguise. The show was a 1985 Neil Young concert at the Rochester War Memorial, a minor league hockey arena in upstate New York.

"I basically dressed up like I worked for a television station to get my equipment in," says Ackerman, who has taped every concert that he has attended since 1983. "I quick-talked the person at the door and they let me come in with this giant hard shell case with all of my recording equipment in it, and then I set up my stuff from my seat to record the concert."

A document of everyday life

Speak with any taper who has been at it for more than 20 years and odds are they will tell you that it all goes back to one band - The Grateful Dead. Although the Dead allowed its nomadic fan base to record as early as the mid-sixties, on October 27, 1984, the band officially created a special area of the audience known as "the tapers' section." Generally positioned adjacent to or behind the soundboard, from this point on tapers could freely transport and set up their rigs without hassle from venue security. As a result, taping emerged from the shadows and into the public eye.

"[The Deadheads] were really the hardcore music fans," says Ackerman. "The Grateful Dead were really one of the only bands back then that were constantly improvising so that every show was different."

These recordings provided free publicity for the band, as well as a method for fans to document the show. It was a way not only to collect, compare, and share the music, but also to revisit the concert experience from the night before.

So it should come as no surprise that a taper will opt for an audience tape over a doctored soundboard recording without question.

"There is something about a good audience tape that makes the perspective a lot better. You get a less sterile, more venue-oriented sound," says Crawford. "You can get it in your mind exactly where the mics are in the room. You actually know how the sound is bouncing off the seats; you get the whole feeling of how the sound was in the venue - more of the way that it is supposed to be portrayed. The whole recording idea is to capture the show exactly as your human ear would capture it - it's getting exactly what the band is trying to throw out into the particular room."

The tapes provide more than just the music. The listener can gauge the audience's energy and other sounds that are normally undetected by a soundboard recording.

"It's cool getting the ambiance in the room - hearing the tinkle of the bar glasses or hearing people slam the door, or playing pool in the background. You get more of a feeling or picture of what the night was other than just the sound," says Crawford.

A community culture

While the technical jargon can be daunting, the taper section is a tightly knit community within music fandom that looks out for one another and is generally willing to lend a helping hand to the "newbies."

Before making a major investment, most tapers learn the hobby by purchasing only the recorder and "patching in" - a practice where one taper, most likely the most experienced and invested, allows other tapers to patch in to their microphone rig. This creates a chain of recorders all stemming from the single microphone configuration. Tapers must beware, however, because if one battery in the chain dies, all of those following it also lose their connection.

"For the most part, everyone knows each other … we are all in it together - we are all going to protect the gear together and keep the drunks away," says Stone, who by his own modest estimation has taped approximately 2,500 sets of live music. "It's a bonding thing - you can talk about the gear that you have and say 'Oh hey, I think I saw you at this show or that show.' It's kind of a hidden connection that we all share."

Even with the community-oriented attitude, taping still benefits from healthy rivalries.

"It's more or less friendly competition, but we are all trying to make the best recording," says Crawford. "Sometimes we tease each other like 'Oh man, your recording was a little left channel heavy, what the fuck are you doing?' But that comes with the territory. Most of the time it's all for fun."

A hazardous hobby

Safety is always a concern in the taper's section. With several thousand dollars worth of equipment set up in the middle of 20,000 dancing fans, the tapers watch protectively over their gear.

On the jamband scene, this means looking out for the Wookies - a Star Wars reference affectionately reserved for dreadlock-sporting neo-hippies with a striking resemblance to Chewbacca. An umbrella will stop the rain, but sometimes nothing can stop a Wookie.

"Wooks are always the ones that want to do the most damage and they will be the most ambivalent to what you are doing," Crawford says. "They are so spun out that they won't realize what the hell is going on."

Most tapers have their share of horror stories. They offer tales of 10-foot microphone stands and several thousand-dollar pieces of equipment that come crashing down from above into a puddle of mud, spilling entire recording decks across the ground.

So a good taper can't go far without a flashlight. Tapers shine a light on the gear to let passersby know they are there in order to avoid catastrophe.

The golden rule

The tapers know that recording the shows is a privilege. Therefore, there is one sacred rule that trumps all others in the taping world: tapers do not profit monetarily from any of their personal recordings. Respect the band's wishes and the band will help accommodate you.

"I think that most of the bands that allow taping do so with the implication that people are not going to sell it or profit off it in any way," says Stone. "And that's an important thing to think about - tapers out there do this for non-monetary gain. They do it because they like it. They share it with others because they are generous and they like the bands enough that they want to help promote them."

As a result, tapes are traded or offered to others simply as a gift. Today many tapers will put their recordings up for download on websites such as archive.org or etree.org, but there was a time when tapers would connect exclusively through the mail, arranging trades at concerts or by responding to want advertisements in the back of fan magazines.

Crawford remembers when his wife arrived at work one morning to find several Grateful Dead tapes in her desk, a kind gesture from her boss after he noticed the Grateful Dead tattoo on her leg. "A couple shows from Santa Barbara in '78 - a really smokin' soundboard version on cassette," recalls Crawford.

Eric Kushmeder, a taper from Western Pennsylvania who records mostly bar bands, tells people to e-mail him and he'll send the recording, free of charge.

"Most of the time they don't even get back to you," says Kushmeder. "But if they do, I say, 'Hey, give me an address, I'll send you a couple disks in the mail, on my dime.' Two dollars worth of CD-R and postage - it goes a long way to put a smile on somebody's face - to know that they are going to enjoy listening to that show."

With the free trade emphasis, the word "bootleg" has become the most dreaded term in the taper's vocabulary. An expression that originally surfaced during the American prohibition to describe how one might smuggle liquor by strapping it to their "boot leg," bootlegging indicates that the recordings are illegal and being sold for a profit.

A real change

On February 4, 2008, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, three surviving members of the Grateful Dead, reunited for a show at the Warfield in San Francisco to support then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Ian Stone taped that show, and a few weeks after uploading it to the archive.org, found that over 100,000 people downloaded it.

HeadCount, a voter-registration organization focussed on mobilizing fans of live music, came to mind as a potential outlet for putting the new found exposure to good use.

"I just started thinking about the possibilities and HeadCount is an organization in our scene - they didn't have any download service - so wouldn't it be cool if 100,000 people were going to HeadCount's website, and what if 50,000 of them registered to vote because of this one show?"

After using some connections and pitching his idea, Stone has since become the official HeadCount taper, with responsibilities that include maintaining a blog and offering free monthly recordings to registered HeadCount members - compliments of his personal collection.

A final encore

"There is no profit in it - there is no fame in it," says Stone. "So regardless of whether 100 people download it or 1,000 people download it, those tapers will still be there doing their thing."

For the tapers, everything about the practice always returns to the music. In a music world of major record labels and high-powered management, the tapers exist in an industry grey area by supporting the bands through unconventional means.

It makes no difference if the recording is of an international touring act or a bar band that may never leave its home city. If the music sounds good, the tapers believe that it is important to document and share it.

"I see nothing but good coming from getting the music out there," says Crawford. "It is important for our culture to have memories of what has been produced and the better parts of our culture are song, dance, and music."

2010 Recordings

01/13/10 Camper Van Beethoven - World Cafe Live (Downstairs) - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
01/13/10 Cracker - World Cafe Live (Downstairs) - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
01/22/10 moe. - Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY [Listen or DL from LMA]
01/23/10 moe. - Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY [Listen or DL from LMA]
01/26/10 moe. - Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY [Listen or DL from LMA]
02/25/10 City Champs - World Cafe Live (Downstairs) - Philadelphia, PA
02/25/10 North Mississippi Allstars - World Cafe Live (Downstairs) - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
02/26/10 City Champs - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
02/26/10 North Mississippi Allstars - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY [Listen or DL from LMA]
02/27/10 Eric Krasno & Chapter 5 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA
02/27/10 Umphrey's McGee - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
03/12/10 Mike Gordon - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA [Download Torrent] [Download mp3s]
03/15/10 - The Disco Biscuits - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
04/02/10 South Memphis String Band - World Cafe Live (Upstairs) - Philadelphia, PA [Download Torrent]
04/17/10 Igor's Egg - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
04/17/10 The Once Was - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
04/17/10 Rubblebucket - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]
04/28/10 Pawnshop Roses - World Cafe Live (Upstairs) - Philadelphia, PA
04/28/10 Backyard Tire Fire - World Cafe Live (upstairs) - Philadelphia, PA [Listen or DL from LMA]