James Vincent McMorrow- Turner Hall, 3/28/14

In many ways, Milwaukee seems like a second home town for James Vincent McMorrow. Thanks in large part to 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, McMorrow has become somewhat of a household name among Milwaukee music fans and his two records, Early in the Morning, and this year's  Post Tropical have received much local acclaim.  Playing to a capacity crowd at Turner Hall, McMorrow delivered a solid set, showcasing his signature falsetto and sweeping sonic arrangements.  However, the show seemed a little flat.  I'm not sure if it was the lack of banter between tracks, or perhaps the fact that I had last seen McMorrow several years ago at Mad Planet opening for the Rural Alberta Advantage, and the packed Turner Hall Ballroom was too large of a space for him.  At any rate, I seemed in the minority of fans who didn't think the show was superb.  As a songwriter, McMorrow continues to branch out and expand his repertoire.  He certainly has engaged and expanded his fan base here in town.

Blitzen Trapper and Drive By Truckers- Turner Hall Ballroom, 3/26/14

Few acts that I've seen in recent years have been more consistent than Blitzen Trapper in delivering a strong live performance.  The Oregon based band has their own take on roots Americana rock and it works well. This band continues to grow as a live act and perform their jangly tunes with tight precision.  Material off of their mos recent record, VII came across great live, and might  be some of their best work since their break-through 2008 release, Furr.

Photo courtesy of Turner Hall

Drive By Truckers is one of those acts that has been on my radar for years.  While I wish to a great extent that I saw them with Jason Isabell in the band, this line-up proved to be much tighter than I expected. The Drive By Truckers were certainly a darker, more brooding act compared to Blitzen Trapper. Their southern rock sound often was coupled with darker lyrics and strong harmonies.  There is a certain amount of brute bar rock found in the Truckers that makes me liken them more to the Hold Steady than some of their southern contemporaries.  Set opener, "3 Dimes Down" from 2008's Brighter Than Creations Dark got the show off on a strong note.  Moreover, material off of their 2014 release, English Oceans played well live, as did older tracks like "Girls Who Smoke," which got the crowd more engaged.

Photo courtesy of Turner Hall

Photo courtesy of Turner Hall

• 1. 3 Dimes Down 
  2. When He's Gone 
  3. Sounds Better in the Song 
  4. Heathens 
  5. Primer Coat 
  6. The Part of Him 
  7. Til He's Dead or Rises 
  8. Pauline Hawkins 
  9. Women Without Whiskey 
  10. Feb 14 
  11. Hearing Jimmy Loud 
  12. Ronnie and Neil 
  13. 72 (This Highway's Mean) 
  14. Lookout Mountain 
  15. Made Up English Oceans 
  16. Girls Who Smoke 
  17. Birthday Boy 
  18. Hell No, I Ain't Happy 
  19. Encore:
  19. Shit Shots Count 
  20. Buttholeville 
  21. Zip City 
  22. Grand Canyon 

Ratdog- Riverside Theater, 5/8/14

Backed by as strong line-up of virtuoso musicians, Bob Weir and Ratdog returned to Milwaukee for their first show in several years. Weir has had somewhat of a revival as an artist, collaborating with all sorts of different acts recently ranging from Wilco to The National.  Ratdog's show was a night of good ol' tunes and jams.  The first set was excellent.  The second meandered a bit, but definitely left the crowd with happy with their fix of jams and Dead covers.  The line-up of musicians Weir assembled, especially the guitar work of Kimock and upright bass by Wasserman provided some new takes on older tunes.

Line up:
Bob Weir- vocals/guitar
Rob Wasserman- upright bass
Robin Sylvester- bass
Jay Lane- drums/percussion
Steve Kimock- guitars
Jeff Chimenti- keyboards

Bobby in his manpris and birks

Kimock and Bobby

photos courtesy of GigShots by Stephen Bloch

Set List:

I: Jam > Playin in the Band > Cold Rain and Snow > I Need a Miracle, Ashes and Glass, Brown-Eyed Women, My Brother Esau, Sugaree > Deal

II: Peggy-O@, Fever@, Victim or the Crime@, Cassidy > Estimated Prophet > Playin in the Band (reprise) > Stuff > Dear Prudence > One More Saturday Night

E: U.S. Blues
@= solo acoustic tune

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings- Pabst Theater, 3/6/14

With cancer in remission, Sharon Jones brought her energetic, charismatic presence to the Pabst Theater.  Backed with a band of all-star soul musicians and back up singers, Jones engaged the crowd with a two hour performance.  Highlights included a rocking rendition of "100 Days" and a dance segment where Jones busted out moves from an earlier era with tremendous gusto.

photo courtesy of GigShots by Stephen Bloch

The War on Drugs- The Metro, Chicago, IL 3/23/14

It is a rare sight at a show when the headlining performer comes out, tunes all of his own guitars, and checks the band's equipment while stage hands help set up, but this is exactly what Adam Granduciel, lead guitarist and vocalist of The War on Drugs, did Sunday night before he and his band took the stage at the sold-out Metro in Chicago.  Granduciel is riding a wave of critical accolades over the past week since Lost in a Dream, the band's third LP came out. Simply put, Lost in a Dream is one of the best records I've heard, not just this year, but of the past decade (up there in terms of my personal enjoyment with Bon Iver Bon Iver, and Sufjan Stevens Come on Feel the Illinoise).  With the band about a week into their tour, I was curious to see how this album would translate live, and made the journey south on the toll road, literally to the land of the Cubs (we parked across from Wrigley Field) to see this performance.

Despite Granduciel's laid back appearance, donning a Jeff Tweedyesque blue denim jacket, t-shirt, and jeans on stage, he was quite the meticulous musician who frequently checked guitar tuning even after prepping the guitars himself before the show started to ensure optimal sound.  The fans at the show were equally seemingly laid-back while and simultaneously intense, focused on their concert experience.  There were no "we're here to rock" selfies being taken, and from my vantage point on the floor, very few fans left their spots to use the bathroom, let along get refreshments, during the band's two-hour set.  Everyone was glued on the stage and the performance, and for very good reason.

Backed with a bass player, keyboardist, drummer, horn player, and synthesizer/multi-instrumentalist, The War on Drugs came out sounding like a well-oiled machine.  The band started the night with the concluding track off of Lost in a Dream, "In Reverse," a reflective number that is often reserved for the set-closer.  In somewhat of a surprise move, they then launched into the opening song off of Lost in a Dream, "Under the Pressure."  The songs juxtaposed each other nicely.  Next came the mid-tempo "I Was There" off of 2011's acclaimed Slave Ambient record. From there, Granduciel and the boys segued this tune into the uplifting alt-country rocker, "Eyes to the Wind," which was introduced with Graduciel promising the capacity crowd that "spring will come to Chicago."  This is one of my favorite tracks off of Lost in a Dream and was played very solidly with great interplay between the musicians especially during the jam portion.  Other stand out tracks in the set included, the rocking "Burning," which in tempo and composition reminds me of an updated version of Bruce Springteen's classic "Born to Run" aimed at the millenial generation.

The War on Drugs- "Burning"

"Little Missiles," another stand-out song from Slave Ambient, was also great and featured a bluesy harmonica jam from Granduiciel which in some ways echoed the more classic 1960's era Bob Dylan material.  Perhaps the overall show highlight was the title track, "Lost in a Dream." This number came across simultaneously gut-wrenching and hopeful, making it more powerful live than even on the album.  The song resonates with me personally as a track about anxiety, uncertainty, and the fact that love ultimately will triumph over all.  I'll admit to getting goosebumps upon hearing this song live, just as I did the first time on the record.

Instead of taking a break for an encore, Granduciel told the crowd they would keep playing until they were told they had to be done.  The result was an energetic robust show, which the singer told the crowd was the best of the tour, citing Chicago as his favorite place to play.  This show was about as emotionally intense as any I've seen in quite some time, with respectful fans hanging on every  The War on Drugs is an act that is not to be missed on this tour, and a band who sonically I feel is just getting going with perfecting their craft.  

The War on Drugs- "Come to the City"

Setlist (compiled by Will Piper, Dave McMillan and Kevin Gonring)

In Reverse
Under the Pressure
I Was There
Eyes to the Wind
Suffering
Red Eyes
Burning
City Reprise #12
Baby Missiles
Lost in a Dream
-slight break... band decided to forgo traditional encore and just play as many tunes as they could in their time
Mind Games (John Lennon cover)
An Ocean Between the Waves
Disappearing
The Animator
Come to the City
Brothers (slow-tempo version)
Black Water Falls

Album Review: The War on Drugs- Lost in a Dream

Adam Granduciel, the singer-songwriter behind the Philadelphia-based quintet, "The War on Drugs," delivers a remarkably reflective and distinguished album in the band's third full-length release, Lost in a Dream.  From the opening track, "Under the Pressure," to the album's finale, "In Reverse," Granduciel and his band mates create a sonic landscape that blends modern production with stripped-down, genuine, soulful Americana arrangements.   Pairing these arrangements with Granduciel's reflective lyrics and stellar guitar play creates an extraordinary record that, in its own way, embodies a microcosm of modern America in 2014, blending together electronic soundsc with roots rock to create something fresh. Simply summed up, Lost in a Dream serves as a reminder to us all that despite all of the modern inventions and innovations, (hash tags, selfies, text-speak, tweets, etc.) we are essentially human beings longing for acceptance, belonging  and a sense of purpose.

From "Under the pressure, like the arrival of a new day" to "like a light that's drifting, in reverse I'm moving," Granduciel book ends his opus with a sense of reflection and contemplation.    Along the way, tunes such as the uptempo "Red Eyes," the sweeping "An Ocean Between Waves" the hopeful "Eyes to the Wind" and the arena rocking "Burning" draw you in to appreciate the journey.  As many other critics have commented on, Granduciel's effort echoes influences from exceptional singer-songwriters who achieved their peak success in past eras-- most notably, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, and even to an extent Jeff Tweedy.

Lost in a Dream is an album that is enjoyable both as a whole piece as well as in its respective parts.  Each of the tunes stand alone as songs, but put together create a more conceptual composition.  To quote a fellow musician and fan, Kevin Gonring, "Granduciel's meticulousness in his keyboard and synthscape, as well as what he's running his guitars through creates an overall aura on the record."  This aura keeps the themes consistent throughout the album.  Lost in a Dream in many ways is an album full of slight sonic nuances which keep you coming back for more after each listen.  

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Trey Anastasio Band- Pabst Theater 2/5/14

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

photo courtesy of Julie Piwowarczyk

Some artists, when you have seen them numerous times, don't come across as new acts anymore, but rather old friends.  Such is my relationship with Trey Anastasio, the prolific guitarist from Phish.  Having been a fan of Phish since my high school days, I've had a chance to see the Burlington, Vermont quartet perform over twenty times.  As a solo artist, this was my fourth Trey show.  I recall seeing his first ever solo tour in 1999 at the Oscar Meyer Theater in Madison, followed by a performance at Alpine Valley in July of 2001, and then again at the Pabst Theater in February of 2010.  Trey's show last evening at the Pabst Theater, however, may have been his finest hour as a solo act and bandleader.

First off, when reviewing the Trey Anastasio Band, we must remember that this is not Phish.  While the guitar work is similar (obviously), Phish is a quartet whereas the Trey Anastasio Band consists of a three piece horn section, a bass player, drummer, keyboardist and Trey on guitar and lead vocals.  Long spacey jams common at Phish shows are replaced with more tightly-knit rhythm and blues arrangements that provide more funk and soul into the music than you'd normally see from Phish. As one of my concert companions put it, if Phish, Galactic and Sly and the Family Stone had a baby, it might sound like this. 

Trey and his band loved playing the Pabst and went to great lengths to praise the venue during their band introductions:

“I want to tell you with all sincerity this is one of my favorite rooms to play. This is from a personal request. I don’t always get involved with the whole tour booking thing... I just kinda go where they tell me, but I did ask to play here because we all love this place. It’s beautiful.”
This is a band who has a blast playing together and the honest energy and enthusiasm they have is clearly transferred from the performers to their audience.

Here are my show highlights:
-The entire first set was the best I've ever seen Trey and his band play.  The song selection was great and the band was tight and having fun.  "Valentine" (off of his most recent 2012 release, Traveler, was a great crowd energizer, along with the beautiful "Drifting" and horn-heavy "Burlap Sack and Pumps."  However, a real surprise was the Ana Tijoux cover "1977" which was sung by Trey's striking trombonist, Natalie Cressman.  The set closed with a spot-on rendition of "First Tube," normally a tune reserved for the second set of Trey's performance.  

-The second set opened up with a bundle of energy with "Corona" flowing into "Night Speaks to a Woman," a classic track from Trey's self-titled solo debut in 2002.  The bluesy new tune, "Sometime After Sunset" played well with Trey's excellent guitar work.  The finish of the set was also stellar with a terrific cover of Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood," and the classic Trey Anastasio Band tune, "Push On Til the Day."

-The encore featured a brass-infused version of "Sand" from Phish's Farmhouse LP, followed by the Led Zepplin cover "Black Dog" which featured trumpet player Jennifer Hartswick on vocals.

Setlist (from phish.net)

Set 1: Traveler, Valentine, Alive Again, Drifting, Magilla, O-o-h Child, Cayman Review,Burlap Sack and Pumps, Dark and Down, Small Axe, 1977, Money, Love and Change,First Tube

Set 2: Corona, Night Speaks to a Woman, Alaska, Pigtail, Sometime After Sunset, Last Tube, Architect, Gotta Jibboo, Scabbard, Clint Eastwood, Push On 'Til the Day

Encore: Sand, Black Dog

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch