The music festival cycle is really heating up now that we’re halfway through May and the team on the farm in Manchester, TN has been staying busy ahead of this year’s Bonnaroo. Yesterday the schedule for the 2012 festival was released and gave everyone the first glimpse at the major set of conflicts ahead of them. It also revealed that Phish gets four hours to close out the festival on the main stage following sets by the Beach Boys and Bon Iver. Amazeballs.

And speaking of Phish, recently the promoters announced that they were partnering up with YouTube to offer a channel with unique content 365 days of the year, which has already featured highlights from My Morning Jacket’s 2011 performance and has a few videos from Umphrey’s McGee up there, also. Today Phish gets the featured treatment on that new channel, Bonnaroo365, with 85 minutes worth of highlights from the band’s two night performance at Bonnaroo 2009 available for us all to enjoy for the next week.

You can skip around over at their YouTube channel or just clip play above and enjoy the entire thing.

Feed Me continued his North American “With Teeth” Tour with the help of some filthy friends, Kill The Noise, at Denver’s Ogden Theater on April 11th. Feed Me is a fast rising star in the American dubstep, drum & bass, and electro-house scenes since gaining big recognition in the UK in the last few years. Turning his unique sound of dirty dubstep womps and growls up to a faster paced house tempo, Feed Me melts faces in a way that couldn’t be contained in the UK for long and has now hit the American electronic music scene like a wrecking ball. Feed Me is known particularly for his bass-nasty brand of high energy live shows that have been supported at various dates on this tour with serious talent like: 12th Planet, AC Slater, Felguk, and Kill the Noise. With additional appearances at Coachella music festival, EDC (summer 2012), and more, it is fair to say that Feed Me has invaded the American electronic scene with his little green monster and will blasting audiences to bits at a venue or festival near you very soon.

All photos by Ryan Baker.

The Disco Biscuits just announced City Bisco, a big two-night run set for October 5-6, 2012 in Philadelphia at the Mann. Full lineup and additional details to come…

BoomBox is blowing up. I can’t say it any more simply than that. They’ve got two solid albums, awesome production, killer stage presence, and a following that is as funky and rowdy as any band could ask for. Altogether that adds up to a group that is going places (including Jam Cruise 11), and I will be following them all the way. I was lucky enough to catch their SOLD OUT Cinco de Mayo show at the Ogden with SunSquabi and Mikey Thunder and from beginning to end, I had a blast. Mikey Thunder’s Beastie Boys tribute set got me singing so loud I thought I might lose my voice, and when BoomBox opened their set with their funky rendition of “Shakedown Street,” I was almost positive my voice was gone for good. Luckily you don’t need a voice to dance and I proceeded to get down through house-like beats and crunchy guitar riffs, all the while wishing I had thought to bring a feather boa and a crazy hat. Check out our photos below!

(Special thanks to Hunter Kopp for his photo contributions!)

It was Friday–thank God. A show I had been anxiously awaiting was finally around the corner. I had not a single clue what to expect from this young, elusive quad out of Manchester, England. In listening to their self-produced release Go Tell Fire To The Mountain, I wasn’t sure if I should have been getting revved up or be preparing to walk into a mellow room. WU LYF (World United Lucifer Youth Foundation) sings of love, life and well, I am not sure exactly what else. It is hard to make out the words to the majority of their songs. But their favorable beats are welcoming to this evening’s 18+ crowd at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom.

Ellery Roberts, the band’s front man and keyboardist, is a very slender, tall and animated young chap. His voice is raspy and when he sings it is almost as if he is howling as he points his face to the ceiling and sings up to the heavens. Evan Kati, on guitar, was sporting a tee-shirt that read “Sophisticated Bitch.” Very cheeky. Thomas Lung, on bass, wore a flirty smirk on his face throughout much of the performance. Joe Manning, on drums, owned his platform behind his band-mates.

With only the album to go on, I was not lead to believe that I would be witness to “mosh-pitting” on this here Friday evening. But sure enough, there it was….happening right before my very eyes. I have to say, while I personally can’t find myself ever involved, there was a slight rush of energy that was transfered over from simply being pushed about in the outskirts, so to speak.

During one of their early songs, the stage was splashed a scene of lights which made it seem as if Joe was playing on a kit under the sea. Ellery stood under a soft yet bright yellow light and tapped lightly on his keyboard as he howled away into the evening. Evan’s beautifully long guitar riffs reminded me a lot of Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Whatever song it was called, it looked and sounded beautiful.

As the show progressed, Ellery flipped around and danced about stage in whatever direction his limbs felt like taking him. At one point, pressing his hands tightly against his chest and then pushing his hands outward towards the crowd he says, “Thank you!”

Oh, no…thank YOU, WU LYF! One guest was even compelled enough to jump on stage, hug Ellery, turn back to the crowd, cheer for himself and the awesomeness of that moment and then fly into the crowd and surf his way back to his spot on the floor. The band welcomed it. The artists were happy to have played in NY. They were having fun with us and proclaimed that there would be an after party at some place called Spin something. I, personally, was spent and had no energy to follow them there. But I did like their style.

Before they ended the show, they let the crowd know that it will be awhile before they are back to the states, but that they are sure to return. Project Lena hit the nail on the head when they wrote that “for all the weirdness, they are clearly fabulous musicians who have created their own sound.”

Truth!

And with so many newer bands that are currently on the rise, like Rubblebucket for example, who have created a fan base and name for themselves based largely on the fact that they are unique (and awesome), this band will settle nicely into the live music scene in the states. They concluded the show with a song that was familiar to me, but that I could not place the name. Tom was still shirtless. Joe was sitting on the floor resting against an amp fiddling with the legs of his pants. Evan was playing the guitar from behind the kit. Ellery says, “this one’s for across the river.”

They completed their US tour on Saturday in Boston and are headed back home. I really look forward to seeing this band again. And also to see what is in store for them in the years ahead.

It was a few weeks ago now that I was driving up to Portland, Maine on a Strangefolk mission. And today as I sit here and write, I am still feeling the “high” of seeing one of my most favorite bands back together for the first time in over a decade.

When word was out that there was a reunion in the works, Strangefolk fans were in a frenzy of excitement. The band created a “Strangefolk Reunion” Facebook page where hundreds of memories, pictures, old stubs, flyers, tapes and CD’s of days past all came back to the surface for this now mature fan-base to reflect upon. Old friends and “family” were getting in touch from all over the country to start planning for what was to come. When Strangefolk formed in the early 90′s, I don’t think that any of the members of the band knew what would come of it all. Their music drew and formed a community of people who, to this day, remain to be some of the most loyal fans out there.

The “original lineup” of Reid Genauer on (rhythm) guitar, Jon Trafton on (lead) guitar, Erik Glockler on bass and Luke Smith on drums were bringing it all back for us. The first show would be in the band’s old stomping grounds of Burlington, VT at Higher Ground and their second show would take place in Portland, ME at The State Theater.

When the tickets went on sale, the Burlington show sold out instantly and without hesitating, a second night at Higher Ground was added to their mini-tour. It, too, was an instant sell-out. Literally hours after I scooped up my Portland tickets, I woke to news of THAT show selling out as well. A few weeks after that, keeping on with their trend, they added and sold out a FOURTH show to kick off their run at Brooklyn Bowl in NY. Without a doubt, this was going to be an epic four night run. Just epic.

Unlike the 90′s, when the band first came together, this time we live in now allows us fans to have instant information readily available. The NY show was on a Wednesday and from that evening on, I couldn’t stop looking at photos, reading reviews and watching YouTube clips. Friends were posting up to the minute reports from the shows as they were happening. The anticipation was intoxicating. And sure I had to be at work mid-day Sunday in Connecticut, but that didn’t stop me from driving north for a Saturday evening show.

To top things off, the band had established an “open camera” policy for this evening; meaning me and my SLR were going to have a good time without any hassle at all. I won’t lie… as much as I was “on assignment” for this one, it was completely all my pleasure.

In line, old taper friends were high-fiving and catching up on where they have been and how happy they were to be back. Just inside was the “Strangers Helping Strangers” table. This non-profit group was formed in 1997 by a group of fans that wanted to give back. And even though the “original lineup” had scattered about, to this day, SHS still comes together to organize food drives at concerts throughout the country. According to the SF Reunion FB page, the two shows in VT alone gathered over 750 pounds of food for those in need. It is incredible what the power of good will can achieve!

The last time that I saw these guys live, they were playing clubs the size of stage that they were now standing on. Making my way into the crowd, I was a bit taken back at the historic backdrop. The State Theater, built in the 1920′s, has survived through the ages and through much turmoil. The house lights went dim and goose bumps popped up all over my body as the boys struck his their first cord and with Reid front and center, the quartet opened with “Reuben’s Place.” My soul drew me as close to the soundboards as possible as me and my crew established our space for the evening.

I turned to look at the crowd and spotted a young lady with a huge set of protective headphones on while sitting on her dad’s shoulders. Like the individuals in the band, the fans had grown. A now mature crowd, complete with mothers and fathers around every corner, are able to pass the experience along to their young ones. No one held out on the opportunity to see this show. And as I sat there photographing that moment, Reid sang….

“On a wooded hilltop, there where the pavement stops
There is a house, seven children strong
And when they were young’uns, their mama gave them lovin
Their mama gave them, their mama gave them
What they need, look at how they’ve grown”

…very fitting caption!

It was hard to not be impressed with the lightshow that was splashing the walls every which way giving the theater that extra sparkle. Jeff Waful was to thank for that and his work reminded me a lot of moe. Coincidentally he did lights for moe. from 2004 to 2008, and now he woos all of the Umphrey’s McGee fans with his magic. He took some time to lend a hand to Strangefolk during this awesome four evening run.

The band kept playing hit after hit and were very clearly enjoying themselves as there was not a moment when they weren’t smiling behind all of their singing and playing. I can’t imagine what it felt like for them looking out into some 1800 fans who were just as happy to be there as they to be playing. The energy in the room was the most I have ever felt at any single show in my life (to date.) The sound was incredible and the band was tight. And as excited as everyone was through the months leading up to it, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that this reunion would be as truly amazing as it actually was.

For me, I was simply looking forward to just hearing some of my favorite tunes live again by one of the bands that I grew up with. But because of all of the components from this evening: the band, the fans, the lights, the sound, the good vibes, the friends, the families, the energy…because that all happened, I had to knock out one of my current “top ten live shows” off the list and add this one in.

Strangefolk will be performing a few other times over the course of this summer. Next stop will be at Wormtown Trading Company’s Strangecreek Campout over Memorial Day weekend. Beyond that you can plan to see them at Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport CT in July. And to wrap it all up, their final (scheduled and announced) show of the summer will take place under the stars on a summer evening in Burlington VT on August 11th. For the most up to the minute information on the Reunion, check out their Facebook page.

SETLIST: Strangefolk @ State Theatre Portland ME 3.31.12

Set 1
Reubenís Place
All The Same
Valhalla
Hildegard
Whatever
A Great Long While
New Glock II
Dance

Set 2
Oxbow
Westerly
Faces
Elixir
Blue & Grey
Two Boys
So Far Gone
Far From Yourself
Neighbor
So Well
—-
Lines

The French D.J. Breakbot, a.k.a. Thibaut Berland, opened up for Justice at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday, April 25th. He soothed and swayed the crowd with his subtle grooves, to a subdued response at first. He worked his best known song, “Baby I’m Yours,” smoothly into an already infectious beat, at which point the crowd woke up a bit. Finishing with remixes of “Ni**as in Paris” by the Watch The Throne super duo of Jay-Z and Kanye, and “Thing for Me” by Metronomy, Breakbot left the stage having won the crowd’s hearts.

Taking the stage in true Justice fashion, in pitch black with a lone beaming cross, the first notes of “Genesis” began, and the crowd roared with adoration. At the first drop of the beat, a wave of bass hit the crowd, causing everyone to let loose and move, crashing into one another. Ecstatic faces pressed up against the front bar, lit only by the epileptic flashes of the band’s strobe lights. Despite needing to concentrate on shooting, I was grinning from ear to ear and dancing in the dark intervals between songs. They churned through tracks from their new album, Audio, Video, Disco, such as the single “Civilization,” and the intense, building title track. At one point in the performance, the stage setup actually split apart and a beam of light shot out from behind the cross. The parting facade revealed a backlit piano which Gaspard Augé sat and played with his back to the audience, facing Xavier de Rosnay.

Though this new album may be lighter on the ears than their debut Cross, Justice have mastered the audio, the visual, and the disco elements necessary for a truly energizing electronic experience.

A few Fridays ago I was able to catch night one of the official Sonic Bloom pre party at the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver and for me, the evening far exceeded expectations.

The night began with a keynote speech from visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey, whose influence in the world of psychedelic art and new age spirituality reaches around the globe. Large banners of Alex’s prolific art work hung around the room as he and Allyson discussed their unique spirituality, the legacy of Albert Hoffman, the history of psychedelia, and the work they are currently doing with their visionary church in upstate New York called the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Attendees sat around the venue enthralled with the wise words of the couple as they managed to traverse the line between religion and art, leaving the audience with an enlightened understanding of both. After Alex and Allyson did a brief autograph signing, Coult45 started off ‘The Other Side’ with some chilled out beats and UmConscious kicked up the funk in the main ballroom. Ill Mannered and Janover were next followed by Russ Liquid and The Floozies, all delivering danceable beats to excitable crowds while hoola hooping, fire dancing, aerial silk performances, and live painting by both Alex and Allyson Grey and local artists kept the club visually stimulating from all locations. David Starfire and Griz brought the night home, each with heavy dubstep sets that kept the audience dancing hard past three a.m. Even Alex and Allyson couldn’t help but get down to a ‘Come Together’ remix by David Starfire and a few of Griz’s hard-hitting originals.

All together, the evening felt like the first night of a festival in itself, and it got me more than pumped for the Sonic Bloom Festival in June. Special thanks to Sonic Bloom for the invite to the show and also friend of LMB Molly Gale for contributing her photos!

M83 rolled through to the Ogden Theatre a few weeks back for an astronomically awesome show. They played a set full of good vibes and silky smooth tones making it a concert that really anybody can enjoy regardless of taste in music. Men and women of all types and ages attended the spectacle that I could only find myself describing as an interstellar rock adventure. Even the lights on stage were like something out of a Dan Flavin exhibit. Behind the band, a galaxy of stars served as a fitting backdrop.

Unfortunately we couldn’t get photos from the show this time but we’ll be sure to get them next time these guys play in Colorado. Here’s some videos from the show that have surfaced on YouTube:

The dates for next year’s Coachella Music Festival have been announced. It will be held over two consecutive weekends just like this year and is scheduled for April 12-14 and April 19-21, 2013 back at the same Polo Fields in Indio, CA where it’s always been held. Advance ticket sales will start this Thursday and will definitely sell out fast.

COACHELLA 2013 ADVANCE SALE

We are excited to announce Coachella 2013 will again be held over two consecutive weekends.
Advance passes go on sale beginning this Thursday, May 17th, 2012 10:00 am PDT through the following Thursday, May 24th, 2012 10:00 pm PDT. This advance sale will be the only opportunity to take advantage of the Coachella Purchase Plan. New for 2013, the price you see is what you pay — prices reflect all fees included. The general on sale will happen early next year.

Coachella.com