Those living in the east can add a short tour from Mike Gordon to the list of Phish-related events bombarding the area this winter. Just this week, Mike announced a mini 8-show, northeast run in March on the heels of Trey’s tour in February. Building on his band’s success over the past two years, Mike is staying true to his promise to make time for his solo project within the context of a new Phish. His role as a bandleader has clearly enhanced his chops, bringing game-changing bass playing to Phish during 2009. And one can expect more of the same in 2010.
Doubling as a bass player and band leader, Mike’s role bucks convention, allowing his melodic rhythms to drive the contour of the music. Backed by solid, yet not overwhelming musicians, his bouncing bass leads jump off the stage, devouring small clubs and theatres. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this more assertive style contributed to his central role in Phish jams during 2009. So beyond these eight individual evenings, this run will payoff come summertime as well. Mixing Green Sparrow originals with an eclectic array of covers, Mike’s setlists bring the element of surprise to his shows, while his band gets into more earnest improv than most solo projects.
Another case of the Northeast getting the goods, the eight shows will essentially move up and down 1-95, veering off for only a couple shows. The dates are as follows:
3/05 – Revolution Hall, Troy, NY
3/06 – Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT
3/07 – Sherman Theatre, Stroudsburg, PA
3/09 – Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD
3/11 – Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, VA
3/12 – Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
3/13 – Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
3/14 – Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon, NH
This dark-horse reader request from north of the border goes out to Jack G. This show features two colossal bustouts from the late 80’s, including the first “Cities” of the decade.
I: Rift, Sample in a Jar, The Curtain > Letter to Jimmy Page^, If I Could, Uncle Pen, Stash, Esther, Down with Disease, Sweet Adeline**
II: Punch You In the Eye, Sparkle, Bathtub Gin > Lifeboy, Cities^^, You Enjoy Myself > The Great Gig in the Sky > Hold Your Head Up, Ginseng Sullivan*, My Sweet One*, Amazing Grace**, Golgi Apparatus
E: Good Times Bad Times
^1st since 6/19/88 (745 shows), ^^1st since 9/13/88 (710 shows)
*Acoustic; without microphones
**Without microphones.
Source: AKG461 > Oade Custom Pre-Amp >DAT @48khz
(taped by Kevin Shapiro) Rift was cut on the DAT master, and the DSBD source of the track is patched in. No other DSBD tracks of this show are known to circulate.
Those living in the east can add a short tour from Mike Gordon to the list of Phish-related events bombarding the area this winter. Just this week, Mike announced a mini 8-show, northeast run in March on the heels of Trey’s tour in February. Building on his band’s success over the past two years, Mike …
Phish’s greatness emerges when the musical spotlight shines not on one band member, but the group as a whole. When Phish engages in top-notch improv, as in Miami, the notion of naming an “MVP” of the run seems absurd. Any musical heights reached directly results from the virtuoso mixture of four, rather than one all-star performer. The old adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts has never rang more true than with Phish. That being said, Mike Gordon annihilated Miami like a like a bass-driven assassin, owning his instrument in a display likening a musical Harlem Globetrotter. While leading most jams of the weekend, Mike cast down bass line after mind-expanding bass line, defined by his one-of-a-kind phrasing and unparalleled fluidity. From nuanced effects to ludicrous runs up and down the fretboard, Mike’s mastery jumped from the stage in Miami, and continues to surface with every shows’ re-listen.
12.28.09 (S.Williams)
When Phish decided to reunite, Mike returned to the band in the best musical shape of all. Hot off two acclaimed tours with The Mike Gordon Band, and having just scribed his first solo rock album, The Green Sparrow, Gordon came back to Phish already thumping. (His only other solo project was 2003′s Inside In, the soundtrack to his film “Outside Out,” with a host of guest musicians.) Gordon dedicated himself to his solo project, becoming a band leader for the first time, while playing his originals as well as an eclectic array of covers. Far more active than Trey, Page or Fish in 2oo8, Mike didn’t need the same adjustment period as the rest of the band.
12.30.09 (S.Williams)
But over the year of playing together, not only did Phish regain their band-wide communication skills, but Gordon grew from a beast into a musician that now has his way with his instrument like Michael Jordan crossing over Craig Ehlo. His playing steadily improved from summer to fall, and peaked over New Year’s Run in a superlative bass expose. Forging transcendent pathways in “Tweezer,” “Back on the Train,” Ghost,” and “Piper,” Mike left his mark on each of the weekends most successful jams. But not only did he guide the band through the astral plane, he also peppered their compositions and simpler songs with unique, ever-changing phrases in a non-stop display of creativity. Hell, he even improvised bass fills during “Auld Lang Syne!” All weekend long, Mike launched a personal, bass-led jihad on Vice City, romping around the neon-purple jungle as if a musical King Kong.
Throughout the run, Mike and Fish seemed very much on the same page, and when Phish is in the pocket, things begin to happen. Anchoring arena-sized grooves with a flair for the dramatic, Mike joined Fishman with diverse playing, ranging from chunky and buttery grooves to driving, jazzy and melodic patterns; always hitting that least-expected note to push the band exactly where they needed to go. While all four band members brought their A-game to Florida, Gordon shone with supreme originality and subconscious determination. Mike once described his ideal on-stage mind state, in quintessential Gordeaux fashion, as “half awake and half dreaming.” One can only assume he stood in between worlds for the duration of Miami’s four nights.
12.30.09 (S.WIlliams)
The greatest side effect of Mike’s passionate playing is how it pushes Trey’s imagination. Intertwining ideas in intricate musical passages throughout the run, the duo’s interplay provided the foundation for much of the band’s holiday improv. The greatest Phish jams tend to arise when Trey and Mike are locked in, perfectly complementing each other every step of the way, and this happened more than a few times in Miami. Beyond the weekend’s open-ended excursions, check out “Reba,” “Stash,” “Hood,” “Bowie,” “Slave,” or “Ocelot” for top-notch examples of two minds working as one.
Owning Miami like Tony Montana at the peak of his empire, Mike sat atop Little Cuba in a plush musical throne. With the band also atop of their game, the most engaging nights of the year seemed to materialize with relative ease and a whole lot of fun. But spinning these shows over and over again, new bass lines continue to emerge; the idiosyncratic building blocks of an unforgettable weekend.
…Will return tomorrow. Drop any requests that are not already in the audio archive into today’s comment thread or in an email to mrmminer@phishthoughts.com. In addition, the fall and New Year’s shows, as well as some ’03 and ’04 – graciously uploaded by reader, Jon Gollatz – will be added to the archive within the next little bit. Cheers. Miner
*****
12.30.03 (Photo: Wendy Rogell)
Phish’s greatness emerges when the musical spotlight shines not on one band member, but the group as a whole. When Phish engages in top-notch improv, as in Miami, the notion of naming an “MVP” of the run seems absurd. Any musical heights reached directly results from the virtuoso mixture of four, rather than one all-star …
While Trey was busy fulfilling a dream on Saturday night in New York City, Mike was on the road living his own, as a band leader of his own group, playing his own music. And only five shows into his “Get Bassed” tour, Gordeaux is doing just that. Mixing eclectic originals with an an array of diverse covers, Mike is at the forefront of percussive, bass-led jaunts largely rooted in the tradition of Americana rock.
Combining his signature, chunky bass lines with Scott Murawski’s southern-tinged melodies and layers of percussion, Mike’s band has delivered upbeat jams that are most often rhythmically focused. The most popular songs from The Green Sparrow- “Another Door,” Andelmans’ Yard,” “Sound,” and “Traveled Too Far”- have become anchors of Mike’s sets while many other originals have been worked in. Aside from his own songs, Mike has featured a wide spectrum of covers in the first week of tour. Giving musical nods to Coldplay, Radiohead, Desmond Dekker, The Allman Brothers, Deee-Lite, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Leonard Cohen, Mike has embraced musical diversity, both old and new. In addition, the band has played originals penned by three other group members.
While Trey’s side-projects are, most-often, directly related to Phish’s musical future, Mike’s have been an opportunity to distance himself from his other band. With Leo Kottke, The Duo, and now The Mike Gordon Band, he has taken advantage of his opportunities to broaden his horizons with musical experimentation unrelated to Phish. But never forgetting what got him there, he always seems reference Phish songs; this past week working”Meat,” “Sugar Shack,” and GRAB’s “Suskind Hotel” into his sets.
With jams heavy on percussive groove and layered improv, The Mike Gordon Band has received rave reviews after “bassing” people for only a week. To check out what’s been going on, I downloaded Saturday night’s show in Falls Church, VA to see what Mike was up to while Trey played in New York City. This is what I found.
State Theatre, Falls Church VA
Opening the show with his two most recognizable numbers, “Another Door” and “Andelmans’ Yard,” the band spliced improvisational segments into both, creating engaging extensions of these songs’ changes and rhythms. Very danceable music, it sounded like the energy in room on Saturday night was palpable. The third song, “Emotional Railroad, scribed by someone Scott Murawski, and sounded a bit more generic with Garcia-esque runs up the fretboard by Murawski and complementary piano leads by Tom Cleary. There was certain Grateful Dead feel to this one, as Mike included his envelope filter bass-bombs towards the end of the jam, and throughout the night.
Speeding up the tempo and seamlessly segueing into a new original, “Can’t Stand Still,” the band was locked into some fluid and spirited playing. Communicating proficiently as they dug into the song, this didn’t sound like a band’s first week out on the road. Their musical comfort with each other was clear as the music pulsated with Mike at the center.
Murawski and Gordon – Seattle ’08
Before the next selection, “Spiral,” Mike indicated that the band had only played it once and it was “an intentionally trippy song,” though he wasn’t “speaking from experience, just from conjecture.” Following that sentence up with the absurd Gordonism, “Actually I’m not speaking at all,” they started the song. As the slow opening unfolded, Mike’s lyrics crept out at the same tempo, creating a very trippy vibe, indeed. This song sounds like one Phish could (read: should) adopt and interpret masterfully as a layered addition to their catalog. Drifting into abstract psychedelia, this jam held the distinct feel of Grateful Dead-Phish fusion- some really engaging music. My favorite piece of this show, I now await the day Phish breaks out “Spiral;” it will be sick.
9.12 – Falls Church w/ Guenaur (M.Gordon)
Inviting folk-rock guitarist, Reid Genauer, (Assembly of Dust, formerly of Strangefolk) to the stage, the band launched into a cover of the the Allman’s “Ain’t Wasting Time No More.” Taking the tune for a somewhat generic ride, they eventually broke form with Mike’s pumping bass lines heading the charge as they segued into a textured take on Fatboy Slim’s “La La La.” Check out the basscrabatics on this one, as Mike got straight silly.
Genauer stepped off stage and the band returned to Gordon’s music with “Sound.” A song that embodies Mike’s emerging writing style- with melodies featured as prominently as his unique rhythmic concepts- in the vein of “Another Door” and “Andelmans’ Yard,” “Sound” is a favorite off The Green Sparrow. A bass intro gave way to a soft, blooming arrangement that likened a comfortable musical swaddle. Cleary’s piano leads lent a jazzy feel to the jam of this very collaborative piece.
Falls Church – 9.12 (M.Gordon)
With complex percussion, the band began “Sarala,” an impressive jazz composition written by percussionist, Craig Myers, himself. Not only is Mike embracing the music of pop-culture and his musical roots, but he is also using his band a as a platform for his lesser-known bandmates to get some of their own music out there. So far this tour the band has played songs written by all three other band members besides drummer, Todd Isler.
Breaking the music down into a more bluegrass-laced place, the band again transitioned from song to song into another original, “Couch Lady.” While this is sounds like classic Gordeaux, this was definitely my least favorite piece in the show; but I don’t dig on bluegrass. A cover of Radiohead’s “15 Steps” came next, illustrating Mike’s risk-taking and willingness to cover one of today’s most prominent acts. Featuring heavy bass work and organized cacophony, I wish I could say more in relation to the original, but Radiohead, like bluegrass, really isn’t my bag either.
Falls Church Soundcheck (M.Gordon)
Mike clearly has tons of music that no one knows about unless you are hitting up these shows, and he broke out another original to close the set, “Only A Dream.” One of the longest pieces of the show, the rock composition turned far more interesting once the lyrics fell away, but still fell short of the most engaging pieces of the show. Honoring the request of “Sugar Shack” for the encore, Gordon played a more bass-led version of his new Phish song before finishing with an inspiring and extended take on the Doobie Brothers’ cover “Takin’ It to the Streets!” Never a dull moment with Michael Gordon.
Touring with a band of legitimate improvisers, Mike’s shows take on a the contours of dynamic band interplay, creating unique paths nightly. Rooted in rhythmic textures, getting “bassed” has never felt so good. Don’t let the lack of media coverage fool you- Mike is a secret agent after-all- the music being churned out by his band is both fresh and exciting, and if you can get your face in front of the bass, I highly recommend checking it out.
Another Door, Andelmans’ Yard, Emotional Railroad, Can’t Stand Still, Spiral, Ain’t Wasting Time No More* > La La La*, Sound, Sarala^, Couch Lady, 15 Steps**, Only A Dream
I: First Tube, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Brain & Robert, Divided Sky, Water In the Sky, Pebbles and Marbles, Guyute Orchestral
II: Time Turns Elastic, Let Me Lie, You Enjoy Myself E: If I Could
NEW Source: SP-TFB-2 > SP-SPSB-10 > MARANTZ-PMD620
While Trey was busy fulfilling a dream on Saturday night in New York City, Mike was on the road living his own, as a band leader of his own group, playing his own music. And only five shows into his “Get Bassed” tour, Gordeaux is doing just that. Mixing eclectic originals with an an array …
Nobody can ever claim that Mike doesn’t have a passion for the game; he lives and loves to play music. The man who never wanted Phish to break up in the first place will be buying time between tours on the road with his own band for a 21-date fall tour. Winding up in early October, Mike will have enough time to flip his laundry and head out west with Phish. Totaling over sixty shows between the summer and the fall, Mike will have plenty of musical space to express his thoughts within the context of two separate bands.
Before Phish reunited, Mike said he wanted to make it a point to carve out time for The Mike Gordon Band, but who knew this is what he meant! Playing clubs and theatres over the month long “Get Bassed” tour, Gordon’s band will move all around the east and the Midwest, but making it no further west than Chicago.
6.6.09 Great Woods (D.Vann)
Consistently overshadowed by Trey’s solo projects, Mike has quietly carved out a fine solo career of his own. After various small side projects, in 2002 Mike collaborated with finger-picking folk-guitar legend, Leo Kottke, in a virtuoso experiment called Clone. The two eclectic musicians meshed quite well, both personally and instrumentally, and the the duo followed up with a second album, Sixty Six Steps, that gained critical acclaim. With a laid back, yet sophisticated vibe, this the 2005 release also included a percussionist, lending a calypso sound, and solidified Gordon and Kottke as a legitimate musical team.
After performing stints with the Benevento-Russo Duo, Serial Pod (Trey and Billy Kreutzmann), the Burlington-based honky-tonk group, Ramble Dove, and some shows with the Rhythm Devils (Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, and Steve Kimock) between 2004 and 2007, Mike decided to step out on his own. Taking over a year to write and record The Green Sparrow, his second solo album*, he took the next logical step and formed The Mike Gordon Band. With longtime friend and guitarist Scott Murawski (formerly of Max Creek), Brooklyn drummer Todd Isler, keyboardist Tom Cleary, and percussionist Craig Myers, Gordon was now a band leader after spending his Phish life in Trey’s shadow. And he loved it. *(Mike’s first solo album was the soundtrack to his 2003 movie, Inside In.)
In all of the interviews, Mike spoke of how proud he was of his new album and how much he enjoyed playing with his own band. And when they hit the road for a 25 date tour last fall, fans across the nation raved about the shows. Playing an array of covers interspersed with Mike’s quirky, yet catchy, new songs, he had himself his own rock and roll band. And they liked it so much they are doing it again in September. Here are the dates:
09/08 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY
09/09 – Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
09/10 – Port City Music Hall , Portland, ME
09/11 – Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock, NY
09/12 – State Theatre, Falls Church, VA
09/14 – Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
09/15 – Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
09/17 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
09/18 – Freebird Live, Jacksonville, FL
09/19 – WorkPlay Soundstage Theatre, Birmingham, AL
09/21 – Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
09/22 – Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
09/24 – The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN
09/25 – Park West, Chicago, IL
09/26 – Barrymore Theatre, Madison, WI
09/28 – 20th Century Theatre, Cincinnati, OH
09/29 – The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
09/30 – Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
10/02 – Mod Club, Toronto, ON
10/03 – Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
10/04 – Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
Check out Mike’s site for complete tour and ticket info!
=====
“SAVE THE DATE” MAP CONCLUSION:
The Final Map
In Phish.com‘s mystery turned mockery, last night the organization finally gave up the information we all knew from the start, the Halloween festival will be in California. With one last flash animation, the absurdity ended as we watched Washington drilled, and drain into California. But we still got no information about the actual festival! So Indio, here we come- but how ’bout some details? Get it together guys!
They just don’t make ‘em like this any more! This first-set closer reaches the very essence of “Antelope” with a ferocious jam that few others can match. Sitting on the precipice of huge success, and fully immersed in psychedelic improv, the band played like their life depended on it each and every night- a sense that clearly translates in this jam. This one is a monster that provides a vibrant portrait of a time gone by. Warning: This may not be appropriate for office listening without headphones!
Phish’s fourth-to-last show on an extensive and smoking summer tour began to wrap things up for the epic month of August ’93. The band had been touring almost constantly since Februrary, and they were playing better than ever. Phish reached another peak during August, a month that is considered one of the best of their career. Luckily there are many soundboards out there to remind us!
I: Chalk Dust Torture, All Things Reconsidered, Bouncing Around the Room, It’s Ice*, Nellie Cane, Split Open and Melt, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Uncle Pen, Maze, Golgi Apparatus
II: Llama, Horn, Ya Mar, Mike’s Song > Ginseng Sullivan > Weekapaug Groove, Wilson > Rift, Suzy Greenberg, HYHU > Cracklin’ Rosie > HYHU, Run Like an Antelope
E: Halley’s Comet, Poor Heart, Sweet Adeline
*With an “I Feel the Earth Move” jam
Nobody can ever claim that Mike doesn’t have a passion for the game; he lives and loves to play music. The man who never wanted Phish to break up in the first place will be buying time between tours on the road with his own band for a 21-date fall tour. Winding up in early …
Page sat in with Mike’s new band on Friday night, August 15th, for four songs, totaling almost an hour at Waterfront Park in Phish’s hometown of Burlington, VT. (You can listen and download below.) The extended sit-in featured a tight seventeen minute jam out of the blues-rock, “Traveled Too Far,” a song on which both Page and Trey appear on Mike’s album. The jam showcased not only Page, but Mike’s whole band who engage in some pretty intense playing. They also performed a playfully improvised version of the upbeat Gordon tune, “Voices,” which allowed Page to take some solos and loosen up a bit. With guitarist Scott Murawski and Gordon, the three join in some very cool musical exchange in this jam. The bluegrass/honky-tonk song “Walls of Time” follows, and Page’s sit-in ends with a bit of Phishy foreshadowing with an roots-based version of “Makisupa Policeman.” Mike’s band plays this really well, in an authentic island-sounding way, and Mike and Page play some very smooth dub in the short jam. I’m not sure who comes on stage, but they rip a feeststyle over the second verse! This is fresh rendition of a song that I thought got pretty dull with Phish. All in all, the show is really good and worth a listen. It gives you a sense of what Mike- the busiest member of Phish- is doing these days. And The Page sit in is great. Half of Phish is half of Phish, any way you slice it.
Page sat in with Mike’s new band on Friday night, August 15th, for four songs, totaling almost an hour at Waterfront Park in Phish’s hometown of Burlington, VT. (You can listen and download below.) The extended sit-in featured a tight seventeen minute jam out of the blues-rock, “Traveled Too Far,” a song on which both …
