Two Sentance Thoughts

Before I jump headfirst into my Coachella recap, I figured I’d offer another edition of Two Sentence Thoughts…

Working Backwards…

2008-04-20-Green Apple Closing Party: Surprise Me Mr. Davis, The Low End @ Sullivan Hall, New York, NY

The only thing better than seeing The Slip is seeing The Slip with Nathan Moore as Surprise Me Mr. Davis. But, unfortunately, this show started way too late, on the second night of Passover no doubt, and I had to leave halfway through the show when the band took a not too conspicuous 4/20 set break

2008-04-20-Green Apple:

Vienna Teng, Vusi Mahlasela w/Annie Calhoun, Bacon Brothers, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder @ Rumsey Playfield, New York, NY

The first of, hopefully, many afternoons I will spend seeing music in Central Park this summer. This show also answered the age old question of what does Rumsey Playfield look like without a layer of Astroturf (hint: not like a Green Apple)

2008-04-18-Green Apple: Tea Leaf Green featuring Steve Adams w/Aaron Redner (Hot Buttered Rum) @ Highline Ballroom, New York, NY

Like Umphrey’s McGee in 2005, Tea Leaf Green makes me want to be a better, or at least more dedicated, jamband fan. It was also cool to see my boy Steve Adams from ALO playing in front of the sold out crowd on guest bass .

2008-04-18-Green Apple: The Pnuma Trio, Jounce @ Blender Theater, New York, NY

Both Jounce and The Pnuma Trio are decidedly modern jambands, which means they improvise without really playing hippie-music. I wish I could have come back the following night to hear Jounce's choice version of "Marquee Moon."

2008-04-13-Under African Skies: Paul Simon with David Byrne, Ladysmith Black Mambazo,Vusi Mahlasela, Luciana Souza, Vanessa Jones and Tshidi Manye @ Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House, Brooklyn, NY

Though the ticket stub read Paul Simon, this show was all about David Byrne, who stole the show with his energetic three-song performance. For his part Simon stayed in the shadows, acting more like a curator than the center of attention and somehow securing his indie-rock cred along the way.

2008-04-12-Hallucinigan Live, Shpongle @ Highline Ballroom, New York, NY

I’ll probably go deaf a few years earlier thanks to this show, which consisted of a three hour version of one of my favorite songs: Untz. Good times, if I could only remember them

2008-04-12-The Disco Biscuits @ Nokia Theater, New York, NY

2008-04-11-The Disco Biscuits, Shpongle @ Nokia Theater, New York, NY

These were two of the best Disco Biscuits shows I have seen in years. The new songs rocked, the old ones still sounded fresh and I even scored a "Little Betty Boop!"

2008-04-10-Man Man @ Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

Before taking the stage Man Man looped a version of Bobby Mcferrin’s “Don't Worry, Be Happy” on repeat over the PA for 20 minutes which kind of set the tone for this evening of ironic art. Though I do find it ironic that of all the songs The Dead wrote, the freak folk hipsters choose to cover “drums ‘n space” on a nightly basis.

2008-04-10-Nate Company @ Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY

My friend Phil from Skidmore plays in a few cool bands around the city, including this jazzy ensemble which features him on the upright bass. I hope he makes it big one day so I can reminisce about the time he played he 21st birthday part before it got shut down by the police on Behind the Music.

2008-04-10-Jason Collett @ Relix Magazine, New York, NY

2008-04-09-Jason Collett @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

Jason Collett is the only member of Broken Social Scene who sounds more like Ryan Adams than the Arcade Fire, which is why we love him here at Zenbu Media. After his Mercury show, I convinced him to come to come play and hang with us at Relix, where he spent an hour convincing us that Canada is way cooler than the U.S.

2008-04-08-Hot Chip @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Jamband Outing of the week: At the start of their encore, Hot Chip promised to play "a three our hippie jam" for one of their roadies, who apparently used to be on Widespread Panic's crew. Take that Time Out New York.

2008-04-08-JVC Jazz Fest Announcement Party: Marco Benevento with John Ellis, Dave Dreiwtiz and friends @ Metrazur at Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY

By the time my sure to be overbearing wife makes me relocate from New York to the suburbs, I swear I will have seen Marco Benevento and/or Joe Russo at every New York venue known to man on land (too many to count), sea (Rocks Off) or air (just wait for my 30^th birthday party).