Umphrey’s McGee and the Disco Biscuits took turns rocking the Pavilion Wednesday night. Umphrey’s started it out during the day with a smaller but dedicated crowd. People rolled in until well after the Disco Biscuits started playing. I got some sweet tapes out of it. We ran about 45′ FOB 8′ high, 24″ right of center. The sound was tweaked where the bass was right in the sweet spot. Either way both bands were excellent and everyone had a great time.

Big thanks to the crowd and security for making the venue such a great success.

After the big show everyone dispersed to do their bidding. Balloons seemed present and welcomed. Everyone needs a good laugh. That being said, we made our way to Obit to check out Tucker’s fantastic Wednesday Night Music Showcase where the Kings of Belmont (K.O.B.) rocked it out with a high energy infused rocking party. People were getting down while Max tore notes well into the night.

Set List:

06.27.07 WED
Charlottesville Pavilion

UMPHREYS
I: Jam> Plunger> JO> Plunger-> Rock Fuzz> Partyin’ Peeps, Wizard Burial Ground> Stew,
Thin Air, Great American, Got Your Milk (Right Here)> All In Time, YYZ

BISCUITS
I: Caterpillar, Highwire> 7-11> Above the Waves (Inverted)> (Echoes fakeout)> Spaga>
Story of the World, Spacebirdmatingcall

Encore: Rock Candy

Disco Biscuit Videos:

Kings of Belmont Videos:

Back again with another edition of Joe’s Music Picks.  March has brought good things musically to the people of Hooville.  Highlights include not only Tea Leaf Green, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, but also the upcoming Galactic concert.  Spring is upon us, let the music warm our hearts.  Music brings all the people together, it brings “we over me”.

Looking ahead, April is going to be solid.

04/05: Antibalas*
04/11: Toubab Krewe* or Trans Am, Zombi, and Psychic Paramount`
04/19: Robert Randolph & The Family Band^
04/22: Acid Mothers Temple`
04/26: Rose Hill Drive`
04/28: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band#

* Starr Hill
` Satellite Ballroom
^ Charlottesville Pavilion
# Outback Lodge

Grudge Match of the month is Toubab Krewe vs Trans Am.  I’m still not sure which I will goto, new age indy craziness or good old hippy get down.  I dig the psychic electronic sound of indy and am more or less just discovering it.  Major props to Satellite for delivering the goods.  On the other hand, I haven’t ever caught Toubab and would love to see them take Starr Hill down.  Acid Mothers Temple is a must see.  Touring from Japan, AMT shows America how psychedelic rock is done. 

Will Satellite continue bringing the goods and top the big guy on the hill’s lame top 40 replays or will Starr Hill wake up and deliver some quality music over the rehashed RIAA quick bucks?  I hope so because competition is good.  If not for that you get the same old garbage.  Starr Hill used to deliver in spades twice a week, now we are lucky to get the phatty goodness twice a month.  All things equal though, Coran does bring the love through the Pavilion and perhaps the Jefferson will reopen as a premere midsize venue, however only time will tell.

Did I miss anything?  Let me know.

Yeah yeah, what the hell right? I haven’t posted in almost three months. Three months! I make a pledge, yes, you heard it. To make sure that I post at least every four months. You heard it here first folks. Anyway, I am going to the Duo at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC saturday night. It’ll be sweet, hopefully the boys aren’t tired.

How about that Trey show. For as much shit that I talk about Trey, he rocked it out. I hate to admit that I was grining as hard as I ever would (or can remember) at a good Phish show. Speaking of the boys, check out Tom Marshall’s blog post about the Phish looking for a new home. Charlottesville is a good town. Soon as Coran Capshaw re-opens the Jefferson as an indoor venue to shows, balcony with seats, downstairs is floor space, few tables on the sides, same as the State Theatre, we will have pretty much every accomidating venue possible for music.

Speaking of music, last night I was struck silly of the choices of music in the area. First up of couse was Orbit’s Wesnesday Night Showcase. The sweet sounds of funk, soul, rock, and even ween flow through the corner of the Corner as garage doors are opened full. Next at Starr Hill three different bands including Richmond’s own the Grove. Some Widespread Panic love came from Crozet where Bloodkin ripped out some crazy twanging good times. Rebel Vibe from D.C., which I attended, brought the raggae sound. When I was driving home from work Wednesday night, I thought to myself, I really want to listen to some reggae and then boom, get a phone call form friends and away we go.

Charlottesville is an excellent musical city. I promise I’ll update with a full dump of everything I got pictures of. Hopefully soon I will manage to start a podcast of the shows I record. Maybe I’ll do a show. Should be fun. Updates ever four months right? Yup, leaving that window open. Peace y’all.

So I went and yes, I DID get a $20 ticket (thanks for the clairvoyance halfstar). I waited outside for a while and this fella from Asheville walked up to me and dropped it on me…very nice. Unfortunately, I missed almost all of Tea Leaf’s set because I was waiting for the ticket, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I COULD hear it from outside the gates. Once inside I was surprised that they actually put seats in the dance space this time, which is unusual, but luckily my ticket was for the floor, so I got some prime real estate to see Trey do his thing. Here’s the setlist…

Set One:

Drifting
Tuesday
Dark & Down
Goodbye Head
Spin
Shine
46 Days*

Set Two:

Night Speaks To A Woman
Money, Love And Change
Low
What’s Done
Bar 17
Gotta Jibboo

Encore:

Come As Melody

Key:
*with Josh on guitar (Tea Leaf Green)

The first set got kicked off with a nice Drifting which I was very pleased with because I LOVE that album in general and the images that said song in particular invokes are simply wonderful. I have to admit that I’m not very familiar with Trey’s newer stuff from Bar 17 or even Shine, so I had a little bit of trouble fully getting into the next few tunes, but they were executed very well and Trey seemed to be enjoying himself up there. Still, a lot of the jams were pretty tasty and certainly warmed the crowd on this chilly Charlottesville evening, as we watched the lyrics explode in breathy bursts from the band’s collective mouth. The crowd reacted to Shine (radio friendly much?) but it was the 46 Days that really stood out for me. Josh Clark gets a HUGE, edgy, Frankensteinian sound out of his guitar and he meshed PERFECTLY with Trey and Tony on this one. At one point, Trey was literally ensconced with bubbles, as though they were flocking around him and him alone as the lights flicker-fluttered, painting the stage in surreal shades and hues. I burst out laughing, uninhibited…it was a joyful moment to see Trey shredding away, hair lashing from side to side as Josh and Tony likewise thundered out soaring notes and arpeggios. At one point, all three were just hammering away on their instruments, and Tony’s hand was a butterfly blur of movement as the song reached an ecstatic pinnacle before closing out the set. Brilliant.

Set two was the freaking money maker, though. The band wasted absolutely no time in launching into Night Speaks to a Woman (one of my faves) and I was pleased to hear it played so up-tempo. It was DRIVEN, fast, electric and got everyone kicking up their feet as it led into one of the better jams of the evening. This was quickly followed by Money, Love and Change (which was similarly much faster paced than I’d anticipated) which burbled into some frenetic back and forth between Trey and Tony, with Trey jumping up and down maniacally and grinning from ear to ear. This one two punch was definitely my highlight of the evening. The jams were edgy, well extrapolated upon and TIGHT. Jenn Hartswick did some stunning effect work with her trumpet that had me dog-cocking my head over and over again. As a side note, she looked pretty hip up there. Nice hat, Jenn.
Low, What’s Done and Bar 17 were all nice, but, honestly, unremarkable. During What’s Done, my friend who was taping the show said, “Oh great, another one of Trey’s depressing songs,” to which I replied, “Hey, sometimes Trey has to play sad bastard music, man.” I also noted that Ray looks a lot like my friend Dave, at which point I couldn’t resist screaming with delight, “HE LOOKS TOO MUCH LIKE DAVE!!!”
And how about a set closing Jiboo that had everyone in my general vicinity locking eyes and smiling ridiculously. We were all back on tour. The song itself went into a very interesting direction and never made it back to the Jiboo lyrical theme, but it didn’t need to. The audience was happy that the TAB spaceship had launched and watched happily as it twittered and soared into what was left of the evening.

I was hoping for the Divided Sky encore, but was plenty happy with Come as Melody, which i could only limitedly pay attention to, because i was running to see if i had to go to work (which i did). In fact, I still haven’t really slept because I had to do the overnight at the boys’ home, so it’s really a wonder that i’m typing all of this right now.
In any case, it was a great night of music. Trey looked healthy and happy and he was bouncing around up there like a llama bounding towards the turquoise mountains. Tony is now one of new favorite bassists and GOD BLESS JENNIFER HARTSWICK taboot, taboot. So happy she actually played a little (I thought she would only be singing…BONUS!).
Good show, good night, Trey bien!!!

originally posted over on crazyredbeard’s myspace page

One of my buddies just pointed this out:

Widespread Panic: September 26th and 27th at the Charlottesville Pavilion
Pre-sale begins 8/15 @ 10am EST and ends 8/17 @ 5pm EST

$35.00 GA
On sale 8/18 @ 10am
Charlottesville Pavilion or call 877.CPAV.TIXX

Can I get a hells yeah! HELL YEAH. Two nights baby, they must really like us here. That is all.