Jamgrass faves Railroad Earth will pair up with New Orleans funk band Galactic and Michigan bluegrass act Greensky Bluegrass for a triple bill at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 12th. While Railroad Earth and Galactic have performed at the scenic venue in the past, July 12th will mark Greensky Bluegrass’s Red Rocks debut.

Galactic will play Boulder’s Fox Theater on July 11th, while Railroad Earth will perform at the Boulder Theater on the 13th. Tickets for Red Rocks go on sale this Saturday, Feb. 23rd at 10AM MST.

On Sunday morning Brock Butler kicked off the final day of the 2013 AURA Music Festival with one of his signature “Brockfast” sets. The human jukebox offered a mix of acoustic covers by the likes of Tom Petty, The Lumineers, Dawes, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Eels as well as originals from his solo and Perpetual Groove repertoires.

Brock brought up a few guests to help out over the course of the set, one of which was vocalist/guitarist Emily Carroll. By having Carroll on stage to harmonize with him, Butler was able to debut a cover he’s always wanted to sing – Peter Gabriel’s Come Talk To Me. The song was right in Brock and Emily’s wheelhouse vocally. Thanks to Adam Firtel of Cheesehead Productions, we can share a video of Come Talk To Me from AURA with the added bonus of a performance of The Weather and The Wait from Butler’s Lately Here Though LP. Let’s take a look…

Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue has just announced a series of benefit concerts for the Unbroken Chain Foundation that marks the One Year Anniversary of the venue as well as the Grateful Dead / Furthur bassist’s 73rd birthday. The run starts on March 8th and continues until the 17th.

Lesh has put together interesting Phil & Friends lineups for the gigs:

March 8th, 9th and 10th – Phil Lesh, Jackie Greene, Tony Leone, Stu Allen & Jeff Chimenti!

March 11th – We’re closing down the restaurant to have a House Party! Featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Joe Russo, Jackie Greene & Jeff Chimenti, Phil’s House Party includes a multi-course buffet dinner, non-stop music & a rockin’ night of fun!

March 14th & 15th – Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Joe Russo, Jackie Greene & Jeff Chimenti!

March 16th & 17th – Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Jeff Chimenti, Stu Allen & Joe Russo!

The Terrapin Family Band, featuring Phil’s sons, will open each of the shows. You can pick up tickets at the Terrapin Crossroads box office starting on Feb. 21st at 4PM PST and starting on Feb. 23rd at the venue’s online store. The ducats will cost $65 a pop with the exception of the show on the 11th, which runs $100 and includes a multi-course buffet dinner.

Once again DelFest will return to Cumberland, Maryland over Memorial Day Weekend. The Del McCoury Band will headline and host the four-day festival and they’ve invited some of the usual suspects like Yonder, The Travelin’ McCourys and The Infamous Stringdusters. Event organizers have also scored a surprise in bringing the Trey Anastasio Band to DelFest for two sets. Anastasio is seemingly returning the favor of when the Del McCoury Band played at Phish’s Camp Oswego festival in 1999.

There’s plenty of other HT faves on the bill including Trampled By Turtles, Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Spirit Family Reunion. A “The Masters of Bluegrass” set will feature Del, Bobby Osborne, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks and Jerry McCoury.

Here’s a look at the full DelFest 2013 lineup…

Tickets are currently onsale through the event’s website.

• FLASHBACK: Del McCoury Sits In With Trey Anastasio Band

We love the fact that over the last five years, Record Store Day has become a runaway success, thanks in part to loads of special and exclusive releases specially designed to get music fans out to brick and mortar stores. In anticipation of its sixth year, which will take place on Saturday, April 20th, the organization has named Jack White as this year’s official Record Store Day Ambassador. White, who owns and operates Third Man Records in Nashville, posted a fantastic must-read note on Record Store Day’s official website, where he urges people to stop relying on technology and to go out and see a film in a theater, or visit a bookstore and most importantly to go to a record store because  they are “selling discs full of soul that you haven’t felt yet.”

In addition to his statement White also had a bit of fun with his newly anointed ambassadorship, posting this video of him giving of tour of Nashville’s vinyl pressing plant United Record Pressing…

• List Time: Top 10 Albums From The Golden Age Of UK Psychedelia
• Dawes has lined up a tour of record stores to promote their new studio album
• Cover Alert: Divine Fits tackle Bruce Springsteen
• New study finds average person can only name between 10 to 20 musicians or bands
• Download This: Cat Stevens – Civic Auditorium – Santa Monica, CA – 1971-07-02
• Motorhead is releasing their own wine called Sacrifice Shiraz Bag-in-Box

Finally, it’s been roughly six years since we’ve heard anything in the way of new music from Rilo Kiley. The indie-rock act, who according to front woman Jenny Lewis never “officially broke-up”, will release RKives-  a 16-track collection of rarities, B-sides and unreleased songs on April 2. The Los Angeles-based band is now reaching out to their fans to help to create the music video for the album’s lead single – Let Me Back In (which is currently streaming on Spin) by asking them “to upload your favorite personal Rilo Kiley video clip, band footage, created animation, etc… whatever you have in moving pictures that you’d like to share with us.” Submissions will be accepted until March 5, at RiloKiley.com.

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers know something about performing in unusual places as their Van Sessions series of videos have helped propel the Northern California band into the national consciousness. When the band is scheduled to play a venue, make sure you get there early as you never know when “caroling” will break out.

For example, back in January the Gramblers visited WorkPlay in Birmingham, Ala. and used the room’s lobby to treat fans to an unplugged version of Can You Get To That by Funkadelic. Take a look…

In just over a week, on March 1st, jam stalwarts the Allman Brothers Band will kick off their traditional March Madness run at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. This year’s run will include 11 shows between March 1 and March 17. The 2013 run will probably include something that many past March Madness residencies haven’t – new songs written by Gregg Allman.

[Photo by Rob Chapman]

ABB drummer Butch Trucks revealed the news in a new Jambands.com feature put together by Mike Greenhaus. You might recall that Gregg was in bad shape when last year’s run ended, so the new material is a good sign that Allman is ready for action this time around.

Here’s Butch’s response when asked about what fans can expect at this year’s run…

I know that Gregg is in the best shape he’s probably been in for decades. He’s finally got his liver squared away—all the medications are balanced out, he’s getting his strength back and, along with that, his motivation to write songs. The word is that he’s got a bunch of new songs ready to go, and that right there in itself is something we haven’t had in a few years. So I’m really looking forward to the run—we leave on Wednesday [February 20] to go and rehearse, and I’m really looking forward to going there and seeing what Gregg’s got in the can. I am excited about what he’s put together for the Beacon that’s new and that people haven’t heard before.

Trucks also revealed that the Allman Brothers have a tour booked for August/September and are “putting something together for November.” Butch also discusses his Moogis webcasting company, the Roots Rock Revival workshop and other topics in the wide-ranging interview.

Yesterday we brought you the news of a Levon Helm Tribute at Auditorium Shores in Austin as part of next month’s SXSW Music festival. Today, SXSW organizers have revealed the Friday, March 15th show at Auditorium Shores which will feature the Flaming Lips, Jim James and Divine Fits.

The Lips will likely preview material from their new album The Terror, while James is expected to focus on material from Regions of Light and Sound of God. As with other Auditorium Shores SXSW shows, this event is free and open to the public.

The lineup for Camp Bisco, which will take place at Indian Lookout Country Club near Albany on July 11th to 13th, has just been revealed. Headliners the Disco Biscuits will be joined by longtime friends and Mayan Holidaze mates STS9 and Umphrey’s McGee as well as Bassnectar, Passion Pit, Animal Collective, Break Science and a slew of jam, electronia and rock acts.

Here’s a look at the Camp Bisco 2013 lineup…

The Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Passion Pit, STS9, Animal Collective, Umphrey’s McGee, Flux Pavillion, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Lotus, Boys Noize, Wolfgang Gartner, Tommy Trash, Dillion Francis, UZ, Aeroplane, Alvin Risk, Audrey Napoleon, Baauer, Bear Mountain, Boombox, Break Science, Cherub, Chris Malinchak, Clockwork, Com Truise, Congorock, Cosby Sweater, Crizzly, Dan Deacon, Designer Drugs, Dirtyphonics (Live), El-P, Eskmo, Flosstradamus, Free Energy, Gigamesh, Govinda, Gramatik, Grandtheft, Green Lantern, HeRobust, Heroes x Villians, Indobox, Killer Mike, Koan Sound, Manic Focus, M | O | D, Nadis Warriors, Nick Thayer, Paper Diamond, Party Supplies, Popeska, Project 46, RL Grime, Rubblebucket, Ryan Hemsworth, The Werks, Toro y Moi, Twiddle, Vacationer, VHS or Beta, Wick-It the Instigator, Zoogma

General admission passes as well as multiple VIP packages are on sale now.

Record Store Day returns on April 20th to independent record stores across this country and as we reported earlier Jack White will be this year’s “Ambassador.” Today, the folks at Wax Poetic have given a preview of what we can expect in the way of exclusive RSD releases by posting a list of 144 Record Store Day titles that include releases by some of our favorite artists.

You can check out the whole list HERE, but we’ve assembled some highlights…

CDs:

• Grateful Dead are Cuts & Oddities 1966

This compilation was released on CD in 2005 but seems to be out-of-print

• Mumford & Sons Live at Bull Moose

A live set performed by Mumford at the Scarborough, Maine record store last August

7″

• Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention I’m the Slime b/w Montana 

Remastered from original analog source, Montana is a 2013 single edit with an additional 25 seconds of music

• Bob Dylan Wigwam b/w Thirsty Boots

From the forthcoming Bootleg Series Volume 10, features the demo version of Wigwam and the unreleased track from the Self Portrait sessions

•  Trey Anastasio Blue Ash & Other Suburbs 7″ Picture Disc

We don’t know much about this tune other than that Anastasio apparently penned it himself according to a listing on the BMI Repertoire. Blue Ash is a suburb of Cincinnati.

12″

• Paul McCartney & Wings Maybe I’m Amazed (live 12″)

We’re figuring this track is from the Wings Over America LP

LP Releases

• The Band The Last Waltz 3LP 180g deluxe version with 12 page booklet, individually numbered

Here’s your chance to own The Last Waltz on vinyl

•  Grateful Dead Rare Cuts & Oddities 1966 180g 2LP, individually numbered.

The previously mentioned Rare Cuts & Oddities collection makes its way to vinyl

•  Marco Benevento Invisible Baby  Blue vinyl LP

Marco’s Invisible Baby makes its way to vinyl for the first time

Head to Wax Poetic for a full list of expected RSD releases and stay tuned for the official announcement which will no doubt have tons more releases.

[Hat Tip - Jay Kocyla]

AURA Music Festival @ Spirit of Suwannee Music Park: Feb. 15th – 17th

Words: Allie Po
Photos: Jim Gilbert

It’s hard to sum up three days of perfection into one measly review, and the AURA Music & Arts Festival was no exception. In its fourth incarnation, AURA found its home this year at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida – the biggest venue to date for this special festival. Anyone who has been to there will tell you that there is a unique energy about those woods; the Spanish moss hanging low from large, expansive Oak trees, with muted colors that leave you wondering if it is moss, frozen icicles or fairy dust.

[All Photos by Jim Gilbert]

The forecast warned us it was going to be a chilly one, but I think everyone at the festival was surprised at just how cold it actually was. With temperatures dipping into the high 20s at night, you would never know you were in Florida! That being said, one of the great perks about Suwannee is that you have permission to build a fire pretty much anywhere you want. There were plenty of locals selling firewood throughout the grounds, and some were nice enough to give you a golf cart ride back to your campsite (although a heady trade is always appreciated; I gave Teddy good conversation, an apple, a banana and $4 for the lift). Not that we needed the fire for food because the selection of food vendors was exceptional and delicious. From hot pizza, spicy pad thai and fresh coffee, to the best breakfast bowl I’ve had in my life. And, lets not forget a big shout out to Florida’s oldest craft brewery, Dunedin, for providing the most delicious selection of libations all weekend long

Whether cold or hot, the obvious solution to any temperature woe is beer and boogying, so let the games begin! My AURA experience kicked off on Friday evening with a RAQ reunion, their first live performance since 2011. They opened their set with Shirley Be A Drooler, followed by one of my personal favorites, Botz. The musicianship and energy was high with the members of RAQ as dusk began to settle in and more people emerged from the woods.

These first sets at a music festival are beautiful, as you observe old friends finding and embracing each other now that the large gaps of time and geography are closed. You begin to realize that at this moment, everything is obsolete except what brought us all here: music, love and positive expression. RAQ took us into the dark with more fan favorites like Walking in Circles and a Late Night > Sweet Cream Butter > Late Night sequence before they closed the set with Tumblin’ Down.

[Full RAQ Set Video by Mark Duclos]

The stage set up at Suwannee was perfect. All music was featured on two stages, the Amphitheater and the Porch Stage, both within very close proximity. This made it extremely easy and practical to jump back and forth between the two, without missing any music. There were no overlapping sets, and each band had ample time to offer the AURA crowd a good dose of what they are about. Friday night’s lineup brought us Break Science, two sets of Conspirator, a set with Kung Fu and a closing set from Perpetual Groove.

Conspirator’s performance was like a built-in space heater, because with them comes the inability to stand still. The four-piece maintained a great balance between their deep, electronically-produced music and their roots in melodic instrumentation during a live set. They built up the crowd with escalating drums and heavy drops, and even urged Aura-goers to “make-out to this song” a couple of times. I was standing next to my sister, and while she’s certainly cute, that wasn’t really a viable option (but I will endorse that it WAS good make-out music). At one point they broke into an instrumental cover of Daft Punk’s One More Time which was totally bonkers.

Energy was not lost on the Porch Stage when Kung Fu took over. With all members clad in traditional Kung Fu garb, the fellas were looking sharp. By no means did their style undermine their ability to bring the funk, because this quintet had the verve of a kamikaze! Between all five members of this band, it is no wonder they dub themselves “Kung Fu” – they all have serious chops.

We saw Kung Fu again on Saturday, producing a killer Stevie Wonder tribute featuring Nigel Hall. Nigel really “went there” in his act as Stevie Wonder, with head grooving, dark sunglasses and other tributes to the legendary performer. This set kicked off with one of my personal favorites, Contusion, and also included Stevie songs Do I Do, Too High, Ordinary Pain, Sir Duke and a killer version of Higher Ground featuring Adam Smirnoff and Jimmy Dunstan, I Wish, I’ll Be Loving You Always and You Haven’t Done Nothin’.

[Entire Stevie Wonder Tribute Video by Mark Duclos]

Two nights of Perpetual Groove was enough to make many who had never heard of them fans. It is obvious that front man Brock Butler is a lover and appreciator of all music, and that really came through between the P. Groove sets and all of the other bands he sat in with. First night gave us a gorgeous jam on Green Tea, and a head-ripping Macumba that nearly sank me into the ground. Was I hearing Beastie Boys, Brock or Jay-Z? I heard all of it, and it was intermixed flawlessly. During Walking In Place, Brock shouted out, “Your aura! It’s purple! I love you. It’s purple!” This little reference to the film Almost Famous became the mantra of the weekend for all festival goers, really bringing an added element of community and cheer.

Perpetual Groove opened their Saturday set with All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem). Having high expectations when it comes to covering LCD Soundsystem, I was certainly pleased with their rendition. Their cover of Naïve Melody (Talking Heads) erupted through the audience causing one big massive shout-along that will be permanently ingrained in my memory. The band’s final festival set before heading off for an “indefinite hiatus” had longtime fans emotional, even bringing some to tears. They are surely a band that will be missed, as they approach their “final show” at the Georgia Theatre on April 5.

Saturday was filled with delicious treats for everyone, starting with yoga at the Tribal Council dome, led by the lovely Kelly Searcy (Green Monkey Yoga; Miami). Newton Crosby managed to siphon people from their slumbers (even though it was raining) with their songs Saturday People, Slip Pass and a first-time played rendition of Tears For Fears’ Sowing the Seeds of Love. They even conjured out the sunshine when Brock Butler sat in with them for Faceless.

In the campground, we enjoyed a renegade day set from Consider the Source that was bursting with excitement. It was a perfect way to make up for missing their 1:30pm Friday slot, and they did not disappoint. Greenhouse Lounge got gangsta under the crescent moon, dropping incredibly tight beats by newest addition to the band, drummer Scotty Zwang. Don’t let this description pigeonhole these boys, they know how to deliver a well balanced mix of samples, breakbeat, dubstep and jam.

Florida natives The Heavy Pets’ sets were a great mix of jazzy, surf rock and progressive jams. I was particularly impressed with their vocals and Jim Wuest’s work on keys. Their sets included sit-ins with Ali Newitt and Adam Smirnoff aka Shmeeans (Lettuce), who was commonly spotted dancing and enjoying other music that weekend. Dopapod blew the lid off the place with tight, upbeat performances, even garnering a few glowstick wars. They were not the only ones who made a strong impression on festivalgoers, as Papadosio threw down during the closing performance of the evening. For those having to leave Sunday before dark, it was our last chance to see the breathtaking visuals of the lasers dancing on the hanging moss. The word on the trails back to camp was, “That Papadosio set was siiiick.”

Sunday saw two perfectly placed sets; the first being a Brock Butler acoustic set, followed by a great little Sunday sermon from The Lee Boys. After a long weekend of rage, what better way to spend Sunday morning than with a little “Brockfast?” He opened his sets with Wildflowers (Tom Petty), and played others like If I Wanted Somebody (Dawes), For Now Forget, Big Country (Bela Fleck) and a gorgeous cover of Come Talk To Me (P. Gabriel) featuring Emily Carroll. Their voices together were that of grace, and Carroll nailed the angelic nature of Sinead O’Connor’s vocals in the original.

At the end of the day, AURA Music & Arts Fest made a strong impression on everyone who went. Event founder and organizer Daryl Wolff and his company AURA Music Events and Brotherly Love Productions put on a stellar production that went off without a hitch. I am excited to see what the future holds for this group of young professionals who strive to bring music and family together, and I highly recommend AURA to anyone and everyone who can make it next year. I assure you, it’s worth the trip. And remember, “YOUR AURA!!! IT’S PURPLE!!!”

• AURA Music Festival Videos: Cheesehead Productions & M.A.D.

Today, Summer Camp Music Festival announcers have revealed a large batch of acts set to play Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois over Memorial Day weekend. Among the acts joining headliners moe. (three nights), Umphrey’s McGee (three nights), Trey Anastasio Band (two sets), STS9 and The Avett Brothers will be Tea Leaf Green, Orgone, Break Science with Chali 2na, Zoogma, Maps and Atlas and Soul Rebels Brass Band.

Here’s the list of Summer Camp 2013 artists announced today…

Big Boi, Paper Diamond, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Minnesota, Popeska, Break Science with Chali 2na, Zoogma, Manic Focus, Savoy, Cosby Sweater, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Tea Leaf Green, Orgone, Zmick, Tauk, Maps and Atlases, The Ragbirds, The Bright Light Social Hour, Spirit Family Reunion, Project Weather Machine, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Henhouse Prowlers, The Apache Relay,Tumbleweed Wanderers

Joining previously announced acts…

moe., Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, Trey Anastasio Band, The Avett Brothers, Thievery Corporation, Zed’s Dead, Big Gigantic, Keller Williams w/ More Than A Little, Yonder Mountain String Band, Taj Mahal Trio, Gramatik, Griz, Cornmeal, Lettuce, Family Groove Company, John Brown’s Body, Cherub, DJ Solo, Pimps of Joytime, The Floozies, Roster McCabe, Positive Vibrations, Chicago Farmer, Southside Cindy & The Slip-Tones, Twin Cats, Miss A, Old Shoe, Brainchild

All in all event organizers promise over 75 acts on Summer Camp’s seven stages. Tickets are currently available through the Summer Camp Music Festival website.

The Allman Brothers Band’s multi-night residency at New York’s legendary Beacon Theatre isn’t merely a tradition – it’s a rite of spring that, despite some speedbumps and setbacks over the years, remains a reliably good time.

Years ago, it became fashionable to host Allmans pre-parties and aftershow concerts at smaller clubs throughout the city. Not only can the shows extend the excitement of seeing hot nights at the Beacon, they’re also a way for savvy promoters to showcase like-minded bands and, in some cases, pieces of the extended Allmans family to fans who are guaranteed to be out and about already.

The add-on show action waned a bit after the band’s epic 2009 40th anniversary run, but this year seems to have returned full-on, with a number of tasty-looking parties in Manhattan and Brooklyn dotting this year’s 11-show ABB residency. Here’s a look at 10 shows to hit as before- or after-parties for Beacon evenings – including the six shows at Lucille’s branded as the “Brothers Midnight Concert Series” — and also five suggestions for shows to hit if you’re visiting NYC and want to see great music on a night you’re not with the Allmans.

10 ABB Add-On Party Possibilities

Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 1, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

Bobby Lee Rodgers gained wider exposure to jam-scene aficionados thanks to his years with the much-missed Codetalkers, especially when Col. Bruce Hampton was in the band. Rodgers quirky, relentlessly tuneful songs are but one arrow in his quiver – he’s a wicked, wicked guitar player, whether in jazz, rockabilly, blues or virtually any other idiom. See him in this exceptionally rare Northeast appearance.

Scrapomatic
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 2, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

We maintain that Scrapomatic is still the best format to hear both vocalist Mike Mattison and guitarist Paul Olsen, who’ve been keeping this blues-soul combo – which predates Mattison’s better known gigs with the Derek Trucks Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band — alive for nearly two decades now.

Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 8, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

What a happy thing that this band, which began as a catch-as-catch-can Jaimoe side project, blossomed into a fully-nurtured priority for the longtime Allmans drummer. Jaimoe’s combo paints the soul-jazz corners of the Allmans sound with hefty helpings of blues and other elements.

Flannel Church
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 9, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

We’ve been unabashed in our praise for Flannel Church, yet another Southern rock, R&B and blues combo attached to the ABB by blood – drummer Duane Trucks is one of Derek’s brothers and Butch’s nephews – and blessed by Col. Bruce, who’s featured all four of Flannel Church’s members in his previous bands. The ferociously talented A.J. Ghent, son of sacred steel legend Aubrey Ghent, is a secret weapon here.

Berry Oakley’s Skylab
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 15, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

Here’s an Allmans extended family band we haven’t heard much about: Berry Oakley’s Skylab, which formed a few years back following Oakley’s move to the Sarasota, Florida area. It’s an interesting looking combo, for sure, featuring Oakley – son of original Allmans bassist and namesake, of course – and a number of veteran players associated with the Sarasota scene as well as bands such as Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. Skylab’s bio describes the sound using phrases like “dirty blues” and “the ugly classic rock sound.”

Col. Bruce Hampton & Friends
Where: Lucille’s at B.B. King’s, March 16, midnight
How much: $17 ahead, $20 DOS

With  so many of the Colonel’s disciples in town for the Beacon run, it seems only fitting that Bruce himself will close out the run of B.B. King’s afterparties on the third Allmans weekend. Guests are likely, and who knows who will be in Hampton’s band, but a good guess is A.J. Ghent, who since 2011 has been gigging with Hampton’s latest project, the Realms of Ventilation.

Hittin’ the Note Party
Where: B.B.  King’s Blues Club, March 9, 2pm-6pm
How much: $25

The annual Hittin’ the Note Party is always a special event at Beacon time, organized by many of the tireless Allmans diehards attached to the Hittin’ the Note web site and its hallowed community. While in past years the party has featured Allmans members and associated bands, this year’s show is a particularly meaty affair: first, a set from a four-piece consisting of Butch Trucks, Oteil Burbridge and Luther and Cody Dickinson from North Mississippi Allstars fame – presumably to hype their upcoming Roots Rock Revival experience — and then a headlining set from the Tommy Talton Band, whose leader’s roots stretch to the early days of the Allmans’, Capricorn Records and a sizzling country-rock outfit called Cowboy. Beloved blues axeman Junior Mack, who plays with Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band and is a frequent ABB sit-in guest, will also be playing, and there are door prizes and meet-and-greets on tap, too. Bonus: It’s a 2 p.m. start time for those who just can’t wait until nightfall.

Scott Sharrard and the Brickyard Band
Where: 78 Below, March 1 and 15, 11 p.m.
How much: n/a

A rich talent, Sharrard’s been earning his biggest notices in the past few years since taking over the lead guitar stead in the Gregg Allman Band. He’ll probably jam with the Brothers at some point in the run, as is customary, but be sure to catch him on one of these under-the-radar solo band shows, too – a great opportunity to hear him sing as well as shred. The nice thing? 78 Below, a new-ish tavern with an impressive live music lineup, is so close to the Beacon it could almost be described as “crawling distance.”

DJ Cochon de Lait
Where: Brooklyn Bowl, March 1, midnight
How much: $5

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is at the Bowl earlier this evening (see below), but if you’re taking in Allmans opening night and still want to hook onto that New Orleans vibe, shoot to the venue after hours. Cochon de Lait has played with a who’s who of Crescent City luminaries and his well-apportioned DJ sets deliver the greasy goods, from NoLa brass and funk to soul and swamp-rock.

Reckoning
Where: Sullivan Hall, March 9, 11:30pm
How much: $10

What’s that phrase for a tribute band like Reckoning? “Old reliable.” These area cats know the Grateful Dead, Allmans and Phish catalogs cold and they’re darn good at starting a party. You know what you’re getting and that’s just fine.

5 Other Options

Bowlive
Where: Brooklyn Bowl, March 7-9, 12-16 (8 shows)
How much: $15-$20
Soulive’s Brooklyn Bowl residencies – now in their fourth year – have been so successful that the March NYC jam-scene residency crown is no longer safely the Allmans’. Special guests join the Evans brothers and Eric Krasno every night, and much like at the Beacon, fireworks are guaranteed. Warren, Derek, Oteil and several other Allmans associates have joined Soulive at the Bowl in years past – usually on Allmans off-nights, but not always, as Bowlive shows sometimes extend long past the Beacon winds down. This year’s Bowlive run is a slightly-shorter-than-usual eight nights.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Where: City Winery, Feb. 28, Brooklyn Bowl, March 1
How much: $20-$25

The New Orleans institution’s been spending a lot of time in the Big Apple lately, and as band, offers a vibrantly classic-sounding performance. The most excellent Erik Deutsch opens the Brooklyn Bowl show with his crew, and the aforementioned DJ Cochon De Lait is spinning between sets as well as hosting the late night aftershow.

Bill Evans’ Soulgrass
Where: Blue Note, Feb. 26-March 3 (two sets each night)
How much: $20-$35
The dark horse awesome residency happening in the time frame is this one: six nights and 12 sets of sax ace Bill Evans’ heady-as-fuck jazz-bluegrass fusion project. Evans has become a regular Allmans sit-in guest so chances are good he’ll turn up at the Beacon, but don’t be surprised if one of the Brothers reciprocates at some point during Evans’ own run. The announced list of guests already scheduled to join Evans – John Medeski each night, John Popper for three nights, Eric Krasno for two nights and Jake Cinninger for two nights – is dazzling enough.

Omaha Diner
Where: The Cutting Room, March 1
How much: $20-$25

This supergroup describes what it does as “Top 40 as you’ve never heard it before.” Given the personnel involved – Charlie Hunter, Skerik, Bobby Previte and Steven Bernstein – we can’t help but giddy-up.

Vintage Trouble
Where: Highline Ballroom, March 4
How much: $15-$17

L.A. rock and soul crew Vintage Trouble formed in 2010 and are in the process of busting out, big time, thanks to increasingly good notices and a raft of exposure after they opened for The Who on much of its 2012 North America tour. Take it from us: theirs is a don’t-miss show for lovers of throttling rock and R&B, still a little rough around the edges, but then, you want to see them now before the suits get ahold of the band and file those edges down.

If you still need ideas, here are more bands in the area during the Beacon run that have ties to the Allmans and the broader jam scene:

• Ravi Coltrane and a series of quartets (including Nikki Glaspie on drums!) hold down the Jazz Standard from Feb. 26 to March 3
• Deep Banana Blackout and Kung Fu get funky at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, March 2
• Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band get down at Bowery Ballroom, March 2
• Railroad Earth is at Best Buy Theater March 9
• NMAS duo Luther and Cody Dickinson shred at the Slipper Room, March 7
• Melvin Seals and JGB are playing classic Jerry shows at the Cap, March 8 and 9
• Hot Buttered Rum and Cabinet are at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, N.J., March 14
• Papa Grows Funk and the Great Apes tear through Sullivan Hall, March 15
• Drive-By Truckers and the Old 97s share a monster country rock bill at the Cap March 15 and 16
• Dr. John and Allen Toussaint are at Town Hall March 16
• Gent Treadly has a bunch of Brooklyn and Manhattan shows

AXS TV aired a Grace Potter and the Nocturnals concert live from Stubb’s in Austin, Texas last November. This weekend AXS TV will premiere an hour-long special featuring footage from the gig, with the first showing scheduled to air on Sunday night at 8PM ET. Also be on the lookout for a fascinating Simon & Garfunkel documentary on Palladia, a repeat of Paul McCartney’s recent visit to Saturday Night Live on NBC and The Avett Brothers appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Friday, February 22 [All Times ET]

• Los Lonely Boys - Live at the Phoenix [AXS TV 5PM]
• Documentary: Simon & Garfunkel – The Harmony Game [Palladia 11:30PM]
• The Avett Brothers on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]
• Shiny Toy Guns on Carson Daly [NBC 1:35AM]

Saturday, February 23

• Esperanza Spalding on Austin City Limits [PBS]
• Mumford & Sons / OCMS / Edward Sharpe – Big Easy Express [Showtime 7:45AM]
• MGMT – Live From 02 Academy Brixton [Palladia 8:30AM]
• Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live [NBC 11:30PM]

Sunday, February 24

• R.E.M. – Live at the Oxegen Festival [Palladia 7:30AM]
• TV On The Radio on Saturday Night Live [VH1 12:30PM]
• Joss Stone w/ Mavis Staples – Live on Stage [AXS TV 6:55PM]
• Grace Potter – Live at Stubb’s [AXS TV 8PM]

It took Chris Porterfield a bit longer to than his former DeYarmond Edison band mates, the much mythologized act that spawned both Bon Iver and Megafaun, to record an album on his own. Last fall under the moniker of Field Report, Pottersfield released his highly recommended self-titled debut, an album of hauntingly confessional folk songs that are reminiscent of Jackson Browne. Earlier this week the Milwaukee-based band released their first music video for the track I Am Not Waiting Anymore, the emotionally wrought clip features a “wrenching narrative of a formerly homeless man seeking healing and redemption amidst the urban decay of Field Report’s hometown.” Check it out…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Field Report – I Am Not Waiting Anymore

Field Report have lined up a month-long March tour, which includes a handful of appearances during SXSW, as well as a string of dates opening for former Nickel Creek fiddle player Sara Watkins.

One of the many reasons Ween ruled was that they let audience members freely videotape their shows. While many acts allow audiotaping, only a handful allow videotaping and Ween was one of them. This led fans to organize themselves in filming many gigs with multiple cameras and then editing the resulting footage into what would often be killer DVDs/Blu-Rays. Many of these vids are available for download through the Brown Tracker.

For today’s Full Show Friday selection we’re going with a classic Ween show from May 3rd, 2007 at The Library in Oxford, Mississippi. The gig was shot by three members of the JimboFilmsInc. crew and lovingly edited together. Ween reels off some of their best-known songs such as Voodoo Lady, Push Th’ Little Daisies and Piss Up A Rope as well as a few rarities such as Gabrielle and Poopship Destroyers. The footage looks amazing and it features audio dubbed in by a taper. Take a look…

Set: Take Me Away, The Grobe, Transdermal Celebration, Wavin’ My Dick in the Wind, Richard Smoker, Bananas and Blow, Voodoo Lady, Your Party, Buckingham Green, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off My Brian, Big Jilm, Woman & Man, Gabrielle, Touch My Tooter, Never Squeal, The Final Alarm, Spinal Meningitis, The Mollusk, Push the Little Daises, Zoloft, Baby Bitch, Stay Forever, Piss Up a Rope, Booze Me Up and Get Me High, Fiesta, Johnny on the Spot, Ocean Man, Up on the Hill, Fluffy

Encore: Poopship Destroyer -> Someday

Bob Weir and Phil Lesh have a long and storied history with The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. Not only did the Grateful Dead play the historic venue 18 times between 1970 and 1971 alone, but both Weir and Lesh have already performed at The Cap since it reopened in September. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Bobby and Phil will bring Furthur to The Cap for eight shows this April.

Furthur will play The Capitol Theatre on April 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th and 25th. Tickets are available at $65, $95 and $130 price point and are on sale now.

In addition, Furthur will play Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 27th. Tickets for that show will go on sale next week.

Late last year Beck released Song Reader, a book containing sheet music for 20 originals as well as plenty of artwork. Over the last few months artists from nearly every genre have interpreted the tunes. Today, Beck launched a website in support of Song Reader.

Visitors can download a PDF of the Song Reader track Old Shanghai and share their interpretations. You need to connect your Facebook account to the site in order to participate. By voting for your favorites you can help populate the site with the “most loved” versions of each Song Reader tune.

This is the time of year when many Jazz Fest late nights get announced, so for promoters of these events it’s not easy to make a big splash when announcing your gigs. Unless of course you’re assembling a batch of ridiculously talented musicians for a one-time performance as is the case for a May 2nd late night billed as “Fiya Powa!”

This show brings together drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic), bassist Tony Hall (Dumpstaphunk), keyboardist Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), saxophone wiz Skerik (Garage a Trois), lap steel performer Roosevelt Collier (The Lee Boys) and guitarist Andrew Block (Big Sam’s Funky Nation). Can’t beat that lineup. Keep your eyes on the venue’s website for ticketing details.

As previously reported, Marco Benevento will be a special guest of the Midnight Ramble Band on March 2nd at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Marco’s old Duo band mate, and a regular at recent Rambles, Furthur drummer Joe Russo will also guest at the March 2nd Midnight Ramble.

[Photo by Jeremy Gordon]

Tickets, which run from $45 – $55, are available now through LevonHelm.com.