Yesterday we told you about the cover of the Grateful Dead’s Casey Jones that Grace Potter and the Nocturnals delivered at their first of two Capitol Theatre shows in Port Chester, New York. Well last night, at the group’s last U.S. show for a while, Potter and her band treated fans to yet another Grateful Dead classic at a venue that hosted the iconic band 18 times in the early ’70s.

[Photo by @maritorri]

Watch as Grace Potter and the Nocturnals cover Friend of the Devil…

Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon and the drummer in his house band, Questlove of The Roots, have never hid their love for legendary performer Prince, so we can only imagine how excited they must be that The Purple One will appear on Friday night’s episode of Late Night.

Prince is slated to perform two songs on Friday and we’re hopeful that not only will The Roots back him, but that the singer will also appear in a skit or two.

When Metallica announced the lineup for their first annual Orion Music + More Festival last year we learned that the group wasn’t looking to throw an event heavy on metal. They programmed an eclectic lineup for the debut of their event and have done so again this year. The second annual Orion Music + More Festival will take place at Belle Isle in Detroit on June 8 and 9 featuring headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, Deftones, Bassnectar and of course Metallica.

Here’s a look at the initial Orion Music + More 2013 Lineup…

Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, Deftones, Bassnectar, Dropkick Murphys, Gogol Bordello, FLAG, Silversun Pickups, Foals, Tomahawk Destroid (Excision + KJ Sawka + Downlink), The Joy Formidable, Datsik, Borgore, Japandroids, Dillon Francis, Adventure Club, 12th Planet, Death Grips, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dirtyphonics, The Dirtbombs, DEATH, Fu Manchu, The Bronx, FIDLAR, All Shall Perish, The Orwells, BATTLECROSS, Cauldron

Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, March 1, at 10AM ET through the event’s website. Orion Music + More E-list members will be able to take part in a pre-sale starting on Wednesday.

Check out the lineup announcement video…

Furthur concluded a three-show stand at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado last night, where they welcomed multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby to sit in on violin and organ at various points in the evening. Crosby first came to bassist Phil Lesh’s attention last November when he guested on the final Phil & Friends show at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair. The former God Street Wine, Zen Tricksters and Robert Randolph and the Family Band member then played with both Lesh and Furthur guitarist Bob Weir as part of the first West Coast Rambles of 2013 in January and also performed with the Terrapin Family Band at various Terrapin Crossroads affairs this winter.

[via Furthur Facebook Page]

Jason Crosby first emerged towards the beginning of last night’s second set to add fiddle to Cumberland Blues. He brought his violin back later for Days Between before switching to organ for Eyes of the World. When Furthur returned for the encore, they brought Crosby with them to play organ on Brokedown Palace. Take a look at the Brokedown Palace from last night…

Back in 2009 Trent Reznor told fans Nine Inch Nails “would disappear for a while” before launching a Farewell Tour for that version of his project. Late last year rumors started circulating that Reznor was working on new NIN material and that has been confirmed today in a statement by Trent that announces a new version of his band which will go on tour soon.

Here’s the statement from Reznor…

Nine Inch Nails are touring this year.

I was working with Adrian Belew on some musical ideas, which led to some discussion on performing, which led to some beard-scratching, which (many steps later) led to the decision to re-think the idea of what Nine Inch Nails could be, and the idea of playing a show.  Calls were made to some friends, lots of new ideas were discussed, and a show was booked – which led to another, which somehow led to a lot of shows.

The band is reinventing itself from scratch and will be comprised of Eric Avery, Adrian Belew, Alessandro Cortini, Joshua Eustis, Ilan Rubin, and me.  The first shows will begin this summer, followed by a full-on arena tour of the US this fall, and lots of other dates worldwide to follow through 2014.

Lots of details and dates to come.  See you soon.
TR

We’re particularly excited to see that legendary guitarist Adrian Belew of King Crimson and Talking Heads fame will not only be part of the new Nine Inch Nails, but helped lay the groundwork for the reinvention of NIN. Belew blogged about the announcement, telling fans that he’ll be moving to Los Angeles for three months of rehearsals before the touring begins. This news comes weeks before the release of Welcome oblivion, the debut album from Reznor’s How To Destroy Angels project.

One of the most well-received tours of 2012 was the pairing of David Byrne and St. Vincent. The duo put together a dance/groove-heavy show in support of Love This Giant. Apparently, one tour wasn’t enough as they will hit the road again this summer for an extensive cross-country tour.

Here’s a look at the Byrne / St. Vincent dates…

6/11 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
6/12 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
6/13 – Baltimore, MD @ Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
6/15 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
6/16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
6/18 – Charlotte, NC @ Blumenthal Performing Arts Center – Belk Theater
6/20 – New Haven, CT @ Shubert Theatre
6/21 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
6/22 – Shelburne, VT @ The Green at Shelburne Museum
6/23 – Ottawa, ON @ Confederation Park
6/25 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater
6/27 – New Bedford, MA @ The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
6/28 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
6/29 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre
6/30 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theater
7/2 – Louisville, KY @ The Kentucky Center – Whitney Hall
7/5 – Des Moines, IA @ 80/35 Music Festival
7/6 – Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival
7/7 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens Amphitheater
7/8 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
7/10 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
7/12 – Kansas City, MO @ Crossroads KC
7/14 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Town Park
7/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
7/17 – Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater
7/18 – Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
7/20 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
7/21 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theater

Keep your eyes on the Love This Giant website for ticketing details.

Let’s get this out of the way first: HAIM is not in any way a Corey Haim tribute band, so if you were expecting songs inspired by License To Drive, The Lost Boys and Lucas you’re going to be sorely disappointed. HAIM instead is the shared last name of Este, Danielle and Alana – the three sisters that make up three-quarters of the San Fernando Valley-based act. The band mixes their love of ’90s R&B and dance-y synth-pop with the sounds of the classic rock they grew up on – arriving at an odd combination of Fleetwood Mac meets TLC.

The band, who seem to straddle the lines between indie and pop have already toured with the likes of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ke$sha, have already lined up a handful of high profile festival appearances this summer, including stops at the Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo and Firefly. HAIM will put out their sophomore EP – Falling – on April 1 via National Anthem/Polydor, and have released this music for its title track, which finds the ladies out in the woods apparently preparing for a hipster version of the Hunger Games. Let’s check it out…

Click here to view the embedded video.

HAIM – Falling

HT faves Umphrey’s McGee will return to headline Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado on June 7th, but instead of the more jam-centric co-bills of years past, this year they’re bringing Americana acts Dr. Dog and Delta Spirit to round out the lineup.

In addition, UM will play the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder on June 8th. A pre-sale for VIP packages tickets to the two shows will take place on Wednesday, February 27th, at 10am MT/11am CT via UMTicketing. The Chautauqua general on-sale will take place on March 1st at 10:00 am MT/11:00 am CT, while the Red Rocks general on-sale will go down a few hours later on the 1st at 12:00 pm MT/1:00 pm CT.

FIKus, Kung Fu and Dopapod @ Highline Ballroom – February 21

Words and Photos: Andrew Blackstein

As winter winds down in New York City, the concert season is beginning to heat up. On February 21st the Highline Ballroom was host to three Tri-state area bands whose talents and popularity are on the rise: New Jersey’s FIKus, Connecticut’s Kung Fu and Brooklyn’s Dopapod.

[All Photos by Andrew Blackstein]

The first band to take the stage was FIKus. Usually an 8:00pm start time means an empty hall for a band to play. This was not the case on this Thursday evening. As bassist/vocalist Travis Paparoski made his way to the microphone he thanked the crowd for making their way into the show. Backed by Kito Bovenschulte and Pete Kozak on drums and percussion, the rhythm section of FIKus wasted no time laying down thick, electronic-infused funk beats. Keyboardist Jon Schmarak added layers of synths and vibrant melodies to the ever-changing groove. Inspired by the wave of sound created, Steve Malone’s Gold PRS guitar shined as waves and peaks bled out of the speakers. FIKus laid down a fantastic set of live music.

Kung Fu was next on the menu and boy did they deliver. Kung Fu is Tim Palmieri (guitar), Robert Somerville (tenor sax), Todd Stoops (keyboards), Chris DeAngelis (bass guitar), and Adrian Tramontano (drums/percussion). This five-piece funk band played an extended set that showed off Tim Palmieri’s brilliance on the guitar. Tim’s capabilities on his Sunburst Fender Strat were nothing short of jaw dropping. Solos and rhythm only work if they are met with tightness and energy from the other band members. This was not an issue for Kung Fu as Adrian and Chris moved deep into the pocket from the start. I can say with confidence that I have not seen a funk band with such flawless execution since the days of Deep Banana Blackout filling the Wetlands. The Highline was filled to brim during Kung Fu’s set as the capacity crowd was dancing the night away. One can only imagine that these cats are only going to get bigger and gain more steam.

Headlining the bill was Dopapod. A pre/planned PA intro is a good sign of a special performance. Just after 11PM, Dopapod’s lights dimmed as the above mentioned intro began. The five-minute prelude felt like a prizefighters walk to the ring; not flashy but rather focused. To categorize this band in a genre would be quite difficult so let’s just leave it by saying they are exciting. They offer so many different sounds and scopes that the only way to remedy my lack of descriptive vocabulary would be to check them out your self. Whether its Eli Winderman’s lyrical content/range or Rob Compa’s blistering guitar work, Dopapod’s live show is something to behold in person.

When Dopapod returned for the encore, they brought out the members of Kung Fu to collaborate on a cover of Pink Floyd’s Money that put an exclamation point on a long night filled with musical and creative highs. The exquisite musicianship displayed at the Highline Ballroom was easy to see. Hell, even the $95 parking ticket I got couldn’t ruin this wonderful evening.

Setlists…

FIKus – Jim Jones > Cool Refrigerator, Something Stanky, Nightwalker, Michael Phelps, Big Booty Bounce

Kung Fu – The Hammer, Steppin’ In It, Chakrabarty Overdrive, Bopcorn, God Made Me Funky, Barometric Weather, Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On, Do The Right Thing, S’All Good, Gung Ho, Hollywood Kisses, Bringin’ Up The Rear

Dopapod - Psycho Nature, Off The Cuff, Onionhead, Ellemenno *, Priorities @, Nuggy Jawson, Weird Charlie (Part 2) > Trapper Keeper, Bats In The Cave @, Braindead, We Are Not Alone > Weird Charlie (Part 1)

Encore: Money ^# > Got To Get Your Own ^%

* for Kristen DeTroia.
@ contained “Bopcorn” (Kung Fu) tease.
^ with Kung Fu.
# Pink Floyd cover; first time played.
% Reuben Wilson and the Cost Of Living cover; first time played

• SBD Matrix Recording: Dopapod @ Highline Ballroom

Photo Gallery…

HT faves Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds have recently taken to covering AC/DC’s Back In Black, the title track off the Aussie rockers’ 1980 iconic album. Front woman Arleigh Kincheloe crushes the vocals Brian Johnson made famous while Jackson Kincheloe simulates Angus Young’s signature guitar work using an overdriven harmonica.

The group tweeted a kickass video of the cover, as well as their original Dirt, at us. Check it out…

While most of the focus in the My Morning Jacket world has been on Jim James’ solo album and tour of late, we’ve actually got “new” audio from the band itself. MMJ recorded a cover of Leaving On A Jet Plane by John Denver for The Music Is You – A Tribute To John Denver.

Thanks to our friends at Stereogum, here’s a stream of the track…

The Music Is You is set for an early April release and features Denver covers performed by the likes of Dave Matthews, Amos Lee, Evan Dando and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Well, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival may be sold out, but those who have tickets are like the String Cheese Incident are in for a treat as the Colorado bred band will make their first Telluride Bluegrass appearance in over a decade this June in honor of the event’s 40th anniversary.

SCI is slated to play a “sunset set” on Friday, June 21st on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s main stage. In addition, the band also revealed that they will announce a full summer tour on March 4th.

We’re just a few days away from the start of the Allman Brothers Band’s March Madness run of 11 shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Drummer Butch Trucks can’t hide his excitement as he’s updated his Facebook page with this report from rehearsals…

“Wait till you guys hear what’s coming from us this year. 7 new covers, so far, two brand new tunes and we ain’t done yet. Damn, I love this tie (sic) of year.” – via Butch Trucks Facebook / Hat Tip – Jambands.com

Trucks had already revealed that the band was set to learn new originals by Gregg Allman during their Beacon rehearsals which are currently underway. We’re excited to see what the band has up their sleeves for this year’s run. Be sure to check out our B List for all the pre and post-Allman shows.

With one breath, with one flow, you will know…

Föllakzoid – II

Like the second sock in a pair, these guys match up with Holydrug Couple, a RecommNed from a couple weeks back. Another Chilean psych group that plays stellar, hypnotic drawn-out mind jams perfect for starting into space to.  The two countrymates will be playing shows together next month in the States – should be special. Enjoy the trip.

Spotify: Föllakzoid – II
MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/78954511
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00ATWYQPY
Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/follakzoid/album/ii

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II

Hopefully you are already hip to these guys, but if not, couldn’t resist pairing these two together, as UMO delivers their sophomore album of the same name. While still firmly in the feed-your-brain genre, this New Zealand-by-way-of-Portland, Oregon band stretches out their wings a little hitting a few more recognizable genres while still keeping things plenty weird. Ruban Nielson and Co. are on the grow, so get on the bandwagon before it’s too late.

Spotify: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II
MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/79949035
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00B3MLQMU
Rhapsody: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II

With Perpetual Groove fans from across the country descending on Athens, Georgia for what may be the band’s final show, the group has decided to add another performance just before the finale. On April 4th PGroove will deliver an acoustic performance in the intimate environs of The Green Room in Athens, the night before they bring the era to a close at The Georgia Theatre.

The show will start early with doors set to open at 5 and the two sets taking place between 6 and 9. Tickets go on sale at 11AM this morning via the Georgia Theatre website.

A new festival called Boston Calling will take place at Boston’s City Hall Plaza on May 25 and 26. The National’s Aaron Dessner curated the lineup, along with Bowery Presents, for the two-day event. Among the acts joining The National at Boston Calling will be fun., The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Young The Giant, Marina and the Diamonds, Andrew Bird, Matt & Kim and Portugal. The Man.

The festival is being put together by Crash Line Productions’ Brian Appel and Mike Snow. Appel discussed Boston Calling with Boston.com…

“We saw that there was a void for a music festival,” said Appel, a New York native who moved to Boston in 2003. “We thought that the location was overlooked by lots of people because of preconceived notions of the barren landscape. [W]e thought that we could do a really nice job and turn it into a wonderful outdoor concert experience in the middle of the city.”

Here’s the daily lineup…

Early-bird tickets go on sale this Friday, March 1, via the event’s website.

Japandroids - Canada’s latest export to explode into indie pop stardom - made their first appearance on Conan on Tuesday night when their performed The Nights of Wine and Roses off their breakout record Celebration Rock. The Bill Simmons endorsed rockers are currently on a world tour which will be followed by a huge summer that includes stops at Governors Ball, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Coachella and more. By the looks of it, come September Japandroids will be a household name.

For someone that has been recording albums for roughly 45 years and has contributed to over forty albums, Richard Thompson doesn’t get the same instant name recognition as many of his contemporaries. The British singer-songwriter and guitarist got his start as a founding member of the highly underrated folk-rock act Fairport Convention in the late-1960s, playing on the band’s first five records – including their seminal 1969 release Liege & Lief. After leaving the group in ’71, Thompson went on to release a string of records with his wife Linda over the next decade  that mixed the traditional British folk sounds of his earlier work with his emotionally evocative lyrics.

Thompson has remained a bit of a cult figure, never achieving widespread commercial success, despite consistently receiving critical acclaim for his studio output, most notably for his 1991 release Rumor & Sigh, which features arguably his most recognizable song – 1952 Black Vincent Lightning. Earlier this month Thompson released his 14th solo album, Electric, via New West Records and recently stopped at New York City radio station WFUV’s studio on the campus of Fordham University to perform a handful of songs from the album. Let’s check out this take on The Snow Goose…

Richard Thompson will kick off the North American leg of his world tour with a gig at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis on April 17, but prior to all that will make an appearance at SXSW.

Soulive will bring Bowlive back to Brooklyn Bowl in New York City next month with eight performances scheduled between March 7th and March 16th. This afternoon the Brooklyn Bowl website has been updated to reveal a number of special guests and opening acts for Bowlive IV.

For opening night, March 7th, Soulive will be joined by Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars with more guests expected to be announced soon. Robert Randolph and Lee Fields will be Soulive’s guest on March 8th. Nigel Hall and DJ Logic will be the guests on the 9th. The 12th will be a special Tribute To Stax Records with a special guest to be revealed soon. Lettuce’s Shady Horns will make multiple appearances with their label mates as they are listed as guests on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. In addition, Marco Benevento and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos will sit in with Soulive on March 13th, while Meters bassist George Porter Jr. will lend a hand on March 15th and 16th. Porter’s Original Meters band mate, guitarist Leo Nocentelli will also guest on the 15th.

Here’s a look at what’s been announced so far…

3/7: Luther and Cody Dickinson + More To Be Announced + Kung Fu To Open
3/8: Robert Randolph and Lee Fields
3/9: Nigel Hall & DJ Logic + Alecia Chakour Band as opener
3/12: A Tribute To Stax feat. Special Guest TBA + The Shady Horns
3/13: Marco Benevento, The Shady Horns, David Hidalgo + London Souls as opener
3/14:  The Shady Horns + More TBA
3/15: George Porter Jr. + Leo Nocentelli + The Shady Horns
3/16: The Shady Horns + George Porter Jr. + Alecia Chakour Band as opener

Tickets for all Bowlive IV shows are on sale now. Stay tuned for more special guest announcements.

Bob Dylan has never been afraid of pairing up with musicians from future generations and this will again be the case this April when he brings HT faves Dawes on the road for a three-week jaunt. The run starts on April 5th at SUNY Buffalo in Buffalo, New York and visits a number of colleges and theaters before ending on April 21st in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Here’s a list of the Bob Dylan and Dawes tour dates…

Apr 05, 2013 Buffalo, NY SUNY Buffalo – Alumni Arena
Apr 06, 2013 Amherst, MA University of Massachusetts – Mullins Center
Apr 08, 2013 Kingston, RI University of Rhode Island – Ryan Center
Apr 09, 2013 Lowell, MA University of Massachusetts – Tsongas Center
Apr 12, 2013 Newark, DE University of Delaware – Bob Carpenter Center
Apr 13, 2013 California, PA Convocation Center
Apr 14, 2013 Ithaca, NY Cornell University – Barton Hall
Apr 16, 2013 Richmond, VA Landmark Theater
Apr 19, 2013 Akron, OH The University of Akron – EJ Thomas Hall
Apr 20, 2013 Kalamazoo, MI Wings Stadium
Apr 21, 2013 Bowling Green, OH Bowling Green State University – Stroh Center

Keep your eyes on BobDylan.com for full ticketing details.