HT faves The Black Crowes’ Lay Down With Number 13 tour rolls on to Chicago tonight. On Friday night the group performed at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, where they delivered a three-song encore that included a cover of Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ by The Velvet Underground.

Rich Robinson handles vocals on the cover, and in this version lays down a particularly tasty guitar solo. Take a look at the Crowes’ take on Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ from Friday night in Philly…

Using generous math, over the last quarter century, The Allman Brothers Band have cultivated a sense of reverence and loyalty around their annual March residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. For a band that traces their origins to the south, it’s a slight curio that the legacy of their autumn years will unquestionably be the evolution of their yearly northern stints into one the most hotly anticipated classic rock events of each year.

[Photo By Dino Perrucci]

The Allmans aren’t the only band that plants roots in New York City. Phil Lesh & Friends and Furthur often spend significant stretches of time in town and this past month has seen Soulive host Bowlive, their own residency in Brooklyn and the Black Crowes return for a series of four shows split between Port Chester and New York City. Artists with deep catalogs are starting to see the allure of extended visits to one venue with Tom Petty exploring the viability of his own residency at the Beacon with five shows in May. Still, no residency comes close to generating the excitement of the Allmans slate of March dates, which raises the question: “what makes The Allman Brothers Band’s Beacon Theatre residency so special?”

Lester Bangs once called the blues “dead music.” He wasn’t making a concerted effort to insult the genre, he was bluntly referring to the fact that it didn’t feel like the music of today. Perhaps the greatest feat of the Allmans’ residency is that they make the blues feel alive and vital. Over the course of a residency, the Allmans dedicate themselves to reconstructing and reinvigorating southern rock and the Delta blues. With little interest in publicizing new material or selling a new album (books and solo projects are a different story), songs written in the last two decades make rare appearances. Nearly every song played on the Beacon stage traces its roots to another generation but Haynes and Trucks excel at making them feel omnipresent. In the world of the Allman Brothers Band, the blues aren’t dead, the blues are immortal. With the exception of blues magazines, this is not a thought that generally prevails throughout the music press. What makes the Allmans residency resonate with so many is that regardless of whether the blues are dead or alive, there are legions that fans that want to hear them played . . . and played well.

At the same time that the Allmans were setting up shop in the Beacon, a house music juggernaut known as the Swedish House Mafia were selling out four shows of their own at Madison Square Garden and the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The two concert experiences couldn’t have contrasted more starkly. At the Swedish House Mafia, thousands of high school and college kids cheered and raved for two hours for three guys who essentially pushed play on an arena-sized boom box, reveling in music intrinsically connected to the current pop culture. Further uptown, at the Beacon, an intimate gathering of a couple thousand friends from an older generation became communally engaged and reconnected with music that steadfastly remains timeless. It’s a near certainty that no one in one crowd wished that they were part of the other. Somewhere within that mutual exclusivity lies the genesis of the allure of the Allmans.

If the music doesn’t serve to keep the kids away from the Beacon, the ticket prices will. While admission to any particular night of the Allmans residency pales in comparison to ducats to The Rolling Stones or Clapton’s Crossroads extravaganza, the cost is much steeper than the average show at Webster Hall or the Bowery Ballroom. For the most part, this limits the crowd to adults and even further to those that have more than a modicum of respect for the musicians on the stage and the music they play. It may be a clichéd joke to kid about the potbellied greybeards busting out their two-sizes-too-small tie-dyes for a night out on the town. It’s no laughing matter though that the grown-ups that come to each Beacon show comprise the exact type of crowd necessary for any proper type of memorable concert experience. No pearls are being cast before swine: to a man (and the handful of women that dot the audience), there is respect and admiration for what’s transpiring on stage. The near unanimity of thought may not be unique but it will always remain special.

No single show by the Allman Brothers Band, not even the headlining appearance at their own Wanee Festival, inspires anything close to the level of enthusiasm that comes with any single show of the residency. With anywhere from eight to fifteen shows over a two to three week stretch, the ABB play each night without a sense of immediacy. If the Allmans were playing a single show, it wouldn’t be unfathomable for them to make a conscious decision to stock the set list with “hits” so that the crowd gets their proverbial money’s worth. Knowing that they will return to the same stage within 24 – 48 hours and that many in attendance one night will be there on others, the inclination to stack the deck loses it sense of immediacy. At the Beacon, this allows the Allmans to set ample time aside for improvisational jams and to include some rarities that might otherwise be cast aside. It’s not that Statesboro Blues, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Whipping Post, One Way Out and the myriad of classic rock radio staples don’t make appearances – in fact, the 2013 residency was likely notable for the comparable number of times they were played – it’s that their absence from one night’s show doesn’t constitute an unforgivable sin of omission.

With much time on their hands, an ABB tradition has been to spend certain nights with their friends and residencies are notable for the guests that share the Beacon stage. The high point for guest spots took place during the 2009 run that celebrated their 40th anniversary with Eric Clapton, Trey Anastasio, Gary Rossington, Levon Helm, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh making notable appearances. In past years, the guests would generally provide a touchstone to the Duane Allman and Dickey Betts stages of the band. In recent years, guests like Grace Potter, Luther Dickinson, John Popper and Susan Tedeschi have closer connections to Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks (the latter of course being Trucks’ wife). Much like the Love For Levon concert highlighted the timelessness of The Band’s music, the inclusion of musicians from the generation that looked up to the Allmans indicates that Bangs might have been wrong when he called the blues “dead music.”

This year’s residency proved additionally satisfying for the simple reason that it took place at all. On the penultimate night of the 2012 residency, the sustainability of the Allmans’ yearly tradition appeared to be in jeopardy when Gregg Allman casually strolled off stage in the midst of the second set and remained absent from the run’s final night. Given the state of Allman’s health, pessimistic speculation ran rampant as to whether a storied tradition had come to an end. With fewer shows, a streamlined set list and conspicuous days off between nights, Gregg Allman not only sounded in great voice, he remained that way throughout the residency. With next year marking the 25th anniversary of the first Allmans Brothers Band show at the Beacon – one that featured Allman, Haynes, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe and took place when Derek Trucks was 9-years-old – there should be little doubt that, as always, the Allmans will deliver one of the most edifying and soul-affirming experiences in rock and roll. Savor them while you can.

 OFFRAMPS AND REST STOPS

As part of their return from their three year hiatus, Chris & Rich Robinson brought The Black Crowes back to the Tri-State area for a pair of shows at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York and another pair at Terminal 5 in New York City. In their previous incarnation, the Crowes received an enlivening jolt of energy from Luther Dickinson, who seemed to flourish as a member of the Robinson brothers’ flock. For the 2013 version of the Crowes, Dickinson has been replaced by Jackie Greene, who, notwithstanding the newly grown scraggly beard, seems an odd choice as the Crowes’ auxiliary axeman. Greene may be little less grittier than Dickinson and Chris Robinson may lean more towards shouting the lyrics than soulfully crooning them but these are just quibbles. It’s good to have the Crowes back and we should all probably enjoy this while it lasts.

While not as noteworthy as their hell-froze-over reunion in the late ’90s, Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie have reformed Fleetwood Mac for a finely planned money grab accompanied by a new EP. Historical significance aside, it’s quite possible that anyone who hasn’t seen a ridiculously talented guitarist play might mistake Buckingham for one.

Starting with the Velvet Underground, New York has always had a distinctive form of rock and roll. In a non-linear fashion, it’s made its way to the present day through Television, The Ramones and Patti Smith to Sonic Youth to The Strokes to nearly every band from Williamsburg banging out three chords with a hipper-than-thou attitude. Parquet Courts fits squarely within the New York tradition and Light Up Gold, their full-length debut, will definitely rank within the best of 2013.

Speaking of New York City bands, one of the greatest, Living Colour, preceded their appearance at Met Life Stadium, where they played CM Punk to the ring for his Wrestlemania 29 match with The Undertaker, by celebrating the 25th anniversary of Vivid, their debut album, by playing it in its entirety at Irving Plaza. Once the last notes of Which Way To Your America faded, Living Colour touched upon the 20th anniversary of Stain, their third album, by playing vintage versions of Bi and Go Away. Going back even further, for their encore they brought out Wonder Mike and Master Gee of the Sugar Hill Gang and Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five for versions of Rapper’s Delight and The Message.

Can you believe this summer’s Outside Lands will be the sixth annual installment of the San Francisco-based music festival? Today, event organizers have revealed the initial lineup for the 2013 edition of Outside Lands, which will take place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on August 9 – 11.

Paul McCartney, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phoenix and Nine Inch Nails are among the Outside Lands headliners this time around. Willie Nelson, Grizzly Bear, Pretty Lights, The National, Hall and Oates and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue  are some of the other HT faves set to rock Golden Gate Park this August.

Here’s the full initial lineup…

Tickets will be available for $235 starting on Thursday, April 18th.

Watch the announcement video for this year’s fest…

New Hope, Pennsylvania night club John & Peter’s has hosted many Ween and Ween-related performances over the past 30 years, so it’s the fitting that the closest thing we’ve gotten to a Ween reunion since the band broke up last May took place there on Sunday night. What was supposed to be a set from Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz and Ween drummer Claude Coleman Jr. turned into a mini-reunion when Mickey “Dean Ween” Melchiondo and keyboardist Glenn McClelland joined their old mates.

[All Photos By Beta Klein]

The band rifled through a set that mainly consisted of Ween classics which Deaner sings as well as some choice covers such as an aborted take on Blue Moon. Matt Setzer sang a pair of Queen hits backed by Mickey, Dave, Glenn and Claude towards the middle of the set. Melchiondo shared photos of the shows with his Facebook followers and weighed in with this account of how it happened, “The way this gig came together was so organic and made it so much fun. Dave got offered a slot on the bill, he asked Claude, then they asked me, and then I asked Glenn and there we were all of the sudden.”

Here’s the setlist via mn_laker of the Ween Forum…

Setlist: Final Alarm, Sorry Charlie, Wild Ride!, A Tear for Eddie, With My Own Bare Hands, Pandy Fackler, Blue Moon, The Enabler, Piss Up a Rope, Find Me Somebody to Love*, Bohemian Rhapsody*, Put the Coke on my Dick, Little Sisters of the Poor, Superstar, God Loves You (but I hate you), Awesome Sound, Ace of Spades

w/ Guest Vocals by Matt Setzer

As for the artist formerly known as Gene Ween, Aaron Freeman and touring partner Joe Young will perform with Dave Dreiwitz at Freeman’s May 9th and 10th gigs at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Mass. and Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg respectively.

Check out more of Beta Klein’s photos from Sunday night…

Friday marks the one year anniversary of Levon Helm’s passing. In recognition of all the love that has been shown towards her father, Amy Helm has posted a page of Gratitude on her website that includes photos and videos from the many Levon Helm tributes held over the past year.

Amy has also shared her version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, a song originally recorded by The Band that her father famously stopped singing after The Last Waltz concert in 1976. You can stream Dixie Down for free or download it on a Pay-What-You-Want basis with proceeds going towards “Keep It Goin’” and music programs in local Woodstock, New York schools.

Jim James and The Roots really hit it off a few weeks back when the My Morning Jacket front man visited Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on two consecutive nights to promote his solo debut album. Double J and The Roots will collaborate for a one-night only event dubbed State of the Union: An Evening of Collaborative Performances on June 19th at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn.

Here’s ticketing information from the announcement on MyMorningJacket.com…

There will be a Roll Call exclusive Pre-Sale starting at 10am on Wednesday April 17th.You must register for a Roll Call membership in order to be able to participate in this pre-order event. Roll Call members will receive an email with the pre-sale password and links to purchase tickets for this event before it begins. James and The Roots

In order to receive a code, you must become a member of Roll Call no later than 5pm EST on Tuesday April 16th.This code is exclusive to you. Do not share it because it’s good for only one use. Each code allows you to purchase up to 4 tickets. We recommend copying & pasting the code exactly as it appears above to make sure it’s correct when you enter it while making your purchase.

We can’t wait to see what these two HT faves come up with. No word on the Jim James / Questlove album both men alluded to back in February following Jim’s appearance on Fallon.

For the past month or so rumors have been circulating among Allman Brothers Band fans that the Southern Rockers would team up with Steve Winwood for a series of shows this summer. Today we have our most definitive proof of the pairing as a listing for an August 28th show at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, New York featuring the two acts has appeared on LiveNation.com [screenshot here].

As of now that’s the only date listed, but we’d be surprised if Winwood and the Allmans don’t play more shows together besides the SPAC gig. The former Traffic multi-instrumentalist is set to tour with Rod Stewart in October and December after a batch of European dates that ends in mid-July, so he’s free in August and September. Meanwhile, the Allman Brothers, who only have appearances at this weekend’s Wanee Festival and August’s Peach Music Fest currently scheduled, have “a tour booked August/September” according to drummer Butch Trucks.

• Previously on HT: Why The Allman Brothers Residency Matters

Perhaps the Allman Brothers were giving us a preview of this summer when they performed Can’t Find My Way Home at the last Beacon Residency 2013 show on March 17th with Jimmy Vivino…

We’ll be sure to post the full list of dates when they are officially announced.

Grateful Dead / Furthur bassist Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue has just announced a full slate of performances set for the first three weeks of May. The action starts on May 3rd with an Infamous Stringdusters show which The Terrapin Family Band will open and continues on May 5th when Phil will perform with The Terrapin Family Band as a benefit concert for the Unbroken Chain Foundation. Then, on May 10th, The Black Crowes’ Jackie Greene will Ramble with Phil and Furthur members John Kadlecik, Joe Russo and Jeff Chimenti.

Lesh will bring back his Telstar night of “improvisation and psychedelic music” on May 12th when he’ll perform with Kadlecik, Russo, Chimenti and Anders Osborne. TC will throw a “Spring Fling House Party” on the 13th featuring Lesh, Kadlecik, Russo, Chimenti and Osborne along with the Terrapin Family Band. On May 15th, Phil will offer up a “Rockin’ Ramble” along with Kadlecik, Russo, Chimenti and Osborne. The announced shows come to a close with three Rambles on May 16th – 18th that will find Lesh performing with Kadlecik, Russo, Chimenti and Luther Dickinson.

Tickets for every show besides the Stringdusters (tickets for that show are onsale now) will be available at the Terrapin Crossroads Box Office on Thursday, April 18th, starting at 3:00 PM. The Terrapin Family Band will play for those queuing up for tickets. Remaining ducats will be available for purchase online on Saturday, April 20th. Here’s more details on each May Terrapin Crossroads show…

March Madness is over but May Madness is just around the corner here at Terrapin Crossroads! We have a Jam-packed May with all sorts of special performances to keep you grooving.

Here’s what next month has in store!

- May 3rd – The Infamous Stringdusters with The Terrapin Family Band. Tickets, $22

- May 5th – Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band – Help support our local charities with a Benefit Concert for the Unbroken Chain Foundation! Tickets, $25

- May 10th – Fresh off his first tour with the Black Crowes, come watch Jackie Greene Ramble with Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo & Jeff Chimenti! Tickets, $65

- May 12th – Telstar! Come on down for a special night of improvisation and psychedelic music with Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti, & Anders Osborne! Tickets, $40

- May 13th – SPRING FLING HOUSE PARTY! Featuring Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti & Anders Osborne, along with the Terrapin Family Band, the Spring Fling House Party will be a night to remember! Tickets $100, Includes Buffet Dinner

- May 15th – Welcome back Anders Osborne to Terrapin for a Rockin’ Ramble, along with Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo & Jeff Chimenti! Tickets, $65

- May 16th, 17th, & 18th – In a fitting end to May Madness, come Ramble with Phil Lesh, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti, & Luther Dickinson! Tickets, $65

All shows (May 5th -18th) will be available for purchase at the Terrapin Crossroads Box Office on Thursday, April 18th, starting at 3:00 PM – For this On-Sale Party, the Terrapin Family Band will be playing music all day to make standing in line a rockin’ good time! Also, enjoy Happy Hour Prices on Pizza, Draft Beer, House Wine, and Well Drinks! All tickets will be available for purchase online on Saturday, April 20th.

Please note that tickets for The Infamous Stringdusters on May 3rd are available now for purchase online or at the Terrapin Crossroads Box Office.

Also, don’t forget to check the Calendar to see what’s happening in the Bar! We’ll be featuring Music almost every night, including Brunch and Happy Hour Music in the outside Patios when the Summer Weather comes out…

Buckle Up, Kids!

Jam stalwarts Phish visited Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio each of the past three summers, but the band played their first headlining show at the venue way back in 1995. This afternoon, with little fanfare, a page appeared on the LivePhish.com website offering an official recording of Phish’s Blossom debut in MP3, ALAC, FLAC and CD formats.

[Screenshot]

While there’s no track listing on the page and the photo appears much more recent, you are able to purchase the FLACs and ALACs of the show which then appears in your stash as “pre-ordered.” If you hover over the listing on the Catalog page you get a message that says “coming soon.”

The show is best known for the impressive Mike’s Song -> Contact > Weekapaug Groove segment from the second set that was included in the fourth installment of the band’s Live Bait series. There’s also the first Ginseng Sullivan in 58 shows, one of only five versions of Spock’s Brain they played in 1995 before shelving it until 2000 and a gorgeous If I Could. Unless the listing is some kind of mistake, this would be the first show from the Summer of 1995 Phish has released in its entirety.

Setlist…

Set 1: Llama, Spock’s Brain, Ginseng Sullivan > Foam, Bathtub Gin, If I Could,Taste, I Didn’t Know, Split Open and Melt

Set 2: Halley’s Comet > Chalk Dust Torture, Prince Caspian, Uncle Pen, Mike’s Song -> Contact > Weekapaug Groove > Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin’ Rosie >Hold Your Head Up, Highway to Hell

Encore: Slave to the Traffic Light, Amazing Grace

[Setlist via Phish.net]

We await an official announcement of the Phish 6/20/95 release.

[Hat Tip - Sleuthing by PT's RobertFord]

The Hangout Music Fest will begin with a Kick Off Party on Thursday, May 16th that includes many jam favorites. Umphrey’s McGee, Railroad Earth, Lotus, Conspirator and Future Rock are just a few of the acts set to perform on the sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama before the event starts in earnest on the 17th and runs through the 19th.

All in all 14 acts will play on two stages for the separately ticketed Kick Off Party. Tickets for the Kick Off Party will run you $45 and go on sale tomorrow, April 18th at 11AM ET via Eventbrite.

Here’s the full list of Kick Off Party bands…

Umphrey’s McGee, Benny Benassi, Dillon Francis, Railroad Earth, Lotus, Conspirator, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Hayes Carll, Quixotic, Reptar, Wick-it, Future Rock, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stevie Wonder and Kings of Leon will headline this year’s fest.

Last night The Black Crowes’ Lay Down With Number 13 tour rolled into The Windy City for the first of two shows at The Vic. The band continues to slowly expand their repertoire for the tour and last night offered a surprise cover debut of a Rolling Stones classic.

The Crowes lit into their first-ever version of Jumpin’ Jack Flash out of Descending last night and video of the cover debut has already surfaced. Watch Jackie Greene rip it up as his mates “woo hoo”…

We’ll see what The Black Crowes have in store for The Vic at tonight’s second show.

In conjunction with an announcement of a June release for his full-length follow up to Lucky Shiner, UK musician/producer Gold Panda released a stream of the first tune off the album entitled Half of Where You Live. The album’s title apparently refers to the idea that the album is meant to capture the aural aesthetic of different cities visited while on tour, including Sao Paulo here.

This song doesn’t really stack up to the material on Lucky Shiner, but the idea is an intriguing one so hopefully the real gems are yet to come.

Phish front man Trey Anastasio and his Trey Anastasio Band ensemble opened a brief four-show swing last night at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. Over the course of two lengthy sets, TAB delivered a mix of songs from each stage of Anastasio’s solo career as well as an acoustic romp through Wilson.

Before starting Wilson, Anastasio told the crowd it was a thrill to be in Seattle and mentioned that it’s a dream of his for fans to chant “Wilson” when Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson steps on the field. Trey said “use social media and tell your friends,” imploring fans to make it happen.

Check out the setlist from last night’s show…

Set One: Mozambique, Cayman Review, Land of Nod, Dark & Down, Pigtail, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Greyhound Rising, Tube Top Flop, Money Love and Change, Scabbard, Frost, Let Me Lie, Push On Til The Day

Set Two: Gotta Jibboo, Valentine, Wherever You Find It, Wilson@, Sand, Small Axe, Gone, Magilla, Drifting, Clint Eastwood, First Tube

Encore: Architect, Devil Went Down to Georgia

@ – Acoustic

Also of note, Anastasio dusted off Gone – a studio version of which will be released on Saturday as part of the Blue Ash And Other Suburbs’ Record Store Day release – for the first time since Phish played the tune on December 31st, 2010. The last TAB version took place on October 21st, 2008. Here’s audio of the reworked version of Gone that was debuted last night…

Trey also didn’t use his Ocelot guitar all night, instead switching between his older Languedoc and his Fender Jaguar. The tour continues tonight at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

Blues legend B.B. King may be 87-years-old, but that hasn’t stopped him from touring as hard as artists a quarter his age. Last night the Itta Bena, Mississippi-bred singer/guitarist visited his namesake club in New York City, where he performed before a capacity crowd.

[All Photos by Dino Perrucci]

Our pal Dino Perrucci was in attendance and has shared this exceptional photos…

We’re excited to see that two outstanding bands will team up later this spring when Gov’t Mule brings Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers along for five Northeast shows at the end of May and beginning of June. The run begins at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine on May 30th and continues with stops in Boston, Atlantic City and Danbury, Connecticut before the bands go there separate ways following the June 4th finale at Red Bank, New Jersey’s Count Basie Theatre.

We expect plenty of collaboration. Here’s the full list of dates for the co-bill (Gov’t Mule will headline)…

May 2013
30: Portland, ME at Merrill Auditorium
31: Boston, MA at Bank Of America Pavilion

June 2013
01: Atlantic City, NJ at House of Blues- Atlantic City
02: Danbury, CT at Ives Concert Park
04: Red Bank, NJ at Count Basie Theatre

Tickets for all five shows are on sale now. See Nicki’s website for details.

This past weekend music festival season went into high gear as thousands descended upon Indio for the 12th installment of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival. Earlier this month fest organizers Goldenvoice and the town of Indio reached a long-term deal that would keep the event, along with its country music cousin Stagecoach, there through 2030. According to the LA Times, in addition to the 17-year deal for the April event, Goldenvoice would also be allowed to host two additional concerts each fall starting in 2014, with capacities of 75,000 and 99,000 people respectively. While there are no immediate plans, Goldenvoice Vice President Skip Paige told the Times, “If U2 wants to play a show, I don’t want to not be allowed to. We don’t have plans to do shows, but it is very possible.”

• List Time: 10 Worst Cover Songs Of All Time
• Beach Boy Brian Wilson will release his autobiography in 2015
• Cover Alert: Woods tackle The Kinks
• ?uestlove tells NPR about the night he went roller-skating with Prince and Eddie Murphy
• Download This: John Coltrane – Half Note Club – NYC, NY – 1965-03-03
• CSN&Y to release a live album from their (in)famous 1974 reunion tour

Finally, we’re roughly 36-hours away from Record Store Day, and we couldn’t be more ecstatic about the bounty of great releases that are headed into our local retailers this year. We’ve also loved the fact that organizers tapped Jack White to be RSD’s official ambassador. White, who has taken to his role, has something special in store for those that will be visiting his Third Man Records’ Shop in Nashville this weekend, as he will debut of the Third Man Record Booth. The booth, a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph machine, will allow folks to record up to two minutes of audio and walk away with “a one-of-a-kind 6″ phonograph disc”. Check out how it works…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Furthur has been holding court at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York since Monday night as the band is in the midst of a nine-show residency at the venue. Former Furthur member, and current Primus drummer, Jay Lane has a residency of his own nearby at the Copacabana restaurant in Port Chester during the run for a series of aftershows dubbed “CapToTheCopa.”

[Photo of Aaron Maxwell and Bob Weir via GSW FB]

Promoters promised plenty of surprise guests at the CapToTheCopa series and a few showed up last night when Furthur’s John Kadlecik and Bob Weir stopped by to perform with Jay Lane and Friends. Weir and Kadlecik joined God Street Wine guitarist Aaron Maxwell, Jay Lane, Kenny Brooks, Lizzy Friel, Paul Kates and Josh Kates for renditions of Bird Song and Sugaree by The Grateful Dead as well as One Way Out by the Allman Brothers Band. Kadlecik stuck around for China Doll and a cover of Cissy Strut.

As for Furthur, here’s a look at what they played last night…

Set One: Here Comes the Sun, Looks Like Rain, Crazy Fingers > Tom Thumb’s Blues, Big Bad Blues, Mason’s Children, Cosmic Charlie

Set Two: Playing In The Band > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Unbroken Chain > The Wheel > The Other One Jam > The Eleven > Cryptical Envelopment Jam > Other One > Wharf Rat > Sugar Magnolia > Playin’ Reprise

Encore: Donor Rap, Touch of Grey

[Setlist via PhilZone]

Former Wings front man Paul McCartney has just added a pair of New York City shows to his Out There! world tour. Macca will play Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 8th and 10th.

Tickets will go on sale this Monday, April 22nd, at 10AM ET via Ticketmaster.

Here’s the Out There! Tour Dates announced thus far…

May 18 – Orlando FL – Amway Center
May 19 – Orlando FL – Amway Center
May 22 – Austin TX – Frank Erwin Center
May 23 – Austin TX – Frank Erwin Center
May 26 – Memphis TN – FedEx Forum
May 29 – Tulsa OK – BOK Center
May 30 – Tulsa OK – BOK Center
June 8 – Brooklyn, MY Barclays Center
June 10 – Brooklyn, MY Barclays Center
June 13-16 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo
July 9 – Boston MA – Fenway Park
July 12 – Washington DC – Nationals Ballpark
July 16 – Milwaukee WI – Miller Park
July 19 – Seattle WA – Safeco Field
August 9-11 San Francisco, CA Outside Lands

This marks McCartney’s first headlining shows in New York since performing at Yankee Stadium in 2011. He did play MSG back in December as part of the 12-12-12: Sandy Relief Concert. For a full rundown of Macca’s New York City shows leading up to Yankee Stadium, check out this B List.

The Wanee Festival kicked off last night at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida and goes into full gear today. Our friends at SiriusXM’s Jam ON channel have just announced that they will broadcast sets from HT faves the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic and the Allman Brothers Band live from Wanee on Friday and Saturday as part of their “Wanee Weekend.”

The simulcast starts tomorrow afternoon at 4:30PM ET when Gov’t Mule takes the stage and will continue late into the evening with sets from Widespread Panic and the Allman Brothers Band. Then, on Saturday, Jam ON will air sets from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Widespread Panic and the Allman Brothers Band starting at 4:30PM ET.

Here’s the full rundown…

Friday, April 19th:

430-6pm Gov’t Mule
630-830pm Widespread Panic
930-12am Allman Brothers Band

Saturday, April 20th

430 – 6pm Tedeschi Trucks Band
630 – 830pm Widespread Panic
930 – 12am Allman Brothers Band

I’ll be a guest on tomorrow night’s broadcast and can’t wait to see what collaborations the bands involved have cooked up for this “Wanee Weekend.” You can find Jam ON on Channel 29.

East L.A.-bred rockers Los Lobos released When The Circus Comes on their Kiko LP in 1992 and the tale of a longtime friendship gone bad still sounds as urgent and thrilling to our ears as it did 21 years ago. Recently Amy Helm and her band have taken to covering the gorgeous tune in concert.

This past Sunday Helm and band mates Byron Isaacs, Justin Guip and Dan Littleton played a special acoustic set at the Ringwood Library in New Jersey. Videographer Scott Gibson caught the Amy Helm Band’s beautiful version of When The Circus Comes that they laid down that afternoon…