SMM #17: September 24th, 2021
Notes on my first concert in eighteen months, September new releases, and a six-pack of songs focused on musical duos.
Concert Notes
Date: September 11th, 2021
Act: Brittany Howard & My Morning Jacket
Venue: Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, NY
Hallelujah!! Finally got back out on the concert scene with first show since seeing the 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Allman Brothers at Madison Square Garden eighteen LONG months ago on March 10, 2020 (just under the Covid lockdown wire!)...
My Morning Jacket is one of my favorite live bands but due to Covid, on top of a self-imposed band hiatus, they had not toured since 2017… I had seen them three times previously in 2012 at Williamsburg Waterfront, 2013 as part of Bob Dylan’s “Americanarama Festival”, and in 2015 at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, and every time they put on a blazing display of rock n’ roll led by the twin guitar attack of Jim James and Carl Broemel…
Show opener Brittany Howard quickly rose to fame after her band, Alabama Shakes, released their outstanding debut album, Boys & Girls, in 2012… it was quite evident Howard was destined for stardom the two times I saw them, as openers for Jack White at Roseland in NYC in 2012, and as one of the headliners at New Orleans JazzFest in 2017… she officially went solo in 2019 and also completely changed direction musically…
When Howard hit the stage at Forest Hills, it was with a band that had the look and sound of an old school soul/R&B review… they put on an exciting, high energy performance of rockin’ soul & funk originals along with some covers - and NO Alabama Shakes songs, not even their big hit, “Hold On”… still, she didn’t need it based on the very enthusiastic response she received from the modest crowd… typical of many, many shows I have been to over the years, the bulk of the crowd blew off the opening act and, in this case, it was their loss!
By the time My Morning Jacket hit the stage, the crowd had filled in significantly… MMJ chose to leave the floor open and it eventually resembled a sea of people… we had GREAT seats in the 2nd row, out a little way from the front corner of the stage… the band did a 2 hour, 20-song set that included a mix of fan favorites, stellar covers of Marvin Gaye’s classic hits, “Mercy Mercy Me” and “What’s Going On,” and two new songs from their upcoming album, eponymously titled My Morning Jacket, scheduled for release October 22… check it out, along with their classic 2003 album, It Still Moves (which they still draw heavily from for their live shows) and my favorite from 2011, Circuital...
In closing I would just like to sing the praises of Forest Hills Stadium… this is pretty close to a perfect outdoor venue… it’s like they thought “what is the BEST way to do everything” and then did it… very efficient getting you in and out, loads of food & drink options, lots of bathrooms, and a big open space outside the stadium to hang out in... it’s located down a side street off of a beautiful neighborhood that looks like an old European village with cobblestone streets, bars & restaurants… the streets are closed to traffic a few hours before and after concerts making for a relaxed scene for pre-gaming... also, the LIRR does run right above the neighborhood but this makes for easy access from Long Island or NYC, and getting up to the train platform is very well organized after the show… finally, another plus: Forest Hills does NOT use the hated Ticketmaster! Instead their tickets are sold via AXS… I am 100% certain there is not a chance in hell I would have snagged those great seats if I had to go through Ticketmaster!
New Releases
BOB DYLAN - Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16/1980-1985… the latest release in Dylan’s ongoing Bootleg archival series covers a period when Bob released the studio albums Shot of Love (1981), Infidels (1983) and Empire Burlesque (1985) (there was also the live album, Real Live (1984) which was a very rocking affair featuring great lead guitar work from former Rolling Stone, Mick Taylor)... this was a time where Dylan was coming out of his controversial, not so well-received “born again” period and searching for new directions… Infidels was more like “classic” Dylan and Empire Burlesque had several great songs while employing state-of-the-art production for the times... like most of Dylan’s Bootleg albums, this one is loaded with great alternate takes, unreleased tracks, and live cuts that makes you wonder how some of these songs never made it onto his proper studio albums!
SAMANTHA FISH - Faster… on her latest release, the 32 year old guitar slinger moves away from blues and blues-rock and more towards rock n’ roll… her stellar guitar work is still all over the album but she also adds R&B and pop styles into the mix, and even brings in rapper/singer/songwriter Tech N9ne on the song, “Loud”... overall, everything works and this album should move Fish further up the ladder of stardom…
ADIA VICTORIA - A Southern Gothic… Nashville based singer-songwriter, poet, and podcaster Victoria is kind of a Southern “Renaissance” woman… on her third album she explores the history and culture of the south from a young Black girl’s perspective… Victoria was able to secure the legendary T-Bone Burnett’s services to handle production duties and the album incorporates country blues, folk, soul and jazz into a heavy bluesy sound that lives up to its title… there are also several notable guest artists on the album including Margo Price, Jason Isbell, and Matt Berninger of The National...
AMY HELM - What the Flood Leaves Behind… this is the third solo album from the daughter of Levon Helm, the iconic drummer/vocalist for The Band... Helm worked with an impressive cast of talented artists on this album, including producer Josh Kaufman (Taylor Swift, The Hold Steady, Hiss Golden Messenger, The National) and North Carolina “MVP” musician, Phil Cook (who I will profile in a future issue!)... Amy also wrote or co-wrote 7 of the album’s 10 songs, unlike her previous release where she mostly employed outside songwriters… Helm incorporates folk, gospel, and country influences into her soulful vocal style on this outstanding release that firmly puts her in the upper echelon of today’s Americana/roots music scene...
THE FELICE BROTHERS - From Dreams to Dust… the Felice Brothers continue to employ their own unique brand of Americana/roots music to produce consistently solid albums… the brothers grew up near Woodstock and absorbed the influences associated with that region, such as, Bob Dylan and The Band and later, the Levon Helm “Midnight Ramble” scene in Woodstock… their sound has become more polished over time from the loose, back-porch jam session sound of their early albums but it still works with their quirky, original songwriting style…
Six-Pack of Songs #10: The Two Man (or Woman!) Band
I decided to delve into the two-man/woman band genre for this issue’s 6-Pack Playlist… it starts off with the Flat Duo Jets, a guitar/drums duo that was active in the 80s & 90s playing a crude, down n’ dirty, high energy brand of 50s rockabilly know as “psychobilly”... a lot of their catalog is no longer available but here they are doing a live version of swing bluesman Big Joe Turner’s “TV Mama”... next, the White Stripes took the musical potential of drums/guitar to another level, releasing their first album in 1999… the playlist track, “My Doorbell” is from their 2005 album, Get Behind Me Satan… they went on to release six albums, inspiring many to follow their lead, before the group disbanded in 2011… drummer Meg White left the music biz but Jack White has gone on to more fame & fortune as a solo artist and also established the record company, Third Man Records… it should be noted that White has cited the Flat Duo Jets as an influence and reissued one of their albums on Third Man… The Black Keys followed the Stripes with their debut album The Big Come Up in 2002 and have gone on to huge commercial and artistic success… the song “Little Submarines” from their 2011 album, El Camino, is a showstopper in concert as it goes from a quiet ballad to a raging Led Zeppelin-style rocker… guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach followed White’s lead and also established his own record label, Easy Eye Sound, in Nashville in 2017… next up is Mr. Airplane Man consisting of the Boston female duo of Margaret Garrett (guitars, vocals) and Tara McManus (drums)... they were originally inspired by iconic bluesman, Howlin’ Wolf, and released their first album in 2001… it was definitively lo-fi but with each subsequent release, they have added polish to their sound and the playlist song, “Deep Blue” from their 2018 album, Jacaranda Blue, is a good example of their current sound… they also recently released a new 6-song EP… Henry’s Funeral Shoe (interesting name!) is one of my favorite new discoveries of 2021… two brothers from South Wales, Aled (guitar/vocals) and Brennig Clifford (drums), these guys rock HARD! Aled cranks out one catchy rip-roaring guitar riff after another, accompanied by his appropriately gruff, tough vocals… although I just picked up on them, they did release their first two albums in 2009 and 2011, respectively... since then, there has only been a 5-song EP in 2014 and their third album in 2019… nevertheless, there’s still plenty of great stuff to check out! Closing out the playlist is Shovels & Rope which is the South Carolina husband & wife duo of Carrie Ann Hearst and Michael Trent… they blend early country, rockabilly, bluegrass, and blues into a lively rockin’ sound… the song included here is from their excellent 2012 debut album, O’ Be Joyful, and they have put out a steady stream of quality releases since… — SL