2020/10/20 Diomede & Donovan w/ Michael Jaskewicz @ Olde Village Pub, Middletown, NJ
First things first … it’s been a hot minute since I saw indoor music and I was quite obviously excited but also lukewarm to the idea. I’ve had a singular restaurant meal indoors since March and that was just a few weeks back so I had a little experience with being inside and feeling safe. I was tepid because people behave differently in bars with live music than they do when they’re seated at tables in restaurants. It’s not just up to the establishment to set safety protocols; patrons must bear the onus of responsibility, as well. To that end, some people do and others don’t, but this one did as I employed a variety of restaurant props to establish a very comfortable radius on all sides. With the band in front, a chair blocking the aisle behind, a table to my left and a wall to my right, I was literally barricaded on all sides. When the regular rail rats came to dance up front, I let them know as kindly as I could manage that “this” wasn’t “that” show and please go somewhere else. Further, the sign on the door said occupancy 41 (assuming that’s 25% of their fire code capacity) and there weren’t more than thirty folks there. Actually, with the number of people in and out to smoke and shit like that, there were typically fifteen to twenty people in the main space. I felt completely safe.
The show was billed as “An Acoustic Night: Diomede & Donovan with Michael Jaskewicz.” For some reason, the word acoustic sends a subliminal message of chill. Quite frankly, this was anything but as I danced my freaking ass off and sweat through my shirt, compounded by the mistake of wearing pants to a show for the first time in G-d knows how long. I was also wearing a scarf which didn’t help but it also kind of did. Let me explain. When it was first gifted to me years ago, I was promised that said scarf would keep me warm when I was cold and cool when I was hot. Inexplicably, that paradox holds true. I’ll never make the pants mistake again, though. Parond my digression.
This “mellow acoustic” show kicked some serious fucking ass and as previouusly alluded to, I completely underestimated that fact. Examine the lineup for proof positive of the ineptitude of my foresight. Mark Diomede is sits on the tie-dyed guitar throne for local Deadheads. A beloved dude who throws some serious heat with sizzling solos, he was joined on acoustic guitar by Mike Jaskewiz of Cosmic, perhaps the heir apparent to the local tie-dyed throne, even as he simultaneously grows his roots in the singer songwriter realm, as well. He grew up in this scene, though, and we’ll claim him as ours for now ;). Said Mike, “Mark Diomede is a legend. (He) has created incredible music and played incredible venues with incredible musicians. It’s so easy to take him for granted because he is so kind-hearted and accessible. But make no mistake, Mark is a giant in the NJ jam scene. To play music with him transports me to new heights and ideas, and I always walk away feeling like a better musician and human being. His heart is as kind as it gets and he is my example and inspiration of all I want to be as a musician.”
Rounding out this talented trio was drummer Dan Donovan who abandoned his usual kit (apart from the snare, hi-hat, and cymbals) for a hodgepodge of hand drums that include a djembe paired with a lonely conga. For the most part he played with sticks, mallets, and brushes (as opposed to his hands) and really put a completely new side of himself on display. With the perfect balance of subtlety and aggression dictated by each particular moment, Dan’s contributions really elevated this trio to someplace special while causing me to really zone out on him numerous time after time.
Opening with a Diomede original called “Isolation Blues”, I was immediately struck by Mike’s solo on a song that he was no doubt playing for the first time ever. Wow. A ripping cover of Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” (my second in just four days) really got me moving early in the set. Check out a short clip.
After a lovely “C’est La Vie”, Diomede returned Mike’s earlier favor by shredding a solo on a Jaskewicz original called “What Am I” that he, too, was playing for the first time ever. Now I’m no musician, but I can’t imagine walking into a song cold like that and completely crushing a solo off the cuff. Further, while Mike and Mark do serve great honor upon the memory of Jerry Garcia, their originals come from someplace deeper and hearing Mike’s vocals on “What Am I” really underscored that point. The talent here on the Jersey shore is really just next level and watching these guys visibly appreciate each other while they played was just the cherry on top a perfect setlist. I’ve been seeing these whoever-we-can-grab kind of lineups forever and without the pressure of being perfect (or just being a band for that matter), they’re always extra loose and fun. Mark and Mike don’t play together as much as we may like them to and their first ever acoustic collaboration was surely a treat. It was at this point in the show that I mentally committed to give this little liquor store show on a school night the full write-up worthy of its attention.
I busted Mike sneaking a few licks of the cover track to his new album Crooked Tree into the Grateful Dead’s “Lazy River Road” that he sang just before double dipping on “Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox” to break the pattern of alternating vocals with Diomede. {Cosmic played that one by request at my house earlier this summer delighting me with my first ever live version that stands in delightful contrast this acoustic gem} Damn, but I just love that one. A Diomede number called “She Don’t Mind” had a real sexy and addictive hook before a beautiful cover of Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Blue Sky”.
“Cold Rain & Snow” and “Gomorrah” were typically awesome. An acoustic “New Speedway Boogie” is always a fucking treat and Dan was just on absolute fire back there on his drums, especially as he led a sick transition into “Eyes Of The World” that I almost coudn’t believe and left me quite literally dripping with sweat.
I made a few dope requests that were greeted with enthusiasm during the setbreak but never made the setlist — y’all owe me an acoustic Aiko 😉 — before we all returned for “Harder They Come”. “Free Fallin’” gave a nod to Tom Petty’s birthday before Jaskewicz’ “War That Can’t Be Won” received a really warm response from the friendly crowd. Phish’s “Wading In The Velvet Sea” raised the hair on my arms before Mike’s cover track “Crooked Tree” featured a broken guitar string and a heat of the moment full band “Bertha” jam that gained some steam before heading back into “Crooked Tree”.
A super hot Diomede original trance jam that he wrote for Juggling Suns, this next one sounded like something tailor made for a tribal rave and though I’d never heard it before, I have to believe that in addition to dueling guitars, Dan’s percussion had to figure heavily in what left that impression. I also first started to notice that every now and again while Mark is soloing, he falls into a zone when his eyes sort of roll back in his head and he half-closes one eye. I’d love to be able to somehow bookmark those moments and listen back to them on audio because some serious shit goes down when that happens.
This would be a trio of originals as a track off Diomede’s band’s Solar Circus’ third album, “Place Outside Of Time”, followed. {Hey Andrea, I dare you to find fault with all those possessive nouns.} A ripping “Let It Grow” closed the main set.
My phone had as much as it could handle and crapped out halfway through this stirring cover of “Cortez The Killer” which held up the “encore” slot. It merits your attention.
This was another one of those intimate and transcendent local nights that I just didn’t have too many of in my former music life pre-Covid. Super grateful for the folks on both sides of the stage that made it worth my while to stay out late on a school night. All the love.
19,038 spaciously delicious indoor steps.
Setlist …
Set One: Isolation Blues*, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, C’est La Vie, What Am I^, Lazy River Road, Breadbox, She Don’t Mind*, Goodbye Blue Sky, Cold Rain & Snow, Gomorrah, New Speedway Boogie > Eyes Of The World
Set Two: Harder They Come, Free Fallin’, War That Can’t Be Won^ > Wading In the Velvet Seas > Crooked Tree^#, Diomede Trance Jam*, Place Outside Of Time*, Let It Grow, Encore: Cortez The Killer
*Diomede original
^Jaskewicz original
# with Bertha jam
