It feels like we’re turning a corner, the beginning of the beginning if you will. This past weekend was so normal in so many ways, but it was more of the new normal, one that I’ve grown very accustomed to and one that I’ll surely miss if ever the old normal returns.
2021/4/17 Tom Hamilton Jr., Private Residence, Fleetwood, PA
The calendar was chock full of kid’s sports (what’s more normal than that???), live music, and even a bevy of live music choices, as in, should I go see this or that (Chris Thile for free in NYC or Tom Hamilton for a pretty penny in someone’s gorgeous, rural Pennsylvanian backyard). Ultimately, TRH Jr. won out, both because that’s where I had committed to be and also because it gave me an opportunity to spend Saturday in the beautiful company of an entirely different group of people than those with whom I would share Sunday’s shenanigans. The setting was idyllic: a rustic stage adorned with ferns and a tapestry covered side table, nestled between a small pond and a stone farmhouse. The company, too, was top flight, and there was a palpable sense of relief amongst those in attendance for what turned out to be a super comfortable group hang.
Tommy was the consummate showman, with jokes galore and a personality that is just endearing as hell he played a variety of originals and covers from bands past and present, with a not-at-all surprisingly heavy dose of Grateful Dead. Interestingly, I actually had an item on my to-do-list titled “Email Tommy song requests.” Having seen him in this same format last year, I was well aware of the call and answer for requests but also figured he needed some time to prepare said requests if they came from outside of his wheelhouse (i.e. Grateful Dead). During said portion of the show, I called out “Farmhouse” to which he (lovingly?) replied, “Fuck you.” I guess that one’s not in his wheelhouse lol. My only intent with the aforementioned email (never sent) was to coax him to play a little something from Chris Cornell or Eddie Vedder’s catalog, two of my all time favorite artists who kind of wrote the book on the VH1 Storytellers type format (well, Cornell at least) whilst giving him time to prepare. In a cosmic twist of fate, Tommy honored my unspoked request and interpreted a gorgeous cover of Chris Cornell’s “Fell On Black Days”, played very much in his own style. The rest of the day’s highlights included a lovely acoustic “Foolish Heart” and the day’s runaway winner, “Never Been To Spain,” written by none other than Hoyt Axton who’s definitely worthy of a Google search.
Tommy really shines in this format; he’s likeable, funny, and talented as anything, definitely worthy of his spot on stage in any lineup of Grateful Dead tribute bands, cover bands, and former band members.. I do, however, have slight issue with the number of do-overs, aborted attempts, and half-run throughs of songs given the price point. I’m all for a collaborative and informal show but I think the entry fee demanded that the performance be taken a little more seriously. Call and answer is a dangerous format, and while I appreciate his comfort level with the crowd to have taken the chances that he did, I guess I would’ve preferred a little more preparation a la his staggering take on Cornell’s classic, “Fell On Black Days.” I feel a little guilty for saying all that, but then again, if I don’t say what I really feel, I’m devaluing my own words. All in all, a super afternoon and I’m beyond grateful that I was invited to participate.
The late afternoon/early evening affair was recorded by Eric McRoberts if ya feel like checking it out.
2021/4/19 Freaks Day Out , Valentino Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn
TL;DR: Freaks Day Out was solid fucking gold.
After a violent and wildly entertaining 13-year old soccer game in which my oldest son not only found himself on the winning side but also got to celebrate last season’s championship, Freaks Day Out was pure bliss. While the music was beautiful, visiting with friends and dogs and just being a part of this wonderful community was everything. I can’t even begin to tell you of the richness that the NYC Freaks have brought to my life and I only hope that I’ve managed to contribute in some small way to the community that I hold so dear.
Hanging in the shadows of a dilapidated building while gazing across the East River at Lady Liberty, the Freaks made camp at Valentino Park in Red Hook, Brooklyn, totally taking over a public space and claiming it as our own which is not to say, however, that others weren’t welcome as a few stragglers passed in and out over the course of the afternoon. I arrived to catch the tail end of guitarist JR Bohannon so can’t really comment there although it sounded like a nice sound bath to accompany the afternoon hang. Visiting with friends was the 100% the highlight of the day and there was happily an abundance of time between acts to socialize. If I had a singular complaint (and it’s a really small one), it’s that there was so much great company to enjoy that I probably didn’t spend enough time with any one person. After JR’s set was a prearranged sing along that was like the best version of a sleep away camp bonfire apart from the crowd being middle-aged, the time being midday, and the noticeable lack of fire. Dennis Bolger (Summerfeet), Adam Strum (Flight 467), Will Hanza (Escaper), Andy Hollander (BFAJRAD), and Larry Getlen (Lava Party) put their various stringed instruments together while a few others handed out song books and led us all on a singalong for the ages. It was so much fun, actually, that we ad-libbed a few extra tunes and ran over so that the lot of us ended up running a few minutes behind schedule and had to join the next act already in progress …
Karina Rykman with Marlo Shankweiler & Josh Greenzweig, Hometown BBQ, Red Hook, Brooklyn
Karina Rykman was, well, Karina Rykman. A spitfire bassist who plays with an abundance of panache, Karina is the essence of joie de vivre. I’ve gotten to know her music pretty well these last few years and if there’s one thing that best defines her, it’s the infectious vibe and golden aura that follow her around and envelop not just her performances but her sense of being. Whatever it is, she’s got it in spades and loves to spread it around on both sides of the stage.
Sunday’s trio was rounded out by Marlo Shankweiler and Josh Greenzeig of Melt, and under Karina’s leadership they owned Van Brunt street like no other band before them (and I’ve happily seen a number of shows here the last few months). Having already fallen firmly under the spell of Karina’s thump, I was seeing Ms. Shankweiler for the first time and I was instantly smitten with the gorgeous and penetrating psychedelic tone that was the perfect match for Karina’s fuzzy bass. It’s also worth noting the relative rarity of females playing instruments in rock bands and I was highly appreciative of this female dominated trio.
As a related point of note, Melt released their latest album recently, kind of psych-pop, and imo it’s def worth a listen. I was actually asked to review it a while back and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, album reviews kind of scare me and I had no personal connection to the music. I guess I’m kind of a backwards music fan in that I’ll see any band live and then go back and dig into their stuff once they’ve earned my attention via the live performance. Insofar as my writing is concerned, I’m just more of an experiential kind of writer and feel like “a review” that isn’t based on my personal experience will expose the fact that I have no clue wtf I’m talking about. Anyway, I now have a huge positive association with Marlo and Josh and by proxy I can’t wait to see Melt perform live for the first time (Marckomitoville anyone? Maybe a double bill with Karina??? I’m not kidding even a little bit).
Back to Van Brunt St. where the the block party was in full swing with spinning kids and dancing dogs and braless locals just totally immersed in Karina’s vibe and giving themselves to the communal energy. As for yours truly, I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I sweat through my shirt dancing this year and hot damn did it feel good. If you’re looking for highlights, I’d say look no further than the “Sand” > “Psycho Killer” combo followed by “Turtle In the Clouds” with special guest Willa, Karina’s 9-year old music student, on vocals. WOW!
One good ride from start to end I want to take that ride again. 6,301 steps.