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Well, it’s been a while since I posted here, been wicked busy with work and life. Here are a couple of logos I recently did for a side company I started, Pedal of the Day, where we review guitar/bass effects pedals, one a day. We also encourage other musicians to submit reviews of their favorite pedals and comment on others’ reviews, to get some good discussions going about what gear is good, what isn’t, and how it can all help improve your sound. Click either logo to head over to the site and check it out if you have a free minute, and hope you like the logos! Thoughts are always welcome, of course.

Look for more posts in the near future!

Widespread Panic hit the stage last night at the Botanical Gardens in the sweltering Idaho heat to play a show that was short in length but filled with grooves and musical peaks galore. Just after 7:00, the boys came out firing with a rockin’ cover of the Talking Heads’ ‘Papa Legba’, a crowd favorite for years. The rest of the set didn’t let up much either, with a great ‘Blackout Blues’, a little psychedelic rock with ‘Bear’s Gone Fishin’, and a raucous ‘Conrad The Caterpiller’ to cap it off.

During set break, the sun began to slowly go down, and the occasional breeze kept the crowd happy and not-too-overheated. After a nice start to the set, including a powerful ‘North’, Panic brought out Danny Hutchens and Eric Carter from opening band (and fellow Georgians) Bloodkin for a 2-song collaboration. The first tune was the WSP debut of Tom Waits’ ‘Clap Hands’, with JB’s scruffy vocals filling Waits’ shoes perfectly. Next up was ‘Quarter Tank of Gasoline’, which has been quietly sneaking into the rotation more and more this year.

After the guests left the stage, it was back to business with a non=stop end to the show consisting of ‘B of D’ > ‘Papa’s Home’ > Drums > ‘Papa’s Home’ > ‘Proving Ground’ > ‘Chilly Water’. Whew! Sandwiched in between a melodic, groove-oriented ‘Papa’s Home’, ‘Drums’ was short and sweet, and paved the way for the ending ‘Proving Ground’ > ‘Chilly Water’ sequence that ended the night on a high note. On a lower note, however, the show was stopped precisely at 10:00, due to the venue’s strict curfew, causing us to (apparently) miss out on a scheduled ‘Ballad of John & Yoko’ encore, and JB didn’t even say ‘Goodnight’! All in all, a great Panic show as usual, and even though it was a little warm out in the open field near Boise, the crowd all left wearing a big summertime smile. Enjoy the photos below!

It’s hard to believe that Leftover Salmon was here on the EXACT SAME DAY last winter, but it’s all true, and they rocked Boise’s Knitting Factory once again last Saturday night. With an absolutely unrelenting 2-set, almost 3-hour show, the boys from Boulder threw down like they meant business, and the crowd let them know they appreciated the effort.

Picking up right where last year’s show left off, the band tore up a great opening set, including a couple of Idaho-specific tunes to keep the Boise crowd happy. ‘Idaho Spud’ was a clever take on Johnny Cash‘s ‘Tennessee Stud’, sung with alternate and appropriate potato-themed lyrics. For their debut song of the evening, we were treated to a fast-paced slamgrass version of the Skynyrd classic ‘What’s Your Name’, which was met with a roaring crowd approval.

The second set upped the energy of the first, with the band playing superb music throughout the rest of the night. A band-to-crowd call and response during ‘Hot Corn, Cold Corn’ really connected everyone in the venue, before they wound things up with a stunning ‘Hey Joe’. A surprise ‘Friend Of The Devil’ encore was most enjoyable, and they left the stage with the entire room singing “…Rise Up, Gonna Wake and Bake…”. A great end to a fantastic evening in Boise.

I’d also like to give a little shout out to our new friend Joe, who grabbed a drink with us before the show, then proceeded to put on a dazzling display of lights to accompany the music. It’s always a great time when Salmon comes to town, and 16 years after I saw them for the first time, they’re playing tighter and better than ever. Well done, fellas, we’ll see you soon!

3-2-2013 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID

Set One: Voodoo Queen, Steam Powered Aeroplane, Mountain Top, Woods, Idaho Spud*, Shame & Scandal, What’s Your Name?**, Bird Call, Meet Me In The Morning, 6 Days On The Road, Keep Drivin’

Set Two: The Other Side, Liza, Whiskey Before Breakfast > Over The Waterfall, Get ‘Er Rollin’, Lonesome Dave’s Lovesick Blues, Whisper’ Waters, Keep on Truckin’, This Is The Time, Stay Away Monday, Bosco Strumble, Hot Corn Cold Corn > One Love > Hot Corn Love Corn, Hey Joe

E: Going ‘Round The World > Friend Of The Devil > Wake & Bake

* sung to “Tennessee Stud” by Johnny Cash
** live cover debut – Lynyrd Skynyrd

(don’t forget to follow @LeftoverSalmon on Twitter!)

I think I’m going to try this experiment out in a couple of parts, so here goes Numero Uno. There’s a ton of great music out in the world, and most of it you’ll never hear on the radio or SiriusXM, but it’s important that it gets heard. This first collection of tunes is eclectic if nothing else, and is a good starting point for my musical ramblings. Some of these tunes you may have heard, some may even seem familiar, and some you won’t have a clue about. But really, that is the point. So, open up your mind, sit back and throw on your favorite headphones, and get ready for some new music…

“…let there be songs to fill the air…” – Robert Hunter, ‘Ripple’

1. Blue Sparkle Fade by Freshwater Collins

Now, these fellas hail from the great state of Wisconsin, and were a huge fixture on the Milwaukee music scene during the late ’90’s and early-to-mid 2000’s. Their funky-rock style provided much entertainment for folks all over the country as they became increasingly popular, but alas, they are no more, like many bands in my collection. Here’s a tune from their sophomore effort ‘The Portable Atmosphere‘. (and check out lead singer Chris Vos’ new band The Record Company)

Blue Sparkle Fade

2. A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” by De La Soul

Definitely one of the most underrated hip-hop groups of all time, De La Soul had a sound and lyrics like no one else. This track, from the band’s 2nd release ‘De La Soul Is Dead‘, and featuring Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, is a funky, danceable tune taking us all back to when hip-hop was hip-hop.

A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays”

3. Discovering Japan by Graham Parker

I had never heard Graham Parker until about 6 months ago, when I inquired about who was playing over the speakers at my local record shop, The Record Exchange. Turns out, this tune from the 1979 album ‘Squeezing Out Sparks‘ is awesome. It sure sounds like it’s from 1979, but don’t let that frighten you. Lots of good music came from the ’70’s, you can admit it, it’s OK, you’re among friends…

Discovering Japan

4. When Vegans Attack by Clutch

This band has been pumping out riff-heavy rock for a couple of decades now, and this track from their 2007 album ‘From Beale Street To Oblivion‘ is no exception. Great guitars, pounding drums and Neil Fallon‘s signature growl make this band one of the best-kept secrets in the land.

When Vegans Attack

5. Nappy Heads by The Fugees

Everyone knows ‘The Score’ was a fantastic album from this fantastic hip-hop Haitian trio. What a lot of people don’t realize is that that was their SECOND album…no, it’s true, I promise. The writing on my copy of ‘Blunted On Reality‘ got so faded in high school, no one but me could recognize it. One of the most explosive, creative, important and overlooked albums of the mid-nineties, this is one song that will get you bouncing around the room.

Nappy Heads

6. El Caminos In The West by Grandaddy

This California-based American indie-rock band never really got the recognition they deserved before breaking up around 2006. While rumors of a reunion are abound, for now we’ll just have to listen to this jam from their 2003 album ‘Sumday‘.

El Caminos In The West

7. Stew by Azz Kitchen

What can I tell you about this band…nothing legal. The ‘Summer of ’98’ was a wild one, and these boys provided much of the musical backdrop. Another Milwaukee band, I was also the lucky one to grace the cover of their only album, ‘The Liquid Pocket’. This tune has great instruments, lyrics and attitude. We miss you, fellas… (also check out the Kris Crow Band and Motherdog)

Stew

8. Milquetoast by Helmet

After almost 20 years of waiting, I recently got a chance to see Helmet, and they did not disappoint. Sure, it wasn’t the same lineup from the early days, but they still brought the thunder. ‘Betty‘ always seemed to be downplayed a bit to me, especially after the mainstream success they enjoyed with ‘Meantime‘ in the early 1990’s, but this record is at least up to par with that one, if not a wee bit better. This song was one of 2 encores they played a few weeks ago, and it was worth the wait. Enjoy.

Milquetoast

9. Gazzelloni by Eric Dolphy

Mr. Dolphy seems to get overlooked by the Miles Davis’ and the John Coltranes’ as far as jazz is concerned, but he could hold his own, and how. On his only recording for Blue Note Records, ‘Out To Lunch!‘, his saxophone skills shine, and this piece is a prime example.

Gazzelloni

10. Plow by Dag

For the last track in this first installment of not-well-known songs/bands, we’re going to take a look at Dag. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Dag created a mix of soul, funk, jazz and whatever else they wanted to throw in the mix. ‘Righteous‘ was their debut album in 1994, and was well-received, but the band broke up around 1999. They left us with a great collection of music, as is exemplified here.

Plow

Now, like I said before, some of these tunes may not be new to you, some may be gems you haven’t heard in a while, and some (most, hopefully) will be new jams you can add to your collection. Either way, I hope you enjoy all of these rad tracks, and stay “tuned” (hehe) for my next installment, coming soon…

Boulder, Colorado’s own Big Gigantic took the stage last Saturday night in Boise for one of the best sets of “jamtronica” witnessed at the Knitting Factory in Idaho. A mix of sampling, electronic beats, hip-hop, live drumming and live sax made for a vast array of sonic textures over the course of their 2-hour show, not to mention the ridiculous light show to add to the mood and feel of the evening.

Dominic Lalli‘s mixing and jazz-and-latin-influenced saxophone playing added great lead runs to a smokin’ electronic backdrop, while drummer Jeremy Salken was absolutely relentless on the kit, as his longest break of the evening was roughly 16 seconds, if memory serves. These guys have been getting bigger and bigger on both the electronic and jam band scenes over the last few years, and from the sounds of it, they are not planning on letting up any time soon…