May 2009

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon (TO FOLLOW)

With the sun finally out in full force and only bright fluffy white clouds in the sky, Day 2 of Mountain Jam had the makings of a perfect day. I hurried over to the mountain to catch The Macpodz and their vibrant horns started the day out right. Brett Dennen kept it going with more smooth roots rock that was easy and familiar, perfect for those who might still be recovering. Something that struck me was that unlike most afternoon slots at festivals, there were a lot of people out on the hill; apparently Mt Jam organizers know how to pick them.

By afternoon it was beautifully cool and breezy, and I was excited for Gomez to take the stage. Seducing the crowd with their infectious song, Airstream Driver, I like them more with every listen. With the perfect mix of raspiness and grit, How We Operate shows the range this band has. From easy pop to hard hitting rock they blend all sorts of sounds and keep me wanting more.

The day rolled on with Jackie Greene who may be young but his talent shows. He included a nod to the Grateful Dead in New Speedway Boogie as well as a personal favorite of mine, Velvet Underground’s Waiting for My Man. The Hold Steady made sure to give fans a taste of their new album including their new single Memphis. READ ON for more…

Words: Carla Danca
Photos: Jeremy Gordon

The first day of Mountain Jam, held at beautiful Hunter Mountain in the northern Catskills of New York, had something for everyone.

I started the day with Marco Benevento Trio and a cover of MMJ’s Golden that was so beautiful even a butterfly was drawn to the stage. Next up was PBS (Porter Batiste and Stoltz) with a set so filled with funky grooves that it seemed to call down the rain, with some help from an on-stage rain dance of sorts by George. Railroad Earth and Tea Leaf Green had the crowds dancing and smiling despite the on again / off again showers. By the time Umphrey’s was up and the lights had begun to fade, things really started to move. Warren got in his first sit in of the day with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, as Umphrey’s wrapped up its set.

But this is Gov’t Mule’s festival and it wouldn’t be their style to let anyone go home without a serious taste of what they bring – Warren tearing into that guitar so furiously that picks were flying off stage like dirty cigarette butts. With covers from Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, I’m not sure if there is anything that they can’t make their own. George Porter joined then on stage and the second set ended with Tea Leaf Green’s Josh Clark and Trevor Garrod joining in for a stunning Cortez the Killer, while the crowd helped out in a sing-a-long.

If you could made it to late night however, you were in for a something special. Girl Talk fronted an all out party on stage complete with dozens of girls dancing on stage while tossing toilet paper streamers and even an inflatable whale into the crowd. His thumping set was filled with all your guilty pleasure songs from the past 20 years—the ones you can’t resist singing along to when you’re alone in the car. Inside, Eric Krasno and Chapter 2 gave a different kind of dance party, with some straight up rock and roll including a cover of Hendrix’s Manic Depression.

READ ON for more of Carla’s thoughts and Jeremy’s photos from Hunter…

While Phish continues to rehearse at the DCU Center (aka The Centrum) in Worcester, the Hidden Track team is getting ready to hit the road for what promises to be

Photographer Chris Cartelli took a trip down south to attend last weekend’s Amberland Festival which was thrown by jam-rockers Perpetual Groove at Cherokee Farms in Lafayette, Georgia and delivered these

Years ago, when I was working for Legal Seafoods in Boston, Mass there was – and still is – a great restaurant in Cambridge named The East Coast Grill. The Chef/Owner, Chris Schlesinger, created an amazing hot sauce there called Inner Beauty Real Hot Sauce that was bottled and sold outside the restaurant in stores. Regrettably, that sauce is no longer made for retail sale, although legend has it you can go to East Coast Grill and ask Chris for some and he will provide it to you.

Anyhow, forward to the present. I recently attended the Hot Dog Hootenany at The Astor Center and had the chance to meet the guys behind Wheelhouse Pickles. I was talking to John, one of the guys behind Wheelhouse, when we got on the subject of hot sauces. He told me I had to try his Minor Threat Sauce.

These guys have come oh so close to duplicating one of my favorite all time hot sauces (except I thought It could be a little bit hotter, but that’s me). If you like flavorful spicy sauces rather than just really hot sauces, check out Minor Threat, it will make everything you eat taste that much better. I know, I have already gone through several jars since I was given my first bottle by the Wheelhouse crew.

READ ON for more about Minor Threat sauce and this week’s links…

This evening marks the end of Jay Leno’s reign as host of NBC’s Tonight Show. Incoming Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien will be Jay’s last guest in what should be

The music of Phish has been used in movies and for tv shows but the quartet’s music has never been featured in a video game… until now. A developer for