The National August 17, 2007 Pier 17 – Lossless Download

August 18, 2007
By

The National deserved better. The afternoon saw persistent rain that fortunately let up near the end of the opening set, and stayed clear throughout the entire National set. Unfortunately, there was some problem with the sound system, and in particular Matt Berninger’s lead vocal microphone that caused crackling every time he tried to raise the volume of his voice to match the level of the music.

All that aside, the performance was energetic and tight. I’ve never seen The National live before, but based upon the new album Boxer, which sounds very much like Tindersticks to me, I expected a more dirge-like performance. Instead, the band rocked and Matt wailed. The live National reminds very much of early Echo & the Bunnymen or PC&L-era New Order.

I recorded from an excellent position, about 30 feet in front of the stacks using the DPA uni-directional microphones. This position gave me a direct line to the sound, and avoided the pratfalls of an outdoor show, particularly one in rainy conditions and on the river. There is absolutely no wind noise on this recording. Again, the sound system let us down. At louder moments during vocals, the crackling is quite evident. During the completely instrumental moments, and quite parts of the show, the recording is outstanding.

This recording is now available to download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

More about FLAC

The National
2007-08-17
Seaport Music Festival
Pier 17
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from 30 Feet
in Front of Right PA Stacks

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > flac

Premiere Download offered at
http://www.nyctaper.com
nyctaper@nyctaper.com

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper 2007-08-18

Setlist:
01 Start a War
02 Mistaken for Strangers
03 Secret Meeting
04 Brainy
05 Baby, We’ll Be Fine
06 Slow Show
07 Abel
08 Squalor Victoria
09 Racing Like A Pro
10 Apartment Story
11 Daughters Of The Soho Riots
12 Fake Empire
13 Mr. November
Encores:
14 Murder Me Rachael
15 About Today

16 Bonus Track (final song from The Forms set)

As with all artists featured on this site, if you download this recording please purchase The National’s new album Boxer:

Disco Biscuits August 15, 2007 – McCarren Pool – Lossless Download

August 17, 2007
By

As a warm-up to their annual “Camp Bisco“, the Disco Biscuits performed a fairly short and tame two-hour set on Wednesday night. However, the ambient and trance jams were on full display at several points during the show, and the crowd energy, the outdoor pool setting, and sound quality were all quite outstanding.

This recording was made from the exact same location and with the exact same equipment as the Umphrey’s opening set–optimal equipment in an optimal setting. Enjoy!

This recording is now available for download in FLAC and MP3 on Archive.org [HERE].

More about FLAC

Disco Biscuits
2007-08-15
McCarren Pool
Brooklyn, New York USA

Digital Master Recording
Front of Board Center

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime >
digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2007-08-16

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:53:56]
01 The Safety Dance
02 Trucker’s Choice
03 Terrapin Station (piano instrumental) >
04 Spaga >
05 Abraxas >
06 Spaga
07 Onamae Wa >
08 Crickets >
09 Jam > Highwire >
10 I Remember When
11 [encore break]
12 Woman at Home With Termites
13 I Wanna Be Sedated

As with all artists featured on this site, if you download this recording please purchase the Disco Biscuits newest release.

Umphrey’s McGee August 15, 2007 McCarren Pool – Lossless Download

August 16, 2007
By

Its not often when the opening act of a concert performs a 90 minute set, and the crowd is thoroughly engaged. The Umphrey’s McGee set last night was the rarest of beasts, a tight “jam band” set full of prog-rock twists and turns.

Umphrey’s “taper-friendly” approach allowed a group of a half-dozen recordists to position themselves directly in front of the soundboard in the center. I was fortunate to be in that group, and used my best equipment. The result is an outstanding recording, with rich bass presence and excellent clarity.

The Disco Biscuits set from this concert will be posted within the next 24 hours.

This recording is now available for download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

More about FLAC

Umphrey’s McGee
2007-08-15
McCarren Pool
Brooklyn, New York USA

Digital Master Recording
Front of Board Center

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > flac

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:29:08]
01 Prowler
02 Pipeline
03 Plunger
04 Higgins
05 Plunger
06 Atmosfarag
07 Roulette
08 Utopian Fir
09 All in Time

As with all artists featured on this site, if you download this recording please purchase Umphrey’s McGee’s latest CD:

Upcoming nyctaper Events

August 12, 2007
By

Disco Biscuits/Umphrey’s McGee:
August 15, 2007, Both Sets Posted Above

The National:
August 17, 2007, Posted Above

Pat McGee Band:
August 24, 2007, Posted Above

Fiery Furnaces:
August 26, 2007, Posted Above

Meat Puppets:
August 30, 2007, Posted Above

Amiina:
September 5, 2007, Amiina Canceled US Tour

Please note that due to scheduling conflicts, I may not be able to attend the Toronto Virgin Festival, this is a tentative date.

Bjork:
September 8, 2007, Virgin Festival, Toronto Canada
Virgin Festival Tickets at Toronto Centre Island

Smashing Pumpkins:
September 9, 2007, Virgin Festival, Toronto Canada
Virgin Festival Tickets at Toronto Centre Island

Bjorkestra/Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey:
September 22, 2007, Gramercy Theatre, NYC

Bjork:
September 24, 2007, Bjork Tickets at Madison Square Garden

Animal Collective:
September 30, 2007, Webster Hall NYC
October 1, 2007, Webster Hall NYC
Animal Collective Tickets at Webster Hall

The Mekons:
October 3, 2007, Gramercy Theater NYC

Of Montreal:
October 13, 2007, Of Montreal Tickets at Roseland Ballroom

Regina Spektor:
October 15, 2007, Regina Spektor Tickets at Hammerstein Ballroom

The Shins:
October 24, 2007, Terminal Five, NYC

Phil Lesh and Friends:
November 8, 2007, Phil Lesh Tickets at Nokia Theatre Times Square

mum:
November 9, 2007, Church of St. Paul NYC
November 10, 2007, Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall NYC

Recordings will be posted at this site for each of those concerts that nyctaper attends and records. As with any future plans, some of these concerts may not be attended or recorded by nyctaper, for reasons out of my control. Please check back to the site often for updates as other concerts will be added.

I have received numerous requests to attend and record certain specific events. Please bear in mind that my time and energy are limited. Specific requests are more likely to be successful if accompanied by a guest list pass, complimentary ticket or other incentives.

The Figgs – August 3, 2007 Maxwell’s – Lossless Download

August 8, 2007
By

This past Friday was one of those perfect concert experiences that occur all too infrequently. You may know “pub rock” trio The Figgs as Graham Parker’s band, or you may know The Figgs from their 1994 hit “Favorite Shirt”, but they are so much more than those references. The Figgs write and perform well-crafted power pop songs as a skin-tight ensemble. As you’ll hear in the recording offered below, they are also an energetic and entertaining live act.

My experience of recording the Figgs was also outstanding. I was fortunate to meet up with some Figgs fans including Sal (who made this all happen) and Steve (from the excellent music blog Baby, You Got a Stew Goin’!), and also chat with the band. The soundman at Maxwell’s not only mixed a perfect set, but also assisted me in setting up my recording in an ideal location. As a result, the sound quality on this recording is about as superb as could possibly be captured in a venue of this size.

Many thanks to the excellent Figgs, Mike, Pete and Pete, to Sal, and to Craig the soundman. When the Figgs come to your town, you must go and experience this band!

Download the complete concert in FLAC [HERE].

More about FLAC

The Figgs
2007-08-03
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Inside the Soundboard Booth
Dead Center, approximately 30 feet from the PA

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper

Setlist:
01 Waiting for the Sun to Rise
02 The Daylight Strong
03 Something’s Wrong
04 Jumping Again
05 Follow Jean Through the Sea
06 Song Of A Baker (Small Faces cover)
07 Cheap Cassettes
08 Some Desperate Measure
09 [work in progress – track removed at artist’s request]
10 Simon Simone
11 Let Me Hold You
12 One Hit Wonder

Please support this outstanding band and visit The Figgs website.
As with all artists featured on this site, if you download this recording please purchase the newest Figgs CD:

Free Share and Trade of Unofficial Live Recordings v. Bootlegs

August 6, 2007
By

We’ve had our first visit from a representative of a music industry entity, in the comment section of the Squeeze recording. Read here.

This is a post that I emailed to Bjork’s management, and posted in the bjork.com 4Um earlier this year. I feel it pretty much summarizes the current position with regard to the free share and trading of unofficial live recordings:

Over the last several years, it has become apparent that the transfer
of music through the internet will eventually become the primary means
by which performers will promote and ultimately distribute their media.

One of the interesting by-products of this move to internet distribution
has been the free share of fan-produced live recordings through networks
such as bit torrent (www.dimeadozen.org),
direct connect, and ftp/http downloads. The ultimate realization of this
phenomenom is the huge archive of live material shared, with artists’ consent,
at www.archive.org.

Among the fans of Bjork, the internet distribution of her live material has
been a reality since the early days of low bandwidth distribution. Such
fan sites such as etoile polaire, the dwave ftp, and the Bjork trading
group set the stage for the current high bandwidth distribution of lossless
audio and DVD’s of fan produced recordings at the Bjork Hub.

As Bjork now embarks on her first tour in nearly four years, many
realities have changed in the world of live music, fan recordings and
internet distribution. The rapid free share of unofficial live recordings
has essentially eliminated the market for illegal bootleg selling, and has
created an atmosphere where the artist and the recordist can work
cooperatively to archive the material, promote the artist’s official product,
and satisfy the demands of a fan base who seek a particular artist’s
output beyond that available in the official catalog.

Within the last two years, the policy in the bjork.com 4Um has permitted
the free share of fan-produced unofficial recordings. In this atmosphere,
the Bjork Hub has thrived in its goal to archive all available unofficial
recordings, catalog the archive, and share those recordings among the
dedicated fan base in a cooperative and friendly environment.

It is in this context, that the Bjork Hub sincerely requests that
unobstrusive, discreet fan recording be permitted during the anticipated
2007 Bjork Spring Tour. With artist permission, fan recordings are
generally of a much higher quality, since the recordist does not secrete
the equipment in fear of security, and the surrounding fans are often
cooperative in their behavior. Additionally, any attempts to bootleg any
recording from the tour (as occurred with multiple recordings of the 2001
and 2003 tours) will be completely frustrated by the free share and easy
distribution among the fans.

We hope that this sincere request will be considered and approved.

And a summary of the nyctaper site:

“My site exists as a experiment in a new paradigm of promoting artists, and encouraging fans to support them. I do this at a substantial cost to my own pocketbook because I believe in live music, I can afford it, I get to attend many excellent concerts, and believe that ultimately sites like this will help artists adapt to the use of technology to spread their music and further their careers.

Its discouraging, but ultimately not surprising, that a representative the music industry would take such a negative approach to my site. However, I continue to be motivated by the incredibly positive reviews of fans, and most importantly the cooperation, encouragement and participation of the artists themselves many of whom take an active role in the distribution of their music through my site.”

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DISCLAIMER and LEGAL NOTICE

nyctaper.com is a live music blog that offers a new paradigm of music distribution on the web. The recordings are offered for free on this site as are the music posts, reviews and links to artist sites. All recordings are posted with artist permission or artists with an existing pro-taping policy.

All recordings and original content posted on this site are @nyctaper.com as live recordings pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Section 106, et. seq. Redistribution of nyctaper recordings without consent of nyctaper.com is strictly prohibited.

nyctaper.com hereby waives all copyright claims to any and all recordings posted on this site to THE PERFORMERS ONLY. If any artist posted on this site requests that recordings be removed, those recordings will be removed forthwith.