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[photo by Matt]

This is another one of those recordings that sounds a lot better than we originally thought. The process of recording Sharon Van Etten is always subject to the room noise, and during this particular night at Pianos there was much — including what sounded like a reconstruction of the soundboard booth directly behind us. Fortunately, the directional microphones avoided a good amount of the noise so that this is definitely a very listenable capture. In terms of a review of the performance, we will defer to Matt from The Music Slut blog, who wrote an excellent piece on this Sharon show the day after the event. Read it [HERE].

Sharon Van Etten will perform quite a bit this month. Tomorrow night, she appears at Cake Shop with The Antlers and Pet Ghost Project. And on January 11, she will open the NYCTaper Presents show at Pianos with members of Camper Van Beethoven. Sharon will also perform this month at Zebulon, Glasslands, Secret Project Robot and Joe’s Pub. Complete information is at her MySpace page.

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

Sharon Van Etten
2008-12-08
Pianos
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Front of Board
30 Feet from Stage

Neumann KM-150s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge 8.0 (set fades, slight level boost, resample 16/44) > CD Wave 1.95 > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
nyctaper@nyctaper.com
2009-01-01

Setlist:
[total time 43:15]
01 Consolation Prize
02 Strong (false start/tech problems)
03 Strong
04 I Fold
05 I Am Giving Up On You
06 Call It a Joke
07 You Didn’t Really Do That
08 Picking Up Rocks
09
10 I Wish I Knew
11 Damn Right

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Sharon Van Etten, visit her website, visit her MySpace page, purchase one of her custom-made self-released CDs directly from her website, and purchase her new CD Because I Was In Love when it is released in 2009.

[ Best Friends Forever in Philly this summer: photo credit]

We became big fans of Best Friends Forever this year. We saw them live four times in 2008, including this opening set of the NYCTaper CMJ show. The band had three shows scheduled that day, but still agreed to do our show, for which we are eternally grateful. The downstairs of Cake Shop quickly filled for their 3:30 set and BFF delivered a burst of their energetic pop to start off the day. Expect to hear more from BFF in 2009, as they have gathered some major label interest.

This recording was a surprise holiday present. We were going through some old wav files, including the soundboard feed that we ran for this CMJ show — a recording we originally thought was unusable. Fortunately, while the rest of the downstairs sets have problems, the BFF set is actually quite well mixed soundboard recording and has very little of the peak distortion that plagues the others. Enjoy!

The nyctaper recordings of Best Friends Forever in August and at another CMJ show are [here] and [here].

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Best Friends Forever
2008-10-23
NYCTaper CMJ Show
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Soundboard Master Recording

Soundboard > Edirol UA-5 (Oade Digimod) > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 16bit 44.1kHz wav > Soundforge 8.0 (level adjustments, set fades) > CD Wave > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2008-12-31

Setlist:
[Total time 18:42]
01 Eisenhower is the Father
02 HWF
03 Circus
04 Handpocket
05 Twins in Love
06 Disaster

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Best Friends Forever, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases at the Plan-It-X Records Website [HERE].

[photo by nyctaper]

As a lead up to their annual New Year’s run in NYC, Gov’t Mule offered their fans a pair of intimate semi-acoustic shows at the Orensanz Center — a beautiful renovated 150 year old former synagogue on Norfolk Street. On Sunday night, we were witness to an extraordinary display of multifaceted musicianship appropriate to the concert setting. Warren Haynes began the show with a series of solo acoustic numbers, as each band member joined gradually throughout the set. As the first set concluded, what had began as a mellow display evolved into full-fledged Mule music with a rocking “Kind of Bird”. The second set carried on in a similar vein, and featured classic blues, hard rock, and even a Nirvana cover (“All Apologies”). At the end of the evening, the crowd offered its respect for nearly three hours of outstanding music, as the closer “Goin’ Out West” was finished with the voices of “choir”.

Gov’t Mule will perform this evening and on New Year’s Eve at the much larger Hammerstein Ballroom — tickets are still available.

We recorded this set from directly in front of the soundboard on the floor, in the center aisle. The acoustics on the venue were outstanding in our location, as the hyper directional microphones avoided any of the echo or boom from the high ceilings and accentuated the warm feel of sound in the seated area. Enjoy this outstanding capture of a memorable evening!

The nyctaper recording of Govt Mule on December 28, 2007 is still available [here].

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Govt Mule
2008-12-28
Angel Orensanz Center
New York, NY USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Front Corner of Sound Desk
Center Aisle, approximately 50 feet from the Stage

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR Cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2008-12-29

Setlist:
Set 1:
[total time 1:16:48]
01 Loves Open Door
02 The Real Thing
03 In My Life
04 Dolphineus
05 Painted Silver Light
06 Beautifully Broken
07 Patchwork Quilt
08 Wild Horses
09 One
10 Long Distance Call
11 So Weak, So Strong
12 Kind of Bird

Set 2:
[total time 1:17:57]
01 John The Revelator*
02 Change Is Gonna Come
03 Fallen Down
04 The Other One Jam
05 Drums
06 All Apologies
07 Endless Parade
08 You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
09 Soulshine
10 [encore break]
11 Hallelujah Boulevard
12 Goin’ Out West
*with one verse of When The Levee Breaks

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Gov’t Mule, visit their website, and purchase the official releases and merch from the store at their website [HERE]. Purchase official live recordings at Mule Tracks [HERE].

At the second night of his Festival of Light shows, Matisyahu came bearing gifts — nearly two and half hours of music, a rock solid performance, and several key guests. We were particularly thankful for the appearance of guitar virtuoso Yosi Piamenta, who completely shredded in his two extended performances. The set featured several numbers from Matisyahu’s upcoming long-anticipated CD Light, due for release in early 2009. At the close of the show, each member of the band left the stage one by one during Yosi’s solo, leaving him the spotlight to finish the set. It was an appropriate respectful gesture that acknowledged his outstanding performance.

We recorded this set from inside the soundboard area on the floor. In what was perhaps the youngest, roudiest, drunkest and least attentive crowd within which we have ever recorded, the microphones could only filter so much of the crowd noise. Additionally, Matis’ microphone was saturated on numerous occasions. With those caveats, enjoy what should have been a much better recording.

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

Matisyahu
2008-12-22
Webster Hall
New York, NY USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Front of Soundboard Booth
Dead Center, approximately 50 feet from the PA

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR Cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2008-12-27

Setlist:
[Total Time 2:18:54]
01 Heights
02 Youth
03 Thunder
04 Jerusalem
05 Chop ‘Em Down
06 Close My Eyes*
07 So Hi So Lo
08 Beatbox
09 Altar Of Earth
10 We Will Walk
11 [menorah lighting]
12 King Without A Crown
13 [encore break]
14 Smash Lies
15 Struggla
16 Motivate*

*with Yosi Piamenta on guitar
Also with Oud player and other guests.

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Matisyahu, visit his website, visit his MySpace page, and purchase the official releases from the store at his website [HERE].

[photo from Ira’s Hanukkah Diary]

At night seven of the Hanukkah celebration, Yo La Tengo displayed the most compelling characteristics of the band — their versatility and encyclopedic knowledge of popular music. As the band took the stage with an aggressive “Sugarcube”, the expectation was that the set would feature the rocking YLT. In a neat flip, the band followed the opener with 45 minutes of their most mellow music. The quiet set was accompanied by the outstanding contributions of David Mansfield on violin and pedal steel. As if a switch was hit, Yo La Tengo then completely changed gears for the second half of the set and raged through a noisy medley of their punk-tinged material, highlighted by a wild “Mushroom Cloud of Hiss”.

The encore set featured guest vocalist Willie Alexander, whose Boom Boom Band had opened the night. Following three thoroughly obscure garage rock numbers, the night closed with two familiar classics — the Boom Boom version of “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” and a cringeworthy take on Lulu’s “To Sir With Love” with David Cross on vocals.

We recorded from the identical location as night two, and the quality is equally outstanding. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Yo La Tengo
2008-12-27
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Front Corner of Sound Desk
Dead Center, approximately 30 feet from the PA

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR Cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2007-12-28

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:46:08]
01 Sugarcube
02 Let’s Be Still
03 She May Call You Up Tonight (Left Banke)
04 Cone Of Silence
05 One PM Again
06 Pablo And Andrea
07 Griselda (Peter Stampfel)
08 The Crying of Lot G
09 I Feel Like Going Home
10 Nowhere Near
11 Off and Running (Mindbenders)
12 Barnaby, Hardly Working
13 Big Day Coming
14 Watch Out For Me, Ronnie
15 Mushroom Cloud of Hiss
16 [encore break]
17 Long Gone (false start)
18 Long Gone (The Customs)
19 Walk Away, Rene (Left Banke)
20 Maybe More Than You (The Lost)
21 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling
22 To Sir, With Love

02-15, 19-20 with David Mansfield (violin, pedal steel guitar, electric/acoustic guitar)
19-21 with Willie Alexander vocals
22 with David Cross vocals

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Yo La Tengo, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the store at their website [HERE].