Posts Tagged ‘ schoeps mk4v ’

Chuck Johnson: March 24, 2016 Union Pool and March 29, 2016 Trans-Pecos

April 29, 2016

We saw a lot of our friend Chuck Johnson lately, between his one-of-a-kind full band performance at the Three Lobed Sweet Sixteen Spectacular, to these two NYC shows, the latter of which we sponsored. Both of these performances — the first at Union Pool, the second at Trans-Pecos — showcased Chuck’s recent album on Trouble In Mind Records, Velvet Arc. It’s a more electric-focused project than some of his other recent work, but continues with their strong sense of narrative, and Chuck’s refreshing, ingenious phrasing. We were grateful that Chuck was able to make time for two New York performances — and that we were able to sponsor one of them. Chuck is back out west and off the tour trail for a bit, but we’ll be waiting for his return.

The Union Pool set was recorded by EricPH in our usual manner in the venue, with engineer Doug’s soundboard feed and AKG microphones. The Trans-Pecos show was recorded with Schoeps MK4V microphones at the stage lip only. The sound quality of both is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the Union Pool show: [MP3/FLAC]

Download the Trans-Pecos show: [MP3/FLAC/ALAC]

Stream the complete shows:

Chuck Johnson
2016-03-24
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Doug) + AKG C480B/CK63 > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, compression, mixdown, normalize, fades) + Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [37:43]
01. Florets
02. [tuning]
03. Sail Away Ladies
04. [tuning]
05. Anamet
06. Middle Water
07. [tuning]
08. Velvet Arc

________________________

Chuck Johnson
2016-03-29
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V (stage lip)>NBob Cables>PFA>Zoom F8>24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Florets [fades in]
02 [tuning]
03 Sailaway Ladies
04 [tuning2]
05 Anamet
06 Middle Water
07 Velvet Arc

Support Chuck Johnson: Website | bandcamp | Trouble In Mind Records

Lee Ranaldo: March 29, 2016 Trans-Pecos

April 28, 2016

By acidjack

One of those only-in-New York things: you’re out in Ridgewood on a Tuesday night to see a solo guitar player (Chuck Johnson), and the opening act is freaking Lee Ranaldo. Since the demise of Sonic Youth, Lee has been a busy man, putting out two well-received solo records. If these new songs are any guide, there’s going to be a lot more where that came from. What’s striking about seeing Ranaldo in the many settings where we’ve seen him — from the Sonic Youth days to a mind-bending improv performance with Tim Barnes at the opening of Market Hotel, to this solo acoustic performance at Trans-Pecos — is the assuredness with which he plays, the singular dedication and quality that comes through in every single thing he does. The decades under his belt as a professional musician serve not to weigh him down, but as with the finest artists, to free him to do exactly what he chooses, when he chooses, and do it well. These new songs show Lee’s continuing development during the post-Sonic Youth Between the Times & the Tides and Last Night On Earth era, when Ranaldo first embraced more straight-ahead songwriting in the solo realm versus his previous experimental efforts. While we’ve heard “Let’s Start Again” before, at last year’s Trans-Pecos show, the rest of these songs were new numbers, some of which Lee has tried out sporadically at other appearances. Even in their stripped-down form, the complexity and strength of these songs was obvious, and Ranaldo’s vocals have never sounded better. This was a welcome burst of energy from a master of his craft; we can’t wait to see what comes next.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones at the stage lip near Lee and his guitar, coupled with a soundboard feed and Audio Technica 853 microphones in the audience to capture the ambiance of the room. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete set: [MP3/FLAC]

Stream the complete set:

Lee Ranaldo
2016-03-29
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK4V (stage lip, DFC) + Audio Technica 853c>PFA (ROC, at SBD)>>Zoom F8>3x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.5 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 31:11]
01 [intro]
02 Let’s Start Again
03 Circular
04 Electric Trim
05 Last Looks
06 Thrown Over the Wall

SUPPORT Lee Ranaldo: Website | Store

Courtesy Tier: March 30, 2016 Trans-Pecos

April 22, 2016

By acidjack

It took an impromptu interview with two of us and the band Courtesy Tier for me to realize that we had been following them for six years. Having first impressed at a Backyard Brunch Session, then at our CMJ show, we were struck early on by the easy interplay between Layton Weedeman and Omer Leibovitz who, being a duo who play blues-driven rock n’ roll, earn easy comparisons to The Black Keys. But at the 2015 Rough Trade show we wrote about recently, the band had expanded to a three piece, and with Alex Picca on bass, the three became more than the sum of their parts. The band is promoting their Little Rock EP, in anticipation of a full-length album they are hard at work on, and we were thrilled to have them join us to preview some of that material such as their new single, “When You Were Young.”

While they may share a gulf in years with Wussy, for whom they opened this Trans-Pecos show, Courtesy Tier share many good qualities with their stagemates that night: an unpretentious, quality-based approach to music; an ability to write distinct, memorable songs around a cohesive sound; and a general ability to grab control of a room. I’d hazard that much of the audience at this show was new to Courtesy Tier, so we knew we’d made the right pick for an opener as we watched the crowd grow throughout their set, rather than the all-too-common flight for the bar. But then, you’d have had to be crazy to bolt during any of these songs, from the propulsive kickoff track and longtime band favorite “Cold” to the lighters-in-the-air closeout singalong, “Home.”

As with the Wussy set, I recorded this with Schoeps MK4Vs at the stage lip, Neumann KM150s on the room, and a soundboard feed from David Fine. The quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Courtesy Tier
2016-03-30
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by acidjack and nyctaper
Produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V>NBob Cables>PFA>Aeta PSP3 + Soundboard (engineer: David Fine) + Neumann KM150 (at SBD, ROC, PAS)>>Zoom F8>6x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, adjust levels)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, compression, tube effect)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Cold
02 [removed]
03 [banter1]
04 Childish Blues
05 And We Don’t Know
06 [banter2]
07 When You Were Young
08 Jackson
09 Roll On
10 [banter3]
11 Home

SUPPORT Courtesy Tier: Website | Facebook | Get “When You Were Young”

Acid Mothers Temple: April 6, 2016 Knitting Factory

April 14, 2016

By acidjack

Each Acid Mothers Temple performance is special in some way, but this year’s New York jaunt was notable for the arrival of a greater-than-usual number of new songs. In the case of this Knitting Factory show, after a wild “Dark Star Blues in the Dazzling Sky” came the first of those new jams, “Wizard,” a psycho-blues number whose harmonica intro hurtles into a spasm of guitars.

In fact, a majority of this set was built around new material, though of course the usual standouts “Pink Lady Lemonade” and “Cometary Orbital Drive” also made an appearance. If you checked out our recording of the Mercury Lounge show from the day before this one, you were turned on to “Another Nanique Dimension” and “Blue Velvet Blues” as well as the aforementioned “Wizard,” but this show closed on an even more usual note, with a new, chant-driven number that has not made an appearance (at least in recorded fashion) at any other time so far on this tour. The song highlighted the value of the two female vocalists who joined them on this tour, providing a distinctly Eastern, spiritual slant to the end of the show. The band will wrap up this U.S./Canada jaunt on April 18th in Los Angeles, but we can guarantee they’ll be back next year.

nyctaper and I recorded this set with a combination of Neumann KM150 hypercardiod mics and Schoeps MK4V cardiod mics, combined with a soundboard feed from house engineer Rob. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show from its page on the Live Music Archive: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Acid Mothers Temple
2016-04-06
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Neumann KM150 (ROC, PAS) + Soundboard (engineer: Rob) + Schoeps MK4V (ROC, PAS)>Aeta PSP3>>Zoom F8>6x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:20:50]
01 intro jam>Dark Star Blues in the Dazzling Sky
02 [tuning]
03 Wizard>
04 Pink Lady Lemonade>
05 IAO Chant>
06 Pink Lady Lemonade
07 [tuning2]
08 Blue Velvet Blues
09 Another Nanique Dimension>
10 Cometary Orbital Drive
11 [new song 2]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Acid Mothers Temple, visit their website, and buy their records here.

Smashing Pumpkins: April 5, 2016 Beacon Theatre – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 13, 2016

By hiandlo

[photos by Jill Harrison, full set available here]

Last week, the Smashing Pumpkins came to New York for a three-night run at Beacon Theatre in support of their current “In Plainsong” tour. This tour, billed as an “acoustic-electro evening,” featured a substantial setlist of solo acoustic performances from Billy Corgan, who dug deep into his back catalogue of songs for inspiration. He was joined onstage by the rest of the current touring line-up – original Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Katie Cole, and Sierra Swan on keys/vocals – for a deep dive into songs from the Siamese Dream era.

Outstanding moments from the night included guest vocals from Liz Phair on “Thirty-Three,” hard-rocker “The Spaniards,” and a tribute to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” that the audience absolutely loved. But what may excite the hardcore Smashing Pumpkins fanbase is seeing the re-appearance of Corgan-penned songs from his past work with bands like Zwan and Hole. This tour indeed revisits and in some cases, seems to reclaim the essence of these songs, laying aside past feuds in honor of the music.

We recorded this show from the third row, dead center using a pair of head-mounted Schoeps MK4v cardioid microphones. Although there were no surprise appearances from original guitarist James Iha as there were in Los Angeles, this show is sure to delight – it sounds incredible. Enjoy!

Download the complete show at the Live Music Archive.

Stream the complete show:

The Smashing Pumpkins
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY
2016-04-05

Recordist: hi and lo
Source: Schoeps MK4V (DINa) > Naiant Z-PFA > Sound Devices 744T @ 24 bit / 48 kHz
Edit: WaveLab V6 (mixdown/eq/gain/fades/dither/resampling)
Encoding: FLAC v1.2.1 (Level 8) with TLH v2.6.0 (Build 168)

Tracklist:

01. Cardinal Rule
02. Stumbleine
03. Tonight, Tonight
04. The World’s Fair
05. Space Oddity [Bowie]
06. Thirty-three
07. Jesus, I [Lyte] / Mary Star of the Sea
08. “The Siamese Suite” (Banter)
09. Mayonaise
10. Soma
11. Rocket
12. Spaceboy
13. Today
14. Whir
15. Disarm
16. Sorrows (in blue)
17. Eye
18. Saturnine
19. Identify
20. 1979
21. Stand Inside Your Love
22. Pinwheels
23. Lily (My One and Only)
24. “Introduce the Band” (Banter)
25. Malibu [Hole]
26. The Spaniards
27. (Encore Call)
28. Angie [Rolling Stones]

Running Time: 2:11:32

Please support Smashing Pumpkins by seeing them on their current tour, In Plainsong and by visiting their official website.

Wussy: March 30, 2016 Trans-Pecos

April 4, 2016

By acidjack

[photos by Rich Tarbell]

How unlikely, really, that a band that represents its frontman’s second act (Chuck Cleaver was in Ass Ponys), that’s several albums into its career (Forever Sounds is the band’s sixth; Attica, its fifth, could be called its breakout), that comes from a city (Cincinnati) that nobody accuses of being a cultural or media hub, and that seems delightfully uninterested in the posing, PR machine and gimmicks that tend to attract notice, would end up at a career peak here in New York, on a Wednesday night, in Ridgewood, Queens, and a lot of people would show up.

Whether you think of Wussy as a band that defies odds or that is the picture of what hardworking, road-hardened rock musicianship ought to look like probably depends on some combination of your generation and your cynicism level. You don’t have to fall into one camp or the other to admire the 100-minute set on display here, which shot like a cannon from the oddly-lit but accommodating stage of Trans-Pecos last Wednesday. This site has flogged this band incessantly since 2010, and we relished the chance to come full circle and serve as promoters of the show. And, true to Cleaver’s observation when we caught them in 2015, they “suddenly” had a crowd.

It’d be hard to cherry pick all the specific things that were exceptional about this set, but one quick glance at the 100-minute run time should give an idea of where we’re headed. Unbothered by the pesky time limits you find at corporate venues, the band stretched into a set that spanned their career, from 2005’s Funeral Dress to their 2016 album, Forever Sounds. Rarely-played gems like the opener, “Little Paper Birds” from their self-titled 2009 record merged perfectly with regular rotation winners like “Pizza King” and new, shoegaze-leaning favorites like “Dropping Houses” and “Donny’s Death Scene.” We got one but not two encores, the first of which included a rare cover of New Order’s “Ceremony.”

If the setlist came as a welcome surprise, what was on usual display was the band’s hardworking, crowd-pleasing mojo, including Cleaver and Lisa Walker’s wry onstage banter. She was the one, after all, who refused to leave the stage for the pretend “encore break,” preferring instead to use it as an opportunity to play another song. And if that first encore, with “Ceremony” went well, it still wasn’t clear that the band were going to convince themselves to throw it back in for a second, but the crowd wouldn’t let them leave. Two more songs later, and well past midnight, the band finally closed things out for real, and everyone left happy. In the band’s fine tradition, they once again got more than their money’s worth.

nyctaper and I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones at the stage lip, Neumann KM150s capturing the room sound, and a soundboard feed from engineer David Fine. The sound quality s excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [FLAC/ALAC/MP3]

Stream the complete show (less banter tracks):

Wussy
2016-03-30
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by acidjack and nyctaper
Produced by acidjack

Tracks [Total Time 1:38:03]
01 Little Paper Birds
02 She’s Killed Hundreds
03 Gone
04 Donny’s Death Scene
05 [banter – Dangerbird]
06 Teenage Wasteland
07 [banter – Ed Ames]
08 In The Tall Weeds
09 Pulverized
10 Pizza King
11 Better Days
12 [banter – thanks]
13 Hello, I’m a Ghost
14 Sidewalk Sale
15 To The Lightning
16 [banter – Job’s Daughter’s Club]
17 Dropping Houses
18 Aliens In Our Midst [The Twinkeyz]
19 I Give You All
20 Beautiful
21 [encore break]
22 Majestic-12
23 [banter]
24 Ceremony [New Order]
25 Airborne
26 [second encore break]
27 Gene, I Dream
28 Rigor Mortis

SUPPORT Wussy: Website | Buy Forever Sounds | Bandcamp

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band: March 19, 2016 Trans-Pecos

March 24, 2016

By acidjack

[photos by Joe Lops]

Chris Forsyth extended a recent run of excellent work with The Rarity of Experience, a double LP that earned plaudits from Pitchfork to The New York Times. Much has been made of the record’s unequivocal commitment to out-and-out riffage, but that has always been Forsyth’s MO with the Solar Motel Band. The side of him that produced The Island, the delicate, mellowed out collaboration with Koen Holtkamp, is still out there, but when he takes the stage with this band, expect an out and out rock show.

That’s what we got at this NYCTaper-sponsored show at Trans-Pecos, which represented the formal NY album release party for the record. Things kicked into high gear immediately with “High Castle Rock” from the new record, followed by its appropriately-named Anthems I and II, and then its title track. Our only detour to Forsyth’s earlier work came in the form of “The Ballad of Freer Hollow” from 2014’s Intensity Ghost, which nestled in well with the extended two-part jams “Anthem” and “The Rarity of Experience” (notable also for adding vocals to the mix). In a nod to the band who inspired so much of improvisational guitar music (not to mention the practice of fan-based live concert recording), Forsyth and crew gave us their take on the Dead’s “Cold Rain and Snow.” It was a worthwhile reminder that while Forsyth’s name is front and center in the proceedings, part of what makes these performances special is the interplay among a very, very talented group of band members. Forsyth’s delivery wouldn’t be what it is without bassist Peter Kerlin and drummer Ray Kubian doing more than just making a backbeat, nor fellow guitarist Nick Millevoi providing the other half of the guitar attack. You don’t get a sound this all-encompassing with a “solo” artist and some guys; this is truly a band. And, for those of you who missed them this time around, head to Union Pool on May 28, where you can catch the band opening for Heron Oblivion.

I recorded this set with a pair of Schoeps MK22 microphones at the stage lip, another pair of Schoeps MK4V back by the soundboard, and a direct soundboard feed of house engineer Ned’s mix. The sound quality is outstanding, and a perfect representation of the enormity of the Solar Motel Band’s sound. Enjoy!

Download the complete set from its page on the Live Music Archive: [FLAC] | [MP3]

Stream the complete set:

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band
2016-03-19
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted by nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22 (stage lip, DFC, ORTF)>Nbob Cables>PFA>Aeta PSP3 + Soundboard (engineer: Ned) + Schoeps MK4V (at SBD, ROC, PAS)>>Zoom
F8>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, adjust balance of SBD, compress SBD, adjust levels)>Izotope Ozone 5 (effects, EQ)
>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 High Castle Rock
02 Anthem I
03 Anthem II
04 The Rarity of Experience pt. 1
05 The Rarity of Experience pt. 2
06 The Ballad of Freer Hollow
07 [banter]
08 The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues
09 Cold Rain and Snow [Grateful Dead]
10 [banter2]
11 Boston Street Lullaby

If you enjoyed this recording, please visit his website and buy The Rarity of Experience from No Quarter Records.

Infinity Girl: January 16, 2016 Muchmore’s

January 22, 2016

By acidjack

Infinity Girl don’t seem afraid of the “shoegaze” tag, and while it’s a bit of a lazy one, it’s an accurate description of this Brooklyn band’s tuneful, feedback-drenched sound. What drew me to the band — and this free show they headlined at Muchmore’s, a trendy coffee shop/restaurant/bar/venue at the northern end of Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg — was the quality of the songs behind the noise. While the band has been kicking around for a few years now, their second full-length album, Harm, released in August of 2015, is a leap forward. With its thoughtful guitar work and pleasantly retro production that might make Kevin Shields proud, it’s a strong listen throughout its 15 songs. On the venue’s low stage in front of an animated, moshing crowd, they proved more than equal to their work in the live setting. After this first show of 2016, we’re looking forward to seeing this tight unit some more times this year.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones near the front of the stage to capture both the guitar amps and the (limited) sound from the PA. While the vocals are somewhat buried in the recording — owing mostly to the limits of the Muchmore’s sound system versus the band’s amps and drums — this is remains a fine recording and a taste of more to come. Enjoy!

Infinity Girl has another show on Jan 30 at Palisades, followed by a scheduled date at Rough Trade in March with our friends Dead Stars.

Download the complete set: [MP3/FLAC]

Stream the complete set:

Check out Infinity Girl’s latest album, Harm:

<a href="http://infinitygirl.bandcamp.com/album/harm">Harm by Infinity Girl</a>

Infinity Girl
2016-01-16
Muchmore’s
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V (in front of stage)>KC5>CMC6>Roland R-26>24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (multiband compression, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Void
02 Hesse
03 Dirty Sun
04 Hold
05 Please Forget
06 Blood and Dirt
07 By Now

If you enjoyed this recording, please like Infinity Girl on facebook and buy their music on bandcamp.

Alan Licht: January 6, 2016 Union Pool

January 13, 2016

By acidjack

For my first recording of 2016, I got to witness the album debut of a New York music veteran, among a room of like-minded souls. We saw Alan Licht live debut many of the tracks that would make up his latest release, Currents, back in August, but he arrived at Union Pool this time with copies of the finished product in hand, and the ideas on it more tightly wound. Relative to some of his peers, Licht’s songs feel like they ride less on fingerpicking prowess (though that’s considerable) than on the strength of his melodies, which give the thrilling jolt of a good rock song even without the lyrics or band that typically accompanies such things. Like the previous show, this one began with the immediate appeal of “Riding On the S’s” followed by “First Lover, Haleema” from Currents, as well as serving up at least one track that didn’t make the record simply because it wouldn’t squeeze onto a side of vinyl. January shows are always a joy for the true music fan, as the cold weather tends to draw only those who really care, and that was evident in the pin-drop quiet room during these engaging, minimalist tunes. From the delicate “Uncertainty” to the melancholy and final “Seventh Song,” Licht showed off the strength of this latest cycle of creativity. Make a date for his next NYC visit, or wherever you might be able to see him.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed by Kevin Mazzarelli and Schoeps MK4V microphones. The sound quality is excellent, far superior to the previous recording. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC]

Stream the complete show (minus banter tracks):

Alan Licht
2016-01-06
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Kevin Mazzarelli) + Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6>>Zoom F8>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 44:17]
01 [intro]
02 Riding on the S’s
03 First Love, Haleema
04 [untitled]
05 [banter]
06 Uncertainty
07 [untitled 2]
08 Currents
09 Raw Deal
10 Seventh Song

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Alan Licht by visiting VDSQ Records and buying Currents there.

Alex Bleeker & the Freaks “Play Dead”: December 30, 2015 Rough Trade NYC

January 6, 2016

By acidjack

If you were a fan of the Grateful Dead, and you saw the actual band live, then you’ve probably got more than your share of opinions about the various combinations of the remaining parts of it who’ve tried to transact on the original’s greatness. As someone who never saw the actual band (but has seen some successful and less-than-successful related projects), I’m not here to convince you. But for my money, there’s something rewarding, something essential, about watching much-younger musicians, with full careers filled with their own original material in front of them, paying tribute to one of rock music’s foundational bands.

I loved the Brooklyn Bowl show that we posted by Alex Bleeker and The Freaks — that one a combo run through their new album and some other originals, followed by a “Play Dead” set that’s become a staple of many of their live shows. This one flipped that script, with Bleeker and pals offering up a 100-minute set consisting almost entirely of Dead covers. This — my final show of the year — was billed as the afterparty to Phish’s 12/30 Madison Square Garden show, and the celebratory air from that event (an especially strong performance from this year’s MSG run) carried over into the more intimate confines of Rough Trade NYC.

Overall, this “Play Dead” was a looser, better and arguably truer performance to the spirit of the original band. While the Brooklyn Bowl set consisted mainly of discrete run-throughs of each song, you’ll notice that this set was filled with segues, kicking off with “China Cat Sunflower” into a surging “I Know You Rider” before venturing into cosmic territory with “Eyes to the World” into “He’s Gone” into “The Other One,” taking a short detour through “Dark Star” and ending up, improbably, with a Bleeker original, “Sealong Hair,” from their latest record, Country Agenda. After that came three more non-Dead tunes (two more originals, plus their regular-rotation cover of Mountain Man’s “Animal Tracks,” a fierce jam in its own right. Where Bleeker was joined last time by Real Estate’s Martin Courtney, here we had another cameo by one of his Ridgewood, NJ pals, Julian Lynch and multi-talented Dave Harrington (of many bands, but perhaps best-known for his work in Darkside). The band managed to deliver a little birthday salutation to Harringon in between “Tennessee Jed” and “St. Stephen,” which closed the set. By that point it was 2 a.m. and the club’s neighbors weren’t going to tolerate any more. For those of us inside, though, this was an afterparty that we’d have been happy to continue all night.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed from Rough Trade engineer Leah, together with Schoeps MK4V microphones. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Download the complete set: [FLAC] | [MP3]

Stream the complete set:

Alex Bleeker & The Freaks “Play Dead”
2015-12-30
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard [engineer: Leah] + Schoeps MK4V (PAS)>KC5>CMC6>>Zoom F8>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, fades)>Izotope Ozone 5 (effects)>Audacity 2.0.5 (track, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:43:00]
All songs by the Grateful Dead unless noted

01 tuning>China Cat Sunflower>
02 I Know You Rider
03 Eyes of the World>
04 He’s Gone>
05 The Other One>
06 Dark Star Jam>
07 Sealong Hair [Alex Bleeker & the Freaks]
08 Downright Stinson [Alex Bleeker & the Freaks]
09 Animal Tracks [Mountain Man]
10 U.H.M. [Alex Bleeker & the Freaks]
11 Shakedown Street>
12 The Wheel>
13 Tennessee Jed>
14 [Happy bday to Dave]>
15 St. Stephen
16 [outro]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, PLEASE SUPPORT Alex Bleeker & the Freaks, visit their Facebook page, and purchase their new album Country Agenda from Sinderlyn Records [HERE].

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Posts Tagged ‘ schoeps mk4v ’

Chuck Johnson: March 24, 2016 Union Pool and March 29, 2016 Trans-Pecos

Lee Ranaldo: March 29, 2016 Trans-Pecos

Courtesy Tier: March 30, 2016 Trans-Pecos

Acid Mothers Temple: April 6, 2016 Knitting Factory

Smashing Pumpkins: April 5, 2016 Beacon Theatre – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

Wussy: March 30, 2016 Trans-Pecos

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band: March 19, 2016 Trans-Pecos

Infinity Girl: January 16, 2016 Muchmore’s

Alan Licht: January 6, 2016 Union Pool

Alex Bleeker & the Freaks “Play Dead”: December 30, 2015 Rough Trade NYC

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