6000 Foot Drop

Berkeley CA: The String Cheese Incident 7/14/12 at The University of California Greek Theater -- The Cheese Course Comes Last

William Randolph Hearst made his vast fortune in journalism -- and the entire journalism supply chain -- from owning newspapers, to making ink and paper, even owning multiple county-sized forests of virgin timber to feed his newsprint plants. In 1903 Hearst built the Greek Theater that now bears his name as an homage to the ancient Greek theater at Epidaurus -- donating the facility to the University of California.   UC has maintained the theater for over 100 years at no small cost, installing two bathrooms and hiring a rude boor to run its classics program. 

Hearst was also a political activist, a Koch brother of his day -- working tirelessly behind the scenes to demonize cannabis and the hemp plant that his predecessors used instead of trees to make paper.  Hearst's reefer madness of the 1930's (and his paranoia of dramatic improvements in the arts of making hemp paper) directly led to the cannabis and hemp prohibitions that continue to this day, in our country and in all UN countries. One wonders what Hearst would think about his theater being used not only for the dramatic arts, but also the modern musical arts at the University of California, with all of the chronically ill patrons and their natural medicines. Rosebud indeed.

We took in The String Cheese Incident show Saturday night to gauge whether Hearst's classical penchant could survive a modern attack -- and it was all gouda. String Cheese Incident is an electrified, neo-phychadelia, calypso-funk, jambandy bluegrass sextet born from Colorado's apres ski society.  Here is the String Cheese troupe in action.

Show was a sell out at 8500 tickets, with maybe 7500 in attendance -- plenty of extra room for everyone.  Our seat neighbors were from Portland Oregon, Palmer Alaska, and right up the street in Berkeley.

String Cheese has Korean-born, UC Berkeley graduate Michael Kang as its putative leader on violin, mandolin, guitar and other instruments with strings.  Here is Mr. Kang with and without a hat.

Bill Nershi bobbleheads were being sold in the lot, so arguably, he is the leader of the band.  Here is Mr. Nershi doing his Santa Groove.

Keith Moseley was steady on bass throughout all of the String Cheese changes and his vocals are superb for a bassist.  

Homebrewer Kyle Hollingsworth is surrounded by keyboards and spends half the show Vatican I style with his back to the audience.  Here is Mr. Hollingsworth spun around in the right direction.

 

Michael Travis is the original Cheese drummer who can supply the beats throughout the wild repertoire.

Relative newcomer Jason Hann pounds it out WSP-style on hand percussion and hair tossing.

Talking Heads' versatile keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison joined for a number of tunes and shared a story of playing a Berkeley nightclub with his Modern Lovers band.

The show had tremendous variety and showcased the legitimate skills of the entire Cheese buffet.  One foxy concert veteran in our group declared String Cheese as the apex of jambands.

Set I:

Little Hands -- "800 years ago..." theaters in Greece were still ancient.

Dudley's Kitchen -- Traditional, like being at a wedding in Sicily.

Eye Know Why -- Groovy, funky, clear and carlosy.

Song in my Head -- SCI's driver tune, reminds me of Phish's Get Back on the Train. Our Cheese newcomer discerns the lyrics immediately.

These Waves -- Be brave, because the Cheeseheads are cheesercizing all over the place.

Can't Wait Another Day -- "Round and round we go..." Mr. Kang explains he wrote the poignant number awaiting the birth of his daughter.

Black Clouds -- With washboard!

Life During Wartime -- Talking Heads' keyboardist Jerry Harrison joins for this Talking Heads classic -- "This aint no party, this aint no disco..."

Set II:

It Is What It Is  -- Cheese second sets are like when you leave the cheeseboard in the sun and it all melts together.  

Rosie -- "I know who you are..."

Miss Brown's Teahouse --  Cheese has a hit and this is it. 7500 strong on the refrain. Very long outro blending into the disco ball.

Black Market -- With Talking Heads Crosseyed and Painless ("still waiting...") teases.

On the Road -- Bluegrass can also be funky.

Sirens -- Beautiful, even your music teacher would agree.

She Cracked -- More with Talking Heads' Jerry Harrision, now on guitar.

Shine --  The entire house is up and in a locked and loaded groove. 

Rivertrance -- Mr. Kang is a virtuoso on the violin.  This one goes celtic and beyond.

E: Ring of Fire -- Johnny Cash would have approved.  The refrain (I fell into a burning ring of fire; I went down down down and the flames went higher...") is heard being sung by patrons all over walking out of the historic Hearst venue.

 

See you at BIll Graham for Phish!

Oslo, Norway: Pearl Jam 7/9/12 at the Oslo Spektrum -- Nobel Peace Prize

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and left a vast fortune and directives for the award of annual prizes under his name.  Nobel was Swedish and the Nobel prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Economics are awarded annually in his native Sweden.  But Nobel's directives decree that this most noble of the Nobels -- the Nobel Peace Prize -- be decided by Norwegians and awarded in Norway, perhaps as a nod to Norway's long-standing policies of peace and neutrality.  

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to "whoever shall have done the most or best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the holding and promotion of peace."  The award is over a million dollars and has been awarded annually since 1901. The Nobel Peace Prize annual concert is held at the Oslo Spektrum with its capacity of 9700.  

Last night, the American rockers Pearl Jam and their handsome leader Eddie Vedder made a pretty good case for a Nobel Peace Prize -- most certainly promoting fraternity between the nations and promoting peace through music.

Here is Mr. Vedder promoting more peace.

Show was a sell-out at 9700.  Norwegians are polite concert goers -- there was no smoking, and although drinks were allowed in the venue, none were spilled on or near us.  The Spektrum has an odd alignment, with a floor area that is too wide and luxury boxes at the very top that are the worst seats in the house.  The Spektrum also has some odd policies, like old-school hand stamp insie-outsies (barely enforced) and  "no standing in the seated sections" (vigorously enforced -- perhaps because the seats are so steep?)

Set I:

Long Road -- "My wish for you today..." Quiet with nice range.

Animal -- Sloppy, but we later find out Mr. Vedder isn't feeling well.

Hail, Hail -- Mr. Vedder kicks and jumps like a frontman is supposed to do.

Given to Fly -- Mr. Vedder does his shirt as wings trick.  Crowd is popping like popcorn.

Interstellar Overdrive -- One of Pink Floyd's oldest songs.

Corduroy -- Am I the only one who thinks this song sounds like U2's I Will Follow? (Yes I am the only one.)

Mr. Vedder explains that his throat is (noticeably) sore: "I must have caught something from kissing a sick Swedish boy." 

Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town -- Even the elderly in the crowd like this one.  "Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away..."

Low Light -- Dreamy.

Severed Hand -- Halting -- like the ushers trying to stop the fans from standing in the seated sections.

Even Flow -- Mr. Vedder shakes his jowls on the yabba-dabba-doo Adam Sandler impersonation part.  A fan's small "Smile" sign is passed-up and placed on stage under the keyboards.  

Green Disease -- Punky.  Mike McCready is fast on the frets.

Red Mosquito -- Request goes out to a couple from Moscow (and we thought we were the only ones in the audience with Idaho connections.)

Daughter -- "Don't call me daughter..." because I am afraid to turn on my phone in Europe.

It's OK -- Call and response.

Immortality -- Matt Cameron owns the song on the kit and Mr. Vedder acknowledges as such as he closes it out.

Leatherman -- Mr. Vedder is the man for the land with his speed strumming.

The Fixer -- Good fatherly advice -- "If something's broke, put a little fixer on it..."

Black -- Stone Gossard is very impressive on the soulful songs.  Beautiful life indeed.

Why Go --  The ushers are actively fighting back people who are only doing what comes naturally.

Set II:
Inside Job -- Plaintive and sincere, unlike most Phish.

Mr. Vedder tells a sad story of insomnia and hearing the bad news this morning that a friend had passed away.  He reminds the crowd to tell your loved ones that you love them, so we do.

Just Breathe -- Beautiful.  I too am a lucky man.

Breath -- Italian, French, and Norwegian flags are passed to the stage.

Mr. Vedder turns the mic over to rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard who explains: "I am going to sing Mankind which is a rarity. So enjoy it on that level." 

Mankind -- Stone sings and Mr. Vedder goes hyper-kinetic on the tambourine.

Do The Evolution -- Mr. Vedder's vocie is evolving (devolving?)

Porch -- At 600+ bpm.  With Star Spangled Banner teases.  Mike McCready removes his shirt and gives it to a fan, foolball style.

E:
Once -- "Once upon a time...."

Mr. Vedder fulfills a request for a young couple and also thanks the Norwegian audience for being well-behaved enough that a young couple could survive in the front.  

Smile -- Mr. Vedder on harmonica.

Mother -- Poignant Pink Floyd song.  Although the audience does want Mr. Vedder to "run for president", we think awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize would be more appropriate.

Alive -- House lights are up. The whack-a-mole ushers have finally given up on the seated dancers.

Rockin' In The Free World -- LA punk openers X join the melee.

Yellow Ledbetter -- You know its the closer.  Mr. Vedder thanks Olso for inviting the band.

See you at the Berkeley Greek for The String Cheese Incident!

Smile!