It’s been a long year. Scratch that, it’s been a veeerrrry long year. From social revolutions to the end of our occupation of Iraq, from the death of celebrities and dictators to a man who sneezes bullets and the mystery of planking, the world experienced a slew of emotions and all sorts of cultural and political upheaval in 2011. And that’s not even counting the plethora of music news that had the blogosphere abuzz this year.

So, as the question begs, what comes next? Well, 2012. If you were to believe certain factions, it’ll be the end of days. A more likely scenario, though, is that it will be another busy year, with people to meet, triumphs to celebrate, disasters to mourn, and a whole other set of memories to file away as we march perpetually onward toward the Great Unknown. A dreary prospect for sure, one that almost makes the impending Apocalypse sound warm and fuzzy. However, there is temporary respite in the form of New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve is that magic night where one year is all but over. It’s the chance to stop worrying for a moment. It’s an opportunity to celebrate surviving the last 364. It’s the start of a whole new scheme or design for the upcoming 365. Rather than chugging cheap champagne and letting off fireworks, NYE should be commemorated with the one thing that makes any year bearable: music.

As we have for every other major celebratory occasion, CoS has your back with our handy-dandy New Year’s Eve 2011 Concert Guide. From the beaches of Miami to life in the City of Angels, and everywhere between, our guide has everything you’ll need to know to see your favorite bands live. Whether you’re planning to rock out with Patti Smith at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, get freaky with The Flaming Lips and Yoko Ono in Oklahoma City, or hit up BOTH of Kaskade’s NYE shows (in two different state mind you), our guide is the only New Year’s Eve accessory you need (save for maybe a noisemaker). Plus, if you’re not one to brave the weather and the sea of drunks, we’ll tell you what you should be watching on the old boob tube. The point is, if it’s happening on NYE, it’s in this guide. Your only concern will be how to get home and/or where to pass out at the end of the night.

If we’ve missed any gathering or shindig, please let us know in the comments below. Call this a cliché bit of writing, but we’d like to leave you with some parting words from the immortal Benjamin Franklin to guide you into what lies ahead: “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”

See ya in 2012.

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

New York City

– AarabMUZIK, Balam Acab: 285 Kent

– Assembly of Dust: Mercury Lounge

– Avicii: Pier 34

– The Bad Plus: The Village Vanguard

– Charles Bradley, The Budos Band: Music Hall of Williamsburg

– Chuck Berry: B.B. King Blues Club

– Dark Star Orchestra: Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)

– Deadmau5: Pier 36

– Deer Tick, J. Roddy Watson and the Business, Dead Confederate: Brooklyn Bowl

– Fitz and the Tantrums: The Gramercy Theatre

– Gogol Bordello: Terminal 5

– Gov’t Mule: Beacon Theatre

– Infected Mushroom: Best Buy Theater

– The Knocks: Gansevoort Park Avenue

– Laidback Luke: Pacha

– Lee Fields & The Expressions: The Bell House

– Los Lobos: City Winery

– Matt and Kim, Super Mash Bros., Body Language: Hammerstein Ballroom

– Neru: Webster Hall

– The New Deal: B.B. King Blues Club

– New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men: Roseland Ballroom

– Nick Catchdubs: Loreley

– Nosaj Thing: Glasslands

– O’Death: Spike Hill

– Patti Smith: Bowery Ballroom

– Phish: Madison Square Garden

– Steve Lawler: District 36

– Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Maxwells (Hoboken, NJ)

Chicago

– Alkaline Trio: Metro

– Big Gigantic: Riviera Theatre

– Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears: Double Door

– Cage the Elephant, Sleeper Agent: Aragon Ballroom

– Cave: The Hideout

– Disco Biscuits, Future Rock: Auditorium Theatre

– The Hood Internet: Lincoln Hall

– Keys N Krates: Chicago Urban Art Society

– Local H: Bottom Lounge

– Murder By Death: Subterranean

– Old 97s: Intercontinental Hotel Grand Ballroom

– Rusko, Sinden, Switch: Congress Theater

– The Spits: Cobra Lounge

Los Angeles

– The Aggrolites: Alex’s Bar

– Benny Benassi, Paul Van Dyk, Kaskade, Dada Life: Anaheim Convention Center (White Wonderland)

– DJ Quik: Key Club

– Duck Sauce, Diplo, Chromeo, Felix da Housecat, The Bloody Beetroots, LA Riots: Oak Canyon Park (Together As One)

– The Henry Clay People, Races: The Satellite

– Give Up the Ghost: Ukrainian Culture Center

– Jenny and Johnny, Cults: The Standard Hollywood

– John Digweed: The Avalon

– Junkie XL: Detroit Bar

– L.A. Guns: Whisky A Go Go

– Lupe Fiasco: Hollywood & Highland Center

– Musiq Soulchild: House of Blues

– Wanda Jackson, Best Coast, Dan Sartain: Club Nokia

San Francisco

– The Fresh & Onlys, Thee Oh Sees: Brick and Mortar Music Hall

– Furthur: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

– Kreayshawn: The Regency Ballroom

– The Limousines: Rickshaw Stop

– Maceo Parker: Yoshi’s

– Santigold, Amon Tobin Islam Live, Beats Antique, Claude Von Stroke,: Concourse Exhibition Center (Sea of Dreams)

– Primus: Great American Music Hall

– The Slip: Cafe du Nord

– Sonny & The Sunsets: Amnesia

– Talib Kweli: Sloane Squared

– Tedeschi Trucks Band, The New Mastersounds: The Warfield

– Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: The Fillmore

– X: Slim’s

– Yeasayer (DJ Set): W Hotel

– DJ Z-Trip: Fort Mason Center

London

– The 2 Bears: XOYO

– Adam Beyer: Fabric

– Ferry Corsten: Brixton Academy

– Gabby Young and Other Animals: Royal Festival Hall

– Gary Numan: All Star Lanes

– Gross Magic: The Victoria

– Joker, Brekage, Roska, Plastician, Sigma: Electric Brixon

– Kasabian, Chase & Status, Zane Lowe: The O2

– Toddla T: The Nest

– The Wedding Present: Dingwalls

Elsewhere

Aspen

– Jane’s Addiction: Belly Up

Athens (Georgia)

– MartyParty, Dubconscious: New Earth Music Hall

– of Montreal: Go Bar

– Reptar: Georgia Theatre

Atlanta

– Against Me!, Fake Problems, Franz Nicolay: The Masquerade

– Cake: Fox Theatre

– JJ Grey & Mofro: Variety Playhouse

– Kylesa: The Earl

– Naughty By Nature, Ed Kowalczyk: Hyatt Regency

– Perpetual Groove: Center Stage

– STS9: The Tabernacle

– Zac Brown Band: Philips Arena

Atlantic City

– Brand New: House of Blues

Austin

– Big Freedia: The Mohawk

– The Black Angels, Wooden Shjips, Ume: Emo’s East

– Bob Schneider, Quiet Company: Paramount Theatre

– Designer Drugs: Austin Music Hall

– Gary Clark Jr.: Antone’s

– Groupo Fantasma: Beauty Bar

– Hayes Carll: La Zona Rosa

– Penguin Prison: American Legion Hall

– Russian Circles: Red 7

– White Denim, Royal Bangs: The Empire Space

– Willie Nelson: Moody Theater

Australia

– Arctic Monkeys, Crystal Castles, Dan Deacon, The Naked and Famous: The Falls Festival (Lorne)

– Fleet Foxes, Beirut, CSS, CANT, Unknown Mortal Orchestra: The Falls Festival (Marion Bay)

Baltimore

– Carbon Leaf: Hyatt Regency

– SOJA: Baltimore Soundstage

Boston

– David Wax Museum: Lizard Lounge (Cambridge, MA)

– Lucero: Paradise

– New York Dolls: New England Conservatory

Charlotte (North Carolina)

– Widespread Panic: Time Warner Cable Arena

Dallas

– Girl Talk, Ghostland Observatory, MSTRKRFT, Neon Indian, Pendulum (DJ Set): Lights All Night

– The Polyphonic Spree, Centro-matic: House of Blues

– Quinton and Miss Pussycat: Zubar

Denver

– Flux Pavilion, Doctor P: Colorado Convention Center

– Gauntlet Hair, Pictureplane: The Larmier Lounge

– Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad: Cervantes’ Other Side

– Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Orgone: Cervatnes Ballroom

– Ladytron (DJ Set): City Hall

– Pretty Lights: 1stBANK Center (Broomfield, CO)

– Railroad Earth: Ogden Theatre

– Truckasauras: The Summit

– Ween: The Fillmore

Detroit

– The Detroit Cobras: Magic Stick

– Greensky Bluegrass, The Macpodz: Majestic Theatre

– Maze featuring Frankie Beverly: Masonic Temple

Greenville (South Carolina)

– The Avett Brothers: Bi-Lo Center

Houston

– Blue October: House of Blues

– Christopher Lawrence: Stereo Live

– Young Jeezy: Reliant Arena

Lake Tahoe

– Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Thievery Corporation, The Glitch Mob, Childish Cambino, A-Trak, Theophilus London, YACHT: Snowglobe Music Festival

Las Vegas

– Chris Brown: Pure Nightclub

– Guns N’ Roses, Sebastian Bach: The Joint

– John Legend: Pearl Concert Theater

– Kaskade: Marquee

– NOFX, Lagwagon: House of Blues

– Paul Oakenfold: Rain

– Steve Angello: XS Nightclub

– Stevie Wonder: Cosmopolitan

Louisville (Kentucky)

– The Pass: Butchertown Pub Studios

Miami

– The Heavy Pets: Tobacco Road

– Spam All-Stars: The Catalina Hotel

Minneapolis

– Dawes: Varsity Theater

– EOTO: Skyway Theater

Milwaukee

– Skrillex, Dillon Francis: The Rave

Nashville

– Bassnectar: Bridgestone Arena

– Moon Taxi, Apache Relay: Exit/In

New Orleans

– Big Sam’s Funky Nation: The Joy Theater

– Black Lips: One Eyed Jacks

– Dr. John: House of Blues

– Funky Meters: Tipitina’s French Quarter

– Galactic, Anders Osborne: Tipitina’s Uptown

— Rebirth Brass Band: Howlin’ Wolf

Northampton (Massachusetts)

– Josh Ritter: Calvin Theater

– Rubblebucket: Pearl Street Nightclub

Oklahoma City

– The Flaming Lips, Yoko Ono: Brickstown Events Center

Orlando

– Trivium, Sevendust, Black Tide: House of Blues

– Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables: Hard Rock Live

Ottawa

– Electric Six: Mavericks

Philadelphia

– Clutch: Trocadero

– Eternal Summers, Bleeding Rainbow: Level Room

– Good Old War, River City Extension: Theatre of Living Arts

– Lotus: Festival Pier

– Man Man (DJ Set), Dr. Dog (DJ Set), Sun Airway (DJ Set): Johnny Brenda’s

– Smoking Popes: North Star Bar

Phoenix

– Meat Puppets: Clubhouse Music Venue

Portland (Maine)

– moe.: State Theatre

Portland (Oregon)

– Leftover Salmon: Roseland Theater

– Nurses, Radiation City: Mississippi Studios

– Pierced Arrows: Ash Street Saloon

– Red Fang: Star Theater

– Reverend Horton Heat, Supersuckers: The Crystal Ballroom

– Talkdemonic: Misson Theater

San Diego

– Fedde Le Grand, Porter Robinson, Hardwell, Bart B More: Valley View Casino Center (OMFG! NYE)

– Kinky: 4th & B

Seattle

– Mustard Pimp: King Cat Theatre

– Starfucker, Champagne Champagne: The Crocodile

St. Louis (Missouri):

– Cowboy Mouth: Old Rock House

– Devon Allman’s Honeytribe: Blueberry Hill

– Excision: Koken Art Factory

– Umphrey’s McGee: The Pageant

Toronto

– Elliot Brood: Lee’s Palace

– Kyuss! Lives: Cherry Cola’s Rock N’ Rolla Cabaret & Lounge

– The Sadies: Horseshoe Tavern

– Steve Aoki, Thomas Gold: Kool Haus

Vancouver

– Tiësto: Pacific Coliseum

Washington, DC

– Animal Collective (DJ Set), Le Tigre (DJ Set), ANR (DJ Set): 1800 L Street NW (BYT NYE)

– Drive-By Truckers, Booker T, Alabama Shakes: 9:30 Club

– Gucci Mane: Love Night Club

– Morgan Page: Fur Nightclub

– Painted Face: Rock and Roll Hotel

On TV

– Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (ABC): Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine, Blink-182, Nicki Minaj

– New Year’s Eve with Carson Daily (NBC): Drake, The Roots, Cee-Lo Green

– NYE in NYC (MTV): J. Cole

– Coldplay New Year’s Eve: An Austin City Limits Special (PBS)

Past O’Death records seem to rely largely on aggressive energy and vocalist Greg Jamie’s high-pitched howl soaring and cracking over rambunctious, loose bluegrass instrumentation. Their dark, pulsing interpretation of folk, bluegrass, and generally unclassifiable Americana song stylings seemed to revel most in their head-rush, full-speed-ahead aesthetic. While that energy certainly hasn’t gone anywhere, Outside shows off a developed sense of atmosphere.

Opening track “Bugs” shows some prominent changes right off the bat: Jamie’s vocals are cooled off a little, the lush choruses sound thicker than most anything the band’s recorded, and things generally seem to have taken a turn for the Sufjan Stevens. “Please believe in me,” Jamie coos over limber, lingering banjo from Gabe Darling. The crunching rhythm at the beginning of “Ghost Head” seems more like familiar O’Death territory, but the slow tempo and group harmonies sound like Rock Plaza Central. The seven-minute track’s dark introduction leads to a bright, shimmering triumph.

“Alamar” has a graveyard shuffle that Man Man would be jealous of, “Ourselves” waltzes about cheerily, and moments of “Look at the Sun” seem to flirt with the Balkan territory of acts like Beirut. Late track “Pushing Out” creaks and moans lyrically, the tragic vocals hovering over sparse, twinkling strings. There’s a newfound fragility to the album, one that gives the musicians a great deal more room to work with. They’re covering fresh territory, so the few hiccups where things seem to stretch too far are to be expected. But this new growth is one that should be interesting to follow come their next album.

Perhaps it has something to do with the FOLK of it all. After all, folk music generally draws a pretty homogeneous group of, well… folks. These people are commonly mellow, much like the music they listen to. They want nothing more than to sit on some grass, drink some frozen lemonade, try on some hats, make their own banjos, and soak up the beautiful New England scenery. Thus, the organizers of the concert feel that they can invite these warm individuals to a nice location without the fear of them tearing it to shreds.

Located at the gorgeously scenic Fort Adams, in Newport, Rhode Island, glimmering, clear blue water surrounds the small vivid green peninsula. Look out from the fort towers and you’ll see hundreds of beautiful boats rocking along the water. Weirdly enough, there was almost no on-stage banter regarding the nautical backdrop. Not even an “I’m on a Boat” reference from Richie Havens. Come on!

The place is remarkably clean; as in I don’t feel like I have to take a shower the minute I step foot on the premises, nor after I exit them. The people typically don’t smell like sewage systems and the air is fresh with ocean mist. It’s nice, which is hard to say about many other gatherings of the same sort. Sure, Bonnaroo is a great place to hear lots of quality music, but it’s filled with all sorts of stenches, it tends to get destroyed as the weekend progresses, and it’s not the best place to bring your family.

In many ways, The Newport Folk Festival is the grandfather of music festivals. It’s been around for a long time, it’s wise, and it likes things just the way they are. Though the acts are a mixture of contemporary and older folk music, people are going to sit for all of it, whether it’s the punk-bluegrass fury of O’Death or Jim James’ angelic croon. You just don’t mess with the order of the place.

At the main stage, the Fort stage, people sit on the lawn and calmly listen to the performances. There’s a small standing area, but it’s never too crowded. It’s mostly people laying back on blankets and reclining in beach chairs. The other two stages, Harbor and Quad, are small tents with a limited selection of fold out chairs. You have to get there early to get a your buns on one, and there’s no standing up front. If you don’t have a seat, you watch from the sides or the back. That’s just the way it is.

On top of that, each day only lasts for about seven hours. It starts mid-day and ends in the early evening. It’s just nice. There are lots of conflicts, which is a downer, but it keeps the day short and sweet. It’s a nice little festival, with all the ingredients for a pleasant weekend bobbing your head by the water.

And then there’s the actual music . . .

Saturday, July 31st

Blitzen Trapper
Harbor Stage, 12:50 p.m.

Day one started off with Portland, Oregon’s Blitzen Trapper. Their jangly, off-kilter blend of Americana and alternative rock was a captivating way to start the day. A lot of the time, Eric Earley’s songwriting is the kind that can go unnoticed without a keen ear. On record, some of it just kind of sneaks by you. He’s usually singing about seemingly arbitrary objects and places that don’t necessarily strike a chord with every listener. Sure, there are the “Furr”s and the “Wild Mountain Nation”s, but many of the other songs have such similar melodies, tempos, and lyrics, that it’s hard to really get into them.

To some extent this was proven true with some of the song selections, but for the most part, live, his musicianship and songwriting skills are all up in your grill. When the band performs, the compositions really take on a new life. Earley doesn’t just play these songs, he embodies them. Whether he is hammering and pulling an acoustic guitar’s strings, screaming into a harmonica, pounding on a keyboard, or going all Stephen Malkmus on his SG, he’s in it to win it. With gorgeous vocal harmonies around every corner, brilliant rhythms, and shimmering synthesizers, the guys make sure you leave with your moneys worth. From the tender, acoustic bestiality of “Furr” to the Zeppelinesque rock of “Destroyer of the Void”, the Trapper were sure to remind us that this was the place where Dylan went electric.

O’Death
Quad Stage, 2:10 p.m.

After trying on some hats and getting some Clif Bar samples, I made my way through one of the fort’s archways to find the Quad stage, the most tucked away of the three. There I witnessed the ramshackle, antebellum bombast of O’Death. Bearded frontman Greg Jamie sounds like Will Oldham just hitting puberty, which lends itself nicely to the group’s progressive, hardcore bluegrass instrumentation, a sound that rips out shards of its influences (from Bill Monroe to Gogol Bordello), throws them in a burlap sack, and breaks through the seams. When things get mellower, Jamie’s voice smoothes out, but at their noisiest, his howl can also sound like a dying soldier’s. With a drummer that could have just escaped from the gallows, just prior to his scheduled execution for murder, a fiddle player who could pass for Jeffrey Dahmer, a bassist who might have also played in Slayer, and a banjoist who wants his banjo to be an axe, these guys know how to party.

Drummer David Rogers-Berry’s set looks like it was just excavated from the flooding of New Orleans. As he hammers away on the fractured crash cymbals and water-stained toms, a substantial scar running down his left tricep, he hits with such fury and power that at any moment he could splinter his stick and stab one of the other members to death with its remainder. After a few minutes with this band, that wouldn’t even be shocking. I mean, the guy does occasionally point at a crowd member and yell his head off at them. People were virtually moshing in their seats.  Those folding chairs felt like a prison.

Yim Yames
Harbor Stage, 3:25 p.m.

My Morning Jacket is a good band. Jim James is a great frontman. This is why it was such a treat to get the chance to see James’ isolated talents on a small outdoor stage. And he delivered. Not only did he sound great, but he even played some My Morning Jacket songs, and not all bad ones, either. You know how usually when you hope for something out of a solo gig, it usually doesn’t go that way? Well, this was like the opposite of that. This was one of the few examples of a guy doing pretty much exactly what his fans wanted out of him. There were some great acoustic renditions of MMJ songs in there, most of which came from Z (“It Beats 4 You”, “Golden”, “Bermuda Highway”, “What a Wonderful Man” “Gideon”). There were some Evil Urges songs too, but I guess that’s alright. “Smoking From Shooting” is one of the better songs on that mediocre album, and he played that. Then there were some new songs performed with a full band, which included Ben Solee and Daniel Moore. The cello added a new dimension of lushness to both old songs and newer ones, elegantly matching up with James’ full-bodied croon. He’s got the voice of a whiskey soaked angel, and he certainly uses it. Highlights included a solo acoustic “It Beats 4 You”, an obscure cover of John Callahan’s “Summer Never Ends”, and the untameable howl of “Gideon”. Also, yay for digital omnichords! (see “What A Wonderful Man).

Andrew Bird
Fort Stage, 4:30 p.m.

Andrew Bird can either be mind-numbingly boring or extremely exciting to watch. If you’re far away, like most people were at the main stage at Newport, it just kind of all mooshes together. His free-form, all over the place performance style doesn’t necessarily suit a festival where people aren’t all listening intently. I guess that’s kind of a silly way to judge a performance, but it’s true. It requires a great deal of concentration to fully appreciate. He sings every song almost exactly the same, so when you’re not paying too close attention, they all sound that way. But, if you actually look at what is going on, it’s pretty astounding. The live looping always comes together perfectly, with Bird whistling his way to a verse and bowing through a chorus. His Doppler inducing amplifier also makes one of the coolest sounds in live music. It wooshes by, as his baroque moan chants each line. His set included a few songs with the help of Calexico, who I regrettably missed earlier. Their mariachi meets Americana instrumentation was definitely a warm welcome to the otherwise sparse, solo affair. Bird concluded the set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Oh, Sister”, potentially his most beautiful set selection. Though even live looped violin and a beautiful voice can get monotonous, it’s pretty hard to deny how well Bird pulls it off and how good it all sounds in the end.

John Prine
Fort Stage, 6:05 p.m.

John Prine has been around for a long time. But, age has been kind to him. He’s still going strong. Despite some health complications over the years, the guy still sings his quirky, yet sentimental country damn-near flawlessly. He’s a modest, often self-deprecating man, with lyrics that can at once induce laughter and tears. There was probably a good deal of both on Saturday. Switching off between solemn, fingerpicked ballads and funny, upbeat strummers, he made sure to defend his legacy. The guy also wasn’t afraid to tell the crowd that most of his songs are all the same three chords. Those three chords sound great, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. With a career-spanning set, that sadly left out the affecting “Sam Stone”, Prine reminded us all how a good song sounds. He also brought up Jim James to perform “All the Best” to cap things off. Well done.

Sunday, August 1st

The Avett Brothers
Fort Stage, 1:50 p.m.

The Avett Brothers have a great deal of energy. They soar through their faster songs, pounding on their guitars and banjos with punk fury. For their lusher, slower tunes, they put on the breaks and coo aptly. Musically speaking, they are great at making pop-folk songs. Still, something about them bugs me. Maybe it has to do with how every song is about the word “love” instead of the actual feeling behind it. While those songs are performed impeccably, even ferociously, I can’t believe the phrases or lines being hurled at me, and that poses a problem. The songs are catchy and hard-hitting, but part of what makes folk music great is its ability to fully understand and convey the truest of human emotions, specifically those of the common folk. While these songs tend to be about those emotions, it’s all surface level. They are only about the emotions. I can say the word love, too, but I’ll you’ll know when I mean it. The same is true for the Avett Brothers. They have the passion for performance, but a lot of the time, they’re all talk.

The Felice Brothers
Harbor Stage, 3:30 p.m.

Where the Brothers Avett lack sincerity, The Felice Brothers are convincing enough for us to believe that they actually do drink lots of whiskey, repeatedly break out of jail, and wield shotguns. They’ve got the Catskill mountain sound down, and Ian’s raspy, Dylanesque howl embodies the spirit of the words he sings. They all shout and sing with an energy that doesn’t feel empty. Greg Farley has the stage presence of a rapper, bouncing around the stage with his fiddle or washboard, like a coked-out maniac. They’re tight enough to wow, and just ramshackle enough to feel authentic. They build up lush, textured tunes, rich with dark Americana instrumentation. And, though the band has probably experienced very little of what they write about, the songs work as metaphors for modern emotion. These are love songs under the guise of Southern Gothic imagery. Mark Twain would be proud, but so would Dylan. With The Felice Brothers as evidence, sometimes it takes a lot of lies to tell the truth.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Harbor Stage, 4:55 p.m.

I had hoped to get a seat for LA’s Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros by getting to the Harbor Stage early. But, right after The Felice Brothers left the stage, nobody moved an inch. The “fire lanes” were even flooded with human beings. This was easily the largest, most excited crowd of the weekend. Cops had to come in and clear out the aisle, as it was a safety hazard. This even prompted a seemingly unprecedented “NO MORE CHAIRS!” chant. Was I waiting for the second coming? When did the Magnetic Zeros become this popular? There were enough girls shouting that it could have been the Beatles’ hitting Johnny Carson. And while Alexander Ebert does look a lot like Jesus, his dirty face and clothes making him look like a righteous nomad, he is just a normal guy with a ridiculously big band behind him. His troupe is more like a good-intentioned cult.

As they took the stage, they lapsed into the soaring “40 Day Dream”, with Ebert howling “I’ve been sleeping for 40 days!” Apparently he had been sleeping, as he claimed to have missed most of the acts on the bill earlier that day after one of his bandmates commented on some of them. The set was a fun one to witness, the nine-piece band all in ridiculously high spirits. It was impossible not to fall in love with Jade Castrinos, as she bashfully pranced around the microphone, tambourine in hand. Every song was received with open arms, but it was definitely “Home” which got the crowd the most excited. The song was destined to be performed for eager fans, the “you” within the lyrics serving as a token of appreciation for the audience. Though he can’t possibly mean it every time, Ebert really does sound like he’s at home wherever he’s with you.

Levon Helm
Fort Stage, 5:50 p.m.

Levon Helm is one of the most animated old men alive. The thing is, Helm isn’t even that old. He just looks like an animated skeleton. In actuality, he’s only 70 years old. He’s not young, but he’s not as old as his frail body would make him out to be. As he dances on stage, shaking his bum and holding his mandolin out in front of him, he looks like the happiest little old man alive. He still hits his drum set like he always has, despite his thin limbs. It’s a sight to see. Sure, it is a bit upsetting that he can’t really sing anymore. After all, he used to possess one of the finest voices in all of folk. But when he does, it shows the passion he still has for his songs.

Opening with “Ophelia”, Helm tried his hand at some singing, before ultimately lending lead vocal spots to the rest of his band for the remainder of the set. With a fantastic, talented group of musicians, classic Band songs were all played impeccably, but a lot the times you could forget Levon was even up there, since there were so many other players involved. The set, then, kind of turned into a set of Band covers, except one of the members was actually sitting in. Nevertheless, it’s fun to sing a long to the live renditions of such great classics.  It’ll never get tiresome listening to songs like “Long Black Veil”, but it does sound a bit odd having Helm’s daughter sing the song (even if it wasn’t originally written by Helm.  It is from a man’s perspective, after all). Either way, the nostalgic performance was a great way to close out a festival that saw dozens of bands deeply rooted in the music Helm penned over the course of his career.

Photography by Nate Slevin.
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O’Death:
June 13th: Music Hall of Williamsburg

Even without the “O” at the start of their band moniker — or the very fact that said moniker was borrowed from a song on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack — O’Death‘s lyrically violent sound seems bespoke to score a Coen Brothers film. In fact, if the Brooklyn-based quintet had been around at the time of that movie’s shooting, they would’ve been perfect for a cameo appearance, all torn-up-and-sweaty dungaree shorts, weirdly engaging stage presence, and thrilling, thrash-hick vibe.

Another way to put it: Appalachian death punk. Throughout their nice, long, afternoon set at Music Hall of Williamsburg, O’Death’s signature sound — not just foreboding, but downright threatening, like an approaching tornado — practically peeled the paint off the walls. In their opening number, the grave-tempoed “Nathaniel”, shirtless drummer David Rogers-Berry banged on his kit not with sticks but with a set of thick metal chains in his hands, which he slapped against his skins and shook in the air with evil glee (all while standing on the kit itself). Fiddler Bob Pycior kicked off another song  by insidiously scrawling his bow across Gabe Darling’s banjo frets. Lead singer Greg Jamie, serving as the eye of this storm which also includes bassist Jesse Newman, exuded calm confidence throughout, particularly on “Only Daughter”, in which his soft vocals more than held their own against the number’s harsh staccatos. During their second encore, the electrifying “Rise Up”, it felt as if band and fans alike were so spasmodically charged they might just commit spontaneous hari kari — yet another way O’Death lives up to its name.

Emanuel & the Fear:
June 13th: Spike Hill

As Emanuel and the Fear — all ten or eleven of them; it’s a big outfit — warmed up for their set at Spike Hill, the sight of all those orchestral instruments (cello, trombone, flute, violin…), plus the fact that they were actually employing music stands, made it look more like Emanuel and the B’nai B’rith Youth Chamber Group of South Williamsburg. And like such a gaggle of nerdy, young prodigies-in-the-making, the band sounded promising but could’ve used some tightening up.

Jewfro’d, Andy Samberg lookalike Emanuel Ayvas proved to be a pleasant frontman, with his easygoing vocals and quick-witted crowd rapport. What felt off about the performance was the group’s choices of tempo. It occasionally used 7/8 time, which imbued the music with an ill-suited, slightly Rush-like, prog-rock vibe. Once or twice elsewhere, the music (which generally carries more than a whiff of Vampire Weekend’s style) seemed to wander in a pulseless free time, refusing to put down roots. Ayvas doesn’t shy away from lyrical cliches — he’ll even sing about how he only wants to sing in a rock and roll band — which doesn’t help in making something more memorable. But it seems that Emanuel and the Fear just need some more time to grow as a band — by bar mitzvah time, I’m sure they’ll graduate to musical manhood.

Savoir Adore:
June 13th: Spike Hill

If you like Stars — and if you don’t yet, you really should and will — you would’ve loved Savoir Adore‘s evening-time set at Spike Hill. Lead singers/group founders Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer produce lovely homophonic harmonies together, sung above sweet-and-simple beats and hooks. And though their Europop vibe may be off-putting to some (I understand if you feel you’ve just had enough of that stuff for a while), their modestly funny demenaor could make a fan out of most. (“Welcome to our 80s synth pop song, we hope you like it!” Hammer announced cheekily at one point.) But they’re also not shy about rocking out when rocking out is required, such as on the irresistibly catchy and somewhat grindy “MERP”. Poppy yet mature, tight yet freeing, their sound’s one to keep listening to as the band gets bigger still.

The Dodos:
June 14th: Studio B

Who thought it’d be a good idea to book The Dodos — whose wondrous Afro-world-folk-pop aesthetic ranks them as one of indie music’s most inexplicably unsung singer-songwriter outfits  — into a pitch-black club with shitty sightlines and the garish feel of a gold-platd, Eurotrash pick-up joint? That was the first thing, and really the main thing wrong with the band’s Sunday matinee. The place was packed to the gills with youthful hipsters just dying to hear “Fools”, The Dodos’ best-known single (I believe it’s currently being used in ads for Miller Chill), half of whom then left when the band finally played it a little more than halfway through their set. Singer Meric Long exhibited a little more than just a passing interest in the crowd who’d turned out; the powerful playing and evident enthusiasm of drummer Logan Kroeber easily outmatched him. All in all, they played their songs off Visiter competently, but to the hardcore Dodos fan, the show ranked as a letdown.

Teddy Blank
June 14th: Public Assembly

I caught Teddy Blanks at Public Assembly on Sunday night by accident (I got the time wrong on another act), and ironically, I wasn’t quite sure if what I was watching was, in and of itself, an intentional piece of performance-art pop or just some wackily self-confident guy with a not-bad set of pipes who decided to jump on stage and kill time before the real musical act showed up.

So who or what exactly is Teddy Blanks? He’s a singer-songwriter (and former frontman of a band called The Gaskets) who performs, to quote another critic, “lo-fi laptop electro.” There are no instruments or other people performing them onstage with him; the synthpop sound seems to emerge out of nowhere, accompanied by Blanks’ quite capable vocals and, standing on one corner of the stage, a simple TV screen on which various complementary images shuffle past. (Most memorably Sunday night, the movie Eyes Wide Shut was shown in perpetual fast-forward as Blanks sang.) He writes original songs and does covers. On the former, he’s got an EP full of medical issues called Complications; he describes it on his website as “six upbeat pop songs about strange diseases and medical trauma.” This includes “She’s Got the Itch”, a great pop song. As for covers, in a similarly health-concerned vein, he does “Girlfriend in a Coma”. And he’s definitely an act worth seeking out.

After his two solo efforts, Claypool and his bizarre, alternative mindset have begun to take to the road. Starting May 23, the California native will embark on a nationwide tour that will carry him to both coastlines and everywhere in between, before concluding with a stop at the All Good Festival. The tour also includes a fine trio of accompanying acts – Stubbs’ finest Matisyahu, O’Death and Yard Dogs Road Show. While this is the primary focus of the recent Claypool undercurrent, another project that has gained attention from his official website is a film entitled Pig Hunt which boasts soundtrack tunes from the famous bassist.

“Sometime back, I was commissioned to write soundtrack music for two projects that promised to have quite a bit of very intense and unique imagery, one was for an interactive game about a meteor that hits Earth and brings intelligence to the mushrooms within the crash proximity, and the other was about a 3,000-pound wild boar that terrorizes the marijuana fields of Northern California.”

The summer tour Claypool will be embarking on supports the newest solo outing by the former Primus front man, Of Fungi and Foe that became available in March. Be sure to pick up the latest work from Les Claypool and try to catch the next hot tour of the year when it comes to a watering hole near you.

Les Claypool 2009 Tour Dates:
05/23 – Chillicothe, IL @ Summer Camp Festival
05/24 – Thornville, OH @ Hookahville Festival
05/26 – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theater ^
05/27 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel ^
05/28 – Hilton Head, SC @ Shoreline Ballroom ^
05/30 – Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
05/31 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues *
06/01 – Tampa, FL @ Jannus Landing *
06/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
06/04 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall *
06/05 – Ozark, AR @ Wakarusa Festival
06/07 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium *
06/08 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues *
06/09 – Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall *
06/11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine
06/12 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee
06/13 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre #
06/19 – Sacramento, CA @ The Grove/Radisson Hotel #
06/21 – Medford, OR @ Britt Pavilion #
06/23 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
06/24 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
06/30 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings ^
07/01 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue ^
07/03 – Omaha, NE @ Anchor Inn ^
07/04 – Rothbury, MI @ Rothbury Festival
07/05 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vouge ^
07/06 – Nashville, TN @ War Memorial Audtiorium ^
07/07 – Knoxville, TN @ The Bijou Theater ^
07/10 – Masontown, WV @ All Good Festival
07/11 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Change Theater ^
07/12 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground ^
07/17 – Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues

^ = w/ O’Death
* = w/ Matisyahu
# = w/ Yard Dogs Road Show

In support of the release, Claypool has tapped a slew of fellow musicians to take part in what is being billed as “The Oddity Faire – A Mutated Mini Fest”. If you’re confused, don’t worry, just know this. Beginning in early March, Claypool will head out on a month-long tour supported by the likes of O’Death, Saul Williams, DeVotchKa, Yard Dogs Road Show, and Secret Chiefs 3. So yeah, maybe calling it a “mini fest” isn’t that much of a stretch. Tickets for a number of these shows are available now via Ticketmaster.com.

Of Fungi and Foe Tracklist:
01. Mushroom Men
02. Amanitas
03. Red State Girl
04. Booneville Stomp
05. What Would Sir George Martin Do
06. you Can’t Tell Errol Anything
07. Bite Out Of Life (featuring Eugene Hutz)
08. Kazoo
09. Primed by 29
10. Pretty Little Song
11. Rosco

Les Claypool 2009 Tour Dates:
3/04 – San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues *
3/06 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues *^
3/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium Mutaytor *^
3/08 – Lake Tahoe, NV @ Montbleu Theatre *^
3/10 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom *^
3/11 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo *^
3/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Depot ^!
3/14 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore *^!
3/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont ^!%
3/17 – St. Louis, MO @ Pageant ^!%
3/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Myth ^!%
3/20 – Milwaukee, WI @Rave ^!%
3/21 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera ^!%
3/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora ^!%
3/24 – Toronto, ON @ The Guvernment ^!
3/26 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues ^!@
3/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^!@
3/28 – New York, NY @Terminal 5 ^!@

* = w/ Yard Dogs Road Show
^ = w/ Saul Williams
! = w/ Secret Chief 3
@ = w/ O’Death
% = w/ DeVotchKa