by Jerri Starbuck Les Claypool (Primus) and Sean Lennon (John Lennon’s son) teamed up to create Claypool Lennon Delirium. It’s an unlikely pairing you might think. But it works incredibly well and makes perfect sense. Lennon coming from more indie rock, Claypool from hard rock, the two have been working on their sound since first recording in 2016 and seem very comfortable. What many might not realize is that they’ve already had two songs on the Billboard 100 list. The show itself might be one of the best of the year. The show matches the theme and new album title South of Reality as it’s trippy, weird, and the definition of alternative. Their website says it perfectly. “The epic sophomore album might be just the antidote this sick world needs. Music so potent it could repel an asteroid impact from space. These seasoned warriors of psychedelia have crafted timeless songs that may as well be chiseled in stone”. The whole band is dressed in black and each wears a different cool hat that adds to the Alice in Wonderland feel. The two stand far apart on stage and banter like brothers and best friends. Les endearingly calls Sean ‘Shiner’ in part because of his very cool mirror-plated guitar and calls out his ‘guns’ – his muscles. We love the dichotomy of the dark moody music and show, and the comedy they bring in between songs to lighten things up. Then they go into this silly bit about “beware of bottomless popcorn- that’s what did it to me” then Sean jokes that ‘Bottomless Popcorn would be my rapper name’. Although we think it would be more popular to add a ‘Lil’ in front of it. It’s over 100 degrees in Austin and luckily the show is inside. Sean says ‘you probably just have to throw corn on the sidewalk and it will pop it’s so hot in Austin!’ The setlist included old and new songs, mostly their own including popular “Easily Charmed by Fools” with a few cool rock covers mixed in from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, The Who, Primus, and The Beatles. The song titles and lyrics are as bizarre as the music. “She likes to swipe right for pretty boys on Tinder” is hilarious. Many lyrics remind us of the goofiness and fun that The Beatles had with experimental/psychedelic songs (perhaps influenced by acid) like “Yellow Submarine” and most of it’s songs, “Magical Mystery Tour”, “It’s All Too Much”, “The Walrus” and even “Sgt. Pepper”. Although we were trying hard not to compare Delirium to The Beatles we do see some similarities- mostly in the creativity of pushing music boundaries and being silly. View the show photo gallery on Austin 101 Magazine. Setlist Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium) Sunday, August 11, 2019, Stubb’s Amphitheater The fun All Roads Runaround tour came to Austin to close out the summer tour, just off the heels of the Dallas show the night before. Moe & Blues Traveler were co-headliners with special guest G.Love. The G.Love crowd was confused why he wasn’t the opener that night, but it didn’t matter. He’s played many headlining shows at Stubb’s and other Austin venues in the past. He loves it here so he comes often. G.Love brought his harmonica and groovy style and packed in the favorites- “Cold Beverage”, “Juice”, and more. G.Love is inherently eclectic bringing indie, blues, folk, and a little rap (with a bit of politics thrown in). Hailing from New Jersey, Blues Travelers founded their group in 1987. The band has been through a lot, from Sheehan’s death (a founding member and bass player) to dealing with record deals falling to the wayside, to numerous hits and triumphs. Blues Traveler’s resilience, grit, and music-making magic shined in their set tonight. The iconic band did not disappoint. I have to say that John Popper’s (front man) harmonica chops impress me every time I hear him. No one plays a harmonica like he does. He ignited the crowd with his skills and riffs. The audience went nuts when they performed their classic hit, “Run-Around”. Even young kids who were on their parent’s shoulders were screaming the lyrics along with the band. The love of the band’s music is passed down through generations, and that was evident tonight. The crowd roared with excitement and waved their arms in the air when Blues Traveler covered the Cheap Trick song, “I Want You To Want Me” to finish the set. The band occasionally changed the lyrics to the cover, which created some fun, and naughty comic relief. Popper had fun with the crowd by throwing several harmonicas to people in the crowd that were dancing. What was evident is that the band has a great appreciation for each other’s talents, and each performer had their chance to solo. The soloists didn’t rush one another, nor did they step on each other’s toes. They had real freedom. These moments reminded me a little bit of jazz concerts. You could really feel that the band members have the utmost respect for each other. The highlight of the night was the collaborative jam with all three bands at the end of the Blues Traveler set. The collab included some killer songs and you could tell the guys were all having a blast. We love the song choices in this portion of the set that included Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, and Grateful Dead covers. It was a perfect blend. Whether it was an original or a cover, the bands all performed with invigorating energy and life that fed off the crowd vibes. Love & Popper jammed together on the harmonicas like they’d been doing it together for years. For Moe’s set, people were dancing like jellyfish to the psychedelic grooves while spectacular light show occurred on stage. Moe played a ni and then Pink Floyd cover song “Time” that had people rockin’ out to the music legends famous tune. There’s nothing like a good mash up of hard rock and jam-band grooviness. Not to mention the killer drum solos. Known for great collaborations, this night continued that theme. These guys are used to playing big gigs and huge music festivals so it was a treat to catch them in a small venue with this killer lineup. They’ve come a long way from playing at University in New York in 1989 (Wikipedia). They hit their stride in the 90’s and often rank right up there with huge jam bands like Phish, Dave Matthews Band, The Grateful Dead, and Widespread Panic. With these great collabs, they continue to achieve their goal of pushing the (music) envelope. See our photo gallery from the show. G.Love Milk and Sugar Blues Traveler The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band cover) Collab set (All 3) Alone (Blues Traveler cover) Moe. Haze Austin 360 Amphitheater, Austin, Texas by Diego Donamaria When you think about Beck, Cage the Elephant, and Spoon all performing under the same ticket, you know it’s going to be a big party. Basically, any of the 3 bands would be worth the ticket admission price. All 3 on the same stage, not to mention the awesome Wild Belle with their fun electro pop, is sure to be a hot ticket. Knowing that Spoon are Austin locals just makes it that more special. We caught up with Spoon earlier in the day at their CD release event at Waterloo Records and got to talk to the band about touring with Beck, Cage, and Wild Belle, their new greatest hits album Everything Hits At Once, and what they were most looking forward to during their performance in their hometown. It was easy to see how excited all the band members were about rocking the stage with such an awesome line up to a sold out crowd of veteran music fans. Austin-ites know music. Britt Daniel and the rest of Spoon took the stage with their indie rock/pop experimental sounds and they did not disappoint. They sounded sharp and energetic while performing a list of fan favorite songs, including “The Way We Get By”, “The Underdog” and “Hot Thoughts”. The unmistakeable Matt Shultz came onstage in a wild outfit that he (in very traditional Cage The Elephant tradition) proceeded to shed during the performance. It started with a creepy red face mask, purple outfit and combat helmet and ended with him running around the stadium in his briefs. Anytime you are present for a Cage show, you know that there will be boundless manic energy, great tunes, and somewhat odd behavior. Matt has said in the past that the goal of his performances is to get people on their feet singing and dancing. Undoubtedly they succeeded in their goal of getting all of us on our feet singing along and wondering what Matt would climb on next. The band performed well-loved tunes like “Broken Boy”, “Mess Around”, and “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” in their traditional near-schizophrenic frenzied style. One of the coolest moments of their set was during their performance of the song “Trouble”. Matt started the song’s lyrics, and got quiet for a few seconds…“Trouble on my left, trouble on my right. I’ve been facing trouble almost all my life. My sweet love, won’t you pull me through? Everywhere I look I catch a glimpse of you. I said it was love and I did it for life. Did-did it for you”. By the end of the chorus we were all singing at the top of our lungs and you could feel the love amongst all of us. In very traditional Cage style, the show ended with Matt climbing on the roof of the sound booth and performing his last song from there. Assumingely, not as planned and rehearsed. Beck came out in his signature business suit (classic and tasteful compared to the entertaining costumes of Cage) and he wasted no time getting the crowd singing along with his breakout hit “Loser” followed by all the crowd pleasers like “Devil’s Haircut”, “Que Onda Guero”, “The New Pollution” and others. “Dreams” and “Where It’s At”,were definite highlights of the night. The mind melding animated visuals and elaborate images added depth and entertainment to the songs. Although Beck’s set was subdued compared the craziness of Cage’s set, he proved why he’s the veteran in the lineup in the headliner position. At the end of the show, Matt Schultz came back onstage to perform their joint song “Night Running” that inspired the name of the tour. One of the coolest collaborations we’ve seen recently. The show ended with a bang with massive confetti and balloons. At almost 50, Beck continues to defy aging and put on an amazing show. Only one question remains. How does Beck perform (seemingly fine) in a suit in the ridiculous and humid Texas heat? Setlist Devils Haircut Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads cover) (snippet) Encore: by Gina Alligood Some of us lucky folks attended the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy’s 25th Anniversary Gala at the Moody Theater at ACL Live. It’s rare when an audience is treated to so much amazing talent on one stage in one evening. You might almost forget that the real goal of the evening was to contribute to the Academy’s MusiCares Foundation which provides health, financial, and rehabilitation aide to musicians in need. In 1987, following the news that music legend Woody Herman, who after an impressive career spanning more than 60 years, died penniless and alone, the Academy took steps to ensure no other musician suffered this kind of tragedy. In 1992 the foundation provided $26,000 to musicians in times of need, and over the years they have been able to distribute an additional $60 million dollars. That’s huge. The Texas Chapter did itself proud with a line up that represented every genre; Tejano, country, blues, pop, gospel, and hip hop! This is all thanks to Executive Director Theresa Jenkins, the creative genius behind the diverse powerhouse line up of talent (which includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico.) She is a much respected and loved figure in the local chapter and when Christine Albert, former National Chair, shared sobering news that Teresa is in treatment for cancer and could not attend, the emotions of the crowd were palpable. Throughout the show her presence was clearly felt, as performer after performer took a moment to send appreciation and love her way. As Los TexManiacs left the stage the crowd was pumped up by local legend Ray Benson who most fittingly slipped into a swinging set with “Miles and Miles of Texas”. Ray told of his first Grammy, one he had to pick up in Memphis, which led him and fellow musicians to come home and make sure Texas was rightfully represented in the Recording Academy by founding its own chapter. Fiddle player Katie Shore followed singing sweet and clear to Benson’s signature bass for a hopping rendition of hit “Route 66”. Next, Marcia Ball made herself at home sitting cross legged behind her piano, grinning and belting out her latest hit, “Shine Bright”, her foot swinging to the exuberant beat of rhythm and blues, until you felt like you were sitting there right beside her. The music was all the more upbeat watching the way Marcia and her band were clearly enjoying playing together. Shine Bright was a jewel of a song, gifting us with a shout out to singular heroes like Jackie Robinson and RGB. A notable message on a night celebrating such a diverse group of musicians who are committed to supporting and honoring their sense of community. Motown gospel Grammy-nominated musician Brian Courtney Wilson further reminded us of our bond, despite our differences, as he humbly called listeners to ‘notice one another and to hug the neighbor beside them’. On the floor you could see and feel the hands raised in agreement as he took us to church with his resounding tenor voice belting out the deeply moving “A Great Work.” As the room was awash in the afterglow of Brian’s performance, Yolanda Adams, (President of the Texas Chapter and a multiple Grammy award-winning gospel singer) took the stage. The perfection of her powerhouse voice defies description. The audience couldn’t stay quiet, and punctuated her vocal runs with shouts and applause . When “Someone Watching Over You” came to an end the crowd offered the first standing ovation of the evening. Just when you’re certain it can’t get any better, Yolanda called Brian Courtney Wilson back on stage to pay tribute to Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack in a performance of “You’ve Got a Friend”. Generously pouring everything they had into the duet, they shared a heartfelt exchange and it was a special moment. Nothing tipped the proverbial hat to the importance of the diversity of talent of the Texas chapter like the inclusion of the Oklahoma band of brothers, Hanson. You had to love their telling of being discovered at SXSW, as they pandered songs, Oliver Twist-like, to anyone who would listen. They proudly began their set with the infectious 1997 pop hit “MMMBop”, delighting the crowd with the solid three part harmony we fell in love with from the start. Twenty years later, we are happily reminded of their tight musicianship that well-earned their invitation to the stage tonight. Bringing us back a bit closer to home, the band Midland, hailing from Dripping Springs, performed next. Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy, and Jess Carson stepped well-dressed and confident onto the stage. Their final tune swept the audience into the whiskey smooth harmonies of their country rock hit “Drinking Problem”. Mark Wystrach took a moment to speak from the heart, first by joining the previous artists with gratitude to Teresa Jenkins for her stellar work in showcasing Texas talent, and then by thanking Texas music fans themselves for coming out to listen to the music every night of the week. Teased throughout the evening that Houston hip hop was in the house, the audience’s energy was palpable when Paul Wall cruised onto the stage with his breakthrough song “Grillz”, confirming that he is still the people’s champ. The audience was in full rhythmic beat with Wall as he passed the baton to the underground King BunB, who kept the vibrant beat going with “Get Throwed”. Then“Still Tippin’” Slim Thug joined the boys as the trio seamlessly carried on the conversation weaving and exchanging movement and verse with beautiful ease and perfect collaboration. The collaborations throughout the show made this an even more special and rare night. A metaphor for a celebratory evening of camaraderie and shared respect for the diverse brilliance of Texas music talent. The Texas Chapter’s 25th Anniversary Gala was everything a Texas musician and music lover could hope for. Learn more about the Texas Recording Academy Chapter here. Check out our complete gala photo gallery by Nick Paruch It’s July in Dallas and summer here can be brutal, but that didn’t seem to deter the country music fans who stuck out the heat and humidity for the nine-hour Outlaw Music Festival at Dos Equis Pavilion. This year’s line-up included Colter Wall, Hayes Carll, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Casey Donahew, Alison Krauss, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and Willie Nelson & Family. Since the event was held on a weekday (July 3rd) before a holiday weekend the early acts didn’t receive the fan love had the festival been on a weekend. But the crowds slowly filtered in as folks left work anxious to start their Independence Day celebrations with some boot stompin’ country, outlaw, roots & Americana live music. Undeterred, both legend Steve Earle and Hayes Carll, and Casey Donahew had exhilarating performances, but it wasn’t until Alison Krauss took the stage that the crowd really started to pay attention. While almost everyone else played in front of the standard Outlaw Music Festival signage, Krauss and her band performed in front of a mock backstage, a fake brick wall complete with glowing windows and vaudeville posters. The 27-time Grammy Award winner turned the cavernous space into an intimate blues hall with merely her soulful voice and tender lyrics. Krauss enthralled the crowd with “Down to the River to Pray”, “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby”, and “Gentle on My Mind”, among others. The band bounced between songs from their self-titled debut album (2015) and new “Tearing At The Seams” giving the NRNS fans the soulful Americana/folk sounds they came for. Highlights of the evening were certainly “I Need Never Get Old”, “S.O.B.”, and “Tearing at the Seams”. To cap off the night, the one and only Willie Nelson, the true outlaw of the Outlaw Music Festival, came on stage, playing in front of – what else – a giant Texas flag. The crowd immediately leapt to their feet shouting, “We love you, Willie!” Nelson has such die-hard fans that follow him everywhere that many were probably there only to see him and no one else. After shaking off the rust on his opener, “Whiskey River,” Nelson performed song after song, calling out to the crowd on his most popular lyrics and skillfully plucking away on ‘Trigger,’ his trusted guitar. The set blazed through country history and beloved icons – playing a bit of Hank Williams, “Hey Good Lookin” and “Move It on Over”, and some of his late best buddy Waylon Jennings, “Good Hearted Woman” – with the energy and momentum of a locomotive. You don’t expect an 86-year-old to electrify a crowd to life on a work night after a marathon day of music, but that’s exactly what happened. Considering his annual 4th of July Picnic music festival in Austin was the next day, Willie didn’t appear to hold anything back or show a need to pace himself. See all our concert photos from the festival. by Diego Donamaria by Nick Paruch by Nick Paruch Following the passing of Jerry Garcia in 1995, the iconic Grateful Dead broke up, but three decades of material could not rest. The remaining members rematerialized in various configurations over the years as The Other Ones, The Dead, Further and Fare Thee Well. In addition to the founding members, the bands have included Bruce Hornsby, Joan Osborne, Warren Haynes and Trey Anastasio. Some would ask John Mayer? Isn’t he the total opposite of Jerry Garcia, both musically and visually? Yes, he is! But the fact is John Mayer is an accomplished guitarist and his vocal style is a great match for Bob Weir. Also, the intent was never to replace Jerry but to find a someone to compliment the current band. The heat was on, literally. It is July in Dallas. As the sun started to set on the Dos Equis Pavilion, Dead fans showed up ready to party in full tye-dye regalia. Much of the crowd was from the Baby Boomer era but every generation had representation. Proving just how timeless their music is. Was this the party of the year? For Deadheads in North Texas it certainly was. The first set had a definite Texas theme as the set included “Minglewood Blues”, “Deep Elem Blues”, “El Paso” and “Jack Straw”. Every time the word “Texas” came Throughout the set Mayer and Weir traded lead vocals and even worked in a few harmonies. It is very apparent that Weir run the show, but Mayer had plenty of opportunities to shine. His guitar work on “Sugaree” was extraordinary and The second set was laid out in traditional Grateful Dead fashion. A mix of classic jazzy-bluesy jams that included “Shakedown Street”, “Uncle John’s Band” and “St. Stephen”. Midway through the set Hart and Kreutzmann got to show their chops during “Drums” and “Space”. The set ended on an upbeat cover of The Young Rascals “Good Lovin’”. After a short break the band returned for an encore, they performed the Dead staple “Black Muddy River” which hints to hopefulness emerging from the darkness. Not sure if the fans left hopeful but they were certainly satiated from the experience. See all the photos from the concert on Austin 101.
The fact that the show was at an iconic intimate indie-label club (Emo’s) proves how cool this show really was and how special it was for fans who were there.
Jim James joined them earlier on the summer tour and called the Delirium “the healing power of rock ‘n’ roll”. This healing is much needed today in our crazy world of altered reality and politics and also reflects our time in history in the 60’s and 70’s too when music played a critical role in society (actually, it always does). The artwork and background visuals are amazing and just add to the psychedelic acid-trip nature of the music.
Claypool is so tall, funnier than expected and says “Im high on peyote and mescaline”. But are they? They joke about how cool Austin is because they saw the new Tarantino film last night (“Once Upon A Time in Hollywood”) and that they found some peyote during the movie. Some people in the crowd were trippin’ so maybe they got some of the good stuff too.
Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)
Little Fishes
Blood and Rockets: Movement I, Saga of Jack Parsons – Movement II Too the Moon
South of Reality
The Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson cover)
Easily Charmed by Fools
Boriska
Breath of a Salesman
Amethyst Realm
Mr. Wright
Cricket Chronicles Revisited: Part 1, Ask Your Doctor – Part 2, Psyde Effects
(“How Many More Times” tease in intro)
Like Fleas
Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles cover)
Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover)
Encore:
Boris the Spider (The Who cover)
Southbound Pachyderm (Primus cover)
by Katie Combest
The sultry heat didn’t suffocate the enthusiasm or energy of the music fans at Stubb’s on Sunday. Stubb’s was packed with a relaxed, Chaco and Keen-wearing crowd who didn’t seem to mind at all that the heat index was 115 degrees.
(photo Brooks Burris)
(photo Brooks Burris)
(photo Brooks Burris)
(photo Brooks Burris)
Set List
Sunshine
Fixin’ to Die (Bukka White cover)
Going Up the Country (Canned Heat cover)
Fix Your Face
Love
Soul B Que
Cold Beverage (G. Love & Special Sauce song)
I-76
Juice
Carolina Blues
Regarding Steven
What I Got
Bass Solo
The Wolf Is Bumpin’
Run-Around
Ode From the Aspect
But Anyway
Hook
The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band cover)
Thinnest of Air
I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick Cover)
Fearless (Pink Floyd cover)
Reelin’ in the Years (Steely Dan cover)
Bertha (Grateful Dead cover)
Go Crazy
Wormwood
Deep This Time
Tambourine
All Roads Lead to Home
Waiting for the Punchline
Time (Pink Floyd cover)
Dangerous Game
Timmy Tucker
(Beck performs- by Diego Donamaria)
(Spoon performs- by Diego Donamaria)
(Cage The Elephant performs)
The stage was set for the award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and all around creative genius Beck. Equally known for his edgy and profound lyrics, his experimental mash of folk, hip pop, electronic, alternative rock, and psychedelic music always creates a visual spectacle. This day was no different.
Black Tambourine
The New Pollution
Qué onda güero
Up All Night
Girl
Mixed Bizness
Wow
Saw Lightning
Dreams
E-Pro
Where It’s At
Miss You (The Rolling Stones cover) (snippet)
Night Running
Los TexManiacs kicked off the after dinner show with a rousing burst of musica tejano, a Grammy category thanks to the efforts of the Texas Chapter. Max Baca’s deft bajo sexto finger work and Josh Baca’s hot licks on the button accordion took us ‘Down in the Bayou’ and then worked their way to lively Tex Mex with a rock and roll vibe. Little Joe Hernandez, a pioneer of the Tejano genre, stepped into the mix with his guitar and horn player. There was absolutely nothing little about his smooth and powerful vocals. Before exiting the stage, he leaned into the mic for one last personal message to the audience, “Please save the children.”
In addition to the music, the gala was an elegant affair that included a red carpet and cocktail reception and formal dinner that raised money for MusiCares. At the end of the night, past and present officers and board members gathered arms around each other to send out well wishes to Teresa. The Texas Chapter is as much about the music as it is about the human beings that make it and celebrate it together.
After a quick stage change Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats (NRNS) set began and the venue erupted with cheers. The band jammed on the horn riff from their latest album’s opening track, “Shoe Boot” before Rateliff emerged, clad in dark denim, a black vest, and his signature unbuttoned shirt and black cowboy hat. Rateliff’s powerful voice cut through the big band’s wall of sound like a knife. 
Read more about Outlaw music festival at here.
For the past four years, in their latest iteration, three of the four surviving founding members of the Grateful Dead—drummer Bill Kreutzmann, drummer and percussionist Mickey Hart, and rhythm guitarist and singer Bob Weir, as well as singer and guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers bassist Oteil Burbridge and keyboardist Jeff Chimentia have been touring the world as Dead and Company.
up in the lyrics the crowd would jump and cheer. To top it off John Mayer sported a Stevie Ray Vaughn t-shirt.
really showed why he is part of the band.
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