Tuesday night, I went to my first Trey Anastasio concert at Terminal 5 in NYC (conveniently located on 11th Ave near all the bad nudie bars. Woohoo!). For those of you who do not know who Trey is, he is the lead singer of Phish. For those of you who do know who he is, below is the set list:

Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB
February 16, 2010
Terminal 5
New York, NY

Set One: Shine, Cayman Review, Push On ‘Til the Day, Alaska, Mozambique, Gotta Jibboo, All That Almost Was, Drifting, Liquid Time, The Birdwatcher, Night Speaks to a Woman, Tuesday, Brian and Robert*, Strange Design*, Sample in a Jar*, Chalkdust Torture*, Wilson*

Set Two: Sand, Alive Again, Last Tube> Show of Life, Sultans of Swing, Ether Sunday, Black Dog

Encore: Magilla, First Tube

* – Trey Solo Acoustic

Now, I am not a huge Trey fan. I like some of his music, he’s a phenomenal guitar player, and it was an excuse to drink beer and hang with my buddies on a Tuesday night (I sincerely hope I have not offended any Phish Heads reading this by saying that). Here is what I learned:

1) I will get the sophomoric, frat-boy comments out of the way first: We saw one woman we deemed attractive. Moving on…

2) Several of the songs Trey and Classic TAB played? They originally wrote ‘em and they were later adopted by Phish, prompting one buddy to say “HA! Phish is like a glorified cover band!” (again, Phish Heads, he is a big Trey fan. He was kidding. Please no hippie voodoo on us).

3) The concert started at 8:30 and lasted (minus a short break in the middle) until midnight. Set two was 70 minutes alone. However, the energy was high the entire time and it’s hard not to get excited when there’s a second-set ending cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”:

Get the Led Out…

4) Trey ended the show with “First Tube,” the first song he wrote with Classic TAB. Enjoy this jam-tastic bit from 10/25/08:

Trey with Classic Tab - \”First Tube\”

5) Finally, the concert was a blast (if you get a chance to check the band out, after one concert I suggest you do so) but there was a TINY part of me that was hoping we’d get a surprise guest…like this one:

Phish featuring The Boss

Super Bowl prediction: I don’t know, Indy by six?

I don’t really have an opinion on who’s going to win the game. However, I am certain, by the end of Sunday night, we will all be sick and tired of hearing the song When The Saints Go Marching In. Even odds that The Who noodle around with it during half time.

If you dislike this song - which, not for nothing, if you dislike this song then you’re a jerk, it’s delightful and timeless - you should probably either watch the game on mute or chew your 7-foot sandwich really loudly.

Here are my Top Five Renditions* of When The Saints Go Marching In.

*So as not to go buck-wild with the Saints favoritism, I didn’t post the original Who Dat?! version, but I did post it over here.

5.) The Seeger Sessions Band


4.) Jerry Lee Lewis


3.) Elvis


2.) Louis Armstrong & Danny Kaye


1.) Fats Domino

Fun factoids about Coachella:

• Even though the festival site looks like a barren desert, the grounds are somehow dubbed the Empire Polo Club.

• Goldenvoice, the company organizing the event, also runs All Points West festival.

So you’re saying there’s a chance that Gorillaz could be headlining an East Coast festival too?

Rolling Stone reports, just one day after Gorillaz were named the Saturday night headliner of Coachella, the first single ‘Stylo’ off the band’s upcoming third album leaked on YouTube, here it is:

As the Google search above begs, hit the poll at the bottom and let me know what you think about this track.

Gorillaz new album “Plastic Sun” is out March 9.

Trying to figure out his angle here. Because the Ian Mackaye that I know would avoid like the plague anything with even a tinge of corporate sensibility. So, what exactly is he doing in a web series called D.I.Y. America that’s produced by Nike’s ad agency, Wieden+Kennedy?

Along with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and some of the old school of skating’s finest, Mackaye is featured in an episode (or part of one) called Skate & Create, which “explores “the skaters’ gaze”— the way a skateboarder looks at the urban environment in a completely different way from others.”

It’s not bad - not nearly as clownish as the phrase skaters’ gaze would suggest - but I thought you were militant about this sort of thing, Mackaye? After all, it’s called D.I.Y. America, yet the video is only available on W+K’s website here?

I’m sure he had his reasons, still, I’d like to think of Ian Mackaye like this: on a budget stage performing a $5 show.

Ian MacKaye Gets DIY For Nike’s Ad Agency (STEREOGUM)

Photo via Flickr

I agree with First Cuts, I like the shirt.

Smooth moves by Common on there too, but who’s cooler than Boom Dizzle? (Certainly not Diz Gibran, the M.C.)

For the love of pete, vote for Baron to be in NBA JAM.

“2009, what a shrew bitch, right?” ~ Malia Obama.

Kidding, I don’t really know Malia like that.

Anywho, it’s the last gasp of the first decade of the greatest century in someone’s history, everyone’s just not sure it’s going to be them. Whether you look back on 2009 like it’s a grotesque animal. Whether the last year left you feeling like you’re part of an empire of dust. Whether you’ve got no prospects or career opportunities or affordable health care. Whether you think you’re fighting for a lost cause. Or whether you believe a change is gonna come, listen to these 8 songs and kiss 2009 goodbye.

Cause as my main man, Darryl Hall, says: She’s gone, and I’d pay the devil to replace her.

Of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal

Beck - Lost Cause

N.I.N. - Hurt

The Clash - Career Opportunities

Ry Cooder - How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live (written by Blind Alfred Reed)

Beatles - I’ve Got a Feeling

Sam Cooke - A Change Gonna Come

Hall and Oates - She’s Gone

True nerd alert: I love streaming internet radio. I really do. I’ll even go as far to keep a post-it on my desk so I can note the names of bands who I’d like to check out further on their Myspace page. It’s sort of the 2.0 version of listening to the radio on a tape deck boombox and recording the songs that you like on a Memorex (born in the 1980s alert).

No online station gave me as much streaming enjoyment in 2009 as WOXY. Primarily, because it streams the best on my questionable internet connection at work. Most people however who rep online radio stations put WOXY, based out of Austin, TX in the upper echelon of those living online that play independent bands too (KEXP, KCRW).

Yesterday on WOXY’s blog The Futurist they announced the availability of their Best of SXSW 2009 Lounge CD, a collection of tracks recorded at last year’s festival at James Stevens at EAR studios in Austin, Texas.

2009 was another great year for music in the WOXY Lounge. And it was another great year for our lounge recordings during SXSW 2009 as well. We were back at EAR studios again this year for a new record 27 live sessions.

The CD will be available later in the week, but you can download 12 tracks from the WOXY Lounge on The Futurist now, including tunes from the Mother Mother, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, and the reigning kings of coming up with song titles, the Future of the Left - get ‘Arming Eritrea’ on Futurist; see also ‘You Need Satan More than he Needs You’ ‘adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood’ and ‘I am Civil Service’  by FOTL on their MySpace.

The music portion of this year’s SXSW runs from March 17-22, and I’m sure the WOXY folks are hard at work going through this ever-growing list of showcase bands at the 2010 festival, which is already 466 names deep.

If I was in Zun Zun Egui, I’d immediately change the name of the band to Aardvarks.

Everyone loves a good fight scene. But you know what most good fight scenes lack? An awesome song to go along with it. Right? Right?

But have no fear, for I’ve found seven movies that know how to treat a fight scene.

The Last Dragon – The Last Dragon Anthem, Dwight David

First off, if you don’t own this movie you can’t possibly be human. And if you do own this movie and you don’t know this song by heart, you can’t possibly be human.

Karate Kid – You’re the Best Around, Joe Esposito

I don’t need to explain this one. It’s Daniel LaRusso and Kobra Kai (says, No Mercy!) fighting to “You’re the Best Around”. I know you know all the words to this song. You don’t have to admit it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Oooze – Ninja Rap, Vanilla Ice

Ok, I can explain……

You know what? Screw it.

I know this song word for word. And you know what else? This song is awesome. There. I said it.

Rocky III – Eye of the Tiger, Survivor

Boxing is fighting, right? Good. Since we’re allowing boxing, there’s no way I could make this list without “Eye of the Tiger”. Absolutely no way.

Office Space – Still, Geto Boyz

This isn’t a fight per se, but only because the fax machine doesn’t fight back. But there are weapons involved and you can never go wrong with a Geto Boys song, so it makes the list. Deal with it.

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka - Kung Fu Fighting, Carl Douglas

One of my favorite movies of all time. In this classic clip, Kung Fu Joe roughs up a few cops while, wait for it………”Kung Fu Fighting” is playing. Does it get any better than that?

Charlie’s Angels – Smack My B*tch Up, Prodigy

Ah, Charlie’s Angels. Ah, Charlie’s Angels. Ah, Charlie’s Angels. Gotta give this movie mad props. They could’ve just left it at 3 beautiful women kicking tail. That would’ve been good enough. But they went the extra mile and dropped a track like “Smack My B*tch Up” in the middle of 3 beautiful women kicking tail.

Does information from “a source close to the band” constitute what exactly? A substantiated rumor? What’s code here? If the source is legit, then soon enough I suspect we’ll hear the brutal truth that the oft-conflicted by stardom John Frusciante has indeed left the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The rumors started percolating yesterday in the blogs that Frusciante is no longer with the band and would be replaced by the enigmatic Josh Klinghoffer, oddly enough someone who’s most notable for his collaboration with Frusciante. As recently as a few hours ago, however, the headlines still read Frusciante Quits Chili Peppers?

All speculation aside, for those interested in a deeper dive into who exactly Josh Klinghoffer is, he’s got stats. Along with playing with Frusciante - including the two recording an album together, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence - Klinghoffer has been linked to records and tours with Beck, Butthole Surfers, Gnarls Barkley and PJ Harvey to name a few. Him and Frusciante also hooked up with John Lally from Fugazi to record two albums under the name Ataxia.*

If you want to get real granular with your rock analysis, he’s got that thin, disheveled weirdo look down pat, which bodes best for fitting in RHCP; see Frusciante, Hillel Slovak. (DN, sorry hombre.)

We’ll have to wait for something hard confirmed from the band before writing this one in stone - maybe a good opportunity for Flea or Kiedis to sign up for Twitter? Until then, check out some videos below from Klinghoffer’s body of work and check out the madness that this guy would be bringing to the table.

Josh Klinghoffer w/ John Frusciante Live in San Diego

Red Hot Chili Peppers “This Velvet Grove” (Klinghoffer on second guitar)

Butthole Surfers “Dracula From Houston” (Klinghoffer on guitar)

The Bicycle Thief “Hurt” (Klinghoffer on lead acoustic axe)

Ataxia - The Sides

John Frusciante Makes A Predicted Departure (Antiquiet)

*Some information found via Wikipedia

Much like Ron Burgundy thought diversity was an old wooden ship, the soccer populus seems to believe that Group of Death represents the least desirable World Cup group to be placed in for middling soccer countries. False. The Group of Death is a metal band.* Just look at this poster from their Facebook page; the theory checks out…

The Group of Death is actually a soccer inspired rock group. ESPN’s Rob Stone gave them a nice plug, reporting live from NYC soccer bar Nevada Smith’s today during the World Cup draw.. Here’s the description of G.O.D. on Facebook:

The Group of Death is the world’s foremost football (soccer)-inspired heavy metal band. “The Group of Death” is also the nickname given to the toughest group the FIFA World Cup.

All this needs to seem fully legit is some actual tunes, and here it is - check out The Group of Death’s hit single “We Call It Awesome.”

The Group of Death perform a special show tonight at 8 at Nevada Smiths in lower Manhattan.

*The former in the above statement is 100% true, and even casual U.S. soccer fans have to be extremely happy that we didn’t find ourselves in, say, the Ivory Coast or Portugal’s current situation. Happy World Cup Draw Day!

Become a fan of The Group Of Death on Facebook