Howl at the moon at The Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans for the 2015 Bayou Rendezvous

bayou-smallBy Steven Wandrey //

Satisfied Productions presents the 13th annual Bayou Rendezvous //
The Howlin’ Wolf – New Orleans, LA
May 1st, 2015 //

On Friday, May 1st at the Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans, many of the country’s finest musicians will come together during Jazz Fest to bring you an all-night live music event featuring nine bands on two simultaneous stages. The Bayou Rendezvous will go all night from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. and is always one of the most memorable and unique night shows during Jazz Fest. This year’s diverse lineup brings several varieties of funk and dance music flavored with soul, afro-beat, jazz fusion, electronica and rock.

The Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars will make their debut to open the night with a stellar lineup of musical legends forming a supergroup that is not to be missed. Col. Bruce Hampton (ret.), the Godfather of Southern alternative jam fusion and his Aquarium Rescue Unit bandmate and Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge will be joined by local New Orleans legends Ivan Neville and Johnny Vidacovich, along guitar masters Eric McFadden (Parliament-Funkadelic, The Animals) and Roosevelt Collier (The Lee Boys). Further solidifying the rhythm section will be Duane Trucks, the 26-year-old drumming sensation currently touring with Widespread Panic, and Doug Belote, who recently won Offbeat‘s award for Best Jazz Album for his solo release Magazine Street.

The second set of the night will be brought to you by SF Bay Area psychedelic soul-funk masters Monophonics. Touring in support of their timeless new album Sound of Sinning, Monophonics’ set will morph into the set of their longtime West Coast collaborators Orgone. This Los Angeles deep soul, rare funk and afro-disco rock powerhouse is also touring behind their brand-new release Beyond the Sun. Both of these bands will also be joining forces for a Jazz Fest exclusive set, Orgone VS. Monophonics, in which both bands will play together with all members on stage at once.

Kung Fu, hailing from New Haven, Conn., will perform a high-energy, late-night set in the main room. Kung Fu has quickly become one of the hottest funk bands in the new-funk movement, Kung Fu is blurring the line between intense electro-fusion and blistering dance arrangements. Making fusion music “cool” again, the band draws on influences such as early Headhunters and Weather Report and merges those ideas with a contemporary EDM-informed sensibility. Imagine 70’s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party!

The Den stage, next door to the Main room, will start off with a bang, as Polyrhythmics, an 8 piece original hard-driving, modern afro-beat and syncopated, horn-driven funk band from Seattle, brings the heat.

The California Honeydrops, hailing from Oakland, will be up next, drawing on diverse musical influences from Bay Area R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues and New Orleans second line. The Honeydrops will bring vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to the evening.

Out of the Northeast, TAUK will keep the dance party moving with their New York City style of heavy instrumental rock fusion. The transcendent four-piece seamlessly brings together genres as diverse as melodic rock, fusion, gritty funk, progressive rock, ambient, hip-hop and jazz.

New Orlean’s own Gravity A will continue the festivities, bringing their unique funktronica and eclectic sounds into their late-night set. As the sun rises, local New Orleans funk outfit Gravy will finish the night by hosting the sunrise breakfast jam with special guests.

Event Information:

Nine bands, two stages
Doors: 8 p.m.
Show: 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Buy tickets for $30 in advance.

Artist Lineup:

The Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars are: Ivan Neville, Johnny Vidacovich, Col. Bruce Hampton, Oteil Burbridge, Eric McFadden, Roosevelt Collier, Duane Trucks, Doug Belote and special guests!

Orgone VS. Monophonics (playing full sets each, plus a special set together)
Kung Fu
The California Honeydrops
TAUK
Polyrhythmics
Gravity A
Gravy (Sunrise Breakfast Jam)

Schedule of Events:

Main Stage
9 p.m.: The Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars
11:30 p.m.: Orgone VS. Monophonics
11:30 p.m.: Monophonics
1 a.m.: Orgone
3 a.m.: Kung Fu

Den Stage
10 p.m.: Polyrhythmics
Midnight: The California Honeydrops
2 a.m.: TAUK
4 a.m.: Gravity A
6 a.m.: Gravy
Sunrise Breakfast Jam with special guests

*All times local Central Standard Time

For more information, go to Bayou Rendezvous’ Facebook page or Facebook event page, Twitter and Spotify playlist.

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Eric McFadden and his star-studded cast shred The Mint in LA

McFadden-and-FriendsBy Pete Mauch //

Eric McFadden //
The Mint – Los Angeles
January 16th, 2013 //

The Mint is hosting San Francisco native Eric McFadden every Wednesday this month, and I was fortunate enough to catch the most anticipated third Wednesday show in January. The evening’s All-Star lineup featured guitarist Nels Cline from Wilco and bassist Mike Watt from The Minutemen.

Eric McFadden is considered by many, especially his peers, to be a straight-up, bad-ass guitar virtuoso, and he showcased his many different skills on this night.

McFadden-and-Friends

McFadden started things off with a couple solo songs with just him and an acoustic guitar, which he actually plays more like an electric. His playing is hard to pin-point because he can switch from a hard-rocking solo to a finger-picking flamenco jam. I particularly liked the second song he played called “Sister Maggie, Brother Sam”, which has a Western feel to it — almost to the point where it should be on the soundtrack for “Django Unchained”. McFadden has a very dark side to his songs, and this one definitely fits the category.

Throughout the night, McFadden would alternate his cast of All-Stars, but he started with Seth Ford-Young from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros on bass and studio drummer Curt Bisquera on the skins.

McFadden-and-Friends

Also, the amazing Norton Wisdom was painting live on stage, which was truly amazing to see. He never stays with one painting, but instead just wipes it away and starts on a new one. He repeated this at least ten times and he truly added to the overall atmosphere, which was a little twisted.  

McFadden-and-Friends

Staying with the theme, McFadden then covered “Blight”, which pleased the Widespread Panic fans in attendance. The song is a nod to his bandmate Dave Schools, who he plays with in the band Stockholm Syndrome.

Nels Cline and Mike Watt finally joined forces in the second set, and they absolutely rocked out. It got really loud and a little drowned out, but the fire between Cline and Watt is undeniable. They play in a supergroup together called Banyan with Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Wisdom, who paints at every show of theirs as well.

McFadden-and-Friends

Mike Watt only stayed on stage for about t30 minutes, but he definitely made his presence known. Nels Cline stayed on stage for the majority of the second set, and he never disappoints. He is a master of the whammy bar, alternating his tone all while wailing away.
 
McFadden and company encored with “Maggot Brain” by Parliament Funkadelic. McFadden previously toured with P-Funk as their first mandolin player but later played guitar with the band.

McFadden-and-Friends

It was one hell of a night out, and I can’t wait to do it all again next week when McFadden once again brings some amazing talent, including Steve Molitz of Particle, to the stage.

You can buy tickets here for the next Eric McFadden residency show on Wednesday, January 23rd at The Mint.