Fueled by creativity, MGMT plays All Points West

What do you get when you mix two young creative minds, synthesizers, shaggy hair and psychedelic drugs in a bowl already filled with more drugs?

Well, MGMT of course.

I don’t usually condone drug use, but if it’s responsible for making great dance-synth-new-new-wave-pop, then by all means. These college graduates are not searching for jobs like everyone else who just graduated because they have the best job in the world: Rock Stars!

I am proud to call Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, who met at Wesleyan University, my new neighbors as they currently hail from Brooklyn. Sometimes I wish I could live in Brooklyn, wear multicolored Nike Dunks and tight green jeans, but the President says I have to maintain a classy look.

MGMT’s debut album, Oracular Spectacular, blasted onto the dance-pop scene two years ago, and within one year helped make MGMT one of the most sought after bands of 2008. They will be touring this summer playing their hits from Oracular Spectacular, including “Time to Pretend,” “Electric Feel,” and “Kids,” as well as performing new songs from their upcoming album Congratulations.

These kids are fun, energetic and musically talented; a great recipe for a spectacular performance at All Points West on Sunday August 2^nd. And don’t be surprised if I happen to change colors during their performance. It will probably be because of something you just ate.

Catch you on the flip side, 

Miss L

DSO kicks off the Beach Concert Series with much smoke and jamming

On Saturday, July 11th, Miss Liberty watched familiar faces come together to share the timeless tradition of gathering together for music and dance. Tye-dyed Deadheads old and new converged to sing and dance to the Dark Star Orchestra for the first of many killer concerts at The Beach at Governor’s Island.

Early Saturday afternoon, the kickoff day arrived and the bands started rolling in with their gear. One by one, the bands set up, and played their sound checks. I knew I was in for a memorable night of music.

Around six p.m. Pete Francis, of the much beloved Dispatch, rolled on stage with his current backing band, Barefoot Truth. They got the crowd to move from the beach to the stage very quickly. I even found myself lost in a foot stomping frenzy (or at least trying to. It’s pretty hard to lift your leg when you weigh 450,000 pounds).

Francis led the band through originals, as well as killer extended versions of “Carry Me” and “Two Coins” that rivaled any take done by the band that made him a known name. At the end of their roots rockin’ set I was all warmed up and ready for more.

In between sets, hippies and music lovers alike continued to trickle on to the island from the ferries. Unfortunately, I was not able to join them as I will not leave my appointed post on Liberty Island.

However, standing a statuesque 150 feet tall, I had a terrific view of the party. Now that you can once again visit the inside of my head, I encourage you to join me for the next show. Best seat in the house.

Next up, was jam band icon and one-man band phenomenon, Keller Williams. Like me, Keller stands on stage alone, projecting more energy and excitement then he could as a whole band. Playing a set just over sixty minutes, Williams visited most of his catalogue, including fan favorites “Celebrate Your Youth” and “Kidney in a Cooler” as well as a ripping experimental cover of Phish’s “Birds of a Feather,” which was a pleasant surprise for a crowd who are most likely relishing in the return of the Vermont foursome.

Rob Koritz, drummer for Dark Star Orchestra, came out to do the percussion part of “Kidney,” and as I will mention shortly, Keller returned the favor. Keller is a really great person and an outstanding performer, and I hope the producers bring him back to The Beach again soon.

Once the sun went down, all I could see were the bright colorful lights from the stage. From what it seemed like, the crowd found their spots and let the feelings of Grateful Dead nostalgia take over. I have been standing here since 1886, and have experienced the Dead’s whole career.

Yours truly caught many an epic show in the tri-state area from Giants Stadium, to Madison Square Garden, the Capitol Theater in Passaic, and many more. I was even able to hear some parts of the fabled Barton Hall show at Cornell in May 1977. So yes, I would consider myself a Deadhead, and Dark Star Orchestra did not disappoint in replicating the Dead’s music.

Playing an original set list made up of famous songs by the Grateful Dead, Dark Star Orchestra pleased the crowd from the fans on the railing, to those dancing and twirling in the sand on the beach. With my torch in the air, I stood saluting the dead-ication of the Deadheads who danced and partied through the night.

Opening the set with a funky “Feels Like a Stranger,” DSO rolled through classics such as “Ramblin’ Rose,” “Dancin’ in the Street” and a fun “Eyes of the World” that featured Keller Williams on guitar taking over on lead vocals for a verse or two, right before he had to hurry off stage to make a ferry back to Manhattan.

Though the excitement lasted throughout the show, and the impending thunderstorm held off for the majority of the night, mother nature did not oblige. When she struck, she raged with brutal rain and lighting, forcing the producers to make the appropriate call to end the show an hour early, right after a version of the infamous "Truckin".

Once again, my favorite music blogger, Brooklyn Vegan, gave the The Beach at Governors Island a nod, with some pictures and videos which show why The Beach is well worth the ferry trip. I hope everyone had as much a grand ole’ time as I did, and I look forward to sharing in the groove with y’all soon.

Miss "Deadhead" Liberty

Miss Liberty shouts out to her BBV. Best Brooklyn Vegan!

Hey music lovers, the other day I was bored just standing here all day in the rain, so I decided to bust out the iPhone discretely concealed inside my twenty-three foot tablet.

I popped open up the Safari app, and went straight to Brooklyn Vegan, one of my favorite music blogs and concert announcement directories. They pretty much kick the most ass when it comes to New York area music news, as well as a prime source for all things All Points West.  How does one vegan go to so many shows a night?

So I was reading BV, and I stumbled upon an article that touched on a phenomenon in music trends that I have been considering myself. The blog references an article from Relix magazine, your source for all things jam bands. The article discusses how indie rockers should not completely distance themselves from the jam scene, even if they loathe them dirty hippies. 

Dreadlocked Hippie

I have witnessed my share of dreadlocks in my day, but also have been subject to some of the tightest jeans and shortest cut-off shorts at concerts on both sides of the Hudson. Though the fashions and attitudes may be on opposite sides of the spectrum, is the music really that different? 

Just your ordinary hipsters

I mean come on, is it really that much of a coincidence that Phish’s Trey Anastasio played the 2008 All Points West, a festival that primarily featured bands under the umbrella “indie rock” : Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, CSS, etc…?

Trey Anastasio

Or, what about my friends at Liberty Event who co-produce the primarily indie-rock fest All Points West at the same time as doing primarily jam shows at Governors Island? This summer alone they will put some of the best indie rock at APW 2009 : Fleet Foxes, the National, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, etc… as well as the Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra and Keller Williams, two of the biggest representatives of jam rock at The Beach on Governors Island.

Yours truly has pondered this phenomenon for some time. Finally, thanks to the thorough investigative work of Relix magazine, there is proof that some indie artists have borrowed some aspects, here and there, from the jam band scene. Miss Liberty’s a little short on time so I will quickly highlight some APW artists who talk and show this cross-pollination.

MGMT will play All Points West on Sunday August 2 with Coldplay and the Black Keys amongst many others. Though known for being last year’s indie starlets, their music has clear psychedelic elements that stem from the Grateful Dead and arguably the long experimental jams of jam bands. The Relix article has a quote from their guitarist James Richardson, who says they once considered playing a 45-minute version “China Cat Sunflower” by the Grateful Dead.

Richardson – “"I think pretty much everybody in MGMT secretly loves jambands--well, not so secretly. We always have." (Relix)

MGMT

Or what about Vampire Weekend which plays on Friday July 31 with Beastie Boys, and many others? My fellow statue representing James Connolly in Union Park in Chicago spotted drummer Chris Tomson wearing a Phish shirt at the Pitchfork Media Music and Arts Festival, and according to Relix he did the same at Bonnaroo ’08. Relix also mentions how Tomson attended the first jam-oriented Bonnaroo ’02. 

Vampire Weekend

There may be nothing too over the top to make of all this, but it does make for an interesting discussion.  You know, the type of conversation that happens late at night, post concert, with a tall cold one.

Once again, thank you Brooklyn Vegan for the cool stories. I look forward to meeting the founding father of BV at All Points West 2009!  If you have not already been comp’d by my brothers and sisters at AEG, please contact Miss Liberty ‘cause this Rock n Roll Chica will hook you up.  I love Brooklyn and the mighty BV.

Peace and sunshine.

Miss Liberty