Madison Music Review

Dark Star Orchestra were back in Madison recreating the Grateful Dead experience, this time with a set from the May 4th show at the Olympia Theater in Paris France, the legendary Europe ‘72 tour. Listed as show # 1766 on the band’s website, this performance also introduced the Madison audience to Jeff Mattson on guitar and vocals, doing a swell job channeling the Jerry Garcia spirit. A fun, epic 4 hour plus mid-week performance was just the dose needed to keep on truckin’ through the work week! Here’ s the set list from the show and some pictures…

Setlist: 05-04-72 Olympia Theater, Paris, France
1: Greatest Story Ever Told, Deal, Mr. Charlie, Beat It On Down The Line, Brown Eyed Women, Chinatown Shuffle, Playing in The Band, You Win Again, Hurts Me Too, He’s Gone, El Paso, Big Railroad Blues, Two Souls, Casey Jones
2: Good Lovin’, Next Time You See Me, Ramble On, Jack Straw, Dark Star> Drums> Dark Star> Sugar Magnolia, Sing Me Back Home, Mexicali Blues, Big Boss Man, Uncle John’s Band, Not Fade Away> Going Down The Road Feeling Bad> Not Fade Away
Encore: One More Saturday Night. Filler: Rockin’ Pnuemonia, Hard To Handle

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Indie rock darlings, Yo La Tengo played to the nearly sold out Barrymore Theatre last night.  The evening’s set  list was filled with some early tracks, but mostly leaned heavily on their highly praised new album Popular Songs and last year’s I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Overall it was another top notch performance by this ever evolving New Jersey trio.

Columbus, Ohio’s Times New Viking opened the show with their brilliant low-fi indie rock sound. Guitarist (and fake left-hander) Jared Phillips, drummer/vocalist Adam Elliott, and Keyboard/vocalist Beth Murphy tore through songs from their critically acclaimed releases Rip It Off (2008) and  Born Again Revisited (2009).

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Do not have Popular Songs? Strictly Discs has the CD or delicious double LP heavy weight pressing in stock along with other goodies from the extensive Yo La Tengo catalog.

Nashville, Tennessee old-time string band Old Crow Medicine Show makes their way back to Madison’s Barrymore Theatre. Last time they came through town I was there and it was SOLD OUT. The crowd hung on to every single note and applauded every down home instrumental jam – can’t forget to mention the Wagon Wheel sing along. Ketch Secor (Fiddle, Harmonica and Vocals) and the boys always manage to pull in an audience with rousing stage antics and top notch musical skills.

The band has performed at such major music festivals as Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Their 2007 live-performance itinerary included shows in Boone, NC, Seattle, Lawrence, KS, Arcata, CA, Knoxville, TN, Nashville and Boulder, CO, as well as overseas in London and Amsterdam. The band has also toured the UK several times, including an appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival and on the BBC show Later with Jools Holland.

O.C.M.S. is the type of band that doesn’t come around that often and should not be missed.

Show Information:

Barrymore Theatre
2090 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: (608) 241-8864
Showtime: 8 pm
Price: $26 adv / $28 dos

On Sale Date: Fri. 10/2 at 10am

Where to Buy Tickets: Tickets available at www.barrymorelive.com or call the box office at 608.241.8633.Fans do not pay service fees if they purchase tix at Barrymore Box office

Believe the hype! Bon Iver (aka Justin Veron) and The Tallest Man on Earth was another top notch show. Playing to a sold out crowd at The Barrymore Theater, Bon Iver played a majority of the critically acclaimed For Emma, Forever a Ago as well aa a couple from the upcoming EP titled Blood Bank (soon to be release on CD)..

Opening the show was Sweden’s The Tallest Man on Earth (also known as Kristian Matsson). His songs evoked an early Dylan feel with plenty of earnest and clever emotion. Towards the end of his set, TMOE (pictured below) pulled out a great version of Son House’s Death Letter.

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Then came Wisconsin’s indie-folk pride and joy; Bon Iver. Vernon took the stage with his disheveled look and began his amazing set with beautiful track from his Blood Bank. Justin talked to the audience and mentioned how he was happy to have some of his family in the audience (which included the two young girls behind me). I over heard them talking of the only other time they had seen him perform – in their living room over Christmas. A sold performance at the Barrymore was quite a change from the “family living room”. He dedicated the song For Emma to them and said how he wrote it at the cabin upon their leaving.

Overall this had to be one the top shows for 2008 (Thank you to Tag (True Endeavors) for hooking up MMR). I am looking forward to hearing more from Bon Iver in the future.