The McLovins, The Circle, Hanover, PA June 28th, 2014

     Greetings everyone, a real quickie this morning, at the request of one Mr Paul Kraft.
Last night I had my mind blown. The McLovins were playing at the at the Circle. Who are the McLovins? They are a jamband out of Connecticut and they burned the Circle down. A four piece augmented with a horn section for this tour, they were able to get into a rhythmic groove better than most bands I have heard. I went in cold, without hearing any of their music but had read a few articles about them.
      They played a really good mix of covers and originals. The second song they played was “Get Up Jake” by the Band and they nailed it. Their originals were very strong,lyrically and musically. The horn section didn't play on every song but when they did, they blended in perfectly. Big ups to whoever figured out the arrangements. Check out some of there stuff here

https://www.youtube.com/user/drummercl

And the all holy sites of sites, the Archive

https://archive.org/details/TheMcLovins

     The highlight of the night was 2001 with the horn section. After the first peak, the guitarist motioned to the drummer, and he started playing a different beat. I thought they were going into another song but instead they took the long way to get back to 2001. And again, I can't stress how fucking outstanding the horns were on this. I had just said to a friend 3 hours before this show that I wasn't really searching out any new music. Well I found some to dig deep into now.

     And I'm sure some of you are asking how and why were the McLovins, who have played really big stages like the Gathering of the Vibes, at the newly renamed The Circle in Hanover? Because the the Circle is becoming the real deal. From March thru the first week in April, I saw a better variety of kick ass music than I have ever in my life, even going back to my daze at Penn State. You may be reading a lot about new brewpubs opening up in Hanover, but don't forget who was serving heady micro brews, bringing eclectic music, and leading the revitalization of downtown Hanover first.

http://www.thecirclehanoverpa.com/

“Your scene is what you make it” uttered by myself back in 2000

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, July 1st, 1994, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA

      Greetings everyone. I don't know about you, but I am really pumped for Phish's Summer Tour to get under way. I'll be seeing 7 shows in 26 days from Philly down to South Orange Beach Alabama. But the venue I'm most excited to visit is Philly's Mann Music Center. And why am I most looking forward to that? Because I've been seeing Phish for so long (20 years) that things are starting to circle back around. The first time I ever visited the Mann was 20 years ago for a Phish show on July 1^st. So with out further ado, Kempepedia is proud to present another installment of It Was 20 Years Ago Today, Phish at the Mann Music Center, July 1^st, in Philadelphia, PA

      I had already seen Phish once at Penn State that spring and was pumped to see them again. I already had tickets for the RFK (July 16th and 17^th) Dead shows, so 2 weeks before fit my schedule quite well. Myself, Nad, and W set out. This was W's first Phish show (Nad's second) and we were ready to rage.
      The venue is located in Philly's Fairmount Park and is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely the most beautiful outdoor venue in an urban area I have ever encountered. All the parking is on the grass, with a ton of trees to provide shade. A centrally located fountain is the perfect spot to tell people to meet up. Remember, this was the era before cell phones.

      We chilled out in the Lot and then proceeded into the venue. I was still something of a noob, and didn't have my accessories adequately stashed, which was a huge problem when I got to the gate. When he asked me to empty my pockets, my response was to turn around and flee. W was directly behind me and all he could do was look at the guy and shrug his shoulders. W was still coming down from the balloons we had done before heading in. I went to another entrance and met up with my
 crew.

Friday, 07/01/1994
The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Soundcheck: Dog Log, Funky Bitch, Jam, The Old Home Place
Set 1: Runaway Jim, Foam, Sample in a Jar, NICU > Stash, The Mango Song > It's Ice > Tela > Julius, Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: David Bowie, If I Could > Fluffhead > Down with Disease > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Possum > Hold Your Head Up > Terrapin > Hold Your Head Up, Harry Hood, Cavern
Encore: Rocky Top
Teases:
· Voodoo Child (Slight Return) tease in Possum
Notes: Possum included teases of Voodoo Child (Slight Return).

You can stream the show here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-07-01

      I still wasn't familiar with all the songs but everything kicked ass. The Jim had some nice little moments and Foam was really good. The second set was really the meat of the show. Fluffhead was one of my favorite songs and this did not disappoint. I knew the TMWSIY> Avenu Malkenu>TMWSIY from tapes and hearing live brought home how beautiful a songwriter Trey was and how funky a 2000 year old Hebrew prayer could be. Only Phish could pull that off. Despite a lot of repeats from the Penn State show, I was thoroughly impressed.

      We ended up having seats near I guy I knew through the York Crew up at Penn State named D'Horhay. I know the spelling is wrong but he was an Asian/Polynesian guy with a Hispanic name so I have no idea what the proper spelling is. Nad wasn't and still isn't the biggest drinker. He really doesn't like alcohol. But for whatever reason, he was drinking a lot that day (Actually, it was probably like 2 beers). But it really made him ill, and he kept running to the bathroom to throw up. D'Horhay remarked to me” Wow, that guy has to piss ALOT” Ah, to be young and have absolutely no tolerance.

      So there you have it, my first but certainly not my last adventures at the beautiful Mann Music Center, which bills itself “As the Sound of Summer” And I can not wait to hear the Phish from Vermont rip it up 3.0 style there on July 8 and 9 this year.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

  

Being on Tour during the World Cup 1994-2014

      Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing fine and gearing up for summer. I an really ready for this summer. I've got a Panic show next week (first time I've seen them in 5 years) and 7 Phish shows. But there is another event I am really pumped for, and that is the 2014 World Cup. It is truly the only event that matters to the ENTIRE world. And it just so happens I've attended many a performance while the world's biggest deal occurs.  So please allow me to present the ultimate mash-up of jam bands and football!

1994

We were at RFK for the Grateful Dead's 2 night stand.

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/7/17

     Italy was playing Brazil on July 17^th in the final. My friend Adi was an Italian who was born in Argentina. And as any true blooded Argentinian, he hated Brazil. We listened to part of the game on a Spanish AM radio station, which had a super enthusiastic announcer and some of the craziest sound effects. Adi somehow found some one watching the match on a small black and white television using an old school analog antenna. It was really hot in DC that weekend so Adi was wearing some unusual head wear. This is the only photo that exists.

Brazil won on penalty shots, and Steve Winwood of Traffic (who was opening for the Dead) told the crowd who won. And then it poured like a mother fucker during the show.

1998

      Another show, and another tourney. Myself and my friend Geo were up in Scranton to see the Furthur Fest. I have no recollection as to who performed, but before the show we watched France beat Croatia 2 -1 in the semi finals.

2002 

We were slowly rolling into the first and best Bonnaroo

You can read about it here 

http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2012/04/bonnaroo-2002-ten-years-later.html

      Meanwhile over in Asia, the US was playing Germany. Adrian found a broadcast on a Spanish radio station and was doing his best to translate it. The guy in the car in front of us asked that we not talk about the match, as he was taping it at home and didn't want to know the result. Ah the time before we all had pocket devils.

2006

 You can stream it here

https://archive.org/details/plf2006-06-30.akg461.tonys.35412.sbeok.flac16

Or geek out just like Phil does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt30SJZqgA4

      I was at Camden to see the Phil and Friends, GRAB, and the Duo show on 6/30/2006. Trey came out with Phil and absolutely crushed it. Second best show I ever saw. But while we were kicking it in the Lot, Germany was playing Argentina (or as I called the match, The Nazis that left Germany versus the ones that stayed behind), Germany wins on penalty kicks.

2010

    In the midst of Phish's historic 4 night run of Why It is Good to Live in Hanover Tour, (2 nights in Camden, 2 nights at Merriweather), the US was playing Ghana in the knock out round of 16. By now, what with WIFI and wireless broadband filling the air, lots of people had the match streaming on laptops throughout the Lot. Abar, Blunt, and Brent watched the match in Hanover and then still made it down in time for the show. Alas, the US lost, 2-1.


And what about 2014? I'll be attending the Phish shows at the Mann Music Center in Philly on the same days as the semis this year. Go USA !
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
  

Devolver, Live at the Winner's Circle, May 24th, 2014

     

      Hello everyone. Hope you are enjoying the unofficial start of summer. While it isn't blazing hot yet, the roof was on fire last Sat at the Winner's Circle and we were ready to let the Mfer burn. Why? Not much, just the biggest musical event EVER to hit Hanover. It was the 15^th anniversary of a little local band known as Devolver. And it was so big, all 5 members were on hand to throw down in style.
      This all started back in March. Myself, along with everyone else, were waiting for Phish to officially announce their summer Tour. We had rumored dates but I still needed the real ones. I was working and went on my afternoon break. I expected to see a message or 2 from my West Coast crew. Instead, I had 4 messages from Zach. WTF?
      He wanted to book a show for Memorial Day weekend. It turns out that was almost the 15^th anniversary of Josh and Rich joining the band. I saw the last show with Geoff on drums at Dan and Adrian's Memorial Day weekend party. They performed during the day on a flatbed truck. It was an enormous party and a rather spectacular introduction to one of my favorite bands.
      Zach couldn't get a hold of Tommy but I reached out Brian D (of Boxcar Social and Weathervane fame) who books the bands now. Within 5 minutes, I had the show booked. I was so pumped for the Devolver show I didn't really care if Phish announced dates or not. They did, and I'm seeing 7 shows this summer.
      Then Zach tells me the big news, Kyle will be playing as well. Kyle had left the band in 03 or 04. He ended up playing with a cover band called Radiodaze (yes, Kyle and Comic Book guy agrees, one of the worst band names ever)

     He was pretty much done with performing but still practiced a lot. He even told me he relearned some of the songs from the archive collection, which you can stream here

https://archive.org/details/DevolverMusic

Devolver, Live at The Winner's Circle, Hanover, PA , 2014-05-24

Set 1

After Midnight, Edge of Town, Highway 29, Side of a Mountain, Everything Comes Around, Bubblespeak>Dehydration Jam>Shutdown, Golden Years, Serve Me Up Another, Glasshawk, Laughing Clown, Bogey>Time, Pedalic Sax, Tumbleweeds and Mailboxes>Bogey

Set 2

Frankenstein, Turnaround, Coming Home, Funk II, Miss You, Surprise Surprise, China Cat> I Know You Rider, Psycho Killer, A Day Gone By, Looking Blind>Comfortably Numb>Edge of Town Reprise

You can stream it here

https://archive.org/details/Devolver2014-05-24.Winners_Circle_Hanover_Pa_AUD_FLAC_16

      I was surprised by the opener. I figured it would be an original but it was still good. Kyle's stage presence was increased 10 fold from back in the day. Not that it was weak back then but he really would be able to command an audience, probably even in a hockey arena. Edge was and still is one of my all time favorite songs by anyone. And they crushed it.

      For not playing together in so long, the transition from the D Jam into Shutdown was really sweet. We even got a Bogey multi part sandwich. The second set was even better. The Turnaround and Funk II were really epic, what with the two guitarists weaving an atmosphere that made one really wish they had made tea.

      The China Cat>Rider surprised the hell out of me. Zach told me they really wanted to play that combo. And again mad props to Todd Robinson (Christine's hubby) to taping the show. The most recent performance I have is from 2009 and it is important such a historic show gets preserved for all time. We're at about 450 streams; that's almost Grateful Dead numbers.

      I'm sure some of you are wondering why I didn't get this up right after the show. Well, my hangover was nearly as momentous as the show. I was incapacitated most of the day but still manged to play poker that night. So enjoy this show to its fullest as we get ready for the summer and its many splendors. Next Devolver show? Sat. November 29^th, at the Circle by the Square.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll