The American composer and rock & roll provocateur, Frank Zappa, died at age 52 almost two decades ago, on December 4th, 1993. At the time of his passing, his official discography totaled 62 albums released under his own name and that of his landmark combo, the Mothers of Invention.
He is still putting records out, at a remarkable pace, under the vigilant aegis of his wife Gail and the Zappa Family Trust’s Vaultmeister, archivist Joe Travers. According to the fine print on the back, Carnegie Hall – a four-CD set of Zappa’s two shows at New York’s symphonic palace on October 11th, 1971
Zappa Records and UMe have repackaged this 2011 website-exclusive 4-CD set in more compact 3-CD fashion for general release. “Carnegie Hall” chronicles Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s October 11th, 1971 shows at the famed New York venue from the original mono tapes. This version drops the opening set by The Persuasions but includes all of Zappa and the Mothers’ material from both shows. The Mothers’ lineup includes three alumni of The Turtles – bassist Jim Pons and vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, a.k.a. Flo and Eddie – plus Ian Underwood, Don Preston, and Aynsley Dunbar.
According to New York promoter Ron Delsener’s Carnegie Hall liner note, Zappa and his ’71 Mothers keyboard players Don Preston and Ian Underwood (the latter also on alto sax), ex-John Mayall drummer Aynsley Dunbar and three former Turtles, bassist Jim Pons and singer-jesters Mark “Flo” Volman and Howard “Eddie” Kaylan –only got through the backstage door because Delsener told the venue’s booking manager that the boss Mother “was a very accomplished classical musician.” Which was true, although the only strings in this band were on Zappa’s guitar.
The complete 7:30 and 11 p.m. shows in this box were recorded by the leader in mono with a single microphone and concealed tape machine (probably to avoid union hassles). The fidelity is remarkably clear and full-bodied, even with the inevitable room echo. This is also a rare chance to hear the “Flo and Eddie” Mothers’ full range of operatic lunacy and underrated small-combo instrumental drive. An LP-sized dose, Fillmore East – June 1971, had been issued shortly before these concerts; another, 1972’s “Just Another Band from L.A.”, had just been taped.
But Carnegie Hall is all that fun at length – the bawdy rock-star mockery of “The Mud Shark,” reprised from Fillmore East; an even longer “Billy the Mountain” than the one on “Just Another Band” plus surprising excavations from Uncle Meat, a long new piece called “Divan” (about a sofa and a magic pig) and a weirdly funky rewiring of the paranoia in Freak Out! “Who Are the Brain Police?” A chunk of “King Kong” 30 minutes goes to an overlong drum solo, but such were the times.
Ironically, Zappa’s orchestral work was never performed in Carnegie Hall in his lifetime. After his death, though, Zappa’s long-form fable, “The Adventures of Greggary Peccary” (issued on 1978’s Studio Tan), rendered in full, by an orchestra. Carnegie Hall marked Zappa’s first and last night on that stage. He never left the building.
Every year, Knitting Factory/City Winery founder Michael Dorf hosts a tribute concert at Carnegie Hall benefiting music-education programs. And the honoree of this year’s 11th annual show was a true New York music legend: David Byrne. Featuring performances from the likes of CeeLo Green, Amanda Palmer, and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, it was a night of yelpy singing, jittery dancing, and at least one comically oversize suit. Here’s a rundown of the night’s highs (high high high high hiiiiighs )
David Byrne also crashed his own tribute concert, leading a marching band down the aisle at Carnegie Hall and, eventually, to an onstage dance party to the tune of “Uptown Funk.” Showing up at the end of an annual tribute that benefits music education, an unusual sight since past musicians whose work was celebrated — like Paul Simon and Prince did not perform. David Byrne’s entrance came after CeeLo Greenbrought the tribute to a close by singing “Take Me to the River.”
The former Talking Headsfrontman, dressed in a white shirt with black bracers and black bow tie, sang “God’s Army” with the brass-and-drum Brooklyn United Marching Band, singing to the audience that “everything I did, I did for you.”
The band, joined by red-suited dancers, belted out “Uptown Funk” while most of the artists who performed Byrnes’ work joined them onstage.
The artists led a highly danceable romp through Byrne’s eclectic catalog as a solo artist and bandleader. Soul singer Sharon Jonesbrought the audience to its feet with the first notes of “Psycho Killer” and kept them there.
In an unusual mash-up of 1980s culture, ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons spoke-sang Talking Heads’ Afro-funk “Houses in Motion.” Gibbons easily beat singer Steve Earle, who performed the Byrne solo song “A Million Miles Away,” in the longest beard competition. Other highlights included “Once” singer Glen Hansard dueting with Jherek Bischoff on “Girlfriend is Better,” with a piercing fiddle. Joseph Arthur painted a portrait in the midst of his eerie version of “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).”The Roots were joined by singer Donn T for “Born Under Punches.”Santigoldbrought fire — and some synchronized dancers — for “Burning Down the House.”
Appropriately enough, the benefit was opened by a group of school-aged youngsters performing “Stay Up Late.” Then, presumably, they went to bed.
Well, this was wonderful: a perfect pairing of performers and song. Clad in all-white everything, the recently reunited Japan-by-way-of-NYC food-pop duo Cibo Matto expertly walked that very Byrne-ian tightrope between artful self-seriousness and goofy, unadulterated joy. During the instrumental part, they did a series of synchronized dance moves that recalled a cross between air-traffic controllers and the backup singers from Stop Making Sense, while Wilco guitarist Nels Cline provided some of his signature avant-noodling. Mostly this performance served as evidence that Miho Hatori is still one of the most stylish people on the planet. Perched on Cibo Matto‘s keyboard was a drawing of a bicycle with a big basket — Byrne’s usual mode of transportation around the city he calls home.
Performer: Jade from (or formerly from?) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Song: “Here Lies Love” (from the Byrne/Fatboy Slim musical Here Lies Love) Jade — best known as the female singer in that one Edward Sharpe song that everyone knows — has a pleasant voice, but her stage presence last night was a little awkward. Dressed as a Disney princess who was loosely based on Janis Joplin, she spent most of the song twirling, swaying, and generally looking deeply uncomfortable as a front person.
Performer: Alexis Krauss from Sleigh Bells Song: “Life During Wartime” Before she came to front the demolition derby/pep rally that is bubblegum-punk duo Sleigh Bells, Alexis Krauss used to be a New York public schoolteacher, in a school so underfunded that it didn’t have a music program. In a touching speech before her song, she told us that she and her father used to provide free after-school music lessons for her “scholars” (that was cute), and she sweetly brought her dad out to sing backup. And then she straight-up ripped the fucking roof off Carnegie Hall. I was not a huge fan of the last Sleigh Bells album, but after Krauss’s exhilarating and overwhelmingly charismatic performance (she even did the rubber-arms dance from Stop Making Sense!), I am anxiously awaiting an inevitable Alexis Krauss solo album. The crowd, rightfully, went nuts for this one. RememberMarch 23rd, 2015 is the day a member of Sleigh Bells got a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall.
Performer: Pete Molinari Song: “Heaven” , The British folk singer Pete Molinari is a human-size Kewpie doll they dressed to look like Bob Dylan. He was the only performer of the night who played without a backing band, and let’s just say this minimalism did not exactly serve him. Molinari “reworked” the melody to “Heaven,”
Performer: Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top The song: “Houses in Motion” Legendary beardo Billy F. Gibbons began by telling us how much he has always admired Talking Heads press photos, because Byrne was always looking off into space instead of at the camera. What was he looking at? Billy wanted to know. None of us could say. “Well,” said Billy, with a gruff pause, “Here’s looking at you, David.” There are maybe three people in the world who can get away with this sort of stage banter, and God bless them, they were all once in ZZ Top. While I will forever dream of what a Billy Gibbons cover of “Swamp” might have sounded like, this really was a perfect song choice, with the enchilada-bluesman finding the southern funk in this gem from Remain in Light’s weird(er) side. His spoken-word delivery was on-point, and (bonus points) he was very nice to the fan I saw ask him for a selfie on the street after the show. .
Performer: Amanda Palmer Song: “Once in a Lifetime” Not liking Amanda Palmer is so easy that it seems villainously lazy, like taking candy from a baby. But then sometimes that baby comes out ahead of her cue on what was otherwise an exceptionally well-oiled show and impatiently demands into the void, “Can I get a spotlight on me?” and then you’re like, “Oh, yeah. That’s why.” So I am really looking deep inside of myself here when I tell you that this performance was not terrible.
I guess it is hard to fuck up one of the most cherished entries in the Great Human Songbook, its strange for a visibly pregnant woman singing a song about existential confusion. The circle of life, am I right?! Her goth-cabaret delivery of the chorus, but I cannot deny she was channeling it from somewhere else during the verse about the water at the bottom of the ocean. We’re cool for now, Palmer.
Performer: O.A.R. Song: “And She Was” This was the most faithful cover of the night, basically a note-for-note rendition by a very good bar band. I am giving them an extra point because even though there was a bongo left onstage from a previous performance, no one from O.A.R. even touched it.
Performer: Sharon Jones Song: “Psycho Killer” The first performance of the night that got everybody on their feet. I mean, this one speaks for itself: Sharon Jones, in sequins, singing the shit out of “Psycho Killer.” Pete Molinari lied! This was Heaven!
Performer: CeeLo Green Song: “Take Me to the River” the entertainer, and pop culture & fashion icon, and professional ladykiller” in his bio?. Fashion icon CeeLo Green was dressed in black slouchy Hammer pants and a shirt inspired by black slouchy Hammer pants, making him look like an evil genie who would fail to read you the fine print about your wishes or something. His performance was fine, but I can think of a thousand singers who would have done this song just as well or better.
Performer: David Byrne and an entire Brooklyn United Marching band Song: “Uptown Funk”?
Yes, for real. The finale of this glorious night was the man of the hour Mr David Byrne — clad in a crisp dress shirt, bow tie, and black bracers walking through the aisle of Carnegie Hall with the Brooklyn United Marching Band behind him. First they played a jaunty version of “God’s Love,” and then, just when it seemed like they might end with one of Byrne’s more well-known hits, the marching band instead launched into … “Uptown Funk.” Byrne did not sing (sadly) but instead danced around angularly and hugged everyone onstage. Which means it was the ultimate David Byrne performance.
01. Gimme Something Good
02. Oh My Sweet Carolina
03. Damn, Sam
04. My Winding Wheel
05. Trouble
06. Nobody’s Girl
07. On Broadway
08. Halloween
09. New York, New York
10. Please Do Not Let Me Go
11. Rats In The Wall
12. Why Do They Leave
13. Sylvia Plath
14. Crossed-Out Name
15. This Is Where We Meet In My Mind
16. If I Am A Stranger
17. Amy
18. English Girls Approximately
19. Avenues
20. Come Pick Me Up
21. Oh My Sweet Carolina
22. My Winding Wheel
23. Dirty Rain
24. My Wrecking Ball
25. New York New York
26. Friends
27. Am I Safe
28. Ashes And Fire
29. Gimme Something Good
30. Why Do They Leave
31. Off Broadway
32. The Hardest Part
33. The Rescue Blues
34. Lucky Now
35. Dear Chicago
36. Desire
37. How Much Light
38. Firecracker
39. Kim
40. Call Me On Your Way Back Home
41. Black Sheets Of Rain
42. Come Pick Me Up
Icelandic wonder Björk has used New York City as her personal performance space in many ways this month. From the retrospective exhibit of hers currently available to view at Museum of Modern Art, to her series of seven sold out concerts across prestigious New York City theaters (Carnegie Hall, The Kings Theatre, and New York City Center). Björk currently has a firm grip on the city.
The set of New York shows are a part of the exclusive tour for her beautiful new album Vulnicura. Yesterday Björk played her second show of the series at Carnegie Hall (where the first was also held), an usual matinee show that kicked off promptly at noon. This was my first time ever stepping foot in the historic Carnegie Hall, and I can’t possibly think of a better first artist to see there,
Björk came out wearing a lovely long dress, with her faced concealed in the same headpiece made of quills found on the colorful Vulnicura album cover. She was joined by the 15-piece string orchestra Alarm Will Sound, as well as producer, and Vulnicura collaborater Arca (Alejandro Ghersi) and drummer Manu Delgado. Together they formed an incredible live team that majestically brought the sounds of Björk to life in stunning intimate fashion.
The performance was broken up into two sections, with the first being the first six songs from Vulnicura played in order. Arca and Delgado brought the electronic and rhythmic side to life, but it was the string orchestration from Alarm Will Sound that gave her performance an incredible amount of beauty and grace. Their presence made each song even more of an emotional wallop that often left the crowd on the verge of tears, especially with the 10-minute stunner that is “Family.” Behind the musicians, a video projection of animated musical notation scrolled past, tipping the audience off to which sounds were about to launch into the air. But during “History of Touches,” a ballad mourning a malfunctioning love, the music fittingly slipped off the grid, forcing Björk to improvise with aleatoric wails. It didn’t feel like a derailment. The song wanted to be free.
After a 20-minute intermission she returned to the stage without her mask and turned back the clock to some of her older beloved material such as “Harm Of Will,” “The Pleasure Is All Mine, “Undo” and “Come To Me.” She also returned to Vulnicura playing “Quicksand” and “Mouth Mantra,” leaving “Atom Dance” as the odd song out, probably because Antony Hegarty wasn’t able to make the show. Wearing a lavender frock and a hint of optimism on her face. “Women like us, we strengthen most,” she sang on “Pleasure Is All Mine” from 2004’s “Medulla,” nodding to the latent maternal grace that girds so much of her songbook.
And during the show-closing “Wanderlust,” she offered a mantra for the perpetual uncertainty of existence itself: “I feel at home whenever the unknown surrounds me.”
The audience generally held back its affectionate applause until the last note of each song decayed into silence, and when it was all over, the crowd was plunged back into the gray daylight of 57th Street.
You go into seeing a big time performer such as Björk differently, with with weighty expectations that seem nearly impossible to be filled. But we go into these shows with a different mind set because they truly are unique excursions that take your mind, body, and soul, and transport them to a totally different place that only these artists can summon. For a large scale show it felt very personal and intimate, leaving me in a bewildered trance that I couldn’t shake. I don’t know if I’ll experience another show quite like it this year.
Björk Setlist:
1. Stonemilker
2. Lionsong
3. History of Touches
4. Black Lake
5. Family
6. Notget
Intermission:
7. Pleasure Is All Mine
8. Come to Me
9. Undo
10. I See Who You Are
11. Quicksand
12. Mouth Mantra
Carnegie Hall will host “The Music of David Byrne & Talking Heads” on March 23rd. The performing artists will be announced at a later date. The show will serve as a benefit for music education programs serving underprivileged youth put on by Michael Dorf. Past tribute shows have included the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, R.E.M., Paul Simon and Prince.
Each year, impresario Michael Dorf puts together an eclectic and well-rounded lineup of performers to pay tribute to a legend at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall. We’re very excited to see that Carnegie Hall has announcedthe 2015 installment will pay tribute to The Music Of David Byrne & Talking Heads. If past announcements are any guide look for the initial list of performers to drop early in January. Proceeds will benefit music education programs serving underprivileged youth.
There are so many possibilities for this concert. We’d love to see The Roots tackle “Life During Wartime,” Phish welcomed to switch it up by covering “Burning Down The House” (last played at Vernon Downs in 1998), The Wood Brothers perform “Heaven,” Aaron Neville on “Take Me To The River,” Felice Brothers shake up “Girlfriend Is Better” or Patti Smith sing “Heaven.” We can’t wait to see what Dorf has in store.
The Fat Angel Sings 