Asheville Setlist

Approx setlist - will try to write a review later...

Lou
Fire on the Mountain
White Limo
Loves me Tenderly
Katie Dear
Run Chicken Run
Take this Bread
Goddamn you Jim
Farley song
Stepdad
Cyprus Grove (Christmas+Ian only)
Tonight's the Night
Whisky in my Whisky
Frankie's Gun
Greatest Show on Earth
Marlboro Man
Christmas song ??
Roll on Arte
E: Helen Frye
Two Hands

By avifan

Lebowskifest schedule of events

7pm - "Year's Work In Lebowski Studies" discussion with professor and author Aaron Jaffe @ Carmichael's Bookstore - 2720 Frankfort Ave

Friday July 16

12pm - Lebowski Live Lunch - Lebowski covers and original sets by The Seedy Seeds, Thomas A Minor, Softcheque & C+ @ WFPK Studios - 619 S 4th St. - Very Limited Seating - Free

8pm - Movie Party - Music by The Felice Brothers with Thomas A Minor & The Picket Line followed by a screening of The Big Lebowski with an appearance by Jim Hoosier (Liam!) @ Executive Lawn - 911 Phillips Ln - 8pm. All Ages - Children 12 and under free. Chairs and blankets welcome. No outside food or beverages, man $18 adv / $20 day of

8:00 Gates Open
8:45 Thomas A Minor & The Pickett Line
9:30 Pin Heads
9:45 The Felice Brothers
11:10 Special Guest Jim Hoosier (Liam!)
11:15 The Big Lebowski



Saturday July 17

Saturday Pass (Garden Party + Bowling Party) - $30

3pm - Achiever Meetup - Meet and greet hosted by Lebowski Podcast @ Executive Strike and Spare Bar - Free

4pm - Garden Party - Music by Iron Horse (Heavy Metal Bluegrass covers of Metallica, Sabbath, Modest Mouse, etc.), The Seedy Seeds, Kentucky Prophet, C+ and Lebowski Burlesque. Plus Lebowski-themed games and what-have-you. @ Executive Lawn - 911 Phillips Ln - 4pm to 8pm. All Ages - Children 12 and under free. Chairs and blankets welcome. No outside food or beverages, man $8 adv / $10 day of

4:00 Gates Open / Games Begin
4:05 Lebowski Burlesque
4:10 C+
4:40 Pin Heads
4:45 Lebowski Burlesque
4:50 Kentucky Prophet
5:25 Lebowski Burlesque
5:30 The Seedy Seeds
6:20 Lebowski Burlesque
6:30 Iron Horse
8:00 Garden Party Ends

Lancaster 7-11 Photos Courtesy of Blue eyedJane

Pics by Jim Harris Studios

Jimharrisstudios.com

Here's the set list:
Take This Bread
Katie Dear
Greatest Show
Whiskey in my Whiskey
Murder by Mistletoe
Step Dad
Frankie's Gun
Roll on Arte
St Stephens End
White Limousine
Chicken Wire
Song by Farley - not sure
Run Chicken Run
Two Hands
Where'd You Get Your Liquor?
New Song - Ian
Glory, Glory
Review by Blue Eyed Jane

For what it's worth, my "review" of last nite's show:

Amish Country Gets Felice-d
A sea of lawn chairs covered the grounds in front of Long’s Park Amphitheatre in Lancaster on July 11. Regulars to the free concert series – families with young children and older folks with cute dogs in tow filled the audience at the pet friendly park, shaping the evening up to be, if nothing else, the Felice Brothers show with the largest ever attendance by dogs.
As the band stepped up to the mics, the audience members seemed to be settled into their places, like parents at a school play.
But the Felice’s had other plans.
“Come close!” Ian made a come-closer gesture, shouting “We’re not afraid of you, if you’re not afraid of us!” (or something along those lines)
Instantly , fans who had come far and wide to see the band, as well as some folks just really ready to have a good time and sensing one on tap, emerged from the anonymous chairs and blankets with big I-thought-you’d –never-ask grins on their faces and pooled at the front of the stage.
What followed was Felice Brothers perfection – a performance that brought sheer happiness to fans, charmed initiates who would be telling their co-workers the next day “I saw the craziest band last night!” and sent some of the audience, who were hoping for something akin to top 40 country, scrambling for their cars.
The Felice’s were energized and up (a far cry from the last performance I saw in Harrisburg a few months ago – I enjoyed it immensely and they were great, but the entire band, with the exception of Dave, seemed downright despondent)
Some of the setlist were (as far as I know) less often performed songs – for example Roll on Arte and St. Stephen’s End, and the audience itself was the sixth Felice Brother, singing along to many of the songs with enthusiastic encouragement from Jimmy and Farley. By the time fans rushed the stage to sing along with Glory Glory, the park management seemed to have pretty much given up on its efforts to maintain control – especially on their newly instituted “no smoking” policy.
Some things you might have seen, and a few you might have missed, if you were there:
- A guy yelling “Christmas will you marry me?” when the band came onstage.
-Christmas delivering a wonderfully intense version of Step-Dad.
-Jimmy entertaining the questions of a very young fan at the front of the stage while Ian sang St. Stephen’s End.
-Ian being swallowed by a mob of mostly much larger dudes, and disappearing with a big grin on his face, still singing.
-Christmas kneeling with a couple of kids on the stage after the show, chatting and seemingly writing or signing something.
-Someone observing that the Felice Brothers’ winnepago and trailer, parked next to the stage, looked like they had “just been pulled out of the junkyard.”
-The band gamely signing a box of Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies for a fan.
-A quiet young man sitting reservedly in a lawn chair throughout the show, then suddenly jumping up and hopping onstage with the mob during the last song.

So, on behalf of the happy mob – thanks, Felice Brothers!

bej

Cypress Grove video

Big Jim at Nateva

Check out more at DWTS

Take This Hammer from Nateva

Link to Youtube

Phosphorescent needs our Help

Phosphorescent, the indie band now based in Brooklyn , had all it's equipment stolen last night and need help as they were about to begin their six week tour today.




Last night, after an amazing show at Pier 54 in New York City, Phosphorescent's rental van - along with all of their equipment - was stolen from outside a residence in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Last night's show was the first night of their scheduled six-weeks US Tour. Among the stolen items was Matthew Houck's custom, irreplaceable 1955 Gibson ES-125 guitar, vintage amplifiers, and a vintage pedal steel with losses totaling around $40,000. If anyone has ANY information or leads on what might have happened, or if you see any of this gear in pawn shops, on Craigslist, etc, please call the NY Police Department, Vector Management, or anyone you think might be able to help recover this gear. The van rental company is insured - they are covered for their van and are therefore not greatly concerned with recovering it. Phosphorescent DOES care though, greatly, about recovering any of this gear possible, and about right now figuring out how to rally up and make this US Tour happen. Anything anyone can do to help would be simply amazing. We have set up a PayPal account for anyone wishing to donate funds to help replace gear - anything helps. We will be sending updates about the upcoming tour dates ASAP. Thanks inadvance for any goodwill and assistance and thank you for your support over the years. Donations are kindly accepted via the link below. Management: Nick Sternp: 212.317.2323 nick@vectormgmt.com


my space link

Paypal account to make Donations


link to news story

LEBOWSKIFEST NEXT WEEK: TAKETHISBREAD INTERVIEW WITH THE DUDE AND WALTER SOBCHAK

TakeThisBread: Thanks for sitting down with us. Mr Lebowski and Mr Sobchak

Dude: I'm the Dude, that's what you call me, or His Dudeness, or El Duderino if you are not into the whole brevity thing. Mind if i do a "J"?


Takethisbread: Be my guest.

Takethisbread: Are you a fan of the Felice Brothers?

The Dude: yea man, i dig the Brothers, man. They have a lot of similarities with musical acts i have liked for a long time; like
Bob Dylan and Creedence of course.

Walter: I knew a guy named Felice once, back in Nam.

Takethisbread: What songs are your favorites?

Walter: "Roll on Arte" has the bowling theme, and The Dude and I sang an a capella version of this song at Donny's 10 yr Memorial service at the lanes, we changed the words to "Roll on Donny, Roll on"

Dude: I like "Don't Wake the Scarecrow" its got that whole Wizard of Oz thing, which is cool, man.

Takethisbread: What is your view of Lebowskifest and the cult following surrounding the film?

Dude: People dig the Dude's vibe, man. Take it easy, smoke a bone, listen to some good tunes, bowl. Just like GOD Intended, man. People all over the world love the movie.


Walter: Not in Nam, of course.

TakeThisBread: Still hate the Eagles?

Walter: Fuckin' amateurs.

Dude: Man, i always hated those motherfuckers. Kind of band Jackie Treehorn would love. met Don Henley once at the Los Angeles Forum when i was a
Roadie for Metallica, it was back in his "ponytail" years, a real angry cat, man.

Walter: The Dude has softened over the years on the Eagles. "Peaceful, Easy, Feeling" reminds him of Donny. Well that and "I am The Walrus".

TakeThisbread: Whats on your ipods?

Walter: "Mein Kampf" audio version narrated by Henry Rollins, and Santana.

Dude: Santana? That creep can play, man.

Takethisbread: And you Dude?

Dude: I just got an ipod, i am not sure how to use it, but i had Marty the Landlord load some of my favorites on it: Bob, of course
,Creedence, The Felice Brothers, the 2004 league semifinals, and Autobahn. Karl Hungus, was a fuckin' genius man. Like Van Gogh, who also had a missing ear.

Walter: I can get you a Toe, or an ear.

Dude: Either way, i cant figure out how to navigate my ipod anyway, so i usually just jam an old mixtape of Bob into my car cassette player and roll my windows
down so i can hear it in the house.


Takethisbread: You folks plan on going to Lebowskifest?

Dude: Yea man, fuckin A, bread. I'll be there, White Russians, a little Thai stick, a few frames. fuckin' nirvana, man.

Walter: I may gO friday, but thats it. Shomer Shabbos. Jewish day of rest. That means i don't work, I dont drive a car, i dont handle money
i don't turn on a oven, and i sure as shit don't fucking roll! Why they having this Festival on a Saturday? I told that Fuck
down at the Fest offices...

Dude: Take it easy Walter.

Walter: am i wrong?
'
Dude, No Walter, you're not wrong , you're just an asshole.

Takethisbread: What songs would you like to see the Felice Brothers play next weekend?

Dude: Their own stuff? "Marie" or "Forever Green" but they never play that one. From the film? i'd say "Looking out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Walter: "Roll on Donny, Roll on" or "I am the Walrus"

TakethisBread: Thanks fellas, see you next weekend.

Walter: Lets roll, Dude.

"Shaky" lyrics (NEW THE DUKE AND THE KING)

Shaky
Bagdhad she's a mean old town
I get the feelin she don't want me around no more
I started seeing things in my funkin (?) eye

Shaky
Makes me all so shaky mama
Cmon wake me up
We go dancing how ever you wanna
Cause we were just babies
The Jackson 5 grew up so fast
Cmon baby
Just come and shake that country ass

Lately it's been getting hard
So they gave me
Some pills supposed to calm my hands
But now I'm Superman in the firefight

Crazy from nicotine
I pass away
She's got sad machine gun eyes
She's smiles at me and it kills my heart

Shaky
Makes me oh so shaky mama
Cmon shake me
We go dance how ever you wanna
We were just babies
The Jackson 5 grew up so fast
Cmon and shake that country ass

Bagdad
She's a mean old girl
Baby it's a mean old world I know
Maybe I'll make it home alive

Harmony: if You don't see me again please tell my daughter I love her



Shaky
Makes me oh so shaky mama
Cmon shake me
We go dance how ever you wanna
We were just babies
The Jackson 5 grew up so fast
Cmon and shake that country ass

Yeehaw!

Sax solo

The Felice Brothers get mention in Farming Blog

From the Blog Farms and Fables regarding the song Goddamn you Jim

http://farmsandfables.blogspot.com/


On a side note: Yesterday I went to Nateva, a big music festival in Oxford, ME. The Felice Brothers may have become one of my new favorite groups, and they sang this gorgeous song that, as they put it, is about farm life and the hardships that can sometimes accompany it. It reminded me of a lot of conversations we've had, in and out of story circles, about the rollercoaster of emotions involved in farming -- and, also, about that romantic view of farming as "the simple life." I think the song takes a romantic view of farming, although it certainly doesn't paint it as easy. At any rate, it affected me a lot and here it is.

The Felice Brothers from Nateva Festival Blog

. Those lucky few who had found their way to the Maine Stage early enough were treated to an Appalachian upgrade courtesy of the Felice Brothers, who played a raucously melodic boot stomper of a gig. Word of mouth must have spread quickly as their late night set at the Port City Music Hall was extremely well-attended.  

During the afternoon the always reliable Umphrey’s McGee followed the Felices and seemed to be the first act to truly engage the slumbering giant that is the Nateva audience.  An adoring crowd slathered on sunscreen and found themselves stepping into the festival with Umphrey’s holding open the door.

Letter from Simone Felice to his fans

I'm alive. Got my breast-bone sawed in two and my lungs collapsed and the main valve of my heart replaced by a carbon device that ticks like a pocket watch to the beat of my blood for the rest of my days, but I'm alive. Strange days indeed. What a wild thing to learn from the doctor: that for years you've been existing off 1/8th of the blood and oxygen your body and brain need, that he's baffled your still alive, that you would've surely died within the next year. Before I could say 'It's the day of the big surprise' I was under the knife. I want everybody who prayed for me or sent me their warm thoughts, to know that your goodness did not fall on deaf ears, I'm convinced that in some way I must have received every last one, and that all the love I've been shown in this hard time has indeed helped me make it through and to heal up so well and quickly. When I wrote 'If You Ever Get Famous' two summers ago I could never have guessed at the significance of the line 'I'll say a prayer for your heart', but you all did, and I'm sure it's what saved my life. So hot-damn, I've got my blood flowing again!, especially in my brain and rambling feet, and, now that I'm able, I'm writing songs and taking long walks in the quiet woods, I even felt good enough to join my dear brothers for a set at Pete Seeger's annual Clearwater festival to benefit our beautiful Hudson River, the main artery of the valley and mountains we grew up in. We played 'Radio Song' and everybody sang 'please don't you ever die' and it was music to my ears, to say the least. I was very upset to have missed my shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Hunter, Boston, and Toronto, this emergency surgery fell on me like a storm and hit smack in the middle of these dates, please know that I can't wait to reschedule and see you guys really soon. I've just had my first look-over by the kindest cardiologist in Albany and he says that I'll be fine to be back on the road in August, that by then I'll be feeling like a teenager, or like a Comanche on his first warhorse, so I'm already greatly looking forward to every one of the scheduled New York and UK solo shows at Summer's end, and to the September release of the new D&K album 'Long Live The Duke & The King'. An old-timer used to say to us: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Now I really know what he meant. So with a new chrome heart full of joy, melodies, and renewed purpose, I say: See you all down the highway, where we'll sing us a jailbird song, a rebel song, a song to keep us warm.

With Love and Gratitude,
Simone Edward Felice, of the Catskill Mountain Felices'

Don't You Ever Die!

Simone Performs with The Felice Brothers at Clearwater Festival





Furthermore, you can jump on this link to see Simone's scar from his surgery

Simone Felice on the mend

Simone Felice is home and healing up from a very difficult surgery. The healing process will take time as his chest was torn asunder by the surgeons. It appears the recovery will take quite a bit of time and we are blessed to still have him with us. His situation could have had many different disastrous outcomes, and you're continued thoughts, prayers and messages are appreciated I am sure.



"Show me mercy
Won't you nurse these wounds of mine
Rinse and sew me up
Baby your eyes are like a pale blue Chrysler
Drive us to the sun"

Clearwater Festival this Weekend

http://www.clearwater.org/festival/

Sorry about the absence of news in the past week, but my paying Job is getting busy.



Welcome to...Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival 2010
June 19 & 20
Croton Point Park
Croton-on-Hudson, NY


7 stages with live music and performance artists!

STEVE EARLE SHAWN COLVIN DAVID BROMBERG QUARTET
PETE SEEGER JOAN OSBORNE BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO SUBDUDES
KELLER WILLIAMS (Loopless Acoustic) RAILROAD EARTH DONNA THE BUFFALO
FELICE BROTHERS | STEVE FORBERT | TOSHI REAGON & BIGLOVELY | JONATHA BROOKE
RHETT MILLER | DAN BERN | LUCY KAPLANSKY | MIKE DOUGHTY | DAVID AMRAM
SARA WATKINS | DALA | ANGEL BAND | TAO SEEGER BAND | THE LEE BOYS
MILTON | SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION | HAZMAT MODINE (Global Blues)
*NEW - Renamed and Expanded World Dance Stage*
EILEEN IVERS (Fiddle Player of Riverdance) | KAKANDE (West African ensemble)
JAY & MOLLY'S PURA VIDA QUARTET with RICK MOHR calling (Contra Dance)
CJ CHENIER & THE RED HOT LOUISIANA BAND (Zydeco)
BROTHER JOSCEPHUS & THE LOVE REVIVAL REVOLUTION ORCHESTRA
NIGHTINGALE (Contra Dance) | LE VENT DU NORD (Traditional Music of Quebec)
BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO | SLAVIC SOUL PARTY (Eastern European Brass Band)
FOLKLORE URBANO (Colombian Folkloric Dance Band) | SUBDUDES
BONGA & THE VODOU DRUMS OF HAITI (Haitian drumming and dance)
Walkabout Clearwater Chorus | Arm-of-the-Sea Theater | Kim & Reggie Harris | Jay Mankita | Dog on Fleas
Paul Richmond | The Storycrafters | Samite | Ken Corsbie | Bob Reiser | Nancy Tucker | Roland Mousaa
Tom Winslow | Thomasina Winslow | Tomorrow's Children | Diane Wolkstein & Jeff Greene
Rude Mechanical Orchestra | Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower | The Power of Song | Marva P. Clarke
Rick Nestler | Grenadilla | Roger the Jester | Paul Richmond | The Edukated Fleas | Evy Mayer | Linda Richards
Mel & Vinnie | Robert DeMayo | Eric Russell | Steve Stanne | Dan Einbender | Folksoul Band
Ann Shapiro & Tom Callinan | Betty Boomer | Captain Killian & Crew | Nancy Marie Payne | Hope Machine
Ezzell Floranina | The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers | Uncle Rock | Bobaloo Basey | Matt Turk | Terry Sullivan | Stout
Melissa K. Knowles | Tony Duncan | Vern Coffey | Nettie Lane | Peter Schuerholtz | Eric Kollenberg
Bruce Engholm | Bruce Harpster | Chris Kitzmiller

Juried Crafts Fair – Green Living Exhibitors – Marketplace – Activist Area - Food Vendors
River activities – Sails aboard the sloop Clearwater and schooner Mystic Whaler
Rides on small boats

Circle of Song (sing-along) – Story Grove (storytelling) – Children's Crafts and Activities
Family Stage Performers – Kids Vendors – Hands on education displays and activities - Jugglers, Roving Artists, Face Painting and more

Artists subject to change
Festival hours: 10am-dusk

Knoxville Fashion: The Felice Brothers add Knoxville and Asheville to Tour

Updated tour schedule with the July 13 and July 15th shows just added.
Tour Dates

June 2010
   Saturday 19 | Clearwater Festival, Croton on Hudson, NY - more info
July 2010
   Friday 2 | Nateva Festival Oxford County Fairgrounds, Oxford, ME - more info
   Saturday 10 | Great Southbay Music Fesitival, Patchogue, NY - more info
   Sunday 11 | Long's Park Amphitheater, Lancaster, PA - more info
   Monday 12 | Summit City Lounge, Whitesburg, KY - more info
   Tuesday 13 | Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall, Asheville, NC - more info
   Thursday 15 | Barley's Tap Room, Knoxville, TN - more info
   Friday 16 | Lebowski Fest, Louisville, KY - more info
   Sunday 18 | Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA - more info
   Saturday 24 | Ommegang Brewery, Cooperstown, NY - more info
   Monday 26 | Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY - more info
   Tuesday 27 | Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON - more info
   Friday 30 | Sappy Fest, Sackville, NB - more info
August 2010
   Sunday 1 | Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI - more info
September 2010
   Thursday 9 | Oran Mor, Glasgow, England - more info
   Friday 10 | Custom House Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland - more info
   Saturday 11 | TJs Woodhouse, Leeds, - more info
   Sunday 12 | End Of The Road Festival, Dorset, England - more info
   Monday 13 | Thekla, Bristol, - more info
   Wednesday 15 | The Troxy, London, - more info

My new favorite band!

Dave Matthews in Saratoga introduced The Felice Brothers as "my new favorite band".

Let's hope this wasn't just courtesy, because while I find DMB to be an absolute bore, a powerful ally would be nice.

The great John Wooden passed away yesterday. There seems to be a dearth of principled people in this world, certainly few pop icons. Coach was a rare breed and a great teacher to many, including myself. One of my favorite "Woodenisms": Talent is God Given: be humble. Fame is man given: be thankful. Conceit is self given: be careful. — John Wooden, RIP.

Rochester NY: The Felice Brothers June 3 Review

Fire Mountain (another excellent new song)
Greatest Show on Earth
Loves Me Tenderly
Katie Dear
Murder By Mistletoe
Whiskey in my Whiskey
Step Dad
River Jordan
Run Chicken Run
God Damn You Jim
Farley's Song
White Limo
Honda Civic
another new song
Cooperstown
Take This Bread
Lou
___
Hellen Fry
Frankies Gun



Probaby not entirely in order, especially towards the second half of the set. I did see someone taping, so hopefully this show will surface soon!



Setlist by Marlboro Man @ Frankiesgun.com
review by Mudcat





They were sloppy, loose, and really, really great. I took a friend who had never seen them before and he was amazed. He was primarily amazed at how the passion for the music comes through, even when it is being played in such a drunken, sloppy manner. The mistakes didn’t matter last night because the band was clearly having fun.

They opened with a new one, it referenced 911 a lot, but I’m unfamiliar with it. Greatest Show was next, followed by Loves Me Tenderly. Ian false started Loves Me Tenderly a few times and then sarcastically changed most of the lyrics. Murder By Mistletoe and Whiskey were next (I think). James was great and pretty much let the audience sing the song. Then, for some reason, the whole band dropped out and Christmas just jammed on his bass. It looked as if the entire song was going to implode for a second, but they got it back and finished strong. Katie Dear was especially good, with Ian shouting by the end of the song. Stepdad>River Jordan>Fuck the News (really nothing more than an extra, sarcastic verse)>Run Chicken Run was next. Goddamn You Jim was pretty haunting. A new one was in there somewhere. I’m not sure what it was. Ian and Christmas were swapping verses on the song, but there were no horns (at least that I remember). Cool song, but I will have to hear it a few more times to really grasp it.

At this point, things get foggy for me. I remember White Limo, Farley sang for his Grand-Dad, Take This Bread, Cooperstown. They also played Dallas, a new song which was the song they played first on WRUR yesterday. They ended with Lou, since a lot of people in the crowd (myself included) were calling for it.

Once they left the stage, a bunch of people started chanting “Frankie’s Gun”. It must be hard to have to play a song every night, but people clearly missed it when they didn’t play it in the set. They came out for the encore and did Helen Fry. Then, they satisfied those who were chanting with a very chaotic Frankie’s Gun. Ian didn’t have his guitar on for the first verse, so when the band drops out for that chromatic blues lick, there was silence. Kind of funny.

All in all, a totally great show. I did not tape it as I suggested I might, but there was someone with gear in the balcony. Unfortunately, he forgot a battery pack and was worried that he might not get the entire show.
We'll see...

 
-Mudcat on FrankiesGun.com

Good News on Simone Felice

From The Duke and the King via Facebook;

Thank you all for your kind words & prayers.
Simone's surgery was a success and he is now in recovery.
We will keep you posted of his progress.
Love always & forever,
The D & The K

Goddamn You Jim set to film

A Westfall Drama from kidsake on Vimeo.

"Winter passed without a glance, took our only boy at last
You cried God's arms were a blind an' bleeding ocean
Blooming spring brought all I need
Warmth and rain for me to seed my earth, good earth for our boy to lie in
In the summer I worked the land
She walked like she still held his hand
And I swear to God I saw her once of trace a'smiling.
In the autumn, my gold wheat swaying,
I cut her down from where she was swinging
She said: Goddamn you, Jim, up there I could hear you laughing"

If PT Barnum, Walt Whitman and Leonard Cohen had a Menage-a Trois

And it bore a child.
It's name would be Simone Felice.

Prayers go out to him on his surgery this morning. We pray it all goes well.

The Felice Brothers Featured in Times-Union

Felice Brothers meandering road leads to opening for Dave Matthews Band
 
By MICHAEL ECK, Special to the Times Union
First published in print: Thursday, June 3, 2010
Homegrown, rough-hewn and funky. The Felice Brothers recorded their first album in a chicken coop and made their fame by playing in the mud at the Newport Folk Festival.
 

 
Not bad for a bunch of wild kids from Palenville.
This weekend, the local-boys-made-good will open two nights for Dave Matthews Band at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, bringing the Catskills just a little bit closer to the Adirondacks, sonically speaking.

Palenville, once fondly called the City of Falling Waters, was the first arts colony in America, and as such it provided visual and spiritual inspiration to painters of the Hudson River School, including Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, Sanford R. Gifford and others. Later, Mary Pickford would make movies there, while countless other artists, writers and tourists passed through town in warm weather.

But, as in many summer towns, locals learned to make their own fun, and in an outpost of a little more than 1,200, many entertained themselves with homemade music.

The Felice Brothers -- Ian, Simone and James along with friends Greg Farley and Christmas Clapton -- got their start as kids, making noise at barbecues in their father's backyard.

The same vibe that inspired The Band and Bob Dylan -- who called nearby Saugerties and Woodstock home -- was still in the ground and the Felice boys picked it up, forging a similarly deep, loamy Americana that leaned on gospel harmonies, boozy acoustic guitar and accordion.

The mountains moved south earlier in the decade, and the Felices spread out from a temporary Brooklyn enclave to further hone their groove in the New York subway.

Almost immediately, the brothers' distinctive mix drew attention. Back at home, an appearance at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble created an instant buzz and, almost before they knew it, the band was making the rounds of festivals and landing an English record deal.

That 2008 slot at Newport was a clincher.

Torrential rain muddied the field (Woodstock, again, anyone?) and knocked out the power. While other bands might have scratched their heads, the Felice Brothers understood it was barbecue time and they simply joined the crowd, making music the old-fashioned way.

Dylan went electric. They went acoustic.

The growing road to fame hasn't been without its bumps. Last year, Simone -- who played drums with the band, when he wasn't leaping up from his kit to dance, shout or pontificate -- left the group, and his kin, to found the similarly free-form The Duke & The King with Robert "Chicken" Burke. (Felice was replaced with drummer Dave Turbeville.)

The Duke & The King, like the Felice's 2009 album "Yonder Is The Clock," take its title from Mark Twain, not Washington Irving.

Simone and company were actually in the area last weekend, opening for Carolina Chocolate Drops in a well-received set at MASS MoCA.




"Yonder," like its predecessors, 2006's "Through These Reins and Gone" and 2008's "The Felice Brothers," is a wandering amble through Americana. In addition to the obvious touchstones of Dylan and The Band, there are also flashes of Tom Waits, Michael Hurley and The Gourds. And the record sits well next to efforts by the band's friends, A.A. Bondy, Gillian Welch and Justin Townes Earle (whose father, Steve, also has a place in Woodstock).
In addition to a brace of original songs on "Clock," the group also wails on "Memphis Flu," an obscure, accusatory religious song (positing that sin leads to the flu) first recorded by Elder Curry in 1930.

That tune must have delighted Matthews, who has made a commitment of embracing acts that fuse ancient roots with modern attitudes.

He has, after all, chosen folks like Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Chris Whitley and Danny Barnes as duet mates, opening acts and artists for his ATO label stable.

That means the Felice Brothers will be in good company at SPAC.

And maybe they'll get Matthews down to a Catskills barbecue to boot.

Michael Eck is a freelance writer from Albany and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

The Felice Brothers

Opening for Dave Matthews Band

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs

Tickets: Shows sold out as of press time

Info: 587-3330; http://www.spac.org 


"Yonder," like its predecessors, 2006's "Through These Reins and Gone" and 2008's "The Felice Brothers," is a wandering amble through Americana. In addition to the obvious touchstones of Dylan and The Band, there are also flashes of Tom Waits, Michael Hurley and The Gourds. And the record sits well next to efforts by the band's friends, A.A. Bondy, Gillian Welch and Justin Townes Earle (whose father, Steve, also has a place in Woodstock).
In addition to a brace of original songs on "Clock," the group also wails on "Memphis Flu," an obscure, accusatory religious song (positing that sin leads to the flu) first recorded by Elder Curry in 1930.

That tune must have delighted Matthews, who has made a commitment of embracing acts that fuse ancient roots with modern attitudes.

He has, after all, chosen folks like Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Chris Whitley and Danny Barnes as duet mates, opening acts and artists for his ATO label stable.

That means the Felice Brothers will be in good company at SPAC.

And maybe they'll get Matthews down to a Catskills barbecue to boot.

Michael Eck is a freelance writer from Albany and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

The Felice Brothers

Opening for Dave Matthews Band

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs

Tickets: Shows sold out as of press time

Info: 587-3330; http://www.spac.org

Simone Felice To Albany Medical for Emergency Surgery

From Twitter:

Simone Felice Rushed to Albany Medical Center
Hello our beloved friends and fans, We must tell you all, with a heaviness we cannot convey of the news that our dearest brother Simone Felice was rushed late last night to Albany Medical Center. Simone has been scheduled for emergency open-heart surgery as a result of Aortic Stenosis. We are devastated, yet hopeful that he will pull through. We will not be playing Mountain Jam and all dates for June and July have been cancelled. He loves you all more than you could ever know, so please send all of your thoughts & prayers Simone’s way. We will keep you informed of his condition in the coming days. Love always & forever, Simi Stone Bobby Bird Nowell Haskins

We Love You, Simone

As soon as there is life there is danger.
-Emerson

London Pre sale for the Duke and the King

At the Electric Ballroom, for the Show October 27.

Here is the Link