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Felice Brothers live at Chameleon Club (photos)

Six hours driving in a car is a good amount of time to spend letting your mind drift. That was the duration of the commute from my home base in the Cleveland area to meet up with Ady in Lancaster for the Felice Brothers show at the Chameleon Club.

On the way there I probably spent too much time pondering, among other things, why no one goes to smell concerts (after all we travel to hear music, people flock to see movies, and frequently obsess over the best foods, what about scent events?) Oddly, once I approached Lancaster on Rt 283 I was bombarded with smells. Lilacs or maybe honeysuckle? For at least a mile or two. Then the smell of cows, which lasted a little too long, then industry. Finally on my approach into Lancaster the air was filled with the smell of hot dogs. So there you have it, I got my olfactory joy.

On the return home it wandered again and I thought about what I wanted to say about my travels and the show . . . I wrote about 7 different versions of this post in my mind’s eye, but the prevailing thought was how it was most definitely worth the maniacal 12 hours on the road. Not a bad price to pay to spend an incredibly fun and relaxing 24 hours with my sister in Lancaster, going to see one of the few bands in existence right now that I would travel far and wide for. Our accommodations were awesome and alone worth it. And I saw a few other strange (fascinating?) sights to break up the solo drive—the two old guys chatting away and peeing on a fence along the side of the road on I-76 is a visual that will stick with me for some time.

The Felice Brothers show at the Chameleon Club was of course the reason for making the trip (always an excuse for Ady and I to get together) and was the highlight (except perhaps our hotel bathroom, which we tried to figure out how to pack into an overnight bag and smuggle home. It really was a the best bathroom! But I digress). I’d been reading about the shows leading up to this one and everything I read was in agreement—the band is tight, in great spirits and a force to be reckoned with right now. And it was true, the guys were in tip top supercharged form. For us, it all culminated into the most wild and crazy “Helen Fry” you could ask for.

Ian Felice and “Helen Fry” at the Chameleon Club

Other highlights of the evening for me personally were several songs I got to see live for the first time (“Marie,” “Her Eyes Dart Round,” “Where’d you Get the Liquor?”); two sweet covers (Woody Guthrie’s “Cumberland Gap” and Townes Van Zandt’s “Two Hands”); and a goofy, playful version of “Loser Takes All.”

I took a couple videos (linked above) and Ady took some photos during “Loser,” “Ponzi,” “Helen Fry” (check the series of photos at the end of the set when Ian bashed away on his guitar laying on the floor!) and other points along the way. Good show, yes! They always make me happy as hell to be a Felice Brothers fan—and between that and all the fun I had hanging out with my sister, it made driving all that way feel like it was nothing.

Follow the link below to be taken to the full photo set of the Felice Brothers live at the Chameleon Club 2012 via the Sisters Dissonance Flickr account.

Video can be found in the posts immediately preceding this one, and on our youtube page where you can also find the third video taken, “Her Eyes Dart Round.”

Felice Brothers live at Chameleon Club, a set on Flickr.

PS – Cheers to Meghan and Amy, who we met after the show!

The Felice Brothers – Cumberland Gap live at the Chameleon Club

As you may already know, the anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday is being celebrated far and wide within music communities and by music lovers everywhere—via festivals such as the Newport Folk Festival and projects like the very cool Bound for Glory Woody Guthrie Centennial Project to name just a few.

Within the shared psyche of Sisters Dissonance are far away memories of being introduced to Woody Guthrie’s music for the first time when, as elementary school kids we both shared a teacher (passing through his class in different years) who’s mission was to indoctrinate every single sixth grader in the school into the world of folk music. More often than not we’d take a break from the books and he would play on his acoustic as we would sing along to the songs he taught us, including a canon of Guthrie’s songs. At the time he was pegged as being too eccentric (read “weird” in the words of 11 year olds), but Ady and I both know looking back with adult eyes, that that the true story is that he was a good-hearted, intelligent soul who’s guidance we were lucky enough to be under at that impressionable age. The musical knowledge, appreciation and philosophy planted by Mr. P still remains for both of us. I think he’d be proud to know that, too.

Flash forward to present day when we got to see one of our absolute favorites, The Felice Brothers, play a rather infectious version of Guthrie’s “Cumberland Gap” at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster on April 27, which ended with Ian Felice dedicating the song to him. I captured the performance, so here on record is yet another sweet little nod to Mr. Guthrie.

Felice Brothers – Helen Fry live at the Chameleon Club

Ady and I met up in Lancaster on Friday for the Felice Brothers show at the Chameleon Club, which was part of the LAUNCH Music Festival that runs through Sunday April 28, 2012. I caught a few videos, including this explosive, incredible version of Helen Fry. I knew (and I think everyone else felt it, too), after the first few notes it was going to explode into something amazing, and it most definitely did!

Word on the street is all of their shows on their current tour have been just as incredibly high energy as this one…so be sure to check dates to see if they’ll be near you, and if so GO SEE THEM! (Rx from the sisters.)

I’ve got two more to upload as well as a really great photo set captured by Ady that we are working on getting up on this site in the next day or two , so more about the show and links to all of the above coming very soon.

Red Hot Chili Peppers at the House of Blues Cleveland

The scene downtown last Sunday was vibrant and buzzing in anticipation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing their free show in support of the Obama campaign. T’was a family affair as I attended with family and loved ones, including Ella and Ava (pictured, at their very first big concert experience). We all were treated to box seats thanks to a very generous friend, so the vantage point of the stage and show was free and clear and resulted in a few photos and a great video —admittedly slightly imperfect audio due to proximity to amps—of second song “Dani California” from the short and sweet 6 song (plus encore) set.

The energy level at the early hour of 1 o’clock in the afternoon (a disorienting time to be in full live show mode but I liked it) was as high, if not higher than any other Chili Peppers shows I’ve been to. And I walked away once again wishing that bottled essence of Flea-energy Juice was on the market. (Speaking of, Rocket Juice, anyone?)

Thanks to the mind behind Offmyeffingmeds who was in our entourage and took over review duties for the day (check his hilarious no holds barred social commentary blog and twitter account, I command you!).

Red Hot Chili Peppers live at House of Blues
{MORE PHOTOS via Flickr here}
Review from Offmyeffingmeds (via twitter:@offmyeffingmeds)

Catching the Red Hot Chili Peppers yesterday at the House of Blues was just too fucking cool! You’d have difficulty imagining a better way to spend Julian Easter. (I’m thinking Jesus would actually have to show up for the party.)

Anyway, warm temperatures and the early-afternoon performance only fed the surrealistic atmosphere. We got an invitation at 10:30 am, while we were still abed. The ensuing explosion of activity probably damaged the last (very small) shred of sanity our cat possessed.

We were presentable and out of the house soon thereafter, cursing drivers who had apparently received instructions to use any means necessary to delay us. Nobody drove no more than 15 mph below the speed limit. Their efforts failed, though. We reached downtown Cleveland in plenty of time to join the party on Euclid Avenue.

1,200 Obama workers had worked for free tickets to the show. All of them turned up.

After running a couple videos that highlighted the President’s achievements, his national campaign manager introduced the band, and urged the audience to consider why a world-class outfit like RHCP would sacrifice time and sleep to help inject political volunteers with a bit of energy. (You should do the same.)

The House of Blues is not a concert venue…it’s a large saloon. Being locked down in a room of that size with the Chilis is like Talking Heads’ “Heaven,” without the irony. It’s perfect. The band jumped into ”Can’t Stop” and didn’t waste a second of the next 45 minutes. Energy was not a problem.

Chad Smith is simply an amazing drummer, both visually and aurally, and tossed at minimum a dozen sticks to the fans and no one worried about losing an eye. Josh Klinghoffer seems to have been bred to play guitar for the band. He’s got the swag and the chops cold…and merits at least a 9.2 for floor exercises! Flea and Anthony, the over-amped heart of the Chilis, did what they always do: brought the funk and never let up.

“Dani Cali,” “Look Around,” and “Rain Dance Maggie,” followed and then everybody caught their breath during “Under the Bridge.” Two more songs and it was over.

We felt the longing of Mother Teresa: God spoke to her once at an early age and then abandoned her for the rest of her life. Leaving her with one powerful hunger.

Thanks once again to everyone who got us there!