I know, I know.

So it's been awhile. And I apologize. But I always come back!

It's been quite the busy end of summer and start of fall. I moved. I started a new job. And, of course, there's been a lot of solid live music.

Looking back, I can't even remember every show I've been to since I last posted. I ended up in Colorado for Phish's Labor Day run. I did 3 of 4 night Umphrey's McGee Brooklyn Bowl. I've seen Real Estate, Bustle Your Hedgerow, TV on the Radio, Broken Social Scene, Bright Eyes, Particle, Perpetual Groove, and Conspirator. I witnessed one night of Dave Matthews Band at the first attempt of his Caravan festival on Governor's Island and 3 more nights for take 2 on Randall's Island. It's been a busy few weeks for me, but musically and personally. But it's been great fun, and life is awesome right now.

The good news is, things seemed to have leveled out and I'll be updating more frequently. I'll be posting pictures and some video of the musical shenanigans of the past few weeks on Facebook. As for some food porn, expect some tailgating recipes and fall favorites.

So... stay tuned, friends. Shimmer 'n out.

Lot Bites Report, Cali Style- Hard Summer Fest and Phish at the Hollywood Bowl

Lot Bites got the opportunity to check the Los Angeles music scene this past week and was not left disappointed. Hard Summer Tour, which has several dates across the country with limited rotating selection of artists, had its major show of the tour in LA on Saturday, August 6th, and added some big names like Chromeo, Ratatat, Duck Sauce, Boys Noize, and Skrillex to the line-up.

Being held in Los Angeles Historic State Park proved to be a major issue for festival organizers, with massive lines to get in and at vending, and inconsistent security. After getting your ID checked several times and waiting on long lines to do so, you could buy 1 drink (also the biggest line to get); by 9pm, LAPD had shut down all alcohol service. Yet, people were barely searched on the way in. Also, the park itself was long and narrow, and its size with 4 stages packed in to it meant you could clearly hear the other artists at the other tents.



However, even the lack of organization could not take away from the star-studded line-up they had acquired, and every artist seemed to be on point with their performances. My line-up for the night included Ratatat > Jack Beats > Chromeo > Digitalism > Nero > Skrillex. I was most impressed with Jack Beats, Digitalism, and Skrillex, but every artist put on a stellar show. This was my third time seeing Skrillex, and it was by far my favorite set of his I have seen so far.

The main event of my trip to Los Angeles was getting to see Phish at Hollywood Bowl. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, the Bowl itself is legendary, and its location in hills with the Hollywood sign in the distance makes it a special place to see any show. But add the music of Phish and the lighting expertise of Chris Kuroda, and the Hollywood Bowl becomes a Phish Bowl if just for one night.
Setlist (phish.net):
Set I- Down With Disease > Cavern > Possum, Cities, Peaches, Kill Devil Falls, Lawn Boy, Tube > Back on the Train, Wilson >Axilla > Split Open, Backwards Down the Number Line
Set II- Carini > Crosseyed and Painless > Twist > Piper > Mike's > Joy > Weekapaug, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover > Hold Your Head Up > Weekapaug, Character Zero, Quinn
Encore: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Julius
The setlist was pretty typical of first leg, opening set I with Down with Disease into an interestingly placed Cavern, and the appearances by Possum, Kill Devil Falls, and Backwards Down The Number Line were almost expected. Set I highlights included a major bust-out of Peaches, a raging Tube, and psychy jam on Split Open and Melt.

Set II started out and remained high energy, until Mike's slowed down into a misplaced Joy, only to be brought back up again with Weekapaug Groove. Making a notable debut was Paul Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, which featured Fishman front on center on vocals and on the front of the stage with a smaller kit. In true Fishman style, the donut-dress clad drummer did his usual lap around the stage during Hold Your Head Up. The jams improved on a whole this set, especially on Crosseyed and Painless and Piper. Also of note: the Julius in the encore.

A solid show with some shining moments at an unforgettable venue, and a perfect end to a west coast vacation.


I wish I had more to say about the lot eats out west, as there were none to be found on lot before the show at Hollywood Bowl. There were bacon-wrapped hot dogs with peppers and onions being sold in abundance by locals post-show, but those were broken up pretty quickly. I heard good things about the food at Outside Lands. Remember, people, let me know about what you ate on Leg 2!

Farmer's Market Report

The end of July and the beginning of August is when everything is in full bloom and reaching peak growing season. While some popular summer produce starts showing up in early July, they are only now starting to get to their full potential of tastiness for the year. Best example: tomatoes. It seemed like all the farms at the Union Square Greenmarket had them today, and I cannot believe how gorgeous they looked!


What is also great about summer tomatoes is the variety. Many farms have their own heirloom of tomatoes, which are just as delicious and can make a plain looking plate gorgeous. With basil also at highest quality of the season, this is the perfect time of year to make the best caprese salad you ever had.

If you are going to pick a time of year to avoid the supermarket, this is it. You can find everything from peppers, hot, sweet, and...purple?, to eggplants, cucumbers, corn, radishes, every type of leafy green, and fresh herbs all at the farmer's market right now. The possibilities are endless! Many of these items can be marinated in oil (I'd recommend a blend of grapeseed and olive oil), salt, pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you want and thrown onto the grill for the ultimate summer treat.






Even better, summer fruit! Plums, peaches, and berries are best right now, and nothing quite matches the taste when they are freshly picked from your local farm. You can even throw some of these on the grill, or just eaten as is, added to lemonade, or frozen to cool off from grilling!




Google is your best friend to find your local farmer's market. Remember, friends- no farms, no food! Support your local farms- you are doing your community, your earth, and your farmer a big favor, and you in turn will be getting the highest quality produce one can find!

More Live Music/ Jones Beach Furthur Lot Report

This past week was an especially memorable week of music. It all started Wednesday night with Ratatat at SummerStage at Central Park. They played an interesting setlist of newer and older songs, but I was not impressed with the sound. Enjoyable show, but nothing compared to the rest of the music I saw the rest of the week.




Thursday night was the night I was most excited for: my first time seeing The Slip!! Playing at Brooklyn Bowl and being joined on stage by Sam Cohen of Yellowbirds made for a wonderful combination and this was by far my favorite night of music this week. I have a lot of great pictures up here on Facebook.




Saturday night, I went to Monster Island to see Oneida. The space is cool, basement chic. But the bands that played before Oneida- let's just say I'm not quite sure how they fit with a band like Oneida. As for Oneida, they played a psyched out and rocked out set that was I happy to have witnessed.



I was thrilled to be back in the lot scene for a little bit at Jones Beach for Furthur on Sunday. Several of the food vendors I saw this summer on Phish tour were also at Jones Beach, including Billy's Pulled Pork. I had to get some for myself. Also present- Ragin' Cajun, and several varieties of grilled cheese, veggie burritos, and chicken bacon ranch wraps.




As for the show, it was another great night of music. The show featured some solid classics; I've seen Shakedown Street at every Furthur show I've been to, and this was my favorite version of it. The second set itself was very jammy, and featured a remarkable Dark Star.



Hope everyone else had a great week and got to see some live music!

Lot Bites- The Gym Mixes

I often brag about the playlists I make about the gym on Twitter, mainly because if I did not make them, I would have no motivation to go to the gym. I go because I took the time to make a killer playlist to rock out to, and get some exercise in too. Hey, whatever gets you there, right?

So a lot of people have asked me what are on these playlists that I seem to boast about them all the time. I have so many that are all so different from each other. Some are only Phish, some are a giant mash-up of several genres... you get the picture. But I think I found two that are a perfect 40 minutes of tunes to get you grooving in the gym. One is a mix-up of some fun electronic stuff, and the other some rock tunes to get you going.

Here are the playlists- click on the name to download.
Untz Gym Mix
1. Bloody Beetroots featuring Steve Aioki- Warp 1.9
2. The Disco Biscuits- The Great Abyss
3. Lotus- Spiritualize
4. Benni Benassi- Cinema (Skrillex Remix)
5. + 6. Justice- Phantom > Phantom, Part II
7. Pretty Lights- The Time Has Come

Rock Mix
1. Arcade Fire- Crown of Love
2. Rolling Stones- Rocks Off
3. Talking Heads- The Great Curve
4. The Ramones- Beat on the Brat
5. + 6. White Denim- Burnished > At The Farm
7. The Slip- (Take A) Beetle to the Badlands
8. Vampire Weekend- Cousins
9. Yellowbirds- The Honest Ocean
10. Passion Pit- Sleepyhead
11 Marco Benevento- Wolf Trap



Note: The songs are in a specific order for a reason- begin with a warm-up, end with a cool down, and intervals of higher and lower intensities all throughout the middle.

Let me know how these work out for you while you're working out, and next up, I'll put up two different Phish gym mixes for two different kinds of work outs.

We've Got Super Balls- Super Ball IX Review and Lot Bites Report

Super Ball IX has come to an end, and it was certainly a super ball. Eight sets of well-executed music, some great eats, epic fireworks, art, and fun. Here's a breakdown of the music by set, the setlists (thanks to Phish.net), some pictures, and a review of the food to be found throughout the festival.

7/1/2011
Set I: Possum, Peaches En Regalia > Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed > NICU > Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars?, My Friend, My Friend, Wolfman's Brother, Roses are Free > Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo
Set II: Super Ball Jam > Crosseyed and Painless > Chalkdust Torture, Sand > Wedge, Mike's Song > Simple > Bug, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove > Joy > Character Zero
Encore: Show of Life

From the second they got on stage with the obvious Possum opener, you could tell Phish was very excited to be there. The first set started off the weekend right. Setlist wise it was very cover heavy, featuring two rarer ones, Peaches en Regalia and, for the first time in 3.0, Life On Mars?. The Mike's Song through Weekapaug set-up was also different, with a beautifully played Simple and an unexpected Bug. The highlights of this night musically were Bathtub Gin, Wolfman's Brother, Super Ball Jam > Crosseyed and Painless.



7/2/2011
Set I: Tube, Kill Devil Falls, Ocelot, Lawn Boy, The Divided Sky, Boogie on Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Cities > Poor Heart > 46 Days > Suskind Hotel, When The Circus Comes To Town, Timber > Back on the Train > Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man
Set II: Runway Jim, McGrupp and the Watchful Horsemasters, Axilla, Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things >Horn > It's Ice > Mango Song > Rift > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Run Like an Antelope
Set III: Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer > Julius > Backwards Down the Number Line > Twist > 2001 > Hood > Cavern > Golgi > A Day in the Life
Encore: Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise
Set IV (Secret Set at Storage Unit): Ball Square Jam >Sleeping Monkey

The only day set of the festival brought upon some funky jams- Boogie On Reggae Woman, Camel Walk, and Cities- and two Phish debuts- Suskind Hotel and a cover of Monkey Man by the Rolling Stones. Set II opened with Runaway Jim, announcing the winners of the Runway Jim 5K, and featured some songs that had only been played once so far this summer, plus Scents and Subtle Sounds for the first time this summer. The last set played like a mix of solid versions of classics. Highlights from the day included Boogie on Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Stash, Scents and Subtle Sounds > Run Like an Antelope, Golden Age, and my favorite of the day- Twist. Also in this set, the first time the secret language has showed itself in 3.0, when Trey teased "The Simpsons" post-Birds of a Feather, to which the crowd responded eagerly, "D'oh!"

Following the last set, race car noises emerged from around the track, and the lights set up around Ball Square began to take shape around one of the art installations, a storage shed labeled "USA Storage." Before long, some very spacey, psychedelic emerged from the speakers, and the band became visible from the shed. This jam continued for almost an hour, hitting some Pink Floyd-esque peaks before delving into a unique rendition of Sleeping Monkey. This "secret set" at Ball Square was one of the greatest highlights of the whole weekend. I have never heard Phish play quite like this, and it was a special set to have witnessed.



7/3/2011
Set I: Soul Shakedown Party, AC/DC Bag > The Curtain > Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Destiny Unbound, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars > Wilson > Mound, A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba
Set II: Big Balls > Down with Disease > No Quarter > Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo > Light > Waves > What's the Use?, Meatstick Dance, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Star Spangled Banner
Encore: First Tube

Set I opened with a bang- Soul Shakedown Party, which had yet to be played since the 2009 New Years Run in Miami. After The Curtain, played "without" for the first time since 2000, some rare Gamehendge emerged with Colonel Forbin's > Fly Famous Mockingbird. It featured a narration, also for the first time since 2000, that told the story behind them playing in the storage unit the night before. While in their early days on tour, the band had gotten locked in a storage facility, and would play these jams in hopes of altering their reality, and that this whole event was a result of these moments. Some more great versions of seldom played songs made the list with Destiny Unbound, Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, and Time Loves A Hero, and the Reba had the whistling ending, which was not up to par, but is so rare these days it was nice to hear. Highlights from the first set were Colonel Forbin's > Flying Famous Mocking Bird, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, and Time Loves a Hero.

For the record- the best pre/post set music goes to setbreak on 7/3, as every song had an American theme.

The song choices and execution of Set II from this day will go down, at least for me, as possibly one of the better sets I have ever witnessed. It began with a fitting and raging Phish debut of AC/DC's Big Balls before transitioning into a rousing Down with Disease. Leaving DwD unfinished, the band transitioned into its second playing of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter," which they have clearly practiced since its debut. Party Time kept the energy going, before playing a spacey version of Ghost. Light was one of the best versions played since it debuted, and the rare Waves and even more rare What's The Use continued on this epic set. A whimsical Meatstick Dance and an awkwardly placed but raging Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, followed by a heartwarming a cappella version of the Star Spangled Banner. As they came on for the encore, the band thanked the many people in their crew and at Watkin's Glen for helping them out, and as the First Tube encore played on, a fantastic display of fireworks appeared in the sky and continued well past the music. This whole set was a highlight for me for the entire weekend. Maybe it was just my song taste (What's The Use is one of my favorite songs, and I'm a sucker for Down with Disease, especially a great version) and my jamming taste, but I will never forget that set.

Can you believe that was just the music? The music, however, blew the food away at Super Ball IX. While there was certainly some variety and some of it was tasty, the officially vended offerings were subpar at best. The veggie quesedillas and enchilladas were good, the smoothie was ok, and the various Spicy Pie pizzas set-up were inconsistent; I had the perfect slice of it inside the venue, but it was cold and soggy when I got a slice in the campground vending. As the weekend went on, many independent vendors began to set-up in small shakedowns throughout the campsite, including my favorite veggie burrito of summer tour (adding fresh corn now to its mix of black beans, fresh spinach, tomatoes, garlic, garlic, and cheese) and the infamous Billy's Pulled Pork sandwich. I found and tried another pulled pork sandwich that was sans the slaw, and not only was the pork not as good, but you really need that slaw to bring the whole thing together. I was very pleased to see, however, that there were many smaller vendors set up that were using a lot of fresh ingredients; I watched a very nice neighbor making breakfast sandwiches, complete with your choice of two different cheddar cheeses, fresh onion, peppers, and eggs.




(h3ddy breakfast sandwich)


I was especially disappointed in the farmer's market this year. New York state is famous for its farm, and summer produce is nearly at its peak. So why was their so little fresh produce? Besides some decent plums, cherries, and scapes, the produce was lacking. Most of the market featured grains, granola, and other all-natural food and beauty products. This was especially angering considering the market(s!) at Festival 8 were bigger and had much better offerings.



(farmer's market)



A month off before Phish goes back on tour, and given what I saw this weekend, I have very high expectations for leg II. I hope to see some of you out west, and if not, definitely at UIC! Until then, a farmer's market report, some gym mix tapes, and some more live music reviews as I see them will be coming your way.

Live Music Update/Super Ball IX Preview

I saw two more last week, Yellowbirds on 6/23 and White Denim on 6/25, that I wanted to mention simply because I thought both shows were great and because I got some cool pictures to share.





So now that I mentioned those shows and you saw my pictures- Super Ball IX is only 2 days away, and I know you, just as I, are more excited for that. The official map is up, and the names of the campgrounds are all states Phish hasn't played in. Pretty funny stuff. The Bunny has begun broadcasting. The Phish SuperBall IX official twitter has become more active with amusing tidbits and previews of things to come. Basically, it's all happening, and it's about time.

Lot Bites will be tweeting all weekend about h3ddy eats and where to find the best bites of the festy all weekend. Expect a huge report about all the food, lots of pictures and some interviews taboot. If you taste something at SuperBall you need to share, be sure to send it to Lot Bites! Either send us a tweet or you can always e-mail us at lotbites@gmail.com.

See you there!

Galactic at Brooklyn Bowl, 6/21 and 6/22

Galactic is known for bringing the ultimate in funk to any spot they play around the country. But, when you add some legendary guests with different styles of music, the funk takes on a whole new meaning.

A four-night Brooklyn Bowl run began on 6/21, with Galactic taking the stage with Corey Henry of Rebirth Brass Band on trombone. You would have no idea that Corey Henry played for any other band but Galactic; he fits in seamlessly with them. Also joining them for a few numbers would be Corey Glover of Living Color fame, a passionate vocal force flowed smoothly with the powerful melodies being played around him.

Both of these special guests are performing for the entire run and would have sufficed to make it stellar, but Galactic kicked up a notch by inviting even more notorious guests. On the first night, Chali 2na of Jurrasic 5 joined the band and turned the Bowl into a funked-out hip-hop dance party. In the spirit of their guests, the ensemble took on covers of Jurrasic 5 classics like “What is Success,” “Church,” and “Keep Steppin,” as well as “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick. Also playing for a few songs was guitarist Scott Metzger, adding a melodious edge to the hip-hop beats. In true Brooklyn style, the beat went on (and on and on).


On the second night (6/22), an entirely new musical beast took the stage- Warren Haynes, best known for his work with Gov’t Mule and Allman Brothers Band. Gone were the rap vocals and hip hop melodies, but the funk remained in full force, only this time infusing the sound with the blues. Haynes graced us with his effortless jams and musings for a few songs, including Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and an instrumental version of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks." As Haynes left the stage, Galactic reminded us that they were than their guests with a sensational version of "Heart of Steel." Rejoined again by Corey Glover and Corey Henry, they ended the set with a slowed down, rocked out version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”


In these two nights, Galactic has proven that they are truly a dynamic and skilled band. Both shows were equally musical and whimsical, but were also both very different from each other. Galactic has a very unique sound that is clearly influenced by many different types of music, and they have proved time and again that they can adapt to playing with big name guests. Not only do they maintain their own sound from guest to guest, but they know how to highlight the various stylings of the guests and layering it within their own playing.


There's two more nights left of Galactic at Brooklyn Bowl, tonight 6/23 and 6/24. The 6/24 show is sold out, but there are still some spots available at the door starting at 6pm. Trust me- you do NOT need to be there that early. Get there by 7-7:30 the latest to be safe, but you should be fine around that time. I definitely recommend going if you've never seen Galactic!

Stashing the Gumbo: Phish Tour Closers and Southern Eats

So there we have it. Phish ended the first part of their summer tour down South with two very special nights in Raleigh on 6/18 and Portsmouth on 6/19. As the last two shows before Super Ball IX, phans I spoke to seemed on edge about how these shows turned out. If these shows are going to set the tone for Super Ball and the rest of the summer, I think we're in for a real treat.

Raleigh 6/18 opened with a bang a of rare ones, Car Trucks Buses and Peaches in Regalia, but fizzled a little bit towards the end with some of the more popular repeats this tour. Though the versions were on point more or less, especially AC/DC Bag , there were some noticeable flubs. But the band got right back into it after set break, opening with Twist, busting out Esther, and playing some great versions of classics. The spacey jam in Split Open and Melt is well worth a listen. Also brought back after 298 shows, an interesting rendition of Jane's Addiction "Been Caught Stealing."

If the openers spoke volumes about the Raleigh show, then the openers at Portsmouth will blow your eardrums. Phish opened with Harpua after Trey spotted a Harpua sign in honor of someone's 31st birthday, and the band member's fathers helped them out with the story after a barely present narration from Trey. The fathers stayed on the stage for Phish's 3rd annual Father's Day rendition of Brother, joined by the rest of member's families. As always, an enjoyable tribute to Phishy and not so Phishy fathers everywhere. The rest of the first seemed to feed off of the father's energy with well played versions of Down with Disease and a perfectly placed Alaska, and other standards. The highlight of the first set, however, was Thunder Road, a tribute to recently deceased member of the E Street Band, Clarence Clemons.

The second set had a funky energy that stayed put throughout. The set began with Crosseyed and Painless, not as a good of a version as Merriweather but still better than earlier versions this tour. Then continued on with a personal favorite rare one- Walls of the Cave, and while the setlist continued on with less rare songs like Slave to the Traffic Light, Fluffhead, and the omnipresent Backwards Down the Number Line, they were some of the strongest examples of these songs this summer. Sand stuck out as true gem, complete with a start-stop jam.

Looking forward to Super Ball IX- we're in for a treat.

As for the lot bites of the South, I've had reports of many different kinds of gumbo on the lot on top of the standard veggie burrito fare. So curious about this, as pretty much everywhere you go down South they have a million different recipes for gumbo depending on season and locale. If you were on the lots down South and sampled some gumbo, please tell me all about it.

Going to a whole bunch of shows this week and next before Super Ball, so be sure to come back and visit. I'll let you know what shows I'll be at on the twitter. Also, I've been asked by a lot of people about my gym playlist and what's in season. Those posts will be coming soon.

Go see live music already!

Phish Alpharetta/ Charlotte: Couch Tore

Phish fans finally got some official couch tour action last night when the band webcast their sold-out shows in Alpharetta, GA on June 15th and 16th. Despite some minor technical hiccups and a nasty thunderstorm that interrupted Mound on 6/16, the webcast itself was a truly special way to see Phish. The webcast was $24.99, but seeing a close-up of Trey and Fishman's faces during a particularly crunchy jam, Mike's bass bombs, and watching Page's fingers glide along the keys are truly priceless.

If only the two Alpharetta shows could match the quality of the stream. First off, both setlists were full of repeats of recent shows. The only unique songs of the tour to be played at these two shows were Dinner and A Movie, Ginseng Sullivan, Light Up and Leave Me Alone, Army of One, Birdwatcher>Kung, and Water in the Sky. The two second sets were disjointed and confusing, especially on the second night, which was just one set closer after another. Birdwatcher > Kung a capella was fun, but musically harmful to the ears.

It looks like Phish may have seen the disappointment of phans after these two shows, because last nights show in Charlotte featured one of the best set lists in awhile. The Mike's Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug started off a little sloppy, but soon after the band founds it groove and played cohesively. As the first set played on, it seemed that the set list would carry on in a predictable fashion- until they busted out Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird for the first time this summer. Also making appearances in the first set- Axilla I, which had not been seen since PNC 6/1- and Scent of A Mule, which was only seen for the first time this summer a week prior in Camden on 6/10.

With Phish's recent track record of great first sets and underwhelming second sets, there were no expectations for the second set. Opening with Backwards Down the Number Line and going into Rock and Roll, it at first seemed like this show was going in that direction. Until Phish finally- FINALLY!!!!!- played Ghost for the first time this summer, with high energy. The rest of the set kept that energy, and in the spirit of the bustouts came Icculus. Another great thing about this set- the reemergence of Fishman antics, which, except for the occasional "WHAT?" or goofy utterance, had been pretty tame this tour. Hold Your Head Up > Bike + vacuum solo > Hold Your Head Up was a welcome and hilarious divulgence that restored the faith for second sets. Finishing up with an amped up Chalkdust Torture and a slightly darker You Enjoy Myself, and a Wilson > Loving Cup encore, this Gamehendge friendly show reminded us that, yes, Phish still has "it"- "it" just needs to be found sometimes.

The Charlotte show has put the bar back up pretty high. I'm very interested to see what's in store for the rest of the weekend, a these are the final shows the band will be playing before Superball IX.

Lot Bites Report

The Phish show is about to start. You have the munchies. You're walking around the lot. What's that smell? A h3ddy grilled cheese? Macaroni and Cheese? Chicken Bacon Ranch? Veggie Burrito?

I'm happy to report at all of those items were spotted on tour this summer. Of course you'll find your average $1 bread and cheese variety, but I also did find an amazing garlic thyme grilled cheese in Bethel. Also in Bethel, I enjoyed some garlic parmesan fries. The folks making both the grilled cheese and fries let me know they would be at all of leg 1 and always travel together, so if you hear about the grilled cheese or the fries and you're looking for the other, you can find one right next to the other.

After scores of lots of in search of my favorite veggie burrito, I think I finally found my go to. I'm picky because I don't always like the beans they use, but these featured whole black beans, cheese, tomato sauce, garlic, and fresh spinach. So good! The guy who makes them looks like Page, which is how I've spotted them a few times, but sometimes it's just his wife- in that case, they're the only people using fresh spinach in their veggie burrito, so that's how I spotted them without Page, er, the dude.


Last but definitely not least, I have found the ultimate lot eat: Billy's Pulled Pork Sandwich. Perfectly sauced and tender pulled pork with cole slaw on a doughy bun. The cole slaw adds a nice crunch and the creaminess cuts through the spicy bbq sauce in just the right way. I'm hoping to get an interview with him to find out more and let you know where he's going to be on tour.

As always, be familiar with which venues allow vending and which don't. Several people got busted at Merriweather, and the cops were out for them. If you want to sell your own eats, make sure you know what the deal is. It's not worth getting in trouble over.

Happy lot adventures! Maybe you'll get lucky and see Mike Gordon romping around a golf cart, like I did. He even wished me a happy birthday!

Phish Summer Tour 2011 Leg I First Half- WHAT?!!

I am sure you are all very aware that Phish has (finally) begun their summer tour, starting with a 3-night run in Bethel, NY and the most recent shows being a 2-night run at Merriweather Post Pavilion and Alpharetta. This has certainly been a rollercoaster of a tour for Phish, not only because of the highs and lows we've been seeing in shows (two awesome nights in Bethel > weak showing on the final night > I'm still really not quite sure what happened at PNC), but also because of the ups and downs we've been seeing in the flow of the individual shows. Rather than comment on the shows individually for fear of rambling, I'm going to discuss some of my favorite moments, impressions, and observations of the tour as a whole so far.


Some of my favorite shows were Bethel 5/27 and 5/28: The two strongest of the 3 night run in Bethel, these shows had not only fun set lists, but also well played. The segue from Tweezer > My Friend, My Friend from the first night is worth a listen, as is Wolfman's Brother, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Waves. From the second night, I cannot stop listening to the Makisupa > Harry Hood because of the funny banter in Makisupa, the awesome little tip off into Harry Hood, and then an intriguing Hood jam.

After two low key nights at PNC Arts Center, Phish brought it back for DTE Energy Center 6/3 and Blossom 6/4. These in my opinion have been the two best shows so far. The Down With Disease from 6/3 is a solid 25 minutes of pure fun and teases taboot. The entire 6/4 show is pretty fantastic; the playing is solid, and the setlist had good energy and great songs. Harry Hood > Have Mercy has been on repeat for me.

The encore of the 6/12 show at Merriweather Post Pavilion made a bipolar second set seem totally manic. It started by busting out Sanity and raging off the stage with First Tube, with a raunchy Makisupa sandwich in the middle. By far the most unexpected and most fun encore I've seen in a very long time.

That list, by all means, does not cover every highlight of every show. Just saying.



The reason I named this post "WHAT?!" is not only due to the amusing ramblings of Fishman during Suzy Greenberg, but because I've found that I've been saying more or less the same thing to myself after every show. While some great and not as frequently played songs have made their way into the rotation, like Carini and to my happiness Crosseyed and Painless, some of their more popular songs have been appearing on too many setlists. Don't get me wrong, I love a raging Possum, and Possum has certainly been getting better throughout the tour. But I just don't know if I can hear it again for the rest of tour without thinking-really? Of course, before I go back to dancing.

Another confusing point for me throughout this tour is song placement. There have been several first sets that have played out like second sets; Mike's Song et al has been played in the first set twice. Also, some sets have been all over the place in terms of energy levels. Set II of the 6/11 Merriweather show contained a weird Piper > Wading in the Velvet Sea > 2001- not only was the energy fluctuation odd, but 2001 is another song that has been showing up too often.

While some the baffling nature of Phish this tour has been negative, I think the fact that Phish has been so puzzling only lends itself to the fact that they are, and always have been, an unpredictable band. Sure now we can pretty much expect to Possum or Fluffhead every other show, but on the flip side, a Crosseyed and Painless may not be far behind it. Phans have been diligent with their signs in the past, much to our delight (Guyutica!), but has now provided us a new array of rare openers, like Nellie Kane on 6/8, Daniel Saw the Stone on 6/11, and Buried Alive on 6/12. One of my favorite moments on tour was watching Trey grab the Page's House sign from the pit in Merriweather and giving it to Page, who held it up and received a well deserved round of applause.

With that being said, the unpredictability of Phish tour can both exhilarating and unnerving. They could go in any direction with the set list and the jams, but it could for better or for worse. We've seen some pretty interesting cases of both on tour so far, but I still can't say with any certainty what the rest of the summer holds for us.

But that's why we go see Phish, right?

I'll be posting about the Alpharetta webcast and my report of the h3ddiest lot eats on tour in the next few days. Also, check facebook for some pictures of shows I went to this Winter/Spring- Furthur, Disco Biscuits, EOTO, Railroad Earth.

2011 Live Music Adventures

My 2011 concert going experience has been pretty spectacular! Since I last posted, I've gotten to see a whole bunch of live music of all sorts, and I've even gotten to see a few bands I've been meaning to see for the first time.

The first show I saw this year was 1/28, Umphrey's McGee at the Best Buy Theatre. This was my first time seeing Umphrey's and they totally exceeded my expectations. Not only did they play some of my favorites (Miss Tinkle's Overture and In The Kitchen) but their jamming was mind-blowing. This is one show I went to that I keep listening to over and over again, especially 'Wappy Sprayberry', 'Bittersweet Haj', and 'In The Kitchen'. Their jamming is just so smooth and sexy. The best way for me to describe this is show is pure baby-making music. I will be seeing them many times in the future, that's for sure. They are one of the most genre bending bands I have ever listened to or seen.

The next show I got to enjoy was Lotus at Mercury Lounge on 2/3. First off, great place to see a show. It's super small and intimate, and I was right in the front row. I wish my Blackberry survived the show, because I got some great pictures there that died along with it. This was also my first time seeing Lotus (though I got see Mike Greenfield, the drummed, play with the Disco Biscuits during their New Years run in NYC, and thought he played very well with them), and this was their tour kick-off and the first of 3 nights in New York City. I'm happy that the one show of the 3 nights I went to was this one, because I think of the 3 night run this is by far the best show. Super high energy and eclectic jamming. They've got a great electronic/jazzy/funky sound that I've never heard from any other band.


Then, I had a really crazy week. 3 shows in 4 days. On 2/22 at Terminal 5, I got see Trey Anastasio play with his band, one set acoustic, one set electric. The acoustic set reminded me of a sort of Phish campfire sing-a-long. Highlights for me included 'Camel Walk' and 'Meatstick'. The show featured some fun covers, including 'Hey Ya!' by OutKast, Clint Eastwood by 'Gorillaz,' and fun 'Sultans of Swing' (Dire Straits)/ 'Empire State of Mind' (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys) encore. Fun show. Though I must say, I'm not really a fan of Terminal 5. Don't like the set-up, don't like the acoustics. I think there are just better places to see shows in NYC, especially for an instrumentally driven artist like Trey, but it's not bad for artists like the next one.


Max Tundra, opener for Girl Talk





On stage for Girl Talk
2 days later on 2/24 I was back at Terminal 5 for Girl Talk. Of all the 3 shows I was seeing that week, I was least excited for this show. Not that I don't love me some Girl Talk, but I was seeing 2 of my favorite artists that week. I got there early to get up front and saw his two openers, Junk Culture and Max Tundra. Both were... well, interesting. Very different sounding, sort of electronic weirdness. I wish I knew the best way to explain either one of them. Google may be your friend in this situation. As for the main act... well, let's just say, yours truly got on stage and stood behind him, the whole time, while he performed. Doesn't really get more AWESOME than that. Such a fun high energy show. Short, but sweet.


Video of Skrillex, via a very nice dude on stage.

The next day, I went on an adventure to see Skrillex. The show was sold out, so I dared to brave Webster Hall by my lonesome. The last time I saw Skrillex, I went to a very full Webster Hall, and enjoyed the music but vowed never to return to the venue again. I HATE WEBSTER HALL. More than any place in the world. Seriously. This trip there only proved it to me further. But Skrillex put on such an awesome show (which I got to witness from the front row and got totally beat up in the process) that in the end, the experience was worth it. He's my favorite electronic artist, and he put an even better show than I remembered. However, I will NEVER EVER EVER go back to Webster Hall. EVER. That place is hell on earth. Only with a decent soundtrack.





The last show to catch you up on- Furthur at the Best Buy Theatre 3/13. Sadly, Owsley 'Bear' Stanley, longtime Grateful Dead sound guy and creator of the infamous Dead Bear, died the same day. The band played several poignant tributes to him throughout the show, and everyone could feel the heavy emotion in them. Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule fame joined the band for the second set, and he fit seamlessly in with them. The jamming was very ethereal and spacey, and to me the whole show seemed more like a trippy old school Grateful Dead show than a Furthur show. MVP of the night is drummer Joe Russo, who played with such high energy and seemed to lead the band throughout their jamming. This was my second time seeing Furthur, and I enjoyed the show more than my first.

So that's what I've been up to. Coming up, I'll be seeing two nights of Disco Biscuits on April 14 and 15, EOTO on April 22nd, and then FINALLY, some Phish-y goodness coming up at the end of May. Also coming up- SPRING! Spring produce! I'll be heading over to the Farmer's market to let you know what's starting to pop up for the season next week.

Happy eating/musicing <3

THE EPIC RETURN OF LOT BITES

Ok, it's really not that epic- but it's coming!

Yes, I know, I have been way neglectful, nay, completely absent from this site for a few months. I started a new job and things got a little crazy. There was some music involved. And a Disney World vacation. But, that's right- I'm back, and better than ever!

Since we last spoke, I have witnessed a variety of wonderful live music. A hearting helping of Phish-y goodness, plus some Disco Biscuits, Skrillex, Umphrey's McGee, Furthur, Trey + Tab, Girl Talk, Lotus, etc. etc. I'm going to do a write up of my most epic moments, plus throw some pics and video in there too.

Also in the music department, Phish announced the dates for the first leg of summer tour, plus many bands have announced touring plans and all the festivals have been announcing line-ups. Hooray! I'll lay it all out for you so you can plan your summers.

Meanwhile, the other great thing about Spring means wonderful Spring and Summer produce are on their way! Gone are the root vegetables of months past, bring on ramps, spring garlic, tomatoes, summer squash, asparagus... I could go on. It's all on its way. Get excited.

I'll see you all real soon.