Phish Meets Umphrey's: Mike Gordon sits "In the Kitchen"

It slipped through my fingertips a couple years ago, but I came across this occurrence today.. Re-Post:

"Umphrey’s McGee performed four shows in three days at South Burlington, VT’s Higher Ground this past weekend(11/13/2009-11/15/2009), including a special Stew Art Series improvisational gig. A number of Burlington musicians also took the stage with the band throughout the multi-night run. On Friday, Mike Gordon swapped in for Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasik for a 16-plus minute version of “In the Kitchen.” The sit-in marked the first time a member of Phish has performed with the band. The following night the group brought out a horn section consisting of Dave Grippo, Bryan McNamara and Jen Hartswick. The three appeared for a rearranged “Cemetery Walk” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” at the start of its second set and, later, “Baby Honey Sugar Darlin‘” and “Partyin’ Peeps.” “Baby Honey Sugar Darlin‘” has not been played live by the band in nine years. Hartswick, who is married to a member of the band’s road crew, also supplied vocals on a show-closing cover of Heart’s “Barracuda.”

This is what often kills me about living in the Midwest and not the East coast. Angelic events, such as Mike Gordon's sit-in with Umphrey's McGee. However, it's a strategy frequently utilized by bands who largely rely on Grassroots marketing. Having guest artists during a concert is a good way for a band to associate with an already-existing following. For Umphrey's, this occasion can serve as a two-way connection to both bands and a means of conversion; it's a mutual act.

Keep Easy everybody!!
Enjoy the changing weather...

Win Tickets to Concerts; Just RSVP for Your Chance

Since February I've been planning a trip to St. Louis on April Fools Day weekend (this weekend 4/1-4/3). The purpose behind this weekend-long journey is to see moe. in concert as well as to attend a Cardinals game or two, since it is also baseball's opening weekend. Anyway, I RSVP'd to the moe. concert through facebook, partially as a reminder to myself and to see how packed the show might be. (<-through observing the amount of people RSVP'd, which is sometimes not an accurate measure) A few days ago, I revisited the event page on facebook and realized I had won tickets simply by RSVP 'ing over the social-networking site. I was rather pleasantly surprised, even though I already had tickets. An increasing amount of bands are using this strategy to gain some understanding of their fans and following. It has turned into an interactive process intended to provoke fan/audience participation and collect information about music-related markets. I'm gonna' get me some moe.!