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Berbati’s Pan in Portland (RIP in 2011)

19th Oct 10 (Tue) Leave a comment

As reported in the Portland Mercury

After 17 years of hosting live music, Berbati’s Pan will cease booking concerts starting the first of next year. The restaurant half will stay operational, while the venue itself will be split between a smaller room under Berbati’s control (that might, on occasion, host events), and an expanded space for Voodoo Doughnuts to better serve the tourists that see it necessary to lineup on SW 3rd during all hours of the day and night for a freaking doughnut. But the days of Berbati’s consistently hosting music are numbered.

“Attendance was really down and it’s not like rent went down with attendance,” explained booker Matt King. “Plus competition was a major factor as well.” King took over the booking reigns from Anthony Sanchez around April of last year, a job he did along with publicity for the club. “The writing had been on the wall, and the club has been struggling for a number of years before I was involved,” said King.

The final show in Berbati’s as we know it will be on New Year’s Eve. No word yet on the lineup.

I’ve only been there a few times, but they were always great shows… Berbati’s Pan will be missed.

    

~Dan – np: The Weepies – Be My Thrill

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REVIEW: Antibalas @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 7/19/10)

20th Jul 10 (Tue) 3 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Originating from Brooklyn, ANTIBALAS (aka Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra) is: AMAYO (Vocals & Percussion), VICTOR AXELROD (Organ/Clavinet), ERIC BIONDO (Trumpet), STUART BOGIE (Tenor Sax), MARCUS FARRAR (Shekere), MARCOS GARCIA (Guitar), AARON JOHNSON (Trombone), JORDAN MCLEAN (Trumpet), NICK MOVSHON (Bass), LUKE O’MALLEY (Guitar), MARTIN PERNA (Baritone Sax, founder) and CHRIS VATALARO (Drums).

They are sooooo fun in concert, words don’t do them justice.  I saw them back in 2007 in the Cincinnati area, and haven’t had a chance since now to see them again.  I’ve been Jonesin’ for an Antibalas fix.

They’ve been busy the last couple years with the multiple-Tony Award winning FELA! Broadway musical (a tribute to afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti).  This July, Antibalas is doing a mini-tour in pre-support for their upcoming album on Anti-Records (untitled as of now).  The Sway Machinery opened the Portland show…

They were a nice horn-infused Jewish five piece rock band.  Their MySpace billed them as “Other / Blues / Afrobeat.”  Outside of the horns, I didn’t really hear the afrobeat.  Definitely Judaic and bluesy –  I dug their sound.  The mix last night was a bit bass heavy, and the vocals got drowned out, but I liked their vibe overall.  Their line-up is fairly power-packed… guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box, drummer Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, bass saxophonist Colin Stetson of Arcade Fire and Tom Waits‘ band, and the trumpet and tenor sax horn section of the band Antibalas, Jordan McLean and Stuart Bogie.  They’ve got an album, Hidden Melodies Revealed, out on JDub Records (same record label as Balkan Beat Box, SoCalled, etc).

Antibalas went on a little after 10:15 and hit the ground running with their percussive, groove-laden, horn-drenched bombast.  Lead vocalist Amayo came out at the second song and started off on percussion before moving over to lead vocals…

The sound in the club got a little more balanced for Antibalas, whose 12 band members were tightly jamming away.  Great mix of horn-heavy tunes, percussion heavy tunes.  The packed house danced away to the fun beats.  I’m horrible with their song names, and they didn’t play as many lyrical songs; so no luck on a setlist this time around.  If anyone has a setlist, pass it along, please.

Antibalas jammed away for a fairly dancey, long set without showing signs of letting up.  A fantastic night!  I’m hoping they hit the PacNW again when they come back through to support their upcoming untitled record.  Portland, Eugene, anywhere really. :)

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

~Dan – np: Jon Madof’s RashanimMasada Rock 

ANTIBALAS & THE SWAY MACHINERY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Antibalas July 2010 Tour Dates

  • 07.14.10 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
  • 07.15.10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echoplex
  • 07.16.10 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
  • 07.17.10 – Garberville, CA – Reggae on the River
  • 07.19.10 – Portland, OR – Berbati’s Pan
  • 07.20.10 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
  • 07.22.10 – New York, NY – River to River Festival, Castle Clinton
  • 07.29.10 – Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Center, Perelman Theater

REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 3/31/10)

1st Apr 10 (Thu) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Nellie McKay‘s most recent album, As Normal As Blueberry Pie, came out last year, and while different from her prior records, it definitely fit in her catalog nicely.  It featured her at her campiest but also her jazziest, versus her edgier side. For evidence of the campiness, check out the lovely publicity shots over on nelliemckay.com.  The serious and silliness perfectly fit her personality.  I wouldn’t want Nellie any other way.

On to the show…

The venue, Berbati’s Pan, was known to me more for its rock acts.  The “jazzy, bluesy, singer-songwriter evening” in store for us was bound to be a big question mark regarding how it would come across… well, it was delightful.  The lighting and small couches on the outskirts of the club made for a nice atmosphere.  We got to the show just before Howard went on.  Most of the people were hanging out on the chairs & couches; so we got some spots right up front.

Howard Fishman opened up the show and hit the stage around 8:45pm.  He played guitar in Nellie’s backing band, the Aristocrats, last fall.  He played a good set of bluesy standards and originals.  He had a lap steel guitarist, Henry Bogdan, playing with him.  He played about 25-30 minutes, primarily “upbeat blues” tunes… with a few darker tunes thrown in near the end.  Some of my favorites were “The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart),” a silly song about the Red Sox, and the capper called “Best Days.”

After a short break, Nellie hit the stage alongside both Howard and Henry around 9:20pm.  Her set was a more stripped down version of what she brought to Seattle last fall.  A great selection of Doris Day and other older standards, with a few of her own songs thrown in for good measure.  Her originals were some of my favorites for the night – specifically “Toto Dies” and “The Dog Song.”  The newer cover tunes added to her setlist – “Small Day Tomorrow” and “Two Sleepy People” – were really great as well.

She was a giddy and lovable as usual… very jokey and generally in a delightful mood.

Setlist: about 75 minutes

  • Do Do Do (Doris Day cover)
  • Sentimental Journey (Doris Day Cover)
  • A Wonderful Guy (Doris Day cover)
  • Georgie Girl (The Seekers cover)
  • Mean to Me (Doris Day cover)
  • Prisoner of Love (Kitty Wells cover)
  • Close Your Eyes (Doris Day cover)
  • “Happy Birthday” (to Becky)
  • If I Ever Had a Dream
  • Toto Dies
  • P.S. I Love You
  • Mother of Pearl
  • Alone When It Rains (duet with Howard Fishman)
  • The Dog Song
  • A-Tisket, A-Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald cover)
  • Small Day Tomorrow (Bob Dorough / Fran Landesman cover)
  • Crazy Rhythm (Doris Day cover)
  • Encore: “Old-fashioned Bodega” (title unknown)
  • Two Sleepy People (Hoagy Carmichael cover, duet with Howard Fishman)


many more photos below

Howard joined her on vocals on two songs.  “Alone When It Rains” is actually a song of his, which was sung last night as a tribute to her former dog, Charro.  The Hoagy Carmichael duet (“Two Sleepy People”) had a giggle-fit lyrical screw up, but they kept rolling with it.  Henry’s lap steel changed the Doris Day sound to a more bluesy feel from the jazz sound of the Aristocrats backing band.  The more stripped down Nellie backing band was a treat.  I hope she keeps on swinging through the Pacific Northwest.

They’re off to Seattle next (check out more tour dates below).  Catch them if you can!

The Appropriate Linkage:

~Dan – np: Coheed & CambriaYear of the Black Rainbow

no free download or torrent here
2010 Tour Dates (so far)

  • 3/28/2010 Los Angeles, CA Alex Theatre
  • 3/29/2010 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
  • 3/31/2010 Portland, OR Berbati’s Pan
  • 4/3/2010 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater A Prairie Home Companion
  • 4/10/2010 Delaware Water Gap, PA Deerhead Inn
  • 5/15/2010 Sellersville, Pennsylvania Sellersville Theater 1894
  • 6/1/2010 through 6/12/2010 New York, NY Feinstein’s at The Regency
  • 9/17/2010 Monterey, California, United States Monterey Jazz Festival

NELLIE McKAY with HOWARD FISHMAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Higher Resolution (8 pics)

Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (32 pics)

REVIEW: King’s X @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland, OR – 6/8/09)

9th Jun 09 (Tue) 24 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So… King’s X?  Where do I start.  They’ve been a band for 26 or 27 years.  I’ve been a fan of theirs since 1994.  I see them every time they come through my town (16th time in 15 years).  I’ve seen them in 6 or 7 states (mostly Ohio), but this is first time to see them in Oregon for me.  It was only last August that I saw them open up for Extreme in Cincinnati, and they haven’t put out anything new since that show.  Honestly, though, it really doesn’t matter.  It’s King’s X… Doug, Ty & Jerry.  They are a must see show, any time, any place!!

I showed up late for the show; so I can’t speak to the rockin’ (or not rockin’) of the openers Orange Sky & Quandry.  If history tells me anything, the openers were good but not phenomenal*.  I had other work-related plans, and I couldn’t make it to the venue in time.

*A good/great opener in days of yore is a band like Podunk.  Also, re: “openers,” I wouldn’t put Galactic Cowboys in that category.  They’re more like “peers”… and were always a great lead in to King’s X.  For the most part, other openers for KX were OK, but usually just delayed KX starting time by more than I normally cared for… I mean that in no disrespect to the openers tonight.  Had it not been a rough day of work, I’d have done my best to make it for your sets.  Seriously.

I showed up right at 11pm, and King’s X were deep into their third song (per the door guy).  So, for those keeping track at home, file that under “whoops… messed that one up.” My guess is that they started with “Groove Machine.”  Regardless of my missing the intro, King’s X put on a great show, and I thoroughly enjoyed it… a little bit of feedback and a low ceiling’ed venue, but I got to move around a bit and snap some shots from several angles.  No videos… I imagine it’d be too much feedback for the camera.

Setlist: thanks for the setlist additions

  • Groove Machine {thanks, bishopjso}
  • Pleiades {thanks, bn}
  • Visions
  • Move (*a fave of night*)
  • What Is This?
  • Black Flag
  • Lost in Germany
  • Pray (no offense, but a non-fave)
  • Dogman (*a fave of night*)
  • Go Tell Somebody (no offense, but a non-fave)
  • Summerland
  • Looking for Love (*a fave of night*)
  • Over My Head
  • Encore: It’s Love
  • We Were Born to Be Loved (*a fave of night*)

Fantastic show… once again.  Doug, Ty & Jerry are a joy to see.  I hope they’re making music for many more years to come.  Doug’s preachin’ during “Over My Head” had a new slant… “It’s a terrible thing to do what you don’t want to do for the rest of your life.”   I’m glad that Doug didn’t get stuck being a choirboy for the rest of his life.  Oh, and Ty’s “Over My Head” solo was smoking!!!! It was one of the few instances where I wish I had been taping…

Wishes for the evening… maybe switch out “GTS” and “P4M” with “Cigarettes” and “A Box.”  But all in all, I’m glad that they’re still making music and still touring.  I figure, beggars can’t be choosers.  I saw a great show by some great musicians… yet again.

The Appropriate Linkage:

How the screaming changes when the meaning hits your ears…
~Dan – np: dredgThe Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion no torrent or free download here

KING’S X PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Rest of the King’s X Tour Dates (as of now)

6/09/2009 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
6/10/2009 Coeur d’Alene, ID @ The Grail
6/12/2009 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
6/13/2009 Denver, CO @ Owsley’s Golden Road
6/15/2009 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
6/16/2009 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
6/17/2009 Lincoln, NE @ Knickerbockers
6/19/2009 Sioux Falls, SD @ Nutty’s
6/20/2009 Fargo, ND @ Venue At The Hub
6/23/2009 St Paul, MN @ Station 4
6/24/2009 Des Moines, IA @ People’s Court
6/26/2009 Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
6/27/2009 Chicago, IL @ Double Door
6/28/2009 Mt Clemmens, MI @ Freedom Festival
6/30/2009 Memphis, TN @ Newby’s
7/01/2009 Little Rock, AR @ Juanita’s
8/07/2009 Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
8/08/2009 Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
8/09/2009 Pittsburgh, PA @ Pepsi Roadhouse
8/11/2009 Hartford, CT @ The Webster Theater
8/12/2009 Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theater
8/13/2009 Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony
8/15/2009 Southbridge, MA @ ADC Performance Ctr.
8/16/2009 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
8/17/2009 Virginia Beach, VA @ Peppermint Beach Club
8/19/2009 Charlotte, NC @ Amos’s
8/21/2009 Marietta, GA @ The Local
8/22/2009 Fayetteville, NC @ Jester’s

then they hit the road with Porcupine Tree in September 2009

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