World Financial Center, New York, NY
January 20 & 21, 2007

 If nothing else, watching over twodozen musicians deliver complete readings of both Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty at New York’s World Financial Center sure gives new meaning to the oft-uttered phrase “Deadheads on Wall Street.” Part of the biannual New York Guitar Festival, the American Beauty Project, as it was billed to civilians, found a dream team of performers running through the Dead’s classic 1970 studio albums in sequential order. And, though the all-star ensemble largely shied away from the Dead’s trademark jams, the cast didn’t necessarily stick to their script either, exploring the range of styles the Dead’s music encompasses.

December 15, 2006
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

Walking toward the Bowery Ballroom, seeing so many fingers in the air looking for that one extra ticket to the New Deal’s sold-out show, was enough for me to know that I was in for another throw-down at the Bowery.

The energy level was high. Inside, fans were anxiously awaiting the musical threesome. When the lights turned on, spotlighting the stage, the room became alive. A sea of heads was rocking toward the stage, ready for the sound to come flooding through them.

The first set, from the opening notes, was passionately played. It was a non-stop dance party, including a cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” that intensified the crowd’s reaction and made the floor vibrate under their feet. 

Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
Friday, December 15, 2006

“We’re recording this show, so don’t say ‘you suck’ a lot,” warned lead guitarist/vocalist Woody Ranere as Lake Trout took the stage. As a sort of orchestral intro, the band meandered from tuning to a drum-heavy improvised rock piece, giving each instrument a chance to warm up while setting the tone for the set. From that moment, all anxiety disappeared from their faces and their collective intention became clear—to rock, and rock hard. They pushed right into a highly distorted version of “Riddle” from their most recent album, Not Them, You. 

“Piece That’s Mine” resonated well with the audience, which erupted at the start of this favorite from Lake Trout’s 2003 release, Another One Lost. The deep, dark distortion of guitar and bass provided an excellent complement to the dreamy, echoing vocals which Ranere sung with a smirk. As the song progressed, they improvised, building with repetition into a brief, groovy section that was slightly reminiscent of their earlier jam days, before they found their present home in more established song structure. This was clearly an improv of a whole new era. Though we know the post-modern indie rock Lake Trout of today isn’t the same jungle-jam Lake Trout of yesteryear, this song exemplified how they can still draw from tendencies of their past and project them onto the sound they portray today. They guided the jam right into “New Thing,” a hard, fast, almost punk-like crowd favorite that was met with whistles and shouts mimicking the screams of keyboardist Matt Pierce.