Packing two drummers, two guitarists, a bassist, and a vibraphonist on a tiny stage may provide for visual clutter, but in the case of the Grimace Federation there is infinite space in their musical delivery. Providing a brief yet engrossing performance at the Knitting Factory’s main stage, this young Philadelphia sextet gave a glimpse into the future of what live music can ultimately become.

Grimace can be likened to a theatrical performance, two drummers situated front and center facing each other, battling their kits with ferocity. A vibraphonist switches back and forth between keys and mallets while two guitarists stand back, juxtaposed by a bassist. It’s visually stunning, a modern Stomp sans tap dancing but packed with just as much directed energy.

Bob Dylan and the latest incarnation of his Never Ending Tour ensemble rolled and tumbled into Mohegan Sun on Wednesday. The show came on the heels of two gigs at the Borgata in Atlantic City. But the irony of the greatest counter-cultural icon of all time playing an ultra-corporate casino seemed to be lost on the primarily baby-boomer crowd; they came to watch the “voice of their generation” recreate some of his most influential works and seemed to pay little mind to the venue through which he chose to do it.

 Just as his audience did on Wednesday night, the Bob Dylan of late has also virtually blocked out his surroundings. His latest album, 2006’s Modern Times, neglects all contemporary musical trends and sounds like it could have been recorded by Chuck Berry in 1955 (which seems to contradict the album’s title). That classic sense of American rock ‘n’ roll characterized Wednesday’s show, lending the evening an inimitable sense of nostalgic ambiance, as only Dylan can muster.

Béla Fleck and The Flecktones’ unique fusion of bluegrass, rock, classical and jazz-driven jams always draws a diverse crowd, and on this night in New York, a refreshing array of individuals came out to support the band’s debut performance at Carnegie Hall. Artsy cosmopolites mingled amongst floppy-haired suburbanites, filling the seats to near capacity with an interesting mix of dark suits and evening gowns, earth tones and Birkenstocks. Of course, the theater was also populated with a healthy portion of “plain-clothed Joes” and perhaps the most humble, unassuming and unspectacular-looking of them all, was none other than Fleck. In an ornate and elegant setting where anything short of a tuxedo seems like dressing down, the modest maestro of the Banjo-Arts opted for jeans and a buttoned-down shirt, choosing to let his music speak for his sophistication.

Photo by: Wes Orshoski

And so it’s no surprise that on their debut in Gotham’s most-hallowed hall, it wasn’t shtick that stole the show, but rather musicianship, and even calm. If White’s frayed riffing and shredding were titanic, it tended to bleed one song into another. Several of the best moments came when he gave weary eardrums a rest during songs like the acoustic encore “We’re Going to Be Friends”—one of the times where he locked eyes with fans—the old-school “Hotel Yorba,” the slow version of “Fell in Love With a Girl,” even their take on Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”