Posts made by Philthy

@603Brett thanks brother

@Johnny-Love it was a fantastic run...thanks mang!

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2019-02-09 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

Coming off the Philly show, which was an absolute HEATER, I thought I was prepared for DC. I was wrong. I am not sure what, if anything, could have prepared me for the energy and intensity that was about to unfold.

The 9:30 Club has a rich history within our community and this being my first visit, I was impressed. The layout of the club is comfortable for its size and the sound quality was very good. I could see right away why it is considered DC’s go-to venue for both artists and fans alike. There is plenty of floor space and a very spacious balcony. I am usually a Red side floor guy (about 20 feet back so that I can take in the lights), but my show buddy, Amanda, convinced me that this would be a balcony worthy performance and she was correct! We settled in on the balcony rail, Red side, ready to take flight.

The opening band, Of Tomorrow, attracted an early crowd with their high-energy funk-driven set which turned out to be a great warm up as the crowd filled in. I spoke to the head of security 15 minutes before Spafford took the stage about the club’s capacity and he told me that they were close to their limit of 1200 and that he expected that they would have to stop selling tickets before too long. I’m not sure that Spafford’s rise within the scene can be described as meteoric, and I am not sure that I want it to be (selfishly), but I do know that this is BIG. In less than a year the band has doubled the size of their venue in a city known for appreciation of good jams and it was a PACKED HOUSE!

Double Time opened the show and it was a BIG hitter out of the gates. True to its name, this tune sped up and I found myself squinting to make sure that Spafford hadn’t added a drummer or two since I last saw them perform the night before in Philly….Cam was destroying that kit and Brian’s playing was reflecting all of that percussive energy while building into a heated rage.

Lovesick Melody was up next and Jordan took the mic ready to impress. It was fun to watch the crowd join in on the sing a long “whoa oh oh”. Red and Brian played off of one another perfectly as Jordan stretched his pipes in a direction that made it clear that he was ready to have fun. It was in the slow jam two thirds of the way into the song that the lights hit me for the first time that night. This club was built for sick-ass lighting design and this tour is bringing lighting production to a new level.

The transition into Soil was smooth and funky and the beginning minutes of the jam were placed on a silver platter for Red to really open up for the first time in the show. As the momentum built the lights went white (and who doesn’t LOVE it when the lights go white?!?) for the first time and not only was the size of the crowd made cleared, but it’s energy as well. The final minutes of Soil were home to some blistering guitar playing and the fans ate it up!

One of the prettiest songs that Red sings (in my humble opinion) was up to set a new groove. I am so glad that they brought Too Close back. This right here is baby making music folks and I felt justified in my opinion that you’d be hard-pressed to find a prettier voice in our scene than that of Andrew “Red” Johnson. Soulful and patient, the overall vibe of this one fit perfectly. It isn’t often that a down tempo song hits the highlight reel on the first set for me but this thing melted me!

What happened next can only be described as defying written description (but I’ll try). Debuts are fun. I love debuts. Hell, I got one of the hottest debuts I’ve ever heard in Philly with Comfortable. What came to be was a debut for the ages. Dirt Bath is the reason I have attached myself to this approach to live music for the decades that I have. With about 37 separate and distinct parts as near as I could tell (if that is an exaggeration, it’s not a big one), this thing took on a life of its own with all 4 members of the band shining brightly throughout. Dirt Bath has a very bright future and is a very worthy way to spend about 25 minutes of your life. Your future self will thank you.

Set break was full of chatter about that closer and genuine attempts at figuring out what the hell had just happened in Washington DC. As we poured ourselves out into the chill air to try and catch our breaths there were high fives, hugs, and smiles abound. THAT was a good time! Hineys were shakin’ and we were ready to be pushed harder still before night's end.

Jordan jumped to the lead for Lonely. I love a good dancer to open the second set and this is a fun one to dance to. I love the breakdowns in this song. Lights were getting even better as though the plan was to create total visual intensity and the plan was working! The 9:30 Club was breathing and it felt GOOD! From my balcony position that place was moving and the energy, both on stage and off, was amazing.

Second set staple All My Friends took off strong and….
Turned into Bee Jam. Even a small dose of AMF is better than no dose at all and the transition into Bee Jam was so good! Red got extra weird in the final moments and it went so hard! As it built and built until it could be taken no further safely...

WEASEL!!!!! One of my favorite second set Spafford songs and this thing definitely had the attention of the crowd. Brian’s playing was exceptional and he and Red were playing off each other perfectly. Two thirds into the song, when it really starts to rage again the lights went a step further with the background lighting going crazy!

At the first notes from Red on Longview, I looked to my right and told my friend that as soon as the place realizes what’s happening, its gonna take off! And it did….BIG TIME. Familiarity often brings another level to a crowd and this crowd went nutty. They kill this song and tonight was no exception…110% rocker dissected and reassembled into pure Spaffy goodness. It got weird and rocked out all at the same time…A thing this band does VERY well.

Home (One Place I’ll Never be) was a brave call after a face melter like they just played. It was unique and I’d only ever heard the 12/30/18 version a couple of times but I had a lot of fun with it. And it made the shift in energy right away into Salamander Song that much more exciting…I will NEVER EVER complain about seeing this song live. I get DOWN with my sick-ass dance moves to Salamander every time I hear it…and it always inspires singing and dancing the whole way home. The DC crowd was clearly matching the energy from the stage as Brian got deep into rock star mode. The entire band was having a great time and it translated right out into that massive dance party of an audience.

What a way to end that second set. Massive energy had that club anxious for just a little bit more. It was getting late but I was hoping for a heater of an encore. I was expecting maybe a little 6 minute ditty.

What Spafford delivered was a 25 minute one-two punch of It’s A Bunch>Mind’s Unchained. There was so much going on during this amazing take on these two songs. This beast ROCKED and I loved seeing and hearing it in that kick ass venue. They RAGED that encore with total abandon. There was big space in this and some of the finest improvisation and musical communication I’ve heard and seen these guys play.

There are amazing musical adventures yet to come on this tour but I hope this early stand out doesn’t get lost as these guys continue to get better and better. One thing is for sure…Washington DC got an honest taste of what Spafford is all about. You can always turn people on to a highlight real if that’s your thing… but if you want to share what we love about this band on a stronger level than that, share this show!!! The Aud recordings of this show are excellent in addition to its availability on Nugs.net. It is well worth a serious listen.

Thank you all who were there and those that weren’t for sharing in this incredible band with me! It’s always a hoot!

P.S. I’d like to formally apologize for fan-boying all over Brian’s face as he slipped into the back stage area just before the show. Containing my excitement about the previous nights show was not an option. Do yourself a favor and go listen to the debut original Red song Comfortable as soon as possible. Thanks for being cool to a total NERD.

Photo Credits: Philip Nohe & Amanda Anderson

@Johnny-Love shoot me that email bruh.

@Johnny-Love DC it is then!

@Johnny-Love ?

Philly and DC for me....so psyched! Gonna get DOWN!

Oops... Pittsburgh was winter tour

@damian I'm doing Philly and DC...I wrote a Pittsburgh re iew last Fall....want another for either of these? I'd love to do it.

Great bust out for sure!

@RadiantDarkness thank you!

@RadiantDarkness yes, please....just Frank on this one..... AWESOME....thank you

That whole 2nd set in the 'Burgh....we raged so hard!

Anyone? Anyone at all?

I love the bee and love YOU! LOVE AND LIGHT coming your way...I'll try to get a better picture for you at the Chameleon Club!

Setlist, Attendance, and Recordings for: 2018-01-17 - Mr. Smal's Theater - Pittsburgh, PA

I will start this review by saying that I have not had this much fun introducing people to a band since I was begging my Dead Head friends to join me for Phish shows back in the early 90’s. The sheer joy I get from watching someone experience this band live for the first time is unparalleled.

I spent the day travelling across the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and met two of my friends in the ‘Burgh. Neither of these long time musical adventuring cohorts had ever seen Spafford play live and I was thrilled to be a part of the experience with them.

Arriving at the venue, the size of the building struck me and I was getting more and more excited as we made our way through the frigged winter air… Up the stairs and into a massive, beautiful room! Mr. Smalls is a converted 1800’s church. The ceilings are high and with a capacity of around 800, there was plenty of space. Being a Wednesday show, I was anticipating a smaller show but the crowd filled out nicely as we got closer and closer to the zero hour.

We only caught the final pieces of opener, Goose’s set but it was enough to tell that the room was built for acoustics. This room sounded GOOD! Add to that the high ceilings and big, deep stage and we had a sure bet recipe for a real good time!

The room was filling up as the band came out to open the show. We made our way up to Red’s side and got a real sweet spot that sounded and looked perfect.

Slip and Squander was a beefy choice for an opener and Red really opened up on this one. As he wove his way through the opening sequence, it was INSTANTLY clear that the band planned on having fun tonight! Right away Brian became animated, bouncing his way through the jam… his energy was contagious. I looked around the room behind me and could tell that the audience was fully prepared to jump in the deep end with the band right out of the gates!

Ain’t That Wrong rocked HARD from start to finish. Cam set the groove perfectly and the band absolutely smashed it. Vocals were clear and tight and again, the band was all smiles and high energy throughout. It was about midway through this one that I turned around to see my buddies faces held wide-eyed and in complete amazement. As I panned the audience, I saw this look on many of the faces in the crowd.

As Red pounded out the opening to Todd’s Tots, the crowd (myself included) lit up and started shaking and swaying to what is always a fan favorite. Brian’s guitar work was perfect! Red left spaces and Brian filled them up with sweet, gooey playing as the two traded the spotlight.

It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh crowd to take notice of what would be the first cover of the night. The band introduced Aaron Hagele, percussionist for opening band, [Goose](http://www.gooseband.us/[link text](link url)) as a guest for the tune. The opening jam of Longview was sweet and soft but gave enough indication that even those new to Spafford instantly recognized the tune. The place went OFF at the first big hit and continued to rage throughout the face melting jam that ensued. The lights took on a life of their own and they accented every peak and valley of this super fun tune. During the deep, spacey jam, Jordan took to dropping a few well placed bass bombs that really shook us deep!

All In? YUP! I love the energy of this tune. There is zero hesitation when they really nail it, it jams start to finish on a good night and this is a GOOD night! The crowd was fully engaged and the musical energy was oozing from the stage. I love seeing this as a first set closer. So much fun! The whole band killed it and even though I was Red side, I couldn’t help but notice how well Jordan and Cam were putting it down. Red and Brian traded licks seamlessly and were visibly enjoying every second of it!

That was it for Set 1…powerful and rocking, it left me a sweaty, beaten mess. We RAGED that first set open to close and the place was on fire as the crowd took some time to collect themselves. I had a chance to speak to many Nerds and I got the sense that many in the crowd had just experienced the full force of a new passion griping them tightly. So so many first timers that I talked with and all were blown away. My two companions were completely sold from the first note. No strangers to the scene, both commented on the technical prowess of the band, the musicianship, and the way they connect on the jams. And OMG! The lights! This room was incredible and sounded amazing but the LIGHTS! They lit that old church up magnificently and added greatly to the first set experience.

And now, on to the second set. I am not even sure that I can do this experience justice with pen and paper, but I will try. I was expecting a pretty standard second set without too many segues, as the first set had contained none. Boy was I wrong! NOTHING standard about it and one big sequence without a pause…absolutely incredible. Set break was only about 10 minutes long and when the opening notes of Weasel started, the flood gates opened, and the floor was an instant ball of energy. EVERYONE was moving and this old church was getting HOT! They took the jam in completely new directions and seamlessly transitioned into All My Friends. WHAT?!? Weasel into All My Friends?!? What is happening here? Are we being set up for a second set that could contend with the legends?

Yup…we were! AMF continued to build the energy in the room even though it was a short tease of the tune and I am pretty sure that I heard a collective gasp as it became clear that the band was on a mission. I have heard All My Friends>Bee Jam before (most recently over the New Year’s run). I am a big fan of this little match up. I think the songs play very well to each other and this pairing did not disappoint. I suggest tuning your ear to Red and hearing the ridiculous playing he does in this space. The transition back into Weasel was pure madness…smiles were everywhere but none brighter than those on the stage. The band was happy….like the REAL kind of happy. They had just sealed the deal for a room full of willing souls…Pittsburgh has seen the light and the light is filled with tasty jams.

The band returned for one more and the choice of My Sisters and Brothers made me so happy. I am always a fan of Red singing us on our way, and he crushes this song. Jordan and Cam were extra tight on this send off and Brian filled each gap with perfect tone.

This show had it all…complete rockers, soulful jams, and funky dance beats. I enjoy every Spafford show I see and this one was exceptionally good. My friends lost their minds and are All In and we all had a great time in what turned out to be a dance battle with about 300 of my closest friends!

Till next time… Keep killing it!

**All photos credited to Pat Bruener via showtheshow.com

We NEED a Frank Reynolds Killing It slap!!!!!! Set it up and send it over and I will order them!!

I'm going with night two as my number one....nights 1 & 3 are a tie at this point....

WEASEL! YAHOOOOOO!

NEW design...Probably my last new design of this tour...Available in men's and women's cuts!

https://philthy-designs.myshopify.com/products/mens-weasel

https://philthy-designs.myshopify.com/products/ladies-weasel

REMEMBER: 10% off total purchase with code 'fall2017'