March 2, 2012

Bowlive Night 3

The Brooklyn Bowl was transformed from a guitar god’s wet dream from the previous two nights to a world of funk and Beatle Mania last night. Soulive members, the rhythmic Evans brothers Neal and Alan and guitarist Eric Krasno delivered us a funk-filled, Beatle mania style evening for their third night of their run at the Brooklyn Bowl. The previous two evenings, the trio infused their sounds with special guest southern slide guitarist Luther Dickinson and jazz great John Scofield. Last night, Karl Denson (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), Sam Williams (Big Sam’s Funky Nation), and Rahzel (The Roots) graced the stage with their flute and saxophone, trombone and beat boxing, respectively. The organ-based jazz trio kicked off their set with “Steppin,” off their 2010 Live at the Blue Note Tokyo album and “Uncle Junior,” 2007 Get Down album. As the three core leaders of Bowlive, they immediately established that there would be no slowing down. By the middle of “Aladdin,” all three men on stage were fully invested. Krasno was taking his solos at the edge of the stage, sometimes rising onto his toes, while Neal Evans dominated the song with his organ play and Alan Evans slammed his drums with ferocity. Karl Denson was announced as the audience was told that he “just got off a plane and walked on this stage.” Karl Denson is one of the hardest working musicians in the business and his passion for his craft drips off every note he plays. He is a fast, funky band leader who is always consistent in his delivery. “The Swamp” and “Rudy’s Way” followed with Karl Denson choosing to add his flute to the beautifully composed songs. The addition of Karl’s flute to the sound of our favorite trio added another dimension of emotion to the songs. They continued with “Shaheed,” off their 2001 album Doin’ Something where Karl’s flute provided a softness to the hard-edged song. Krasno raged his guitar till the strings broke and had to change to a new guitar and Neal Evans kicked a drum solo into the audience’s guts. Joining the foursome on stage next was Nigel Hall (The Warren Haynes Band) and Sam Williams (Big Sam’s Funky Nation. There can be no doubt that the danceable and excitable energy that Big Sam brings is something you can’t find in many artists. The New Orleans native, formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, danced out on stage with his horn, picked up a stage prop that he had brought (his stuffed sheep named Harmony) and began to dance all around the stage. Nigel and Big Sam began grooving it together and the entire audience couldn’t help but beam over the energy of it all. These are serious performances but it’s ALWAYS appropriate to have a good time and with just his presence; Big Sam will lift any crowd. The powerhouse of funk on stage slowed the rage down for the soulful, “Leave Me Alone,” sung by Hall. Karl Denson changed to his saxophone and kicked us a lightning fast solo to end the set. Straying from the formula of the first two nights, during this set break the audience would not be staring at an empty stage waiting for the first set to start. Instead, Beat Boxer Rahzel, the "Godfather of Noyze," came out to keep them engaged. Watching the audience react to this amazing addition to the night was almost as exciting as watching Rahzel. Specialize in the “fifth element of hip-hop,” Rahzel’s instrument is himself and a microphone. He is a vocal percussionist who uses his breath, mouth and body to imitate sounds, instruments and voices. He projected unmistakable beats from WuTang and Run DMC. He became a dj scratching records, created a buzzing insect around his head and brought Optimus Prime (Transforms) to life on stage with his robotic sounds. His signature song, “If Your Mother Only Knew” is always the highlight of a Rahzel performance. Rahzel simultaneously sings the lyrics and works the beats. It is quite difficult to even comprehend how Rahzel does what he does! AMAZING! Before Beatle Mania could kick off the second set, Soulive joined Rahzel on stage and performed “I Am the Magnificent” and it was just that, magnificent. The entire first half of the second set consisting of songs chosen off Soulive’s latest album, Rubber Soulive. “Come Together,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and "I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” The audience sang along to the first song while the psychedelic lights and trippy sounds emanating off stage for “She’s So Heavy” was reinvented through the jazz trio. Big Sam, Karl Denson, Nigel hall and now, Lenesha Randolph (Robert Randolph and the Family Band) joined the stage for “Too Much.” Randolph and Hall sang the up-beat tune while Karl and Big Sam took their turn at the mic delivering some of the hardest, funkiest horn solos that Bowlive audiences will experience this run. They kept up the pace with Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and Questlove (The Roots) replacing Alan Evans, who picked up a guitar. The entire crew of Soulive and their special guests kicked off the end of the set with “Tuesday Night Squad.” Big Sam dominated a 3 minute long trombone rage, Alan was back on killin it on the drums, Nigel was on the Bongos before heading over to Neal where the pair did a little dance, if you will, shifting back and forth past each other to manipulate the various levels of keyboards that Neal’s kit provides. Hall sang James Brown’s “Beweildered,” a deep, soulful song that required Nigel to reach the top of his range, and then he walked off stage. It was back into “Tuesday Night Squad” to close the set. There was never really an encore because every musician on stage was so into the music and feeling the audience’s energy that they chose to just play through and give their fans that extra five minutes of music that every audience desires. Bowlive III has now brought us jazz, soul, psychedelic rock, New Orleans funk, hip-hop and southern-style blues in only three nights. This evening, the party will continue with Karl Denson continuing on for his second night and Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band) joining with her funky trumpet and soulful voice. - Written by Karen E. Dugan - Photos courtesy of Phrazz [[Picture 1]] [[Picture 2]]

February 29, 2012

Bowlive Night 1

Well, what else can be said about the first night of the Bowlive run other than what an epic start to this monumental run of shows! Also, is there any better place to spend 10 days seeing shows than the Brooklyn Bowl? What an amazing venue! If you haven't been there we highly suggest seeking it out. First off, the food at the Brooklyn Bowl, brought to you courtesy of Blue Ribbon is nothing short of phenomenal, they have some of the best fried chicken that I have ever had, and for a guy that makes a pilgrimage to Gus's Fried Chicken Shack in Memphis every year, that says a lot. Next there is the bowling, which is quite an experience unto itself, definitely one of the best looking "bowling alleys" I've ever seen! And of course, there's the music, which after all, is what we are all after right? The set started off with just the Soulive guys delivering some classic organ driven funk. Then came John Scofield, to say this guy is a genius is an understatement. The way he effortlessly plays some of the most amazing guitar solos I've ever seen is just mind boggling. The second set featured Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and Black Crowes, and totally shifted gears into a deep swampy rock and roll session, featuring some amazing covers, like "Hear my Train a Comin" with Luther taking the lead vocals. The entire second set saw Luther and Eric trading licks and dueling guitar solos. To see these two guys on stage clearly enjoying each others talents and company was simply awesome! We can't wait to do it all over again tonight, hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

February 27, 2012

Bowlive!

Welcome back to the blog! Its been a while since the last post, but we are going to start updating the blog again regularly!

August 29, 2011

moe.down xii Broadcast

iClips is very excited to spend this year's Labor Day weekend at moe.down for the 4th consecutive year. Moe.down always has an amazing and diverse lineup. In addition to moe., the namesake of the festival, this year's lineup includes Ween, TV on the Radio, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, Slightly Stoopid, Railroad Earth and many others.

August 17, 2011

STS9 Live at Red Rocks

The time of year has come again for STS9’s annual stop at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Since their first performance in 2003, the band has made Red Rocks a home away from home having played the venue over 10 times now with a total supporting cast of nearly 30 cutting edge acts in their prime sharing the stage with them through the years. In that time, they’ve been joined at Red Rocks by a plethora of music legends from Thievery Corporation, Jurrassic 5, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Talib Kweli, The Glitch Mob, Ghostland Observatory and more. Every show at Red Rocks with STS9 is an event, full of surprises, musically and visually.

August 1, 2011

Kanrocksas

The Kanrocksas Music Festival presented by Samsung with Sprint will take over the Midwest and Kansas City area at the Kansas Speedway® on August 5 – 6 as one of the top music festivals in the nation; and only iClips.net will be there to document it and deliver it directly into homes across the country. AOL.com and Rollingstone.com will also feature the live broadcast.

July 13, 2011

All Good 2011

Thousands will gather July 14-17, 2011 atop Marvin's Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia for the 15th annual All Good Music Festival and Campout, and live broadcast leaders iClips.net will be there to document it.

May 14, 2011

Jazz Fest Day Three

Day Three of Jazz Fest began bright and early. We made it to the venue by 10 AM to gather some time lapses from different areas around the festival. Joe and I set out and found a great position above the security compound. We spent a half-hour there collecting shots and gained a great perspective on the festival.

May 11, 2011

Interview with Dick Lucas of the Subhumans

Dick Lucas gives us a few moments of his time before the Subhumans show at the Firebird in St. Louis, MO. They even allowed us to shoot some of the performance and we cut some of the footage into this interview. The band is still raging on with their dirty and driven punk-rock after all these years and is finding a new audience as they age. Dick was a little sick during the interview but he was a good sport and talked with us extensively. Enjoy the rare footage we covered and help keep punk-rock alive by checking out their website.

May 7, 2011

Jazz Fest Day Two

The second day of Jazz Fest began off-site once again. We traveled to The Maple Leaf in Uptown New Orleans to meet with John Michael of the band MyNameIsJohnMichael. He discussed growing up in this incredible city, studying with Brian Stoltz, and developing his band over the last 4 years. He tells us that music is in the blood of the people who live in New Orleans and that as children it would be more likely to receive a horn than sports equipment. John was very nice and indulged us with stories about St. Augustine High School and much much more. (Full Interview with John Michael to be posted shortly).

May 6, 2011

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Day One

Arriving in New Orleans is like transporting yourself to a city lost in time. It is an antiquated place where the people breathe the culture and the sights and sounds are never-ending. The city has had more than its share of hard-times but has always persevered. The charm is intact and oozes everywhere. Whether you grab a bowl of gumbo or slink past a six-piece brass band with the slightest of ease, you are always guaranteed a unique and genuine experience. Even the architecture bleeds pure living at its greatest with slowly dwindling hints of devastation at its most dreadful. Ravaged and yet re-enlivened, New Orleans is a place you have to be to believe.

May 5, 2011

Meet Twitch the Ripper

I get a chance to meet with post-punk electronic artists Twitch the Ripper. The guys discuss touring extensively and the genesis of their band. As a bonus, we got to shoot some of their show providing us with some exclusive footage of the band. Be sure to follow them on their website and check out their album Bodiless.

April 29, 2011

Sharon Jones Interview's Grace Potter

We got the pleasure of watching two of our favorite female voices interview each other in 2008 on board the Jam Cruise. At this time the cycles were beginning to spin rapidly on the rising careers of these two stars. Since then both ladies have gained critical acclaim and built strong musical foundations. Fans adore them both and we quickly see why in this stellar Star-on-Star interview.

April 27, 2011

Behind-the-Scenes w/ Galactic Live from the Pageant

Here in St. Louis we have an incredible venue, The Pageant. This year it has been named as one of the top 5 venues to visit in the world alongside Terminal 5 in NYC and the 9:30 Club in D.C. This St. Patrick's Day, The Pageant hosted Galactic, Mike Gordon and Orgone. We were able to provide the live webcast for this performance and were really excited to get a chance to wander around The Pageant and discover its many charms. In this footage you will get a sneak peak at our load-in process, our full operation, and some exclusive footage of sound-check.

April 25, 2011

Dave Wakeling of the English Beat Talks with Us

We got an opportunity to talk with Ska-Pop legend Dave Wakeling at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis, MO. He is currently touring with The English Beat and in this interview he duck-walks for us, discusses his involvement as a "Charity Charlie" and talks about collaboration with other artists. Dave is a vibrant character who carries a particular charm and eloquence onto the stage every time he performs.

April 22, 2011

An Interview with Railroad Earth

Railroad Earth meets with us backstage at the Pageant in St. Louis, MO. They talk about their recent tour, the photo shoot behind their new album, and what its like performing 10 years into their career. Epitomizing the american soul and showing genuine class at all times, Railroad Earth are guys re-paving America's roads with roots driven bluegrass and a down-home sound.

April 22, 2011

Behind-the-Scenes @ Winter Carnival

Hello all and welcome to the first installment of our Behind-the-Scenes series that will give our fans a view from our perspective. It will include footage from onstage, backstage, with the band and crew, and anything else we feel you should see. We hope you enjoy as we adventure with you past the security guards, into the VIP sections, throughout the stacks and amps, and as close to the artists and party as we can get.

April 19, 2011

Fitz & the Tantrums

Fitz & the Tantrums were quite the sight to see and a serious force to be reckoned with while at SXSW '11. Playing showcase after showcase and delivering their talents to parties all over town, Fitz & the Tantrums made their mark and made it very clearly. Motown is back. And by God they are helping bring it. This show was a non-stop romp through their debut album that highlighted the talents of every member of the band and displayed the absolute poise and promise they have. As 2010 proved to be their year to gain notoriety, 2011 is proving to be their year to become a mainstay in music-lovers record players worldwide.

April 18, 2011

Photos from Friday in Austin

Here is another set of photos taken by our esteemed photographer Andrew Gritzke. In this set he captures images of a few venues we visited for the interviews, pics of Flosstradamus, and some shots of Austin itself.

April 8, 2011

Classified Talks with us for our Final Interview in Austin

Classified meets up with us for our final interview in Austin. He tells us that there is an avid hip-hop scene thriving in Canada that most people aren't aware of. Classified exemplifies poise and confidence and his music reflects this demeanor. With bass lines to tickle your spine, he composes tracks that are impeccably original. Check out some of his videos on his YouTube