Without a Net at the Winery - 5.6.2016

Welcome back music fans to my blog about the band called Without a Net.

In this post I want to cover the band's appearance at the Winery at St George back on May 5, 2016.

If you've never been the Winery, its an absolutely stunning venue for rock a roll - a former church with the band playing on the altar. They removed the pews and turned the rest into an upscale lounge and wine bar.

Appearing with the band for the first time at this show is vocalist Bianca Mancinelli shown in this photo on the left.   Bianca balances out the band nicely in several dimensions.

First and most obvious is the all-male nature of the band calls for some balance and Bianca brings that.  Bianca delivers a worthy counter point to Frank, complementing his vocals when required and just jamming out the rest of the time and having fun.  Welcome Bianca and nicely done.

Set one started out with Shakedown Street, which an excellent intro and showcased Bianca's vocals nicely.  Another interesting about this show is the fact the band never stopped between songs rather, there was always a transition of sorts but never a complete pause.  This is another example of this band always trying to push the boundaries of what is normal and expected.  Set one ended with Shakedown Street bringing the set to full circle.

Set Two started with Scarlet Begonias into Fire on the Mountain, which is a great 1+2 punch and Disneyland for fans of the Grateful Dead.  Again the band never stopped and every song was a transition including some Dead classics such as Cassidy and Sugar Magnolia and original Overtime.

After a brief respite, the band finished the night with fan favorite "I Know You Rider" followed by the crowd-participation spiritual nightcap "We Bid You Goodnight" led from the altar by none other than the Disco Cowboy

A fitting ending to a great night of rock and roll.

Without a Net at the Winery - 11.27.2015

Welcome back friends to my blog about the band called Without a Net.

In this post I want do a review of the band's show at the Winery at St George in Mohegan Lake on Friday 11/27/2015.   This particular show was the Friday after Thanksgiving which is a great time of the year to get out and socialize.  Also, Winery is one of the finest venues in Westchester for live music as covered in my prior post The Winery at St George.  In addition, this show had a lot to offer for fans of the Grateful Dead.

Set One started with Shakedown Street which is more often found in set two, but fit perfectly due to the late start time - around 10 PM.   The song has a nice dance funk to it and is a call to action "Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart, just gotta poke around".

Next up was "I need a Miracle" which is also from the Grateful Dead's 1978 album Shakedown Street.  A fellow fan and I observed this was the first time we have every heard the band play this song whose vocals are typically performed by Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.

After the blues classics 'Cold Rain and Snow' and 'Big Boss Man', the band went onto "I Don't Know You" which is a upbeat tune by the New Riders of the Purple Sage.  It was great to see Francesca Rose back on stage with the band, and this song was the perfect showcase for her vocals.  Francesca brings a softer side to the band and provides some rhythm guitar support to guitarist Jeff Thornton.  Also the chemistry between Francesca and Frank is clear and also shines through on one of my band favorites 'Peggy O' which followed.

After the acoustic-styled 'Friend of the Devil', the band when on to 'China Cat Sunflower' into 'I Know You Rider' which are Grateful Dead classics and resonate strongly with long-time dead fans.  The band also adds its own styling to this song and the lyrics say it all "I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone .. Gonna miss your baby from rolling in your arms".

Set one ended with 'Deal' which is a Robert Hunter song about gambling followed by Without a Net's signature tune 'Disco Cowboy'.  This was a perfect way to end set one since Disco Cowboy is Frank's anthem - he is the self-proclaimed Disco Cowboy.

Set Two started with 'Sugar Magnolia' another dead favorite and arguably the only love song every performed by the Dead.   That led into Scarlet Begonias into Fire on the Mountain, another classic one-two punch for dead fans.  Following that was Jack Straw another dead favorite.  Next up was 'Shadows', a band original about what goes through your head in the dark of night - and one of only 2 originals played that evening, the other being 'Disco Cowboy.'

Next up, the band launched into 'The Other One', a deep cut which originally occupied an entire album side on the Dead's 2nd double-live album. Part way through 'The Other One'  Frank started playing a different song on the keyboard - which you would think leads to musical chaos.  But I've seen him do this before - when he leads the band into a different song without a formal start and stop.  After a period of transition, the following song emerged which was the Dead Classic 'Truckin.' 'Truckin' ended up in a jam which returned back to 'The Other One' to bring the song full circle.

Next up, the band lightened the mood through a few songs in the country vein, 'Me and Bobby McGee',  "Mamma Tried' and 'Me and My Uncle'.  Ending that section was another Dead classic 'Brown Eyed Women' from Europe '72 which ends with the enduring lyric "Sound of the thunder with the rain falling down,  And it looks like the old man's getting on."

Set Two wound down with the slow and bluesy 'Morning Dew'.  And the band closed the night with the Grateful Dead's 'US Blues' which is sort of a mockery of life in the USA: "Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.  Summertime done, come and gone, my oh my."

Overall it was a memorable night of music at an amazing venue.

Check out the band's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thebandwithoutanet for their next live appearance.

Band Profile - Jeff Thornton

Welcome back friends to my blog regarding the band called Without a Net.

In this post, we profile guitarist Jeff Thornton. As I have said before, the Without a Net guys are talented in multiple dimensions and Jeff is a great example.

Jeff’s most obvious talents are musical. If you were to draw a parallel between the members of the band and the Grateful Dead (who are a major influence) Jeff would be a mix of Bob Weir and the late Jerry Garcia. And those are no small shoes to fill, but Jeff makes it look easy.

What you may not know about Jeff is that he is an accomplished artist. Jeff paints a variety of subjects, landscapes, portraits and scenes of every day life.  On your left is of my favorites from his series on the Croton River.  You can also get an appreciation for how much work goes into his paintings on his Facebook page Jeff Thornton Artwork where you can see day to day progress some of his work.

Jeff's work is available for sale on his web site Jeff Thornton Fine Art and you can also find his work on display at local businesses and art shows.  So like his Facebook page to show  your support and to keep up on his progress.

Jeff also designed the band's web site at Without a Net and creates the posters and artwork that you see on the Facebook events for the band's shows.


One last thing and on a personal note - Jeff doesn’t have the slightest bit of ego or attitude. In a world where the loudest and most aggressive people often get most of the attention, Jeff doesn’t have the slightest bit of New York attitude and is true to his Midwestern roots. Let’s get to the Q&A.

What is your full name?

“Jeffrey Melvin Chabrunn Philip Thornton”

Where were you born?

“Champaign, Illinois”

Where did you spend most of your time growing up?

“We lived in Champaign, Illinois until I was 4, then we moved to Madison, Wisconsin. Madison was quite a hippie center in those years. When I was 8, we moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.”

What was your first memory?

“Running down the hall at age 2 helping my mom (probably getting something for my younger brother).

What was your first formative experience or memory, particularly when it comes to music?

“Dancing in my bedroom to Three Dog Night at age 7.  My mother plays violin, so I heard a lot of classical music as a kid.

I am the oldest in my family, so I didn’t have an older sibling to influence my musical tastes. I mostly listened to pop music until I became interested in the Rolling Stones in high school. A few friends and I started a Stones tribute band.

Lincoln, Nebraska has a great blues bar, called The Zoo. All of the great blues players came through over the years: Bernard Allison, Luther Allison, Dave Alvin, Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Deke Dickerson, Bo Diddley, Chris Duarte, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Tinsley Ellis, Rick Estrin, Anson Funderburgh, Buddy Guy, the Hacienda Brothers, John Hammond, The Belairs, James Harman, Mark Hummel, Candye Kane, Jay McShann, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza, Ana Popovic, Otis Rush, Doug Sahm, Curtis Salgado, Gina Sicilia, Magic Slim, Watermelon Slim, Son Seals, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, Kim Wilson, and Link Wray. Eddie Clearwater, Mighty Joe Young, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Carey Bell.”

“As for college, I graduated from Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), in Kansas City Missouri.  At KCAI, I played in a band called ‘The Blues Problem.’  My painting professor played sax with us. A lot of guitar players end up going to art school, so it’s a great place to jam and learn from others. I learned a lot musically there.

I also operated the soundboard at KCAI for bands that came through including ‘Sun Ra and his Arkestra’ and a lot of Kansas City blues and jazz players.”

I also went on to get a graduate degree in painting from Queens College.”

Who are your primary musical inspirations?

“The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Beatles, BB King, Eric Clapton, Grateful Dead.”

“My specific musical inspiration for guitar influences are Mick Taylor, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Dicky Betts.”

Where do you work now, or what do you do for a living.  What impact if any does it have on your part in the band.

“I work as a graphic designer. Turns out a band needs a lot of graphic design!”

What is your ideal future self, i.e., if money was not an issue what would you do with yourself on a day to day basis?

“I would set up an awesome home studio, play and record music and I would paint In my art studio and hang out with my family.

Any other random inspirations quotes, etc, etc?

“Saw an amazing Dead show back in 1978 at Red Rocks in Colorado. What a beautiful spot and a great concert. I will always remember that day. I once met BB King (RIP) outside the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO –where he had just performed - he was a great guy.”

Thanks for taking the time Jeff, you are a true artist.

Also, join Jeff and the rest of the Without a Net band at Tenampa on Saturday September 19, 2015 at 8PM.  I'll see you there.

Castle on the Hudson

Welcome back friends to my blog regarding the band called Without a Net.

Once of the more interesting places that Without a Net is playing this summer is for a private party at Longue Vue farm in Croton on Hudson.   This is a beautiful mountain top location with sweeping river views, and a great place for a party. I can say with some certainty that this properly was the site of some spectacular parties in the past, read on for details.

First and foremost is that the properly was once owned by the first great star of the motion picture industry Gloria Swanson. Swanson was glamorous, colorful and the object of much public attention. Legendary film director Cecil B. De Mille, with whom she had a long association said of Gloria “When you put them all together, and add them up, Gloria Swanson comes out the movie star of all movie stars. She had something none of the rest of them had.”

Swanson had a long career beginning in the silent film era.  She was best known for her role in the 1950’s film Sunset Boulevard where she played Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star whose attempts to resurrect her career dim when she becomes delusional. She later had a series of TV appearances including appears on the Carol Burnette show, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even appeared in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. Her final film appearance was in 1975 when she played herself in the film Airport 75.

Swanson had a colorful personal life and was married no fewer than 6 times. Her association with the property was about the time of her 3rd marriage to a French Nobleman named Henri Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye whom she met while making a film in France. She was the first American actress to marry French nobility which became an international sensation. Her husband the Marquis, while a grandson of famous Hennessy Cognac family, was not wealthy and had to work for a living. She purchased the properly in 1925 when the main house was built in the French Normandy style.

During that time Swanson’s films were financed by Joseph P Kennedy, father of the late president John F Kennedy. Joe Kennedy was a businessman and investor who later went on to become the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and US Ambassador to the UK.

From about 1925 to 1928 Swanson had a not-so-secret affair with Kennedy who built “The Castle”, a guest house which is the building that you can see from the road. During that time the Marquis worked for Kennedy and was given long assignments in France apparently to keep him out of the way.  Kennedy was rumored to be involved in the importation and sale of liquor during Prohibition times. “The Castle” was purported to be a speakeasy, and there is ample evidence since it sports a large garage with a loading dock and a large locking safe.

Swanson had to sell the property in 1927 due to financial difficulties and details of the property since then have been scarce. It is also unclear who named the property Longue Vue Farm, but I suppose it is due to the Marquis since Longue is the French word for long. And the property clearly has long sweeping views to the south and on a clear day you see the Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline.

As for the party, the band is playing an all Grateful Dead show at the request of the host.  If you
didn’t make the guest list, not to worry. You can join your humble blog author and the rest of the Without a Net fans when the band appears under the tent at Tenampa Mexican Restaurant in Croton on Saturday July 18th, 2015.

See you there.

A Trip to the Clearwater

Welcome back friends to my blog regarding the band called Without a Net.

Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival is a music and environmental festival and an annual tradition in the area. This year's event takes place on June 20 and 21st at scenic Croton Point Park.  The festival also serves as inspiration for Without a Net's original song Clearwater.

Take a listen to the song on Sound Cloud here.  This is an over the air live recording so don't expect studio quality, but it is a good representation of the band sound.

Musically, the song is reminiscent of the Grateful Dead's Eyes of the World and evokes a carefree state of mind.  Jeff Thornton provides both the rhythm as well as copious embedded jams that gives the song a light and jazzy feel.  The lyrics are simple yet profound, check it out:

I took a trip down to the Clearwater
Reflections of my life in front of me
Although I appear to be a living martyr
My soul is peaceful and so free

Chorus:
Sometimes I need to get away
Take a trip down to the Clearwater
Sometimes I need to slip away
Take a trip down to the Clearwater

I see the vengeance and I feel the pain

Things are worse then they seem

And as I stroll along by your side

The river runs on downstream 

(Chorus) 

Take a look into the ocean of your mind

Are you happy baby with what you will find?

Be sure not to drown yourself with your sorrow

Make peace with yourself, make a better tomorrow

This last section is cool since it a musical counterpoint to the first 2 versus.  Fans of musical structure will recognize this as a bridge which provides a contrast to the first few versus and prepares for a return to original theme.  Lyrically this section reflects some introspection, facing internal demons but coming away at peace.  The songs ends with Jeff and Frank trading jams and returning to the original theme.
 

Clearwater is a simple yet powerful song, a good example of band lead Frank Primeggia's song writing prowess and the band's ability to deliver on his vision.  Well done guys.
 

Check out Without a Net at their next public appearance at Tenampa on July 18, 2015 under the tent weather permitting.

Frank on the Keytar

Welcome back friends to my blog about the band called Without a Net.

Fans of the band may have noticed that for the past few shows, Frank has switched from playing his normal sit-down keyboard to the stand-up device you see in this photo.

This device is called a keytar which is an amalgamation of keyboard and guitar.  To explore what this means for the band and its sound, I had the following Q&A with band lead Frank Primeggia.

Hi Frank  -based on the photo it looks like you are playing a Roland AX-Synth Shoulder Synthesizer.  What motivated you to get one and how long have you been playing it?

"I felt the need to be unencumbered and give the shows a little more flair.  This particular model allows me to go completely wireless as the unit has over 200 sampled sounds. So I can move around (a lot) and play various sounds to add more sonic depth to the songs.  I have been tinkering with various keytars throughout my career but all of them required wires to a “brain” as they were slaves and needed sounds coming from a MIDI source.  This model is like a dream come true for keyboard players who want top notch sound and freedom to rock!!"

Playing a stationary keyboard seems like enough of a challenge for most people, but with the keyboard moving around in 3 dimensions, how much harder is it to play than a regular keyboard?

"You don’t have to use your left hand like you would to maintain the bottom end on a stationary keyboard so from that perspective, it is easier because your focus is on your right hand.  However, the beauty of this instrument is that there is a ribbon controller which lets you pitch bend notes (especially useful when playing guitar sounds) and there is a modulation bar which assists the player in “bending” notes as well as adding Leslie tremolo effects when playing the organ bank."

"There is a particular piano sound that when using the modulation bar gives an ethereal Ray Manzarek late ‘60’s tone.  So while your left hand is not doing traditional movements, you need to train it to play more like a guitar player bending strings.  It takes a little getting used to but it adds a lot of fun to playing."

Aside from the mobility is there anything you can do musically on the keytar that you can’t do on a standard keyboard?

"Technically no but let’s not underestimate the freedom factor.  I love to put on a show and dance around, this allows me to go “all out” and leave nothing on the table when I am performing."

Since you play the keys mostly with your right hand, it seems like musical output is more or less cut by half versus a standard keyboard.  Is that the case and do you think it has an effect on the band’s sound?

"On the contrary, I am able to add more depth to the band because I can dabble with other sounds.  If Francesca Rose is not touring with us due to her college commitment, I can add another guitar to the mix or I can play bass while Dan plays some sax parts.  As the band is migrating to all originals, I think the instrument allows us to be more versatile not less.  Jeff and I even trade guitar solos on our new song Shadows.  In the past, I was only playing organ or the piano as we were building a sound and a mood by starting off as a Dead/Stones cover band.  As you are aware, I was lugging a Fender Rhodes and Hammond XB-3 to all our gigs.  Lugging all that equipment was cool in the beginning because it kind of legitimized what we were trying to do but as we grew and starting writing songs at a crisp pace, we needed a change sonically and visually.  I think we are a better band now with the new set-up."

I’ve noticed in prior gigs, the other guys orient themselves so that they have a line of sight to you so they can pickup on visual cues about when to transition etc.  With you facing forward this would seem to affect the bands chemistry somewhat.   Any thoughts on that topic?

"It is definitely different for them that’s for sure.  I think when I first debuted it at Tenampa, Chris was thrown off as he was used to “seeing” me and he used my head movements as visual cues.  But as time went on, it became less of an issue.  We rehearse religiously and I only rehearse with this set-up as well so the band has been able to re-orient themselves to how I react and interact with them.  At our last show at The Winery at Saint George, there were no issues.  The only issue for me is that I am completely exposed but we aren’t called Without a Net for no reason.  We pride ourselves in taking chances and throwing ourselves in new and different situations musically.  We liken our approach to that of jazzmen over the years; you never know what might be coming next.  The Dead were very big in that department and we have all seen enough shows to appreciate that a group of guys can instinctively follow one another into the abyss and come out the end creating really special music. Without a Net is that band and you will be seeing us take even more chances with our new material in the coming weeks."

Do you plan to play the keytar exclusively going forward or are we going to see the old sit-down Roland keyboard back for future gigs?

"I think what people saw at The Winery show will be the modus operandi going forward.  If the venue has a piano, I will sit down and play piano to certain songs especially when Francesca Rose is playing with us.  She adds a different dimension with her vocals and when she is singing, I want the spotlight to be on her.  Playing the piano gives me a break, lets the audience focus visually on her instead of the lunatic Disco Cowboy and allows the music to breathe a little.  So tell our booking agent to get us some gigs where there’s a piano and I’ll show them some diversity.  Otherwise, get used to the Disco Cowboy being mobile, who knows I might play some songs on a horse!"

Thanks for taking the time to talk.

"My pleasure."

The Winery at St George

Welcome back friends to my blog about the band called Without a Net.

One of the most unique venues for live music in the area has to be The Winery at St George in Mohegan Lake.  If you haven't been there, it is a former church converted into an upscale lounge and restaurant.  Its also a great place to see Without a Net play, more on that below.

As for playing rock and roll in a former church, there's more than a little irony here.

This is for every one who has ever sat in a church pew and wondered, what's it all about? Why is Jesus on the cross?  And what if I wanted to rebel against religion (within the bounds of morality of course) would I join a rock and roll band?   And therein lies the irony - the band performs where the altar in the church was drawing up parallels between the priest serving up the Eucharist and the Disco Cowboy serving up his gospel of funk rock.

As for some history, I found the blog Hudson Valley Ruins which tells the story of the church.  What is most interesting is that the church was commissioned by a woman named Aimee Heins in memory of her husband George Lewis Heins who died in 1907.   The church was designed by architectural firm Hewitt & Bottomley and built from 1911-12 across the street from the house of Mrs Heins.  And that helps to explain what is unusual about this place that I could not quite put my finger on up to now.

Most churches are placed in prominent locations near the center of village squares to meet the needs of a local population.  This church is placed at a road side location and with no supporting buildings. And now I know why -  it was not built so much to meet the needs of a local parish - but as an object of art at the request of Mrs Heins and as a memorial to her husband George.

Fast forward to the 1980's when the church was last used for religious services, it was then sold by the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish to raise funds for a new and larger location.  The building sat idle for many years until it was sold to current owner Tom DeChiaro.   After considerable effort to overcome the objections of local authorities and expense to convert the interior, the former church opened for business as The Winery at St George.  And the results are spectacular.

As for places to see Without a Net, there is none better than the Winery.  Most of the places the band plays are bars and restaurants where the acoustics and lighting are less than optimal for photography. The Winery - on the other hand - is a stunning visual location with excellent lighting and acoustics. It's a great place for the band to perform their craft and an unparalleled location to capture photos and video of the performance.

So join us on Saturday May 16th at 10 PM when Without a Net plays The Winery at St George.