Without a Net on the Hudson - 6/28/2019

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

Friday June 28, 2019 was a great day for fans of the band as they took the stage at Senasqua park to kick of the summer concert series hosted by the Village of Croton.  Not only is this a spectacular venue for live music, but the place takes on a festival atmosphere with blankets, coolers and kids running amok.  Local vendors Tapsmith and Baked by Susan were setup to offer craft beer and baked goods.

Set one started with Grateful Dead's "Bertha" which is a crowd pleaser sure to get the fans on their feet.  But temperatures of 90 degrees plus at showtime had the dancers on the sidelines and saving their energy for later.  Next up was "Beat it on down the line" by American author and one man band Jesse Fuller which was well executed considering it was the first time the song was performed by the band.  By this time a cool breeze blew off the river bringing a welcome relief to the crowd.

Slide guitarist Chris Lenzi's strong southern rock influence was in evidence on the next few songs, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" followed by Allman Brother's classic "One Way Out".  Next up was the Allman's instrumental "Jessica" which would be impossible for the band to play without the great guitar work of Chris Lenzi to complement Jeff Thornton who typically has to switch between the rhythm and lead roles.

Next the evening took an unexpected turn when Karen Thornton, wife of guitarist Jeff Thornton took the stage to join the band performing Trigger Hippy's "Rise up Singing".  As a long time fan of the band, I didn't even know Karen sang, much less with the band.  But Karen more than held her own and also joined the band later for "Knocking on Heaven's Door".  Well done Karen and let's hear some more!

Next up was the dead's "Brown Eyed Women" and by this time band lead Frank Primeggia commented about how the young kids in front of the stage were dancing more than the adults.  I took that as a call to action and rocked out in front of the stage for the remainder of the first set while sometimes eliciting strange looks from the kids, some less than 5 years old.  And what a great setting for families, the parents relaxed while the kids ran amok and the rock and roll fans got rocked. God Bless America baby!

Set one wrapped up with favorites "Mister Charlie" (with Bass player Dan Howald on the Sax), "Deal" and band favorite "Disco Cowboy" where Frank Primeggia introduced the band and his own alter-ego as the Disco Cowboy.  I wrote an entire blog post about that song which you can view here.

Set two led off with the Allman's "Statesboro Blues" followed by "Playing in the Band/Birdsong" with a special tribute your humble blog author and his compatriots, thanks Frank.  Next up was more Southern Rock with Skynrd's "Tuesday's Gone", followed by the Allman's "Whipping Post" then Skynrd's "I know a little" a rock and bluesy number with a lot of guitar action by Chris Lenzi.

Set two continued with the Dead's "West LA Fadeaway" followed by "House of the Rising Sun" which has been performed by many bands but whose original authorship is uncertain.  Following that was a soulful "Knocking on Heaven's door" and the set ended with the Dead's "Not Fade Away" into "Going down the Road Feeling Bad".

For an encore the band performed the Grateful Dead's "US Blues".  This song has a special meaning for your humble blog author and makes me realize how fortunate we are to live in this great country.  And this was a great scene made possible by the Village of Croton, more on that below.

And a shout out to Charlie from Empire Audio handled the sound.  Back the bad old days, sound was handled by people behind a huge sound board with a bunch of cables running into it. Now its just 1 guy walking around with an iPad.  In any case he did an outstanding job and the sound was perfect, as well as the tunes introduced between sets. This guy is a true professional.

Finally a huge thanks the Village of Croton for hosting the event and allowing the band to share their talents with a large home town crowd. They were also on hand to direct traffic for the pickup/dropoff since parking was tight.  Fans of the band are fortunate to have their support and the event was well executed all around, nice work guys!

Next date for the band is August 9th at Blue Mountain Tavern and hope to see you there.

Without a Net at Senasqua - 7/6/2018

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

Friday July 6, 2018 was a banner day for fans of the band when they performed for the Summer Concert Series at Senasqua park in their home town of Croton-on-Hudson, NY.  Our lead photo shows a happy Chris Oliver on the drums (who hardly ever gets lead billing) along with a banner custom created for the occasion by lead guitarist and graphic artist Jeff Thornton.

Just to set the scene, the weather was horrendous in the week leading up to to the event.  Call it nasty, oppressive, stinking hot, choose your adjectives.  But the forecast called for clear and cool conditions at show time.  And like a breath of fresh air, cool air flowed from the north as the sun set over the Hudson river valley as the band started, here's a photo from the scene.

Joining the band on stage were Craig Purpura on the saxophone and Shanelle Jenkins on the trumpet from the Havener's who appeared with the band at their most recent gig at The Winery at St George.  The evening started with a rousing rendition of Shakedown Street with intervening sax and trumpet solos from Mr Purpura and Ms Jenkins.  Their strong jazz influence also shined in Eyes of the World which is a breezy, summer-infused number from the Grateful Dead's Wake of the Flood Album.

The multi-talented Dan Howald also weighed in with a smart bass guitar solo toward the end of Eyes of the World.

Set one ended with a striking rendition of Disco Cowboy where band lead Frank Primeggia performs his signature tune and rap where he introduces the band.  Frank is a one-of-kind character who I have profiled on this blog before here.

On a side note, the band arranged a special sound system for the gig which sounded great both 20 feet from the stage and at the very back of the park.  Nice job on this guys.

Set two opened with the lovely and talented Francesa Rose on guitar performing the Grateful Dead's I Know You Rider.  This is one of my favorite tunes of the band and conjures up some deep feelings regarding love and loss.  Francesca also delivered an inspired performance in set one doing I Don't Know You by New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Set two included some band and crowd favorites including Big River by Johnny Cash and Miss You and Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones.  Set two ended with Sugar Magnolia by the Grateful Dead about which time your humble blog author was almost danced out.

The encore for Set Two was the Grateful Dead's US Blues.  This song was particularly meaningful -   with all the turmoil regarding immigration - it was a welcome reminder how fortunate we are to live in the USA and have the freedom to rock out under the American flag proudly flown just behind the stage by the Village of Croton. God Bless America baby!

The night closed out with gospel-inspired, acapella version of I Bid You Goodnight a sweet ending to a perfect night.

Many thanks to the Village of Croton recreation department for hosting this great event.

Without a Net at Summer Jam 2017

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

In this post,  I want to review Summer Jam 2017 where the band volunteered their services to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at the home of your humble blog author in Croton-on-Hudson on August 19th.

The evening started when warm-up band  Back Country Riders took the stage.  The Riders were formed from the remnants of a prior band and added the talent of lead guitarist Chris Lenzi.

The Riders started Leonard Skynrd's "Call me the Breeze" and played a set of Southern Rock classics including Allman Brother's "Rambling Man".  In mid-set the band went a slightly different direction with Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and the Grateful Dead's "Truckin."  The was capped with Skynrd's classic "Freebird" which showcased Chris Lenzi's skills on the slide guitar.

After a break, Without a Net took the stage and led off with their original Clearwater which is a personal favorite. I was fortunate to have an influence on the set list which included the Stone's "Dead Flowers" and the Grateful Dead's "Cassidy".

At the core of set 1 was the Dead's "Help on the Way" into "Franklin's Tower" into "Eyes of the World" which - as well as any other Dead tune - conjures up the summer vacation state of mind.  Next up were a few bluesy, introspective originals "Soundtrack of my Life" and "See Me" both autobiographical in nature. Set one wrapped with band original "Disco Cowboy" where Frank breaks into a rap and calls out each member of the band to take a bow.

Set two started with "Shakedown Street" which is a call to action "Don't tell this town ain't got no heart, you just gotta poke around" and then took a mellower turn with "Sugaree".  Next up was "New Speedway Boogie" from "Workingman's Dead" which transitioned into "The Other One" then back into New Speedway.  The Dead are well known for this technique where one song "pushes" into another then "pops" back.

The highlight of set 2 for me was "Half Step Mississippi Uptown Toodleoo" a plucky folk tune which the band learned just for this show.  Late in the song it peaks and transitions into a different mode and comes in for a beautiful lyrical and musical landing which the band executed to perfection and I can only describe as a religious experience.

Next, the band then zigged then zagged between "Mister Charlie" and "West LA Fadeaway" into "He's Gone" which recounts how drummer Mickey Hart's father Lenny Hart (back in the 1970's) disappeared along with 150K of the band's profits.  "Like I told you, what I said, Steal your face right off  your head". The night ended with the crowd pleasing "China Cat Sunflower" into "I Know Your Rider" and brought the crowd to their feet to dance and rock out to the music.

Overall it was a perfect night, the weather was ideal, the band was on and the crowd was rocked.  An addition to that we raised over $4,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the checks continue to come in.   It would not have happened without the talents of the band who I would like to thank once again:

- Frank Primeggia, keyboards, vocals and Disco Cowboy rapper
- Jeff Thornton, lead/rhythm guitar and vocals
- Dan Howald, bass guitar and vocals
- Chris Oliver, drums
- Francesca Rose, vocals

and Special guest Chris Lenzi on lead guitar.

Take a bow guys, you earned it.

Without a Net on the Hudson

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

My first experience with this band was in the Village of Croton on Hudson back in 2014.  My connection was immediate, and we clicked on so many levels that I offered to help to arrange gigs for the band since where ever this band played, good times were sure to follow.

Now since every member of this band is a long time resident of Croton, it seemed only fitting that the band perform in one of the village's stunning outdoor venues such as Senasqua park on the majestic Hudson river.

So in my role as rock and roll advocate, I took my case to the department of recreation. Long story short, my efforts were rebuffed and the 2015 and 2016 summer concerts seasons passed with no dates booked.

By 2017, I had all but given up any hope.

Then in March I saw a post from Frank (the Disco Cowboy) Primeggia that the band was indeed booked for  June 23, 2017 in the same Senasqua park to open the 2017 summer concert series!   Victory deferred but not denied and good things do come to those who wait.

So please join us on Friday June 23. Bring the kids, bring your coolers, bring your friends and neighbors and let's kick off the summer of 2017!

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.