04/07/09 King Britt/Derek Plaslaiko/Zemi17/etc @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Brooklyn, NY

Though slightly past its prime, The Danger still knew how to put on a spectacle. This party brought ice sculptures and banh mi to the cavernous Brooklyn Masonic Temple, along with an eclectic line up. Things got a little weird.

04/13/09 Mission: On Mars @ Zebulon, Brooklyn, NY

I always thought this Indian classical fusion group deserved a little more love. Both the band and two of my favorite Williamsburg spots at which I saw them are now defunct.

04/11/09 Orchard Lounge/The Indobox @ Sullivan Hall, New York, NY

I think this was a Lotus afterparty. The late night was especially sloppy. I was denied admittance to the venue between acts and eventually ejected for the first time in nearly a decade.

03/08/09 Drive to Hampton, VA

On the final day of Phish's comeback shows at the intergalactic Hampton Coliseum, we decided on a whim to drive down without tickets to bask in the glow and it was glorious. The early March day was unseasonably warm and though we caught no music, a carefree day in the sun was a welcome respite, and set the tone for an extra Phishy year.

03/13/09 2020 Soundsystem/Ralph Lawson DJ Set/JDH & Dave P. @ Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY

Ralph Lawson's live band project seemed poised for big things at one point.

02/21/09 The New Deal/Quagmire Swim Team @ The Silo, Reading, PA

A couple weeks after our failed attempt at a day of snowboarding and music, we managed a weekend in Pennsylvania capped off by a very lazy day of riding at Blue Mountain. The venue was conveniently attached to the hotel.

02/19/09 Medeski Martin & Wood w/Cyro Baptista @ City Winery, New York, NY

For the final night of this run, for which I believe each venue was a personal first, the trio was joined by eccentric percussionist Cyro Baptista.

02/18/09 Medeski Martin & Wood @ Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY

The second night of this run was part of the Radiolarians album series which honed compositions through live performance.

02/17/09 Medeski Martin & Wood @ 92Y Tribeca, New York, NY

The newest of the bunch, this southern outpost of the 92nd street Y featured organic IPAs and overpriced grilled cheese to accompany stellar sight lines and acoustics. Medeski plucking the inside strings of the piano provided a lasting audiovisual impression.

03/22/08 Orchard Lounge/Pet Cemetery/The Indobox/Digital Frontier @ Paul Robeson Theater, Brooklyn, NY

Despite all the raucous behavior one would expect when allowing crunchtronica heads upwards of a 30 pack each in a dirt-floored church basement, the most memorable aspect of this was when my non-scene friend saw some kidz going gaga over some heady crystals in the bathroom light.

02/14/09 WigJam (Dead tribute) @ MexiCali Blues, Teaneck, NJ

I had planned a Valentine's Day of snowboarding culminating in Mexican food and surprise live Dead music. We never made it snowboarding, but the rest of the day turned out nicely.