Western Excursion Summer 2013

View from inside the Grand Canyon's North Rim Lodge Restaurant 

The Thunderbird Restaurant is located in Mount Caramel, Utah just outside Zion National Park. The restaurant is impressive and great stop on the way from Zion to Bryce Canyon National Park. The restaurants food style is reminiscent of a diner in the northeast, but with a bit of  southwestern flare.

    Below is a view of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. The National Parks Visitor Center and Lodging were amazing and gorgeously done with raw looking woodworking. The restaurant at the canyon lodge had really impressive entrees and drink selections. 

 Below is a view of some green in the desert, at Zion Canyon National Park.

 Below is a photo I took at Bryce Canyon National Park which is also located in Utah like Zion National Park.

 Below is another picture taken at Bryce Canyon National Park.

 Below is a view of a meadowy field in the desert right outside Bryce Canyon National Park.

 Below is some hummingbirds outside the Thunderbird Restaurant, there were literally twenty hummingbirds in one spot at a time on the different feeders outside the restaurant. I really enjoyed how much the hummingbirds thrive out west in contrast to the rarity of seeing a hummingbird in New England.

Umphrey's Mcgee at The Beacon Theatre 1/18/2014

On January 18th, 2014 my dad and I ventured to New Haven, CT to catch the 3pm train into New York City. Riding the train into the city provides many fond memories for me, as I have seen Phish many times at Madison Square Garden, which is a mere mile or so from Grand Central Station, the end of the line from New Haven. The hour train ride or so brings your right into the heart of New York City. Half the experience of going to a show in the city, is navigating to the venue through the thousands of New Yorkers, and the occasional lost jam band fan such as yourself. The Beacon Theatre was no short walk from Grand Central Station unlike MSG, the Beacon was over two miles away . 

After a long walk through the flickering bustle of New York City we finally arrived at the venue. Not many fans were gathered outside, unlike a Phish show where the fans swarm before the show outside the venue. Umphrey's Mcgee does not seem to carry the tradition of a "Shakedown Street" on the lot as often as other jam bands. We stubbed ourselves in and found our seats, which were about eight rows back in the left center stage area. The view was perfect, and the venue was aesthetically gorgeous inside. The Beacon Theatre is elegantly decorated with rich deep reds and gold leafing. The ceilings are adorned with beautiful blue and gold themed paintings, giving the ceiling a spacey glorious feeling. The band arrived on stage promptly at 9pm which was a surprise, as the doors had only opened at around 8pm. The venue packed out much quicker than I haver ever seen at a Phish show or the like. 

The band opened with a new song "October Rain" which was mellow, more so than the usual UMPH opener but it was still exciting to witness the debut of some new material. The band ripped through the first set with heavy rock songs such as 2x2, White Mans Mocassin's and a personal favorite of mine 1348.  I had heard from a friend that the band seemed rusty the night before on 1/17/14 so I was afraid for the quality of the nights show. My fear was in vain, as Umphrey's delivered a perfect electrically energetic first set, just like they always do. Umphrey's Mcgee is a band you can rely on to always play with the utmost energy and to play their hardest for every show. They certainly fulfilled all my expectations and exceeded them at the Beacon Theatre. The first set was closed with a ripping "1348" that left me ready for more action.  

The second set opened with a slower version of "All In Time" and the show quickly shifted to rage mode following it with energetic version of "Resolution". The set ripped a dance feel and the bass was heavy in the air, directly from the drummer Kris Meyers and the bassist Ryan Stasik. In the version of " Miss Tinkles Overture" the band left the structure of the song completely behind for a full on raging rock dance party cross. It was almost like a combination of a rave with a metal show and the air was thick with energy. The band ended the set with "Ocean Billy" to cap off the amazing night. The crowd went crazy as the band left the stage. A mind blowing encore ensued. The band started off with a cover of "I Am The Walrus" that was extremely on point vocally by Brendan Bayliss. Jake Cinninger, the guitarist, took advantage of his wireless guitar rig and ventured into the crowd during this song. He walked up the aisle casually ripping solos right next to me in the aisle, talk about an interactive experience. The cover of "I Am The Walrus" left the crowd smiling with shock and awe. Umphrey's Mcgee then closed out the encore with " The Fussy Dutchman" a beautifully composed rock overture with guitar harmonizing that resonated beautifully through the beautiful venue the Beacon Theatre. Umphrey's Mcgee knows how to put on a masterful, energetic show that will always leave you wanting more. 

Review by Joe Schlee

Utah-The Canyons Resort- Eating Fresh

This past summer 2013 I was able to visit the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah. The gorgeous resort  provides amazing skiing conditions and a great summer getaway for fishing, hiking and dining. In my opinion the Canyons Resort is one of the best resorts I have ever been to, with Steamboats Springs Colorado in near competition. One of the more expensive restaurants at the Canyons,The Red Tail Grill provides outdoor seating, either enclosed in glass or at outdoor tables. They had one table, the photo below, that I thought was the coolest thing ever. The table has fresh herbs like basil growing right in the middle of it. I love this idea so much, I hope to build a table sometime soon just like that sometime soon. The idea of having herbs as fresh as possible is a great notion. I love the Canyons Resort, and the way the manage their grounds, beautiful place to visit. 

The Ingenious Herb Garden Table

View from the Canyons Resort Gondala

Snow in Simsbury, CT

Sometimes it seems I moved to the wrong state! The brutal cold temperatures of Lyndon, VT certainly make the warm, but snow heavy winters of Connecticut look all the more appealing. Every time I have visited my home in Simsbury, CT we seem to get a large snowstorm, and my backyard is the perfect winter playground. 

 My backyard is luckily a large hill filled with lots of scarce trees perfect for carving through. The run is short but the snow is deep, and the convenience is amazing. I hope to have better snow experiences in Vermont, by getting a double season pass to Jay Peak and Burke next year. This year I missed out on the deal, as I thought I was transferring to Marlboro College for a semester of intensive hands on film making.

Looking Ahead Live Music Journalism and Shows Worth Checking Out in the VT Area - Late January 2014

As a photographer I am always looking for opportunities to use my skills. The last live concert I was able to cover was in October in South Burlington also. I have a passion for most all kinds of live music that is uplifting and exciting. I have always heard the notion repeated that money follows passion, so I am striving to achieve just that. I am looking forward to covering the "jamtronica" band Particle at Higher Ground on February 6th. I will for the first time, at the show be also taking notes to write a short article on the show. My future with my media outlet Grateful Music LLC relies on the quality of this article and photo coverage, as the company needs photographers who can bring a writer with them.

As my location in Lyndon, VT limits my access to fellow jam enthusiast writers, it has made the hunt difficult. I hope to be able to build up my skills to be able to be a one man live music journalism team. The next show upcoming is the electronic/ saxophone live band Big Gigantic. I have never covered a band that incorporated computers and DJing into their live performance, so it will be an interesting experience. I am very excited to be doing any type of live music photography and I look forward to the future.

I hope to see you at a show in New England! For all the jam band fans out there, here are the dates to some upcoming shows worth checking out.

2/6/14- Particle -Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/13/14- STS9 - Port City Music Hall- Portland, Maine 2/18/14- Big Gigantic- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/20/14- Railroad Earth- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/21/14- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong- Nectars Lounge, Burlington, VT 2/26/14- Zappa Plays Zappa- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/26/14- Bob Weir and Ratdog - Port City Music Hall- Portland, Maine 2/28/14- Bob Weir and Ratdog/ Conspirator + Dopapod- Higher Ground, VT 4/6/14- Mike Gordon- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 4/20/14- Twiddle- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT

Implosion Twist and Dot Stack Marble

I made this marble over my Christmas break from my "Junior" year first semester at Lyndon State College. It is a simple design, but it is one of the first marbles I have made over an inch in size. Glass becomes quickly more difficult to deal with as the size of the marble is larger. I imploded the pattern of a basic "snowflake" a cross with triangles on each pointed end. I then twisted the back of the implosion to create a cool effect. I rounded off the marble in the marble mold then continued on. I then drew blue dots large in size around circumference of the marble. I then melted in the blue dots and smoothed out the marble once again. I then moved on to place small white dots in the center of the melted in blue dots, I was done drawing now. I finished the marble by polishing it in a soft flame and smoothing the marble out in the mold. I then break off the punty, (the handle with which you work on the marble) and polished the small scar left behind by the punty. 

Implosion Marble

One of my favorite implosions I've been able to do so far. Used over 20 dots to make this one with striping on the sides. The color I'm unsure of, but it turned out to look luminescent and amazing. One of my favorite colors I've used so far.  

Glassblowing is a great hobby, but glass and oxygen are turning out to be very expensive.

Glass By Momka- 45 Rod Shorts Sampler

Conspirator at Toads Place 10/10/2013

I have traditionally been a fan of the mellower jam bands such as Furthur, Phish and String Cheese Incident, so it was a step out on a limb for me to see the band Conspirator. The band is led by Marc Brownstein and Aaron Magner from the Disco Biscuits. The band Conspirator features an electronic vibe, that was slightly reminiscent of the heavy dance sections of an Umphrey's Mcgee show.  The band was playing at Toads Place, a small bar venue in the college town of Yale, New Haven, CT. The capacity is maximum of about a hundred fifty people so the shows are always intimate. Brownstein led the band with ripping energetic bass-lines while the guitarist lit up the room with  shredding. The show was great and I would definitely see Conspirator again. After years of hating on the Disco Biscuits, I am hoping to see them for the first time, Thanks for a great show Brownie.