In April of 2007, Page McConnell released his self-titled solo album, a nine track, self-produced McConnell original that’s not quite Vida Blue and not quite Phish. McConnell’s knack for composition and lyrical phrasing shines throughout the album, but at some points the tight grooves are eclipsed by his lyrics. Most importantly, this album shows the heart that McConnell still has set on music, a heart that is full of funky possibilities. I was able to catch McConnell’s show at the Avalon in Boston through the generous hand of Ice Cream Man- very excellent.
Lansdowne St., where the Avalon is located, is a dirty little gem stashed under the shadow of Fenway Park. When there’s a Red Sox game this street is absolutely crazy with vendors-it’s a true challenge to navigate foot traffic through the hurricane of beer breath. As I walked past the box office and down the hallway at the McConnell show the atmosphere shifted to the vibe one gets while waiting in line for Space Mountain in Disney World… and it was a full moon. Not just any full moon but a blue moon. The first thing that brought a grin to my face at the show was the Parliament/Funkadelic playing through the sound system. This was a sign. The music playing before the band goes on is sometimes telling, and with P Funk playing I knew the band was warming up the audience for some serious funk.
McConnell brought to stage the kind of musicianship every “phan” expects. His band was a more than capable rock outfit. The boys from Phish know exactly what they’re doing when they round up a solo act. From the moment McConnell’s band came on stage they showed their versatility by shifting from disco to rock, through many hues of funk; at one point getting into deep psychedelic ambient jams. Each member had excellent tone control, and the band’s dynamic as a whole was impressive.
McConnell’s support came from an interesting blend of musicians. Gabe Jarrett of the modern instrumental jazz trio Vorcza was a tight fit with the other musicians and showed his chops on tunes like “Back in the Basement.” The son of renowned jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, Gabe rocks the kit with well sharpened precision and taste. Adam Zimmon of the Spam All-Stars, a funky latin ensemble based in Florida, ripped some mean solos and dropped back gracefully to the funky rhythm-wah he does so well. The other dudes I hadn’t seen before, like Jared Slomoff, who sung backup and rocked the other guitar on top of the other set of keys on stage. Versatile and tasteful, Slomoff held his own alongside the other musicians. Rob O’Dea held grooved hard on some heavy bass lines, but when the band went into spacey funk jams he would duck down and get real gangster with his Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro-Synth (a pedal I use to get some of the growling synth sounds of Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle).
Page McConnell features a different pool of great musicians (including the other 3 members of Phish). During the live show, however, McConnell’s grooves surfaced with the help of his current lineup, producing a fresh, authentic sound. The long-windedness of the album is balanced by long instrumental breakdowns and jams, and the night’s performance was heavy on the instrumental aspects of the album. The show was a good showcase for both McConnell’s new music and the tightness of the band. The crowd was pleased when the night was capped with a great cover of “Cars, Trucks, and Busses” by Phish.
I shot the night’s photos using 800 speed film on my manual Canon. The photography rule for most shows is “first three songs, then you’re out,” so I made a solid effort to run around like a chicken with my head cut off for those tunes. I felt like a jerk hopping up and blocking the view from time to time, but I did what I needed to do.
