[Photo Credit]
First off, apologies for the lull in the posting. Secondly, we are trying to improve the posting of our .mp3s and improve the way it shows up on Hype Machine. I have been enlightened on how you can rip CDs on a Mac and have it imported as a .mp3 as opposed to an AAC file. It's not that hard and requires no additional software, just go into the preferences on iTunes. God, I love my Mac.
At any rate, long ago in an Audiogalaxy far, far away I stumbled across this Ben Harper performance from Tramps in 1996. It was bootlegged from an MSN OnAir syndicated promo and somehow made the rounds on iMesh, Napster, Audiogalaxy and the rest of those early wonders of file-sharing. I did a quick Google for "Tramps NYC Live Music" and learned a little bit. It turns out De La Soul recorded a live album there in 1996 and that it closed in 1999. Here is a quick portion of a Village Voice article from 1999 that sums things up:
And now, Tramps. After a two-night stand by Son Volt Wednesday and Thursday, a private party will mark the end of this popular Chelsea club, which, thanks to brilliant booking, has consistently brought audiences the city's most eclectic range of music. Tramps has been a one-of-a-kind haven for musical multipersonalities who could dig anything: hip-hop, funk, punk, country, ska, zydeco. With such an inconsistent clientele, a move might work— a "plan to reopen" is rumored. Given Tramps's history, it'd hardly be a surprise.I never caught a show at Tramps, being all of 19, naive and uninformed at the time it closed, but I have caught Ben a number of times and had the pleasure of meeting him after his show at Fairfield University in 2001. At the time of this show at Tramps he was 8 months shy of releasing the album that would become my introduction to him.
Though the club has been in operation for 25 years, the current location hasn't always been home. In fall 1988, drastic rent increases around Tramps's original 15th Street address prompted a move. In 1992, when owner Terry Dunne renewed the lease for the club's current 21st Street location, a clause banning noise before 6 p.m. was accidentally left intact. "It was an oversight," says Steve Weitzman, Tramps's talent buyer for the past 10 years. "Even so, it wasn't enforced until recently." The situation made preparing for shows, particularly multiple-act bills, difficult. "Who wants to play an important gig with a rushed sound check, or no sound check?" Weitzman asks. "Maybe the landlord was looking for an out. My impression is that when we moved into the area, it wasn't as desirable." He notes that more profitable businesses like Barnes & Noble and Bed Bath & Beyond have since opened shop, as well as other pricey restaurants like Puffy Combs's Justin's. Now an upscale restaurant-lounge is due to slide into Tramps's space. It all adds up to more green for the landlord.[Quote Credit]
When I was in high school the Boston Globe used to do an end of year wrap up in the Living/Arts section. Just about every writer they had would submit his Top Ten Albums and then throw a few sentences down about why they liked the album, why the picked it, etc. Some guy picked Ben Harper's THE WILL TO LIVE and used a sentence along the lines of "Jimi Hendrix meets Bob Marley." I went out and bought it that day and "Glory and Consequence" quickly became one of my favorite riffs to begin any song, ever. THE WILL TO LIVE led to FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND and I have been hooked on Ben ever since. I had a listen to this live set on my flight out of Atlanta this past weekend. I was in desperate need of something quiet and something with some healing power after experiencing the security line at Hartsfield International and barely making my flight. This also goes out to my buddy CK who just got married this weekend (why I was in Georgia) and oddly enough he and his wife chose Ben's "Forever" as their first song. For brevity's sake I used Ben Harper as the artist name on these, the concert was performed by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals.
At the beginning of "Don't Take That Attitude..." Ben introduces the band with Oliver Charles on drums. Oliver first played with the Innocent Criminals in 1994 and following the recording of FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND, he left the band. Oliver returned to BHIC in 2001 after a five year hiatus. Dean Butterworth, I believe, was the drummer in between Oliver's two stints. Enjoy...
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1 comment:
I originally posted the track "Excuse Me Mr." rolling into a cover of Bob Marley's "Burnin' & Lootin'". Not this time. While Ben has frequently combined those two songs, he did not at this show and I corrected the song title. I will correct the file name in a second.
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