Mike Gordon Welcomes Emily Elbert & Madi Diaz In Los Angeles

Phish bassist Mike Gordon continued his tour featuring guitarist Scott Murawski, keyboardist Robert Walter, percussionist Craig Myers and drummer John Kimock in California on Saturday night at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles and on Monday night at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. The five-piece was joined by a pair of guests for most of the second set and encore in L.A. on Saturday.

Mike’s show on Saturday began with a double dose of the recently released OGOGO: “Whirlwind” and “Equilibrium.” The quintet then served up covers of Fiona Apple’s “Sleep To Dream” and Jon Cleary’s “Got To Be More Careful.” Gordon and his troupe went on to play “Noon To Noon,” one of Leo Kottke’s latest compositions. Saturday’s first set ended with a cover of Rancid’s “Ruby Soho” and the Overstep track “Face.” The set-closer included teases of the I Dream Of Jeannie theme song, likely in reference to a meeting with the show’s star, Barbara Eden, documented on Instagram. Mike has talked of watching every episode of the ’60s sitcom with his daughter and had previously spent time with Eden during visits to L.A.

After Gordon & Co. opened Saturday’s second set with “Say Something,” Mike brought out L.A.-based singer/songwriters Emily Elbert and Madi Diaz. “This is kind of a little dream come true,” the bassist said in inviting the pair, who had first sat-in with the group at last fall’s Suwannee Hulaween festival, to the stage. Diaz played keys and sang, while Elbert strummed guitar and also sang for the rest of the second set and encore. Emily Elbert is a Los Angeles soul-folk artist who recently spent a year as a member of Esperanza Spalding’s experimental music and theater project, “Emily’s D+Evolution.” She also contributed to Dweezil Zappa’s LP of original music, Via Zammata. Madi Diaz is also a singer-songwriter based out of Los Angeles who has put out a number of EPs and LPs featuring original music and collaborated with Joseph Arthur, Joshua Radin and others.

The augmented version of Mike’s band made their way through harmony-laden versions of “Yarmouth Road,” “Steps,” “Marissa,” “Peel” and “Victim.” Madi and Emily also helped out on covers of Tame Impala’s “Mind Mischief” and “Gimme Some Lovin'” by the Spencer Davis Group to end the closing frame in L.A. The encore started with Diaz and Elbert leading the group through “Do You Still Drink About Me” before the band closed out the evening with OGOGO’s “Victim 3D.”

Mike Gordon’s tour moved on to Solana Beach on Monday, where the band opened with “Stealing Jamaica” off OGOGO and then tackled “Cruel World” from Murawski’s other group – Max Creek. Next up was “Destiny Unbound” from Gordon’s Phish output which was followed by “555.” Monday’s concert also included covers of Tower Of Power’s “You Strike My Main Nerve” and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” as well as “Meat” from the Phish repertoire, a sequence of “Jumping” > “Check Your Pepper” > “Jumping” and more. The tour continues tonight in Tucson.

Listen to audio of Saturday’s second set and encore including Emily Elbert & Madi Diaz’s guest appearances thanks to Tomohiro Makita:

Watch highlights from Saturday shared by Jason Ehrlich:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSYOJtEQR-4

Setlists

February 17 @ Teragram Ballroom

Set One: Whirlwind, Equilibrium, Sleep To Dream, Got To Be More Careful, Noon To Noon, Ruby Soho, Face

Set Two: Say Something, Yarmouth Road*, Steps*, Marissa*, Peel*, Victim*, Mind Mischief*, Gimme Some Lovin’*

Encore: Do You Still Drink About Me*, Victim 3D*

* – w/ Emily Elbert & Madi Diaz

February 19 @ Belly Up Solana Beach (via Justin Bruce)

Set One: Stealing Jamaica, Cruel World, Destiny Unbound, 555, Angatta (Unconfirmed), You Strike My Main Nerve, Go Away

Set Two: Victim 3D (Unconfirmed) > Normal Phoebe > Jumping > Check Your Pepper > Jumping, Meat > Crazy Sometimes, Let’s Go, Sweet Emotion

Encore: Steps