Headcount Get out the Vote Party Review- Election Eve

here are the pictures from live music blog's photo stream that i took for them.
I helped jay carbon the web genius behind the disco bicuits and headcount website on the internet front and so earned myself entry to this fantastic and fancy charity event. review below.




Coming home from the Headcount Benefit Concert at Highline Ballroom, I felt like Holden Caulfield scratching off shocking and disturbing, racist remarks regarding the election, scrawled on a subway wall. This hostile, real world reminder,­ struck a sharp contrast between the feel good political inclusion being preached at the concert. Despite the importance of the next day, concert goers partied into the morning, while at the same time vowing to wake up early and participate in the process. Despite the "hedonistic" environment I believe most attendees did just that.

Some concerts are parties, some are all about the music and others are an experience bigger then oneself; a community. The Headcount Get out the Vote Party in NYC was all three. The musicians were all sincere in that they did their best to not let anyone down who splurged for the high ticket prices. The venue was full of friends and family of the Headcount organization, from the core base of it's volunteers to founders Andy Bernstein and Marc Bronstein.

The first to take the stage were my favorite anti-hero's, The Disco Biscuits, Headcounts flagship band; this even­­t was a test­ament to how much the organizations means to them. Starting with the crowd pleaser "Story of the World," their playing was exceptional, so much that even detractors of the band would have a hard time appreciating the music. Blazing fast, energetic guitar solos and complex rhythms between the bass and drums showed that this band has come a long way from being a mediocre jamband, to the virtuosos they are today. With the new drummer Allen Aucoin, having been with the band for well over a year now, the union of the drum and bass has taken their musical complexity and technicality to another level.

Next up ?uestlove got on the decks, putting together beats like only a drummer can, mixing Kanye West's "The Good Life" and "Gold Digger" with funk and soul. Ironically the leader of the "Kanye Sucks" chant at Bonnaroo and ?uestlove's friend, Robert Randolph went on directly afterwards, jamming with his kid sister on vocals and putting on an energetic show, with his signature sacred steel music and sincere attitude. Stanton Moore came out and joined him on the drums as did John Medeski on Keyboards. At around 1:00 AM, there was a long set break which allowed people to chill out and for me to get to know the cool girl dancing beside me. Joss Stone the pop idol who was kind enough to join this ragtag group of musical rebels, was to go on next in the headlining spot. I had obligations the next day (voting being one of them) so I had to miss this Billboard chart buster.

It has truly been a wild ride for Headcount this election season, appearing on CNN's 20/20 arguing for democracy, participating in tours and festivals across the country and registering their goal of over 100,000 voters, this grassroots organization has truly come a long way.