On Friday night, August 5th, New Haven-native jam quartet Eggy made its debut at lauded music venue Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Billed as Midnight Scramble, a tip of the hat to Levon’s legendary Midnight Ramble events in the same hallowed barn, the show featured both an acoustic and an electric set from Eggy as well as an opening set from pianist/bandleader Brad Goodall.

The rustic venue has previously hosted shows from the likes of Phil Lesh, David Crosby, Taj Mahal, and of course the late Levon himself, along with his extended musical family. That history and sentimental significance was not lost on Eggy’s Jake Brownstein (guitar/vocals), Dani Battat (keys/vocals), Mike Goodman (bass/vocals), and Alex Bailey (drums/vocals) as they prepared to pen an emotional new chapter in both the venue’s story and their own.

Eggy’s acoustic set brought a little bit of everything that comprises the band’s collective personality: musical interplay, brilliant vocal work, and lighthearted stage antics. The set combined professional musicianship with an atmosphere of jocularity, reassuring both longtime and brand new Eggy fans that even in the most prestigious of places and the most seminal of moments, having a good time is always a part of the plan.

Related: New Levon Helm Book Chronicles Legendary Midnight Ramble Concerts

An adventurous acoustic version of “Finding and Losing” showcased tasteful soloing from guitarist Jake Brownstein. His tenacious picking helped to lead the band through dramatic, tension-filled spots of improvisation that blended light with dark, loud with quiet, and even included a little teaser jam on The Beatles‘ “Eleanor Rigby”. The set came to a close with a resplendent, stripped-down version of “Watercolor Days”, one of Eggy’s oldest originals, dedicated to the band’s namesake.

As Dani Battat explained to Live For Live Music about the emotional significance of the performance, “It was impossible to not feel the weight of the room hit you when we first opened the doors to load in. Following Levon’s passing, the Barn has been a sanctuary devoted to honoring his life and legacy. We resonate with their mission as we share a similar one: Our namesake, Edward “Eggy” Torrence, passed away 5 years ago [this] weekend, and his spirit has been a constant thread woven into our story.”

“We did our best to channel those that helped make this moment possible that were no longer around to be in that room physically,” Dani continued. “At one point in the second set I felt something flip inside the room, and we were no longer playing a show, but hosting a rejoicing celebration.”

Battat got the electric portion of the evening started started in unique, reverent fashion with a solo cover of “The Genetic Method” before his deep, warbly organ led faithfully into “Chest Fever” to complete The Band’s classic one-two punch. The group delivered a hefty jam on its first-ever rendition of the Music From Big Pink classic, winding through two distinct sections that contrasted four-on-the-floor disco beats with swing rhythms.

Originals like the soulful, Americana-tinged “Backyard Bear” and the uplifting “Shadow” eventually set the stage for the biggest surprise of the Scramble: On a night filled with praiseworthy moments, the easy highlight came when Eggy invited Rusted Root singer/guitarist Michael Glabicki to the stage for a rendition of his band’s most well-known song, “Send Me On My Way”. With Goose drummer Ben Atkind also sitting in on percussion, the ’90s chart-topper went off with joyous energy and enthusiasm from both the crowd and band. Watch a pro-shot video of Eggy performing “Send Me On My Way” with Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki and Goose’s Ben Atkind below.

Eggy w/ Michael Glabicki, Ben Atkind – “Send Me On My Way” (Rusted Root) [Pro-Shot] – 8/5/22

The quartet finally capped its electric set with a top-shelf performance of “12 Pounds of Pain”, the hard-grooving rocker that has become a surefire strike every time it appears on a setlist. Before bringing the Midnight Scramble to a close with a benign but beautiful major-key improv tangent, “12 Pounds” weaved back through an instrumental reprise of “Send Me On My Way”—featuring a few snippets of “Chest Fever” for good measure—that sent the Barn reeling.

For the encore, Eggy invited up Ben Atkind as well as Brad Goodall and the rest of his trio—drummer Rodney Elkins and bassist Craig Burletic, both of whom also play with Tyler Childers—to hammer out a celebratory take on the Marvin Gaye tune made famous by The Band, “Don’t Do It”. Elkins handled drums and vocals here in true Levon fashion, making the kit his own and channeling Helm with aplomb.

 

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Scroll down to check out a gallery of photos from Eggy’s Midnight Scramble at Levon Helm Studios via Miles Hurley. Fans can catch Eggy on tour later this year as well as at festivals like Resonance Music Festival, Suwanee Hulaween, and more. Visit the band’s website for a full list of upcoming shows.

Listen to a complete audio recording of the performance via nugs.net.

Setlist: Eggy | The Midnight Scramble | Levon Helm Studios | Woodstock, NY | 8/5/22

Set One: All The Way Down (Shadow Part 2), Zugzwang, Finding and Losing, These Days [1]-> Fragments, Island Afterlife, Watercolor Days

Set Two: The Genetic Method [2]-> Chest Fever [3]-> Backyard Bear, Shadow [4], Send Me On My Way [5]-> 12 Pounds of Pain [6]-> Send Me On My Way [7]-> 12 Pounds of Pain

Encore: Don’t Do It [8]

Notes:
[1] Jackson Browne
[2] The Band, FTP, Dani only
[3] The Band, FTP
[4] Chest Fever (The Band) teases
[5] Rusted Root, FTP, with Michael Glabicki (Rusted Root) on vocals and guitar, Ben Atkind (Goose) on percussion
[6] Finding and Losing teases
[7] Rusted Root, with Chest Fever (The Band) teases
[8] Brad Goodall on piano, Rodney Elkins on vocals and drums, Craig Burletic on vocals, Ben Atkind on cowbell. Alex on tambourine and vocals