Category: Interviews

“We Have a Committment to Everywhere”: An Interview with Jeff Lloyd, Guitarist and Singer for The Heavy Pets

Of the many acts to come out of Central New York, The Heavy Pets have risen to headlining acts at festivals nationwide amid a consistent touring schedule. Rising from Syracuse University a decade ago and taking their talents to Miami, the quartet has regularly returned to the Northeast with a great response from fans. Johnny Goff talked to Jeff Lloyd before the shows this weekend in Syracuse (The Westcott, 11/30) and Buffalo (Nietzche’s, 12/1) as well as a Phish post show at Rebel in NYC on 12/30.

Johnny Goff: So Jeff, if you could, Can you indulge our readers with a brief history of The Heavy Pets, who have roots in Upstate NY.

Jeff Lloyd: Well, Guitarist Mike Garulli and I have been playing music together, he and I, since we met, in high school, in a little town called Goshen, NY, where we both grew up. We’ve played under various bands w/ various names since that time but it really all started in Goshen. My mother is the music teacher there and Mike and I used to be the two guys who brought their guitars to school and kind of played to kids during lunch break and like that. We both kind of had our own little crowds so we decided ‘why not combine them’ and we’ve been playing music together ever since. Then I went to Syracuse NY for college and played in a band and that’s where we met Jim Wuest, our keyboardist, and we brought him into the fold and with that came a lot of great tunes and a whole vast array of knowledge of other kinds of music that neither Mike or I had been previously introduced to. So that added a whole other element and Jim, Mike and I have been playing music together ever since.

JG: And this all kept going til after college?

JL: After college, we decided to move to Florida and start a band and do it the right way. Our original bass player for The Heavy Pets had started an internet marketing company that really took off so we decided to use the opportunity of a good job in South Florida to start fresh and we basically just, from day one, used that job as a rouse to save up enough money to be in a band full-time. It took a couple of years and we had started the Heavy Pets in the meantime and it allowed us to basically quit our jobs and focus on this full time. And so, that’s how we were able to focus solely on The Heavy Pets and being full-time musicians. And The Heavy Pets, despite having roots in Upstate NY, we are a Florida band. That’s where we started and that’s where we call home. But it’s nice, because NY has always been our home and our home away from home at the same time. When we are here, we get to see our families and when we are on the road, it’s always nice to be able to look forward to our east coast swings where we know we’ll be able to see our families and friends.

JG: So, how does that work with your touring focus? Whether or not you tour in the Southeast vs. the Northeast or vs. out West in Colorado? Where are your pockets of fanbase?

JL: We really don’t have a commitment to anywhere. We have a commitment to Everywhere. So we try to play as many places as we can. But we obviously try to tour the Northeast as much as possible. The Northeast is where we have connections and know people and we’ve been touring the Interstate 95, so I’ve spent as much time here at my home in Upstate NY as I do at my home in South Florida. Two of the guys in the Heavy Pets are from Goshen and the other three are from the Philadelphia area so we all get to see our families quite a bit. In fact, we are all visiting our families right now. (as of interview time on Wednesday, 11/28/12) so it works out really well for us.

JG: So how does your Florida home and Upstate NY roots jive with any shows you guys have coming up?

JL: So we basically a lot of December off in Florida and we have this one week left up here with shows in Boston, Northhampton, Syracuse and Buffalo and we’re really excited about this week right now. But then we go home and we have 2 weeks in Florida, where we’re not off, but we’re gonna be home and doing some private events and a corporate gig. But the main reason for us being home in Florida is to practice and rehearse and we’re gonna do another EP. We just released an EP called “Everywhere Sessions Volume 1”. The whole idea behind that is us being in a studio playing live, in a natural setting. But, it’s in a studio, and we’re just getting some great takes of our songs being played live. We basically played each song twice and in every situation, the second time just came out money. And that’s what the “Everywhere Sessions” is. We went from this whole idea where we were making these albums where we were working with this fantastic producer out in California and adding all these bells and whistles but this is really a little more natural. This is us. This is kind of, the way, we would always want to do things.

JG: Would you say this approach is getting back to your roots?

JL: Well, yeah. Actually, We’re really getting back to what we’ve always wanted to do: And that is go in to a studio and pound out some great recordings where we get to show people who are we as a band live on stage but in a studio setting. So we’re gonna go home and try to record another EP and try to release that right around Christmas time. Also, we’ve been working on these videos that kind of correspond to the “Everywhere Sessions.” I can’t get into it too much but the previous videos were us driving around in a van and talking about various subjects and then playing songs that in some way, relate to the topic we were just talking about. But we’re gonna be expanding that idea by taking us out of the van and putting us into some different kinds of settings where we show “us just being us”, you know? We’re just trying to show people who we really are. I think our greatest assets is ourselves so we just want to try to show people us being real.

The Johnny-5: Five fun questions for Jeff Lloyd of The Heavy Pets

1) JG: Top 3 deserted island albums?

JL: Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest, Paul Simon – Rhythm of The Saints, Jimi Hendrix – Band of Gypsies

2) JG: Worst job you’ve ever had?

JL: Boston Market in high school.

3) JG: Your Secret indulgence?

JL: Watching the NY Giants

4) JG: Any Place in world you’d want to visit before you die?

JL: The Great Pyramids in Egypt

5) JG: Name any Musician (dead or alive) you’d most want to play with?

JL: Frank Zappa or Bob Dylan

November 30, 2012
An Interview with the Guys of Formula 5

Formula 5 has come a very long way since their start. Their talent as individuals and as a band has moved light years ahead from when they first took stage around the Capital District. Formula 5 has quickly become a staple in the Albany live music scene, opening for such bands as Timbre Coup, Twiddle, The Heavy Pets, Dopapod, The McLovins and Lucid. It is certainly refreshing to see a young up and coming band be so passionate about their music and be representing Albany’s music scene. Jenni Wilson sat down with the guys from of Formula 5 at the recent Autumnation Festival and followed up with the band for their first interview with .

Jenni Wilson: Where are you all from?

Formula 5: We are all pretty local to the Capital Region/Upstate NY area. Mike (Keys, Vocals) and Joe (Guitar, Vocals) are from Latham, Bill (Bass, Vocals) is from Clifton Park and Greg (Drums, Yelling) is the odd ball from all the way up in Lake George.

Jenni: When did you guys start playing together and how did you meet?

F5: I guess the way we all came together was pretty random. It was definitely a gradual process starting with Bill. Bill had been playing some music with some former members of our old band called Chinatown Lights. You may or may not have heard that name before in the Albany area. They played as a threesome for a little while (2 guitars and bass) and eventually met Greg by chance. Bill met while waiting in line for Phish tickets at the Times Union Center, found out he played drums and lived in Lake George and they set up a time to jam. They got together, liked the connection and started playing as a foursome. Eventually they wanted a keyboardist and they contacted Mike, who went to the same local high school as the former guitarist, was local to the area and was currently playing keys in a Grateful Dead cover band called the Green Mountain Pranksters. Mike joined wanting to explore his original music ideas and they started practicing and scheduling more gigs around the Albany/Upstate area. After about a year, the band stalled out when the former lead singer and major song writer departed the group.

With the future of the band in question, Bill and Mike decided they wanted to try and keep this thing afloat by finding a new guitarist and pursuing the music that they loved – Jam music. The older lineup tended to be more of a funk/soul group and they all felt like they were ignoring their true musical direction of more improvisational music. They went through many, many auditions and finally settled on the unlikely younger brother of one of Mike’s high school friends – Young Joseph. When Joe came up to audition we weren’t exactly sure of what to think. He was 19, he had no band experience and no one had heard him play prior to the audition because he had no recordings of his playing to send us. From the very first audition, we knew he was the guitarist that we were looking for. He fit our style very well and things seemed to “click” right away. In January of 2012, Joe became our guitarist – and things have really taken off since we finalized our current lineup.

Jenni: Who are some of your influences?

F5: Being that we employ a very loose, improvised musical standpoint, our influences would have to point to artists such as Phish, Grateful Dead, Medeski, Martin & Wood, moe., Umphrey’s McGee and many others who have made the jam scene what it is today. We are also very big blues, folk, Americana, Motown and classic rock fans that have been influenced by the greats such as Jeff Beck, Clapton (and his assorted projects), Traffic, David Bowie, Van Morrision, The Band, Little Feat, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Miles Davis, BB King, Stevie Wonder, among many, many others. Growing up in our generation we have been exposed to many different genres and we are indeed very influenced by 90’s alternative music, some pop music as well as some of the newer indie groups that are writing great music in the 21st century. We like a lot of different music.

Jenni: What are some of your goals as a band?

F5: Some of our goals as a band include playing some larger regional festivals such as Catskill Chill, Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, moe.down, Backwoods Pondfest and others. In the next year we would like to release another larger studio album. We have enough new original material for two albums already and can’t wait to get back into the studio with some of these newer tracks that we are already playing live.

One major goal that we have as a band is to expand our musical resume as pertaining to different styles of music. Some of our favorite genres include reggae, funk, folk and blues but we really are working to encompass other genres such as more progressive rock, electronica, and even some exotic music styles. We have already written a bluegrass song and experimented with more progressive time structures and Middle Eastern scales in some of our newer material and are looking to incorporate these genres into our new material.

Jenni: Can you guys talk about the reincarnation of Formula 5 and the origin of your band’s name?

F5: Sometime towards the end of our old lineup, we decided we wanted to change our band name and we were toying with some concepts such as “Formula” or “Elixir” referring to the various influences and styles that come together from our various members to create our unique sound. We dragged the decision making process out for a very long time and we finally decided on Formula 5, due to their being 5 members in the band at that time and the fact that we were so sick of arguing about it. It seemed to be the name that everyone hated the least. Clearly we are now a four-piece band so it’s the most misleading band name of all time. In all honesty, we just thought it would be less trouble to keep the same name, websites, mailing lists, logos, etc… rather than re-branding ourselves. We knew that our new sound with Joe on guitar was going to do a majority of the re-branding anyways. Now we kind of enjoy the name because we know people are sitting there trying to figure out why we’re named Formula 5. People either think we can’t count or were looking to add another member. The truth is neither: we can count and no, we are not actively looking for another member. We are just focusing on becoming tighter as a band and writing more and more new material as a band.

Jenni: Where have you guys toured so far?

F5: In our short year as a group we have begun to play around parts of New York State and even a few outside of the borders as we look to grow and expand. While we haven’t strung together what could be considered a “tour”, we try to do the weekend warrior thing while we work our day jobs during the week. We frequent the Albany music stops, Putnam Den in Saratoga, Shepards Cove/Park in Lake George, The Monopole in Plattsburgh, The Waterhole in Saranac Lake, Java Barn in Canton, Oneonta, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Jamestown and other random places across the state. We’ve played a few festivals as well such as StrangeCreek, Bellstock, the recent Autumation Festival, Green Mountain Getdown festival in VT, Mama Strawberry Jam and a few other smaller festivals. We are working on something in Boston and New York City as well.

Jenni: Where are your favorite places to play?

F5: We are still trying to play some of major stops in the northeast but we still love getting back to place we got our start – Red Square in Albany. We’ve had some great shows in the north county at the Waterhole in Saranac Lake and the Monopole in Plattsburgh. The Java Barn was a very memorable for us we absolutely loved the hospitality and the eager crowd that couldn’t get enough. Black Oak Tavern in Oneonta is also a very fun one for us.

Jenni: What is the name of your album and how many tracks are you including?

F5: Currently the album is slated to be self-titled “Formula 5”. Another idea we had was “Peanut Butter Tuesday” but not sure if that’s going to happen. It will likely be self-titled unless an amazing name comes up in the next few weeks. We are picking our final mixes of the songs and will be sending it off to get mastered over the next couple of weeks. There are seven tracks total on the album with one of them being a short interlude leading into the track “Mister Elixir”. We chose six of the oldest tracks that we have been playing since the beginning of this lineup and many of them were written and played long before Formula 5. While being our oldest tracks, we also feel that these tracks really illustrate our style as a band and what we like to do with our songwriting. Each song averages about 7-8 mins (we’re a jam band…) and they showcase many different styles that drive us. We have straight ahead rock, minimal funk, horn-driven R&B, gritty blues, reggae, progressive time structures and plenty of improvisation across these six tracks. We employed the horn work of Bryan Brundige (trombone) and Jeff Nania (saxophone), two well know performers in the Capital Region to spice up the funky track “Houdini.” Stay tuned for an album release party in early 2013.

Track Listing for the upcoming self-titled debut album:

1. “Hot Box”
2. “Coming Home”
3. “Paella”
4. “Sueno”
5. “Mister Elixir”
6. “3 Ring Circus”
7. “Houdini” feat. Bryan Brundige and Jeff Nania on horns

Jenni: Is this your first experience in the studio as a band?

F5: Yes, this is the first time we have entered the studio as a band. A few of us have done some assorted studio work but nothing too extensive. We really focused on this album and put a lot of time and thought into it. We can’t wait to get it out there for people to hear.

Jenni: What are some future shows you guys will be playing?

F5: We’ve got some great shows schedule in the next month or two. Friday November 23rd we are at the Bayou in Albany; December 7th we’re at the Monopole in Plattsburgh; December 15th at The Putnam Den in Saratoga with our friends Lucid; January 4th we’re at the Dinosaur BBQ in Troy; January 18th we’re in Buffalo with our good friends Funktional Flow; January 19th we play in Jamestown, NY again w/ Funktional Flow and February 2nd we are in Oneonta at the Black Oak Tavern.

November 27, 2012
Interview: INNER DAM

I went to my first hardcore show in 1994. The landscape was completely different. Shows were far more dangerous. Local bands were almost always at least decent. There were more fans than bands. Touring bands often came to town for a few bucks and some sandwiches based on handshake deals. Only rock stars had management. If it sounds better than today, that’s because it was. One of my favorite bands from that era was Inner Dam, so when I heard Inner Dam was doing some shows this year, I leapt on the chance to catch them again. I had a conversation with vocalist/mainstay John Viista outside of their show with Skarhead and Wisdom in Chains.

Brian: When did Inner Dam form?

John: We started in the fall of 1995. It was me and the original drummer, Ernie. He was still in high school at the time, I think he was in 10th grade. He was my brother in law at the time and he told me he played drums and I never really believed him and he said he was going to put a band together and he wanted me to sing for him and I said ‘yeah sure, I’ll sing for you’ never really thinking he would get a band together, but he did by October of 1995 and that’s when we started originally.

Brian: I remember considering the Day Everything Meant Nothing to be somewhat standard issue to fans of local music in the 90s. Do you feel there’s any local bands primed to release a really good album, or local bands you’re stoked on?

John: There’s a lot of really cool things going on here. It’s kinda like the 90s where there’s a lot of shit going on. A lot of bullshit bands, with the attitudes and the egos. Just like the 90’s, or early 2000s or any time era. Locally or nationally. Now locally, there’s a lot of great bands. Like Dead Channels or Nothing But Wolves. I feel like those two bands in particular are rising in terms of material they’re putting out. Or Living Laser. That’s another band that’s on the rise. There’s still a lot of really cool bands doing shit, which thankfully keeps the music scene alive, even though it needs to be on a respirator at times.

Brian: Bands like Hatebreed, All Out War, Inner Dam were kind of on the forefront in terms of metallic hardcore in the mid to late 90’s which influenced a lot of current bands. How do you feel about the scene today compared to back then?

John: I don’t know. I’m really far removed from it, just being older. Even though I am still in this music scene… I was gonna say in the shit.

Brian: Same thing.

John: Yeah, it’s the same thing. But, locally I don’t hear a lot of bands influenced by Inner Dam, All Out War, Dissolve. I don’t hear that a lot locally. I hear a lot of bands elsewhere where I’ll say ‘that band sounds like All Out War’. But to me, All Out War always sounded like Bolt Thrower. So, you know.

Brian: Are you guys planning on writing and recording new material?

John: We’ve talked about it. Our last show for now is going to be in 2013 at the Tuscan Cafe with Armedalite Rifles and Troublebound. After that, we’re supposed to write new shit and not play until the spring. Our goal is to try to write 4 to 6 new songs and see how it goes. This has been the best combination. We did a few shows in 2005 and 2007, but as the quote unquote ‘leader of the band’ I knew those combinations weren’t right to write new shit, but this seems like the best combination now.

Brian: Being from an earlier era and playing currently, how do you feel promoting your band has changed in terms of promoting shows..

John: It’s terrible!

Brian: …and would you consider the change a positive thing? (laughs)

John: It’s just terrible. And this goes back to the early 2000’s. Kids don’t know what a flyer is. They don’t know what a fanzine is. My girlfriend does a zine for the last 12 years and we give them out at shows and sometimes people don’t know what the hell they are. They don’t know it’s free. They don’t know what the hell to do with it when they get it. We put up an event page for our show and people RSVP, but that doesn’t mean those people are showing up… it just means they pressed the fucking button. In this time era, we play the Chance and Frank is just excited that we make flyers. We hand them out at other shows, we put them up at record stores and book stores. Put them on cars at other local shows. And that’s just my work ethic, because I grew up in a time era where that’s just what we did. And the older I get, I just can never change that. I don’t like computers anyway, because even if 100 people say they’re going to go to a show and 25 show up, the promoter ends up standing there with their thumb in their ass. So, things have changed, but I don’t think they’ve changed for the better at all, man.

Brian: If you could ressurect any dead band to tour with, what band would it be?

John: Oh man…. There’s a lot of good bands. I think of bands from when we went to Europe, and I love those bands. A lot of those bands that were really small then, that got really big like Born From Pain and Knuckledust. As far as tour with a band, I had a lot of connection with All Out War and I was lucky enough to roadie for them when they went on tour with the Cro-Mags. I like a lot of those guys, and I think this area misses bands like that. I don’t think they appreciate bands like that when they’re around. Kids in this time era take shit for granted because it’s so accessible. They should realize this isn’t going to be here forever.

Brian: Especially with the way they treat it.

John: Yeah. They may leave the scene themselves. If they see a band playing and say “Screw it, I’ll see them next week.” Next week may never come for this band, that’s how fragile these stupid bands are. My band included.

Brian: I feel like a lot of 90s bands music holds up today. Do you feel like music a lot of current bands are releasing will hold up?

John: No. The short answer for that question is no. I really don’t think so. That’s just my opinion. People may hear my band and say ‘that shit doesn’t hold up’. And some of it doesn’t. But some of it does. There’s always certain things that will hold up and you’ll go back to it ten years from now and say ‘you know what, that sounds really fresh and really good.’ It’s a lot of trial and error. I listen to a lot of my bands demo stuff and I just cringe in horror. But we at least had an excuse: It was the 90s and nobody recorded shit good.

Photos by Jim Gilbert

for more on Inner Dam: https://www.facebook.com/InnerDam

November 20, 2012
An Interview with Ryan Zoidis of The Rustic Overtones

The Rustic Overtones take a swing through Upstate NY this weekend with a stop a the Putnam Den with special guest Stone Revival Band on Friday, November 16th at 9pm and the next night at Foodstock V at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY at 5:30pm. Saxophone player Ryan Zoidis caught up with Pete Mason after this weekend’s Bear Creek Music Festival and discussed his role in The Rustic Overtones, Lettuce and his affinity for Upstate New York.

Pete Mason: Playing saxophone in Rustic Overtones and Lettuce, how did you get started out with each band?

Ryan Zoidis: I met the Lettuce cats in 1992 at the Berklee College of Music five-week summer program. I met Eric Krasno in an ensemble we were assigned to then met the rest of the guys shortly after. We all wanted to play funk music and that’s exactly what we did. We ended up meeting up after high school when we all went to Berklee and lived in the same dorm. We used to jam till 5am regularly and we started playing parties at different college dorms. Most of us left Berklee after about a year but some stuck around. A few of the guys were in a band called Fat Bag that was a great live hip hop group and they started touring a bit, so that put a damper on Lettuce.

Meanwhile, I left school, moved back to Maine to regroup and find a gig when my good friend Tony Mcnaboe asked if I wanted to play in Rustic. I went to a rehearsal and it went well, although I didn’t love the music initially.

My first show was in Orono, Maine at Geddy’s . The place was jam packed, the crowd was singing the lyrics, Gutter was a star. That’s when I realized I wanted to play music that appealed to the masses, and Rustic was really special. Shortly after I joined we got signed by Clive Davis and the rest is history.

Pete: Bear Creek was a collaboration fest this past weekend. What makes the climate of fests like Bear Creek so conducive to collaboration with other musicians?

Ryan: Our friend Paul Levine started Bear Creek because he wanted to do a funk festival. He booked his favorite bands Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, The New Mastersounds, etc… We have done some great collaborations that weren’t necessarily planned, they just happened.

Pete: What was your musical highlight of Bear Creek?

Ryan: The Friday night Lettuce set was on fire!

Pete: The Rustic Overtones took a hiatus before reuniting in 2007; how has the balance of being in two acts been a challenge in recent years?

Ryan: Well, I’m doing this for a living. I really need to stay busy to make it work. Lettuce has never been a hard touring band, only 30 shows a year max. Since Rustic got back together we only do 60-70 a year. It’s challenging sometimes schedule wise and it’s tough to have to choose between the two. I also started a reggae band called Royal Hammer with Dave Noyes, Gary and Mike from Rustic. Our first album will be out this winter. We want to get that out on the road too.

Pete: How do you like Upstate New York, having played festivals and venues here for many years?

Ryan: Upstate’s always been really good to Rustic. We had some crushing shows at Revolution Hall, which was our favorite venue. WEQX, a radio station here plays us, so that helps. Putnam Den is awesome and they treat us great; Castaways in Ithaca is cool too. There’s a lot of good spots, kids who like to check out music. Getting stoked for the weekend Upstate!

For more info check out therusticovertones.com

November 13, 2012
Interview/Review: Ott and the All Seeing I go LIVE in Syracuse

There has been a recent trend of electronic DJs and producers recreating their music on stage with a live band. Thankfully, Ott, a UK based Master Engineer/Producer/DJ, is one of them. Ott & the All Seeing I are the result as he is joined by Naked Nick (Vocals, Guitar, Synths, and Percussion), Chris Barker (Bass), and Matt White (Drums). I was privileged to catch two of their sets recently, in particular one on Sunday, October 7th at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY.

Unimpressed by the “rave” music found in London clubs, Ott discovered a commonality with artists who shared his love of organic dub and pristine electronics such as The Orb and Dub Syndicate. These artists were not afraid to concoct music with one part heavy bass rhythms, one part spacey soundscape and one part gorgeous melody; shaken not stirred. Ott spent time honing his engineer skills working with such artists as The Orb, Sinead O’Connor, Brian Eno, Steve Hillage, and more recently Simon Posford of Hallucinogen/Shpongle fame. His first release on Simon Posford’s Twisted Records was Hallucinogen-In Dub (2002), where he remixed classic Hallucinogen songs. Since then he has released three of his own, Blumenkraft (2002), Skylon (2008) and Mir (2011)

Having seen Ott a half dozen times or so in the last few years, I have felt a connection to his music ever stirring within me. His music can have an intoxicating effect on me and OH what a beautiful buzz! It is like his music breaks and enters my soul and commands my body to move in ways previously unimaginable. Heading to the Syracuse show I was eager to be a part of the energy he shares with his audience.

Playing to a smaller crowd, the Westcott was less than half full of guests but Ott & the All Seeing I were not to be daunted. Playing through giant speaker stacks that easily withstood Ott’s powerful sound, the band got down to work. Having as much space as I needed, I danced away the set, oblivious to any perceived problems in my life. The show highlights for me included “Splitting An Atom”, “Owl Stretching Time” and of course always a crowd favorite, “The Queen of all Everything”. The live performance gives Ott’s music a raw and powerful energy, full of life.

Traveling with me to this show was Kelly, a precious gems and mineral merchant of Kali’ka Crystals and Creations. Kelly had “gridded” Ott’s stages with crystals at two previous shows, a process in where she places crystals in an array that is meant to help harness energies. Her grid this night included Smoky Quartz for meditation, Amethyst and Selenite for intuition and divinity, Lepidolite for stability and communication, Lemurians (and Pink Lemurians) for love and spiritual awareness, and Herkimer Diamonds for attunement and connection. Post show the band joked about how she should jump on the tour bus with them as they enjoyed her crystal work and company so much.

Any chance I am afforded to see Ott & the All Seeing I again will be taken with utmost seriousness. It is truly a spiritually enlightening experience.

I had the privilege of asking Ott & the All Seeing I a few questions as they broke down post show:

Chris McMullen: Do you have a favorite venue in upstate NY?

Ott: Oh thats hard. It depends who turns up,…it depends who’s there.

Chris: How much time had Ott & the All Seeing I gotten to practice live?

Ott: Not much actually, we were fairly unprepared when we got here.

Naked Nick: It’s just life’s logistics. We did everything we could and we were all practicing individually. Some of us are in the east of England and some of us the west, so the amount of times we can actually come together in one place is quite limited.

Ott: The first time we were able to come together and all play in the same space was our first gig in Baltimore.

Nick: We never all played in the same room together!

Chris: Oh wow, I was at the NYC show at Club 39 and thought you guys sounded pretty good.

Ott: Yeah our sound guy had to totally rewire everything there. Our crew really pulled it out of the bag. I quite enjoyed it in the end.

Chris: It was a tight space.

Ott: I love the hot sweaty basements….that doesn’t sound quite right, does it?

Nick: I think there is going to come a time when I can use that piece of information against you. Not sure yet when it will be.

Chris: Have you found yourselves engaging in any pre or post show rituals?

Ott: I can see patterns forming. Kelly and her crystal garden are the closest thing to a ritual we have. But she’s abandoning us! She has driven miles to see us. We will miss you Kelly.

Nick: It’s really nice to see some familiar faces coming to more than one gig, it’s meant a lot.

Chris: Are there any musicians you’ve been listening to lately?

Ott: I generally don’t listen to anything made after 1982 really, actually no, to be honest, 1978 at the moment.

Nick: Bird Of Prey, Sun Monks

Ott: Nick’s your man. If you want to hear somebody reel of loads of really contemporary artists that no one’s ever heard of. He’s your man. I actually don’t like music very much. I try and avoid it.

October 18, 2012
An Interview with Jeff Howard, Guitar Prodigy, Years Ahead of his Peers

Jeff Howard has a history with Connecticut group Barefoot Truth that overlaps his experiences with The McLovins, the group he formed with Jason Ott and Jake Huffman back in late 2008. Recently, Barefoot Truth announced they were breaking up saying,

“In the past few years, it has been more difficult than you may realize for the band to continue the pace. Although we love playing live shows, the pull to be home with loved ones and the desire to pursue other interests has strained our ability to honestly give the band our full devotion and attention. After much soulful discussion, we have decided that it must be time for us to turn a new chapter. Therefore, the band has decided that this fall will mark the final shows for Barefoot Truth. Trust that we did not come to this decision easily, for we truly believe that our music has a place and purpose that is needed.”

McLovins with George Porter

Howard has the incredible ability to play guitar, blending rock, jazz, blues and folk into a wide array of songs and jams, taking time to play through songs but not hogging the musical spotlight, for he shares the stage with a wide degree of humility and maturity not found in more experienced musicians. Jeff plays with Barefoot Truth on the first of four final shows with Barefoot Truth, starting at The Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Jeff spoke with to discuss his musical growth, 2012 and what the future holds for this high school senior with incredible guitar chops.

Pete Mason: How has 2012 been for you musically?

Jeff Howard: 2012 has been quite the musical journey. I’ve had the pleasure of working with roots-rock band Barefoot Truth, and have started a new funk project, Suitcase Rodeo. Suitcase Rodeo was born from these Monday night jams I’d do up in Pittsfield with some of the guys from Barefoot, plus a friend of mine in Canton who plays drums (Andrew Maggennis). We really hit the jackpot with this particular lineup, and became our own group. In a nutshell, I’d say 2012 has been diverse and exciting.

Pete: Last December, you left The McLovins, but you have sat in with them in the past few months. For the record, what led to you leaving the band and branching out on your own?

Jeff: I haven’t yet sat in with the McLovins since my departure. My leaving the band was simply a matter of conflicting circumstances and commitments I had to deal with. It got to the point where I knew that I was unable to be the band member that the other guys deserved.

Pete: How has playing with Barefoot Truth added to your guitar skills and playing with a broader group of musicians?

Jeff: The guys in Barefoot Truth are some of the most refined musicians I’ve ever played with. It’s extremely beneficial to play with guys who write such well-crafted pop songs, and play them with such command. It’s easy to get caught up in Altered Dominant and Whole Tone scales, but in the end people want something that’s simple and hits home. To accomplish this takes just as much skill as it does to play the most complex jazz music.

Pete: These last four Barefoot Truth shows seem to be quite emotionally charged, especially after a thorough and thought out letter to fans. How are you planning to approach these shows?

Jeff: Honestly, I’m going to approach them as I have every other Barefoot show. I put my all into every show I play, no matter what band it’s with. As long as the goal is to give the audience a meaningful show worth remembering, I’m going to simply keep on doing my thing.

Pete: Where did this talent for playing guitar come from? Some experienced guitarists listen to you and are blown away that a 17 year old has more chops than they do after twice as many years of playing.

Jeff: All I know is that one day when I was nine, I had a yearning to pick up the guitar, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. My family isn’t really musical, so it came as a surprise that music was my calling. Whenever people appreciate my guitar playing, I feel very grateful. Sometimes I think they’re hearing something very different from what I’m hearing! When you listen to guys like Tosin Abasi and Shawn Lane a lot, it’s easy to realize just how little you know. In all seriousness, it feels so awesome to be able to move people through music. That’s why I keep on playing guitar!

Pete: Is there a long term goal that you have in mind, musically?

Jeff: Really, I just want to keep on improving my skills. There’s no limit to how far you can go in your mastery of music, so it would be silly to set a boundary as to how far I should achieve. Music is a giant puzzle, and overall I just want all the pieces to come together. In terms of achieving success in music (i.e. fame), my only plan is to see what happens. These days it’s so hard to make a living off of music, so I’m not going to tell myself that I have to make money off of a successful band. If I do turn out to be able to live off of making music, I’ll be extremely thankful.

Pete: You’re a senior in high school. How do you find the balance between music and finishing up school, as well as the high school social life?

Jeff: The balance isn’t too stressful. I think that musical performances are necessary to offset the day-to-day business and grind of school. I remember at Strangecreek this year (when I was sitting in with Sparkplug), seeing a guy wearing a wife beater, and on it was written “Where is McLovin?” It’s funny to think that “McLovin” was stressing out about his chemistry homework the very night this guy was writing his special message. Gigging really provides a healthy release from daily stress, and has a way of recharging your battery.

Pete: Beyond high school, what are you looking into for college and programs? Are you planning to stick with music?

Jeff: I will probably not be putting all my eggs in one basket by majoring in music. I’m still uncertain of what I’ll study. That being said, I will always “stick” with music, in that it’ll be a constant part of my life.

October 10, 2012
An Interview with John ‘JoJo’ Hermann of Widespread Panic and Missing Cats

With Widespread Panic taking a light break from touring this year, members of the band have taken to the road with their side-projects. Missing Cats, featuring piano/keyboardist JoJo Hermann, comes to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Saturday, September 29th. JoJo sat down to talk with NYS Music about Missing Cats and other musical topics.

Pete Mason: Missing Cats has you working with Luther and Cody Dickinson from North Mississippi Allstars, as well as Sherman Ewing from your college days at Columbia. Was this project a long time in the making?

John ‘JoJo’ Hermann: Well we recorded an album and Cody and Luther played on that, and I talked to them (North Mississippi Allstars) about hooking up on the road for about 15 dates and it’s just been a blast. They’re joining us on our set and I’ve been sitting in with them. It’s been really fun.

Pete: How has your collective Mississippi roots affected the sound of the band and what can be said for Sherman’s guitar and vocals in the group?

JoJo: Sherman and I ran around the New York City clubs for a while, then I went to Mississippi and really got into some of the music around North Mississippi, Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside were playing in Oxford and there was a jukejoint in HollySprings we would visit that occasionally. When I first heard those guys, it blew my mind.

Pete: You have a heavy New Orleans influence in your music from living in Mississippi. How did you first become aware of New Orleans music and in what ways has it influenced your musical direction with Beanland and Widespread Panic?

JoJo: Well a friend introduced me to Professor Longhair, I’d been listening to Dr. John and Allen Toussaint’s stuff. I just kinda got hooked and started learning that style and when I played it, is just made me happy, this music just makes me really happy. I got into New Orleans music that way through Professor Longhair records and went down there, started hanging out and playing with New Orleans musicians a lot. We jammed last week with in Athens with Tony Hall and Ivan and Ian Neville and the guys from Dumptaphunk and just had a big superjam there. New Orleans is where all the music I play… I’m a musician because of New Orleans.

Pete: This past August marked 10 years since Mikey Houser died. Beyond being the namesake of the band, looking back, what do you feel his legacy is with Widespread Panic?

JoJo: We miss him dearly, I sat behind him for many, many years. His style, his playing, it had a way of taking me to another place, it was almost like he played his own style and he took you to this very special place. He’s always been a part of me and always will be.

Pete: Tell me about the Missing Cats tune ‘Halfway to the top’, it stood out when I listened to the Ogden Theater show.

JoJo: Sherman and I have been writing songs for a while and I think that was a combination of three songs that we crammed together, because that bridge drops out so that’s like a separate song. On the record, Luther (Dickinson) and a guitar player from Nashville Guthrie Trapp play on it and the guitars are pretty wailin’ on that track.

Pete: Have you been playing any Smiling Assassins songs this tour?

JoJo: Yeah we played a few, we busted out five or six of them over the course of the past few nights, it’s fun to revisit that stuff. Smiling Assassins stuff is fun to play.

Pete: Widespread Panic introduced me to Warren Zevon and his music has had a huge impact on my life. Along with “Lawyers, Guns and Money”, Panic covered Warren Zevon’s “Exciteable Boy” and more recently, “Carmelita”. What makes Zevon such an appealing artist to cover?

JoJo: His lyrics, how clever they are. He’s a lot of fun as a piano player, he comes up with just these great piano parts. “Excitable Boy” is my favorite Warren Zevon song, I always loved that song.

Pete: One of the greatest moments I have had at a music festival was seeing Steve Winwood sit in with Panic at Bonnaroo 2002. Was that planned in advance, or something that came up as the festival came together? It was quite a moment to hear “Glad” and “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” with two keyboardist at the helm.

JoJo: He stopped by rehearsal the day before and we played those songs and the idea came up. I’ll never forget we were in the trailer backstage rehearsing with Dottie Peoples (who performed with Panic that same night) and Steve came in and started playing. It was quite an experience in that rehearsal. It was wonderful to have him up there, he has such a powerful voice and it’s just amazing. (Glad begins at 28:08, Low Spark at 37:40)

Pete: Before moving to Mississippi, you grew up in New York. Where were you for Game 6?

JoJo: I was watching it on TV at a friend’s house and I couldn’t believe it; I’ll never forget that game. What a strange, strange game. I always think about Mookie Wilson, I love Mookie.

Pete: When Panic returns to the road next year, will we see more shows in the northeast? Even though the fanbase is more fervent in the south and west, there are still fans up here dying for some Panic shows.

JoJo: Well I know we’re playing New Year’s Eve in Charlotte, NC and a ‘Tunes for Tots’ benefit, as well as a trip to the Caribbean for Panic in La Playa, we did that last year and really enjoyed it. I think we’re going to meet next month in October, talk about next year, have a cup of coffee, watch some baseball, watch the World Series together.

Pete: In your years of living and touring throughout New York, do you have a favorite place that you have visited in Upstate New York? A favorite place you have played in Upstate?

JoJo: Well, Saratoga, I especially enjoyed the racetrack. I think the first H.O.R.D.E. show we did (1992 or 1993) Col. Bruce Hampton hit like a 43-1 shot or something, that was a lot of fun. I remember there’s a great theater at Cornell in Ithaca which we used to love.

September 24, 2012
An Interview with Keller Williams

On the heels of a summer playing shows and festivals throughout the country, both solo and with The Travelin’ McCoury’s, Keller Williams embarks on a cross-country tour that spans much of the rest of the year. We sat down with Keller Williams for an interview to talk about his new album Pick and talk about his style of music and some unique burning topics that Keller was happy to answer.

Keller plays September 21st at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park and September 22 at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse.

Lauren Lagowski: I gave Pick a good listen a few times through. I’m always impressed with how you marry your humor with your incredible talent on the guitar. Where does the inspiration for much of your lyrics come from?

Keller Williams: I like to keep things light and fun and not take myself too seriously. I just put myself in the place of the audience, keep things in a positive direction, and the rest is just entertaining myself.

Lauren: Pick is a unique and awesome bluegrass album that is just a lot of fun to listen to.What was your favorite part of making this album?

Keller: It’s just beautiful playing with such awesome musicians and the vocals in the group are stellar. It was a fun album to make.

Lauren: Have you ever considered having a more permanent band or do you like the freedom of switching it up and playing solo when you want?

Keller: I consider the whole solo looping thing my day job and everything else is just a lot of fun. The freedom and being happy doing both is a beautiful thing. Playing solo is fun and makes me want to play with other musicians and playing in groups makes me want to play solo. It just keeps things interesting for everyone involved.

Lauren: I feel as though switching it up and dipping your toes in different genres has helped you develop as an artist..would you agree?

Keller: Definitely. I like playing dabbling in different genres. In fact this winter I’ll be playing with a six-piece R&B group that I assembled. We started messing around with things in the studio and it’s really funky. I’m really excited to explore that more.

Lauren: That sounds awesome! Where is your favorite place in this wide world to play?

Keller: I’ve played at a lot of amazing places. I love playing Red Rocks and I love playing at The Egg in Albany, there’s so many great ones.

Lauren: Pick is a unique and awesome bluegrass album that is just a lot of fun to listen to.What was your favorite part of making this album? It’s just beautiful playing with such awesome musicians and the vocals in the group are stellar. It was a fun album to make.

Lauren: Why does it seem all your album titles are one word? Is there a purpose or did it just happen like that?

Keller: Not really. I just like to keep things simple and express in one word, what the album is all about. No guess work for the listener.

Lauren: We are excited to welcome you back to Upstate New York. Do you have any special memories of this part of country?

Keller: I’ve played so many great festivals in this part of the country. I have so many great memories of playing out this way. You can’t beat the sunny, warm days and the cool nights with the fans sticking it out and having fun all the while.

Lauren: You obviously have some bluegrass roots. What are some of your other musical influences and genres that really inspire you?

Keller: Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, The Grateful Dead are all major influences in my musical sphere. Michael Hedges is another big one.

Lauren: Who would you like to work with in the future?

Keller: I’d love to work with the guys of Soulive and also The Slip. I think they’re all really talented and put out some amazing music.

Lauren: You get to play with a lot of great musicians. What’s your favorite on-stage collaboration you’ve been apart of?

Keller: I guess the one the sticks out in my mind right now was recently at NedFest in Nederland, Colorado where I played with my friends Steve Kimock, Kyle Hollingsworth, and Dave Watts.

For news and tourdates, visit Keller Williams’ website.

September 17, 2012
Live Free But Die Digital : An Interview with Jimkata Frontman Evan Friedell

Nearly exactly four and half years ago, I drove up to Ithaca to interview four young musicians making local waves as an up and coming college band called Jimkata. They had barely released a 5-track LP and were playing Friday nights in Ithaca and Oneonta. Fast forward to today, that same foursome has caught the attention of more than just Ithacans or regional Upstate New York jam fans.

On the heels of releasing their 4th album Die Digital, due out September 18th, and a 10-week national fall tour, I caught up with Jimkata’s front man and guitarist Evan Friedell. The following is the transcript of our recent discussion covering everything from sharing the stage w/ Umphrey’s McGee, their new fan-funded album and how the uniquely infectious sound Jimkata has patented continues to evolve.

Johnny Goff: so I believe it was 2008 when I came over to your house in Ithaca and sat down to interview you guys. You guys were just getting going. What’s changed in the past 4 and half years as a band?

Evan Friedell: We’ve come miles in those 4-5 years. No. 1, we’ve all grown up and changed as individuals. And also, we’re just kind of starting to find our sound. When we started, our sound went many different directions. And now finally, the sound writing, the instrumentation, the use of technology w/ analog/synth and e-drums has really evolved our sound to what it is today. We’ve also started touring more extensively in the past several years and that has helped us grow a fan-base which is awesome. Also, the new record has been entirely fan-funded. So yeah, we’ve come a long way from a scrappy, little college bar band into you know what we are today.

Johnny: So, in attempting to achieve a good fan base, how important is it that you guys, as a band play every night of the week and not just weekends in attempting to win over new fans?

Evan: Well, you know, that’s something that has changed over time too. We’ve realized now that we can’t pick a day here or there and play those dates. We’ve realized that in order to get your name out there, you have to play every day of the week. For example, when we go out to Colorado, we decide to play Michigan on the way. And it’s funny, one of the bi-products we’ve found is when we leave our home area and venture away and then return to our home area, our local fans seem to be more energized and at the same time, we are building new grounds withnew fans.

Johnny: So I’ve noticed that recently, you’ve shared the stage with some pretty notable bands. Can you talk about that?

Evan: We’ve played a number of festivals on the same bill as some pretty big acts. And we’ve also had the chance to directly support Umphreys McGee for a few shows in Colorado and in Utah. I think as of right now, it’s pretty inspiring to see how bigger acts work from the inside. The professionalism is a totally different ballgame. Everything’s pretty regimented for them and they are on schedules, etc…and then there’s us…you know, we slept in the van and go on stage. We’d love to be there someday but right now, even though we’re growing, it feels like a different world. The big ones are great too, but I love seeing bands we’ve built the comradery together over the years and seeing them at regional festivals and hanging out before or after our sets.

Johnny: So, considering this interview is for NYS Music, I’d be remised if I didn’t touch on Upstate New York and its festivals and JImkata’s plans going forward. Also, if you could, discuss my home festival, Grassroots, in Trumansburg, NY and how Jimkata has taken off there also. It seems like every year, you guys are jumping up to a bigger stage and a better timeslot.

Evan: Yeah, yeah. We are very grateful for that. All of us are. It’s been great for me because I grew up a couple hours from there (Oneonta) and I used to go to Grassroots when I was 16 and I was like “Holy Shit, ya know, this would be sick to play at sometimes”, and then, well, we were. So it was a huge thrill to get that slot after midnight on a Friday and thinking about back when I was 16 and wondering if I was 16 and watching this, what would I be thinking about these guys? So, it’s pretty cool.

Johnny: So the way your guys’ sound has morphed from album to album, I’ve drawn some other comparisons besides just Umphreys McGee; the way your sound is headed with added synthesizers and e-drums, but how would you describe Jimkata’s evolution of sound?

Evan: First of all, after seeing first-hand what and how Umphrey’s does what they do, I don’t think we would ever be as virtuosic doing what they do. Their skills are out of the park. But, I think, with this latest album, what we’re going for, is we’re simply trying to create songs that hit home for people. That hit home for people in two ways: 1) We’re trying to drop a beat that’s infectious and 2) bust out a melody and chorus that people can bring home with them in their daily lives. I mean that’s one thing I’ve always loved about watching jambands because of they’re playing, skills, and live improvisation but that’s one thing you miss by not putting out an album, the “Wow! Holy Shit!” Factor of a song where you wanna listen and relisten to the melody or chorus was our focus.

Johnny: If you can, for readers who may not be all that familiar with Jimkata or reading about you for the first time, drop on us some chronological album history and how your sound has morphed from album to album up to your very latest release.

Evan: So our first album has some of our earliest songs and is way more guitar oriented and some has killer early rippage. And then, “Burn My Money” was after that and that is when we began to gain some of our earliest fans and has some of our songs that we had been working on for years and years and so we had a ton of available possible songs to choose from to put on that album and that had some of our core songs that we still play today and you can start to hear to some of those synths and e-drums begin to make some appearances and it really was the album where we began to hone a lot of our songwriting. And Next was “Ghosts & Killers” and that came after we had come into some analog synthesizers that we had been playing around with and That was recorded with very little being done to it afterwards post-production. Like with “Burn My Money” we did a lot in the studio to that album but with “Ghosts and Killers”, it was almost like it was simpler arrangements but more complicated instrumentation.

Johnny: So, take “Ghosts and Killers” and that simpler approach to album making to this latest album Die Digital, I just listened to the other day, it’s obvious there’s a clear delineation now between your album creating philosophies from previous to this latest JImkata album. Is that fair to say?

Evan: Our songwriting process has morphed a little bit. The recording process was different also. We recorded w/ a different engineer, a different space and the song writing process, we all started writing music on a laptop to start. So, like If I had an idea, to start the process, I would immediately open the laptop and start putting something down. So, it was like instead of me walking up to see the band and saying I have this great idea for a song and they’re like, “What is it?” and I can’t describe it…I am able to say, “well, here ya go. Here’s an idea for a song,” and simply pull out my laptop and immediately give them an audio sample of where we can go with something. We are all were writing on our own and we were touring more too so it was actually an natural adaptation because it meant we had less practice time. This album, there’s a couple songs that are straight up Packy (drums) which is a first for all of our records. There’s a couple songs from Aaron as always.

Johnny: So with the help of technology, you are able to get a better picture of what a song could end up becoming?

Evan: Exactly. And I think our song-writing skills have gotten a lot better also. You know, for example, when to add something or to cut something from a tune. Knowing when to keep things simple is the key. Knowing when to keep things simple when you have a lot of different elements happening…that is key; and we had quite a few of these actually from this latest album. We had a million things going on in this album and we seemed better at knowing when and where to cut something.

Another thing that was noticeable from this album is us as a band really embracing our electronica and hip-hop influences we’ve had. We’re children of the 90’s…ya know? We’ve listened to tons of 90’s hip-hop and electronica music and that’s been huge for us. BUT, we also all love our rock-n-roll. And not just classic rock and jambands but again, being a child of the 90’s, our grunge rock music…Nirvana, Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins and all of that stuff…. and I think finally, all of those influences, all of those factors are finally beginning to come together to form the sound we have on this album.

Johnny: It’s ironic you mentioned you guys were ‘Children of the 90’s’ because a lot of the sounds coming off this new album is almost from the 80’s. The combination of the electro and synth-sounds just brings me back to when new-wave was really popular.

Evan: Yeah, it’s funny. I thought “Ghosts & Killers” came out sounding like the 80’s too. So, I guess, you’re right, it’d be fair to say we’re products of our generation, whether it be the 90’s or the 80’s. Music on the radio, commercials on t.v., movie soundtracks, c.d.’s, etc…whatever it was, it apparently influenced us and how we’re making music.

Johnny: So, there’s a track on your new album “Die Digital” called “Night Shade.” I fell in love with this track and the more I listened to the new album again and again in preparation to speak with you, I found myself going back again and again to this track “Night Shade” with its very infectious rhythm.

Evan: So, the song is sort about ‘working through hard times and everything turning out all right in the end.’…and now that I’m saying that, I’m realizing I end up writing about that an awful lot. (laughs out loud). The synth hook was written and then the bass line came around and it took me a while to write some lyrics to it because I didn’t want to fuck it up. The track is so epic and fun to begin with so I wanted the hook to be fun and “We don’t give a shit” and not to be too serious.

Johnny: So, let’s turn the attention to your upcoming tour, your travels in New York and what’s immediately ahead for Jimkata.

Evan: We have like 10 straight weeks of touring. We’re going, pretty much everywhere but all the way to the west coast. We’re going out to Colorado again, the south. We’re hitting the Midwest and up to Minnesota so we’re basically hitting up everywhere. Finding a gig is not that hard anymore and we’re super thankful for all the work our new agent has put in to get us into some bigger festivals.

Johnny: So, the new album Die Digital is about to be released. Tell readers how they can listen to this new Jimkata album.

Evan: It comes out September 18^th. A lot of people who donated are going to get a copy in advance. We’re going to have it on our website and I-tunes. I also think we’re going to have it streaming so I know it’s going to be around. We’re just about to head into album promotion mode now as a band.

Catch Jimkata when they come through Upstate New York over the next three months.

Thurs. 9/20 – Albany, NY – Red Square
Fri. 9/21 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt, with Manhattan Project
Sat. 9/22 – Rochester, NY – Lovapalooza, with Lovin Cup
Tues. 9/25 – Buffalo, NY – The Tralf, with Papadosio
Fri. 10/26 – Jamestown, NY – MoJo’s
Weds. 10/31 – Syracuse, NY – The Westcott Theater
Thurs. 11/1 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
Sat. 11/3 – New York, NY – Sullivan Hall

September 12, 2012
Master Thieves talk about their latest release ‘Nature of Gravity’

A chance to sit down with three of the members of Master Thieves – though a wonderful time – felt far too brief. Chuck Dorgan (guitar/vocals), was joined by vocalist Denise Shuart, as well as bassist and vocalist Jacob Alaniz. Sitting across from the three you can feel the closeness, care and admiration they have for one other. That same feeling is also palpable on stage with all five members, which they all agree lends to the joy of creating and performing music together.

Dorgan is the first to admit that putting a band together is no easy task, one that takes patience and perseverance. Lately, from what this writer has seen, that patience is finally paying off. Jokingly, he states, “I think the band is on version 4.2.,” noting that he first formed the group in 2006 with an entirely different set of members. There never seemed to be a “meeting of the minds,” however, when it came to the musical aspect.

Dorgan met Shuart at the Syracuse-based Shenanigan’s during an open mic hosted by a mutual friend in 2007. From there they decided to perform an open mic at Shifty’s, and shortly after the guitarist decided to bring her into the fold, after getting on stage for a tune or two. Shuart herself is a classically trained vocalist (opera) and also studied viola and violin, always a treat to see brought out for a song or two during a gig. With musical influences such as Pat Benetar and K.D. Tundstall, Shuart taken the time to learn the background of the singers she emulates and was surprised to find out they are classically trained – or the product of classically trained parents – as she was. Shuart also laughingly points out that singing in a band like Master Thieves is extremely enjoyable. It’s a credit to her talent and dedication as the only woman in a group of musically talented men and the ensemble, as a whole, has a great amount of respect for one other.

Drummer Eric Tozer, first asked to join a bluegrass band due to Dorgan’s reluctance with the way things were going with the Thieves, subsequently joined the band. It was an easy transition for the drummer – who joined in the fall of 2009 – bringing along some straight-up funk, with influences including greats such as Galactic, James Brown, Karl Denson, the Meters and the Greyboy Allstars, just to name a few. Songs he would like the band to tackle, said Tozer Deep Banana Blackout’s “God Made You Funky”. And while the summer of 2012 has been a bit dry for the band (as far as gigs go), Tozer did get to marry the love of his life, wife Renee. Now that the dust has settled, however, the band is ready to knock some socks off.

Guitarist Brian Golden, of Norwich, NY, Tozer’s best friend, best man and long-time fellow musician, was brought into the fold shortly after the group’s then-lead guitarist exited to pursue other avenues. Golden, said Dorgan, brings “a very bluesy feel to his music,” much of which is influenced by the artistry of Hendrix, Clapton, Derek Trucks and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to name a few. As for a tune Golden would like to cover with the group … Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.” The band, added Dorgan, would love to see its lead guitarist relocate to the Syracuse area (where the various other members are based), a sentiment shared by Golden himself.

Bassist Jake Alaniz, who stepped in at a crucial time in the band’s development (the recording of its first album, Robbing the Blind) said it was tough to step in and re-record someone else’s bass lines, yet it was necessary for consistency in the album. Once completed, Dorgan said it was like trying to give up a cute puppy; it was just too hard to do. Alaniz’s bandmates all agreed it only made sense to add the inspirational bassist to the group. Alaniz – who also performs with the popular CNY, Grateful Dread tribute band Dark Hollow – has been more than willing to share his musical talents. With a strong background in music – much thanks to his father the late David ‘Ese’ Alaniz – Alaniz said he finds inspiration in all different types of music, encompassing a wide range of artists. When asked, he couldn’t name just one song he would love to cover, because it changes so often. He did say, however, that he walked into rehearsal one day and proclaimed the band needed a reggae song, a genre that’s a clear focus on the group’s latest release, Nature of Gravity.

A true sign of a natural leader, Dorgan spent most of the interview highlighting his fellow bandmates’ talents. To be fair, Master Thieves is a labor of love for the guitarist, singer and songwriter. His inspiration, he added, was The Band, and he modeled much of his hopes on what the band could accomplish on that group’s success. Other inspirations? The Grateful Dead, Phish, and every other band that takes the stage knowing that soul – more than anything – makes for good music.

On Nature of Gravity, the band also has two other members who step-in for much of the album. Young saxophonist and guitarist Mikey Dufresne (I was very impressed considering he is in his mid to late teens) and keyboardist Mark Nanni (known best for his work with Los Blancos) both added their talent to the new release; something that truly creates an amazing, dynamic sound. And while Master Thieves’ debut recording, the aforementioned Robbing the Blind, was a good start, Nature of Gravity is much more of a collaborative effort, said Dorgan. From blues to rock, reggae to Americana, the songs have the ability to make you laugh, cry or inspire one to dance (or hula hoop!)

Camaraderie, said Shuart, is the most important element of the band.

“We can be playing … and we know each other well enough to know that each member is given the ability to have some freedom to freestyle, but when necessary there are moments to hold back,” she added. “Yet there is never a feeling that we are stepping on each others’ toes. When there is a disagreement, the issue is dealt with and [we] move on. The band works very hard to make sure they know the sound we are going for … we thoroughly practice, and are fully prepared, before stepping into the studio.”

Dorgan said he feels that Subcat Studios really enjoys having the band record there because its members arrive “fully prepared to knock out each tune. The Nature of Gravity CD release party, kindly hosted at the Redhouse, was a wonderful experience, said the band’s members (during the show, the band teased fans by telling them about a seventeen minute jam near the end of the album, what I consider the icing on the already rich red velvet cake).

Most of all there is a palpable sense of love, joy and kinship shared among this group that makes it feel more like a tight-knit – and functional – family unit. Such feelings are translated beautifully to their music and their performances.

The band has a few gigs lined up this month:
September 7th, 9:30pm @ Limp Lizard in Liverpool NY
September 15th , pm @ 58 Main in Brockport NY (Dorgan’s hometown)
September 22nd @Tipp Hill Music Fest time TBA

The band has a few favorite places they like to play in the CNY area by the way, including The Westcott Theater, Bull and Bear, Thunderbird Lanes and Coleman’s. The band is hoping to make it to more locations around CNY, such as Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge and Dinosaur BBQ, among many others. The Thieves most recent CD is on sale at the Soundgarden (and at every gig they play), and don’t forget to pick up your very own t-shirt (and other merchandise) that the group has for sale. Be sure to look up Master Thieves on Facebook and Reverb Nation to catch a taste of the group’s unique sound and stay up to date with what’s going on by visiting masterthieves.net

by Ashleigh Dunseath

September 12, 2012