Few musical acts have cracked the 50 year mark for performances. Those that come to mind, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Chuck Berry and The Rolling Stones stand alone above their contemporaries who have either passed or are slightly younger, including Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry. Consider those names and wonder who has been performing for more than 60 years, and you are likely to draw a blank. Step back 70 years into the past and this is where The Blind Boys of Alabama stand alone, having sung throughout the world to audiences of all sizes, branding a unique form of gospel music along the way and playing venues in Europe to the inaugural Bonnaroo in 2002. At The Mahaiwe, a beautiful and ornate pre-Depression-era theater just over the Massachusetts border in Great Barrington, The Blind Boys of Alabama filled the house with a rainbow of a crowd who clamored for their soul-uplifting sound, one that is impossible to bottle.
I had only seen The Blind Boys once before live, at the Beacon Theater in New York City where they came out for the encore of a String Cheese Incident show. I didn’t get the connection or why they would bring them out (the two styles didn’t mesh in my mind) but hearing the memorable “Amazing Grace”, set to the tune of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” was enough for me to enjoy the moment in eager anticipation of seeing them for a full show one day. Five years later, my wish was granted. Having won five Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, the band that was once five is now down to three, as age is creeping up on them in this, their seventh decade of performance.
The Blind Boys, led out with assistance, hand on shoulder in front of them, are Ricky McKinnie, Jimmy Carter and Ben Moore, as seated left to right on the stage. Jimmy, the most vivacious of them all was active throughout the night, taking to his feet and the microphone to motivate the crowd to cheer them on as they prepared to play. He spoke in a paced, slow and southern style, taking his time in between numbers to speak to the crowd, transitioning with patience, slow, delayed patience. Joey Williams (Robert Randolph & The Family Band) sang on the higher noted vocals and played guitar, Ben Odom (bass and harmony vocals), Austin Moore carried the band on drums, save one song where Ricky took the sticks, while Peter Levin, a Paul Giamatti stunt double from Sideways manned the piano and organ. The band alone was akin to TheWord, the North Mississippi Allstars and Robert Randolph side-project, but a much more old school style, version 1.0.
Blind Boys of Alabama
Although the Blind Boys cannot see, they do move around the stage in their space, knowing how far they have to tread and always with a helpful hand to guide them back when they venture too far from their seats. Carter told stories, McKinnie and Moore sang along side him, taking the lead depending on the key of the tune, but remained the predominant musicians on the stage, far from a novelty but rather a storied group that has spanned more than half a century in their musical careers, turning concerts into revivals wherever they play.
Among highlights of the 90 minutes set include the title track to the Ben Harper/Blind Boys album There Will Be a Light; “Amazing Grace”, set to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun”, a phenomenal version, as seen below; “Look Where he Brought me From” which featured Jimmy Carter taking an extended walk through the crowd, extending his hand to those reaching out to shake his, moving throughout the crowd with ease, surpassing any limits the crowd may expect an octogenarian sans sight. This continued in front of the stage before taking back up to his seat to walk off stage before a call back for the encore. They capped the night off with an encore of “I Saw the Light”, the first track off their latest album, Take the High Road, featuring Hank Williams Jr. on the track, as well as country artists Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and The Oak Ridge Boys adding to the genre-crossing album.
Post-show, the Boys signed autographs in the lobby, shook hands and chatted eagerly with fans and patrons of The Mahaiwe. I spoke to Ricky and Ben and asked them if they remembered the String Cheese show at The Beacon and before I even mentioned the venue, they said “Oh yes, that was a fun show, played ‘Amazing Grace’ with dem boys.” The minds are sharp, the age is just a number and the music is nothing short of amazing. Next time they are in the area, get to seeing the Blind Boys of Alabama, the living legends of gospel music for the masses, not just a Sunday mass.
Setlist:
Intro, Spirit in the Sky*, Way Down in the Hole, God Said It, Take the High Road, I Know a Place, On a Cloudy Day, There Will be a Light, Free at Last, Amazing Grace, Look Where He Brought Me From^, Band intros
Encore: I Saw the Light
*Norman Greenbaum
^ extended jam with Jimmy Carter walk through crowd
Binghamtronica III is a one day music and arts festival held on the Binghamton University campus. Binghamtronica is a completely not for profit event with all of the profits donated to HeadCount. This year’s line up includes: BoomBox, Archnemesis (special late night), Horizon Wireless, SOLARiS, Ink Line and ConArtist.
This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, March 24. Tickets are available at our box office located on the Binghamton University campus but if you aren’t in the area, you can call the box office 12:30pm – 8pm for only a $1 extra fee. Tickets are only $20!
Music will be played from 8 PM to 3 AM with a stage located in the Mandella Room. The lobby is a large open space which will hold a shakedown with vendors, student groups, art installations (which will be in both of the performance spaces as well) and interactive activities. In addition to art installations the art of Imaginationoverload will be displayed throughout the venue.
Binghamtronica is a completely student and alumni run event. Various student groups will be working with Binghamtronica Productions Group to bring this festival to you.
will be covering the festival on Saturday the 24th. Look for coverage and festival updates at .com and in Music Guide.
Someone That’s Not You is a four song teaser for the upcoming full length release due in June by Washington Township, NJ’s I Call Fives. It’s often hard to get a good feel for a band based on a teaser, as it’s usually half typical offerings of the band’s songs and half hubris, and this is no exception.
I Call Fives is pop punk in the vein of early 2000’s bands. I would place it post Pulley, pre My Chemical Romance. Talented, interactive, well played drum tracks all through the songs are a highlight from top to bottom. High production values always benefit this style of music, and the multiple layers of vocals and backing vocals go a long way toward keeping this a page turner. That is, until abruptly on the third track, the floor drops out. It’s not that Lakeview, an acoustic track, and the entirely unnecessary cover of Third Eye Blind’s How’s It Gonna Be are bad, it’s more of a matter that the momentum of the first two songs seemed to be leading in a completely different direction until that point. The idea of a teaser EP is to make you want to hear the full album, so I guess the point was made here…. I would definitely point an ear at the full length.
Though I admittedly like my pop punk more like 30footFALL and less like Fenix TX, I find the overall product of I Call Fives ultimately engaging and guaranteed to be thoroughly enjoyed by any 14 year old girl into underground music who isn’t currently idolizing untalented breakdown bands. As well as a confirmed stint on Warped Tour, I Call Fives will be headlining the last 5 shows of the Pure Noise Records tour, including a stop at Mirador in Binghamton 3/30 and a stop at Bogies in Albany on 3/20, which is coincedentally the day this teaser is released. So get out to the show, check these guys out and buy the E.P.!
With 10 releases, a host of tours under their belt, and Stanton Moore hitting for them, you better believe Galactic are the real thing. The New Orleans Funk/Rock/Soul/Hip Hop extraordinaire have been getting crowds pumped up and bodies moving for close to 20 years! Their recent stop at Westcott Theatre was certainly no exception to the rule… These guys wail in concert!
In between sips of The Westcott Theater’s fine ale, I scoped out the elaborate stage set up in anticipation of my first complete performance by the group. A full but comfortable crowd flooded the bar to stock up on drinks prior to show time… Ritual for any concert event. At 9:32 pm, the bass started thumping, the drums kicked in, and we were off!
For those of you unaware… Let it be known that Galactic wastes no time getting to business. The sextet laid it down from the moment they hit the stage, and the crowd ate up every bit of it! Their set was chock full of rhythmic high and lows… Super thick, soulful, and heavy on the backbeat. The bass could be felt within the listener’s chest, and the richness of the melodies and pulse of the groove could make even the most obstinate of wallflowers bob their head along to the beat. This was 30 seconds into their first song.
Then, to my gleeful amazement, they introduce Corey Glover to the stage on song 2! Though he was clearly listed as a guest performer, I had no idea they’d bring the legend onstage so quickly. Arguably one of the best front men ever, the Living Colour vocalist tore through the next 3 songs with the group, his distinctive high range vocals cutting through the music like a hot knife through soft butter. He would reappear often.
The band kept it groovy throughout the entirety of their set. Each member was given ample time to showcase their well-honed style, yet always kept it in the context of the song. Robert Mercurio’s fat bass lines filled the venue with enough bottom end to keep Sir Mix-A-Lot drooling, Jeff Raines’ guitar and Richard Vogel’s keys adding the textural layers and catchy hooks, and Ben Ellman’s saxophone providing the sharpness to keep the groove edgy, completing the sound.
But it is clearly drummer Stanton Moore’s show when Galactic performs. A well-known and highly respected guru behind the kit, Stanton proves, without a doubt, that white boys can groove. At center stage, his elaborate drum kit setup is the first thing you witness, with the exception of the large silver-glitter “G” directly behind it. And let’s face it, it’s a funk band… There ain’t no funk without a funky drummer. Stanton, living up to the name, undoubtedly has all the goods necessary to bring a smile to Clyde Stubblefield’s face.
Opening act The Soul Rebels also made an appearance on stage with Galactic, adding to the already dense tone coming from the band. With a total of 13 players on stage, Syracuse caught a glimpse of New Orleans musical brotherhood at its finest. The group, who also call New Orleans home, were an excellent opening choice for this touring cycle. Playing a solid 45-minute set, the 8-piece (consisting of 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 drummers, 1 saxophone, and 1 sousaphone) played a funky, soulful batch of jams that were thick with groove. There sound was full and lush, offering excellent texture, harmony, and some solid solos by the horns.
The crowd was mellow for the octet, but got into it when prompted from the stage. The punctuated call/response from horn players-turned-MC’s livened the atmosphere, and there was even a touch of rhyme at times.
Towards the end of their set, 8 members turned into 11 when Stanton, Ben, and Corey from Galactic joined the party on stage for “I’m So Confused,” a cut from the Rebels’ latest album. Finishing up with a funked out Eurythmics medley to end their time on stage was a nice touch.
Highlight of the show… A 13-man jam of “Cult of Personality,” Living Colour’s biggest hit, all funked up! With every member of Galactic and The Soul Rebels present on stage (Corey singing, of course), it will definitely stand out as my most memorable moment of the show… Just nasty! Though the cover lacked the angst of the original, the mob on stage owned the track and pulled it off well!
If you did not make it to the show, I can’t help but think you missed out. If you ever need to cut loose, let off some steam, and shake your butt for an evening, Galactic is the act to see. And props to the venue, too… Westcott Theater is a great spot to see them perform. I am sure they will be having them back to the venue at some point after a turnout like this, so keep an eye out and a night free when they do!
A weekend with two sell-out shows at the Palace Theater and interesting late nights that ensued made for a classic weekend of great music in Albany over the first weekend of March. Jane’s Addiction coupled with moe. to set up stellar weekend of music and revelry that ensued gave two bands that each started out more than 20 years ago but were far from nostalgia, instead rocking through marquee sets for hours each night.
The Black Box Revelation
With a late start time of 8:30 for the opening act, I got a listen the day before of Black Box Revelation, a scortching garage band duo from Brussels, Belgium featuring a duo of Jan Paternoster on guitar and vocals and Dries Van Dijck on drums. I was impressed with a few songs on first listen and eagerly awaited the opening act. Guitarist Jan has some Jimmy Page chops when seeing him live, with a dose of the Black Keys but not necessarily the same band – the powerful rock and blues mix created negates the need for a bassist, almost. There were moments when StrangeTimes could have burst out a guitar jam. Drums were tight, harsh and crispy. Percent accent to guitarwork. Two songs of note, Highon aWire, a little-Silverchair-ish with gritty vocals, a clear break out song for this duo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBA2vBFgCgc&
I thinkI LikeYou was notable in concert and felt a little more bluesy than the rest of the night, but the video for the song has a nice production value and was running through my head while the song played.
The final song of the 45 minute set, SealedwithThorns was sincerely jammed out, rocked out is more like it, for a solid 10 minutes, greeting the arriving crowd with a nice segue into the main act. By far, they were the best opening act I’ve seen in years. Jan spoke to the crowd towards the end, ‘This is one of the most beautiful venues we’ve ever seen.” Later, upon asking him what he felt about the venue, he shared, “It’s beautiful, we have never played many venues like this in Europe.” On their first tour in America and playing perhaps their 10th or so show here and to play the Palace – an honor many bands take years to build up to. As for the tour, the pair simply said that “Jane’s tour is amazing, they’re really cool guys,” an understatement likely.
Having played at Bonnaroo and The Hangout in 2011, Black Box returned for a full opening tour, withEuropegiving us a taste of what is in store for post-hipster musical imports. What a relief. Their sound right now is so strong and raw that their evolution will lead to a notable future. For now, the duo are always welcome in America.
Jane’sAddiction
A “Theatre of Escapists Tour” was the theme that Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell and his group of freaks conjured up for the evening’s visual performance taking place on the precipice of the crowd and all throughout the show on stage. Starting with an extended pre-show music of tracks from Pink Floyd’s Shine on Your Crazy Diamond (notably performed here not two weeks ago by The Pink Floyd Experience)
A cavalcade of freaks, including limber ladies in lingerie, pierced and adorned dancers and an Alex, ala Clockwork Orange leading the way before Perry broke out into Underground off the new release The Great Escape Artist. With an elaborate stage, drums on a riser and Perry, a soundtrack remnant in all black like a Brandon Lee from TheCrow. Two ladies swung in the air in big white dresses with a random dude in a peacock outfit off to the side and the band strutting around the stage , full on stage show with sick music.
MountainSong sprung some grunge era guitar from Dave Navarro who I had just noticed was playing on stage. In my defense, I sat far right orchestra and Dave played to a legion far left pit, but the sound was easily identifiable for one of Jane’s Addiction’s best known songs. Paired up with Been Caught Stealin’ started in typical fashion, Perry being friendly with the crowd, shaking the hands of everyone up against the rail, as he did all night long, spreading the rock but this time, taking a hat and wearing it in tribute to the song.
Ted, Just Admit it… the creepiest of Jane’s songs, and that is saying a lot, still brought the cheers and throngs to the stage, as the freak show going on behind the band was garnering the divided attention of everyone. While Perry sang ‘Nothings shocking…Sex is Violent’, the performance art with Siamese twins in white lingerie and now Alex hanging a baby doll then tearing it apart. Far above the band, where he then mocked suicide with a straight razor and fake blood; it was enjoyably fucked up. Perry then captured what was on stage and told the crowd a secret: “What you’re experiencing is the result of some broken people.” This is the understatement of the year. This wasn’t a GG Allin level of creepiness, but then a video of kids molesting dolls and abusing them, and the crowd was hushed. But is it art?
The stage was set under the dark of the video to bring out a chair or two and a light by which Navarro played a painful acoustic guitar for a slightly calypso Jane Says but it still shone thanks to the vocals. Chip Away got a light acoustic treatment before a stage shift with video interlude that brought three drums to the front of the stage for Navarro, Steven Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney took stage left to bang on the drums while Perry for the rest of the show that follows. Three Days got full Navarro shredding while Perry played the maracas and the Siamese twins danced one at a time on the stage. The level of rock guitar shredding that ensued to end the show was a combination of Van Halen and White Zombie for a huge number in Three Days followed by the equally enamoring Stop!, always a crowd pleaser.
The encore wrapped up the night, starting with Perry asking the crowd “Are you ready to come yet?” as the band moved into Words Right Out of My Mouth followed by Ocean Size, just a monstrous number, their best performed song of the night.
A nice look at the future of rock and the recent past of a rock era we continue to live in started the weekend right. Next up was moe., who brought it back home on Saturday night.
moe.
Having started out in the Albany area, a homecoming is always well-attended and received by a throng of fans who sell out the Palace for moe repeatedly, bringing with them a full day of musical energy. A great show with no holds barred rock, the crowd welcomed their local band to the big stage for three hours of blistering rock with extended jams that got deeper as the night went on.
Set 1: Runaway Overlude > Chromatic Nightmare > Seat Of My Pants, New York City > George > Four > Downward Facing Dog
Set 2: Money* > Billy Goat > Skrunk, Time Again, Big World> Ricky Marten > The Bones of Lazarus > Rebubula
Encore: Spine Of A Dog > Dr. Graffenberg
*with Marley Amico on sax
Starting with 17 minutes of two spooky, Zappa-esque songs, the tension was broken with Seat of My Pants, always a crowd favorite. George and Four, two of my favorite moe tunes of all time clocked in at a combined 38 minutes. The lack of a definitive starting or ending point is the hallmark of a great band; with only two breaks on stage all night and continuous segues nearly throughout both sets. A good jamband like moe. keeps you guessing, changing songs up without more than a guitar riff to play off of.
Money opened up set 2 and brought out Marley Amico, daughter of drummer Vinny, to tear up the sax solo for the epic Floyd song. Not a note was missed, just like New Years Eve when she performed the same number with moe in Portland, Maine. Truly, the talent is in the blood and was nothing short of a great performance. The second set moved through a half dozen numbers, rocking in an out of new tunes Billy Goat into established rotation numbers like Big World and Lazarus before ending with the epic love song, Rebubula, giving the same powerful build up it has hundreds of times before, each version still different than the last.
Some Al.nouncements preceded Spineof aDog, the encore equivalent to CharacterZero, able to be kept short or drawn out for a house shaking encore. The latter gave us a deep encore groove, extraordinary, spacing out into a fresh jam via a deep bass line groove via Rob. We were in the midst of Panty- melting 70s porn groove. An out of the blue smooth segue into Dr. Graffenberg was so exploratory that you had trouble remembering what song they were still tearing into. This was a great jam to lose yourself in, so the full 25 minutes of the encore.
Floodwood
With the show ending, the crowd dispersed, moving southward towards Pearl Street, local bars, watering holes, hotels and finally, Red Square, where Al and Vinny’s side-project Floodwood was performing latenight. A packed house sold out the show in advance (hint, get tickets early for these postshows) where moe. fans gathered to catch up with the extended moe.family that grows with each passing year. Rob Derhak stopped down to take in the show with friends, as did a nice chunk of the Palace crowd. Floodwood performed for two hours altogether, mixing Americana and bluegrass numbers, not unlike another side project of moe.’s, Al and the Transamericans. With Vinny behind the drums for both, this incarnation is more hill-country and less rocking than its predecessor, a nice cap to the evening. Featuring Zachary Fleitz, Nick Piccininni and Jason Barady from Woodenspoon on strings with Al on guitar and Vinny on drums, the group drove through originals, covers including an energetic Mollyn Tenbrook. Called back for multiple encores over the final half hour, including Al’s Blue Eyed Son, the swarmed crowd dipped into each extension of the night eagerly. As the band finally wrapped the night up, the crowd slowly trickled into the streets, ready to greet 330am.
These are the weekends that I look forward to months in advance, knowing how great the onslaught of music is over the course of two nights. Four great bands plus hundreds upon hundreds of live music fans makes for a great way to spend a weekend in Albany.
Comfortable atmospheres line the tracks of Comfort, the E.P. that marks the first release by Boston’s Humaana. Started as a studio project in 2009 by members of Late Nite Wars and Ryan Stack of Format Audio, Humaana tasked themselves with the “goal to write and record as much material as possible without any genre constraints.” The result is a solid, laid back effort heavy on lush effects and melodies. Somewhat like a modern day Police in sound, the songs are catchy and somehow manage to walk the tightrope of becoming familiar while not at all crossing the line into repetitive, a trap that has easily been fallen into by far longer running acts.
I had no idea how refreshing it would be to hear effects on vocals and not have it be fucking autotune. But it was. Seriously. I can’t help but feel that currently there’s a giant hole in music overall that is just begging for strong, melodic acts to fill it, much like a horny cougar at a homecoming party. Too soon? No matter, Humaana is exactly the band to do the filling, so look out Demi Moore! While I admittedly pulled the Police comparison from the band’s press material, I feel it is the first thing that popped out at me upon listening and quite apt. If I had to pull a band I would compare these guys to from the murky depths of my own brain, I have to say I hear similar qualities to A Day At The Fair, though I am hard pressed to say exactly in what aspect.
Featuring a very big sound for a three piece, strong recording quality and confident songwriting that suggests a much longer running band, this five song E.P. will absolutely get in your head and stay there, and I would suggest it for anyone looking for a warm, comfortable E.P. to get them through the remainder of winter.
For more on Humaana:
http://www.facebook.com/Humaana
http://panicrecords.net
This E.P. was released on 2/28/12 and is now available through the Panic Records website.
http://www.panicrecords.net/estore/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=humaana
All good things must come to an end but all great things deserve an encore. Thursday night, Timbre Coup’s February residency at Jillians of Albany came to an end with their most powerful performance of the month, reeling in dozens of new fans to their rock/techno fusion. The crowd danced and writhed to the jams that developed from songs both new and old, leaving no doubt to the legacy the band is creating through their shows in the Capital District. Guitarist/bassist Dan Gerken said “The residency showed me that not only does acoustic Timbre Coup work, it was one of our strongest sets! You will be seeing more of this completely organic sound of ours very soon. We were happy to be able to experiment with the 4 show run we had.”
For their CD release party ‘Knuckles and Valleys’, the show featured a tracks including March, June, October and a stellar rendition of July to close the show. A sandwich of Arnold Schwarzenegger->Give it to me baby (Rick James)->Arnold Schwarzenegger was unexpected but they nailed it and an appreciative crowd asked for more. Jams out of Watching You and Radio were met with a packed dance floor for both young and old in attendance. This could wind up being a yearly or possibly bi-annual residency and would continue to foster the positive response the band had received in the past two years.
Timbre Coup heads to Syracuse next to play the Westcott Theater on Saturday March 10th with Dirty Paris and Higher Organix, bringing the best of Albany to the Salt City. Dirty Paris and Timbre Coup return the next weekend to co-headline St. Patrick’s Day at Red Square in Albany making for a great Saturday night and continuing their notably worthy presence in their hometown of Albany.
The third album from Timbre Coup, Knuckles and Valleys, following the release of 2010’s Check Out This, will be released on Thursday, February 23rd on the final night of their month-long residency at Jillian’s of Albany.
Twelve tracks for the twelve months of the year, written over the course of 2009, one song each month and gaining the appropriate monthly title as the year progressed. The writing process, as shared by drummer Matt Pickering, “Some songs we tried to capture the mood or feeling of the month in lyrics of music, a couple we just wrote what we were feeling at the time. The mixing on the album reflects how we think the months sound.” The songs have all been played live but for those new to Timbre Coup, they can see how the music portrays the month while existing fans will hear different versions of songs they are already familiar with.
With tracks as easy as these to name in order, a brief description of what to expect from this impressive junior effort:
January – There’s some Tool in here, along with a Middle Eastern jazz infusion and dark vocals, inspired by gritty 90s grunge. Great start to the album/year.
February – A great bass line opens up into a groovy beat, followed by a refrain “This has only just begun” with a mellow sax not unlike “Careless Whisperer.”
March – Instrumental prog-rock goodness; this could be a soundtrack for a boat adrift at sea, encountering storms and finally placid at the end.
April – A musical thunderstorm, great lyrics and wonderful guitar work on a hallmark track.
May – Bass n drums foundation with building guitar licks before a break in the song; the song starts again with more intensity in the second half, growing to great heights. Solid.
June – A homemade electronic feast without missing a beat, strongest track so far, makes for great dancing; lyrics include ‘Keep it pumpin’ till the night is through, it’s a summer rhythm…’
July – Spastic guitar propels the tune forward, the arching solos create the melting rhythms.
August – Another Middle Eastern infusion at the outset, lyrics are celebratory “The day is mine!” as the quartet turn to Mexican influences for an end of summer jam.
September – An airy trance starts off the ninth track, a purely electronic track from four musicians who create a spooky techno song without needing a laptop; pure musical talent in the month of September.
October – Harsh and gritty, machine-gun guitar vs. sweep solo guitar.
November – Indie rock at first, but quickly supplanted by the come-to-expect deep grooves that accent the lyrics and harmony vocals.
December – Industrial beats mark the beginning, rocking and jamming all the way through. A perfect way to cap off a magnificent album.
Good cover bands are hard to come by, as seen by the local acts that fill bars and clubs around the country each weekend, singing the songs of the past. The bigger names – Dark Star Orchestra and The Fab Faux are notable because they accurately recreate the music of the Grateful Dead and The Beatles, respectively, without donning costumes or trying to make the music their own. They have simply learned the music and play it as close to the original as possible and in doing so, fill a void left by the absence of the bands they cover. Some would call them tribute bands, but that distinction is reserved for the groups that take on the style and exact lineup of the original band (i.e. The Fab Faux has five members) and leaves little room for error or interpretation.
For a band as complicated as Pink Floyd, both in terms of music and history, the number of cover bands is akin to The Beatles; there’s The Machine, Australian Pink Floyd, Brit Floyd and the band I was fortunate to see, The Pink Floyd Experience from San Diego, California. Opening up on February 16, 2012 with the entire album ‘Wish You Were Here‘ and nailing all five epic songs (Shine on Your Crazy Diamond I-V, Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond VI-IX) without skipping a beat. For my favorite album of them all by Floyd, I was impressed.
Then a brief intermission where the lights revealed family night at The Palace Theater. Many fans are older now and brought their kids, mostly teenagers but a few tweens as well. Families were milling about, grabbing concessions and ignoring merchandise with mellow aplomb; surely this is the exact opposite of Floyd when they played Wish You Were Here at venues like this back in the 1970s. But a mixed crowd leads to a new generation or two with the ability to enjoy some of the greatest music ever written. Ranging from the psychedelia of the 60s to the rock anthems of the 70s to the rock opera of The Wall in the 80s and the scraps left over in the 90s when David Gilmour toured and Roger Waters didn’t, Pink Floyd spans 6 decades of music and returns to stadiums this summer (and The Times Union Center June 28th) with The Wall once again. The light show isn’t the same with The Pink Floyd Experience, but they make a great effort to recreate the entire experience, nailing the music and sound but lacking with the lighting.
Set 2 started out with On the Run->Time from Dark Side of the Moon before mellowing out into the spooky vibrations of Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. An extended sax solo front stage recreated the ‘Careless Whisper’ feeling from 1984, forgetting that the extended sax solo should remain in the 80s. Learning to Fly, the lone 1990s Floyd offering was anthemic and ensured that all eras were covered tonight. The group announced that they would play a song for Syd Barrett but sadly, no Bike but Interstellar Overdrive instead. Money and a short version of Echoes (minus the spaciness) followed, along with another sax solo before a random guy in a jacket adorned with light bulb took the stage for the stormy intro to HeyYou. The surround sound effects were at their best here, getting fans to turn their heads as the sound traversed throughout the audience and segued into ComfortablyNumb. A packed sandwich of Run Like Hell -> Another Brick in the Wall Part Two -> Run Like Hell got the audience singing along with the band while the giant pig took to the space between the audience and the stage, drifting up and down until fans had left the show shortly before 10pm.
The members of The Pink Floyd Experience lauded Albany for providing a great turnout once again. This was a show that is very worth seeing, although I would have liked another 45-60 minutes of some more obscure songs. But I can’t complain, good cover bands are hard to come by.
Dopapod with special guest Timbre Coup
Jillians
Following The Pink Floyd Experience, I headed over the Jillians, where Timbre Coup continued their residency for February, opening up for funk/electronica group Dopapod, another regular in the Capital District. Coup’s electric set for a packed house continues to be one of the highlights of music in the area, cornering the electro/prog-rock market and garnering new fans throughout the month of February. Dopapod followed with strong set of songs from their new album ‘Drawn Onward’ and random and funky dance numbers. Dopapod will be back in a couple short months, potentially opening up for a bigger name in the electronica genre. It’s a big week next week for Timbre Coup, with their CD release party of ‘Knuckles and Valleys’ on 2/23 at Jillians with Higher Organix opening. Don’t miss the final night of their Jillian’s residency!
Hailing from Binghamton, trance/fusion band Solaris greets 2012 with their first EP, a stellar preview of whats to come when they enter the studio later this year. Forming in the summer of 2010, the trio made up of Jared Raphel on keyboards, Dan Lyons on drums and Vince Naro on Bass play a Disco Biscuits/STS9 style of electronica that many fans will appreciate for their high energy dance rhythms. Solaris bundles the best of these groups along with a little Pink Floyd and jazz influence into a writhing EP, Beyond 3D that makes an solid statement from a band on the rise in New York.
Beyond 3D opens with Must Be Heard, which provides a trancey cymbal rattling intro to the five-track EP with spoken word samples in the background providing the title to the track. Polar continues with lines from the movie Solaris, moving rapidly into a well formed psychotropic composition. Not Waiting Long is airy and orchestral, with nice deep beats and percussion change up of the beat over eight minutes, morphing into a sci-fi movie soundtrack at 78 RPMS. Them starts out with a synthesizer intro then moves into a slap bass and drum pad led section, incorporating the melodies of the keys into the electronic landscape and growing into a fury that explodes with the band fully in step together. The Person I Remember ends the EP with a soft outro and a few final samples.
Solaris’ next show is The Binghamtronica Music and Arts Festival at Binghamton University on March 24th. Tickets are $20 and will be available at http://www.facebook.com/Binghamtronica3
