This Friday, November 9th, rock jam-band moe. is scheduled to play at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. The event is 18 and over, with tickets going for $35. There will be a general admission standing room only floor and a reserved seated Lodge and Balcony area. If you get tickets for Reserved Lodge and Balcony, you will NOT have access to the general admission floor. The doors open at 6:30 and the show is scheduled to kick off at 8. The Capitol Theatre’s box office will be open Friday from 12pm-6pm, you can call via phone at (877)435-9849 or Tickets can always be purchased at ticketfly.com
Moe. was one of the first bands that got me into the entire jam-band scene. Moe. is a great band to introduce friends into this musical genre and they always deliver with an unforgettable performance. The crowd is usually full of dedicated fans, better known as moe.rons, who can appreciate the Buffalo, NY band for bringing them a unique, heartfelt experience at each show. After being together for three decades and producing 17 albums, there is more than enough music to be played at any moe. show. Band members Al, Chuck, Rob, Jim and Vinnie continue to gain fans with their high energy performances, individual talents and sense of humor.
Moe. has played at a number of festivals such as Bear Creek, Gathering of the Vibes, All Good and Bonnaroo. The quintet also hosts their own festivals such as moe.down and snoe.down. They will be ringing in the New Year once again in Portland, Maine, sure to be a sellout.
The Waterhole, the north country’s premier live music venue, is in the spotlight this week. The original building dates back to the late 1800’s and was built as the Saranac Lake Village Livery and Stables. They rented, shoe’d, and took care of the fire department’s horses. With the advent of the automobile, the need for a livery died, and the downstairs became a tire vulcanizing shop, and some say that the 2nd floor turned into a brothel.
In the mid eighties, the “godfather” Billy Allen bought the business and brought live music with him. Seeing the lack of venues in the area for music, he dreamed of a performing arts center in town. Under his ownership he renovated and expanded the upstairs, and brought live music to Saranac Lake.
Today, The Waterhole’s Upstairs Music room is considered one of the “must play” venues in Upstate NY. The highlight each year is the annual Winter Carnival, which brings the regions top touring acts to town in a 9 day stretch in early February. Recent Winter Carnival performances include Donna The Buffalo, The Ominous Seapods, Lucid, Hot Day at The Zoo, and Raisinhead. Look for The 2013 Winter Carnival announcement soon on .com.
I think it’s safe to say that at this point, anyone around the general CNY area has heard about the folk-Americana/ jazzy swinging newgrass duo, The Rusty Doves. The pair has played countless types of shows around the Utica area from opening up for acts like Rusted Root to playing their lively music for children in the Utica City School District. I was more excited than usual to take a hot off the press copy of The Rusty Doves’ newest effort, especially after learning it was a live recording. As I’d hoped, this disc is nothing short of a pure delight and captures the style, energy, and extra special quality that The Doves embody. I have to immediately and highly recommend that this become a part of your music arsenal, especially if you are already a fan of this project. If you are new to the Doves’ music, this is an excellent chance for you to find out what all of the fuss is about.
I had a chance to speak with Jerry D, the duo’s bassist, about how this CD came to be. The recording is of a show they performed about a year ago with Strung Sideways, another great local group. When Jerry and Alyssa (Stock, vocals and mandolin) heard the tracks back, they were very pleased with the quality and way their music was represented. They’d become somewhat frustrated with attempting to get the same energetic sound out of their music in a studio setting and were happy to hear their true music selves reflected back at them from this set of songs. They decided to run with it, and that brings us to this album, officially releasing on November 3, 2012 with a shindig at The Green Onion Pub on Genesee Street in Utica, NY.
This effort is delightfully grassroots. As I understand it, the recording was done by Strung Sideways themselves and the business as usual aura created a great scene for Jerry and Alyssa to simply be themselves and do what they do; make cheerful (though sometimes deliciously, deceptively dark in subject matter) and organic music. Most of the songs represented here are covers reflected through The Doves’ unique prism, but “Shadow Blues” is an original composition. Whether interpreting the songs of others or crafting their own creations, The Rusty Doves’ sets always are cohesive. They have a distinct style that they are able, or perhaps more appropriately compelled, to carry from one song to the next regardless of the genre the original artist worked in. They know who they are and this translates. It is folk and it is Americana, but it also draws from a big band and swing sound which really sets the Doves apart from some of their brethren on the circuit. Their modern selections come out sounding expertly antiqued. There is no denying Jerry and Alyssa’s musicianship either. The way each dances through keys on their respective instruments shows a mastery of craft. They leave no room for laziness, stock structures, or the easy way out of a song as they chromatically build one chord upon another; the chugging rhythm of the mandolin to the perfect counterpoint of bass.
I expect your journey into this live compilation to be a pleasant one. Once you fall in love, please share this great music with a friend and help the network grow for these dedicated independent musicians.
Led By The Blind has released their debut music video for “O#2”, a song from their 2011 release “Controversy”. The video is entirely self-produced and directed by Jamie Ervay, the drummer/singer of the band, on the ridiculously small budget of just $500. The video features a creepy storyline in which the main character (also played by Jamie Ervay) wakes up in an unfamiliar environment and can’t find his way out. The video has memorable visuals and a great cinematic style, giving some insight into the minds of the artists and giving the video a feel of it’s own that differs from the traditional style of music videos seen everyday. The video was shot regionally to the band over just 3 days with a Canon 6D camera. The editing and visual effects were all created over just a 30 day period.
Jamie had this to say, “I’m pretty proud of this video. It’s the first I’ve ever made of this magnitude and it’s the first time I’ve combined all of the skills I’ve acquired over the past decade. I give the credit to all the bonus features on ‘The Lord Of The Rings’, and ‘Matrix’ trilogies. I just hope people enjoy it.”
The video can be seen here http://youtu.be/ZNlNyw5YiU8 or at most any of the band’s web presences including www.ledbytheblind.com
Man Overboard and their label, Lost Tape Collective, have announced their annual holiday show in Philadelphia. This year’s event will take place on December 15th at the Theater of the Living Arts on South Street. Here is a quote from the band about this years show:
“Every year we curate the Lost Tape Collective holiday show. We try to comprise the show of bands that are friends, tour mates and bands we enjoy and support. We spent the summer on Warped Tour with Alan Day and I Am The Avalanche… Seahaven was on our headline tour in February and Daylight + Citizen are old buds so its going to be a great night of friendship and hangouts…. we hope everyone with an interest in these bands can make it out to the show!… we will be announcing a special guest and final act fairly soon”
Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, November 2nd at noon via LiveNation’s website.
Saturday, December 15th @ Theater of the Living Arts
334 South Street – Philadelphia, PA
Lineup:
MAN OVERBOARD
I AM THE AVALANCHE
SEAHAVEN
CITIZEN
DAYLIGHT
ALAN DAY (of Four Year Strong)
I arrived fashionably late to Club Helsinki for Charlie Hunter on Friday, mostly because its rather unassuming at first glance. Understated even, compared to the elegance inside. A renovated Factory originally built in 1863, Helsinki has many irons in the fire with a Ballroom upstairs, full restaurant in front, Club in the rear and an adjacent courtyard.
I had driven right by as I am not totally familiar with Hudson yet and hadn’t noticed the HELSINKI lettering dripping down the outer wall on either side. Duh, I thought, as I hustled inside. I mistakenly entered the restaurant first and was directed to the back via the courtyard. Luke, the Club Helsinki manager greeted me outside in the courtyard with a smile. He showed me in, informing me Charlie had started about 15 minutes before. Knowing his songs tend to noodle around, I figured I had missed around 3-4 songs. Club Helsinki has simple tasteful decor and is inviting and comfortable with a large bar, three levels of tables and an ample dance floor. I settled into the most immediate open table with my brown ale.
The first song I’m privy to is an energetic and funky breakdown of Hall & Oates’ I Can’t Go For That! It was everything I could hope for in a jazzed up version of a song I grew up hearing. I enjoyed the next song and then noticed my friend Tom Carpenter and joined him at a table closer to the stage. I am not sure what the next couple songs were, but I noticed as I was sitting closer that Charlie has on his guitar face, that means business. Scott Amendola, his drummer, has come to play as well. Playfully covering a Curtis Mayfield B side Charlie’s chops are so incredible as he makes the bass lines with the top three bass strings and guitar licks and solos on the bottom four strings of his hybridized guitar. Next is a soulful You’ve Been A Good ole Wagon, But Baby Now You’ve Done Broke Down, an old Bessie Smith number. After a brief pause at the end of the show Scott and Charlie joined us for an encore after the crowd of 40 or so hooted and applauded them.
I had a great time at Club Helsinki. Anyplace I can see some great musicians in an intimate setting with excellent sound and have drinks delivered to my table, I’m game. I will definitely be back.
The NY Banjo – A Five-String Summit has a very rich tradition. So rich, in fact, it reaches beyond its own ten year history and into the history of the banjo’s story. Actually an instrument with African heritage, the banjo began to assume its place in the culture of americana music around the 1930s. Pete Seeger was at the apex of that effort, and his time touring with Woodie Guthrie helped catapult him along with, and perhaps through, the burgeoning folk scene of the time. Audiences began to embrace the banjo as a lead instrument, and as the lead instrument in many cases. Largely because Seeger was not only an expert technician but also so adept at fusing politics and social issues with song, he and his banjo filled a much needed niche in the country given the political and social climate of the changing times. New York City began to flourish with the sounds of flying fingers and a wave of young musicians emerged hungry to lend their thumb picks to the cause. Among those musicians was Eric Weissberg, ultimate member of the NY Banjo Summit, who studied for a time at the nimble hands of Pete.
Bluegrass groups began to take shape and New York City was a hotspot in the early 50s, at the cutting edge of the wave. Through the rise of Mike Seeger and The New Lost City Ramblers, The New York Ramblers and The Down State Rebels and many others, banjo players were evolving and developing their own styles. Naturally, they cooperated, work-shopped, and listened to each other, drawing out the best innovative ideas each had to offer and strengthening the overall community. Mac Benford and his 5 string were upstate, and so entered Ithaca’s part of this tale with Benford’s The Highwoods Stringband. Other notable bluegrass musicians included in his I-town contemporaries include Walt Koken, Howie Bursen, and Ken Perlman and as they are wont to do, these musicians all began to collectively establish a community supportive of their genre in the Southern Tier, a healthy extension of downstate’s scene. Communities easily blossomed into networks and it is from that The NY Banjo Summit was planned in 2002.
In the 1970s, Bela Fleck was living among the downstate limb of the body of New York bluegrass and is a part the next wave of appreciation for the banjo. He studied under Tony Trischka and whittled his craft to precision. He has unique techniques of interacting with his instrument and he is both traditional and progressive.
That’s quite a history and quite a root stock running through New York! This history was recognized in 2002 when the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center in Albany, NY, assembled an all star group of banjo aficionados for the first New York Banjo concert. This marks the 10 year reunion of that effort and a 10-city New York Banjo Summit tour arose in honor of the accomplishment.
For additional information regarding this show, please reference the State Theater and Dan Smalls Presents websites. Gold Circle Seats refer to the first 10 rows in the center section of the theater and also the first 2 rows of the balcony section.
I first became “acquainted” with Jackie Greene, when a video of Jackie Greene performing “Brokedown Palace” with Phil Lesh at Phil’s Marin County home surfaced back in September 2007. The rehearsals were in preparation for the fall 2007 Phil and Friends tour. I happened to catch the 10/20/2007 show of that tour at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Most of the hype centered around the appearance of Phish’s Trey Anastasio who was residing in the area at the time. But “the new kid” in skinny jeans, as I referred to him in a blog post, impressed me with his gritty bluesy voice. Not an easy task when you are on stage with Larry Campbell, Phil Lesh and Trey Anastasio!
I’ve been a fan since. I have caught his sets at Gathering of the Vibes, his performances with Ratdog and Bob Weir, and followed the YouTube videos he shoots of himself performing new tunes. Although I missed out on his Ramble appearances down at the late great Levon Helm’s Barn and his prior visits to Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY, I tentatively had the 11/2/12 show at Bearsville Theater pencilled in on my calender prior to the announcement he would be joining Phil and Friends (again) on tour shortly thereafter. While I was stuck working, I was shut out of tickets for the Phil & Friends dates at the Capitol Theater in Portchester, NY when those dates sold out quickly.
It was serendipity that Jackie Greene announced an added date at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY where I grew up and where family still lives. A 45 minute drive to Hudson sure beats the 1hr 45m drive to Bearsville as much as I enjoy hanging out in Woodstock.
I had never been to Club Helsinki before, which I can best describe as a seated club (or at least it was for this night). It had a supper club/cabaret type feel. In fact people were dining throughout most of opening act Jabe Beyer’s set and through Jackie’s. The tables were all full when my friends and I arrived but we were told we could sit on the couch which was side stage and right next to Jackie’s tech.
For a singer/songwriter type like Jackie Greene, the venue was perfect and the acoustics were outstanding. The 17 song set showcased Jackie’s versatility as he segued seamlessly from folk to pure country to rock and blues and back showing why the New York Times labeled him the “Prince of Americana”.
Jackie opened with I Don’t Live in a Dream from 2008’s Giving up the Ghost. He then put on the harmonica for a Dylanesque Gone Wanderin’ prefaced by stating “a little joy before the storm hits” referring to the looming Hurricane Sandy. Honey I Been Thinking about you had folky Arlo Guthrie like humor. A Side of the Road and Honey also showcased folk influences. There was a a nod to the outstanding sound because “I can hear myself” with pure country ballad When Did you Stop Loving Me?
A cover of the Grateful Dead’s Deal featured an outstanding keyboard solo by Steve Taylor on a very clean and crisp sounding Yamaha. I was continuously torn between putting down my camcorder to just listen especially on the lush harmonies of A Moment of Temporary Color where Steve Taylor showed restraint and a light ethereal touch on those ivories.
Jackie took an audience request on 1961 playfully stating “WTF are the words!! I always get myself into these situations” It was then his turn to take to the piano and he swapped places with Steve Taylor for Shaken, So Hard To Find My Way and the gritty, soulful and very old-school blues of Tell Me Mama, Tell me Right were he asked the soundman to take everyone else out of the mix.
Jackie then returned to the guitar for a duet with Steve on Elton John classic Bennie & The Jets. The playful back and forth of Bennie Bennie Bennie…. Bennie & the Jets had both singers at the tops of their range in falsetto. A switch to acoustic guitar for One Bad Love and one of my favorite tunes of the evening Uphill Mountain signaled the night was winding down all too quickly. Band introductions followed and it was back to the electric for set closer and the second Grateful Dead cover of the night: Sugaree. After the band left the stage briefly, they came back out with Jabe Beyer. With a nod to Levon Helm and The Band, Jackie and Jabe encored with The Weight.
Setlist: Tuning, I Don’t Live In A Dream, Gone Wanderin’, By the Side of the Road, Dressed to Kill, Honey I Been Thinking About You, When Did You Stop Loving Me?, Deal, A Moment of Temporary Color, Till the Light Comes, 1961, Shaken, So Hard To Find My Way, Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Right, Bennie and the Jets, One Bad Love Uphill Mountain, Sugaree
Every year, College Music Journal (CMJ) invites hundreds of the music industry’s leading professionals to come speak in New York City, to share their knowledge with students interested in breaking into the industry and followers of “the biz.” The CMJ Music Marathon also showcases over one thousand musicians, exhibiting concerts all throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn for five October nights. In the past, musicians like Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire, and Lady Gaga found themselves performing in the City’s most intimate venues, sponsored by CMJ, just before breaking into the national spotlight and garnering widespread attention.
I had the opportunity this year to experience CMJ firsthand, listening to Daniel Glass of Glassnote Records and Bill Werde of Billboard Magazine by day and venue hopping from The Knitting Factory to Santos Party House by night.
My 2012 CMJ Music Marathon experience came to a close, however, on Saturday night with a Wild Nothing performance at the Bowery Ballroom, a venue that occupies a building originally built in the 1920’s. Although the building acted as a high-end retail store until its conversion into a music venue in 1997, its old school elements—wide, wooden banisters leading to a balcony view, and its large, stage-encompassing curtain that greets the venue’s guests—create a comfortable, personal atmosphere.
Taking the stage after opening sets from FORMA, Weekend, and Braids, the 5-piece, Virginia-based band began their set with “Shadow,” the first track off of their recently released album, Nocturn.
As the set progressed, Wild Nothing’s influence on the audience brought about clusters of dancing concertgoers. The band’s arrangement of alluring guitar riffs, prevalent bass lines, quick drum beats, and mellowed-out, reverb-heavy vocals hypnotized the venue’s 550 guests into a state of grooving in a way completely dissimilar to many of today’s fist-pumping acts that occupy popular dance clubs. It was this presentation of instruments and vocals that engaged the audience in such an authentic way, focusing the crowd’s attention on the music while also creating a fun, dance-dominated atmosphere.
Coming off a well-received sophomore album, Wild Nothing seems to be heading in the right direction. Frontman Jack Tatum’s tunes translate well into a live setting, and the exposure gained at an event like CMJ will no doubt cultivate the band’s already solid fan base. Wild Nothing’s music has already made an impact on the industry, and their appearance at 2012’s CMJ Music Marathon may prove to be just the beginning.
The Wetlands Preserve original owner Larry Bloch, died Sunday. The Wetlands Preserve gained prominence as the center of the burgeoning jamband scene in the early 90’s, hosting bands such as Phish, The Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, moe., Strangefolk and more early in their careers. It was located at 161 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa neighborhood of NYC. The Wetlands was also a model for environmental responsibility, prominently displaying and circulating hundreds of petitions (club patrons accounted for over 30,000 signatures a year) and lobbied corporate and government leaders for action.
Larry explained his concept of The Wetlands Model in 2001: “We have proven that a for-profit enterprise can efficiently and dynamically create positive change in the world by including in its mission a purpose for being, beyond profit, and adequately funding that good work as an overhead expense. Combining music and fun with activism worked well at Wetlands, and can work wherever people who share a vision come together. With so many magical seeds sown, I am optimistic about what may grow.”
From moe.org : “…we lost a mentor to many. Larry Bloch was a great man who brought a great vision to life. Those who frequented the Wetlands in New York City got a chance to see someone build a scene like no other and understood the significance; they got to witness and be part of the vision. Nobody has been able to duplicate what Larry did. In a way, moe. lost their Bill Graham today.”
From John Popper’s Facebook page : “So sorry to hear about Larry Bloch, founder of Wetlands… He fought his cancer really hard&lived 8months longer than predicted in pretty good health&went peacefully by all accounts… We all love him&wish him well on the next phase of his journey…”
updated Oct 31st:
from the moe facebook: In memory of Larry Bloch and all the amazing memories we made at the Wetlands, we are giving away the MP3 download of the 9/23/95 show, now through Monday 11/5 at noon. Be seeing you, Larry!
Today, The Waterhole’s Upstairs Music room is considered one of the “must play” venues in Upstate NY. The highlight each year is the annual Winter Carnival, which brings the regions top touring acts to town in a 9 day stretch in early February. Recent Winter Carnival performances include Donna The Buffalo, The Ominous Seapods, Lucid, Hot Day at The Zoo, and Raisinhead. Look for The 2013 Winter Carnival announcement soon on .com.
