Category: Lake George

End of the World Shows across Upstate NY on December 21st

It’s the end of the world as we know it, so let’s use that as an excuse to see some live music shows in Upstate New York! On Friday, December 21st, the Mayans, who couldn’t foresee the Spanish coming, have predicted 12/21/2012 as the end of something; probably autumn.

Terrible movies like 2012 have highlighted this and while mass hysteria is always fun to watch, it’s better to celebrate this event with a memorable night out and about. There are quite a few bands planning ‘End of the World’ shows across New York, so here’s a list and links to venues, compiled by Lindsay Jones.

Capital District

Albany

Red Square: Manhattan Project with Convolved

The Bayou Cafe: Conehead Buddha

Lake George

Towers Hall: Capital Zen, Cosmic Dust Bunnies, High Peaks Band, Indigo Sun

North Country

Monopole: Flabberghaster

Syracuse

The Westcott Theater: Project Weather Machine/Timbre Coup

Rochester

Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint: Moho Collective

Water Street Music Hall: Donna the Buffalo/Sim Redmond Band

Buffalo

Nietzsche’s: Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams

December 17, 2012
Ten Year Vamp Changes Directions

Albany band Ten Year Vamp has been together for a decade now, and with the end of these ten years comes a change of direction. Moving into their second decade, the club favorites around the Capital District and points north and south will be moving in a new direction, putting their cover songs behind them and focusing exclusively on original music. Debbie Gabrione, lead singer of Ten Year Vamp, talked to about this change by the band and what the future holds for them.

Pete Mason: What recent developments with the band led to the decision, after 10 years, to shift away from covers and focus exclusively on your original music?

Debbie Gabrione: After ten years of non stop gigging, we just reached a point where we’ve attained a decent level of success as an unsigned original band and realized we don’t need the cover band thing anymore to continue moving forward. The cover music was just a way for us to have an income so that we could invest that income into the original band; making CDs, merch, gas/hotel money, etc… Due largely to the income of the cover band, we’ve released six CD’s, with the last two getting us a significant amount of publicity, licensing and publishing opportunities. With those opportunities, we’ve been able to get an income as an original band (as opposed to the cover band income which we previously had to rely on). With the new found income, we don’t need the cover band. Don’t get me wrong, it wouldn’t suck to have the two incomes and we talked about keeping the cover shows going, even on a part time level, but after playing more then 800 shows, not having a weekend free to spend with friends/family for the past 10 years, playing the same cover songs over and over with excitement and energy, and being burnt out and sore and tired all the time, it’ll be nice to get a small break.

PM: How do you plan to spend the new found time?

DG: We plan to make good use of our break by writing tons of new originals. We’ve made connections in the industry and we now know how things work, so we feel as though it’s in our best interest to focus 100% on just putting out as much original music as possible. Because we all have full time jobs AND gig on the weekend AND practice one night a week, it’s been nearly impossible to find time to write, let alone feel inspired. We just really want to free ourselves up as much as possible to just write. Once we have some new material and possibly a new product to shop (a CD), we’ll resume playing shows.

PM: What were the conflicts surrounding the decision?

DG: There really weren’t many conflicts and it was pretty much an obvious decision. The fact is that we’re not the band we want to be. We want to be an original band, but we haven’t had the time to write a song in two years because we’ve been so busy.

PM: How did the band measure the pros and cons of the change?

DG: We could keep going as we are, but we’re not moving in the direction we want to go. It sucks and it’s sad to say goodbye to something we’ve been doing for 10 years with each other, but if what we want is more success as an original band, then this is the most ideal solution.

PM: Ten Year Vamp has always mixed in originals into their sets, so will there be more songwriting and song debuts in the future?

DG: The plan is to take a few months off and dive head first into writing, then hit up the studio and get everything recorded. When we have a bunch of new songs, we plan to resume gigging and pursue more licensing and publishing opportunities.

PM: Is this another Ten Year Vamp, and can we expect another change in 10 years?

DG: We don’t expect our hiatus to be longer then a few months to a year and we plan to come back bigger and better then ever. With new songs in tow, hopefully a bunch more licensing successes and having taken a year off, we expect our return to draw even crowds and attention.

Stay tuned to Ten Year Vamp’s Facebook page for upcoming shows in 2012.

December 4, 2012
Matt’s Music Together – Music Education for Children in the Capital District

A musical education is the foundation of early learning for infants and young children, and children are proven to learn best by exploring their environments and playing and watching their peers and role models. Matt’s Music Together, a program that offers music classes for families and their children age newborn to age 4, brings together research-based groups of children of a variety of ages that fosters a natural, family-style learning environment. Music Together is an international program with centers in most metro areas, so even outside of the Capital District of New York, visit www.musictogether.com to find classes near you.

Classes with Matt’s Music Together are completely non-structured class, with very few rules and where children are playing along side other kiddos. Here, there is not a focus on learning theory, how to play instruments or anything too structured but rather a chance for children to learn a broad foundation of musical understanding, exposing children to a huge amount of language, culturally diverse music and a bunch of music that is rhythmically different and in a different key than most other children’s music.

By playing around and observing people, children begin to learn the ABCs of music, how to sing in tune and play in rhythm. Director Matt Yaeger notes “I can say pretty much without fail that a child who stays in the program for a few years will be able to do these three things. Not to mention, every 10 weeks we use a collection of music that has about 25 new songs. Each year, that is approximately 75-100 songs being added to your child’s musical cannon that most others do not have.”

Meeting once a week for 45 minute classes, the groups incorporate songs, rhythmic rhymes, movement and instrument play. These activities are presented as informal, non-performance-oriented musical experiences that are developmentally appropriate for children and easy for parents and caregivers, regardless of their own musical ability. Sessions are held in the Fall, Winter and Spring for 10 weeks long, with a Summer session that is six weeks long and an upcoming early-Winter session in early-December that is three weeks long.

The early-Winter session starts on December 7th and costs $65 for the first child, and an additional $25 for the first sibling over eight months and additional siblings over eight months only $15 while additional children under 8 months are FREE. Each sessions comes with Music Together’s “Family Favorites” CD, a $15 retail value. Classes are held at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in North Greenbush, NY and are held twice Friday from 9:30-10:15 am and 10:30-11:15 am.

To register for Matt’s Music Together, go to mattsmusictogether.com and for more information on Music Together, check out Musictogether.com

“Learning the basics of music is like riding a bike. Once you’ve learned how to sing in key and play in rhythm you never forget… Except you don’t need training wheels.” – Matt Yaeger

November 28, 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
Autumation Festival Night 1 gets off on the Right Foot, November 8th

It’s not often that, in my home town of Lake George, we are fortunate enough to stay at home and see some of the best bands in the live music scene. Thankfully, the wonderful people who put together Autumation Festival saw the potential of our town and hosted one of the best weekends of music of the year. Held at the Historic Fort William Henry resort, Autumation featured a full four days of music and it kicked off Thursday night at Towers Hall: an old, yet charismatic building that was outfitted with an elaborate display of lights, decorations and sound that would do any mainstream touring band justice.

Formula 5 is a relatively new band with a surprisingly extensive catalog of original music that had the festival’s attention from start to finish. Their setlist featured four originals, all with highly energetic and mesmerizing jams. They also debuted one cover “The Music Never Stopped”, appropriate both in consideration that Formula 5’s originals have a heavy funk influence, as well as a fitting salute to the lineup that was to follow their inspiring performance that evening and beyond.

Next up was a familiar jamband out of Albany, Timbre Coup. Timbre Coup is one that always keeps you guessing. At one moment, Latin influences shine through and make you float; the next, prog rock influences keep the energy high and ensure that you don’t stop moving. Timbre Coup struck a nice, unique balance between these two genres. Their performance was as entertaining as it was original. They captured the attention of everyone in the building, and are well worthy of your focus every chance they get.

Twiddle, the pride of Castleton VT, followed Timbre Coup and opened their slot with a song off their newest album Somewhere on the Mountain called “BeeHop.” This song is comprised with jazz influences that transform into a heavy foreboding section which then releases back into its jazzy origins. After a few movements of this section, “BeeHop” drops into a hip-hop inspired verse and chorus. To the few who hadn’t yet listened to Twiddle, this tune is a clear statement. Twiddle is a band of many sounds and as usual, they did not disappoint those on hand.

As soon as you thought this lineup couldn’t get any better, Dopapod stepped out to follow Twiddle. If you’ve never seen Dopapod, check their website and find out when they’re playing near you next, and GO! These guys are incredibly talented and always fun. Their music is a blend of jazz, funk, electronic, prog, and even classic rock. On this night, we heard them all, both individually and inventively fused together. Dopapod almost always kept things wildly upbeat and intense. During their brief cool downs, they typically settled into a trance groove where their jazz influences seemed to really shine. All in all, these guys are very original and wildly talented and were a perfect way to cap the evening’s festivities.

All in all, Autumation Night 1 was a great time had by all. Between the stellar lineup, the awesome facilities and favorable location, it was clear right from the opening notes that this festival was destined to be a huge success. Looking forward to seeing you all here at the same time next year.

Read Jenni Wilson’s recap of the rest of Autumation Festival

November 26, 2012
Max Creek Haunted Halloween Bash with Conehead Buddha, October 26th, Lake George

After celebrating their 41st Anniversary weekend at Lake George’s Fort William Henry Inn and Conference Center in April 2012, jamband fixtures Max Creek returned to the same venue for their Haunted Halloween Weekend Bash. Weekend events such as Creekend, Camp Creek and StrangeCreek Campout take on a family atmosphere with people traveling from all over New England to get their Creek on. I attended the first night of the two night stand and it was a solid kickoff to what is always a great night of music. It’s probably appropriate for me to issue this disclaimer: I’ve probably seen Max Creek more then any other band including the Grateful Dead and consider myself a Creek Freak so I may be a little biased!

Opening the first night of festivities was another veteran genre blending jamband, Conehead Buddha. When I entered the auditorium at Fort William Henry, the place was relatively empty with most people milling around outside or hanging out at their hotel rooms which faced the lake and the auditorium. I never caught Conehead Buddha 1.0., so I was unfamiliar with them and it was a most pleasant surprise. I was instantly caught up by the groove of the band, which had dressed up in costume as a zombie mariachi band. They were laying down infectious grooves of ska, jazz, funk, reggae and salsa. Completely unfamiliar with their catalog, I just let the music take control. I did catch teases of The Allman Brothers “Jessica” in one song. And they got saxophone!!, as well as trumpet, trombone and percussion. I would have loved to hear them launch into “Hey Pachuco” because they had me wanting to break out my best impression of Jim Carrey in the Mask.

Being a Halloween Ball, there was a costume contest and there were prizes awarded both nights for best costumes in several categories. The judging went on the first night between the stage change. On my night there, there were some awesome costumes that included a Bedouin and a Belly Dancer couple, a pair of Hula-hooping kitty cats, a Lumberjack with a Chain saw, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and a Jellyfish to name a few.

Max Creek took the stage at the fashionably late time of 11:20 PM with only keyboardist Mark Mercier in costume. This was the second show I’ve caught with the ‘noobs’, the very talented Jamemurrell Stanley on percussion and the equally talented Bill Carbone on drums. Over the years, the drums have been the section that has had a rotating cast of characters while the core trio of Scott Murawski (lead guitar and drums when he takes to the kit), John Rider (bass), and Mark Mercier (keyboards) have remained intact. I was a big fan of the ‘Gregs’ and the other ‘Scott’ and of course the late great Rob Fried but going back to a percussion drum setup vs drums, the latter has added a color to the music missing since the passing of Fried.

The core three took turns on vocals with Murawski on his own original “If you Ask Me”, Mercier on cover “After Midnight” and Rider on his original “Devil’s Heart”, which featured some great interplay between Murawski on guitar and Rider on his bass. The energy upped a notch on the Grateful Dead’s “Bertha” before Mark Mercier took on country ballad “Long Black Veil”. There is always a bust out or two at Max Creek shows and up next was the seldom played “Silver Jack”. It was then Murawski’s turn to get playful on the lyrics of “Trippin’” (Scott heard someone had the best little kitty in town). Set oneclosed with Warren Zevon’d “Werewolves of London”, which I was surprised they broke out the first night. Barking and baying and a vocal jam ended the first set at about 12:50 AM. With eight songs averaging over 10 minutes each shows why Max Creek is a jamband legend.

After a brief intermission the band returned to a room that had emptied out. Creekenders had returned to their rooms to get prepared for the second set and were a little slow to return. As Set two opened with “Louisiana Sun”, steam gathered and the room was soon full again. John Rider then launched into “Blood Red Roses”. For some reason I always think of pirates holding up glasses of grog and singing along when I hear this song but two young male Creekers in front of me engaged in a ‘mosh’ dance. After some Auld Lang Syne teases, Mark Mercier launched into another of his original ballads “Said and Done”. I’m not sure how Mark remembers all the lyrics and I think he changed them here and there but I am always captivated how his rich voice draws you in to the tale he is telling on his ballads. “Southbound Train” had some excellent harmonies before drummer Bill Carbone took to the vocals on “I’ll be Your Baby Tonight”. “The Same Things” blended into a spacey jam with just Scott and the drummers as Mercier and Rider left the stage, later followed by Murawski while Rider came back on with the drummers. I left shortly after Rider returned and missed “Slow Down” and one of my favorite Murawski originals: “You Let me Down Again”. They closed the night and early morning with “I Shall be Released” and “Signature”.

Max Creek will be playing the semi-local Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT on November 24th and for those shut out of Phish at YEMSG (like myself), on 12/31/12, the NYE Masquerade Ball will be held at The Great Hall in Union Station, Hartford, CT.

Set I: If You Ask Me > After Midnight > Devil’s Heart > Bertha, Long Black Veil, Silver Jack, Trippin’, Werewolves of London

Set 2: Louisiana Sun > Blood Red Roses>Said & Done, Southbound Train, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonite, The Same Things > Drumz > Drumz & Bass > Mojo, Slow Down, You Let Me Down Again

Encore: I Shall Be Released, Signature

November 19, 2012
First year Festival gets off on the Right Foot: Autumation, November 9th-10th

Let’s be honest, by the end of August we’re already missing the festival season: the pounding music at all hours of the night while you’re trying to squeeze in what little sleep you can, the endless rows of vendors and the food that by day two is swamped with melted ice in your cooler. Enter Autumation. While it is rare to see this many good bands in one place in the cold of Upstate New York, the stages for this festival were thankfully inside. Not only were they inside but each stage was elaborately decorated with an Autumnal/Futuristic feel that turned each performance into not just a show, but an experience. The hotel was nice, in fact maybe too nice considering the crowd they were welcoming in for a long weekend. I am pretty sure there was a security guard watching over the lobby furniture (which looked like it was straight out of a Victorian era foyer) to ensure no one turned them into a public sleeping area. The main stage was directly across the lawn from our hotel room making it much easier to avoid the cold.

One serious qualm I had with the festival is that I could not find a list of set times anywhere. When I asked the volunteers at the check-in table they looked at me like I had six heads. Thankfully, one of our friends working the festival scored us an official list of the set times. Due to technical issues most of the acts were pushed back by at least an hour. This definitely added a sense of confusion to the entire weekend. The first show I saw Friday night was The Manhattan Project. The band consists of two guys, Shawn Drogan on drums and electronics and Charles Lindner on keyboards and synths. This duo never ceases to amaze me with the energy they draw in every show they perform. The second they take stage the crowd is moving and the energy is non-stop. For a band that only emerged onto the scene two years ago, they have moved light years ahead of their genre. The one thing I loved most about their set at Autumation is that they kept the crowd guessing throughout every song. Often times they’ll take long exaggerated stalls and pauses throughout songs that leaves you dancing like an idiot while they are frozen on stage.

The next band I traveled into the cold to see was Higher Organix, playing at a separate stage attached to the main hotel building. The decorations were amazing throughout every stage in the venue. The band was delayed by some time so I kicked around the bar (which had surprisingly cheap drinks for a festival) and watched Last Fair Deal blow glass outside the hotel. The surrounding areas of the festival were strewn with debauchery. At one point I actually watched one individual climb into the freezing cold fountain stationed outside of the hotel patio. Finally Higher Organix came on bursting into a drum centered jam. Drummer Jules Jenssen is always a pleasure to watch perform. He stays consistent with his energy level and vehemence throughout every song, keeping the tempo hot and the crowd hotter. Clayton Squire on guitar takes it to the next level with impressive riffs that spiral the entire band into amazing jams.

Unfortunately we had to leave early in order to catch the Cosmic Dust Bunnieson the main stage. This was actually the first time I ever got the chance to catch CDB and I am truly happy I got the opportunity. With a name as farcical as “Cosmic Dust Bunnies” you don’t really know what to expect. I don’t know if it was the time of night (3:30 am) or the intense decorations at main stage but the crowd seemed to make a large shift right around when these guys took stage. This was certainly the perfect band to take on the late night crowd with their stellar jams. By this point of the night my friends and I were all too tired to stand so we sat in plastic Adirondack chairs and let the crowd “happen” around us. The crowd thickened almost immediately and it seemed like not a single person stood still throughout the entire set. The keyboardist used intricate breakdowns to feed into the build ups wavering on the line of electronic and jam. I was seriously impressed with the show these guys put on. By the end of their set we all dragged ourselves back our hotel room to retire until the next day of music began.

My friends and I woke up Saturday morning (afternoon) starving only to find that EVERYTHING in Lake George was closed until the Spring (go figure). We ate a healthy breakfast of mozzarella sticks and French fries from a local Diner and got ready for another long night of music. The first show we saw was Lucid, hailing from the north country of Plattsburgh. Right off the bat their music broke into a bluesy jam accompanied by both a harmonica and a saxophone. Often times with a band as talented as this I get distracted by a singer but in this case I think he is one of the key components of why this band is so good. His raspy voice adds a melancholy level to their upbeat tempos and bluesy guitar riffs. Half way through their set the lead singer gave a shout out to the Tree Shurts table where my friends and I were stationed. They dedicated their next song “All I need is a Spliff,” and burst into a funky, satirical tune about the finer things in life. It is rare to see this combination of instruments on stage these days, especially with the increasingly more popular electronic music which requires little more than a lap top and some speakers. It was truly refreshing to see a band so passionate about keeping the music alive, and pumping out some good tunes while doing so.

Next on main stage was lespecial,the decor of which got more and more intricate every night and by LeSpecial’s set they had girls cascading down the ceiling from ribbon, neon clad hula hoopers dancing on pillars surrounding the stage and neon face painters sending people back into the crowd looking otherworldly. I had heard great things about LeSpecial at previous festivals but never actually had the chance to stay for a whole set. They are a jamtronic three- piece band made up of guitar, drum, bass and some keys and synth on the side. When they hit the stage the crowd was immediately electrified. I often do not find myself blown away by a drummer, especially in a band with heavy bass, but I was pleasantly surprised at how intricate and in-depth the drum beats made each song. This band is definitely very in tune with each other and has a great time on stage.

Viral Sound was a highly anticipated set of the night. The four piece band took stage and broke into a heavy electronic jam consisting of intense guitar solos and spacey drum beats. Jordan Giangreco, formerly of The Breakfast, kept the crowd guessing with funky buildups on the keys and synth. They covered a range of different songs, including a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Help on the Way”. It’s always nice to be brought back to reality by a song or two that you know, especially with a band like this that takes you to as many different musical territories as they can grasp within an hour-long set. With a first year festival you expect as many things to go wrong as possible. Most first year festivals I have encountered have been an absolute mess and this includes a lot of the larger East coast festivals of today. It takes a lot of time to perfect something that large with that amount of people in attendance. I was actually very surprised at how smoothly things ran all weekend. It is to be expected that there will be some bumps along the way, but for the most part I think Autumation could make a great home for itself as an annual, autumn festival in Upstate New York. If they let us back

November 19, 2012
Max Creek’s “Haunted Halloween Bash” October 26th and 27th in Lake George

Max Creek is hosting a “Haunted Halloween Bash” this coming weekend in beautiful Lake George, New York on Friday October 26th and Saturday October 27th. Connecticut’s legendary American rock jam band will be preforming at the Fort William Henry Hotel with tickets available for single nights or weekend days, ranging from $25 to $40. Max Creek will share the stage with Conehead Buddha on Friday October 26th and Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets on Saturday October 27th.

The fright fest kicks off each night at 7pm and is a 16+ event. There will be a costume contest for each night with categories for Scariest, Most Creative and Sexist, and winning prize tickets for Floodwood, Kung Fu, Marco Benevento plus a 4 pack to Max Creeks New Years Eve Masquerade Ball. Don’t miss this weekend, one that’s sure to be full of spooky fun and a musical adventure!

and also available at the door. For more information, visit Max Creek’s official website or like them on Facebook.

October 24, 2012