NYS Music 20​12

Category: Capital Region

  • Dark Star Orchestra Due at The Egg in Albany on December 5th

    Dark Star Orchestra Due at The Egg in Albany on December 5th

    Dark Star Orchestra has been heavily jamming all across the country on their fall tour this year and will be making a stop to play at The Egg in Albany, New York on Wednesday December 5th. DSO uses entire shows from the Grateful Dead‘s era to recreate song for song performances from historic set lists. At the end of each performance, the band announces the date and venue where the original show just covered took place, making the night a fun guessing game for fans. With each show, DSO performs with extreme precision to creating a sensational experience that new and old Grateful Dead fans can both appreciate.

    dark star orchestra Frontier FieldThis Dark Star Orchestra show at The Egg in Albany is sure to be extra special, besides the fact that it’s one of the last four nights of their tour, but also to the fact that Jeff Chimenti of Furthur will be sitting in as keyboardist.

    The show is scheduled to start at 7:30 and is open to all ages. Concert goers can buy tickets at the eggs website and can get more information on the bands website

  • 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 

  • Marco Benevento’s Tiger Face heads to Red Square in Albany, Saturday December 1st

    Marco Benevento’s Tiger Face heads to Red Square in Albany, Saturday December 1st

    Marco Benevento brings his Tiger Face tour to Red Square in Albany on Saturday December 1st, bringing an intense and high-energy show to a venue that has shown him much love in the past. The show starts at 9pm and is an 18 and over event. You can buy advance tickets here.

    Pick up TIGERFACE as an LP, CD or Digital Download through iTunes Amazon or The Royal Potato Family

    “TigerFace is a big step in a bold new direction – one that further blurs the lines of jazz, rock and popular music.” – Hidden Track

    marco benevento tiger faceVideos from Parker Harrington from Marco’s 10/11/12 show in Cambridge, Mass

    Marco Benevento dot com
    Marco Benevento Twitter
    Marco Benevento Facebook

  • Jimmy Herring and Victor Wooten close out Tour at The Egg, November 18th

    Jimmy Herring and Victor Wooten close out Tour at The Egg, November 18th

    Wrapping up an incredible tour featuring masters of guitar, bass and talent from Berklee College of Music, Jimmy Herring and Victor Wooten brought their respective bands to The Egg for a fantastic final show. Herring’s band featured a four-piece lineup that focused on jazz and blues channeled through Herring’s guitar-work, while Wooten’s band was an ensemble of four bassists and two drummers, giving a new twist to the night’s musical selections.

    jimmy herring victor wootenHerring, the lead guitarist for Widespread Panic and formerly of Aquarium Rescue Unit, Frogwings, Jazz is Dead and Project Z, took his position at stage right in his usual Captain Morgan ‘one foot forward, leg slightly bent’ stance. Bandmates Jeff Sipe (drums), Matt Slocum (keys) and Neal Fountain (bass) were incredibly tight sounding after this 12-show tour. Slocum’s keys added pizzazz to each song, while Herring gave a clinic on the interweaving of jazz and blues through his Stratocaster. Highlights of the instrumental set included “Rainbow”, covers of The Beatles “A Day in the Life” and “Within You Without You” and a phenomenal and scortching version of Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You” with Derico Watson and J.D. Blair on drums – three drummers for one incredible song. The 80 minute set kept the audience on their toes, with the direction of the music constantly changing. Herring’s new album Subject to Change without Notice is now out, check it out and experience his incredible guitar skills.

    Setlist: Matts Funk, Gospel 6/8, Duke and Cookie*, Ballad^, Rainbow, Miss Poopie, Since I’ve Been Loving You**, Heads Up, A Day in the Life, Bilgewater Blues, Within You Without You

    * with Victor Wooten on bass // ^ with Steve Bailey on bass // ** with Derico Watson and J.D. Blair on drums

    _________________________________________________________________________________________

    With a thundering bass intro, Victor Wooten and his seven-piece band arrived on stage. Taking out a bow and sitting down with a small upright bass, the show began with “A.W.S.” as the crowd gazed upon the lineup – four, count em FOUR bassists in ONE band, plus two drummers and the angelic voice of Krystal Peterson on vocals. “Brooklyn”, played for the makers of Wooten’s bass had a brief segue into “Tell me Something Good” inside before moving back into “Brooklyn”. Derico Watson blew it up on drums as “My Life” ended, featuring Wooten on vocals. “The House that Jack Built”, an Aretha Franklin rarity was dedicated to Jack at the soundboard and featured Matt Slocum on keys, continuing the collaboration between the two bands.

    Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” brought out with Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on baritone guitar for a rousing rendition, with Wooten introducing the band, notably hyping up (Professor) Steve Bailey of Berklee College who plays a six-string fretless bass, leaving even the masterful Wooten in awe. More Steview followed with “Overjoyed” before the band left the stage, leaving Victor on the stage solo for a few minutes of bass noodling before bringing out Jimmy Herring for a duet of pure improvisation, capped off by a play on “Amazing Grace”. The two bands combined forces for the encore, bringing out all 11 musicians and two crew members to sing “I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face”, with a brief “Billie Jean” vocal jam from J.D. Blair in between, giving a wonderful ode to the audience and The Egg on their final night of the tour. With two masters of their craft and instrument, this was one for the ages.

    Setlist: A.W.S., Brooklyn, My Life, The House that Jack Built*, Superstition^, Overjoyed, Victor and Jimmy Improv duet

    Encore: I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face**

    * with Matt Slocum on keys // ^ with Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on baritone guitar // ** with all members of both bands on stage

    Download the show from the night before in Buffalo via etree

    Watch a playlist of two songs from Jimmy Herring Band and three from Victor Wooten Band, including the huge encore.

  • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, November 16th

    I had never been to the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and was beyond excited to be visiting the venue as well as catching  contemporary swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. My friend and I rushed up the stairs through the hallways with the screeching of horns, echoing off the walls. Each section has a tall, skinny lettered door that opens up into the main area of the venue. The rich colorful music hall has a three-story ceiling with a grand organ stretching up to the very top and below on the long stage, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy made themselves at home.

    The nine-man band, all looking dapper in their pinstripe suits and hats, had a full audience packed in, ready for action. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy started the night out by setting the scene of New York City in the late 20’s and introduced the song “Reefer Man.” The music came with a sharp flow of constantly climbing up and down the scales on the various instruments. Lead singer and original band member, Scotty Morris conducted the band with ease and a smooth humor throughout the night. BBVD played a range of their music history by touching base on almost each of their nine studio records. With constant encouragement to have the crowd sing and clap along with the music, Scotty assured all, “It’ll make you feel good.”

    It was fun to watch each band member dance around the stage, groovin’ with their instruments, delivering high energy throughout the show. Their earlier songs such as “Mr. Pinstripe Suit” from their self-titled debut album had a very heavy bass line with a stronger percussion. Their more recent songs such as “Let it Roll Again” and “Diga Diga Doo” had more pep. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy explained how they have two styles that they perform New York City and New Orleans both late ’20s and ’30s. They paid tribute to the city of New Orleans by playing “Save my Soul” a swanky, jazzy melody that had couples upstairs dancing in the aisles.

    I couldn’t help notice but after every song, there was an introduction to the next song that was about to be performed. Each song had a little music lesson/history about how it came to be and why it was so special. It was great to not only hear great music but get to know the band on a more personal level. I’m accustomed to shows were the transitions are almost as cool as the songs they lead into so it was refreshing to have the band, stop to pay respects to each song.

    The night ended with their popular hits, “You & Me & The Bottle Makes Three”and “Go Daddy O!” The room buzzed with excitement and delight especially with the various horn styles. Glen “The Kid” Marhevka on trumpet blew the audience away as did Andry Rowley on baritone saxophone and Karl Hunter on saxophone. With close enough seats, you could actually see the boys hearts and souls come blowing out of their instruments.

    Big Bad Voodoo Daddy sang, swayed and smiled the night away. The boys said, “What a honor to perform in such a beautiful theater built in 1877.” Big Bad Voodoo Daddy offers free music on their website as well as on their Facebook page. Closing the night with “So Long, Farewell, Goodbye”, the swingers thanked the crowd and left us all hoping for a return show next year.

  • Rustic Overtones at the Putnam Den, November 16th

    Rustic Overtones at the Putnam Den, November 16th

    The Rustic Overtones returned to the Putnam Den in Saratoga last Friday, having played in Upstate New York fairly regularly since reuniting five years ago. I’ve seen them here at the Den before and also in Troy at Revolution Hall and in Albany at Jillian’s and every show is better than the last. I started listening to Rustic when I was attending college in Boston in the mid ’90s.  Always up for a show, some friends invited me to go see one of their favorite bands and right away I was hooked.  The band had great energy, they played hard, they liked Jager shots and their fans knew the words to all their songs.

    It’s great to see this band still playing, with Dave Gutter a phenomenal songwriter and frontman. Rustic songs cover a wide range of sounds, from bubbly melodic pop to heavy distorted rock, with a good dose of funk, jazz and occasional psychedelic trippyness.  The lyrics are catchy and clever but also honest as Dave projects the emotions in the songs onstage.

    After an opening set by Stone Revival Band, Rustic took the stage right around midnight and played for almost 90 minutes before taking a short break and coming back for a two-song encore. The solid set consisted of material from their most recent releases: 2009’s New Way Out and this year’s EP Let’s Start A Cult and their 2001 major label record Viva Nueva.

    There were quite a few memorable moments for me at this show.  I was getting a beer at the bar when “Iron Boots” started and the fan next to me was telling his friend “this is probably their best song”. That brought back memories of my friends taking me to see my first Rustic show, the first show I had seen with a Morphine cover, which was an unexpected surprise. “Rock Like War” prompted a fan at the front of the stage to show Dave the tattoo on her chest of the the lyrics in his handwriting.  He joked that she could have fit the whole song.” Going Out With A Bang” from the new EP was a great song to close the show with it’s refrain of “you’ll never be alone again because we are your friend”.

    Read an interview with Rustic Overtones’ saxophone player Ryan Zoidis

    Setlist:  All Together Now, Let’s Start a Cult, Hardest Way Possible, Iron Boots, Honey White, Common Cold, Rock Like War, I Like It Low, Troublesome, Crash Landing, Gas On Skin, C’mon, Oxygen, Carsick > Combustible

    Encore: Downside Of Looking Up, Going Out With A Bang

  • Light and Sound: An Interview with Phil Salvaggio and Greg Ellis of Pretty Lights

    Light and Sound: An Interview with Phil Salvaggio and Greg Ellis of Pretty Lights

    Yesterday, Sue Rice recapped the Pretty Lights show at the Times Union Center. Today features an interview with Pretty Lights Lightining Director Greg Ellis and Production Manager/Audio Engineer Phil Salvaggio. After the show was over, Chris McMullen sat down with the Oneonta natives to get a look at the behind the scenes of producing a Pretty Lights show.

    Phil Salvaggio Greg EllisChris McMullen: When did the lighting rig really reach its peak?

    Greg Ellis: Well the funny thing is we debuted the pillar style video rig last year at Bonnaroo but we used the festival light rig and it was very sub-par. After that was when it all kind of came together. We followed that with a string of festivals and then during our fall tour was the first time it was a complete package. Its been a couple years in the making. We’ve been taking care to make sure the equipment does what we want it to do. The visuals are particularly a challange because I can improvise with lights but Video is so delicate.

    Chris: Who does the visuals?

    Greg: Its a company called Radio Edit AV out of Chicago. Led by this kid that we know Dave Najarian.

    Chris: Have you had a memorable show on this tour?

    Greg: The last two nights have been my favorite shows I’ve ever done. We grew up in Oneonta and our whole crew was here tonight. And last night my friends from Connecticut, from when I lived there attended., so its been one huge family reunion the last two days. THere was a moment last night when Something just kind of happened. From then on out its been full steam ahead.

    Chris: How did you get involved with PL?

    Greg: When I moved to Connecticut, he moved to Colorado and bounced around and started to find his groove. He started working with PL and convinced me to come out there.

    Phil: I had to work with all these dudes, and all had this gear and they all sucked…and I was like, I know this kid…give him the right tools and he’ll slay these kids. And thats what happened. haha

    (As Chris and Phil were talking, they were interrupted by alcohol and women, a few follow up questions ensued)

    Chris: What is your favorite NY venue?

    Phil: Now, I’m partial to the Times Union Center, it’s a large scale big arena. I saw my first Phish show there in 1998. I was pretty stoked to get in there and do a show.  As far as places to see a show, Radio City Music Hall is pretty awesome.
    Chris: Any pre show rituals?
    Phil: I usually take a nap between sound check and showtime, its the most time I have off during the day.
    Chris: What are you listening to lately?
    Phil: Muse: 2nd Law, totally sick, new modern record, bands just don’t do this kind of stuff anymore, this band can actually play live, they are sick, they are the real deal. There music is very rock opera-ish. Brings me back to my youth. Its like Queen meets Radiohead meets a Broadway show or something. You should watch their making of 2nd Law. You’ll understand what I’m saying.
    Chris: Craziest tour moment?
    Phil: The Crazy tour moments are less and less these days as we have advanced into such large venues. These days its way more low key backstage. Just playing the Boston Garden was pretty crazy to me. I saw Phish 20th anniversary there, so that was crazy. That or this past summer doing the Gorge, then Sunset Festival in Tampa, then Summercamp, with the help of charter jets. Literally opposite parts of the country.   EDC Vegas… 100,000 people.. I am returning to this, Full Flex Express Tour, It was the 2012 version of Festival Express. Use your imagination…
    Chris: Favorite tour moment?
    Phil: Favorite Tour moment for this tour… Kickin it with my friends backstage at the Times Union Center in Albany. Everyone seemed to have a blast, and it was great to bring my old band mates and friends into that element, in a venue where we had seen so many epic shows.
    Chris: Any word on a Pretty Lights festival?
    Phil: This is something we have been talking about forever. We do so many festivals where we are limited from a production standpoint. Our touring rig is bigger than most festivals we play, and its OUR thing. We did EDC Vegas and Electric Zoo, both were great and had HUGE productions. But we’d rather walk into doing our OWN thing with artists we want to play with.   We did just did a co-bill festival with Skrillex in Nashville, the weekend before Halloween, it was called “With Your Friends.” We used our rig, it was Awesome, we can show what we are really about when its our stuff.  I would love to do what Phish did, or rather something similar, with artists we like or are on the label etc…. Create a really cool brand, something that people can remember. So, in terms of any word on a festival, NO, but its been in our minds for a minute.
    Chris: How did you meet Derek?
    Phil: I was living in Fort Collins CO. Playing in bands and booking a club. I started doing Audio for a company down there. I was in some bands that were just struggling. He was in a band, I was in a band, we had mutual friends. I did his first real show in Fort Collins, I brought in lights and extra subs for his show. About 4 months later he needed a sound guy, for his first ever multi date run in the south. I hopped on a plane and the rest is history.
    Chris: When did you realize that Pretty Lights had gotten big?
    Phil: Well, I remember our first tour bus, then our second. Then we had a semi, now we have 2 busses, and 3 semi trucks. And we headline all the big crunchy festivals… Wakarusa, Summercamp, All Good… etc..  I think it was All Good last year (2011) there were 30,000 people there rocking the fuck out. And we were playing after bands I used to go see all the time… moe… Primus… And we put on a pretty mind blowing production.
    Chris: Advice for up and coming acts(djs bands producers)?

    Phil: Follow your dreams and don’t be a rockstar until you are ready, no one has time for that jazz.

    Chris: Any thoughts on Pretty Lights live? (ALA shpongle, Bonobo etc)?

    Phil: The new record was recorded with a live band. Basically there were a bunch of players, locked in a studio for about 2 weeks in New York. We had various different instrumentation per session. I was super stoked to play with some of my favorite musicians, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno Nigel Hall….   The sessions went from me and Derek making noises on guitars and basses, to full on 12 piece band locking into grooves.  The sessions were all “live,” and recorded to 2 inch tape. Then all the tapes were dubbed to vinyl plates. Then Derek took the records, and chopped them up in his usual style. He basically created a library or samples that were his own. The grooves and breaks that we locked into were absolutely amazing, and the engineer, Joel Hamilton of Studio G in Brooklyn,  is a genius. They have so many old pre amps, compressors and processors from the 60s and 70s. Which is what Derek wanted for his record, to really have the sound of that age. He ended up going back and doing it again in New York and New Orleans with singers and more musicians.  It was really an awesome process, we literally took the tapes, hopped in a cab, and dropped them off at Salt Mastering. I got to see the whole process go down. It was pretty amazing. The record should be out sometime early this year.

    As for a live band, There have been talks of this as well. However I think there would have to be some serious time off and a lot of planning and rehearsing for something like this. Derek is a perfectionist…. It is not something that would happen over night.  I am pretty sure it is a dream of his.  He drew a picture of himself when he was a kid, standing at Red Rocks with his bass guitar. I think this dream is still alive in him. I could see it happening. But are there plans now… im not really sure to be honest. But again, we’ve been talking about it for years.

  • Pretty Lights is more than just Pretty Lights

    Despite the cold November Third wind outside, Pretty Lights fired up the Times Union Center on the inside. Albany’s biggest venue hosted producer Derek Vincent Smith, better known as Pretty Lights, and his electronic dance beats. Doors opened at 7 with the show kicking off at 8 but I arrived around 9 in hopes of beating what was sure to be a crazed mob of teens trying to get it. The TUC had a beer garden set up for the one night event, much to the disappointment of the older crowd but a wise decision considering the mass of underage concert goers. There were large black curtains blocking the view of the show from the beer garden area, making the beer garden all the more obnoxious.

    The stage was filled with multiple towered structures aching to be lit, while a clock on a big screen counted down the time until Pretty Lights’ performance. The floor was open to the first 3500 people inside, most of whom were covered in neon, glow sticks, face paint, furry boots and many other costumes. There was a good amount of people in the seats but all the action was on the chaotic dance floor. Pre-show was the ever popular panic of concert goers rushing, trying to find your friends and a good spot to watch the show. Most of my friends and I were content with hanging back in our own dance space, and always the best place to people watch too.

    With the countdown over, the audience erupted and Smith took his place atop the stage. To watch the jam packed crowd bounce in almost perfect union to the beat of every song was astonishing. The shows at the local Washington Armory I was accustomed to had nothing on the force of Pretty Lights and the fans. The music started and the energy never stopped, the frenzy of dancers helpless against the electronic beats and  flashing light show. It took everything I had NOT to blink for fear that I would miss the hundreds of lazers shooting across the arena and futuristic images being blasted across the huge screens outstretched across the stage.

    The music that blasted from Smith’s speakers was welcomed and embraced by the thrill seeking crowd. Ranging from a wide array of hip hop, a little soul and a great deal of electronic mixed with some house and dubstep, Pretty Lights knows what works and can easily control the crowd. One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Smith performed “Finally Moving” which features the ever popular Etta James, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” amping up the crowd to all sing along and groove to the beats. This was a great set up for the next big song of the night, a remix of Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, a recent New York anthem and a refreshing hot remix.

    Pretty Lights is more than just a really intense light show, it has an unrelenting carousal of beats and melodies that keep your mind, body and soul in party mode all night. Pretty Lights offers free music, as well as wallpaper and icons on his website and after touring the U.S. he will ring in the New Year with a two-night stand in New York City.

  • 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

  • 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