NYS Music 20​12

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  • The New York Banjo Summit at The State Theater, November 2nd

    Dan Smalls Presents and the State Theater of Ithaca hosted a magical experience with the New York Banjo Summit on Friday November 2, 2012.  All in attendance in the nearly packed house were treated to a mixture of history, storytelling, music and showmanship from an all-star line up of musicians spanning many styles of banjo music.  I left the theater feeling utterly grateful to have been in the audience.

    One would be hard pressed to find a venue as suitable as The State Theater for this kind of show.  The theater itself dates back to around the 1930s, the time period the banjo asserted itself as an American instrument in popular culture.  It’s quaint and relatively small with a historical feel and an overhanging balcony assuring that even the cheap seats get a good mix of the stage sound.  Every note rang clearly and precisely in the room. Even the breathy, husky lilt of the voices of the pioneers on the stage reached out and touched our ears.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXZ2xQIYVV8&w=560&h=315]

    I was anticipating some great music and had done my research before arriving, but I still found myself surprised by how much I learned about the banjo and banjo music in general.  Somewhere between a songwriter’s circle complete with a story or 10, a showcase and a presentation, this show truly left the audience with a well rounded view of how varied the music birthed out of a banjo can be.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kThZrIuEj0&w=420&h=315]

    Some highlights for me included a poignant expression of a proletariat anthem “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live,” raising the hair on my arms with its lyrics still so relatable.  This is part of how this instrument crept deeply into the hearts of the American people; it backed so many songs of struggle of the working man and the enduring qualities that make us human.  I was also taken completely aback by Richie Sterns!  As much as Bela himself has tailored the banjo to suit his particular expression, so has Richie Sterns with this aggressive and progressive rockabilly lean. Utilizing several effects, Sterns’ play was edgy and crisp; his demeanor truly grateful and amiable  Of course, Bela Fleck’s unique style of heavily working harmonics and his tuning pegs relentlessly left us breathless as he took his solo spotlight moments.  There is something sacred in the air when Bela plays with such intensity and the audience shared in some beautiful moments of near meditation. Tony Trischka is a true showman and it was downright fun to watch him interact with Bela and the rest of the band and to hear his quips and stories.  He is also a master at the instrument blending more contemporary play with jazz and  the essence of old foot tapping barn-thumpers.  Under his hands, many styles of banjo play converge.  Trischka and Bela created an impressive display of a four armed banjo beast, both playing the same instrument at the same time with astonishing precision and speed.  Weissberg delightfully taunted with “Dueling Banjos” and ultimately delivered an interesting slightly deconstructed version of the fan favorite.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRaAfmhObSY&w=560&h=315]

    The backing band was also superb with fiddle player Alex Hargreaves receiving a fair share of attention. I would have liked to have heard the upright bass up in the mix a little more prominently, but that is likely personal taste over a genuine criticism.

    All in all, the New York Banjo Summit was a beautiful, touching and evocative experience in lovely Ithaca that I will honestly carry with me my entire life. If you have a chance to catch this tour somewhere, even if it is only from clips online, I urge you to do it!

  • 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

  • Rubblebucket At The Westcott Theater, November 14th

    Rubblebucket At The Westcott Theater, November 14th

    Around the educated-listener music scene, there has been quite a buzz about the Boston-based band Rubblebucket. At the Westcott Theater November 14th, I finally got to check out what all the hipster hubbub was all about. The lead vocalist, Kalmia Traver, is one of those rock chicks every female music lover wishes she could be. Traver’s, and the rest of the band’s “I don’t-give-a- $&?!-I’m-a-dork” attitude got the entire house grooving hard. Other than easily noting their whimsical horn section, the band’s sound is hard to put a finger on. To give you a good idea of their musical spectrum, at one point in the show Kalmia asked the crowd if they were in the mood for one of the bands dark and stormy songs or one of their happy dorky songs. Both types were shouted equally from the loyal audience and the band settled on one of their new songs “(Focus) Oversaturated” off their 2012 EP Oversaturated. The track incorporates ghostly arpeggios and has a tempo which definitely puts the song in the dark and stormy category even though its hip-hop claps keep the song fun. You can download “(Focus) Oversaturated” for free on their website rubblebucket.com

    Rubblebucket eventually brought the mood back up to happy and dorky when they played their most popular new song off the Oversaturated EP, “Came Out Of  A Lady”. Kalmia and the boys in the horn section highlighted the song with random choreographed dance moves at different parts. The show became more of a celebration than a concert when giant tinfoil robots came dancing into the pit. The band’s fun interactive qualities are clearly a major driving force in their success. Their physical antics and showmanship were beyond captivating. Anyone who hadn’t previously seen them live knew they were in for something cool when the band played their first song wearing spotlight medallions around their necks, like Flava Flav at a rave. Twice in the show, Kalmia was helped over the metal gate in front of the stage by fans in the front and  proceeded to climb into the crowd for dance breaks with the audience. Band leader and trumpet player Alex Toth joined in the crowd as well playing his trumpet on the shoulders of a lucky fan. The band ended the show by jumping into the crowd one by one (giant robots included) and parading through the room to the back where they had a jam session in a circle while the audience danced and clapped around them. At this show, if you weren’t dancing, you stuck out like a sore thumb. Rubblebucket’s live performance exceeded my expectations. If they keep it up they can look forward to capturing many new fans and keeping their old ones coming back for more.

  • Interview: INNER DAM

    Interview: INNER DAM

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

    Brian: When did Inner Dam form?

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

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

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

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

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

    Brian: Same thing.

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

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

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

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

    John: It’s terrible!

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

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

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

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

    Brian: Especially with the way they treat it.

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

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

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


    Photos by Jim Gilbert

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

  • 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.

  • Cope brought the Hope to the State Theater in Ithaca on November 1st

    Driving the windy road to Ithaca in the misting night was a daunting task; the roads climb and drop and swerve all over. Finally reaching Ithaca and wishing they had a local brewed beer to offer, I settled into a seat towards the rear floor. The theater is about half full on the floor with a smattering of people in the upper deck. The State Theater is a large 1600-capacity gorgeous theater built in 1928 and the historic landmark in Ithaca with excellent sound and a very accommodating vibe.

    The lights dimmed and Cope and company graced the stage with no intro and got straight down to business. This led into “One Lovely Day”, which is gorgeous played live, giving an uplifting feeling from the endorphins released while the music started to wash over me. There was something stirring within the crowd and many were singing and swaying and with “Bullet and a Target”, a popular song from Cope. At this point the crowd, as if by telepathy, all decide to rise and crowd near the front of the stage and dance. The energy coming from the stage and the crowd mixing was intoxicating. (Maybe it was all of the pheromones in the air as the crowd was, in my estimatation, 65% women.) A heartfelt “Hurricane Waters” followed and the band was noticeably in full swing. They showed more energy and even Cope was smiling. A powerful pulsating version of “Penitentiary” followed with the blends and layers of music that Cope combined with  cathartic hopeful lyrics, the live experience is truly moving. A few more songs, including “Healing Hands”, “When Sun’s Gonna Rise Begins” and “Climax” kicked in, and the band was all smiling and feeling the crowd, singing an extended chorus into a jam by the band. While it felt like the end of the show, it was only the end of the first set.

    After a standing ovation and even the chanting of “Cope! Cope! Cope!”, he returned to center stage, solo this time with only an acoustic guitar.  Strumming through gems like “Picasso”, “Lifeline”, “D’Artagnan’s Theme”, “200000”  and finally, “Holding On”. This very personal second set found the band rejoining Cope on stage and after playing another number they pulled out crowd favorite “Sideways”. This number is oft requested via shout outs from the crowd, to which Cope responded “We’ll get there….we’ve gotta get through the foreplay.” This segued directly into a cover of “Karma Police” which was powerful and charged. Towards the end, a member of the audience threw his hat on stage which Cope donned and promptly gave out high fives to the crowd in front. He later returned the hat and handed the guy a t-shirt he had been teasing the crowd with.  It was a perfect ending to the show.

  • 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

  • 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