Tag: Palace Theatre

Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Palace Theatre, December 2nd

A whole lotta’ heart and a whole lotta’ soul would be a simple but an accurate portrayal of Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB). Husband and wife duo, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, surround themselves (and their electric guitars) with seasoned players making for an all around big band sound and a horn section that could steal your heart. The synergy of the ensemble put together was a palpable ripple that extended through the large Albany crowd at the Palace Theatre.

Besides the obvious family of the group, matched with dynamic individuals, the unit mimicked all the facets and idiosyncrasies of what would be an extended family. And every family wouldn’t be complete without an impish, naughty yet playful trumpeter off to the side raising havoc with his horn, as was the case with Maurice Brown. George Porter Jr. guested, as former bass player Oteil Burbridge left the band. Porter was right at home standing next to a laid back Derek Trucks – who grew up on the stage – with disciplined and focused energy that filtered through his body, into his fingers, onto the fret board, and culminated in an electric resonance that filled the grandeur of The Palace.

The Palace, located at the edge of Albany’s downtown business district, sits majestically like a Queen perched in her thrown. A grabbing, well-lit marque can be seen from the highway, but the real magic happens inside. Each wall, post and parts of the high ceiling are covered in ornate paintings of blue skies and angels. A community of musicians such as the Tedeschi Trucks Band is a befitting match for just such a venue.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band pulled songs from 2010 release, Revelator with crowd favorites such as “Bound for Glory,” which was led into with a swampedelic intro by Trucks breaking into a full gospel handing the helm over to Tedeschi. TTB included favored covers (which can be heard on Everybody’s Talkin’) such as Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight.” Tedeschi’s depth and vibrato in her vocals especially grabbed the soul in her rendition of John Prine’s ballad “Angel From Montgomery”, a fitting end to the evening.

Opener, Charlie Mars won over the crowd with his charming songs and tales of days gone by.

December 11, 2012
Trey Anastasio Band to play Syracuse and Albany in January

Trey Anastasio Band embarks on an early 2013 Winter Tour this January, with stops in Upstate NY at The Landmark in Syracuse on Saturday, January 19th and a week later at The Palace Theatre in Albany on January 26th. Trey also hits off The Capitol Theater in Port Washington in between, on January 23 and 24, with the first night a rescheduled date from October, allowing ticket-holders to attend the 23rd with the original ticket. Having played a well-received Fall Tour that featured songs off his new album Traveler, these shows are sure to be incredible.

The last time Trey played in Syracuse was February 22, 2001, an incredible show that proved to be a difficult ticket at the height of hiatus, as so many Upstate fans needed their Phish fix from Trey. Mostly new songs off past studio work as well as the then-unreleased self-titled album from Trey were performed, peppered with some memorable covers (Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35, It Makes no Difference, Will it go Round in Circles?) and an acoustic “Guyute” at the end of set one. A recording of this show can be heard here, courtesy of Resident Taper Lenny Stubbe. Trey even sat in after his show with Strangefolk at Armory High (aka Styleens and Club Orange, among other names) for Neighbor > Norwegian Wood > Neighbor and that can be downloaded from the Live Music Archive.

Trey is no stranger to Albany, having played here six times previously with the different lineups of Trey Anastasio Band, starting out on May 15th, 1999 at The Palace and playing June 13th, 2002, November 18th, 2005, December 29th, 2006, October 18th, 2008 and most recently on February 19th, 2011 (he seems to enjoy the cold months here). That show was incredible and featured the debut of Gorillaz “Clint Eastwood”, found on Traveler. You can download Set One of Albany 2011 here and Set Two here

Tickets for all shows will be available through a real time presale beginning this Friday, December 7th at 10am EST at http://treytickets.rlc.net. For complete ticketing information or public on sale dates, please visit www.trey.com.

Update 12/5/12: The Times Union has posted a retrospective of Trey over the years in the Capital District

December 5, 2012
The Australian Pink Floyd Show at The Palace Theater, October 20th

Pink Floyd enthusiasts were treated to a fun night of music and visual displays Saturday night in Albany. The Australian Pink Floyd Show made a stop at the Palace Theater and put on a complete show filled with classic Pink Floyd songs that spanned their entire catalog. Along with a giant circular video monitor, laser light projections and backup singers, it made for a true theatrical experience. Writers Tim O’Shea and Pete Mason attended and each took something different from the show.

Review by Tim O’Shea

The show opened with the dark and brooding “In the Flesh” and instantly captured the audience’s attention. The early portion of the show included several selections from some of the later Pink Floyd albums. “Sorrow” from the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason was also well received. The band then shifted gears and went into one of the group’s earlier numbers with a stirring rendition of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”. Another first set highlight was “Pigs” which was performed flawlessly. After this, spotlights and that familiar helicopter sound led into the set closer of “Another Brick in the Wall” which also featured a giant inflatable “teacher” on stage which corresponded to the video being shown on stage.

The second set opened with the Syd Barrett tribute “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. This was another song complemented beautifully by the video being shown which included some very early images of the band when Barrett was still included. The chiming of clocks that followed could only mean it was time for “Time”, followed by another song from the epic Dark Side of the Moon album with “Great Gig in the Sky”. This gave the three backup singers a chance to shine as each took their own approach to the classic vocal solo that ends the song. “Us and Them” was also played later in the set giving the audience a good sampling from this classic album.

Review by Pete Mason

What stood out about Australian Pink Floyd was the the fact that this was not a cover band, it was a true tribute band. The band not only had strong improvisational structure to songs with full jamming capabilities. But the key thing for me was that they featured a great deal of rarities and for once, a band playing Pink Floyd was not a greatest hits parade. Utilizing the full catalog, the band’s songs connected you with the four decades of Floyd, especially the songs that harken back to the emothional aftermath of World War Two that is intertwined throughout a number of their songs.

Opening up with “In the Flesh” is setting the bar high for the night with the ‘thrust you back into your seat’ power of this tune from The Wall. “Set the Controls” was a huge highlight, with the sun projected in various lenses behind the band as the ominous and dark song got into motion; with Halloween around the corner, this is true Haunted House music. “Pigs”, appropriately, showed political leaders with snouts and pig ears super imposed on their visages on the screen as the full song was played well enough that you could picture Battersea Power Station behind the band. But instead, we got the incredibly creepy/acid-visual of a giant teacher inflated on stage left behind the backup singers, perfect to bring in “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2“

The second set gave a nice tribute to the memory of Syd Barrett with a medley of photos and his musical compositions from the 1960s, followed by the apropos “Shine on you Crazy Diamond”. After a pair of tuned from Dark Side of the Moon, we were treated to two rarer songs, “What do you want from me” off 1994s’ The Division Bell and “The Fletcher Memorial Home” off 1983’s The Final Cut, each of which allowed the various singers in the band to showcase their chops and dipped back into the well of creepy for the visuals broadcast on the screen during “Fletcher”, a truly troubling tune, albiet one of Waters more introspective songs. With some more Dark Side songs, the highlight of the night was the off-setlist Interstellar Overdrive that featured a giant pink kangaroo that arose from nowhere, keeping the psychedelic aspect of Pink Floyd lasting beyond their years. Aussie Pink Floyd no doubt redefined tribute band for me this night, as well as gave a nice sampling of the four decades of Floyd.

Australian Pink Floyd Show Setlist:

Set 1: In the Flesh, Take it Back, Sorrow, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, High Hopes, Pigs, Another Brick in the Wall Part 2

Set 2: Syd Barrett Medley, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Time->Great Gig in the Sky, What do you Want From Me, The Fletcher Memorial Home, Us and Them, Wish You Were Here, Interstellar Overdrive, Comfortably Numb

E: Run like hell

The Australian Pink Floyd Show and on Twitter

October 26, 2012
Lucinda Williams and John Prine at The Palace Theater

Singer-songwriters Lucinda Williams and John Prine took the stage at The Palace Theatre, each playing a story telling set to a rapt crowd of Baby Boomers and 30-somethings.Lucinda, in her silver locks and with a mild southern drawl sang selections off her new album, Blessed. Fans heard favorites such as “I Lost it” and “When I Look at the World”, as well as “Drunk Angel”, a song Lucinda said could have been about Townes Van Zandt (off the album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, the title track of which was also played earlier that night). Guitarist Doug Pettibone accompanied Williams while she played acoustic guitar, adding a compact electric guitar sound, contributing no more notes than necessary, with a blues base that set the groove for much of her performance. The Tom Petty rarity “Change the Locks” took a new perspective when sang by Lucinda, adding an emotional freedom to the lyrics. Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”, a delta blues song written during The Great Depression was noted as an appropriate tune for today’s hard times, to cheers of agreement from the crowd. Closing the set was “Joy”, a scornful and angry lover number that elicited the most cheers of the night.

John Prine took the stage thirty minutes later and the crowd became notably more engaged and slightly chatty in between songs. Dylan-esque in writing, performance and even voice, Prine gives a quite memorable live performance, playing hits, fan favorites and a variety of covers. With David Jacques on bass and Jason Wilber on electric guitar, mandolin and harmonica, the crowd stirred, cheered and shouted out love for songs throughout the 85 minute set.

The crowd showed much love for “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” and “Six O’Clock News” contained the touching line “Come on baby spend the night with me” while the song deals with more tragic circumstances. “Souvenir”, his mother’s favorite song he wrote (she would cook him anything he wanted if he played it for her) was dedicated to his brother Doug. Mid-set, Prine played a few solo numbers: “Long Monday”, about a weekend that hangs over into the new week, “Donald & Lydia”, an Army story from his days at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and All the Best.

During “Sam Stone”, he was rejoined by Jacques and Wilber halfway through, taking the song from acoustic somberness to a deeper, more powerful song of drug addiction, with the harrowing line “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm, where all the money goes”. “Bear Creek Blues”, by The Carter Family and “Lake Marie” brought the set to a close and the crowd to their feet, giving a deafening ovation and praise to Prine for a memorable and incredible performance.

Before the encore, a second microphone was brought out for Lucinda Williams, who said to the crowd “I am completely mesmerized and in love with this man” and embraced Prine before singing along with him on “Paradise”. The performance ended as the crowd showed their appreciation once again, praising two songwriters for a noteworthy performance.

John Prine Setlist: Spanish Pipedream, Picture Show, Humidity Built the Snowman, Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Six O’Clock News, Souvenir, Grandpa was a Carpenter, Storm Windows, Fish and Whistle, Angel of Montgomery, Long Monday*, Donald & Lydia*, All the Best*, Sam Stone, Bear Creek Blues, Lake Marie

Encore: Paradise

August 20, 2012
Americana in Albany: The Avett Brothers and Eastbound Jesus

Albany’s best kept secret, Eastbound Jesus, started a rainy and windy day playing a free show at Jillians of Albany for a packed house prior to The Avett Brothers taking the stage a few blocks north at The Palace Theater on Sunday April 22nd. The fans that came looking for free music and respite from the rain got both, with the local flavor of EBJ warming the crowd up for two hours with foot tappin’, dancefloor stompin’ and some of the most energetic music that a band can pour onto an audience. Playing Nine Pound Hammer and referring to it as a staple of all bluegrass bands brought a bit of the group’s roots out into the set and reminded some in the audience of the traditional music they continue. A few dancin’ music tunes drew the seated from the audience to the stage and delved into a classic version of Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm. The music and style of EBJ is a little more Greensky Bluegrass and Railroad Earth than more traditional acts, leading to a larger audience in due time. The night was capped off with The Ballad of Eastbound Jesus, a single among many contenders throughout the night. My first Eastbound Jesus reaffirmed all that I had heard, and this band has a great future coming to them.

After dinner and an early show, we walked up to The Palace for The Avett Brothers show. Two first time bands in one night and already I was sold on one. My experience with the Avetts was limited to their albums which I found enjoyable but without hearing them live the jury was out for the time being. The Avetts wound up giving a stand out amazing performance that showed why they are part of the bluegrass renaissance in America. The audience was predominantly made up of post-college and thirty-something women with their boyfriends in tow when a gaggle of girls wasn’t with them. After a few songs I was taken by the energy of the group and the music – it was summer time poolside happy hour music, tailor made for a good time, like Will You Return, which was touching and upbeat and had a great line ‘Why can’t you see yourself as beautiful as I see you?’

Event poster, edition of 100

Scott Avett performs with the intensity of Yonder Mountain String Band’s Jeff Austin and mentioned that they played The Lark (Tavern) on their first tour ten years ago. January Wedding was a sweet soft song off their latest album I and Love and You then the band took a moment to allow Scott a solo, followed by this brother Seth on guitar. Seth spoke about William Kennedy (to loud cheers), as he had been reading Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game and said he had been ‘coming to Albany in my head for quite a while’ and that it was nice to be here. The full band came back to the stage for At the Beach and the crowd sang along with glee to this and many songs. The title track to their latest album I and Love and You was soft but a great start to the album upon another listen after the show. Kick Drum Heart serves to be the band’s signature song, eliciting audience response with clapping and intensity from the musicians. A multi-song encore was capped nicely by Talk on Indolence, another invigorating song with rapid fire lyrics and sing along lyrics.

As bands like The Avett Brothers and Eastbound Jesus continue to play to broad audiences, folk and bluegrass-based bands will continue to break into mainstream music and bring the roots of American music to new life.

April 23, 2012
The Pink Floyd Experience, Palace Theater

Good cover bands are hard to come by, as seen by the local acts that fill bars and clubs around the country each weekend, singing the songs of the past. The bigger names – Dark Star Orchestra and The Fab Faux are notable because they accurately recreate the music of the Grateful Dead and The Beatles, respectively, without donning costumes or trying to make the music their own. They have simply learned the music and play it as close to the original as possible and in doing so, fill a void left by the absence of the bands they cover. Some would call them tribute bands, but that distinction is reserved for the groups that take on the style and exact lineup of the original band (i.e. The Fab Faux has five members) and leaves little room for error or interpretation.

For a band as complicated as Pink Floyd, both in terms of music and history, the number of cover bands is akin to The Beatles; there’s The Machine, Australian Pink Floyd, Brit Floyd and the band I was fortunate to see, The Pink Floyd Experience from San Diego, California. Opening up on February 16, 2012 with the entire album ‘Wish You Were Here‘ and nailing all five epic songs (Shine on Your Crazy Diamond I-V, Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond VI-IX) without skipping a beat. For my favorite album of them all by Floyd, I was impressed.

Then a brief intermission where the lights revealed family night at The Palace Theater. Many fans are older now and brought their kids, mostly teenagers but a few tweens as well. Families were milling about, grabbing concessions and ignoring merchandise with mellow aplomb; surely this is the exact opposite of Floyd when they played Wish You Were Here at venues like this back in the 1970s. But a mixed crowd leads to a new generation or two with the ability to enjoy some of the greatest music ever written. Ranging from the psychedelia of the 60s to the rock anthems of the 70s to the rock opera of The Wall in the 80s and the scraps left over in the 90s when David Gilmour toured and Roger Waters didn’t, Pink Floyd spans 6 decades of music and returns to stadiums this summer (and The Times Union Center June 28th) with The Wall once again. The light show isn’t the same with The Pink Floyd Experience, but they make a great effort to recreate the entire experience, nailing the music and sound but lacking with the lighting.

Set 2 started out with On the Run->Time from Dark Side of the Moon before mellowing out into the spooky vibrations of Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. An extended sax solo front stage recreated the ‘Careless Whisper’ feeling from 1984, forgetting that the extended sax solo should remain in the 80s. Learning to Fly, the lone 1990s Floyd offering was anthemic and ensured that all eras were covered tonight. The group announced that they would play a song for Syd Barrett but sadly, no Bike but Interstellar Overdrive instead. Money and a short version of Echoes (minus the spaciness) followed, along with another sax solo before a random guy in a jacket adorned with light bulb took the stage for the stormy intro to Hey You. The surround sound effects were at their best here, getting fans to turn their heads as the sound traversed throughout the audience and segued into Comfortably Numb. A packed sandwich of Run Like Hell -> Another Brick in the Wall Part Two -> Run Like Hell got the audience singing along with the band while the giant pig took to the space between the audience and the stage, drifting up and down until fans had left the show shortly before 10pm.

The members of The Pink Floyd Experience lauded Albany for providing a great turnout once again. This was a show that is very worth seeing, although I would have liked another 45-60 minutes of some more obscure songs. But I can’t complain, good cover bands are hard to come by.

Dopapod with special guest Timbre Coup
Jillians

Following The Pink Floyd Experience, I headed over the Jillians, where Timbre Coup continued their residency for February, opening up for funk/electronica group Dopapod, another regular in the Capital District. Coup’s electric set for a packed house continues to be one of the highlights of music in the area, cornering the electro/prog-rock market and garnering new fans throughout the month of February. Dopapod followed with strong set of songs from their new album ‘Drawn Onward’ and random and funky dance numbers. Dopapod will be back in a couple short months, potentially opening up for a bigger name in the electronica genre. It’s a big week next week for Timbre Coup, with their CD release party of ‘Knuckles and Valleys’ on 2/23 at Jillians with Higher Organix opening. Don’t miss the final night of their Jillian’s residency!

February 17, 2012