NYS Music 20​13

Author: Tom Miller

  • Los Lobos Throws 40-Year Anniversary Fiesta in Albany

    Celebrating their 40-year anniversary, Los Lobos brought their highly recognizable blend of Tex-Mex Rock-n-Roll to Albany at the  Hart Theater inside The Egg at the Empire State Plaza. Over 500 fans joined the seemingly ageless Los Lobos in what turned out to be one fine fiesta.

    Los Lobos AlbanyThe first set consisted mostly of tunes from the Los Lobos early years. “Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio” from the EP …and a Time to Dance, “Will the Wolf Survive?” from How Will the Wolf Survive? and “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” off By the Light of the Moon were all hits for the band in between 1983-1987. Other highlights included “Little Things” and “Burn it Down”, which featured David Hidalgo performing a blistering accordion solo. Set one finished up with a more recent dance tune titled “Tin Can Trust”.

    Set two featured songs from the 90’s, including crowd favorite “Kiko & The Lavender Moon”. Other notables were “Don’t Worry Baby” and “Pigfoot Shuffle”. Probably the most memorable tune of the evening was a fantastic version Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” played during the encore. Hidalgo’s crisp and unique voice added a pleasant twist to an already timeless classic.

    For those that didn’t get a chance to see Los Lobos this time around or for those who simply didn’t get enough, Hidalgo and vocalist/guitarists Cesar Rosas will both return to Albany to take part in the Experience Hendrix Tour scheduled at the Palace Theater in Albany on March 28. The pair have performed on the tour since 2010.

    Set 1: Got to Let You Know, How Much Can I Do?, Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio, Will the Wolf Survive?, Set Me Free (Rosa Lee), Little Things, Burn It Down, Chuco’s Cumbia, Tin Can Trust

    Set 2: Dream in Blue, Forty Thousand Headmen>Maricela, Manny’s Bones, That Train Don’t Stop Here, Tears of God, Pigfoot Shuffle, Kiko & The Lavender Moon, Volver, Volver, Don’t Worry Baby, Mas Y Mas

    Encore: I Got Loaded, Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young cover)

  • Kid Rock and ZZ Top Deliver Good Ol’ Rock-n-Roll at SPAC

    With summer in the rear view mirror and autumn quickly approaching, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s concert season was winding down. Apparently, thousands of Kid Rock, ZZ Top, and Uncle Kracker fans didn’t get the memo.

    The mostly Gen- X crowd sported bandanas, faded blue jeans and American flag T-shirts. “Blue collar” was definitely the evening’s required dress code. Many stood in line to have their photo taken on a brand new Harley motorcycle while others waited to try free samples of good ole’ American whiskey. The crowd, though not one the summer’s largest, was certainly the most patriotic!

    Robert James Ritchie, aka Kid Rock, began his career as a hip hop and rap performer. Evidence of this was heard in his performance of the rap-rock single “Bawitdaba” which originally came out in 1998. Rock progressed through the evening, singing more of his gritty, in-your-face tunes including “Devil Without a Cause” and the hit single “American Bad Ass”. Other crowd favorites included “Cocky” and “All Summer Long” and the country ballad “Picture”.

    Southern blues-rock icons ZZ Top opened the show. With their infamous long beards (except for drummer, Frank Beard, ironically) and purple guitars, ZZ Top performed one hit after another. Among them were the classics “Sharp Dressed Men”, “Cheap Sunglasses”, “La Grange”, and “Legs”.

    American rocker Uncle Kracker also provided support performing an early 30-minute set. Highlights included “Follow Me” and “Drift Away”.

  • Michael Franti and Spearhead Bring Peace, Love and Music to Clifton Park

    On the same day a naval shipyard in our nation’s capital was ravaged by senseless violence, Michael Franti and Spearhead came to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on September, 16th to deliver their ongoing message of love, peace, harmony, and equality. Although for just a few hours, Franti was determined to help his fans escape the sometimes vicious world in which they live.

    As with most Michael Franti and Spearhead shows, the lead singer spent more time in the crowd than he did on the actual stage. Many songs were performed from the middle of the audience on a makeshift 4’x4’ “stage” including an energetic version of “Hey, Hey, Hey” which broke into a reggae version of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”. Franti also performed a moving rendition of “Closer to You” while dancing with a wheelchair-bound fan and then allowing her to remain on yet another elevated platform for the remainder of the evening so that her view was unobstructed.

    Throughout the evening, Franti took his audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. By way of both his unique style of storytelling and his moving vocal performance, Franti had them cheering and dancing one minute, and near tears the next. One particularly moving performance was “Goodbye”, sung mostly in a Nigerian dialectic by Spearhead drummer, Manas Itiene, which somehow crossed all language barriers and relayed a message of hopelessness and despair. A much brighter moment was a “crowd-participation” version of the hit single “Sound of Sunshine”, enhanced by giant yellow balloons volleyed through the air and Franti performing on top of the venue bar!

    Indie-rock band, The Kopecky Family Band, kicked off the evening. Highlights from their set included their hit single “Heartbeat” and a great rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk”.

    Setlist: I Don’t Wanna Go, Yes I Will/Stay Human, Yell Fire, Do It for the Love, All I Want is You, Sound of Sunshine, 11.59, Closer to You, Life is Better with You, Gangsta Girl, Hey World, All People, Say Goodbye, Hey Hey Hey
    Encore: Let it Go, Long Ride Home, I’m Alive, Say Hey

  • Michael Franti and Spearhead Coming to Upstate Concert Hall, Monday September 16th

    Through his music, Michael Franti delivers a message of hope, justice, and peace. That message will ring loud and clear Monday, September 16th as Michael Franti and Spearhead bring their unique blend of hip hop, reggae, jazz, and funk to the Upstate Concert Hall (Clifton Park, NY). Special guest The Kopecky Family Band, will open the show.

    Michael Franti and Spearhead continue to enjoy the success of their 2010 album release, The Sound of Sunshine, which reached the number 17 spot on The Billboard 200 list. It features 12 tracks including four hit singles, “Shake It”, “The Sound of Sunshine”, “Hey, Hey, Hey”, and “I’m Alive”. In July 2013, Franti released his eighth studio album entitled All People.

    Ticket prices for Monday’s event are $25 in advance or $28 at the door and are available through Ticketmaster, the Northern Lights Smoke Shop (518-453-3402), or at the Upstate Concert Hall box office. Show time is 8:00PM.

  • An Intimate Evening with Billy Payne of Little Feat at The Linda

    The Linda Theater provided the perfect setting for what turned out to be a very special and intimate evening with Billy Payne. Most people know Payne as one of the original founders of Little Feat. What some might not know is he is also an accomplished photographer, an amazing storyteller and a treasure-trove of musical history. Using all of these attributes, Payne presented “Tracing Footsteps”, a multimedia journal of music, photography, and stories from the road and from Billy Payne’s past.

    billy paynePayne begins by explaining “I call this event ‘Tracing Footsteps’ because I have been down many paths in my life, from music to photography, and everyone I’ve met along the way have been a huge part of my life”. “Tracing Footsteps” is largely a tribute to Payne’s previous band mates. He performed “Feathers and a Smile” as a tribute to Little Feat co-founder Lowell George. Several songs were also played in honor of deceased Little Feat drummer, Richie Hayward. In addition, Payne played a few new tunes co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter, including “A Thousand Nights” and “Wolfe in the Wilderness”.

    For the second set, Payne was joined on stage by current Little Feat drummer, Gabe Ford, and teenage guitar sensation, Conor Kennedy. The guys played several tunes from Payne’s current side-project, the Hooligans, including “Blue Grass Pines”, “Louisiana”, and “If I had a Mind To”. It was also an evening of experimentation with Payne trying “Juble”, another new tune recently written with Robert Hunter. The intimate and very entertaining evening wrapped up with a Q  & A session along with friendly conversation and autographs.

  • An Interview with Ralph Castelli of RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles

    RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles will be playing at the Palace Theater on March 18th. I recently spoke with Ralph Castelli, who has played Ringo Starr for nearly 30 years in the Broadway production. Tickets are available at The Palace box office.

    Ralph Castelli Tom Miller: Hi Ralph. Can you tell our readers what they can expect to see next week at the RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles show?

    Ralph Castelli:  Sure. The show is obviously a show about the Beatles. It’s a live concert with a theatrical element to it. What I mean by that is it’s a multimedia extravaganza which is a time capsule that takes the viewer all the way back to the early 60’s. As the curtain opens, the viewer will see the complete set of the Ed Sullivan stage where the Beatles performed on that famous evening in February 1964. Then we move forward chronologically, showing more videos of events going on at the time, many costume changes, different stage sets which resemble Beatles album covers, and of course more Beatles music. We continue forward through the Sgt Pepper’s era, which of course is very colorful with the whole “flower power” movement, and our hair is getting longer (laughing) and our sideburns are getting bushier. Then we get into Abbey Road which takes us to the end of the show.

    TM:  That really sounds amazing! Do you have a favorite era or part of the show?

    RC:  Well, every two years or so we re-vamp the show so this is a new show for us. There’s a lot of new videos and a lot of new songs. Nearly 40% of the songs in this show are new for us. I think my favorite part of this show is the Sgt. Pepper’s era and I actually like everything from Sgt. Pepper’s to the end of the show. I really love it all. It’s hard to pick a section of their career that I like the most.

    TM:  How about playing it? Is any era more difficult than another?

    RC:  Yeah, definitely. When we get into the Sgt. Pepper’s album and All You Need is Love, there’s a fifth band member that comes out and plays with us. The only way we could perform these songs live was to have a fifth member. There’s a lot of intricate parts and over dubs that the Beatles used. “Strawberry Fields Forever”, for example, is very tricky ’cause of all the over dubs. You know, trying to get it all in the context of the song is tricky, but at the same time, it’s really fun. But the only way we can do it live is to have a fifth member.

    TM:  How long have you been with the production?

    RC:  I’ve been with RAIN for almost 30 years.

    TM:  Being with RAIN for so long, you must have a ton of interesting stories and experiences. Can you share a few that stand out?

    RC:  Oh, yeah! There’s a lot of great stories and interesting places and a lot of great people. Nothing really stands out right now but I do meet a lot of interesting people. That’s what stands out the most. A lot of those people share their stories with us, about when they saw the Beatles or even stories about meeting them. Those are the stories I enjoy hearing. Another great thing I enjoy is, sometimes when the curtain is raised, we can see two or even three generations of Beatles fans watching the show together. You know what I mean? You see the grandparents, and then the parents and their kids. It’s really something special when you think about it. There’s always a lot of kids, both teenagers and younger kids. And they all know the words to the songs!

    TM: That actually brings me to my next question. Do you guys, the band, feel an obligation or responsibility to bridge the past to the present as far as keeping the Beatles experience and Beatles music alive? Especially to the younger generations?

    RC: You know Tom, it just seems to happen that way. It just transcends that way. It’s a natural progression for our show. Touring the country or being on Broadway like we are now, it’s just natural that the experience and the music is introduced to younger generations. It’s not something we have to go out of our way to do. It just happens naturally. The kids are loving it as much as their parents and grandparents!

    TM:  That’s great news for everyone! And that leads me to my final question. With the “Beatles Generation” getting older and ultimately fewer and fewer, where do you see the future of RAIN?

    RC:  Well, we just had that discussion with the production agency and management not too long ago. We see the show going on for another 10, 15, or even 20 years. Especially on Broadway. There’s tons of Broadway shows that run for decades. I still think this show has a lot of life left in it. And we do it right, you know? We’re like Kentucky Fried Chicken (laughing), “we do Beatles right!”

    TM:  Ralph, it’s been great talking to you. I’m really looking forward to seeing you and seeing the show. Thank you.

  • Two Takes: Big Gigantic Gives Stellar Performance at Upstate Concert Hall

    Some shows are too big for just one review. For Big Gigantic, we sent staff photographers Chris De Cotis and Tom Miller to Upstate Concert Hall to capture the show. Here are their takes and photos.

    Review and photos by Tom Miller:

    Big Gigantic is the dynamic duo of Dominic Lalli (saxophone) and Jeremy Salken (drums). The pair brought their unique style of improvisational, livetronica music to the Upstate Concert Hall on February 12th. The high-energy performance, amazing music, and mind-blowing light show made for a memorable evening. An eclectic blend of tunes from all four of the bands albums; Wide Awake (2009), Fire It Up (2009), A Place Behind the Moon (2010), and Nocturnal (2012) had the crowd jumping and dancing at every beat.

    Los Angeles DJ, Kill Paris and Chicago-based DJ Manic Focus opened the show.

    Review and photos by Christopher De Cotis

    On Tuesday, February 12th, Big Gigantic brought their 2013 Winter Tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY. Having just seen them a month ago on Jam Cruise, I knew as soon as the show was announced that I was going to be there.  I’ve been a big fan of the duo after seeing them for the first time at the 2010 Nateva Festival in Oxford, Maine.  As I saw coverage of the first shows of this tour, I began to wonder what it was going to look like at Upstate Concert Hall.
    The stage was covered with a large riser and a row of light panels from the band’s current light rig.  Drummer Jeremy Salken’s drum kit was on the right side of the stage and a table was set up on the left for the DJ equipment and laptop computers used by Manic Focus, Kill Paris and saxophonist Dominic Lalli.  The two opening sets sounded good and there was a short break before Big Gigantic took the stage.  The crowd had continued to grow throughout Kill Paris’ set and most people I asked were excited to see the band for the first time.  Their set was about an hour long and after the band left the stage the cheering crowd called them right back out for an encore and they played for almost twenty more minutes.

  • Passion Pit and Matt & Kim bring music back to the RPI Houston Field House

    It’s been over two years since music filled the historic RPI Houston Field House. That all changed in a big way when Passion Pit and Matt & Kim partied with several thousand of their closest fans. We can only hope this will be the first of many great concerts returning to RPI.

    Things kicked off with the indie-pop duo of Matt (Johnson) and Kim (Schifino). The super energetic couple ripped through many of their hit singles including “Now” and “Let’s Go” off their latest album, Lightning.  Throughout their performance, Schifino climbed her drums like a child on a playground jungle gym (and even crowd surfed at one point!) while Johnson supplied a playful and upbeat keyboard accompaniment to balance out the powerful bass. Both Schifino and Johnson regularly saluted the crowd, thanking them and expressing how excited they were to be playing the Capital Region again.

    Passion Pit continued the evening’s celebration. The five-member group from Cambridge, Massachusetts consists of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals, keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards, guitar), Xander Singh (synthesizer), Jeff Apruzzese (bass, synthesizer bass), and Nate Donmoyer (drums). The band performed a well-balanced mix of hits including “Sleepyhead” from their first album Manners and “Carried Away” from their recent sophomore album Gossamer. Andelakos often engaged the accommodating crowd, coaxing them to sing along. The pinnacle of the evening was a powerful and moving rendition of the hit single “Take a Walk”.

    As expected, this evening was more than just a concert, it was a revival. It was the revival of music at the RPI Houston Field House.

  • Trey Anastasio Band post-shows in Albany on January 26th – Hot Day at the Zoo,and more!

    Trey Anastasio Band comes to Albany on Saturday, January 26th, but the music doesn’t stop when Big Red leaves the stage. If you’re coming to town for the main show, stick around for three great late night options, all close by The Palace Theater. The Bayou is located a few hundred feet down North Pearl Street from The Palace while Red Square is on Broadway, a block east of North Pearl and about a 1/2 mile walk. A cab is recommended to get to Valentines.

    Bayou Cafe: Hot Day at the Zoo with The Blind Owl Band

    Hot Day at the Zoo (HDATZ) is the quartet of Jon Cumming (banjo, dobro, vocals), Michael Dion (guitar, harmonica, vocals,) Jed Rosen (upright bass, vocals), and JT Lawrence (mandolin, vocals). Dion and Cumming are the band’s two main songwriters. Both, with distinctive personalities, offer enough stories to fill a catalogue of songs that are whole-hearted and full of sincerity. Add in Rosen, who’s technical prowess allows him to hold down the beat and push the music along, and Lawrence, who’s youthful energy and stellar musicianship fuel his strength in fulfilling each song’s missing piece, and the result is a band who humbly creates something bigger than any of themselves.

    Rosen speaking about HDATZ’s live performance says, “Expect to see four guys up on stage playing their asses off and singing their hearts out.” All four members play with so much vivacity and vigor that an abundance of both baby powder to keep dry and superglue to prevent their fingernails from falling off is necessary. Whether they’re headlining or performing as special guest support for artists including The Band’s Levon Helm, David Grisman, Leon Russell, moe., and Hot Buttered Rum, HDATZ connects with their audience through their defiant high energy on stage. With improvisations that give songs new shape, signature arrangements of covers, and many special guests, concertgoers may expect to never see the same show twice.

    Red Square – Turkuaz with The Chronicles

    The Brooklyn-based funk army known as Turkuaz “is like tossing a lit match into a dumpster full of fireworks” (bestnewbands.com). Their stage show combines influences from Sly and the Family Stone to Talking Heads into an explosive auditory and visual circus, a full-frontal assault on the senses. After multiple residencies at NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl, two blowout performances at Bear Creek Music Festival, and tours spanning the east and west coasts, Turkuaz has developed a reputation from NYC to San Francisco as the band that plays louder, faster, and harder than all the rest. Learn more at

    Combining jazz, hip hop, funk, soul, and gospel, The Chronicles bring a unique sound that defies classification. Founded by upstate NY horn heavyweights, Bryan Brundige and Jeff Nania in October of 2009, The Chronicles have included and continue to feature the most talented up-and-coming musicians in the Capital Region. The Chronicles have been working hard to spread their music throughout the northeast with appearances at regional theaters like the New Hampshire Jazz Center and Proctor’s GE Theater. They have also appeared at major music festivals like Riverfront Jazz Festival, Tulip Festival, Bella Terra, African American Heritage Day, The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, The Big Up, and The BeatShot Music Festival. Albanyʼs alternative newsweekly, Metroland recognized them as “Best Jazz” in 2012, and in their 2011 “Best of the Capital Region” critic’s poll as the best in live hip hop with “jazz chops out the yin yang, and new tunes at their fingertips every time they pick up their instruments.”

    Valentines – Cats Don’t Have Souls, Oven Fresh & Formula 5

    While this is an after party, the music begins at 9pm. Formula 5 caps off the night, and they are a great up and coming jamband in Albany, with a great sound. Check out our interview with them.

    Cost is $10 to get in but only $5 with a Trey ticket stub!

  • Adam Ezra Group at The Bayou Cafe, Albany, January 11th

    On a damp January evening, AEG brought their sweaty, passionate, live performance to the Bayou Café in Albany, NY. Playing to a room full of appreciative fans, the band did not disappoint. The Adam Ezra Group (AEG) hails from Boston, MA and was playing in support of their recent album Ragtop Angel, which took the 2012 New England Music Awards honors for  ‘Album of the Year’, as well as ‘Song of the Year’ for “Takin’ Off”. 

    Those that know the AEG know they are not only about the music but are also activists and community leaders committed to changing the world through their music. This is very in the song entitled “Miss Hallelujah” which Ezra performed with compassion, soul and power to kick off the show. The early part of the show also included the bands version of “Cripple Creek”, dedicated to the late Levon Helm and “The Devil Came Up to Boston”, a variation of Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”

    The remainder of the show was a nice blend of AEG favorites including “On My Own”, “Home Again Soon”, “What Did I Say”, “We’re Going Out Tonight” and “Steal Your Daughter” from both previous albums View From the Root (2010), Chain (2005), Tumble Down Slow (2004) and their latest album Daniel The Brave (2012).

    There’s something to be said about getting back to basics. The Adam Ezra group is all about down-to-Earth, grassroots music. The bands vast talent and old fashion work ethic combined with their commitment to making the world a better place through their music is certainly a breath of fresh air.

    www.adamezra.com

    www.bayoucafe.com