Author: Bryan Lasky

The All-Inclusive Preview of Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival Part 3

Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival is happening from August 16 to 18 this year and we are happy to announce a new series on that will bring you previews and interviews with bands that will be playing the festival. The All-Inclusive Preview is happy to continue the series with a look at Soulive with The Shady Horns with legendary guest Maceo Parker.

Soulive, the headliners of this year’s festival have been together since the late 90’s and have really come into their own in the last few years. Comprised of Alan and Neal Evans and Eric Krasno, Soulive’s funk-jazz fusion is something not to be missed whenever they are in your neck of the woods. Starting in 2010, the band has had a ten-night residency in New York City called Bowlive, held at the Brooklyn Bowl. It is there that they gained a reputation for putting on great shows of their own music as well as welcoming guests every night of the run to perform special sets and covers. The Shady Horns are always at these shows and are one of the tightest and funkiest horn sections around. They give Soulive that extra little push, raising all of the music to a new height. Having this level of energy at Equifunk is special in itself, but they are adding a living legend to the fold on top of that.

Maceo Parker, who has worked with James Brown as well as Parliament-Funkadelic, among others, is an icon. He is one of the best funk and soul jazz saxophonists to ever pick up the instrument. Maceo was there when funk was originated in the 1960’s and happily continues to keep the flag flying. He has played all over the world and has received various awards for his playing. In the past 20 years Maceo has focused more on being a solo artist than just play with other musicians. This collaboration is a special one, making this festival more unique than it already is.

This mixture of talent is one of the most exceptional headliners of any festival in the area this year. This set will surely have the crowd dancing throughout the duration enjoying the funk oozing from these amazing musicians. Tickets are still available here and our full preview of Equifunk can be found here.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAylejJtUNI?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_0alsFnxwI?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

July 31, 2013
Alice Cooper’s Extreme Theatrics Give Life to The Palace Theatre on July 19

The Palace Theatre got schooled in Rock and Roll and theatrics from Alice Cooper on July 19^th, as Alice put on a show that included his signature prop cane being thrown into the crowd along with money with his face on it, as well as strait jackets and a monstrous Alice-Frankenstein stalking the stage. The faithful fans in the crowd got all the hits and screamed for more once he was done.

Coming out to the notes of “Hello Hooray” and following that up with hits “House of Fire,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and “Under My Wheels”, the crowd got going right off the bat. His band played hard every moment of the evening with all three guitarists absolutely slaying their instruments. They each got their own moment in the spotlight with their section of solos and jamming after “Dirty Diamonds.” Alice worked in songs from many of his albums throughout the night, but made sure to keep the focus on Welcome to My Nightmare and Billion Dollar Babies, much to the crowd’s delight.

During a one-two punch of “Devil’s Food” and “Feed My Frankenstein” Alice continued his theatrics by having a snake around his neck in the first and having a giant Frankenstein monster stalk the stage during the end of the second. During “Killer”, the guillotine came out and Alice’s head was chopped off, much to the delight of the crowd. There was then a four song medley where he paid tribute to what he called his “drunken dead friends” by covering “Break On Through (to the Other Side)”, “Revolution”, “Foxy Lady” and “My Generation.”

Cooper then played three of his biggest hits to close out the show: “I’m Eighteen” was followed by “Poison”, and had the entire crowd singing along with Alice. To close out the show, “School’s Out” rang through the Palace Theater and sent everyone home with a smile on their faces. Alice is still definitely a performer to go see if you have a chance, especially if you love a little theater mixed in with a lot of rock and roll.

Setlist: Hello Hooray, House of Fire, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Under My Wheels, I’ll Bit Your Face Off, Billion Dollar Babies, Caffeine, Department of Youth, Hey Stoopid, Dirty Diamonds, Welcome to My Nightmare, Go to Hell, Devil’s Food, Feed My Frankenstein, Ballad of Dwight Dry, Killer, I Love the Dead, Break On Through (to the Other Side), Revolution, Foxy Lady, My Generation, I’m Eighteen, Poison

Encore: School’s Out

July 25, 2013
The All-Inclusive Preview of Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival Part 2

Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival is happening from August 16 to 18 this year and we’ll bring you previews and interviews with bands that will be playing the festival. The All-Inclusive Preview is happy to take a look at The Nigel Hall Band to continue this series.

Nigel Hall is a guardian of soul music who has said of himself that he “lives, eats, and drinks music.” His shows bring a whole lot of funk from the moment they begin until the last note hits. His energetic vocals always add an extra layer to the music no matter what band he is playing with. Nigel is an established keyboard player laying down grooves that are easily danced to. He is also a member of the funk band Lettuce and has played many times with Soulive, who are headlining Equifunk. Look for Nigel to be around all weekend, dropping in on other bands’ sets as well as being a part of The Equifunk All-Stars set alongside Eddie Roberts, Stanton Moore, James Casey, and Pete Shand.

Tickets are available now here. Check out our full preview of the Equifunk festival here.

July 11, 2013
The Solid Sound Festival is a Solid Choice for Great Music and Arts

Walking into MASS MoCA on a hot and humid Saturday afternoon were people of all ages and types. From teenagers and twenty-somethings to baby boomers and adults in their 30s and 40s with little kids, they all came in droves. The Wilco produced Solid Sound Festival is unlike any other festival in the country. MASS MoCA almost every other weekend of the year is just a place to go check out gigantic art installations and see special screenings of movies. For Solid Sound, you get this plus a concert curated by one of the best bands of the last 20 years.

Walking around to see all of the art was great, as there are massive installations throughout the site. One of the installations was Xu Bing’s “Phoenix,” two gigantic birds built out of scrap metal. Pop-up performances took place underneath them by some of the acts and every attendee at the festival had the same awe-struck reaction to the birds when first seeing them. There was also a record shop on site with artist signings and many albums on sale for those who felt the need to not only see music, but purchase some as well. Another great hidden gem inside of MASS MoCA was the interactive kid area for parents that wanted to see their kids create art at the festival as well as see art. All of this added to the uniqueness of the festival.

Xu Bing: Phoenix

Mark Mulcahy started the day of music off with some smooth rock and roll incorporating a small horn section beautifully. However, many people were getting ready inside the buildings for John Hodgman’s Comedy Cabaret. Jen Kirkman and Hodgman started the cabaret off by riffing back and forth on various news topics and then Jen took over for a 40 minute set that went every which way and had the audience rolling in the aisles. Later on, Reggie Watts took the stage to a standing room only crowd that saw him mix music and comedy to perfection like only he can. At the end of his 45 minute set ,Reggie drew one of the biggest ovations of the day and well deserved at that.

Reggie Watts

Lucius took to the Courtyard D stage where a large crowd saw the group destroy their 45 minute set in the midday heat. Dressed as though they were twins, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig blended their voices beautifully into soaring harmonies while being accompanied by a great band behind them. The audience wanted more as the band ended their set, but would have to wait until later in the day for what I was told was a great pop-up performance underneath the two phoenixes.

Lucius

Near the entrance of the festival, Gold Town from Manchester, VT, was playing an acoustic set of rocking bluegrass music to a tiny crowd. As people came and left the area, they were constantly stopping for a bit to see where this great music was coming from. The four piece band was clearly enjoying themselves and even taking requests from the crowd. Yo La Tengo hit Courtyard D next with the biggest crowd of the day to that point. Having performed for quite some time, it was great to see how easily all of the music came to them. Constantly switching instruments, all three members showed that they are in-tune with one another. “Ohm” and “Deeper Into Movies” were two of the better songs, but they really killed their entire hour long set.

Yo La Tengo

What came next was the most exciting set of the day: Foxygen took to Courtyard C and drew a crowd that was much bigger than that area of MASS MoCA could handle, and the band delivered. What you notice right away from Foxygen is the amount of energy every member of the band has. Lead singer Sam France had so much energy that he climbed part of the scaffolding of the stage, much to the dismay of the Solid Sound staff. Their mixture of rock and psychedelia was impressive. This is definitely a band that likes to have fun on stage and makes sure their audience is having just as much fun. Do not miss them if they come to Upstate New York in the near future.

Foxygen

Low took the stage next and was the exact opposite of Foxygen. Their hour long set seemed to drag a bit, but that is just because their style of rock is much slower. Although the music was great, especially “Dinosaur Act” and “Last Snowstorm of the Year,” it was a bit of a letdown after the raucous set Foxygen had just thrown down. Neko Case, who was the first performer to grace Joe’s Field on Saturday, was next and played a beautiful set of music mixing bluegrass, country, and rock. She also was very talkative to the crowd between each song, telling jokes and stories about each song. “That Teenage Feeling,” “I’m An Animal,” and “Train From Kansas City” stood out among her set.

Neko Case

The curators of the festival, Wilco, took to the stage next and played an amazing 28-song set. The previous night they had played an all request covers set and people I spoke with throughout the day remarked how amazing that set was. This set saw Wilco play a full set of original music and showed why they are so good at what they do. “I Got You At the End of the Century” kicked the set off in a rocking fashion and it seemed they never stopped from there. Jeff Tweedy joked with the crowd throughout the set and even brought a fan on stage to request a song, although the band really told her which song to pick, which turned into a small comedy routine on stage, before they jumped into a great version of “Candyfloss.” Kids could be seen on parent’s shoulders with headphones on enjoying the set, while the adults in their 20s and 30s were twirling and dancing around. With a four song encore that had Jeff continually saying how happy they were to be back at MASS MoCA after taking a year off, they capped the night with a triple shot of “California Stars,” “Just a Kid,” and “Dreamer in My Dreams.”

Wilco

Setlist: I Got You (At the End of the Century), Dawned on Me, Box Full of Letters, At My Window Sad and Lonely, Forget the Flowers, She’s a Jar, You Are My Face, One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend), Art of Almost, I Might, Summer Teeth, Candyfloss, I’m Always in Love, Sunken Treasure, Far Far Away, Via Chicago, Impossible Germany, Born Alone, Laminated Cat, Passenger Side, Whole Love, Can’t Stand It, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m the Man Who Loves You

Encore: A Shot in the Arm, California Stars, Just a Kid, Dreamer in My Dreams

Solid Sound is one of the best festivals on this side of the country. Being only 45 minutes east of Albany in North Adams, MA, this is a festival you should be attending every year. The art that could be seen is worth the price of admission alone. There is camping in North Adams, MA, with bus services to and from the festival daily. There is also a great beer and food selection throughout the complex. The Solid Sound Festival is not to be missed for music lovers in the Capitol Region next year.

July 9, 2013
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Shine Bright at SPAC Under the Full Moon

A hot and humid Sunday night did not stop the masses from coming out for a great show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers put on a non-stop two hour show that saw him mix up the setlist with songs spanning his entire career. The crowd was standing through the night and was rapid in their applause and participation. Tom was very thankful throughout the evening and let it be known to everyone that he has loved coming to upstate New York since 1980 and hoped to see everyone again.

The evening started with The Wallflowers playing a great 45 minute set. Most people may know the band as being the band of Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan, but they proved they can play on their own accord. They started right out of the gates with a cover of The Band’s song “Don’t Do It.” They did the song justice with Jakob singing the lyrics wonderfully. They went right into “Three Marlenas” and transitioned quickly into “The Letter,” a song originally by The Box Tops, but they played it in more of a Joe Cocker style. Having the two covers early in the set brought the audience to attention before going into their own material. Rami Jaffee worked the keyboards beautifully with Stuart Mathis playing great lead guitar throughout the set. “One Headlight” got the crowd on their feet near the end of the set. As the band finished up “The Difference”, the pavilion was standing room only with a roar from the crowd thanking the band for a great opening set.

Setlist: Don’t Do It, Three Marlenas, The Letter, I’ve Been Delivered, 6^th Avenue Heartache, Closer to You, Sleepwalker, One Headlight, Misfits and Lovers, The Difference

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers recently wrapped up intimate residencies at both The Beacon Theatre and The Henry Fonda Theatre, focusing on deep tracks and rare covers. These shows seem to have put a new energy into the band as they came out swinging with a cover of The Byrds “So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and quickly followed it up with “Love is a Long Road.” Both of these songs saw Mike Campbell wailing away on his guitar and he continued to show how good of a guitarist he is at every opportunity throughout the evening of music. Tom told the crowd, before starting Paul Revere and The Raiders hit song “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” that he and The Heartbreakers are just a “glorified garage band from Florida and we like to rock out just like you do.” The hits soon followed with “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” that had Scott Thurston playing a mean harmonic, and “Free Fallin,” which got the whole crowd singing along with Tom.

Tom had the lights turned on so he could see the adoring, standing-room-only crowd before introducing the band to everyone. What followed was a special song for the current tour. Having been a member of the super group The Traveling Wilburys, Petty usually plays one song from their catalog during his shows and this tour he chose “Tweeter and the Monkey Man.” It’s a great song and a deep cut from the band and one The Heartbreakers pulled off flawlessly. “Melinda” soon followed and it gave a chance for Benmont Tench and Steve Ferrone to show off their skills at piano and drums, respectively. With the rest of the band dropping out during the song, these two went to work for an extended jam on the song. The set ended with a “Refugee” and “Runnin Down a Dream” double shot that was stunning.

With a three song encore of “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, “You Wreck Me” and “American Girl”, there wasn’t a person in the crowd not rocking out to end the show. Even though the band has been together since the mid-1970s, they continue to put on a show like few acts can today. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they come back to the Upstate region.

Setlist: So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, Love Is a Long Road, I Won’t Back Down, (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone, Here Comes My Girl, Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Free Fallin’, A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me), Listen to Her Heart, Tweeter and the Monkey Man, Rebels, Melinda, Learning to Fly, Yer So Bad, I Should Have Known It, Refugee, Runnin’ Down a Dream

Encore: Don’t Come Around Here No More, You Wreck Me, American Girl

June 28, 2013
Neil Young and Crazy Horse with Patti Smith and Her Band will be rocking The Capitol Theatre on September 2nd

To have a chance to see a legendary band in a small venue is every concert goers dream. To be able to see two legendary acts on the same bill in a small venue is more of a fantasy. On September 2^nd, Neil Young and Crazy Horse with Patti Smith and Her Band are coming to The Capitol Theatre, a venue that is legend in its own right.

Starting last year, these two acts went out to arenas all over the country receiving rave reviews. Patti Smith is always a good artist to see live, as she is still pushing the bounds of performance today, just as she has always done throughout her career. Her latest album, Banga, came out last summer to critical acclaim and she mixes some of these songs into her set with well-known songs like “Because the Night” and “Horses”. Her passion for music has not waned over the years one bit and she remains a force to be reckoned with on stage.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse had not played together in almost ten years prior to last year, but a pair of albums, Americana and Psychedelic Pill brought them back together. The tour last fall was getting a lot of love from fans all over the country. When Neil plays with Billy Talbot, Ralph Moline, and Frank “Poncho” Sampedro, the sound that comes out of the four musicians makes it seem as if there are actually ten people on stage. It is an onslaught of noise with beautiful grunge-laden jams, with some songs going for 20 minutes at a time. This could be your last opportunity to see Neil with the Horse as there are rumors this could be the bands last go-round. They have been splicing classics in with the new songs off of Psychedelic Pill to give the audience a history lesson of the band.

Tickets for this show go on sale Friday at noon here. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these two bands play together in such an intimate venue.

June 27, 2013
The All-Inclusive Preview of Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival Part 1

Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival is happening from August 16-18 this year and we are happy to announce a new series on that will bring you previews and interviews with bands that will be playing the festival.

The All-Inclusive Preview is happy to take a look at The Heavy Pets to start this series off. The Heavy Pets are no strangers to the Upstate New York area. Having just been through this past spring with five shows in the area, they are a well-known jamband that loves to come up north from Florida and wow the scene. With their blend of rhythm and blues, jazz-funk, reggae and rock and roll, they are always interesting to watch and listen to, never knowing what direction the music will go into next.

First formed in Goshen, NY during their high school years, Jeff Lloyd, Mike Garulli, and Joe Dupell came together in the first incarnation of the band and stayed in touch through college at Syracuse University and various moves for jobs. This continued until 2005 when the band reformed in Florida. Since then they have been perfecting their sound with rich vocals and jams that take you to another plain. The band has been active, playing all over the United States and gaining fans along the way. They have played Langerado, Jam Cruise, Bonnaroo, Gathering of the Vibes and many other festivals. Their set at Equifunk should be a fun throw down for everyone to dance to and let the funk fly. Tickets are available now here.

Check out our full preview of the Equifunk festival here. For those wanting to see The Heavy Pets in person, they will be at Putnam Den on June 27^th. Here’s a clip that features the band jamming with Eric Krasno of Lettuce and Soulive:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8vWQN91wyk?rel=0&w=640&h=360]

June 21, 2013
Album Review: Robert Randolph Presents The Slide Brothers

The pedal steel guitar is an instrument not used enough in music today. Thankfully for everyone’s ears, Robert Randolph brought together four masters of this instrument to make an album together, The Slide Brothers. Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell, and Aubrey Ghent make up the group that keeps the sacred tradition of the pedal steel alive and well. Throughout the album there is an expertise of the instrument on display, whether the band is tackling blues, funk, rock or gospel.

The album opener is a cover of The Allman Brothers song “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’.” Right off the bat you can hear that these four musicians know how to make the pedal steel sing. Fans of The Allmans should have no problem loving this great cover. Since Duane Allman used a slide on his guitar for many of the songs he played, the pedal steel is a great guitar to use for any cover of one of his songs. There is a non-stop fury of wailing guitars as each member takes turns showcasing their talent. A cover of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” follows and the band makes the tune into a gospel song instead of the rocker we know from George. The Slide Brothers make it work with help from Jimmy Carter, from The Blind Boys of Alabama, on vocals. They truly do the song justice and this new take is a wonderful party for your ears.

“Wade in the Water” is a great track on this album; the song has been around for ages and is a spiritual classic, but The Slide Brothers make it an instrumental and dig into the song with fury. The five minute track allows each member to stretch their abilities out and provides them a moment to shine before turning it over to the next person. “Praise You”, a Fatboy Slim cover, follows and with help from Shemekia Copeland and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, the song is turned into a guitar wailing gospel song and fast becomes one of the best tracks on the album. The Slide Brothers make this song sound like an original and they did it with such ease.

“Motherless Children” by Eric Clapton is tackled a little later in the album and they stay more true to the original than they have done with other covers. The track is excellent and having four people cover one of the best guitar players around makes the song easier on everyone. “The Sky is Crying” was another standout track done perfectly. Most know it as a Stevie Ray Vaughn song but The Slide Brothers stayed with the more traditional Elmore James version of the song, keeping it heavily rooted in the blues.

Robert Randolph has wanted to make this album for a long time in order to show everyone why he plays pedal steel. These were some of his guitar gods growing up and he did a great job of giving The Slide Brothers material to tear into. Get this album as soon as you can and be prepared to get rocked by one of the most unique musical instruments, the pedal steel guitar.

Key Tracks: Don’t Keep Me Wonderin, Wade in the Water, Praise You

Pick up the album from their website – The Slide Brothers

June 12, 2013
Album Review: ‘My Streets’ from the Bob Polding Band

Coming with a strong sound reminiscent of rock’s past is the newest album “My Streets” by the Bob Polding Band. From the New Jersey, the influence of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and countless other shore acts is apparent right away. The music screams of a new “Americana” that is a mix of country and rock. The entire album is loaded with great guitar riffs and wonderful lyrics that keep the album in constant motion from beginning to end.

The album opens up with the title track “My Streets” and it is easily seen why this was the name of the album as well. The saxophone soars throughout the track and is always present in this upbeat number. The song talks about love, life, and memories of things that have passed long ago. Like some of the other artists who have come from Jersey and written about their home, Bob has shown how much he loves his home in this opener. “One Dance” is another wonderful track with great violin work. The song is about how, sometimes, just one dance can change everything in your life. It is one of the slower tracks on the album, but maybe it is just a slow dance that you want with that person. The country vibe to the track melds perfectly with the lyrics and shows the band is comfortable in switching up their music style.

“Hey Jeni” comes on next with a very catchy guitar riff and is an upbeat country rocker. The thumping drums keep the track moving along with the pedal steel getting to shine as well. It’s one of the tracks on the album you’ll be nodding to without even noticing you’re doing it. “Painted On Smile” is a song that continuously builds with the violin and fiddle going back and forth, almost fighting to see which will take the lead. The ending of the song is great as the woman who was the focus of the whole song is asked to come take a final leap and go for a ride and have her cares disappear. “Dam Good Day” is a great country rock song that erupts in the back half of the song with some great guitar work on display. This will be another song that will get stuck in your head and have you nodding along. The foreboding keys that introduce “War” let you know this will be one of the more serious songs on the album. The track builds upon itself creating a daunting landscape that isn’t seen anywhere else on the album.

The Bob Polding Band has tried to do something that is not seen from many acts that hail from New Jersey, mixing rock and country. They have pulled it off well here and it will be interesting to see where this direction takes them in the future.

Key Tracks: My Streets, Painted On Smile, War

May 28, 2013
Equifunk brings a stellar line up to the Pocono Mountains in August

Equifunk is returning to the beautiful Camp Equinunk in Pennsylvania, August 16-18. Nestled in the Pocono Mountains, this three day music festival is very different from most musical festivals around today. People can rent cabins on the campgrounds or can go the more traditional route with tent camping. There are camp related activities such a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, tennis, and pick up softball games. A pool is also on the grounds to cool off in throughout the weekend and will also act as a place for a gigantic pool party on Saturday.

The music will be going all weekend with artists such as Soulive and the Shady Horns with special guest Maceo Parker, The New Mastersounds (performing two sets), JJ Grey & Mofro, Keller Williams with More than a Little, Boombox, Anders Osborne, The Nigel Hall Band, Marco Benevento, Monophonics, The Main Squeeze, Superhuman Happiness, I’ll Be John Brown, James Casey (Artist at Large), and King Lincoln (Featuring Duane Trucks). For the first time in the history of the festival they will have music all day on Sunday showcasing Pork Tornado with Jon Fishman, The Revivalists, The London Souls, The Heavy Pets, The Main Squeeze, and M&M (A supergroup comprised of Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento, Robert Mercurio, Papa Mali, and Maceo Parker). Another supergroup performing Sunday, comprised of Eddie Roberts, Pete Shand, Stanton Moore, Nigel Hall, and James Casey, will be named by the fans on their Facebook page.

Tickets are on sale now and whether you go for cabins or tent-camping your ticket includes all the beer you can drink and all meals from dinner on Friday night through breakfast Sunday morning.

May 22, 2013