Author: Susan Rice

Kollectiv and Groovestick: Funky and Lucky on Friday the 13th

The last Friday the 13th of 2013 brought together lucky music lovers to The Hollow in Albany for two of Upstate New York’s homegrown talent. With the holidays around the corner, it’s understandable for fans and musicians to want to soak up each other’s cheerful energy with live music. The Kollectiv, a rap rock funk band, was having their first reunion show in months, kicking off their short tour in Albany. The Capital District’s own Groovestick was first to take the stage and were eager to test out their new stage setup.

Drummer Franz Celestin and keyboard master Chris Carballeira now face each other with bassist Dan Gerken standing strong in the eye of the storm, taking inspiration from one of their favorite bands, The New Deal. Now with more eye contact and exposed body language, the musicians can read each other better and have strengthened their already impressive fluidity. Regardless of the layout, Groovestick still gave out goosebumps with their jazz and funky flow. Carballeira glides over the keys of the Hammond 33 organ, providing an intense blues and psychedelic sound, causing new appreciation for vintage instruments everywhere. Gerken plays slow and ripplely chords until causing a commotion with the tease of the infamous bass line from Phish’s “Stash” while Celestin fires away on the cymbals at every speed level.

Originally from Oneonta, musicians from The Kollectiv have been traveling different paths experimenting with various projects around the country but lucky for Upstate New York, they came home for the holidays. What makes The Kollectiv stand out above the other bands is their usage of turntables. They have a soulful and funky vibe from their instruments but with the combination of the turntables, it adds attitude and flavor. Their groove is undeniable especially with the steady bass of Chris Duffy and firm beats of Frantz Celestin, who is still a powerhouse after rocking with Groovestick beforehand. Lars Viola yells out, “We haven’t been in the same room together for months. It feels so good to be home” as long awaiting fans couldn’t agree more. Their sound is almost similar to a softer version of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – no offensive language, but creative word spitting with a fantastic blend of rap and rock music. Each song is so different in that one is a “no worries street smarts” and the next moment Taylor Frederick is shredding on guitar before the music slowly grooves into a reggae dance party. It’s a shame that The Kollectiv shows are rare but they are always worth the experience and we can only hope for more in the new year ahead.

December 28, 2013
Get Lucky this Friday the 13th with The Kollectiv and Groovestick

This Friday at 9pm don’t miss two of Upstate New York’s fresh and funky bands, The Kollectiv and GrooveStick, appearing at The Hollow in Albany. Groovestick has become a growing Capital District sensation with their heavy organ infused, progressive funk. The trio is a collaboration with Dan Gerken on guitar (Timbre Coup/Mirk), Chris Carballeira on organ/keys (Dirty Paris, Funk Evolution) and Frantz Celestin on drum kit (The Kollectiv, Dirty Paris).

This will be a special reunion show for The Kollectiv, since they have had band members living on the west coast and haven’t played together for months. The original lineup consists of keyboardist Eric Luba, guitarist Jaden Carlson, Frantz Celestin on drums (GrooveStick), Chris Duffy on bass (Dirty Paris), Lars Viola on turntables (M.A.E.), and guitarist Taylor Frederick (Technicolor Tone Factory). Deep into December, they are staying true to the old holiday saying, “There’s no place like home for the holidays” and eager to see long awaited fans and friends in Albany and at the Black Oak Tavern in Oneonta on Saturday.

Before their big weekend, was lucky to catch some free time with Taylor Frederick about their time apart, practice and the year ahead.

Susan Rice: It’s been quite some time since the Kollectiv performed in Upstate New York. What have you guys been working on since your time off?

Taylor Frederick: Well Duffy is finishing up college in Albany as of right now, Lars is down in NYC producing and working with his hip-hop projects at True Statement., Frantz has been hard at work with his new funk trio Groovestick, and Eric and myself moved out to Boulder, CO at the end of May, and dove into the music scene out here pretty quickly. He is now in The Jaden Carlson Band, and I am now playing with Technicolor Tone Factory. As for Eric and myself, I know JCB is planning on a two month national tour starting at the end of February or beginning of March, and TTF will also be on tour at that time heading west toward California, and also heading south into Texas around the same time. Tour dates are going to be released in early 2014.

SR: Do you find it difficult to keep in touch with band members living across the country? Do you log in practice time with each other?

TF: It’s a little difficult at times. You tend to get caught up in life, and sometimes that makes time fly by a bit faster than one would like. But we do keep in touch quite a bit. Since Eric and I are out here we have been running the old stuff and some new surprises for the run and the rest of the boys have been doing their own individual runs on the material.

SR: Do you guys feel like you will need like you need a lot of practice before the show? I would be nervous if I had to play with a band that I haven’t seen in month’s haha.

TF: Well the funny story is the band was founded on straight improv, even the songs. We just kind of get lucky that we all know them well enough that when we hear a tease of something, we all pick up on it and can go right in. It’s a pretty amazing bond to have with a group of musicians. It doesn’t happen often but when it does its magic. For the run however we have been learning a bunch of new material on our own, and whatever we decide on, the setlists will kind of determine what we can fit in between point A and point B.

SR: What is the band most excited for on your Holiday/reunion run in Upstate NY?

TF: We’re just pumped to be playing music together again. It’s always a good time when we get together. Our friends from all over the place always come out as well and we seem to make new ones at ever show. It’s slowly turning into just a giant family reunion.

SR: Does the Kollectiv have any plans for 2014 that fans can look forward to? New music? More East Coast shows?

TF: As far as 2014 you never know. There have been some old studio recordings that just may resurface, and maybe a couple festival appearances? We’ll have to wait and see. Right now just keep an eye out for JCB, TTF, Groovestick, M.A.E, Dirty Paris and our other respected projects!

December 13, 2013
Marco Benevento and WOLF! Keep Albany Warm at Red Square

Marco Benevento last partied at Albany’s Red Square months ago on the first day of June. An exciting Saturday night at Red Square started off with the garage-rockabilly stylings of WOLF! Scott Metzger treated the crowd to his raw guitar work throughout the set, while Taylor Floreth kept the steady beat going underneath him. Dave Dreiwitz played bass with them for the second time ever and fit right in with them. Scott joked between songs with the crowd and it seemed as if the hour was over before it started. Hopefully Scott will bring the band back around to the Capital Region soon for a longer performance.

With the cold weather quickly settling into Upstate, Benevento had the Capital District already excited for 2014 as he promised to announce the month of his fall residency at Red Square. Marco Benevento blasted off with “The Real Morning Party” a youthful tune with Nintendo charm that geared the crowd up for play time. The trio went on into a blur of covers throughout the night such as The Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nillson. Benevento donned the big tiger mask for one of his newest songs from the album, Tiger Face, “Limbs of a Pine”, getting a big roar from the audience and bowing to bassist Dave Dreiwtiz. Andy Borger hit hard the petals with Benevento raising his mug in approval with a catchy verse leading the crowd to a repetitive “HEY/WOO” cheer. The crowd was rowdy all evening, but really took it to an extreme during the song, with a few people walking on stage and dancing.

Benevento and Dreiwtiz exchanged smiles during “RISD” as they played with upbeat and innocent lightheartedness. “Escape Horse” brought about a dark, dangerous side to the night as Benevento hit every note on his keybords with tremendous madness and Borger pounded deep beats. The band took a moment to thank the fans and asked for their vote on which month in 2014 their residency at Red Square should be. October got the loudest cheers and Marco proclaimed, “As long as we have the ladies with red clown noses, we’ll be here next October, celebrating the release of a new album at that time!” The night ended with the group singalong of “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35” by Bob Dylan and the curveball of Britney Spears “Toxic.” It’ll be seem like a long year until Marco Benevento returns to Albany in October, hopefully he’ll return for another season starter. Until then, Benevento will be ending the year at The Capitol Theatre on Dec 27th with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and a post-Phish Show at the Highline Ballroom on Dec 30th and he will be sitting in with The Midnight Ramble Band for a special New Year’s Eve Ramble at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY.

December 13, 2013
Formula 5 and TAUK – On the Rise at The Hollow

Two of the most up and coming improvisational bands combined forces for a funky Friday night throw down at The Hollow in Albany. Despite the threat of a possible snow storm, dedicated fans made the journey downtown to celebrate the end of the work week with drinks and great music. Tauk, the four piece space funk band from Brooklyn, has been heavily touring across the East Coast this year and was happy to return to the Capital District. Formula 5 is no stranger to the area as they supply fresh local jams to the masses on a steady rotation. Tauk and Formula 5 are two bands to watch for in the New Year ahead.

Tauk quickly filled the dance floor as their electronic-infused rock sound moved through the room. Their slow and monstrous buildups leave plenty to the musical imagination. Guitarist Matt Jalbert and Bassist Charlie Dolan hit high altitude chord elevations that keep the audience on the tip of their dancing toes. Isaac Teel is a multi-tasking, beat-making machine as he uses a tambourine with his left hand, drums with his right hand and holds his left drum stick in his mouth. Keyboardist A.C. Carter adds soulful organ notes before dipping into groovy techno melodies. The quartet ended their set with a killer mash-up of Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song”, Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and “Bulls on Parade” by Rage against the Machine which they have named, “Immigrant Boogie Parade.” Tauk will hit the road in January with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe after they throw down at a Phish after-party with Fikus at DROM on Dec 28th. Their newest album, Homunculus is available for free download here.

Formula 5 had something for everyone as they have performed diverse covers and unique original songs. The band started with a solid cover of Elton John’s “Grey Seal” before erupting into their party starter anthem “Excalibur.” Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions took a moment to raffle off free tickets for all his shows in 2014 proving that live music is the best gift for anyone. Formula 5 is growing to be a band where as they grow, you listen for the teases, songs within songs, and “songception” moments. Fans were thrilled as they recognized Was (Not Was)’s “Walk the Dinosaur” and Phish’s “The Moma Dance” during the funky “Pedro.” The boys have been working on a new album which hopefully will drop in the spring, the sooner the better for everyone.

Formula 5 Setlist: Grey Seal*, Excalibur, Catch Me -> The Ride -> Ticket Giveaway@ -> The Ride, Epiphany -> 3 Ring Circus, Rising Tide, Pedro% -> Jungle Love#, Earthbound, Music Never Stopped, Hot Box
E: Goin’ Down^
* Elton John cover
@ Greg Bell raffled off tickets while the band played a background breakdown of “The Ride”
% “Walk the Dinosaur” (Was Not Was) teases, “Moma Dance” (Phish) teases
# Steve Miller Band

December 12, 2013
Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds: These Birds of a Feather are Flocking Filthy to The Hollow

Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds, the eight-piece band from Brooklyn flew upstate on Thursday December 5th to The Hollow in Albany. Fans were grateful to hear the show was still on despite the band having over multiple instruments stolen only two weeks prior. With the help of some borrowed equipment and friends, the band was able to perform to a packed room and sent a message out on Facebook saying, “Thanks for all your support over these trying couple of weeks. Ain’t no better medicine than music to drive that darkness away!”

The Hollow’s stage was a tight nest for the musicians and their delicate leading lady but don’t let Arleigh Kincheloe’s size fool you; the small sparrow herself can belt out some serious tunes, leaving the crowd stunned. Her older brother, Jackson, is a harmonica machine as he blows it to pieces with an endearing heart. The Birds hit brass hard with Phil Rodriguez on trumpet, Ryan Snow on trombone and Brian Graham on baritone sax blowing the roof off the venue and adding in smooth vocals throughout the night.

Their rendition of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” was soulful, funky and charged up the crowd early in the night. After a couple powerhouse songs, the band slowed down with “Sugar”, a sweet acoustic jam change up and Jackson took a moment to dedicate the show to his harmonica teacher who recently had passed a week ago and paid tribute with a beautiful solo rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Guitarist Sasha Brown ripped apart chords as Arleigh screamed, “Albany, Shake it for me!” Bassist Josh Myers laid down funky bass notes as the bird brother, Bram Kincheloe, went to town on the cymbals with edge. The band was appreciated of the Upstate New York, being surrounded by family, friends and fans; it was truly a great show to be a part of.

Catch Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds on tour when they stop at The Space in Westbury on December 20th with the Funky Meters, at Club Helsinki for New Year’s Eve and at Brooklyn Bowl in NYC on January 31st. Click here if you wish to donate to Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds in the loss of their music equipment.

December 11, 2013
DJs, Digital Dharma and Cosmic Dust Bunnies! Oh My! An electronic twister at The Hollow

The Hollow in Albany took a turn to the dark side as the venue was filled with heavy bass bombs and electronic techno jams on Saturday, November 23rd, hosted by Full Circle Music Productions. DJs Mentally Ill and Leila spun while Digital Dharma and Cosmic Dust Bunnies took turns setting up and dismantling but the audience didn’t need much distraction. Mentally Ill got the night started with bizarre beats and eerie mixes, feeding anyone’s craving for light dubstep. DJ Leila was no joke as she is a furious spin master of hip hop and dark beats, great entertainment with attitude.

Albany’s Digital Dharma killed it on stage to their local fan base of dedicated electronic rock lovers. One of the highlights was Steve Mink playing solid bass lines for a deeper disco feel especially during their new song “Shag.” A great combination of funk and techno, Digital Dharma capture ears with fresh improvisation on their original pieces. The boys will return to The Hollow in two weeks with Brothers Past on Saturday, December 21st.

The Cosmic Dust Bunnies ended the night with a hair raising set of high peaked techno melodies with more energy than the crowd could handle. Eric Hyland wailed on both acoustic and electric drums, adding stellar percussion beats and rhythm as Matt Dempsey rocked steady guitar riffs. Chris Sellas fused together robotic sounds and keyboard notes for an attention grabbing factor throughout the night. CDB are often a late night staple at major music festivals so it was refreshing to catch them before 3 am, for once. The four piece band plans to ring in the New Year in Worcester, MA at Disc Jam Presents! A-Dopa-New-Years-Eve with Dopapod, Consider the Source, Viral Sound and more, with tickets still available here. Here’s hoping Full Circle will bring back the uncontrollable storm of The Cosmic Dust Bunnies to the Upstate NY area more often.

December 10, 2013
All the Fun and All the Thanks at Valentine’s Final Funsgiving

Valentine’s of Albany hosted the 6th annual B3nson Funsgiving event for the last time on Saturday, November 22nd. The night consisted of seven diverse Upstate New York bands, alternating on the stages of the two story venue with familiar faces around every corner. With Valentine’s set to close and relocate by the end of this year, it was only proper to gather with friends to make a few more memories at the music hall and beer joint one last time.

Hammer Hawk was the first on the lineup, a trio of musical muscle who greeted the venue with edgy rock angst. Bear Grass had a consistent growing sound with pleasant echoes of Indie folk throughout the set. Lead female singer, Katie Hammon, is a great compliment to the harmonies of the five piece band as their music was an easy listen with relaxing melodies and joyous tempos. Rival Galaxies was an intergalactic experience with their high energy robotic futuristic rock and one of the highlights of the night. Rival Galaxies has a familiar sound to Daft Punk, especially with their disco dueling keyboards. Confetti rained down on the audience along with the steady beats, mighty guitar riffs and lyrics being sang via megaphone.

The Parlor performed some of the best dance music with their Indie Jazz sound complete with a solid horn section and funky bass line. The Parlor introduced new songs to the crowd with vocalist Jen O’Connor singing soft lyrics to Eric Krans’ smooth guitar licks. The carefree duo of Scientific Maps joked with the audience that it’s been years since they’ve practiced but you wouldn’t have known without them saying so. Aaron Smith plays with a nerdy and slightly rebellious grandeur as he strums with a carefree tone.

The night ended with the annual Beard contest with categories for both men and women, making for some interesting facial hair and accessories. Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned was unofficially the winner of the best/most beards in a band category. They have a gypsy sound with the accordion and powerful guitar strumming, giving off a sincere bohemian madness that they crowd couldn’t get enough of. Barons in the Attic concluded the event with their usual wild and riot starting music, making for a serious floor shaking set. Valentine’s has given the B3nson Funsgiving family a place to call home for the past few years and for that, we are all grateful. Be sure to visit Valentines before it’s too late!

wants to hear what your favorite memories are from any of the past B3nson’s Funsgiving’s at Valentine’s. Please comment below for your chance to win a poster from this year’s Funsgiving with signatures from members of each band! A winner will be chosen on December 20th.

December 5, 2013
Thanksgiving Eve in Upstate New York: Where the Party at?

Thanksgiving Eve – in Upstate New York, as well as around the country – has become known as one of the biggest party nights of the year, with the day after being one that nearly everyone has off from work to enjoy and eat all day with loved ones. With the holiday season upon us, it’s that time of the year to reflect on all the people, places and things in your life that you are thankful for. Upstate New York is fortunate to have a diverse music scene across the state, with plenty of home grown talent as well as artists visiting from all over the world, to enjoy our beautiful scenery, unique concert halls and our states deep appreciate for good music.

This Thanksgiving Eve go out and support our local venues and musicians because we can all be grateful for a good time!

Rochester
Sophistafunk with Subsoil at Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint, Rochester

Albany/Capital Region

Black Mountain Symphony at Paulys
Timbre Coup with Solaris at Red Square
Wild Adriatic at The Hollow with Titanics (free to first 100 people to RSVP on their Facebook event page)
High Peaks Band at Bailey’s Café, Saratoga
Eastbound Jesus with The North and South Dakotas, Putnam Den, Saratoga
Hammell on Trial at 6pm and The DeadBeats at 10pm at Valentines, Albany

North Country
Capital Zen 5 piece Reunion CD release party at GUGs in Glens Falls

Oneonta
John Scarpulla Band w/Hop City Hellcats at Oneonta Theater

Binghamton
InnerMission at Cyber Café West

Syracuse
95X & Music for the Mission Toys for Tots Benefit at The Lost Horizon
Chuck Dorgan and Jess Novak at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, East Syracuse
Los Blancos, Tim Herron Corporation, and Medicine Wheel, Charley Orlando and Mike Vincitore at Dinosaur BBQ

Buffalo
Lazlo HoLLyfeld at Hotel Lafayette
Sin District at The Forvm
Brian Setzer Orchestra at the University at Buffalo

November 25, 2013
Prepare for the Cosmic Dust Bunnies and Friends this Saturday at The Hollow

Don’t miss one of the biggest parties of the weekend tonight in Albany at The Hollow when Cosmic Dust Bunnies touch down to bring some mind melting music. The doors open at 9pm for the 21+ crowd with admission set at $10 put on by Full Circle Music Productions.

The lineup for the night includes two DJ sets with Leila, a dark spin jam master with a love for deep bass lines, and Mentally Ill, another lover for heavy bass lines whose turntables will bring you to the brink of insanity. Digital Dharma will also be stopping in to perform a set of high energy electronic rock with live instruments. The Cosmic Dust Bunnies, known for their epic late night sets at festivals such as Catskill Chill and Backwoods Pondfest, will end the night with their new wavetronica stylings guaranteed to send the crowd shooting out of this galaxy.

Keyboardist Chris Sellas from the Cosmic Dust Bunnies took some time out of their busy schedule to talk to .

Susan Rice: Cosmic Dust Bunnies. I kinda get a “energizer bunny” image. Why that name? How does it reflect your music?

Chris Sellas: We are all kind of nerds when it comes to video games and space, two of our favorite things Cosmic Dust Bunnies kind of sounds like the best of both worlds…I bet it would make a kick ass game that’s for sure! It’s also a real thing in outer space, a cluster Cosmic dust within a specific galaxy… So when you Google us you will either get our pages or NASA which I think is pretty cool. I think our Bunny would keep going and going and going and going…lol

SR: You had quite a fall tour, traveling all over the East Coast. What makes Upstate New York stand out while on the road?

CS: I think spent a good deal of my childhood living outside Buffalo, I’ve always loved upstate New York. Albany is such a great time, people there have lots of energy and are enjoying the scene that is happening there.

SR: Given the time of year, do you have a favorite holiday to play shows on?

CS: Halloween is always fun. We just did a show this past Halloween and we all dressed up as Star Wars characters and played Star Wars medleys. it was a lot of fun and our fans loved it. This year we will also be doing a New Year’s Eve show in Massachusetts with Dopapod, consider the source, viral sound and more. That’s gonna be a blast!

SR: You shared that you went to Funspot in New Hampshire, the largest arcade in the world. Which game best describes your sound?

CS: I probably have to say sonic the hedgehog… That and Streets of Rage 2. Fun spot was a blast, nothing better than four player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game!

SR: What can fans look forward to in 2014? Any new music in the works?

CS: We have one album which should be dropping around Christmas time and will be hitting the studio for a follow up shortly after. We will also be having some of our producer DJ friends doing some remixes as well so look out for that.

November 23, 2013
Hot Reggae and Jazz at Red Square Thanks to Spiritual Rez and Groovestick

On November 14th, Red Square in Albany hosted two talented bands that offered up a wide range of musical stylings for any kind of music lover. A trio from members of some of Albany’s favorite bands joined forces to unite in a progressive jazz funk experience to make Groovestick. Reggae group and Boston’s own Spiritual Rez ended their extensive tour in Upstate New York after traveling all over this summer to festivals such as Catskill Chill and Backwoods Pondfest.

The newest band on the music scene is the jazz funk trio, Groovestick a dynamite collaboration with Dan Gerken on guitar/bass (Timbre Coup/Mirk), Chris Carballeira on organ/keys (Dirty Paris/Funk Evolution) and Frantz on drums (The Kollectiv/Dirty Paris). A slow and steady start to the night with smooth jazz made way for a funk powerhouse set closer. Carballeira brings an upbeat soul shaking performance as he shines on the organ while Gerken provides the right amount of attitude on the guitar. Their sound is catchy, unique and continues to turn audiences into funky jazz lovers across Upstate New York. Be sure to see them for their return to Monopole in Plattsburgh December 6th and with The Kollectiv at The Hollow in Albany December 13th.

Spiritual Rez brought a taste of summer to Red Square with their undeniably fun reggae melodies. They have a raw energy that can’t be matched or stopped as their music flows on wave upon wave. Jesse Shaternick laid down some heavy bass bombs as the horn section brought a twist of ska to the mix of reggae bliss. The only drawback of the show was the small stage space of Red Square, limiting Toft Willingham to his usual outrageous dance moves. The six-piece band was a tight squeeze on the stage but it forced the sound forward, hitting dancers hard in the face with dubtastic rock. Spiritual Rez brings out the animal in everyone with their primal screams, carefree attitude and explosive grooves. Spiritual Rez will be making stops throughout the east coast in December and will celebrate New Year’s Eve at The Spot in Providence, RI.

November 22, 2013