If you haven’t been to Rock n Roll Resort, you’re missing out. As our coverage yesterday shows, this weekend festival in a hotel nestled in the Catskill Mountains is truly a one of a kind experience that brings the festival experience to new heights.
Check out the scene with this photo gallery by Contributing Photographer Alex Toombs.
The Manhattan Project, one of the northeast’s newest powerhouses, came on to the scene in 2010 and is further making a name for itself with the release of Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3.
The album’s opening track, “Endless Nights,” builds from the start into an all out barrage of sonic output layered with tasteful precision. Deep tonal exploration collides with danceable grooves for a menacing yet satisfying start to the party. Police sirens scream out in the background as Shawn Drogan’s drums continue to build the track for one last explosion of sound. The synth-heavy “Full Bounce” eases its way in with Charlie Lindner at the helm before the beats hit. Enter a layer of dub bass that tactfully wobbles in the background and the track is in full swing with a plethora of hihat chops. The breakdown is soothing and reflects a great contrast and range in the duo’s highs and lows. Beautiful vocals come and go taking the mind with them and returning it to the track just in time for the beat. “Bitcrusher” welcomes powerful vocals, a couple of sizable builds and captivating melodies for a sonic ride that may be the album’s shortest track in length, but also may be its strongest in regards to fan appeal.
What starts out as light percussion and spacey synth builds oh so slowly with a focus on effects, before the bass enters the picture and the listeners fins themselves in the full swing of “Hiroshima.” The combination of middle eastern and Asian influences is evident and reflects a well-round arsenal. The EP concludes with “Aftermath,” a piece that begins with an almost apocalyptic buzz, chirping birds and the eventual warning of an “emergency.” Heavy bass drops and the composition takes off with soaring highs, clashing with deep lows in the albums’ ultimate build and release. The Manhattan Project’s overall output far exceeds that of a typical duo, though nothing about this duo or their music is typical. They are the past in their utilization of worldly influences. They are the present in their tasteful innovation. Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3 offers listeners a fresh perspective on a constantly developing music.
J-man’s Conversation With Shawn Drogan(Drums):
J-man: What are your thoughts on the new album?
Shawn: We’re really excited about this one for a couple reasons; It’s very different than the previous two EP’s. Not only are the BPM’s of each song slower than the last, we explore different rhythms and feels on this one. There’s still a lot of variety like the last and it still sounds like us, but I think people will hear some evolution in the music. Another reason, is that this was an important one to get right and I think we did it! It’s been two years since we’ve released a studio album and we felt like we had to take it up a level this time around. A lot of the music came together fairly quickly in the weeks going into the studio. We only had a certain amount of time to write songs we felt good about and I feel we ended up producing some of our best stuff to date.
J-man: What is your thought of the direction of “mainstream” electronic music and where do you see TMP in relation to a lot of the mainstream music?
Shawn: I think music in general is in a great place! Popular music is popular for a reason. Our music definitely hits on certain levels of mainstream, but also offers something more for people that want something deeper.
J-man: Can you talk about why it is you gentleman opt out of utilizing laptops in your live performances?
Shawn: We both come from a very instrumental background and wanted to utilize that element mainly when we started, but take it somewhere new. We never really planned it out that way, but as we started to develop our sound, we didn’t feel a need for laptops to perform. Now I guess it kind of sets us apart in a way.
J-man: What does TMP have coming up this spring/summer that you guys are most exited about?
Shawn: We’ll be hitting a lot of new cities in the next few months which is always fun, and we’ll be announcing some more festivals very soon.
This past Saturday Night I got the chance to experience The Machine at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse.
The Machine started the set with thumping of a heart beat from “Speak to me”, then segued into “Breathe”, followed by “Time”, just as on Dark Side of the Moon, drawing everyone to the front of the stage. The entire show was accompanied by a spectacular light and fog show that set the atmosphere for the entire evening. From there, the band played “What do you want from me” and “Happiest Days of our lives”, then took a short setbreak before returning with “Pigs on the Wing” and “Dogs”.
Later in the show, renditions of “Wish you were Here” and “Comfortably Numb” led to the crowd singing along in unison. There was an eerie circus sound made when the band moved into “Waiting for the Worms” and the “Trial”, off the soundtrack to The Wall. The crowd reciprocated by holding up their arm’s in X’s, just as in The Wall. The Machine finished with an encore of “Outside of the Wall”, a spectacular way to end the night.
For more information on The Machine, visit their Facebook and MySpace pages
Back at the Waterhole for the final edition of Winter Carnival 2013, the North Country’s biggest act, Lucid, closed out the night of music accompanied by Flabbergaster with their mix of party rock. The music of Lucid is a mix of jamming, blues, rock, and funk that brings an awesome party sound rarely found elsewhere, especially in Upstate. Kevin Sabourin on guitar, Lowell Wurster on percussion, Jamie Armstrong on saxophone, Chris Shacklett on bass, Andy Deller on keys and Kyle Murray on drums make up this sprawling act that meshes together with ease. One of the notable parts of the night was when the band brought out proud dad George Wurster to belt out some tunes and wail on the mouth harp, just like his son Lowell. All of the tunes were fantastic, especially the cover of War’s “Why can’t we be Friends”, as well as Chris Shacklett playing earlier in the day with The Blind Owl Band and covering “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads.
Video footage by Ryan Woodard
For more on Lucid, visit their website, MySpace, Sonicbids and Youtube sites.
Thanks for watching listing and stay tuned for more coverage of more great Upstate NY bands!
Dopapod is in the midst of a huge tour and made three stops in Upstate New York last weekend including at Red Square. Here are recaps, videos and photos of shows in Albany, Syracuse and Rochester.
Red Square, Albany, February 28th
Review by Pete Mason
Red Square in Albany kicked off the first of three incredible nights of music as Dopapod swung through Upstate New York with Big Something from Burlington, NC in support. The opener was a new sextet to visit the region and slayed with a great cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and uniquely incorporated an instrument I had never seen before, an EWI (an acronym for electric wind instrument), into the show without overshadowing the rest of the music. These guys are worth finding at a festival this summer or the next time they make it to Upstate NY.
Having played with Dopapod at The Big What Festival in North Carolina, the two bands found solid support and kinship on the road. They have a good core sound and layer each instrument on top of one another, leading to thick and complicated jams that ignite the dance fuel in the crowd.
It has been great to see Dopapod grow and develop in the past few years, exciting fanbase no matter where and when they play. With a new lighting setup, Dopapod played to a packed house, tearing through old songs and a pair of new tunes, including “Like a Ball”.
“Braindead”, off Redivider ,was hit with the industrial stick and spiced up a notch. The crowd, 20s-30s for the most part, was full of folks getting down to the set, especially when songs meandered off into the oblivion of improvisational bliss. “Carolina”, a slow rumba if I ever heard one, filled in nicely before the debut of “Priorities”.
Dopapod also announced that night that they would be playing Saturday May 11th at The Spring Revival in Lyons NY, hosted by ‘s own HerbyOne and State Wide Music. There are other area festival appearances this summer, some still yet to be named, but one that is announced is one of ’s favorite’s, Backwoods Pondfest, located in Peru, NY near the Ausable Chasm. Catching Dopapod is entering another world of jam music, one that combined the best of progressive rock and electronic beats for some heavy duty performances. They are one you don’t want to regret missing.
Setlist: FABA, Like A Ball, French Bowling, New James, Sonic > Braindead, Off The Cuff, Ellemenno > The Chocolate Drum Machine > Carolina, Priorities > Tequila* > Priorities, Bahbi
E: Nuggy Jawson, Trapper Keeper^
*impromptu cover; Rob quoted the first Ninja Turtles movie twice
^dedicated to Jason Gibbs for becoming the new Pope… No one thought it was funny.
Photos by Andy Hill
The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, March 1st
review by Quinn Donnell, photos by Kevin Burke
As Dopapod spent their weekend touring through Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester, the four-piece experimental funk-rock group surely experienced a number of similarities associated with playing shows in Upstate New York. On Friday night in Syracuse, however, an audience dominated by Syracuse University students provided a unique experience for the band. Joined for the first time this tour by The Manhattan Project, a Rochester-based duo whose synth-led jams put the Westcott Theater’s crowd in the perfect mood for a night of groovin’, Dopapod headlined an evening of great jams and great times.
As the Manhattan Project concluded their opening set, audience members who had spent the beginning portion of their evening either at the bar or hula hooping away from the dance-designated pit came together in front of the stage for a performance from their favorite electro-jam band. After a nearly ten minute intro involving beams of light and slow, monotonous bells, Dopapod took the Westcott’s stage. Juxtaposed with their mellow introduction, the band’s opening song, “Bubblebrain,” involved delay-heavy guitar riffs and a booming, tribal-like drumbeat. As Dopapod’s set progressed, their experience as performers who have played over 150 shows every year for the last three years, became apparent. The crowd found its groove and danced under flashing lights with glow-in-the-dark accessories. Playing a cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” Dopapod concluded their set to appreciative applause from the audience. As Dopapod continues to tour throughout the country, a future stop back in Syracuse would be greatly appreciated. Check them out in Ithaca on April 23rd.
Setlist: Bubblebrain, Roid Rage, Present Ghosts, Jam > Onionhead, Turnin’ Knobs, Drum Machine > STADA, Trapper Keeper, Weird Charlie, Indian Grits > Psycho Nature
Encore: You Oughta Know
Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, March 2nd
Review by Darren Kemp
The Upstate NY Dopapod run continued Saturday with a nearly sold out show at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester. Local band Haewa opened with a scorcher of a set that showed they would not be an opener for long. Dopapod hit the stage around 11 pm for a long two-hour set filled with a nicely selected mix of new material, old songs and a spot on cover of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun complete with organ vocals.
Highlights included the aforementioned cover and an absolutely mind-bending “French Bowling” > “Brain Dead” pairing. The band left the stage around 1:15 am to an ear deafening roar and came back to reward the audience with a “Off the Cuff” cover with Fleet Foxes teases. An excellent performance by two bands with bright futures.
Setlist: Priorities, Black and White. French Bowling > Braindead, Black Hole Sun* > Present Ghosts, Sonic > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Vol. 3 #86^, We Are Not Alone > Give It A Name
Encore: Off The Cuff%
*Soundgarden, ^contained “Rondo Alla Turka” tease (Mozart) %contained “Ragged Wood” tease (Fleet Foxes)
Dopapod and Schleigho are your Friday and Saturday night headliners for The Spring Revival, a brand new live music with camping event May 9th – 12th at The Hideaway in Lyons, NY
Taking the main stage Friday night will be the return of Schleigho, one of the northeast’s top touring bands of the late 1990’s / early 2000’s festival scene. Described best as “Music for the Minded”, Schleigho’s legendary jazz/fusion will no doubt educate a new generation of jam-prog fans, while reviving fond memories for the scene’s older generation. Also performing on Friday are current Upstate jam favorites Universe Shark, Timbre Coup, Project Weather Machine, Slip Madigan, Ocupanther, and more. Grateful Dead tribute Run For The Roses from Rochester will lead fans in the dark with a late night set under the stars (and projected light).
Saturday night headliners Dopapod bring their experimental jazz funk fusion to the main stage with a high powered array of sound and light. Currently on a 3 month national tour, the band recently completed a 3 night dancing room only run through Upstate NY with packed shows at Red Square, The Westcott, and Water Street. Read the recent interview for more on Dopapod. Other regional face-melters on Saturday include Twiddle, Aqueous, Lucid, Haewa, Formula 5, Stereopticon, and more. Consider The Source gets the late night slot to cap off an incredible weekend of live music.
A Weekend Pass at The Spring Revival includes:
3 Days & Nights of Live Music, Wooded Tent and Near Your Vehicle Camping,
Festival Food Court, Art & Soul Village with your host Stranger Things,
Fire Show performances by Solar Flare and his Fire Family,
Drum Workshops by Kodi Drummer, Kids Tent w/ Afternoon Workshops and Activities,
Vending Village featuring Handcrafted, one of a kind pieces including Onsite Glass Blowing,
Custom Made Hand Drums, Handmade Clothes, Jewelry, Art, Music, and more!
For more info visit: TheSpringRevival.com
Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band played The Waterhole’s upstairs music lounge on February 8th as part of Winter Carnival 2013. The Waterhole, normally a crowded venue, wasn’t entirely full for this show but enough people were there to enjoy the band’s soulful 70’s and early/mid 90’s ska-like sound. Kat Wright’s most memorable song was a cover of Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher”.
Soul singers who may have had an influence on the band include Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles and even Jackson Browne. I mention early 90’s ska due to the enormous horn sound that they bring, reminiscent of Less than Jake. Kat Wright is formed from various projects across Vermont and New York State. The band consists of Shane Hardiman on keys, Josh Weinstein on bass, Dan Ryan on drums, Jake Whitesell on sax, Max Bronstein-Paritz on guitar, Dave Purcell on trumpet and Kat Wright on vocal. You can check out Kat Wright on the web and on Facebook
Upstate NY will be well represented at the 13th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL on Memorial Day Weekend – May 24, 25 & 26, 2013.
Floodwood (Featuring Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of moe.), Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Timbre Coup, Aqueous and Project Weather Machine will all be venturing to the MidWest to represent Upstate at this well attended event.
Summer Camp, which features moe. and Umphrey’s McGee as long standing host, has grown to the top tier of outdoor camping events. Besides the before mentioned acts, Summer Camp also includes Trey Anastasio Band, STS9, The Avett Brothers, Thievery Corporation, Big Gigantic, Yonder Mountain String Band, Cornmeal, Lettuce and more.
Floodwood, based in Utica, is a progressive string band featuring the combined talents of Schnier and Amico, plus Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Zachary Fleitz. Now in their second year of touring mostly local Upstate shows between moe. tours, Floodwood is ready to take their show to regional markets.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad calls Rochester home, but they have toured consistently the past 6 years with their highly acclaimed psychedelic roots reggae show. Panda guitarist/vocalist Dan Keller has come full circle. “This was the first music festival I ever attended…now I’m playing at it. Life is cool sometimes.”
Albany’s Timbre Coup is a progressive rock band often compared to groups like King Crimson or Umphrey’s McGee, but they also have a very danceable side. ”We want people to pay attention to the details and intricacies of our songs, but we love making people dance.” says drummer Matt Pickering.
Buffalo’s Aqueous is taking the northeast by storm as of late, constantly hitting new markets with their infectious jam/prog/rock improvisation. With a heavy focus on segues and ever changing set lists, Aqueous will keep you wanting more!
CNY’s Project Weather Machine has quickly gained an audience in the jam scene since their first show in February of 2012. Combining deep song writing, roaring guitar solos and floor shaking dance beats, PWM is sure to keep ya movin!
For more info on Summer Camp check out their weblink below
http://www.summercampfestival.com
Dan Smalls Presents, based in Ithaca, NY, continues to impress with an eclectic mix of Upstate Theatre shows in multiple markets, including The Haunt. Dan and his team have assembled an incredible list of winter/spring events certain to have a little something for everyone. However, its his upcoming club schedule at The Haunt in Ithaca that really caught my attention.
I emailed Dan about his partnership with Ithaca’s legendary venue, here is his response:
Dan Smalls – “The Haunt has become a great place to see bands in Ithaca. With the renovations, the lightening up of the room, investments in sound and lights, etc its really a top shelf club these days. I did 80+ shows there last year and am on pace to crush that number this year. Very much excited for Keller back to his roots Thursday and Miss Tess with some amazing locals Friday. But then Man Man and Murder by Death Tuesday. Really shows the versatility of the room and the diversity of shows we are doing there. Not to mention the open to the public 5th Birthday party for my son Wylie on Sunday afternoon at 2 with the best of the family music genre… Justin Roberts. He’s like Paul McCartney or Fountains of Wayne for kids.”
For more info on Dan Smalls Presents and The Haunt, click on their weblinks below, and be sure to sign up on their mailing list for up to date info.
http://dansmallspresents.com
http://thehaunt.com
