Pitchfork Music Festival returns for its 9th year and has announced its full lineup, taking place in Chicago’s Union Park on July 19-21, 2013. Three-day passes are currently on sale for $120 and single-day tickets are available for $50 each. Judging by previous years, three-day passes won’t last long. Although the full schedule with times will be revealed in the coming weeks, here is the breakdown of each act by day:
Friday, July 19
Björk, Joanna Newsom, Wire, Woods, Mikal Cronin, Angel Olsen, Pissed Jeans, Daughn Gibson, Trash Talk, Frankie Rose
Saturday, July 20
Belle & Sebastian, Solange, The Breeders play Last Splash, Savages, Swans, Rustie, Low, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Phosphorescent, Andy Scott, Mac DeMarco, Ryan Hemsworth, Julia Holter, Parquet Courts, Merchandise, Metz, White Lung, KEM Mode
Sunday, July 21
R. Kelly, MIA, Yo La Tengo, Lil B, Toro Y Moi, TNGHT, El-P, Killer Mike, Chairlift, Foxygen, Sky Ferreira, Glass Candy, Autre Ne Veut, Evian Christ, Waxahatchee, Blood Orange, DJ Rashad, Tree
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) has announced their full line-up, to be held over nine days June 21-29, 2013. Since its inception in 2002 this festival has brought a myriad of legendary performers to this region and this year’s lineup is no less spectacular.
With heavy hitters like Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus, the already Sold Out Willie Nelson & Family, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Roger Hodgson, and for the fourth year in a row, Trombone Shorty, this year’s festival is going to be off the hook! Music lovers can expect to enjoy several new additions this year including a new venue at The Little Theatre.
More than 1200 artists from around the world will perform in 280 concerts including more than 75 free shows at 19 venues and outdoor stages. Last years festival drew more than 187,000 people from around the world and across the U.S. XRIJF has grown to become one of the worlds largest jazz festivals with one of the nations most extensive international lineups.
What’s New in 2013!
Jazz Workshops for Aspiring Music Students – This new series of five structured jazz workshops will be hosted by Bob Sneider, Eastman School of Music Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media and Senior Instructor of Jazz Guitar, and led by five visiting international musicians performing at XRIJF. Aspiring students will have an opportunity to meet, listen to and learn from professional jazz musicians from overseas, and also play. […more info here]
Free Shuttle Service Added – For all nine days of the festival a new free shuttle service will be available connecting festival fans with City parking, garages making it easier to get to venues.
Additions to the festival also include, a Big Free Concert Added on First Friday on East Ave & Chestnut Stage, the return of the Free Library Series, and an App for Android & iPhone users to help streamline their festival experience.
Headliner Series Tickets on Sale Now at rochesterjazz.com
June 21 – An Evening with Pink Martini, $105/$85/$70/$55 + service charges
June 22 – An Evening with Willie Nelson & Family – SOLD OUT
June 25 – David Byrne & St. Vincent, $105/$95/$85/$70 + service charges
June 26 – Roger Hodgson The Legendary Voice of Supertramp, $125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges
June 27 – Bob James and David Sanborn with Special Guest Steve Gadd, $85/$70/$55/$40 + service charges
June 28 – Frampton’s Guitars Circus, featuring Peter Frampton and Robert Cray, $125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges
Free Shows – All shows FREE! No tickets required. Shows go on rain or shine.
City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation
June 21-29, all nine days on Gibbs Street (Jazz Street), concerts starting from 3:45pm and 4:15pm daily until 11. See full schedule at rochesterjazz.com.
City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage Presented by Wegmans
June 21: 7pm, Joshua Panda & The Hot Damned / 9pm, Dr. John
City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage Presented by Rochester General Health System
June 22: 7pm, Coupe De Villes / 9pm, Delbert McClinton
June 28: 7pm, Shemekia Copeland / 9pm, The James Hunter Six
June 29: 7pm, Thunder Body / 9pm, Monty Alexander’s Harlem-Kingston Express
City of Rochester East Avenue & Alexander Street Stage Presented by Rochester General Health System
June 29: 7pm, Mingo Fishtrap / 9pm, Trombone Shorty
From the shadows emerges a heavy metal band that brings back the classic metal style that bands such as Metallica, Pantera and Black Sabbath have made so famously. This band has opened for major groups such as P.O.D., Filter, In This Moment, and as of recently, Soulfly. Introducing, Dolabra.
Originally from Averill Park, NY, Dolabra consists of Dennis “Redman” Caldwell (vocals), Phil Phillips (guitar), Otis Lyons (guitar), Devin Cross (bass), and Ed Zimmerman (drums). This band has released three demos, “Worst In You”, “Death Die Kill”, and “Everything Dies”, all available for download on their website, www.dolabra.net. Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the opportunity to do an interview with Dolabra’s front man, Dennis Caldwell.
The band @ DolabraFest in 2012
UM: Tell me a little bit about the band’s history.
DC: Well, we’ve been together since April or May of 2010; we were in different bands back then, myself and my guitar player met the drummer at Edgefest back in 2008, his band and our band were playing together. When my other band, Reinfecta, broke up, me and the guitar player started another band called Dolabra and we had met Ed at Edgefest, so Ed would play drums and he is in a death metal band called Tyranize and his kit, he’s got a huge, big kit, so he said he couldn’t transport his kit back and forth, so we went and bought a house kit and we just started jamming and we jammed as a three piece for…probably about eight months and then we put an ad out on craigslist and found a bass player and then we added another guitar and we’ve been a five piece for about two years. We’re just taking it slow; we’ve done about 10 shows in the three years.
UM: Who are your biggest influences?
DC: I would say that everybody in the band is a hardcore Metallica fan; they can pretty much play any Metallica song there is. Then you got Cavalera Conspiracy, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Pantera, Biohazard, MOD, SOD, Suicidal, and a bunch of old stuff. Cavalier is brand new but…
UM: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with another band, who would it be?
DC: Cavalera Conspiracy. For me, Max Cavalera is the king of metal, really, and it was an honor to open up for Soulfly, that was pretty crazy. I would have to say Cavalera Conspiracy or Max Cavalera.
UM: How did you become a part of the Soulfly concert, and the Exodus one?
DC: We were actually supposed to open up for Marc Rizzo, who’s the guitar player for Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy, in December and we had to jump off that show at the last minute and the same promoters, Kal and Mike Valente of Upstate Black N Blue, they were doing that show and they hadn’t mention Soulfly yet and they put us on the Soulfly show and they were great. It was an honor to be an opener for them and we only do five shows a year so we try to pick good shows and with my old band we did shows every other week all over the place and this band, we’re trying to take it slow and concentrate on playing good shows and we get to open up for bands that we grew up listening to, it’s just pretty cool. We’ve only done ten shows in two years and we’ve already opened up for Biohazard, Sworn Enemy on one show, and then Sepultura, Death Angel, Havok and Krisiun at another show. Then Skarhead and Slaine and the other night we got to open up for Soulfly, Incite and Lody Kong, so we can’t complain, we’ve been getting really good shows, so we’re just having fun.
UM: What does your music reflect about you guys?
DC: I don’t know…I guess our music reflects that we’re kick-ass metal musicians and come to the shows and rock out.
UM: When’s your record coming out?
DC: We’re hoping by the end of this year. We actually recorded all the music almost a year ago now and I’ve been hiding from the vocals for a year now and I don’t know why but I didn’t think I was man enough to pull it off but we got in there the Saturday before Soulfly pretty much just because at the Soulfly show we wanted to hand demos out. So I banged off the vocals real quick and the three tunes that we released on the demo and we’re hoping to have everything else done by the end of the year. I’d like to say we’re gonna have it done for June 22nd, we have a big party called DolabraFest, but I don’t think it’s gonna be done by then…sometime before the end of the year, I’m hoping.
UM: You’ll be doing your own festivals?
DC: Yeah, we’re doing that…the festival we’re doing is June 22nd, called DolabraFest, we just get a bunch of kegs of beer and it’s a way that we say thanks to the fans or friends for putting up with our devil music and we have a big keg party and camping and playing a bunch of heavy metal music. We’re pretty much just about having fun, just take the stuff real slow and trying to do things right instead of going out there and putting out a bunch of crappy recordings like we’ve all done a million times.
UM: Any shows in the near future?
DC: Yeah, we are opening up for Exodus, Monday, April 22nd, at Upstate Concert Hall, that’s in Clifton Park, New York, and Brick By Brick’s playing on that, Armor Column…it’s gonna be a really good show. Another honor to be opening up for old bands that we grew up with, too.
UM: What’s your favorite part about playing on stage?
DC: Just getting all of my friends and getting everybody together, we go out and have fun and we use our shows to get everybody out of the house and have a good time. I look forward to the shows, just get up there and have fun and seeing all of the people having fun and then after the shows, we all hang and drink with the people until the bar is almost out, so that’s pretty much what it’s about for us; we like to have fun with the people. And this band…I didn’t think when I started with this band that it was going to be as good as it is so already being part of the team…we just try to have fun.
UM: What does music mean to you?
DC: I guess it means a bunch of different stuff. Music is just a release, got any problems, just throw on a disc and you forget about it and…I don’t know, a bunch of different things really.
The Bayou Cafe in Albany, NY recently announced on their FaceBook fan page that they were under new ownership and now open under the new name, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. The post explained that the new owners were grateful for all that the previous owner had done for the local music scene, but that they were ready to take the business in a new direction.
In addition to the name change the Hollow boasts of bringing well known local Chef Henry Ciccone on board to help develop the new menu. Patrons can also expect a room-by-room remodel of the space with a promise to the ladies for a much more pleasant Woman’s Bathroom!
Don’t worry live music lovers the new vision most definitely will include delivering the sweet tunes of some of the best original and cover bands in the region that the Albany Bayou was known for. The new owners want everyone to know that although the name and menu are changing they want to build on what the Bayou was to so many in the Albany music scene.
We look forward to bringing the space back to what it has been known for over the past 10 years. Great food, great beer and great music. ~ The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
79 North Pearl Street
Albany, New York 12207
When you hear Chris Wyse’s story it sounds almost like a movie script. Born in New York City to Irish immigrants, moved to the country in Upstate New York, picked up a guitar with his buddy Dan Dinsmore, went off to California to be a rock star, and is now coming back home to play a show with his old friend in his old stomping grounds. It’s a lot more complicated than that but it does make for a great movie, or perhaps a song. NYS Music was lucky enough to talk to Chris Wyse last week to find out what the New York native has been up to and what the future holds for the talented bassist.
Back in the mid-80s, Chris and Dan met while attending Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York. Both were budding musicians and they quickly became good friends, Chris on bass and Dan on drums. “It was awesome [starting out in Upstate New York] because there was nothing else to do. So music ended up being our everything. We’d play the Koda Theater and do battle of the bands, and that became our learning ground.” There was a lot of support from friends and family. Things were simpler, but getting noticed was still a lot of hard work. They used tape to record demos, and they used to run around the area flyering cars for upcoming shows (a lost art that has been replaced by the non-personal events calendar on Facebook). At least less trees were harmed in the process. One of the places they used to flyer was the well-known club, Saratoga Winners. Chris and Dan would play there when they were seniors in high school and their first couple years after graduation, to adults packing the place with fans many years older.
Chris got national attention for his innovative bass playing and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine when he was only 17. A few years after graduating from Shen, Chris moved to Los Angeles. In the 90’s, Chris played for various bands and projects with notable musicians including Tal Bachman (son of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Paul D’Amour (original bassist for Tool) and more. It was for Paul D’Amour’s band Lusk that Chris “bought the upright bass, but that project froze due to troubles with the record company.” Chris went on from there and auditioned for Tal Bachman, playing a sort of John Paul Jones style of bass. After getting his passport straightened out, he found himself on a plane to Maui to produce the record. It was there that he met Bob Rock, “…a “real stand-up guy. Bob was one of those people that I had a great time working with, and I tried to rock his tracks. That got me into The Cult, the audition with Metallica and more. It is paramount to have someone like that [in your corner].”
The Cult just finished seven years of touring, brought back producer Bob Rock (who also produced their albums Sonic Temple, The Cult, and Beyond Good and Evil), and released their ninth album, Choice of Weapon in 2012. Chris “loves this record, it’s a super strong record. It’s a very ‘now’ kind of record and they did a lot of work promoting it last year.” Later in 2012 The Cult also released a “prequel” album called Weapon of Choice, showing the stretches and energy that the band took in the studio. There is a raw feel to the new songs and it was evident that, as a whole, The Cult went back to their original UK roots. Chris’s unique style is evident throughout the album and it’s worth checking it out, on iTunes here.
Now that The Cult is taking a break from touring and recording, Wyse can concentrate on his project, Owl. Owl includes his childhood friend, drummer Dan Dinsmore, and Jason Mezilis, who Chris met in Hollywood in the early 2000’s. “I met Jason in a club through a mutual friend. We hit it off and followed each other’s careers. I would join bands, be on the road, and Jason was aware of my old Owl shows. Jason is incredibly talented, competent and hit it off with Dan.” Together they are Owl and they recorded a few of their recent tracks at Overit Studios just outside of Albany. Dinsmore built the studio in an old Catholic Church. Chris added, “…The feeling and acoustics [in the church] are amazing. It gets you really inspired.”
Chris and Dan will be back in Clifton Park playing with Jason as Owl, on March 30th with other hometown artist, Maria Brink and her band, In This Moment. “Dan and I are excited to be there. It’s not just 2013 and promoting The Right Thing album. We played at that there as teens, when it was called Tigers. That’s the interesting thing. Playing Manhattan and LA feels like playing at home, but still nothing like playing down the road from where you first started playing music. I was just a teenager and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to play to my roots.”
Well, the honor is Upstate New York’s when local-gone-rock-star, Chris Wyse, comes back home to Upstate Concert Hall on March 30th. will be there to witness the warm homecoming performance.
Alan Evans, co-founder, writer and producer of Soulive has released his sophomore album, Merkaba, with his group Alan Evans Trio. The album demonstrates a mastery of the classic organ trio driving funk/soul groove. Alan Evans is accompanied by three extremely talented musicians: Beau Sasser (Melvin Sparks) on organ and Danny Mayer (On the Spot Trio) on guitar and special guest Mike Feingold (Jay-Z, Erykah Badu) on banjo, guitar and keyboard.
Alan Evans is an experienced record engineer, producer, drummer and writer who has dedicated the last 15 years to honing his skills. He met Danny Mayer when On the Spot Trio came to record at PlayonbrotherStudios in Hatfield, MA and had Alan produce their record. Alan got the idea for the formation of the trio after re-locating from Playonbrother studios to his own home recording studio in South Deerfield, MA. Beau Sasser has played several shows with Alan Evans, exhibited a natural knack for the organ and is known as a guru of the instrument’s rich history.
Merkaba was produced, recorded and mixed in its entirety by Alan Evans at his home recording studio. The album offers the listener a multitude of different aural pleasures spanning from the quality of the production to the atmospheric chord progressions. Merkaba is a cosmic-themed funk journey through decades of time and space.
The album kicks off with “Thor”, a bright, up-beat funk groove that gets its foundation from Alan’s syncopated beat. This track has a lot of space, which allows the listener to appreciate the precision with which the instrument tones ring out or bleed into the space. The album slows down to a powerful bluesy soul track, “Life Is Harder To Live.” This track gives off a laid back, slow-grooving summertime vibe that is highlighted by the full-bodied organ tone and crunchy guitar strumming. The album then travels back in time to the ’60s for “They Call Me Velvet.” The organ tone on this one sounds like it’s straight off of a Doors studio album. The coordinated stab and stop approach is evident on this track and it reminds me of The Meters. “Biscuits” has a deep, dark progression and feel that brings out the listener’s funky, wince face. The album comes to a close with the ever-so-slowly moving R&B/soul track, “Givin’ to You.” This track is driven by the sultry and sexy acoustic guitar riff. I think this one serves its purpose as the finisher, sending the listener drifting away with its repeated phrases.
A passionate Alan Evans says of Merkaba, “I can’t wait for everyone and anyone to hear this album. This album is all of me. This album is for the loves of my life and there are songs on here that I never thought would see the light of day but the timing was perfect.”
Key Tracks: Thor, Life is Harder to Live, Givin’ to You
Alan Evans Trio head to Upstate New York in mid-April for a trio of shows in Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany, April 17-19. The band, which features Alan Evans from the legendary soul jazz trio Soulive, brings their refined blend of rock, blues, R&B/soul and funk grooves that send the listener on a cosmic journey. Music fans of all types will be rewarded with an experience that embodies the record-producing, drum-playing Alan Evans’ personal musical vision.
Alan Evans Trio features Alan Evans on drums, Beau Sasser on organ and Danny Mayer on guitar. The tour continues to Buffalo, Albany and then head to North Carolina for four dates and closes with a date in Atlanta, GA.
Get tickets for the show here and visit The Westcott Theater’s website here for more information on upcoming shows in Syracuse! The Monk, a 5-piece band from Syracuse, NY will be opening the Westcott show, a dynamic group with a fusion of Funk, Rock, R&B/Soul, Latin, Hip-Hop and Dance music.
Tickets for the Buffalo and Albany shows can be picked up here.
The BSP Lounge in Kingston has been stepping up their talent booking as of late and on March 30th they bring a New York favorite to its stage, Marco Benevento. For those that have seen him before you know what to expect, but if you haven’t seen him before be prepared to be amazed. Known for his exploratory jamming and expertise on the piano, Marco is sure to leave you in awe. His latest album, Tigerface, has been getting rave reviews by many critics as has this tour in support. He has continuously grown as an artist over the years, adding in new elements to his shows and this tour is no different. This time, it isn’t new gadgets on top of his piano, but words to his songs. He has decided to open up his voice to expand his sound farther than he ever has before. This is one of his last scheduled dates in the area, happening after the snoe.down kick off on March 21st and before his April 20th show at the Brooklyn Bowl. Catch him while you can in these intimate settings and be prepared to get down and dance. Get tickets now at Eventbee or at The BSP Lounge box office.
Brooklyn based Turkuaz has a funk-filled weekend coming up and will be on the scene at both shows. The band started in Boston in 2008 as a side project of Dave Brandwein (guitar/vocals) and Taylor Shell (bass). They spent about eight months in the Boston area before migrating as a whole to NYC. Their self-described “funk army” approach is well chosen, as the ten-piece could certainly take over several small countries with their explosive all-encompassing funk spectacle brand of performing.
First up is a show Friday, March 29th at The Water Street Music Hall with one of Rochester New York’s finest; Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. Panda has collected quite the following for their jammed out form of roots reggae and will be in full throw down mode with this show being the last with long time keys-master Aaron Lipp.
Next the Turkuaz funk battalion moves north to jam mecca Nectar’s in Burlington Vermont to play with Buffalo, New York’s finest genre-shifting musical experience, Aqueous. Aqueous has been touring heavy this year in support of their new album Willy is 40 and gathering their own legion of “AQuaintances”.
hopes to see lots of smiling faces and dancing feet at these shows, and to let you in on a secret a little bird told us – the entire band will be decked out in their finest colored jumpsuits for the Rochester show so feel free to join the platoon and suit-up for your night of funk boot camp.
When you hear Chris Wyse’s story it sounds almost like a movie script. Born in New York City to Irish immigrants, moved to the country in Upstate New York, picked up a guitar with his buddy Dan Dinsmore, went off to California to be a rock star, and is now coming back home to play a show with his old friend in his old stomping grounds. It’s a lot more complicated than that but it does make for a great movie, or perhaps a song. Unfortunately, I think Bad Company beat me to it. Upstate Metal was lucky enough to talk to Chris Wyse last week to find out what the New York native has been up to and what the future holds for the talented bassist.
Back in the mid-80s, Chris and Dan met while attending Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York. Both were budding musicians and they quickly became good friends, Chris on bass and Dan on drums. “It was awesome [starting out in Upstate New York] because there was nothing else to do. So music ended up being our everything. We’d play the Koda Theater and do battle of the bands, and that became our learning ground.” There was a lot of support from friends and family. Things were simpler, but getting noticed was still a lot of hard work. They used tape to record demos, and they used to run around the area flyering cars for upcoming shows. (a lost art that has been replaced by the non-personal events calendar on Facebook). At lease less trees are harmed in the process. One of the places they used to flyer was the well-0known club, Saratoga Winners. Chris and Dan would play there when they were seniors in high school and their first couple years after graduation, to adults packing the place with fans many years older.
Chris got national attention for his innovative bass playing and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine when he was only 17. A few years after graduating from Shen, Chris moved to Los Angeles. In the 90’s, Chris played for various bands and projects with notable musicians including Tal Bachman (son of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Paul D’Amour (original bassist for Tool) and more. It was for Paul D’Amour’s band Lusk that Chris “bought the upright bass, but that project froze due to troubles with the record company.” Chris went on from there and auditioned for Tal Bachman, playing a sort of John Paul Jones style bass. After getting his passport straightened out, he found himself on a plane to Maui to produce the record. It was there that he met Bob Rock, “…a “real stand-up guy. Bob was one of those people that I had a great time working with, and I tried to rock his tracks. That got me into The Cult, the audition with Metallica and more. It is paramount to have someone like that [in your corner].”
The Cult just finished seven years of touring, brought back producer Bob Rock (who also produced their albums Sonic Temple, The Cult, and Beyond Good and Evil), and released their ninth album, Choice of Weapon in 2012. Chris “loves this record, it’s a super strong record. It’s a very ‘now’ kind of record and they did a lot of work promoting it last year.” Later in 2012 The Cult also released a “prequel” album called Weapon of Choice, showing the stretches and energy that the band took in the studio. There is a raw feel to the new songs and it was evident that, as a whole, The Cult went back to their original UK roots. Chris’s unique style is evident throughout the album and it’s worth checking it out, on iTunes [here].
Now that The Cult is taking a break from touring and recording, Wyse can concentrate on his project, Owl. Owl includes his childhood friend, drummer Dan Dinsmore, and Jason Mezilis, who Chris met in Hollywood in the early 2000’s. “I met Jason in a club through a mutual friend. We hit it off and followed each other’s careers. I would join bands, be on the road, and Jason was aware of my old Owl shows. Jason is incredibly talented, competent and hit it off with Dan.” Together they are Owl and they recorded a few of their recent tracks at Overit Studios just outside of Albany. Dinsmore built the studio in an old Catholic Church. Chris added, “…The feeling and acoustics [in the church] are amazing. It gets you really inspired.”
Chris and Dan will be back in Clifton Park playing with Jason as Owl, on March 30th with other hometown artist, Maria Brink and her band, In This Moment. “Dan and I are excited to be there. It’s not just 2013 and promoting The Right Thing album. We played at that there as teens, when it was called Tigers. That’s the interesting thing. Playing Manhattan and LA feels like playing at home, but still nothing like playing down the road from where you first started playing music. I was just a teenager and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to play to my roots.”
Well, the honor is Upstate New York’s when local-gone-rock-star, Chris Wyse, comes back home to Upstate Concert Hall on March 30th. Upstate Metal will be there to witness the warm homecoming performance.
Alan Evans Trio features Alan Evans on drums, Beau Sasser on organ and Danny Mayer on guitar. The tour continues to Buffalo, Albany and then head to North Carolina for four dates and closes with a date in Atlanta, GA.
