The Avett Brothers brought their unique punk-rock, rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll style of bluegrassy music to CMAC on July 26th – to a crowd that was pumped to experience the energy that this band brings to the stage, each and every time, increasing their antics to new levels without pause or hesitation.
Opening with “Live and Die” – the bar was set high for the night, the crowd roared and cheered to this upbeat song about finding love to make it through a conflict. Seeing this band live is an interaction between artist and fans using the universal language of music, portraying emotions we can all relate to in one way or another, and this is why their fans adore them so.
This is not a band that stands in one spot jamming out on their guitar; no no, The Avetts live and breathe the music they create, they leap around the stage with their instruments without missing a note, they jump on top of the piano and speakers, with the enthusiasm of a child; it is nothing short of a spiritual experience to see this band live.
During a high energy “Kick Drum Heart” Seth leaped into the crowd and body surfed deep into the crowd. Fans went wild with excitement at the opportunity to be a part of Seth’s well-known rock-star behavior. Singalongs with the entire crowd on nearly every song fueled this fire as well. There was no time to sit down! Hell, there wasn’t even a setbreak. The band played their heats out and the crowd ate it up like musical dessert.
Bringing the show full circle from hard-hitting ballads to down right drinking songs – the night ended with this gal’s all time favorite, “I And Love And You” the outpouring of emotion seen on Scott’s face was epic. With one finger pointed straight into the air the crowd and band together belted out: “Three words that became hard to say, I and love and you”. One couldn’t have asked for a more intense show if they dreamt it. The Avett Brothers came to rage! – game, set, match.
The Avett Brothers July 26, 2013 CMAC in Canandaguia
Set 1: Live and Die, Got To Sleep, The Fall, Slight Figure, 74, At The Beach, Head Full Of Doubts, Melody Anne, Winter In My Heart, Just A Closer, No Place To Fall, Paranoia, Kick Drum, Geraldine, Feb 7, Laundry Room, Old ??, Gimme a Kiss, Indolence, Life.
Encore: Fireball Mail, Blue Ridge, Girl From Chile, ILY
Fledging Crow Vegetables is a certified organic farm just northeast of the Adirondack High Peaks region. If you follow the mighty Ausable River you’ll find yourself among some of the greenest, most fertile land New York State can offer and Fledging Crow Vegetable farm is tucked away in the small town of Keeseville. Saturday, August 24th the crew on the farm threw a party – Fledging Crow Fest – for all of their fans. What was once a “Thank You” potluck is now an all out celebration of the good things in life, art, live music, endless dancing, locally crafted beer, and the simple act of sharing a nutritious meal with your neighbors.
The weather for this gathering was 75′ and sunny. The sky was purely blue and the sun was shining down with all of its might. Everyone in the crowd was busy, buzzing around the dance tent, the food line, the artists, vendors, the kids area, the unveiling of the pit roasted pork, and the greenhouses. A local favorite, the band Big Slyde got on stage first and shared their ever-evolving music with the crowd as it poured in. They offered the friendly sounds of the guitar, cello, mandolin, banjo, cajon, various percussion instruments and the voices of multiple singers in the band- the perfect introduction to a jam packed day of music.
As the food was served buffet style and the lines filled up, guests filled their plates and bellies with fresh greens, home made salads, breads, rolls, BBQ chicken, pork, and deserts. Some local breweries had a chance to share some of their finest brews as well. Much to guest’s surprise, the full-glass samples came along with the $30 ticket to get in and the flow of beer seemed endless! Co-owner David Bruce of Schroon Lake’s Paradox Brewery explained how delighted and honored he felt to be a part of something so wholesome and real; he described how it reminded him of the Woodstock generation, a time and place of freedom, self-expression, peace, and strangers coming together as family. What a way to eat, drink and be merry!
Next up on the stage was one the north country’s finest bands, Lucid. Promising more to come later, they played out their day set with sophisticated jams and classy renditions of songs off of their latest album Home is Where We Wanna Grow. With special guest and friend Meadow on stage singing along, the group got the crowd moving and their words of wisdom filled the air, their lyrics like the anthem of the day. Crow Fest mixed things up a bit and invited a local troupe of Samba/Afro-Brazilian dancers along to perform. The ladies of the troupe danced a mesmerizing dance to the drumming of the congas and djembe. Colorful and lively, their energy was infectious and people young and old joined in the performance; the boundary of the performers and crowd disappearing. Hands clapping, feet stomping, faces painted and smiles all around, the show went on like a sandy storm of color, worldly rhythm and pure joy.
As dusk approached and the moon finally graced it’s presence upon the land, the true farm vibe was set into motion thanks to TheBlindOwlBand. Dubbed “Adirondack Freight Train String Music”, these boys know how to bring any party back to its roots. With their true bluegrass sound, dusty ol’ display of character and hearty following of fans, this band brings a show through town that is hard to forget and the perfect fit for a farmyard get down. With the crowd asking for more, Crow Fest brought SpiritualRez along for the ride too. With their island sounds that progress into straight up rock and true funk, Spiritual Rez turned the scene into a dance party. Their lyrics inspired and their beats ignited. The music moved on too fast but Lucid kept playing until sunrise and the vegetable fields filled with sleepy campers.
Owners of the farm, Ian Ater and Lucas Christenson were busy all day greeting guests, keeping food and drinks flowing and soaking up the sights and sounds that were filling their quiet countryside farm. Crow Fest creates the backdrop for people to come together sharing their homegrown works of art, whether it be food, music, conversation, or any other organic creation. What a fine mix of dreams coming together, supporting your local neighbors in their endeavors to bring the power back to the land, and back to the people.
What is it that mother nature has against music this year? Between the floods at All Good and Summer Camp, multiple Statewide Festivals, and even Phish having major issues with rain, you’d think that old lady has a severe case of PMS. (In this case, being Prevent Music Syndrome). That being said, even six inches of mud and dozens of stuck cars could not extinguish the musical fire and heated good times that encapsulated the 31st annual Gathering at Chaffee‘s.
Held just west of Erie Pennsylvania, this for-charity festival is held on the grounds of the Chaffee family. The family has a huge land, filled with wooded and clear areas giving everyone their ideal shot at a nice place to pop a tent. The weather started out nice enough on Friday, with a stellar crowd that left many old timers murmuring that it was the biggest year ever. Given the promotional team of Ryan Bartosek and Tracy Evans from Erie’s premier music venue the crooked iand the perfect mid-sized festival lineup, this reporter was not surprised at the turnout. Friday featured headliners Aqueous and Funktapuss, who both fail to disappoint pretty much every time they take the stage. Many local and out of state bands preceded them, including Michigan’s Dragon Wagon, whose self-described “Bluegrass Folk Rock with a shot of Irish whiskey” music started a virtual hootenanny throughout their well-attended mid afternoon set.
And then the rains came. Saturday started off foreboding with weather forecasts indicating their might be as much as 24 hours of straight downpours. This did not dissuade the weekend citizens though, as many walked by shouting things like “It wouldn’t be Chaffee’s without rain!” Luckily the forecasters were off a bit and the rain cleared up in the afternoon just as the sound of Phish’s “The Lizards” as covered by Eric Brewer and Friends permeated the air. Ohio’s Stagecoach Robbery then performed a simply shredtastic set with a sound somewhere in between high octane Umphrey’s and filthy blues. This band will be missed as this was unfortunately one of their last performances.
Upstate’sConehead Buddhaand Florida’s Copefilled out the the Saturday headlining spots. Conehead, now in their 20th year, had the mud flying as people stomped and hollered through a set filled with a myriad of influences and spot on improvisational moments. Continuing the trend, Cope, yet another hard to define genre mystifying band, played a frenzied set filled with high points, including a bluegrass version of everybody’s hard rock favorite Tool’s “Sober” which its doubtful many humans would imagine could ever work. It worked spectacularly. Don’t miss the fun next year, as the gathering will be back. Bring your boots and hoots!
Equifunk: The All-Inclusive Music Festival, by all accounts, was the greatest weekend of the year. From the music to the Saturday Pool Party to an epic late night campfire set by Marco Benevento to the incredible weather, everything worked out perfectly all weekend long. Set in the beautiful Pocono Mountains at a functional summer camp, Equifunk gave a weekend to festival attendees that drew smiles for all three days of music from every face that could be seen.
Sunset
This festival originally was just a bachelor party for about 50 friends with a couple of bands, but has swelled to three days of music, with multiple stages, and about 1500 attendees. One aspect of the weekend was how small everything felt. Multiple people over the weekend said they felt like they crashed a private party. Artists could be seen walking around the grounds, dancing with the crowds to the music, and chatting up music lovers. Everything seemed very accessible to all attendees and gave the festival a leg-up on all other festivals in the Northeast Region.
Basketball Tournament Winners
The music kicked off Friday with The Woody Brown Project at The Tee Pee Stage and their disco-laced funk. Having two percussionists and two horns solidified this sound and had those who arrived early enough to catch the first act of the festival dancing under the trees. A great cover of “Billie Jean” finished their set just as The Weeks were getting started on The Equifunk Pool Stage. The Weeks play southern rock with a bit of soul mixed in for good measure. The band has a lot of energy on stage and the small crowd that saw them appreciated it and got up and danced. Next was the first major highlight of the festival, 13 year old Bobby Paltauf and his band. Bobby has such amazing control over the guitar. Covering Jimi Hendrix, Warren Haynes and The Grateful Dead, he and the band showed off how much talent they have. Bobby directs the band with ease as to where he wants the music to go. This kid is not to be missed if he comes around to your area. He finished his set with “Tweezer Reprise,” much to the crowd’s delight.
Marco Benevento
King Lincoln brought their brand of rock to the stage and it was perfect music to have the daytime wind down prior to the first night of the festival starting up. Festival goers got their first free meal of the weekend as the beer started flowing while the sun went down. The all-inclusive model is really a great thing and makes Equifunk very unique. To start off The E-Rena, The Main Squeeze came on and brought the funk to the festival. These guys have a great chemistry after only being a five piece for about a year and they owned every second they had on the stage. The crowd was electric throughout their set. Their cover of “No Quarter” had lead singer Corey Frye and guitarist Max Newman showing off their skills, much to the crowd’s excitement. Artist in Residence for the weekend, Sister Sparrow came out to join the band on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” and blew the roof off of the E-Rena.
The Equifunk All-Stars
JJ Grey and Mofro were out to keep the energy level high. JJ is a great front man and engaged the crowd during the entire set that felt like a rock, funk, and soul revue. “99 Shades of Crazy” as well as “Slow Hot Sweaty” were standouts of the set. The New Mastersounds were the headliners for night one and for this set they had James Casey, another Artist in Residence for the weekend, joined them for a good part of the set. These Englishmen know their funk and from the moment they hit the stage they showed the crowd a good time. Their non-stop hour and a half set oozed with energy that the crowd gave back to them just as hard. Each member of the band is so skilled at their respective instrument, it lets them take each song in any direction they want. When James came out, the addition of the saxophone increased the funk levels exponentially. The set was excellent and afterwards many people went to their cabins or tents, while some faithful stayed up for Boombox and their looping beats with beautiful guitar licks mixed in over them.
The Equifunk All-Stars
Day two of Equifunk started with breakfast and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The food was good and the games were competitive. The Main Squeeze had three of their five members involved in the tournament as well, which was fun to watch. I’ll Be John Brown started the music and their country rock was a perfect way to start the all-day pool party that went down, especially their cover of “Ophelia”. People could be seen rocking out in the pool throughout the day, as well as going down a water slide, while all the bands threw down great music. Superhuman Happiness and their funky disco rock took turns towards spacey jams at times, and it was very noticeable that some of their influences include LCD Soundsytem, The Talking Head and TV on the Radio, and Stuart Bogie confirmed this after their set saying that all three of those were among his favorite bands. Their songs are very complex with two keyboards and two guitars going all at once, and all of it being heavily distorted from song to song, yet the grooves are easy to dance to. These guys are very talented and are a group not to miss. The Monophonics made use of a great horn section to showcase their version of funk and soul. Their set was heavy on the covers but it was the back to back of “Gimme Shelter” and “Bang, Bang” that really made an impression on everyone. With a sound deeply rooted in the ’70s, these guys did a great job of honoring the classic Motown and Stax funk sound in their set.
The Pool Party
Keller Williams & More Than A Little took over The Pool Stage and saw the biggest crowd gathered yet. A set mixed of covers and originals from their forthcoming album made for a very enjoyable set. Keller controlled the audience with ease, not only during the songs, but also during his in between song banter that was very funny. “Samson and Delilah” as well as “Once in a Lifetime” were two great highlights from his set. Keller is never one to be missed and this goes double if he has this band with him. The Heavy Pets had James Casey out to assist them on a fantastic “Help Me Help You”; having James up there pushed the band to a new level and they kept the energy of the sit-in for the rest of their set. They are no strangers to us here at and their set was, as expected, another great one. Marco Benevento closed The Pool Stage down and did it in grand fashion. Wearing American flag jeans and his trademark tiger mask for “Limbs of a Pine,” Marco brought the sun down and got us ready for the nighttime. His high energy set was a definite highlight of the weekend and everyone started to move to the main stage with nothing but smiles after he was done.
The M&M’s
Nigel Hall Band was tasked with opening the evening. James Casey was there to help out as well as Eric Krasno on bass for the whole set. Nigel is a great front man and the smooth funky soul that the band produced was a wonderful start to the evening. Anders Osborne with John Medeski thenwowed the crowd from the moment they all hit the stage. Anders is an amazing guitarist with tons of energy, obvious in every ripping solo that he took. Medeski was laying down beautiful key work throughout the set. The highlight was a very long and absolutely rocking “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” early in the set that had the E-Rena yelling in approval. Near the end of the set there was also a “Wilson” tease that got the crowd going as well.
Pork Tornado
Soulivewith The Shady Horns and Maceo Parker were the headliners for night two and the set was as outstanding as one would expect. Everyone on stage was a virtuoso at their instrument and the music coming from the stage was jaw dropping. Once Maceo hit the stage a few songs into the set, the crowd ate up every second. Sister Sparrow and Nigel Hall came out to help with Ray Charles’s “Night Time is the Right Time” that had the crowd in a frenzy. Maceo was perfect throughout the set both on saxophone and on vocals. Marco Benevento then had a campfire set, in what hopefully will be a yearly tradition. Playing in the round and having audience participation throughout, Marco ran through originals and covers in what many people thought was the moment of the festival. From “Bennie and the Jets” to “The Real Morning Party” to “9 to 5,” Marco had the crowd in his hand the whole time. The New Mastersounds second set of the weekend started around 3 AM and they had many guests throughout the set, including Maceo. They rolled through rock, funk, and soul, just as they had the previous night and again showed their brilliant work on their instruments. The music coming from the stage was beautiful and no one watching could help but dance. As their set ended around 5 AM many people packed it in, but Marco started up an unannounced second campfire set and played until 9 AM. (Author note: I did not see this as I was calling it a day, but I was told from everyone who saw it that it was amazing and guest filled and the highlight of the festival.)
The New Mastersounds with Maceo Parker
This year the festival decided to add Sunday music to the festival and it made for an incredible day. The FrankStalloners started the day with tons of energy and covers that set the tone for the day. Frank has a Joe Cocker vibe to him and rocked the stage hard. “Turn on Your Lovelight” and “Crosstown Traffic” were played great by him and the band. Following his set Papa Mali came out and had Bobby Paltauf as well as Joe Tatton from The New Mastersounds on guitar and keys respectively. Lots of blues came from the stage throughout the set and it was wonderful watching Papa and Bobby trade guitar licks. Mike Dillon Band was next and brought a wild energy that had not been seen the rest of the weekend. Mike’s instrument was so different than most percussionists’ instruments: a mix of a xylophone and a drum kit. Carly Meyers, who plays the whistle, trombone, and vocals in the band, was a ball of energy not only on stage, but in the crowd as well. The whole band had an energy to them that set them apart from every other band at the festival. After the set I asked Dillon where the music comes from, as it is different from anything I had ever seen, saying “It comes from the head and the heart, what can I say”, with a smile. Carly also said “We usually play until we get kicked off the stage, which is three hours sometimes.” This is a band not to miss.
The M&M’s
The London Souls brought their music to the stage and showcased their brand of funk via rock throughout their set. Their cover of “Apostrophe” by Frank Zappa was a clear highlight letting each member of the three piece band some air to show their talents. The Equifunk All-Stars made up of Eddie Roberts and Pete Shand of The New Mastersounds, Nigel Hall, and Stanton Moore were up next. Mike Dillon, James Casey, Carly Meyers, Tash Neal of The London Souls, and Joe Tatton helped out as well throughout the set. The talent on stage was amazing. It was an hour of straight improv that saw every person on stage trying to one-up the energy of another member of the band. Each musician could be seen having a great time with smiles all around on stage, but the smiles were also in the crowd as members of the audience were constantly stunned with joy over the music coming to them from all of this talent. To close out the Pool Stage for the weekend, The Main Squeeze were back up for their second set of the festival. Talking with Corey prior to the set, I asked how it felt to not only open up the main stage at the festival, but also close the pool stage and he said, “It’s been nice growing together with the festival and it was important for them (the festival) to have us do both.” This was third year that The Main Squeeze has played the festival and it seems they will be there every year as both they and the festival have been gaining momentum in the past few years. Their second set was just as beautiful as their first set of the weekend. Corey worked the crowd perfectly again, while Bob “Smiley” Silverstein donned a keytar and tore the stage down near the end of the set. Their version of “Papa was a Rolling Stone” was filled with so much funk; the audience couldn’t help but scream their approval.
The Revivalists and their high energy show opened the E-Rena stage. David Shaw can easily command a crowd like few front man know how to anymore. The moment he stepped on the stage he was a magnet for attention. Ed Williams’ pedal steel playing is great and you can see that everyone on stage is enjoying their time up there as they all interact with one another regularly to bring the energy up even higher than it already is. Pork Tornado headlined the evening and brought their country-rock to the stage in glorious fashion. Jon Fishman is the big draw here, but everyone else in the band holds their own. Joe Moore’s saxophone playing and vocals were wonderful as was his interaction with the crowd, especially during the Divinyls cover “I Touch Myself”. The band was all over the place musically going from Frank Zappa to Frank Sinatra, but it all sounded perfect. This was only their second performance in the last ten years yet it seemed as if they had been together constantly over that time. The set drew one of the loudest ovations from the crowd throughout the whole festival, but it was the final set of the weekend that may have had the best music of the weekend. The M&M’s, a super group made specifically for the festival consisted of Maceo Parker, Papa Mali, Rob Mercurio, Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento and John Medeski; this group had enough talent on stage for an army. As an added bonus, Mike Dillon came out a few songs into the set and stayed for the remainder. The set had loads of covers including, “The Harder They Come,” “Walk On,” but it was “Eminence Front” that brought the funk to the stage. Throughout the song every member of the band had a chance to show why they were on stage at that moment. The band could have just jammed on this one song for an hour and everyone in attendance would have been happy, but there was more music to be heard from this great group of musicians. They closed their set, and the festival, with Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times” and then it was all over.
As everyone began to leave it felt very much like summer camp with new friends saying goodbye to one another and people making promises to stay in touch and to see one another again next year. Equifunk was managed great all weekend and the sky is the limit for this festival. This year was the biggest yet and it’s only going to get bigger. Another great aspect of the festival is that they raffled off a poster signed by every artist for The Mockingbird Foundation. Hopefully something like this can be an annual thing and a bonus for festival goers to get involved in a great cause and have the chance to win a cool prize. Being so close to the Upstate Region, this is a festival not to miss for music lovers. Do yourself a favor and go to the Poconos next year to take in the mountains, the people, and the funk at Equifunk.
It’s around 10:30pm at the debut edition of the Buffalove festival and 3/4’s of Aqueous have taken the stage. Skins wizard Nick Sonricker is standing backstage enjoying a beer. Noticing the odd look on this reporters face, he offers “No worries man, they won’t need me for a while.” The rest of the band starts playing the familiar intro to Pink Floyd’s “Shine On (You Crazy Diamond)”. The crowd delivers a deafening roar and Nick finally makes his way to the drum set. What followed was one of the most spot on, goose bump inducing covers one could imagine. Simply perfect. (Check it out here)
This was just one of dozens of unforgettable experiences that this festival delivered over two days in late June at the Willow Creek Winery in Silver Springs, NY. From Aqueous’s top notch Friday night headlining set, to the sick Buffalove jam featuring musicians from multiple bands, to the one two punch of Funktional Flow’s “Wappy Spayberry” (Umphrey’s McGee) into Phish’s “Sand”, there was nary a dull moment to be found. Partners Richard Zanghi and Cody Conway’s Buffalojams festival could not have had a more spectacular introduction. The staff and grounds of the winery were perfect, the sounds of board wizard Ryan Nogle were spot on, and the weather … given the apocalyptic nature of most every festival this year, the beautiful conditions could not have been dreamed of beforehand. But fear not, if you’re feeling some regret having missed this stunner, Buffalove 2 will be back next year!
Now in its fourteenth consecutive year, the moe.down music festival has comfortably settled back into its original home at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, NY. Once again, moe.ville will be alive as fans get down to a dozen bands, including hosts moe.
For the past few years, moe. has been experimenting with new formulas; the attempted change in location (Gelston Castle in Mohawk, NY) for #11 & #12 was a major disappointment to most, but the weekend change from Labor Day weekend to mid-August seems to be accepted by the majority. This year was their first attempt at a VIP upgrade ticket option, which offered a fenced-off section a few hundred feet back from the stage and off to the side, containing its own beer tent, porta-potties, and covered seating area. It also allowed for earlier entry to the site on Thursday, including a pre-festival show and moe. soundcheck, while general campers were still forced to stay in line with their car until the next morning.
Photo by Krest Winchester
Thursday night into Friday was gloomy and drizzling rain. This is not unfamiliar territory for the dedicated, experienced moe.ron; on Labor Day weekend in years past it was not unusual to have oppressively high 90s heat, pouring rain, or even snow. As usual, the crowd in line Thursday night showed their excitement for the festival by partying all night long, sometimes alongside the nicer of the two groups of security hired for the weekend. Gates opened around 8:30 am Friday morning, and everyone scurried to their favorite campsites with tarps to hold their spot while taking the multiple trips required to cart their weekend’s worth of belongings from the parking lot. Music didn’t start Friday until 4:30 pm, allowing plenty of time for set up and even a nap. The weather gods were in sync with moe. this year, and the rain stopped just before Pennyshine, Al Schnier’s wife Diane’s new project, took the stage. Del McCoury’s band followed on the main stage, dressed to impress wearing three piece suits and showing the crowd how it’s done. Eastbound Jesus gave a great two set moe.down debut and featured the tunes getting some well deserved attention in Upstate NY.
Photo by Krest Winchester
As moe. took the main stage for their first set of the weekend, the lights hit it off magically with the mountain air dew, making a sick show on the ski hill behind. As a tribute to Jerry Garcia on the anniversary of his death, moe. played “Casey Jones” to a crowd singing along in appreciation and reverence. Later on in the evening, to tip another hat to the bearded legend, “Deal” was met with more hoots, hollers and dancing.
Anyone who checked out Steve Kimock Band’s late night set Friday agreed it was one of the top performances of the weekend. The band was on fire. Bernie Worell, the keyboardist from Parliament Funkadelic and the Talking Heads, ripped it apart. After a funkalicious “Come Together” cover and later a “Burning Down the House”, the crowd left the stage sweaty and glowing.
Photo by Krest Winchester
Another perfect day Saturday brought two solid sets by a fan favorite from Upstate NY’s past, Conehead Buddha. By now it was very clear how much moe.down, its moe.rons, and its performers have grown, as kids of all ages with huge headphones populated not only the audience but also the stage. Terry Lynch’s adorable toddler Felix joined his dad for most of the first set, staring at the dancing crowd with a shaker in his hand.
Later during moe.’s set, the three horns from Conehead returned to play a spooky and yet rockin’ “Plane Crash.” Also welcomed to the stage that night was Chris Michetti (Conspirator, Raq) for “Godzilla.” Their second set’s “Recreational Chemistry,” “Akimbo,” and “Meat” with dueling solos from Vinnie and Rob was arguably the best of the weekend, and after the customary announcements of birthdays, engagements and landmark show celebrations, the encore was in tribute to the late JJ Cale who passed away two weeks prior, and also to Mikey Houser who passed away 11 years ago that night, with a song Widespread Panic also often covered, “Traveling Light”.
Photo by Krest Winchester
With a third day of awesome sun and mountain breeze, many fans took advantage of the chair lifts for an even higher experience. Others staked out front row territory for the two sets of Raq on the side stage. Raq has received a huge response from their comeback shows in recent months, and this weekend was no different. Keyboardist Todd Stoops, with his normally worn tRAQ suit jacket draped on his keyboard stand, joked with the crowd, announcing that Sam Levey (owner of Westcott Theatre in Syracuse) had ruined his ensemble. (Sam, as well as friend Kyle Shay of KRock Jam Sessions, have been doing some ‘Stoops tour’ in matching tRAQ suit outfits in the front row.) Be assured, these Stoops fans are great guys and normally dig the ladies. It was like the whole crowd was one big group joking and busting on each other like old friends.
In years past, Sunday was the last chance for a mayoral candidate to petition the voting crowd with their qualifications for election as the Mayor of moe.ville, a title which has never carried any weight except some drunken notoriety the Sunday of the next year’s festival and very few “I’m kind of a big deal” points with the other ‘.rons. In prior years there were often bribes of free bacon, shots of liquor out of a cow costume’s teat, and chuckle-worthy posters on every porta-potty door and tent pole. There was noticeably less petitioning than usual, possibly because there hasn’t been an actual person winning the mayoral race in years. Cows, buttscratchers, squirrels humping Utica Club beer cans and ‘Tits & Whiskey’ have been some of the most current moe.ville political figures. This year Rex and Lloyd lost to “Ditch” – Ditch being a well-known location in “Turwookistan” camping area where the sketchiest of sketchy happens til dawn or later. And the mayor relinquishing their title from moe.down 13? That would be Gold Bond. The powder.
Photo by Krest Winchester
Stanley Jordan Trio was a huge hit for the weekend. A band with mind-blowing chops, Stanley can play his guitar like a piano and then seamlessly go into jazz comp chords with one hand while soloing keys with his other. This didn’t stop with Stanley Jordan himself, as his drummer then busted out one handed solos on keys while playing his drum kit with other hand. This talent on top of diversity of playing Mozart in the same set as Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”, was something you walk away from still wrapping your head around what you saw.
That wasn’t the last the weekend would see of this Trio, for as moe. began their two sets, Stanley was welcomed back to the stage for “Yodelittle” -> “Meat” (finishing with force the “Meat” from the day before.) And again Stanley was up on stage to close out Sunday’s encore of “Rebubula” and “Happy Hour Hero,” this time with his drummer as well, before the customary fireworks ended the music for the weekend just after 11 pm. In a world full of terrible twists and tragic turns, moe.ville continues to be a solid staple for family fans of any age. Never a disappointment. Let’s hope that Mayor Ditch doesn’t do us dirty next year.
The foothills of the Adirondacks are a perfect location for camping, hiking, kayaking and fishing, especially in these dog days of summer as the sun sets a little earlier each day. Oak Mountain in Speculator has been an all-seasons destination for years, but in the summer they have begun to attract a crowd for an annual event, Oak Mountain Bluegrass and Arts Festival. Smaller than Snow Ridge (moe.down) and Hunter (Mountain Jam), Oak Mountain has gentle sloping hills that lead to a comfortable base where music fans can set up tents, canopies and chairs and bask in the warm sunny Northern New York days and feel the chill come down the mountain once the sun sets.
With locally made arts and photography of the Adirondacks for sale, the crowd was very relaxed on this warm day, some hooping, others chatting with friends but all focused on the music and tapping their feet to the five bluegrass bands from Upstate New York that graced the stage. Birdseed Bandits got things kicked off with Lumineers-style bluegrass, paced and inviting, including “Wagon Wheel”, a popular cover by Old Crow Medicine Show. Pocket Change played tunes from Steve Miller Band, Justin Earle Townes, The Grateful Dead, Marshall Tucker Band and Neil Young, as well as original spread out in between these wonderful renditions of classic songs. Blind Owl Band performed more frenetic bluegrass tunes, notably “Missing my Home”, eliciting cheers with a shoutout to Eastbound Jesus. A gorgeous cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You” had Christian Cardiello swap his upright bass for electric one, while the strings of Eric Munley, James Ford and Arthur Buezo were in sync in a Greensky Bluegrass type of connectedness. Their high intensity and fast paced play for the full set is proof that Upstate NY bluegrass is its own subgenre.
Two bands from the Utica area, The Rusty Doves and Remsen Social Club, closed out the night as the sun began to set, giving way to pink and purple hues in the sky. The Rusty Doves started off with a cover of Patsy Cline’s “After Midnight”, an intense “Rock of Ages” and a beautiful “Pretty Fair Maid”, by Tim O’Brien. Remsen Social Club polished off a splendid day with the campfire crackling nearby, playing “Over You Darling”, “Mountain Top Love Song” and “Gorge Road Blues”. Campers enjoyed the brisk Adirondack night and locals ventured back to town once night fell, setting up a perfect night in that area between the Mohawk Valley and the North Country, a perfect place for a music festival in August.
Presented by The Zone, 94.1 FM, Scion’s Bonzai at Main Street Armory in Rochester brought a great lineup of energetic and high intensity rockers, including acts such as 10 Years, Crash Kings, Diamond Youth, Dropkick Murphys, Family of the Year, IAmDynamite, Panic! At The Disco, Pepper, Sick Puppies and a surprise addition of ska band Reel Big Fish. This was an all ages show and had quite a mix of fans old and young that came to witness the madness of Bonzai.
Pepper
During the Crash Kings set, a crowd surfer started some commotion with the security and got tossed out into the street; usually the security is pretty lenient at Main Street but surely this unruly fan had it coming. Hawaii natives, Pepper, were on stage next; they put on harder show than expected and are definitely worth a listen to. They said that the crowd should definitely “Be louder drunks and to make some f@%*ing noise!”, which made the crowd explode with an uproar. High energy ska band Reel Big Fish started their set with a cover of “Call Me Maybe” by singer Carly Rae Jepsen, which got all the youngsters jumping up and down, then flowed into “Beer”, which got everyone into skank mode as if their lives depended on it. A circle pit developed with irony during the song “In the Pit/Thank You for not Moshing”. They finished their set with cover of “Take on Me” by A-Ha.
Panic! at the Disco
Australian rock band Sick Puppies started their set with, “Your Goin Down”; this band filled the Armory and had everyone fist pumping and slam dancing. The end of their set brought chants of “SICK PUPPIES, SICK PUPPIES” and flying drumsticks, which caused two people to battle over a drumstick in the center of the auditorium. This group has quite a following in their 15 year career and had the place jammed packed, even with the seats in the balcony that were filled, creating a mini heat wave. Panic! at the Disco brought more people into the already filled auditorium, opening with “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” followed by “Time to Dance”, which brought a riot of dancing and jumping. Singer Brendon Urie decided at one point to do a back flip off the drum riser and totally landed it, which drove the crowd wild.
Dropkick Murphys
Last but not least, headliner Dropkick Murphys took the stage and scally cap clad fans rushed the stage from their smoke breaks, packing the auditorium to the gills. Dropkick Murphys started their set off with total darkness and played “Foggy Dew”, an Irish ballad which got everyone ready for battle of the musical persuasion. The lights flashed on and Dropkick struck the first chord of “Hang Em High”, followed by “The Fighting 69”. The crowd was dancing arm to arm with Guinness in hand, just like in a traditional Irish pub. Singer Al Barr and bassist/singer Ken Casey had the women in the audience on stage for an encore of “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced” and “Skinhead on the MBTA” and closed with a cover of “T.N.T” by AC/DC. The stage was jam packed with die hard Murphy fans jumping up and down signing along. They’re truly a band who cares about their fans and make them feel like family.
The crowd endured the heat and sweatiness for a killer lineup at Main Street Armory and definitely will remember this show for years to come! This was one for the masses!
The lights dimmed and a blue hue lit up the stage as a roar of cheers erupted from the crowd. Fog rolled along the black stage, some of its mist licking the skins of some of the bouncers and fans. Then one by one, Sick Puppies made their appearance, Mark Goodwin (drums), Emma Anzai (bass), and Shim Moore (vocals/guitar). They began their set with the first song from their latest record, Connect, “Die to Save You” followed by “Cancer”, and the album’s leading single, “There’s No Going Back”. The crowd sang along whole heartedly, waving their horns in the air, all so excited to see their favorite Australian trio. Then, Emma dedicated the next song to all the ones who felt that they were different from the rest of the crowd, “Odd One”. Next was “Riptide”, “Maybe”, and “My World”.
Sick Puppies did not end their connection with the fans there; they continued with “Connect” then sped up the set with the heavier tunes, “War”, “Gunfight”, and “Pitiful”. After “Nothing Really Matters”, the band slowed the set briefly with “All the Same”, then picked up the haste with “Walking Away” from their new record, finishing the set with their hit single, “You’re Going Down”, to which a sea of bodies began to bounce along to the beat of the song.
All in all, it was a great set filled with classic songs as well as new catchy ones. Sick Puppies was, indeed, very connecting with their ever-adoring fans. If you haven’t already, check out their latest record, Connect, available for digital download and to purchase at your nearest music store. Prior to the show, Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the opportunity to interview Shim Moore, which can be seen below.
The young metalheads from Illinois, Starkill, brought their new material, Fires of Death,to the city once again. This was their second tour this year after having toured with veteran heavy metalers, Hypocrisy, earlier in the year. These guys were no newbies and after having toured successfully, it came to no surprise they will be on the road again. With the main elements of their music; melodic guitars, insane guitar solos, and powerful heavy metal drumming, they definitely brought something worth checking out; fresh, vibrant, nothing cliché. Hopefully young and talented bands like this gain more recognition, but for now Starkill has surely earned more fans and recognition after this tour.
Highly awaited were the Italian beasts known as Fleshgod Apocalypse. After having extensively toured Europe, and only days away from releasing their new album, Labyrinth,they embarked on this tour. The ear bursting drums and unreal symphonic death metal atmosphere only added to the hype brought by this band. They were certainly a forced to be reckoned with as their fans moshed furiously to their music. On this tour they brought along the soprano singer VERONICA BORDACCHINI, who collaborated in Labyrinth. Her powerful operatic vocals only added to the eeriness of the music, which made for a perfect amalgam of symphonic death metal. They were definitely in no way overhyped, it was death metal at it’s finest, which let’s us know that their future material is definetly something to look out for. Labyrinth has been released via Nuclear Blast records August 16th.
After a successful co-headlining tour with Eluvietie last year, it came to no surprise Wintersun would be back once more. This time the Finnish heavy metalers would headline across the states. They had fans dying as they yearned their return and their demands were definitely made known to the promoters who made this tour happen. After the success of the long due Time I album, it was no surprise that they once more sold out a New York city venue, this time around Irving Plaza, and last year it was the Gramercy Theater. Wintersun brought along a treat this time around for their devout fans, not only would they play the Time I album in it’s entirety, but also their debut Wintersun album, and a new song from the Time II album, “The Way of the Fire” (expected to be released sometime early next year). Fans chanted along to every song, as they knew the words by heart, and head banged, and moshed to every master piece made by the Wintersun front man Jari Maenpaa.
With locally made arts and photography of the 
