Category: Show Reviews

Phish Saves the Best for the Last Night at SPAC

After two days of Phish at SPAC, the energy that had built up between band and crowd was brought to a froth, thanks to Friday night’s Second Set (“Energy>Light->Mango>46 Days->Steam>Drowned>Slave”) and Saturday’s improv heavy “Split Open and Melt”, plus the magic of “Tweezer>Sand>Carini”. The froth spilled over Sunday with a start to finish highlight of the tour, as the band broke out the rockers in Set 1 and the Jam vehicles in Set 2, capping off a three night run in a way to rival last year’s tour closer at SPAC.

Fans filled the lots on either side of Route 50, brought Shakedown Street to life once again and mingled with friends under looming gray skies. Whether fans came in from Lee’s Campground, drove in from area hotels or walked across the Route 50 bridge, the excitement was electric and rain be damned, made their way into the venue. There is no weather condition that Phish fans can’t deal with in their journey to see Phish – rain, fog, snow, sleet, high winds, Sharknado, mud or Oswego 99-esque humidity – coping with a light rain was old hat for even the newest fan. Once inside, fans made their way to the lawn, and the lucky ones to the balcony and pavilion. Whether you were on the lawn or inside, you were getting wet – on the lawn from a consistent but light shower, or for those inside, from the sweat, smoke and humidity that had built up over three days.

With one of the most energetic openers in their repertoire, Phish kicked off the night shortly after 8pm with”AC/DC Bag”, followed by “Back on the Train”, both of which had Trey noodling to steady the rocker, pumping up the crowd in the process and getting the show off on the right foot. A well placed “Divided Sky” was given the standard treatment and then some, showcasing one of the band’s early compositions. “Free” developed from the end of “Divided Sky”, with “It’s Ice” and “Mound” following close behind. “Maze” was Page-heavy in the best way possible, tearing up the keys and organ to build the song up and up. “Limb by Limb” paired with “Walls of the Cave” to close the set, the latter building fans up during “Listen to the silent trees” and Trey leading the way with all three on par with the Bad Lieutenant. The first set in the books, fans took refuge under the trees or stayed in the pavilion and balcony to rest up for what was sure to be a hot set.

Second set opened with a typically spirited version of “Down With Disease”, drifting into Type II jams that led to even deeper exploration as the song built to the 14 minute mark. From there, the song seemed to dip into dark territory, a la “Sand”, but having played it the night before, we were treated to a fantastic segue from ‘Down With Disease” into “Ghost”. The first “Ghost” of the summer had some playful Frampton-esque sounds from Trey in between stanzas, then fell into a clavinet jam from Page, combining with Trey’s riffing and led towards a playful discourse between the two. “Piper” was shredded by the band from the start: they simply rocked out without reserve, carrying the tune for seven minutes before a final two minutes allowed experimentation take over and found time to give “Piper” a soft sendoff, drifting into “Wading in the Velvet Sea”. This is truly a ‘love it or hate it song’, but many at this point appreciated the placement for a slight break to prepare for the second half of the set that was yet to come. Sometimes, you need a breather at Phish shows and this one was of those times.

If one song keeps getting better and better in the 3.0 era of Phish, it’s “Run Like an Antelope”. The dancing frenzy created from each version is due in part to Trey’s focus on the progression of the song; he has great focus on this tune, more so than any other, shunning his musical ADD for a bit to keep the song moving towards a finish line of undetermined origin. Building out of the lyrics that were substituted at the end of “Antelope”, (“Run like a Meatstick out of control“) the natural next song selection was “The Meatstick”, leading to the Meatstick dance from fans who were still catching their breath from “DWD>Ghost>Piper” and “Antelope”. To cap off the set, fans were rewarded with a 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself”, that while good, had Trey’s guitar talking over a conversation between Mike, Page and Jon. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it lacked the flow of the post ‘Wash Uffizi’ jam that is a staple of YEMs. The vocal jam that arose for the final three minutes was humorous and captivating.

For an encore, “First Tube” felt like the natural choice, keeping the energy cranked up to 11 and preparing to get SPAC ready to liftoff. “Loving Cup” was a fine replacement and accepted without complaint, an entire crowd of 20,000 singing in unison “Oh, What a Beautiful Buzz!” Walking out, the night air was warm and light as fans made their way back to tents, beds, homes, cars and RVs, all in need of rest after three incredible days of Phish, and with all the potential of Summer Tour laying ahead of them.

Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Back on the Train > Divided Sky, Free > It’s Ice > Mound, Maze, Limb By Limb, Walls of the Cave

Set 2: Down with Disease 1 > Ghost 2 > Piper 3 > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Run Like an Antelope 4 > Meatstick 5 > You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Loving Cup

1 Unfinished.
2 Guy Forget quote from Fish.
3 DEG tease from Trey.
4 Lyrics changed to reference Meatstick.
5 Japanese lyrics.

July 12, 2013
moe. Shreds the Lot at ‘Party in the Park’ in Rochester

Upstate improvisational legends moe. brought their jam marathon’s to Rochester’s Party in the Park series June 20th. Often locally referred to as “Party in the Parking Lot”, this series deserves more credence. While it’s correct that the events take place in an area also often used to park cars, what is missed by local denizens is that there is ample space provided, an excellent “big-time” stage, copious amounts of affordable vending, convenient entry and exit points, a picturesque view of the Flour City bridge and tons of nearby parking. People must not care that much though, as this event was packed from end to end.

moe. came straight out of the gate at full speed with fan favorite “Happy Hour Hero”. The first set was a short one, but offered excellent takes on “Sensory Deprivation Bank” and “Akimbo” as well as some voice box fun from Chuck Garvey. During setbreak, fans enjoyed music from buskers, beer from Rochester based breweries Rohrbachs and Genesee, and several food trucks filled with tasty treats.

Second set began while the sun was going down, allowing fans a glimpse at moe.’s top tier light show. Also offered was plenty of shreddy guitar interplay between guitarists Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier. Highlights included a fiery “Wicked Awesome”, the always epic “Brent Black” and a top-speed encore combo of “Spine Of A Dog->Meat”.

Setlist: moe., Party in the Park, Rochester, NY – June 20, 2013

Set 1: Happy Hour Hero > Sensory Deprivation Bank, Understand, The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom, Hi and Lo > Big World > Akimbo
Set 2: Haze > Wicked Awesome, Puebla > Billy Goat > Tailspin > Brent Black
Encore: Spine Of A Dog > Meat

Upcoming Party in the park shows include John Browns Body on 7/11, Great Big Sea on 7/18 and Leon Russell on 7/25

July 11, 2013
Prog Rock Angels RUSH Turn Back the Clock at SPAC June 25th

RUSH bring out the crowds at SPAC every time they perform at the open-air amphitheater. This year was no different. A little bit of rain before the show was little deterrent to the droves of RUSH fans that came from throughout the region and beyond to see the prog rock trio light up the stage. As well they should as 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the few Prog Rock bands given the honor to have a permanent place in Cleveland.

Known for their elaborate live shows, with a mini-movie, a lot of stage props and of course, incredible solos. RUSH didn’t miss a beat with the Clockwork Angels tour. Two years ago when RUSH played SPAC they performs two numbers off the album, “Clockwork Angels,” “Caravan” and “BU2B”. It was at that show that this reporter/photographer became well-aware that the new material was going to be spectacular. In fact, “Caravans” that opens this year’s second set is one of my personal favorites.

The Clockwork Angels tour also highlights a special string ensemble consisting of six violins and two cellos placed directly behind Neil Peart’s drum kit. The setup allows for a bigger sound and an orchestral feel that SPAC is well accustomed to.

Neil Peart’s kit rotated so that the drummer could play his signature 360 degree setup. Intense focus and absolute precision is guaranteed when Peart plays. Fans are rarely disappointed.

Geddy Lee’s vocals were spot on and the high-tone lead singer and bassist for the band was energetic and theatrical at times. Facial expressions and primal screams to well-known lyrics that had the mostly male crowd chiming in at the top of their lungs.

Guitarist Alex Lifeson knew what he was doing when he founded the band RUSH 45 years ago. Named as a top 100 guitarist by Rolling Stones, the Canadian born guitarist can lay down a serious lick and keep up with other guitarists less than half his age. Like Peart, the concentration and intensity is mesmerizing to watch. Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul and the sound couldn’t be better.

After nearly a half a century RUSH doesn’t show much signs of slowing down. With tragedies behind them, the trio is looking forward and the new album and tour is proof that we can expect more from these legends from the north.

Set 1: Subdivisions, The Big Money, Force Ten, Grand Designs, The Body Electric, Territories, The Analog Kid, Bravado, Where’s My Thing? (including drum solo), Far Cry

*Set 2: Caravan, Clockwork Angels, The Anarchist, Carnies, The Wreckers, Headlong Flight (including drum solo), Halo Effect (guitar solo intro), Seven Cities of Gold, The Garden, Manhattan Project, Red Sector A, YYZ, The Spirit of Radio

Encore: Tom Sawyer, 2112 Part I: Overture, 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx, 2112 Part VII: Grand Finale

* entire set with Clockwork Angels String Ensemble

July 11, 2013
Hey Man, Nice Comeback: 1990’s Alt-Rock Legends Filter Release New Album and Rage Montage Music Hall

“That guy, you see that guy? He gets it. He knows how to support live music”, said Filter front man Richard Patrick as he was pointing right at me. “And wearing a Tool shirt, that band is awesome!”. People are slapping me on the back and handing out high fives. I give him the double metal sign back and the band blasts into another song.

Much of Filter’s June 18th show at Rochester’s Montage Music Hall went like this. As a more than 20 year vet on the national touring scene, Mr. Patrick certainly knows how to successfully work an audience. The band delivered an exceptional set full of energy, including classics like “Take a Picture”, “Do You (Trip Like I Do)”, and “Zero”, each of which were mixed in with enough deep cuts to make even the most jaded Filter vet (if such a thing could exist) ecstatic. Towards the end of their set the band delivered an angst-filled take on The Turtles classic “Happy Together”. After the song, front man Richard Patrick exclaimed they had never played that before and that we had all ‘made history together.’ This was a fantastic performance by adept performers that have managed against all odds to stay fully on top of their game. Syracuse’s Without Regret and Rochester’s Ghostfeeder opened the show with high energy performances of their own.

Filter is touring in support of their new album The Sun Comes Out Tonight. Released June 4th, the disc blazes through 12 songs in under 50 minutes. The disc opens with the headbanging track “We Hate it When You Get What You Wanted”, an obvious and excellent nod to those with envy issues. The rock keeps flowing through the following track and lead single “What Do You Say”. The lighter side of Filter is apparent with the family oriented “Surprise” and drug-haze-aftermath ode “Watch the Sun Come Out Tonight”. The entire album does an excellent job at merging the tapestry of Filter’s 20 year career of playing with different genres into one cohesive unit. Present are the full steam ahead headbangers, the introspective dark-edged softer tracks and forays into electronica influenced rock. The album ends with a twosome of songs, “It’s My Time” and “It’s Just You”, both of which invoke a non-copycat similarity to mega-hit “Take a Picture”. An excellent offering by seasoned veterans. Twenty years later, Filter has still got it. Check them out on the Summerland Tour throughout July.

Key Tracks: What Do You Say, Come Watch The Sun Come Out Tonight, Take That Knife Out of My Back

July 10, 2013
Old Crow Medicine Show kicks off Brewery Ommegang’s 2013 Concert Series

What do you get when you combine great music, delicious beer, and a beautiful setting? The Brewery Ommegang’s Summer Concert series. This year’s summer concerts at Ommegang kicked off with a Memorial Day celebration that allowed Sunday night camping and a bluegrass/Americana lineup headlined by Old Crow Medicine Show.

Local bluegrass band Driftwood started things off. With great harmonies and well-written numbers, they greeted fans streaming in and finding spots in the open field. The sea of lawn chairs and blankets, along with tents set up in the back could only be appreciated from an aerial view. Fortunately, I was able to connect with Andy Trench from ZoomVideo.net and we went to get a helicamera setup, or, more appropriately, hell-of-a-camera setup. Flying it above the crowd, we were able to provide a birds-eye view of the crowd, the stage, the brewery and the beautiful Cooperstown area.

After Driftwood was Chuck Mead and his Grassy Knoll Boys from Nashville. They were a little more traditional country than bluegrass or Americana, but as I spoke to one of their members after their set, we agreed that it was a good fit. Many shows mix similar genres to offer a little variety and draw from different groups of music lovers. The crowd was pretty much settled in at this point and enjoyed the steel guitar, upright bass and fun lyrics of the band. The highlight was a modern telling of the ongoings of the gang from Mayberry.

As the sun set over the surrounding hills, beer-lovers had a chance to get refills of their favorite Ommegang brew, sweatshirts and coats got thrown on, and a last trip to the vendors for nachos or a burger and prepare for the seven-piece stylings of Old Crow Medicine Show. Starting out with “Carry Me Back” and “Alabama High Test” and moving onto “Take ’em Away”, the pace was fast and the bluegrass-induced Americana jams led to dancing, hula hooping and a whole lot of singing.

If I asked concert goers before the show what were they coming to see, they would have said “Wagon Wheel”. While that song rocketed OCMS to fame, their repertoire of upbeat songs led most to understand that this is not a one-hit wonder, but rather a group that have been around for fifteen years and have compiled a music library of incredible songs that can lend themselves to a two hour set that no one gets bored with, begging for that one song everyone knows.

What’s coming up at Ommegang this summer? Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will be there July 25th and Black Crowes on September 5th. Whether you come for the music, the beer or the atmosphere, you can’t go wrong with planning a trip to Ommegang this summer.

July 10, 2013
Phish After Party: Dead Sessions at Putnam Den, July 5th

On July 5^th, as the first night of Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center came to a close, the town streets came alive as those attending the three-night run fanned out to find after-parties to keep the vibe grooving. At the legendary Putnam Den in downtown Saratoga, those looking to keep their booties shaking found a pleasant surprise in the tucked away venue as Dead Sessions started off the night with a boisterous “Franklin’s Tower”.

One of my personal favorite aspects of Putnam Den is when they put on a show, they never overcrowd the venue, so as the sound echoed into the street and more ticket holders entered the premises, we all had the perfect amount of room to get down.

For those who have never seen Dead Sessions, this band is the embodiment of the timelessness of The Grateful Dead’s music. Although the band calls Vermont home, the band is composed of rotating members who are from various locations around the country. While they performed a plethora of old favorites including “Bertha”, “Peggy-O” and “He’s Gone”, they also added their own improvisational jams and gave each song a piece of their own musical personalities.

During “Scarlet Begonias”, their first set closer, they went into an impressive improv streak that combined new age jam with old age style and an intertwining of spacey jams that tied it all together. Keyboardist Adam King’s playful melody danced around the crowd as guitar players Seth Yacavone and Adam Terrell (Assembly of Dusct / Ghosts of Jupiter/ Percy Hill), who was filling in for Tobe Kniffin dueled harmoniously with one another and the full sounded band, which included drummers Kevin Shapiro and Steve Hadeka (Seth Yacovone Band), supporting their beat every step of the way.

Dead Sessions was a great way to end the night for any Phish-Dead lover. Before we knew any better, it was 4am and with our hip joints thoroughly greased up from a full night of music, the crowd dissipated with a buzz of anticipation for two more amazing nights of music.

Also worth noting is that the show also doubled as a WaterWheel benefit and raised over $1,100 for the WaterWheel Foundation – which in turn donated it to the Saratoga Hospital Foundation which is working to build a community health center in Saratoga.

Setlist

Set 1: Feel Like a Stranger>Franklin’s Tower, Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Bertha, Brown Eyed Women, Peggy-0, Alligator> He’s Gone> Scarlet Begonias

Set 2: Playin’ in the Band> Visions of Johanna> Playin’ in the Band, Blow Away, China Cat Sunflower> At a Siding> I Know You Rider, Easy Wind

July 10, 2013
The Solid Sound Festival is a Solid Choice for Great Music and Arts

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

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

Xu Bing: Phoenix

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

Reggie Watts

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

Lucius

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

Yo La Tengo

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

Foxygen

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

Neko Case

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

Wilco

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

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

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

July 9, 2013
‘Toga Thursdays – The Heavy Pets at Putnam Den

It has been almost 200 days since my last Phish show, which thankfully will be cured soon with their summer tour starting this week. However, to fill this void throughout the year, I go see The Heavy Pets as often as I can so on June 27, I got a double dose of jam music when both bands performed at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs.

One of the best feelings, and the start to a great night, is walking into the venue just as the first band takes the stage, in this case, it was the sound of Formula 5. Their first song had teases from Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” quickly grabbing the audience’s attention. They hit the crowd with a new single that had no name but didn’t need one, and ended up being called “No Name”, featuring a strong guitar presence thanks to Joe Davis, with lots of cymbals ringing from Greg Marek, creating a very spacey melody.

One of the best parts about watching Formula 5 perform is bassist Bill Shattuck. His feet barely touch the ground as he dances and tiptoes ever so carefully around the thick bass notes he leaves everywhere. The boys were on point that night with no slow build ups and blasting from one song to the next. Mike McDonald plays just about every note on his keyboard with great speed and simplicity. A great surprise was when Jeff Lloyd from the Heavy Pets joined the band for the song “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” by The Talking Heads, terrific energy and guitar shredding. Formula 5 will be hosting a Phish SPAC After Party on July 5^th at The MINE nightclub on Broadway. The guys will also be making stops at this year’s Backwoods Pondfest and The Big UP music festivals.

The Heavy Pets hail from Florida but are no strangers to playing to a dedicated fan base in Upstate New York, particularly due to their early roots in Syracuse, where Jeff Lloyd calls himself an alumnus. Their sound is like a space station on a tropical vacation – you get the electronic mixes with a heavy dose of reggae that always catches you by surprise. “Spin Round”, a pop/electronic tune featured charming vocals and upbeat piano chords from Jim Wuest. “Chevrolet” was a harder rock song with reggae vibes radiating with sharp string playing from a combined Jeff Lloyd, Mike Garulli and Tony D’Amato.

Halfway through their set, the band announced the winner of the raffle contest with the prize being Phish SPAC pit tickets that were given to each attendee at the door. I don’t think I’ve ever seen people with so many raffle tickets before. Focusing back on The Heavy Pets, Jamie Newitt got the crowd amped up with a quick tempo start of “STYM” and laid down the rhythm strong all night. Putnam Den was filled with the echo of their simple yet powerful lyrics, “We are one. So thank you music.” The set ended with “Jackie Bones”, a steady beat with raising harmonies that made you wish the show wasn’t over yet.

The Heavy Pets will be performing at this year’s Equifunk and The Night Lights Fall music festivals.

July 5, 2013
HARDCORE RULES! with Agnostic Front

Thursday, June 13^th: HARDCORE RULES! at Bogies with Agnostic Front, Lionheart, Brick by Brick and Aggressive Response.

by Jay Frost

Hardcore reigned supreme in Albany last Thursday night with a visit from the Godfathers themselves – NYC’s Agnostic Front. Along with Mediaskare recording artists Lionheart (CA), Troy-core staples Brick By Brick, and new local favorites Aggressive Response, this was an evening made of circle-pits and sing-alongs, stage-dives and dog piles; no egos, no attitude – just good times and that positive vibe you can really only find at a hardcore show.

Arriving at 8:30, I made it just in time to run through the door for openers Aggressive Response. With most weekday shows beginning at 7:30 sharp, I thought for sure that my shitty day job was going to prevent me from missing yet another opening act. Thankfully, Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue saw fit to push the start time up to 8:30, allowing for total coverage.

Aggressive Response is unlike any other band in the Albany scene right now. They draw on a much older and more diverse range of influences than their contemporaries to create a unique blend of punk and hardcore reminiscent of Fear and early Sheer Terror. With songs chock-full of high-speed virtuosic percussion, heavily-distorted buzz-saw guitars, clear and audible bass lines, and Jay Krak’s bulldog bark, there is nothing of the new-school to be found here. There is also a great deal of talent behind Aggressive Response. The guitar tandem of Kurt and Joe effortlessly kick out electrified surf-rock riffs and solid rhythms built on double-timed blues scales. Drummer Jared is a madman, and though he’s responsible for laying down a barrage of rapid-fire machine gun beats, he sacrifices neither skill nor technicality in the process. Additionally, they possess a passion rarely seen in modern hardcore that colors their performance. As the stage comes alive with leaping spin-kicks, Krak spends the majority of his time pacing the wide open dance floor, ranting and raving like a lunatic.

From the first note to the last, the dance floor was packed for Aggressive Response, who’ve built an impressive following since their live debut in March supporting punk rock pioneers Urban Waste and the FUs. Their set consisted of original material from their self-titled EP – a sleek, professionally-packaged six song affair with full liner notes – as well as two new songs and a cover of everyone’s favorite feel-good hardcore anthem – Sheer Terror’s “Just Can’t Hate Enough” – thrown in for posterity. This is a band to keep an eye on; stop by their BandCamp page to hear their EP in its entirety, and look for show announcements on their Facebook page.

Following Aggressive Response was yet another excellent performance by 518 wrecking crew Brick By Brick. For ten years now, this band has not only held down the Troy-Core style, but brought it to the next level with countless local and regional performances with acts as diverse as Rancid, Exodus, Sheer Terror, Sworn Enemy, and Madball. With all this and three albums to show for it, there is no denying that they are the hardest working band in the area.

B X B literally sounds better, tighter, and more crushing every time I see them. New drummer James Muller has not only mastered the band’s body of work with seemingly little difficulty, but has marked it with his own unique signature. Mike Valente has also progressed in his role as the group’s sole guitarist by adding dissonant, thrashy leads to his already solid repertoire of groove-oriented, break-down heavy rhythms. The 518 loves Brick By Brick, and tonight they showed their pride and appreciation with the customary chaotic flurry of fists and spin kicks.

Recent times has seen Brick By Brick’s live show consisting largely of material from their second and third albums – 2006’s Wings of Angels and 2010’s Severed Ties –and the occasional inclusion of classics like “Free For All” and “Demon Eyes”. This evening was much the same, only with a few surprises for the old-schoolers in the room: first, their rendition of Straight Jacket’s “Final Cry” followed by fan –favorite and unofficial B X B theme song “Tearing Down”. This crushing call to arms has been noticeably absent from their repertoire as of late, so the ensuing maelstrom that was the pit for those few moments in time came as no surprise; big props to Rich Roberts for mediating the front-stage brawl for the mic, and to the band as a whole for setting the bar for the pit so early in the night.

Northern Califronia’s Lionheart added a bit of contrast with their set. Hailing from the Bay Area and taking cues from the likes of Hoods, Machine Head, Madball and Hatebreed , Lionheart are currently on the road in support of their third album, Undisputed. They’ve toured Europe at least a half a dozen times and have shared the stage with Terror and at least three of the four above-mentioned bands. Though there’s no denying that Lionheart are from the new-school, to dismiss them as “another metal core band” is unjust. Low-tuned guitars and double-bass heavy drum work deal out punishing slabs of mosh-core fit to rival any of their peers.

Vocalist Rob Watson possesses a dynamic range that renders it nearly impossible to compare him to anyone else, achieving the perfect balance of guttural lows and scathing highs. His intense delivery locks in with the rhythm section, providing just as much of a foundation for Lionheart’s music as the drums and bass. This can be attributed to Watson’s role as their primary lyricist and the active part he takes in the development of Lionheart’s music. When asked in an interview about his contribution, Watson mentioned that as he pieces lyrics together, he develops ideas for how he wants each particular song to sound. This allows Watson to aid in the studio with arrangement and composition of the music itself.

Lionheart has been a regular visitor to the Albany area for years now, something that will likely never change. If you’ve never heard them – or just haven’t seen them live – do yourself a favor and catch them the next time around. I’m sure it won’t be long.

The change-over between Lionheart and tonight’s headliners ran a bit long, but as the saying goes, “good things come to those who wait”; and when you’re waiting on Agnostic Front, patience pays off double. A significant number of late-comers and stragglers arrived during the break, swelling Bogies to about half-capacity. Not bad for a Thursday night! Being that Black Flag had played the previous night, I’d imagine there were a great deal of sore scenesters reluctantly sitting this one out. I’m sure that some – like me – had to choose between one show or the other. Whatever the case, those who did make it were in for one hell of a performance.

Right out of the gate, Agnostic Front brought it back to the old-school with “Blind Justice” and “The Eliminator”. For a band that’s been at it since the early 80s, they had a wealth of energy to burn. Roger Miret had all the charisma of a carnival-barker as he stoked the crowd to a fever pitch and led the sing-alongs. Founding guitarist Vinnie Stigma provided a bit of comic relief with his on-stage antics, all the while remaining focused on the material. Much like the other older bands I’ve seen in recent years – Sheer Terror, DRI and Exodus, to name a few – Agnostic Front were tight as hell.

Agnostic Front draws a very diverse crowd, as evidenced by the punks, skins (not the scary, Neo-Nazi kind), longhairs and hardcore kids alike tearing it up. Mosh-pit hospitality rules applied: no head-hunting, mind your neighbor, and if someone goes down, help them up. There were no fights, no tough-guy posturing; just that sense of unity that so many preach but seldom actually achieve.

Along with early tunes like the two they opened their set with, Agnostic Front delighted us all with more recent favorites – most notably “For My Family”, Iron Cross cover and NYHC staple “Crucified”, and the colossal “Gotta Go” from their 1996 come-back Something’s Gotta Give. Chants of “Oi!” filled the room as Miret continued to stoke the crowd, telling us all to take one step forward and move around; he was startled a bit when an overly-enthusiastic slam-dancer drilled him in the chest while passing the stage, but continued without skipping a beat.

Shortly after midnight, Agnostic Front concluded with their cover of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”, the studio version of which can be found on the Respect Your Roots compilation. As the undisputed Godfathers of the New York Hardcore scene, it is only fitting that AF pay homage to the Godfathers of Punk Rock – and what a way to cap off the evening! Though I never had the pleasure of seeing The Ramones, I can now tell my children someday, when I’m old and completely bald and they’ve just discovered punk rock that their father once moshed to that song. Hopefully they won’t respond with: “What’s moshing?”

July 3, 2013
An Intimate Evening with Billy Payne of Little Feat at The Linda

The Linda Theater provided the perfect setting for what turned out to be a very special and intimate evening with Billy Payne. Most people know Payne as one of the original founders of Little Feat. What some might not know is he is also an accomplished photographer, an amazing storyteller and a treasure-trove of musical history. Using all of these attributes, Payne presented “Tracing Footsteps”, a multimedia journal of music, photography, and stories from the road and from Billy Payne’s past.

Payne begins by explaining “I call this event ‘Tracing Footsteps’ because I have been down many paths in my life, from music to photography, and everyone I’ve met along the way have been a huge part of my life”. “Tracing Footsteps” is largely a tribute to Payne’s previous band mates. He performed “Feathers and a Smile” as a tribute to Little Feat co-founder Lowell George. Several songs were also played in honor of deceased Little Feat drummer, Richie Hayward. In addition, Payne played a few new tunes co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter, including “A Thousand Nights” and “Wolfe in the Wilderness”.

For the second set, Payne was joined on stage by current Little Feat drummer, Gabe Ford, and teenage guitar sensation, Conor Kennedy. The guys played several tunes from Payne’s current side-project, the Hooligans, including “Blue Grass Pines”, “Louisiana”, and “If I had a Mind To”. It was also an evening of experimentation with Payne trying “Juble”, another new tune recently written with Robert Hunter. The intimate and very entertaining evening wrapped up with a Q & A session along with friendly conversation and autographs.

July 3, 2013