NYS Music 20​13

Category: Show Reviews

  • Three Takes: Dopapod at Red Square in Albany, February 28th, The Westcott in Syracuse, March 1st and Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, March 2nd

    Dopapod is in the midst of a huge tour and made three stops in Upstate New York last weekend including at Red Square. Here are recaps, videos and photos of shows in Albany, Syracuse and Rochester.

    Red Square, Albany, February 28th

    Review by Pete Mason

    Red Square in Albany kicked off the first of three incredible nights of music as Dopapod swung through Upstate New York with Big Something from Burlington, NC in support. The opener was a new sextet to visit the region and slayed with a great cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and uniquely incorporated an instrument I had never seen before, an EWI (an acronym for electric wind instrument), into the show without overshadowing the rest of the music. These guys are worth finding at a festival this summer or the next time they make it to Upstate NY.

    Having played with Dopapod at The Big What Festival in North Carolina, the two bands found solid support and kinship on the road. They have a good core sound and layer each instrument on top of one another, leading to thick and complicated jams that ignite the dance fuel in the crowd.

    It has been great to see Dopapod grow and develop in the past few years, exciting fanbase no matter where and when they play. With a new lighting setup, Dopapod played to a packed house, tearing through old songs and a pair of new tunes, including “Like a Ball”.

    “Braindead”, off Redivider ,was hit with the industrial stick and spiced up a notch. The crowd, 20s-30s for the most part, was full of folks getting down to the set, especially when songs meandered off into the oblivion of improvisational bliss. “Carolina”, a slow rumba if I ever heard one, filled in nicely before the debut of “Priorities”.

    Dopapod also announced that night that they would be playing Saturday May 11th at The Spring Revival in Lyons NY, hosted by ‘s own HerbyOne and State Wide Music. There are other area festival appearances this summer, some still yet to be named, but one that is announced is one of ’s favorite’s, Backwoods Pondfest, located in Peru, NY near the Ausable Chasm. Catching Dopapod is entering another world of jam music, one that combined the best of progressive rock and electronic beats for some heavy duty performances. They are one you don’t want to regret missing.

    Setlist: FABA, Like A Ball, French Bowling, New James, Sonic > Braindead, Off The Cuff, Ellemenno > The Chocolate Drum Machine > Carolina, Priorities > Tequila* > Priorities, Bahbi
    E: Nuggy Jawson, Trapper Keeper^
    *impromptu cover; Rob quoted the first Ninja Turtles movie twice
    ^dedicated to Jason Gibbs for becoming the new Pope… No one thought it was funny.

    Photos by Andy Hill

    The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, March 1st

    review by Quinn Donnell, photos by Kevin Burke

    As Dopapod spent their weekend touring through Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester, the four-piece experimental funk-rock group surely experienced a number of similarities associated with playing shows in Upstate New York. On Friday night in Syracuse, however, an audience dominated by Syracuse University students provided a unique experience for the band. Joined for the first time this tour by The Manhattan Project, a Rochester-based duo whose synth-led jams put the Westcott Theater’s crowd in the perfect mood for a night of groovin’, Dopapod headlined an evening of great jams and great times.

    As the Manhattan Project concluded their opening set, audience members who had spent the beginning portion of their evening either at the bar or hula hooping away from the dance-designated pit came together in front of the stage for a performance from their favorite electro-jam band. After a nearly ten minute intro involving beams of light and slow, monotonous bells, Dopapod took the Westcott’s stage. Juxtaposed with their mellow introduction, the band’s opening song, “Bubblebrain,” involved delay-heavy guitar riffs and a booming, tribal-like drumbeat. As Dopapod’s set progressed, their experience as performers who have played over 150 shows every year for the last three years, became apparent. The crowd found its groove and danced under flashing lights with glow-in-the-dark accessories. Playing a cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” Dopapod concluded their set to appreciative applause from the audience. As Dopapod continues to tour throughout the country, a future stop back in Syracuse would be greatly appreciated. Check them out in Ithaca on April 23rd.

    Setlist: Bubblebrain, Roid Rage, Present Ghosts, Jam > Onionhead, Turnin’ Knobs, Drum Machine > STADA, Trapper Keeper, Weird Charlie, Indian Grits > Psycho Nature

    Encore: You Oughta Know

    Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, March 2nd

    Review by Darren Kemp

    The Upstate NY Dopapod run continued Saturday with a nearly sold out show at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester. Local band Haewa opened with a scorcher of a set that showed they would not be an opener for long. Dopapod hit the stage around 11 pm for a long two-hour set filled with a nicely selected mix of new material, old songs and a spot on cover of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun complete with organ vocals.

    Highlights included the aforementioned cover and an absolutely mind-bending “French Bowling” > “Brain Dead” pairing. The band left the stage around 1:15 am to an ear deafening roar and came back to reward the audience with a “Off the Cuff” cover with Fleet Foxes teases. An excellent performance by two bands with bright futures.

    Setlist: Priorities, Black and White. French Bowling > Braindead, Black Hole Sun* > Present Ghosts, Sonic > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Vol. 3 #86^, We Are Not Alone > Give It A Name
    Encore: Off The Cuff%

    *Soundgarden,  ^contained “Rondo Alla Turka” tease (Mozart) %contained “Ragged Wood” tease (Fleet Foxes)

  • Cinnamon Chasers, Digital Dharma and more energized Red Square in Albany on March 1st

    Red Square began filling up the moment the doors opened, with people from all over the Northeast eager to see the legend that is Russ Davies (Cinnamon Chasers). The night began with a bang as DJ duo PartyHorn took the front stage at Red Square spinning some classic disco remixes. The vocal samples were perfectly entwined with the light and whimsical beats these guys pumped out. Halfway through their set they busted out a fun rendition of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” and the crowd couldn’t get enough. Partyhorn played in between every band to keep the energy high throughout the night.

    Organik Time Machine took the stage back with a funky blend of jamtronic beats with the accompaniment of a female singer. It is very rare to see a female singer heading a band, especially for more that just a few vocal samples. It was definitely refreshing to see something different done so well. Each song created its own energy and permeated throughout the Red Square. The light show these guys brought with them was absolutely phenomenal and only further bettered their already amazing set. From the front of the bar I heard the opening chords to the Sound Tribe Sector 9 song, “Ramone and Emiglio.” I can honestly say this is the first time in my life I have ever seen a band cover a STS9 song and I was pleasantly surprised to see them do it so well. Then it was Digital Dharma’s time to shine. I was greatly impressed by how far these guys have come since the last time I had seen them live. The amount of energy and passion these boys pour into their music is evident the moment they take stage. Steve Mink tore up the heavy bass lines while Jess Radosti threw out some guitar riffs that were reminiscent to that of Jon Barber from The Disco Biscuits. Elliot Kershner used the synth as a vehicle to carry each song and jam to further and further depths. It was seriously flooring to see how far these boys have come since they first took stage two years ago.

    At this point in the night Red Square was packed wall to wall and the excitement was eminent as Cinnamon Chasers got ready to take stage. Cinnamon Chasers is a side project of Abakus’ Russ Davies (son of legendary Dave Davies of The Kinks) infusing electronic and disco to make a master mix for a serious dance party. Cinnamon Chasers played well into the early hours of the morning with the high energy crowd doing their best to keep up. Some of the samples and remixes included Bill Withers’ “A Lovely Day” and The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah.” He also pulled out many song from his album Dreams and Machines, including “Flash gun,” “Hyper waves” and “Have I Said Something” . The entire set was filled with an outrageous amount of energy from both Davies and the crowd. For the encore he played “Night Walker” and “Diametric.” I left Red Square almost delusional from the exhaustion of dancing for five hours straight but needless to say, completely content. Truly an amazing show by all artists involved.

  • Sevendust: Live at Upstate Concert Hall on Feb 6th

    From the first chords of “Decay” the sold out crowd of Upstate Concert Hall went crazy.  There was something in the air on February 6th.  Sevendust always packs the house in Upstate New York, and they should.  Their brand of alternative metal has withstood the test of time and their newest releases, like “Decay” show that the band isn’t going anywhere.

    “Decay” highlights everything great about Sevendust: the dueling guitars of Clint Lowery and John Connolly, hard hitting rhythms of Morgan Rose and the soulful energy of Vinnie Hornsby, along with Lajon Witherspoon’s unmistakable melodic howl.

    sevendustThe tour is supporting the  new album Black Out the Sun and tried to do that with just two songs. The opening number “Decay” and the only other song they played from the new release, “Till Death”.  With a catalog as large as theirs, fans appreciated the mix from over the years, but any emphasis on the new release might have been overshadowed by past hits.

    The second song of the the set was “Praise” from Sevendust’s third album Animosity.  The crowd went crazy as front man Lajon Witherspoon belted out powerful vocals at the top of his lungs and the crowd fired back knowing most the words to this and every song after it.  The sun was blacked out and the night was still young.  Lajon and company went on to play “Denial” (Home/1999), “Ugly” (Next/2005) and “Bitch” from Sevendust’s debut gold album nearly 16 years ago.  Before the band took a little breather and talked about how great it was to be back in Upstate NY.  It’s home to some of their best shows and biggest fans.  The next two songs were thoughtful and well placed.  A calm before the storm that resulted in harder, edgier work.  “Trust” and “Angel Son” are both from Sevendust’s Animosity album, however “Angel Son” was originally written for a compilation album Strait Up, dedicated to the life of Snot‘s former lead singer Lynn Strait who tragically passed away in a car accident at the age of 30.  This is as close as Sevendust will ever come to a ballad and it highlights the range and talents of the band.

    Morgan Rose was able to set the pace throughout the night adding mesmerizing drum solos.  Their were times that the waves of sound threatened to blow the crowd back through the front doors.  But as the set moved on and the music got faster, the drums got louder and the crowd spread out and the pit finally opened up to a circle were only the strong survive.  “Waffle” (Home/1999) led the charge and went into “Strong Arm Broken” (Cold Day Memory/2010) and then “Till Death” from the new release.  The Set ended with “Pieces” (Next/2005) and the appropriately names “The End Is Coming”  (Cold Day Memory/2010).

    sevendustThe variety of songs over Sevendust’s long career is a testament to their staying power and influence in the industry.  After 16 years of pushing the envelope and bringing hard-nose, in your face music to the masses they are still experiencing incredible success.  Their most recent single “Decay” has been getting a ton of airtime on FM stations all over the country and SiriusXM’s Octane channel.

    The encore was extra special for the audience and the band.  The first song was “Splinter” from Sevendust’s 2010 release Cold Day Memory.  And then, Upstate New York’s own Joey Belladonna was pulled onto the stage to help sing “Face to Face”.  It took a lot of coaxing to get the shy lead singer from the legendary metal band, Anthrax, to the stage but when he finally came out from hiding behind the speakers to the crowd, people in Joey’s hometown of Oswego could have heard the roar.

    Overall the night was a huge success, opening band Avatar from Sweden is definitely a rising star to keep an eye on and support act, Lacuna Coil is always a crowd favorite.  Look for an upcoming interview with Lacuna Coil’s Andrea Ferro.

  • Blotto and Mister F, Albany’s oldest and newest bands, play rare shows on March 1st

    On Friday, March 1st, one of Albany’s oldest bands, Blotto, took the stage at Valentines for WCDB’s 35th anniversary show, celebrating the Capital Region’s best music from 90.9 at SUNY Albany. Across town at The Bayou Cafe, Mister F, a Timbre Coup/Capital Zen side-project took shape for the first time, debuting as the newest band in the Albany scene. When Blotto first debuted in the early 1980s, none of the members of Mister F were born yet. Catching both of these shows was quite an impressive display of musical talents ranging over a span of 33 years, with each giving a stellar performance in their own right.

    blotto mister fBlotto, best known for their hits “I Wanna be a Lifeguard”, “I Quit” and “Metalhead”, play shows periodically in the Albany area, bringing their new wave/surf rock sound to the masses once again. There were plenty of hits to choose from and the crowd enthusiastically cheered on each song and laughed along with Broadway Blotto’s song exposition and Sarge Blotto’s story telling added a little extra to the songs, building up to “Goodbye, Mr. Bond” and “Lifeguard”.

    Setlist: She’s Got a Big Boyfriend, When the Second Feature Starts, I Quit, My Baby’s the Star of a Drivers Ed movie, It’s Not You, (We Are) The Nowtones, Elevator Music, Goodbye, Mr. Bond, I Wanna be a Lifeguard

    Meanwhile, at The Bayou, Mister F, made up of Andy, Ben and Matt from Timbre Coup and Scott from Capital Zen, took to the stage with “Vocodor” and from the start, this meeting of the musical minds came off as being a natural sounding act. A couple of covers thrown in – Hall and Oates’ “I can’t go for that”, White Town’s “Your Woman” and a fantastically done “Elevator”, a Particle song that moves at breakneck speeds at times, gave the night some familiarity and allowed the four to show off their chops. “Hedgehog” rounded out the night as the crowd gave big support in a debut performance for the group.

    Setlist: Vocoder, No Can Do* > Treadmill, 11, Your Woman# > Improv > Don’t Lose Your Watch, Elevator^, Final Countdown Intro > Hedgehog

    Photos by Chelsea Valente

  • Review: ACIDIC, NONPOINT and HINDER in Providence, RI

    Friday night Acidic, Nonpoint and Hinder rocked Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI, where staff member, Kate Drexel, was lucky enough to catch the show.

    hinder nonpointThe murmurs of the crowd died down as the lights dimmed and the first band, Acidic emerged from the shadows. The lights shined upon them and they launched into their opening song, “Drive Thru”. They performed very high-energy songs, in which their lead singer, Mike Gossard, openly admitted that their songs are about girls, to which the crowd cheered very enthusiastically. Through the speedy setlist, they got to the song that got everybody singing along; The Beatles’ hit “Come Together”. Gossard maneuvered through the crowds while singing this classic hit. They ended with one of their originals, “Strata Red”.

    The expectation of Nonpoint grew as the number of fans increased. Finally they arrived on stage, performing their first single off of their new record, “Left For You.” The craziness of the fans intensified as mosh pits began to form, and with them, what most fans dread, being pushed around. However, this was definitely the perfect music to mosh to. Colorful lights brightened the small venue, and it made the fog rolling on the stage very vibrant. The dedicated fans belted out the lyrics as the band was singing them. During the set, they did a metal cover of Phil Collins’ hit, “In The Air”; some fans put their hands up in a spiritual matter whereas others continued to mosh around. They ended their set with “Alive and Kicking” – which had the crowd chanting the words very enthusiastically- and then the grand finale, their 2005 hit, “Bullet With a Name”. After that excitement was over, the crowd was finally ready for the main event, Hinder.

    The crew began to remove the previous band’s equipment in preparation for Hinder. Once moved aside, underneath the drum kit was a banner that read: HINDER. The fans cheered wildly, and some drunkenly began to chant the band’s name. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the lights suddenly shut off and the venue was swallowed within the darkness. From the darkness, came a familiar voice, one everybody has been looking forward to all night long, the voice of Austin Winkler: “PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND…LET ME FUCKING HEAR YOU!” Flashing lights accompanied the pitch-blackness, then finally the band all came out at once. Their opener, “Up All Night”, most certainly had the crowd going wild. Winkler began to make his infamous flamboyant moves to the rhythm of the song and the crowd was instantly put under his spell using his powerful, magical voice. The vibrantly colored lights continued to brighten the room and decorated spotlights danced on the walls. The crowd bounced their rocker horns to the beat of the music. After performing the club-beat-like single off of their new record, “Ladies Come First”, they played a more mellow song, a familiar heartbreaking song, if you will, “Better Than Me”. This one definitely tugged the ladies’ heartstrings, some of them got fairly teary-eyed, as they heartily mouthed the lyrics and swayed to the gentle melody. Suddenly, the mood changed drastically as the lights turned off then white flashes revealed Winkler’s shape and location. He did his infamous scream and began to sing the crude lyrics to the first song off of their third record, “2 Sides of Me”. Then again, another radical adjustment was made as the crew placed two wooden stools in the center of the stage, where drummer Cody Hanson blew everybody away by showing up with an acoustic guitar, sitting in the left seat and Winkler sitting on the right. They performed two songs acoustically, “Get Me Away From You” and “Thing For You”. Yet again, Hinder altered their quiet tunes to more hard rock with the occasional ballads. After performing “All American Nightmare”, they played their infamous hit, “Lips of an Angel”, to which Winkler created a game for everyone to sing along louder than him. Of course that was a success. They ended their set with three songs, one of them being the first single of their latest record, “Save Me”, as well as “How Long” from their first album. In the final song, “Get Stoned”, Winkler encouraged the crowd to harmonize with the band and before finishing off the song, he gave credit to his fellow band members. Once the song was over, they left the stage, leaving the crowd begging for more, but clearly the fun had ended.

    All things considered, the concert had a very energetic vibe. The crowd was pumped and ready for a fun evening, thanks to the outstanding two opening bands. The setlist for Hinder was most definitely a roller-coaster with the dramatic changes in songs, but it was a wild, fun one. Because of the small venue, there was an unquestionable connection between the bands and their dedicated fans. A plethora of moments stood out, yet it would be hard to determine which one stood out the most because they were all so amazing. Yet again, this was another unforgettable night.

  • The Monk, Conehead Buddha, and Turkuaz at The Westcott Theater – February 28th

    For those of you who aren’t quite familiar with The Westcott scene, it isn’t very often that a crowd musters up for the opening act The Monk at 8 o’clock sharp on a Thursday night. But then again, there was hardly anything prosaic about these smiling folks twirking their way through funk tunes.

    The Monk
    Maple Hill – Westcott Theater

    Though the bass-slapping groove and the smooth saxophone was more than enough to keep the crowd going, a sharply dressed lead singer appears on stage for the third song and brings the jam session to a whole new level with his velvety vocals.  “He wasn’t even in the band until a week before the show”, explains saxophonist James Corbett. “He literally just walked in and tailored his own songs to fit the band”.  As if the band wasn’t lovable enough on stage, they make a mutual admiration society in person. “It’s really Charlie who’s the hero of the band”, adds Corbett. “He literally picked up the guitar for the first time in London and started writing these amazing songs within a week”. Between the flawless guitar and drum trade-offs, I was left to notice only one pattern in their set: all of the songs were incredible.

    I could not, however, say the same for the awkwardly stiff, eight-membered Conehead Buddha whose pitch-perfect harmonies were soon outweighed by the band’s questionable aesthetic and outfits (sorry, but save the nighttime shades for Kanye).  I don’t know if it were the extravagant trumpets or bad mixing that tipped me off, but the bottom line is, their cold indifference slowed down the night.

    Thankfully, Turkuaz showed up at The Westcott right on time to save the show. With their colorful jumpsuits, the larger-than-life jam band brought to stage the sexual appeal of The Free Design, making the audience feel like a part of the family. Needless to say, Geneva Williams and Sami Garrett’s dance moves were cutesy enough to make you want to quit life and join a girl band.

    All in all, there was a warm, fuzzwah quality about the whole night that made you fall in love with funk music all over again.

  • AURA Music and Arts Festival kicks off ‘s 2013 Festival Season

    For most festival goers to AURA Music and Arts Festival, the event is a three day affair.  For , it was more like a five day adventure.  A 21-hour straight car ride down to Northern Florida got us there a couple hours before New York’s own Consider the Source took the Porch Stage to kick off this incredible festival in an even more amazing setting.

    As you enter the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park it becomes hard not to notice the beautiful surroundings.  Trees covered in Spanish moss, ponds, horse barns, canoe rentals, well-kept cabins, all leading you down a road to the white sandy beach nestled next to the dark water of the Suwanee River.  The giant oaks left you feeling humble and the open field left you feeling free.  The sun beating on this snowbird’s face in the middle of February was a welcome reminder of the festival season ahead.  Yes, 2013 was going to be a great year for music and it was starting here and now, in Live Oak, Florida.

    There could not be a better way to kick off a musical event than hearing Gabriel Marin jam away on his double-necked custom fretless guitar, known as a chaturangui.  Consider the Source is typically found later in the night on a Friday or Saturday evening, but as a newcomer to the AURA line-up they were placed as the festival opener.  For the dedicated fans that got their early enough to see them, the band put on a great show and it was no coincidence that the sun shone brighter and the air was warmer than the rest of the weekend.  The positive vibes from CTS were also found midday Saturday in the middle of the campgrounds.

    After CTS melted face on the Porch Stage, the southeast’s own Stokeswood dusted off the Amphitheater and got things warmed up on the main stage.  The band seemingly switched instruments after every songs, but the combination of who was playing what did not seem to matter.  Vocalist Adam Patterson kept the growing crowd enticed as the campers were setting up just beyond the fence and vendors were beginning to peddle their wares.

    As Friday went on and the shadows got longer, festival goers heard the funk stylings of Chicago-based The Main Squeeze, before heading back to the main stage for the return of RAQ, back together for the first time live since July 2011 at The Big Up Festival in Upstate New York.  The jam band that were on the forefront of a new sound brought their fans back when they started the set with “Shirley Be a Drooler” and then over a 10-minute version of “Botz”.  The set went on to include “BFAM”, “Comin’ Home”, a 13 minute “Walking In Circles” followed by an incredible jam of “Late Night” > “Sweet Cream Butter” > “Late Night”.  The festival crowd loved to see the band back together and pleaded for an encore.  When Todd Stoops, Jay Burwick, Chris Michetti and new (and permanent) drummer Adrian Tramontano came out to play “Tumblin’ Down” things at the Porch Stage with Break Science just had to wait a little while longer, because RAQ was back and the fans were enjoying their return.   also got to sit down briefly with Stoops on Saturday and we can expect more from RAQ this year.  With confirmed dates to play in Boston, NYC and Philly you can also expect RAQ at 2013 festivals whenever Conspirator and Kung Fu are in the line-up.

    The very popular electronic music explorers, Conspirator, were the next up on the main stage playing the only back-to-back sets of the festival.  As temperatures were beginning to drop in Northern Florida, the crowd became thankful that Conspirator was there to warm things up.  It’s impossible to sit still when the band takes the stage and spreads their energetic sounds over the masses.  AURA festival goers got to hear a lot of the new tracks from the recently released EP, Unleashed.  Their AURA version of “Retrograde” was amazing and the lit hula hoops, lit umbrellas, lit signs and lit anything else you can add an LED light to, added to an amazing performance.  Conspirator is offering up a much more refined sound that has been developing over the past couple years with a earth-shaking dupstep rhythms and a light show that left many picking their jaws up off the ground.

    After Conspirator’s two sets the crowd literally ran over to the Porch Stage so they did not miss a beat of Kung Fu‘s Friday night performance.  Dressed in their traditional ‘Gi’ outfits, the band could see their breath as the cold air overtook the Suwannee Music Park.  Many of the southern festies hadn’t seen the northeast-based band before and their reactions were nothing but positive.  It there was funk stage at the festival Kung Fu would have been the headliner, because if it was funk you were after they were sure to deliver it.  Guitarist Tim Palmieri went off on solos that you weren’t quite sure would ever stop and to be honest nobody cared if they did.  After talking to him the next day, you would never had known that his fingers were a little numb because on stage they seemed to be on fire.  Dressed in layers and wearing gloves between the sound check and the performance helped the band who played their coldest outdoor set ever.  Temperatures were now below freezing.

    After Kung Fu’s mind altering set it was back to the amphitheater for a bittersweet performance from Perpetual Groove.  P Groove’s front man Brock Butler is reportedly leaving the band to pursue other music interests, and for P Groove fans this festival set was a must see, for those that weren’t fans before, they are now and felt the impact of knowing the band will soon no longer be around.  Fans got to hear some great extended jams like “Great Tea” > “Out Here” > “Green Tea”.  That led into a masterful “Macumba” > “Walking in Place” and back to “Green Tea”.  The set closed out with “Two Shores” > “Speed Queen”.  Friday night’s encore was “Mr. Transistor” > “Echo” > “Mr. Transistor”. The band will be playing consistently in March until their final performance on April 5th at the Georgia Theatre.

    When the night seemed over and music stopped blaring from the speakers a subculture of festival goers were just getting ready to play.  Silent discos popped up as ragers took over. found ourselves up at Club Bujak with Jeff Bujak and Jen Dulong.  Jeff is originally from the Syracuse area and now resides in Boston.  Bujak is known in the northeast for his IDM (intelligent dance music) and light show that includes Jen on the LED hula hoop.  As listeners approached Club Bujak on Friday and Saturday night they didn’t hear a sound but instead were greeted by dozens of dancers with headphones on.  Combine electonic music, a wireless signal and expensive headphones and the Silent Disco is born.

    Waking up on Saturday morning was a catch-22.  The good side was AURA Music and Arts Festival was filled with great musicians, talented artists and the most wonderful staff you could ask for in a festival.  The down side was that it was still in the 30’s and raining.  The dreary weather did not stop the crowd from waking up and getting their coffee from Fair Shot Coffee.  While we shouldn’t pick favorites it’s hard not to when you need hot cups of coffee in the morning, iced Cuban coffee during the day and espressos at night to provide that last bit of energy to get through the night.  AURA offered great food vendors, too with the Free Lovin’ Foodery and Thai BBQ serving up more substantial offerings and Swift Concessions for those with a sweet tooth.  The merch vendors were great as well.  The Cigar Box Music was a popular stop for most AURA festies and the art offered by Sally Can’t Dance was breathtaking.  The Eden’s Rose Foundation was there and they are based out of Albany, NY.  The Foundation work does everything from helping indigenous tribes in the deepest part of the Amazon Rainforest to Tibetan refuge communities in the Himalayas.  It’s namesake, Eden Joseph Roe passed away at 24 years old in 2005, he was a devoted Phish fan who traveled extensively to hear his favorite jam band.

    The first act to perform Saturday was Newton Crosby and he did so in the rain.  People braved the cold temps and rain to hear him and his incredible guitar work.  His spirited, funky set started out with “Wonderful” and went into a long jam of “The Telli Jig” > “Saturday People” > “Return to Asbury Park” > “Saturday People”.  Many smiles were brought to the crowd during an vigorous cover of “Sowing the Seeds of Love”.  Just when everyone was feeling the good vibe from Newton, Brock Butler sat in on “Faceless” and the combined energy of these two incredible musicians parted the clouds.  The set couldn’t have ended better as the skies started to clear and the band played “Crispy Friggin Chicken” > “Worst Day Ever”.  Luckily for us it was far from the worst day ever, the music was just starting and The McLovins were about to take the main stage.

    The McLovins played their funky, uptempo mix on the main stage to many new listeners and fans as the sun continuously fought to shine it’s light on AURA.  The McLovins were able to play AURA by winning a contest on the festivals Facebook page.  In order to pay for the trip down they ended up having a successful Kickstarter campaign.  It was a long road for the young band from Connecticut but well worth it as they are set on reaching new heights.

    Next up was the most funkalious, down home blend of rhythm, harmony and attitude that could be found east of New Orleans.  Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band started the set with “True Battle” and “WTF” (With True Feeling) and did not let up until their last two numbers, “Lovin’” and “Trunk Fallin’ Off”.  Things got really funky when Adam Smirnoff from Lettuce joined YMBFBB in the middle of the set for “Lucky”.  Everyone in the audience (and on stage) was shakin’ what their mama gave them.  There was a point that Mama Funk herself (Mary Frances Newcomb) turned her backside to the crowd and shook her badonkadonk.  The crowd went wild and Saturday’s party officially started and nothing could turn it back.

    Over at the Amphitheater the crowd was beginning to gather to see Kung Fu with Nigel Hall performing a tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder.  Nigel came out on the stage being lead with dark glasses working hard to find his inner Stevie.  Nigel explained “this is an educational set with a lot of songs Stevie Wonder probably wouldn’t perform anymore…the great thing about Stevie is that he has written every song that matters in the world. Whatever songs we choose to do will be fine.”  The set was full of life starting with “Confusion” and “Black Man”, and went on to include crowd favorites like “Higher Ground”, “Do I Do” and closed with a great version of  “I Wish”.  Besides the incredibly talented guys from Kung Fu, Nigel Hall was also joined by Adam Smirnoff, Jim Wuest, Aly Newitt & John Provenzano.  The Stevie Wonder Tribute will be what people at AURA will be talking about for years and we can all thank Daryl Wolff for coming up with the idea and Todd Stoops (Kung Fu) and Nigel Hall for connecting and making it happen.

    Off on the side stage DrFameus, or as he is better known as, Allen Aucoin of the Disco Biscuits, became a one-man beat machine.  While the winter storm seemed to bypass Suwannee Music Park, a whirlwind of arms, feets, sticks were hitting everything in sight on the Porch Stage in the early evening on Saturday.  While DrFameus is perhaps Allens’ alterego, in this side project you can see the full range of his diversity.  Whether it is electronica, dubstep, techno/house to breakbeats – he delivers.

    Back on the main stage was Dopapod, a favorite among the Upstate New York scene and a band that will be on many festival line-ups this summer.  Their Saturday night set at AURA was intense and the highlight could have been “Present Ghosts” or “French Bowling”.  There job was to bring that notorious Saturday night party vibe, and bring it hard enough to get everyone out of their tents, away from the food and into the music.  Dopapod did just that and in the midst of energizing the crowd they were able to get in some tunes like “Trapper Keeper” into their set from the newest Dopapod release, Redivider, that was released just this past December.

    The Florida-based electronic trio Greenhouse Lounge did a great job of tying things together and keeping the party going over on the Porch Stage.  P Groove was prepping for their final festival set, perhaps forever.  Brock Butler poured his soul out to the crowd Saturday night in an emotional evening.  After playing for so many years together, personalities and musical goals begin to diverge.  However on Saturday night things came together, whether they were pouring their hearts out with the Talking Heads cover “This Must Be the Place” or they were breaking the hearts of their fans with the set closing, “It Starts Where It Ends”.

    As the The Heavy Pets did their sound check, you could begin to tell how cold everyone was at AURA.  Blankets, knitted hats and the crazy outfits were infused with warmer items, like leggings or tights, mittens, scarves.  Even the hula hoopers were trying to get by with the thickest coast they could get away with while still dancing the night away.  Luckily the Saturday party was going strong and sub-freezing temperatures were not going to deter this crowd of very thick-skinned southerners.  The Heavy Pets did their job of getting people moving and grooving and shaking and twirling very well. The Heavy Pets are a yearly favorite at AURA and why not, with a great sound, incredible vocals and songs that seem to span multiple genres.  The side stage was rockin’ Saturday night and the AURA fans still had one more incredible band to go before it was Silent Disco time again, or hangout by the campfire with your friends time.

    Papadosio took the main stage and it seemed like all 3000 AURA Festival goers were there to see it.  The band has been touring extensively around the country and building up a sizable fanbase.  They have even graduated to a tour bus and a LED wall.  The LED wall was rented until their New Years run and they bit the bullet and bought it.  It is an amazing addition to an already incredible show.  Papadosio’s sound can be described a hundred different ways and everyone of them would be correct, I think of it as the next progression in psychedelic rock.  They are a rock band, they play their instruments and they play them well.  They have also adapted modern technology to enhance the sound, the mood and the composition of their work.  Long trippy jams, explosive solos and crowds yearning for more.  It’s an amazing time and the light show against the Spanish moss dominating the oak trees around the amphitheater is one of those things that will go down as breathtaking and frustrating as a photographer.  I could take a 1000 pictures of the scene and it wouldn’t do it justice.  There was just something in the air.

    So when the night ended and everyone climbed into their sleeping bags, Sunday morning came too early.  The coffee line was long and everyone was talking about how Papadosio melted their face or how sad it is to see P Groove splitting up.  Some were talking about the Stevie Wonder tribute or how Greenhouse Lounge brought it.  First time listeners to various bands were looking up the next time the Big Booty Band or the McLovins were going to play their neck of the woods.  It was a community centered around music and art.

    AURA was more about the music, there was the Tribal Council that offered healing and yoga classes throughout the event.  The artists set up a tent and displayed their incredible pieces and during each performance you could see rows of artists painting away as the bands played.  Music inspires art and art inspires music.  Together through creativity and love you can build a community, a scene of like minded individuals that are better together; and what color was the community’s AURA that weekend? Purple, of course.

    It was Sunday morning and with a 21-hour car ride looming ahead it was sadly time to go.  Driving through the campsite you could see people stirring and stretching and preparing for another great day of music.  Whether it was Brock Butler’s acoustic set on the main stage or Lingo and Former Champions offering up some Sunday jams on the Porch stage.  The Lee Boys took time to offer some spiritual words and festival goers were greeted by Sunday sets from Dopapod, Papadosio and The Heavy Pets.

    AURA’s 4th year and the first one at Suwannee Music Park was coming to an end and Daryl, Destiny, and all of the people that made the festival possible were incredibly happy with the response.  From Friday morning until Sunday night the festival offered up something for everyone.  It was a harmonious experience and one that can’t wait to do again next year.

  • Review: P.O.D., THREE DAYS GRACE & SHINEDOWN in Glens Falls

    Three Days Grace and Shinedown rocked the night Saturday, February 23 in the small town of upstate New York, Glens Falls at the local venue, Glens Falls Civic Center. Supporting this co-headlining tour was the over twenty-year old nu metal band, P.O.D. (Payable on Death). With the departure of Adam Gontier and the stories being shared online, everyone was dying to see what temporary lead vocalist for Three Days Grace, Matt Walst, had in store for us.
    The mixed chatter amongst the crowd died as soon as the lights dimmed, letting everyone know that the fun was about to begin. P.O.D. started off with one of their latest singles, “Lost in Forever”. Through the speedy set list, “Youth of the Nation” brought out the youth in the crowd as they bounced along with the beat – some crowd-surfed, as others waved their arms around to the rhythm of the song. The following song, “Alive”, really filled the arena with a lively aura as the bright, colorful lights hit the audience’s glowing, joyful faces and shining down upon this incredible band. P.O.D. ended with Sublime’s biggest hit, “Lovin’ Is What I Got”, which got everyone in the whole venue to sing along.

    The anticipation for Three Days Grace’s arrival kept building up as the crew set up the stage with a backdrop of a post-apocalyptic city in ruins. A sign stood there with a drape covering what was really behind. They continued to place objects like HAZARD barrels, and then the fog machine began to work its magic. Smoke began to roll across the vacant stage and the quiet background rock music grew louder and then changed to Rage Against the Machine’s hit “Killing In the Name”. The crowd began to bob their heads along to the beat, singing along, all having no clue what was about to occur next. The music was cut off as the whole venue was enveloped in darkness. The mysterious sign’s lights flickered and the drape fell, revealing a sign that read “WELCOME TO FABULOUS LAS VENUS NEW YORK.” The music changed to an eerie song sung by Nancy Sinatra, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” along with the sound effects of a rainstorm. The stage lit up with a blue hue, and the rain sounds ended as drummer, Neil Sanderson, emerged from below and sat behind his kit. Next to arrive was keyboardist, Dan Rosenoer, who sat in his perch next to Neil. Following Rosenoer was lead guitarist, Barry Stock, then finally, the Walst brothers, bassist Brad and Matt, emerged from the shadows. Matt stepped up to the microphone, preparing for their cue…the anticipatory silence with the exception of the wildly cheering fans. Neil started the rhythm of the beginning song, “Chalk Outline”, as Barry did his guitar riff, and the pyro brightened up the venue. The excited fans sang along with Walst, as he began to show off his vocal talents, blowing us all out of the water. The song ended with Walst doing a high jump from the platform below Sanderson’s kit as the nearby barrels shot up flames. The crowd continued to sing along to all of the songs from the setlist as well as crowd surf, jump up and down, and have the time of their lives. Following “The Good Life”, Neil and Dan did a piano and drum solo together. Then after Dan exited the stage for a brief break, Neil stayed on to do his legendary drum solo. Filled with wild beats, this began the encore of the band’s setlist. The final two performances were a Limp Bizkit cover, “Break Stuff”, featuring the band’s tour manager, Shawn Hamm, and “Riot”. Overall, it was a killer performance!

    After clearing the stage, it was Shinedown’s turn to blow us all away. A banner was raised in front of the stage bearing Shinedown’s logo. The eagerness of the crowd rose with every ticking minute, wondering what their arrival would bring. Finally, the background music was cut, darkness swallowed the venue, and behind the banner was a brightly lit computerized orb. The banner dropped and a series of videos appeared on the screen, all of which blurred together. Then the drummer began to hit his beats as a series of colorful lights washed over the excited faces. The stage, then the voice they’d all been waiting for emerged from an unknown location. Eyes of eager fans searched wildly to see the rest of Shinedown on a stage in the middle of the venue. The lyrics of “Enemies” invaded fervent ears then suddenly stopped, as front man Brent Smith, guitarist Zach Myers, and bassist Eric Bass are escorted to the main stage where they finished the number. The following song had everyone clapping along to the beat of the drum as Smith encouraged them and a familiar guitar riff accompanied the rhythm, then the crowd all sang along to the highly energized track, “Devour”. The rest of the setlist went by fairly quickly and each had its own soothing melody. Taking a break from the calming music, the next familiar tune to fill our ears was one that famously promoted The Expendables, “Diamond Eyes”, a sea of voices chanting “Boom-lay, boom-lay, BOOM!” The high energy returned, having everyone jumping to the rhythm, pumping their rocker horns, and singing along with the lyrics. Shinedown continued their acoustic setlist, with the exception of “Sound of Madness”, bringing back the energy. They covered several songs acoustically, including Lynyrd Skynrd’s “Simple Man”, all performed on the center stage. The setlist ended with their latest record’s leading single, “Bully”, a fantastic way to close the evening.

    All in all, the concert was incredible, filled with lively spirits of the crowd and the perfectly balanced setlist leaving the crowd in high spirits. Various moments stood out, all equally amazing and mind-blowing. Most importantly, was the strong connection between the bands and the ever-adoring fans, one that carried on throughout the evening. This certainly was an unforgettable night.

  • Keller at The Haunt in Ithaca, February 20th

    On a frigid yet calm February night in the Southern Tier, I headed down to Ithaca to see Keller Williams at The Haunt. Keller popped into the jam scene in the early 90’s and has become known as the quintessential one man jam experience. While he does occasionally play with a band, this was to be a purely Keller experience and despite my long history in the jam scene, this was my first live exposure to his music.

    keller20The Haunt is a historic music venue in Ithaca that started in the 80’s and has hosted a myriad of top name talent over the years, including multiple shows by Phish in 1988 and 1990. The venue moved in the past decade and now resides slightly outside of town with a Gorge-ous deck alongside one of the inlets that feeds Cayuga Lake. With the 2012 closing of Castaways, the Haunt has become the premier go-to mid-sized musical venue in I-town. They feature an ever changing excellent selection of draft and bottled beers, RazorBack BBQ and all at comparable prices to other Ithaca venues.

    I arrived to the venue promptly at the 8 o’clock doors opening time and was surprised to already find a line of Ithacan’s eager for some Keller goodness. It was apparent this show was well marketed by the promoter (Dan Smalls Presents) and, despite the venues somewhat off the beaten path location, would be well attended.  The security and venue staff were incredibly gracious, efficient and accommodating and definitely added to the overall experience. The stage setup was sparse, with a few big white sheets as a backdrop, a bass, midi-esque drum pad and electric guitar set up on stands around the stage. Slightly after 9 the pre-show music stopped and an acoustic guitar started playing. Keller came onto the stage, barefoot as always, with his acoustic singing an original number. About seven minutes in, after being solely on acoustic guitar, the jam began and Keller made a move towards his bass guitar.

    If you’ve never had a live Keller experience like myself, it’s worth taking a minute to go through a jam sequence to see exactly what he offers. Keller picked up the bass, played a few lines until settling on something he liked, hit a pedal to loop it then headed towards his electric drum pad. He laid down a drum beat, set it to loop as well, then spent a minute singing some improv “Hello, how are you” lyrics to the Ithacan’s in house. A few minutes later he picked up his electric guitar, and adds an effects driven “horn sounding” layer to what’s already happening. Now that he had his entire imaginary band in full jam mode, he returns to the acoustic and jams along while using a selection of pedals in front of him to stop, start, and change the tempo of the other looped instruments at will. This ability to change the direction of multiple loops while adding his own improvisational acoustic and vocal additions kept the jamming always fresh and non-repetitive despite the single musician on stage.

    Around 13 minutes into the show, the loops are all silenced and he started some beat box jamming. He layered four or five different vocal lines on top of each other before adding some electric drums. It soon became apparent that this would be the first cover of the handful we received that evening, as the loops morphed into a delightful cover of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild”. The cover featured multiple additional brass section sounding effects loops on the electric and Keller himself adding some Spinal Tap inspired air bass. The crowd was frenzied at this point and moving in a giant mass of jam inspired euphoria.

    keller24The set ended around 10:30 in grand style, with a double bird: the Grateful Dead’s “Bird Song” with a long experimental segue into Phish’s “Bird’s of a Feather”. If this was Keller’s version of giving the audience the bird, they didn’t mind, as the end set applause was deafening.

    During the setbreak I stepped outside to enjoy the Haunt’s picturesque side deck overlooking the inlet. I talked to a few fans who all thoroughly enjoyed the first set. One fan sported a fully functional “Fun Meter” pin on the side of his hat which was fully in the red. After making sure he wasn’t going to have a Fun-aneurism being that far in the red, I ventured inside for the second set. The second set started a few minutes before 11pm with some more original material. After some more fun loops and an impromptu improvised vocal “Ithaca jam”, the music segued into Heart’s “Barracuda” complete with “trumpet” vocal sounds and some serious hotness. This section was the champion of the night for me. Barracuda ended and Keller went into another original track. Not done with the covers yet, this track quickly transformed into the traditional “Deep Elum Blues”, made popular by The Dead. Next up was the Keller original “Kidney With a Cooler”, which got some added love with a flavor of the O’Jay’s “For the Love of Money” and a pile of additional vocal horn sounds. The covers continued with The Talking Head’s “This Must Be the Place” with some more vocal improvisation.

    The last track of the second set was an extended jam based on G Love and Special Sauce’s “Stepping Stones”. The crowd was devouring this one wholeheartedly and the pre-encore break left the crowd screaming “Kell-er, Kell-er!!” until he came back for one more.

    The encore was another crowd favorite, Sublime’s “What I Got”. Keller then left the stage and I made my way back through the crowd to find my way home. A great night, a great show, and a Keller fan I have been made. Kudo’s to The Haunt, Dan Smalls Presents, and of course Keller and crew for delivering such a memorable experience.
    See him on March 16th when he heads to Higher Ground in Burlington, VT

  • Flabberghaster at The Waterhole, Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2013, February 9th

    Back at The Waterhole in Saranac Lake for Winter Carnival 2013, Flabberghaster opened up for Lucid on February 9th. What a show! A completely packed house of fans came for their mix of rock n roll, funk and jazz that comes straight from the hills of the Green Mountains, that’s right folks, Vermont. Flabberghaster is Evan Lincoln on guitars, keys and vocals, Tucker Correy on vocals and guitars, Marcel Leclaire on drums, Jimmy Caltrider on percussion and vocals, and Elliott New-Bassy on vocals. The influences that sparks this band’s creativity are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, to name a few. Some of the songs that are featured on their current album include “Belly dancer from Mars”, “Green Mountains, “no.2 Funk Tunnel”. Get their album Live Like Lightning, check out cdbaby. The band plays mostly originals with a few covers mixed in, such as “Cisco Kid” by War.

    Flabberghaster on Myspace and Reverbnation

    Words and Video by Ryan Woodard