NYS Music 20​13

Category: Show Reviews

  • Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band at Winter Carnival, The Waterhole, Saranac Lake, February 8

    Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band played The Waterhole’s upstairs music lounge on February 8th as part of Winter Carnival 2013.  The Waterhole, normally a crowded venue, wasn’t entirely full for this show but enough people were there to enjoy the band’s soulful 70’s and early/mid 90’s ska-like sound. Kat Wright’s most memorable song was a cover of Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher”.

    Soul singers who may have had an influence on the band include Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles and even Jackson Browne. I mention early 90’s ska due to the enormous horn sound that they bring, reminiscent of Less than Jake. Kat Wright is formed from various projects across Vermont and New York State. The band consists of Shane Hardiman on keys, Josh Weinstein on bass, Dan Ryan on drums, Jake Whitesell on sax, Max Bronstein-Paritz on guitar, Dave Purcell on trumpet and Kat Wright on vocal. You can check out Kat Wright on the web and on Facebook 

  • Lucius and more at BSP Lounge in Kingston, February 21st

    While it was cold outside, bodies were being kept warm inside to the music being played by Lucius, Ava Luna and Shana Falana at the BSP Lounge in Kingston on February 21st.  The BSP is a great place to see a show and it reminded me of Red Square in Albany.  The staff was friendly and it was nice to be able to be close to the band and also have some dance space if you wanted it.

    To begin the night, local band Shana Falana, the two-person guitar and drum act, took advantage of a projector, along with help from a Macbook every now and then, looped chants and chords to an array of visuals that were as spacey as the music.  Shana Falana used her pedals to harmonize with herself a few times and Mike Amari kept a steady beat for her to work over.  It was a good way to start the evening and was followed by Ava Luna.  They are another Brooklyn band that has been gaining steam.  Their mixture of straight rock to some heavier music was a good change of pace getting us ready for the finale.  I believe they have been influenced by The Talking Heads, especially Becca Kauffman, as I could see and hear David Byrne’s influence in her stage presence as well as in the rhythms of the songs.  The harmonies in this band between Becca, Felicia, and Carlos were beautiful.  I enjoyed their short time on stage and highly recommend them for fans wanting to let loose and rock out for an evening.

    Lucius, winding down a tour, came in high spirits to an excited crowd.  They are a five-piece band from Brooklyn and they have been generating some buzz as of late, leading to a show that did not disappoint.  Coming out, the first thing I noticed was how the two female leads in the band, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, came out dressed alike, while the men in the group, Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Andrew Burri, did the same.  It showed a sense of unity within the band.  Jess and Holly harmonized together beautifully throughout the performance.  Their vocals were fantastic during the whole night.  The band started out the night with the only cover of evening, The Rolling Stones “Sing This All Together”, again showing how well they all would work together the rest of the evening.

    They played for a little over an hour of rocking tunes, keeping the energy in the room at a high the whole time.  Everyone on stage had an unrelenting vibe about them that made the crowd work hard to keep up.  Toward the end of their performance, they said how happy they were to be back and that the last time they came, the band they played with ended their performance in the middle of the room with the crowd surrounding them.  They asked if they could do the same as they really enjoyed the crowd tonight and they came into the middle of the room to do an acoustic number.  The crowd was as silent as could be until the song was over and then let Lucius know how much they were enjoyed with a very loud ovation to close the evening.  I think they won over some new fans with their non-stop high energy show.

  • The Wood Brothers got up close and personal with The Westcott Theater on February 23rd

    The Westcott Theater offered music fans of all tastes an intimate musical experience last Saturday night, as The Wood Brothers took the stage. The band is comprised of brothers Chris (upright bass) and Oliver Wood (acoustic and electric guitar), accompanied by drummer Jano Rix.Wood Brothers Westcott Theater

    The Westcott Theater had a seated floor area for this show, which I have never seen them use. The seated floor gave the room a much more intimate vibe, encouraging the audience to sit back and listen attentively to the music. The Wood Brothers began their set with a few acoustic tunes that featured Rix alternating between playing a unique percussive guitar instrument (referred to by Oliver Wood as the “shitar”) and a melodica. Right from the start, a few bold characteristics were evident. The power of both the vocal harmonies and the lyrical melodies was immense. Chris Wood’s bass was an essential part of the group’s sound and was brilliantly mixed for the space (I could feel it in my shoes, but could also pick out the distinct textures of the upright bass). Rix added his percussion/drums fittingly to the music, while also offering precise vocal harmonies.

    The Wood Brothers went on to play a blend of new and old songs, including the older “Postcards From Hell” (Loaded, 2008) and the newer “Payday” (Live, Volume 1: Sky High, 2012). The Wood Brothers announced that they would also be trying out some new tunes and arrangements. One of these experiments involved Oliver telling the crowd to be silent while the band huddled around a condenser area microphone in the middle of the stage. They proceeded to play an acoustic version of “Shoofly Pie” as well as a new track. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience because the silence in the room enabled me to hear the intricacies of the acoustic instruments as well as the subtleties in the vocal melodies/harmonies.

    By the end of the show, the younger crowd had filled in the small space in between the first row of seats and the stage, grooving out to the band’s exquisite blend of folk, blues and rock. The Wood Brothers really turned it up for their last few songs and encore, with Oliver shredding electric guitar and Chris slapping strings on songs that were more upbeat and rocking. Jano had gone back to play drum kit and exhibited his advanced musicianship during a percussion break during the encore. Overall, I was taken aback by the raw quality and authenticity of the music. The Wood Brothers pleased a few different types of music fans with their performance at The Westcott Theater. The folk fans got their distinct vocal harmonies, melodies and passionate lyrics, the blues fans got tight instrumentals and a soulful tone and the rockers got some grooving rock songs with raging guitar solos.

    The Wood Brothers website and on Twitter, Facebook 

  • Video: Jeff Bujak at Red Square, February 21st

    When Jeff Bujak comes to your town, you’re in for a treat. Taking his multiple keyboards and effects equipment, as well as self-made mixes, he lays down a tenacious beat that sets the tone for dancing and rocking out. Accompanied by Jen DuLong spinning her lit up hula hoops to the beat of the songs (an impressive feat), the multi-sensory experience is always worth it when Bujak comes to town. Check out some of his music on his website, including free downloads of albums, plus some footage from last week at Red Square in Albany.

  • Sophistaphunk at the Java Barn, St. Lawrence University, February 23

    Sophistafunk, a three piece band from Syracuse, played at the Java Barn in Canton. Java is located on the campus of St. Lawrence University, where during the school semesters there are great bands at least once every week. Java is not overly large but definitely fills up no matter who plays there.

    Sopistafunk consist of Adam Gold on keys, Emanuel Washington on drums and percussion and Jack Brown on vocals. They were like no other band I have ever seen, their funk style rap  reminded me most definitely of artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, Bell Biv Devoe and Booker T and the M.G.’s from the late 80’s early 90’s. Based in Syracuse, the band is on tour in surrounding areas to New York and has made it out west for shows. Check out the photos from the show below, and more at their website, Reverb Nation and on Facebook.

  • Papadosio and Consider the Source at The Haunt in Ithaca, February 10th

    On my way to see Papadosio and Consider the Source at the Haunt in Ithaca,  NY on Sunday, February 10th, I was reminiscing about the first time I saw Papadosio. About 2/3 of the way to Ithaca, I noticed a NY State Trooper pulling a U-turn behind me as I passed him. It was also this time when I noticed my driver side headlight was out. Had I realized that my registration expired two days earlier, I would have passed on the show. Being thisclose made it impossible to resist finishing the trip. After ticketing me I took a more roundabout route that would avoid any future conversations with officers.

    I was happy to arrive in time to catch the latter half of Consider the Source ‘s set. They have an incredible raw energy performing live. The barrage of sound from the stage assaulted my senses, they build into a frenzied jam to finish the set. Gabriel Marin’s guitar face is one of the best I’ve seen.

    Enjoying the set right behind me was none other than Jeff Bujak and his assistant/hoop goddess Jen Dulong. Also present for the show were Eli, Chuck and Rob from Dopapod, who had recently played with Papadosio on the tour and have had a great series of shows with the band, including an incredible New Years Eve show two months ago.

    Papadosio began and the dancing began with it. I like to juggle at shows and Papadosio provides a great backdrop of music for me to juggle to. With undulating layers of synths and moody textured tones, Papadosio improvised and pushed the boundaries of their sound. While I recognized some of the songs, a few off of the new album T.E.T.I.O.S I was not familiar with. Ending with “All I Knew”, they played it perfectly. It was a truly beautiful song and was a great way to end the evening, albiet with a stop to pick up a headlight for my car.

  • Video: Shmeeans and The Expanded Consciousness at Red Square, February 22nd

    This past Friday, Adam ‘Shmeeans’ Smirnoff of Lettuce brought his Expanded Consciousness to Red Square in Albany for what was a very-anticipated show for many, to say the least. The crowd was deep and focused on Smirnoff, Craig “Butter” Glanville on drums, bassist Chris Loftlin and Blind Boys of Alabama keyboardist Pete Levin, and got progressively louder as the jams grew and grew.

    Shmeeans
    Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff

    What started out as small aural-seedlings from the band grew in to fully formed jams that were mostly improvised pieces that lasted 10-15 minutes at times. This was a treat for 90 minutes or so, with Shmeeans leading the others into jazzy explorations that meandered all about the jam-session spectrum. Check out eight separate tracks from the night, and be sure to check out Shmeeans and The Expanded Consciousness at The Putnam Den on February 28th, plus an  interview with Shmeeans.

  • An Interview with Aaron Carter, Making a Comeback at The Westcott on February 24

    A surge of nostalgia washes over the gaggle of sorority sisters in the front row as Aaron Carter jumps out of a black bag (yes, that’s right) and takes center stage. Armed with red plastic cups in hand, everyone is ready to. well, come and get it. The lights dim and before you know it, he tears up the Westcott Theater stage, bouncing from corner to corner, staring into souls and dodging bras being flung at him. Obviously, we all know better than to expect the subtle from Aaron, who looks for any excuse to lift off his shirt to flaunt his newly ripped abs. The good news is his dance routine kept the indulgent, drunk crowd entertained enough to keep their attention off of the pitchy vocals and off-key runs. I mean, who’s to blame? I know my teenage hopes came right back knocking on the door within the first ten seconds into “That’s How I Beat Shaq”. And though nobody remembered, “Do You Remember?”, we ought to give the devil his due for getting the whole crowd on the floor to dance to “I Want Candy” as if it weren’t a day past 2000.

    Before embarking on his tour, Aaron Carters gets straight on the phone with Morgan and Gauraa from after his rehearsal in New York City to discuss his new album and tour, The After Party. He might be dripping a sweat, but he claims there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing.

    Aaron Carter: What’s up guys? Girls?

    Mary Morgan Craig: It’s so nice to get the chance to talk with you.

    Gauraa Shekhar: Yeah, finally!

    MMC: We really appreciate it.

    aaron carterAC: Sorry if I’m a little quiet right now, I just got out of rehearsal so I’m like really tired right now…

    MMC: No problem! So you’re currently working on a new studio album and you’re busy with an upcoming play on Broadway, “The Fantasticks”, and now you’re also going on tour. How do you manage everything?

    AC: Oh well, I just go with the flow, I mean, I don’t really try to manage anything really, I just kind of do what I’ve got to do, you know? I love performing so much that, you know, anything I can get to perform I’m just, I’m going to do it. It’s not really something that’s like an inconvenience, you know, I mean, but… I mean logistically what it comes down to is I have a manager, you know that. It helps keep my life simple and, you know, takes care of all the business, so I can, you know, have fun and perform.

    GS: Yeah, that’s the spirit. You’re working on a new album. How is that going for you? Could you tell us a little bit more about it?

    AC: Oh yeah! I’m kind of taking it a little more, I mean, I’m taking it a lot more seriously this time around. Um, you know, I’ve been growing up so, it feels kind of hard for me to pick a sound that I really like, want to stick with, so um, I think there are quite a few songs that other people produced and wrote for my album. It’s going to be like a dance sound. The kind of music that all my fans grew up with, you know.

    GS: Sounds exciting!

    MMC: Yeah we’re excited!

    MMC: Yeah totally. Do you think you’re going to put any EDM influences into it?

    AC: Sorry?

    MMC: Any EDM influences in the new album? Like electronic dance music?

    AC: I mean, there will be a little bit, but I’ll do little hybrids with my dancers like hip hop, but like pop music.

    GS: Yeah, sounds good! What inspired the title of your tour, “The After Party”?

    AC: I was just sitting there one day, and it just came to me that the theme for the next album should be, “The After Party”. And I came up with it because, you know, “Aaron’s Party” was a huge success and uh, literally the beginning of my career, you know, was “Aaron’s Party”. I wanted to embrace that, you know, I love all the songs that I’ve got.

    GS: So do we!

    AC: Yeah, I’ve performed them and toured them and toured them all around the world and, you know, thousands of times I’ve performed the songs, and I was like, it would be cool to bring them back.

    MMC: That’s really cool, I’m glad you’re embracing that! I thought it was really clever.

    AC: Why thank you.

    MMC: A lot of people are really excited to see you on tour again. What made you decide to tour this year?

    AC: Well, uh, it’s just been so long and, I mean, I guess after doing Broadway and so many consistent shows over and over and over, I just felt like my endurance, my, you know, my performance had just gotten a lot better and so has my craft. So it was nice to get out there and I can’t even tell you guys how happy I am, you know, that I get to be able to go back out on tour and do what I love, you know?  You know, it’s really cool.

    MMC: That’s awesome. What was your Broadway experience like, playing Matt the Boy and all?

    AC: Oh it’s been amazing! It’s been exhausting and exhilarating, ha. I don’t know I have all kinds of feelings about it. It’s hard work! It’s hard work. I mean,  I did “Seussical the Musical” when I was 15 years old for 6 months and you know, it was tough! It was really tough. And I remembered it. And out of all the tours and things I did, you know, it was probably the hardest thing I ever did. You know, the experience, I mean, I learned more from the actors that I’ve worked with, you know, I’m a sponge and I kind of absorb what everybody does. It’s tough, but it’s been good. I like it, but it’s tough. I like feeling exhausted like I am now.

    MMC: We want to know what the typical day in the life of Aaron Carter is.

    AC: Well, there’s no typical day per se, I mean it varies. I mean, I wake up and reach out to my phone and get right on twitter to talk to my fans immediately.

    MMC: That’s great!

    AC: Yeah, that’s pretty much what I do. I go get ready to perform and I go chat up with my dancers and those people who are opening up for me. It’s kind of like a party. We just have a lot of fun!

    GS: Well, speaking of dancers, we saw that you tweeted yesterday: “By the way, if you recognize some of my dancers from ABDC (America’s Best Dance Crew), that’s because they were on the show”. Are these back-up dancers touring with you?

    AC: Yes! They were in The Funkadelics. They’re actually brothers, Nico Rich and Trey Rich. They bring a lot to the table and they challenge each other. They’re really amazing.

    MMC: What is the weirdest fan experience you’ve ever had?

    AC: Oooooh! Well, I’ve had a fan climb up, like, thirty balconies once. I was actually started throwing paper airplanes with my autograph on them to the crowd of three thousand girls in the parking lot. And then this one girl was just out of her mind, I guess she really wanted an autograph so she really climbed thirty flight of stairs. In the end, she finally made it and ran up to me and started squealing, “Oh my god, It’s Aaron Carter!”.

    MMC: Wow! Well, you were definitely my first crush so I can totally relate. I’m sure you get that all the time, though. I was totally one of those girls! Ha, not chasing-you-crazy, though, so don’t get creeped out!

    AC: Well, I like hearing that!

    GS: Okay, well, a lot of people still look at you as if you’re still that kid who kissed Lizzie McGuire under the mistletoe. What has it been like trying to grow out of that image?

    AC: Well, a few million people probably know me from that, but I don’t know, I’m proud of everything I’ve done. People still come up to me today and recognize me from all the different things that I have done. It does kind of annoy me to hear that though because she’s my ex-girlfriend, you know; she was kind of my first love so it pulls on my heartstrings a little bit but that’s about it.

    MMC: We interviewed your opening act, singer-songwriter Justin Levinson. What do you think of his music?

    AC: I actually haven’t had a chance to check him out as yet. But I’m going to, so good call.

    GS: Well, he’s great. So, what was the last record you bought?

    AC: Um, I don’t know. I haven’t actually bought a record in a year to be honest! I think it’s probably Aaron’s Party!

    MMC: It seems like you’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of scrutiny from the media since such a young age. Obviously, you’ve handled it so well. We were just wondering what was it like growing up under the public eye?

    AC: I kind of just, like, bottle my life. I try not to immerse myself in all of this stuff, you know. I just try to be the person that I am and that kind of helps me stay sane.

    GS: Your on stage routine is pretty demanding. How do you manage to stay fit on tour?

    AC: I don’t know, I just do my performance routine. I try to eat as much as I can and rehearse. That’s the only way to stay fit, really.

    Morgan: So what’s your favorite song to perform?

    AC: Right now, it’s probably “Leave it Up to Me”.

    MMC: Cool!

    GS: You’re starting off your tour on the East Coast this time around. But what’s your favorite place to tour otherwise?

    AC: Um, that would be Malaysia, South America, and the Philippines. They have a great crowd.

    GS: Oh, sweet. You should definitely hit up Indonesia sometime also. I’m from there so I know they have a dedicated following. Really great energy, really.

    AC: Oh, really? Will do. I mean, my whole goal with this tour really is to tour the whole year and kind of introduce the fans to my new music.

    GS: Sounds like a plan!

    MMC: So, do you have a Valentine this year?

    AC: Sadly, no!

    GS: Well, you have a bunch of fans regardless so it’s not half as bad for you I’m sure!

    AC: I mean it’s hard to have one Valentine, you know. I have multiple, ha!

    GS: Who’s your favorite artist right now and why?

    AC: Bruno Mars. I love him! Great performance at The Grammys. Also, he’s just an incredible singer.

    GS: Great choice!

    MMC: Okay, we’re going to do a Valentine’s day rapid fire, if you’re down. We’re going to say a word and then you have to say the first word that comes to your mind.

    AC: Okay!

    MMC: Okay, so the first word is Marvin Gaye.

    AC: Sexual.

    GS: Alright, next word is candy.

    AC: Lollipop.

    MMC: Candlelight.

    AC: Romance.

    GS: Taylor Swift.

    AC: Red.

    MMC: True Love.

    AC: Um, no.

    GS: Bieber.

    AC: Carter.

    MMC: Long distance.

    AC: Relationships.

    GS: Love song.

    AC: Bump and Grind.

    —–

    Who knew a trip down memory lane would only cost $14?

     

  • HateBreed, Shadows Falls, and Dying Fetus Show

    Saturday I decided to venture out into Syracuse with a good buddy of mine. We had decided to stop by the Westcott Theatre in Syracuse to catch the HateBreed show. When we arrived, I realized Razor and Tie did a great job mixing it up for this particular tour – it’s not everyday you see three of the biggest influential bands from three different genres on the same tour.

    For those of you who enjoy the sometimes trippie, sometimes death metal sounds of the likes of Between the Buried and Me and Animals as Leaders, you will be truly satisfied with the band The Contortionist. These guys showed a lot of season for a bunch of guys who barely look of age to drink. Complete with synths and sub drops they definitely gave people a taste of what was to come.

    By now the hall was beginning to fill up, probably in anticipation of one of the biggest and most influential Death Metal bands out there right now. Dying Fetus has been around since the early ‘90s and certainly showed that very early on. I was just a bit skeptical at first seeing that they were only a 3 piece, but the music was well thought out and as full as any band. I also enjoyed the duel moshpits during their set.

    Next up, Shadows Falls, yes these guys know their metal. When I think of the Boston Mass. Circuit , one the first bands that comes to mind is always Shadows Fall. This was the first time I actually got to see them play live – I was like a kid in a candy store. They opened with some of their newer material, with some classics thrown in there. I was absolutely drawn to them. They are a must see band out there right now. As far as the performance goes, Brian Fair and Jason Bittner stole the show. Every time Brian did a windmill with his 4 foot long hair I got a little jealous (considering I’m way too thin on top to grow mine that long and look that good), and his voice was right-on all night. Then I was drawn to Mr. Bittner, with stellar timing all night long and him standing up behind the kit – yeah he puts on a show.

    The headliner of the night, HateBreed, was another first for me. I’m not really into hardcore. I just cant get into all the ninja kicking, trying to beat someone up in a pit, crap that those crowds do. But it’s the quintessential HateBreed, it’s a no-brainer. First off, tight as hell ( local bands should take note). Second, Jamey Jasta, their singer, had my attention from the get go. This guy knows how to control a crowd – he had everyone beat on that night for sure. They also played some of their best stuff off of Rise of Brutality. I now understand why their new album, The Divinity of Purpose, is number 1 on the hard rock charts. It was amazing to see this band, who I remember listening to in the mid ‘90’s(thinking yeah they are ok ), really knock my socks off. So, for me, HateBreed has my vote for the band of the night, and in reality they should, they are the headliner. Anyway, it was a great night of metal and hardcore at the Westcott. Don’t be afraid to check out any of these bands on their next trip through; all of them are well worth your money. Also check out the Westcott for some great up-and-coming shows. Horns Up till next time m/
    – Fred Marriott

  • Passion Pit and Matt & Kim bring music back to the RPI Houston Field House

    It’s been over two years since music filled the historic RPI Houston Field House. That all changed in a big way when Passion Pit and Matt & Kim partied with several thousand of their closest fans. We can only hope this will be the first of many great concerts returning to RPI.

    Things kicked off with the indie-pop duo of Matt (Johnson) and Kim (Schifino). The super energetic couple ripped through many of their hit singles including “Now” and “Let’s Go” off their latest album, Lightning.  Throughout their performance, Schifino climbed her drums like a child on a playground jungle gym (and even crowd surfed at one point!) while Johnson supplied a playful and upbeat keyboard accompaniment to balance out the powerful bass. Both Schifino and Johnson regularly saluted the crowd, thanking them and expressing how excited they were to be playing the Capital Region again.

    Passion Pit continued the evening’s celebration. The five-member group from Cambridge, Massachusetts consists of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals, keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards, guitar), Xander Singh (synthesizer), Jeff Apruzzese (bass, synthesizer bass), and Nate Donmoyer (drums). The band performed a well-balanced mix of hits including “Sleepyhead” from their first album Manners and “Carried Away” from their recent sophomore album Gossamer. Andelakos often engaged the accommodating crowd, coaxing them to sing along. The pinnacle of the evening was a powerful and moving rendition of the hit single “Take a Walk”.

    As expected, this evening was more than just a concert, it was a revival. It was the revival of music at the RPI Houston Field House.