NYS Music 20​13

Category: Show Reviews

  • Dirty Dozen Brass Band brought Mardi Gras to Albany

    On Saturday February 9th, the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band brought their thirty plus years of funky syncopation to the Massry Center for the Arts at The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

    The opening band, The Chronicles, are Albany natives and I arrived in time to catch the last four songs of their opening set. Their sound made me imagine Lettuce and The Roots, canoodling in a jazz bar, full and polished with energy to spare. I’ll be hoping to see them at a venue where the space is more dance friendly.

    After a short intermission, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band took the stage. On tour promoting their newest album Twenty Dozen, they are not quite a dozen, but seven musicians. Original members Gregory Davis (trumpet/vocals), Roger Lewis (baritone sax), Kirk Joseph (sousaphone) and Kevin Harris (alto sax) were joined by three younger musicians, a trombonist, keyboardist and Terrence Higgins on drums. At 24 years old, Terrence may be younger than the band, but he holds the rhythm down.

    Starting out with “Big Chief” and continuing on into “Burn Down the Levee” and “Oo-Poo-Pah-Doo” before returning to “Big Chief”, DDBB had me wishing Massry was better suited to let loose and dance. Through fiesty solos and a hot backbeat, most of the crowd remained seated, even after prompted by Davis to stand up. “Just for tonight, it’s Mardi Gras in this 20° weather” he instructed us. “You aren’t in Albany anymore.” He had us all clapping and singing along after demanding “When I call to you, you respond!” When the power failed in some mics, they powered through it, their sound saucy and resonating in the room. Davis kept us involved, shouting out over the crowd for us to sing a long.

    During “Git Up”, again we were instructed to stand and dance, and this time it worked. Most of the audience complied and were clapping and dancing with the beat. Towards the end, Davis brought two audience members onstage to dance, which they did with enthusiasm, if nothing else.

    Not to leave the crowd unsatisfied, DDBB stitched songs into a closing medley with “Big Mamou” followed by a favorite “When The Saints Go Marching In” reprised by “My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now.” Leaving the stage to a standing ovation and much fanfare, we were graced with one last song, a duet by Davis and Lewis. They perform a very sweet and sultry “Saint James Infirmary Blues” which was a beautiful end to a very intimate show.

    Listen to “Jook” from their new album Twenty Dozen

  • Willy Moon introduces himself to Upstate NY at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, February 15th

    Willy Moon graced the small stage at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy this past Friday night, a free show courtesy of WEQX, for a short 45 minute set that had ladies dancing on the stage, Willy dripping in sweat and the crowd shaking to each song he performed.

    willy moonWith the crowd packed up and close to the lip of the stage, playback coupled with an intense drummer and guitarist held their own while Willy glided across the stage as though he were on a Hoverboard. With a voice like Elvis, moves like Jagger (which came from Elvis) and the looks and style of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Willy sang James Brown, soul numbers off his soon to be released debut album, as well as his popular hits “Yeah Yeah” and “I Wanna Be Your Man”. At one point, Willy looked a little winded, saying “I’ve been eating too many of these ribs and I’m all fucked up”, which got him cheers of applause from a crowd who could relate.

    Check out the interview with Willy Moon. This kid will be big one day

  • Donna The Buffalo Drinks From The Waterhole at Winter Carnival 2013

    After a vibrant opening act with Driftwood to kick off Winter Carnival 2013, the well known and well loved band Donna the Buffalo took stage. They united everyone in the audience at the Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake Thursday evening, solidifying the energy left over from Driftwood. When you see them live exploring the realm of what it is they offer, you can’t help but feel at home. The folk-infused Americana band offered a common ground for everyone to dance on at a sold out show. Fans from all over the northeast traveled in disregard to warnings of record breaking snowfall to spend the evening with the band.

    Donna-the-Buffalo-NEW-Promo-e1330451730229

    Once the band was grooving, everyone was moving. They inspire rhythm within the soul and demand movement from the body. The most prevalent thing at a Donna the Buffalo show is the range of ages within the fanbase. With a country and bluegrass feel, they are able to give people what they know and love while still offering unique music that is fresh and new. When Tara Nevins, the lead vocalist, busts out the washboard or accordion, she kicks things up a notch by adding some Cajun zydeco spice to the mix. She is one of the band’s original singers and songwriters, staying true to the band for the past 21 years. The other lead musician in the band, Jeb Puryear, adds a vibrant poetic element to a Donna the Buffalo show. He is always sharing personal ideas and emotions with the audience, expressing ideas from within and subtly explaining the band’s extensive timeline. Having recently put out a new album Silverlined many new songs were played and a refreshed sense of the band was shared by all. The new songs stopped people in their two stepping and made them listen. They are masters at creating a powerful sense of love and positive energy at every show. Anybody who loves good music, genuine song writing, and an energizing rhythm loves this band.

    Donna the Buffalo represents a revitalization of an aging sentiment of the love generation. Their music offers a hash of multiple styles, perfect for satisfying the many demands of a mountain town. The sounds of the fiddle, accordion  washboard, tambourine, electric guitar and keyboard all combine to bring the audience satisfying sounds and a combination of truly loved genres. The event demanded the kicking off of boots, swirling of skirts and swilling of suds. Smiles were all around and the warm feeling of a family created was everywhere. To end the show the band finished with one of their well know ditties and what it is they stand for was chanted, “My, my, my, everybody gets high! On love, love, love, everybody gets high! My, my, my, everybody gets by Everybody gets high on love…”!

  • Start Making Sense: A Talking Heads Tribute at The Bayou in Albany, February 7th

    After what felt like eternity, Start Making Sense: A Talking Heads Tribute made their return to the Capital Region on Thursday, February 7th. The Bayou Café in Albany welcomed the musicians with open arms and fully packed the dance floor. Start Making Sense recreates the music of Talking Heads known for their funky and punk New Wave 80’s dance parties.

    The night opened up with “Thank You for Sending Me An Angel”, lots of whoops and hollers as the drums start to rally the crowd. One of the many things I love about the Talking Heads music is the constant roller coaster volume of the lyrics. Start Making Sense is always a loud show, with every word being screamed at the top of everyone’s lungs such as “Pulled Up” and “Slippery People.” At one moment, you are yelling and stomping, giving way to your rebellious urges. The next you are gently grooving to “And She Was” and being swayed by “Air.”

    Start Making Sense performs the vast music styling’s of the Talking Heads with skilled ease and pure appreciation.  Lead man Jon Braun recreating David Byrne is spot on, including his clothes, crazy facial expressions and legendary vocals. Braun and the band have great flow with their dance moves, always a crowd pleaser. Before set break, Braun announced how “Thankful and happy the band was to be back in Upstate New York” and listed a few of their upcoming shows.

    The crowd does its best to keep up with Start Making Sense’s nonstop fireball energy being hurled throughout the second set. It’s a treat to watch the musicians laughing to each other and having just as much fun as we are. I personally enjoyed the second set better because I knew more of the songs. “Nothing but Flowers” followed by “Cities” was the best way to resume the dance party. “Burning Down the House” was electrifying. The show ended with wild keyboard ranges from “Girlfriend Is Better” into a mellow yet enthusiastic “Crosseyed and Painless.” Start Making Sense will lightly tour around the east coast, making stops in Maine, Vermont and Delaware, before returning to their home state of Pennsylvania. As the lights came on and the band started to pack up, my friends and I already were planning our next show to see them.

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Thank You For Sending Me an Angel, Pulled Up, Slippery People, And She Was, Air, Uh Oh Love Comes to Town, Psycho Killer, Drugs, Born Under Punches, Animals, Found A Job, Mind, What A Day That Was, Naïve Melody

    Set 2: Nothing But Flowers, Cities, Life During Wartime, Not In Love, Stay Hungry, Big Business/I Zimbra, Once In A Lifetime, Making Flippy Floppy, Burning Down the House, Girlfriend Is Better, Crosseyed and Painless

  • AVATAR opens for SEVENDUST at Upstate Concert Hall Feb 6th

    When Sevendust comes to upstate it is guaranteed to be a great time.  Combine their powerful sound with the Italian Gothic metal sensation Lacuna Coil and Swedish-based melodic death metal band Avatar doing their first U.S. tour – be prepared to have your face melted.

    When Avatar came onto the stage, the audience didn’t know what to think of this five piece ensemble.  Upstate Metal ran into the founder and drummer, John Alfredsson, an hour or so before the show at Pizza Hut of all places and got the lowdown on the set.  The plan was  for 30-40 minutes of in your face metal, a little theatrics, and hopefully to impress the American crowd.  Well, I think they undersold the “little” theatrics, but they definitely impressed the American crowd.  When John founded the band in 2001 with singer, Christian Rimmi, it took the duo 2 years to get settled in and find the rest of the permanent members.  So, with almost 10 years of touring Europe under their belt it was time for them to break into the states.  Being on a Sevendust & Lacuna Coil tour guaranteed Avatar a lot of metal heads will see their music for the first time.  Were they ready? Absolutely.

    Christian’s theatrics proved to entice and excite the crowd at Upstate Concert Hall.  Guitars shredded and drums pounded but all eyes were on the frontman to see what the hell was he going to do next.  Coming out in a black executioner style mask for the first song, he then headed backstage to change it up a bit.  When Christian reappeared for the second song, a friend of mine and Upstate Metal editing master, Chris Fleischmann accurately described him as the result of Alice Cooper and Freddy Kruger having a love child.  A demented love child that fronted a band of Swedish misfits.  In a good way.  The set played out and Avatar won themselves some fans.  They hung out at the merchandise table for most of the night and was even seen at the bar a time or two.  I’d say run out and buy their new album, Black Waltz, but who am I kidding.  Go over to iTunes and give it a listen.

    Important Links:

  • Danny Avila at The Westcott Theater, February 4th

    After a set chock-full of massive club bangers from the  tattooed Mikael Weermets, 17- year old DJ Danny Avila emerged from backstage at The Westcott Theater last Monday night with an edgy new haircut (literally edgy, it was quite spiky) and a pair of Studio Pro Beats by Dre around his neck. Once the crowd recognized him they went absolutely nuts despite having been pretty wild already. Mikael Weermets had already gotten people to form dance circles and at that point I had already seen two 28 year-old men booty drop, which is two more than anyone should ever see. Weermets suavely transitioned into “Snapbacks & Tattoos” by Driicky Graham while he did the equipment switcheroo with Avila.

    When Danny finally got situated at the table with his three Pioneer players and mixer he faded out of “Snapbacks” and the crowd really got ready to jump. Avila has been playing a residency at Pacha in Ibiza so it came as no surprise that he knew how to put hands in the air, but what sets him apart from other DJs is his energy. Throughout the show you could see how much he truly loves making people dance. It shined right through his Bieberesque smile. He was literally glowing with passion, and it had nothing to do with his Spanish tan or the crazy light show. The light show was pretty impressive though and in addition DJ DBerrie, Krill was in the house along with Mikael Weermets who hung out on the stage to throw stickers and shower the crowd in champagne.

    During the set he dropped a handful of massive tracks by Knife Party, including “Rage Valley”, “Power Glove” and an interesting  trap remix of “Internet Friends” which he got everyone hyped up for by transitioning in with the intro guitar riff of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. A few other songs he used for epic transitions  were Deadmau5’s “What The Fuck”, where he slyly mixed  in the vocals, “They know what is what but they don’t know what is what” during  the track,and the infamous “1, 2, Woop, Woop!” from the track “WARP” by The Bloody Beetroots and Steve Aoki which was a huge crowd-pleaser.  What I appreciated most about his set was its versatility.  In addition to surprising the crowd with classics like “Jump Around” by House of Pain and “Zombie Nation” by Kernkraft 400, he showcased every spectrum of EDM, from Dubstep to Trap to Moombahton and Dance to House. I really feel bad for anyone who missed this show.

    Some tracks he played that I strongly suggest for your listening/download pleasure include: “Say My Name” by Porter Robinson, “Raise Your Weapon” by Deadmau5, “Goin in’” (Skrillex Goin in’ Hard Mix) by Birdy Nam Nam, “Go Deep” by Neoteric & Wax Motif, “Rukus” by Valentino Khan & Will Bailey, “Animal Rights” by Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner, “Atom” by Nari & Milani, “Pursuit of Happiness” (Steve Aoki remix) by Kid Cudi, and “Heads Will Roll” (A-Trak Remix) by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

    Danny Avila Twitter, Website and Soundcloud

    Check out his bangin new single “Breaking Your Fall”

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iftO6DYT1_E&w=420&h=315]

  • The Garcia Project brought Good Vibes to the Putnam Den on February 1st

    As soon as The Garcia Project took the stage at the Putnam Den on February 1st, you knew it was going to be a mystical evening.  The crowd was a mix of old hippies and new hipsters, from dreadlocks to backward hats, from women in long skirts twirling as they danced to men in jeans and suspenders, it was an eclectic mix. There were bikers, office workers, students and retirees.  It didn’t matter who was enjoying the groove – they were smiling and taking in the good vibes.  And who could blame them, the music of Jerry Garcia is timeless, and The Garcia Project has taken the time, energy, and their talents to master that sound.

    From the first notes of the night, “Sugaree”, the dance floor was full and people were singing along.  The set went on and songs went off to spectacular jams, only to be pulled back into the pleasing duo of Mik Brody and Kat Walkerson on vocals.  In math, there is a theory that the sum of two parts can not be greater than the whole.  Thankfully in music, that logic is thrown out – because while Mik and Kat are great singers on their own, they are better together.

    When you looked to the stage and you weren’t noticing Mik intently staring down at his guitar, much like Jerry used to do, or Kat’s exaggerated facial expressions as she sang her heart out, you noticed the light show.  The Garcia Project brought along a Macbook, a projector, and a light guy (Dutch Masterson)- a perfect combination to set the mood.  The psychedelic scenery covered the large stage and then some. Intricate designs and other visual effects graced the backdrop as the band played on.

    The Garcia Project is obviously a tribute band to Jerry Garcia Band.  A tribute band is quite different than a cover band because they don’t merely mimic the songs, but rather the whole sound and feel of the band.  That can mean using the same brand of instruments, similar amps and modifiers, and even looking like the original band.  As a fan of the original band, you go and enjoy the show knowing that this is the closest you are going to get to the real thing.  It transports you into the past and into an atmosphere that is reminiscent of an historic vibe.  Luckily that vibe is still alive in those like minded individuals around you at a show like this one at the Putnam Den.  In order for a tribute band to be successful, fans need to look at them as the authority on the artist they are emulating.  The Garcia Project pulls it off effortlessly.  Don’t believe it?  Go see them live and then go check out old YouTube footage of The Jerry Garcia Band.  Listen to how Jerry plays off Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch and compare that to Mik Brody and Kat Walkerson.  Listen to the jazz influenced bass of the legendary John Kahn and feel the similarities of The Garcia Project’s own Dan Crea.

    The Garcia Project is the whole package starting with the incredibly talented Scott Guberman on the Hammond B3 organ and Leslie speaker.  Aaron Martin sets the pace on drums.  The masterful guitar work of Mik Brody, himself, fills the role of Jerry on guitars and vocals.    The night was song after song of a delightful mix of Garcia classics and a few covers – some made famous by the Grateful Dead, and some lesser known but carrying that same Garcia vibe.  The dance floor stayed packed all night, especially during the livelier tunes and the long jams that took you to another time.

    The Putnam Den pulled out another great night of music and Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia fans, both young and old, had a great experience that took them into the night.

    Setlist:
    Set 1: Sugaree, Tore Up, They Love Each Other, He Ain’t Give You None, Tough Mama, Evangeline, Strugglin’ Man, Second That Emotion
    Set 2: Lonesome and a Long Way From Home, Mission In the Rain, Breadbox, Positively 4th Street, Don’t Let Go, Midnight Moonlight, Sisters and Brothers, Tangled Up in Blue, Deal
    Encore/Grateful Dead Set: Half Step, Shakedown Street, Eyes of the World, Cumberland Blues

  • Lotus Interview and Review: January 30th at the Westcott Theater

    Lotus, the notorious EDM act-turned-jamband played a solid sold-out show at The Westcott Theater on a Wednesday, January 30th, making quite the comeback with their tenth album, The Build. The band continues to enchant listeners as they genre-bend their way into an idiosyncratic combination of funk and EDM, proving to be more relevant now than ever.

     

    Before the show, I got the chance to talk to Jesse Miller, the bassist and sampler for the band.

    Gauraa Shekhar: Your new record The Build is recorded live to analog. How did that come along considering the wide range of instrumentation?

    Jesse Miller: We have been following the process over the last few years. It is a classic 70s thing, you know—with basic tracks and everything.

    GS: That’s really cool. In The Build the rich texture really comes through, especially in songs like “Middle Road”. How do you guys produce music within a budget without compromising the quality?

    Jesse Miller: Most of it was done by myself and Luke. We rehearsed the process before we went into the studio and relied on a lot of software to help us. So we didn’t waste time and money on extra studio hours.

    GS: That’s very practical. What kind of a demographic are you catering to with such genre-bending music? Is it easier to find the venue that matches your sound or do you have to pay special attention to it?

    JM: I don’t think there is a specific demographic that we cater to but venues are definitely important. We aim for high-energy shows. Sometimes, we play for a younger crowd but there really is no specific age.

    GS: Performing live is obviously a great aspect of your music. How do you mix it up on stage to keep the audience entranced . . . I mean, besides the lights of course.

    JM: Improvisation, for sure. We try to mix it up by changing the instruments and arranging the songs a little differently.

    GS: Since you guys incorporate a lot of computer generated digital sounds in your music, how do you put a different spin on it whilst performing live?

    JM: There are certain things that are important to pull out of line…sometimes, we play around with the melody and sometimes we change up the instruments. We also trigger samples on stage.

    GS: Oh, wow! Well, what is it like having a 47 days tour?

    JM: 47 days in a tour can be hectic. But it allows us to develop a sound and a rapport.

    GS: I’m sure. Bands have issues but you guys seem to stuck together as a band through all these years. What are some of the main things that glue you guys together?

    JM: Well, it’s mostly the work ethic and the drive. We’ve been at this for such a long time and we’re really passionate about the music.

    GS: As are we! Looking forward to seeing you in ’Cuse on the 30th, Jesse!

    JM: Looking forward to the show!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8giAkXJjA]

    As promised, Lotus gave those looking to get a high-energy head start to their weekend more than what they had bargained for. As I walked straight off the campus to their venue, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had walked straight into a Tim Burton set with all its entailing paraphernalia. I watched inebriated girls in princess costumes flail their way to the front row and men leaping out of crumbling bathroom doors with glowing light sabers. The night was fecund with possibilities  as if anything could happen. Excited fans drove in all the way from Rochester and Watertown, yelling out to anybody willing to listen: “This is the fourth time I’m seeing them perform”, “I just watched their show in New York last week” and “They just keep getting better each time”.  It was more than evident that Lotus’ electronica sound sustained their fan base over a span of fourteen years. And let me tell you, the infamous interplay of stage lights was only the beginning. Only a band like Lotus could turn a dance party into a religious experience. Lotus fueled the room with time-transcending energy and a motley crowd checked their baggage at the door, walked in, simply wrapped their heads around the music— and let their hair down.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2r7NY_Ra3s]

  • Trey Anastasio Band closes out Winter Tour at The Palace, January 26, 2013

    Trey Anastasio loves Albany – for evidence, take a look at his opening words to the sold out house at The Palace Theater in Albany on a frigid January 26, 2013. “Thank you guys, this is the … I just want to say how much it means to me whenever I come here … I have so many friends here tonight from this part of the country … Thank you so much. This is also the last show our tour, so lets celebrate … Thank you for sharing it with us.”

    trey palace january 26And with that, Trey led his band into the song that the original trio of Trey, drummer Russ Lawton and Saratoga Springs resident Tony Markellis wrote back in 1998, “First Tube”. A Grammy nominated rock instrumental that usually closes down these TAB shows, “First Tube” got the crowd moving early on. “Cayman Review” followed, now a classic first set staple for many years now that features Ray Paczkowski on clavinet to drive the funk into the song. With the crowd settling in, they were treated to “Alaska”, one of the handful of crossover songs that Phish and Trey Band both play.

    Rather than drop this tune in the middle of set two, per usual on Phish tour, Trey brought it out early and let the song shine in its proper venue – with TAB and with horns. The placement wasn’t just great – the version of the song was impressive as well, with some extra licks from Trey while Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman and James Casey (Lettuce) continued to pepper the tune with just the right dose of horn. “Tube Top Flop” (ne, Wobble), surprisingly showed up net, as this is one of the earliest songs from TAB, debuting in 2001 on his first big band tour. Although it fell out of rotation, its appearance tonight elicited great cheers from the older TAB fans who followed the bob and rhythm of the horn-driven piece.

    “Pigtail”, possibly the most poppy Trey song to date, and written by longtime writing partner and friend Tom Marshall, has become a staple of Trey shows in the past two years, its flirty lyrics and confusion-inducing refrain, “I’m conscious again, unconscious again, I’m conscious again, unconscious again”, is the kind of tune that sticks in your head, pleasantly, and accented by Trey’s guitar bursts at the end of each refrain. What was once a 20-minute song in 2001, “Last Tube” is now half that but compressed into an equally stellar song. This high energy, spastic tune with a dash of Caribbean Island music gets the band firing on all cylinders at once, blowing up the song before crashing it down with a big band finish that peters out. “Last Tube”, welcome back to TAB! The Bob Marley classic “Small Axe” followed, as did two new songs, “Dark and Down” and “Scabbard”, off the new album Traveler.

    “Dark and Down” was more somber than anything else up until this point of the show, while “Scabbard”, a Zappa-esque single, captures the best of Trey’s songwriting skills and multi-instrumentalism of this band. “Greyhound Rising” provided the other piece of somber bread for this relatively new music sandwich. “Shine”, Trey’s breakout single from 2005 has proven to grow as a crowd favorite and continues to take shape in the regular rotation. Set closer “Money, Love and Change” was another oldie and goodie that can still find the nasty notes to cap off a set.

    trey palace january 26 2013During setbreak, it was easy to observe that the crowd for a Trey Anastasio Band show is different that a Phish crowd. At SPAC in the summer, the crowd is typically 80/20 guys/gals, but at TAB it is closer 60/40, plus some older fans who come out in larger numbers to the Palace. The band attracts more couples to shows, either as a segue to seeing Phish, or replacement value for Phish shows not seen/enjoyed as a couple. The ornate building’s interior continually looks sparkling and new (The Palace is nearly twice as big as the past week’s show at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse) and the broad interior walls gave the light show room to make an incredible visual spectacle throughout the show as the lights danced all over.

    Set two began with the Afrobeaty “Curlews Call”, building the band’s sound up, particularly with the percussion supplied by returning TAB member Cyro Baptista, whose inventive percussion instruments (gong and flippers, anyone?) make him not just a band member to watch, but one to listen for on show recordings. “Gotta Jibboo” is never a disappointment and having horns once again adds an extra layer to the upbeat tune. A standard “Alive Again” came next, then a trio of songs from Traveler: “Land of Nod” is incredibly horn driven, especially Natalie Cressman’s trombone, while “Valentine” was played much like the album version, although that’s hardly a bad thing. The reworking of “Valentine” for Traveler includes more vocals from Cressman and Hartswick, and although when performed live, the song could have been stretched out a bit by Big Red, the true highlight in this song is the visual interpretation that one can gather from the lyrics:

    “Jagged beams of light, explode and dance in the darkness around me. And I can reach out and touch the beams and the light turns sold and wraps around my wrist. One makes a loop, a thousand more follow, a thousand more follow till my arms are surrounded by a conical web of light. My arms in the eyes of a web of light, a tornado of light beams and I feel the pull and start to rise, and every beam is there to guide.” 

    In a recent interview with NPR, Trey mentioned how this song reflected his time getting sober period while living in Saratoga Springs, a Valentine letter to God. Listen around the 7:40 mark of the interview to hear Trey talk about the genesis of the song.

    Speaking of great lyrics, “Architect”, while a bit mellower, still carried the themes from “Valentine” that are marks of Trey’s life from 2006-2008. Fan favorite, “Sand”, recently destroyed by Phish the past few years at 18 minute clips, is a staple from the original trio. But with horns, again, it’s just sublime. Although Phish fans are getting spoiled with these extended versions on Phish tour, the reserved Sand on TAB tour not only suffices, it gives a new spin to a classic. The strong anthem of “Tuesday” stepped in, where the vocals of Hartswick and Cressman continued to dominate, but not overpower the song. Then there’s “Clint Eastwood”, the Gorillaz original that debuted as a cover last year at The Palace. Jennifer Hartswick’s powerful vocals are not to be missed – you’ll still be amazed that she did the lyrics for the album version in just one take.

    trey palace january 26 2013With the show winding down, “Traveler” appeared, and while it started out slow, grew into one of the more impressive tunes of the night, generating swaying motions from the crowd amid the lyrics “Maybe if you stand still, you are traveling too, making it easy for someone to choose you”. Trey took a moment to introduce the band as the song’s chorus was repeated, then delved into “Push on Til the Day”, one of the most popular and well known TAB tunes, where it is always fun to watch Trey spin around with his guitar leading up to the triumphant big band ending. An encore of The Five Steps’ “O-o-h Child” was very apropos for the evening for this reviewer and capped off a whirlwind tour for Trey Anastasio Band.

    Even though he didn’t play some tunes that have been staples of his shows – “Drifting”, “Sultans of Swing”, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, “At the Gazebo”, “The Way I Feel”, or “Burlap Sack and Pumps”, – it became clearer during this short tour that Trey’s catalog for TAB has grown so much that you can start to expect the unexpected and never get the same show twice. Trey has grown as a band leader with TAB and expanded his catalog with both bands. It is impressive enough to see him with Phish, but with TAB, it’s a completely different experience, and one that is continually changing and improving.

    Out into the cold night we went…

    Setlist

    Set 1: First Tube, Cayman Review, Alaska, Tube Top Flop, Pigtail, Last Tube, Small Axe, Dark And Down, Scabbard, Greyhound Rising, Shine, Money Love And Change
    Set 2: Curlew’s Call, Gotta Jibboo, Alive Again, Land Of Nod, Valentine, Architect, Sand, Tuesday, Clint Eastwood, Traveler, Push On Til The Day
    Encore: Ooh Child

    Download bvaz’s recording of the show

    Download andyjah’s recording of the show

    • Trey Palace January 26 2013
    • Trey Palace January 26 2013
    • Trey Palace January 26 2013
    • Trey Palace January 26 2013
    • Trey Palace January 26 2013

  • Late night in Albany: Hot Day at the Zoo with The Blind Owl Band, The Bayou Café, January 26th

    Last Saturday was a big music night in Albany: many downtown venues offered a genre of music complimentary to the sold out Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) show at The Palace Theatre.  Hot Day at the Zoo and The Blind Owl Band were scheduled for a foot stomping, hoedown of a good time.  Bluegrass at the Bayou stood on it’s own as if it were competing with TAB.  Each of these bands performing at The Bayou Café have a dedicated following which filled the venue.

    The hungry-for-more music aficionados left the Trey show and filed into the already bursting-at-the-seams café where Hot Day at the Zoo kicked off sometime around midnight. The deluge of music fans brought with them the carnival like atmosphere where they would boogie with their drunken hearts, ready for more.  While Hot Day at the Zoo is focused on traditional bluegrass, there are subtle change ups relatable in the progression of this genre.

    Throughout the set, each musician gave the others fair opportunity to take a solo, and yet, partake in a conversation through instrumentation.  Musically, the roots string band captured an underlying jazz progression.  Vocal harmonization with genuine lyrics could tug on the heartstrings.  Hot Day often add agreeable little nuances for a finishing touch to their showcased songs.  Those newly introduced to Hot Day were pleasantly surprised to hear “Ripple,” a widely known Grateful Dead tune.

    Opening for Hot Day at the Zoo was The Blind Owl Band. The four piece outfit is new to the scene, but not new to eclectic sounds, traditional instrumentation and influences of some more obscure bands in the business.  Geographically in the music world, location can often define a band.  Hailing from Saranac Lake, these bearded boys have characterized their sound as if they stood on top of their mountain reaching out their beat up instruments grabbing various concepts of music, holding it captive ultimately for a presentation unique to the scene.  On stage, they knocked the nit and grit right out of their strings.  Added vocal harmonies invite us to the darker realm, where we were lead through a journey of traditional roots, dirty jams and down right scary turns along the way.  Be brave and bold, these North Country boys can lighten it up a bit with Irish pub tunes as well.

    Surely, those meandering out on the street missed two great acts.  The energy inside was so alive you could reach out and hold on.  As was the rest of South Pearl Street, which was rather magical as if some music fairy sprinkled her dust and said, “enjoy.”