NYS Music 20​13

Category: Show Reviews

  • Show review: FOR TODAY at UCH Jan 29th

    Going into the concert most people there knew that For Today was a Christian metalcore band.  What came to a shock to most everyone was when they stopped in the midst of an otherwise powerful set to preach.  Unclean vocalist, Mattie Montgomery, stood on the stage, raised his hands in the air, and “Praised Jesus” for the time that they could have played a whole song.  While most of the impressionable youth in the audience seemingly embraced the message, it left quite a few confused.

    Gideon started the show with pounding drums… deafening to those in the front of Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.  The windows shook as the band rocked the audiences’ faces off.  As the mostly teen crowd fought their way to the stage it was as if the band was trying to ward off the assault with waves of “Alabama hardcore.” When a pit finally opened up and the brave masses decided to mosh their Tuesday blues away.

    ForToday505
    Upon A Burning Body

    When Upon a Burning Body from Texas came on stage it looked like an insurance convention.  The gentlemen donned nice suits, spiffy ties and enough product in their hair for a guest appearance on the Jersey Shore.  However, when they fired up their guitars, I swear they must have been gas powered.  They reminded me of the wood chipper back home, in a good way.  They shredded the air around Upstate NewYork.  If you looked closely the drummer, Jonathon Gonzales, had three feet, because no mere human with two feet could pounce on the bass drums that fast.  He’d compete with Neil Peart, in that element alone.  The energy in the room was building with three more bands yet to come.  With the night still young, and the stars are bright in the heart of Texas.  After a lot of coaxing, the pit spun out of control and the whirlpool sucked the onlookers into the mayhem.

    The Word Alive
    The Word Alive

    All the way from Phoenix, Arizona, The Word Alive came out in a fury.  Though in the middle of their set the vocals went and “Telle” Smith sang heavily into a dead mic during the majority of one song.  These things happen on even the most organized tours. As Telle left the stage the band didn’t miss a beat and played as their two guitarists (Zack Hansen and Tony Pizzuti) dueled it out on the stage and got the crowd into the instrumental sensation.  Then Smith returned to the stage thinking the sound issues were over, but apparently they weren’t quite fixed.  Luckily, the crowd sang along and life was somewhat normal again.  As normal as it can be at a hardcore show in Upstate NY on a Tuesday in Winter.  The drummer, Luke Holland, played as of he was at a firing range and the under 21 crowd before him was his prey.  Then the lights went out but the music didn’t stop. Just the vocals… still.  So with guitars, bass and drums and no lights, UCH was alive.  The mic finally came back to life, the band kept it in stride and thanked the crowd for singing the songs for them.  The Word Alive ended with the title track off their new album “Life Cycles”, and reminded the crowd that they’d rather die for what they believe.

    Where they there for a metal show or a evangelistic revival?  Upstate Metal was there to rock our faces off and For Today did that, when they played.  Their set was solid, both the clean and unclean vocals were great, guitars shredded, the new drummer, David Puckett, was spot on.  It was the preaching that made this writer pause and say “what happened to the music?”  Christian metal has it’s place, it can be quite good and carry a solid message.  However, preaching doesn’t do it for me.  What’s more is that a couple songs later, Mattie did it again.  I’d much rather he took the 10 minutes telling me how his soul was saved and spent it playing two new tracks of the album Immortal that came out last year.  Either that or give The Word Alive the 10 minutes to play the songs that the mic went dead.

    Memphis May Fire, another Texas band, braved the bitter northeast again to greet many adorning fans.  Just a month and a half ago MMF was at Upstate Concert Hall opening up for As I Lay Dying.  On this night, the young, eager crowd was ready for them.  A lot of repeat concert goers were in the audience and were familiar with the songs and sang, urrr.. screamed along. When the anthem “Legacy” started up halfway through the set, you’d have thought that Memphis May Fire was the headliner.  All eyes were on the stage, except those in the ever growing pit that seemed to consume the majority of the floor in front of the stage.

    The drum solo by Jeremy Grisham after “Legacy” was one of the more impressive ones I’ve witnessed lately and that led to more mania from the crowd.  As with the three bands before them, the sets grew slightly longer and the crowd surfing, jumping up and down and shrieks from the audience was quickly hitting “10” on the dial.  When the band ask if anyone had seen them before, nearly half the crowd cheered.  Finally when MMF performed “The Victor” that had vocalist, Chase Ryan, going back and forth between singing and screaming, a multiple personality madman intriguing the bouncing teens before him.

    For Today
    For Today

    Overall, Upstate Concert Hall was another gracious host to a night of kickass metal.  They provide a great outlet for the Capital region.  In the next week, Sevendust and Trapt will be at UCH.  Shows that this writer does not plan to miss.

  • Review and Interview: The Brew at The Westcott Theater, January 26th

    Over the past year I’ve often heard people voice concern about Rock N’ Roll as a genre, seemingly worried  that it is dying out these days due to all of the EDM and Indie music that is over saturating the mainstream. If you are one of these people, fret not. I assure you that Boston based band The Brew is keeping Rock alive and kickin’.

    Before they completely brought the house down at The Westcott Theater this past Saturday night, lead singer Chris Plante of expressed his love for Upstate New York and the ‘Cuse. “We’re so happy to be back in Syracuse! We love playing The Westcott,” he yelled into the mic from his spot at his double-decker keyboard. The Boston based quartet consists of brothers Chris Plante (lead vocals, keyboards), Joe Plante (Bass, vocals) and friends Dave Drouin (Guitar, vocals) and Aaron Zaroulis (Drums/vocals).Together they are like the Fantastic Four of Rock. There isn’t a single weak link in the group on instrumentals and their song writing skills are something to envy.

    Following Chris’s warm shout out the band opened with one of their new songs titled “Aftermath”. From the sounds of the track we can look forward to enjoying a killer new release. As soon as the powerful instrumentals of this track filled the room I was reminded of why I fell in love with Rock N’ Roll in the first place. Aaron has driving in-your-face drum beats that make it virtually impossible for anyone with a soul to stand still. Chris sings the band’s insightful and relatable lyrics with an honest raspy voice while his piano parts cascade over the tracks. Dave plays epic guitar solo’s on his edgy Gibson explorer with seemingly no effort and Joe coolly holds the entire sound together seamlessly on bass.  Their sheer musical awesomeness evoked multiple and loud shouts of “I love you!” from the audience on multiple occasions throughout the show.

    When they vocally harmonized for the intro of radio hit “When Darkness Comes” off the album  A Garden In The Snow, I doubt if there was a single person in the room that didn’t have the chills. Later in the show they played their hard rocking version of Led Zeppelin’s Going To California which I might actually like even more than the original because of its absolute head banging break down. They also included tracks such as “Into The Remembering Sun”, “Sharks In The Pool” and “Garden In The Snow”. As soon as they left the stage the crowd cheered for an encore and they all came to play “What I Want” (the ladies love this one) and a few others as the crowd begged them not to go.

    After the show, I got a chance to sit down with The Brew and ask them a few questions.

    Mary Morgan Craig: So first of all who are your biggest Musical influences individually?

    Joe Plante: My biggest influences at the moment are Little Feat, Radiohead and Beck has a really big influence on me.

    Aaron Zaroulis: I like Guns and Roses and I like the Allman Brothers .. a lot.

    Chris Plante: I’m doin’ a lot of Bruce Hornsby, a lot of Chick Corea and a lot of classical.

    Dave Drouin: I listen to Iron Maiden a lot and MJ. (MJ’s Dirty Diana plays in the background)

    MMC: I know Chris and Joe are brothers. How did the two of you meet Dave and Aaron?

    AZ: Well the band was around for nine or ten years with another drummer and then I joined about a year ago and I met all these dudes through the power of music.

    CP: Yeah but the real story behind that one is like six or seven years ago we were playing a show with our other drummer Kelly. It was a show in Newburyport, Massachusetts, that we put on ourselves. We didn’t have like a green room or a bathroom for ourselves. During set break Kelly like really had to pee, so he went outside because there was a big line for the bathroom inside. It was  a packed show with a lot of kids. A lot of younger kids, and he got arrested outside for peeing in a public place. So we didn’t have a drummer! We frantically tried to bail him out. We reluctantly went back onstage when we, you know, had to. We basically made an announcement to the crowd. We were like “Does anybody know how to play drums?” “Put your hands in the air because our drummer is arrested”, and a bunch of young girls in the crowd were pointing to Aaron who was like 13.

    AZ: Yeah I was 13.

    CP: And then he got up on stage and already knew a bunch of our tunes.  So we’re like oh good job, cool, thanks for sitting in. Then like eight years later or whatever it was…

    DD: No six years later.

    CP: When it came down to audition for the band when we were moving on from a different drummer he showed up and already knew all of our songs and he was like “Yeah, I’m that kid” and we were like “Sweet!”

    AZ: Yeah I’m that Kid. (all laugh)

    MMC: What was the first CD you ever bought?

    JP: Green Day’s Dookie. I remember that. I really remember that day.

    CP: Didn’t you get it from your 5th grade girlfriend?

    JP: No. Oh Yeah ! I did. I did get it from my 5th grade girlfriend.

    AZ: That was the worst Valentine’s day ever huh?

    (All laugh)

    JP: I love that CD.

    AZ: No. Its not that bad. I don’t remember my first CD. I think it was like Tom Petty or Paul Simon something like that. Something that my parents passed down to me kinda thing.

    CP: I don’t know. I’m in the same boat. Me and Joe started finding music around the same time and I remember doing was it Toadie?

    JP: Yeah Toadie.

    CP: Toadie was awesome. Yeah I remember doing the Toadies.

    JP: The Toadies!

    CP: Yeah The Toadies were awesome.

    DD: I had tapes way before CD’s.

    CP: Ya. Ya no we were all actually into tapes.

    JP: I bought an Oasis tape and a Blues Traveler tape.

    DD: Yeah, I had the Blues Traveler tape with the cat on it. I traded my Aerosmith Pump when it was like the new thing.

    AZ: Bad move.

    DD: Bad move.

    MMC: So are your parents as musically talented as you or are you guys the first in the family?

    JP: My dad happens to be extremely talented musically. He started playing when he was about our age professionally out in California. He met my mom out there and then moved back to Massachusetts and had us children and surrounded us with music our entire lives.

    CP: He was sitting in with us at a show recently.  We were doing like a more acoustic broken down sort of show. We were telling the stories behind certain songs and stuff like that. And he comes up and he plays an original song of his with us and its like the last song of the show cause it kicked so much ass.

    MMC: That must be so cool.

    CP: Yeah, its pretty nice.

    MMC: So is that why you guys chose to do that cover of “Going to California”? Which I love by the way.

    CP: Thanks! That’s an interesting connection but no we just did that cover because we were doing a gig opening for moe. at The House Of Blues and we really wanted to do something special, you know? Dave came to practice and he was like “I just Heard Going to California and was picturing it with a more driving groove under it” and we just started doing it.

    MMC: Well it came out great. I love that one. When did each of you start playing your instruments and what made you gravitate to the specific ones?

    JP: I went to a show when I was 17. I ate some mushrooms and I heard bass for the first time. I was tripping and I was like “I am gonna be doing that for the rest of my life.” That’s pretty much how I decided. And I had a bass so I decided just to start playing it. I picked it up that night and started playing it.

    CP: That was my bass.

    JP: Yeah. I stole his bass.

    CP: I had a black Guild bass.

    JP: It was awful to play. It was terrible, but then i actually started jamming with Dave literally four days after.

    AZ: I started playing drums in the fourth grade. It wasn’t cause I started eating mushrooms though. And I got serious around my freshman year of high school and I just haven’t really stopped since.

    CP: I started playing piano when I was like 3 because of my dad and then took classical lessons when I was like five. So, I did that and then jazz and a lot of stuff so I’ve just been playing my entire life. I remember when I was like 14, I really realized I could play piano. Because I never made the conscious decision to actually do it. So its been a long time. I should be better than I am.

    DD: I started playing guitar at like age 14. It was mainly because I couldn’t have a drumset. I had drumsticks. I really wanted to play drums. But they were like “too loud” or something. So I got a guitar.

    (all laugh)

    MMC: Good thing you did

    DD: Ruined my life

    (All laugh)

    MMC: OK so who is your biggest Rock-Chick crush?

    CP: Rock Chick Crush?

    MMC: Yeah, well it doesn’t have to be rock. Musical artist crush.

    DD: The lead singer of Heart.

    AZ: Aw this is rough man.

    CP: There’s not as many hot rock lead singers as there are like pretty sexy pop stars.

    MMC: Well what about Gwen Stefani?

    All: Yeah

    AZ: True. She’s hot

    DD: I don’t know.

    CP: But she’s a little too muscle-y for me.

    JP: I’m a ‘Sineado’ fan. Just, you know, because… (gestures to his bald head).

    DD: Did you just call her ‘Sineado’? Sinead. O’Connor.

    JP: ‘Sineado’. That’s what I call her. She likes it.

    (all laugh)

    AZ: I’d like to take Mila Kunis out to like a nice dinner at like The Ninety Nine or like The Olive Garden.

    CP: Salisbury Steaks?

    AZ: Yeah yeah! I would definitely buy her a nice Salisbury steak.

    CP: I like Rachel McAdams. I think she’s the hottest. I like her.

    AZ: Yeah, shes pretty dreamy.

    DD: I like Taylor Swift.

    MMC: I knew that was going to come up.

    CP: She looks like a deer. Not in like a bad way.

    JP: In the headlights.

    DD: That’s why I like her.

    CP: I think shes beautiful but she resembles a deer slightly.

    MMC: A majestic deer.

    (all laugh)

    CP: A majestic blonde deer.

    MMC: Have you played any festivals recently? Are you planning on playing any this year?

    CP: Yes. A lot. We played Mountain Jam last year.

    JP: Absolutely

    AZ: We played a lot of festivals last year.

    DD: Its mid-winter now so..

    CP: Yeah we’re actually starting to think about next year and any festival, you know. We’re having our agent and our management work with all the promoters of festivals to hopefully get the right situation worked out.

    MMC: How would you describe your own music?

    JP: Um, not butt rock. Rock.

    (all laugh)

    CP: I mean, its really just like rock n’ roll but we try to be versatile with how we deliver our songs. We get into different production techniques the same way The Beatles or anybody else would.

    MMC: What was the thought process behind the Triptych project? Who did your album artwork?

    JP: Well actually we decided to make the Triptych just based on the fact that we had a really large catalog of songs and certain songs fit into different groups. Like for instance, the first album was really driven by acoustic singer-songwriter songs that kinda fit into a certain category. We felt like they all really fit on the album. Then the second album we really stretched out live.  We wanted to take that same energy in the studio and do some improvisational stuff. The third record basically is really more pop oriented the way The Beatles used to like look at all their parts and really kind of like figured out how they wanted everything to fit.

    CP: As far as the album artwork goes, that’s a tapestry that was meant for King Louis the 7th. It was a tapestry that was meant to commemorate like his wedding with somebody. It was back in 1495. Its called The Hunt of The Unicorn. You can see the unicorn on the second record. When you put them all together it makes one large image that kind of gives you the whole scope of the artwork.

    MMC: Very Cool. What has been your best tour experience ever or just one that sticks in your mind?

    CP: We were rolling through from New Mexico to Austin, Texas and we pulled over at this  like really sketchy looking Subway. We were like ‘Fuck we have to get Subway today. This is gonna suck.’ But there was a burger joint right next door that was kind of like home made burgers but you could tell it was like real like southern cooking.

    AZ: They had like Boston stuff in the windows so we were like ‘Fuck it lets go in here.’

    DD: Yeah it was weird. It was all like Red Sox stuff and Patriots stuff.

    CP: Yeah we felt good about going there and so we walked in and just like everywhere we show up, they’re all like are you in a band or something? It was this older guy and his wife. Very old like 85 or 87. With this other lady and we were like yeah we’re in a band and hes like have you ever heard of Roy Orbison and we’re like ‘Yeah of course.’ and then he’s like ‘Have you ever heard of Buddy Holly?’ We’re like ‘Obviously.’ and he’s like ‘I used to sing with them.’ So we met a member of Buddy Holly’s band, the only guys to like background sing. They were called The Roses.

    JP: And then hes like ‘Do you want to go see Buddy Holly’s studio? I’ve got a key. I live there.’ And so all Buddy Holly’s original stuff is set up there, untouched, and we sat in the same chair that Buddy Holly was (once) sitting in.

    AZ: I got to play on the drumset. It was rad. It was awesome. We got it all on video too.

    MMC: That’s crazy!I’m so jealous. So last year when I saw you play at Brewfest Chris was playing with a broken arm at Brewfest in Lincoln, NH, which was so impressive. I actually remember I  Instagrammed about it and I captioned it like ‘my hero’ or something. I read somewhere that you just recovered from broken ribs. What happened there ? Are you always this accident prone?

    (all laugh)

    CP: I wouldn’t say i’m accident prone. I play indoor soccer so I just smashed into a dude that was way bigger than me and it was like this really awkward point in my side where my fist got like  jammed right into my rib. But I didn’t know it was broken for like the first four days. I thought it was just really badly bruised.

    MMC: Glad you’re better now! Do you have any advice for other bands who are just starting out?

    DD: Don’t do it.

    (all laugh)

    MMC: I think that they should just focus on the songs and then really work on the business aspect even though that’s the last thing you want to do as a musician. That’s what it takes to actually succeed. Cause you know its a small business and it sucks to look at it that way but you can’t go on forever running out of money. So just get good content, believe in your music, and then like just be doing your work. What has been your weirdest fan experience?

    CP: Oh man there’s like too many twisted stories to get into that.

    DD: There’s like naked dudes getting tied up. Well we were at a festival and there’s this guy running around naked like going ‘Get off my island! Get off my island!’

    CP: And then they hogtied him and had to like put him in the back of the truck.

    MMC: Well why were you on his island?

    JP: Well we weren’t on mushrooms and he was, so we were on his island.

    AZ: Dude he was on his own island.

    (all laugh)

    CP: He was being aggressive toward everybody.

    JP: The last straw that they wouldn’t put up with at this festival was when he went up to an old woman that was pushing a baby in a carriage and walking a dog at the same time and he like tried grabbing the dog leash from her and then they tackled him and hogtied him.

    DD: I think they like duckttaped him up.

    CP: It was a duct tape hogtie job. They did really well

    AZ: Hogtied!

    (all laugh)

    To listen to this interview with The Brew, tune into The Laura and Meg Show via iTunes Radio next Thursday night (Feb 7th)at 11pm! Just click on “Radio” on the menu bar at the top of your Itunes Library. From there click College Radio> Syracuse University>WERW.

    Check out the stations blog and The Meg and Laura Show

    Check out The Brew’s Website, Facebook, Myspace, Soundcloud, and the official video for When Darkness Comes
    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lkwFjHvw0]

  • Emancipator loosened up The Westcott Theater on January 27th

    The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY has been a go-to venue for Syracuse University students and area residents for years. Recently, the Westcott has offered an eclectic blend of bookings that span across many different music styles and genres. This particular night was no exception to this relatively new trend, as Oregon-based producer Douglas Apping took the stage with live violinist Ilya Goldberg under the moniker of Emancipator.

    The crowd was primed well by openers Beatkid, Tor and Eliot Lipp, who offered fast-paced infectious dance grooves that drew from several subgenres of electronic dance music like House, Drum n Bass, and Dubstep. I had broken a sweat and felt loosened up by the end of Eliot Lipp’s set, anxiously waiting to see what Emancipator would bring next. As Emancipator began their set, the overall vibe of the crowd seemed to change from raging craziness to a slower, more relaxed feel. Emancipator’s advanced lighting rig grabbed my attention right away. The rig included thirteen LED lit triangles that towered over the two artists. It was obvious that the lights were programmed for each song, as they seamlessly changed with each subtle transition in the music.

    Emancipator seemed to build in the layers in each track carefully, which allowed the set to take on a free-form. Emancipator barely used any distinct riffs from any of their albums, but did include brief teases of “Jet Stream” and “Kamakura” from their latest album Safe In The Steep Cliffs. Douglas and Ilya seemed to be in a trance, lost in their own musical take on down-tempo, trip-hop grooves.

    The performance was especially enjoyable and unique because the music warranted multiple potential responses. One could dance to it, just stand and relax to it or immerse one’s mind in the detail and complexity of it. An even blend of these types of expressions was apparent in the audience and I was eagerly sampling each one. This show presented me with three things that I look for in a live music experience: a danceable groove, some musical complexity to ponder and a chill crowd to experience it with.

    www.emancipatormusic.com

    www.thewestcotttheater.com

    Emancipator on Twitter

  • Woodenspoon + moe. = Floodwood, at the Putnam Den, January 25th

    What do you get when you take the mandolin from Woodenspoon, mix in the drums and guitar from moe., and add the fiddle/banjo and upright bass,?  A knee-slappin’, foot stompin’, head bobbin’, skirts-a-twirlin’ good time.

    Floodwood is Al Schnier & Vinnie Amico of moe., Jason Barady (mandolin) of Woodenspoon, plus Nick Piccininni (fiddle and banjo) and Zachary Fleitz (bass).  This isn’t the first side project for Al and Vinnie.  They have been playing together in Al & The Transamericans for over a decade.

    This quintet came together about a year and a half ago, but on stage they gelled like they’ve been doing it much longer.  The fun interactions between bandmates added to the warm vibe in the room as they pulled out a unique mix of bluegrass, Americana, and progressive string – or as the band would call it “Madgrass”.

    While the snow may have kept some people home on Friday night, the ones who showed up got a pleasant treat.  There was even one person who drove all the way in from Boston to see the show and was heading to Oneonta the next night for a double-dose of Floodwood.

    The band mingled with the crowd during opening act Rebel Darling, a trio featuring two guitars and a harmonica. There were a lot of familiar fans (some of whom were family and friends) there to see the local musicians.  Floodwood seemed to be right at home at The Putnam Den.  In fact, during the second set, Nick Piccininni jumped down off the stage to play fiddle and dance with the many smiling faces on the dance floor.

    It was a great time for those who braved the slippery conditions.  If you are one of those who stayed safely at home Friday night, you will be able to catch Floodwood as they play the Fiddler’s Picnic festival this year with other local favorites like the Rumpke Mountain Boys, The Blind Owl Band, Eastbound Jesus, Jatoba, and many others. But those courageous souls who made it — they got to be a part of Floodwood’s intimate, and successful, Saratoga debut.

  • The Bear Bones Project at The Rustic Barn in Troy, January 25th

    What once was a bunch of friends jamming cover songs to an elite few in a living room while their listeners munched on hummus and drank the wine has now molded into closed session rehearsals and a slew of new songs.  Those originals skipped a trial run. Instead, the five bones tossed their project out into the world for a live recording in front of a live audience at the Rustic Barn in Troy, NY.

    BBP524

    The Bear Bones Project has drawn a following of old time hippies hanging onto Grateful Dead era songs and young followers trying to capture the essence of an era just out of their reach.  The winter covered streets, the flakes in the frosted beards and ice under foot didn’t stop their dedicated following for the trek into the hills just beyond Troy. Inside the dimly lit pub, the wooden beams and stone fire place set the ambiance for a toasty evening of good grub, hearty brew and jam friendly music which will soon find it’s way to a polished disc.

    Each set was a blend of originals speckled in between obscure cover songs.  However, they started with a fun warm up tune familiar to most.  The Bear Bones Project had a little fun with The Beatles original, “I’ll Follow the Sun.” They create a neat little arrangement of two part harmonies breaking away to the only female of the group, Sandy Decker, during the chorus.  They were warmed up, the crowd was primed and they kicked it up a notch breaking into some brand new songs written by lead vocalist and guitarist, Carey Ahner.  The Bear Bones Project arranged each song for an overall sound of bluesy, classy jams interjected with a playful flute.  Bill Decker laid the bass lines down and drummer Eric Johnson moved the songs along as guitarist and vocalist Pete O’Hearn added just enough depth to keep this project firmly rooted in it’s inspirations of whimsy and jazzy tunes.

    Each new song is rich in lyrics, and musically accomplished.  There is a certain kind of sway to their songs and it is certain to get folks out of their seats. The Bear Bones Project can be seen at various clubs around the Capital District.

  • John Brown’s Body and Barika warmed things up at The Putnam Den on January 24th

    When most people think of Saratoga Springs it’s visions of horse racing in August.  Tiffany and Jonathon Albert, Bob Millis and Jarrett Hartstone and the staff at the Putnam Den are working hard to make Saratoga known as a place to catch great ORIGINAL music, year-round!  Based on the crowd at the Putnam Den on a bitter cold Thursday in January, they may be succeeding. Over 150 people braved the negative temperatures to feel the face melting heat of two talented bands, Barika and John Brown’s Body.

    Barika (pronounced body-kah) started off the night with a unique blend of psychedelic charm and West African-inspired beats thrown in, crossing gracefully into the realm of dub.  When Craig Myers stood center stage with a large gourd that had a long neck and bright yellow strings, heads turned.  The opening act of most shows is noticed for a moment and then conversations continue throughout the room.  However, when Craig started to play his Kamel N’goni – a wave of silence washed over the crowd.  The Kamel N’goni sounded like two dueling banjos fighting it out to see who could please the eardrums more.  Both hands plucked and strummed away at the neon strings, setting off a magnetic vibe through the Den.  As Barika played, the crowd started to creep toward the stage to find out what foreign magic these strangers from Burlington, Vermont brought to Upstate New York.  Craig wasn’t alone in playing the funky groove. Barika has six other talented musicians: Caleb Bronze (Drums), Rob Morse (Bass), Andric Severence (Keyboards) and on horns are Dave Purcell (Trumpet), Gordon Clark (Trombone) and Deva Racusin (Tenor Sax).  Deva didn’t make it out to the Putnam Den, but you can hear everyone on Barika’s new CD, Remember, available on iTunes and other outlets.

    Download Barika’s show here

    Just as things were getting warmed up nice and toasty, John Brown’s Body came on stage and turned the heat way up. John Brown’s Body has Upstate roots in Ithaca and have been playing their future roots take on reggae for nearly 10 years.  With tours around the world, it is always nice to catch them back in the area with new songs and a new EP, JBB IN DUB.   JBB started the show with a song off their new release, “The General’s Ambush.”  A nice steady beat and smooth horns come into play in this melodic instrumental number.  Bandleader Elliott Martin got to flex his chops with the second song, “Invitation” that had more of a ska sound with the brass section sharing the spotlight with Elliott’s smooth yet strong vocal stylings.  The crowd took the “Invitation”, and those fortunate enough to be at the Putnam Den had a hard time not approaching the dance floor.  More dub, more funk, more dancing ensued as JBB played another track off the new album, “The Grass.”  “The Grass” was reminiscent of the reggae of Marley in that it carried a strong message. The band ended up playing three songs off the new EP.

    John Brown’s Body is also planning a new full length album in the next few months and played “Plantation” off  that upcoming release. They also played old favorites like “The Gold”, “Resonate”, and “Push Some Air”.  Look for them around the festival circuit this summer and keep an eye out for the new album.  John Brown’s Body is a treasure that Upstate New Yorkers can call their own and it was a nice surprise to see them at the Putnam Den.  Be sure to check out the Den’s upcoming shows and give them the support they need to keep bringing these great line-ups to the region.

    Setlist: General’s Ambush*, Invitation, The Grass*, Plantation, Wellington*, Shine Bright, The Gold, Follow Into Shadow, Peace in the Valley, The Cup Dub, Empty Hands, Make It Easy, Zion Triad

    Encore: Resonate, Push Some Air

    * Off the new EP release JBB IN DUB

  • Jam Cruise 11 Photo Gallery, Part 2

    By the third day of Jam Cruise 11, everything seems so fluid. Moving from stage to stage, each with it’s own sound and vibe and seeing who’s sitting in with who, you never know what you’re going to see.  Or miss. Al’s solo set turning into an acoustic moe. set, Galactic coming out to play moe.’s setbreak (Kashmir!), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe playing some Beastie Boys (which I missed in December in Manhattan), ALO having fun with the Spinal Tap theme, Tea Leaf Green covering Europe’s “The Final Countdown”…  The island stops were nice too, a small reminder of what it’s like to stand on something that’s not moving. See Part 1 here

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Jam Cruise 11 Playlist: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PLxxJxvJ3pYYiJkDMnoOVjtsU3FlEjd8_t]

  • JamCruise 11: Setting Sail on one of the Great Music Festival Experiences, Part 2

    This is Part 2 of ’s JamCruise 11 coverage. Check out Part 1 here and listen to a recap of Jam Cruise 11 on This Week on Lot with Steve Olker, Matt Hebert and Pete Mason.

    Wednesday, January 9th

    Having gone to bed at 8 am, Wednesday would have normally been a sleep in day, but as the boat was arriving at Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, as I called it a night, I wanted to get out and see some island culture and life. So I struggled to get out of bed at noon, showered, dressed, ate a quick meal and got myself off the boat with Chris and Jason. You’d think that after 50 festivals, I would have learned not to overdo it one night and expect to be up and functional the next day, but this is Jam Cruise and you have five, count em FIVE days to spend on the boat, so pacing yourself and getting rest is wise in the longrun. A rookie mistake for me on my first Jam Cruise, but I wasn’t the only one, as evidenced by the late risers in the cafeteria. But still, Tuesday was fully worth it. You can’t do it at all at a fest, but it can be a lot of fun trying!

    Walking off the ship and entering the port area, we were welcomed by giant letters that read WELCOME TO GRAND TURK. A nice touch, along with the Duty Free being the entrance to the island, as well as a Ron Jon Surf Shop and sadly, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. We promptly walked through the eyesore to get to the local establishments for Turkshead Beer and fresh Conch Fritters. Hanging out near the beach, we were left with two options – stay here and drink and get a little sun on this overcast day, or venture out into the 7 mile island and get some culture. We opted for the latter because where we were was so touristy, we didn’t feel like we had gone anywhere. Plus, staring at the ship for 4 more hours wasn’t at all thrilling.

    A downside to waking up late: all the bikes, mopeds, and scooters you can rent to roam the island were all rented for the day. So we got a $5 cab ride a couple miles into the island and stopped in an area with shops, food and people. Island life on Grand Turk was pretty chill and looking for souvenirs didn’t have haggle or hassle attached – it was nice and low stress while we meandered about the town. Tourism is on everyone’s mind here, and they promote positive attitudes to help with their image, as tourism is so central to everyone’s livelihood. There is even a philatelic shop where you can mail postcards and buy stamps in the port area, all for the benefit of the island life.

    Jamcruise jam cruise 11 jeff woodWhile on the island, I chatted for a bit with Seth Weiner, the Activities Director for Jam Cruise 11, who has been on all 11 Jam Cruises. Working activities, we discussed the different options that were available to the cruisers and how they continue to come up with enjoyable events for everyone to take part in outside from the music. Events this year included repeats such as the Jam Cruise wedding, Autograph sessions, Rockstar Karaoke, plus they took it up a notch with Gong Show, Musical Bingo, Jamily Feud and Air Guitar, which tied into the theme of the last night, Spinal Tap. They also brought in the Moog Foundation, which honors the legacy and impact of Dr. Bob Moog, creator of the well known Moog Synthesizer. There were workshops, discussions, sound therapy sessions and other gatherings that highlighted the like and work of Dr. Moog.We boarded the boat with time to spare and got a little rest after the half day on the island.

    Dinner, we quickly noticed, was becoming an affair, with tables full of dressed up cruisers enjoying the hell out of their meals. There felt like a slight sense of urgency was in the air – we only had two days and three nights left! Jam Cruise was half over! It was time to step it up. Between the 3-5 courses served that night, we got going and prepared for a great Soul Train night. Donning Adidas Track Suits like a large contingent on the boat, I popped down to the Theater to see Greensky Bluegrass end their set with a cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry”, a truly awesome rendition by a jamgrass band with unique prowess and skilled vocals. I wish I caught more of Greensky, but headed up to the Pool Deck to catch up with Chris and Jason to see Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe for a funk filled set with some of the best horns on the boat. Karl stands about 5’7” but is ripped from what may as well be a 50 pound sax. He tears up every song he plays on, as noticed during “Rich Man’s Welfare” with The Motet horns and a broke out his flute for a cover of “7 Nation Army”, with the flute singing the lyrics.

    Lettuce followed with a killer set, as did moe. in the Theater – this one people were talking about for the rest of the cruise, especially The Pit > Water > Recreational Chemistry and Billy Goat > Tailspin. Even though I turned in around 2 am, I didn’t consider it an early night for me, it was just a chill night. Tuesday and the day on the island were exhausting, so I made sure to rest up and get my fill on Thursday and Friday, and that is exactly what I did.

    Thursday, January 10th

    Unlike other music festivals which are two, three or sometimes 4 days long, Jam Cruise is a five day affair and nothing can prepare you for that. You’ll think it’s easy, that the extra day or two won’t matter, but they do. There’s no coasting through on the boat – that’s why this is for veteran festivarians, which I consider myself to be, especially after this festival. Next Jam Cruise, there will be no such early nights, but rather a paced experience to carry me through the entirety of the festival.

    I started the day off in the Theater for a screening of the documentary Basically Frightened, profiling the life of mystic musician Col. Bruce Hampton. If you saw H.O.R.D.E. in the early 1990s, caught Widespread Panic down south, Phish at The Palace in Albany or with any number of bands in his nearly 50 year musical career, you were in the presence of greatness. Col. Bruce is a psychedelic, phophetic, poetic musician who has mentored musicians, had roles in films and otherwise been an enigma to bring out the best in those he plays music with. The trailer below was evidence enough for me and when it comes out in full release, be sure to watch it. I admire this man every time I see him play and still found myself more confused about him than ever once the film was over. When I approached him to tell him that, he said ‘good!’, and he meant it, a truly surreal moment.

    I headed back to the autographs signing again, got the other half of the musicians on the boat to sign my prints and chatted with Kyle Hollingsworth from String Cheese Incident, Matt Butler of Everyone Orchestra, Natalie Cressman and Jennifer Hartswick, the Disco Angels of Wyllys’ New York Hustler Ensemble, plus half a dozen members of March Fourth Marching Band (there are around 20 of them)

    On paper at the Magic Hat Wind Stage was set to be an Al Schnier solo set, but members of moe. slowly filed in to make it an impromptu full moe. acoustic set while many on the boat hung out in the pool. The set included She, Nebraska, Harder they Come, Shoot First and Haze, setting the tone for a day of big surprises all around the boat.

  • Umphrey’s McGee at The Landmark Theater, Syracuse, January 17, 2013

    I won’t lie — I went into Umphrey’s McGee’s show at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse on January 17, 2013, with almost no high expectations. I had seen them nine times and not once was I blown away. It always seemed stale, like the music was a moldy piece of bread. Just guitar solos and crazy lights, which always made for a fun show, but UM never made the cut to my iPod. That has since changed.

    So it came as a huge surprise to me when I walked out of the venue with a smile on my face, slapping hands and chatting about how great of a show it was. And it was! Not being familiar with a band’s full catalog can have serious consequences if you are reviewing a show. Luckily for me, I knew every song and had just enough UM experience to understand what was going on.

    First, let’s talk lights. Jeff Waful, the band’s lighting director, is insane. Not the committed-to-asylum insane, but lights-in-your-face crazy. I am so used to Chris Kuroda of Phish that I never really thought lights for any music could be as powerful as they are for Trey and Co. Waful puts on more of a psychedelic feeling show, with lasers and rotating bulbs. The Landmark is a small theater and to fit a rig in there has to be difficult and cannot compare to playing a large festival or outdoor arena. Waful manages to weave in perfect diversions from Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss’ wicked guitar mania. Those two guys, who just so happen to put on a real guitar clinic every summer, are two of the most talented players going today. My only gripe is that the lights were so blinding that I couldn’t hone in on watching their fingers. As a guitarist, I try to take something from every guitarist I see play. I need to see them again, standing on the stage again, listening to them shred again.

    “Cummins Lies” bled ever so thrashingly into “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” before a brief breath. “Walletsworth”, “Der Bluten Kat” segued into an instrumental of Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” back into “Der Bluten Kat”, “Through the Cracks”, “Smell the Mitten” and “The Floor” made for a rocking set. The second set was where I got “it”, as in understanding the band. “Prowler” > “In The Kitchen” > “Deeper” > “#5” > “In The Kitchen” was a full-on dance-a-thon, It just kept heating up with “Let’s Dance”, “Utopian Fir” > “Cemetery Walk” lit the rafters ablaze with fiery soloing. An encore of “Miami Virtue” > “Glory” sent the almost-full theater home with a happy ending.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Cummins Lies > Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Walletsworth, Der Bluten Kat > I’m On Fire > Der Bluten Kat, Through the Cracks, Smell the Mitten, The Floor

    Set 2: Prowler > In The Kitchen > Deeper > #5 > In The Kitchen, Let’s Dance, Utopian Fir > Cemetery Walk

    Encore: Miami Virtue > Glory

    Download the show here

    Show Poster by Dan Grzeca

  • Jam Cruise 11 Photo Gallery, Part 1

    It’s hard for me to put into words just how awesome an experience Jam Cruise 11 is. The music is non-stop and you’re sharing the ship with the artists, so when they’re not performing, they’re likely right there with you enjoying the music. Outside on the Pool Deck there is plenty of room to get down in front of the most conventional festival stage on the ship, but the indoor stages are much more intimate – it’s like being at your favorite small club back home.