NYS Music 20​13

Category: Show Reviews

  • Conehead Buddha and Funktapuss Lay it on Thick in Buffalo

    Funktapuss-ConeheadBuddhaA little cold weather and snow has never gotten in the way of a Buffalonian’s plans. On Saturday, November 23rd, the city experienced the first bitter cold temperatures of the year, but that didn’t stop the funk fanatics of the Queen City. Conehead Buddha and Funktapuss were in town and Nietzsche’s was packed with eager fans that fought the elements just to check these two out.

    With Conehead headlining the show, Funktapuss kicked things off with their soulful/bluesy style of funk. The five-piece from Cape Cod opened their set with a new song titled, “Unmistaken Reality.” While it started off like a slow rolling funk current, it really opened up as Ryan Tivey took the night’s first solo on sax and got the crowd buzzing. The end of the song had a heavy feel to it, similar to Lettuce’s brand of funk, and will keep me Googling the song name waiting for its official release. The band kept the pace after that, but really hit their stride on an old school/new school, back to back, funk history lesson. The guys took on a classic, covering Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”. Lead singer Latez Crawley’s voice shined with a couple of fans drawing comparisons to James Brown. From there, they went into a cover of the Lettuce song, “Do It Like You Do”, showcasing the bands tight control of rhythm and wrapping up the history lesson.

    As the set progressed, the band played songs off of their self-titled album as well as some other fitting covers. Brian Vanderbeek’s virtuosic bass opening to “Shakey Ground” was Wooten-esque and only reinforced why this guy should be known worldwide for what he can do with his instrument. It would be an insult to say he’s one of the best up and coming bassists as his skills are on par with all of the top names we’re familiar with. The band kept the funk pumping all night, only stopping briefly in between songs to really pack their set. Besides the opener, the group played two other new songs, “February” and “Soul Specific”. The three new songs as a whole were delivered with rhythmic precision and illustrated how Funktapuss is continuing to evolve their sound. Whereas their first album rode the soulful side of funk, the new album might see them kicking things up a gear as the three newbies on Saturday were simply incessant. To cap off their set, the group threw in one last cover, Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip”. This is a staple of theirs and the group absolutely nails it every time. Brian Vanderbeek’s heavy bass on the closer really drove the set home and had the entire crowd dancing to the throwback. With the band still relatively new, there was a resounding buzz in the crowd preceding the performance, wondering who these guys were and where they came from. This band is due to break out anytime now, and with every show it seems they’re gaining more and more momentum.

    Setlist: Unmistaken Reality > I Got to Groove > I Know > Higher Ground > Do It Like You Do > Lesson > Shakey Ground > Threadin’ the Needle > The Truth > Go If You’re Gone > February > Night Life > Soul Specific > What Is Hip

    Conehead Buddha took the stage next to keep the crowd moving. There was a lot of anticipation for these guys, which wasn’t surprising though as their blend of influences results in a feel-good vibe that anyone could dance to. The appropriately titled, “Aint No Better Way,” was the perfect way to start off the set. The high energy of the song immediately had people smiling and grooving around the dance floor, setting the tone for the remainder of the night. The stage was just as packed as the dance floor with the eight-piece band settling in to Nietzsche’s cozy stage. As the Latin rhythms carried in “Cielo Drive,” more and more of the crowd began to join in, coaxed from the outskirts of the club. The show was in full swing now and it seemed like Conehead had full control over its momentum. Mid-set approached and the band slowed things down with “Fly on Your Bedroom Wall.” The reggae feel was the perfect break to all of the energy that preceded it. The highlight of the night though, was during their song “Rockets,” as guitarist Justin Cross came out of nowhere and electrified the crowd. Up to that point, he was just blending in and contributing to the great feel, knowing all along he was going to blind side everyone in attendance. The solo lasted almost four minutes and showcased his chops while proving he had the control to hide it up until that point. For any musician, it’s a skill to know when to take the lead, but even more of one to show restraint. His surprise attack easily topped the night and left the crowd begging for more. These guys have been around the block a few times and tricks like this only reinforce that. They closed the night with an encore of “Safety in Numbers”, leaving all sweating and looking forward to the cold air. The walk back to the car was a welcomed one and definitely not requiring the jacket in tow.

    Setlist: Aint No Better Way > Mind the Question > Cielo Drive > Forget Me Not > Fly on Your Bedroom Wall > Crumbs > My Way > Wear You Down > Rockets > Vinnie > My Side of the Story > Present Perfect > Shades of Green

    Encore: Safety in Numbers

  • The Rascals Brought Broadway to The Palace Theatre

    The Rascals pulled into The Palace Theatre on Sunday, November 24th with their beautifully orchestrated Broadway concert to an ecstatic crowd to end their four night run of Upstate New York cities.  Playing 31 songs over a span of over two hours, the band showed why they were one of the most influential bands of the 1960s.DSC05558 (1) copy

    “Once Upon A Dream” is not your usual concert.  Throughout the show, the history of the band is told on a gigantic video screen between songs by both the band and actors playing younger versions of the band.  To be able to see all of these hits and get the group’s history all at once is amazing.  Little Steven, best known as one of the guitarists in The E Street Band, helped bring the group back together for this show.  It had been his dream for years to see these four great musicians play together again.  He is also a history buff when it comes to music, so he made sure that the two were paired together, and it really could not have been better.

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    The show was split into two sets with the first set getting more of the history of the band from song to song.  By the end of the set the band is getting into the big hits, playing “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” right into “Good Lovin’ ” to close out the show.  The audience showed their appreciation for Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati, Dino Danelli, and Gene Cornish, giving the group a standing ovation at the conclusion of the set as well as at the beginning of the second one.DSC05681 (1) copy

    The second set saw less video interruption and more musical performance.  A major highlight was “How Can I Be Sure” which let Eddie shine on lead vocals.  He looked to have been taken aback by the ovation from the crowd.  Each member had a chance to shine with Gene doing great guitar work all night, Dino pounding on the drums like a machine, and Felix sounding great vocally and laying down perfection on the keys.  They all seemed very excited to be in Albany as they got quite the ovation after their last song “People Got to Be Free (reprise).”  They thanked everyone, including those who help put the show on, and then sent the crowd home with “See” capping off a great evening.

    The show was supposed to return to Broadway in a few weeks, but it has been cancelled.  The band is hoping to reschedule it sometime next year.  Once the dates are announced, you would be wise to make sure you get tickets as this show is not to be missed.  They may be getting up there in age, but the music is still vibrant and the band is in high spirits throughout the show.

    Setlist: Set 1 – It’s Wonderful, I’ve Been Lonely Too Long, What is the Reason, You Better Run, Carry Me Back, Slow Down, Mickey’s Monkey>Turn On Your Lovelight>Mickey’s Monkey (Reprise), Come On Up, Baby Let’s Wait, Too Many Fish in the Sea, If You Knew, Hold On, I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore, Good Lovin’

    Set 2 – Good Lovin’ (Reprise), Love is a Beautiful Thing, Groovin’, Do You Feel It, Away Away, It’s a Beautiful Morning, Sueno, Find Somebody, A Girl Like You, It’s Love, How Can I Be Sure, People Got to Be Free, Heaven, A Ray of Hope, People Got to Be Free (Reprise)

    Encore – See

  • Southern Rock legends .38 Special Blows Away The Showroom at Turning Stone

    When .38 Special performed at Turning Stone’s Showroom on November 14, I remembered what made them great when their songs aired on the radio in the 1980’s. Their heartfelt lyrics powered by strong vocals on top of plain-old, good-quality Southern style rock is pretty much the definition of .38 Special. No surprises there – they lived up to expectations.

    What was surprising was the energy that went into their performance. .38 Special was formed the same year I was born. So, when I see performers who were in their peak when I was an infant, I’m pretty impressed when they rock it out. These guys took very few breaks all night, and the music may have stopped two or three times at most during their set. The sound simply rolled, Southern style, from one song to another.

    The other impressive thing was that these guys were happy on stage. More than once I saw a look of ecstasy on Don Barnes’ face during a particularly intense guitar riff. All the members of the band seemed to enjoy themselves; they offered genuine smiles to each other while performing and attempted sincere connections with the crowd. It was clear that the members of .38 Special were at home, at peace, and totally content on stage.

    Although they are currently (and likely permanently) performing without founding member Donnie Van Zant, I still felt that their music was very much together: the band worked well off each other. True to Southern Rock, the lack of competing instruments and vocals makes everything just flow together.

    As usual, the Showroom’s classy atmosphere allowed for great seating with a good view of the stage. This venue can handle a wide variety of performances, and while I love dramatic performances, what was refreshing about .38 Special was that their show was all about the music. I suppose that is what has kept this group together for 40 years.

  • Blues Traveler Brings Nostalgia and Fresh Jams to Upstate Concert Hall

    Blues Traveler brought an energetic and phenomenal show to Upstate Concert Hall on November 21, 2013. Blues Traveler has come back with a vengence, tossing away their reputation as a 90’s pop band and truly exploring their capabilities within their jams through each facet of their ensemble.

    John Popper has always brought a fresh and eccentric level of talent that extends the complexities of each song far beyond any 90’s pop band ever could. The band opened with an absolutely mind blowing take on the Charlie Daniels’ Band’s original “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” John Popper mimicked the explosive fiddle solos with his collection of harmonicas which he played furiously along with the rest of the band.

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    The band played off of each other all night, slipping into more folky, slow jams and moving back into full on rock and roll solos carried by guitar. At one point they busted into a rendition of Sublime’s “What I Got” which had the packed venue singing and dancing with the classic tune. Of course the night was also filled with Blues Traveler’s classics such as “But Anyway,” “Hook” and “Run Around” all of which were almost perfectly performed and had the crowd dancing and singing along to every word. “But Anyway” held a mind-blowing drum solo that showed that the capabilities of Blues Traveler as a band were expansive. From start to finish, Blues Traveler kept the energy high and the crowd dancing. Upstate New York is definitely looking forward to the return of this timeless and talented band.

  • Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Hit CNY with their Best Shot: A JTG Photo Gallery

    When Turning Stone announced that Pat Benatar was going to be in the Showroom in November, it was a guaranteed sold-out show.  The nearly yearly run through Upstate New York brought out droves of short-haired pixie cut women reliving their rebellious younger years through the musician that gave them the power to tell the world that collectively, “We Belong”.

    Pat Benatar and her husband (and business partner) for nearly 35 years, Neil “Spider” Giraldo, rocked the showroom despite being very sick.  Pat took short breaks to head toward the back of the stage to get a drink or clear her throat.  In the spotlight though you could barely tell that the legend was under the weather.  She gave it her all and the crowd was more than pleased.

    When Neil and Pat invited the crowd to ask questions, it gave Pat an opportunity to rest her voice as Spider answered most of the questions. From there she belted out some of her biggest hits, “We Belong” and the anti-child abuse anthem “Hell is for Children”.  With being sick, the crowd seemed surprised and so pleased that Pat did the whole set and didn’t cut anything short.  Amazing energy and a promise to return next year for a special 35th Anniversary tour – who could ask for anything more?

    Setlist: All Fired Up, Invincible, So Sincere, If You Think You Know How to Love Me (Smokie cover), River of Love, Promises in the Dark, Q&A, We Belong, Hell Is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Love Is a Battlefield, Everybody Lay Down, Let’s Stay Together, Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire

  • Syracuse marks the end to Pop Evil’s headlining tour at the Westcott Theater

    Syracuse was the last stop on Pop Evil’s most recent tour, which ended on Sunday, November 24.

    95X turned the band’s final show into an all-day event that began with a private acoustic performance and finished with Pop Evil’s grand finale after a four-band rock show.

    Pop Evil’s lead, Leigh Kakaty, and guitarist, Nick Fuelling, arrived at Revolutions (Destiny USA) to meet, greet, and perform for a small group of lucky contest winners. 95X awarded 10 winners (plus their guests) the opportunity to watch Kakaty and Fuelling perform a couple acoustic songs. The quiet performance of “Torn to Pieces” and “Monster You Made” were enhanced by some light commentary. Leigh explained that he wrote “Torn to Pieces” after the death of his father. It was not intended to become a Pop Evil song, but according to Kakaty, the band was so supportive of it that they included it on their newest album, Onyx, and are now regularly performing it. Kakaty encouraged the small group to sing along to “Monster You Made”, from the 2010 album, War of Angels, sharing that it’s “amazing to see fans singing your songs back to you.”

    Kakaty and Fuelling accepted some questions from the group before food was served — and, given that it was football Sunday — most of the talk turned to sports. Kakaty referred to Sundays at home as “Michigan blue-collar brutality” because Detroit Lions fans have had to repeatedly endure constant losses.

    After Kakaty and Fuelling left the stage they socialized and had photos taken with the guests. The private affair culminated with a bowling match between the band members and the ultimate contest winner.

    After bowling, we sat down with Joshua “Chachi Riot” Marunde, Pop Evil’s energetic drummer, he is reminiscent of the famous Muppet drummer, Animal.  Marunde has contributed a lot to the band’s stage presence and attraction. It was Chachi’s “insane” drumming that kept my focus on the band at Rock on the Range back in May (2013). Unlike many other drummers, Chachi is not content sitting in the background. He is actively involved in the entire performance. He prefers to stand while drumming and only sits when he has to use his feet to work. He hammers his head as forcefully as he beats the drums, makes gestures, and (even though he doesn’t have a mic) sings along to every song. His madness is intoxicating and while all the members of Pop Evil are energetic performers, Chachi is a RIOT to watch. Needless to say, I was eager to meet him. In addition to being very down to earth, he is also very articulate and super motivated. He shared with us that the band is a very tight unit, working really hard to “make it” in the rock ‘n roll scene. Their hard work is paying off though; when “Trenches” hit #1 on the Rock Charts in June (2013) while they were touring in Nebraska, the band tour manager, Chris Iteen, suggested the band take an uncharacteristic break and celebrate with a night of karaoke. Upstate Metal asked about Pop Evil’s future and Chachi was about bursting at the seams because of their 2014 plans, but couldn’t share (yet). Instead, he encouraged us to keep a close eye out for an upcoming announcement.

    <Since the interview last week we found out the big news is an upcoming tour with Stone Sour.>

    After leaving Chachi and the rest of Pop Evil to get ready for their show, we went to The Westcott Theater near Syracuse University. Built in 1919 as a cinema, The Westcott was retrofitted into a live music venue in 2008. The small venue hosted four bands, starting with local band, Pacinello , followed by The Letter Black, then Eve To Adam and finally Black Oxygen before Pop Evil took the stage around 10:30.

    Despite the “late” hour on a snowy Sunday, the crowd was pumped up and ready to take in the Pop Evil experience. The fans who had been spread throughout the venue crunched in to the stage to get a closer look when Pop Evil opened with “Deal with the Devil”, currently playing on Sirius’s Octane and local rock stations like 95X. I loved their clean and simple stage set, which allowed us to focus on the performers (I especially loved that that drum kit was elevated to get a better view of Chachi Riot’s raving performance). Next up on the set list was the song that sold me in Ohio, “Hero”, then 12 more songs before they rejuvenated the group with a partial cover of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”.

    You might have expected after a long tour for the band to drag a little. Not Pop Evil. They gave the same energy and quality to the couple hundred at the Westcott in late November as they did to tens of thousands at Rock on the Range in May. The band has often said that their songs are meant to send a message to their fans; one of inspiration. Many of their songs deal with loss, failure and (here’s the message) working hard to overcome adversity. Their final song, “Trenches”, speaks to just that, and Pop Evil gave it everything they had. The band left the stage expressing gratitude to 95X for supporting them, and to the fans for being a part of the tour’s last show.

    After their short 10 day break, Pop Evil will pick up the pace once again with at least 11 shows scheduled in the Midwest in December.

    Set List: Deal with the Devil, Hero, Flawed, Somebody Like You, 100 in a 55, Torn to Pieces, Goodbye My Friend, Sick Sense, Boss’s Daughter, Divide, Behind Closed Doors, Monster You Made, Last Man Standing, partial cover of Eye of the Tiger, and Trenches

  • An Interview with John Medeski

    John Medeski, mostly known for his work in Medeski Martin & Wood, will be playing an intimate solo piano show on Saturday, December 7 at the Massry Center for the Arts on The College of Saint Rose campus.  Having played shows this past summer with Phil Lesh and Friends, The M&M’s, John Scofield, John Zorn, as well as other sit-ins and solo shows, he has had a lot on his plate in the past year. John sat down for an interview with us ahead of the show.

    Medeski has been playing more solo shows as of late, but he still does not perform solo often, so the Capital Region is very happy to have the chance to witness this master of the keys in such a cozy setting.  His beautiful work on piano, keyboards and the like brings smiles to people’s faces no matter the group he is with.  The concert is scheduled to start at 7:30 P.M. so make sure to get there on time as you don’t want to miss a second of it.

    john medeski interviewPete Mason: With your upcoming solo show at the MassryCenter on December 7th, what can fans expect from seeing you perform without Billy Martin, Chris Wood, or any other collaborators? Perhaps songs from your new solo piano album A Different Time?

    John Medeski: Generally my solo shows are getting the picture, the unadulterated picture, of just me. (laughs) I can go wherever I want at any time – jazz, tunes of mine, the new record, it goes all over the place; there’s a lot of improvisation, dealing with what’s happening in the moment and feeding off of that and one thing leads to another.

    PM: The Word (Medeski, Robert Randolph, Luther and Cody Dickinson) has been a treat when they play at Bonnaroo and select venues. How do you treat the venture into gospel music?

    JM: The Word came about because of my long term love of gospel music. Luther and I had talked for years about doing an instrumental gospel album, without the words. The Hammond organ is just a natural part of playing gospel music so it’s a great opportunity to do something fun that I love. It’s another side of me, we all have many sides. It’s a way to get deeper into the music I love.  By playing the music and being ourselves, we put our own stamp on it. It’s a great band.

    PM: How did the occasional supergroup, The M&M’s, a lineup that includes (in different forms) yourself, Marco Benevento, Maceo Parker, Stanton Moore, Mike Dillon, Papa Mali and Rob Mercurio, first come together?

    JM: It all started as a promoter’s idea and we did a show in New York City with Stanton, Papa Mali and Mike Mercurio. It was easy and felt great, so we ended up doing another gig with Marco and Maceo, and we are now starting to work on a record. A lot of the time these groups don’t work, and I’ve done a lot of them. They’re always interesting, but this one has a life of its own and taken off on its own and you can’t go against that. We have a single out, “Melts in Your Mind”, and we plan to finish up the record sometime in the next few months and it should come out next summer.

    PM: What brand of pianos/organs/keyboards do you play and do you have a preferred model to use in performance?

    JM: I’m endorsed by Steinway, I like Bs or Ds or Greats. I seem to always go for Hamburgs, but every piano is different – Yamaha, Bechstein … a lot of factors work into the pianos. There are a lot of great pianos. There could be one with the same model number but sound completely different. For keyboards I use Hammond B3 or A100 organ,  I have a Wurlitzer 140 that I love. I use an electric piano, a Minimoog is important for me. I usually have an organ, clavinet and electric piano around me, plus an auxiliary keyboard as well.

    PM: Shortly after your show at The Massry Center, Marco Benevento performs just down the street at Red Square in Albany. If you’re not headed out of town right away, any potential stop in for a sit in with Marco?

    JM: Well, you never know. It’s very possible.

    A presentation of Premiere Performances, tickets are $25 ($12.50 for students) and may be purchased online at www.massrycenter.org

  • Maria Brink & In This Moment Headline the Best Buy Theater in NYC

    What do you get when you mix glam, sex, blonde bombshell, and perfect choreography with a drum beat that alters your heartbeat, screaming guitars, and voices full of power? You get heavy metal that’s not only awesome to listen to but one hell of a performance, particularly from Maria Brink of In This Moment

    Maria Brink In This MomentOn November 10th, the Best Buy Theater near Times Square welcomed a couple thousand metal-heads for The Hellpop Tour. The venue, originally the Astor Plaza movie theater, was designed to easily move people. The only lines that existed were those that were formed by the fans waiting for the doors to open – once inside, getting drinks, visiting the restroom, and even checking out merch were super easy.  It had some pretty classy features, like the glass chandeliers – check them out if you go.

    Maria Brink In This MomentAll Hail the Yeti stepped on stage first, offering intense and loud vocals, synchronized head banging, and drums that seemed to take control of my heartbeat. Up next was Kyng — although the vocals were harsh in the beginning, they sounded great in the end and the crowd was really impressed when they sincerely thanked their family for their support. Motionless in White was up next; this group, as always, drew tons of fans with their Gothic image and great sound. In addition to all three bands fitting perfectly into the typical heavy metal persona, they all noted, with surprise, how QUIET the NYC crowd was.

    That all changed once Maria Brink and In This Moment appeared on stage – as it should have. The music was awesome; on top of the totally synced metal, the vocals were powerful, and the lyrics were pretty commanding too. Unlike the three bands before them, In This Moment, is NOT your typical metal band. Their show is all about their lead, Maria Brink, and her very theatrical production. It is REALLY hard see/hear past the performance though. When you have two sexy dancers writhing next to the super hot Brink for 75 minutes, you do not want to focus on anything else.

    Maria Brink In This MomentThe crowd loved the set list; most songs came from the last two albums, A Star Crossed Wasteland and Blood. But they were just as excited when the band performed their “old school” stuff from 2006. The Nine Inch Nails cover of “Closer” was pretty perfect. Seems appropriate to pair this song, which is all about raw animal sex, with the heavy metal band that is totally playing on the female sexy.  I only wonder why Brink kept the “Closer” lyrics PG-13? Why say “I wanna LOVE you like an animal” when “fuck” is used pretty loosely the rest of the night? That aside, it was a great cover.

    Maria Brink In This MomentIn This Moment finished their captivating performance with “Whore”, then “Blood” for their encore. After that, the 2,000 metal heads “quietly” (and without waiting in line) made their way above ground to the Times Square lights.

    Words by Joy Houle, Photos by Jim Gilbert

  • Upstate’s own Maria Brink & In This Moment Headline the Best Buy Theater in NYC

    What do you get when you mix glam, sex, blonde bombshell Maria Brink, and perfect choreography with a drum beat that alters your heartbeat, screaming guitars, and voices full of power? You get heavy metal that’s not only awesome to listen to but one hell of a performance.

    On November 10th, the Best Buy Theater near Times Square welcomed a couple thousand metal-heads for The Hellpop Tour. The venue, originally the Astor Plaza movie theater, was designed to easily move people. The only lines that existed were those that were formed by the fans waiting for the doors to open – once inside, getting drinks, visiting the restroom, and even checking out merch were super easy. Oh, and it had some pretty classy features, like the glass chandeliers – check them out if you go.

    All Hail the Yeti stepped on stage first, offering intense and loud vocals, synchronized head banging, and drums that seemed to take control of my heartbeat. Up next was Kyng — although the vocals were harsh in the beginning, they sounded great in the end and the crowd was really impressed when they sincerely thanked their family for their support. Motionless in White was up next; this group, as always, drew tons of fans with their Gothic image and great sound. In addition to all three bands fitting perfectly into the typical heavy metal persona, they all noted, with surprise, how QUIET the NYC crowd was.

    That all changed once In This Moment appeared on stage – as it should have. The music was awesome; on top of the totally synced metal, the vocals were powerful, and the lyrics were pretty commanding too. Unlike the three bands before them, In This Moment, is NOT your typical metal band. Their show is all about their lead, Maria Brink, and her very theatrical production. It is REALLY hard see/hear past the performance though. When you have two sexy dancers writhing next to the super hot Brink for 75 minutes, you do not want to focus on anything else.

    The crowd loved the set list; most songs came from the last two albums, A Star Crossed Wasteland and Blood. But they were just as excited when the band performed their “old school” stuff from 2006. The Nine Inch Nails cover of “Closer” was pretty perfect. Seems appropriate to pair this song, which is all about raw animal sex, with the heavy metal band that is totally playing on the female sexy.  I only wonder why Brink kept the “Closer” lyrics PG-13? Why say “I wanna LOVE you like an animal” when “fuck” is used pretty loosely the rest of the night? That aside, it was a great cover.

    In This Moment finished their captivating performance with “Whore”, then “Blood” for their encore. After that, the 2,000 metal heads “quietly” (and without waiting in line) made their way above ground to the Times Square lights.

  • Cabinet and Rebel Darling: A Wallow at The Hollow

    A purist might not consider Cabinet a Bluegrass band.  Sure the building blocks are there, traditional instruments are there, but somehow Cabinet bellowed, thundered, resonated, hummed, and jangled from the depths of The Hollow in Albany creating a unique musical vibration. A six-piece ensemble from Pennsylvania was well received by a large and appreciative crowd. Cabinet is a no-frills type of band, at least until they pick up their instruments.

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    Cabinet moved through a set of songs of various tempos, some lyrically absent songs and tunes that engaged the crowd in what seemed to be a dance-a-thon. “Doors” switches things up within the song itself; beginning slow and steady, Todd Kopec uses his fiddle to take this song into another realm of existence. Cabinet has the ability to move a song into another space and then bring us back down to reality. Covering “Mr. Spaceman,” with their modern nuances, introduced a familiarity to the crowd, perhaps a nod of gratitude to The Byrds but even more so, a conjunction to their own music that ventures into avant-garde.  Cabinet played a lengthy set yet strategically left the crowd wanting more. Cabinet is currently on tour with dates in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C. through the end of the year.

    Brand new local 518 band Rebel Darling opened. Singer-songwriter and Rebel Darling founder Michael Poulopoulos exclaimed, “We extended ‘Harvest Heart’ on a whim lead by a dirty blues harmonica. We felt the moment and went with it.” Rebel Darling played Cabinet’s, Pappy Biondo’s solo song “Hard to Find” from his album Pappy Time.

    Rebel Darling released Harvest the Heart this past March. will have more on Rebel Darling in January.