NYS Music 20​13

Category: Special

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Keller at The Haunt in Ithaca, February 20th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Flabberghaster on Myspace and Reverbnation

    Words and Video by Ryan Woodard

  • Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival 2013 releases day-by-day lineup

    Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, taking place June 21-23, 2013, at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA, has released the day-by-day lineup for the festival

    Friday, June 21: Wilco, The Relatives, White Denim, plus Yo La Tengo playing live to the film The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller

    Saturday, June 22: Wilco, Neko Case, Low, Yo La Tengo, Foxygen, The Dream Syndicate, Lucius, Mark Mulcahy, Sam Amidon plus John Hodgman’s Comedy Cabaret featuring Reggie Watts, Al Madrigal and Jen Kirkman

    Sunday, June 23: The Blisters, Mikael Jorgensen and Greg O’Keeffe, Nels Cline and Julian Lage, Glenn Kotche’s On Fillmore backing a live performance of the public radio show Radiolab, The Autumn Defense, Border Music featuring Mark Ribot and David Hidalgo, Os Mutantes and Medeski, Martin & Wood with special guests.

    ZeroStudio Photography
    ZeroStudio Photography

    Be sure to watch a new video release of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy discussing “the full picture” of Solid Sound.

    The weekend will host two headlining perfomances by Wilco, a comedy cabaret hosted by John Hodgman, four stages packed with various musical acts, kid-friendly activities plus plenty of world-class modern art. The festival is offering bus transportation to and from New York City as well as Boston. Reservations are required in advance for the tent camping sites which are within walking distance to the festival and museum.

    Single-day tickets available as well as three-day passes for the three-day jubilee of music, art, comedy and more can be purchased at the festival’s official website. Single day tickets range from $65 to $85 and the early bird three-day passes are only $124 but will soon increase to $149.

  • High Dive Horse Interview

    hdh (1)

    When I put out a post that I was interested doing written interviews, one of the inquiries was from Tim Fields of High Dive Horse. I was excited about this, because I always enjoyed reading their Facebook posts and seeing their pictures with the horse head masks on. This was one of my favorite interviews because I love when a musician has a sense of humor.

    Steve Strader – First off how many members are there, four or five? Does it depend on the songs you guys play or just the availability of the group?

    Tim Fields – We currently have four members: myself (Tim Field) on drums, Adam Vlassis on bass, Drew Sweeney on guitar, and Chad Seyer on guitar/vocals. We are actually looking for a 5th member for lead vocals… Hint hint.

    SS – What was the inspiration behind your name? Is one of the members a jockey or involved in taking care of horses?

    TF – The inspiration behind our name was actually from the previous drummer of the group. He suggested the name and said we can say it is for protesting animal abuse, or something like that. And yeah, I think Adam likes horses. He is weird like that.

    SS – How did you guys come to form?  And when did the magic happen?

    TF – The band actually formed through a series of Craigslist ads. Adam always jokes about the first time he met Chad by saying “It was a successful Craigslist meeting because I didn’t get raped.” I think it has been over a year.

    SS – Who are some of your influences?

    TF – Influences range few and far between for our band. As for myself, I grew up on the “Wannabe Punk”, as the rest of the band calls it, consisting of Sum-41, Blink-182, and New Found Glory. However, I started to get into Metal and things like that. As of right now, my biggest influence is Nate Felty of Leylines, a local Syracuse band. Check them out. As for Adam, Chad, and Drew, they are all influenced by Lagwagon, Bad Religion, NOFX, Bad Astronaut, and Rise Against.

    SS – How is the success going for your street team? I mean the prizes you guys are offering: carrying your equipment around, a band member’s used bath towel… Who wouldn’t jump on that!

    TF – Our street team is so successful, it has five members: four of the band members and Chad’s cat, the panther. That’s about it. Who doesn’t want to rub my feet after a kick-ass show? Seriously.

    SS – On Valentine’s Day you said to expect big things soon; what kind of things can we expect in the near future?

    TF – The big things that are planned is the album, and we are going to begin playing shows again pretty soon, as the album is coming to a wrap.

    SS – I see that you guys like PBR! What words do you have for the hipster a**holes who hijacked the image of it?

    TF – To anyone who hurts PBR, you will die.

    SS – The horse heads in your photo albums are very comical. What caused you to use these horse heads?  Is it just a gimmick to go along with you name? What’s the story behind it?

    TF-The horse heads we use in our pictures for Facebook is kind of a play on our name, of course. It is comical to have pictures of people doing stupid stuff in a horse mask, am I right?

    SS – How does it feel to not be nominated for a Sammy?

    TF – MAN, I cant BELIEVE we were not nominated for a SAMMY after only playing, what, like four shows? Haha!

    SS – Adam, if someone were to open your fridge what would they find?

    TF-If you opened Adam’s fridge, it would be lined with Tofu and vegan stuff. Extra firm too. Oh baby.

    SS – Tim mentioned your album will be coming out soon. What has the creative process been like? I saw on Facebook you had to do multiple takes on the drum tracking. What have been the highs and lows making it? Remember, don’t spare any gritty details either!

    TF – Oh boy, the album. Well, we are recording it and producing it through Boilerplate Records, as Chad owns part of it. We recorded guitars, bass, and vocals down in his basement, and then transferred the studio to my house for the drum recording – the worst part… Drums suck to record. But overall, it has been a very fun and creative process, but one I would not want to go through all the time. I can speak for everyone on that.

    SS – Anything to be seen or heard from High Dive Horse in the near or distant future?

    TF – Expect the album! Thanks for interviewing us!

    SS – The pleasure was all mine, looking forward to seeing you guys in the future!

    Give them a like on Facebook; there are a few tracks there for download. Then head over to the 315 Street Team page and give us a like. I have Video interviews on my YouTube channel which is located in the “About” section. Support the scene and if you see these guys are playing, go and wile out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Wood Brothers website and on Twitter, Facebook 

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

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

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

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

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