Category: Special

An Interview with Marco Benevento, Coming to Red Square in Albany on December 7th

Keyboardist Marco Benevento has been a creative force for quite some time. From playing with Joe Russo in “The Duo” to playing with Mike Gordon, Trey Anastasio, and Russo in GRAB, and sitting in with many legends over the years, Marco is no stranger to impressing audiences with his signature sound. Playing his Hammond B3 and Wurlitzer electric piano, he has made a name for himself as one of the best keyboardists around today. This tour he is changing it up though and using a 63 key acoustic piano and a Synth to make endless loops that are sure to wow the crowd. His latest release Tigerface has been getting rave reviews throughout the year as he has been touring non-stop behind it. I had a chance to Interview with Marco Benevento about the upcoming Albany show as well as other topics:

Bryan Lasky: Looking back on the year as a whole, it seems like you have played everywhere under the sun. Do you have a favorite moment from a festival or a show?

Marco Benevento: Pickathon was a great festival out in Oregon just outside of Portland. There was a wide varitey of music. In the same weekend I saw Feist, Andrew Bird, some band that led a huge square dance and a great band that played some old 70’s soul music. And our band wound up in the new Pixies video because the film maker loved our set!

BL: What has it meant to your music to be able to play with Dave Dreiwitz and Andy Borger for a long time now? Has it changed your writing process? Is it more collaborative?

MB: We really just have a band vibe now. The live show is unstoppable right now too. I feel like we can throw curve balls left and right at each other and wind up with some nice surprises in our show. I’ve been doing the all of the songwriting, but everyone chimes in with there own unique taste and approach to the songs.

BL: You also played with many other artists and groups, such as The M & M’s at Equifunk, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), Bustle in your Hedgerow a number of time celebrating the 10th anniversary of playing together, and various other projects. How does working with all of these other musicians shape your current work?

MB: It’s just nice to have variety. It’s also nice to dive into specific bands and learn a lot of their music. Because of JRAD I now know about 20 or more Dead tunes and because of Bustle I know about 40 Zep tunes and with all of the Levon tributes I know about 40 Band tunes too! It’s important to learn those timeless tunes and to find out what the formula is that makes it timeless!

BL: Lately it seems you’ve been incorporating more lyrics into your songs. What made you go into that direction?

MB: Good question….I have no idea! Although, I can say that it feels like a very natural progression for me. It started with syllable singing to some of the melodies that I wrote. “This Is How It Goes” from TigerFace was a tune that really brought it out I think. At first my wife, myself and some friends sang and recorded the melody to “This Is How It Goes,” then months later I thought I should have one person sing it and Kal (Traver, of Rubblebucket) came to mind because I’ve always loved the sound of her voice. After actually hearing my tune with a vocalist singing the melody instead of the piano playing the melody I feel like a new door opened.

BL: Have you, Andy, and Dave been recording as a band? Can we expect a release in the coming year?

MB: We are recording in March with an incredible engineer and musician named Richard Swift. He’s now the keyboardist in The Shins and has recorded and collaborated with some incredible musicians that have been inspiring me lately such as Dan Auerbach and Foxygen. Hopefully we’ll have a new record out in the Fall of 2014.

BL: At Red Square in Albany this past June, you said you love the room and would like to do a month residency there at some point. Any news on that front?

MB: Yes!!! The news is that we’re going to do it!!!!!!!! We’re going to take a vote at our gig (on Dec. 7th) and see which month wins!!!

BL: Scott Metzger is opening for you with WOLF! on December 7. What can you tell the fans about them

MB: Incredibly tasteful!!!!!!!!!! I love touring with those guys I feel like it’s a great musical pairing for the night.

This Saturday night is sure to be a great show. Get there in time to see Scott Metzger with WOLF! and then be ready to dance early into the morning with Marco. Tickets available now at Redsquare.

December 2, 2013
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.

December 2, 2013
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.

Pete 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

December 2, 2013
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

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. 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 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.

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.

Words by Joy Houle, Photos by Jim Gilbert

December 2, 2013
Meet Your NYS Music Staff: Writer Christopher McMullen

Raised in the foothills of the Catskill mountains in Oneonta, New York Christopher McMullen was exposed to music at a young age. Dabbling in trombone and percussion, he also was a member of the school choir through high school. While in College at SUNY Oneonta, he traveled often around the country to see his favorite artists perform.

Attending concerts and festivals while still in high school, Christopher’s first solo show was Marilyn Manson opening for Nine Inch Nails at the Knickerbocker Arena in 1994. The very next summer he saw Phish for the first time at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY on the 25th of June, 1995. He have seen Phish approximately 84 more times since then, along with a plethora of other artists at various festivals and venues. Included in the list of these festivals are Outside Lands in San Francisco, Spin Summit in Colorado Springs, Electric Forest in Michigan, Bear Creek in Florida, All Good in West Virginia, Gnarnia in North Carolina and Wakarusa in Arkansas, just to name a few. Having recently attended Burning Man in Nevada, it’s safe to say that he will travel as far as it takes to go back again. An avid juggler, Christopher performs with an Upstate NY Fire performance troupe Cosmic Karma Fire at festivals all over the country.

He is hoping to travel the world as much as possible before its not an available option. He hopes to catch as many international festivals as possible while traveling. He would like to see some of the greats before they are no longer performing, including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, BB King, Weird Al Yankovic, Daft Punk, Roger Waters, Tom Petty & the Heart Breakers and Radiohead to name a few. Oh and Caravan Palace, Alt-J, De La Soul, and the Punch Brothers, yeah, them too.

November 29, 2013
Ozzy guitarist Gus G. to strike it solo with Century Media

Century Media Records announced today that they have signed Kostas Karamitroudis, most commonly known as guitar virtuoso Gus G., to a worldwide solo deal.

Well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist and as leader of his own band Firewind, Gus G. will make his solo debut with the release of ‘I Am The Fire’ in Spring 2014.

“Loyalty is a very important thing in the music business, and for me it just felt natural to trust my first solo effort to the hands of the record company that has been loyal, supportive, and has helped build my career for more than 11 years now,” said Gus G. “[Century Media Records is] a label that I truly feel as a family. Thank you Robert Kampf, Leif Jensen, Antje Lange, Don Robertson, Steve Joh, Jens Prueter, Nasrin Vahdani, Paul Gargano and the rest of the Century family! I truly feel blessed to be a part of CM history and look forward to exploring new territories with this new album!”

Century Media founder and owner Robert Kampf adds: “‘I Am The Fire’ is going to be another display of the amazing talent Gus G. possesses. We at Century Media are proud to work with a player and songwriter of his class and status, as well as the fantastic new album that Gus has crafted. Horns up!”

“I Am The Fire” was mixed by Jay Ruston [Anthrax, Stone Sour, Steel Panther] and was recorded between Los Angeles and Gus’ home country of Greece through the latter half of 2013. A few of the album’s tracks include “Eyes Wide Open,” “Redemption,” “End Of The Line” and “Blame It On Me.” The album showcases a well-balanced mix of active rock, classic hard rock, traditional metal and guitar-driven instrumentals, taking listeners on a diverse journey and opening doors to GUS G.’s soulful playing. Guest musicians and vocalists will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Gus G.. has had an amazing rise within the worldwide rock and metal scenes and has amassed an impressive body of work, both in studio and touring. He emerged as an up-and-coming talent with the groups Dream Evil[Sweden], Mystic Prophecy[German] and Nightrage[Greece], but it is his work with his own band Firewind(who have released seven studio albums and two live releases) and as a member of Ozzy Osbourne’s band that have helped him emerge as one of the world’s top metal and rock guitarists. His work on Osborne’s ‘Scream’ album led to a Grammy nomination in 2010, and his list of accolades includes Guitar Player Magazine’s Best Metal Guitarist, the Dimebag Darrell Shredder award at the Metal Hammer UK Golden Gods Awards, and Metal Hammer Greece Best Guitarist on three separate occasions.

November 27, 2013
Hearing Aide: North Mississippi Allstars ‘World Boogie’

New Orleans and Chicago can lay claim to their own blues sound, but the Memphis and North Mississippi Hill Country sound is the rarer, less explored gem of sound to discover. Fortunately, Luther and Cody Dickinson, the core of North Mississippi Allstars have spent the better part of the past 20 years sharing this sound with fans, following in the footsteps of producer-father Jim Dickinson. The sound – a gritty, unrefined and powerful force gushes forth in the fantastic World Boogie is Coming. Featuring tracks varying in length from one to ten minutes, the full pantheon of the regional blues sound is delivered through covers from blues legends the Allstars are happy to introduce you to, as well as originals and instrumentals.

“Rollin ‘n Tumblin”, best interpreted by Muddy Waters, kicks off with gritty guitar work from Luther, both plucked acoustic and shredded electric, and primal drums from Cody, leading to a fresh take on the early blues number. “Snake Drive”, the RL Burnside original the trio has performed for years has the vocals strained through a megaphone that makes for a distant, stripped down juke joint vibe. “Meet me in the City”, one of the more upbeat songs on the album (as close to a ballad as NMA gets, via Junior Kimbrough) drifts off into “Turn Up Satan”, where Luther Dickinson sings with a love-scorned blues infusion at its core.

“Shimmy”, another staple from the NMA live catalog is pure instrumental howling guitar while “World Boogie” and “Goin’ to Brownsville” give a taste of local flavors embedded in the vocals. “Jumper on the Line” is 10 minutes of bluesy bliss, anchored by Luther’s guitar and Cody’s drumming and a bass beat held down by Chris Chew, but it is the vocals on this RL Burnside tune that are inviting throughout.

A unique aspect to the album are the short interludes between the main tracks – “That Dog After That Rabbit”, “My Babe”, “Cuttin’ Shorty” – add to the album by providing slight valleys to the multiple peaks on the album. The bonus tracks are solid as well – “Back Back Train”, a lively and seemingly spontaneous “Hodown” and a studio take on a fun live tune, “ML (Goin Home)” are great extras for an album that is strong and thorough. Produced by the Dickinson brothers and featuring Lightnin Malcolm, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Duwayne and Garry Burnside, among many others, the musical history heard in this album is a rare-treat.

Key Tracks: Rollin n Tumblin, Turn up Satan, Shimmy, Jumper on the Line

November 27, 2013
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.

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.

November 27, 2013
Buffalo’s Own Alan Evans Returns Home to Nietzsche’s on November 29th

Alan Evans is a true Buffalonian – hard-working, humble, true to himself and fiercely loyal. He recalls growing up in the Queen City saying, “I was just lucky enough to be accepted at a very young age by seasoned musicians when I was coming up. I never felt like I didn’t belong or like I was just some little kid hanging on. That feeling of acceptance really made me feel like I could do anything in life. I’m forever grateful for that.” Fast forward to today and his passion has not only taken him around the world, but continues to lead him to new and exciting ventures. Anyone that’s been a fan over the course of his career knows this and will continue to look his way for anything he contributes to. It’s to nobody’s surprise that when the longstanding Soulive drummer ventured out and started another band, that success would soon follow.

Seemingly overnight, the Alan Evans Trio was born when Alan enlisted the help of Beau Sasser on organ and Danny Mayer on guitar to bring a fresh approach and round out the new outfit. Their sound harkens back to the days of Freddie Hubbard and George Benson, while raising the ante for the next generation. Each of the guys are outstanding musicians in their own right which allowed them to hit the ground running with their first album Drop Hop, released in 2012. They quickly established themselves and followed that up with their sophomore album, Merkaba, the very next year. The organ trio might have historic roots, but these guys are determined to carry that torch and continue to evolve one of music’s simplest arrangements. The subtle interplay of each member’s strengths is unbelievable for the short amount of time they’ve been together. There’s just a natural connection that Al anticipated when he assembled the band, and he couldn’t have been more spot on.

This year in particular though has been a great one for the guys. Not only did they get the chance to host the first live album recording at the Woodstock Sessions, but they also made their first trip overseas as a band. The jaunt to the UK was filled with new experiences, but the overall trip was what really captivated Alan. He explains, “The highlight of the trip has to be the trip itself. I’ve been all over the world many times with Soulive, but there was something really special about getting out of the country for the first time with AE3. It just inspires me to keep pushing forward.”

Even for someone as seasoned as Alan though, the return home is always something special. The Trio is headed to Buffalo Friday, November 29th, for a night at his old stomping grounds. When Nietzsche’s was brought up, Alan Evans said, “One thing you have to love about that venue is that it’s pretty much the same since my days playing there as a teenager.” He goes on about his hometown, “I just love the vibe in Buffalo. It’s just a very unique place in this world of ours.” We’re in for a treat indeed as Alan has always been known to pull out the stops for his Buffalo family. When asked about whether he would be doing anything special, Alan responded with, “I’m starting to write some new tunes for a new AE3 album and we have been rocking some of the new stuff live.”

Alan continues to prove why he should be considered music royalty in the Queen City, and Friday won’t be any different. Get there early, stay late, and take note, because the only time you’ll ever catch him slowing down is when the song calls for it.

November 26, 2013
Rubblebucket at the Westcott Theatre, November 20th

The lights gracefully brighten the stage and the audience finds themselves looking at colorful scarves draped across the microphone. It was only last fall that this Brooklyn based band played a sold-out show here in Syracuse and tonight, the Westcott Theatre is packed with a returning jubilant crowd gathered to see one of their favorite jam bands play. To the right is a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair, circling around in anticipation as singer Kalmia Traver aligns her saxophone carefully next to the mic. To the left are a red plastic cup holding college students chanting, “Rubblebucket” repeatedly. It is evident this band appeals to more than just one social scene. Armed with their wide pallet of instruments, the eight-member band takes on the stage like a stirring of galloping ponies, ready to show the town how to have a good time.

The band opens with “Bikes”, which brings back the tootsie-rolling, toe tinkling feeling of the early Free Design records. Traver showers the crowd with glitter and pulls out crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser from her setlist. In the middle of the band’s performance of “L’homme”, she casually pulls off the bright yellow scarf from around her painted face, to reveal a clean-shaven head, with a heart shaped buzz cut in the center that she dyed red. One can leave it up to Traver to even turn her recovery from ovarian cancer into a fashion statement. Traver, who had to cancel her summer shows because of her sickness, seems to have emerged even better than before. Her humming-to-the-flowers melody in “Silly Fathers” makes that apparent.

By the end of the night, everyone left the show a little worn out from all the “silly” dancing encouraged by the band, but the huge smiles plastered on their faces said that the experience was worthwhile, even if that meant showing up to work a little hung-over the next morning.

November 26, 2013