Experimental and progressive Rock, powerhouses – Aqueous and Tauk will play 2 Upstate, NY shows this week. Both bands have continued to grow from high school bands to Nationally performing, festival favorites. There is no doubt that the musical bonds that brought them together have produced some of the East Coast’s most spectacular funktastic rock infused musical acts – Aqueous and Tauk may be separate bands but their paths are shared on a journey to musical stardom.
Aqueous and special guests Tauk will first play Dubland Underground in Rochester, NY on November 15th. Show starts at 10PM and tickets are $7 and this is an 18+ ages show.
The experimental duo then heads to Buffalo on November 16th to play Nietzsches . Show starts at 10PM and tickets are $7, this is an 21+ show. For more information on where to purchase tickets please go HERE.
Dig in to favorite 2013 Grateful Dead memories when you download and obsess over the latest Almanac, complete with breaking news on what’s on the horizon for Dave’s Picks 2014 (subscriber intel and, spoiler alert, details on Dave’s Picks Volume 9), updates on Grateful Dead family doings, videos, music, Comix, exclusive limited-edition merch just in time for the holidays, and much, much more.
The 2013 Grateful Dead Almanac is now available for your viewing, reading, and shopping pleasure on all devices, be they smartphone, tablet, or computer. Download and enjoy it here.
Donna the Buffalo’s upcoming performance in Rochester, NY at Water Street Music Hall on Saturday, November 16th with Sim Redmond Band has been moved to The Armory on East Main Street. Tickets already purchased for Water Street will be honored at The Armory.
With Water Street under new ownership recently and going through some changes, this re-location of scheduled performers was inevitable. Donna The Buffalo has been a staple of the Upstate, NY music scene for 2 decades, so making sure this show still went on was critical to our local music scene.
Donna The Buffalo will play the Main Street Armory with The Sim Redmond Band on Saturday, November 16th. Doors open at 8PM, tickets can be purchased at the venue box office or ONLINE for $20 in advance and $25 at the door, this is an all ages show. For more information you can contact the venue at (585) 232-3221.
Tuesday night’s Phish show in Rochester was a hometown show for a lot of us – sharing in the groove, the night was a spot-on show for the band as well as the crowd. Phish hadn’t played the Blue Cross Arena (The War Memorial) in 14 years and phans had high expectations for how the night would go.
The Blue Cross Arena is set in the center of the city, the home of the Rochester Amerks hockey team and capacity of 13,000. Although this was not a sold-out show the venue allowed for dance room and a perfect landscape for Kuroda’s spine tingling, face-melting light show. This show was a night when phriends and phamily got together for the love of live music.
Poster designed by Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff
As a phan who saw two of their other shows here in Rochester, I knew this would be a solid show. What made this show the best of the three appearances was the fact that my 8-year-old daughter Ella was accompanying me and she shares my love for the band. Going to shows as a Mom is a hard choice for some people but for me its second nature. The joy it brings to not only her face and my face as she dances and sings along – but the joy it brings to the phans around us who adore that she is there, and thank me for giving her that experience – that feeling of love and acceptance for the music and the scene is what I love sharing with her.
In full Mom-mode, Ella and I set out to find the perfect dancing space in the venue, not too high up and not within the rowdy crowd. We found our spot in the opposite goal area from the stage. A small alcove with dreadys and spinners, the small crowd in there took turns high-fiving Ella and offering me accolades of, “you’re such an awesome mama” and “she’s the coolest little girl,” all of which made the night seem like perfection. With our spot secured and Ella perched on the ice rink wall, the lights went dim, the show had begun. Phish came right out of the gate with a much-needed, “AC/DC Bag” – the scene was set, the crowd was ready, this was going to be a spectacular show!
The “Moma Dance” set the crowd on fire, Axilla I brought on the lyric chanting, but what really got the groove goin was the – “Meatstick,Kill Devil Falls,Scent of a Mule”. This was one of several moments of the night that produced that energy we all seek at these shows; A hometown party insued, the days of ‘old have emerged in this tour and fans couldn’t be happier. “Character Zero” ended the first set with expectations surpassed.
Second set began with a 16:26 minute “Crosseyed And Painless” and Ella was holding her own at her now third Phish show since birth. She got down hardcore to this jam, feeling the freedom to dance and move about the sound of the music, we were sharing in the groove, sharing an experience of pure joy. “The Light > Golden Age” was nothing short of a miracle, glittered with the lights on the fans, Kuroda’s light show matched each note to a point, it was clear the band was feeling the crowds energy in a symbiosis of music and lights.
The funk re-emerged with “Birds of a Feather, Halley’s Comet, Possum” – another part of the night that left fans speechless but dancing about in a undescible groove. With the night getting later and the little one getting more tired by the song, Possum would turn out to be our last dance-off for the evening, while seated with her on my lap during “Heavy Things”, it was clear we would have to call it a night.
Finding out we missed a fantastic “YEM” and “Joy” was saddening but keeping in mind that going to shows as a Mama also means leaving shows as a Mama with a tired little girl. All in all, this show was a spectacular night for everyone in attendance – especially the coolest kid I am proud to call my daughter! Thank You Phriends and Phamily for a real good night, and Thank You to Phish for creating a community around music in which I am able to experience with the youngest of phans.
Phish – October 22, 2013 – Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, NY
Set 1: AC/DC Bag, The Moma Dance, Axilla I, Meatstick, Kill Devil Falls, Scent of a Mule, Timber, My Friend My Friend, Halfway to the Moon, Maze, Character Zero
Set 2: Crosseyed and Painless, Light > Golden Age, Birds of a Feather, Halley’s Comet, Possum, Bug, Heavy Things, You Enjoy Myself
Encore: Joy, First Tube
Notes:Meatstick contained the Japanese lyrics. Scent of a Mule featured Fishman on Marimba Lumina. Page teased Baby Elephant Walk before the start of the second set. Golden Age began over the jam out of Light.
With the start of Phish’s fall tour in Hampton this past weekend, few things are more exciting than the anticipation of an Upstate New York show. Rochester and Glens Falls are gearing up for two raging Phish shows that have been 19 and 13 years in the making, respectively. Local businesses and fans are ready, and has your guide to all that is happening in Rochester and Glens Falls before and after the shows this week.
photo by Danny Clinch
On Tuesday October 22, Phish will play the Blue Cross Arena (War Memorial) in Rochester. The documentary Bittersweet Motel, directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover) features footage from the band’s December 11th, 1997 performance, including the rehearsal and debut of Ween’s “Roses Are Free”.
The next night, Wednesday October 23, Phish will return to the Glens Falls Civic Center for the first time since October 31st, 1994, when they covered the Beatles’ White Album in its entirety. This epic performance not only started the band’s musical costume tradition, but also launched the band into the general mainstream.
Below is a list of pre and post show events, as well as maps of the area. Have fun and see you at the shows!!
Upon arrival in Rochester, take the Plymouth and Broad exit off I-490. There is underground parking on Broad Street and an outdoor main lot on the corner of Court Street. and Exchange Street., but parking naturally fills up quickly as you would suspect. On Court Street you will find Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, an Upstate New York favorite for good reason, so get there early and grab a table and a bite to eat. In a rush – grab food at the bar and enjoy a great selection of beers.
Post show, Glens Falls has two great shows, both right in town and a short walk from the Civic Center. Twiddle and Mister F will be at Hot Shots Sports Bar, located at 45 South St. If you can’t get a ticket to Phish, this show starts at 10pm and is 21+. The other post-show is Touchpants at Sandy’s Clam Bar, featuring Jon Fishman! Sandy’s is located at 41 South Street and this show is SOLD OUT!
NYS Music was lucky enough to capture two Keller Williams shows in Upstate NY, a solo performance at German House in Rochester on September 12th and at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, NY on October 10th with special guests, New York’s very own Floodwood sharing the bill.
Keller Williams is truly a Renaissance Man of the music world. With an album repertoire including, to name a few – a Children’s album, a piano infused Grateful Dead covers album (Keys) and a bluegrass treat with the Travelin’ McCourys (Pick) – all in addition to his noteworthy one-man-show events, set Keller far apart from the Jamband pack.
Currently on tour across the East and West Coasts, Keller can be seen on any given night of the week as either his solo performance or accompanied by one of several bands like – Floodwood, The Travelin’ McCourys or More Than A Little.
The German House performance played to an intimate local crowd with energy that filled the air while permeating the dance floor with a flood of dancing shoes.
Arriving onstage barefoot in rolled-up khakis and strapped with a guitar, Keller beat on the strings of his guitar to a wordless jam with increasing intensity of sound. Whilst twirling around the stage in circles with silly faces and comical interactions with the crowd, Keller’s inner presence beamed from his gestures – it was clear the crowd was in for a fantastic evening.
This particular night Keller was consistently impressing fans with sampling several different instruments at once and dancing around while creating music, amazing music! Many were in awe of how seamlessly he was not just making music, but he was the music, it was all-encompassing and a delight to be a part of.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:
Keller’s version of Ani DiFranco’s “Freak Show” was an excellent first for me – Keller giving credit to the creators of the song he was making his own, saying – “bass line by the GD words by Ani Difranco”. Freaker by the speaker created a funky psychedelic jam that blew the roof of the house that night.
During a drum beat infused Franklin’s Tower the crowd erupted into a sing along where Keller Williams improvised lyrics to say, “If you get confused listen to the fake trumpet play” – as he created trumpet sounds from an iPad on a stand. It seemed to be a spiritual moment in the German house where, we as a music community in Rochester, NY, once celebrated the life of a fallen brother, Scott Schojan – the words “may the four winds blow you safely home again” sends a warmth thru my body knowing at that moment, Scotty was in the room with us.
I first heard of this band called Phish in the middle of my first year of college at SUNY Alfred from a fellow architecture student. He had a few tapes which he copied for me (which in turn I was able to trade for a box full which now resides in the “dusty memories” corner of my basement). This was back in the day where you couldn’t just turn on YouTube or cruise to the Phish spreadsheet to hear whatever show you wanted – you had to actually work for it! Despite my musical background, which was mostly metal and classic rock at that point, the band impressed me immediately. The juxtaposition of incredibly structured songs wrapped in periods of ‘anything goes’ was completely new to me and I became engrossed in learning about all things Phish.
It wasn’t until the summer of ‘93 that I finally had an opportunity to catch the band live, but by then I had heard dozens of tapes, knew the studio albums by heart, and was beyond psyched for my first experience. My friend Ron and I traveled up from Candor, NY, just south of Ithaca, up to Buffalo to meet some of his friends. As luck would have it, his friends parents were quite well-off and we spent the early afternoon in a gorgeous custom pool with attached hot tub before collecting everyone and heading towards Darien Lake. After a quick and delicious stop at Buffalo’s Mighty Taco we got to the venue a few hours before show time.
After scoring my first ever lot grilled cheese and a nice fan-made “Gone Phishin’” t-shirt, we wandered in to find a good spot on the lawn. The weather was perfect and the shrieks of nearby tourists in the next door amusement park only added to the overall excitement in the air. I was immediately taken aback by the crowd, while it certainly reminded me of the two Grateful Dead experiences I had gone on, there was something different about it, almost intangible…
The band wasted no time coming out of the gate with an especially “Taboot” version of “Llama”, arguably one of the greatest openers in the bands repertoire. While my ears remained transfixed to the auditory mastery unfolding before them, my eyes started to wander around the crowd around me, trying to quantify that intangible feeling I had noticed earlier. What I observed was astounding. Everyone stood, transfixed by the music. Chatting was minimal. The sea of people knew every word, every note, every nuance of the songs being performed. People danced to their own hearts, with no qualms of judgement. This was not a place to worry about mortgage statements, exes or bosses that make you work all weekend. This was a time to live in the moment and become immersed in the pureness of music mastery. The rest of the set was loaded with treats for new timers and seasoned veterans alike. From the simple recreation of “Bouncing around the Room” to the fierce peaks and improvisation in a “Reba>Maze” pairing, which remain as some of my favorite versions of those songs to this day.
Then stuff got awesomely weird as the first notes of Colonel Forbin’s ascent rang out and the crowd collectively shit their tie-dyed britches. The Colonel went on quite the journey this sunny August day, as Trey’s narration appropriately took us through the “roller coaster of the mind” as unknowing park dwellers went on their own metal and wood coaster journey’s nearby. Eventually the Colonel found the Famous Mockingbird and the band closed the set with a spirited version of classic set closer “Cavern.”
After far more than the 15 minutes Trey promised us, the band came back for the second set and launched into the familiar notes of Strauss’s “Also Spracht Zarathrusta”. More typical lengthwise to the 3.0 versions of this tune, it was a quick one and launched immediately into my very first experience with Mike’s Groove. Mike’s Groove has had a lot of variations throughout Phishtory, but the standard is the trio of “Mikes Song”, the segue instrumental “I am Hydrogen”, and the raging rock of “Weekapaug Groove” to close it. This particular Mike’s would stray far from the standard. Two distinct jams in the Mike’s section, with the second being so atypical it is often marked on setlists as “Irish Diddy Jam”. Sandwiched in the middle of this monster was my first experience hearing (or knowing about) the Jon Fishman penned poem “Kung”. We stood up, we ran to the hills, we imagined 1000’s of stampeding golf carts hell-bent on stealing our rich minerals. I gave Ron the 10th of what would be dozens of “Did that just really happen?” looks that night.
Little did I know, this Mike’s was just getting started. Instead of the typical segue into “I Am Hydrogen” the band went into yet another rarity, the beautiful and succinct Trey instrumental “The Man Who Saw Into Yesterday”. Continuing the groove madness, the Phish version of the Jewish prayer “Avenu Malkenu” came next. “Our Father, Our King, be gracious with us and answer us, even though we have no deeds; treat us with charity and kindness, and save us.” But who would save us? Instead of the typical “Weekapaug” exclamation point, “The Sloth” came down from the ghetto to slice our nipples. No one complained. In fact we all felt like laughing. And we laughed and laughed until we fell apart during the ensuing “Sparkle” which was set on super-holy-phuck-turbo speed. No bathroom songs in this show. The set continued with a well executed version of THE original Gamehendge song, “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters” which segued into a hilarious take on Prince’s “Purple Rain” with the typical Phished up version of Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up” to follow. The set then closed with arguably Phish’s greatest show closing tune, a rip roaring, unrelenting “Run Like an Antelope” complete with fireworks and a laser light show from inside the theme park.
Two decades later this show still resounds as one of the greatest experiences I’ve had. Five Gamehendge related songs, a Kung, audience signals, the most atypical Mike’s Groove I have seen to this day, and just the overall experience of euphoria and belonging in the air made it something I will never forget. It was truly a life changing experience and Phish has endured as a major portion of my being ever since. I wear a handcrafted gold Phish ring on my hand. My car is adorned with a PH1SH license plate. I saw my 3oth show on my 30th birthday. My son was conceived during Coventry weekend. Twenty years later, I’m still upside down.
Set 1: Llama, Bouncing Around the Room > Poor Heart > Stash[1] -> Makisupa Policeman, Reba[2], Maze, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird[3] > Cavern
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Mike’s Song[4] -> Kung -> Mike’s Song > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Sloth, Sparkle, My Friend, My Friend[5] > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters -> Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Carolina, La Grange
[1] Unfinished. [2] No whistling. [3] Narration dealt with the “Roller Coaster of the Mind.” [4] Aw Fuck! and Oom Pa Pa signals. [5] Beginning featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
Experimental and progressive Rock, powerhouses – Aqueous and Tauk will play 2 Upstate, NY shows this week. Both bands have continued to grow from high school bands to Nationally performing, festival favorites. There is no doubt that the musical bonds that brought them together have produced some of the East Coast’s most spectacular funktastic rock infused musical acts – Aqueous and Tauk may be separate bands but their paths are shared on a journey to musical stardom.
Keller Williams
Arriving onstage barefoot in rolled-up khakis and strapped with a guitar, 