I was originally scheduled to cover the Alestorm‘s New York City appearance on December 2, yet it ended up being a 3-day party saga that was surely nothing less than memorable!
One of the last few stops of this year’s Alestorm tour was hitting the Great Apple. Gypsyhawk was in charge of starting out the night. They found some warmth among the New York City fans – far from the cold temperatures of Canada, where they had just come from. They showcased California Rock n’ Roll at it’s finest (having persevered though the struggles of a broken down car) and delivered an energetic performance.
As always, it was expected that Trollfest would have the crowd in constant motion with everything from mosh pits, walls of death, crowd surfing and, of course, lots and lots of dancing. Since their last appearance in the city during the annual Paganfest, the local crowd has grown immensely. Their performance was quite the fun-fest. Not only did the silliness of the band make it so much more exiting, they interacted a lot with the fans; at some point they even played in the middle of the pit, as fans danced around them.
And when you think it doesn’t get any better than Trollfest, Pirate Metal comes along. Alestorm brought the party full circle as they delivered one of the most exiting and energetic set. The crowd surfers rained towards the front, as everyone else was dancing and singing along to the drunken pirate lyrics. Again one cannot emphasize enough the fact that the band takes the time to bond with their following. They brought some girls on stage to dance with them, and just joked around in between songs.
I’ve seen so many shows throughout the year, and I have to say, not only was this the top one for me, but it was the cherry on top to end this memorable year of gigs.
Follow Kassandra as she continues her 3-Day adventure.
New Year’s Eve 2014 is right around the corner and there are a ton of musical ways to bring in 2014 for readers. If you’re not already off to MSG to get your Phish on, or headed to moe. at The Palace in Albany, NY – here’s a list to get you started. Remember if you’re sitting home webcasting when live music is readily available locally you’re old! Get up and go dance and support your local music scene.
Nietzsche’s: Funktional Flow, Smackdab, Logo City, Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams
Pearl Street Brewery: Live band’s Meet the DJ’s Roots Collider w/ Sigma, Rhubarb w/ DJ Marcos, Space Junk w/ DJ Drop D
Hudson Valley Resort & Spa, Kerhonskon, NY:Rock N Roll Resort vNYE 2014 – The New Years Eve edition will include Particle, Bastinado, Fikus, Mun, Mister F, Cheat Code, Digital Storm, Honeycomb, DJ Adam Amrod, Sweat Pant$ Money, Spundose, Creeper, The Big Sway, Danzer, Space Carnival, and more… for more information on tickets and packages please visit their site HERE.
Huntington
The Paramount Theater: Dark Star Orchestra
Ithaca
Corks and More: Sim Redmond Band
The Gates: SOLARiS plays The Gates in Ithaca, New York’s Collegetown. With special guest DJ Gundz spinning between sets, so the music will be bumping all night long.
New Year’s Eve at Sticky Lips BBQ. Featuring headliner Tommy Brunett Band, with Public Market Band. 830 Jefferson Road. $15. Doors at 9 p.m. 292-5544. stickylipsbbq.com
Rock ‘n’ Roll Burlesque Ball w/Teen Set 45 Crew. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. 8 p.m. 21+ bugjar.com
New Year’s Eve Bash at the Lovin’ Cup featuring music by Shine. 300 Park Point Drive. Three-course dinner specials and champagne toast at midnight. Doors at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m., party until 4 a.m. $10. 292-9940.lovincup.com
The power of social media compels you. It’s been nearly three weeks since Slipknot announced drummer Joey Jordison‘s departure from the band, and fans of the Grammy Award winning group have little information to help put themselves at ease about their future. In fact, many have started to speculate that the veteran group out of Iowa has quietly called it quits.
The Metal Core, a heavy metal Facebook community out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, started voicing their concerns on their Twitter account Sunday night, and invited each of their 64 thousand followers to share their thoughts.
“It’s been hard,” added Richard Gomes, “and it’ll never be the same, but once a maggot always a maggot. I’ll always love them and [they] will never fail us.”
Slipknot frontman, Corey Taylor, continues to be optimistic over the band’s future. (Photo Credit: Irene Sassu)
Fans of the band affectionately refer to themselves as maggots.
“I think every band has its downs and ups,” said Nicole Shultz. But, Shultz continued to voice her support for her band. “I still am a maggot for life.”
The Metal Core touched upon three key points behind why many believe Slipknot is no more. Jordison is gone. The group last released an album with All Hope Is Gone in 2008. And, there was the 2011 death of bassist, Paul Gray.
At that time, Slipknot frontman, Corey Taylor, spoke candidly to Grand Rapids, MI radio station WGRD about the band’s fragility as it dealt with Gray’s death.
“Honestly, I’ve tried to figure out how to prepare for it and there really isn’t a way; you just kind of have to prepare yourself for what you’re going to do, and the emotions will naturally come.
“It’s gonna be a little bittersweet at the end of the day. But, you know, for me, this is kind of a baby step towards seeing what’s gonna happen later. And nothing is happening immediately; I can tell everyone that. We have no plans for an album, we have no plans to do anything other than this tour at the moment. But if it goes well, if everyone is able to kind of pull together and really do what’s right for Paulie, then we’ll see what happens.”
However, Taylor appears to be fully aware of his fan’s concerns today. The overflow of comments from fans apparently reached him over Twitter. Within four hours of The Metal Core posting their tweet, Taylor responded with the following:
As optimistic as Taylor sounds in his tweet to fans, it still leaves no more information than the band’s announcement three weeks ago. It may quell the rumors today, but until something solid comes to fruition soon, fans will be left to question what’s next? What remains fact, the band has not released an album in six years, a founding member of the band has left, and no solid plans have been announced (except that Taylor has been cast to appear in a new Robert Englund movie, called Fear Clinic).
The last time the band’s future was called into question, Taylor said the following in that same radio station interview:
“The only thing we’ve really sat down together as a band and talked about was the tour, and what we’re gonna do and whatnot,” Taylor said in 2011. “But I’m not the guy who’s gonna sugarcoat anything, I’m not the one who’s gonna spoonfeed false hope to the fans, especially about something like this. If this tour doesn’t work, this band might be over — straight up. And I’m not gonna lie; I’m not the guy that’s going to lie to the fans. I’m telling people as it is, because people [keep asking me], ‘Any U.S. dates?’ I’m like, ‘Slow down, Beavis. Can we get through this and see what happens?
“It’s still a shock, man. I’m gonna be getting on stage without my brother. So until things make sense for me, I’m not gonna be the cheerleader — I just can’t be. First of all, the fans would see through it. Second of all, I would feel terrible being that guy. So as long as I just keep it real and keep it in perspective, we’ll see what happens.”
Syracuse jamizens are in for a treat this New Years Eve as two of New York’s hottest up and coming acts converge upon the Westcott Theatre for a night of excessive face melting. Kicking things off is Rochester’s electro-versatile duo of The Manhattan Project. Drummer Shawn Drogan and keys master Charles Lindner have had a huge year playing in excess of 60 shows of their electronica inspired mastery. Unlike typical EDM acts, these two strive to mix things up with well ordered combinations of their unique and jammed out originals and done-their-way covers.
Bringing in the New Year in style will be Ithaca’s hottest act, Jimkata. The four-piece shares their own electronica inspired influences, but bring plenty of multiple genre side journeys in their itinerary that have electrified audiences from coast to coast. The band has been touring heavily this fall in support of their fan funded critically acclaimed newest release, Die Digital. Jimkata also just dropped their first live album, 10 More Songs which is available on iTunes.
Doors open promptly at 8PM for the $20, show which includes the obligatory complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Tickets can be purchased online here. Finish 2014 in style as this one promises to be an experience to remember. The Westcott Theater is located at 524 Westcott St, Syracuse, NY 13210.
A few months back, Brooklyn’s hottest jam commodity Dopapod announced that drummer Neal “Fro” Evans would be taking a little hiatus from touring. Yesterday the band announced that the hiatus would be permanent and that sit in drummer Scotty Zwang would become a permanent member of the ‘pod. Fro left fans with a parting letter, here it is:
“Dear Dopapod Friends and Family,
Many of you know that I took a break from the band two months ago. I left to make sure that I had a happy head on my shoulders. Music is my fire and when I realized that it was getting a little dim, I had to step out and rekindle the flame. I was able to do this on my time off, but when I returned to the band, I found the door to be closed. After 4+ years of growing with this family, living in a van, laying down the beats, putting on amazing shows by playing music that I am very proud of, and most of all meeting/performing for countless amazing humans (and aliens), I am going to move on to something else.
I wish the best for the band, for it would be most disappointing if this decision resulted in its decline in any way. It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. The experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met have been dreams come true. The amazing journey that has been Dopapod would be impossible without all of you, so continue to support them because they are some of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever played with. Also, please follow me and my music into the future and let’s keep doing this thing! Many of you know about my other musical endeavors: Elephant Wrecking Ball (Featuring Scott Flynn of Pretty Lights, on tour soon, see below), MOM AND DAD (featuring Chuck Jones of Dopapod), and Cashed Fools. Check them out! I live and breathe music and I will continue to make music with others who do the same. I love you all and can’t wait to see you again from behind the drums and anywhere else.
With the most sincere love for all of you. Thank you.
Bonus: Here is a link to the last show that I played with Dopapod, from Fall Down Fest in CT. It is one of my favorite performances of the band, and I couldn’t be more stoked to have ended on such a high note. I also know that it was a favorite of its taper, MKDEVO.
The idea that anything you put out into the universe remains forever tangible, defines the collective awareness and dedication behind Smithtown alternative band, Echo Hill.
Speaking with the band’s 21-year-old guitarist, Alex Laudani, it’s apparent just how well he and his bandmates understand that it takes more than a dream to achieve the tangible.
Echo Hill, out of Smithtown, NY, consists of Alex Laudani, Dylan Coates, Keith Miller and Monique Teichert. (Photo Credit: Echo Hill/Facebook)
It’s an early Sunday evening when Laudani sits down to talk. It’s a busy time of year for everyone. Each member of the band is pursuing a college degree and semester finals are just around the corner. On top of his studies, Laudani continues to add material to the band’s website, Twitter and Facebook accounts. “We put a lot of time in this,” he said. “We try to get a lot of information out there to our fans.” And the effort is getting them noticed. Echo Hill was named a featured artist on an independent radio station based out of California, and they’re garnering enough attention to land gigs off Long Island. Just a few nights before, they performed a gig at the Lit Lounge in New York City. “We were actually scheduled to play in Webster Hall,” said Laudani, “but one of the promoters changed the venue so we played at the Lit Lounge.” The East Village venue is no stranger to big names, having the likes of Bauhaus, Dirty Vegas, White Stripes, and Rolling Stone magazine cross through their front door over the years. “It was a cool, underground place… We’re hoping to get another opportunity to play Webster Hall. But, that’s how the city goes. We’re just trying to get our foot in the door. You have to be grateful with any place that you get.”
Laudani is approaching his final year at SUNY Farmingdale, where he studies business. As if one needs to question his field of study, as every visible step the band makes appears orchestrated. A well manicured image made in the absence of any guidance from a manager or record label. “It’s all us,” he said. “We’re trying to go as far as we can by ourselves. Once someone approaches us that we like, we’ll come to a decision. But at this point we’ll try to do as much as we can independently.
[Independently, to an extent.]
“My family is very supportive. They love me, obviously. I grew up on classic rock – Led Zeppelin and all those classic rock bands. I was always listening to that as a child. It’s part of the reason why we have that sound and that influence in our music. I definitely hand it to my parents for that.”
Echo Hill was conceived in 2010, with Laudani and bassist Dylan Coates writing music jamming out in each other’s basements, but the present line-up has been together for less than a year. Each member attributes different influences, from the aforementioned pioneers of hard rock to contemporary mixed-media artists like Linkin Park, melding a collective sound that has drawn comparisons to Paramore. The band has taken upon itself to launch the resurgence of rock ‘n’ roll and identify closest to the alternative rock genre. They had received favorable feedback after the release of their first EP in 2012. However, the band parted ways from their original lead singer, leaving themselves without a front man.
Then came, Monique.
“One day she emailed us,” recalled Laudani, of current front woman, Monique Teichert.
Teichert has a contralto style of voice characteristic of jazz performer Diana Krall, only had Krall decided to go hard rock. She’s a siren on the mic, possessing a voice that’s both sultry and haunting. However, none of this was ever showcased outside of a few talent shows she won during junior high school.
“We really didn’t want to reach out to her [at first],” said Laudani. “Because it would completely change the sound and image of the band, something that I was very reluctant to do. I always feared becoming one of those female-fronted bands where everything is about the singer.”
Nonetheless, a persistent Teichert earned a tryout with the band. Laudani described what changed his mind.
“Something about her was special, I thought, so we decided to do a side part – an acoustic kind of thing,” he said. “So we brought her in, tried her out, and we liked her. As far as “that moment” it was one of our first shows at this venue called Revolution. The place was packed, and Monique shined; leading the crowd and all. That showed me right then and there that she was an innate performer and that she was born to do that. It was really cool.”
Teichert was officially made the band’s lead singer in early January. And, since then, have released their second EP, Namaste, and organized a food drive by means of a multi-band concert event in Smithtown this past summer. The event collected more than 900 pounds of food intended for those still impacted by the events of Hurricane Sandy.
Echo Hill’s image – enhanced or maintained with the addition of Terichert – is nevertheless well cultivated, partly due to the use of social media: A medium the band recognizes as a vital tool for success. “We understand the importance of social media, how important image is in these times,” said Laudani. The band’s Twitter feed is consistently peppered with links and updates. And, the 12 videos available on their YouTube account include professional productions of live shows from various venues, and jam sessions recorded from Rogue Studios in Hicksville, NY. One video in particular is a cover of Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
It’s a tall order to cover a legendary band, though most attempt it regardless of talent level. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and the late John Bonham are considered all-time greats within their own rights. But, Echo Hill’s tribute to the Brit rockers has less to do with mimicking a classic, as it is attempting to make something of their own. Teichert’s come-hither vocals replace Plant’s more aggressive approach, while Laudani’s guitar work seems to show less Page and more Mike McCready, utilizing distortion pedals akin to the Pearl Jam guitarist’s repertoire.
Drummer Keith Miller, who idolized Bonham, is a decorated artist, having received numerous accolades through New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) throughout his academic career. And, Coates brings on the talent of playing both guitar and bass, bypassing guitar so that he can fill out the band’s need for a bass player.
Everyone holds his and her own on this tribute, and it’s worth a viewing. Then, it’s recommended you listen to Namaste. The talent within this group shines through with versatility and originality.
“For some bands, image is even more important than music,” said Laudani, “and we don’t stand for that.”
Fans in upstate New York need to take notice of Echo Hill now. Laudani says the band is planning a tour of the local colleges that pepper the landscape. Albany, Binghamton, Oneonta, and Cortland were all named. “We’re still planning that,” he said. But, once these plans become tangible, you ought to go see them.
Brothers Past will return to Albany December 21st to throw down another epic show at The Hollow at 79 North Pearl Street to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The night will be opened by Albany’s own local electronic, jam based band Digital Dharma.
Brothers Past are a Philadelphia based indie-electronic jam band who have toured across the nation playing large festivals such as Bonnaroo, SXSW, Langerado, Wakarusa and Albany’s own Camp Bisco. Since their arrival on the music scene in 2001, Brothers Past has made their mark as an extremely influential and talented force within the jam community.
The show will start at 9 pm and doors will open at 8 pm. Tickets are 12$ prior, and 15$ at the door.
On December 28th, The Westcott Theater will once again host fan favorites Enter The Haggis, an extraordinary group of musicians who never cease to amaze their fans through their inspirational music that captures current events in life and the world.
Enter the Haggis’ latest release, The Modest Revolution, was born entirely of stories found in the the March 30, 2012 edition of The Glove and Mail, a Canadian newspaper. From this album, many hit songs were born from the stories they read. One single, “Blackout”, tells of the frustrations of Toronto Maple Leafs fans in their beloved team and their inability to win the cup. The single is currently in the running to become Canada’s new hockey anthem and has made it to the next round of voting.
With a busy touring schedule, they have once again embarked on a new and creative project, The Black Penny Project. This album will feature songs written entirely from stories submitted by fans. These stories can be of any topic and the only catch is that they must be written down on paper, the old fashioned way, and mailed in. Why write songs about the fans? Because Haggis Heads are “some of the most diverse, eccentric, eclectic, and interesting people that they know.”
We will be sitting down with Enter the Haggis before their performance at the Westcott this night, and fans have been asked to submit questions for the band. Questions should be unique and special, so we are turning to Haggis Heads to drive this interview in the same way the band is driving their next project.
Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound (Round Records), a brand-new, six-CD box set from the Jerry Garcia Band and the acoustic duo of Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman, is out today. The collection, which is the latest in a series of archival releases from the Garcia Family, contains more than five and a half hours of previously unreleased music and features cover art by the legendary Stanley Mouse.
It captures two complete performances from the storied 1989 East Coast run that featured Garcia’s Grateful Dead band mate Bob Weir and renowned bassist Rob Wasserman setting the stage for two nightly sets from the Jerry Garcia Band: the September 5, 1989 show at Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT and the September 6, 1989 concert at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound
Setlist for September 5, 1989 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT:
Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman
Festival, Fever, K.C. Moan, Desolation Row, Looks Like Rain, The Winners, Victim or the Crime -> Wasserman Bass Improvisation no. 1 -> Throwing Stones
Jerry Garcia Band
Set One
Cats Under the Stars, They Love Each Other, Waiting for a Miracle, Run for the Roses, Like a Road, My Sisters and Brothers, Deal
Set Two
The Harder They Come, Mission in the Rain, Forever Young, Evangeline, Gomorrah, Don’t Let Go -> Lonesome and a Long Way From Home
Setlist for September 6, 1989 at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY:
Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman
Walking Blues, City Girls -> Fever, Blackbird -> When I Paint My Masterpiece, Shade of Grey -> The Winners -> Easy to Slip -> Wasserman Bass Improvisation no. 2, Heaven Help The Fool
Jerry Garcia Band
Set One
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Stop That Train, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Mississippi Moon, I Second That Emotion, And It Stoned Me, Deal
Set Two
The Harder They Come, Dear Prudence, I Shall Be Released, Let It Rock, Evangeline, That Lucky Old Sun, Tangled Up in Blue
SOLARiS announced its New Year’s Eve show on December 31st at The Gates in Ithaca, New York’s Collegetown. Come join SOLARiS for a three sets face melting New Year’s cheer that you wont soon forget. With special guest DJ Gundz spinning between sets, so the music will be bumping all night long. The Gates has extended its drinking hours meaning the party wont stop until 3:00 AM.
