NYS Music 20​13

Category: News Desk

  • Willy Moon playing Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy on Friday, February 15th

    Every so often, a random musician plays in Upstate New York that scratches heads. One might ask, “Isn’t this guy bigger than playing a small venue for free?” or “How did they get these guys here?” – this can be said for The Lumineers playing a free show at Upstate Concert Hall in December, or Spanish DJ Danny Avila, who will be headlining Coachella and Ultra Music Festivals, playing The Westcott Theater on February 4th. Upstate New York being so accessible to New York City, it’s easy for acts to stretch out and get to the smaller locales and venues, and for that, Upstate New York is truly blessed.

    willy moonFor your consideration, another ‘Wow, HE’S playing up here?!’ is heading to the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy pm on Friday, February 15th. New Zealand-born and London-based singer Willy Moon. This is a free show that is part of the WEQX Miller Lite Concert Series. The show will start at 10pm. Get there early and eat some GREAT Bar-B-Que!

    Now, you may be wondering, “Who the hell is Willy Moon?” Well, you have probably heard one of his songs from a recent iPod ‘Bounce’ commercial. With just a few songs under his belt, his first album comes out later this year, aptly titled Here’s Willy Moon. He has a couple other tunes, particularly his debut “I Wanna be Your Man” and “Yeah, Yeah”. Willy sounds like he has a little Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis influences in his music, plus some slick footwork based on his moves in the videos below. Check them out below and don’t miss this treat at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on February 15th

    One of those ‘stick in your head all day tunes, in a good way’ – “Yeah Yeah”

  • Lotus Interview and Review: January 30th at the Westcott Theater

    Lotus, the notorious EDM act-turned-jamband played a solid sold-out show at The Westcott Theater on a Wednesday, January 30th, making quite the comeback with their tenth album, The Build. The band continues to enchant listeners as they genre-bend their way into an idiosyncratic combination of funk and EDM, proving to be more relevant now than ever.

     

    Before the show, I got the chance to talk to Jesse Miller, the bassist and sampler for the band.

    Gauraa Shekhar: Your new record The Build is recorded live to analog. How did that come along considering the wide range of instrumentation?

    Jesse Miller: We have been following the process over the last few years. It is a classic 70s thing, you know—with basic tracks and everything.

    GS: That’s really cool. In The Build the rich texture really comes through, especially in songs like “Middle Road”. How do you guys produce music within a budget without compromising the quality?

    Jesse Miller: Most of it was done by myself and Luke. We rehearsed the process before we went into the studio and relied on a lot of software to help us. So we didn’t waste time and money on extra studio hours.

    GS: That’s very practical. What kind of a demographic are you catering to with such genre-bending music? Is it easier to find the venue that matches your sound or do you have to pay special attention to it?

    JM: I don’t think there is a specific demographic that we cater to but venues are definitely important. We aim for high-energy shows. Sometimes, we play for a younger crowd but there really is no specific age.

    GS: Performing live is obviously a great aspect of your music. How do you mix it up on stage to keep the audience entranced . . . I mean, besides the lights of course.

    JM: Improvisation, for sure. We try to mix it up by changing the instruments and arranging the songs a little differently.

    GS: Since you guys incorporate a lot of computer generated digital sounds in your music, how do you put a different spin on it whilst performing live?

    JM: There are certain things that are important to pull out of line…sometimes, we play around with the melody and sometimes we change up the instruments. We also trigger samples on stage.

    GS: Oh, wow! Well, what is it like having a 47 days tour?

    JM: 47 days in a tour can be hectic. But it allows us to develop a sound and a rapport.

    GS: I’m sure. Bands have issues but you guys seem to stuck together as a band through all these years. What are some of the main things that glue you guys together?

    JM: Well, it’s mostly the work ethic and the drive. We’ve been at this for such a long time and we’re really passionate about the music.

    GS: As are we! Looking forward to seeing you in ’Cuse on the 30th, Jesse!

    JM: Looking forward to the show!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8giAkXJjA]

    As promised, Lotus gave those looking to get a high-energy head start to their weekend more than what they had bargained for. As I walked straight off the campus to their venue, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had walked straight into a Tim Burton set with all its entailing paraphernalia. I watched inebriated girls in princess costumes flail their way to the front row and men leaping out of crumbling bathroom doors with glowing light sabers. The night was fecund with possibilities  as if anything could happen. Excited fans drove in all the way from Rochester and Watertown, yelling out to anybody willing to listen: “This is the fourth time I’m seeing them perform”, “I just watched their show in New York last week” and “They just keep getting better each time”.  It was more than evident that Lotus’ electronica sound sustained their fan base over a span of fourteen years. And let me tell you, the infamous interplay of stage lights was only the beginning. Only a band like Lotus could turn a dance party into a religious experience. Lotus fueled the room with time-transcending energy and a motley crowd checked their baggage at the door, walked in, simply wrapped their heads around the music— and let their hair down.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2r7NY_Ra3s]

  • Review and Interview: The Brew at The Westcott Theater, January 26th

    Over the past year I’ve often heard people voice concern about Rock N’ Roll as a genre, seemingly worried  that it is dying out these days due to all of the EDM and Indie music that is over saturating the mainstream. If you are one of these people, fret not. I assure you that Boston based band The Brew is keeping Rock alive and kickin’.

    Before they completely brought the house down at The Westcott Theater this past Saturday night, lead singer Chris Plante of expressed his love for Upstate New York and the ‘Cuse. “We’re so happy to be back in Syracuse! We love playing The Westcott,” he yelled into the mic from his spot at his double-decker keyboard. The Boston based quartet consists of brothers Chris Plante (lead vocals, keyboards), Joe Plante (Bass, vocals) and friends Dave Drouin (Guitar, vocals) and Aaron Zaroulis (Drums/vocals).Together they are like the Fantastic Four of Rock. There isn’t a single weak link in the group on instrumentals and their song writing skills are something to envy.

    Following Chris’s warm shout out the band opened with one of their new songs titled “Aftermath”. From the sounds of the track we can look forward to enjoying a killer new release. As soon as the powerful instrumentals of this track filled the room I was reminded of why I fell in love with Rock N’ Roll in the first place. Aaron has driving in-your-face drum beats that make it virtually impossible for anyone with a soul to stand still. Chris sings the band’s insightful and relatable lyrics with an honest raspy voice while his piano parts cascade over the tracks. Dave plays epic guitar solo’s on his edgy Gibson explorer with seemingly no effort and Joe coolly holds the entire sound together seamlessly on bass.  Their sheer musical awesomeness evoked multiple and loud shouts of “I love you!” from the audience on multiple occasions throughout the show.

    When they vocally harmonized for the intro of radio hit “When Darkness Comes” off the album  A Garden In The Snow, I doubt if there was a single person in the room that didn’t have the chills. Later in the show they played their hard rocking version of Led Zeppelin’s Going To California which I might actually like even more than the original because of its absolute head banging break down. They also included tracks such as “Into The Remembering Sun”, “Sharks In The Pool” and “Garden In The Snow”. As soon as they left the stage the crowd cheered for an encore and they all came to play “What I Want” (the ladies love this one) and a few others as the crowd begged them not to go.

    After the show, I got a chance to sit down with The Brew and ask them a few questions.

    Mary Morgan Craig: So first of all who are your biggest Musical influences individually?

    Joe Plante: My biggest influences at the moment are Little Feat, Radiohead and Beck has a really big influence on me.

    Aaron Zaroulis: I like Guns and Roses and I like the Allman Brothers .. a lot.

    Chris Plante: I’m doin’ a lot of Bruce Hornsby, a lot of Chick Corea and a lot of classical.

    Dave Drouin: I listen to Iron Maiden a lot and MJ. (MJ’s Dirty Diana plays in the background)

    MMC: I know Chris and Joe are brothers. How did the two of you meet Dave and Aaron?

    AZ: Well the band was around for nine or ten years with another drummer and then I joined about a year ago and I met all these dudes through the power of music.

    CP: Yeah but the real story behind that one is like six or seven years ago we were playing a show with our other drummer Kelly. It was a show in Newburyport, Massachusetts, that we put on ourselves. We didn’t have like a green room or a bathroom for ourselves. During set break Kelly like really had to pee, so he went outside because there was a big line for the bathroom inside. It was  a packed show with a lot of kids. A lot of younger kids, and he got arrested outside for peeing in a public place. So we didn’t have a drummer! We frantically tried to bail him out. We reluctantly went back onstage when we, you know, had to. We basically made an announcement to the crowd. We were like “Does anybody know how to play drums?” “Put your hands in the air because our drummer is arrested”, and a bunch of young girls in the crowd were pointing to Aaron who was like 13.

    AZ: Yeah I was 13.

    CP: And then he got up on stage and already knew a bunch of our tunes.  So we’re like oh good job, cool, thanks for sitting in. Then like eight years later or whatever it was…

    DD: No six years later.

    CP: When it came down to audition for the band when we were moving on from a different drummer he showed up and already knew all of our songs and he was like “Yeah, I’m that kid” and we were like “Sweet!”

    AZ: Yeah I’m that Kid. (all laugh)

    MMC: What was the first CD you ever bought?

    JP: Green Day’s Dookie. I remember that. I really remember that day.

    CP: Didn’t you get it from your 5th grade girlfriend?

    JP: No. Oh Yeah ! I did. I did get it from my 5th grade girlfriend.

    AZ: That was the worst Valentine’s day ever huh?

    (All laugh)

    JP: I love that CD.

    AZ: No. Its not that bad. I don’t remember my first CD. I think it was like Tom Petty or Paul Simon something like that. Something that my parents passed down to me kinda thing.

    CP: I don’t know. I’m in the same boat. Me and Joe started finding music around the same time and I remember doing was it Toadie?

    JP: Yeah Toadie.

    CP: Toadie was awesome. Yeah I remember doing the Toadies.

    JP: The Toadies!

    CP: Yeah The Toadies were awesome.

    DD: I had tapes way before CD’s.

    CP: Ya. Ya no we were all actually into tapes.

    JP: I bought an Oasis tape and a Blues Traveler tape.

    DD: Yeah, I had the Blues Traveler tape with the cat on it. I traded my Aerosmith Pump when it was like the new thing.

    AZ: Bad move.

    DD: Bad move.

    MMC: So are your parents as musically talented as you or are you guys the first in the family?

    JP: My dad happens to be extremely talented musically. He started playing when he was about our age professionally out in California. He met my mom out there and then moved back to Massachusetts and had us children and surrounded us with music our entire lives.

    CP: He was sitting in with us at a show recently.  We were doing like a more acoustic broken down sort of show. We were telling the stories behind certain songs and stuff like that. And he comes up and he plays an original song of his with us and its like the last song of the show cause it kicked so much ass.

    MMC: That must be so cool.

    CP: Yeah, its pretty nice.

    MMC: So is that why you guys chose to do that cover of “Going to California”? Which I love by the way.

    CP: Thanks! That’s an interesting connection but no we just did that cover because we were doing a gig opening for moe. at The House Of Blues and we really wanted to do something special, you know? Dave came to practice and he was like “I just Heard Going to California and was picturing it with a more driving groove under it” and we just started doing it.

    MMC: Well it came out great. I love that one. When did each of you start playing your instruments and what made you gravitate to the specific ones?

    JP: I went to a show when I was 17. I ate some mushrooms and I heard bass for the first time. I was tripping and I was like “I am gonna be doing that for the rest of my life.” That’s pretty much how I decided. And I had a bass so I decided just to start playing it. I picked it up that night and started playing it.

    CP: That was my bass.

    JP: Yeah. I stole his bass.

    CP: I had a black Guild bass.

    JP: It was awful to play. It was terrible, but then i actually started jamming with Dave literally four days after.

    AZ: I started playing drums in the fourth grade. It wasn’t cause I started eating mushrooms though. And I got serious around my freshman year of high school and I just haven’t really stopped since.

    CP: I started playing piano when I was like 3 because of my dad and then took classical lessons when I was like five. So, I did that and then jazz and a lot of stuff so I’ve just been playing my entire life. I remember when I was like 14, I really realized I could play piano. Because I never made the conscious decision to actually do it. So its been a long time. I should be better than I am.

    DD: I started playing guitar at like age 14. It was mainly because I couldn’t have a drumset. I had drumsticks. I really wanted to play drums. But they were like “too loud” or something. So I got a guitar.

    (all laugh)

    MMC: Good thing you did

    DD: Ruined my life

    (All laugh)

    MMC: OK so who is your biggest Rock-Chick crush?

    CP: Rock Chick Crush?

    MMC: Yeah, well it doesn’t have to be rock. Musical artist crush.

    DD: The lead singer of Heart.

    AZ: Aw this is rough man.

    CP: There’s not as many hot rock lead singers as there are like pretty sexy pop stars.

    MMC: Well what about Gwen Stefani?

    All: Yeah

    AZ: True. She’s hot

    DD: I don’t know.

    CP: But she’s a little too muscle-y for me.

    JP: I’m a ‘Sineado’ fan. Just, you know, because… (gestures to his bald head).

    DD: Did you just call her ‘Sineado’? Sinead. O’Connor.

    JP: ‘Sineado’. That’s what I call her. She likes it.

    (all laugh)

    AZ: I’d like to take Mila Kunis out to like a nice dinner at like The Ninety Nine or like The Olive Garden.

    CP: Salisbury Steaks?

    AZ: Yeah yeah! I would definitely buy her a nice Salisbury steak.

    CP: I like Rachel McAdams. I think she’s the hottest. I like her.

    AZ: Yeah, shes pretty dreamy.

    DD: I like Taylor Swift.

    MMC: I knew that was going to come up.

    CP: She looks like a deer. Not in like a bad way.

    JP: In the headlights.

    DD: That’s why I like her.

    CP: I think shes beautiful but she resembles a deer slightly.

    MMC: A majestic deer.

    (all laugh)

    CP: A majestic blonde deer.

    MMC: Have you played any festivals recently? Are you planning on playing any this year?

    CP: Yes. A lot. We played Mountain Jam last year.

    JP: Absolutely

    AZ: We played a lot of festivals last year.

    DD: Its mid-winter now so..

    CP: Yeah we’re actually starting to think about next year and any festival, you know. We’re having our agent and our management work with all the promoters of festivals to hopefully get the right situation worked out.

    MMC: How would you describe your own music?

    JP: Um, not butt rock. Rock.

    (all laugh)

    CP: I mean, its really just like rock n’ roll but we try to be versatile with how we deliver our songs. We get into different production techniques the same way The Beatles or anybody else would.

    MMC: What was the thought process behind the Triptych project? Who did your album artwork?

    JP: Well actually we decided to make the Triptych just based on the fact that we had a really large catalog of songs and certain songs fit into different groups. Like for instance, the first album was really driven by acoustic singer-songwriter songs that kinda fit into a certain category. We felt like they all really fit on the album. Then the second album we really stretched out live.  We wanted to take that same energy in the studio and do some improvisational stuff. The third record basically is really more pop oriented the way The Beatles used to like look at all their parts and really kind of like figured out how they wanted everything to fit.

    CP: As far as the album artwork goes, that’s a tapestry that was meant for King Louis the 7th. It was a tapestry that was meant to commemorate like his wedding with somebody. It was back in 1495. Its called The Hunt of The Unicorn. You can see the unicorn on the second record. When you put them all together it makes one large image that kind of gives you the whole scope of the artwork.

    MMC: Very Cool. What has been your best tour experience ever or just one that sticks in your mind?

    CP: We were rolling through from New Mexico to Austin, Texas and we pulled over at this  like really sketchy looking Subway. We were like ‘Fuck we have to get Subway today. This is gonna suck.’ But there was a burger joint right next door that was kind of like home made burgers but you could tell it was like real like southern cooking.

    AZ: They had like Boston stuff in the windows so we were like ‘Fuck it lets go in here.’

    DD: Yeah it was weird. It was all like Red Sox stuff and Patriots stuff.

    CP: Yeah we felt good about going there and so we walked in and just like everywhere we show up, they’re all like are you in a band or something? It was this older guy and his wife. Very old like 85 or 87. With this other lady and we were like yeah we’re in a band and hes like have you ever heard of Roy Orbison and we’re like ‘Yeah of course.’ and then he’s like ‘Have you ever heard of Buddy Holly?’ We’re like ‘Obviously.’ and he’s like ‘I used to sing with them.’ So we met a member of Buddy Holly’s band, the only guys to like background sing. They were called The Roses.

    JP: And then hes like ‘Do you want to go see Buddy Holly’s studio? I’ve got a key. I live there.’ And so all Buddy Holly’s original stuff is set up there, untouched, and we sat in the same chair that Buddy Holly was (once) sitting in.

    AZ: I got to play on the drumset. It was rad. It was awesome. We got it all on video too.

    MMC: That’s crazy!I’m so jealous. So last year when I saw you play at Brewfest Chris was playing with a broken arm at Brewfest in Lincoln, NH, which was so impressive. I actually remember I  Instagrammed about it and I captioned it like ‘my hero’ or something. I read somewhere that you just recovered from broken ribs. What happened there ? Are you always this accident prone?

    (all laugh)

    CP: I wouldn’t say i’m accident prone. I play indoor soccer so I just smashed into a dude that was way bigger than me and it was like this really awkward point in my side where my fist got like  jammed right into my rib. But I didn’t know it was broken for like the first four days. I thought it was just really badly bruised.

    MMC: Glad you’re better now! Do you have any advice for other bands who are just starting out?

    DD: Don’t do it.

    (all laugh)

    MMC: I think that they should just focus on the songs and then really work on the business aspect even though that’s the last thing you want to do as a musician. That’s what it takes to actually succeed. Cause you know its a small business and it sucks to look at it that way but you can’t go on forever running out of money. So just get good content, believe in your music, and then like just be doing your work. What has been your weirdest fan experience?

    CP: Oh man there’s like too many twisted stories to get into that.

    DD: There’s like naked dudes getting tied up. Well we were at a festival and there’s this guy running around naked like going ‘Get off my island! Get off my island!’

    CP: And then they hogtied him and had to like put him in the back of the truck.

    MMC: Well why were you on his island?

    JP: Well we weren’t on mushrooms and he was, so we were on his island.

    AZ: Dude he was on his own island.

    (all laugh)

    CP: He was being aggressive toward everybody.

    JP: The last straw that they wouldn’t put up with at this festival was when he went up to an old woman that was pushing a baby in a carriage and walking a dog at the same time and he like tried grabbing the dog leash from her and then they tackled him and hogtied him.

    DD: I think they like duckttaped him up.

    CP: It was a duct tape hogtie job. They did really well

    AZ: Hogtied!

    (all laugh)

    To listen to this interview with The Brew, tune into The Laura and Meg Show via iTunes Radio next Thursday night (Feb 7th)at 11pm! Just click on “Radio” on the menu bar at the top of your Itunes Library. From there click College Radio> Syracuse University>WERW.

    Check out the stations blog and The Meg and Laura Show

    Check out The Brew’s Website, Facebook, Myspace, Soundcloud, and the official video for When Darkness Comes
    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lkwFjHvw0]

  • Late night in Albany: Hot Day at the Zoo with The Blind Owl Band, The Bayou Café, January 26th

    Last Saturday was a big music night in Albany: many downtown venues offered a genre of music complimentary to the sold out Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) show at The Palace Theatre.  Hot Day at the Zoo and The Blind Owl Band were scheduled for a foot stomping, hoedown of a good time.  Bluegrass at the Bayou stood on it’s own as if it were competing with TAB.  Each of these bands performing at The Bayou Café have a dedicated following which filled the venue.

    The hungry-for-more music aficionados left the Trey show and filed into the already bursting-at-the-seams café where Hot Day at the Zoo kicked off sometime around midnight. The deluge of music fans brought with them the carnival like atmosphere where they would boogie with their drunken hearts, ready for more.  While Hot Day at the Zoo is focused on traditional bluegrass, there are subtle change ups relatable in the progression of this genre.

    Throughout the set, each musician gave the others fair opportunity to take a solo, and yet, partake in a conversation through instrumentation.  Musically, the roots string band captured an underlying jazz progression.  Vocal harmonization with genuine lyrics could tug on the heartstrings.  Hot Day often add agreeable little nuances for a finishing touch to their showcased songs.  Those newly introduced to Hot Day were pleasantly surprised to hear “Ripple,” a widely known Grateful Dead tune.

    Opening for Hot Day at the Zoo was The Blind Owl Band. The four piece outfit is new to the scene, but not new to eclectic sounds, traditional instrumentation and influences of some more obscure bands in the business.  Geographically in the music world, location can often define a band.  Hailing from Saranac Lake, these bearded boys have characterized their sound as if they stood on top of their mountain reaching out their beat up instruments grabbing various concepts of music, holding it captive ultimately for a presentation unique to the scene.  On stage, they knocked the nit and grit right out of their strings.  Added vocal harmonies invite us to the darker realm, where we were lead through a journey of traditional roots, dirty jams and down right scary turns along the way.  Be brave and bold, these North Country boys can lighten it up a bit with Irish pub tunes as well.

    Surely, those meandering out on the street missed two great acts.  The energy inside was so alive you could reach out and hold on.  As was the rest of South Pearl Street, which was rather magical as if some music fairy sprinkled her dust and said, “enjoy.”

  • Groundhog Day at Fusion with Lowkey, Dear Mr Dead, Autumn Fire and ATC

    image (3)

    Club Fusion in Syracuse will be a hot spot for a night of all original local rock and metal acts this Saturday. Located at 3705 Brewerton RD, North Syracuse, 13212, it will host Lowkey, Autumn Fire, Dear Mr. Dead and After The Clearing for Groundhog Day.

    lowkey1

    Lowkey is a 4-piece original metal band from upstate NY. In all, Lowkey has been playing shows and writing music for 8 years, with the current lineup being steady for 2. Lowkey has embarked on four separate independent national tours of the U.S. (including one in March 2012) and has fans all over the country. Lowkey has released 2 full length albums, “Backstabber” and “Red Moon”. “Backstabber” has sold thousands of copies since 2004, and “Red Moon” is a brand new release with sales figures unavailable as of yet.

    Lowkey has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with MANY national acts from all over the country, including Tantric, Mushroomhead, Emmure, Goatwhore, Winds of Plague, Carnifex, Suffocation, See You Next Tuesday, Full Blown Chaos, Flaw, A Plea For Purging, Rose Funeral, This Or The Apocalypse, Dizzy Reed (of Guns ‘n’ Roses), and many many more. Lowkey has also played thousands of shows on the local and regional scene. Lowkey is well-known and well respected in the area for putting on a wild and energetic live show, and promoting a sense of family amongst their friends and fans.

    autumn_fire

    Autumn Fire was formed in fall 2009 when singer Max Scialdone became the final member the four members were looking for. With a soft melodic and arty yet explosive heavy sound, the band has gained more and more popularity.

    Autumn Fire’s first Album titled, “Endless” was a great start for the band. With on-the-edge songs such as “Regret” and the smooth yet ferocious “Promise”, the band had people at shows saying, “woah! Where did these guys come from?!” Autumn Fire is sure to keep you wondering what will happen next and singing along!

    A year after playing shows with “Endless”, the group entered into a battle of the bands at the Oneonta Theater and the prize was to open up for the legendary, Blue Oyster Cult. Autumn Fire was chosen as the winner and played a sold out show just before BOC.

    Shortly after the Blue Oyster Cult show, Autumn Fire released the second studio album titled, “Amends”. Amends being a bit darker and heavier yet still holding the dreamy and melancholy sound that is true to their art. From the catchy lyrics to the more serious sound of “Amends”, this album gives you everything you’re looking for!

    dearmrdead

    Dear Mr. Dead are three of the former members of Skitzopanic with a new, kickass, virtually unheard of, until now singer, Josh Frawley. They play all-original heavy-hitting metal. Not a screamfest, but hardworking guys playing their hearts out.

    Doors will open at 8pm, the shows kicks off at 9pm. $5 cover at the door. Come out, show support for the your local scene.

  • The 2013 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, February 1st-10th

    The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival will take place February 1st-10th, 2013. Back in 1897, The first “Mid-Winter Carnival” began as a way to enjoy outdoor recreational activities such as skiing, sledding, and skating in the coldest days of winter. That inaugural  2 day event featured skating races, a parade and an ice tower. The following year, the first Ice Palace was constructed from blocks of ice from Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay. Today, the The Ice Palace stands as both the centerpiece and symbol for the Winter Carnival.

    SLWC-pic

    Another long standing tradition at Winter Carnival is the Waterhole‘s live music series. Each night of Carnival, Waterhole features the region’s top bands and/or local favorites. This year’s lineup is top notch, check out the flier below and hopefully we’ll see you there!

    waterhole-wc

  • KINGDOM COME to Release ‘Outlier’ May 7th

    Today is a red-letter day for fans, and for the media at large an important date which makes their representatives prick up their ears: Lenny Wolf and KINGDOM COME are set to release their new studio album Outlier May 7thin the USA, picking up with ten powerful rock songs where his long tradition of fascinating studio albums left off. At the same time, mastermind Lenny is starting a new chapter of his diverse creative career, expertly positioning his charismatic voice on Outlier between traditional rock structures and modern sound elements, which add a third dimension to this album.

    “I simply felt the need to delve deep inside of me and run riot in the infinite expanse of the audio cosmos. The result is a friction of mercilessly mechanical, heartless sound collages, combined with my typical melancholy-melodious style,” Wolf explains the album’s artfully interwoven experimental approach to his sound, which never detracts from the familiar atmospheric basic mood of his songs.“A whole number of souls happen to dwell in my breast, which is why experimentation and the development of my musical existence simply belong together.”

    Outlier was recorded at Wolf’s own Hamburg studio, the Two Square Noise Factory. With the exception of the solo guitar parts contributed by Eric Förster, all instruments were recorded by the KINGDOM COME boss himself. In addition, Wolf produced, engineered, mixed and mastered his new album. “Eighteen-months of struggle and madness lie behind me, a period which saw me go through the usual alternating bath of euphoria and doubt. As an artist, you can never be quite sure just what you’ve cooked up, but I happen to be an idealist and simply have to keep embarking on new adventurous journeys. The path of predictability has never satisfied me.”

    Outlier is KINGDOM COME’s first studio album featuring completely new material since the arrival of their 2009 release Magnified and will be released as CD and download worldwide through SPV / Steamhammer.

    www.lennywolf.com

    www.spv.de

  • Trace’s Rome and TAP announce three upcoming shows

    Are you looking for good hardcore or metal shows in Central New York? Well here’s a tip, Check out The Addendum Promotions and Trace’s Rome for a taste you’ve been looking for.

    image

    On February 23rd they have Strength For A Reason and GhostxShip with special guests The Storm and Desolation, with the triumph return of The Devils Discipline. Doors will be opening at 7pm with the show starting at 8pm. Pre-sales are $8, the day of $10 at the door.

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    On March 2nd they will be having My Bitter End returning to Rome with Footage Of Yeti, Torment The Dreamer, Meira, and Face-Off.  Pre-sales are $8 and day of at the door are $10. The show starts at 8pm, doors will be opening at 7pm.

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    Lastly on May 25th the great Diecast with Our Darkest Day, Jonestown and The Devils Discipline will be entering Rome NY, pre-sales will be $10, $12 the day of at the door. Kicking it off at 8pm with again, doors opening at 7pm.

    All pre-sales can be purchased through all local bands, Traces, and Rockin’ Horse Tattoo. You may also contact Trace’s Rome or go to The Addendum Promotions and shoot them a message, they will make sure you get one. Come out and support your local scene, all shows will be held at Trace’s Rome, 1109 Oneida St., Rome NY 13440.

  • Woodenspoon + moe. = Floodwood, at the Putnam Den, January 25th

    What do you get when you take the mandolin from Woodenspoon, mix in the drums and guitar from moe., and add the fiddle/banjo and upright bass,?  A knee-slappin’, foot stompin’, head bobbin’, skirts-a-twirlin’ good time.

    Floodwood is Al Schnier & Vinnie Amico of moe., Jason Barady (mandolin) of Woodenspoon, plus Nick Piccininni (fiddle and banjo) and Zachary Fleitz (bass).  This isn’t the first side project for Al and Vinnie.  They have been playing together in Al & The Transamericans for over a decade.

    This quintet came together about a year and a half ago, but on stage they gelled like they’ve been doing it much longer.  The fun interactions between bandmates added to the warm vibe in the room as they pulled out a unique mix of bluegrass, Americana, and progressive string – or as the band would call it “Madgrass”.

    While the snow may have kept some people home on Friday night, the ones who showed up got a pleasant treat.  There was even one person who drove all the way in from Boston to see the show and was heading to Oneonta the next night for a double-dose of Floodwood.

    The band mingled with the crowd during opening act Rebel Darling, a trio featuring two guitars and a harmonica. There were a lot of familiar fans (some of whom were family and friends) there to see the local musicians.  Floodwood seemed to be right at home at The Putnam Den.  In fact, during the second set, Nick Piccininni jumped down off the stage to play fiddle and dance with the many smiling faces on the dance floor.

    It was a great time for those who braved the slippery conditions.  If you are one of those who stayed safely at home Friday night, you will be able to catch Floodwood as they play the Fiddler’s Picnic festival this year with other local favorites like the Rumpke Mountain Boys, The Blind Owl Band, Eastbound Jesus, Jatoba, and many others. But those courageous souls who made it — they got to be a part of Floodwood’s intimate, and successful, Saratoga debut.

  • John Brown’s Body and Barika warmed things up at The Putnam Den on January 24th

    When most people think of Saratoga Springs it’s visions of horse racing in August.  Tiffany and Jonathon Albert, Bob Millis and Jarrett Hartstone and the staff at the Putnam Den are working hard to make Saratoga known as a place to catch great ORIGINAL music, year-round!  Based on the crowd at the Putnam Den on a bitter cold Thursday in January, they may be succeeding. Over 150 people braved the negative temperatures to feel the face melting heat of two talented bands, Barika and John Brown’s Body.

    Barika (pronounced body-kah) started off the night with a unique blend of psychedelic charm and West African-inspired beats thrown in, crossing gracefully into the realm of dub.  When Craig Myers stood center stage with a large gourd that had a long neck and bright yellow strings, heads turned.  The opening act of most shows is noticed for a moment and then conversations continue throughout the room.  However, when Craig started to play his Kamel N’goni – a wave of silence washed over the crowd.  The Kamel N’goni sounded like two dueling banjos fighting it out to see who could please the eardrums more.  Both hands plucked and strummed away at the neon strings, setting off a magnetic vibe through the Den.  As Barika played, the crowd started to creep toward the stage to find out what foreign magic these strangers from Burlington, Vermont brought to Upstate New York.  Craig wasn’t alone in playing the funky groove. Barika has six other talented musicians: Caleb Bronze (Drums), Rob Morse (Bass), Andric Severence (Keyboards) and on horns are Dave Purcell (Trumpet), Gordon Clark (Trombone) and Deva Racusin (Tenor Sax).  Deva didn’t make it out to the Putnam Den, but you can hear everyone on Barika’s new CD, Remember, available on iTunes and other outlets.

    Download Barika’s show here

    Just as things were getting warmed up nice and toasty, John Brown’s Body came on stage and turned the heat way up. John Brown’s Body has Upstate roots in Ithaca and have been playing their future roots take on reggae for nearly 10 years.  With tours around the world, it is always nice to catch them back in the area with new songs and a new EP, JBB IN DUB.   JBB started the show with a song off their new release, “The General’s Ambush.”  A nice steady beat and smooth horns come into play in this melodic instrumental number.  Bandleader Elliott Martin got to flex his chops with the second song, “Invitation” that had more of a ska sound with the brass section sharing the spotlight with Elliott’s smooth yet strong vocal stylings.  The crowd took the “Invitation”, and those fortunate enough to be at the Putnam Den had a hard time not approaching the dance floor.  More dub, more funk, more dancing ensued as JBB played another track off the new album, “The Grass.”  “The Grass” was reminiscent of the reggae of Marley in that it carried a strong message. The band ended up playing three songs off the new EP.

    John Brown’s Body is also planning a new full length album in the next few months and played “Plantation” off  that upcoming release. They also played old favorites like “The Gold”, “Resonate”, and “Push Some Air”.  Look for them around the festival circuit this summer and keep an eye out for the new album.  John Brown’s Body is a treasure that Upstate New Yorkers can call their own and it was a nice surprise to see them at the Putnam Den.  Be sure to check out the Den’s upcoming shows and give them the support they need to keep bringing these great line-ups to the region.

    Setlist: General’s Ambush*, Invitation, The Grass*, Plantation, Wellington*, Shine Bright, The Gold, Follow Into Shadow, Peace in the Valley, The Cup Dub, Empty Hands, Make It Easy, Zion Triad

    Encore: Resonate, Push Some Air

    * Off the new EP release JBB IN DUB