NYS Music 20​13

Category: News Desk

  • 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:

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    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.

  • 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!”
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    “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.

  • 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.

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    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.

  • Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Sebastian at Cafe Veritas on December 7th

    On Friday December 7th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Sebastian will be playing an intimate solo acoustic performance at the Cafe Veritas in Rochester, NY. Sebastian is one of rock and roll’s most prolific singer/ songwriters, beginning his journey as a founding member of the Lovin Spoonful, then moving through a fruitful career as solo artist and most recently performing as a member of the ‘J’ band, and collaborating with David Grisman.

    John Sebastian Cafe VeritasThe iconic vision of Sebastian performing solo, enveloped in tye dye at Woodstock 1969 is indelibly etched into the graffiti filled walls of rock history.  Sebastian, remembered for such towering classics as ‘Daydream’, ‘You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice’, ‘Darlin Be Home Soon’, ‘Summer In the City’ and ‘Welcome Back’ will tell  tales of his hazy days in rock, in addition to picking, singing, and blowing some of the most lonesome blues harp you will ever hear. You know that smokin’ harmonica on the Doors track ‘Roadhouse Blues’? That’s Sebastian.

    General admission tickets for John Sebastian at Cafe Veritas are available for $25.00 and $50.00. The upper level price includes early entry and a meet and greet with Sebastian. You can purchase tickets here. The evening of music and conversation begins at 7:30. Do not miss this rare opportunity to witness the music of a rock legend in a cozy and personal environment.

  • Aqueous and Tauk Join Forces for Two Nights in Upstate, NY

    Aqueous/TaukExperimental 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.

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  • EXCLUSIVE: Aqueous Announces Winter Tour and Nietzsche’s Residency

    Buffalo’s groove rock champions Aqueous announced their winter dates today as the tour will kick off with two Upstate shows in Rochester (Dub Land Underground) and Buffalo (Nietzsche’s) before heading west for the band’s first headlining event in Chicago. New Years will be celebrated at Erie, PA’s  top music venue the crooked i and, according to the buzz on the street, will be an affair you won’t want to miss. Upstate gets a few more visits in January on the 3rd in Syracuse (The Lost Horizon) and the 24th at Balloons in Ellicottville.

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    February features the bands first ever residency at their home base venue Nietzsche’s. Every Wednesday Aqueous will perform with a special top tier guest band which will, no doubt, have plenty of surprises given this is one of the bands favorite places to play.

    For the full tour list and info on openers, starting times and ticket prices, check the bands tour page.

  • Preview: All That Remains set to return to CNY and Capital Region

    All That Remains is set to bring their heavy melodic metal-core sound back to the Capital Region on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, N.Y., and Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013 at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, N.Y.

    Opening for the show at both venues will be hard alternative post grunge rockers Soil.

    All That Remains:

    From Springfield, Massachusetts, Philip Labonte (vocals), Mike Martin (guitar), Oli Herbert (Guitar), Jeanne Sagen (bass), Jason Costa (drums). Formed in 1998, ATR has recorded 6 studio albums and 1 live album, in their 15 year history including Behind Silence and Solitude (2002), This Darkened Heart (2004), The Fall of  Ideals ( 2006), Overcome (2008), For We Are Many (2010) and current album A War You Cannot Win (2012).

    Soil:

    From Chicago, Illinois, Ryan McCombs (vocals), Tim King (bass), Adam Zadel (guitar). Formed in 1997, Soil has recorded 6 studio albums in their 16 year history including Throttle Junkies (1999), Scars (2001), Redefine (2004), True Self (2006), Picture Perfect ( 2009) and current album Whole (2013).  

    Original vocalist Ryan McCombs is back with Soil to make the original line-up complete. McCombs left the band in 2004 to be with his family and resurfaced in 2005 as lead vocalist for Drowning Pool.

    Other December Tour Dates:

    Dec 2 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall **

    Dec 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights *

    Dec 5 – Ashwaubenon, WI @ Green Bay Distillery

    Dec 6 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom

    Dec 7 – Joliet, Il @ Mojoe’s

    Dec 10 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm **

    Dec 11 – Johnson City, TN @ Capones *

    Dec 13 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live! ***

    Dec 14 – Syracuse, NY @ The Wolcott Theater

    Dec 15 – Clifton Park NY @ Upstate Concert Hall

    Dec 28 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street ****

    * Motionless In White

    ** Motionless In White/Soil

    *** Asking Alexandria/Devour The Day & more

    **** Jasta

  • Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds at The Hollow on December 5

    SisterSparrow_Fight 1Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds will play The Hollow Bar & Grill in Albany, NY on December 5th. Also performing will be the Connor Kennedy Band. Show starts at 9PM and tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of the show. Ticket information is available online HERE.

    Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, an eight-piece soul-infused rock band with their roots planted firmly in the state of New York, this band packs venues and delivers explosive shows from city to city. Having just released Fight, their four song EP produced by American Idol’s Randy Jackson; the band is currently on tour in support of the album.

    Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds is an eight-piece powerhouse that puts a modern spin on classic soul. The band is led by Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow), whose astoundingly powerful voice and sly demeanor make for a spellbinding presence onstage. She is backed by the mighty force of The Dirty Birds, a flock of seven men who masterfully lay down thundering grooves and soaring melodies. While each of the Birds are capable of lighting up the stage with jaw-dropping displays of musicianship, it’s clear they’re focused on delivering the band’s infectious music as a single entity. Simply put, the band’s live show is explosive.

    Check out Pete Mason’s Album Review of their latest EP, “Fight”

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  • Something to TAUQ About – Tauk and Aqueous Join Forces in Ithaca

    New York City’s Tauk and Buffalo’s Aqueous (TAUQ?) have a problem. The bands had teamed up for the second time of their seven appearances together this fall only to discover, that not one, but BOTH band’s vans are under duress. Luckily, after some quick warranty work, the Tauk-mobile was back in action, and in true musical brotherhood form, they escorted the Aqueous boys on time to Ithaca for their dual show at Lot 10 on October 25th.

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    The venue is new to the Ithaca scene and sits conveniently off the downtown Commons area on South Cayuga Street. Composed of a lower lounge area that features DJs and couches and an upper area with a bar and stage, it’s certainly a welcome addition to a city that has struggled to find a central place for musical gathering since the 2012 closing of Castaways.

    Tauk kicked things off around 10:30 with their self described brand of rock fusion. Sounding like a prog-ified MMW with shades of Zappa and King Crimson thrown in, the bands buzz is well deserved. Virtual soundscapes abound between shifting rock-based tension and smooth jazzy ambiance throughout the set. The mostly instrumental songs enveloped the amassing crowd of Gorge-us Ithacans who appreciatively hollered for more. And more they were given in the form of a top notch outro cover of, in this reporters opinion anyway, the BEST Beatles song ever, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”.

    DSC_2083Buffalo’s groove rock powerhouse Aqueous was up next, taking the stage shortly after midnight to a relatively packed house given the cold Southern Tier evening. Having hit the area heavily over the past few years, the band has gathered a local fan base who danced their asses off for seemingly every note of the set. Amongst the set of excellent original material the band still found time for a quick jam on P Diddy’s “Bad Boy’s For Life” with Tauk’s drummer Isaac Teel happily offering up some vocal offerings. After a quick and delicious encore of Radiohead’s “Just”, both bands disappeared into the cool Finger Lakes night.

    Fear not if you missed this excellent band duo, as Upstate NY has two more chances to see Tauk and Aqueous team up. This Friday, Rochester gets the love at The DubLand Underground. (18+ 7$ 10pm). Saturday they are off to the legendary Nietzsche’s in Buffalo. (21+ 7$ 9:30PM)

    Check out Tauk’s newest single “Sunshine Harry” here.

  • Upstate’s Maria Brink of In This Moment headlining Hell Pop tour

    Maria Brink fronts In This Moment, and she’s a howler.

    That’s okay, man, ’cause what she and the boys are doing, they’re doing well.  And, they’re taking it home here in the next few days; home, being, Brink’s home. Yes, she’s a native of the Capital Region.  But, she high-tailed it out of “Smallbany” to go after her dreams in Los Angeles. (And, you so had a picture of Axl Rose walking off the bus ala Welcome to the Jungle.) But, that’s so nine years ago.

    This Saturday, November 9th, In This Moment will be rocking the set at Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall, as they continue on their leg of the Hell Pop Tour. They’ll only wake up to do it all again down in New York City’s Best Buy Theater on Sunday, November 10th.

    The band is still riding the high from the 2012 release of their fourth studio album, Blood, which reached No 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart, and No. 15 on the overall Top 200, back in February.  It’s the band’s biggest success, which came shortly after the band nearly fell apart, which Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel asked Brink in her June interview.

    “We (Brink and Chris Howorth) really just rallied together,” she said.  “We cannot let other people’s disbeliefs in our band and everything we’ve created, everything we’ve worked for, we’ve strived for, we’ve sacrificed for, hinder us from moving forward.”

    It was after the release of their third album in 2012 that founding members Jeff Fabb and Blake Bunzel quit the band. The nation was just taking notice.  Just the previous summer they had played alongside Korn, Rob Zombie, Five Finder Death Punch, and Hatebreed at the annual Mayhem Festival. This was followed up by the Hell Hath No Fury Tour.  Brink had also received personal recognition as she was named the Hottest Chick in metal by Revolver magazine.

    “This is our moment. (Pause).  No pun intended.  And we’re going to take everything and we’re going to take it into the next level, we’re going to take our live show, our songs, every single thing that has to do with us, we’re bringing it to the next level and we’re going to do this hard.”

    Despite their confidence, they ran into tough times.  With Fabb and Buzel gone, few managers wanted to give them the time of day, said Brink.  But, their producer, Kevin Churko, kept his patience and Brink said his commitment helped the band survive.

    “We went into the studio and we wrote the song Blood,” she said. “And right when we heard it back, we knew that everything was going to change right when we heard that song. We felt it, we knew it and we started setting it up with managers and we started having managers fly out from everywhere and everything shifted from then.” The band now consists of Tom Hane on drums, Travis Johnson on bass and Randy Weitzel on rhythm guitar, in addition to Brink’s vocals and Howorth’s lead guitar.

    The hardship inspired their song material, Brink said. And, In This Moment has been a soaring Phoenix ever since.

    “So kind of everything falling apart and then building it brand new, and all of these beautiful new things, is where all the inspirations from the album came from.”

    Oh, one more thing. You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t check out the acoustic version of Blood on YouTube. Just listen to Brink’s soulful vocals and you’ll see why, among other things, we like these guys.