Category: Capital Region

Kollectiv and Groovestick: Funky and Lucky on Friday the 13th

The last Friday the 13th of 2013 brought together lucky music lovers to The Hollow in Albany for two of Upstate New York’s homegrown talent. With the holidays around the corner, it’s understandable for fans and musicians to want to soak up each other’s cheerful energy with live music. The Kollectiv, a rap rock funk band, was having their first reunion show in months, kicking off their short tour in Albany. The Capital District’s own Groovestick was first to take the stage and were eager to test out their new stage setup.

Drummer Franz Celestin and keyboard master Chris Carballeira now face each other with bassist Dan Gerken standing strong in the eye of the storm, taking inspiration from one of their favorite bands, The New Deal. Now with more eye contact and exposed body language, the musicians can read each other better and have strengthened their already impressive fluidity. Regardless of the layout, Groovestick still gave out goosebumps with their jazz and funky flow. Carballeira glides over the keys of the Hammond 33 organ, providing an intense blues and psychedelic sound, causing new appreciation for vintage instruments everywhere. Gerken plays slow and ripplely chords until causing a commotion with the tease of the infamous bass line from Phish’s “Stash” while Celestin fires away on the cymbals at every speed level.

Originally from Oneonta, musicians from The Kollectiv have been traveling different paths experimenting with various projects around the country but lucky for Upstate New York, they came home for the holidays. What makes The Kollectiv stand out above the other bands is their usage of turntables. They have a soulful and funky vibe from their instruments but with the combination of the turntables, it adds attitude and flavor. Their groove is undeniable especially with the steady bass of Chris Duffy and firm beats of Frantz Celestin, who is still a powerhouse after rocking with Groovestick beforehand. Lars Viola yells out, “We haven’t been in the same room together for months. It feels so good to be home” as long awaiting fans couldn’t agree more. Their sound is almost similar to a softer version of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – no offensive language, but creative word spitting with a fantastic blend of rap and rock music. Each song is so different in that one is a “no worries street smarts” and the next moment Taylor Frederick is shredding on guitar before the music slowly grooves into a reggae dance party. It’s a shame that The Kollectiv shows are rare but they are always worth the experience and we can only hope for more in the new year ahead.

December 28, 2013
Brothers Past and Digital Dharma Throw it Down at The Hollow

Brothers Past and Digital Dharma took stage for a packed house at the Hollow on December 21^st. Digital Dharma were on first, starting the night on a great foot, opening with “Mission Control -> Moonstruck”. Eliot Kershner never ceases to amaze on the keys and synth as he brings complex layers that intertwine with each of the musician’s key facets of the band to create a new and fresh sound within electronic music. Each member in the band plays off one another in such a way that each members unique sound is heard even in the most intense jams. This was Digital Dharma’s guitarist Jesse Radosti’s last show, and while it was bittersweet it was certainly a high energy set for him to close the curtain to.

Brothers Past took the stage, bringing their signature upbeat dance jams to The Hollow’s crowd. The bad is known for its dance tunes, surrounded by heavy jams and compiled by some of the most talented musicians on the scene. Unlike most jam and electronic bands, Brothers Past integrates vocals into almost all of their songs. Often times within jam bands, it is easy to lose the vocals amid the competing instruments and heavy jams, but Brothers Past has always done a phenomenal job keeping that scale at an even keel. Bands like BP have the capability of melding the organic and electronic aspects of both worlds and creating a new facet in the jam community. Brothers Past has followed in the footsteps of their Philly brethren the Disco Biscuits, and while their exposure is still on the up and up, it is clear that they are destined for great things within the music community. The band played two sets, both of which were packed with intensity and kept the crowd moving from start to finish. Clay Parnell laid down venue shaking bass lines matched by Tom Hamilton’s guitar to create a crushing set of multifaceted musical talent. It was certainly a good night for music in Albany; hopefully Brothers Past will make Albany a regular stop on their touring circuit.

You can catch Brother’s Past 12/26 at the Best Buy Theater alongside The Disco Biscuits, or their late night set at B.B. King’s the same night.

December 27, 2013
The Wooten Brothers Light Up The Egg

The Wooten Brothers are not your average family. They have been playing music together for their entire lives and it shows in the way they perform on stage. Victor, Joseph, Roy “Futureman,” and Regi play with each other with such ease that it seems like they could do it in their sleep. On Sunday, December 15, they brought their latest tour to The Egg and played beautifully for their entire two hour performance.

The evening started with Joseph coming out alone, joking with the audience about his birthday being that night and bringing the rest of his brothers out for a Sly Stone medley of songs. Once the medley ended the brothers began doing a slew of originals that let each member show how talented they were. Whether it was Joseph on the piano leading R&B ballads, Victor taking the lead on his bass for funkier numbers, or Regi displaying his guitar mastery on the heavier rock songs, each brother proved why they are up on that stage every night. Roy “Futureman” kept the brothers on point with his steady playing all night on the drums. He played a regular drum set all night, which is unusual for him as he has an electronic percussion unit for drumming with him more often than not, but he even played that differently as his bass drum was horizontal so he could play it with his hand instead of his foot.

The brothers told stories between their songs and joked with the audience. During a James Brown medley, Joseph began to ask for hitting and quitting just like the godfather of soul used to. His “hit is on 52” was very funny and appropriate as it was his 52^nd birthday, and the crowd enjoyed every second of it. The band even paid tribute to their fifth brother, Rudy, who died a few years ago, with the ballad “Make Me Like a Child.” It was a touching moment that clearly showed how much these brothers care about one another. The Wooten Brothers are all virtuosos at their respective instruments and it is always a treat to see them play. In the small confines of The Egg, it truly felt like a private performance for a few friends. After the show was over, all of the brothers showed their appreciation to the audience by sticking around to sign things and talk with anyone who wanted to. It was a great gesture by them and a perfect way to end the evening.

December 26, 2013
Merry Upstate Metal Xmas

Right about now, we expect most of you are hung over on Stewart’s Egg Nog and family bickering. And, we’re absolutely positive that if you hear Dominick the Donkey one more time, you’re going to kill someone with that Fender guitar you just got. Merry Xmas from Upstate Metal.

So, with that said we’re bringing back what we’ve found on Al Gore’s Interwebs, hoping to find what others are doing today.

Here’s your little bit of valium.

The economy has been improving across upstate New York, but some of us still find it difficult to rub two pennies together.
One of our competitors, the Capital Region’s Metroland, has witnessed the residual effects of the Great Recession, first hand. Above, a parent appears to be bragging over his or her Dickensian approach to soften the blow to the kids.
“I told my kids, ‘it’s Jesus’ birthday, not your birthday. You’re not getting anything’.”
Ouch!
That’s a tough pill to swallow right there. Hopefully Santa Claus found his way there last night. Something made from the heart is always better than something bought. Remember that, kids.

KISS’ Gene Simmons and his family paid a visit to Uncle Huge at the Playboy Mansion for an epic holiday party on Christmas Eve.
He took a moment to snap off a picture of his 21-year-old daughter, Sophie Tweed Simmons, snuggling up to a 20-foot tall Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Sophie has been in the headlines herself, having competed briefly on Fox Network’s The X Factor, last year. And, earlier the year, English newspaper The Daily Mirror published photographs of her in her thong bikini, while on vacation with her boyfriend in Ha’waii.
Sophie is one of two daughters between Simmon and 1982 Playboy Playmate of the Year, Shannon Tweed.

Halestorm lead singer, Lzzy Hale uploaded a photo of the family Christmas Tree from her mother’s house. this morning.
2013 has been a good year for the Hale family. After releasing their second album The Strange Case Of… in April of 2012, the song “Love Bites (So Do I)” won their first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance on February 10, 2013.
Halestorm is scheduled to launch a 12-stop European tour on April 1, 2014. The band just recently stopped in our area to perform. Go take a look for an awesome write-up and fantastic photos of the band.

Vince Neil cares not for a White Christmas, at least not on his Christmas card that pictures him and girlfriend, Rain Andreani.
The 52-year-old, former frontman of Motley Crüe, is currently dating the 32 year-old hair dresser while separated from his fourth wife, Lia Gerardini. Neil married Gerardini in 2005, but announced their separation in 2010.
Neil made headlines in late 2012 after collapsing on stage at a concert in Sydney, Australia. Aside from music, the hard rocker ventured into the Gentlemen’s Club business, opening Deja Vu Presents: Vince Neil’s Girls Girls Girls in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Girls, Girls, Girls was the Crüe’s forth studio album, released back in 1987.

Black Label Society frontman, Zakk Wylde is absolutely giddy over the Arthur Fonzarelli doll he apparently received from under the tree this morning.

The 46-year-old founding father of the LA rock group is certainly young enough to remember Happy Days from before its time in syndication. And, for those of us old enough to remember the ultra-cool character that was made famous by Henry Winkler can completely understand the excitement over receiving such a gift.

This has been a busy year for Wylde and his crew. Following the release of Unblackened, the boys went out and participated in this summer’s Gigantour IV, along with Megadeth, Device, Hellyeah, Newsted and Death Division. Wylde is reportedly working on material for yet another release next year. Since the band’s inception in 1998, the band has launched nine studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, an EP and three video albums.

The posting of Wylde’s mug in full scream makes one wonder if he’s truly excited over getting The Fonz, or is he trying to release the tension from his all of his work.

There could also be that fact that he’s upset over the departure of Nick “Evil Twin” Cantanese from BLS. Cantanese, who has been with the band since the start, reportedly set sail on December 2.

In case you’re looking to spend some recently acquired cash, a vintage Happy Days‘ Fonz doll from 1976 is currently selling on eBay for $26. (Imagine how much it would have been worth had he never jumped that shark.)

Orianthi Panagaris was recently getting into the festive spirit, as shown here from a picture she posted on her Instagram account a few days ago, apparently stealing shit out of her Christmas Tree’s closet.

Or, maybe, that’s how they dress where she’s from in Australia.

The amazingly gifted guitarist is currently in between tours, having closed out traveling with Alice Cooper over the past several months as part of the 98Rock Halloweenie Roast.

The 28-year-old released her third studio album, Heaven in This Hell, this past March and ultimately earned a three out of five stars from Allmusic.com. A deluxe version of the album was subsequently released this past September, which included three extra tracks.

For you stalkers who have yet to happen across her Instagram account, well, go Google it. But, I’ll tell you, the girl’s got a special relationship with that phone of hers. It’s not uncommon to see four or five updates on her account on any given day. Of course, the girl was just touring, and she gifted her fans with plenty of images from behind the scenes.

She goes back on the road next March, as she’ll meet up again with Cooper overseas as part of the European Rock Meets Classic Tour.

Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year’s to you all from UpstateMetal!

December 25, 2013
Brothers Past Comes To The Hollow December 21st

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.

Brother’s Past| Facebook| @BrothersPast

December 21, 2013
Best of 2013 – Part 5, Bands on the Rise and Jams of the Year!

2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. The best of 2013 Music festivals and incredible tours and jams pepper the Upstate New York music calendar, giving broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year – and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year. Here’s part 5 of 5, looking at the Bands on the Rise and our Jams of the Year

Best Band on the Rise

Top Picks

Aqueous

Eastbound Jesus

Rest of the Best

Consider the Source

Conehead Buddha

Driftwood

Lucid

The Blind Owl Band

Mister F

Solaris

Floodwood

Turkuaz

Gusto

MaryLeigh Roohan

Sarah Jarosz

Lucius

GOASTT

Tame Impala

The Acid

RY X

Bad Cello

Aminal

Did we miss a band on the rise that should know about and you think is great? Sound off in the comments!

Best Jams of the Year

Phish, “Crosseyed & Painless > Harry Hood”, Holmdel, NJ, 7/10

Phish, “Tweezer”, Lake Tahoe, 7/31

The Kollectiv and The Heavy Pets, The Hollow, Albany, 4/23

Aqueous, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond”, Buffalo, 6/21

Rich Robinson and Jackie Greene dueling guitars with The Black Crowes at Lockn’ Music Festival, 9/7

Disco Biscuits, “Basis for a Day”, City Bisco, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA 9/27

Vampire Weekend, “Hannah Hunt”

23 ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J “Mike Will Made-It”

Disco Biscuits, “Tom Sawyer” City Bisco, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA 9/28

Keller Williams and Floodwood, Putnam Den 10/10

Aqueous – “Uncle Phils Parachute”, The Dubland Underground, Rochester, 11/15

December 20, 2013
Best of 2013 – Part 4, Best Venues

2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. The best of 2013 Music festivals, venues and incredible tours pepper the Upstate New York music calendar, giving broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year – and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year.

Here’s part 4 of 5, looking at the Best Venues of 2013

Best Small Venue

Town Ballroom, Buffalo

Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs

Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown

Nietzsche’s, Buffalo

The Purple Fiddle, Thomas, WV

Bowery Ballroom, NYC

Opus 40, Woodstock

Red Square, Albany

Club Helsinki, Hudson

Schubas, Chicago, IL

Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose, Albany

The Crooked I, Erie, PA

Fox Theater, Oakland, CA

Glasslands, Brooklyn

The Hollow Bar, Albany

The Westcott Theater, Syracuse

Best Medium Venue

Turning Stone’s Showroom, Verona

The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

Brooklyn Bowl

Palace Theater, Albany

Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo

The Egg, Albany

The Landmark Theatre, Syracuse

Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ

Best Large Venue

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Red Rocks, Morrison, CO

Bethel Woods, Bethel, NY

Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

Artpark in Lewiston, NY

Molson Amphitheater, Toronto, Ontario

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at EncorePark, Alpharetta, Georgia

Double J Ranch, Rothbury, Michigan

The Gorge, George, Washington

The Mann Music Center, Philadelphia

Got a favorite venue that we didn’t mention? Sound off in the comments!

December 19, 2013
Acoustic Magic: Ed McCain’s Trio

Mohawk Valley Community College’s Rome campus was the perfect venue to showcase the Ed McCain Acoustic Trio and the sold out crowd was treated to an amazing performance. Ed McCain, best known for his songs, “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More”, played these crowd favorites along with many more that spanned his 20+ year career. Joined on stage by Craig Shields on saxophone and wind instruments and Larry Chaney on lead guitar, the three performed seamlessly together.

Many times you see acts that sound awesome from the studio and their live show doesn’t live up to the hype. Not in this case with Ed McCain. The live show sounded as good if not better than the recorded versions. Ed’s strong voice and personal presence wins over the crowd immediately, and his personal narration of songs and their road to the studio makes the song more meaningful as though it was now a personal story for the listener. When Ed shared stories of how the songs came about, the subjects they covered, or the people he introduced to you through the songs there was no way you could hear the song again and not reflect back on the story.

Never again will I be able to hear Marvin Gay’s “What’s Going On” without thinking of RJ’s Barbecue and the story Ed told of this amazing man and his friendship. Nor will I ever not think sax players have it going on since hearing the story behind the song “One Thing Left” and how no matter how charismatic Ed was that evening, it was Craig that had the pretty girls attention. Then there was the song “Sign on the Door” that came about after Ed lent an ear to someone sitting next to him one night at the bar. Songs are written by artists for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are to celebrate, sometimes to heal, but no matter how they came to be, we tend to apply to our personal lives. It’s this gift of story telling that makes Ed McCain an amazing writer, performer, and entertainer.

It was a pleasure sitting down and talking to Ed about music, life in Greenville, and his passions for every day life. This passion that comes across in his music, as well as his genuine love of family, music, and surroundings are what makes his music so personal and loved by many.

December 19, 2013
Best of 2013 – Part 3, Best Festivals

2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. The best music festivals of 2013 and incredible tours pepper the Upstate New York music calendar, and give broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year – and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year.

Here’s part 3 of 5, looking at the Best Festivals of 2013

Best Upstate Music Festival

Top Picks

Catskill Chill

Backwoods Pondfest

Night Lights

Camp Bisco

Grassroots Festival

Rest of the Best

moe.down

Mountain Jam

Utica Music and Arts Festival

The Big Up

Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

Spring Revival

Rock n Roll Resort

Best Music Festival Overall

Top Picks

Equifunk

Gathering of the Vibes

City Bisco

Rest of the Best

Jam Cruise

Rock on the Range

Delfest

Solid Sound

Strangecreek

The Festy Experience

Pitchfork Music Festival

Electric Forest

Fledging Crow Fest

Summer Camp

Governor’s Ball

Did we miss a festival this year that you thought was great? Sound off in the comments!

December 18, 2013
Best of 2013 – Part 2, Best Albums

2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. Music festivals and incredible tours and albums pepper the best of 2013 Upstate New York music calendar, giving broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year – and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year.

Here’s part 2 of 5, looking at the Best Albums of 2013

Best Upstate Album

Top Picks

Floodwood This is Life

Solaris Neon

Donna the Buffalo Tonight, Tomorrow, Yesterday

Rest of the Best

Smackdab II

Crows Cage Forgiven Sins

Eastbound Jesus Northern Rock

Jeff Bujak User Correction

Blind Owl Band This Train We Ride is Made of Wood and Steel

Bad Cello Finna EP

Ocupanther Progressor

Driftwood Rock-N-Roll Heart

Formula 5 Formula 5

Best Album overall

Top Picks

Daft Punk Random Access Memories

Arcade Fire Reflektor

Pearl Jam Lightning Bolt

Rest of the Best

Phish Ventura ’98

Alan Evans Trio Merkaba

The Deep Dark Woods Jubilee

David Bowie The Next Day

McCartney New

Imagine Dragons Night Vision

Toro Y Moi Anything in Return

Boards of Canada Tomorrow’s Harvest

Oh Honey With Love EP

Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

Phish Chicago ’94

Lorde Pure Heroine

Did we miss an album this year that you thought was great? Sound off in the comments!

December 17, 2013