NYS Music 20​13

Category: Albany

  • 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.

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    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.

  • 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 21st. 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.

  • 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.

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    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.

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    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 52nd 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.

  • 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.

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    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

  • 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 Pondfestbest of 2013 festivals

    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!

  • The Chronicles Take a Winter Residency in January at Red Square in Albany

    The Chronicles will be holding a month long residency in January 2014 at Red Square, located at 388 Broadway in Albany. Each Thursday they will pay homage to a different musical icon including Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, John Coltrane and J. Dilla. Throughout the month the band will be accompanied by West End Blend, Mr. Breakdown, Cedric Burnside and Big Mean Sound Machine.

    The Chronicles is a six piece band that fuses a vast array of music genres including jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop into a unique and multi-faceted sound. The group is a local band from Albany and have had the opportunity to play many festivals and venues in the Northeast. Tickets for the residency will be $10 at the door or $20 pre-order for all four shows.

    @Chronicles_Band |Facebook| Website

  • Marco Benevento and WOLF! Keep Albany Warm at Red Square

    Marco Benevento last partied at Albany’s Red Square months ago on the first day of June. An exciting Saturday night at Red Square started off with the garage-rockabilly stylings of WOLF! Scott Metzger treated the crowd to his raw guitar work throughout the set, while Taylor Floreth kept the steady beat going underneath him. Dave Dreiwitz played bass with them for the second time ever and fit right in with them. Scott joked between songs with the crowd and it seemed as if the hour was over before it started. Hopefully Scott will bring the band back around to the Capital Region soon for a longer performance.

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    With the cold weather quickly settling into Upstate, Benevento had the Capital District already excited for 2014 as he promised to announce the month of his fall residency at Red Square. Marco Benevento blasted off with “The Real Morning Party” a youthful tune with Nintendo charm that geared the crowd up for play time. The trio went on into a blur of covers throughout the night such as The Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nillson. Benevento donned the big tiger mask for one of his newest songs from the album, Tiger Face, “Limbs of a Pine”, getting a big roar from the audience and bowing to bassist Dave Dreiwtiz. Andy Borger hit hard the petals with Benevento raising his mug in approval with a catchy verse leading the crowd to a repetitive “HEY/WOO” cheer.  The crowd was rowdy all evening, but really took it to an extreme during the song, with a few people walking on stage and dancing.

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    Benevento and Dreiwtiz exchanged smiles during “RISD” as they played with upbeat and innocent lightheartedness. “Escape Horse” brought about a dark, dangerous side to the night as Benevento hit every note on his keybords with tremendous madness and Borger pounded deep beats. The band took a moment to thank the fans and asked for their vote on which month in 2014 their residency at Red Square should be. October got the loudest cheers and  Marco proclaimed, “As long as we have the ladies with red clown noses, we’ll be here next October, celebrating the release of a new album at that time!” The night ended with the group singalong of “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35” by Bob Dylan and the curveball of Britney Spears “Toxic.” It’ll be seem like a long year until Marco Benevento returns to Albany in October, hopefully he’ll return for another season starter. Until then, Benevento will be ending the year at The Capitol Theatre on Dec 27th with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and a post-Phish Show at the Highline Ballroom on Dec 30th and he will be sitting in with The Midnight Ramble Band for a special New Year’s Eve Ramble at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY.

  • Get Lucky this Friday the 13th with The Kollectiv and Groovestick

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    This Friday at 9pm don’t miss two of Upstate New York’s fresh and funky bands, The Kollectiv and GrooveStick, appearing at The Hollow in Albany. Groovestick has become a growing Capital District sensation with their heavy organ infused, progressive funk. The trio is a collaboration with Dan Gerken on guitar (Timbre Coup/Mirk), Chris Carballeira on organ/keys (Dirty Paris, Funk Evolution) and Frantz Celestin on drum kit (The Kollectiv, Dirty Paris).

    This will be a special reunion show for The Kollectiv, since they have had band members living on the west coast and haven’t played together for months. The original lineup consists of keyboardist Eric Luba, guitarist Jaden Carlson, Frantz Celestin on drums (GrooveStick), Chris Duffy on bass (Dirty Paris), Lars Viola on turntables (M.A.E.), and guitarist Taylor Frederick (Technicolor Tone Factory). Deep into December, they are staying true to the old holiday saying, “There’s no place like home for the holidays” and eager to see long awaited fans and friends in Albany and at the Black Oak Tavern in Oneonta on Saturday.

    Before their big weekend, was lucky to catch some free time with Taylor Frederick about their time apart, practice and the year ahead.

    Susan Rice: It’s been quite some time since the Kollectiv performed in Upstate New York. What have you guys been working on since your time off?

    Taylor Frederick: Well Duffy is finishing up college in Albany as of right now, Lars is down in NYC producing and working with his hip-hop projects at True Statement., Frantz has been hard at work with his new funk trio Groovestick, and Eric and myself moved out to Boulder, CO at the end of May, and dove into the music scene out here pretty quickly. He is now in The Jaden Carlson Band, and I am now playing with Technicolor Tone Factory. As for Eric and myself, I know JCB is planning on a two month national tour starting at the end of February or beginning of March, and TTF will also be on tour at that time heading west toward California, and also heading south into Texas around the same time. Tour dates are going to be released in early 2014.

    SR: Do you find it difficult to keep in touch with band members living across the country? Do you log in practice time with each other?

    TF: It’s a little difficult at times. You tend to get caught up in life, and sometimes that makes time fly by a bit faster than one would like. But we do keep in touch quite a bit. Since Eric and I are out here we have been running the old stuff and some new surprises for the run and the rest of the boys have been doing their own individual runs on the material.

    SR: Do you guys feel like you will need like you need a lot of practice before the show? I would be nervous if I had to play with a band that I haven’t seen in month’s haha.

    TF: Well the funny story is the band was founded on straight improv, even the songs. We just kind of get lucky that we all know them well enough that when we hear a tease of something, we all pick up on it and can go right in. It’s a pretty amazing bond to have with a group of musicians. It doesn’t happen often but when it does its magic. For the run however we have been learning a bunch of new material on our own, and whatever we decide on, the setlists will kind of determine what we can fit in between point A and point B.

    SR: What is the band most excited for on your Holiday/reunion run in Upstate NY?

    TF: We’re just pumped to be playing music together again. It’s always a good time when we get together. Our friends from all over the place always come out as well and we seem to make new ones at ever show. It’s slowly turning into just a giant family reunion.

    SR: Does the Kollectiv have any plans for 2014 that fans can look forward to? New music? More East Coast shows?

    TF: As far as 2014 you never know. There have been some old studio recordings that just may resurface, and maybe a couple festival appearances? We’ll have to wait and see. Right now just keep an eye out for JCB, TTF, Groovestick, M.A.E, Dirty Paris and our other respected projects!

  • Formula 5 and TAUK – On the Rise at The Hollow

    Two of the most up and coming improvisational bands combined forces for a funky Friday night throw down at The Hollow in Albany. Despite the threat of a possible snow storm, dedicated fans made the journey downtown to celebrate the end of the work week with drinks and great music. Tauk, the four piece space funk band from Brooklyn, has been heavily touring across the East Coast this year and was happy to return to the Capital District. Formula 5 is no stranger to the area as they supply fresh local jams to the masses on a steady rotation. Tauk and Formula 5 are two bands to watch for in the New Year ahead.

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    Tauk quickly filled the dance floor as their electronic-infused rock sound moved through the room. Their slow and monstrous buildups leave plenty to the musical imagination. Guitarist Matt Jalbert and Bassist Charlie Dolan hit high altitude chord elevations that keep the audience on the tip of their dancing toes. Isaac Teel is a multi-tasking, beat-making machine as he uses a tambourine with his left hand, drums with his right hand and holds his left drum stick in his mouth. Keyboardist A.C. Carter adds soulful organ notes before dipping into groovy techno melodies. The quartet ended their set with a killer mash-up of Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song”, Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and “Bulls on Parade” by Rage against the Machine which they have named, “Immigrant Boogie Parade.” Tauk will hit the road in January with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe after they throw down at a Phish after-party with Fikus at DROM on Dec 28th. Their newest album, Homunculus is available for free download here.

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    Formula 5 had something for everyone as they have performed diverse covers and unique original songs. The band started with a solid cover of Elton John’s “Grey Seal” before erupting into their party starter anthem “Excalibur.” Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions took a moment to raffle off free tickets for all his shows in 2014 proving that live music is the best gift for anyone. Formula 5 is growing to be a band where as they grow, you listen for the teases, songs within songs, and “songception” moments. Fans were thrilled as they recognized Was (Not Was)’s “Walk the Dinosaur” and Phish’s “The Moma Dance” during the funky “Pedro.” The boys have been working on a new album which hopefully will drop in the spring, the sooner the better for everyone.

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    Formula 5 Setlist: Grey Seal*, Excalibur, Catch Me -> The Ride -> Ticket Giveaway@ -> The Ride, Epiphany -> 3 Ring Circus, Rising Tide, Pedro% -> Jungle Love#, Earthbound, Music Never Stopped, Hot Box
    E: Goin’ Down^
    * Elton John cover
    @ Greg Bell raffled off tickets while the band played a background breakdown of “The Ride”
    % “Walk the Dinosaur” (Was Not Was) teases, “Moma Dance” (Phish) teases
    # Steve Miller Band

  • The Final Shows at Valentines Slated for December 20+21

    A monumental shift in the Albany jamband scene is upon us – Valentine’s, located at 17 New Scotland Ave in Albany, a longtime haven for bands like moe. Conehead Buddha, Ominous Seapods and many others passing through the area, will be closing its doors on New Years Eve.

    Albany area promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions will present his final weekend of shows at Valentines on December 20th and 21st. On Friday, two of the venue’s past favorites will reunite, FreeBeerandChicken and Wreckloose, with doors at 8pm and show at 9:30. Cover is $10. On Saturday, Albany favorites Peter Prince and Moonboot Lover, Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets, and Subduing Mara will perform. Doors at 8, show at 9 with a $15 cover. Both shows are 18+

    Come celebrate the historical relationship between Valentine’s and Guthrie Bell Productions with friends and family throughout the Capital District! This night will be one for the books and will be there to bring you all the details of this sure to be infamous night of music and farewells.

    Guthrie Bell has brought so many bands to Valentine’s over the years that the list reads like a Who’s Who of Northeast Jambands –  moe., Disco Biscuits, Soulive, Ominous Seapods, Moonboot Lover, Conehead Buddha, Schleigho, Free Beer and Chicken, Yolk, Eastbound Jesus, Dr. Jah, Formula 5, Timbre Coup and hundreds more. Come join us and bid farewell to an historic venue.

    Please note: Guthrie Bell Productions will continue to produce and promote live music in the Capital District. They currently have scheduled events at The Palace Theatre, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, and Red Square. Check out their facebook event page for more details.