NYS Music 20​13

Category: Albany

  • Phish officially announces Fall Tour 2013

    PhishSummer2012PressHI

    Jam icons Phish officially announced their 2013 Fall Tour. The tour starts back at the mothership, Hampton Coliseum, on October 18, 19 and 20. The East Coast only run will also take the band to Rochester, NY, Glens Falls, NY, Worcester, MA, Hartford, CT and Reading, PA. Phish will then play a three-night stand at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ that begins on Halloween night, which will feature 3 sets including their usual 2nd set musical costume.

    An online ticket request period for the tour is currently underway at http://tickets.phish.com and will end on Sunday, August 4th at 11:59PM ET. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning August 8th and continue through the 10th. For complete ticketing details, visit http://phish.com.

    PHISH 2013 FALL TOURDATES

    10/18 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
    10/19 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
    10/20 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
    10/22 Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY
    10/23 Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls NY
    10/25 DCU Center, Worcester, MA
    10/26 DCU Center, Worcester, MA
    10/27 XL Center, Hartford, CT
    10/29 Sovereign Center, Reading, PA
    10/31 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
    11/01 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
    11/02 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

    phishfall-2013

  • An Intimate Evening with Billy Payne of Little Feat at The Linda

    The Linda Theater provided the perfect setting for what turned out to be a very special and intimate evening with Billy Payne. Most people know Payne as one of the original founders of Little Feat. What some might not know is he is also an accomplished photographer, an amazing storyteller and a treasure-trove of musical history. Using all of these attributes, Payne presented “Tracing Footsteps”, a multimedia journal of music, photography, and stories from the road and from Billy Payne’s past.

    billy paynePayne begins by explaining “I call this event ‘Tracing Footsteps’ because I have been down many paths in my life, from music to photography, and everyone I’ve met along the way have been a huge part of my life”. “Tracing Footsteps” is largely a tribute to Payne’s previous band mates. He performed “Feathers and a Smile” as a tribute to Little Feat co-founder Lowell George. Several songs were also played in honor of deceased Little Feat drummer, Richie Hayward. In addition, Payne played a few new tunes co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter, including “A Thousand Nights” and “Wolfe in the Wilderness”.

    For the second set, Payne was joined on stage by current Little Feat drummer, Gabe Ford, and teenage guitar sensation, Conor Kennedy. The guys played several tunes from Payne’s current side-project, the Hooligans, including “Blue Grass Pines”, “Louisiana”, and “If I had a Mind To”. It was also an evening of experimentation with Payne trying “Juble”, another new tune recently written with Robert Hunter. The intimate and very entertaining evening wrapped up with a Q  & A session along with friendly conversation and autographs.

  • George Porter, Jr. & The Runnin’ Pardners and The McLovins ‘Funkify’ Red Square

    Red Square in Albany got a lesson in funk when George Porter, Jr and the Runnin’ Pardners performed on Saturday, June 21st with special guests The McLovins. The Connecticut kids of The McLovins are known for their improvisational tunes and four part harmonies. George Porter, Jr. is recognized as the bassist for The Meters, a funky New Orleans band that has recently nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

    The McLovins opened the night with light hearted songs that were easy for the crowd to groove to. The boys have great chemistry together; there is very little verbal communication on stage because they don’t really need it. There is a constant beautiful flow through the set, great build ups and come downs, one song straight into the next making for one serious jam session. The crowd was delighted to hear teases from The Doors and The Beatles, and with the tempo getting kicked up, everyone could lose a little control.  It was interesting to watch Atticus Kelly switch from guitar to keyboard throughout the night, sometimes during the same song. Jake Huffman had a soothing voice for vocals despite rocking hard on the drums. Towards the end of the set, they played the Tom Marshall-penned “Cohesive”, resulting in a climax of guitar riffs glory. Be on the lookout for The McLovins new album Beautiful Lights, set to drop this August.

    George Porter, Jr. took the stage with his four piece band the Runnin’ Pardners, comprised of Brint Anderson on guitar, Michael Lemmler on keyboards and Terrence Houston on drums. George Porter, Jr. opened the night by saying how he was going play some of his favorite Meters songs, much to the excitement of the crowd. The band wasted no time laying out the funk with an extreme melody which came at the crowd with full force. Porter, Jr. is a wizard on the bass, playing with quick fingers and delivering a wide array of smooth sounds. In between songs during the first set, Porter, Jr. was quite the story teller, talking about different shows from “back in the day” and the adventures his music brought him to, plus giving credit to The McLovins for “playing real music”. Michael Lemmler erupted out and over the key boards during “Same Old Thing” trying to keep up with Porter, Jr.’s slick bass playing.

    There’s always some perks to see a big name act in a small venue in your hometown. Red Square gave the audience an opportunity to get close and personal with the jazzy blues of George Porter, Jr. and company. The musicians were causal and comfortable in the space, which made for a relaxed environment where they were constantly joking with the crowd. Another perk was being able to get a good look at George Porter, Jr. lose control of himself but never his instrument. One of the funniest things throughout the night was every time that Porter, Jr. started to dip into another bass solo, everyone around me could be heard saying, “Oh sh*t.” Terrence Houston stole the show during the second set when he lifted his shirt over his head, resulting in a blinded epic drum solo session lasting for a solid five minutes. This music brings out the best in people, with the first few rows of dancers totally lost to the band and mesmerized by Porter, Jr.’s fingers. I was personally stoked to hear their rendition of “Iko Iko” by Dr. John, leading to a big group sing-along.

    The McLovins and George Porter Jr hung around after the show for pictures with fans and autographs. It was great to experience so much talented music with such a small crowd in a small venue. Both acts will appear this year at The Gathering of the Vibes and The Catskill Chill. 

  • Echo Music Fest Reverberates Through Downtown Albany

    Echo Music Fest, brought to you by Loyalty Entertainment, was designed to be an all day, all night outdoor EDM festival set in the beautiful, hilly region of Schenectady- home to Maple Ski Ridge, majestic Plotterkill Preserve and the Indian Lookout Country Club- made famous by Camp Creek, Gathering of the Vibes and Camp Bisco.  Instead, Echo Music Fest was downsized twice, cutting out all “minor” acts including Syracuse funk favorites, Sophistafunk, and relocated to two clubs, and finally one club, in downtown Albany.  The performances were narrowed down to the following DJ’s: Valerie Valentine, SAV and Mystereo, DVDJ Dread, and Jersey Shore celebrity and mashup hip-hop/house/electro DJ, Pauly D.  The festival started out with few attendees filtering in and out of Legends on Pearl, and ended in a packed, drunken, dancing mess of sweaty Albany clubgoers and assorted party people.  Mission Accomplished!

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    The lovely Val Valentine spun Synth-laden, bouncy electro-house tracks to start the evening off and bass-heavy mashup/house/trap/electro continued to echo down Pearl St. until close at 4am.  Each DJ brought their own style of EDM, providing listeners with a range of experiences.  Valentine’s set established an upbeat and technically interesting ambiance, with lots of cool sonic effects, knob-twisting and live mixing.  This Buenos Aires native was also quite enjoyable to watch, as she would periodically and adorably rise up to mix on tip-toe. Her set was unfortunately somewhat sparsely attended due to the early hour.  Next was SAV and Mystereo, the black and white Rorschack-masked Moombahton duo from parts unknown, who held fast to their anonymity, even down to an identity-killing, scratchy, Batman-like stage voice on Mystereo’s behalf.  Cheesy?…maybe.  Fun and weirdly cool?…Definitely.  Their set followed suit as it proved fun and danceable.  Moombahton, for those who are unfamiliar, is a blending of reggaeton and thick-baseline electro house or electro. This form of music has a tendency to get the party started due to its relatively new (c. 2010) electronic take on the ridiculously rhythmic and timeless roots of Jamaican dance hall and Dominican bachata.  The night continued to hold this energy as DVDJ Dread took the booth.  This is a DJ with technical skill.  Most memorable were the scratching breaks Dread regularly took in his hip-hop heavy set.  Fast scratching was his forte, and it was nice to see someone that still formidably wields this too oft neglected art.  Dread is also a filmographer (hence the “DVDJ”), and his videos streamed across Legends’ many large flat screens as the party grew in size and intensity.

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    It was during these primetime hours at Legends that a number of other DJ’s traded off with each other, most of them unidentified to this writer.  Pauly D soon integrated himself into this party of now hard-drinking DJs, and continued the theme of hip-hop/mashup/house.  He stuck hard to top 40 and club hits, with crowd favorites like A$AP Rocky’s “F***ing Problem” and “Ball” by TI.  Unfortunately, his spinning style appeared to be lacking in a variety of, well… creative mixing or turntablism.  I left remembering one instance, wherein Pauly D left the beat to a song thumping, cut out the treble, and mixed in a loop that simply repeated “Pauly…Pauly” for an extended break.  But…you do have to hand it to him,  he was able to keep those Albany clubgoers and a handful of festi-type partygoers dancing through the night, and repeating catchy pop-hip-hop rhymes the next day.

    Thanks to Loyalty Entertainment for a valiant effort in tough circumstances and hospitality all around.  Better luck with a larger outdoor festival next year!

  • Classic Ominous Seapods Shows Resurface on Archive.org

    In the past few months, a group on Facebook of Ominous Seapods Fans have had the benefit of having first listen to OS shows that were, for the first time since the original performance, transferred and uploaded to Archive.org. Thanks to Rich Lemire, Taper Wayne and a lot of patience, these recordings are now free for fans of the Seapods to download or stream at their leisure.

    To get an idea of what went into this task – unearthing and uploading shows from 15-20 years ago, Publisher Pete Mason talked with Rich Lemire about the process, the history and technology behind these classic recordings of The Ominous Seapods.

    ominous seapods

    Pete Mason: Take me back – you were clearly an early Seapods fan. What were the early shows like, especially as the fan base began to grow around the state?

    Rich Lemire: The shows were always a lot of fun! From the very first time I met the guys, you could just tell that they were a lot of fun to hang with and while they were serious about their music, they were just as serious about having some fun! You could tell that they were having a great time playing together and finding their sound as a band.

    The first year or two I saw them, I only caught them in Albany and Plattsburgh, so I couldn’t really comment on any other shows they were playing elsewhere. But they were either a bit on the intimate side like they were in Albany, when they were establishing themselves after they moved here, to totally rowdy affairs when they would return to Plattsburgh, their original stomping grounds in college.

    PM: How many shows would you estimate you saw? How many would you estimate you taped?

    RL: While the band was together and a touring unit, I would estimate I saw roughly 300 shows, most of them during the four year period I was working with them. I’d say roughly seventy-five percent of those shows I saw were taped.

    PM: The tapes – currently, they are mostly from 1992 and a few from the later 1990s. Why did they only come to light now?

    RL: Most of the Seapods shows I recorded and want to archive digitally are from late 1991 when I first saw the band, through the summer of 1997, with some random shows from 1998-2001 thrown in. It’s just time for them to be digitized and shared, you know? They’ve been sitting in tape racks the entire time, some I haven’t listened to in almost 20 years. Their conversion only came to light recently after a couple of conversations I had with their former sound engineer Marty, and TaperWayne who was Conehead Buddha’s archivist while they were together during the ‘90s and early ‘00s. Marty and I had a conversation during the setbreak of a Phish show at Madison Square Garden a little while back, about the band being on indefinite hiatus now that Dana is in Australia, and that it would be really great to preserve the recorded legacy of the band.

    I had given thought to doing it for a quite a while beforehand, but it always came down having the time to deal with it. To create the digital files, it’s a real time process to play the audio cassettes and create the tracks digitally. And that’s where TaperWayne comes in!

    I need to say that Wayne’s effort has really been the key to this project, and I’m thankful he is into the project as much as he is!! He’s totally psyched to help get the shows converted and added to the Live Music Archive, just to get them out there for people to hear. We’re old friends and he’s out in Wisconsin these days, so it’s just great to just keep in regular touch while working on it. We eventually want to convert and upload more shows down the road, from other bands I was seeing and recording, like Moon Boot Lover, God Street Wine, Shockra and a bunch of others in my archives from the ‘90s. It just made the most sense to start with the Ominous Seapods archives.

    PM: How were these shows recorded, taped and transferred?

    RL: The shows were recorded mostly by just taking a feed directly from the soundboard right to the tape deck. Some of the earlier shows I taped were audience recording and some of the very early stuff I posted from the archives was passed on to me by Eric Buecken, the band’s manager at the time, when he was stepping away from handling the band’s affairs.

    The majority of the Ominous Seapods shows that I recorded were on Sony D5 or D6 cassette decks, some were recorded on a home cassette deck in instances where I was dealing with repairs on mine or another taper friend was borrowing it to run multiple decks at Grateful Dead or Phish shows they were hitting. Towards the end of recording them and for the most part taping regularly, I started dabbling in some DAT recording, either using either a Sony D3 or Sony D7.

    All of my recordings that have been posted so far have been transferred by Wayne, using a deck he has that is specifically used for archiving purposes. From the cassette playback, he extracts the audio files from the cassettes and creates the digital files in .WAV format in a program called Audacity. From there, he does some clean up or normalization to the files as needed and converts them to FLAC files in a program called CDWave. FLAC is an acronym for Free Lossless Audio Codec. It’s a format much like an MP3 or WAV file, but it’s lossless, meaning that the audio is compressed without any loss in quality. From there, one of us uploads the FLAC files to the Live Music Archive or to etree if the band is not on the Archive.

    PM: Are there any shows that have stand out among the shows you are sharing, or any shows that you have specific memories from?

    RL: As you can probably imagine a lot of those nights 15-20 years ago are a total blur now, as some of them were a blur back then! Ha ha! We’re only two batches of tapes into the conversion project, so were really just getting started. So while I can’t say anything that we’ve done yet has really stood out for me personally, what has been cool with this project so far, at least to me, is to hear the progression that some of the older songs they played made as they continued to play them through the years, maturing as musicians and as a band. I am really looking forward to re-listening to some of the shows from 1994, which is when I felt the band really became the well-oiled machine they were. This was about a year after Ted joined the band. They had evolved into a really tight unit writing some great tunes and putting on some great rock shows! I hope people are really digging checking out these shows, as much as Wayne and I have been converting them. There’s much more to come!!

    Here are the first batch of Ominous Seapods shows that have been released on Archive.org. We’ll update this list as more shows are uploaded.

    Bogie’s, Albany, 11/15/91
    Bogie’s, Albany, 12/20/91
    Bogie’s, Albany, 10/30/92
    Aiko’s, Saratoga Springs, 1/4/92
    P.B. Finnan’s, Plattsburgh, 4/24/92
    Bogie’s, Albany, 5/2/92
    Bogie’s, Albany, 6/6/92
    P.B. Finnan’s, Plattsburgh, 10/17/92
    P.B. Finnan’s, Plattsburgh, 11/7/92
    Rhinecliff Hotel, Rhinecliff, 11/20/92
    Bogie’s, Albany, 3/11/94
    Bogie’s, Albany, 2/25/95
    Bellstock, 7/27/97

  • A Hot Saturday at Red Square with Timbre Coup and The Assortment of Crayons

    The Assortment of Crayons, based out of New Paltz, NY, is a relatively new band in the Upstate scene and one very much worth a listen. They have garnered quite an audience on Tuesday nights in New Paltz at Oasis Cafe and Snug Harbor, because SUNY doesn’t have classes on Wednesday (weird, I know). Albany was treated to an opening set from The Assortment, showcasing a wide range of music stylings and versatility in the live setting. “Courier” bled out of “Happenstance” and became a Phishy jam with excellent guitar work from Sean and Erik Hill, delving into a bluesy noodle-fest.

    “Trust a Stranger” was dedicated to semantics and had a jazzy vibe throughout. “Leroy’s Adventure” was intricate and composed progressive rock, rising and falling throughout the song. “Like a River” was introduced as we were advised to ‘Dance like a hoedown’, a perfect upbeat tune to cap off the opening set on. Taking with guitarist Sean Hill afterwards, he professed his love for the guitar work of none other than Jimmy Herring, who’s steadfast focus could be heard in “When You’re Gone”.

    the assortment of crayonsThe Assortment of Crayons is Sean Hill (guitar/vocals), Matthew Richards (keyboards/vocals) Jack Singer (bass/vocals), Erik Hill (guitar/vocals) and Eric Segerstrom (drums). You can check out more from The Assortment of Crayons on their website and on Facebook. Stay tuned for more coverage of this great band from .

    Setlist: Happenstance>Courier, To Trust a Stranger, Molly Gagging Lolly, Leroy’s Adventure, When You’re Gone, Like a River.

    As many times as I have seen Albany’s Timbre Coup, Saturday was one of their best shows. They kept the energy at a high point all night, barely letting up with their electronic jams and great flow. Timbre Coup does have a dark side to their jams but I was happy that they didn’t venture too deep into it this time. A great surprise was the debut of hearing “All Night Long”, originally by Lionel Richie, catching the crowd off guard and resulting in massive cheers. “Mother Nature’s Baby Daddy” brought an intense heavy rock mode to the venue with slamming guitar riffs.  I was stoked to hear “September”, a groovy rock techno melody from their latest album, Knuckles & Valleys. As a bonus, the night’s performance was recorded for an upcoming live album release. Fans can catch Timbre Coup performing this summer at Bellstock and The Big Up Festival.

    Set 1: Takes Awhile, Running Always, All Night Long*, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Verbal Kint> Jam> CTS, Mother Nature’s Baby Daddy

    Set 2: Gurfin> Jam>55, Z#, Roland Opus, Snoop Tiger, Chupacabra, September

    Encore: I Didn’t Know She had a Moustache

    *debut

  • Ten Tips for Camp Bisco That You Will Thank Us For Later

    This will be my fifth year attending Camp Bisco in Mariaville at the Indian Lookout Country Club. As a Camp Bisco veteran, I have a few tips and suggestions that I wish someone would’ve told me before my first Camp. Following these guidelines can only help make your festival experience run smoothly and make fora successful weekend.

    1. Use a marker for your camp site. This is something I’ve always put number one on my list. As the festival has grown, the grounds have become a maze, making it difficult to find your friends and campsite. Use whatever is easiest to transport. In the past I have seen everything from flags to balloons and “rage sticks” to identify where you are in the labyrinth of easy ups and tents; whatever it takes to make sure you don’t end up sleeping in another person’s tent. If you choose to bring a balloon, make sure you bring ample string or rope and tie it tightly. I’ve seen all too many fallen balloon-soldiers to the weak ribbons of festival land.

    2. DON’T bring glass. Just don’t do it. If you look at the Camp Bisco website  you will see this clearly indicated under numerous times in the “What Not To Bring” portion of the site. Your car is going to get searched and there is nothing that holds up a line like a couple glass jars or bottle, whether full of beer, salsa or other things. You’ll end up having to throw out your stuff and you’ll probably make a lot of people mad. This is your warning.

    3. Always buy warm beer. A rookie mistake at a festival is buying a 30 pack of ice cold beer thinking that it won’t become skunk after day one. At a festival, ice is a privilege, not a right, so if you have things you need to keep cold, you have to wake up early to get to the general store and pick up a bag or two. With the thousands of people attending Camp Bisco, there is no way that you can plan on keeping ice forever on site for your crew, especially in the warm July heat when you’re gonna need it. Don’t pack things that you know need to stay constantly iced, because chances are you’ll run into a time where you’re going to have to wait for the festival to restock their ice supply. It isn’t fun having a cooler of food that’s gone bad, that’s for sure.

    4. Stay hydrated. Another rookie mistake I’ve seen year after year is the first year festival goers putting back beers in the 100 degree weather waiting in line to get in. Yeah, it’s nice to have a beer after a long commute but you have a long day and a long weekend ahead of you. The amount of people that collapse from not properly staying hydrated in the heat is outrageous. No matter where you go within the festival grounds, keep water on deck. You certainly don’t want your festival experience to be ruined by waking up in the EMT tent due to dehydration.  Bring TOO MUCH water; it’s better to be safe than sorry. The pump water is completely kosher for a quick rinse down in the morning, but bring your own water to drink. Water is a huge necessity at a festival, don’t make the mistake of not bringing enough. Last year between two people, we went through a case and a half of water. Given, it was peaking 98 degrees during the day, but with all the dancing and sweating you’ll be doing, you’re going to need a ton of H20.

    5. Map out what music you want to see prior to getting to the festival. Chances are there will be a million things going on at once that you want to experience and enjoy, so make sure you have a clear path cut out to ensure that you get the best of your festival experience. Also, do not lose your schedule. By day two everyone and their mother is going to try and borrow your schedule because they lost their own. Make sure you keep your schedule somewhere safe so that you’re not missing out on the awesome acts throughout the weekend. And make sure you see something new! Camp Bisco has introduced me to some of my favorite bands and DJs that I would not have heard otherwise. Venture out, follow the crowds and jump from stage to stage. You will not regret it.

    6. Pack appropriate clothing; It seems like a given, but sometimes you need to be reminded. I’ve seen past Biscos that have rained the entire time and I was definitely happy to have a pair of rain boots, umbrella and rain coat on deck. You can never be sure what the weather will bring when you’re camping outside vulnerable to mother nature’s wrath. In the same breath, bring sunscreen! I have also seen a Bisco where it has been 100 degrees every day with nothing but beaming, hot sun (i.e., last year). I made this mistake my first year and have always made sure I bring ample sunscreen every year since. There is nothing worse than being brutally burned for an entire weekend of sun, dancing and music. Also, don’t bring an expensive pair of shoes that you value. Regardless of the weather, somewhere there will be mud. If there wasn’t, it wouldn’t be a festival. I’ve seen people go barefoot the entire weekend and it just isn’t a good idea. You never know what lies in the depths of a muddy field that you really don’t want in or around your bare feet.

    7. Bring a solar powered charger. You’ll be happy when you’re not standing in line at a charging station or killing the battery on your car. There is little to no cellphone service at Indian Lookout so you’re phone will die almost immediately. Honestly, the best advice I could give you in regards to your expensive smart phone is lock it up. You won’t have service, it’ll constantly be dead and you’ll probably end up breaking, losing or dropping it in a port-o-potty; just lock it up and forget about it. Sounds unbelievable, but I promise you’ll survive.

    8. Get some sleep. As tempting as it is to pull all nighters for an entire weekend, your body will hate you come Sunday morning when it’s time to make that commute back to wherever you live. Even if it’s only a couple hours a night, make sure you sleep. This could be difficult due the constant thumping bass from your neighbors and the mandatory Five a.m. drum circles, so bring ear plugs, maybe a sleep mask and catch some shut eye. I have never been happier at a Camp Bisco than when I am fully rested and ready to keep moving.

    9. Wet wipes are God’s way of saying “You don’t need a shower to smell clean(ish)”. The shower lines at Camp can get pretty long. The best way to ensure a shower is to go at night, but then you’re risking missing an epic set on main stage. Wet wipes are cheap, easy and will keep you relatively clean. At least clean enough to not be that smelly guy in the crowd.

    10. Lastly, have fun! A day at Camp Bisco can feel like a week in real-time. Take things slow, don’t get overwhelmed and enjoy your time at one of the fastest growing, greatest electronic music festivals in the world.

  • Get Ready to Get Funky This Friday with George Porter Jr. at Red Square

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    Legendary bassist, George Porter Jr will be getting down and funky this Friday June 21st at Red Square in Albany with his band, the Runnin’ Pardners, presented by Guthrie Bell Productions . The New Orleans band is admired for their fusion of funk, rock and R&B with the members consisting of Porter on bass, Brint Anderson on guitar, Michael Lemmler playing keyboards, Khris Royal on saxophone and Terrence Houston on drums. George Porter Jr. is best known for being a founding member of The Meters with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste.

    The Meters formed in 1965 only to break up in 1977 but reunited in 1989 and recently have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Meters music has been celebrated as one of the hardest grooving bands in the business, delivering a high energy performance with heart and funky soul. Their music has been covered by such bands as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Grateful Dead, plus sampled by hip hop artists like The Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C. When the Meters are not touring together, George Porter Jr. and Art Neville tour with their side project band known as the Funky Meters. George Porter Jr.’s music career has spanned over four decades and has worked with renowned artists such as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne, Patti LaBelle, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, and Steve Kimock.

    mclovins

    The McLovins, Connecticut’s top Jam Band, made famous from a YouTube cover of Phish’s “Youn Enjoy Myself”, are set to open the show. Their improvisational rock has led them all over the Northeast, making every concert goer a lifelong fan. Both the McLovins and George Porter Jr. are set to play this year’s Gathering of the Vibes as well as the Catskill Chill, making Red Square an ideal spot for a more intimate performance.

    Doors open at 8 with tickets available online for an early purchase of only $17 but will be $20 day of the show.

  • Mind was D’Melted thanks to Club D’Elf and Marco Benevento at Red Square

    One of the best ways to cool down after a disgustingly humid Saturday is with cold drinks at Albany’s Red Square, and on June 1st, it was even cooler with Boston’s Club D’Elf and the infamous Marco Benevento. Club D’Elf is notorious for having a jazz –infused, progressive rock, Moroccan sound which was enough to sell me on seeing their show for the first time while Marco Benevento is no stranger to me or Red Square.

    The evening got off with a mellow and slow start with “Bass Beatbox”, gentle bells, easy beats from Dean Johnston and echoing riffs with each musician getting a feel for the crowd and space.  I lingered in the back of the crowd to take in the sound of the music clashing beautifully together. I could hear Marco pounding on his keys while Club D’Elf sent out waves of creepy Middle Eastern flair. I was pulled closer to the stage by the hypnotizing electric guitar riffs in “13/Gijro” and strong rhythm of the drum set plus ever growing bongos in “Hegue”.

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    Being closer to the action gave me a deeper appreciation for the artists who kept a constant exchange of smiles between themselves and the audience, plus a better look at instruments, some of which I have never seen before. Danny Blume takes credit for playing the biggest guitar I have ever seen and shredded the life out of it. While Mike Rivard handled the skinniest stand-up bass, switching back and forth to an electric blue guitar, giving the music a heavy dub/reggae sound. Benevento played what must have been every note on his piano and keyboard, all with great fire and recklessness throughout the night. “I Wish I Was in Heaven” and “Sidi Rabi” as the encore, brought out intense vocals from Brahim Fribgane and exotic sounds from his stringed Lutar.

    The sound of the evening could be summed up as a “Bob Marley meets crooked Arabian Nights meets downtown Jazz club” mixture. With everyone playing together, it was true Frankenstein of a band, complete with bizarre instruments and monstrous songs that left me with confused, delighted terror and amazement.

    The show is available for a free listen and/or free download, thanks to Ed Guidry. Remember to tip your tapers folks and to catch Club D’Elf at the Disc Jam music festival and The Lizard Lounge in MA on July 12th and 26th. Marco Benevento can be seen at Equifunk festival on August 17th Upstate New York.

    Setlist: Bass Beatbox, 13/Gojiro, Hegue, As Above, Mogador, Zeed Al Maal, I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, Instar,

    Encore: Sidi Rabi

  • Top 10 Artists You Don’t Want to Miss at Camp Bisco

    campbisco

    With Camp Bisco almost a month away, it’s time to start mapping out your schedule and narrowing down what artists you want to see the most. I’ve compiled a list of my top ten need to see artists, which was no easy task with Bisco’s extensive lineup spanning everything from hip-hop, dub step, electronic, house, jam, indie and so much more.

    1. The Disco Biscuits- I mean, seriously. These guys have made such a serious name for themselves in the music scene that they are now being compared to the likes of Phish and The Grateful Dead. This festival was their baby and watching it grow has been a crazy experience. They started off playing on one small main stage for a few thousand people and now step out onto dual stages with 20 thousand or more people cheering their names. That’s gotta count for something. Plus they’re all amazingly talented musicians. Whether you’re a “biscuits kid” or not you have to be able to see how unbelievably brilliant each member of the band is when they pick up their instruments. They play the most sets, so chances are you wont be able to miss them, but while you do see a few of their sets, appreciate how far they’ve come and how far they’ve brought this festival because without them it would never have existed.

    The Disco Biscuits on Twitter and Facebook

    2. Squarepusher. If you haven’t heard of this guy, I really wouldn’t be too surprised. I have been trying to catch Squarepusher, or Tom Jenkinson, for years but with his rare sitings in the U.S I have yet so see a live set. Squarepusher is an artist from the UK who focuses primarily around drum and bass, acid house and jazz. He uses live instrumental playing as well as digital processing to make some seriously mind blowing beats. He has releases such a vast array of music that it is difficult to pinpoint once particular style he likes to follow, but trust me you won’t want to miss this legend.

    Squarepusher on Facebook 

    3. Sound Tribe Sector 9. Of course, a Camp Bisco favorite. I have been a huge fan of STS9 since 2002 when I was a pretty young kid. Their music stays consistently amazing and their live performances are nothing short of spectacular. STS9 is an instrumental band with a strong focus on electronic, hip hop, drum and bass and funk. Whether these guys end up as a late night set or an evening set it is bound to be an amazing time. If you’ve never seen them before, you’ll be in for a serious treat.

    STS9 on Twitter and Facebook

    4.Toro Y Moi– I’m not even really sure how to describe this guy. I discovered him about a year ago and fell in love instantaneously. He is described as indie-pop, “chill-wave,” synth-pop and electronic. I really don’t even know how to describe him other than saying he is amazing and if you miss his set you are making a serious mistake. There are not many artists out there similar to Toro Y Moi so I suggest you give him a listen before Bisco rolls around just for your own aural pleasure.

    Toro Y Moi on Twitter and Facebook

    5. Boombox. Although I’ve seen Boombox a pretty significant amount of times I think I have still yet to see them on stage at a festival. Their style is unlike most bands I’ve seen in that they pull inspiration from all facets of the music community. They are a steady mix of psychedelic, funk, rock and blues. At each show I’ve seen, they drive each set with the energy of the crowd so it will be interesting to see them in front of a crowd as huge as Bisco.

    Boombox on Twitter and Facebook 

    6.Paper Diamond. Paper Diamond has been around for a while, just not under that particular alias. Alex Botwin started as the bassist for Pnuma Trio, and if you’ve heard the Pnuma Trio you know that he’s a very talented musician. Paper Diamond is Botwin’s solo DJ career, as he also takes on electronic production. Paper Diamond is another feel good DJ that will make you move. Definitely don’t miss his set this Camp.

    Paper Diamond on Twitter and Facebook

    7.Animal Collective. Over the past five or so years Animal Collective has grown rapidly in popularity and become a household name in the music scene. They are considered “experimental-psychedelic” and encapsulate a slew of different styles and genres within each song. You will without a doubt dance from start to finish when Animal Collective takes stage.

    Animal Collective on Twitter and Facebook

    8. Gigamesh. You’ve probably heard Gigamesh’s remix of Foster the People’s single “Pumped up Kicks,” or perhaps his work on Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me,” so you know what he’s capable of. His talent as a producer and a DJ is unparalleled. His music derives from a mix of influences, but will not fail to keep you dancing. Make sure you save your energy for this set, because you’ll need it.

    Gigamesh on Twitter and Facebook

    9. Lotus. I know, I’m clearly showing biases towards the band I’ve seen a million times, but in the same breath they have yet to let me down. Lotus is another band who has gained serious popularity over the past few years and made their own mark on the music and festival scene. Similar to Sound Tribe, Lotus is an electronic jam band who incorporate many sounds and genres within each song. Their music can be fast and hard or slow and melodic. That spectrum is what makes bands like Lotus such an awesome live act to see.

    Lotus on Twitter and Facebook

    10. Com Truise. Com truise started as a drum and bass DJ and slowly shifted into a more 80’s, chill-wave sound. His music is completely different than anything else in the music scene. I don’t even think there is an artist I could compare him to wholeheartedly, which is why he made the top ten list. An artist with that unique of a sound does not go unnoticed, even within a lineup as insane as Camp Bisco’s. It is artists like this that make Camp Bisco have such a wide variety of sounds and genres that grace their stages throughout the festival.

    Com Truise on Twitter and Facebook

    Honorable mentions:

    The Manhattan Project, Twiddle, Break Science, Zoogma,

    Also, In an effort to help rebuild the community that was impacted by the wake of the tornadoes MCP Presents is putting out a National call to all of its supporters and fans, who converge upon the region each July. A page to collect donations has been set up through rally.org, where people can show their support and make online donations. Fans are asked to visit www.rally.org/supportschenectadycounty – cb12 or through the festival site at www.campbisco.net.