Category: Albany

Albany knows how to MOVE – recap of MOVE Music Festival, April 27th

The second annual MOVE Music Festival was held April 27^th in Albany, bringing 100 bands to play in 10 venues across the city, catering to a wide array of musical genres. People are always looking for the next big thing and wanting to be a part of something, especially from the beginning. Some bands catch big breaks and it’s fun to be a fan who can say, “I saw them before they were famous.” Albany’s MOVE Music Fest gave concert goers the opportunity to experience new acts from all over the state and country, promoting the cities’ ever growing music scene. I barely knew 5 out of 100 bands on the lineup and was expecting really amateur music from bands who I thought were getting their first gig out of their mother’s basement. However, I was more than surprised with the talent that each group displayed and can’t wait to see their upcoming shows.

It was more than overwhelming to look at the schedule for the day and pick a place to start. With each band only getting an hour to play, my friends and I tried to strategize a route which was convenient for ourselves and would give us the chance to catch the few bands we did know in action. In the end, we decided to start at Valentines because it was the closest venue to my apartment and never fails with good music. We arrived at the venue around 4pm with plenty of people inside and out ready to catch the first of many acts to come. Party Boat kicked off my evening with wailing vocals that reminded me of the indie band GroupLove, complete with catchy lyrics and simple harmonies. I love surfer music, mostly for the unique guitar sounds that I don’t hear too often living in Upstate New York. I was excited to learn that the group is from Saratoga Springs and often play at Valentines plus other nearby venues.

Next up was The Ameros, who opened with one of my favorite songs, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant. This not only pumped me up but the rest of the crowd too causing a massive surge to the front of the stage. Lead singer Jesse Calhoun belted out lyrics of freedom and rebellion with great passion and honesty, almost causing a riot on the dance floor. Charles Pope blew me away with his sharp guitar riffs especially during “New American Century.” The Ameros musical style ranges from reggae, rock, funk and explosive hip hop. This was their second time playing at the MOVE Music Festival and Calhoun said it went way better this year since they got to play at one of their favorite venues, Valentines, and were able to support their friends’ bands by catching more music too.

While catching some fresh air outside, my friends and I were approached by a few tie dye wearing, hairy faced dudes handing out flyers for the band, TreeHouse! It seemed legit. We headed upstairs at Valentines to check out the reggae group that had traveled all the way from the Carolinas to play here. As it was getting closer to show time, we noticed that the guys handing flyers outside were now on stage, tuning up and was actually the band TreeHouse! The band takes pride in their excessive way to self-promote themselves, such as pulling people in from out the streets. I was totally surprised by the deep vocals coming from Jeremy Anderson that echoed off the walls in the venue. Bassist Matt Link did not stop dancing and grooving the entire time they were on stage. Trey Moody laid out tasty beats throughout the set, only encouraging the band to keep pushing the reggae party vibe.

Barons in the Attic, the grunge rock Albany locals, took the downstairs Valentines stage and blasted into their set with “Julia.” The upbeat melody mixed with hardcore rhythm was more than enough to get the crowd in full dance mode. The Barons combine punk, garage and folk with energetic force and attitude, always making for a good show. Matt Hamilton was unavailable for the show so fans were treated to Eric Krans from “The Parlor” who fit right in by strumming and stirring up the crowd just as loud as the rest of the boys.

For a change of pace, we headed towards Lark St where there would be more venues with more music. My girlfriend suggested we check out Brown Bread & Von Holt, an electronic pop band from her home town in Beacon, NY. We cruised into Lark Tavern, a bar that after undergoing renovations, hosts routine musical acts of all genres in their back room with a small stage and plenty of table seating. The dynamic duo is Rebecca Doerfer (Brown Bread) and Colin Cheyne (Von Holt) who together make up a bone chilling dance party. Doerfer’s voice is haunting and angelic while Cheyne sends out eerie chords from his guitar. Their sound is a dark and electronic space jam full of heartbreak yet good spirits.

Still a new festival, MOVE is off to a great start and has support next year when they want to host 100 bands in our back yard of Albany.

May 6, 2013
Storytime with ‘Grandpa’ Leo Kottke at The Egg, April 26

Grandpa in this case refers to the kind of guitar player Leo Kottke is – playing songs on an acoustic guitar while stopping to tell long, drawn out stories as he gets the tuning just right. He could easily be pictured sitting on the edge of a porch telling folk tales while strumming his guitar. Leo Kottke performed a 90 minute set this past Friday in the smaller and much more intimate Swyer Theater at The Egg, just a floor below the main room many are familiar with.

Grandpa in this case refers to the kind of guitar player Leo Kottke is – playing songs on an acoustic guitar while stopping to tell long, drawn out stories as he gets the tuning just right. He could easily be pictured sitting on the edge of a porch telling folk tales while strumming his guitar, just as he performed his 90 minute set this past Friday in the smaller and much more intimate Swyer Theater at The Egg, just a floor below the main room many are familiar with. I only learned of Leo Kottke in 2003 when he put out Clone with Mike Gordon, the bassist from Phish. The two produced an incredible album that had me hooked on the mysterious guitarist, but it took another 10 years before I would see him in a solo live performance. Amid a mostly older crowd, Kottke’s trance-inducing plucking of his 12 string guitar was a treat for the ears. His playing is that of a soundtrack to a cross country train ride, as the engine chugs along the tracks, scenery flying by and curves on the tracks shift the weight of the song from one side to another. The melody produced by the guitar was unlike any I had heard, rivaling even the greatest pluckers.

Playing 15 or so songs over the course of the night, the setlist that was only found inside the mind of Leo. Comprised of ballads and love songs, instrumentals of both a progressive and orchestral nature, Kottke could have tackled classical numbers in the style of Bela Fleck and given a performance that would be of nearly the same caliber.

But what made the evening complete were the stories that Kottke told as he tuned his guitar in between songs. Speaking in a gravely, baritone voice, he shared anecdotes from the road, the origin of songs, musicians he has listened to and interacted with, plus just some random off-topic ramblings that kept the audience laughing in between focusing intently on Leo performing at centerstage. These moments were Zappa-esque, in terms of the banter that occurred between the beats of the music, paced conversation with a unique soundtrack each time. Of note was when Leo spoke of Robert Bartow, whom he was listening to backstage, a performer of 18th century Baroque German lute music. How this influenced his set is a mystery to everyone, but surely, the master brought in a variety of influences in the magical 100 minutes at The Egg this evening.

May 3, 2013
‘One More Time’ Provides Needed Daft Punk Fix for Fans at Upstate Concert Hall
I have been waiting for Daft Punk’s new album Random Access Memories since their last album, the soundtrack to Tron: Legacy. Although Daft Punk purists have been waiting for the next great album to drop from the reclusive French duo, we can satisfy the need for their incredible blend of disco, house and electronic music by going through their discography, replaying “Get Lucky” over and over and over, or we can go see One More Time, a Daft Punk Tribute Band that puts on a live show that can satiate fans, to an extent.

Playing Upstate Concert Hall with its low ceilings, the band set up their pyramid, a replica of the 2006/7 Alive Tour stage setup, but lighting director Cullen Noon noted that they were missing two 17′ poles that form an apex behind the pyramid at 15′ high. It wasn’t a downside to the show, but would have been cool to see. Speaking of lights – throughout the night, the lighting was batting nearly 1.000, varying with the set as it progressed, timing it just right on certain lyrics, highlighted by a disco ball used at the perfect moments of the 80 minute set.

Musically, the show felt short. I had high hopes for this show and by the time the crowd was warmed up, it felt as though we were already on the latter half of the set. Time flies when you’re having fun, and remixes and mashups of songs added to it, but something was missing – perhaps a large, sweaty crowd massed towards the stage, thumping to the beat of every track without a skip – but we were in Clifton Park and the crowd was around 100 at best, so that was part of it. But still, Daft Punk music is never a reason to not dance.

The music was everything you would expect it to be – the hits, the rare tracks, a bit of everything, including the new track that debuted only a week prior. The set started out as the Alive Tour opener – “Robot Rock”, “Oh Yeah”, “Touch It”, “Technologic”, then departed for a mix of tracks, a bit of everything for the crowd. “Derezzed” from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack was a welcome surprise and made the pyramid light up something spectacular in varying sweeps of color. A deep remix of “Harder Better Faster Stronger” was evidence the duo, R & B, were not just pressing play but spinning a unique set for us. “Overture” > “Crescendolls” was a sweet combo, as was the spirited version of “Human After All”. The disco ball was timed perfectly on the robot-speak lyrics on “Human”. “Get Lucky” was gives a standard mix and provided a spark to the crowd at the right moment. An encore of “One More Time” was expected but still welcomed by all, as the tune is likely the most popular of all the band’s songs over the years.

For those who still won’t be content with Random Access Memories after it comes out later this month, fear not! The duo will perform at Website Hall in NYC in August, with a new live show to reflect the new album. Since Daft Punk isn’t planning to go out on tour anytime soon, the closest we’ll get is One More Time.
May 2, 2013
The Kollectiv and The Heavy Pets Threw Down on April 23rd at The Hollow in Albany

A little known secret is that sometimes the best shows happen during the beginning of the week. The Kollectiv and The Heavy Pets drew in quite a crowd on April 23^rd, a Tuesday night for The Hollow Bar and Kitchen (formerly The Bayou Cafe) in Albany. I was urged by multiple friends to check out these two jam bands and at the end of the night, it was way beyond worth going out for.

The Kollectiv hails from Oneonta, NY, so making it to Albany was an easy trip for dedicated fans from all over the Upstate region to catch them in action. The five-piece up and coming band wasted no time laying out a funky fresh jam with edge and attitude. Their music ranged from reggae, rock, hip hop and funk, with each song being groovy and original. The highlight of their set was the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain”, quite possibly the best reggae remix I’ve ever heard. One of the most unique aspects about The Kollectiv is member Lars Viola on the turntables. The rhythmic record scratching surprisingly brought the jams to a new level, making them deliciously contemporary and cool. The Kollectiv’s fusion of musical styling is a game changer and a band to be on the lookout for.

The Heavy Pets took the stage and sent out their own reggae jam vibe that light up the room. I was lucky to find myself right in front of Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli, guitarists with spark flying strumming. Bassist Tony D’Amato looked laid back throughout the night, despite his delivery of continuous heavy bass notes. Jamie Newitt hit symbols and slammed out serious beats while he and Jim Wuest on keys went back in forth sending a steady rhythm through the room all night. The entire night was filled with nonstop energy from each member, displaying tremendous talent and experience. It was a great pleasure to watch as each musician would get lost in the music, only causing more of a reaction from the crowd and elevation of jams. The band currently resides in Florida but they are always more than happy to come home to Upstate New York.

Setlist: 3AM, Spin Round, Travel, Bibbles, Babies, Slow Down, Chevrolet, TDTSFTR, Pass it Down,

Encore: No More Time, Jackie Bones, STYM

May 1, 2013
4/20 in Albany: Late For the Early Show, Early For the Late Show

When you are in college, 4/20 is a day reserved for indulging in the delights of some Giggle Smoke, whether you be a rare smoker or a daily puffer. Moving past college and you get to take a break from the real world, but the real world is still there when you take this break. Even farther beyond college, it gets to the point of shrugging shoulders and looking back at the old days when the date was looked forward to with rapt anticipation. But whatever your age, 4/20 isn’t just about what you smoke, it’s what music (in this case in Albany) that you see to elevate you higher than any Sticky Icky ever could.

In the Albany area, there were a couple of notable shows that I headed to, but in perfect accordance with the day, I was late for the first show and showed up early for the later one. The Machine were set to play Upstate Concert Hall, and admittedly, I didn’t check to see what time they would go on, I simply presumed between 9-10 pm, like other shows at the venue. Nope, it was 8 pm and I was able to catch most of the second set. The crowd was packed in for the show, especially older fans who gladly sang in unison on ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’, but also explains the earlier start time, as the evening’s music was over by 10:45 pm.

The Machine was top notch and recreated the Pink Floyd sound and nearly the stage show, with copious amounts of smoke filling the air, creating silhouettes of the band members, particularly guitarist Ryan Ball and his mane of hair. The lights and lasers had hints of the Dark Side of the Moon prism in the colors, a visual treat, particularly on this night. A dark ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ formed out of a jam from ‘Signs of Life’, ‘Money’ elicited attention from the audience for one of the most played songs in the Floyd catalog, as well as a psychedelic ‘Astronomy Domine’. The encore was a dose of rare and popular ‘Julia Dream’, from the 1960s era of Pink Floyd that kept everyone focused while they explored the early catalog (which is highly undervalued, by the way). The drum beats to signal ‘Run Like Hell’ recalled The Wall and had fist pumps from a handful in the crowd and ended the night, although the audience wanted more on a night that was still young, even if the crowd wasn’t.

The Machine, Upstate Concert Hall

Set 1: Welcome to the Machine, Bringing the Boys Back Home, Sorrow, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Another Brick in the Wall, Cymabline, Not Now John

Set 2: Pigs on the Wing, Dogs, Signs of Life > Set the controls for the heart of the sun> Money, Astronomy Domine, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb

Encore: Julia Dream, Run Like Hell

Photos by Tom Miller

With time to make it to The Bayou Cafe (soon to be The Hollow Bar and Grill), I arrived just before Timbre Coup began their set, but just after opener Solaris, had packed up and loaded their van. I’ve seen Solaris before and it’s been a while, so missing the opening set was a downer, but to hang with the band and find out what’s in store this summer (a lot, thankfully), it made up for it. The instrumental techno makers from Ithaca never fail to make a night of music memorable, doing with guitar, bass and drums the hard way what DJ’s pressing play on a computer do with simplicity. If you are in Ithaca on this Friday, April 26th, check them out at The Haunt with Dopapod – you won’t be disappointed.

Timbre Coup took the stage for what proved to be the highlight of 4/20 – four talented musicians playing a wide range of originals, tailoring the setlist that would get the most ‘relaxed’ fan up and dancing throughout the evening. Some solid jamming bridged ‘August’ and ’55’, but ‘June’, with Matt Pickering’s vocals amid an 80’s synth vibe populated the dance floor. An apropos cover of Sublime’s ‘Garden Grove’ was spot on, bleeding nicely into ‘I Didn’t Know She Had a Moustache.’

The crowd was then prompted to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Brian Hartmann, celebrating 4/20 for a different reason this evening among friends. Dan Gerken then performed a solo version of Peter Tosh’s “Steppin Razor” for Hartmann before taking setbreak with the rest of the band.

Second Set had a crowd that dissipated but filled up again quickly once the jam in ‘Spider Doom’ came to fruition, with Ben Pickering on guitar and Dan Gerken on keys. The jazzy prog-rock of ‘Snoop Tiger’ took the crowd throughout the extensive range of the band. Two tracks off the recent album Knuckles and Valleys, ‘September’ and ‘January’ sandwiched further improvisation, but a highlight at the end of the set was a cover of sadly defunct Canadian trio The New Deal’s ‘Back to the Middle’, the first track off their 2001 self-titled release. There is only one way to play The New Deal – loud and well, and with the speed and control of the original song. Seeing how this band has grown in the past four years has been remarkable, but to play such a prime and tight show, with a well-tailored setlist on a great night of celebration made for a show few will soon forget. I can’t wait to see them at Summercamp in May

Timbre Coup, Bayou Cafe, Albany 4/20/13

Set 1: August > Improv > 55, Takes Awhile, June, Garden Grove >Improv > I Didn’t Know She Had a Moustache, Happy Birthday, Steppin Razor (Dan solo, for Brian Hartmann’s birthday)

Set 2: Spider Doom > Improv > Ronald Opus, Snoop Tiger, September, Verbal Kent > Improv >January, Back to the Middle*

Encore: Something About the Radio

* The New Deal

April 25, 2013
Mike Gordon’s ‘The Egg’ Live From Albany. Now Available

After becoming a phan-favorite in a short amount of time, the intimate show with Mike Gordon and his band at The Egg in Albany will be released as a 3-CD set and a free MP3 download; Simply titled The Egg. The December 2011 show produced remarkable acoustics in which the entire band drew energy that night so it’s no surprise this show was picked by Gordon for release.

For a full review of the show please check out Pete Mason’s article here.

You can get the free MP3 download at LivePhish.com. The 3-CD set is available as a very limited physical run, with deluxe packaging that includes a custom round tin with three discs tucked away inside a custom Egg cotton stash bag. It is available for pre-order now exclusively at Phish Dry Goods and Mike’s online store and available for shipping by April 30th 2013. It will not be available in stores.

The show features originals from Mike’s catalog, including “Horizon Line”, “Only A Dream”, “Voices”, and “Hap Nappy”. Phish fans will recognize “Sugar Shack” and “Suzy Greenberg”, which included The Dude Of Life on vocals. To round out “The Egg”, three tracks were selected from Mike’s March 26, 2011 show at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, including an extended version of “Mound”.

The Egg track listing:

Disc 1
1. Horizon Line
2. Only A Dream
3. I’m Deranged >
4. The Way It Goes
5. Just A Rose >
6. Voices

Disc 2
1. River Niger
2. Don’t Do It
3. Horizon Line
4. Funky Bitch
5. Sugar Shack
6. Hand In My Pocket
7. Dig Further Down
8. Crumblin’ Bones

Disc 3
1. Skin It Back >
2. Hap Nappy
3. Won’t Get Fooled Again
4. Suzy Greenberg
5. Filler: Mound (3/26/2011 Burlington, VT)
6. Filler: Got Away (3/26/2011 Burlington, VT)
7. Filler: Black Tambourine (3/26/2011 Burlington, VT)

The Dude of Life on vocals for “Suzy Greenberg”
Recorded by Rachel Bischoff
Mixed by Jon Altschiller
Assisted by Danielle Warman
Mastered by Jonathan Russell
Technical Assistance by Kevin Shapiro
Package/Design by Julia Mordaunt

April 24, 2013
Albany Gets Ready to MOVE This Saturday April 27th

Albany will be overrun with music this Saturday April 27^th as the city hosts 100 bands at 10 venues for the annual MOVE Music Festival. A fairly new event, MOVE aims to highlight the growing music scene in Albany by giving musician’s exposure as well as insight on conducting themselves in today’s independent music industry.

Albany was recently ranked within the top 20 Metro Areas in the Nation in regards to musicians and music related business, making it the ideal location for the MOVE Music Festival. Concert goers can purchase wrist bands for $15 at any of the participating venues, which grants them all access to every show that day. The musical genres vary from Indie, Americana, Alternative, Rock, EDM and Fusion, catering to Albany’s widespread taste in music.

Besides the musical acts, the festival will host a merchandise trade show and interactive round table sessions with music professionals at the Hotel Albany lodging and convention complex in downtown Albany. Artists will be given the opportunity to meet with various companies that will offer guidelines, strategies and vital information about furthering their music careers.

Some of the VIPs for the meet and greet are Lou Plaia, (Co-Founder of ReverbNation), Benji Rogers (the Founder of Pledge Music), Craig Sala (Drummer for Paranoid Social Club), Veronica Grettonfrom (401K Music) and many more.

Hotel Albany will be offering $5 parking all day in their garage and the city has free street parking on the weekends. Albany also had a solid public transportation system with CDTA offering multiple routes that make stops at the various locations.

With the weather scheduled to be sunny and 60s, it’s not a bad idea to even bike or walk, giving folks time to take in the sights and sounds of Albany.

April 24, 2013
Op-ed: A New Music Venue for Albany won’t open because of two local businessmen

The city of Albany has a thriving arts scene, from The Palace to Capital Repertory Theater, from Alive at Five to the Albany Symphony, as well as the incredible art found on the Empire State Plaza and inside the concourse below. In recent studies, Albany ranks #9 in Top Metro Areas based on Musical Acts per 10,000 and Rochester and Albany both rank among top music scenes in country in Metro Music Index. But two local businessmen are opposed to the new music venue.

We have the music, we have the population who go see live music in the Albany area (and beyond) but one thing we do not have is a music venue for acts to graduate to from the smaller clubs and bars, such as Valentine’s and Red Square. We had Revolution Hall, but that venue closed because Brown’s management felt it was better empty than having occasional shows. Musicians and music fans need a venue of comparable size and there has been a gap since the venue closed in 2010.

Currently, we have venues of 100-300 (Valentine’s, Red Square), of 1.000 (The Egg) up to 2,500 (The Palace) and of course, The Times Union Center (20,000). Note the size that is missing – between 300 and 1,000. Recently, that gap looked to be filled as local businessmen Chris Pratt andAlessio Depoli applied for a Zoning Variance to change the warehouse at 28 Thatcher Street, in the Warehouse District of Albany (one block north of Wolfe’s Biergarten), into a music venue. The venue would have held up to 800 patrons, only open for shows, one hour before and one hour after shows, shuttered otherwise but providing a venue for musicians, acts and bands that cannot fill The Egg or The Palace, but already grown out of Red Square and Valentine’s. This move was a wise one – a non-residential area with a couple bars nearby that would be open until the late hours of the night and give patrons a place to convene following a concert on Thatcher Street.

This variance was recently denied because two local business owners, Mike Graney (owner of Stout) and Matt Baumgartner (owner of Wolfe’s, Scortino’s Olde English, and Bombers – soon to open a third location in Troy) voiced their concerns at the recent Zoning Board meeting in March (Graney in person, Baumgartner through his lawyer) citing two things – a lack of parking and the underage crowd that would be at these shows (the venue can have fans 16 and older). Baumgartner went further in his Friday Puppy blog, flat out saying “I don’t want this in my backyard”. Of course, it was Matt who decided to move to a Warehouse district with industries right around the corner and trucks driving in and out on a regular basis, rather than a residential area. So NIMBY has become half the battle cry for this owner. This is an industrial area, not a residential neighborhood and is the perfect place for a venue of this size, one that Albany desperately needs.

It boggles the mind that an Albany business owner who has found success throughout the city, and now in Schenectady soon in Troy, will not allow others to find the same success with a new music venue. This is hypocrisy at its finest and stifles the music scene in Albany, which benefits all in the long run.

Lets look at the two issues that were brought up in resistance to the new music venue, the underage crowd that will be at these shows, and parking.

There is not a great deal of parking lots in this part of town, because it is an industrial district. Even though I have had trouble parking when I have gone to The Barrel, Baumgartner’s Wolfe’s or Graney’s Stout, I find a spot on the street a block or two away and make a short walk – not the worst thing in the world. To have businessmen complain about there being too much traffic in their neck of the woods had shades of elitism. Traffic means patrons and patrons lead to good business for all. Graney and Baumgartner are essentially saying they don’t want anymore patrons beyond what they have already. When it rains, it pours, but only the amount they want it to pour.

Consider this: 800 people are not going to drive to music venue singly. Double up each car and there may be 400 cars. Factor in some who take the bus (the 22+23 run right past these bars on Broadway), plus some will get dropped off or take a cab. Let’s round down to 250-300 cars. People will find a place to park. They find places now for Graney’s Stout, The Barrel and Baumgartner’s Wolfe’s, especially on the days the latter blocks off the street for Oktoberfest and recently, World Cup games, so how hard will it be to find parking? Not much more difficult, but it will also encourage people to get dropped off and picked up, staving off drunk driving as a side-effect, one that everyone can support.

The 16-20 age group comprises five ages that cannot drink in bars. But what about the 21 and older crowd? Fans up to age 60 (and above, depending on the show) will be happy to stop by for a drink following a show on Thatcher. That’s a range of 40+ years that Graney and Baumgartner are shorting themselves on, all because they don’t want to deal with the risk of the younger crowd coming into their bars. Talk about missing the forest for the trees. Inform your doormen to keep an extra cautious eye on show nights and the problem is solved.

Of course, there is the benefit these local bar owners would have, in that they will get business following shows for those looking to continue their night. I can think of many nights at Revolution Hall where I went to Brown’s, Jose Malone’s or Ryan’s Wake for a nightcap or two. The short-sightedness of these two businessmen is denying another businessman the ability to bring to Albany a music venue that is desperately needed and will give them a boost in the long run.

With their continued opposition to the bar, it is selfish of these bar owners to put up such a resistance so that a fellow bar owner cannot open up a music venue because of a ‘not in my backyard’ attitude accompanied by a short-sighted view of business potential.

There is no reason to support these businesses if they can’t support the music scene and fellow business owners in Albany.

April 22, 2013
Blues Legend B.B. King plays The Massry Center’s 5th Anniversary Gala, April 14th

When the Massry Center for the Arts at The College of Saint Rose set out to plan their 5th anniversary gala on Sunday, April 14th 2013, they looked to go big and find an act that would fit the evening. After a brief search, the name of the greatest living blues guitarist was thrown into the mix. Ultimately, B.B. King was selected to play for a select crowd of 300 patrons, donors and students of Saint Rose, making for an intimate experience, one the crowd would not soon forget.

The Massry and Picotte families were honored for their donations towards the Massry Center and the Picotte Recital Hall, respectively. Starting sharply at 7:45 that evening, the band, minus B.B., came out on the stage and began 10 minutes of swinging jazz orchestration, warming up the toes of the crowd as they tapped and swayed them into the groove as each horn took a vibrant solo.

The band beckoned the crowd for growing applause, as B.B. King walked out from stage right, with white tufts of hair covering his head and a signature purple jacket with a gold and silver pattern. King tossed out some guitar picks before sitting down gently, taking Lucille by the neck and plucked her strings to bring forth that signature sound, the one that every blues guitarist alive seeks to imitate, for that golden sound of blues guitar from B.B. King’s fingers is unmistakable to even the casual fan.

B.B.’s band, all incredible individual musicians in their own right, took their own solos throughout the evening, including Charles Dennis on guitar, ‘Professor’ Stanley Abernathy on trumpet, Melvin Jackson on sax, James Sells Toney on keyboards, Robert Higgins on drums, Ron Torbensen on bass and B.B.’s nephew Walter Riley King on flute and baritone saxaphone. In every song, B.B. would defer to them, as they brought each tune to new heights, only to be accented by King’s own guitarwork.

With B.B. King out on stage, he sat down front and center and moved into “I Need You So,” with the keys eliciting symphonic strings for a soothing opener. “Everyday I Have the Blues,” one of many classics over the course of the evening, brought the voice of the King to the forefront, with a little plucking as the band played and he strutted in his seat. The horns on “Rock me Baby” added so much to the sound of guitar, it created a perfect accent for the evening. “So Excited” started out with an extended instrumental before the lyrics of a love’s lament, “I’m so excited, think about you all the time, Yes I can’t wait to see you baby, You really messed up my mind.” About this time I noticed the incredible detail on B.B.s jacket, which stood out like a peacock showing off his feathers, enticing the audience to come in just a little bit more towards each song he sang. A high saxophone solo provided a great contribution to “So Excited”, while B.B. made it look so easy to play the blues, the notes just popping off his fingers.

Audience participation was unexpected, but welcomed by all, with the classic tune “You are my Sunshine”, sans horns, just guitars, keys and drums. B.B. encourages the crowd to sing along early on in the tune with him, then solo, then the crowd reignited the singing without prompt. B.B. invited the women to sing a verse, then give a kiss to a guy near them, which led to humorous banter with the front row of the school’s dignitaries. Encouraging the ladies to sing and kiss a guy near them again, King counted off to 4 (at a slow pace – one, one and a half, two, two and a half…) and got the crowd kissing again. To extend the song just a bit longer, he remarked that “a few guys didn’t get kissed, so pucker up next time”, which elicited uproarious laughter from the crowd before another sing along of the refrain from the audience.

Getting back to the classics, “The Thrill is Gone” bled from the strings, and with seats so close, I could hear each string plucked as B.B. King worked through the song. “Someone Really Loves You” was accompanied by flute and the delicate notes were enhanced by the Picotte Recital Hall’s incredible acoustics. “Love Came to Town” got progressively more toe-tappy and invigorating, leading to louder horns amid full swinging blues and an audience clap along.

For the finale of the night, B.B. mentioned a tune that he used to play with Willie Nelson at the end of shows when they toured together in 2008. “When the Saints go Marching in”, the ultimate song for New Orleans. B.B. grooved over the song, sang the memorable lyrics and then casually invited individuals from the audience to come up and get additional guitar picks, commemorative pendants or a handshake, as well as a beaming smile. This led to a true moment for many in the audience (this chance to meet the King lasted for well over 30 minutes) – to interact with a legend who has shared the gift of his music for nearly three quarters of his life. God bless B.B. King.

Setlist: Intro 1, Intro 2, I Need You, Everyday I have the Blues, Rock me Baby, So Excited, You are my Sunshine, The Thrill is Gone, Someone Really Loves You, Love Came to Town, When the Saints go Marching In

April 19, 2013
One More Time: A Daft Punk Tribute, bringing Robot Rock to Upstate NY, April 20th in Syracuse and April 27th in Clifton Park

With Daft Punk slowly leaking the collaborators of their upcoming album Random Access Memories, anticipation is at an all time high as fans await the release of the first single, “Get Lucky”, in the coming weeks. The reclusive French duo have no plans to tour just yet and even when they tour, tickets are likely to be impossible to get and in select cities throughout the country. Fortunately, the tribute act One More Time is filling a void with an incredible live show that mimics Daft Punk’s live act, to the best degree that one can imitate such a spectacular show.

With two shows coming to Upstate New York – Saturday April 20th at The Westcott Theater and Saturday April 27th at Upstate Concert Hall, lucky fans are going to be in for a huge treat. Not knowing what to expect beyond Youtube videos, an interview was in order with R and B, the guys behind One More Time.

Pete Mason: For those who have never seen a Daft Punk tribute such as One More time, how closely, if at all, does your stage show replicate that of Daft Punk?

R & B: Our show has been perfected and grown into a FULL scale LED pyramid stage show complete with a lot of the same equipment used during the Alive tour. There are even sections in the set that replicate the same lighting cues as Daft Punk’s Alive tour. From the chromed helmets, to the light suits, and finally the encore performance, our show is as close as your going to get to the actual band. This is a project heavily researched and perfected with the help of the hardcore Daft fanbase.

PM: What makes Daft Punk continue to be the gold standard of Electronic Music, especially since the surge of dubstep in the past few years?

R: Daft Punk are the pioneers of modern electronic music of our generation. In the 70’s, we had Kraftwerk, In the 90’s, it’s DP. Daft Punk’s show in ’07 was the very first large scale electronic production show that paved the way for such artists and their large stage shows, i.e. Deadmau5.

N: It’s also in their sound. For instance, Daft Punk has grown to be a successful group because of their appreciation for a “true to time” quality which has been seen on each of their albums. We intend to model our sets around that same feel by using songs and samples which fit “that” mold, instead of pushing for a contemporary sound such as dubstep, or complextro.

PM: Is there a particular Daft Punk album, or era, that you identify with in particular, or love to play more than any other album?

R: Our set is heavily flourished with Human After All, Since it was this era that the band had premiered their full-scale light show for the first time.

B: It’s this kind of inspiration we kept going back to while programming our current show with the likes of the Tron soundtrack and of course our fav, Homework. There’s a little bit of everything throughout the set.

PM: How has the lack of Daft Punk live shows necessitated the arrival of a band such as One More Time?

R & B: There’s such a heavy fanbase that wants to see the band perform more live. We grew from researching the Daft fanbase and are simply a living and breathing interpretation of all that work put into one. After we started this show, Daft Punk fans have continuously come up to us and thanked us for bringing our interpretation to the local and theater venues that wouldn’t be able to accommodate the real band. Our show is a presentation of material and fan requests in a new and unique way.

PM: Have you had any contact with the reclusive duo?

R & B- We have not.

PM: How eager are you anticipating the new album Random Access Memories?

R & B: We are both very excited for the release. The 10 second clip that debuted on SNL, exhibited our favorite element and style of electronic music, Disco.

PM: What other influences have had an impact on your musical education and brought you to play electronic music?

R: While my main influences in EDM stem from Daft Punk itself, I regularly listen to a lot of classic and indie rock. My musical taste was heavily influenced from college radio back when I was in school. This is where I got my start at as DJ for the first time.

B: I’d say an early love for electronic music, lent itself to loving the French house sound. Artists like Underworld and The Chemical Brothers led me into harder styles of music as a child. When I originally saw Daft Punk and their costumes, I immediately fell in love with the idea of electronic artists using stage presence in a more creative way. Everyone from Aphex Twin’s dancing bears to artists like Deadmau5 have pushed the scene into more entertaining dimensions; we’re just trying to pay tribute to the guys that started it all.

April 18, 2013