NYS Music 20​13

Category: Capital Region

  • Nigel Hall Band coming to Red Square on Friday, January 25th

    Nigel Hall, keyboardist, singer and a member of The Royal Family, will bring his band to Red Square this Friday, January 25th.

    nigel hall band
    Nigel Hall Band

    If you’ve seen him join Soulive, Lettuce or any number of acts, you know how high energy and musically talented he is. “I’m just someone who lives, eats, drinks music.” Hailing from Portland, Maine, his vocals are powerful, notably when singing funk songs from the 1970s, such as ‘Move on Up’ by Curtis Mayfield. Nigel’s prowess on the keys is second to none, commanding attention to his upbeat and soulful playing, so much that he has recently played with John Scofield Band, Warren Haynes Band and Eric Krasno & Chapter 2.

    Local band Assortment of Crayons will open. Showtime is 8pm. Tickets are $8 in advance, $12 day of show. Pick up tickets here.

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  • Albany artists get together to Rock for Recovery in Newtown, raise over $4,000

    When Matt McWatters came up with the idea of doing a benefit concert  he did the right thing by enlisting the help of area promoter Greg Bell.  Within a week, the Who’s Who of the Capital Region music scene were signing up to donate their time and talents to the cause.  More bands wanted to play then there was stage time, so the list had to be narrowed down to twelve acts.  Those twelve were recognizable names, even to the casual local live music aficionado, for Rock for Recovery in Newtown.

    Friday night’s show included Way Down, Skunk Hostage, Funky Jukebox Brigade, Conehead Buddha, Dr. Jah & the Love Prophets and Timbre Coup.  Saturday night’s show was no less impressive with The Hearing Aides, Sean Rowe, Matt and the Bad Ideas, Super 400, Erin Harkes and Black Mountain Symphony w/special guests from the Ameros and 7th Squeeze.   was there Friday night to hear the amazing line up.

    Way Down, with a little help from Dirty Paris, had the hard job of going first, but their musical talents and jazz and rock influences shone through during there set that ended with a dynamic interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” that had everyone moving.  Skunk Hostage played second and were met by a growing crowd that was eager for their fresh blend of progressive, punk and rock.  Tony Califano (bass/vocals) and Justin Fuld (vocals/guitar) mixed it up a bit and in addition to looking like brothers (according to at least one person) they played off each others musical strengths well.The next band, The Lucky Jukebox Brigade, took the stage with it’s eclectic blend of guitars, drums, trumpets, a tuba, a wash board, violin and then hidden away in the corner the multi-facated Kristoph DiMaria (with a broken nose) playing percussion, guitar, organ and offering entertaining backing vocals.  LJB does an incredible job of managing a really big sound with the help of their powerful vocalist, Deanna Deluke, and her ukulele.

    Longtime local favorites, Conehead Buddha, played to the peak crowd of around 200 people, filling the upstairs of Valentine’s with dance and good vibes.  The ska band that has been rocking the Capital District since the mid 1990’s didn’t miss a beat and got the crowd revved up for the final two bands of the night.

    Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets brilliantly fused together reggae and ska then rolled it in a jam band blunt.   Old favorites like “Come Down From the Mountain” and “Freedom Rising” had everyone singing along.  Dave even inducted everyone in attendance into the Jah Army.  When the lively set was done the “bright smiles” of the dancing “Jah Army” at Valentine’s was yearning for more.  And luckily the music lovers got more.

    The long evening of great music ended with the Prog Rock styling of  Timbre Coup who played to almost 2 am and still had time to squeeze in an encore.  Timbre Coup was able to stretch themselves out with the jam band crowd allowing everyone to get lost in the music.  They were sure to bring them back with an incredible solo from Andrew Chamberlaine’s seemingly magical 7-string guitar.

    When the dust settled after both nights of incredible music $4193.00 was raised for EverRibbon: My Sandy Hook Family Fund and Newtown Youth & Family Services.  Kudos to the promoters, the venue, the bands and especially the fans that came out to support a great event and the incredible home-grown music scene.

    To hear a few songs from Friday night’s show, visit the Soundcloud page.

    If you would like to donate to Newtown Youth and Family Services, you can visit their website, or donate by mail at: 15 Berkshire Road; Sandy Hook , CT 06482

    Check out more of Mike Wren‘s photos below

  • Adam Ezra Group at The Bayou Cafe, Albany, January 11th

    On a damp January evening, AEG brought their sweaty, passionate, live performance to the Bayou Café in Albany, NY. Playing to a room full of appreciative fans, the band did not disappoint. The Adam Ezra Group (AEG) hails from Boston, MA and was playing in support of their recent album Ragtop Angel, which took the 2012 New England Music Awards honors for  ‘Album of the Year’, as well as ‘Song of the Year’ for “Takin’ Off”. 

    Those that know the AEG know they are not only about the music but are also activists and community leaders committed to changing the world through their music. This is very in the song entitled “Miss Hallelujah” which Ezra performed with compassion, soul and power to kick off the show. The early part of the show also included the bands version of “Cripple Creek”, dedicated to the late Levon Helm and “The Devil Came Up to Boston”, a variation of Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”

    The remainder of the show was a nice blend of AEG favorites including “On My Own”, “Home Again Soon”, “What Did I Say”, “We’re Going Out Tonight” and “Steal Your Daughter” from both previous albums View From the Root (2010), Chain (2005), Tumble Down Slow (2004) and their latest album Daniel The Brave (2012).

    There’s something to be said about getting back to basics. The Adam Ezra group is all about down-to-Earth, grassroots music. The bands vast talent and old fashion work ethic combined with their commitment to making the world a better place through their music is certainly a breath of fresh air.

    www.adamezra.com

    www.bayoucafe.com

  • Timbre Coup side project ‘Mister F’ set to debut March 1st in Albany

    Branching out from one of Albany’s biggest bands, Mister F is set to debut on March 1st  in Albany as a side project of prog-rock group Timbre Coup. The band will be playing shows on a recurring basis, but by no means supplanting the current lineup. Musical growth is always welcome and stands to benefit all musicians from both bands in the long run.

    timbre coup mister f knuckles and valleysIncluded in Mister F are three members of Timbre Coup: Matt Pickering (drums), Ben Pickering (bass) and Andrew Chamberlaine (guitar) and Scott Hannay from Capital Zen (keys), although you can expect a fair amount of instrument switching from these talented musicians. Scott has been friends with Timbre Coup for many years now, having sat in with them, as well as playing with the likes of Umphrey’s McGee. Scott also created the Umphrey’s McNes stream of songs (Nintendo-style versions of Umphrey’s songs) which can be heard on MySpace. Matt Pickering remarked “I think we have great chemistry and he writes amazing music on all instruments. In fact, he writes and programs drum parts better than I can play them. It’s a challenge learning his drum parts and I know the other guys feel the same about his guitar and bass parts.”

    The name of the band, Mister F, is a nod to one of the best shows in American Television history, Arrested Development and all band members share an affinity for the program.

    The group’s debut show will be at The Bayou Cafe in Albany on March 1st with Cosmic Dust Bunnies slated to play the late night portion of the night, with an opening act set to be announced soon. Look for Mister F to play shows in April and into the summer.

    For now, check them out on Facebook and their website

    Listen to an exclusive track ‘Hedgehog’, featuring some instrument switching – Scott on bass, Ben and Andrew on guitar creating the key/synth sounds, and Matt on drums.

  • Big D and the Kids Table at Putnam Den, January 5th

    Going backstage to hang out with a band is always interesting.  You are never quite sure what you are going to get.  With Big D and the Kids Table it was a bunch of guys on couches and chairs around a table of fried chicken and Jameson Irish Whiskey.  That part was actually pretty normal.  What was strange was the conversation involving a viral video of Sonseed’s “Jesus is a Friend of Mine.”  Between watching the video on the iPad that was being passed around, to plans on redoing it as a ska or punk number, or finding a remake that another band did to mock the original.  Now the mystery of what happens back in the green room is gone forever.

    On the stage was completely different from a laid back, tongue in cheek conversation about a cheesy song.  What happened on stage was energetic, chasmatic, enthusiantic, and down-right fantastic.  The doors opened to the Putnam Den at 8pm and by 9pm the first of two opening bands, Sugar Eater, was met by over 100 fans. Sugar Eater is a Saratoga-based punk trio that have been playing together for 10 years.  They sounded great and to see an opening band surrounded by dozens of dancing, frantic lunatics by the stage as early as 9pm was an encouraging sign of what was ahead.  The most refreshing thing about Sugar Eater is that they have no sub-genre. They are PUNK. Simple, kick ass, grind it out, explosive, PUNK.  They will unfortunately be losing their bassist to the west coast, but I am hoping that they come back later this year with the same attitude and sound.  It will be a show that should not be missed.

    Next up was Rhodeachusetts-based Brunt of It, to say they were a traditional ska band would do them a great disservice.  Brunt of It could have been the headliner of any show in the capital region Saturday night and the cover charge would have been justified.  They are a big sounding ska band with an in-your-face punk attitude.  When the promoter thought of the line-up of how to get from Sugar Eater to Big D – Brunt of It was the perfect connecting piece.  Brunt of It’s vocals were what every band wants but few have – fast, furious and concise.  The horns section was outrageous and the bass and drums did not give you the choice -if you had a pulse you were dancing.  As to the dozens of people at the stage for Sugar Eater, add a couple more dozen lunatics to the bunch to imagine the dance floor at the Den.

    Big D and the Kids Table have been around for 17 years playing live nearly 200 times a year and supporting bands such as as Less Than Jake, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dropkick Murphys, Mustard Plug, Rancid, Reel Big Fish, and Anti-Flag.  They had a headlining national tour in 2007.  They know their way around a stage and Saturday night at the Putnam Den was absolutely no different.  David McWane’s Boston bad boy charm combined with Ryan O’Connor’s deadly sax invaded Saratoga Springs.  While I was suspected the ska/punk feel that Big D has been known for overly the past decade and a half I was not entirely disappointed to find it replaced with a new twist to Dub Step.  The kids in the audience stomped and strutted and twirled with delight at the never-ending barrage of upbeat tempo with enough brass to tie the songs together. The show had seemingly everything.  There was even a break in the middle of the long set for a young concert goer to ask his girlfriend to marry him.  According to the band this is the third time that someone proposed at the Big D show.

    For the first weekend of the year, Putnam Den started out with a bang.  Would there have been more people there when Skidmore was in session? Or a little more after the New Year recovery?  We will never know.  We do know that live music is alive and well in Saratoga Springs and can be found every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  No matter what your taste, keep an eye out for upcoming shows on the NYS Music site.

    Big D and the Kids Table – http://bigdandthekidstable.com/
    Brunt of It –      http://www.facebook.com/bruntofit
    Sugar Eater –     http://www.facebook.com/Sugar-Eater
    Putnam Den –     http://putnamden.com/

  • Dopapod announces Winter/Spring Tour Dates

    Wasting no time in the new year, Dopapod follows the release of their new album Redivider with a 3 month winter spring tour.

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    Redivider is available as a free download at their website or you can purchase a physical copy, or even a hi-fi digital version. One of the many reasons Redivider stands out among their previous records is due to the fact that the band as added vocals for the first time to some of their tracks.  (Read Pete Mason’s CD review). The band has posted in-studio footage on their website from their most recent record making process.  Showing much appreciation for their fans, Dopapod recently announced a heavy jam packed Winter Spring tour, ranging all over the east coast, midwest and southeast.

    Winter Spring 2013 Tour Dates:
    1/29 Bloomington, IN: The Bluebird
    1/30 Urbana, IL: The Canopy Club
    1/31 Minneapolis, MN: The Cabooze
    2/1 Madison, WI: Majestic Theater
    2/2 Chicago, IL: House of Blues
    2/3 Detroit, MI: St. Andrews Hall
    2/6 Kent, OH: Kent Stage
    2/7 Cincinnati, OH: Mad Frog
    2/8 Pittsburgh, PA: Rex Theater
    2/9 Buffalo, NY: Nietzsche’s
    2/13 Wilmington, NC: The Soapbox
    2/14 Athens, GA: Georgia Theatre
    2/15 Charleston, SC: Music Farm
    2/16-17 Aura Music & Arts Festival, Live Oak, FL
    2/21 New York, NY: Highline Ballroom
    2/22 Boston, MA: The Paradise
    2/23 Philadelphia, PA: The Blockley
    2/28 Albany, NY: Red Square
    3/1 Syracuse, NY: Wescott Theater
    3/2 Rochester, NY:  Water Street Music Hall
    3/5 Evansville, IN: Lamasco Bar
    3/6 St. Louis, MO: 2720 Cherokee
    3/7 Carbondale, IL: Hangar 9
    3/8 Indianapolis, IN: Vogue Theatre
    3/9 Grand Rapids, MI: The Intersection
    3/16 Oneonta, NY: Oneonta Theater
    3/17 Williamsport, PA: Bullfrog Brewery
    3/20 Morgantown, WV: 123 Pleasant
    3/21 Muncie, IN: Be Here Now
    3/22 Lansing, MI: The Loft
    3/23 Columbus, OH: Woodlands Tavern
    3/24 Kalamazoo, MI: Shakespeare’s
    3/26 Louisville, KY: Gerstle’s
    3/27 Lexington, KY: Cosmic Charlies
    3/28 Boone, NC: Boone Saloon
    3/29 Asheville, NC: Asheville Music Hall
    3/30 Winston-Salem, NC: Ziggy’s
    4/2 Roanoke, VA: Martin’s Downtown
    4/3 Virginia Beach, VA: Jewish Mother
    4/4 Baltimore, MD: 8×10
    4/5 Vienna, VA: Jammin’ Java
    4/6 Richmond, VA: The Camel
    4/12 Greensboro, NC: Blind Tiger
    4/13 Raleigh, NC: Lincoln Theatre
    4/17 Stanhope, NJ: Stanhope House
    4/20 Northampton, MA: Pearl Street
    4/25Harrisburg, PA: ABC Brewery
    4/26 Ithaca, NY: The Haunt
    4/27 Burlington, VT: Higher Ground

    web: Dopapod.com
    fb: Facebook.com/dopapod

  • Backwoods Pondfest announces new dates for 2013

    One of Upstate NY’s most popular outdoor camping event has announced their dates for 2013. The 7th Annual BACKWOODS PONDFEST will be held August 2 & 3 at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, NY.

    Past performers include Max Creek, Break Science, John Brown’s Body, Chali2na, Rubblebucket, Assembly of Dust, Ryan Montbleau Band, Kung Fu, Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, Lucid, Spritual Rez, Twiddle, Hot Day at the Zoo, and many more!

    Band Lineup and ticket information will be released soon! Stay tuned to the Backwoods Pondfest website and facebook for updates.

    website: www.backwoodspondfest.com

    facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Backwoods-Pondfest/303922390943

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjfo7cAsRzA?rel=0&w=420&h=315]

  • Ryan Montbleau Band with Jesse Dee at Red Square, Albany, December, 29th

    Even a little blast of Mother Nature’s fury couldn’t keep the Ryan Montbleau faithful away from a long overdue Albany gig. As the snow fell and temperatures plummeted below freezing, things were just getting warmed up inside the intimate Red Square.

    R&B singer-songwriter, Jesse Dee from Boston, MA opened the show for Ryan Montbleau. Dee’s soulful voice and playful personality were perfect foreshadowing of things to come. By the time Dee broke into “Slow Down” (probably his most popular song from his latest album, Bittersweet) around mid-set, the dance floor was packed and in full swing. Dee and the band finished up the opening set with a crowd-participating rendition of ”WhiskeyWash”. Although this completed Jesse Dee’s set, it would not be the last time we saw him on the stage!

    Setlist: Yet to Come, Fussin & Fightin, Stay Strong, No Matter Where I Am, I Won’t Forget About You, Slow Down, Sweet Tooth, Only Remedy, Whiskey Wash

    Much like his music, Ryan Montbleau’s personality is cool, confident but humble, and captivating. That personality transcended the small and intimate Red Square making the evening a special one, almost feeling as if we were in someone’s living room having a few beers and listening to tunes rather than being in an Albany nightclub. Montbleau opened the evening with “Head Above Water” and crowd favorite, “Songbird”. After commenting on how “it felt like old times”, the guys broke into a nice run of “I Can’t Wait”, “Stretch”, and “Fix Your Wings”. In an unexpected surprise, Jesse Dee joined Ryan on stage for a fun and playful version of “I’m Your Puppet”.

    The evening rolled on with plenty of dancing and partying. The calendar may have said December 29th but it sure felt like it could have been New Year’s Eve. After playing through other favorites like “Jealous Guy” and “You Crazy You”, Montbleau wrapped up the night with an encore which was a show all onto itself: “Boat Song” > “Here et al” > “Honeymoon” > “Driving Wheel”!

    The days of watching and listening to the Ryan Montbleau Band in a venue this cozy and intimate are probably numbered. After all, they’ve been selling out much larger venues as of late. Those fans that ventured out into the snowy and blustery Northeast evening were certainly rewarded for their efforts. Ryan Montbleau delivered a captivating, uplifting, and humble performance.

    Setlist: Head Above Water, Songbird, I Can’t Wait, Stretch, Fix Your Wings, I’m Your Puppet (w/ Jesse Dee), Grain, Shufflin’ Papers, Jealous Guy, You Crazy You, Straw > Naïve Melody, E: Boat Song, Here et al, Honeymoon, Driving Wheel