NYS Music 20​13

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • Allman Brothers Band and Steve Winwood at SPAC, August 27th

    There was no better way to spend the end of August in Upstate New York than with The Allman Brothers Band and Steve Winwood at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The American rock group lineup currently consists of original member keyboardist Gregg Allman , drummer Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, vocalist and lead guitarist Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, bassist Oteil Burbridge and Marc Quinones on congas and percussion.

    The evening started with singer-songwriter Steve Winwood and guitarist Jose Neto, sax player Paul Booth, drummer Richard Bailey, and percussionist Café DeSailva. Winwood’s set consisted of a little bit of everything as he touched base on his solo work to the Spencer Davis Group to Traffic and to Blind Faith. “Light Up or Leave Me Alone” was one of the highlights as it provided everyone with solos and a chance to showcase their individual talents. “Dear Mr. Fantasy” brought the crowd to their feet as the band went straight into “Gimme Some Lovin” as Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks could be seen from off stage with huge smiles on their faces.

    Setlist:  Rainmaker, I’m a Man, Can’t Find My Way Home, Had to Cry Today, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Light Up or Leave Me Alone, Higher Love, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Gimme Some Lovin’

    Download link 

    The Allman Brothers Band started the evening with Haynes and Trucks blasting a few high noted classic American badass frets. The two guitarists made their own musical language consisting of string sliding and plucking throughout the night that everyone in the audience could understand. The ABB bring a special energy to their shows that you can always channel with an open heart and mind. It’s a timeless sound, southern comfort smooth. “Revival” did just that, bringing a light to the inside audience that glowed over the folks on the lawn and energized everyone with the lighthearted gospel soul with the repeating chorus line, “People, can you feel it? Love is everywhere.”

    There was a steady psychedelic kaleidoscope slideshow on the backdrop that suited the spacey jams and relaxed atmosphere. The stage was loaded with vintage amps and instruments that carried the familiar sounds the ABB has been known for. Their lyrics are honest and easily relatable to listeners of all ages as each song holds a story to be told. From far out cosmic jams, ABB went from hard rock to a bluesy jazz “Midnight Rider.” At one point during the night, Marc Quinones nearly broke his bongos delivering a solo full of flavor. “I Found a Love” featured fantastic harmonies as Steve Winwood joined the band onstage for the first time this tour, accompanied by Jay Collins and Rachel Turner during “The Weight”. The evening came to a close with the encore of “One Way Out”, as fans from every decade left filled with feelings of appreciation and admiration.

    SetList:  Don’t Want You No More > Not My Cross To Bear, You Don’t Love Me, I Walk on Guilded Splinters, Woman Across the River, Revival, Key to the Highway, Who’s Been Talking*, Midnight Rider, I Found a Love^, The Weight^^, Dreams, The Same Thing%, Black Hearted Woman

    Encore: One Way Out
    Notes *with Jose Neto, Edson “Café” da Silva & Richard Bailey
    ^with Steve Winwood
    ^^with Steve Winwood, Jay Collins and Rachel “Stixx” Turner
    %with Paul Booth, Richard Bailey and Ben Stiver

  • Aqueous Announces Extensive Fall Tour of New York, Midwest and Atlantic Coast

    Buffalo’s favorite intense groove rock experience Aqueous has announced an extensive fall tour that brings the band to many new markets as well as established ones. The band has been hitting the road harder then ever this year and this new batch of dates will bring them to over 120 shows for 2013.

    AQ-FALLTOUR

    Highlights include the tour kick-off at the esteemed Brooklyn Bowl with Turkuaz and Jimkata for the Catskill Chill music festival pre-party. Several Upstate NY dates follow as well as the band’s second international date in Montreal. October features a four-show North Carolina run and will also bring them close to one of their mentors; performing an after party for the Rochester Phish show (w/ Jimkata). Washington D.C. and Brooklyn will be treated to some undoubtedly well planned Halloween antics to start off November before a pilgrimage to jam-mecca Nectar’s in Burlington and another pair of upstate dates in Buffalo and Rochester.

    aqueousfalltour

    The summer may fade, but the rage lives on. Check out the full schedule below!

    Aqueous Fall 2013 Tour Dates with Upstate NY highlighted
     
    9/4 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY * w/ Turkuaz & Jimkata
    9/7 – The Catskill Chill Music Festival – Hancock, NY
    9/11 – 123 Pleasant – Morgantown, WV * w/ The Main Squeeze
    9/12 – Thunderbird Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA * w/ The Main Squeeze
    9/13 – Night Lights Fall Festival – Sherman, NY
    9/14 – Barnaroo – Dover, OH
    9/20 – The Dubland Underground – Rochester, NY
    9/21 – Nietzsche’s – Buffalo, NY
    9/26 – The Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
    9/27 – Java Barn @ St. Lawrence University – Canton, NY
    9/28 – Gert’s @ McGill University – Montreal, QC
    10/2 – Papa Pete’s – Kalamazoo, MI
    10/3 – The Gramophone – St. Louis, MO
    10/4 – Hideaway Saloon – Lexington, KY
    10/5 – The Empty Glass – Charleston, WV
    10/8 – The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
    10/9 – One Stop @ Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC
    10/10 – The Saloon @ NC Music Factory – Charlotte, NC
    10/11 – 185 King Street – Brevard, NC
    10/16 – Electric Haze – Worcester, MA
    10/17 – Thirsty Moose Taphouse – Portsmouth, NH
    10/18 – The Putnam Den – Saratoga Spring, NY
    10/19 – The Crooked I – Erie, PA
    10/22 – Water Street Music Hall – Phish After Party – Rochester, NY * w/ Jimkata
    10/23 – The Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY * w/ Tauk
    10/24 – Black Oak Tavern – Oneonta, NY * w/ Tauk
    10/25 – The Lot – Ithaca, NY * w/ Tauk
    10/26 – Jungle Boogie Festival – Lake George, NY
    11/1 – The Bayou – Washington, DC * w/ Tauk
    11/2 – The Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY * w/ Tauk
    11/6 – Urban Nest – Asbury Park, NJ
    11/7 – Nectars – Burlington, VT *
    11/8 – Shaskeen Pub – Manchester, NH
    11/9 – Church – Boston, MA
    11/15 – The Dubland Underground – Rochester, NY * w/ Tauk
    11/16 – Nietzsche’s – Buffalo, NY * w/ Tauk
    11/20 – Tonic Room – Chicago, IL * w/ Brown Bag
    11/22 – Scarlet & Grey – Columbus, OH

  • Keller Williams Comes to Upstate New York With Fall Tour Dates

    One-man-band Keller Williams hits the road this Fall performing his signature solo sets with stops in Upstate New York. Accompanied on stage only by a slew of instruments and musical gadgets. In his seemingly insatiable quest for constant musical evolution, Keller will also make very special select live appearances with any one of his creative collaborations.

    Keller_Kevin Burke

    Since he first appeared on the scene in the early ’90s, Keller Williams has defined the term independent artist. And his 16 recordings tell only half the story. Keller built his reputation initially on his engaging live performances, no two of which are ever alike. Williams’ solo live shows—and his ability to improvise to his determinedly quirky tunes despite the absence of an actual band—quickly became the stuff of legend, and his audience grew exponentially when word spread about this exciting, unpredictable performer.

    Keller will play 4 shows in Upstate NY on this tour, the first show will be held at Rochester’s historical, German House on September 12th. Doors open at 7:00PM The show starts at 8:00PM, tickets are $25 and all ages are welcome. To purchase tickets please visit KellerWilliams.net and for more information you can call 585-442-6880 or visit www.upallnightpresents.com.

    The following night, September 13th, Keller will play the Wescott Theater in Syracuse, NY. Doors open at 8:00PM and the show starts at 9:00PM. Tickests are $25 and all ages are welcome. Tickets can be purchased online at KellerWilliams.net or the venue box office. For more information please call 315-478-8634 or visit www.thewestcotttheater.com.

    September 14th Keller will play Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY. Doors open at 8:00PM, the show starts at 9:00PM and this is an all ages show. Ticket prices range between $35-$55 and can be purchased online at KellerWilliams.net.

    The last appearance in Upstate NY will be a special treat as Keller will be joined by special guests and New York natives, Floodwood, for the October 10th show at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, NY. Doors open at 8:00PM and show begins at 9:00PM, this is an all ages show. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased online or at the venue box office.

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  • 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

  • Reggae Legend ‘Luciano’ Comes to Saratoga Springs July 19th

    Luciano056Nectar’s  Presents recently announced  that  The  Messenger,  Luciano  will  bring  his   brand  of  roots  reggae  to Putnam Den  on  July  19th.  Known  for  his  electrifying  epic  live performances,  he  will  be  backed  by  the  famed seven‐piece i-­KRONICK  band  for  his   much  anticipated  first  tour  of  North  America  in  years.  The  evening  will also  feature  selections  by  DJ  TRUMASTR  and  knomad.

    With  the  release  of  his  landmark  album  Where  There  Is  Life  in  1995,  Luciano   emerged  as  one  of  the  most important  reggae  singers  in  decades  and  the  greatest   hope  for  roots  reggae’s  survival  in  the  digital  dancehall  era. Since  then,  Luciano  has   released  over  45  albums  and  has  been  consistently  praised  for  imparting  conscious sentiments  of  spiritual  salvation,  Rastafarian  edification  and  African  repatriation.   Born  in  the  parish  of Manchester,  Jamaica,  he  has  influenced  countless  artists  from   Stevie  Wonder  to  the  “The  Crown  Prince  of Reggae”  the  late  great  Dennis  Brown.

    i-­Kronik  represents  the  future  of  the  ‘classic’  reggae  band.    Coming  from  the  lineage   of  the  Gumption  Band, they are  redefining  roots  reggae  with  years  of  experience   playing  on  the  world’s  largest  stages  backing  legends  such as Beres  Hammond,   Luciano,  Dennis  Brown,  Freddie  McGregor,  Barrington  Levy,  Ken  Boothe  and countless  others.

     Show  Details:  Nectar’s  Presents   Reggae  Legend   LUCIANO   “The  Messenger”   Backed  by  the  Seven-­‐Piece  Band:  i-­‐KRONIK   July  19,  2013   Putnam  Den   Downtown  Saratoga  Springs,  NY  (63  Putnam  Street)   (Across  from  library  and  behind  Uncommon  Ground  Coffee)

  • Phish Saves the Best for the Last Night at SPAC

    After two days of Phish at SPAC, the energy that had built up between band and crowd was brought to a froth, thanks to Friday night’s Second Set (“Energy>Light->Mango>46 Days->Steam>Drowned>Slave”) and Saturday’s improv heavy “Split Open and Melt”, plus the magic of “Tweezer>Sand>Carini”. The froth spilled over Sunday with a start to finish highlight of the tour, as the band broke out the rockers in Set 1 and the Jam vehicles in Set 2, capping off a three night run in a way to rival last year’s tour closer at SPAC.

    phish best SPACFans filled the lots on either side of Route 50, brought Shakedown Street to life once again and mingled with friends under looming gray skies. Whether fans came in from Lee’s Campground, drove in from area hotels or walked across the Route 50 bridge, the excitement was electric and rain be damned, made their way into the venue. There is no weather condition that Phish fans can’t deal with in their journey to see Phish – rain, fog, snow, sleet, high winds, Sharknado, mud or Oswego 99-esque humidity – coping with a light rain was old hat for even the newest fan. Once inside, fans made their way to the lawn, and the lucky ones to the balcony and pavilion. Whether you were on the lawn or inside, you were getting wet – on the lawn from a consistent but light shower, or for those inside, from the sweat, smoke and humidity that had built up over three days.

    With one of the most energetic openers in their repertoire, Phish kicked off the night shortly after 8pm with”AC/DC Bag”, followed by “Back on the Train”, both of which had Trey noodling to steady the rocker, pumping up the crowd in the process and getting the show off on the right foot. A well placed “Divided Sky” was given the standard treatment and then some, showcasing one of the band’s early compositions. “Free” developed from the end of “Divided Sky”, with “It’s Ice” and “Mound” following close behind. “Maze” was Page-heavy in the best way possible, tearing up the keys and organ to build the song up and up. “Limb by Limb” paired with “Walls of the Cave” to close the set, the latter building fans up during “Listen to the silent trees” and Trey leading the way with all three on par with the Bad Lieutenant. The first set in the books, fans took refuge under the trees or stayed in the pavilion and balcony to rest up for what was sure to be a hot set.

    Second set opened with a typically spirited version of “Down With Disease”, drifting into Type II jams that led to even deeper exploration as the song built to the 14 minute mark. From there, the song seemed to dip into dark territory, a la “Sand”, but having played it the night before, we were treated to a fantastic segue from ‘Down With Disease” into “Ghost”. The first “Ghost” of the summer had some playful Frampton-esque sounds from Trey in between stanzas, then fell into a clavinet jam from Page, combining with Trey’s riffing and led towards a playful discourse between the two. “Piper” was shredded by the band from the start: they simply rocked out without reserve, carrying the tune for seven minutes before a final two minutes allowed experimentation take over and found time to give “Piper” a soft sendoff, drifting into “Wading in the Velvet Sea”. This is truly a ‘love it or hate it song’, but many at this point appreciated the placement for a slight break to prepare for the second half of the set that was yet to come. Sometimes, you need a breather at Phish shows and this one was of those times.

    If one song keeps getting better and better in the 3.0 era of Phish, it’s “Run Like an Antelope”. The dancing frenzy created from each version is due in part to Trey’s focus on the progression of the song; he has great focus on this tune, more so than any other, shunning his musical ADD for a bit to keep the song moving towards a finish line of undetermined origin. Building out of the lyrics that were substituted at the end of “Antelope”, (“Run like a Meatstick out of control“) the natural next song selection was “The Meatstick”, leading to the Meatstick dance from fans who were still catching their breath from “DWD>Ghost>Piper” and “Antelope”. To cap off the set, fans were rewarded with a 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself”, that while good, had Trey’s guitar talking over a conversation between Mike, Page and Jon. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it lacked the flow of the post ‘Wash Uffizi’ jam that is a staple of YEMs. The vocal jam that arose for the final three minutes was humorous and captivating.

    For an encore, “First Tube” felt like the natural choice, keeping the energy cranked up to 11 and preparing to get SPAC ready to liftoff. “Loving Cup” was a fine replacement and accepted without complaint, an entire crowd of 20,000 singing in unison “Oh, What a Beautiful Buzz!” Walking out, the night air was warm and light as fans made their way back to tents, beds, homes, cars and RVs, all in need of rest after three incredible days of Phish, and with all the potential of Summer Tour laying ahead of them.

    Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Back on the Train > Divided Sky, Free > It’s Ice > Mound, Maze, Limb By Limb, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: Down with Disease 1 > Ghost 2 > Piper 3 > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Run Like an Antelope 4 > Meatstick 5 > You Enjoy Myself

    Encore: Loving Cup

    1 Unfinished.
    2 Guy Forget quote from Fish.
    3 DEG tease from Trey.
    4 Lyrics changed to reference Meatstick.
    5 Japanese lyrics.

  • Night 2 of Phish at SPAC – The Jams Keep Comin’

    My 25th Phish Show. I’m no longer a noob per my lil’ brother Dr. Pauly. This was the first SPAC Phish run since 2009 that Pauly didn’t come east for. He’ll be picking up tour in Chicago and sometime between the end of Summer Tour and the anticipated fall run he will hit show 300. Needless to say, Pauly knows Phish.

    Let’s get some stats out-of-the-way. Night two and show three of Summer Tour offered three repeats in ” Chalk Dust Torture” ,  “Backwards Down the Number Line” and “Possum”. We heard the first ever SPAC “Tweezer”, one debut in “Architect”. There were a total of 10 songs in the first set and 10 in the second set including the double encore.

    I started the day by attending the poster show at the Saratoga Hilton. I met Dave Calarco, aka Mr. Miner, and poster artist John Warner. John is not a Phish-centric artist, doing work for the heavyweights of the jamband scene. I was most drawn to his work as he displayed his art form for many of the artists I love including Govt Mule, Furthur, Phish, Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes and many others. I bought a copy of Mr Miner’s Phish Thoughts and my second Ryan Kerrigan poster.

    I gave Friday night’s show a solid B. I was hoping that three shows in, the cobwebs were off and we were in for a sizzling Saturday night. This was the first year I was out on the lawn with the masses. My prior six SPAC Phish shows were from inside the shed. I found a place on the inside of the far right ramp to the balcony at the top of the slope that had a pretty good line of sight and good sound.

    Phish took the stage at 8:24 PM.  “Crowd Control” kicked things off. Traditionally this song appeared in the second set, but since 3.0 it has moved into the spot of  show opener.  It’s a light airy tune, a la  “Golden Age”.  This was a first time live performance  for me and I found myself singing it the last few days so it’s a keeper! “Chalk Dust Torture”  gets everyone rocking no matter where it appears in the rotation with its defying cry of  “Can’t I live while I’m young?!”  “The Wedge”  had a low tempo, almost reggae beat to it. Dr. Pauly texted me that this song always reminds him of  Colorado.  The first cover of the night was next with Mike Gordon on lead vocals for “Funky Bitch”.  Cactus, looking hipster chic in his scarf, also bared a striking resemblance to chef Anthony Bourdain.  “Heavy Things” and “Bug”  continued what was appearing to be a fairly mellow first set.  “Bug” is one of those songs I enjoy because it invokes philosophical questions like “Is there a God? , and “What is the meaning of life?” “Bouncin’ Round the Room”  was  the first Phish song I could name because of its frequent radio play, yet I have friends that bail for the bathroom during “Bouncin” but I enjoy it and up on the lawn, I thought that this would be a great song to Prancercise  too.

    “Tube” brought the funk back into the set.  For generation, 3.0 “Tube” performances,  it was a longish 6+ minutes.  My favorite Tube is the 12/7/97 Dayton Ohio version with its awesome Tube Jam.  Listen closely to the SPAC 7/6/13 version and from 5:28 to 5:51, you might hear teases of Booker T’s “Green Onions”.  Trey pulled the rip chord on the  “Tube”  jam and launched  into the rocker  “Julius”.  I heard a young Phish head tell his buddy that the name of the song was “Take Another Step” after the refrain. I chuckled because that was what I originally thought the name of the song was, because why would Tom Marshall and Trey title a song “Julius” when the word doesn’t even appear in the lyrics?

    “Julius” could have easily ended the set but what happened next will be talked about for quite a while in Phish circles and deserves a replay. “Split Open and Melt” can be butchered. I heard a great version in Utica in 2010.  In this version, Trey and Fishman really locked in and the jam became full of ambient and discordant sounds tempered by the ethereal keyboards of Page McConnell.  I went down the rabbit hole to memories of  some of  Jerry Garcia’s best  jamming. At one point I forgot what song was playing and what show I was at.  About 15 minutes in, Fishman appeared to be playing bells or a glockenspiel with a very light touch.  SOAM definitely is the Set 1 highlight, ending at 9:43 PM.

    After a short intermission, “Backwards down the Number Line” opened Set II  at 10:13 PM (the second repeat from the Bangor tour opener).  Yeah, the Phish play it a lot but I will always like it as it reminds me of my 40+ year friendship with my best friend Kim.  Dr. Pauly had texted me that his buddy Fink (who I looked for but didn’t cross paths with) had told him that “Tweezer” had never been played at SPAC and to expect one.   Well, we got it as  appeared as the second song of the second set and the “Tweezer”, “Sand” and “Carini” trio will be talked about and replayed all summer long.  A glowstick war broke out on the lawn during “Tweezer”.   This “Sand’ was smooth and sultry the way I like them and the “Carini” that followed I found dark and dirty and rocking. Some folks thought it wasn’t as evil as other Carini’s, but to each their own.

    The boys gave us a break with the debut of “Architect” from Trey’s solo album Traveler.  I haven’t had a chance to listen to this song again,  but like many songs added from the band’s side projects this one will be a tweaked and mature the more it is played.  A young phan and I talked about this being about the Matrix  (my favorite movie) and free will and cause and effect as the Architect is a character in the second and third of the Matrix series and one of the lyrics in Trey’s song is  “You may even see the cause in the machine.”   A fairly standard but rocking “Wilson”, a sloppy but fun cover of “Boogie on Reggae Woman” (I think the lyrics were butchered, but all is good) and “Possum” (the third and final repeat of tour to date) closed out set II. Like many others and no matter how many times its played I still love “Possum”, although I can’t say the same for “Kill Devil Falls”, which they got out of the way as the opener on night one.

    “Show of Life” was a throw away encore so I started heading to the car. With that veteran move, I lost my noob status.  I listened to “Tweezer Reprise” as I headed out of the State Park and back home. Sometimes its good to be a local. I was home in twenty minutes and downloading the show.  After Friday’s  B performance I gave Saturday night an A-. The only reason it wasn’t a little higher was because of the canoodling on song selection during set I. I was happy but missing my Phishing buddies and was looking forward to Night 3 because as Fink and Dr. Pauly say, ” Never Miss A Sunday Show”.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Crowd Control > Chalk Dust Torture, The Wedge, Funky Bitch, Heavy Things, Bug, Bouncing Around the Room, Tube > Julius, Split Open and Melt

    Set 2: Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Sand > Carini 1 -> Architect 2, Wilson > Boogie On Reggae Woman > Possum

    Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise

    1 Meatstick tease from Mike.
    2 Phish debut.

  • Prog Rock Angels RUSH Turn Back the Clock at SPAC June 25th

    RUSH bring out the crowds at SPAC every time they perform at the open-air amphitheater.  This year was no different.  A little bit of rain before the show was little deterrent to the droves of RUSH fans that came from throughout the region and beyond to see the prog rock trio light up the stage.  As well they should as 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the few Prog Rock bands given the honor to have a permanent place in Cleveland.

    Known for their elaborate live shows, with a mini-movie, a lot of stage props and of course, incredible solos.  RUSH didn’t miss a beat with the Clockwork Angels tour.  Two years ago when RUSH played SPAC they performs two numbers off the album, “Clockwork Angels,” “Caravan” and “BU2B”.  It was at that show that this reporter/photographer became well-aware that the new material was going to be spectacular. In fact, “Caravans” that opens this year’s second set is one of my personal favorites.

    The Clockwork Angels tour also highlights a special string ensemble consisting of six violins and two cellos placed directly behind Neil Peart’s drum kit.  The setup allows for a bigger sound and an orchestral feel that SPAC is well accustomed to.

    Neil Peart’s kit rotated so that the drummer could play his signature 360 degree setup.  Intense focus and absolute precision is guaranteed when Peart plays.  Fans are rarely disappointed.

    Geddy Lee’s vocals were spot on and the high-tone lead singer and bassist for the band was energetic and theatrical at times.  Facial expressions and primal screams to well-known lyrics that had the mostly male crowd chiming in at the top of their lungs.

    Guitarist Alex Lifeson knew what he was doing when he founded the band RUSH 45 years ago.  Named as a top 100 guitarist by Rolling Stones, the Canadian born guitarist can lay down a serious lick and keep up with other guitarists less than half his age.  Like Peart, the concentration and  intensity is mesmerizing to watch.  Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul and the sound couldn’t be better.

    After nearly a half a century RUSH doesn’t show much signs of slowing down.  With tragedies behind them, the trio is looking forward and the new album and tour is proof that we can expect more from these legends from the north.

    Set 1: Subdivisions, The Big Money, Force Ten, Grand Designs, The Body Electric, Territories, The Analog Kid, Bravado, Where’s My Thing? (including drum solo), Far Cry

    *Set 2: Caravan, Clockwork Angels, The Anarchist, Carnies, The Wreckers, Headlong Flight (including drum solo), Halo Effect (guitar solo intro), Seven Cities of Gold, The Garden, Manhattan Project, Red Sector A, YYZ, The Spirit of Radio

    Encore: Tom Sawyer, 2112 Part I: Overture, 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx, 2112 Part VII: Grand Finale

    * entire set with Clockwork Angels String Ensemble

  • Phish After Party: Dead Sessions at Putnam Den, July 5th

    On July 5th, as the first night of Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center came to a close, the town streets came alive as those attending the three-night run fanned out to find after-parties to keep the vibe grooving. At the legendary Putnam Den in downtown Saratoga, those looking to keep their booties shaking found a pleasant surprise in the tucked away venue as Dead Sessions started off the night with a boisterous “Franklin’s Tower”.

    One of my personal favorite aspects of Putnam Den is when they put on a show, they never overcrowd the venue, so as the sound echoed into the street and more ticket holders entered the premises, we all had the perfect amount of room to get down.

    dead sessions putnamFor those who have never seen Dead Sessions, this band is the embodiment of  the timelessness of The Grateful Dead’s music. Although the band calls Vermont home, the band is composed of rotating members who are from various locations around the country. While they performed a plethora of old favorites including “Bertha”, “Peggy-O” and “He’s Gone”, they also added their own improvisational jams and gave each song a piece of their own musical personalities.

    During “Scarlet Begonias”, their first set closer, they went into an impressive improv streak that combined new age jam with old age style and an intertwining of spacey jams that tied it all together. Keyboardist Adam King’s playful melody danced around the crowd as guitar players Seth Yacavone and Adam Terrell (Assembly of Dusct / Ghosts of Jupiter/ Percy Hill), who was filling in for Tobe Kniffin dueled harmoniously with one another and the full sounded band, which included drummers Kevin Shapiro and Steve Hadeka (Seth Yacovone Band), supporting their beat every step of the way.

    Dead Sessions was a great way to end the night for any Phish-Dead lover. Before we knew any better, it was 4am and with our hip joints thoroughly greased up from a full night of music, the crowd dissipated with a buzz of anticipation for two more amazing nights of music.

    Also worth noting is that the show also doubled as a WaterWheel benefit and raised over $1,100 for the WaterWheel Foundation – which in turn donated it to the Saratoga Hospital Foundation which is working to build a community health center in Saratoga.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Feel Like a Stranger>Franklin’s Tower, Jack Straw, West L.A. Fadeaway, Bertha, Brown Eyed Women, Peggy-0, Alligator> He’s Gone> Scarlet Begonias

    Set 2: Playin’ in the Band> Visions of Johanna> Playin’ in the Band, Blow Away, China Cat Sunflower> At a Siding> I Know You Rider, Easy Wind

  • Phinally! Phish Weekend at SPAC Begins on a High Note

    Nothing goes better together than Fourth of July weekend and a three night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) with legendary band Phish.

    The four piece jam band returned once again to the historic city of Saratoga Springs who welcomed the band as well as the thousands of dedicated fans from all over the country. Guitarist Trey Anastasio, Bassist Mike Gordon, Keyboardist Page McConnell and Drummer Jon Fishman started their summer tour on July 3rd at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine, with Saratoga Springs two days later. One of the best features of SPAC is the beautiful State Park with cool shaded springs for fans to escape the humidity before the show and even catch soundcheck echoing off the valleys.

    The venue itself has a beautiful indoor seating area with incredible sound and fantastic views from any seat. The lawn has gotten a bad reputation for being overcrowded with poor sound and visuals, but the fans make the best of it by partying and dancing that much harder. Knowing that my Phish filled weekend had finally arrived, I was just thankful to be there.

    PH1_0073

    The parking lots were filled with hundreds of cars, covered in trendy bumper stickers plus more VW vans than you’ll ever see in one place. Thousands of people could be seen walking the aisles searching for the latest merchandise or reuniting with dear friends from past shows. The weather was a disgusting humid Friday evening, with the air so thick you couldn’t tell if it was the heat or all the smoke. With some relief of a brief but heavy rainstorm, fans headed through the gates with plenty of electricity and excitement left over from the storm.

    Phish started the weekend with “Kill Devil Falls”, leading to the crowd instantly rejoicing and singing the lyrics that pretty much sum up Phish tour: “Who knew a day would turn into a week, but I learned my lesson, and I can still remember the last one, but this time will be different, until I do it again”, with a great high build up at the end. It gives one chills to hear the familiar breath from the thousands of fans as the groove of “The Moma Dance” starts. At a phish show, you can actually hear the crowd hold their breath in anticipation before each and every song. The slightest bass drop from Mike Gordon during “Moma” resulted in massive cheers as longtime fans are glued in to every single note. “Sample in a Jar” and Ween’s “Roses are Free” brought easy going melodies, giving fans a chance to take a deep breath, wait in the obnoxious beer lines and find friends. Page took a moment after a solid “Birds of a Feather” to thank the fans for joining them at one of their favorite venues being SPAC and recognized a close friend, Ian McLean, from Ian’s Farm shows in 1987 in Hebron, NY.  One of the big surprises of the night was the debut of the band’s newest song, “Yarmouth Road”. The song was light-hearted with Mike leading on vocals and Trey Anastasio holding short riffs.

    The thrilling beginning of the infamous riffs and oddball notes of “Bathtub Gin” brought back great memories of past shows, especially those at SPAC with the crowd always erupting to the classic line, “We’re all in this together and WE LOVE TO TAKE A BATH!” Once the catchy and bizarre vocals are over, the band carried the jam for over 10 minutes in glorious leaps and bounds. The set tooks a turn as we glided into the bluegrass vibe of “Nellie Kane” and the rocking ballad “Army of One” with Page serenading the audience amid light, airy finger playing. Suddenly we go straight into the ticking time bomb of “My Friend, My Friend”, with its comforting start but breaking down into a frightful free for all. The energy is kept at a high peak by playing right into the cover of “Cities” by Talking Heads, a predictable song for the weekend yet slightly unexpected for the first night. The set concluded with a 12 minute “David Bowie”, with fans in the fully packed lawn, throwing glowsticks up in the air, trying to keep in rhythm with the melody. It makes for great entertainment as long as you aren’t getting hit in the head and a special reminder to NOT throw glow sticks at the band.

    The second set started with another surprise as the boys debuted “Energy” by The Apples in Stereo, with delicate harmonies and an upbeat temp, nonstop cymbals and steady cowbell from Fishman. Hearing an unrecognizable song temporarily threw off almost everyone’s groove, leaving the great sense of mystery that Phish fans have a love hate relationship with. Thankfully we were all reassured to hear the start of “Light”, a song that has the reputation for being a serious jam session with tonight at SPAC being no different, lasting just over 15 minutes. “The Mango Song” was kept playful as always with childish lyrics and Trey teasing the crowd with “Light” riffs. You could see the band members having a great time throughout the night as each wore their wide and familiar smiles.  The song that stood out this night was “46 days”, which had the most intense surge of energy as the crowd screamed the lyrics and Trey shredded his guitar nearly to pieces. The funky jam gave the band more than enough space to jam right into “Steam”, a still newer song with a steady beat, spooky lyrics and deeps notes from Mike. The party mood got picked up right away as we stepped into a cover of The Who’s “Drowned” with Page reaching for those high notes and Trey teasing “Divided Sky” just like the “Hood” encore at Bangor. The show ended with the classic “Character Zero”, a high energy song with heavy loops of the strong organ and frenzied guitar grooves.

    As security wasted no time pushing concert goers towards the nearest exit, many were still in shock that the first night had come and went. Despite being soaked from the rain and sweat, phans still had the biggest smiles on their faces and were eager to experience the rest of a Phish filled weekend.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Kill Devil Falls, The Moma Dance> Sample in a Jar, Roses are Free, Birds of a Feather,  Yarmouth Road (1), Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane, Army of One> My Friend, My Friend(2)> Cities> David Bowie

    Set 2: Energy (3)> Light> The Mango Song (4)> 46 Days> Steam> Drowned (5) > Slave to the Traffic Light

    Encore: Character Zero

    1 Debut
    2. No “Myfe” ending
    3. Phish Debut
    4. Light teases from Trey
    5. Divided Sky tease from Trey.
    6. Jean Pierre tease from Trey.
    After Birds of a Feather, Page pointed out Ian in the crowd from “Ian’s Farm” fame and waxed nostalgic about playing there while also noting that SPAC was one of the band’s favorite venues. Yarmouth Road made its debut at this show.