NYS Music 20​13

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • The Slide Brothers, presented by Robert Randolph, slide into The Putnam Den this Friday, May 17th

    The Putnam Den is fortunate to have a quartet of legendary pedal steel musicians coming to town on Friday, as Robert Randolph Presents The Slide Brothers, four of the greatest living musicians who embody the Sacred Steel Tradition – Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent. The joyous music these legendary artists create extends far beyond scared steel to encompass blues, rock and soul all celebrated with a sound that is uniquely their own. Opening the show is a great Delta blues guitarist in her own right, Danielle Miraglia from Boston.

    the slide brothersThe pedal steel guitar was introduced to church services by Willie Eason in the 1930’s. His single-string passages, which imitated the African-American singing and shouting voices, remain the signature sound of the Keith Dominion steel guitar style. Robert Randolph rose to fame a decade or more ago playing Sacred Steel with his band at The Wetlands, Bonnaroo and venues throughout the Northeast and has become the most successful artist to emerge from the Sacred Steel tradition.

    The Slide Brothers include one man who has been dubbed the “B.B. King of gospel steel guitar”, Calvin Cooke. Calvin was hails from Cleveland and performed the pedal steel at Church of the Living God in Jewell Dominion, known for it’s strong steel guitar tradition. He continues to use the same instrument on stage today as he had in 1955, as well as a ten string pedal steel instrument which he plays in a unique tuning that came to him in a vision.

    Aubrey Ghent, a nephew of Willie Eason, has also become a celebrated steel guitarist, preserving the sacred steel tradition and instrumental in bringing it to a wider audience. Unlike Robert Randolph and the Family Band who have crossed over to doing more secular music, Aubrey Ghent has stayed closer to the gospel roots of tradition, as have many of the steel guitarists of the Jewell Dominion. In recent years, Ghent has performed and recorded with several top recording stars including Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.

    Chuck Campbell began playing the lap steel guitar at the age of eleven. At fifteen he became one of the first players to utilize the Pedal Steel guitar in the House of God Church, Keith Dominion. Chuck is renowned for his innovative approach to the instrument both technically and musically. His use of effects such as distortion, tone control pedals like the Wah-Wah and his picking techniques enable him to emulate the human voice in an uncanny fashion.

    Darick Campbell first made his mark in music as a drummer. For several years Darick was the premier drummer of the General Assembly, the National Convocation of the House Of God Church in Nashville, Tennessee. His choice of the Lap Steel is a reflection of the influences he has blended to become the most emotional player of The Campbell Brothers musical tour d’ force. His renditions of “End of My Journey” have caused audiences throughout the world to weep in heartfelt response to his playing.

    “My goal is to open the door for people in the same way that musical doors have been opened for me,” explains Randolph. “I want to take this musical history and make it relevant to give people a better idea of who we are and where this tradition came from. I think even though I’m a young guy who was born into the era of hip-hop and contemporary gospel, I can help bridge the cultural gap between people who are seventy-five years old and kids who are fifteen years old by reaching back into this history of music.”

    Find out for yourself how deep this musical history sounds with The Slide Brothers on Friday night at The Putnam Den. Doors are at 8, show is at 9:30. Tickets are $10 at the door and $8 in advance.

  • ‘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.

    Daft Punk one more time

    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.

    Daft Punk one more time

    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.

    Daft Punk one more time

    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.

    • Daft Punk one more time

  • 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.

    4/20 albany the machineThe 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.

    4/20 albanyThe 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 4/20 albanyTimbre 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

  • 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

  • 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.

    one more time

    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.

    one more time

    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.

  • An Interview with Styx bassist Ricky Phillips

    Styx dominated the airwaves in the 70’s and 80’s with well-known hits such as, “Lady”, “Come Sail Away”, “Show Me The Way” and their only number one song, “Babe”.  The band did however have four consecutive multi-platinum albums and have a revolutionary sound comprised of a powerful guitars, theatrical performances and pioneering the prog-rock sound.  We were fortunate enough to interview Styx bassist and former Bad English founder, Ricky Phillips.

    The Glens Falls Civic Center is going to be host of three amazing acts on April 24th.  The “Midwest Rock ‘n Roll Express” tour featuring REO Speedwagon and Styx will be coming to the foothills of the Adirondacks to share their progressive rock stylings.

    REO Speedwagon will be sharing the headlining role of the tour with Styx.  REO Speedwagon has sold over 40 million records, including number one singles, “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling”.  Another incestuous connection is REO Speedwagon’s lead guitarist Dave Amato used to play with Nugent before joining the band in time for their 1990 release The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken.  That album featured the bands last top 100 hit “Lock Is a Rock”.  Since then they have had success as a live act playing virtually non-stop around the world, the last few years with Styx.

    Ted Nugent has been getting more press for his stance on guns and support of the NRA than he has for his music lately.  Don’t forget that the Motor City Madman was all rock ‘n roll before he got political.  In the 70’s, Nugent provided us with hits like, “Strangehold”, “Wango Tango”, “Great White Buffalo” and of course, “Cat Scratch Fever”.  How does Nugent fit in with the tour?  He played with Styx’s Tommy Shaw in the super group Damn Yankees.

    Did you know Ted Nugent evaded being drafted in the 1970s by covering himself in his own feces and not showering for a few weeks? It’s true – read here from the man himself!

    When asked what we could expect at the show in Glens Falls, he said we should be prepared to be amazed.  Their goal is “to make tonight’s show better than last night’s show.  We even put together a brand new set that we are debuting on this leg of the tour.  We’ve put thousands and thousands into it and we aren’t even sure if fans will notice it the difference, but the stage performance that we put off is so important to the show.”

    Ricky actually played on Ted’s Little Miss Dangerous album, “One day I came home and Ted had left a message that he needed me to play a song for a movie that ended up on the album. So, I went down and I also set Dave Amato and Ted up together.  Now Dave is with REO. Most of the guys that are still out there have done some recording or played for everyone else at some point. A lot of the guys who are still the survivors are still carrying the torch and we are all still friends.”

    The Styx line-up hasn’t changed in 10 years, and there is a lot of rumors about grief and animosity with Dennis DeYoung.  Ricky played it off saying that “The band has been focused on growing the band over the past 10 years and getting better and better and not dwelling on the past.  Dennis is incredibly talented and if people are a Dennis DeYoung fan, I encourage them to go see him.”  Styx has a lot of modern pop culture success as well, including being in Big Daddy and South Park.  “It is something to see that the fans know all the lyrics to the songs.  Styx has a unique sound and if you hear a Styx song on the radio, you can tell it’s a Styx song with the harmonies. I think that in the 70’s and 80’s there was a lot of cookie cutter format, and Styx always had their own sound.  It’s very impressive. When I was in The Babies and first came across Styx it was obvious that their sound was really unique.”  Three generations of fans will be at the show, and all three will know the lyrics, whether they are a Guitar Hero player, a South Park fan or remember them growing up 30 years ago.

    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has also eluded Styx, as well as many of the progressive rock bands from that era.  You have to imagine that Styx will be inducted at some point.  Ricky’s perspective is that “When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame started is always had more of a New York connection.  The British rock bands that started it all were being overlooked and it killed me.  So, I haven’t taken it too seriously.  It would obviously be a great honor to be recognized by the fans.  But whoever controls or makes that call, it’s up to them.  I’ve actually never even have this discussion with the other guys in the band.  Our focus is so much on the fans and making our music better and better every night.”

    Progressive rock is back on the rise, just look at any festival line-up and you will see modern prog rockers.  Styx was influential in starting that sound.  You can hear their influences on newer bands. “It’s great to hear, there is a new band that sounds like a mix between Styx and Zeppelin and you can tell what albums influenced them.  It’s nice to be part of the influencer.  I was influenced first of all by the Beatles and the song writing and arrangement.  Thank god that was my first initial impact as a kid.  There was a strong sense of song structure and melodies.  Paul McCartney’s bass solos were a huge part of me picking up bass.  I have played guitar to this day, but there is something about bass that has spoke to me.  It’s a real challenge to be a good bass player and it’s a challenge that I will always be striving for.  Listen to Paul McCartney and you can tell the percussion aspects of bass.  It’s seemingly invisible but bass can control the tempo and swing in a song.”

    Be sure to get out to the Glens Falls Civic Center  on April 24th and catch these three great bands and celebrate over 30 years of music.

  • Hearing Aide: Eastbound Jesus “Northern Rock”

    Northern Rock is a bold title for an album – Eastbound Jesus define themselves with the release of their third album in as many years.

    Northern Rock not only gives rise to the sextet’s own sound, but perhaps defines something that had previously been elusive – a sub-genre of music pumping out of the northern region of this country.  It’s something a kin to southern rock, but not quite; Northern Rock encompasses a variety of musical elements from rock to alternative country to folk-like story telling lyrics neatly packaged within each strategically placed song for an album that redefines the boundaries of Americana in the north.

    Eastbound Jesus Northern Rock

    Gentle drops of rain and soft plucking in album opener, “Out Yonder,” breaks open into a welcoming harmonization of vocals and the listener is hooked. “54 Miles”, a clap along song, would surely have the masses marching to the beat of their own drummer, in this case, Carl Anderson.  Northerners are often known for their attitudes (albeit misperceived), which forlorn and edgy lead Adam Brockway captures by strumming his acoustic amid the electric instrumentation.  Dave Wright on bass provides the needed counterpoints for a smooth, rounded balance of sound while Dylan Robinson (electric guitar) pushes the limits on “Kate Belle.” Getting down to the nitty gritty, Luke Anderson takes lead vocals on “I Wouldn’t Know”, letting his punchy personality flow into his banjo, crafting character into Northern Rock.  But, the congealing medium throughout the disc is the intrinsic lap steel interjections of Zach Infante.

    Eastbound Jesus will be unraveling their disc for the masses at a release party open to the public at Revolution Hall on April 19th.  Northern Rock is an expression of what it’s like to experience the north. A style of catchy rhythms, contextual lyrics (relevant to the day in the life of a small town northerner), and a homogeneous blend of instrumentation, Eastbound Jesus established a foundation for the sound of northern rock music.

    Key Tracks: 54 Miles, North Country Girl, Where the Winter Goes

  • Summer in Saratoga: A Rock Art Exhibition’ poster show to be held during Phish’s three-night run at SPAC

    Summer in Saratoga will take place at The Saratoga Hilton on July 5, 6 & 7 th. Admission is Free and open to all ages. The exhibit will run all three dates from 10am-3pm. The poster show will feature the best Phish inspired art, including limited edition art made specifically for the show.

    The poster show featuring Phish artists from around the country was developed and produced by a group of artists and fans, this poster show will be held in the middle of a weekend of Phish.

    Phish poster shows have been held over the years with great success, as unique posters made for the Phish shows that weekend and stop on the tour feature some of the best concert art being produced today. ‘Summer in Saratoga’ is the second event produced by The Mothership Art Collective, a group within the Phish community, comprised of artists and organizations who promote the art inspired by the band Phish. Their initial poster show, ‘First Tube’, was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 16th, 2012 and was a success for all who participated in the event and raised $2000 to benefit The Mockingbird Foundation. The eclectic artists featured at this poster show displays the broad scope of Phish related art and capture the inspiration of the band in their art. The creative fan base that Phish has makes for amazing art inspired by the band, the locales and the music. The collective works hard to bring an art show to the Phish touring public each year.

    In keeping with the great tradition and success of past poster shows, Summer in Saratoga will offer free entry to all patrons, tubes available for purchase, charitable donations from the event made to The Mockingbird Foundation and a wide array of artists with posters to fit any budget. Artists will be announced in early May, as well as any special edition works that will only be available at the show.

    The Saratoga Hilton is located in downtown Saratoga Springs, only 3 miles from Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).

  • The Bayou Cafe in Albany changes its name to The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Bayou Cafe in Albany, NY recently announced on their FaceBook fan page that they were under new ownership and now open under the new name, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. The post explained that the new owners were grateful for all that the previous owner had done for the local music scene, but that they were ready to take the business in a new direction.

    In addition to the name change the Hollow boasts of bringing well known local Chef Henry Ciccone on board to help develop the new menu. Patrons can also expect a room-by-room remodel of the space with a promise to the ladies for a much more pleasant Woman’s Bathroom!

    Don’t worry live music lovers the new vision most definitely will include delivering the sweet tunes of some of the best original and cover bands in the region that the Albany Bayou was known for. The new owners want everyone to know that although the name and menu are changing they want to build on what the Bayou was to so many in the Albany music scene.

    We look forward to bringing the space back to what it has been known for over the past 10 years. Great food, great beer and great music. ~ The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
    79 North Pearl Street
    Albany, New York 12207

    Hours
    Mon: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
    Tue – Thu: 11:30 am – 12:00 am
    Fri: 11:30 am – 4:00 am
    Sat: 4:00 pm – 4:00 am

    Twitter: @thehollowalbany | FaceBook | http://bayoucafe.com | Ph: (518) 426-8550

  • Interview with Chris Wyse from The Cult, Owl and more

    When you hear Chris Wyse’s story it sounds almost like a movie script. Born in New York City to Irish immigrants, moved to the country in Upstate New York, picked up a guitar with his buddy Dan Dinsmore, went off to California to be a rock star, and is now coming back home to play a show with his old friend in his old stomping grounds. It’s a lot more complicated than that but it does make for a great movie, or perhaps a song. NYS Music was lucky enough to talk to Chris Wyse last week to find out what the New York native has been up to and what the future holds for the talented bassist.

    Back in the mid-80s, Chris and Dan met while attending Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York. Both were budding musicians and they quickly became good friends, Chris on bass and Dan on drums. “It was awesome [starting out in Upstate New York] because there was nothing else to do. So music ended up being our everything. We’d play the Koda Theater and do battle of the bands, and that became our learning ground.” There was a lot of support from friends and family. Things were simpler, but getting noticed was still a lot of hard work. They used tape to record demos, and they used to run around the area flyering cars for upcoming shows (a lost art that has been replaced by the non-personal events calendar on Facebook). At least less trees were harmed in the process. One of the places they used to flyer was the well-known club, Saratoga Winners. Chris and Dan would play there when they were seniors in high school and their first couple years after graduation, to adults packing the place with fans many years older.

    Chris got national attention for his innovative bass playing and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine when he was only 17. A few years after graduating from Shen, Chris moved to Los Angeles. In the 90’s, Chris played for various bands and projects with notable musicians including Tal Bachman (son of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive), Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Paul D’Amour (original bassist for Tool) and more. It was for Paul D’Amour’s band Lusk that Chris “bought the upright bass, but that project froze due to troubles with the record company.” Chris went on from there and auditioned for Tal Bachman, playing a sort of John Paul Jones style of bass. After getting his passport straightened out, he found himself on a plane to Maui to produce the record. It was there that he met Bob Rock, “…a “real stand-up guy. Bob was one of those people that I had a great time working with, and I tried to rock his tracks. That got me into The Cult, the audition with Metallica and more. It is paramount to have someone like that [in your corner].”

    The Cult just finished seven years of touring, brought back producer Bob Rock (who also produced their albums Sonic Temple, The Cult, and Beyond Good and Evil), and released their ninth album, Choice of Weapon in 2012. Chris “loves this record, it’s a super strong record. It’s a very ‘now’ kind of record and they did a lot of work promoting it last year.” Later in 2012 The Cult also released a “prequel” album called Weapon of Choice, showing the stretches and energy that the band took in the studio. There is a raw feel to the new songs and it was evident that, as a whole, The Cult went back to their original UK roots. Chris’s unique style is evident throughout the album and it’s worth checking it out, on iTunes here.

    Now that The Cult is taking a break from touring and recording, Wyse can concentrate on his project, Owl. Owl includes his childhood friend, drummer Dan Dinsmore, and Jason Mezilis, who Chris met in Hollywood in the early 2000’s. “I met Jason in a club through a mutual friend. We hit it off and followed each other’s careers. I would join bands, be on the road, and Jason was aware of my old Owl shows. Jason is incredibly talented, competent and hit it off with Dan.” Together they are Owl and they recorded a few of their recent tracks at Overit Studios just outside of Albany.  Dinsmore built the studio in an old Catholic Church. Chris added, “…The feeling and acoustics [in the church] are amazing. It gets you really inspired.”

    Chris and Dan will be back in Clifton Park playing with Jason as Owl, on March 30th with other hometown artist, Maria Brink and her band, In This Moment. “Dan and I are excited to be there. It’s not just 2013 and promoting The Right Thing album.  We played at that there as teens, when it was called Tigers. That’s the interesting thing. Playing Manhattan and LA feels like playing at home, but still nothing like playing down the road from where you first started playing music. I was just a teenager and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to play to my roots.”

    Well, the honor is Upstate New York’s when local-gone-rock-star, Chris Wyse, comes back home to Upstate Concert Hall on March 30th. will be there to witness the warm homecoming performance.