Well ladies and gentlemen, your prayers have been answered. The long waited Phish Summer Tour 2013 dates have been released just before we all lost our minds, and just in their phashion, in the most creative way possible.
Much like our dearest Phish, most of us had begin to feel that these dates would never be released and our Summer tour schedules would be seriously lacking. As usual, message boards and Facebook feeds began filling up instantaneously with the rejoice over the long anticipated dates. The tour will start off in Maine on July 3rd, stop at Saratoga Performing Arts Center from July 5th-7th and end in Colorado with another three-night run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, August 30-September 1 . More dates for the fall will most likely be announced soon.
7/3 Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, Bangor, ME 7/5 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY 7/6 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY 7/7 Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
7/9 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ONT
7/10 P.N.C. Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ 7/12 Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach, Wantaugh, NY
7/13 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/14 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/16 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alphraretta, GA
7/17 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Alphraretta, GA
7/19 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/20 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/21 Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/26 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
7/27 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
7/30 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, Stateline, NV
7/31 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena, Stateline, NV
8/2 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
8/3 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
8/4 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
8/5 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
8/30 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
8/31 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
9/1 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
On February 23rd at 9pm, Bearbuck Productions is bringing to The Parting Glass three great bands from Upstate New York. Included on this night are The Lucky Jukebox Brigade, a local mainstay from Albany; Camper, a new group out of Skidmore College with a pop sound, and HAP, another group of Skidmore music students, featuring members of Bailiwick, creating an imaginative indie folk sound that winds through the golden age rock & roll.
As soon as The Garcia Project took the stage at the Putnam Den on February 1st, you knew it was going to be a mystical evening. The crowd was a mix of old hippies and new hipsters, from dreadlocks to backward hats, from women in long skirts twirling as they danced to men in jeans and suspenders, it was an eclectic mix. There were bikers, office workers, students and retirees. It didn’t matter who was enjoying the groove – they were smiling and taking in the good vibes. And who could blame them, the music of Jerry Garcia is timeless, and The Garcia Project has taken the time, energy, and their talents to master that sound.
From the first notes of the night, “Sugaree”, the dance floor was full and people were singing along. The set went on and songs went off to spectacular jams, only to be pulled back into the pleasing duo of Mik Brody and Kat Walkerson on vocals. In math, there is a theory that the sum of two parts can not be greater than the whole. Thankfully in music, that logic is thrown out – because while Mik and Kat are great singers on their own, they are better together.
When you looked to the stage and you weren’t noticing Mik intently staring down at his guitar, much like Jerry used to do, or Kat’s exaggerated facial expressions as she sang her heart out, you noticed the light show. The Garcia Project brought along a Macbook, a projector, and a light guy (Dutch Masterson)- a perfect combination to set the mood. The psychedelic scenery covered the large stage and then some. Intricate designs and other visual effects graced the backdrop as the band played on.
The Garcia Project is obviously a tribute band to Jerry Garcia Band. A tribute band is quite different than a cover band because they don’t merely mimic the songs, but rather the whole sound and feel of the band. That can mean using the same brand of instruments, similar amps and modifiers, and even looking like the original band. As a fan of the original band, you go and enjoy the show knowing that this is the closest you are going to get to the real thing. It transports you into the past and into an atmosphere that is reminiscent of an historic vibe. Luckily that vibe is still alive in those like minded individuals around you at a show like this one at the Putnam Den. In order for a tribute band to be successful, fans need to look at them as the authority on the artist they are emulating. The Garcia Project pulls it off effortlessly. Don’t believe it? Go see them live and then go check out old YouTube footage of The Jerry Garcia Band. Listen to how Jerry plays off Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch and compare that to Mik Brody and Kat Walkerson. Listen to the jazz influenced bass of the legendary John Kahn and feel the similarities of The Garcia Project’s own Dan Crea.
The Garcia Project is the whole package starting with the incredibly talented Scott Guberman on the Hammond B3 organ and Leslie speaker. Aaron Martin sets the pace on drums. The masterful guitar work of Mik Brody, himself, fills the role of Jerry on guitars and vocals. The night was song after song of a delightful mix of Garcia classics and a few covers – some made famous by the Grateful Dead, and some lesser known but carrying that same Garcia vibe. The dance floor stayed packed all night, especially during the livelier tunes and the long jams that took you to another time.
The Putnam Den pulled out another great night of music and Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia fans, both young and old, had a great experience that took them into the night.
Setlist: Set 1: Sugaree, Tore Up, They Love Each Other, He Ain’t Give You None, Tough Mama, Evangeline, Strugglin’ Man, Second That Emotion Set 2: Lonesome and a Long Way From Home, Mission In the Rain, Breadbox, Positively 4th Street, Don’t Let Go, Midnight Moonlight, Sisters and Brothers, Tangled Up in Blue, Deal Encore/Grateful Dead Set: Half Step, Shakedown Street, Eyes of the World, Cumberland Blues
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival will take place February 1st-10th, 2013. Back in 1897, The first “Mid-Winter Carnival” began as a way to enjoy outdoor recreational activities such as skiing, sledding, and skating in the coldest days of winter. That inaugural 2 day event featured skating races, a parade and an ice tower. The following year, the first Ice Palace was constructed from blocks of ice from Lake Flower’s Pontiac Bay. Today, the The Ice Palace stands as both the centerpiece and symbol for the Winter Carnival.
Another long standing tradition at Winter Carnival is the Waterhole‘s live music series. Each night of Carnival, Waterhole features the region’s top bands and/or local favorites. This year’s lineup is top notch, check out the flier below and hopefully we’ll see you there!
What do you get when you take the mandolin from Woodenspoon, mix in the drums and guitar from moe., and add the fiddle/banjo and upright bass,? A knee-slappin’, foot stompin’, head bobbin’, skirts-a-twirlin’ good time.
Floodwood is Al Schnier & Vinnie Amico of moe., Jason Barady (mandolin) of Woodenspoon, plus Nick Piccininni (fiddle and banjo) and Zachary Fleitz (bass). This isn’t the first side project for Al and Vinnie. They have been playing together in Al & The Transamericans for over a decade.
This quintet came together about a year and a half ago, but on stage they gelled like they’ve been doing it much longer. The fun interactions between bandmates added to the warm vibe in the room as they pulled out a unique mix of bluegrass, Americana, and progressive string – or as the band would call it “Madgrass”.
While the snow may have kept some people home on Friday night, the ones who showed up got a pleasant treat. There was even one person who drove all the way in from Boston to see the show and was heading to Oneonta the next night for a double-dose of Floodwood.
The band mingled with the crowd during opening act Rebel Darling, a trio featuring two guitars and a harmonica. There were a lot of familiar fans (some of whom were family and friends) there to see the local musicians. Floodwood seemed to be right at home at The Putnam Den. In fact, during the second set, Nick Piccininni jumped down off the stage to play fiddle and dance with the many smiling faces on the dance floor.
It was a great time for those who braved the slippery conditions. If you are one of those who stayed safely at home Friday night, you will be able to catch Floodwood as they play theFiddler’s Picnic festival this year with other local favorites like the Rumpke Mountain Boys, The Blind Owl Band, Eastbound Jesus, Jatoba, and many others. But those courageous souls who made it — they got to be a part of Floodwood’s intimate, and successful, Saratoga debut.
When most people think of Saratoga Springs it’s visions of horse racing in August. Tiffany and Jonathon Albert, Bob Millis and Jarrett Hartstone and the staff at the Putnam Den are working hard to make Saratoga known as a place to catch great ORIGINAL music, year-round! Based on the crowd at the Putnam Den on a bitter cold Thursday in January, they may be succeeding. Over 150 people braved the negative temperatures to feel the face melting heat of two talented bands, Barika and John Brown’s Body.
Barika (pronounced body-kah) started off the night with a unique blend of psychedelic charm and West African-inspired beats thrown in, crossing gracefully into the realm of dub. When Craig Myers stood center stage with a large gourd that had a long neck and bright yellow strings, heads turned. The opening act of most shows is noticed for a moment and then conversations continue throughout the room. However, when Craig started to play his Kamel N’goni – a wave of silence washed over the crowd. The Kamel N’goni sounded like two dueling banjos fighting it out to see who could please the eardrums more. Both hands plucked and strummed away at the neon strings, setting off a magnetic vibe through the Den. As Barika played, the crowd started to creep toward the stage to find out what foreign magic these strangers from Burlington, Vermont brought to Upstate New York. Craig wasn’t alone in playing the funky groove. Barika has six other talented musicians: Caleb Bronze (Drums), Rob Morse (Bass), Andric Severence (Keyboards) and on horns are Dave Purcell (Trumpet), Gordon Clark (Trombone) and Deva Racusin (Tenor Sax). Deva didn’t make it out to the Putnam Den, but you can hear everyone on Barika’s new CD, Remember, available on iTunes and other outlets.
Just as things were getting warmed up nice and toasty, John Brown’s Body came on stage and turned the heat way up. John Brown’s Body has Upstate roots in Ithaca and have been playing their future roots take on reggae for nearly 10 years. With tours around the world, it is always nice to catch them back in the area with new songs and a new EP, JBB IN DUB. JBB started the show with a song off their new release, “The General’s Ambush.” A nice steady beat and smooth horns come into play in this melodic instrumental number. Bandleader Elliott Martin got to flex his chops with the second song, “Invitation” that had more of a ska sound with the brass section sharing the spotlight with Elliott’s smooth yet strong vocal stylings. The crowd took the “Invitation”, and those fortunate enough to be at the Putnam Den had a hard time not approaching the dance floor. More dub, more funk, more dancing ensued as JBB played another track off the new album, “The Grass.” “The Grass” was reminiscent of the reggae of Marley in that it carried a strong message. The band ended up playing three songs off the new EP.
John Brown’s Body is also planning a new full length album in the next few months and played “Plantation” off that upcoming release. They also played old favorites like “The Gold”, “Resonate”, and “Push Some Air”. Look for them around the festival circuit this summer and keep an eye out for the new album. John Brown’s Body is a treasure that Upstate New Yorkers can call their own and it was a nice surprise to see them at the Putnam Den. Be sure to check out the Den’s upcoming shows and give them the support they need to keep bringing these great line-ups to the region.
Setlist: General’s Ambush*, Invitation, The Grass*, Plantation, Wellington*, Shine Bright, The Gold, Follow Into Shadow, Peace in the Valley, The Cup Dub, Empty Hands, Make It Easy, Zion Triad
Upstate New York music legend and producer Tony Markellis has played with the likes of David Bromberg, Jo Henley, Paul Butterfield, The Mamas & the Papas, been a member of The Unknown Blues Band and is the current bassist for Trey Anastasio Band.
With a career spanning from his origins in Helena, Montana to his current home in Saratoga Springs, NY, Markellis has spent the past forty-plus years playing a wide variety of music, including jazz, folk, rock, country and blues music, including appearances on nearly 100 albums in his storied career. Tony was kind enough to sit down for an interview after meeting at the Soule Monde show at Putnam Den on May 12, 2011 and discuss his bass playing and local musical impact.
Pete Mason: What is it like being one of the most famous local music celebrities in the Saratoga area? How has your status as a musician evolved over the years living in the region?
Tony Markellis: I really don’t think about it much. I live a pretty private life, and for the most part, I come and go without much notice when I’m not in a professional setting. I don’t think most of my neighbors know what I do for a living, and I tend to prefer it that way.
PM: What is it like playing with guys like Russ Lawton and Jo Henley?
TM: Playing with Russ is a real pleasure. We’ve known each other for over thirty years, and I’ve been a big fan of his playing since I first heard him playing with Zzebra (a Vermont based Afro-fusion band led by Nigerian musician Lofty Amao, formerly of Osibisa). My band, Kilimanjaro, was losing drummers just about every five years. Every time that happened, I would recommend Russ as a replacement, but the timing was never quite right– even back then he was in high demand! When Trey called me up to start what became TAB, I couldn’t think of a better drummer for the project than Russ. My one and only regret about Russ is that he’s a strict vegan, and I’m definitely not. Wherever we go, I’m always in search of the local equivalent of a goat roasting on a spit, or just about any cuisine that involves a combination of immigrants, meat and fire. As you can imagine, we don’t get to share many dining adventures.
I’m glad you know about Jo Henley. I got introduced to them about five years ago when they were recording their CD Sad Songs and Alcohol in Schenectady, NY. They happened to be between bass players at the time. The engineer mentioned that I lived in the area, and the guys knew me from my work with TAB. It worked out well, and I even played out with them for a while. I went on to do their next CD, Inside Out, as well (which also included Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski from TAB). Jo Henley has just released a very autobiographical new CD called Mohawk, which is a great representation of how the current working band sounds with their new bass player and drummer.
PM: You play a wide variety of music. Where does this interest and ability come from and do you have a style that you prefer to play above all others?
TM: I’ve always had varied interests– not just in music, but in everything. Life’s just too short to think that only one type of anything is good. As a college kid in Ann Arbor, I got to start playing with some living legends like blues singer Johnny Shines and singer/songwriters like Paul Siebel and Rosalie Sorrels. After that, I worked for years with people like David Amram, David Bromberg, Kilimanjaro, the Mamas & Papas and Paul Butterfield, just to mention a few. I also got some great opportunities to play once in a while with people like Professor Longhair, Martin, Bogan & Armstrong, Ellen McIlwaine and Nick Brignola. I have played almost every form of American music in one context or another, and I hope I can continue to do that for a long time to come. I have to agree with Duke Ellington that there are only two kinds of music– good and bad.
PM: Can you talk about the group of talented musicians in the Saratoga area?
TM: There are so many great musicians in the Albany/Saratoga area who I am fortunate to have worked with at one time or another. I have a couple of great singer/songwriter friends, Michael Jerling and Bob Warren, who I have been playing and recording with for about thirty years. I’ve played Mexican and cowboy music with Don & Victoria Armstrong on and off for the same period of time. They have migrated back and forth between Saratoga and the Southwest for as long as I’ve known them. For the past ten years or so, I have worked with a great roots/blues trio called No Outlet (with Kevin Maul on slide guitar and vocals and Dale Haskell on drums and vocals). For about the same amount of time, Kevin and I have been traveling and recording with the Burns Sisters, a wonderful three-sister country/Americana act out of Ithaca, NY. I worked with the Sarah Pedinotti Band (now Railbird) for a couple of years, and for the past couple of years have been playing in an intense roots/blues trio called Street Corner Holler with Dale Haskell and slide guitarist Mark Tolstrup. For a few years, I had the pleasure of playing with Albany songwriter Rosanne Raneri, who just might be the best singer I’ve ever heard.
PM: What kind of bass do you play?
Tony Markellis, The Palace Theatre, Albany, NY February 19, 2011
TM: I have a number of basses that I use, depending on what the gig demands. I have two almost identical P-J basses (combining features of the classic Fender Precision and Jazz basses), one fretted and one fretless, that I assembled myself out of parts from various makers. The fretted one is the one I generally use when I play with TAB. I have a fretless Taylor AB-1 acoustic/electric bass guitar that I use on a lot of singer/songwriter, jazz and bluegrass gigs. I have an Eminence Portable Upright that I use on some blues and jazz gigs. And I have a couple of headless Hohner basses that sound great and are wonderfully easy to transport– I can carry them on a plane and put them in the overhead rack.
PM: How did you get into playing the bass?
TM: I began playing upright bass in the third grade in my grade school orchestra in Helena, Montana. The music teacher gave us a choice of which instrument we wanted to play, and for some reason, the bass spoke to me.
PM: Any bass influences or favorite musicians amongst your peers?
TM: From early on, I was a great admirer of Paul McCartney’s playing. Unlike most of the players who I consider influences, he was always more of a ‘guitar player playing bass’ than a bassist, but the playful fluidity of his playing was always very appealing; his playing with the Beatles is consistently brilliant. As a teenager and as a college kid, I listened to guys like Jack Bruce, Jack Cassady, Freebo, Rick Danko, Bruce Palmer and Phil Lesh, but it didn’t take me long to discover the masters– giants like Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Blanton, Ray Brown, Willie Dixon, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, Duck Dunn, Jerry Jemmott, Phil Upchurch, Scott LaFaro, Eddie Gomez, Family Man Barrett and George Porter. If anyone reading this doesn’t recognize some of those names, I hope they will do themselves a big favor and go look them up. Of my contemporaries, I think very highly of Lincoln Goines, Huey McDonald, Mark Rubin, Sarah Brown, Conrad Lozano, Lee Allen Zeno, Oteil Burbridge, Victor Wooten, and of course, the late Jaco Pastorius.
PM: How did you develop your method of playing bass, seated with the bass so vertical? Is it a comfort thing?
TM: I have sustained a number of injuries over the years, the cumulative effects of which have made standing up with a bass around my neck really difficult. I was an avid and overly daring skier as a teenager, and I broke my back and one of my knees. Those injuries didn’t bother me for a long time, but they’ve both kind of snuck back up on me over the years. I also broke my collarbone as a baby. It apparently didn’t set right, and after some fifteen years of hanging heavier-than-average basses over my shoulder, I started getting pinched nerves and numbness in my left arm. About ten years ago I dislocated both ends of my left collarbone in a badly-planned home logging mishap. To top it all off, last year I was on an extremely turbulent flight on the edge of a tornado system, resulting in a case of whiplash that I’m still trying to get straightened out. With all that, a seat and a bass stand makes it a lot easier for me to do what I do.
PM: How did you develop your method of playing bass, seated with the bass so vertical? Is it a comfort thing?
TM: I have sustained a number of injuries over the years, the cumulative effects of which have made standing up with a bass around my neck really difficult. I was an avid and overly daring skier as a teenager, and I broke my back and one of my knees. Those injuries didn’t bother me for a long time, but they’ve both kind of snuck back up on me over the years. I also broke my collarbone as a baby. It apparently didn’t set right, and after some fifteen years of hanging heavier-than-average basses over my shoulder, I started getting pinched nerves and numbness in my left arm. About ten years ago I dislocated both ends of my left collarbone in a badly-planned home logging mishap. To top it all off, last year I was on an extremely turbulent flight on the edge of a tornado system, resulting in a case of whiplash that I’m still trying to get straightened out. With all that, a seat and a bass stand makes it a lot easier for me to do what I do.
PM: What is it like going from the high energy/big crowds at a Trey Band show to your regular quieter gigs in the region?
TM: In many ways, I find it easier playing for a sea of faces than for a handful of people who are only an arm’s length away. The biggest difference, though, is that on the TAB gig, everything– transportation, business, equipment set-up, logistics– is taken care of by a very well-oiled crew of professionals. Back in the real world, I have get used fending for myself again.
PM: Is it a wind or a bug?
TM: Ah, yes– I’m afraid people will be asking that question long after we’re all gone.
PM: Seriously though, how did “Windora Bug” come about?
TM: It predates me. Knowing Trey and Tom, they were probably having an evening writing session near an open window, and heard something unidentifiable outside, raising the question, “Was that a wind or a bug?” and another classic was born. Trey’s always trying out different material in different contexts, and that’s one of those songs that I guess he had tried out with Phish, and then shelved until Russ and I came along.
PM: How did Trey first invite you to join him in the creation of the original Trey Trio?
TM: When Trey first went to Burlington to look at colleges, I was playing there with Kilimanjaro and the Unknown Blues Band at a great (now-defunct) club called Hunt’s. Trey claims that we were one of the deciding factors in making him choose to stay in Vermont. He and his girlfriend Sue came out to see us on their first date; years later, we played at their wedding. As we were watching Phish develop into the juggernaut that it is today, they were also looking to us “old guys” for inspiration. The Phish guys were also big fans of the Sneakers Jazz Band, some of whom also became members of TAB. In 1999, Trey wanted to get a side project going, and he got in touch. At the time, he was very interested in African music such as that of Fela Kuti, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than Russ Lawton, with his strong background in African beats, to recommend to Trey as a drummer for the project.
PM: Didyou have any input into the evolution of the band as it went from 3 members to 6 to 8 to 9 to 10 and back to 7?
TM: I brought Russ on board– beyond that, it’s all been Trey’s doing. The process has involved Trey trying to assemble a group of individual musicians who are not only versatile enough to handle all the many styles that he might throw their way, but are also agreeable enough to coexist smoothly. And I think it’s worked beautifully– I can’t imagine a better group of not only musicians, but people, than the current TAB lineup.
PM: Describe the evolution of songs like “Sand”, “Gotta Jibboo” and “First Tube”, three of the most popular and famous TAB songs that have become full fledged Phish songs.
TM: When Russ and I first got together with Trey, he encouraged us to build some basic grooves from the bottom up, based on things we liked or had been working on individually. He then fleshed the grooves out with his own ideas. We came up with the foundations for about twelve or fifteen tunes from our first rehearsals. After we left, Trey continued to tweak ideas, eventually adding some of Tom Marshall’s lyrics onto the finished tunes. He eventually took a few of them to Phish, and now they’ve become standard parts of the Phish songbook– so much so that when a lot of people hear us play them, they think we’re covering Phish tunes.
PM: How does life on the road affect your playing over time? Do you prefer to stay local for shows?
TM: They both have their good points. I love to travel– I have since I was a little kid. My parents would throw us on a train and take us from Montana to Chicago or New York, or we’d drive to San Francisco or the Oregon coast. Now, as an adult, how much better could it get than getting paid to travel around the country playing music with a bunch of people I like? There is, however, something to be said for being able to jump in the car, drive five minutes to the gig, and five minutes back to sleep in my own bed. One thing I know is that I don’t get much time to practice when we’re on tour.
PM: How did the 6/20/10 sit-in at SPAC with Phish come together? What prompted it and how did it all go down?
TM: I hadn’t heard Phish play for a few years, and I wanted to stop by to say hi to all my friends in the band and the crew. If you know anything about Trey, you know that he is unable to pass up a show-biz opportunity. As soon as he saw me, I know he was thinking, “How can we work this into the show?” It worked out fine– he picked a song that I cowrote (Gotta Jibboo, which Phish even plays in the same key), so it wasn’t a stretch. Fishman is such a pleasure of a drummer to play with, it was just a piece of cake. I think Mike even enjoyed playing guitar for a change. I guess I’m just lucky that Trey didn’t have the crew try to stuff me in that bathtub with all those little kids!
PM: Have there been any TAB moments that stand out among the rest over the past decade-plus?
TM: I enjoy listening to the other players in the band so much that there have been moments– I couldn’t tell you exactly where or when they were– where I’ve just sort of left my body while listening to them play. I’ve enjoyed the beautiful venues we’ve gotten to play– Red Rocks stands out, as does RadioCityMusic Hall, the Ryman Auditorium, the Pabst Theater and the gorgeous Fox Theaters. One of the most memorable highlights for me would be when Carlos Santana came to sit in with us at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco in 2003. He’s been a musical hero of mine since I was in college. What a great night that was– I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!
Trey Anastasio Bandcomes to Albany on Saturday, January 26th, but the music doesn’t stop when Big Red leaves the stage. If you’re coming to town for the main show, stick around for three great late night options, all close by The Palace Theater. The Bayou is located a few hundred feet down North Pearl Street from The Palace while Red Square is on Broadway, a block east of North Pearl and about a 1/2 mile walk. A cab is recommended to get to Valentines.
Hot Day at the Zoo (HDATZ) is the quartet of Jon Cumming (banjo, dobro, vocals), Michael Dion (guitar, harmonica, vocals,) Jed Rosen (upright bass, vocals), and JT Lawrence (mandolin, vocals). Dion and Cumming are the band’s two main songwriters. Both, with distinctive personalities, offer enough stories to fill a catalogue of songs that are whole-hearted and full of sincerity. Add in Rosen, who’s technical prowess allows him to hold down the beat and push the music along, and Lawrence, who’s youthful energy and stellar musicianship fuel his strength in fulfilling each song’s missing piece, and the result is a band who humbly creates something bigger than any of themselves.
Rosen speaking about HDATZ’s live performance says, “Expect to see four guys up on stage playing their asses off and singing their hearts out.” All four members play with so much vivacity and vigor that an abundance of both baby powder to keep dry and superglue to prevent their fingernails from falling off is necessary. Whether they’re headlining or performing as special guest support for artists including The Band’s Levon Helm, David Grisman, Leon Russell, moe., and Hot Buttered Rum, HDATZ connects with their audience through their defiant high energy on stage. With improvisations that give songs new shape, signature arrangements of covers, and many special guests, concertgoers may expect to never see the same show twice.
The Brooklyn-based funk army known as Turkuaz “is like tossing a lit match into a dumpster full of fireworks” (bestnewbands.com). Their stage show combines influences from Sly and the Family Stone to Talking Heads into an explosive auditory and visual circus, a full-frontal assault on the senses. After multiple residencies at NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl, two blowout performances at Bear Creek Music Festival, and tours spanning the east and west coasts, Turkuaz has developed a reputation from NYC to San Francisco as the band that plays louder, faster, and harder than all the rest. Learn more at
Combining jazz, hip hop, funk, soul, and gospel, The Chronicles bring a unique sound that defies classification. Founded by upstate NY horn heavyweights, Bryan Brundige and Jeff Nania in October of 2009, The Chronicles have included and continue to feature the most talented up-and-coming musicians in the Capital Region. The Chronicles have been working hard to spread their music throughout the northeast with appearances at regional theaters like the New Hampshire Jazz Center and Proctor’s GE Theater. They have also appeared at major music festivals like Riverfront Jazz Festival, Tulip Festival, Bella Terra, African American Heritage Day, The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, The Big Up, and The BeatShot Music Festival. Albanyʼs alternative newsweekly, Metroland recognized them as “Best Jazz” in 2012, and in their 2011 “Best of the Capital Region” critic’s poll as the best in live hip hop with “jazz chops out the yin yang, and new tunes at their fingertips every time they pick up their instruments.”
While this is an after party, the music begins at 9pm. Formula 5 caps off the night, and they are a great up and coming jamband in Albany, with a great sound. Check out our interview with them.
Cost is $10 to get in but only $5 with a Trey ticket stub!
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.
Much like our dearest Phish, most of us had begin to feel that these dates would never be released and our Summer tour schedules would be seriously lacking. As usual, message boards and Facebook feeds began filling up instantaneously with the rejoice over the long anticipated dates. The tour will start off in Maine on July 3rd, stop at Saratoga Performing Arts Center from July 5th-7th and end in Colorado with another three-night run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, August 30-September 1 . More dates for the fall will most likely be announced soon.
Pete Mason: What is it like being one of the most famous local music celebrities in the Saratoga area? How has your status as a musician evolved over the years living in the region?
PM: You play a wide variety of music. Where does this interest and ability come from and do you have a style that you prefer to play above all others?
PM: How did you develop your method of playing bass, seated with the bass so vertical? Is it a comfort thing?
