NYS Music 20​13

Category: Syracuse

  • Syracuse Will Ring in 2014 With Jimkata and The Manhattan Project At The Westcott Theatre

    Syracuse jamizens are in for a treat this New Years Eve as two of New York’s hottest up and coming acts converge upon the Westcott Theatre for a night of excessive face melting. Kicking things off is Rochester’s electro-versatile duo of The Manhattan Project. Drummer Shawn Drogan and keys master Charles Lindner have had a huge year playing in excess of 60 shows of their electronica inspired mastery. Unlike typical EDM acts, these two strive to mix things up with well ordered combinations of their unique and jammed out originals and done-their-way covers.085-DSC_1489

    Bringing in the New Year in style will be Ithaca’s hottest act, Jimkata. The four-piece shares their own electronica inspired influences, but bring plenty of multiple genre side journeys in their itinerary that have electrified audiences from coast to coast. The band has been touring heavily this fall in support of their fan funded critically acclaimed newest release, Die Digital. Jimkata also just dropped their first live album, 10 More Songs which is available on iTunes.

    Doors open promptly at 8PM for the $20, show which includes the obligatory complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Tickets can be purchased online here. Finish 2014 in style as this one promises to be an experience to remember. The Westcott Theater is located at 524 Westcott St, Syracuse, NY 13210.

  • Enter the Haggis Perform at The Westcott Theater on December 28th

    On December 28th, The Westcott Theater will once again host fan favorites Enter The Haggis, an extraordinary group of musicians who never cease to amaze their fans through their inspirational music that captures current events in life and the world.

    Enter the Haggis’ latest release, The Modest Revolution, was born entirely of stories found in the  the March 30, 2012 edition of The Glove and Mail, a Canadian newspaper. From this album, many hit songs were born from the stories they read.  One single, “Blackout”, tells of the frustrations of Toronto Maple Leafs fans in their beloved team and their inability to win the cup.  The single is currently in the running to become Canada’s new hockey anthem and has made it to the next round of voting.

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    With a busy touring schedule, they have once again embarked on a new and creative project, The Black Penny Project. This album will feature songs written entirely from stories submitted by fans. These stories can be of any topic and the only catch is that they must be written down on paper, the old fashioned way, and mailed in. Why write songs about the fans?  Because Haggis Heads are “some of the most diverse, eccentric, eclectic, and interesting people that they know.”

    We will be sitting down with Enter the Haggis before their performance at the Westcott this night, and fans have been asked to submit questions for the band. Questions should be unique and special, so we are turning to Haggis Heads to drive this interview in the same way the band is driving their next project.

  • Mike Gordon Band Coming to the Northeast and Releasing a New Album Next Year

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    In very exciting news this week, Mike Gordon band will be releasing a new album, Overstep, on February 25 and supporting it with a tour that crosses the country.  The tour will start at the fabulous Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY on February 28th and the next night at Webster Hall in New York City.  The tour will see Mike and his band go across the United States before coming back a month later to wrap up the tour at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA on April 5th and Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on April 6th.

    The new album will be his first since Moss in 2010.  Mike shared songwriting duties with guitarist and longtime collaborator Scott Murawski (Max Creek) and handed over the producing reins for the first time in his solo career, enlisting Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Pixies). He also invited a few new players into the studio, including legendary drummer Matt Chamberlain (Jon Brion, Fiona Apple).  Mike will be joined on the road by his longtime band – Scott Murawski (guitar), Craig Myers (percussion), Tom Cleary (keyboards) and Todd Isler (drums). It was also announced that the band’s new repertoire will be augmented by hints of secret synesthetic mad scientist gadgetry on and around the stage.  This can only mean very exciting things to come from these shows.

    Tickets are on sale now at Mike’s website, with public sales starting this weekend.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/124171422″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Southern Rock legends .38 Special Blows Away The Showroom at Turning Stone

    When .38 Special performed at Turning Stone’s Showroom on November 14, I remembered what made them great when their songs aired on the radio in the 1980’s. Their heartfelt lyrics powered by strong vocals on top of plain-old, good-quality Southern style rock is pretty much the definition of .38 Special. No surprises there – they lived up to expectations.

    What was surprising was the energy that went into their performance. .38 Special was formed the same year I was born. So, when I see performers who were in their peak when I was an infant, I’m pretty impressed when they rock it out. These guys took very few breaks all night, and the music may have stopped two or three times at most during their set. The sound simply rolled, Southern style, from one song to another.

    The other impressive thing was that these guys were happy on stage. More than once I saw a look of ecstasy on Don Barnes’ face during a particularly intense guitar riff. All the members of the band seemed to enjoy themselves; they offered genuine smiles to each other while performing and attempted sincere connections with the crowd. It was clear that the members of .38 Special were at home, at peace, and totally content on stage.

    Although they are currently (and likely permanently) performing without founding member Donnie Van Zant, I still felt that their music was very much together: the band worked well off each other. True to Southern Rock, the lack of competing instruments and vocals makes everything just flow together.

    As usual, the Showroom’s classy atmosphere allowed for great seating with a good view of the stage. This venue can handle a wide variety of performances, and while I love dramatic performances, what was refreshing about .38 Special was that their show was all about the music. I suppose that is what has kept this group together for 40 years.

  • Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Hit CNY with their Best Shot: A JTG Photo Gallery

    When Turning Stone announced that Pat Benatar was going to be in the Showroom in November, it was a guaranteed sold-out show.  The nearly yearly run through Upstate New York brought out droves of short-haired pixie cut women reliving their rebellious younger years through the musician that gave them the power to tell the world that collectively, “We Belong”.

    Pat Benatar and her husband (and business partner) for nearly 35 years, Neil “Spider” Giraldo, rocked the showroom despite being very sick.  Pat took short breaks to head toward the back of the stage to get a drink or clear her throat.  In the spotlight though you could barely tell that the legend was under the weather.  She gave it her all and the crowd was more than pleased.

    When Neil and Pat invited the crowd to ask questions, it gave Pat an opportunity to rest her voice as Spider answered most of the questions. From there she belted out some of her biggest hits, “We Belong” and the anti-child abuse anthem “Hell is for Children”.  With being sick, the crowd seemed surprised and so pleased that Pat did the whole set and didn’t cut anything short.  Amazing energy and a promise to return next year for a special 35th Anniversary tour – who could ask for anything more?

    Setlist: All Fired Up, Invincible, So Sincere, If You Think You Know How to Love Me (Smokie cover), River of Love, Promises in the Dark, Q&A, We Belong, Hell Is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Love Is a Battlefield, Everybody Lay Down, Let’s Stay Together, Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire

  • Rubblebucket at the Westcott Theatre, November 20th

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    The lights gracefully brighten the stage and the audience finds themselves looking at colorful scarves draped across the microphone. It was only last fall that this Brooklyn based band played a sold-out show here in Syracuse and tonight, the Westcott Theatre is packed with a returning jubilant crowd gathered to see one of their favorite jam bands play. To the right is a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair, circling around in anticipation as singer Kalmia Traver aligns her saxophone carefully next to the mic. To the left are a red plastic cup holding college students chanting, “Rubblebucket” repeatedly. It is evident this band appeals to more than just one social scene. Armed with their wide pallet of instruments, the eight-member band takes on the stage like a stirring of galloping ponies, ready to show the town how to have a good time.

    The band opens with “Bikes”, which brings back the tootsie-rolling, toe tinkling feeling of the early Free Design records. Traver showers the crowd with glitter and pulls out crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser from her setlist. In the middle of the band’s performance of “L’homme”, she casually pulls off the bright yellow scarf from around her painted face, to reveal a clean-shaven head, with a heart shaped buzz cut in the center that she dyed red. One can leave it up to Traver to even turn her recovery from ovarian cancer into a fashion statement. Traver, who had to cancel her summer shows because of her sickness, seems to have emerged even better than before. Her humming-to-the-flowers melody in “Silly Fathers” makes that apparent.

    By the end of the night, everyone left the show a little worn out from all the “silly” dancing encouraged by the band, but the huge smiles plastered on their faces said that the experience was worthwhile, even if that meant showing up to work a little hung-over the next morning.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Aqueous Announces Winter Tour and Nietzsche’s Residency

    Buffalo’s groove rock champions Aqueous announced their winter dates today as the tour will kick off with two Upstate shows in Rochester (Dub Land Underground) and Buffalo (Nietzsche’s) before heading west for the band’s first headlining event in Chicago. New Years will be celebrated at Erie, PA’s  top music venue the crooked i and, according to the buzz on the street, will be an affair you won’t want to miss. Upstate gets a few more visits in January on the 3rd in Syracuse (The Lost Horizon) and the 24th at Balloons in Ellicottville.

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    February features the bands first ever residency at their home base venue Nietzsche’s. Every Wednesday Aqueous will perform with a special top tier guest band which will, no doubt, have plenty of surprises given this is one of the bands favorite places to play.

    For the full tour list and info on openers, starting times and ticket prices, check the bands tour page.

  • Alice Cooper Raised the Dead at Turning Stone

    Before Alice Cooper even took the stage at Turning Stone, fans were on their feet. They expected the show to be jam packed with entertainment and wanted to see every second of the performance.

    The sold out show on Monday October 21 drew a diverse group to Verona; tweens to those in their 60s came to see Cooper’s brilliantly choreographed production. The show started with Hello Hooray (1972) and Cooper set against a backdrop of raining fire. The first act featured ten songs including old favorites No More Mr. Nice Guy (1972) and Department of Youth (1975). About half of the songs performed date from the 1970s but that didn’t bother the fans.

    The guts and gore that brought Cooper his fame were very much part of the show, especially during the second act. Things that most people squirm about: snakes wrapped around a neck, an electric chair, a guillotine, a straight jacket, are what the crowd loved best. The elaborate stage sets are reminiscent of a really good Broadway show, only better because Cooper incorporates smoke and pyrotechnics. The costumes were dynamic and fit in perfectly with the whole aura of grotesque nightmare and the abnormal. Cooper had total control of the stage at all times; he and his band were totally in sync.

    One advantage to being on the short side is that with a full house standing in front of me, I couldn’t always see everything. Which meant — I could hear better. What I heard was a surprisingly strong voice — from the first note to the last. Not only was Cooper very much on his game, but every member of his band is super talented. This team of performers was top notch. And the third act heightened that.

    Act 3 began with Alice rising from the dead in the same graveyard where his “dead, drunk friends” are buried. He brought those “friends” to life when he performed Break on Through (Jim Morrison), Revolution (John Lennon), Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), and My Generation (Keith Moon). The stage backdrop, featuring gigantic tombstones for each rock ‘n roll icon, along with Cooper’s amazingly perfect cover was an electrifying tribute.

    Cooper finished the show with three hits, I’m Eighteen (1970), Poison (1989), School’s Out (1972), loads of energy, awesome pyrotechnics, and confetti. At no time did the fans in front of me take their seats, and they were right, every bit of the show was worth seeing.

    Set List
    Part 1: Hello Hooray (1972), House of Fire (1989), No More Mr. Nice Guy (1972), Under My Wheels (1971), I’ll Bite Your Face Off (2011), Billion Dollar Babies (1973), Caffeine, Department of Youth (1975), Hey Stoopid (1991), Dirty Diamonds (2005)
    Part 2: Welcome to my Nightmare (1975), Go to Hell (1976), Man Behind the Mask (1986), **Feed my Frankenstein (1992), Dwight Fry, Killer/ I Love the Dead (2009)
    Part 3: Break on Through (1967), Revolution (1968), Foxy Lady (1967), My Generation (1965), I’m Eighteen (1970), Poison (1989)
    Encore: School’s Out (1972)

  • Pale Green Stars “The Honky Tonk Years”

    Syracuse natives Jeff Jones, Brian Coyne and Jeff Tripoli, collectively known as The Pale Green Stars, celebrate the release of their album The Honky Tonk Years this week. The album mixes strains of blues, rock and full-bodied vocals to bring together an offering well suited to its moniker.

    Pale Green StarsObservations of and reflections on life experiences make for songs like “Lazy Man”, which ponders the possibility of getting rich without working, and the literal “Dance Floor’s Empty” in what can only be an attempt to motivate audiences to move.

    True storytellers, the trio set scenes with each of their songs, weaving in context for their lyrical stories. The fast tempo of “Never Took Nothin”, a ditty about love, doing time and getting pulled over brings the listener to the moment those red lights start flashing on the highway. The slow tempo and baritone vocals of “Cold Vicious Man” was quickly reminiscent of The Grinch, slithering around Whoville, up to no good. The Frampton-esque “You Keep on Talking” bemoans an ever nagging significant other whose voice inexplicably sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

    The bands humorous spin on work, life, love and struggles combined with talented musicianship make for an enjoyable album from start to finish. The Pale Green Stars are actively touring in support of The Honky Tonk Years. Find their tourdates on their Facebook page and pick up their album.

    Key Tracks: You Keep on Talking, Long Hard Road, Dance Floor’s Empty

  • Umphrey’s McGee 2014 Winter Tour Announced

    Umphrey’s McGee has released their winter tour schedule for 2013 and  2014. The band will be making a stop in Buffalo, New York October 26th at the Town Ballroom and continuing their lengthy tour into 2014. Later in their tour, Umphrey’s McGee will be making a stop at Upstate Concert Hall February 2nd in Clifton Park, New York as well as the F Shed at the Market in Syracuse accompanied by Kung Fu on February 8th, and the Harro East Ballroom in Rochester, New York the following day on February 9th.
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    They will also be playing two nights at the Beacon Theater in New York City on January 17th and 18th.

    This tour celebrates 16 years of touring coast to coast and will be shared with many special guests throughout the tour including, The Werks, Kung Fu, Moon Taxi, and more TBA.

    October
    10.21 State Theatre, State College, PA
    10.23 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
    10.24 Sherman Theater, East Stroudsburg, PA
    10.25 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
    10.26 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
    10.30 State Theatre, Kalamazoo, MI
    10.31 The Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI (w/ London Souls)

    November
    11.1 The Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI (w/ Cosby Sweater featuring Joel Cummins)
    11.2 The Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI (w/ Boombox)

    December
    12.16-20 Mayan Holidaze, Puerto Morelos, MEX
    12.28 The Fillmore, Denver, CO
    12.29 The Fillmore, Denver, CO (w/ Joshua Redman + Dumpstaphunk) SOLD OUT
    12.30 Venue TBA, Denver, CO
    12.31 The Fillmore, Denver, CO

    January
    1.17 Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
    1.18 Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
    1.29 Track 29, Chattanooga, TN
    1.30 Tennessee Theater, Knoxville, TN
    1.31 LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH

    February
    2.1 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI (w/ The Werks)
    2.6 Upstate Concert Hall, Albany, NY
    2.7 Lupo’s, Providence, RI (w/ Kung Fu)
    2.8 F Shed at the Market, Syracuse, NY (w/ Kung Fu)
    2.9 Harro East Ballroom, Rochester, NY
    2.13 The NorVa, Norfolk, VA (w/ Moon Taxi)
    2.14 Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC (w/ Moon Taxi)
    2.15 The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD (w/ Moon Taxi)
    2.16 The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD

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