NYS Music 20​13

Category: Regions

  • Ninth Annual Mountain Jam Kicks Off June 6th

    The Ninth Annual Mountain Jam festival kicks off June 6th and runs through June 9th at Hunter Mountain in Hunter, NY.  Mountain Jam is a four-day, multi-stage festival hosted by Radio Woodstock 100.1 and guitarist, Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers, The Warren Haynes Band, The Dead).  In one of the most pristine locations in the Northeast and natural amphitheater, more than 50 bands will perform on three stages.

    mjphoto

    Mountain Jam welcomes legendary bassist, Phil Lesh bringing his all star side project Phil Lesh & Friends for a two-set performance.  Friends for this year’s Mountain Jam are Warren Haynes and John Scofield on guitar, Joe Russo (Furthur) on drums, and Jeff Chimenti (Furthur, RatDog, The Dead, Les Claypool) on keys. Widespread Panic will make 2013 it’s first (and only northeast) appearance at Mountain Jam.  Festival resident Gov’t Mule will also headline a two-set performance. Primus will headline the expanded Thursday night program.  Staple guest artist, Michael Franti will perform on Saturday, June 8th.

    In addition to headlining bands, Mountain Jam continues it’s all-star line-up with many others including: Dispatch, a groove rock outfit of fun; Gary Clark Jr., Austin based artist fuzzing soul, rock and R & B; Jackie Greene, a versatile singer-songwriter armed with a catalogue of Americana and roots songs; Amy Helm whose vocals evoke a nostalgia of an old soul; and ALO, a pop-funk danceable groove band hailing from California.  Mountain Jam also welcomes The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Soulive, Deer Tick, Rubblebucket, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, The Revivalists, David Wax Museum, SIMO, Swear and Shake and many more.

    Jammers will have a variety of activities and attractions while on the mountain. Some attractions include: sky rides, a scenic view of the Catskill Mountains; yoga, offered on Saturday and Sunday; a beer (and wine) garden for exclusive craft brews; psychic readings, Hammock Groove, Frisbee golf tournament, and artist signings.  Mountain Jam is offering a wide selection of cuisines to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters as well as an on-site Farmer’s Market.

    Mountain Jam has always done its part to reduce its carbon footprint.  The festival guide will not be available in paper form – saving over 2000 lbs. of paper ink.  The iPhone and Android supported App includes all the bells and whistles. The app provides a festival map, alerts, user created schedule and more.

    Tickets are still available, however VIP passes are sold out.  For more information, rules and regulations please visit www.mountainjam.com

    ’s must see picks: Nicki Bluhm & The Gamblers, Amy Helm, Gary Clark Jr.

    ’s must do picks: Sky Ride, Rainbow’s B-Rushless Karma Wash, Awareness Village

  • Rochester’s Party In The Park Concert Series Lineup 2013

    Rochester has announced a star-studded lineup for this year’s Windstream Party in the Park 2013 concert series this summer. The concerts will all be held at the Riverside Festival site at Court St. and Exchange Blvd. Tickets are $2 per concert or $15 for a 10-week party pass. Tickets can be purchased online, at the Blue Cross Arena or on-site the night of the concert. Children under 12 are free.

    party in the park

    Also this year, concert-goers can enjoy food from several local food trucks, including Brick-n-Motor, Le Petit Poutine, Roc City Sammich and more. Several local breweries and wineries will also have tents at Party in the Park. For all up to date info on these concerts including relocation venue information in the event of rain please visit Up All Night Concerts on FaceBook.

    “In addition, we plan to make this a 10-week event that celebrates Rochester. With at least one Rochester band every week, a new area that features Rochester artists and street performers, Rochester food trucks, and, of course, Rochester based beer, it’s all about summer in Rochester.” – Gerard Fisher, Event Promoter

    New This Year

    Local food and drink will be a highlight of Windstream Party in the Park. Food trucks will roll onto the Riverside Festival Site each week. Gourmet offerings from local trucks Brick-N-Motor, Chowder Up Seafood, ROC City Sammich, Wraps on Wheels, Le Petit Poutine, Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza and Natures Pirates will be available. Local beer from Genesee Brewing Co. and Rohrbachs Brewing Co. will be provided.

    This year’s lineup

    June 6 – Blues Traveler
    June 13 – Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
    June 20 – moe.
    June 27 – Puddle of Mudd
    July 4 – Dawes
    July 11 – John Brown’s Body & The Skatalites
    July 18 – Great Big Sea
    July 25 – Leon Russell
    Aug 1 – The Head & The Heart
    Aug 8 – John Hiatt & The Combo

    Parking at Party

    Parking is available on-street and at nearby parking garages, including the Court Street Garage at the corner of South Avenue and Court Street and at the Sister Cities Garage, 28 S. Fitzhugh St. for a $5 Special Events fee.

    Other Site Rules

    • For the comfort and safety of everyone, patrons are asked to leave their skateboards, in-line skates and pets at home.
    • The City maintains a “No Chairs” policy for the safety of patrons; however, bleachers are provided.
    • No cameras or recording devices.

    Follow @CityRochesterNY, use #partyinthepark and  @UpALLNightROC UpALLNightPresents Online

  • Review: HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD Brings it to ROTR

    After the excitement of Love and Death, it was Hollywood Undead‘s turn to rock the stage. The crew began to clear the stage for Hollywood Undead‘s arrival: a synthesizer placed next to the drum kit, and with every checking of the microphones, the fans cheered loudly and drunkenly. The outdoor  music quieted down, hinting Hollywood Undead’s arrival.

    hollywood undeadThe first to make an appearance was J-Dog, who wore a white mask with gas filters on the cheek with a dollar sign drawn on the mouth, and on the forehead, God’s All Seeing Eye, as well as burned eyes that glowed red. With the synthesizer, he played the notes to the band’s first song, “Undead”. Next to appear was Da Kurlzz, wearing a theatrical mask with somewhat terrifying features; great wrinkles, and two half masks: one side sad with an open mouth and the other side, burnt and evil looking. He sat behind his drum kit and hit the beats to the song. Then the rest of the band members made their appearance. Charlie Scene walked out with his guitar wearing a gray bandana that said Charlie Scene and matte black specs. Johnny 3 Tears (vocals) wore a mask with elements of the mosaic with small parts: his signature 3 on the left side of the face and the pattern of butterflies to the right. Funny Man (vocals) wore a mask made of black cloth with a silver pattern on the face similar to the style of Mexican wrestler, Lucha Libre; on the right cheek were three white points and the initials FM on the forehead. Last but not least, Danny (vocals) came out with gold mask with strict features and a Latin cross on the left eye made from bullet casings. After the signature scream of “UNDEAD” by Johnny 3 Tears and Da Kurlzz, Danny sang the rest of the chorus clearly. The crowd began to move to the beat of the music, fist pumped and rocked the horns back and forth.

    They ripped through the next three songs from their 2011 record American Tragedy, “Tendencies”, “Been to Hell”, and “Comin’ in Hot”. At the end of “Been to Hell”, the band briefly went off stage to remove their masks for the remainder of the show. The same Spiderman crowd surfer from the Love and Death performance made his presence known yet again as other Rangers followed his example, one of them wearing a black body suit, and another fan holding a sign that read “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY SHOW ME YOUR TITS” while crowd surfing. Through the speedy setlist, Hollywood Undead ended their setlist with “Everywhere I Go”, where their drummer wore a horse head to try to follow the band’s footsteps, and the Rangers waved their arms from side to side to the rhythm of the song. The song was followed by the first single from their latest record, Notes from the Underground, “We Are”, where the fans, yet again, waved their arms from side to side.

    All in all, Hollywood Undead exceeded everyone’s expectations and gained new fans through their fantastic performance. The setlist was great, the vibe was unbelievable, and the tunes will be haunting the back of every Rangers’ minds.

  • Bound for Great Music: Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen Album Release Party

    Last Thursday night was filled with string picking, bow strumming and warm bluegrass music at Valentine’s in Albany in celebration of Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen second album, Bound for Abiquiu release party. The hosts were joined by their friends, The Grassroots Rebels and Driftwood, two Upstate New York bands that combine Americana and bluegrass with plenty of attitude and flair. With Memorial Day weekend upon us, the show was a great way to relax with simple songs and prepare for the sunny days ahead.

    Driftwood

    I have a good amount of friends that hail from Binghamton, who are obsessed with Driftwood and now I can understand why. The four piece stringed band took the stage and wasted no time by starting a musical ruckus. Claire Byrne is a furious fiddle player, who shakes the ground with heart as she played all night with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.  “Ooh keep it down for the banjo solo” yelled guitarist, Dan Forsyth, hushing the crowd and cranking up the banjo picking by Joe Kollar. The band has fantastic chemistry as there is constant communication on stage with words and instruments, everyone holding their own but still blending perfectly together. It isn’t until a few songs in that the crowd finally hears vocals and they were worth the wait. Driftwood has impeccable harmonies that give their melodies and lyrics a more heartfelt joy. The tunes had attention grabbing, sharp ends with steady, heart racing crescendos. Joey Arcuri brought out the bow on his standup bass giving the songs a new sound with darky, heavy notes.  As the set went on, Driftwood gave respects to Dan Johnson by repeatedly dedicating multiple songs to him as well as the venue.  Kollar joked that it was their best Albany crowd ever, considering they haven’t played the area in over a year and Claire added, “I like Valentine’s and Dan Johnson.”  My favorite song of the night was “Brother” which had a slight Celtic sound, complete with light, airy, long bow strokes.  Driftwood are touring all over the East Coast this summer and are most excited for a new album in the works, set to drop in this fall. Be sure to catch them at such festivals as Taste of Syracuse, The Great Blue Heron and Grassroots.

    DanJohnson&ExpertSidemen

    Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen gently opened their CD release party with their newest hit “Bound for Abiquiu,” and the venue was mesmerized. Johnson’s voice is mature and soothing, with a country twang that made the show feel like a warm summer night. “Garden Below” had some of my favorite lyrics of the night such as, “Sometimes I feel like an ocean looking for a river that I can’t find.” Brian Elsenbeck demonstrated his musical skills by alternating between the accordion and the banjo all night with great enthusiasm, and as Dan puts it, he is nicknamed “The Wizard of Accordion Mountain.”  Roger Noyes, on the pedal steel guitar, kept the crowd lingering on every easy going note with a laid back, southern vibe. Fans got a treat when Claire Byrne of Driftwood joined the boys on stage for their classic hit, “Baton Rouge,” adding an angelic vocal twist. One of my favorite moments of the night was during the song, “Dancing Fool,” a new romantic tune with guitar strumming so sweet it caused a few couples to slow dance around the venue.  Dan Johnson’s lyrics break your heart one moment and build you up with loving hope the next, a classic bluegrass rollercoaster. The former Albany local who now calls Vermont home, anticipates more visits to Upstate New York to share his newest album at such festivals as Rhythm on the Ridge on June 8th and Bellstock 20 on July 18th.

    Setlist: Bound for Abiquiu, Come on in My Kitchen, Adam and the Snake Oil Salesman, The Garden Below, My Three Friends, Baton Rouge*, Dancing Fool, Out of the Shade, Off on the Tide, Utica Blues, Another Good Thing is Come and Gone, Someone New, Sid Purple

    *with Claire Byrne of Driftwood

    Pick up Dan’s new album and great merch at his Bandcamp!

  • ‘No Pepper’ a Documentary on Albany’s Historic Music Venue, Valentine’s, needs Kickstarter Support!

    Valentine’s Music Hall and Beer Joint is one of the most well known venues in Albany, hosting hundreds of bands throughout its history and leaving many memories behind after the shows are over. Now, a Kickstarter has been created to fund a Documentary on the classic venue. Titled No Pepper, after the sign at the bottom of the first floor stage, the movie will examine the history of the venue, the bands who played there and the significance it holds for live music fans in Albany.

    Valentine'sCreated by TG Branfalt Jr, he explains his reasoning behind the venue, “The story of Valentine’s has never been told and I think it’s time to tell it. If you’re an East Coast musician you have either heard of, or played at Valentine’s. If you’re a fan of underground or local music you have heard of or been to Valentine’s. As club after club closes it’s important to keep a record of the ones that played a role in shaping the city – no other club helped shape the musicians of Albany like V-Tines. Valentine’s is an incredible venue for budding musicians, run by awesome people. And places for musicians to play in Albany are dying.”

    no pepper valentinesSumming it up as honestly as he can, “Valentine’s is important to Albany’s culture.” Indeed it is.

    Keep in mind that the spread of a certain hospital complex and urban renewal are quickly threatening the location, so it is of the utmost importance to document the venue and its history before too long.

    You can stay in touch with the project through their Facebook page, and take a look at Valentine’s with  Amy Fischer’s profile in of the fabled venue, including a chat with Howard Glassman, the proprietor of the establishment. 

    no pepper valentinesThe Kickstarter is only open until June 19th, so act soon! If you pledge just $25, you’ll get the soundtrack and DVD of the completed documentary.

    Support live music in Albany, but right now, do what you can to support Valentine’s and their Kickstarter for No Pepper.

  • Preview: Zed – Desperation Blues out May 21st

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    Guitarist Angus Young only plays three chords, and he makes no apologies for it.  Do you think he needs to apologize for playing only three chords? Of course you don’t, because he’s Angus Young of AC/DC. Same thing applies with Zed, whose second album “Desperation Blues” is slated for release Tuesday (May 21st). .

    The connection between AC/DC and Zed can be made with a shot of whiskey and a middle finger, as this quartet from the San Francisco Bay Area might say for themselves. They list Young and AC/DC as among their influences, along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.  Hard Rock, as it was first established decades ago, but nonetheless still popular. It is the band’s self proclaimed mission to bring back “the guts, the grit and the balls to Rock.” Zed will also list off “contemporaries”, such as Queens of the Stone Age, Clutch and Rage against the Machine.

    (Yes, the word, contemporaries is in quotes to respectfully bust on these Bay Area boys, only because Rage and the lot have been around for 20 years. If they were cars, they’d be classics themselves. And, come to think of it, classic is just how I’d describe Zed’s sound.)

    Right off the rip, you get a catchy tune coming from the first song on the album, “Please.” It comes out with heavy drums, and a distorted bass guitar. The first few seconds sounds like a funky, jazz/grunge fusion. And, you’ll get that peppered throughout. You can hear the influences of Clutch and Queens of the Stone Age, with the choice in cadence and delivery of lyrics from lead man, Pete Sattari.  You can even hear a little bit of Rage in the versatile guitar play of Greg Lopez, and some of that grunge-era bass play from Mark Aceves.  By the time you’re into “Crawl Back to You,” the fifth song on the album, you’ve experienced said versatility.

    Overall, Zed rings true in what they advertise. To say that you’re not going to get anything new or innovative out of these guys is not meant to imply this album is tiresome or boring. This is you’re Budweiser. This is that steak joint downtown that you like.  It’s where you want to go, when you know what you want.  Its one thing for a band to say they’re bringing the rock and roll, but it’s quite another when that band succeeds in delivering, and that’s just what Zed can do.

    For more information, click on the links below:

    zedisded.com

    facebook.com/zedrocknow

    youtube.com/zedrocknow

  • Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 3/3

    Editors note: This is part 3 of our 3 part Upstate Spring Revival coverage that features the music from the weekend. Take a look at coverage in Part 1 and Part 2.

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    What a fantastic weekend! Despite possibly the worst weather conditions imaginable from Friday evening through Saturday morning, the State Wide Music staff came through. Kudos to sound man Tim, who gave us one of the best sounding festivals ever; site manager Jeff for his tank-sturdy stages, cameramen Kevin and Brennan for braving torrential downpour conditions with expensive equipment, and most of all, to the bands and festival-goers for keeping an upbeat “We’re all friends” attitude throughout the fracas. Big thanks to Herby One and State Wide Music for yet again delivering the perfect regional festival experience.

    Didn’t have enough yet? State Wide Music has two more shindigs planned for the summer at Miller Hollow in Marion NY.  June 13th-16th will be the second annual Fiddlers Picnic. Spotlighting some of the region’s best bluegrass music,  the festival will include the moe. side project Floodwood, Dangermuffin, The Rumpke Mountain Boys, and many more. July 11th-14th is Upstate Boogie 4, featuring one of the funkiest lineups ever with Kung Fu, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sophistafunk and more to be announced!

    Here are some of the featured setlists from some of the hottest sets over the weekend at Upstate Spring Revival:

    Flabberghaster

    View From The Mountain, Lies, Stone Free[Hendrix],Hangin’ On The Moss,The Crunge>Dazed and Confused[Zeppelin],Who Put This Spell On Me,Coming Up For Air, Lose Your Shoes, The Machine, Whipping Post[Allmans]

    Mister F

    Deal Breaker, Everything You Say, This One Goes to 11, Jump the Shark,  Treadmill, Bed Intruder Song >Vocoder, Answer the Dog, Hedgehog

    Ocupanther

    I Feel Love[Donna Summer], Pyromancer*, Misunderstanding Hugs, Naga Golokia, Ghostless, Fraktura, Stompgoat

    * Debut

    Formula 5

    Earthbound Tim, King Harvest[The Band], New Untitled Song, The Clear %-> Nu-Gen -> 3 Ring Circus -> The Ride Ending

    % Unfinished

    Dopapod

    Nuggy Jawson -> Priorities -> The National Anthem[Radiohead] -> Priorities, Weird Charlie > Cloud World, Donkey Kong Theme *€> Trapper Keeper*, Bats In The Cave^, Present Ghosts, French Bowling+

    *contained elements of “Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2” by Pink Floyd
    €debut
    ^w/ Mike Gantzer from Aqueous on guitar for the jam, Dr Dre teases
    +contained elements of “Hey Are You Going To Burning Man?” by Electric Apricot

    Timbre Coup

    Snoop Tiger, July, TheWay > Jam > Roland Opus, I didn’t know She had a Mustache, June, Arnold Schwarzeneggar

    Aqueous

    Skyway, Strange Times, Aldehyde > Uncle Phil’s Parachute >Fur Elise[Beethoven]* >Uncle Phil’s Parachute > Knights of Cydonia[Muse] > Warren in the Window > Timmy’s Blades > Regulators[Warren G]**, Pictures > Origami % > Uncle Phil’s Parachute ***

    * Linus and Lucy tease

    ** With Chuck [Dopapod] on bass, Evan on vocals

    *** Schism teases [Tool]

    % Unfinished

  • Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 2/3: The Sounds

    Editors note: This is part 2 of our 3 part Upstate Spring Revival coverage that features the music from the weekend. Come back tomorrow for our final article, “The Skinny and The Setlists”

    The music started promptly at 7:30pm Thursday night with the combined forces of Carly Jane and Train Rat. The Cohocton, NY band’s melodic hypnotizing jazzy blues with a hidden fury was a great way to kick start the weekends musical expeditions. Along with a slew of originals, they offered up sexy versions of Peggy Lee’s “Fury” and The Devil Makes Three’s “Old Number 7”. Following Train Rat was Springwater’s White Woods with their own brand of Cake-esque alt-rock with extra frosting.  The two bands also collaborated on a song with some expert mandolin play and an audience chanting “Chugging down to New Orleans” right along with the musicians.

    Thursday’s closer was Vermont’s Flabberghaster. While hard to define given their unique flavor, one could imagine AC/DC mashed up with the Allman Brothers and get a sense of their sound. This was some rocking music and the crowd ate it up. Beyond the head banging, the band also went on a number of exploratory improvisations from bare bones hard rock to jazzy percussive clap-alongs. While their set was somewhat cover heavy, they made songs like Led Zeppelin’s “The Crunge” and the Allman Brothers “Whipping Post” their own with no fear of straying from the original song structure. Where’s that confounded bridge? Who cares! The crowd wandered back to their tents completely flabbergasted. True to rock and roll form the band slept overnight on the stage.  

    Friday started out early with Canandaigua’s Upstate. The bands blues based rock and roll with lots of experimentation and fierce peaks got people out of their tents and down to the stages. In the middle of the set they offered a fun mash-up of one of their originals with the new Daft Punk song “Get Lucky”. Following Upstate was Buffalo’s Slip Madigan. The band’s upbeat happy music with funky breakdowns and hints of electronica was a great match to the unexpected sun shining down on the crowd. The newly formed Mister F followed, composed of  3 members of Albany’s Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay from Capital Zen. The F maintains their own sound, which runs the gambits of influences from funk and rock to jazz and electronica. Their self-described genre of “Neat and Clean, Hard and Dangerous” is pretty much spot on.

    Rochester’s Ocupanther then laid its claws into the audience with their brand of instrumental funk-space-psychedelia featuring the juxtaposing styles of Berkeley schooled axeman Colin Jones and self taught shred wizard Mikey Pantano. They opened with an adventurous cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and the audience responded with much love of their own. Friday’s evening journey began with Albany’s Timbre Coup and their deep progressive rock influences, intertwining metal overtones and doses of electronic forays with top notch vocals. As the sprinkles started to turn to rain, true to their name, Project Weather Machine stormed the stage for an hour and a half of Grateful Dead and old school blues inspired improvisations with awesome names like “Nitrous Roxide”. As the rain progressed in intensity festival goers were treated to the first show by Buffalo’s Universe Shark in several months. Despite their hiatus they did nothing but deliver, keeping the crowd dancing in the mud. Closing out the evening was the return of the much revered Schleigho. Their set was nothing short of mind-numbingly brilliant, ranging from pure technical by-the-numbers wizardry to wide open “Space”-esque exploration. Musicians were buzzing about this set the rest of the weekend with phrases like “It was like going to jam clinic” and “I’m not worthy” being thrown about.  

    Saturday started later than anticipated. Stage equipment was all moved to the main stage due to the mud pit in front of the secondary stage. Thankfully the weather cleared, the sun came out, and Ithaca’s Solaris started things off with some excellent intense EDM. Albany’s Formula 5 proved quite the draw in the next spot with their genre-everywhere sound. Funk, rock, blues, jazz, electronic, it was all in the mix as well as a fun cover of The Bands “King Harvest”. The trio of Rochester’s Haewa filled the 5pm slot with some of the most extended jamming of the weekend, more of Colin Jones guitar-pyrotechnics, and a rock solid grooving core.

    The evening lineup of Vermont’s Twiddle, Buffalo’s Aqueous, and NYC’s exploding Dopapod was so hot people were wiring their doctors to re-up their heart medications. Twiddle started it off with a set filled with improv, explosive soaring peaks, and a jam of Phish’s “Contact” that ended up going from “Funkytown” to “Billy Jean”. The centerpiece of the show was a monster version of original “The Box” which simply went everywhere. Aqueous then one upped everyone with the biggest crowd of the weekend thus far, and a hot-as-fire set no amount of liquid could extinguish. Filled with effortless segues, memorable originals, a fun sit-in from Dopapod’s Chuck Jones on Warren G’s “Regulate”, and a brilliantly intense take on Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”, Aqueous had the audience in the palm of their hand. Brooklyn’s Dopapod closed the evening set with an all out rager, effortlessly gliding from song to song with the best light show of the weekend by far. This band is on fire and should not be missed at any opportunity.  Aqueous’s Mike Gantzer sat in for original “Bats in the Cave” complete with some well placed Dr Dre “Xxplosive” teases.

    Those that survived the onslaught of Aquapod stayed up for the late night set of NYC’s Consider the Source, whose technical expertise may not be surpassed by anyone. Imagine a Primus that got all jammy and had three Les Claypools running the show. Pure intense perfection and an exquisite end to the fest. An incredible weekend of music, with each band bringing their A-games.

    Come back tomorrow for our weekend summation and an assortment of some of the weekends best setlists.

  • Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 1/3: The Scene

    Family. No other word can describe a regional festival like Upstate Spring Revival festival better than family. Familiar faces from shows over the years. Passing by the same groups to and fro from the campsite, always with friendly salutations and wide smiles. Meeting new people spinning tails of their travels freely as if every soul they meet is an old friend. Sharing toasts and high fives with complete strangers, shyness abandoned. In our modern; smart-phone consumed; too busy to say hello world, this situational rarity is beyond refreshing. It’s a damn good feeling and a great way to spend a weekend in the woods. May 8-11 at The Whispering Pines Hideaway proved this concept beyond a shadow of doubt.

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    The Hideaway is typically an aviary hunting preserve and ATV adventure site, with trap towers, clay pigeon throwers, and rut filled off-roading trails throughout the area. While this may seem an ironic venue for a gathering of peace loving hippies, it proved itself perfect for the weekends experience. Car camping was available throughout the site with a plethora of settings, be it wooded, open field, or just a place to lay down in the grass. Musicians roamed freely through the crowd chatting with fans and fellow music makers. Both secondary and primary stages were located in a lower area, surrounded by trees, but still allowing a picturesque view of the sunset. The stages were minutes from each other with a variety of vending, drum circles and lessons, and glass blowing demonstrations all conveniently located within the main “Shakedown Street”.

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    Weather ended up being better than forecast. Thursday night through late Friday afternoon was beautiful. Friday night through Saturday was a bit rough with blowing rain but everyone kept in good spirits. Many huddled around campfires sharing jovial tales while others wandered the site in rain ponchos making new friends. Musicians plowed through the weather unscathed and everyone delivered excellent sets. Saturday night, between sets, Solar Flare and entourage offered up a spectacular display of pyrotechnic acrobatics.  Other activities included live glass blowing demonstrations, drum lessons and circles, face painting, and much more.

    Come back tomorrow to read our review of “The Sounds” featuring pictures by contributing photographer Kevin Burke.

    Photos by Darren Kemp

    Editors note: This is part one of our three part review of the Spring Revival festival. Each article will include a photo gallery from one of our three featured photographers.

  • Club D’Elf and Marco Benevento hit Syracuse and Albany this weekend!

    Syracuse’s Westcott Theater and Albany’s Red Square open their doors to a modern experimental supergroup Friday May 31st and Saturday June 1st as Club D’Elf is accompanied by organist and composer Marco Benevento, of the critically acclaimed Benevento/Russo Duo. Club D’Elf defies convention and classification, as they draw on influences from electronica, jazz, dub, progressive rock and traditional and world music.

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    Led by bassist/composer Mike Rivard, the Club D’Elf “club” is designed to be a constantly evolving and revolving musical brotherhood, regularly rotating members, hosting superb artists and incorporating new sounds.  Club guests have included legends John Medeski and Billy Martin of Medeski Martin and Wood, the hip hop/jazz crossover artist DJ Logic, Marc Ribot, Skerik and of course Marco Benevento.  These uniquely gifted talents keep Club D’Elf fresh with new ideas and spontaneity.  This isn’t Mike Rivard’s first rodeo either; Mike brings his experience laying down grooves for big names such as Morphine, Aimee Mann, G Love and Jonathan Brooke among others.  Club D’Elf’s sound grows out of this rhythmic root, past tradition and custom, into the cosmos.  Who knows where listeners may end up when Marco Benevento’s graceful piano melodies dance over Mike Rivard’s deep, thuddy Morroccan trance bass lines?  No matter where you end up, this show is sure to keep your mind fed and your body grooving.

    Tickets are $15.00 at the Westcott Theater and the show starts at 10pm.  At the Red Square the show is $12 and $15 at the door, show starts at 8pm.