Friday, October 18th was filled with the rowdiest of characters down at The Hollow in Albany for one of Upstate New York’s original jam bands, Conehead Buddha. The eight-piece band originally from the Capital Region started back in the early 90s and continues to provide the best energetic dance parties this side of the Hudson River.
A bigger band means more musicians with more instruments providing a killer combination of genres and a powerful sound. Conehead Buddha dishes a high level of ska from its horn section, blasting a rebellious yet playful melody throughout the night. The band has a dedicated fan base that puts others to shame with their nonstop slam dancing, only a fraction away from moshing.
One of the best parts about Conehead Buddha is the ability to create an upbeat, fun loving song with lyrics full of heartache like “Hey Jody.” Chords are climbed as drum beats are danced upon words of a sad story, but you are too busy having a good time dancing to notice. “My Side of the Story” started with heavy bass bombs with echoing lyrics and a twist of dark space. The second set started with “Vinnie” a saucy, exotic upbeat song that eased the crowd right back into the groove with a light reggae vibe. One of the highlights for the night was the cover of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” resulting in wild crowd scream/sing along. The interaction CB has with the crowd expands their music to new heights while recreating the original jams that made fans fall in love with them in the beginning. Conehead Buddha will making stops all around the East Coast before ending their fall tour with Funktapuss at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo on Saturday November 23rd.
Set 1: Ain’t No Better Way, Safety In Numbers, Wear You Down, Fly on the Bedroom Wall, Mountains, Hey Jodi, Cielo Drive, My Side of the Story, Crumbs, Bobby Brooks, Johnny, Rockets
Set 2: Vinnie, Mind the Question, Forget Me Not, Carbonation, Must Be You, Leaving the Brothel, Swedish Girls, Smiling, My Way, Deaf of Blind, SWM, Present Perfect
Their line-up has remained Glen Phillips (vocals, guitar), Todd Nichols (guitar), Dean Dinning (bass) and Randy Guss (drums) and they’ve had their break-ups and reunions, but any band lasting this long surely deserves a listen. New Constellation is the newest offering from TTWS. (By the way, the band name comes from an Eric Idle sketch where he made up a name he thought was so silly, it would never be used.)
Dave Risen and his production company came up with the idea for the event back in April. Through mutual ties and working events, Lock42 was able to team up with Dave Ehmann from Improv Records. Over time things developed and the event started coming together. They were able to land a brand new venue, the beautiful
The “resort style” party suits this event best. This way guests can get a room, safely stay in one place all weekend, and get down until the sun comes up. The resort will be decked out by professionals, VIP passes are available to anyone and there will be an array of vendors featuring home-made crafts and creations as well as healthy organic food options. Music lasts until the sun comes up!
Observations 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.




