NYS Music 20​13

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  • Mayhem is coming to SPAC this Saturday 7/20

    The sixth-year lineup for Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival was officially announced during a press conference at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood back in May. Headliners ROB ZOMBIE and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH answered questions during the event.  Since Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced the show, Upstate Metal has been revved up for the festival.  Rob Zombie played Glens Falls in the fall and it has been almost two years since 5FDP has played the region.  Hot weather won’t scare away true fans.  Come to SPAC and join Upstate Metal with horns up high as this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival will feature the following acts:

    Main stage:

    ROB ZOMBIE
    FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
    MASTODON
    AMON AMARTH

    Jägermeister Stage:

    MACHINE HEAD
    JOB FOR A COWBOY
    BUTCHER BABIES
    BATTLECROSS
    HUNTRESS

    Musicians Institute Stage:

    CHILDREN OF BODOM
    BEHEMOTH
    EMMURE
    BORN OF OSIRIS
    MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
    THROWN INTO EXILE

    Sumerian Records / Headbang For The Highway Concourse Stage:

    CITY IN THE SEA
    + local acts

    In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph-signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival experience.

    Rockstar Energy Drink will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for all attendees.  Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as The Rockstar Lounge and the festival area Party Like A Rockstar Tent where fans can sample ice-cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

    As an addition to the festival’s music and arts, Musicians Institute and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visit this location to enter.

    Tour dates are as follows:

    Jun. 29 – San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
    Jun. 30 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
    Jul. 02 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
    Jul. 03 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater
    Jul. 05 – Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Sky Pavilion
    Jul. 06 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
    Jul. 07 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
    Jul. 10 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
    Jul. 12 – Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
    Jul. 13 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
    Jul. 14 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
    Jul. 16 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
    Jul. 17 – Bangor, ME @ Bangor Waterfront
    Jul. 19 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
    Jul. 20 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC
    Jul. 21 – Hartford, CT @ The Comcast Theatre
    Jul. 23 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
    Jul. 24 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
    Jul. 26 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
    Jul. 27 – Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
    Jul. 28 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
    Jul. 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
    Jul. 31 – Tampa, FL @ Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
    Aug. 02 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater
    Aug. 03 – The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    Aug. 04 – Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion

  • Slaughterhouse Chorus played a hard punk set in the middle of an alternative rock show

    The Slaughterhouse Chorus, local punk, played a wake up set — that is, everyone woke up – at The Hollow Bar in Albany on Saturday, July 6. The group of young men dared to bring their chaotic chords into a show featuring headliners Stellar Young, Davenport Cabinet, and Carl Daniels. Needless to say, the acoustic/alternative crowd received the band well.

    As the world ages, so does the sound of music; this is indisputable. The same is true for metal. As years pass, it seems as though more and more sounds have blended into the equation of what should and can be deemed metal; and more importantly, what a metal head will listen to.

    The Slaughterhouse Chorus, although largely seen as punk, exhibits this trend. Their music isn’t just one thing. It’s a blend. Fans of Danko Jones and Bayside will enjoy them, but if you bought the metalcore trend of the last decade, featuring bands like Unearth, you may enjoy the blend.

    The band performed some of their signatures – “Built for BBQ,” “Amber Waves of Cocaine,” “How Can You Put a Price on Refreshments?”, and more. Additionally, the crowd was excited and began to mosh.

    The band’s sound, as seen at The Hollow Bar concert is formed by four members, Chris Jordan on vocals and guitar, Jay Bonafide on guitar, Dale Nixon on bass, and Mark McKenna on Drums. The four played a set in Lake George earlier in the day, fulfilling their Facebook promise of “coming to a barbecue near you.”

    While the band is energetic, Jordan’s vocals sound like they may need some work. Sure, he can sing, but after one song, he was hoarse, which is uncommon for a technique – learned person. However, only he knows.

    Otherwise, the music was accessible and the lyrics were “relatable.” If this crossover band keeps chipping, they will eventually break through to the top.

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  • NYS Music Heads West to Pitchfork Music Festival

    As a student in Upstate New York and a Midwestern native, I know a thing or two about catching a ride, hopping on a train, or—when it’s financially possible for my tuition-dominated budget—buying a plane ticket and heading to Chicago. While these trips usually take place over holidays, the ends of semesters, or any other event dictated by university scheduling, Pitchfork Music Festival is as good a reason as any to travel to the Windy City for a mid-July weekend.

    PitchFork

    Taking place in the west side’s Union Park July 19-21; this year’s festival will feature headlining acts from Björk, Belle & Sebastian, and R. Kelly. While the opportunity to see one of Iceland’s most iconic musicians, a group of indie-folk legends, and Chicago’s king of R&B is reason enough to make the trip west, it’s the entirety of Pitchfork’s 2013 lineup that makes it one of this summer’s most appealing festivals.

    Here’s a day-by-day overview of the acts I hope to see between stocking up on as many free Kind bars as possible and digging through the Chirp Record Fair:

    On Friday, gates will open several hours later than the festival’s two succeeding days. Although a delayed start time brings about a smaller number of performances on Pitchfork’s opening day, I’m certainly not worried about a shortage of exciting acts. My first stop will be the green stage, where Mac DeMarco will probably be wearing his backwards baseball cap and his faded, appropriately too-big button-up that compliments his jangly Canadian surf rock so perfectly. Shortly thereafter, I’ll catch some of Angel Olsen’s set, where the longing and the range in her vocals will remind me of Roy Orbison, and I’ll feel conflicted when I decide to leave early for Woods at the red stage. For a moment I’ll feel like I’m in California as Woods plays their west coast folk rock and I appreciate Union Park’s distance from the Chicago Loop, but a set from Mikal Cronin will remind me that I’m at my fourth fantastic performance of the day and there’s no where I could possibly be other than Pitchfork Music Festival.

    Phosphorescent is the act I’m most looking forward to on Saturday; with a 2:30PM set time, it’s also one of the first acts I’ll see on day 2. I recently became a fan of Phosphorescent after Matthew Houck released his 6th album, Muchacho, under the luminous moniker. Houck’s laid-back alt-country will be a suitably contrastive introduction to an afternoon/evening of punk rock (Pissed Jeans, Parquet Courts, Metz) and electronic instrumental music (Ryan Hemsworth, Andy Scott, Rustie). I haven’t yet figured out how I’m going to make it to all of these shows while finding time for The Breeders, who will be playing the entirety of Last Splash and Solange, who performs soul-infused, hip hop-influenced R&B much like her sister with a similarly mononymous name, Beyoncé.

    Chicagoans Tree and DJ Rashad will play opening sets on Sunday, representing the city’s underground hip hop scene and the recently evolved footwork genre. Foxygen takes the red stage at 1:45, playing a show I’ve been waiting for since the release of We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic in January. The psych-rock duo, whose music takes cues from 70’s acts like the Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground, are known to put on a wild performance, complimenting their energetic, occasionally frantic music. At 3:45 Waxahatchee will play the blue stage; whether it’s just Katie Crutchfield and her guitar—much like the majority of her debut album, American Weekend—or she plays with the full band featured on this year’s Cerulean Salt, doesn’t particularly matter to me, as both styles display the candid songwriting and the  wistful melodies that make her set one of my most anticipated of the weekend.

    With tickets still available at $50 per day, it’s not too late to plan a weekend trip to Chicago and be a part of Pitchfork Music Festival 2013. If such a plan isn’t necessarily feasible until next year, however, I’ll be back next week with a recap of the festival’s best shows, photos from all three days, and an approximate number of personally consumed Kind bars.

    Pitchfork Music Festival on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Website

  • Jonesin’ for more Counting Crows at Turning Stone on 7/2

    When Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers came out to the cheering crowd at Turning Stone on July 2nd, the electricity was in the air – people were ready to dance and sway in their seats. The Wallflowers set included favorites like, “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache”.  They also covered a couple classics, first a Box Tops song, “The Letter”, early on in the set that the crowd really seemed to enjoy.

    Later in the set they performed a Rolling Stones tune, “Loving Cup”.  The sound was crisp and while Jakob seemed to be slightly on autopilot he interacted a few times with the crowd.  Mostly seated the whole set, he encouraged the over-30 concert goers to get up and move a little.  It took a little coaxing but by the time the last song of the set “The Difference” came around, most people were up and dancing.

    Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows on the other hand started off with a bang.  They came onstage and played one of their most famous songs to get things heated up in a hurry, “Mr. Jones”.  This led into one of Adam’s chats with the crowd while the band changed up instruments.  The music was flowing nicely and the crowd seemed to be on their feet for the whole set, except perhaps during the intimate “A Long December”, where Adam played piano under a warm spotlight. The Counting Crows also played a number of covers along with their big hits from the 90’s.  One of the covers during the main set was extra special, “Return of the Grievous Angel” by Gram Parsons, with co-writer Thomas Brown in the audience at Turning Stone.  The set ended with a long and powerful “A Murder of One” as seen in the video below.

    When the set ended, Adam didn’t want to get off the stage and was milking every last minute he could.  He talked about acting locally and the Greybird Foundation (greybirdfoundation.org).  The Greybird Foundation was founded because people feel small as the world expands and they need to feel like they can make a difference. So, the Greybird Foundation helps find the people down the street from you who are trying to do their part to help.  Typically at Counting Crows shows there are booths of local non-profits but the comfortable indoor seating that we were all thankful for wasn’t large enough or able to accommodate that part of the experience.

    The Counting Crows wanted to stay on stage so badly that they did two difference two-song encores.  The first included a cover of the Grateful Dead classic, “Friend of the Devil” and another well-known Crows tune “Hangin’ Around”.  The second encore was Bob Dylan‘s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” followed by “Holiday in Spain”.

    The festivities at Turning Stone didn’t stop when the show ended either.  As with most shows at the casino, there is a drawing that every ticket holder is eligible for to win a signed guitar.  This time it was autographed by the members of both bands, and the lucky winner was Cassie from Oneida (just down the road from Verona). It was a great night of music helping to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the casino.  Many more great shows are coming up, be sure to keep an eye out for them.

    Set: Mr. Jones, Untitled (Love Song) (The Romany Rye cover), St. Robinson in His Cadillac Dream, Hanging Tree, Hospital (Coby Brown cover), Colorblind, Start Again (Teenage Fanclub cover), Anna Begins, Hard Candy, Meet on the Ledge, A Long December, Return of the Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons cover), A Murder of One

    Encore: Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead cover), Hanginaround

    Encore 2: You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Bob Dylan cover), Holiday in Spain

  • Turkuaz Lays Down the Funk on the Westcott Theater

    Brooklyn based power funk/soul/jam band Turkuaz dropped it hard on the Westcott Theater Saturday June 29th. Although a relatively smaller event in terms of attendance, Turkuaz fans and all the funky people in the house got down to the sound with no lack of soul.

    Turkuaz is a ten-piece band with a solid battalion of horns, rhythm, vocals and chords that round out a funky groove. Their compositions reflect an innovative and musically sophisticated take on the often repetitive funk sound – think James Brown telling you to “get on up” over and over again. Turkuaz has taken funk to a whole new level by composing multilayered, multi-movement funk orchestrations. If funk-opera were a thing, Turkuaz would be the originators. Their songs suggested a foundation built around tight and well-balanced vocal arrangements that utilized a number of band members. Slightly raspy and classically punchy guitarist Dave Brandwein traded off lead vocals with smoother, soulful, baritone sax player Josh Schwartz, while the team of midriff showing, short-skirt sporting, hip-shaking “back-up” vocalists Geneva Williams and Sammi Garett brought that unequivocal soul sister sound loud, proud and crystal clear. The band’s trumpet player, Chris Brouwers, even chimed in with some high harmonies on a number or two.

    But back to business folks…The backbone of any funk group is of course, the bass. Floppy-hat wearing, shadow-dwelling Taylor Shell played laser-accurate, complex lines while executing with an interesting muddy-thuddy sound (reminiscent of reggae bass). This was another funk contrast, as a lot of funk hits hard on the treble end, accenting the highly percussive slapping and popping innovated by Bootsy Collins of Parliament Funkadelic. This effect brings the baseline to the forefront as a lead instrument. While Shell’s bass lines provided a rhythmic and technically interesting platform to work off of, they somewhat melted into the heartbeat of the overall sound, sometimes drowned out a bit by the bass drum, delivered by the vigorous Michelangelo Carubba.

    Turkuaz continued this trend of funk-innovation and non-traditional experimentation throughout the night, as they demonstrated their ability to improvise well enough to hang with any jammin Jerry-Lovin’ audience. Worth noting is the  screaming saxophone solo by Greg Sanderson and a tripped-out, phaser-laden trumpet interlude by Chris Brouwers. Top the night off with a classic cover of “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam and Dave to get the crowd singing along and this one was the bag. Turkuaz was captivating and refreshing to listen to, sexy to watch, and as all good funk typically should be, a funkin heck of a good time.

    For up to date information on the band and tour dates please visit Turkazband.com

  • Get Ready to Feel the Vibes: Preview of Gathering of the Vibes Festival July 25th-28th

    Gathering of the Vibes will celebrate its 18th year, returning July 25th – 28th to Bridgeport, Connecticut at Seaside Park. The four day music and art festival still has Weekend Camping Passes available for $225 as well as Single Day Tickets and Single Day VIP with discounts for Connecticut residents, Bridgeport city employees and active members of the military. “Although many Vibes veterans are local, we’re seeing our fan base expand beyond the tri-state area more and more each year. People are traveling from DC, LA, Philadelphia and even other countries,” commented Gathering of the Vibes founder, Ken Hays.

    vibes-Seaside-aerial lores

    The 2013 lineup includes Phil Lesh and friends for 2 nights with John Scofield and John Medeski, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes, The Funky Meters, Galactic, The Roots, Blues Traveler, John Scofield Uberjam, Grace Potter plus many more. The weekend begins on Thursday with Consider the Source, Original Strangefolk and Upstate New York’s Wild Adriatic starting the party, creating the perfect excuse for concert-goers to arrive early and set up fast. The music will be going nonstop even into the wee hours with late night performances from members of LCD Soundsystem, Thievery Corporation, Papadosio, and Kung Fu. There will also be a Silent Disco with costume themed nights; with Friday being “Jungle Love on the Beach” and Saturday “Pirate Pajama Party.” Due to popular demand, the late night stage will be open to single day holders on Friday and an additional $20 for Saturday.

    Besides having over 40 bands, Gathering of the Vibes offers an array of food and craft vendors, with a Kids Corner and Teen Scene with arts & crafts, plus an 85 foot Ferris wheel. Among the music and art for everyone, Vibes is the ideal festival for families and a timeless tradition. There will also be a “Non-profit Village” which showcases local and national non-profit organizations from all over the country, demonstrating that Gathering of the Vibes is a festival that cares.

    portrait_kenHaysFor the past 18 years, Ken Hays has put on the Vibes festival to bring people together to celebrate the spirit of good music and good times. Being a dedicated Grateful Dead fan, Hays and fans everywhere were seeking a void after Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Hays organized a small memorial for Jerry and friends to gather for a weekend retreat which overtime has evolved into a 20,000 person party on the beach, hosting legendary musical acts from all over the country. With Gathering of the Vibes quickly approaching, I was lucky to get some free time with the festival founder, Ken Hays.

    Susan Rice: This whole festival started from your love of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. What concert got you hooked and made you a lifelong fan? Do you have a favorite song/album?

    Ken Hays: Yea probably my first one which was November 10th 1985 at the Byrne Arena in New Jersey.

    SR: What was it about that show that got you hooked?

    KH: A combination of listening, having a love of the album “American Beauty” and seeing the band perform live and it wasn’t just the music. It was a sense of community. If someone bumped into another, they would smile and look each other in the eyes; there was a kindness that surrounded the Grateful Dead.

    SR: Do you ever travel to other musical festivals/concerts to get more ideas for yours?

    KH: I love music festivals. What I really want to do is to travel to Europe and further to expand some of the more unique and high profile festivals.

    SR: I’ve seen pictures and they look crazy.

    KH: Oh yea, there are some on mountain tops. Beautiful festivals and venues throughout the world, that host hundreds of thousands of people, through the course of a weekend.  They always seem to fall during the summertime where I am going a little bit crazy bringing the final approaches to Vibes.

    SR: What is new this year to Gathering of the Vibes that long time veterans have to look forward to?

    KH: I feel that we have a great lineup that is filled with great diversity and incredible musicianship. Many of the bands are not on the radio and you might not have heard of them but these are musicians and bands that are extraordinary in their live performance.

    SR: You’ve mentioned that you and your team will sit down to plan out the artist line up as well asking fans of who they want to see. Do you ever have big name bands/artists reach out to you first to join? If so, who?

    KH: Ya know, yea, Janes Addiction and Elvis Costello, who both performed in 2011. They were thrilled to be a part of the Vibes and something a little different. They were a huge hit with the Vibe Tribe.

    SR: This year, you are once again offering print at home tickets. As great as a convenience it is to fans, do you find this makes your job easier or harder at the gate?

    KH: It’s easier for attendees and for us at the gate. You have the ability of purchasing your ticket and scanning it on your iPhone. I think it’s the future of ticketing. Make it less expensive and more convenient for the ticket buyer. But additionally for us, operationally and logistically, scanning everybody and getting them settled in for a great weekend.

    SR: I’ve never traveled out to Connecticut or to Seaside Park for that matter. What makes it the ideal place to have Gathering of the Vibes?

    KH: Seaside Park is 370 acres of Long Island Sound, a mile and a half of beach and it’s a beautifully manicured park that was donated to the city by Mayor PT Barnum in 1975, with the condition that the park be open to the public and that it be reserved for recreational and artistic events.

    SR: Have you always had a great relationship with the town of Bridgeport especially with hosting a huge nonstop party?

    KH: The city has been awesome to work with, from the top down. They see the value of hosting Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside and we love the venue. Going 50 miles outside of NYC to find 370 beautiful waterfront acres is most unusual and unique. Year after year, vibes attendees come back with their kids. Last year we had just about 2,000 kids with their parents. I think that’s what differentiates Gathering of the Vibes from most festivals because there is a festival every weekend during the summertime throughout the country. As festivals continue to thrive, we’ve got a kids corner and teen scene, tons of fun interactive scenes for kids of all ages.

    SR: Do you think that Gathering of the Vibes will still be going strong in another 18 years?

    KH: In another 18 years? Haha I hope I’m doing good in another 18 years.

    SR: What advice do you have for me as a first time vibes goer?

    KH: I think that it’s important to wander about. That’s one of the beautiful things about Seaside is that the venue is laid out in such that, in a 5 minute walk you have access to all the activities, all the stages, all the craft and food vending and the artisan village. So walk around, experience all that there is and bring positive vibes and spread those vibes with others.

    Vibe Tribers can stay in touch with Gathering of the Vibes on Facebook, Twitter through the Vibes message boards.

  • Phish Saves the Best for the Last Night at SPAC

    After two days of Phish at SPAC, the energy that had built up between band and crowd was brought to a froth, thanks to Friday night’s Second Set (“Energy>Light->Mango>46 Days->Steam>Drowned>Slave”) and Saturday’s improv heavy “Split Open and Melt”, plus the magic of “Tweezer>Sand>Carini”. The froth spilled over Sunday with a start to finish highlight of the tour, as the band broke out the rockers in Set 1 and the Jam vehicles in Set 2, capping off a three night run in a way to rival last year’s tour closer at SPAC.

    phish best SPACFans filled the lots on either side of Route 50, brought Shakedown Street to life once again and mingled with friends under looming gray skies. Whether fans came in from Lee’s Campground, drove in from area hotels or walked across the Route 50 bridge, the excitement was electric and rain be damned, made their way into the venue. There is no weather condition that Phish fans can’t deal with in their journey to see Phish – rain, fog, snow, sleet, high winds, Sharknado, mud or Oswego 99-esque humidity – coping with a light rain was old hat for even the newest fan. Once inside, fans made their way to the lawn, and the lucky ones to the balcony and pavilion. Whether you were on the lawn or inside, you were getting wet – on the lawn from a consistent but light shower, or for those inside, from the sweat, smoke and humidity that had built up over three days.

    With one of the most energetic openers in their repertoire, Phish kicked off the night shortly after 8pm with”AC/DC Bag”, followed by “Back on the Train”, both of which had Trey noodling to steady the rocker, pumping up the crowd in the process and getting the show off on the right foot. A well placed “Divided Sky” was given the standard treatment and then some, showcasing one of the band’s early compositions. “Free” developed from the end of “Divided Sky”, with “It’s Ice” and “Mound” following close behind. “Maze” was Page-heavy in the best way possible, tearing up the keys and organ to build the song up and up. “Limb by Limb” paired with “Walls of the Cave” to close the set, the latter building fans up during “Listen to the silent trees” and Trey leading the way with all three on par with the Bad Lieutenant. The first set in the books, fans took refuge under the trees or stayed in the pavilion and balcony to rest up for what was sure to be a hot set.

    Second set opened with a typically spirited version of “Down With Disease”, drifting into Type II jams that led to even deeper exploration as the song built to the 14 minute mark. From there, the song seemed to dip into dark territory, a la “Sand”, but having played it the night before, we were treated to a fantastic segue from ‘Down With Disease” into “Ghost”. The first “Ghost” of the summer had some playful Frampton-esque sounds from Trey in between stanzas, then fell into a clavinet jam from Page, combining with Trey’s riffing and led towards a playful discourse between the two. “Piper” was shredded by the band from the start: they simply rocked out without reserve, carrying the tune for seven minutes before a final two minutes allowed experimentation take over and found time to give “Piper” a soft sendoff, drifting into “Wading in the Velvet Sea”. This is truly a ‘love it or hate it song’, but many at this point appreciated the placement for a slight break to prepare for the second half of the set that was yet to come. Sometimes, you need a breather at Phish shows and this one was of those times.

    If one song keeps getting better and better in the 3.0 era of Phish, it’s “Run Like an Antelope”. The dancing frenzy created from each version is due in part to Trey’s focus on the progression of the song; he has great focus on this tune, more so than any other, shunning his musical ADD for a bit to keep the song moving towards a finish line of undetermined origin. Building out of the lyrics that were substituted at the end of “Antelope”, (“Run like a Meatstick out of control“) the natural next song selection was “The Meatstick”, leading to the Meatstick dance from fans who were still catching their breath from “DWD>Ghost>Piper” and “Antelope”. To cap off the set, fans were rewarded with a 20-minute “You Enjoy Myself”, that while good, had Trey’s guitar talking over a conversation between Mike, Page and Jon. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it lacked the flow of the post ‘Wash Uffizi’ jam that is a staple of YEMs. The vocal jam that arose for the final three minutes was humorous and captivating.

    For an encore, “First Tube” felt like the natural choice, keeping the energy cranked up to 11 and preparing to get SPAC ready to liftoff. “Loving Cup” was a fine replacement and accepted without complaint, an entire crowd of 20,000 singing in unison “Oh, What a Beautiful Buzz!” Walking out, the night air was warm and light as fans made their way back to tents, beds, homes, cars and RVs, all in need of rest after three incredible days of Phish, and with all the potential of Summer Tour laying ahead of them.

    Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Back on the Train > Divided Sky, Free > It’s Ice > Mound, Maze, Limb By Limb, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: Down with Disease 1 > Ghost 2 > Piper 3 > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Run Like an Antelope 4 > Meatstick 5 > You Enjoy Myself

    Encore: Loving Cup

    1 Unfinished.
    2 Guy Forget quote from Fish.
    3 DEG tease from Trey.
    4 Lyrics changed to reference Meatstick.
    5 Japanese lyrics.

  • moe. Shreds the Lot at ‘Party in the Park’ in Rochester

    Upstate improvisational legends moe. brought their jam marathon’s to Rochester’s Party in the Park series June 20th. Often locally referred to as “Party in the Parking Lot”, this series deserves more credence. While it’s correct that the events take place in an area also often used to park cars, what is missed by local denizens is that there is ample space provided, an excellent “big-time” stage, copious amounts of affordable vending, convenient entry and exit points, a picturesque view of the Flour City bridge and tons of nearby parking. People must not care that much though, as this event was packed from end to end.

    moe party in the parkmoe. came straight out of the gate at full speed with fan favorite “Happy Hour Hero”. The first set was a short one, but offered excellent takes on “Sensory Deprivation Bank” and “Akimbo” as well as some voice box fun from Chuck Garvey. During setbreak, fans enjoyed music from buskers, beer from Rochester based breweries Rohrbachs and Genesee, and several food trucks filled with tasty treats.

    moe party in the parkSecond set began while the sun was going down, allowing fans a glimpse at moe.’s top tier light show.  Also offered was plenty of shreddy guitar interplay between guitarists Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier. Highlights included a fiery “Wicked Awesome”, the always epic “Brent Black” and a top-speed encore combo of “Spine Of A Dog->Meat”.

    Setlist: moe., Party in the Park, Rochester, NY – June 20, 2013

    Set 1: Happy Hour Hero > Sensory Deprivation Bank, Understand, The Ghost Of Ralph’s Mom, Hi and Lo > Big World > Akimbo
    Set 2: Haze > Wicked Awesome, Puebla > Billy Goat > Tailspin > Brent Black
    Encore: Spine Of A Dog > Meat

    Upcoming Party in the park shows include John Browns Body on 7/11, Great Big Sea on 7/18 and Leon Russell on 7/25

  • Night 2 of Phish at SPAC – The Jams Keep Comin’

    My 25th Phish Show. I’m no longer a noob per my lil’ brother Dr. Pauly. This was the first SPAC Phish run since 2009 that Pauly didn’t come east for. He’ll be picking up tour in Chicago and sometime between the end of Summer Tour and the anticipated fall run he will hit show 300. Needless to say, Pauly knows Phish.

    Let’s get some stats out-of-the-way. Night two and show three of Summer Tour offered three repeats in ” Chalk Dust Torture” ,  “Backwards Down the Number Line” and “Possum”. We heard the first ever SPAC “Tweezer”, one debut in “Architect”. There were a total of 10 songs in the first set and 10 in the second set including the double encore.

    I started the day by attending the poster show at the Saratoga Hilton. I met Dave Calarco, aka Mr. Miner, and poster artist John Warner. John is not a Phish-centric artist, doing work for the heavyweights of the jamband scene. I was most drawn to his work as he displayed his art form for many of the artists I love including Govt Mule, Furthur, Phish, Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes and many others. I bought a copy of Mr Miner’s Phish Thoughts and my second Ryan Kerrigan poster.

    I gave Friday night’s show a solid B. I was hoping that three shows in, the cobwebs were off and we were in for a sizzling Saturday night. This was the first year I was out on the lawn with the masses. My prior six SPAC Phish shows were from inside the shed. I found a place on the inside of the far right ramp to the balcony at the top of the slope that had a pretty good line of sight and good sound.

    Phish took the stage at 8:24 PM.  “Crowd Control” kicked things off. Traditionally this song appeared in the second set, but since 3.0 it has moved into the spot of  show opener.  It’s a light airy tune, a la  “Golden Age”.  This was a first time live performance  for me and I found myself singing it the last few days so it’s a keeper! “Chalk Dust Torture”  gets everyone rocking no matter where it appears in the rotation with its defying cry of  “Can’t I live while I’m young?!”  “The Wedge”  had a low tempo, almost reggae beat to it. Dr. Pauly texted me that this song always reminds him of  Colorado.  The first cover of the night was next with Mike Gordon on lead vocals for “Funky Bitch”.  Cactus, looking hipster chic in his scarf, also bared a striking resemblance to chef Anthony Bourdain.  “Heavy Things” and “Bug”  continued what was appearing to be a fairly mellow first set.  “Bug” is one of those songs I enjoy because it invokes philosophical questions like “Is there a God? , and “What is the meaning of life?” “Bouncin’ Round the Room”  was  the first Phish song I could name because of its frequent radio play, yet I have friends that bail for the bathroom during “Bouncin” but I enjoy it and up on the lawn, I thought that this would be a great song to Prancercise  too.

    “Tube” brought the funk back into the set.  For generation, 3.0 “Tube” performances,  it was a longish 6+ minutes.  My favorite Tube is the 12/7/97 Dayton Ohio version with its awesome Tube Jam.  Listen closely to the SPAC 7/6/13 version and from 5:28 to 5:51, you might hear teases of Booker T’s “Green Onions”.  Trey pulled the rip chord on the  “Tube”  jam and launched  into the rocker  “Julius”.  I heard a young Phish head tell his buddy that the name of the song was “Take Another Step” after the refrain. I chuckled because that was what I originally thought the name of the song was, because why would Tom Marshall and Trey title a song “Julius” when the word doesn’t even appear in the lyrics?

    “Julius” could have easily ended the set but what happened next will be talked about for quite a while in Phish circles and deserves a replay. “Split Open and Melt” can be butchered. I heard a great version in Utica in 2010.  In this version, Trey and Fishman really locked in and the jam became full of ambient and discordant sounds tempered by the ethereal keyboards of Page McConnell.  I went down the rabbit hole to memories of  some of  Jerry Garcia’s best  jamming. At one point I forgot what song was playing and what show I was at.  About 15 minutes in, Fishman appeared to be playing bells or a glockenspiel with a very light touch.  SOAM definitely is the Set 1 highlight, ending at 9:43 PM.

    After a short intermission, “Backwards down the Number Line” opened Set II  at 10:13 PM (the second repeat from the Bangor tour opener).  Yeah, the Phish play it a lot but I will always like it as it reminds me of my 40+ year friendship with my best friend Kim.  Dr. Pauly had texted me that his buddy Fink (who I looked for but didn’t cross paths with) had told him that “Tweezer” had never been played at SPAC and to expect one.   Well, we got it as  appeared as the second song of the second set and the “Tweezer”, “Sand” and “Carini” trio will be talked about and replayed all summer long.  A glowstick war broke out on the lawn during “Tweezer”.   This “Sand’ was smooth and sultry the way I like them and the “Carini” that followed I found dark and dirty and rocking. Some folks thought it wasn’t as evil as other Carini’s, but to each their own.

    The boys gave us a break with the debut of “Architect” from Trey’s solo album Traveler.  I haven’t had a chance to listen to this song again,  but like many songs added from the band’s side projects this one will be a tweaked and mature the more it is played.  A young phan and I talked about this being about the Matrix  (my favorite movie) and free will and cause and effect as the Architect is a character in the second and third of the Matrix series and one of the lyrics in Trey’s song is  “You may even see the cause in the machine.”   A fairly standard but rocking “Wilson”, a sloppy but fun cover of “Boogie on Reggae Woman” (I think the lyrics were butchered, but all is good) and “Possum” (the third and final repeat of tour to date) closed out set II. Like many others and no matter how many times its played I still love “Possum”, although I can’t say the same for “Kill Devil Falls”, which they got out of the way as the opener on night one.

    “Show of Life” was a throw away encore so I started heading to the car. With that veteran move, I lost my noob status.  I listened to “Tweezer Reprise” as I headed out of the State Park and back home. Sometimes its good to be a local. I was home in twenty minutes and downloading the show.  After Friday’s  B performance I gave Saturday night an A-. The only reason it wasn’t a little higher was because of the canoodling on song selection during set I. I was happy but missing my Phishing buddies and was looking forward to Night 3 because as Fink and Dr. Pauly say, ” Never Miss A Sunday Show”.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Crowd Control > Chalk Dust Torture, The Wedge, Funky Bitch, Heavy Things, Bug, Bouncing Around the Room, Tube > Julius, Split Open and Melt

    Set 2: Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer > Sand > Carini 1 -> Architect 2, Wilson > Boogie On Reggae Woman > Possum

    Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise

    1 Meatstick tease from Mike.
    2 Phish debut.

  • Prog Rock Angels RUSH Turn Back the Clock at SPAC June 25th

    RUSH bring out the crowds at SPAC every time they perform at the open-air amphitheater.  This year was no different.  A little bit of rain before the show was little deterrent to the droves of RUSH fans that came from throughout the region and beyond to see the prog rock trio light up the stage.  As well they should as 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the few Prog Rock bands given the honor to have a permanent place in Cleveland.

    Known for their elaborate live shows, with a mini-movie, a lot of stage props and of course, incredible solos.  RUSH didn’t miss a beat with the Clockwork Angels tour.  Two years ago when RUSH played SPAC they performs two numbers off the album, “Clockwork Angels,” “Caravan” and “BU2B”.  It was at that show that this reporter/photographer became well-aware that the new material was going to be spectacular. In fact, “Caravans” that opens this year’s second set is one of my personal favorites.

    The Clockwork Angels tour also highlights a special string ensemble consisting of six violins and two cellos placed directly behind Neil Peart’s drum kit.  The setup allows for a bigger sound and an orchestral feel that SPAC is well accustomed to.

    Neil Peart’s kit rotated so that the drummer could play his signature 360 degree setup.  Intense focus and absolute precision is guaranteed when Peart plays.  Fans are rarely disappointed.

    Geddy Lee’s vocals were spot on and the high-tone lead singer and bassist for the band was energetic and theatrical at times.  Facial expressions and primal screams to well-known lyrics that had the mostly male crowd chiming in at the top of their lungs.

    Guitarist Alex Lifeson knew what he was doing when he founded the band RUSH 45 years ago.  Named as a top 100 guitarist by Rolling Stones, the Canadian born guitarist can lay down a serious lick and keep up with other guitarists less than half his age.  Like Peart, the concentration and  intensity is mesmerizing to watch.  Lifeson plays a Gibson Les Paul and the sound couldn’t be better.

    After nearly a half a century RUSH doesn’t show much signs of slowing down.  With tragedies behind them, the trio is looking forward and the new album and tour is proof that we can expect more from these legends from the north.

    Set 1: Subdivisions, The Big Money, Force Ten, Grand Designs, The Body Electric, Territories, The Analog Kid, Bravado, Where’s My Thing? (including drum solo), Far Cry

    *Set 2: Caravan, Clockwork Angels, The Anarchist, Carnies, The Wreckers, Headlong Flight (including drum solo), Halo Effect (guitar solo intro), Seven Cities of Gold, The Garden, Manhattan Project, Red Sector A, YYZ, The Spirit of Radio

    Encore: Tom Sawyer, 2112 Part I: Overture, 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx, 2112 Part VII: Grand Finale

    * entire set with Clockwork Angels String Ensemble