NYS Music 20​13

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  • Death to All 2013! “Celebrating the life and Music of Chuck Schuldiner”

    Death to All 2013 poster

    Attention Die Hard Death fans! Death to All tour, which celebrates “the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner” is hitting the big city next April 24th @ Irving Plaza. The tour aims to aid the Sweet Relief Charity for musicians, also in honor of Chuck, which main purpose is to” assists musicians in times of illness, disability and age related problems” .

    This year the tour will again feature members of the “Human” (album) era, and some special guests as well. Max Phelps (Cynic’s session guitarist) will have the honor to perform the vocals this year.

    Despite the issues with the Sick Drummer Magazine during the first run of the tour, Death to all was a success and once again it’s back with 12 major US dates and one Mexican date. This speaks volumes as the last tour only  featured 7 US dates. It was also motioned that this tour will feature a second leg which will include a show in Europe at the Neurotic Death Fest in the Netherlands.

    Last year’s skepticism among some fans on whether this tour will create some profit other than charity work was dismissed by Death’s manager, Eric Greif, with this statement;

    “A little word about DEATH TO ALL, people. This is NOT DEATH. I have read a few comments about money grabbing or trying to replace Chuck. Please show a little respect. DEATH TO ALL is meant to be a touring tribute to the words & music of Chuck Schuldiner, by the guys who played with him on the DEATH albums – and raising awareness of the important American charity Sweet Relief. Together we can all feel the vibe of what Chuck was all about by being together and collectively flowing to the tunes. We keep Chuck alive by keeping the music alive. It isn’t DEATH…it is DEATH TO ALL. “

    Tour dates are as follows: 

    Tickets avaiable here and vip tickets packages here.

    4/13 W. Hollywood, CA @ House Of Blues

    4/15 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater

    4/18 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall

    4/19 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

    4/20 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s

    4/21 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

    4/23 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda

    4/24 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

    4/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater For Living Arts

    4/26 Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore

    4/27 Worcester, MA @ Palladium

    4/28 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

    4/29 Mexico City, MX @ Circo Volador

    5/13 Tilburg, NL @ Neurotic DEATHFEST

  • Interview: OTHERWISE

    Otherwise, meaning other than supposed, different if you will. That is the best way to describe this incredible band, Otherwise. “We don’t really look like your typical rock band and we’re trying not to sound like your typical rock band. And there’s something for everybody, you might not get what you expect,” says Adrian Patrick, the band’s front man, to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel, on their tour bus. “At least that’s our goal, that’s one of our goals artistically.” It definitely seems like they have reached that goal with their ever-growing fan base.

    Originally from Sin City, Las Vegas, Otherwise, consisting of the Patrick brothers, Adrian and Ryan (lead guitarist/vocals), Corky Gainsford (drummer/vocals), Andrew Pugh (guitarist/vocals), Vassilios Metropoulos (bass/vocals), has made their mark across the country, and touched the fans’ hearts with their sound and powerful lyrics. “It’s an amazing feeling to show at a place you’ve never really heard of, that you didn’t know existed. Then people there are singing back your words, even if it’s one person singing back your song lyrics, it’s still like, wow, that’s really happening.”

    You may recognize one of their songs being played on Octane, one that has played for at least two years now, “Soldiers”. Back in October of 2011, during the 48 Hours Festival, the band met up with Jose Mangin, Sirius Octane’s program director who they had previously met at the Mayhem Festival in 2010, and while they were convening during the Sevendust set, they gave him a demo of the song. Adrian then tells the story about the song, adding, “it’s very spiritual.” “48 Hours Festival was the last show we got to do with our cousin, Ivan Patrick. He was our drum tech, he had a bunk on the bus, he was part of our crew for many, many years. Me and him are the exact same age, he was my twin, and two weeks later, he died on his bike on Halloween night, but before passing away, he came into Corky’s garage and he sang on ‘Soldiers’.”

    For all the die-hard In This Moment fans, you may recognize Adrian’s killer vocals in the fiery passionate duet with Maria, “The Promise”, that was eventually followed by a steamy music video filled with spine-chilling primal screams. Definitely an amazing metal duet that’s hard to forget. However, Adrian revealed that he was not their first choice. “Initially, I was just supposed to be laying down guide-tracks for a more well-known singer, you know, they had a long list of people they were contacting and it just so happened that the planets aligned, with all the red-tape and the record labels and management and people’s schedules, and the label liked what I did enough to say, ‘Dude, this sounds great, let’s put him on the album.’” After “The Promise” was heard, those die-hard In This Moment fans became Otherwise fans as well.

    Living in Vegas can have its perks, especially in mind-blowing experiences, ones where they have to be told in song. Some songs have a chilling effect, some have the effect of tugging the fans’ heartstrings (like “Heaven”), all of them have deep and powerful meanings, filled with Ryan’s amazing riffs, according to Adrian where their ideas come from. “Most of our ideas start with a riff that my brother has, he’s a very prolific writer. I mean, he picks up a guitar and a riff comes out and whether we use it or not, he’s always got some new ideas, so usually I’d say about 99% of the stuff is sparked. My brother is a spark, we all just kind of add to the fire…as far as lyric content goes, most of it is experiential, I write from experience. Although some guys are very good at telling a story about something they’ve never experienced or been through, …I try to stay away from that, because to me, it’s not genuine. Maybe it is genuine…to me it’s like I’m not gonna write about something I have no idea about.” The content of the lyrics are about those they have lost along the way to where they are now, about love, hate and anger. One of the songs they performed April 2nd at the Webster, was about an accident they should not have walked away from. These lyrics are the kind that really have the gears turned, that has everybody thinking about a deeper meaning behind these amazing words.

    Otherwise has had the opportunity to tour with the Canadian rock band, My Darkest Days. When asked about the tour, Adrian explained that their booking agent from TKO Booking, Andrew Goodfriend, was the one that set that up. “A lot of times the next step is based on relationships…and that was a good tour for us, it was a lot of fun, a lot of small bars, a lot of cool clubs and a lot of great crowds.” Before their headline tour, Otherwise shared the stage with Papa Roach, and after their headline, they will continue to tour with the band as well as perform at the Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio this summer.

    While touring all over the nation, quite a few venues stuck out for them such as Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD and Rock Junction in West Greenwich, RI. However, there is one that really hits home for them: The Roxy in Los Angeles. “It’s very special to us because that’s where we pretty much got signed out of and they always do a really good job with sound. They’re total pros and it’s always a great vibe.” It seems wherever this band goes, they manage to set an incredible vibe, one that makes you feel like they are truly connecting with their fans.

    Be sure to check out Otherwise on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/otherwiseofficial), and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@weareotherwise) for tour dates and updates, and check out their debut record in stores now, True Love Never Dies.

  • Mandate Of Heaven releases their 10th CD, “Mark Music”

    Syracuse multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Greg Pier and his vehicle, “Mandate of Heaven” have released their latest CD, “Mark Music” and are preparing for several shows in May and June.

    Pier could certainly be considered one of the area’s most prolific writers as MofH reaches double-digit numbered releases. MofH is not only a band, but also the moniker for Pier’s solo performances and recordings. “Mark Music” is the tenth release on Pier’s “Neon Witch” label. Jason “Jocko” Randall engineers and mixes at More Sound with additional tracking done at Neon Witch, Randall and Pier co-produce this release which was recorded between 2009 and 2012. All songs were written by Pier except “Scrapper’s Blues”, written with Ethan Jenks.

    MOH-1-web
    photo by Robyn Stockdale

    The current band features FLASHING ASTONISHER veterans Bob Kane on Drums, who plays on all tracks here besides “High Dragonfly” and Chuck Gwynn who contributes bass on “Bedroom In The Sky”. Bob gave me a great quote while we discussed this review, “What bums me out is that my favorite tune has Greg on drums, “High Dragonfly”. I laid down a track, but I was more Wilco than Crazy Horse, just too many grace notes, so he played it himself. Someday I’ll learn!” Jason “Jocko” Randall on second guitar and six string monster John Hanus plays the slide solos on “Bedroom In The Sky” and “Cruel, Cruel Aristocrats”. All other instruments and all vocals are performed by Pier, much the same as previous MofH releases.

    The CD opens with “Baby Electron”, a straight-up power-pop monster, setting the bar high for the rest of the disc. Super melodic, the ringing harmonic guitar parts swirl around the vocal harmonies ‘til the chorus hits with a crunch and bite! Hopelessness and lack of control, such a romantically pretty place to start and an appropriate lead in to “Bedroom In The Sky”. John Hanus’ dripping slide part supports Pier’s melancholic reading. The guitar parts individually read with a R.E.M. feel, the rhythm, the slide. Gwynn’s bass line is solid and flowing, just the right feel to work with Kane completing the section. “Scrapper’s Blues” is like a postcard from the front porch, written by Yorke and sung by a Matt Bellamy/Bono lovechild. The syncopation in the guitar line with Kane’s drive close at hand pushes the pace in an almost twirling dance. The first listen of “High Dragonfly” illustrates Kane’s previous quote, while the vocal line belies the almost woodsy feel of the tune, Pier’s vocal twists from his heart like the removal of a similar knife-blade. There’s a “dEUS” quality to one guitar line that echoes a “Beefheartish” influence and influences the vocal meter. The minimalist feel allows the words to bite and release, hard. “From The Center” releases the heavy side of Pier, while he allows the melodic vocal duality to layer deep. Kane’s strength reminds me of QOTSA Grohl, along with a vocal intonation that is rhythmically British in a Foo kinda way, again, back to Kane’s quote.

    There’s an edgy, crispy quality to the whole recording, maybe it’s in the compression. It’s a bit haunting and a bit halting, kinda like T-Rex at times vocally and that ain’t bad!

    Note: We just clicked on cdbaby to the “if you like this artist try” section. Hahahaha! Perfect!

    “Cruel, Cruel Aristocrats” brings Hanus back in the mix to accentuate the fast pace of Pier’s guitar line. Thematically Pier takes another bite at the expected and entitled, spitting at the standard while embracing the outsider. Check out the video here, it’s very well done.

    “If Twenty” jumps out of the gate heavy, its layered guitar riffs punctuating Greg’s quasi-pastoral, pleading vocals. Kane, once again is so strong, yet thoughtful, right down to the bell ride on his cymbal signaling the crunch along. Pier’s disaffected poetry is wrenching when it reaches its apex, circling and re-examining to the ultimate goal, the ultimately isolated self.

    “Parable” is like a theme that runs in my head everyday. Listen to what the self-proclaimed decide you like and let them pick your enemies while they’re at it. It spits at the standard and what is foisted upon us daily. Almost a updated “Iron Man” hidden in there for familiarity, with the classic percussive break only to bring you back with slowed down big-rock ending.

    “Riverbed” has a cool wilting pedal steel line playing against the semi-San Franciscan guitars, whether they’re para-psychedelic or more semi-symbionic. There’s a root in the Appalachians and a mind in Berkeley, woeful, but trust-fund hopeful. Cue up Yo La Tengo – “Sugarcube” and stress the droning vacuum cleaner sound.

    “Hand The Bottle From The Tree” is classic indie-power pop, it rocks, the vocals soar and the end kills. It times in at 3:08, just like a single that will never get airtime. It’s a pity really. At first listen a few months ago I stated that this release alone was reason for a “Album Of The Year” category in our local SAMMY Awards. Did I mention that this won “Best Modern Rock” album this year? I truly believe this work toasts many Grammy winners, it truly is that good! A taste of The Black Keys, maybe some spice from The Raconteurs, all deftly dialed in by Jocko and Greg.

    The closer, “Song Of The Halfway Point” lays it all on the table for digestion. Influences blended with personal vision, forethought and hindsight mixed with the slightest twang. It’s powerful, it exceeds its environment, it stretches reality beyond the norm if only just in wanting. It’s brilliant. Go buy it right now.

    Find Mandate Of Heaven online at Bandcamp and Facebook.

  • Furthur Announces Summer/Fall Tour 2013

    furthur_summer2013.jpgJust when we were beginning to think that All Good was actually going to be their only summer 2013 appearance, Furthur announced their East Coast heavy summer 2013 tour dates today! Looks like All Good is now just a midway point on a long strange trip between East and West coasts for this psychedelic troop.

    The Band will come through Upstate NY twice this summer, while also playing other popular North East venues like, home to the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center; and first time appearances at New Hampshire’s Meadow Brook. This tour will also be the first time the band has done a 4-day run, September 19-22, at Red Rocks!

    Personally I had my doubts too. Heads from Rochester to Toronto were legitimately almost convinced we wouldn’t see any Furthur. If we weren’t going to the Port Chester sold out shows or All Good, then we just might have our first summer in years without the sweet sounds to fill the air.

    Furthur is playing the Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY on July 14th. Mail order tickets will go on sale April 16th online Here. Internet Pre-Sales  are during April 16-18th, and regular on sale April 19th. They will return to CMAC in Canadaigua, NY on July 19th. Ticket info is the same for both venues as well as all dates on the tour schedule. For more information please visit the Furthur website Here.

    Furthur Tour Dates:

    July 11 – Brooklyn, NY
    July 12 – Holmdel, NJ
    July 14 – Cooperstown, NY
    July 16 – Gilford, NH
    July 17 & 18 – Boston, MA
    July 19 – Canandaigua, NY
    September 19, 20, 21 & 22 – Red Rocks, CO
    September 24 – Redmond, WA
    September 25 – Eugene, OR
    September 27, 28 & 29 – Berkeley, CA
    October 1 & 2 – Las Vegas, NV
    October 4, 5 & 6 – Los Angeles, CA

  • The Jam Journey Home: Aqueous and Turkuaz weekend in Vermont, March 30th and 31st

    Road trip. Two words that will instill excitement, desire, and even a wee bit of anxiety in any music lover. This particular trip would involve three people’s weekend journey into the beautiful mountains of Vermont, culminating in an excursion to see two of the Northeast’s finest bands, Buffalo’s Aqueous and NYC’s Turkuaz, playing together at the revered historical jewel of a venue: Nectar’s in Burlington.

    Our Friday stop was in the sleepy little town of Manchester, Vermont which is snuggled comfortably in the southeast corner of the state just across the New York border for a two set Aqueous show at The Perfect Wife Restaurant and Tavern.

    The Perfect Wife resides on a windy country road and had a packed dinner crowd up until show time, which made for some interesting logistics prepping sound and equipment around families enjoying their dinners. The venue was immaculately clean and featured a friendly accommodating staff, a diverse menu featuring many local products and an excellent selection of draft micro-brews.

    Aqueous took the stage a bit after 10pm to a decent crowd with a well executed, if somewhat standard version of “What’s the Connection”. This would be the last of the standard renditions for the night as the rest of this set was pure fire. Top notch versions of “Skyway” and “They’re Calling For Ya” came next, both featuring some especially adventurous improvisation between the composed parts and the start of a “Cissy Strut” tease that would permeate almost every song for the rest of the night. The highlight of the first set was an intense 17 minute version of “Complex” which, despite being a relatively new song, has joined the upper echelons of the band’s most jammed out tunes. The set closed out with a 23 minute combo of Hendrix’s “Bold As Love” into the original “All In”.

    The second set started off with an on-the-spot improv jam based on Chic’s “Good Times” which segued into the often paired original duo of “Eon Don” and “Timmy’s Blades”. Manchester got a special treat in this set as it marked the debut of a first time played original “The Village Dog and Pony Show”. The new song was an excellent example of Aqueous’s brilliance at genre-knitting sequences that seem to have no business being in the same song into one seamless composition. Imagine if Rush and Muse had a hot threesome with Umphrey’s McGee’s “Booth Love” and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark of this songs sound. had a chance to talk with guitarist Mike Gantzer about the story behind this song, and while we can’t reveal the gritty details, the song is written about a person who was too consumed with his own self interests to be courteous to others. Other second set highlights included a very experimental version of the original “Origami” featuring a keys sit-in by Scott Hannay (Mister F, Capital Zen) who was also helping out with sound that night.

    The next morning, after a quick breakfast, it was time to head to Burlington. After a fun day enjoying the shops of Burlington  and a chili cook off at Nectar’s — with guest judge Jon Fishman of Phish — we were able to witness an absolutely breathtaking sunset as we arrived at the venue a few minutes before Aqueous’s opening set.

    Nectar’s is everything a jam fan might imagine: filled with artwork in line with the venue’s rich musical history, well kept and staffed, excellent sound and heady selection of brews with a large local focus.

    Like the night before, Aqueous wasted no time getting right into it and delivered another set filled with excellence for the Vermont denizens whom showed up early. Highlights included the opening original “Pictures”, a fun mash-up of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Aqueous original “Warren in the Window” and yet another monster “Complex”.

    Next up was the mighty Turkuaz, with the ten members lined up on the stage, which made even the ample sized Nectar’s stage look minimal. The entire band came decked out in one piece coveralls, maintaining their fashion statement from the Rochester show the previous night. Despite the ten people on stage, their sound is unbelievably tight and comes across as one unified funk force. Like Sly on steroids, the band flowed effortlessly from song to song with ample improvisation and a large portfolio of well chosen covers including top notch versions of Led Zeppelin’s “Trampled Under Foot” and The Band’s “The Shape I’m In”. Beyond the music, the bands three vocalists all have top quality pipes that add an extra layer of soul to the funk souffle. At this point the venue was packed to the gills. All eyes were on Turkuaz and all feet were moving in unison with the thundering waves of funk. They played late into the night and left the Nectar’s crowd fully satiated. Even if you are not a fan of this genre, Turkuaz is an absolute must see band.

    Aqueous setlist: 2013-03-29 Manchester VT

    Set 1 What’s the Connection, Skyway, They’re Calling For You[T1], Complex [T1], Triangle[T1], Axis>All In[T2]

    Set 2 Good Times Jam[Chic]->Eon Don->Timmy’s Blades->Warren[N1], The Village Dog and Pony Show [N2], Origami[N1,3][T3], Just[N4][T1]>Strange Times, Pictures

    Teases: 1 Cissy Strut 2. YYZ 3. Amber [311] multiple times
    Notes: 1. “North Face” lyrical modifications 2. Debut 3. With Scott Hannay [Capital Zen/Mister F] on keys 4. Radiohead cover

    Listen here.

    Aqueous setlist: 2013-03-30 Burlington VT

    Set 1: Pictures>All In[T1], Strange Times, They’re Calling For Ya[T2,3],The Village Dog and Pony Show, Skyway, Bohemian Rhapsody->Warren[T4]->Bohemian Rhapsody>Complex

    Teases.1. Pictures 2. Xxplosive [Dr Dre] 3. Next Episode [Dr Dre] 4.Closer to the heart [Rush]

    Listen here.

    Turkuaz setlist: 2013-03-30 Burlington VT

    Set 1: Physical Challenge, Future 86, Bubba Slide, Smarter Than the Speaker, Gremlins, Slippery People, Getting Closer, Trampled Under Foot, Snap Your Fingers, E.Y.E.>XYZ, Desert Island>Coast to Coast, The Shape I’m In, Pickin’ Up, Hold On I’m Comin’, Chatte Lunatique>Club Foot, Beast of Burden, The Harder They Come, Monkey Fingers

  • Johnny Mathis serenades fans at The Palace Theater in Albany on April 4th

    Legendary singer Johnny Mathis performed last Thursday April 4th at the Palace Theater in Albany, NY. I was originally told about this show by my parents, who grew up listening to his classic hits and were eager to see the crooner in action.

    The Palace Theater was the ideal setting for a Johnny Mathis concert, given its rich history and architecture. The crowd slowly shuffled in with most of the fans being no younger than 55. It was an unfamiliar feeling for me to be one of the youngest concert goers at a show. I was both thrilled and surprised to see a full orchestra set up on stage.  Knowing that The Palace Theater has plenty of space for the music to travel around in, I suddenly couldn’t wait for the show to start. Luckily for me and everyone else, Johnny Mathis started the show at 8pm on the dot and was greeted with a slow-rising standing ovation. Johnny_Mathis

    The opener was “When I Fall in Love”, to which I had never heard such utter silence from a crowd. Every set of eyes and ears were locked on Mr. Mathis, giving him his much deserved attention and respect. He stated how he was “thrilled to be at The Palace” and was going to play some songs that we’ve all heard before but he loved to sing them. After a few notes, it was easy to understand why Johnny Mathis has broken the Guinness World Record for selling over 350 million of his various gold and platinum albums worldwide. Despite being 78 years old, Johnny Mathis can still sing every word as crisp and clear as on his albums, and still with great gusto. Mathis sang his classic hits such as “It’s Not For Me to Say” and my favorite, “Chances Are.” The songs were filled with charming doo-wops and sincere, long sustained notes.

    Throughout the entire show, at the start of every song, the whole audience would sigh and swoon. Johnny Mathis would sing a few notes, the crowd would sigh in admiration and I could hear the folks around me gently singing the lyrics to each other.  As humorous as it was, it was still heartwarming to be included in a nostalgic evening for concert-goers. Mathis ended the first set with an emotional cover “Yesterday” by The Beatles. There was a brief intermission where comedian Brad Upton kept guests entertained with clean cut jokes about today’s youth and their obsession with technology, the humor of getting older plus plenty of marriage/relationship advice. Mr. Upton delivered each punch line with charm that it was no surprise that he won the crowd over in just a few laughs. Brad Upton recently was the winner of the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and has appeared at Caesar’s Palace as part of the HBO Comedy Festival. bradupton2

    Johnny Mathis began the second set with the recognizable song “Pure Imagination” from the film Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. One of Mathis’ signature songs, “Misty”, received plenty of cheers due to the soaring string section and tender lyrics. The second set was mellow and easy going until Johnny Mathis brought up his fellow band mate and “Dear friend of 48 years”, Gil Reigers to center stage. The crowd got antsy as this was a sure sign that the two would play “12th of Never”, a warm ballad with gentle guitar strumming from Reigers. Johnny Mathis ended the evening by serenading the crowd with the classic song “You’ll Never Know” and thanking the talented orchestra, loyal band mates, his dedicated fans and of course, the beautiful venue, The Palace Theater.

  • Interview: Blood of the Martyrs

    botmimagesBlood of the Martyrs is a ministry band hailing from Virginia that started back in 2007. They travel the states as a DIY band, getting up close and personal with their craft and with the fans, bridging out with anyone who comes to the shows. This is the second time they’ve been at The Dungeon bringing along the New Jersey-based band, Alive In The Dark, with them for a few stops and sharing the stage that night with locals such as Jonestown, This Above All and Collisions In Grey And Red. I’d like to thank Larry Moore of The Division Sequence/Wrapped In Noir/M.D.I.G (Mom Dad I’m Gaelic).  I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did and hit them up with likes and check out their music since they put a lot of effort into what they do and put on one hell of a show! Also hit up Larry for shows in your area and/or flyer work, the man has talent and does a lot in the scene.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35p0LZ0QPVc&w=560&h=315

    Here’s my first nation band interview with Blood of the Martyrs for 315 Street Team and Upstate Metal. Thanks To Larry Moore of the Division Sequence for setting this up.

    BOTM pages:
    http://www.facebook.com/Bloodofthemartyrs?fref=ts
    http://www.myspace.com/bloodofthemartyrs
    http://bloodofthemartyrs.bandcamp.com/al…
    http://www.youtube.com/user/BLOODOFTHEMA…
    http://twitter.com/BOTM_BAND

    315 Street Team:
    http://www.facebook.com/315StreetTeam?ref=ts&fref=ts

    http://www.youtube.com/user/rundownmaggot666

    The Division Sequence:
    http://www.facebook.com/TheDivisionSequence?ref=ts&fref=ts

  • The Big Takeover this weekend in Poughkeepsie & Hudson

    The Big Takeover is a unique concoction of backgrounds and spirits that perfectly creates a version of reggae that is fresh and vivid. With Jamaican born and raised NeeNee Rushie as a captivating and memorable front woman, this movement complete with a playful horn section, pulsating bass and drums, and a hypnotizing rhythm section fills its audience’s hearts with good vibes and solid joy.

    big takeover

    The Big Takeover is making a return to Ciboney Cafe in Poughkeepsie, NY, April 12th. The show starts at 8pm and goes till 11pm. A dinner menu is available between 5pm-10pm and a Happy Hour from 6pm-8pm. Tickets can be purchased at the venue.

    The band then moves onto a show at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY, April 13th. Dinner will be served at 6pm and the show starts at 9pm, Rich Shultz is the opening band Saturday night. Admission is $10/$12 and you can purchase tickets online Here.

  • The Machine, April 6th, Westcott Theater

    This past Saturday Night I got the chance to experience The Machine at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse.

    The Machine started the set with thumping of a heart beat  from “Speak to me”, then segued into “Breathe”, followed by “Time”, just as on Dark Side of the Moon, drawing everyone to the front of the stage. The entire show was accompanied by a spectacular light and fog show that set the atmosphere for the entire evening. From there, the band played “What do you want from me” and “Happiest Days of our lives”, then took a short setbreak before returning with “Pigs on the Wing” and “Dogs”.

    Later in the show, renditions of “Wish you were Here” and “Comfortably Numb” led to the crowd singing along in unison. There was an eerie circus sound made when the band moved into “Waiting for the Worms” and the “Trial”, off the soundtrack to The Wall. The crowd reciprocated by holding up their arm’s in X’s, just as in The Wall.  The Machine finished with an encore of “Outside of the Wall”, a spectacular way to end the night.

    For more information on The Machine, visit their Facebook and MySpace pages

  • Dark Star Orchestra adds Buffalo and Rochester to Spring Tour East 2013

    If you were one of many Upstate New Yorkers’ who were bummed to learn that Dark Star Orchestra was not coming closer to Rochester or Buffalo on their way to Thornville, Ohio for the Jubilee on their Spring Tour East 2013 then cry no more my friends! With the cancellation of Mighty High Mountain Festival, the band has added shows and they’re commin’ to town.

    Dark Star Orchestra has added May 18th at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY. Admission is $25, All Ages (Under 16 admitted with parent or guardian). Show starts at 9pm and you can purchase your tickets online Here via DSOtix.

    May 19th at Rochester’s Water Street Music Hall the show starts at 8pm, All Ages! Admission is $24 and you can pick up your advance purchase tickets via DSOtix Here or through the venue website Here.

    For more information on DSO’s Spring Tour East 2013 check out DSO Online.