NYS Music 20​13

Tag: dopapod

  • Dopapod To Part Ways With Original Drummer Neal “Fro” Evans

    A few months back, Brooklyn’s hottest jam commodity Dopapod announced that drummer Neal “Fro” Evans would be taking a little hiatus from touring. Yesterday the band announced that the hiatus would be permanent and that sit in drummer Scotty Zwang would become a permanent member of the ‘pod. Fro left fans with a parting letter, here it is:FRO

    “Dear Dopapod Friends and Family,

    Many of you know that I took a break from the band two months ago. I left to make sure that I had a happy head on my shoulders. Music is my fire and when I realized that it was getting a little dim, I had to step out and rekindle the flame. I was able to do this on my time off, but when I returned to the band, I found the door to be closed. After 4+ years of growing with this family, living in a van, laying down the beats, putting on amazing shows by playing music that I am very proud of, and most of all meeting/performing for countless amazing humans (and aliens), I am going to move on to something else.

    I wish the best for the band, for it would be most disappointing if this decision resulted in its decline in any way. It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. The experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met have been dreams come true. The amazing journey that has been Dopapod would be impossible without all of you, so continue to support them because they are some of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever played with. Also, please follow me and my music into the future and let’s keep doing this thing! Many of you know about my other musical endeavors: Elephant Wrecking Ball (Featuring Scott Flynn of Pretty Lights, on tour soon, see below), MOM AND DAD (featuring Chuck Jones of Dopapod), and Cashed Fools. Check them out! I live and breathe music and I will continue to make music with others who do the same. I love you all and can’t wait to see you again from behind the drums and anywhere else.

    With the most sincere love for all of you. Thank you.

    Neal”

    Check out Neal’s other endeavors below and a link to his last performance with Dopapod.
    www.elephantwreckingball.com
    www.facebook.com/elephantwreckingball

    www.momanddad.com
    www.facebook.com/momanddadband

    www.cashedfools.com
    www.facebook.com/cashedfools

    Twitter: @frodrums

    Bonus:
    Here is a link to the last show that I played with Dopapod, from Fall Down Fest in CT. It is one of my favorite performances of the band, and I couldn’t be more stoked to have ended on such a high note. I also know that it was a favorite of its taper, MKDEVO.

  • Dopapod Turns Buffalo’s Waiting Room into Raging Room 10/10/13

    The second time that I saw Dopapod was much different than my first as this was my first trip to the Waiting Room in Buffalo and I was happily impressed.

    The venue is spacious, clean and has a huge bar.  With great beer on tap, nice clean bathrooms and free parking, the Waiting Room has those nice little touches that help the concert experience along.  When Dopapod hit the stage, iconic looking drummer Neal “Fro” Evans was missing.  Scotty Zwang has stepped into the role for the rest of their fall tour (via their facebook page).  Apparently “Fro” is dealing with some personal matters and Scotty had just two days playing with the band under his belt.  I was thoroughly impressed with Scotty as he did not seem to miss a beat.  There were times during the show where he was not only holding the rhythm down, but helping to drive some of the jams.

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    The first set got things moving quite quickly, with “Black and White” and “Onionhead” as first set highlights.  Setbreak occurred after the band encountered some keyboard problems.  Following a quick intermission, the best music of night greeted the crowd of around 200.  The first two songs, “Sonic” and “French Bowling” provided an array of improvisational music that hit on many levels.  Dopapod was rocking, funking, and breaking jams all the way down before building back up to a fury.  “Trapper Keeper” was perfectly placed and punctuated the risk taking reward of the improvisation before it.

    Dopapod is a mixed bag for some.  Much of their music can makes one get down like an elevator with Neil Peart’s drum kit in it. Other times, especially during long “jamtronica” sections, you may drift off, perhaps thinking about which flavor of ice cream to eat when I get home.  With so many different genres that Dopapod delves into, that is probably to be expected.  Regardless, Dopapod really brings it with their excellent musical skills.

    Last time I saw Dopapod at Nietzsche’s on September 8th, 2012, I thought Eli Winderman (keyboards) completely dominated the show.  This time around, Rob Compa (guitar) and Chuck Jones (bass) were much more of a factor at the Waiting Room.  Rob is particularly impressive and tonight being his birthday, which the band seemed to feed on.  Compa’s playing is creative and technically strong; every solo, riff or melody seemed to be unique and inspired, leading to moments where Rob is leading the jams on top of a strong bass line from Chuck.  Eli was excellent during these Rob-led jams, using his creativity to enhance the sound rather than force the jam in a new direction.

    When Dopapod laid down the funk, the crowd danced like they were on Soul Train, if only the bell bottoms and leisure suits had been replaced by flat brim hats and patchy beards.  When Dopapod brought the hard stuff, the crowd’s energy was unmistakable.  People jumping up and down, sweat becoming as abundant as Buffalo Sabres losses – make no mistake, with every twist and turn during the show the crowd was into it.  Live Dopapod  proves to be great fun to be around each and every time.

  • There’s More Than Meets the Eye: A look Into the Expanding Role of Lighting Designers

    Music is a combination of expression and creativity and shared with anyone willing to lend an ear. It has the commanding ability to alter our mood and take us far away from reality. Whether you’re an album collector or a stub saver, the experience of music is universally enjoyed. It hasn’t been until recently that music has been combined with a performance that satisfies our most commanding of senses, our vision. The marriage is complimentary in both directions, filling voids the other can’t and accentuating time in harmony. Lighting designers are taking music as a base and adding to the body of work and the prevalence of their role has only been felt for a short time now, but ideas are being explored today and the standard is being pushed in creative directions. The jam scene in particular is a hot bed for new talent and their importance is becoming more and more apparent. I got the chance to talk to a variety of lighting directors, each bringing their own skill set to the table. Jefferson Waful of Umphrey’s McGee, Johnny R. Goode of The Disco Biscuits, Luke Stratton of Dopapod, and Ryan Bress of The Manhattan Project all shared their unique perspective for an encompassing look at the newest member of the band.

    Getting into this line of work happens serendipitously as told by each of these lighting directors. From being a sound engineer to following a band on tour, each took a different path and happened to be in the right place at the right time. Ryan started as a roadie for The Manhattan Project and says, “It started with learning their gear and how they liked it setup.” There were a lot of shows in that position until the band asked him to become the tour manager. Once each of them discovered lighting though, they were instantly hooked. Luke graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2009, with a focus on guitar performance. Despite all of that time spent on his degree, he says, “I get more out of lighting Dopapod, both personally and creatively, than I ever got out of playing the guitar.”

    After that initial taste of photonic creativity, each went all in. Ryan says, “Every extra penny goes into my ‘new lights’ fund.” With that investment, lighting designers begin to develop a collection of tools to use, each with its own purpose. Johnny Goode says, “My go to piece of hardware would be my console; I wouldn’t do a Disco Biscuits show without it.” Luke on the other hand uses a bunch of MIDI controllers and various computers all hacked together. “It allows me to control the rig like an instrument”, he says. These tools begin to shape their style and how their shows are lit. Luke defines himself as using a “top down” approach. He says, “The music defines what I’m doing at all times.” Jefferson takes an artistic approach that pulls from his background in video editing. “I like to describe my style as graceful ballet with dramatic and ominous movements. When I used to edit video, I would put things in slow motion because it felt powerful. Now when the band is playing a million notes per second, I think it’s equally powerful to have a slow moving light rig.” And just as two guitarists can use the same three chords, yet sound different, two LD’s can use the same three colors, but create a completely different atmosphere.

    Photo by Dave Vann

    This isn’t to say that lighting a band is as easy as buying some hardware and playing with some lights. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into pulling off a show in even a small venue. The time it takes for these LDs ranged from an hour or two to needing a whole day for setup. This starts with surveying the venue and figuring out the layout. From there, the trusses, fixtures, and other hardware are brought in and setup along with the data and power lines. After that lengthy process, lighting designers still have to program their board to use what lights they were able to setup within a given venue. For Luke, the biggest issue is time. He says, “I do a ton of programming everyday. From updating positions to checking color looks; I never have the time I need to dial everything in as perfect as I’d like.” There are yet other annoyances like power limitations, haze and fog restrictions, and limited stage space. Jefferson says, “You have to get creative with how you stack lights and where you put them to work within the parameters of the given venue.” Overall, there’s a lot to overcome in order to bring their creative vision to fruition every night. There are times when it doesn’t always go as planned. Jefferson says, “We’re at this interesting stage in our career where we need to be big enough to play at a place like Red Rocks, but also be flexible enough to cram some of that same equipment into a small bar. You sometimes just have to psychologically prepare that it’s not always going to look the way you envision it every time.”

    Since the jam scene is driving this, an additional hurdle for the lighting designer is the spontaneous nature of improv that most bands use within their live shows. Where lighting a rehearsed song eventually becomes part of muscle memory, improv adds the possibility of variance. Those nightly musical changes make it next to impossible for the lights to run on auto pilot. Jefferson says, “Because it’s happening in real time, I can be an active participant in that process.” Additionally, varying setlists only compounds the problem. Ryan Bress says, “Knowing a bands music is huge. You can’t depend on a setlist because a band will change it up last minute or even during a set.” Luke from Dopapod only uses one sequence at the moment; the rest of the time he says, “I’m playing the lighting designer’s equivalent of notes, chords and riffs instead of just pressing play.”

    With all of this at their fingertips, there’s a lot of room for creativity and endless combinations of color and movement. The key is control and patience though as you don’t want to show your entire hand within the first two songs. Even new LDs understand that point. Ryan says, “If you give away all that your rig has to offer right off the bat, then you have nothing to deliver when the music gets more intense.” Luke echoes a similar point saying, “I usually get through a two-set show using only 75% of my cues and effects. I kind of treat it like a guitar and only use one effect or look in a specific song.” Jefferson Waful explains, “If the band is doing a ten minute improv, I’ll do nine and a half minutes of slow graceful movements. I’ll wait to throw in strobes and additional lights at the very end, otherwise you can lose the audience’s interest.”

    As the lights fade, your senses come back down from overload. Music’s deep resonation has found a perfect match in the visual space the lights play in. The show’s temporary nature makes the combined effort more of a traveling work of art; setting up only to tear down again. The role of the lighting designer is only going to grow from here, leaving a legacy that’s equally important as the guys with instruments. There might be a sensory difference with what an LD brings to the table, but their absence would certainly leave the band in the dark.

  • Chill as it Ever Was: Catskill Chill Music Festival Review

    The Catskill Chill celebrated its 4th annual music festival weekend on September 6th-8th at the scenic review of Camp Minglewood of Hancock, NY, located in the heart of the Catskills. The festival brought together another year of great music with a talented lineup and loving community known as the Chill Fam. What was once a summer sleep away camp gave festival goers the ultimate end to the summer party with the rustic and wooden stages, laid back staff and fun seeking friends that brought back memories of childhood and past Chill weekends. Guests had the option of renting cabins, complete with bunk beds, bathrooms and showers as well as plenty of tent camping for those seeking a view of the clear star filled skies at night while vendors were set up near the stages offering a variety of foods, clothes and odd ends at all hours of the weekend, complete with an Ice Cream Silent Disco Truck.

    American Babies, kicked off the festival weekend on the Main Stage with a gentle rock vibe with slight southern twang. Keyboardist Adam Flicker kept a very close ear to his organ almost as if he was resting his head on every note. “Blue Skies” brought an enchanting melody of endless sunshine while their rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” helped the crowd stretch out their singing chops and dancing muscles. Spiritual Rez is a reggae ska band that can dance harder than you and they aren’t afraid to show it. Toft Willingham is a total talented nutcase as he sings and rocks on guitar all over the stage, encouraging the crowd to join in on a massive primal scream. Drummer Ian Miller, having recently broken his right arm, still managed to beat the hell out of the drums left handed and Mohamed Araki took a break from his keyboards to excite the crowd with a stage shaking keytar solo. Making their third appearance at The Chill, the four piece electronic rock band, Particle sent the crowd rocketing with their “Launchpad” opener into Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue.” It was an unusual, somewhat early (5pm) set for the group but that didn’t stop the Chill Fam from packing out the Main Stage area for their spacy dance jams. The band congratulated the crowd on making the right choice to attend this year’s Catskill Chill as it is one of their favorite festivals to perform at and went on to cover Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”

    Jimkata had the crowd grooving in a beautiful unison with angelic yet robotic synthesizers and hard hitting guitar riffs. Drummer Packy Lunn slams relentlessly on the cymbals throughout “Die Digital” as Evan Friedell’s vocals cascade around the dance floor. Capital Zen, the progressive funk rock band from Upstate New York had music going in every direction. Their lyrics are fast spitting poetry that hits you at warp speed as their electronic tunes mix with hardcore rock and eventually into a cover of Primus’ “My Name is Mud.” Lotus brought the sound of lasers to life as they blasted the Main Stage to pieces with “Uffi” into “Golden Ghost”. Big electronic build ups throughout the set with heavy beats and intense guitar shredding provided a never-ending dance groove for the Chill Fam. The set got kicked up a notch as Particle keyboardist, Steve Molitz, joined the band for “Greet the Mind” for the ultimate get down. “Alright, we are pretty lite up” joked Alan Evans after their set opener, “They Call Me Velvet.” Given only an hour and a few minutes to play on Stage B, the Alan Evans trio didn’t waste a minute of pure funk explosion. Keyboardist Beau Sasser could barely sit down as he shook the keys and Guitarist Danny Mayer’s riffs were so sharp, they could cut right through you.

    Primate Fiasco, newcomers to the Chill this year, scored one set Friday and Saturday night on the Acoustic Junction stage. The modern day ragtime band was a refreshing and fun surprise to folks who found themselves dancing in no time. J Witbeck’s deep sousaphone notes kept the music hot while Dave Russo picked on the banjo with fire. The true highlight of Friday night came from the 10 piece party machine, Lettuce, who threw down the funk on the Main Stage and never picked it up. Their high energy horn section blasted the groove so even folks all away across the lake could get down. It was an old school, disco dance party with plenty of soul to spare. The crowd screamed with excitement as the band played the infamous “Apache’ by Jerry Lordan. Alecia Shakour had smooth sensual vocals as she sat in for “Do Your Thing.” Kung Fu ended the night on the Main Stage with a dirty funky groove full of serious attitude. The hard core electronic beats and ripping saxophone from Robert Somerville are things not to be messed with. John Durkin and Nigel Hall joined in for the far out funk of “Steppin in It.”

    check out Bryan Lasky’s photos below and keep reading for more of Catskill Chill from Saturday and Sunday

    A brief early Saturday morning storm passed through, making way for blue skies with sunshine and a jam packed day of music scheduled. Twiddle had a surprisingly large crowd at the Main Stage for their noon set plus multiple musician sit ins. 13 year-old guitar hero Bobby Paltauf sat in for “Mamunes the Fawn” and Todd Stoops from Kung Fu sat in for “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” > “Funky Town.” Twiddle’s music mixes with all the best flavors of music such as funk, jazz, and rock causing a delicious start to Saturday. The Z3, a three piece funk band dedicated to music of Frank Zappa consists of Zappa lovers Beau Sasser, Tim Palmieri and Bill Carbone. The trio appealed to more than just Frank Zappa fans on the B Stage with their funky twist tributes of his original experimental rock songs. After last year’s late night cabin set, Solaris, Ithaca’s electronic trio rocked the comfortably crowded Club Chill. The all instrumental group fed off the wild energy in the room and threw it right back with a higher dosage of funk jazz fusion. Jared Raphel couldn’t be stopped as he gyrated back and forth, crushing his keys with atomic awesomeness.

    One of the more diverse bands of the weekend was Shwizz. One moment they are raging 80s German techno then suddenly it’s a light and soft lullaby jam. The band had so much love for the Chill Fam that it rained on the crowd and mixed with the cloud of glitter that was continuously being shot out of a cannon. One of the highlights of the set was the “Theme from Jurassic Park” closer, possibly the best cover of the weekend; Shwizz slowed down the piece and gently brought it up to a mountainous climactic peak. Quite the tear jerker. Aqueous delivered tight jams with improvisational grooves that kept the audience in nonstop motion. The big highlight and surprise of the set was their cover of “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by The Offspring, which brought out the teenage rebel in everyone, leading to a moshing sing along.

    Galactic gave The Chill a taste of New Orleans soul shakin funk music as well as a modern twist with speedy lyrics especially during “Move Fast.” The five piece band brought the Mardi Gras jazz and groove with their horn section and a resilient rhythm from Carter Burgess and Aaron Hagele. Fikus, best described as an electro funk rock, fused together a combo of hip hop attitude with piano solos and classic rock guitar riffs that turned Club Chill upside down. Brothers Past crushed it for over an on the B Stage for an hour set, with the highlight being a smooth and exhilarating “Squeeze” going just over 17 minutes. The dangerously fun headliner, Conspirator, was proud to return to Catskill Chll this year as they dominated the Main Stage. The band has a devoted fan base, due in part to Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits and for the powerful electronic rock dupstep that fans can’t get enough of. Drew Suto of Dutch Masterson Designs provided an intricate light and visual show that highlighted the unstoppable dark dance party. RAQ ended the evening with the quartet bringing an old school rock groove to the Chill Fam. The set consisted of on point jams with strong harmonies that flowed from “Cheap Sunglasses>Pushin’ Up Daisies> Bootch McGoo.”

    Check out Bryan Lasky’s photos below for day two of the Catskill Chill and keep reading for a review of Sunday

    On Sunday, Cabinet brought a beautiful start to Sunday with their all-string bluegrass sound. Their soft harmonies and bow playing was as fresh as the Catskill Mountain air. There were breaks in the clouds with gorgeous rays of sunshine that reflected off the lake while Cabinet’s music echoed off the breeze. It was more of a bluegrass meditation as concert goers eased into the third and final day of the Chill. More bluegrass followed as the four piece band, The Brummy Brothers, strummed on the Acoustic Junction stage. The Brummy’s introduced the song, “Cell Phone Blues”, by saying how one of the best things about the Catskill Chill is the zero cell phone service, a rare treat for today’s generation to enjoy The Chill with no technological distractions. The Brummy’s lyrics revolve around partying, the simple things in life and modern troubles, all with a jamgrass vibe that folks can both relate and “shake their brum” to. Later that day, the crowd was dancing, stomping, and singing along with the eight piece funk and soul band, Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds as their music flew off the Main Stage. The main songbird herself, Arleigh Kincheloe, blew minds with her stunning vocals and stage presence. The Dirty Birds know how to get down and dirty with a booming horn section, shrieking harmonica plus groovy drum and guitar solos.

    The McLovin’s, with less than an hour set, took the stage wearing furry animal costumes and played their second consecutive year at the Catskill Chill. The band did a solid version of Pink Floyd’s “Run like Hell” before bringing up the Horn Section from  Grant’s Tomb, New York’s top jazz jamband for a few songs, adding an extra party element. Legendary musician George Porter Jr. joined the animals on stage for a surprise cover of “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang resulting in a massive dance breakout. Traveling all the way from Boulder, Colorado and one of the most anticipated sets for Sunday was The Motet playing a Funk is Dead set, a tribute to The Grateful Dead. The Motet performed the classic Grateful Dead songs such as “Scarlet Begonias”, “Fire on the Mountain”, “New Speedway Boogie” and “Shakedown Street” but with a funky fresh and exotic groove that was contagious. It was almost like hearing the Dead for the first time.

    The Meter Men got the crowd jiving with a steady beat from the “Hand Clapping Song” opener which helped the musicians stretch out their groove muscles. The set was an easy flowing funk session with the Meter Men constantly feeding off each other’s vibes. Page McConnell took a moment to share with the crowd how he was reeling at the fact that he was playing with his musical heroes resulting in a roaring cheer. One of the highlights of the set was when George Porter Jr. invited Bobby Paltauf, the aforementioned 13 year old guitarist, to join them on stage and introduced him as one of the up and coming musicians to watch out for. Paltauf held his own among the music legends as he had Porter Jr. and McConnell laughing as he went note for note with Nocetelli. The crowd couldn’t get enough as they cheered on the musical magic that was happening before their eyes. After The Meter Man capped off their set with “Just Kissed My Baby”, Turkuaz blew up the B Stage with their high energy funk explosion of a performance. Geneva Williams and Sammi Garett bumped in perfect unison with their tambourines, taking turns with their own killer vocal solos. The horn section didn’t miss a chance to blow fans away as the set got wilder by each second. David Brandwein was front and center with his hard hitting vocals and nasty guitar shredding. Turkuaz doesn’t stop from the second they step foot on the stage to the second they get off, be prepared to dance your shoes off.

    For the most dedicated of the music festival fans, there was the climactic late Sunday night trio of Dopapod, Papadosio and a collaboration of the two to form, Dopadosio. As the evening temperatures dropped into the low 40s, the crowd was more than eager for the music to start as the bands took time setting up the gear on stage. New York City experimentalists Dopapod treated fans to an uplifting fusion of rock meets techno meets improvisational jam, something akin to an outer space back yard party. The four piece band isn’t afraid to push their music or fans out of their comfort zone with their genre mixing testing. Papadosio have a more relaxed sound as they started with a spacey “Hippie Babysitter” only to take an electronic turn and add haunting vocals for “Method of Control.” The quintet combined psychedelic rock with a techno jazz composition that kept people hot on the dance floor. The final act of the Catskill Chill weekend came when members of Dopadosio closed down the Main Stage with a three song tribute to RadioHead with “Airbag”, “Paranoid Android” and “Optimistic.” From the first tent set up to the last car leaving the lot, smiles could be seen all weekend. There was a constant feeling of appreciation as friends gathered to celebrate each other, the talented musicians and hardworking staff that helped make the weekend all that it could be and even better. With more than enough music and positive energy, The Catskill Chill lived up to their motto, “All Love, All the Time.”

    The final set of pictures from the Catskill Chill from Bryan Lasky.

  • The Fall Down 5 Initial Lineup Released

    As the leaves begin to change into those Autumnal hues, it starts to sink in that the Summer festival season has come to a close. Thankfully, there’s still Fall festival season! First in line is the accurately named Fall Down at Camp Farnam in Durham, Connecticut, October 4-6.falldown

    Fall Down festival is described as New England’s premiere, theme-oriented music experience. The Fall Down encapsulates all the beauty of the East Coast. The festival began as just a simple gathering that included a fire, camping and some jams among friends. A year later the Fall Down became a festival that encapsulates the spirit of October (yes, that means a lot of pumpkins.) This festival does not strive to be the biggest, just simply the best. With art installations and a stellar lineup, the festival is not to be missed. Two things are a must for attendees of Fall Down; a costume, and a carved Jack-O-Lantern. The Jack-O-Lanterns illuminate the camp grounds, and the costumes embody the spirit of October, and of course, Halloween. There is simply no better way to welcome the Fall than with great music, art, costumes and A LOT of jack-o lanterns.

    So far this years lineup will include Dopapod, Marco Benevento, Alan Evans Trio, Superhuman Happiness, Turkuaz, Soule Monde, Voodelic, Vorzca, Shakedown, Straddledaddy, Skyfoot, Gatsby’s Green Light, Steam Boars, Brummy Brothers and Birdseed Bandits.

    Grab your Fall Down tickets today!

  • Dopapod is Coming to The Westcott Theater in October – Featuring Minority Report

    Experimental Funk Rock Band Dopapod is coming to The Westcott Theater in October, featuring opening acts – Auburn, NY natives Minority Report (Funk, Reggae, Groove and Rock) and whiskey jam rock band, Sassafras Jenkins from Utica, NY. This is a pretty impressive line up for local area musicians and should not be missed.

    Auburn local musical group Minority Report will be opening for the amazing Dopapod on October 4th at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. This is an all- ages show doors open at 8pm show starts at 9pm, tickets are $12-$15. Also on the bill for the night is Sassafras Jenkins.

    Minority Report has been featured on the front page of Auburn NY Citizen Entertainment section and also will be playing at the Utica Music and Arts Festival (taking place September 13th & 14th). Influences of Minority Report include artists such as Bob Marley, Greg Howe, Marcus Miller, In Living Color, Ben Harper, The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers and Stevie Wonder. Their song selection gives a little something for everyone of all different musical tastes. They really know how to make the audience move around and dance. Comprised mainly of Old Skool Funk, Reggae, Groove and Rock, and representing the city of Auburn,NY – this should be an awesome show that won’t disappoint.

    Tickets for this show are available from band members or online at www.thewestcotttheater.com and www.upstateshows.com. You can grab tickets at The Sound Garden in Syracuse, NY. Come out and support your local musicians at The Wescott Theater!!!!

  • Prepare for the Thrill of the Catskill Chill: Festival Preview

    As the dog days of summer are coming to an end, there’s still time for one last big bash to complete the 2013 festival season. The 4th annual Catskill Chill Festival is set to kick off next week, September 6th-8th, at the scenic Camp Minglewood in Hancock and we’ve got a preview for you!

    This camp was made for a music festival, given its secluded location with beautiful views of the Catskill Mountains overlooking a crisp blue lake with plenty of tent space and cabin rentals. One of the many ways the Chill manages to keep a cool and relaxed vibe is keeping the capacity under 5,000, creating an intimate festival experience for fans as well as the musicians.

    This year’s featured artist includes: The Meter Men featuring Zigaboo Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter, Jr. with special guest Page McConnell; Lotus; Galactic; Conspirator; Lettuce; Papadosio; Tea Leaf Green; The Motet – Funk is Dead; Particle, Dopapod; Kung Fu; Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds and many more. The parking lot and campgrounds will open Friday at 9 am with music set to start at 3pm and lasting until the early morning of each day. Guests will be allowed to enter the parking lot and campgrounds whenever they are needed with shuttle services provided around the clock. There will be no car camping allowed, so be prepared to carry or wheel in all your gear.

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    One of the newest additions to the Chill after last year’s positive feedback includes a bigger Acoustic Junction stage featuring returning acts Consider the Source,  Brock Butler, The Brummy Brothers , Dan Collins, and new comers Tom Hamilton & Friends, Primate Fiasco and MUN. There will also be a new campsite DJ stage playing host to such acts as Outlet, Horizon Wireless, and Speakerbot. Club Chill has an extended schedule this year giving fans longer sets and dance sessions with artists such as Solaris, Fikus, Shwizz, Aqueous, Spiritual Rez, and Lucid.

    There will also be additional yoga sessions with expanded classes, some of which will be accompanied by live music from Cosmal and a Local Farmer’s market serving fresh and local produce in Vendor Village. Returning guests, known as The Chill Fam, can look forward to the free parking and camping, the 3 covered main stages and 2 outdoor stages, live art, and on stage-open mic sessions.

    The Catskill Chill recently announced the festival closing act will be “Dopadosio” a collaboration featuring all members of Papadosio and Dopadod together, performing Sunday night at 2am. Guests have until Monday September 9th at 3pm to leave the campgrounds. Tickets are still available for $150 but will go up to $175 at the gate with VIP prices set at $235 which includes private viewing sections, commemorative gear, VIP Mimosa Brunches plus much more.

    It’s hard to believe that with a jam packed weekend schedule featuring a variety of talented musical acts and a limitless activities list, the last thing concert goers will be able to do is chill. However, the festival is going strong with a dedicated Chill Fam that continues to spread peace and love, knowing that when there is a will to Chill, there’s a way.

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  • It’s All Good in the Woods! A Review of Backwoods Pondfest 2013

    The city of Peru hosted one of the best kept secrets of Upstate New York on August 2nd and 3rd 2013 at the Twin Ponds Campsite with the music festival Backwoods Pondfest. The intimate music festival was set at the tip of the North Country, only a few exits short of Canada, making for a scenic ride from any direction for dedicated music lovers. Offering weekend tickets as well as single day passes, Friday’s guests were treated with a double rainbow in the early evening after a brief rain shower. Visitors were allowed to select their own campsites with car side camping. Whether in the far off quiet area, woods or grassy field camping, any spot on the festival grounds offered plenty of cool afternoon shade with a full sky view of the bright stars at night. Bands were located either on the Main Stage next to the bright blue school bus, named Lucy (belonging to host band Lucid) or on the Tent Stage, next to the wooded camping, with a soft sandy dance floor.

    Friday

    With a name like Backwoods Pondfest, it wasn’t a surprise that the bearded quartet Blind Owl Band was one of the first bands to start the weekend on the Tent Stage. The Saranac Lake locals consist of Arthur Buezo on guitar, Eric Munley on mandolin, James Ford on banjo and Christian Cardiello on bass. Their aggressive string music mixed with rowdy harmonies greeted festival goers to their neck of the woods with open arms and dancing feet. Spiritual Rez made everyone forget that they were even in New York with their heavy reggae dance music. Toft Willingham spit out rebellious lyrics to the crowd while thrashing about his long blonde hair as Rob O’Block shredded on the guitar. Kory Stanbury on saxophone and Quinn Carson on trombone provided a strong horn section throughout the set as Mohamed Araki surprised fans everywhere with his keytar. Ian Miller kept the party going with a constant quick rhythm and Jesse Shaternick’s lighthearted bass notes. The band has great chemistry as they provide an energetic performance with never ending reggae funk magnitude. Be on the lookout this fall for their new album release, Apocalypse Whenever and upcoming shows at The Catskill Chill and Wormtown Festival.

    For the past seven years, Backwoods Pondfest has been hosted by the Adirondack “Woods Rock” band known as Lucid. Their sound is unique as it varies from classic rock to blues to funky jazz to reggae and even doo-wop, a little something for everyone. With the festival set in their neck of the woods, Lucid has a dedicated fan base that overflowed from underneath the Tent Stage on Friday night. “Whiskey Dream”, with steady beats and cymbals from Kyle Murray was a crowd favorite as Andy Deller kept the keys at a playful tone. One of the highlights of the set was Kevin Sabourin repeatedly singing out the chorus line, “Friday is the best day of the week because I don’t have to work tomorrow” resulted in a massive tent-shaking sing along. Lowell Wurster blared off on his harmonica especially during “Backwoods”, a song meant for that weekend.

    Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad sent out a psychedelic reggae groove that made it easy for fans to dance all night. The band, hailing from Rochester, consists of James Searl on bass, Chris O’Brian playing drums, Dylan Savage and Dan Keller on guitar and Tony Gallicchio on keys who bring a laid back vibe that relaxes and recharges listeners at the same time. The night was set ablaze from the fire spinners and jugglers from Cosmic Karma Fire located to the left of the Main Stage.

    Jimkata lit up the Tent Stage with their electrifying rock that is similar to a Mario Bros. soundtrack for adults, complete with beeps, boops and mind melting instrumental jams. It’s no wonder this up and coming Upstate New York band from Ithaca has been building up fans on their busy summer tour with big performances at Summer Camp and Gathering of the Vibes. The end of the night performance at the Main Stage was from the experimental techno funk group, Dopapod. Keyboardist Eli Winderman, drummer Neal ‘Fro’ Evans, guitarist Rob Compa and Chuck Jones on bass swirled together a set that was full of funky melodies with robotic harmonies and pure reckless rock.

    Saturday

    Few things taste better than fresh music in the morning. The Chronicles from Albany opened up the Main Stage with set full of hot hip hop and sweet jazz served best for a Saturday morning after an all night rager. The Metroland, Albany’s alternative newsweekly, acknowledged them as “Best of Jazz” in 2012 and 2013, paying tribute to their unique blend of all things jazz, funk and gospel. Tyrone Hartzog displays a cascade of notes as he glides over the keys. One of the best things about The Chronicles is their unpredictable jams, especially with the horn section of Bryan Brundige on trombone and Jeff Nania on saxophone. Daniel Lawson sneaks in the heavy bass notes and with Justin Henricks strumming along gives the way to a rockin funk wave. Andrae Surgick keeps a steady and chill rhythm that sends plenty of cymbals sparks flying.

    Rack Em Let’s Go! definitely catches your attention with their band name alone but their music will stay with you way after their show. Exploding out of Boston, the rock and roll quartet gave a high energy performance, combining old school rock with a twist of modern soul and funk. Switching up the scene on the Main Stage was Fikus, delivering an electronic rock show with complete with funky harmonies and fast paced extraterrestrial melodies. Catch Fikus this coming weekend at Bella Terra Music Festival in Stephentown, NY. The Capital District’s top jam band Formula 5 steamed up the Tent Stage with their original dance heavy tunes plus a hot rendition of Phish’s “Sand” with guest appearance by Justin Henricks of The Chronicles on guitar.

    A music festival isn’t complete without a Grateful Dead cover band these days and Backwoods Pondfest booked the best one in Upstate New York, The Garcia Project. The Saratoga Springs locals provided fans with an easy listening afternoon full of their favorite Dead songs, especially a treasured version of “Tangled up in Blue” with haunting vocals from Mik Bondy and Kat Walkerson. Capital Zen played a hard hitting set under the tent with uncontrollable beats from Rye Wylie, reckless guitar from Terry Scoville and wild bass bombs from Tony Leombruno.

    Fans were left speechless from the first few soulful notes belted out from Jennifer Hartswick and especially during an extraordinary cover of the Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. The Jennifer Hartswick Band overflows with musical energy that carries its own direction.

    Electronic hip hop trio Sophistafunk tore the Tent Stage to pieces with bass heavy notes from Adam Brown, groovy beats from Emanuel Washington and robust vocals from Jack Brown. Afterwards, one of the founding fathers of funk, Bernie Worrell, gave a thunderous performance on the Main Stage with his heart stopping piano solos. The Bernie Worrell Orchestra lays out the funk, one layer at time, each grooving into the next twilight zone. Later, the Vermont based quartet Twiddle carried out the party vibe onto the Tent Stage and through the crowd. Their improvisational jams can start with a heavy rock feel then blasting into a reggae melody all with a fiery passion. Keeping with tradition, Lucid ended the festival weekend with their annual second set to close the Main Stage. It was a true free for all as festival goers, staff members and musicians danced together to the unrelenting and lively music of Lucid.

    Throughout the weekend, musicians and fans alike had nothing but positive feedback about the festival given the wide range of musical talent and beautiful scenery. Amid a very chill environment where festival goers formed a close knit bond, dedicated music lovers reveled in their adventure up north to Backwoods Pondfest.

  • Catskill Chill Music Festival Announces “Dopadosio” Festival Closing Set

    The team at Catskill Chill Music Festival has announced a collaboration that all of the ChillFam is sure to love. An official “Dopadosio” set featuring all members of Papadosio and Dopapod together on one stage to close out the fourth annual event. As much fun as it has been for us fans to combine the two names “Papadosio” and “Dopapod,” finally we have a name that will stick. You surely will not want to miss this amazing festival closing set at Camp Minglewood in Hancock, New York.

    After the success of last year’s intimate Acoustic Junction and the response to Consider the Source’s first-time endeavor at the musical style, the festival organizers have doubled the offerings. This year’s roster features Consider The Source along with a mix of artists that regularly perform acoustic such as Brock Butler, The Brummy Brothers and Dan Collins, along with acts performing stripped down sets for the first time. These performances by Tom Hamilton & Friends, Primate Fiasco and MUN are definitely not to be missed.

    Yoga lovers will also be happy to hear that the Catskill Chill has expanded their program adding additional classes, some of which will be accompanied by live music from Cosmal  so  you can get down while getting downward dog.  Also, new to the ever expanding Vendor Village for 2013 is a local Farmer’s Market serving fresh, seasonal produce and other delicious specialties.

    Buy your Catskill Chill Music Festival Tickets Now and don’t miss Dopadosio

  • NYS Music Heads to the Midwest – A Recap of Summer Camp Music Festival, May 23-26, Part 2

    This is Part 2 of our Summer Camp Music Festival recap. Check out Part 1 here.

    Saturday

    And then, the rain started. For the better part of the next two days, Summer Camp would have a middle finger extended by Mother Nature across this small town in Central Illinois – quite literally, see below. While it was on and off, when it was on, it felt like the off switch was broken, so things slowed things down a bit. Still, even though Saturday brought more rain, there was also more top notch electronic music, highlighted by Conspirator’s early afternoon set. This Disco Biscuits side project has reached a new level with the addition of Chris Michetti on guitar and KJ Sawka on drums. They delivered their own unique, high octane brand of ‘untz’ through a light drizzle that seemed to be very well received.  Summer Camp has done an unbelievable job of integrating top notch electronica acts into a festival co-hosted by two of the premier jam bands in America.

    summer camp recap
    Mother Nature’s Middle Finger, right over Summer Camp

    The Moonshine stage also played host to two other notable electronica acts that afternoon.  Diplo, an American DJ who has skyrocketed to fame in the last few years, displayed his usual repertoire of engrossing beats and dubstep stylings, augmented by ladies invited on stage to twerk for a song or two, grinding to the defeaning bass while a 2-3,000+ crowd that was rabid like no other fist pumped throughout the set. The crowd collectively grooved furiously and wanting more, yet they didn’t have to wait long to get their wish as the legendary DJ duo Thievery Corporation were next up on this stage.  Although a bit more mellow in nature, this group uses mixes and samplings like no other to create unbelievable soundscapes that create an environment that’s both funky and ambient at the same time.  It was a true treat to finally see this act in person years after getting hooked on their releases like ‘The Mirror Conspiracy’ and ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’.

    summer camp recap

    Meanwhile, on the Sunshine Stage, Cornmeal held its final show with Allie Kral on fiddle. Leaving the band amicably was bittersweet for many diehard fans of this quite multi-talented jamgrass group. After tearful words from band members, a speedy, foot-stomping “Hillbilly Ride” was churned out in the unique Cornmeal sound that is unmistakable, one that will be a slightly different moving forward, but still loved.

    summer camp recap

    After some solid electronic music and bluegrass, it was time to get back to some rock as done by the festival’s co-hosts moe. and Umphrey’s McGee who would each play two sets.  Umphrey’s McGee led off their show with a stellar “Depth Charge” that seamlessly led into the classic “Hurt Bird Bath”.  Later in their opening set, they brought out the horn section from Mad Dog & His Filthy Little Secret which turned out to be stroke of genius as they transformed ‘Booth Love’ into a jazzier, funkier version that many seemed to appreciate.summer camp recap

    UM’s second set opened with another phenomenal segue of two classics as “Wappy Sprayberry” got stretched out and turned into “Ocean Billy”.  The band took their time with each of these and it paid off as the Saturday night crowd ate this up.  For good measure, they also threw in a cover of the Beck hit “Debra”, performed a monster “Der Bluten Kat > Final Word > Der Bluten Kat” and brought the horns back up for a rousing “Bridgeless” encore.  Umphrey’s has become the master of infusing improvisational jams with elements of funk, metal and jazz and this weekend let them display their talents in a setting that truly seemed like home for them.

    Before moe. took the stage Moonshine, Summer Camp promoters and musicians announced they were joining in the March Against Monsanto, a propitious moment as the worldwide March was going on around the world that weekend, tying a popular cause outside the festival atmosphere to a population that jubilantly supported the movement, one for the betterment of food and farmers around the world.

    moe. then put on a set that blew the Moonshine Stage crowd away; even the most diehard fans were taken aback at the meaty choices given a full moe.-festival treatment. The debut of Rob Derhak’s “Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes” was well received by the crowd, while the hot trio of “The Faker > Hector’s Pillow > Plane Crash” polished off the first set, the last tune with Allie Kral sitting in on fiddle and finding new levels in the song to explore. Second set started with “Rain Shine” and the newer “Silver Sun” lasting nearly 20 minutes, before finally segueing into “Happy Hour Hero”, a song revered Upstaters and for those who made the trek west cheered enthusiastically to the line “A Saranac will do just fine.”.

    But the true heat of this evening was felt in the five song segue of “McBain > George > Spine of a Dog > Buster > McBain”, where only “Spine of a Dog” gave you a chance to breathe amid the incredible selection of huge moe. numbers. An encore of Umphrey’s “In the Kitchen” capped the trade off of covers between the two bands, but this one had stank on it in the vein of moe, especially on the lines “The TVs on too much and I don’t ever think enough about the things that matter most, or what would make me old (like Joel).” If your mind wasn’t blown away already that weekend, moe. took care of it with their performance this evening.

    One of the true treats of the weekend was the late night performance of Floodwood on the Campfire Stage.  This Upstate New York progressive string band displayed its version of Newgrass to a small but eager crowd on what was now early Sunday morning.  There was something refreshing about seeing venerable rock icons Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico giving it their all with Jason Barady, Mick Piccininni and Zachary Fleitz in such an intimate setting. They rolled through song after song with a vigor and enthusiasm that was palpable and even treated all to a multi-song encore as the skies slowly began to turn lighter. The band seemed truly blown away by the reception they were getting at this hour. Banjo player and fiddler Piccininni may have summed it up by best by saying, “I’ve been waiting for this night for a long time.”  It showed in their heartfelt performance that surely did upstate New York music proud.

    Sunday

    Waking up to a light rain storm meant it was time to pack up and get ready to leave later that day, but not before catching a trio of Upstate bands to start the day. Aqueous took to the Campfire Stage, playing “Bohemian Rhapsody > Warren in the Window> Bohemian Rhapsody” to the early risers. Timbre Coup made a huge sandwich out of “Arnold Schwarzenegger > June> Never There > Arnold Schwarzenegger” at the Camping Stage shortly after, then were followed by Project Weather Machine who shredded through a stellar “Sunset Soldiers”. Guitarist Dan Wafer was happy to be at Summer Camp, enjoying the chance to network and meet other musicians, a great opportunity for a young band. Shortly after the Upstate bands played, Brooklyn’s Tauk met up for an interview, where they expressed their appreciation for the more personal feel of the fest and the active crowd, creating an atmosphere where everyone wanted them to have as much fun as they could during the weekend. Stay tuned for our review of their latest album Homonculus, its an album of instrumental bliss.

    Unfortunately, due to the continuous rain and inclement weather that turned Three Sisters Park into MudFest 2013, moe. was only able to play their opening afternoon set and not their final one later that evening.  This set was of the acoustic variety as Rob Derhak played on an acoustic bass the whole time.  As such, there were several numbers from their heavily acoustic album “Sticks and Stones” played including the title track itself.  Perhaps the highlight of the set was a rousing “Shoot First”, sung beautifully as always by Chuck Garvey, and after an extended jam, it was segued perfectly into ‘Bring You Down’.  This old school number was a treat to hear done in this acoustic style and was met with heavy applause and adulation at its completion.  ‘Tambourine’ and ‘Four’ closed out the set which no one at the time knew would be the band’s last of the weekend.  At this point, everyone just seemed to be hoping that the rain wouldn’t affect the appearance of one of the bigger acts appearing at Summer Camp, Trey Anastasio Band.

    Prior to Anastasio’s headlining set that night, one more Upstate band was in order, that of Ithaca’s Jimkata, playing the Vibe Tent, with a excellent segue of “Die Digital> Lego Land” that had Peoria resident Erika Garcia remark “I ducked into a tent to get out of the rain & ended up dancing my ass off and finding a ridiculously awesome new band who I’ll seek out in the future.” Branching out into the Midwest is next for this venerable electronica infused rock band.

    The majority of the festival slugged through the ankle deep mud strewn streets to get to Sunshine Stage for Trey Anastasio Band, one act that few would think to miss. Opening with “First Tube” and “Mozambique”, it was in “Last Tube” that Trey broke free to explore the song, as he seems to be more prone to do at music festivals. Feisty versions of “Cayman Review” and “Drifting” brought a smile to the face of many, while the skies threatened in the distance – a show of lightening accompanied the lights on stage, but gave pause to those looking to end the night on a dry note. Thus, after a 30 minute encore break, the second set started but was cut short due to rain after only 20 minutes, at which point got to packing up the car once and for all and got on the road as the skies opened up something ungodly on the Midwest.

    Driving out, we took our time getting home – taking our time during 15 hours across five states, before we land safely back home in the confines of the Northeast. Summer Camp truly put on a great show, one that rivals some of the top festivals of comparable size. If you’re adventurous and enjoy a wide array of music, or roll of the dice weather, you’ll find a fantastic festival in the Midwest with Summer Camp.