Tag: kungfu

Kung Fu lights up Red Square for a knock out

Albany got a high dose of funk on October 3rd at Red Square thanks to the funk professionals in Kung Fu. The quintet packs a supergroup punch with talented musicians from various bands – Tim Palmieri (The Breakfast, guitar), Todd Stoops (RAQ, keyboards), Rob Somerville (Deep Banana Blackout, sax), David Livolsi (Jazz Is Dead, bass) and Adrian Tramontano (The Breakfast, drums). Needless to say, these guys have plenty of experience on how to start a killer party, even on a weekday night. Often booked for the late night slots on festival schedules, it was refreshing to watch Kung Fu perform at an earlier time (10pm), giving concertgoers a stirring chance to soak up the lethal levels of musical fusion.

With no opening act, the fans went wild as Kung Fu took the stage, eager to feel the funk. The sound came blaring out of the speakers and the groove hit via highlights including “God Made Me Funky”, with its simple chorus which the grateful crowd sang back to the band. Somerville blasted his horn with great enthusiasm that almost chipped the paint off the walls. It was a unique treat for the Red Square venue to have the Kung Fu lighting rigs that heightened the musical experience with the nonstop waves of bright neon. Guests were given the warning from the band, “Just because we stop playing, doesn’t mean we want to stop partying.” One of the best things about playing in the Upstate New York area for Kung Fu is the late night cut off time, usually much earlier in Connecticut.

The second set brought the crowd to the dark side of the funk, as the band displayed a captivating chemistry of Sly & the Family Stone meets The Funky Meters, turned upside down and mixed with harder electronic rock. Kung Fu created a heavier rock vibe mixed with a slow groove, resulting in a hair-raising boogie. Stoops surrendered to the keyboards as he played with his eyes closed, feeling the music that he was feeding to the crowd. Livolsi hit deep notes on his bass in a steady rhythm of sinister delight.

Kung Fu has a jammed packed fall tour with stops at the New York Harvest Fest in Monticello, a Post Phish show at The Palladium in Worcester, MA, a Halloween show at The Gramercy Theater in NYC and the Bear Creek Festival in Live Oak, Florida.

October 10, 2013
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.

September 25, 2013
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 4^th annual Catskill Chill Festival is set to kick off next week, September 6^th-8^th, 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.

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.

August 30, 2013
Good Music is Worth Gathering For – Gathering of the Vibes 2013, Thursday and Friday

This is Part 1 of ‘s coverage of Gathering of the Vibes 2013. Check back tomorrow for a recap of Saturday and Sunday.

Gathering of the Vibes celebrated its 18^th year with its annual four day festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut filled with a variety of music, food and art on July 25^th-28^th. Acting as one of the biggest playgrounds in the country, Vibes offers something for people of all ages with family camping, the School of Rock Teen Scene, a colorful Ferris Wheel and of course, music from every era and genre. Seaside Park was the ideal setting for the festival with its 375 acre lush greenery and endless blue shores.

Original Strangefolk

With so much planning or lack thereof that goes into preparing for festivals, the music can almost get forgotten. There is so much to do before you can actually breathe, sit back and enjoy yourself that the music takes you by surprise. One moment you’re buying tickets, the next you’re packing up the car and then suddenly find yourself in front of the Main Stage, feeding off the crowd’s anticipation for the start of the show. The weekend began with the original lineup of Strangefolk, one of the first bands to play at the first GOTV’s in 1996, making this set not worth missing with Jon Trafton, Reid Genauer, Erik Glockler and Luke Smith. Their upbeat melodies built up a great hope and reassurance that this weekend was going to be amazing as the set contained gems like “Reuben’s Place” with “Helpless” (Neil Young) vocals and guitarist Jon Trafton teasing Phish’s “Bathtub Gin” during “Paperback Book.” Strangefolk was then joined onstage by Grateful Dead Hour host David Gans for the ultimate DeadHead party starter, “Shakedown Street”.

Dark Star Orchestra headlined the Main Stage with the Grateful Dead performance from Andover, Maryland in September 1976. The evening took off with a rockin’ “Bertha” opener, a solid “Let it Grow” and darling “Sugaree” for the first set and an intense closing sequence of “Scarlet Begonias>St. Stephen>Not Fade Away>Drums>St. Stephen.” The show featured Jim Allard on bass and Jeff Mattson capturing Jerry Garcia flawlessly. With a light drizzle throughout the night, it wasn’t enough to damper the crowd’s positive spirits and added for an extra entertaining factor for the light show.

Kung Fu

Thursday night ended with Kung Fu and The Dojo Allstars lighting up the night on the Green Vibes Stage. The Connecticut based band of Tim Palmieri (guitar), Robert Somerville (tenor sax) and Todd Stoops, (keyboards) were joined by talented musicians Chris DeAngelis (bass guitar) and Adrian Tramontano (drums/percussion), Nigel Hall (vocals/keys), Nick Biello (sax), Rob Volo (trombone), Cy Madan (keys), Ryan Cavanaugh (Banjo) and 13-year-old prodigy Bobby Paltauf (guitar). Needless to say, it was a funk face-melting over load.

Download these shows from Thursday via Etree and Archive.org:
Consider the Source
Strangefolk
Dark Star Orchestra
Kung Fu and The Dojo Allstars

Friday morning brought even more people to the festival grounds. The perfect wake- up call was hearing the electronic rock music from Upstate New York’s Jimkata echoing off the Green Vibes Stage. Their light-hearted synthesizers loops mixed with indie guitar strumming was more than enough to get the crowd moving and ready for the rest of the day. Assembly of Dust eased into the Friday afternoon with an early 70s rock combined with a mellow country sound. Jason Crosby on the keys, held his notes strong especially during “Telling Sue”. Singer-songwriter Reid Genauer sang out with a true Americana charm and was joined by his four-year son for “Second Song.”

The Revivalists

One of the best things about Vibes is being introduced to new musicians that you don’t hear on the radio yet still have an incredible stage presence. Hailing from New Orleans, The Revivalists nearly tore down the Green Vibes Stage with their intense sound and energy. The musicians were literally climbing all over the stage and each other, charging the audience with a heavy dose of rock and roll mixed with southern soul. Dave Shaw screamed the lyrics with raw attitude, only to have the crowd screaming right back. Ed Williams shreds the pedal steel guitar apart and comes close to pushing it over onto the front row fans a few times. The Revivalists have made stops at more festivals this year than any other band (per Relix Magazine‘s festival guide) but what sets Vibes apart from the rest for the boys is the smell of the salt water on stage and having the longest set of almost 2 hours.

Wavy Gravy

Blue skies and sunshine greeted festival goers as the day continued, making for a terrific view, especially from a top the Wheel of Lights Ferris Wheel. The top cart was the best place to take in not only the beautiful venue of Seaside Park but for the Railroad Earth set on the Main Stage. The bluegrass jam band from New Jersey filled the air with a laid back summer time vibe with their blissful strumming and continuous flow. The crowd clapped along with the Carey Harmon steady rhythms and danced all over the field from Tim Carbone’s fiddle playing.

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi returned to Vibes this year with their 11-piece blues rock group, Tedeschi Trucks Band. Featuring Kofi Burbridge (keys, flute), Eric Krasno (from Lettuce, on bass), Tyler Greenwell (drums), J.J. Johnson (drums), Mike Mattison (harmony vocals), Mark Rivers (harmony vocals), Maurice Brown (trumpet), Kebbi Williams (sax) and Saunders Sermons (trombone), all of these artists make up a musical force to be reckoned with. Tedeschi’s strong female vocals can be heard across the festival alongside with blaring guitar riffs from Trucks. The surprise of the first set came from Bill Evans joining TTB with his saxophone, jazzing up the funky blues song “Love is Something Else.” The set continued with a gentle “Angel from Montgomery” only to flow beautifully into a bluegrassy version of the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” Trucks and Tedeschi have both made strides with their separate solo careers but when performing all together, their family creates nonstop harmonies that help us appreciate the musical bonds we share, especially at Gathering of the Vibes.

Phil Lesh & Friends

To celebrate the 18^th year of Gathering of the Vibes, Grateful Dead former bassist, Phil Lesh was booked for both Friday and Saturday night, joined this year with his Friends: guitarist John Scofield, keyboardist John Medeski, Joe Russo on drums and John Kadlecik on guitar/vocals. The evening got underway with a graceful and groovy “Scarlet Begonias” straight into a rockin’ “Just Like Tom Thumb Blues”. The night was filled with spacey, chaotic improvisational jams that swirled through the evening air. Each musician had their own sound going, making it difficult to focus on any singular part of it. Fans were left in awe as most of the songs were well over 10 minutes, each receiving a well-deserved jam with seemingly directionless patterns. Phil took a few minutes to thank the fans and festival for continuing to keep the Grateful Dead spirit alive and with tears in his eyes, he said, “It’s like coming home.” The highlight of the evening was pretty much the entire second set with “The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion” opener into an almost 20-minute “Viola Lee Blues” and “Unbroken Chain.” The moon rose over the tie-dye covered field, which seemed to glow brighter when the band went into “Standing on the Moon” sending chills down my spine from the saltwater breeze and Medeski’s righteous lingering chords. The set ended with the gentle lullaby of “Ripple” causing the audience to sing and sway off into the night.

The late night party got started with Connecticut‘s own Deep Banana Blackout on the Green Vibes stage, delivering hot New Orleans inspired funk. DBB is no stranger to GOTVs as they have been invited back for the past few years now, serving up soulful contagious dance music complete with a full horn section. DBB shocked listeners, particularly Phish Phans, as they teased Phish’s “Wilson” chant, which was played that same night by Phish at The Gorge in WA, proving that good news and music travel fast.

Silent Disco

The Silent Disco was on the complete opposite side of the festival from the Main and Green Stage. It’s a long walk but definitely worth the trip. You walk up to the tent, where you are given a huge pair of headphones and given simple instructions for proper usage. As you look around, there are a few hundred people on the beach, all wearing the headphones, dancing their asses off and being surprisingly very quiet. There are two DJs that have two completely different sounds going that fans can choose to tune into. Friday night featured Conneticon and Sloedwn from 1am to 4:30am as well as Matt Haze, who sampled various European genres and beats while Saturday played host to Suspence and Cosmal. The clear crowd-pleaser was the artist MoPo, short for Motion Potion, also known as Robbie Kowal from California. He mixed 90’s jock jam with Phish with Talking Heads with Jay Z plus so much more. As the sun began to rise, creating dream like colors across the sky, MoPo remixed various Beatles covers such as, “Here Comes The Sun” and “Dear Prudence.” Silent Disco fans know how to party and with music from MoPo, it was easy to dance until dawn.

Download these shows from Friday via Etree:
Assembly of Dust
The Revivalists
Railroad Earth
John Scofield Uberjam
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Phil Lesh and Friends

August 7, 2013
Get Ready to Feel the Vibes: Preview of Gathering of the Vibes Festival July 25th-28th

Gathering of the Vibes will celebrate its 18^th year, returning July 25^th– 28^thto 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.

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.

For 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.

July 15, 2013
NYS Music’s 4/20 Show Roundup

April 20th has evolved into a counterculture holiday, with ties to Deadheads and hippies and just about every person you probably know or will know. Music venues all over Upstate New York are using this as another reason to see live music! Here is our compiled list of 4/20 shows around the state.

Lower Hudson

Bethel Woods -Felice Brothers with Driftwood

Binghamton

Fitzie’s – Mantraverse, Inner Mission, The Benjamin Raubinsons, Hung Like Horses, The Quantum, Amber Martin

Buffalo

Nietzsche’s – Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams, The Heavy Pets

Town Ballroom– Hellzapoppin

The Tralf – The Maniacs

U of B – Aqueous, Haewa, The Assortment of Crayons

Canandaigua

V Pub – 34 Feet Deep, In The Box, Fire Wheel

Oneida

The Madison House – Project Weather Machine

Rochester

Water Street Music Hall -The Manhattan Project

Montage Music Hall – Groove Fest

Lovin’Cup – 4/20 Bash

Featuring: Hollands, Extended Family, The Filthy McNastys and The Buddhahood

Syracuse

Tipperary Square – Hot Day at the Zoo, Tim Herron Corp, and more

Saranac Lake

Waterhole – Cabinet w/ The Blind Owl Band

Utica

The Uptown Theatre– Childhoods’ End

Downstate

Port Chester – The Capitol Theatre– Furthur

Burlington, VT

Higher Ground Ballroom – Kung Fu, Twiddle

Nectars – Touch Pants, Jon Fishman

April 11, 2013
Kung Fu head to The Chance in Poughkeepsie on March 15th

Coming to The Chance on March 15 is a great lineup of music for those who like to keep dancing all night long. Kung Fu, coming off an impressive winter tour that saw high praise from many people, lead the way with their unique style of funk.

They are no stranger to The North East and those who come should be looking forward to their long jams that are going to make you want to keep moving all night once they hit the stage. Opening for them are The McLovins, another band who is no stranger to the North East. Be ready to watch all of their impressive segues that will keep you guessing what is coming up next. Supporting both bands are MAZMYTH and Steve Broderick.

Tickets are available now at The Chance’s box office or through Ticket Fly. The doors open at 7:30 P.M. and the show starts at 8:30 P.M.

March 11, 2013
AURA Music and Arts Festival kicks off ‘s 2013 Festival Season

For most festival goers to AURA Music and Arts Festival, the event is a three day affair. For , it was more like a five day adventure. A 21-hour straight car ride down to Northern Florida got us there a couple hours before New York’s own Consider the Source took the Porch Stage to kick off this incredible festival in an even more amazing setting.

As you enter the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park it becomes hard not to notice the beautiful surroundings. Trees covered in Spanish moss, ponds, horse barns, canoe rentals, well-kept cabins, all leading you down a road to the white sandy beach nestled next to the dark water of the Suwanee River. The giant oaks left you feeling humble and the open field left you feeling free. The sun beating on this snowbird’s face in the middle of February was a welcome reminder of the festival season ahead. Yes, 2013 was going to be a great year for music and it was starting here and now, in Live Oak, Florida.

There could not be a better way to kick off a musical event than hearing Gabriel Marin jam away on his double-necked custom fretless guitar, known as a chaturangui. Consider the Source is typically found later in the night on a Friday or Saturday evening, but as a newcomer to the AURA line-up they were placed as the festival opener. For the dedicated fans that got their early enough to see them, the band put on a great show and it was no coincidence that the sun shone brighter and the air was warmer than the rest of the weekend. The positive vibes from CTS were also found midday Saturday in the middle of the campgrounds.

After CTS melted face on the Porch Stage, the southeast’s own Stokeswood dusted off the Amphitheater and got things warmed up on the main stage. The band seemingly switched instruments after every songs, but the combination of who was playing what did not seem to matter. Vocalist Adam Patterson kept the growing crowd enticed as the campers were setting up just beyond the fence and vendors were beginning to peddle their wares.

As Friday went on and the shadows got longer, festival goers heard the funk stylings of Chicago-based The Main Squeeze, before heading back to the main stage for the return of RAQ, back together for the first time live since July 2011 at The Big Up Festival in Upstate New York. The jam band that were on the forefront of a new sound brought their fans back when they started the set with “Shirley Be a Drooler” and then over a 10-minute version of “Botz”. The set went on to include “BFAM”, “Comin’ Home”, a 13 minute “Walking In Circles” followed by an incredible jam of “Late Night” > “Sweet Cream Butter” > “Late Night”. The festival crowd loved to see the band back together and pleaded for an encore. When Todd Stoops, Jay Burwick, Chris Michetti and new (and permanent) drummer Adrian Tramontano came out to play “Tumblin’ Down” things at the Porch Stage with Break Science just had to wait a little while longer, because RAQ was back and the fans were enjoying their return. also got to sit down briefly with Stoops on Saturday and we can expect more from RAQ this year. With confirmed dates to play in Boston, NYC and Philly you can also expect RAQ at 2013 festivals whenever Conspirator and Kung Fu are in the line-up.

The very popular electronic music explorers, Conspirator, were the next up on the main stage playing the only back-to-back sets of the festival. As temperatures were beginning to drop in Northern Florida, the crowd became thankful that Conspirator was there to warm things up. It’s impossible to sit still when the band takes the stage and spreads their energetic sounds over the masses. AURA festival goers got to hear a lot of the new tracks from the recently released EP, Unleashed. Their AURA version of “Retrograde” was amazing and the lit hula hoops, lit umbrellas, lit signs and lit anything else you can add an LED light to, added to an amazing performance. Conspirator is offering up a much more refined sound that has been developing over the past couple years with a earth-shaking dupstep rhythms and a light show that left many picking their jaws up off the ground.

After Conspirator’s two sets the crowd literally ran over to the Porch Stage so they did not miss a beat of Kung Fu‘s Friday night performance. Dressed in their traditional ‘Gi’ outfits, the band could see their breath as the cold air overtook the Suwannee Music Park. Many of the southern festies hadn’t seen the northeast-based band before and their reactions were nothing but positive. It there was funk stage at the festival Kung Fu would have been the headliner, because if it was funk you were after they were sure to deliver it. Guitarist Tim Palmieri went off on solos that you weren’t quite sure would ever stop and to be honest nobody cared if they did. After talking to him the next day, you would never had known that his fingers were a little numb because on stage they seemed to be on fire. Dressed in layers and wearing gloves between the sound check and the performance helped the band who played their coldest outdoor set ever. Temperatures were now below freezing.

After Kung Fu’s mind altering set it was back to the amphitheater for a bittersweet performance from Perpetual Groove. P Groove’s front man Brock Butler is reportedly leaving the band to pursue other music interests, and for P Groove fans this festival set was a must see, for those that weren’t fans before, they are now and felt the impact of knowing the band will soon no longer be around. Fans got to hear some great extended jams like “Great Tea” > “Out Here” > “Green Tea”. That led into a masterful “Macumba” > “Walking in Place” and back to “Green Tea”. The set closed out with “Two Shores” > “Speed Queen”. Friday night’s encore was “Mr. Transistor” > “Echo” > “Mr. Transistor”. The band will be playing consistently in March until their final performance on April 5th at the Georgia Theatre.

When the night seemed over and music stopped blaring from the speakers a subculture of festival goers were just getting ready to play. Silent discos popped up as ragers took over. found ourselves up at Club Bujak with Jeff Bujak and Jen Dulong. Jeff is originally from the Syracuse area and now resides in Boston. Bujak is known in the northeast for his IDM (intelligent dance music) and light show that includes Jen on the LED hula hoop. As listeners approached Club Bujak on Friday and Saturday night they didn’t hear a sound but instead were greeted by dozens of dancers with headphones on. Combine electonic music, a wireless signal and expensive headphones and the Silent Disco is born.

Waking up on Saturday morning was a catch-22. The good side was AURA Music and Arts Festival was filled with great musicians, talented artists and the most wonderful staff you could ask for in a festival. The down side was that it was still in the 30’s and raining. The dreary weather did not stop the crowd from waking up and getting their coffee from Fair Shot Coffee. While we shouldn’t pick favorites it’s hard not to when you need hot cups of coffee in the morning, iced Cuban coffee during the day and espressos at night to provide that last bit of energy to get through the night. AURA offered great food vendors, too with the Free Lovin’ Foodery and Thai BBQ serving up more substantial offerings and Swift Concessions for those with a sweet tooth. The merch vendors were great as well. The Cigar Box Music was a popular stop for most AURA festies and the art offered by Sally Can’t Dance was breathtaking. The Eden’s Rose Foundation was there and they are based out of Albany, NY. The Foundation work does everything from helping indigenous tribes in the deepest part of the Amazon Rainforest to Tibetan refuge communities in the Himalayas. It’s namesake, Eden Joseph Roe passed away at 24 years old in 2005, he was a devoted Phish fan who traveled extensively to hear his favorite jam band.

The first act to perform Saturday was Newton Crosby and he did so in the rain. People braved the cold temps and rain to hear him and his incredible guitar work. His spirited, funky set started out with “Wonderful” and went into a long jam of “The Telli Jig” > “Saturday People” > “Return to Asbury Park” > “Saturday People”. Many smiles were brought to the crowd during an vigorous cover of “Sowing the Seeds of Love”. Just when everyone was feeling the good vibe from Newton, Brock Butler sat in on “Faceless” and the combined energy of these two incredible musicians parted the clouds. The set couldn’t have ended better as the skies started to clear and the band played “Crispy Friggin Chicken” > “Worst Day Ever”. Luckily for us it was far from the worst day ever, the music was just starting and The McLovins were about to take the main stage.

The McLovins played their funky, uptempo mix on the main stage to many new listeners and fans as the sun continuously fought to shine it’s light on AURA. The McLovins were able to play AURA by winning a contest on the festivals Facebook page. In order to pay for the trip down they ended up having a successful Kickstarter campaign. It was a long road for the young band from Connecticut but well worth it as they are set on reaching new heights.

Next up was the most funkalious, down home blend of rhythm, harmony and attitude that could be found east of New Orleans. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band started the set with “True Battle” and “WTF” (With True Feeling) and did not let up until their last two numbers, “Lovin’” and “Trunk Fallin’ Off”. Things got really funky when Adam Smirnoff from Lettuce joined YMBFBB in the middle of the set for “Lucky”. Everyone in the audience (and on stage) was shakin’ what their mama gave them. There was a point that Mama Funk herself (Mary Frances Newcomb) turned her backside to the crowd and shook her badonkadonk. The crowd went wild and Saturday’s party officially started and nothing could turn it back.

Over at the Amphitheater the crowd was beginning to gather to see Kung Fu with Nigel Hall performing a tribute to the legendary Stevie Wonder. Nigel came out on the stage being lead with dark glasses working hard to find his inner Stevie. Nigel explained “this is an educational set with a lot of songs Stevie Wonder probably wouldn’t perform anymore…the great thing about Stevie is that he has written every song that matters in the world. Whatever songs we choose to do will be fine.” The set was full of life starting with “Confusion” and “Black Man”, and went on to include crowd favorites like “Higher Ground”, “Do I Do” and closed with a great version of “I Wish”. Besides the incredibly talented guys from Kung Fu, Nigel Hall was also joined by Adam Smirnoff, Jim Wuest, Aly Newitt & John Provenzano. The Stevie Wonder Tribute will be what people at AURA will be talking about for years and we can all thank Daryl Wolff for coming up with the idea and Todd Stoops (Kung Fu) and Nigel Hall for connecting and making it happen.

Off on the side stage DrFameus, or as he is better known as, Allen Aucoin of the Disco Biscuits, became a one-man beat machine. While the winter storm seemed to bypass Suwannee Music Park, a whirlwind of arms, feets, sticks were hitting everything in sight on the Porch Stage in the early evening on Saturday. While DrFameus is perhaps Allens’ alterego, in this side project you can see the full range of his diversity. Whether it is electronica, dubstep, techno/house to breakbeats – he delivers.

Back on the main stage was Dopapod, a favorite among the Upstate New York scene and a band that will be on many festival line-ups this summer. Their Saturday night set at AURA was intense and the highlight could have been “Present Ghosts” or “French Bowling”. There job was to bring that notorious Saturday night party vibe, and bring it hard enough to get everyone out of their tents, away from the food and into the music. Dopapod did just that and in the midst of energizing the crowd they were able to get in some tunes like “Trapper Keeper” into their set from the newest Dopapod release, Redivider, that was released just this past December.

The Florida-based electronic trio Greenhouse Lounge did a great job of tying things together and keeping the party going over on the Porch Stage. P Groove was prepping for their final festival set, perhaps forever. Brock Butler poured his soul out to the crowd Saturday night in an emotional evening. After playing for so many years together, personalities and musical goals begin to diverge. However on Saturday night things came together, whether they were pouring their hearts out with the Talking Heads cover “This Must Be the Place” or they were breaking the hearts of their fans with the set closing, “It Starts Where It Ends”.

As the The Heavy Pets did their sound check, you could begin to tell how cold everyone was at AURA. Blankets, knitted hats and the crazy outfits were infused with warmer items, like leggings or tights, mittens, scarves. Even the hula hoopers were trying to get by with the thickest coast they could get away with while still dancing the night away. Luckily the Saturday party was going strong and sub-freezing temperatures were not going to deter this crowd of very thick-skinned southerners. The Heavy Pets did their job of getting people moving and grooving and shaking and twirling very well. The Heavy Pets are a yearly favorite at AURA and why not, with a great sound, incredible vocals and songs that seem to span multiple genres. The side stage was rockin’ Saturday night and the AURA fans still had one more incredible band to go before it was Silent Disco time again, or hangout by the campfire with your friends time.

Papadosio took the main stage and it seemed like all 3000 AURA Festival goers were there to see it. The band has been touring extensively around the country and building up a sizable fanbase. They have even graduated to a tour bus and a LED wall. The LED wall was rented until their New Years run and they bit the bullet and bought it. It is an amazing addition to an already incredible show. Papadosio’s sound can be described a hundred different ways and everyone of them would be correct, I think of it as the next progression in psychedelic rock. They are a rock band, they play their instruments and they play them well. They have also adapted modern technology to enhance the sound, the mood and the composition of their work. Long trippy jams, explosive solos and crowds yearning for more. It’s an amazing time and the light show against the Spanish moss dominating the oak trees around the amphitheater is one of those things that will go down as breathtaking and frustrating as a photographer. I could take a 1000 pictures of the scene and it wouldn’t do it justice. There was just something in the air.

So when the night ended and everyone climbed into their sleeping bags, Sunday morning came too early. The coffee line was long and everyone was talking about how Papadosio melted their face or how sad it is to see P Groove splitting up. Some were talking about the Stevie Wonder tribute or how Greenhouse Lounge brought it. First time listeners to various bands were looking up the next time the Big Booty Band or the McLovins were going to play their neck of the woods. It was a community centered around music and art.

AURA was more about the music, there was the Tribal Council that offered healing and yoga classes throughout the event. The artists set up a tent and displayed their incredible pieces and during each performance you could see rows of artists painting away as the bands played. Music inspires art and art inspires music. Together through creativity and love you can build a community, a scene of like minded individuals that are better together; and what color was the community’s AURA that weekend? Purple, of course.

It was Sunday morning and with a 21-hour car ride looming ahead it was sadly time to go. Driving through the campsite you could see people stirring and stretching and preparing for another great day of music. Whether it was Brock Butler’s acoustic set on the main stage or Lingo and Former Champions offering up some Sunday jams on the Porch stage. The Lee Boys took time to offer some spiritual words and festival goers were greeted by Sunday sets from Dopapod, Papadosio and The Heavy Pets.

AURA’s 4th year and the first one at Suwannee Music Park was coming to an end and Daryl, Destiny, and all of the people that made the festival possible were incredibly happy with the response. From Friday morning until Sunday night the festival offered up something for everyone. It was a harmonious experience and one that can’t wait to do again next year.

March 3, 2013