NYS Music 20​13

Tag: Rochester

  • Rochester Jazz Festival Now Offering Free Shuttle Service for Attendees

    This year’s Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) will be offering a free shuttle service, courtesy of Simcona Electronics and Horizon Club Tours. Shuttle service will be offered at no charge all nine days during the festival, June 21 – 29, to make it easy for patrons to get to and from downtown parking garages and lots surrounding the festival.

    jazzbus

    Continuous round trip service will be provided daily from 5:00pm to Midnight. Buses will run on an approximate 15-minute schedule for each stop, last pick-ups will be promptly at 11:30pm. Festival brochures and program guides will be aboard each bus for patrons and each shuttle is air conditioned as well as equipped with bathrooms. Download a map of the Shuttle route

    Shuttle Bus Stops
    Stops are conveniently located near downtown parking garages. Look for the Shuttle Bus Signs

    1– State St. & Church St. (Across from Rochester Plaza Hotel) (daily)
    2– South Ave between Broad and Court Streets (daily )
    3– Clinton Avenue South at Woodbury, near GEVA (daily)
    4– Roundabout at Broadway and Broad (near Manhattan Square Park) (Friday 6/21, Saturday 6/22, Friday 6/28, Saturday 6/29 only)
    5– Chestnut St. & East Main St. (Sunday 6/23 – Thursday 6/27 only)
    6– Andrews St. & Liberty Pole Way (daily)

    For more information on getting around the festival see http://www.rochesterjazz.com/php/travel.php.

  • Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 2/3: The Sounds

    Editors note: This is part 2 of our 3 part Upstate Spring Revival coverage that features the music from the weekend. Come back tomorrow for our final article, “The Skinny and The Setlists”

    The music started promptly at 7:30pm Thursday night with the combined forces of Carly Jane and Train Rat. The Cohocton, NY band’s melodic hypnotizing jazzy blues with a hidden fury was a great way to kick start the weekends musical expeditions. Along with a slew of originals, they offered up sexy versions of Peggy Lee’s “Fury” and The Devil Makes Three’s “Old Number 7”. Following Train Rat was Springwater’s White Woods with their own brand of Cake-esque alt-rock with extra frosting.  The two bands also collaborated on a song with some expert mandolin play and an audience chanting “Chugging down to New Orleans” right along with the musicians.

    Thursday’s closer was Vermont’s Flabberghaster. While hard to define given their unique flavor, one could imagine AC/DC mashed up with the Allman Brothers and get a sense of their sound. This was some rocking music and the crowd ate it up. Beyond the head banging, the band also went on a number of exploratory improvisations from bare bones hard rock to jazzy percussive clap-alongs. While their set was somewhat cover heavy, they made songs like Led Zeppelin’s “The Crunge” and the Allman Brothers “Whipping Post” their own with no fear of straying from the original song structure. Where’s that confounded bridge? Who cares! The crowd wandered back to their tents completely flabbergasted. True to rock and roll form the band slept overnight on the stage.  

    Friday started out early with Canandaigua’s Upstate. The bands blues based rock and roll with lots of experimentation and fierce peaks got people out of their tents and down to the stages. In the middle of the set they offered a fun mash-up of one of their originals with the new Daft Punk song “Get Lucky”. Following Upstate was Buffalo’s Slip Madigan. The band’s upbeat happy music with funky breakdowns and hints of electronica was a great match to the unexpected sun shining down on the crowd. The newly formed Mister F followed, composed of  3 members of Albany’s Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay from Capital Zen. The F maintains their own sound, which runs the gambits of influences from funk and rock to jazz and electronica. Their self-described genre of “Neat and Clean, Hard and Dangerous” is pretty much spot on.

    Rochester’s Ocupanther then laid its claws into the audience with their brand of instrumental funk-space-psychedelia featuring the juxtaposing styles of Berkeley schooled axeman Colin Jones and self taught shred wizard Mikey Pantano. They opened with an adventurous cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and the audience responded with much love of their own. Friday’s evening journey began with Albany’s Timbre Coup and their deep progressive rock influences, intertwining metal overtones and doses of electronic forays with top notch vocals. As the sprinkles started to turn to rain, true to their name, Project Weather Machine stormed the stage for an hour and a half of Grateful Dead and old school blues inspired improvisations with awesome names like “Nitrous Roxide”. As the rain progressed in intensity festival goers were treated to the first show by Buffalo’s Universe Shark in several months. Despite their hiatus they did nothing but deliver, keeping the crowd dancing in the mud. Closing out the evening was the return of the much revered Schleigho. Their set was nothing short of mind-numbingly brilliant, ranging from pure technical by-the-numbers wizardry to wide open “Space”-esque exploration. Musicians were buzzing about this set the rest of the weekend with phrases like “It was like going to jam clinic” and “I’m not worthy” being thrown about.  

    Saturday started later than anticipated. Stage equipment was all moved to the main stage due to the mud pit in front of the secondary stage. Thankfully the weather cleared, the sun came out, and Ithaca’s Solaris started things off with some excellent intense EDM. Albany’s Formula 5 proved quite the draw in the next spot with their genre-everywhere sound. Funk, rock, blues, jazz, electronic, it was all in the mix as well as a fun cover of The Bands “King Harvest”. The trio of Rochester’s Haewa filled the 5pm slot with some of the most extended jamming of the weekend, more of Colin Jones guitar-pyrotechnics, and a rock solid grooving core.

    The evening lineup of Vermont’s Twiddle, Buffalo’s Aqueous, and NYC’s exploding Dopapod was so hot people were wiring their doctors to re-up their heart medications. Twiddle started it off with a set filled with improv, explosive soaring peaks, and a jam of Phish’s “Contact” that ended up going from “Funkytown” to “Billy Jean”. The centerpiece of the show was a monster version of original “The Box” which simply went everywhere. Aqueous then one upped everyone with the biggest crowd of the weekend thus far, and a hot-as-fire set no amount of liquid could extinguish. Filled with effortless segues, memorable originals, a fun sit-in from Dopapod’s Chuck Jones on Warren G’s “Regulate”, and a brilliantly intense take on Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”, Aqueous had the audience in the palm of their hand. Brooklyn’s Dopapod closed the evening set with an all out rager, effortlessly gliding from song to song with the best light show of the weekend by far. This band is on fire and should not be missed at any opportunity.  Aqueous’s Mike Gantzer sat in for original “Bats in the Cave” complete with some well placed Dr Dre “Xxplosive” teases.

    Those that survived the onslaught of Aquapod stayed up for the late night set of NYC’s Consider the Source, whose technical expertise may not be surpassed by anyone. Imagine a Primus that got all jammy and had three Les Claypools running the show. Pure intense perfection and an exquisite end to the fest. An incredible weekend of music, with each band bringing their A-games.

    Come back tomorrow for our weekend summation and an assortment of some of the weekends best setlists.

  • Rochester International Jazz Festival iPhone and Android App Now Available

    Jazzfest app photoSummer music festival season is right around the corner and festivals are looking for new ways to enhance our experience while at an event. One thing almost all the festivals are doing is creating an interactive app for both iPhone and Android, to assist in making your own schedule to full bio information on all the artists performing.

    One App I will be using this year is the newly released Rochester International Jazz Festival app. The app makes it easy for festival fans to get the latest news, schedule, artist information, photos, maps, venues, travel information and buy tickets. The Android app is new this year for the festival while the iPhone app has been revamped to include several new options for app users. Both apps are free, available now for download, and include a new photo booth feature where you can take photos at the festival and share.

    There are also options to: Select favorite artists, share information on Facebook and Twitter or email, create a personal festival agenda, use the search tool for easy browsing through concert files and artist profiles and festival goers can get a concert reminder alert for to shows about to start. How did we ever survive life before apps like this? I remember lots of maps and bulky event programs to sift through in my satchel, I say thank goodness for apps like this.

    How to Download

    For iPhone: download now free from iTunes.com.

    For Android  download now free from googleplay.com.

    About XRIJF
    The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival will be held June 21-29 and features jazz musicians from all over the world. For more information and a full schedule of events please visit www.rochesterjazz.com or even better you can download the app.

  • Rochester Lilac Festival May 10-19, 2013

    The 1,200 lilac bushes decorating the 22 acres of Highland Park Rochester Lilac Festival
    will put on a spectacular show May 10-19, 2013, exploding with color and fragrance during the Rochester Lilac Festival — showcasing the world’s largest collection of lilacs during the largest and oldest festival of its kind.

    The 105-year-old festival this year has a new name, adding the word Rochester to the title, plus a new logo, new events and attractions, high-profile national music acts,  and a new producer, The Springut Group.

    What’s new and notable for the Lilac Fest in 2013?

    Wine & Chocolate Tasting: 

    Three evenings of a Wine & Chocolate Tasting under the big tent, where you can sample more
    than 150 different local, regional, and national wines from more than 30 wineries — from 4
    to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 14; Wednesday, May 15; and Thursday, May 16.

    Craft Beer Garden: 

    A Craft Beer Garden will offer more than 20 varieties of eclectic regional and national beers on
    tap on a rotating schedule of five different beers per day, for sale alongside a variety of beers
    from Genesee Brewery. The featured breweries are Ithaca, Victory, Long Trail, and Pyramid.

    Kid Power!

    Each year a portion of the park is transformed into a mini amusement park during the Lilac
    Festival. And this year the children’s rides and entertainment will feature new mini rides and
    several bounce houses and inflatable obstacle courses. The kids’ stage will offer a variety of acts
    and is being relocated closer to the rides, in an area now being called “Kid Power!”

    Minicarousel

    Demonstration Stages: 

    Along the paths, a variety of demonstrations will be taking place, from gardening tips to
    woodworking.

    Lilac 10K and Family 5K: 

    This annual event, sponsored by MedVed, is a picturesque run through city streets on the final
    day of the festival, Sunday May 19. New high-tech additions help runners track their midway
    and final times, while automatically sending texts to family and friends.

    Art In the Park: 

    More than 130 artists will be exhibiting on the South Avenue Green in this year’s juried Arts
    and Crafts Shows, open 10:30 a.m. to 6 pm. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Artists
    from more than 10 different states are participating, with art ranging from ceramics and glass to
    jewelry and metal/sculpture.

    purple-lilacs

    2013 Lilac Festival Event Schedule:

    Friday, May 10th

    Special Events
    10:30  Opening Ceremonies

    Center Stage
    10:30am     Le Roy Jr. High School Swingin’ Knights Jazz Band
    11:30am     Brockport 5th Grade Hilltop Singers & Top Brass Players
    12:30pm     Dr. Charles T. Lunford School No. 19 School Band
    4:00pm       Mr. Mustard
    5:30pm       The Fat City Band
    7:00pm       Skycoasters

    Children’s Stage
    5:00pm     Joe Cappon
    6:00pm     Joe Cappon

    Saturday, May 11th

    Special Events
    10:30am   YNN Lilac Parade
    10:30am-6:00pm     Art In Bloom – Juried Art & Craft Show

    Center Stage
    12:30pm         The Spanky Haschmann Swing Orchestra
    1:30pm           Zac Brown Tribute Band
    2:30pm          Deborah Mangone
    4:00pm          Mitty and The Followers
    5:30pm          Amanda Lee Peers and The Driftwood Sailors
    7:00pm          Spin Doctors

    Children’s Stage
    1:00pm         Dinner Dogs
    2:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
    3:00pm         Dinner Dogs
    4:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate5:00pm         The Magical John Show

    Sunday, May 12th

    Special Events
    10:30am-5:00pm     Art in Bloom – Juried Art & Craft Show

    Center Stage
    10:30am        Alysia Groth Band
    11:30am        Blue Jimmy
    12:30pm       The Dirty Bourbon Blues Band
    2:30pm         Natalie B Band
    4:00pm         My Plastic Sun
    5:30pm         Teagan and the Tweeds
    7:00pm         Eddie Money

    Children’s Stage
    1:00pm         Dinner Dogs
    2:00pm         The Magical John Show
    3:00pm         Mike Kornrich
    4:00pm         Dinner Dogs
    5:00pm         The Magical John Show

    Monday, May 13th

    Center Stage
    10:30am       Abraham Lincoln School 22 Choir
    11:00am       Cobblestone School Band
    12:00am       Our Lady of Mercy High School Orchestra
    12:30pm       Bishop Kearney – Murder of Crows Band
    1:30pm         Greece Olympia High School
    4:00pm         MoChester
    5:30pm         Lake Street Dive
    7:00pm         The English Beat

    Children’s Stage
    12:30pm       “Farmer Tom” Walsh
    6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

    Tuesday, May 14th

    Special Events
    4:00pm-8:00pm  Wine & Chocolate Tasting

    Center Stage
    10:30am       Paul Road Elementary School Band
    11:30am        Indian Landing School Band
    12:30pm       Palmyra-Macedon Middle School Honors Band, Jazz Band, Con Brio
    1:30pm          Spencerport High School Jazz band
    4:00pm         Audio Influx
    5:30pm         J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound
    7:00pm         Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express

    Children’s Stage
    12:30pm        Mike Kornrich
    6:00pm         Mike Kornrich

    Wednesday, May 15th  

    Special Events
    10:30am-4pm        Seniors Day
    4:00pm-8:00pm   Wine & Chocolate Tasting

    Center Stage
    10:30am       St. Joseph’s School Band
    11:30am        St. John’s Jam Band
    12:30pm        Twelve Corners Middle School Jazz Band & Select Choir
    1:30pm          Smugtown Stompers
    4:00pm         Meghan Koch and the Gentleman Callers
    5:30pm         Tommy Brunett Band
    7:00pm         The Marshall Tucker Band

    Children’s Stage
    12:30pm        “Farmer Tom” Walsh
    6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

    Thursday, May 16th

    Special Events
    4:00pm-8:00pm     Wine & Chocolate Tasting

    Center Stage
    10:30am         Holly Elementary Chorus
    11:00am         Gates Chili Middle School Jazz Ensemble & Spartan Original Singers
    12:00pm         School #12 Concert Band and Hand Bell Choir
    1:00pm           North Christian Academy Concert Band and High School Choir
    4:00pm           The Moho Collective
    5:30pm           The Lawnmowers
    7:00pm           Rusted Root

    Children’s Stage
    12:30pm        Mike Kornrich
    6:00pm          Mike Kornrich

    Friday, May 17th

    Center Stage
    10:30am        Cosgrove Middle School 7th Grade Chorus
    11:00am        Rochester City School District “Bloomin Arts”
    4:00pm          Mikaela Davis
    5:30pm          Brian Lindsay Band
    7:00pm          The Smithereens

    Children’s Stage
    12:30pm        “Farmer Tom” Walsh
    6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

    Saturday, May 18th

    Special Events
    10:30am-6:00pm  Art In The Park -Juried Art & Craft Show

    Center Stage
    11:30am        Teressa Wilcox Band
    12:30am       The Fools
    2:00pm         The Crawdiddies
    3:30pm         Driftwood
    5:30pm         The Lone Bellow
    7:00pm         The Prickers

    Children’s Stage
    1:00pm         Matt Episcopo
    2:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
    3:00pm         Matt Episcopo
    4:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
    5:00pm         Matt Episcopo

    Sunday, May 19th

    Special Events
    8:00am         5K Family Fun Run
    9:00am         10K Race
    10:30am-5:00pm     Art In The Park – Juried Art & Craft Show

    Center Stage
    11:30am       Flint Creek
    1:00pm         Dang!
    2:30pm         Big Sandy and his fly-rite boys
    4:00pm        The John Cole Blues Band
    5:30pm        Prime Time Funk
    7:00pm       The Campbell Brothers

    Children’s Stage
    1:00pm         Matt Episcopo
    2:00pm         Mike Kornrich
    3:00pm         Matt Episcopo
    4:00pm         Mike Kornrich
    5:00pm         The Magical John Show

    Visitorsjumpingforjoy

    For more information and updates on Rochester Lilac Festival 2013, visit lilacfestival.com

  • Oh Yes It’s Ladies Night and the Feeling’s Right – Amy Lavere and Savannah King at Abilene Bar, Rochester

    01-DSC_0001On a rainy and miserable Wednesday night in Rochester at Abilene Bar and Lounge, ladies night was in full effect. Memphis bred singer/songwriter and sometime actress Amy Lavere and Buffalo’s Savannah King provided duel cannons of estrogen enforced sun-laden excellence much to the glee of the packed house despite the contradictory weather patterns.

    Abilene is somewhat new to Rochester, having opened in 2008 and has provided a much needed eclectic alternative to the typical local music scene. Owner/operator Danny Deutsch is far more likely to be serving you a delicious microbrew or unique liquor concoction from behind the bar instead of sitting in an office shuffling papers. They have a knack for picking popular niche artists and marketing themselves appropriately to bring the masses down to boogie.

    02-DSC_0007The night started at the advertised time (another rarity in the local scene) with Savannah King hitting the stage at promptly 8:30 PM. She wasted no time, opening with an unexpected acoustic one-woman version of the Black Sabbath gem “War Pigs” as the crowd “gathered in their masses”. Savannah is bursting with talent at the ripe old age of 19 and shows true dedication to her art through pursuing a degree in the music field at SUNY Fredonia and traveling anywhere a show calls her name. Appearing alone on stage with an acoustic, her vocals are fluid with a jazzy melody which might bring comparisons to well known artists anywhere from Jewel to Carole King. Adding in her skillful six-string talents gave the crowd one excellent opening act. Her set was cover heavy and diverse, including the aforementioned Sabbath Cover, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and songs by The Tragically Hip and fellow Buffalonian Ani DiFranco. Interspersed between the covers were a handful of originals showcasing a burgeoning artist with a nose for melody and whimsical expression.

    19-DSC_0076After a quick break, Amy took the stage. She tours with drummer and former boyfriend Paul Taylor on drums and recently acquired guitarist/keyboardist Tim Regan. Her style is a mix of bluesy folk and jazz with a sprinkle of rockabilly. Beyond singing, Amy plays an upright bass which despite towering over her petite figure she has full command of. Between many songs she entertained the spellbound audience with stories and toasts which gave the set an exquisite flow. Featuring originals from albums such as Stranger Me and Died of Love and a smattering of covers she delivered a top notch experience to the Abilene crowd. Beyond pleasing the peoples aural cavities, they all appeared to desire a pristine ocular view as this reporter was asked to move several times despite maintaining a low profile.

    At one point during the evening, Amy politely excused herself from the stage and guitarist Tim Regan offered up a tasty original of his own. Amy soon returned with the crowd favorite “Damn Love Song” which was one of the highlights of the evening. Other highlights included a nice take on David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” and an end of show moment where both ladies graced the stage for a fun rendition of the Willie Dixon classic “Wang Dang Doodle”. Overall an excellent experience from two artists determined to take it to the top.

    This was Amy’s 5th visit to Abilene so watch for her coming back in the future. Catch Savannah’s next show May 10th at the Pausa Art House in Buffalo at 8PM.

  • The Manhattan Project release Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3

    The Manhattan Project, one of the northeast’s newest powerhouses, came on to the scene in 2010 and is further making a name for itself with the release of Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3.

    The album’s opening track, “Endless Nights,” builds from the start into an all out barrage of sonic output layered with tasteful precision. Deep tonal exploration collides with danceable grooves for a menacing yet satisfying start to the party. Police sirens scream out in the background as Shawn Drogan’s drums continue to build the track for one last explosion of sound. The synth-heavy “Full Bounce” eases its way in with Charlie Lindner at the helm before the beats hit. Enter a layer of dub bass that tactfully wobbles in the background and the track is in full swing with a plethora of hihat chops. The breakdown is soothing and reflects a great contrast and range in the duo’s highs and lows. Beautiful vocals come and go taking the mind with them and returning it to the track just in time for the beat. “Bitcrusher” welcomes powerful vocals, a couple of sizable builds and captivating melodies for a sonic ride that may be the album’s shortest track in length, but also may be its strongest in regards to fan appeal.

    What starts out as light percussion and spacey synth builds oh so slowly with a focus on effects, before the bass enters the picture and the listeners fins themselves in the full swing of “Hiroshima.” The combination of middle eastern and Asian influences is evident and reflects a well-round arsenal. The EP concludes with “Aftermath,” a piece that begins with an almost apocalyptic buzz, chirping birds and the eventual warning of an “emergency.” Heavy bass drops and the composition takes off with soaring highs, clashing with deep lows in the albums’ ultimate build and release. The Manhattan Project’s overall output far exceeds that of a typical duo, though nothing about this duo or their music is typical. They are the past in their utilization of worldly influences. They are the present in their tasteful innovation. Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3 offers listeners a fresh perspective on a constantly developing music.

    J-man’s Conversation With Shawn Drogan(Drums):

    J-man: What are your thoughts on the new album?

    Shawn: We’re really excited about this one for a couple reasons; It’s very different than the previous two EP’s. Not only are the BPM’s of each song slower than the last, we explore different rhythms and feels on this one. There’s still a lot of variety like the last and it still sounds like us, but I think people will hear some evolution in the music. Another reason, is that this was an important one to get right and I think we did it! It’s been two years since we’ve released a studio album and we felt like we had to take it up a level this time around. A lot of the music came together fairly quickly in the weeks going into the studio. We only had a certain amount of time to write songs we felt good about and I feel we ended up producing some of our best stuff to date.

    J-man: What is your thought of the direction of “mainstream” electronic music and where do you see TMP in relation to a lot of the mainstream music?

    Shawn: I think music in general is in a great place! Popular music is popular for a reason. Our music definitely hits on certain levels of mainstream, but also offers something more for people that want something deeper.

    J-man: Can you talk about why it is you gentleman opt out of utilizing laptops in your live performances?

    Shawn: We both come from a very instrumental background and wanted to utilize that element mainly when we started, but take it somewhere new. We never really planned it out that way, but as we started to develop our sound, we didn’t feel a need for laptops to perform. Now I guess it kind of sets us apart in a way.

    J-man: What does TMP have coming up this spring/summer that you guys are most exited about?

    Shawn: We’ll be hitting a lot of new cities in the next few months which is always fun, and we’ll be announcing some more festivals very soon.

    The Manhattan Project’s website: www.themanhattanprojectlive.com

  • Cabinet Brings Bluegrass to Upstate NY April 19th & 20th

    There just isn’t enough Bluegrass music here in Upstate NY. We do get a semi-acceptable amount of amazing bluegrass bands and small festivals in this area but acceptable amount to me would be relative to living in Nashville, TN.

    Cabinet

    Nestled somewhere in between Bill Monroe and John Hartford you will find Cabinet. A simple little name for a six-piece string band with deep roots in the old timey bluegrass tradition of story telling from our ancestors of the Appalachian Mountains.

    Their lyrics tell stories of family, love, and life; but most of all Cabinet has that gift of putting last night’s shenanigans and the morning afters repercussions into a neat little four minute package of an old timey moral lesson.

    “When we get drunk on wine and shine, we talk about the past and better times, I got drunk on wine and moonshine … Saturday night brings Sunday morn.”

    Tonight all my boot stompin, skirt twirrlin, bluegrass needs will be met and most likely surpassed. Cabinet is playing at Sticky Lips Juke Joint in Rochester, NY. The opening band will be the Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers. Doors are at 9:30pm and show starts at 10:30pm. Tickets: $12 advance, $15 at the door. You can also show your love in advance and RSVP to the FaceBook Event Here.

    The band is also playing at St Lawrence University’s Springfest on the Java Stage in Canton, NY the following night. Cabinet goes on at 4:00 pm and then heads to the Waterhole in Saranac Lake, NY. Admission is $10, ages 21+. Doors are at 9:00pm with opening band The Blind Owl Band. The show starts at 10:00pm.

    With the release of their most recent album Leap, Cabinet has toured most of the United States this past year. Things certainly continue to grow for these hard working musicians, this year will also be their inaugural Old Farmers Ball music festival being held Saturday May 11th featuring, Cabinet, Yarn, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Miz,  And The Moneynotes, Pappy, Kyle Morgan and also the Coal Town Rounders. A limited amount of tickets are still available through Live Nation.

    Hope ya’all come out for this band this weekend, you will not be disappointed, in fact you will probably end sore the next day from all the dancing you will do at the show.

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

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

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

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

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

  • John Brown’s Body Spring Tour 2013

    John Brown’s Body kicks off their Spring Tour this Thursday in support of Kings And Queens, which is set to be released on April 16, 2013. This tour will bring them to the the Upstate region twice with appearances in Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y. The band is excited to be headlining the Sugarloaf Mountain’s 25th Annual Reggae Festival in Maine this Saturday, April 13th with special guest Mighty Mystic.

    JBB

    The band will play Water Street Music Hall on April 26th for the JBB Presents: Big Upstate Reggae Festival also featuring, Dub Trio, Nevergreen, Among Criminals, and Axis Armada. Admission is $14 advance/$20 dos, Ages 21+. Doors open at 8:00pm and the shows starts at 9:00pm. You can get your tickets online here or at the venue box office.

    Their second Upstate appearance is at the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo, N.Y. with special guests TBA. Admission is $14 advance/$16 dos, Ages:21+. Doors open at 7:00p.m and show starts at 8:00p.m. Get your tickets online at Ticketmaster or by calling the venue at 716-852-2860

    This week, reggae-rock music blog The Pier features John Brown’s Body’s brand-spankin’ new track “Dust Bowl” as their MP3 Leak of the Week! Head over to their website to get your first ever listen of “Dust Bowl”.

    You can pre-order your copy of  Kings And Queens  over at Easy Star Records, with bundling options available. All pre-orders will receive an MP3 download of the album along with your CD or Vinyl on April 16.

  • Rochester Jazz Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

    The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival (XRIJF) has announced their full line-up, to be held over nine days June JazzFest21-29, 2013. Since its inception in 2002 this festival has brought a myriad of legendary performers to this region and this year’s lineup is no less spectacular.

    With heavy hitters like Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus, the already Sold Out Willie Nelson & Family, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Roger Hodgson, and for the fourth year in a row, Trombone Shorty, this year’s festival is going to be off the hook! Music lovers can expect to enjoy several new additions this year including a new venue at The Little Theatre.

    More than 1200 artists from around the world will perform in 280 concerts including more than 75 free shows at 19 venues and outdoor stages. Last years festival drew more than 187,000 people from around the world and across the U.S. XRIJF has grown to become one of the worlds largest jazz festivals with one of the nations most extensive international lineups.

    What’s New in 2013!

    Jazz Workshops for Aspiring Music Students – This new series of five structured jazz workshops will be hosted by Bob Sneider, Eastman School of Music Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media and Senior Instructor of Jazz Guitar, and led by five visiting international musicians performing at XRIJF. Aspiring students will have an opportunity to meet, listen to and learn from professional jazz musicians from overseas, and also play. […more info here]

    Free Shuttle Service Added – For all nine days of the festival a new free shuttle service will be available connecting festival fans with City parking, garages making it easier to get to venues.

    Additions to the festival also include, a Big Free Concert Added on First Friday on East Ave & Chestnut Stage, the return of the Free Library Series, and an App for Android & iPhone users to help streamline their festival experience.

    Headliner Series Tickets on Sale Now at rochesterjazz.com
    June 21 – An Evening with Pink Martini, $105/$85/$70/$55 + service charges
    June 22 – An Evening with Willie Nelson & Family – SOLD OUT
    June 25 – David Byrne & St. Vincent, $105/$95/$85/$70 + service charges
    June 26 – Roger Hodgson The Legendary Voice of Supertramp, $125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges
    June 27 – Bob James and David Sanborn with Special Guest Steve Gadd, $85/$70/$55/$40 + service charges
    June 28 – Frampton’s Guitars Circus, featuring Peter Frampton and Robert Cray, $125/$105/$85/$70 + service charges

    Free Shows – All shows FREE! No tickets required. Shows go on rain or shine.

    City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage Presented by The Community Foundation
    June 21-29, all nine days on Gibbs Street (Jazz Street), concerts starting from 3:45pm and 4:15pm daily until 11. See full schedule at rochesterjazz.com.

    City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage Presented by Wegmans
    June 21: 7pm, Joshua Panda & The Hot Damned / 9pm, Dr. John

    City of Rochester East Avenue & Chestnut Street Stage Presented by Rochester General Health System
    June 22: 7pm, Coupe De Villes / 9pm, Delbert McClinton
    June 28: 7pm, Shemekia Copeland / 9pm,  The James Hunter Six
    June 29: 7pm, Thunder Body / 9pm, Monty Alexander’s Harlem-Kingston Express

    City of Rochester East Avenue & Alexander Street Stage Presented by Rochester General Health System
    June 29: 7pm, Mingo Fishtrap / 9pm, Trombone Shorty

    Full Schedule of Concerts – See http://rochesterjazz.com/artist_lineup/ for the complete lineup.

    Online: FaceBook | Twitter @XRIJF | Web www.rochesterjazz.com