NYS Music 20​13

Tag: The Westcott Theater

  • Meg and Laura Interview Tyler Hilton this Monday!

    Oh, what’s that sound? That’s right. That’s the sound of my teenage hopes circa One Tree Hill Season 3 coming back knocking on the door. His raspy voice and seamless songwriting makes you wish every song with the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her’ was written about you. Ring a bell?

    Yes, you’ve guessed it. It’s Tyler Hilton. Not only is he currently on tour with Ryan Cabrera and Teddy Geiger, but Syracuse’s Westcott Theater happens to be one of the venues he’s playing. And here’s the best part: the notorious Meg and Laura will be talking to this contemporary Howie Day this coming Monday about his latest record, “Forget the Storm” and will be broadcasting the interview on their SoundCloud at 3 PM EST, Monday May 6th. Details are available on Facebook.com/themegandlaurashow.

    Don’t miss the show! Buy tickets through the Westcott Theater.

    Here’s an exclusive new track Tyler Hilton sent our way and we hope you enjoy it.

    [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/90331428″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • This Grass is Blue – Greensky Bluegrass at the Westcott Theater, April 27th

    Greensky Bluegrass’ return to the Westcott Theater on Wednesday April 24 brought fans and newcomers out of their weekday monotony and into the rich and colorful world of modern bluegrass music, one where tradition meets novelty and classic themes meet spontaneous virtuosity.  Greensky epitomizes this history-steeped and yet constantly evolving genre.  Their performances are deeply rooted in classic Americana, while their sound continues to push the experimental envelope, incorporating psychedelia, jamband and even classic rock themes.

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    The members of Greensky Bluegrass collaborate beautifully.  They fluidly trade off leadership roles, as each musician is a solid soloist in their own right.  Whether it was Michael Alren Bont twanging away in chord-driven, texturally tasty banjo or Paul Hoffman ripping through lightning fast licks on the mandolin, Greensky has no slackers in its ranks.  Their persistent boot-stomping groove, multi-layered composition and improvisational genius never failed to keep the crowd dancing, whooping with joy or contemplatively ‘tripping out’ on their spacier tunes.  Their self-effacing light show often lit the performers sparsely, while directing pattern and color primarily to the stage background and the walls of the theater.  This approach demonstrated the band’s submission to the collective sound, rather than focusing viewers’ attention on the artists themselves as individual performers.

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    The band’s set was long and diverse, complete with tracks from their newest and most critically acclaimed album 2001’s Handguns, cover songs including a “Whole Lotta Love” verse for the Zepp-heads out there and a guest appearance by one of the guitarists from Greensky’s opener, Fruition.  Overall, Greensky Bluegrass sustained a driving energy that held crowd attention and enjoyment throughout their performance.

  • Fitz and The Tantrums Rocked The Westcott Theater on April 21st

    Since releasing their debut album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces in 2010, Fitz and the Tantrums haven’t updated their discography. Instead, Michael Fitzpatrick and the band have been touring all over the world, providing fans with an opportunity to see live performances of what Fitzpatrick has described as their “soul-influenced indie pop.” On Sunday April 22, Fitz and the Tantrums made an appearance at the Westcott Theater for their first ever performance in Syracuse.

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    photo by Kevin McCallum

    For members of the Syracuse community, the show acted as an exciting conclusion to a mid-April weekend; for the students of nearby Syracuse University, however, the concert represented an end-of-the-year last hurrah as finals week approaches and summer awaits right around the corner.

    Fitz and the Tantrums proved to be the perfect band for such an occasion, as their celebratory soul pop encouraged all of the Westcott’s occupants to spend their Sunday evenings dancing and singing along to the Tantrums’ set composed of material from Picking’ Up the Pieces, their upcoming More Than Just a Dream LP, and several crowd-favorite covers.

    IMG_7346
    photo by Kevin McCallum

    Throughout the show, Michael Fitzpatrick shared lead vocals with Noelle Scaggs. While each singer displayed their massive vocal talent, Scaggs’ dancing skills particularly encouraged the audience to groove to the band’s sixty-minute set. Not only was shoe-shufflin’ a common aspect of the show, but also crowd involvement. Between finishing Fitzpatrick’s lines and clapping to Scaggs’ percussion section, the audience became just as much part of the show as Fitz and the four Tantrums.

    Fitzpatrick did manage to demonstrate some moves of his own. At age 43, the singer often found himself jumping on John Wicks’ drum stand and imitating Scaggs’ dance moves beside her. Although not nearly as smooth as the younger Scaggs, Fitzpatrick’s style made up for any lack of lack of dance moves associated with having middle-aged bones.

    IMG_7374
    photo by Kevin McCallum

    It was Fitzpatrick’s style and effort that made the show. As he and the Tantrums finished their first encore song, Fitzpatrick took a quick, much needed breather before a rendition of “Steady As She Goes” from Jack White’s 2006 side project, The Raconteurs. “Steady As She Goes” was the second cover of the evening after an earlier version of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This.” While the two songs weren’t originally performed with a horns section and two leading vocalists, Fitz and the Tantrums played them in a manner that made unaware concertgoers think they were written for their soul pop style.

    As Fitz and the Tantrums are set to release their sophomore album on May 7, they’re scheduled to continue touring throughout North America up until September 20.  Playing tour dates in support of artists like Dave Matthews Band and Bruno Mars, Fitz and the Tantrums will have an opportunity to gain exposure to new audiences and develop a wider fanbase. Although the upcoming tour dates don’t include another stop in Syracuse, a future appearance in Upstate New York isn’t unlikely, and when they come back, it will be surely be a cause for celebration.

  • The Westcott Theater: Syracuse’s Local Music Venue

    For nearly 100 years, students of Syracuse University and members of the Syracuse community have flocked to The Westcott Theater for countless evenings of entertainment. Located just outside of SU’s campus, the Westcott can be found in a neighborhood primarily occupied by upperclass students looking to catch a concert after spending time at Taps Bar & Restaurant, situated just across the street.

    the westcott theater

    The Westcott hasn’t always hosted live music, however, and it was only in 2008 that the venue opened its doors as a location for musicians traveling through Upstate New York. Before its transformation, the building acted as an independent movie theater known as The Westcott Cinema.

    Today, the Westcott still holds the occasional film screening, most of which are music-related. In the summer of 2012, the venue screened LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up And Play The Hits, a film chronicling the band’s final show at Madison Square Garden. Comedians have also appeared at the venue, including the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe, a group of actors best known for their work in Super Troopers and Beerfest, who performed at the Westcott in 2009.

    the westcott theater assembly of dust

    While special events usually occur at the venue several times throughout each year, live music is scheduled almost every night of the week. From show to show, performers represent an eclectic range of genres; at the Westcott, one night can be a country show and the next night a dance party.

    Some of today’s biggest EDM acts have come through the Westcott on their way to becoming internationally known artists whose tours consist of packed stadium after packed stadium. Between 2010’s Bassnectar performance and 2011’s Skrillex and Pretty Lights appearances, the Westcott has developed a history of catching electronic artists just before they break. Big name artists like the Avett Brothers and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals have also played the Westcott before becoming major festival headliners.

    New Riders of the Purple Sage, 10/5/12 - photo by Frances Huang the westcott theater
    New Riders of the Purple Sage, 10/5/12 – photo by Frances Huang

    It’s the venue’s cozy environment and well-equipped set-up that encourage such well-known acts to book the Westcott on their way to the east coast. With a spacious standing area and a high ceiling, the venue’s occupants can feel comfortable amongst 700 fellow concertgoers while experiencing an intimate performance.

    The venue’s slanted floor is helpful for those that are vertically challenged. Standing farther from the stage not only provides an unobstructed view, but also easy access to the bar. Located in the back of the room, getting a drink can be accomplished without missing a song.

    Although the Westcott has only offered live music since 2008, some of Syracuse’s most memorable shows have taken place at the off-campus venue. As emerging artists continue to play quality shows for crowds of Upstate music lovers, students and locals alike will spend their evenings at the Westcott Theater.

    Links: Website| Facebook | Twitter 

  • Review: Assembly of Dust at The Westcott Theater, April 13th

    A content crowd of harmless hippies from all around the Finger Lakes region gathered at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on Saturday night to watch Assembly of Dust. From a cloud of fragrant smoke, the band emerged on stage with their opener “Telling Sue”. Barely seconds into the song, the audience begins to mouth the lyrics to the song.

    With Reid Genauer’s organic, raspy vocals and Adam Terrell’s Chuck-Ragan-esque raw attitude, the duo share chemistry that injects energy in their set. After the upbeat performance of “Paul Henry”, the band included instrumental interludes to go along with their cosmic lighting backdrop. Between the high strung guitar solos and the shimmering tinkle of the keyboard, it was as if every note had diffused itself like a pleasant haze over the audience. Assembly of Dust then played the synthy title track of their new record, Sun Shot, which was received by the audience with a roar of applause.

    For someone who is not the biggest fan of the bluegrass-jam-band genre, this reviewed found it exhilarating to watch such a great band draw such a diverse crowd together.

    Setlist:

    Set 1:  Telling Sue, Man With a Plan, Whistle Creek, Myth of Mine, Paul Henry, Avenue of the Giants, Love Junkie, Arkansas Down, Truck Farm

    Set 2: Mama, Weekhawken Ferry, Speculator, Burned Down, Cluttered, Songbeard, Silver And Worn,
    Westerly, Sunshot

    Encore: Miss Ohio, Lost and Amazed

    Download the show here

  • The Heavy Pets’ Spring Tour Heads Through Upstate in mid-April

    The Heavy Pets have their sight’s set on the North East in April, giving fans not one but five funky opportunities to boogie deep into the night whilst taking in the sounds of their unique blend of jazz-funk and rock-and-roll deliciousness.

    In an interview by NYS Music’s Johnny Goff, with guitarist Jeff Lloyd and Syracuse University grad, Jeff explained why the Heavy Pets enjoy touring through the Upstate area while on tour,

    “NY has always been our home and our home away from home at the same time. When we are here, we get to see our families and when we are on the road, it’s always nice to be able to look forward to our east coast swings where we know we’ll be able to see our families and friends.”

    Check out the entire interview here

    heavypetsThe band will first hit the famous Nectar’s in Burlington, VT on April 17th.  Jamie Kent and the Options are the opening band that night. Admission is $7/$10 Ages:18+. The show starts at 9:00pm and tickets are available by visiting Nectar’s website here or calling 802-658-4771.

    Next up is The Java Barn in Canton, N.Y. Show starts at 9:00pm, Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. Check out their FaceBook page for more info and upcoming events.

    The band is extra excited to be joining Conspirator & Break Science in taking over one of their favorite venues, The Westcott in Syracuse, NY April 19th! Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 8:00pm. Admission is $20, all ages are welcome at this show too. Pick up your tickets online here.

    An appearance at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo, NY will continue their journey through New York on April 20th. Special guests will be the Family Funktion and The Sitar Jams. Doors open at 8:00pm show starts at 9:00pm. Admission is $10/$12 ages 21+. You can get your tickets at the venue box office. View Nietzsche’s website for all their live music listings here.

    The Pet’s will wrap up their travels through Upstate at the Bayou Cafe in Albany, N.Y. on April 23rd. Opening up for the night is the Kollectiv. Show starts at 9:00pm and admission is $10 ages 21+. Tickets can be purchased via the Bayou website here.

    With so many opportunities to see this band you really have no excuses not to get out there and support live music!

    Links: www.TheHeavyPets.com | www.facebook.com/TheHeavyPets | Twitter: @TheHeavyPets

  • Kung Fu | Upstate Shows April 11th & 12th

    Connecticut’s nu-funk quintet, Kung Fu, are returning to the Upstate region this spring with a huge festival season approaching with main stage and late night shows at Rock N’ Roll Resort, Mountain Jam, Gathering of the Vibes and The Big UP. Kung Fu is ready to get funky on their Spring tour.Kung Fu_pressphoto

    The band will first hit one of NYS Music’s favorite venues, The Westcott on April 11th in Syracuse, N.Y. Doors open at 8:00pm and the show starts at 9:00pm. Admission is $12/$15 and this is an all ages show. Get your tickets online here or by calling (315) 299 – 8886.

    Next up is Nietzche’s in Buffalo, N.Y. on April 12th. Show starts at 8:00pm, Admission is $13/$15 Ages: 21+ for this one folks. Pick up tickets at the venue or by phone at 716-886-8539.

    Look for their second full-length album Tsar Bomba due out in June 2013. Check out the first single “Do the Right Thing”

     

    Links: www.KungFuMusic.com | FaceBook | Twitter @KungFuTunes

  • Alan Evans Trio play Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany, April 17th, 18th, 19th

    Alan Evans Trio head to Upstate New York in mid-April for a trio of shows in Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany, April 17-19. The band, which features Alan Evans from the legendary soul jazz trio Soulive, brings their refined blend of rock, blues, R&B/soul and funk grooves that send the listener on a cosmic journey. Music fans of all types will be rewarded with an experience that embodies the record-producing, drum-playing Alan Evans’ personal musical vision.

    Alan Evans Trio features Alan Evans on drums, Beau Sasser on organ and Danny Mayer on guitar. The tour continues to Buffalo, Albany and then head to North Carolina for four dates and closes with a date in Atlanta, GA.

    Get tickets for the show here and visit The Westcott Theater’s website here for more information on upcoming shows in Syracuse!  The Monk, a 5-piece band from Syracuse, NY will be opening the Westcott show, a dynamic group with a fusion of Funk, Rock, R&B/Soul, Latin, Hip-Hop and Dance music.

    Tickets for the Buffalo and Albany shows can be picked up here.

    Alan Evans Trio also performs at Rock n Roll Resort on April 13th in Kerhonksen, NY. You can check out more about the festival here.  

  • Three Takes: Dopapod at Red Square in Albany, February 28th, The Westcott in Syracuse, March 1st and Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, March 2nd

    Dopapod is in the midst of a huge tour and made three stops in Upstate New York last weekend including at Red Square. Here are recaps, videos and photos of shows in Albany, Syracuse and Rochester.

    Red Square, Albany, February 28th

    Review by Pete Mason

    Red Square in Albany kicked off the first of three incredible nights of music as Dopapod swung through Upstate New York with Big Something from Burlington, NC in support. The opener was a new sextet to visit the region and slayed with a great cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and uniquely incorporated an instrument I had never seen before, an EWI (an acronym for electric wind instrument), into the show without overshadowing the rest of the music. These guys are worth finding at a festival this summer or the next time they make it to Upstate NY.

    Having played with Dopapod at The Big What Festival in North Carolina, the two bands found solid support and kinship on the road. They have a good core sound and layer each instrument on top of one another, leading to thick and complicated jams that ignite the dance fuel in the crowd.

    It has been great to see Dopapod grow and develop in the past few years, exciting fanbase no matter where and when they play. With a new lighting setup, Dopapod played to a packed house, tearing through old songs and a pair of new tunes, including “Like a Ball”.

    “Braindead”, off Redivider ,was hit with the industrial stick and spiced up a notch. The crowd, 20s-30s for the most part, was full of folks getting down to the set, especially when songs meandered off into the oblivion of improvisational bliss. “Carolina”, a slow rumba if I ever heard one, filled in nicely before the debut of “Priorities”.

    Dopapod also announced that night that they would be playing Saturday May 11th at The Spring Revival in Lyons NY, hosted by ‘s own HerbyOne and State Wide Music. There are other area festival appearances this summer, some still yet to be named, but one that is announced is one of ’s favorite’s, Backwoods Pondfest, located in Peru, NY near the Ausable Chasm. Catching Dopapod is entering another world of jam music, one that combined the best of progressive rock and electronic beats for some heavy duty performances. They are one you don’t want to regret missing.

    Setlist: FABA, Like A Ball, French Bowling, New James, Sonic > Braindead, Off The Cuff, Ellemenno > The Chocolate Drum Machine > Carolina, Priorities > Tequila* > Priorities, Bahbi
    E: Nuggy Jawson, Trapper Keeper^
    *impromptu cover; Rob quoted the first Ninja Turtles movie twice
    ^dedicated to Jason Gibbs for becoming the new Pope… No one thought it was funny.

    Photos by Andy Hill

    The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, March 1st

    review by Quinn Donnell, photos by Kevin Burke

    As Dopapod spent their weekend touring through Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester, the four-piece experimental funk-rock group surely experienced a number of similarities associated with playing shows in Upstate New York. On Friday night in Syracuse, however, an audience dominated by Syracuse University students provided a unique experience for the band. Joined for the first time this tour by The Manhattan Project, a Rochester-based duo whose synth-led jams put the Westcott Theater’s crowd in the perfect mood for a night of groovin’, Dopapod headlined an evening of great jams and great times.

    As the Manhattan Project concluded their opening set, audience members who had spent the beginning portion of their evening either at the bar or hula hooping away from the dance-designated pit came together in front of the stage for a performance from their favorite electro-jam band. After a nearly ten minute intro involving beams of light and slow, monotonous bells, Dopapod took the Westcott’s stage. Juxtaposed with their mellow introduction, the band’s opening song, “Bubblebrain,” involved delay-heavy guitar riffs and a booming, tribal-like drumbeat. As Dopapod’s set progressed, their experience as performers who have played over 150 shows every year for the last three years, became apparent. The crowd found its groove and danced under flashing lights with glow-in-the-dark accessories. Playing a cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” Dopapod concluded their set to appreciative applause from the audience. As Dopapod continues to tour throughout the country, a future stop back in Syracuse would be greatly appreciated. Check them out in Ithaca on April 23rd.

    Setlist: Bubblebrain, Roid Rage, Present Ghosts, Jam > Onionhead, Turnin’ Knobs, Drum Machine > STADA, Trapper Keeper, Weird Charlie, Indian Grits > Psycho Nature

    Encore: You Oughta Know

    Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, March 2nd

    Review by Darren Kemp

    The Upstate NY Dopapod run continued Saturday with a nearly sold out show at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester. Local band Haewa opened with a scorcher of a set that showed they would not be an opener for long. Dopapod hit the stage around 11 pm for a long two-hour set filled with a nicely selected mix of new material, old songs and a spot on cover of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun complete with organ vocals.

    Highlights included the aforementioned cover and an absolutely mind-bending “French Bowling” > “Brain Dead” pairing. The band left the stage around 1:15 am to an ear deafening roar and came back to reward the audience with a “Off the Cuff” cover with Fleet Foxes teases. An excellent performance by two bands with bright futures.

    Setlist: Priorities, Black and White. French Bowling > Braindead, Black Hole Sun* > Present Ghosts, Sonic > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Vol. 3 #86^, We Are Not Alone > Give It A Name
    Encore: Off The Cuff%

    *Soundgarden,  ^contained “Rondo Alla Turka” tease (Mozart) %contained “Ragged Wood” tease (Fleet Foxes)

  • The Monk, Conehead Buddha, and Turkuaz at The Westcott Theater – February 28th

    For those of you who aren’t quite familiar with The Westcott scene, it isn’t very often that a crowd musters up for the opening act The Monk at 8 o’clock sharp on a Thursday night. But then again, there was hardly anything prosaic about these smiling folks twirking their way through funk tunes.

    The Monk
    Maple Hill – Westcott Theater

    Though the bass-slapping groove and the smooth saxophone was more than enough to keep the crowd going, a sharply dressed lead singer appears on stage for the third song and brings the jam session to a whole new level with his velvety vocals.  “He wasn’t even in the band until a week before the show”, explains saxophonist James Corbett. “He literally just walked in and tailored his own songs to fit the band”.  As if the band wasn’t lovable enough on stage, they make a mutual admiration society in person. “It’s really Charlie who’s the hero of the band”, adds Corbett. “He literally picked up the guitar for the first time in London and started writing these amazing songs within a week”. Between the flawless guitar and drum trade-offs, I was left to notice only one pattern in their set: all of the songs were incredible.

    I could not, however, say the same for the awkwardly stiff, eight-membered Conehead Buddha whose pitch-perfect harmonies were soon outweighed by the band’s questionable aesthetic and outfits (sorry, but save the nighttime shades for Kanye).  I don’t know if it were the extravagant trumpets or bad mixing that tipped me off, but the bottom line is, their cold indifference slowed down the night.

    Thankfully, Turkuaz showed up at The Westcott right on time to save the show. With their colorful jumpsuits, the larger-than-life jam band brought to stage the sexual appeal of The Free Design, making the audience feel like a part of the family. Needless to say, Geneva Williams and Sami Garrett’s dance moves were cutesy enough to make you want to quit life and join a girl band.

    All in all, there was a warm, fuzzwah quality about the whole night that made you fall in love with funk music all over again.