Tag: timbrecoup

Mister F and Fikus Electrified Red Square on May 4th

The boys of Timbre Coup always bring a large crowd whenever they play Albany venues, and building off that following has led to a great reception for Mister F, the new project/collaboration of Ben Pickering, Andrew Chamberlaine and Matt Pickering of Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay of Capital Zen. They brought Fikus to Albany on May 4 at Red Square.

It was a pleasant surprise to see that a band as collaborative in nature took on a new life outside of both respective bands. All members brought such a high level of talent and energy that it would be seriously difficult to go wrong with this mash up. Although there certainly exist hints of both Timbre Coup and Capital Zen, it was a completely different show and a completely different experience. This is clearly not just a side project for any of the boys, but instead an opportunity to try something outside of what we are all so accustomed to in Albany.

Scott Hannay on the keys brought an electro feel to the organics of the bass and guitar. It is a perfect mix of organic and synthetic, man and machine. One of the highlights of the night was when Matt abruptly yelled into his microphone “Well, obviously we have a rapist in Lincoln Park,” in which the band responded which a hilarious rendition of Antoin Dobson’s “Hide Ya Kids, Hide Ya Wife.” I was truly unaware that you could actually turn such a ridiculous YouTube sensation into a well composed song. As always, Matt did not cease to impress on the drums with his fast paced beats; the rest of the band followed in step to create phenomenal jams.

Although some of their past work has been faster paced with ripping guitar solos, it seemed they all shared the stage in an equilibrium within each jam. The experience was absolutely different than any band on the scene. There is certainly no single genre that Mister F would fall under, as they clearly have made it an art of incorporating all talents and reaches of music to compose hardwired songs that will keep you dancing from start to end. Each individual is so passionate about the music they create that each song reaches new highs and lows in every measure. You can catch Mister F at Upstate Spring Revival May 10-11, Strawberry Jam May 19th, Disc Jam June 14th, and The Big Up Music festival August 8-10th.

Setlist: Deal Breaker, 11, Everything You Say, Bed Intruder> Vocoder, Busters Revenge, Hedgehog> J> Hedgehog, Canned Heat, Jump the Shark . Download the show from Archive.org

Fikus, a Bergen County, New Jersey based band headlined the night, and although they were named after an obscure Phish song, their show rivaled Mister F’s set. For a nonstop 90 minutes, Fikus played a tremendous selection of songs, ranging across the prog-rock and electronic spectrum. The quintet produced incredible dance numbers, such as “Latin” that had a distinct Latin-flair to it, before getting spacey in a Brian Eno-style of ambient jamming, before returning into a Moog-heavy shred fest, grinding through the jam and coming out the other side with an audience ecstatic at this distinct sound emanating from the confines of Red Square.

Jams were stretched out from a prog-rock base that grew and developed into even deeper cuts, ala “Jim Jones”, as Fikus’ own plane of progressive jamming melded into “Nightwalker”. The audience were headbanging as the band cranked out fully synced rock that, bringing them into a wholly new section of improve with a distinct 80’s flair. “Cool Refrigerator” turned the tempo down as Pete Kozak sang acapella as Jon Schmarak provided a piano interlude, before the full band joined in for yet another slamming number that swayed the dancefloor, populated with a solid crowd of late-night revelers intent on bringing Cinco de Mayo in with cheers for mas y mas. The swinging encore “Tempest” elevated the crowd past 2 a.m., building the anticipation for another return to Upstate New York later this summer, if not sooner.

Tequila shots were requested and enjoyed during the night, making this twin-bill of fantastic improv-heavy bands a perfect highlight for the warm nights ahead this summer.

Setlist: Somethin’ Stanky > Latin, Jim Jones > Nightwalker > Dingo , Cool Refrigerator

Encore: Tempest in a Teapot

May 10, 2013
Summer Camp Music Festival – One of the Best Lineups This Summer Features 8 Upstate NY Bands

For the past decade, Summer Camp Music Festival has been on the radar of live music aficonados, as it unofficially kicks off the summer festival season, and this year features 8 bands from Upstate NY. Living in the Northeast, we have our own kickoff for summer festival season, StrangeCreek in Greenfield, MA. But finally, the stars have aligned and in 3 short weeks, will be headed to Chillicothe, Illinois to cover Summer Camp Music Festival!

And we couldn’t have picked a better year to be there! Upstate New York has not just founder of Summer Camp, moe., but EIGHT Upstate New York bands are on the extensive lineup, bringing the best of Upstate to the Midwest. Among the rest of the bands on the lineup, which includes Umphrey’s McGee, Thievery Corporation, Trey Anastasio Band, Lotus , Cornmeal, Dopapod, Keller Williams, Conspirator, Lettuce, Big Gigantic, Tauk and dozens more, Upstate New York is represented by Floodwood, Jimkata, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Timbre Coup, Project Weather Machine, Aqueous, John Brown’s Body and of course, moe. There is rarely a festival outside the Northeast to feature so many bands from the Upstate New York region, showing that these acts are making names for themselves beyond their region and branching out to newer and broader fan bases around the country.

This installment of Summer Camp isn’t just the best yet, it is also one of the best lineups anyone could ask for. For four days and nights, central Illinois will be rocking from noon till nearly dawn with some of the best jambands, electronic acts, bluegrass groups, reggae troupes and ensembles of every genre imaginable. The folks at Canopy Club have outdone themselves, and that’s saying a lot when you look back at previous lineups.

Mike Armintrout, one of the promoters for Summer Camp, had this to say about the bands hailing from Upstate New York and the Northeast: “Being that moe. is such a major part of Summer Camp, and has been since the first year (2001), bands from their home area clearly hold a special place with them and therefore with the festival. Over the years we’ve had a number of acts from the Northeast and Upstate NY on the festival. This year we’re excited about the return of a number of Northeast-based acts like Medeski Martin & Wood, The Wood Brothers, The Pimps of Joytime and Jimkata. As well as a first-time appearance by some other great acts from the region like Lettuce, Dopapod, Project Weather Machine and Aqueous. The Northeast continues to have a foothold at the Summer Camp Music Festival.”

This, the 13^th installment of Summer Camp will be nothing short of magical, but with so much music to see, the task of knowing what to see is daunting. For your consideration, may we interest you in the acts from Upstate New York, all worthy of an hour of your time, and quite possibly, many hours of listening in the future…

moe.

Summer Camp was founded by moe. in 2001, on the heels of their incredibly successful moe.down, now in it’s 14th year. Playing six sets during the weekend, odds are you’ll be seeing plenty of moe., and that you don’t need us to tell you of their involvement of putting this festival together. moe. plays the mainstage each night on the main stage.

“It’s interesting, when we all get togeher, it doesn’t matter if its moe. or Floodwood, there’s definitely a thing about being from the Northeast and being from Upstate NY. You don’t really know it until you leave and get out of the Northeast and leave Upstate New York and run into people from Upstate in another geographical part of the country … we were on the road with Floodwood recently and ran into someone in Asheville, NC. This guy spent a lot of time in Upstate and said ‘I miss Upstate New York, the sarcasm, the food, the everything … when I hang with you guys for a couple days, it takes a bit to readjust (attitude-wise) with my wife.” – Al Schnier, Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals, moe. and Floodwood

Jimkata

Hailing from Ithaca, Jimkata has begun to draw sizeable crowds throughout the country, combined electronic music with rock and progressive jams. Their recent album Die Digital has been a huge hit and led to incredible sets as they stretch into the south and Midwest. Read an interview with Evan Friedell of Jimkata with ’s Johnny Goff. Few acts from the Northeast have risen as fast as Jimkata has. To see them live is a pure treat for the ears and eyes. If you like electronic rock, you’d be hard pressed to find better. Check them out from 6-7pm on Sunday in the Vibe Tent

“I think there are a lot of hard working bands that have come out of upstate or the northeast that earn or have earned every fan or credit they get. To see many of them on the same bill makes it feel like our area is indeed a productive one when it comes to live music and building a live music community. Hopefully as more people from back home see their favorite hometown bands on bills like this they’ll feel more inspired to continue supporting the live music scene we have going.” –Evan Friedell, Guitar/Vocals, Jimkata

Timbre Coup

Progressive rock is alive and well thanks to larger acts like Umphrey’s McGee, and Timbre Coup from Albany have put their signature sound on prog-rock, standing out among their peers and producing excellent albums, most recently Knuckles and Valleys, a spectacular release in 2012 that covers all 12 months of the year in 12 tracks, highlighted by the interplay of the band as they seamlessly switch instruments for various songs and intertwine their sound while our ears scream in joy. Timbre Coup is a treat every time we see them, and you’ll thank us when you check them out Sunday from noon-1pm.

“I feel like Upstate NY is a hotbed of creativity right now from the most progressive of music all the way to rustic and traditional sounds of blue grass and jam rock. Bands like Jimkata, Aqueous, Timbre Coup, Project Weather Machine and all the others that will be representing this region in the Midwest at Summer Camp show how eclectic the creativity is and how this scene really has something for everyone.” – Dan Gerken, Guitar/Vocals, Timbre Coup

Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad

Hailing from Buffalo, Giant Panda is one of two reggae-infused bands to come out of Upstate for Summer Camp. If you like your reggae diverse and beyond run of the mill, Giant Panda is perfect for you and makes a great mid-day aural snack on Saturday from 330-430pm.

“It is some of the more honest, foot stomping fun that you will see this summer. We’re all funked up from the cold and the Kodak chemie sunsets. Oh and the fracked water…” James Searl, Bass/Vocals, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad

Floodwood

Two parts moe. and three parts Zachary, Jason and Nick equals one helluva pickin’ party with string band Floodwood. Playing bluegrass standards, David Grisman tunes and a variety of foot-stompers, Floodwood has been a huge hit out east and the Midwest is lucky to have them playing five sets throughout the weekend. There’s lots of bluegrass and jamgrass at Summer Camp, so get your dose of Floodwood, as they’re only playing three festivals the rest of the summer – Fiddler’s Picnic June 14-16 in Lyons, NY, Clearwater Music Festival on June 15-16 in Croton-on-Hudson, NY and moe.down 14, August 9-11 in Turin, NY.

“With moe. and getting to the west coast, there’s something about being from Upstate New York and the Northeast – you have this different outlook and certain kind of humor, an appreciation for sarcasm. The interesting thing I love about Upstate New York is that everyone is down to earth and it goes a long way and really stands out when you are out of your element” – Al Schnier, Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals, moe. and Floodwood

Project Weather Machine

A band comprised of four individuals with eclectic backgrounds, Project Weather Machine hails from Syracuse and melds the genres of rock, dance, folk and blues, as well as jamming throughout each of these styles of music. Just over a year old, this group has caught the ears of a great deal throughout New York State and will playing from 130-230pm on Sunday afternoon.

“I feel that the Upstate bands in the Summer Camp lineup stand out mostly in the fact that it is so diverse. There are six markets across Upstate New York that are being represented and each one has it’s own individual sound: Indie, electro, rock, jam, progressive, folk and dub/reggae are all being represented. It really shows what a wonderful cross section of music we have here in Upstate New York.” Daniel Wafer, Bass/Vocals, Project Weather Machine

Aqueous

A true jamband with progressive routes and a wide-range of influences, Aqueous is full of deep improvisation, songwriting that is years beyond bands of similar caliber and a live performance that is a hallmark of Upstate New York. They kick off the music on Sunday from 11am-12pm, so start the day off right with an early dose of true improv.

“The bands selected to represent the Northeast at this year’s Summer Camp Music Festival are among the finest Upstate New York has to offer and we’re excited and grateful to bring our sound to the incredible mix of bands on the lineup!” – Mike Gantzer, Guitar, Aqueous

John Brown’s Body

Playing from 5-6pm early Sunday evening, John Brown’s Body has the recent distinction of having the #1 album on Billboard’s Reggae Chart. Hailing from Boston via Ithaca, this ensemble of musicians uses reggae as the base for their sound, bringing in drums and bass, dub and electronica into the mix to bring their music to another level. Horns and a tight core develop immense rhythms. Don’t miss out on JBB.

“I think it is the people themselves that our making music from the Upstate NY region unique and interesting. There is wisdom and inspiration that has been passed on from older generations of musicians from the area and from our peers who lead their own groups. We are originally from Ithaca NY, so for JBB, it is individuals like Kevin Kinsella and our own Elliot Martin, and bands like Giant Panda and Thunder Body from Rochester that represent a sound and approach unique to this place.” -Drew Sayers , Saxaphone, John Brown’s Body

See you at Summer Camp!

May 2, 2013
4/20 in Albany: Late For the Early Show, Early For the Late Show

When you are in college, 4/20 is a day reserved for indulging in the delights of some Giggle Smoke, whether you be a rare smoker or a daily puffer. Moving past college and you get to take a break from the real world, but the real world is still there when you take this break. Even farther beyond college, it gets to the point of shrugging shoulders and looking back at the old days when the date was looked forward to with rapt anticipation. But whatever your age, 4/20 isn’t just about what you smoke, it’s what music (in this case in Albany) that you see to elevate you higher than any Sticky Icky ever could.

In the Albany area, there were a couple of notable shows that I headed to, but in perfect accordance with the day, I was late for the first show and showed up early for the later one. The Machine were set to play Upstate Concert Hall, and admittedly, I didn’t check to see what time they would go on, I simply presumed between 9-10 pm, like other shows at the venue. Nope, it was 8 pm and I was able to catch most of the second set. The crowd was packed in for the show, especially older fans who gladly sang in unison on ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’, but also explains the earlier start time, as the evening’s music was over by 10:45 pm.

The Machine was top notch and recreated the Pink Floyd sound and nearly the stage show, with copious amounts of smoke filling the air, creating silhouettes of the band members, particularly guitarist Ryan Ball and his mane of hair. The lights and lasers had hints of the Dark Side of the Moon prism in the colors, a visual treat, particularly on this night. A dark ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ formed out of a jam from ‘Signs of Life’, ‘Money’ elicited attention from the audience for one of the most played songs in the Floyd catalog, as well as a psychedelic ‘Astronomy Domine’. The encore was a dose of rare and popular ‘Julia Dream’, from the 1960s era of Pink Floyd that kept everyone focused while they explored the early catalog (which is highly undervalued, by the way). The drum beats to signal ‘Run Like Hell’ recalled The Wall and had fist pumps from a handful in the crowd and ended the night, although the audience wanted more on a night that was still young, even if the crowd wasn’t.

The Machine, Upstate Concert Hall

Set 1: Welcome to the Machine, Bringing the Boys Back Home, Sorrow, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Another Brick in the Wall, Cymabline, Not Now John

Set 2: Pigs on the Wing, Dogs, Signs of Life > Set the controls for the heart of the sun> Money, Astronomy Domine, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb

Encore: Julia Dream, Run Like Hell

Photos by Tom Miller

With time to make it to The Bayou Cafe (soon to be The Hollow Bar and Grill), I arrived just before Timbre Coup began their set, but just after opener Solaris, had packed up and loaded their van. I’ve seen Solaris before and it’s been a while, so missing the opening set was a downer, but to hang with the band and find out what’s in store this summer (a lot, thankfully), it made up for it. The instrumental techno makers from Ithaca never fail to make a night of music memorable, doing with guitar, bass and drums the hard way what DJ’s pressing play on a computer do with simplicity. If you are in Ithaca on this Friday, April 26th, check them out at The Haunt with Dopapod – you won’t be disappointed.

Timbre Coup took the stage for what proved to be the highlight of 4/20 – four talented musicians playing a wide range of originals, tailoring the setlist that would get the most ‘relaxed’ fan up and dancing throughout the evening. Some solid jamming bridged ‘August’ and ’55’, but ‘June’, with Matt Pickering’s vocals amid an 80’s synth vibe populated the dance floor. An apropos cover of Sublime’s ‘Garden Grove’ was spot on, bleeding nicely into ‘I Didn’t Know She Had a Moustache.’

The crowd was then prompted to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Brian Hartmann, celebrating 4/20 for a different reason this evening among friends. Dan Gerken then performed a solo version of Peter Tosh’s “Steppin Razor” for Hartmann before taking setbreak with the rest of the band.

Second Set had a crowd that dissipated but filled up again quickly once the jam in ‘Spider Doom’ came to fruition, with Ben Pickering on guitar and Dan Gerken on keys. The jazzy prog-rock of ‘Snoop Tiger’ took the crowd throughout the extensive range of the band. Two tracks off the recent album Knuckles and Valleys, ‘September’ and ‘January’ sandwiched further improvisation, but a highlight at the end of the set was a cover of sadly defunct Canadian trio The New Deal’s ‘Back to the Middle’, the first track off their 2001 self-titled release. There is only one way to play The New Deal – loud and well, and with the speed and control of the original song. Seeing how this band has grown in the past four years has been remarkable, but to play such a prime and tight show, with a well-tailored setlist on a great night of celebration made for a show few will soon forget. I can’t wait to see them at Summercamp in May

Timbre Coup, Bayou Cafe, Albany 4/20/13

Set 1: August > Improv > 55, Takes Awhile, June, Garden Grove >Improv > I Didn’t Know She Had a Moustache, Happy Birthday, Steppin Razor (Dan solo, for Brian Hartmann’s birthday)

Set 2: Spider Doom > Improv > Ronald Opus, Snoop Tiger, September, Verbal Kent > Improv >January, Back to the Middle*

Encore: Something About the Radio

* The New Deal

April 25, 2013
Blotto and Mister F, Albany’s oldest and newest bands, play rare shows on March 1st

On Friday, March 1st, one of Albany’s oldest bands, Blotto, took the stage at Valentines for WCDB’s 35th anniversary show, celebrating the Capital Region’s best music from 90.9 at SUNY Albany. Across town at The Bayou Cafe, Mister F, a Timbre Coup/Capital Zen side-project took shape for the first time, debuting as the newest band in the Albany scene. When Blotto first debuted in the early 1980s, none of the members of Mister F were born yet. Catching both of these shows was quite an impressive display of musical talents ranging over a span of 33 years, with each giving a stellar performance in their own right.

Blotto, best known for their hits “I Wanna be a Lifeguard”, “I Quit” and “Metalhead”, play shows periodically in the Albany area, bringing their new wave/surf rock sound to the masses once again. There were plenty of hits to choose from and the crowd enthusiastically cheered on each song and laughed along with Broadway Blotto’s song exposition and Sarge Blotto’s story telling added a little extra to the songs, building up to “Goodbye, Mr. Bond” and “Lifeguard”.

Setlist: She’s Got a Big Boyfriend, When the Second Feature Starts, I Quit, My Baby’s the Star of a Drivers Ed movie, It’s Not You, (We Are) The Nowtones, Elevator Music, Goodbye, Mr. Bond, I Wanna be a Lifeguard

Meanwhile, at The Bayou, Mister F, made up of Andy, Ben and Matt from Timbre Coup and Scott from Capital Zen, took to the stage with “Vocodor” and from the start, this meeting of the musical minds came off as being a natural sounding act. A couple of covers thrown in – Hall and Oates’ “I can’t go for that”, White Town’s “Your Woman” and a fantastically done “Elevator”, a Particle song that moves at breakneck speeds at times, gave the night some familiarity and allowed the four to show off their chops. “Hedgehog” rounded out the night as the crowd gave big support in a debut performance for the group.

Setlist: Vocoder, No Can Do* > Treadmill, 11, Your Woman# > Improv > Don’t Lose Your Watch, Elevator^, Final Countdown Intro > Hedgehog

Photos by Chelsea Valente

March 5, 2013
Floodwood, Giant Panda, Timbre Coup, Aqueous, and Project Weather Machine added to Summer Camp lineup!

Upstate NY will be well represented at the 13th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL on Memorial Day Weekend – May 24, 25 & 26, 2013.

Floodwood (Featuring Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico of moe.), Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Timbre Coup, Aqueous and Project Weather Machine will all be venturing to the MidWest to represent Upstate at this well attended event.

Summer Camp, which features moe. and Umphrey’s McGee as long standing host, has grown to the top tier of outdoor camping events. Besides the before mentioned acts, Summer Camp also includes Trey Anastasio Band, STS9, The Avett Brothers, Thievery Corporation, Big Gigantic, Yonder Mountain String Band, Cornmeal, Lettuce and more.

Floodwood

Floodwood, based in Utica, is a progressive string band featuring the combined talents of Schnier and Amico, plus Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Zachary Fleitz. Now in their second year of touring mostly local Upstate shows between moe. tours, Floodwood is ready to take their show to regional markets.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad calls Rochester home, but they have toured consistently the past 6 years with their highly acclaimed psychedelic roots reggae show. Panda guitarist/vocalist Dan Keller has come full circle. “This was the first music festival I ever attended…now I’m playing at it. Life is cool sometimes.”

Albany’s Timbre Coup is a progressive rock band often compared to groups like King Crimson or Umphrey’s McGee, but they also have a very danceable side. ”We want people to pay attention to the details and intricacies of our songs, but we love making people dance.” says drummer Matt Pickering.

Buffalo’s Aqueous is taking the northeast by storm as of late, constantly hitting new markets with their infectious jam/prog/rock improvisation. With a heavy focus on segues and ever changing set lists, Aqueous will keep you wanting more!

CNY’s Project Weather Machine has quickly gained an audience in the jam scene since their first show in February of 2012. Combining deep song writing, roaring guitar solos and floor shaking dance beats, PWM is sure to keep ya movin!

For more info on Summer Camp check out their weblink below
http://www.summercampfestival.com

February 22, 2013
Albany artists get together to Rock for Recovery in Newtown, raise over $4,000

When Matt McWatters came up with the idea of doing a benefit concert he did the right thing by enlisting the help of area promoter Greg Bell. Within a week, the Who’s Who of the Capital Region music scene were signing up to donate their time and talents to the cause. More bands wanted to play then there was stage time, so the list had to be narrowed down to twelve acts. Those twelve were recognizable names, even to the casual local live music aficionado, for Rock for Recovery in Newtown.

Friday night’s show included Way Down, Skunk Hostage, Funky Jukebox Brigade, Conehead Buddha, Dr. Jah & the Love Prophets and Timbre Coup. Saturday night’s show was no less impressive with The Hearing Aides, Sean Rowe, Matt and the Bad Ideas, Super 400, Erin Harkes and Black Mountain Symphony w/special guests from the Ameros and 7th Squeeze. was there Friday night to hear the amazing line up.

Way Down, with a little help from Dirty Paris, had the hard job of going first, but their musical talents and jazz and rock influences shone through during there set that ended with a dynamic interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” that had everyone moving. Skunk Hostage played second and were met by a growing crowd that was eager for their fresh blend of progressive, punk and rock. Tony Califano (bass/vocals) and Justin Fuld (vocals/guitar) mixed it up a bit and in addition to looking like brothers (according to at least one person) they played off each others musical strengths well.The next band, The Lucky Jukebox Brigade, took the stage with it’s eclectic blend of guitars, drums, trumpets, a tuba, a wash board, violin and then hidden away in the corner the multi-facated Kristoph DiMaria (with a broken nose) playing percussion, guitar, organ and offering entertaining backing vocals. LJB does an incredible job of managing a really big sound with the help of their powerful vocalist, Deanna Deluke, and her ukulele.

Longtime local favorites, Conehead Buddha, played to the peak crowd of around 200 people, filling the upstairs of Valentine’s with dance and good vibes. The ska band that has been rocking the Capital District since the mid 1990’s didn’t miss a beat and got the crowd revved up for the final two bands of the night.

Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets brilliantly fused together reggae and ska then rolled it in a jam band blunt. Old favorites like “Come Down From the Mountain” and “Freedom Rising” had everyone singing along. Dave even inducted everyone in attendance into the Jah Army. When the lively set was done the “bright smiles” of the dancing “Jah Army” at Valentine’s was yearning for more. And luckily the music lovers got more.

The long evening of great music ended with the Prog Rock styling of Timbre Coup who played to almost 2 am and still had time to squeeze in an encore. Timbre Coup was able to stretch themselves out with the jam band crowd allowing everyone to get lost in the music. They were sure to bring them back with an incredible solo from Andrew Chamberlaine’s seemingly magical 7-string guitar.

When the dust settled after both nights of incredible music $4193.00 was raised for EverRibbon: My Sandy Hook Family Fund and Newtown Youth & Family Services. Kudos to the promoters, the venue, the bands and especially the fans that came out to support a great event and the incredible home-grown music scene.

To hear a few songs from Friday night’s show, visit the Soundcloud page.

If you would like to donate to Newtown Youth and Family Services, you can visit their website, or donate by mail at: 15 Berkshire Road; Sandy Hook , CT 06482

Check out more of Mike Wren‘s photos below

January 18, 2013
Timbre Coup side project ‘Mister F’ set to debut March 1st in Albany

Branching out from one of Albany’s biggest bands, Mister F is set to debut on March 1st in Albany as a side project of prog-rock group Timbre Coup. The band will be playing shows on a recurring basis, but by no means supplanting the current lineup. Musical growth is always welcome and stands to benefit all musicians from both bands in the long run.

Included in Mister F are three members of Timbre Coup: Matt Pickering (drums), Ben Pickering (bass) and Andrew Chamberlaine (guitar) and Scott Hannay from Capital Zen (keys), although you can expect a fair amount of instrument switching from these talented musicians. Scott has been friends with Timbre Coup for many years now, having sat in with them, as well as playing with the likes of Umphrey’s McGee. Scott also created the Umphrey’s McNes stream of songs (Nintendo-style versions of Umphrey’s songs) which can be heard on MySpace. Matt Pickering remarked “I think we have great chemistry and he writes amazing music on all instruments. In fact, he writes and programs drum parts better than I can play them. It’s a challenge learning his drum parts and I know the other guys feel the same about his guitar and bass parts.”

The name of the band, Mister F, is a nod to one of the best shows in American Television history, Arrested Development and all band members share an affinity for the program.

The group’s debut show will be at The Bayou Cafe in Albany on March 1st with Cosmic Dust Bunnies slated to play the late night portion of the night, with an opening act set to be announced soon. Look for Mister F to play shows in April and into the summer.

For now, check them out on Facebook and their website

Listen to an exclusive track ‘Hedgehog’, featuring some instrument switching – Scott on bass, Ben and Andrew on guitar creating the key/synth sounds, and Matt on drums.

January 16, 2013