NYS Music 20​13

Tag: Turning Stone Casino Showroom

  • Completely Unchained – Completely Off the Hook

    Completely Unchained, one of the most well known and loved Van Halen tribute bands once again returned to the Central New York region to rock the house at the Turning Stone Showroom.  If looking to travel back to the 1980’s during the height of hair bands and rock and roll, all one had to do is close their eyes and they were be transported right back in time to a Van Halen concert as they played songs like “Jump”, “Hot For Teacher”, and “You Really Got Me Going” to name just a few.

    Completely Unchained - Turning Stone 2013
    Completely Unchained – Turning Stone 2013

    Talented musicians Eugene Henriksen on lead vocals, Johnny Roggio on guitar, Mason Swearingen on bass, and George Pagonis on drums have perfected not only the sound of Van Halen, but the look and energy that fans have loved for decades.  These accomplished musicians are true performers and a must see for tribute bands fans.

  • Southern Rock legends .38 Special Blows Away The Showroom at Turning Stone

    When .38 Special performed at Turning Stone’s Showroom on November 14, I remembered what made them great when their songs aired on the radio in the 1980’s. Their heartfelt lyrics powered by strong vocals on top of plain-old, good-quality Southern style rock is pretty much the definition of .38 Special. No surprises there – they lived up to expectations.

    What was surprising was the energy that went into their performance. .38 Special was formed the same year I was born. So, when I see performers who were in their peak when I was an infant, I’m pretty impressed when they rock it out. These guys took very few breaks all night, and the music may have stopped two or three times at most during their set. The sound simply rolled, Southern style, from one song to another.

    The other impressive thing was that these guys were happy on stage. More than once I saw a look of ecstasy on Don Barnes’ face during a particularly intense guitar riff. All the members of the band seemed to enjoy themselves; they offered genuine smiles to each other while performing and attempted sincere connections with the crowd. It was clear that the members of .38 Special were at home, at peace, and totally content on stage.

    Although they are currently (and likely permanently) performing without founding member Donnie Van Zant, I still felt that their music was very much together: the band worked well off each other. True to Southern Rock, the lack of competing instruments and vocals makes everything just flow together.

    As usual, the Showroom’s classy atmosphere allowed for great seating with a good view of the stage. This venue can handle a wide variety of performances, and while I love dramatic performances, what was refreshing about .38 Special was that their show was all about the music. I suppose that is what has kept this group together for 40 years.

  • Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Hit CNY with their Best Shot: A JTG Photo Gallery

    When Turning Stone announced that Pat Benatar was going to be in the Showroom in November, it was a guaranteed sold-out show.  The nearly yearly run through Upstate New York brought out droves of short-haired pixie cut women reliving their rebellious younger years through the musician that gave them the power to tell the world that collectively, “We Belong”.

    Pat Benatar and her husband (and business partner) for nearly 35 years, Neil “Spider” Giraldo, rocked the showroom despite being very sick.  Pat took short breaks to head toward the back of the stage to get a drink or clear her throat.  In the spotlight though you could barely tell that the legend was under the weather.  She gave it her all and the crowd was more than pleased.

    When Neil and Pat invited the crowd to ask questions, it gave Pat an opportunity to rest her voice as Spider answered most of the questions. From there she belted out some of her biggest hits, “We Belong” and the anti-child abuse anthem “Hell is for Children”.  With being sick, the crowd seemed surprised and so pleased that Pat did the whole set and didn’t cut anything short.  Amazing energy and a promise to return next year for a special 35th Anniversary tour – who could ask for anything more?

    Setlist: All Fired Up, Invincible, So Sincere, If You Think You Know How to Love Me (Smokie cover), River of Love, Promises in the Dark, Q&A, We Belong, Hell Is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Love Is a Battlefield, Everybody Lay Down, Let’s Stay Together, Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire

  • Alice Cooper Raised the Dead at Turning Stone

    Before Alice Cooper even took the stage at Turning Stone, fans were on their feet. They expected the show to be jam packed with entertainment and wanted to see every second of the performance.

    The sold out show on Monday October 21 drew a diverse group to Verona; tweens to those in their 60s came to see Cooper’s brilliantly choreographed production. The show started with Hello Hooray (1972) and Cooper set against a backdrop of raining fire. The first act featured ten songs including old favorites No More Mr. Nice Guy (1972) and Department of Youth (1975). About half of the songs performed date from the 1970s but that didn’t bother the fans.

    The guts and gore that brought Cooper his fame were very much part of the show, especially during the second act. Things that most people squirm about: snakes wrapped around a neck, an electric chair, a guillotine, a straight jacket, are what the crowd loved best. The elaborate stage sets are reminiscent of a really good Broadway show, only better because Cooper incorporates smoke and pyrotechnics. The costumes were dynamic and fit in perfectly with the whole aura of grotesque nightmare and the abnormal. Cooper had total control of the stage at all times; he and his band were totally in sync.

    One advantage to being on the short side is that with a full house standing in front of me, I couldn’t always see everything. Which meant — I could hear better. What I heard was a surprisingly strong voice — from the first note to the last. Not only was Cooper very much on his game, but every member of his band is super talented. This team of performers was top notch. And the third act heightened that.

    Act 3 began with Alice rising from the dead in the same graveyard where his “dead, drunk friends” are buried. He brought those “friends” to life when he performed Break on Through (Jim Morrison), Revolution (John Lennon), Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), and My Generation (Keith Moon). The stage backdrop, featuring gigantic tombstones for each rock ‘n roll icon, along with Cooper’s amazingly perfect cover was an electrifying tribute.

    Cooper finished the show with three hits, I’m Eighteen (1970), Poison (1989), School’s Out (1972), loads of energy, awesome pyrotechnics, and confetti. At no time did the fans in front of me take their seats, and they were right, every bit of the show was worth seeing.

    Set List
    Part 1: Hello Hooray (1972), House of Fire (1989), No More Mr. Nice Guy (1972), Under My Wheels (1971), I’ll Bite Your Face Off (2011), Billion Dollar Babies (1973), Caffeine, Department of Youth (1975), Hey Stoopid (1991), Dirty Diamonds (2005)
    Part 2: Welcome to my Nightmare (1975), Go to Hell (1976), Man Behind the Mask (1986), **Feed my Frankenstein (1992), Dwight Fry, Killer/ I Love the Dead (2009)
    Part 3: Break on Through (1967), Revolution (1968), Foxy Lady (1967), My Generation (1965), I’m Eighteen (1970), Poison (1989)
    Encore: School’s Out (1972)

  • Keeping Things Weird Al Turning Stone

    The Weird Al experience is far more than a concert.  It is an infusion of pop culture at its finest. Between dozens of parodies, video interviews, and every imaginable reference to the master, Weird Al, from the Simpsons to Jeopardy!.  Turning Stone is more than Central New York’s gambling mecca – it is the source for big names in entertainment.  Weird Al was just one of the many entertainers at the casino during their 20th Anniversary year. Others include Motley Crue, Kiss and Harry Connick, Jr.  Yet to come is still Alice Cooper, Kenny Rodgers, Frank Valli and over a dozen more.

    Al took the stage in classic attire, an ugly Hawaiian shirt, big hair and his Roland accordion.  Performing “Polka Face” to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” got the crowd of thirty and forty somethings (and some of their kids) up and dancing early in the set.  From there he went on to “TMZ” and “You Make Me” before going backstage for the first of many costume changes. While he was changing into Kurt Cobain videos played a few clips of Al interviewing Eminem spliced together from other coverage and absolutely hilarious.  It was videos like this one and the countless others with Weird Al referenced in various television shows, movie clips from UHF and other movies and more Interviews with Nicolas Cage, Uma Thurman, Kris Kristopherson, Megan Fox, and Antonio Banderas.

    A Weird Al concert is 50% comedy, 50% music and 100% entertaining.  It is a great show that is suitable for all ages and covers musical tastes for every generation.

    Setlist: Polka Face, TMZ, You Make Me, Smells Like Nirvana, Skipper Dan, Party in the CIA, CNR, Canadian Idiot, Wanna B Ur Lovr, Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies / Whatever You Like / Another Tattoo / eBay / I Want A New Duck / Theme From Rocky XIII / Spam / My Bologna / Ode To A Superhero / Lasagna / Eat It, Amish Paradise, Craigslist, Perform This Way,  White & Nerdy,  Fat

    Encore: The Saga Begins, Yoda

  • Alice Cooper Raised the Dead at Turning Stone

    Before Alice Cooper even took the stage at Turning Stone, fans were on their feet. They expected the show to be jam packed with entertainment and wanted to see every second of the performance.

    The sold out show on Monday, October 21 drew a diverse group to Verona, from tweens to those in their 60s who came to see Cooper’s brilliantly choreographed production. The show started with “Hello Hooray” (1972) and Cooper set against a backdrop of raining fire. The first act featured ten songs including old favorites “No More Mr. Nice Guy” (1972) and “Department of Youth” (1975). About half of the songs performed date from the 1970s but that didn’t bother the fans.

    The guts and gore that brought Cooper his fame were very much part of the show, especially during the second act. Things that most people squirm about: snakes wrapped around a neck, an electric chair, a guillotine, a straight jacket, were what the crowd loved best. The elaborate stage sets are reminiscent of a really good Broadway show, only better because Cooper incorporates smoke and pyrotechnics. The costumes were dynamic and fit in perfectly with the whole aura of grotesque nightmare and the abnormal. Cooper had total control of the stage at all times; he and his band were totally in sync.

    One advantage to being on the short side is that with a full house standing in front of me, I couldn’t always see everything. Which meant — I could hear better. What I heard was a surprisingly strong voice — from the first note to the last. Not only was Cooper very much on his game, but every member of his band is super talented. This team of performers was top notch. And the third act heightened that.

    Act 3 began with Alice rising from the dead in the same graveyard where his “dead, drunk friends” are buried. He brought those “friends” to life when he performed “Break on Through” (Jim Morrison), “Revolution” (John Lennon), “Foxy Lady” (Jimi Hendrix), and “My Generation” (Keith Moon). The stage backdrop, featuring gigantic tombstones for each Rock n Roll icon, along with Cooper’s amazingly perfect cover was an electrifying tribute.

    Cooper finished the show with three hits, “I’m Eighteen” (1970), “Poison” (1989), and “School’s Out” (1972), loads of energy, awesome pyrotechnics, and confetti. At no time did the fans in front of me take their seats, and they were right, every bit of the show was worth seeing.

    Set List
    Part 1: Hello Hooray, House of Fire, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Under My Wheels, I’ll Bite Your Face Off, Billion Dollar Babies, Caffeine, Department of Youth, Hey Stoopid, Dirty Diamonds
    Part 2: Welcome to my Nightmare, Go to Hell, Man Behind the Mask, Feed my Frankenstein, Dwight Fry, Killer/ I Love the Dead
    Part 3: Break on Through, Revolution, Foxy Lady, My Generation, I’m Eighteen, Poison
    Encore: School’s Out