NYS Music 20​13

Tag: upstate concert hall

  • Michael Franti and Spearhead Coming to Upstate Concert Hall, Monday September 16th

    Through his music, Michael Franti delivers a message of hope, justice, and peace. That message will ring loud and clear Monday, September 16th as Michael Franti and Spearhead bring their unique blend of hip hop, reggae, jazz, and funk to the Upstate Concert Hall (Clifton Park, NY). Special guest The Kopecky Family Band, will open the show.

    Michael Franti and Spearhead continue to enjoy the success of their 2010 album release, The Sound of Sunshine, which reached the number 17 spot on The Billboard 200 list. It features 12 tracks including four hit singles, “Shake It”, “The Sound of Sunshine”, “Hey, Hey, Hey”, and “I’m Alive”. In July 2013, Franti released his eighth studio album entitled All People.

    Ticket prices for Monday’s event are $25 in advance or $28 at the door and are available through Ticketmaster, the Northern Lights Smoke Shop (518-453-3402), or at the Upstate Concert Hall box office. Show time is 8:00PM.

  • Halestorm’s Arejay Hale Talks to Upstate Metal

    Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the lucky opportunity to do a phone interview with Grammy-winning band, Halestorm’s drummer, Arejay Hale. They talked about everything from the start of the band to discussing his crazy use of one of his favorite iPhone apps, Vine. But first, let’s go back to the birth of Halestorm.

    “Lzzy and I were on our way to our very first show,” Hale said. “We were playing the talent show contest in 1997, about 16 years ago this year, and we were driving to the venue in our parents’ car, and we were looking at each other like ‘you know, we can’t just go out there and say, ‘Hey, this is Lzzy and Arejay Hale’, you know? We actually have to have a band name that sounds bad-ass.

    “I recall being kind of teased in school, you know? You walk into class and it was like ‘Oh, here comes the Halestorm, and so on our way to our very first show, I was like ‘why don’t we just call each other Halestorm? What if we called ourselves Halestorm?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, that’ll work for now’, and sure enough, 16 years later, it’s still Halestorm!” explained Arejay in a very animated manner. “I guess we’re just influenced by Hanson maybe, I don’t know …It was like, ‘Hey! Their band name is their last name! Let’s do that too! We’ll add a twist to it; we’ll make fun of ourselves and call ourselves Halestorm!’ We don’t really take ourselves seriously.”

    As far as influences go, they range from John Bonham of Led Zeppelin and Keith Moon of The Who to jazz percussionists Buddy Rich and Chief Bey. However, for Halestorm’s latest record, Hale mentioned that he repeatedly listened to Black Stone Cherry’s album, and as a side note, revealed that the band did a studio session before Halestorm. “When we went into the studio to make the new record, we pretty much came right off tour. We really didn’t have a chance to take a break. We didn’t stop, and we just went into the studio. We finished up our last tour, and the next day we flew out to Los Angeles to start writing and recording the new record at the same time.

    “They wanted us to finish the record in two months, which ended up dragging out six months because we wanted to wait ‘til we were absolutely ready. But the first two months of recording were highly influenced by our fans, and the people we’ve met on tour, and the places we went to on tour. Songs like ‘Rock Show’ and ‘Freak Like Me’, those are all kind of just like anthems to the fans. Songs like ‘Love Bites’ and ‘I Miss the Misery’, and all the heavy stuff was really written in the very first two weeks of writing and recording the record. Just because we were still amped up from being on the road, we were still feeling the energy from playing live. When we went into the studio, we put a lot of live energy into the recording, so that was a big influence for us, the very first half.”

    And, of course, the band ran into a bit of an obstacle; they were asked to take a break before they could finish the record, something this very determined band was not willing to do. “Our producer went on vacation and we were like, ‘well, what are we gonna do?’ and they were like ‘go home’, and we were like ‘no, we don’t wanna go home, we wanna finish the record!’ So while everyone was on vacation, we went to our apartment on the beach and that’s when Lzzy started, you know, sitting and writing more of the intimate stuff, like songs like ‘Hate It When You See Me Cry’—It’s on our B Side of our new record—She was also writing stuff like ‘In Your Room’, the more softer side of the record.

    “So when we went back into recording after everyone took a break, Lzzy was kind of starting to get in touch with the softer side, I guess you can say. So, therefore, after listening to Lzzy kind of coming up with these more intimate lyrics and stuff like that, I started thinking more trimming down the music and chipping down everything, and I just wanted to write these more softer, intimate songs. So after that we came up with ‘Beautiful With You’, ‘Break In’, ‘Here’s to Us’, like these kind of like more intimate and about us, than just purely about us. So we went back into recording after that. We had all of these soft songs and we were like, ‘now we have all of these heavy songs and all of these soft songs, so how do we put these together?’ then we came up with the song called ‘Mz. Hyde’, and we were like ‘okay, I get it! We put it together!’ So another influence of the record was the story of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, and that was a really cool concept for the album, and we thought, ‘okay, what if we just show the world both sides of Halestorm? The heavy side and the really intimate side, and we’ll do it on purpose and call it The Strange Case of Halestorm, which was inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde’.”

    Drexel then revealed that The Strange Case of Halestorm is her favorite record by them and truly loves the song ‘Mz. Hyde’. She also told Hale that she saw them at Carnival of Madness in Baltimore last summer with Evanescence and Chevelle, one of her favorite concerts, aside from seeing them kick ass at Rock on the Range.

    Soon enough, Drexel realized they were both deviating a bit from the interview, and then she proceeded to ask what Hale does on his downtime besides making hysterical Vines. A moment of silence took place before Arejay let out a hearty roar of laughter. “I am so glad my madness has an audience! I was introduced to that app while we were in Europe,” Hale said. “One of my bandmates showed me and started playing with it, and I started using it, and it is the most fun app I’ve ever used because it’s just the perfect amount of time to do something hilarious. Six seconds, then, when it’s done, you can edit it as much as you want, then it loops. It’s constantly on loop and repeat, and that just makes it hilarious. You watch something and you’re like ‘what?!’ then it plays again, and you’re like ‘oh my god!’ and then you play it again and you’re like ‘oh my god! That’s fucking hilarious!’”

    High recommendation from Drexel herself: if you have the Vine app on your smartphone, go follow Arejay. Vine name: Arejay Hale. “Besides that, I try to continue to write on the road,” Hale said. “It’s not easy ‘cause you’re constantly running around doing press, doing meet and greets, you know, try to get some catering whenever you can. My days are long on tour. Definitely on days off, if I do get downtime, I try to write; actually my favorite app in the world is Garage Band on the iPad. It’s great. It’s awesome ‘cause it’s got just the right amount of sound to be creative, but it’s still limited enough for when I’m sitting down and trying to write, I don’t concentrate on all the sounds when it comes to getting the musical idea out. So I like writing on my Garage Band app on my iPad. It’s really easy, it’s really convenient, and I just bought one of those Blue Snowballs, you know. I’ll just plug it in and lay down some vocals and try to put together some demos.

    “My problem is if I have downtime, I hate sitting around, I have to be doing something, and I have to be busy. Same thing when we’re off tour. I go home to L.A. and as soon as I get home, I can’t stand sitting around. I used to be on the go all the time, you know, on tour and constantly having to do something. So when I’m home, I do a lot of writing. I got a studio in my bedroom, my girlfriend, she works in the same studio, she’s got her own band, she does writing and recording and stuff like that, so the two of us will write together when I’m at home. It’s really great. Pretty much anywhere I go, I’m surrounded by talented writers and musicians, and I get to be creative whenever I can. So anytime I’m doing downtime, it involves something with music or something there.”

    Unfortunately, it was time to wrap up the interview with Drexel’s last question, what does music mean to you? “I don’t know any other way of life,” Hale said. “It’s been a part of my life since I was probably, like, five years old. [I] started jamming with my sister in the living room, and now it’s just become the only way of life right now. So for me, music is like air, it’s like just every element that I require to be alive and to be myself is what I think about music.

    “I think that without music, I don’t know where I would be or what I’d be doing. I’m just so lucky I caught the bug early and I was able to pursue my dream and my career at a young age to get me to this point at my age. I’m very, very lucky, so I think music just means everything to me. It’s my life, and I don’t know what else my life would be like without it. I just feel really lucky.”

    Halestorm continues to unleash their inner freak this Fall. Be sure to catch them while you can. They are one band you will not want to miss.

  • Australian trio Sick Puppies invade Upstate New York

    Australian band, Sick Puppies, will be around the Upstate New York area a lot in August so there are no excuses allowed for missing this trio that is guaranteed to knock you on your ass.  August 3rd brings the Sick Puppies to The Paramount in Huntington, NY for our downstate and Long Island readers.  Central New Yorkers will be able to catch them on August 4th.  They will be part of 95X’s X-Fest along side Nonpoint, Otherwise and former 3DG lead singer Adam Gontier.  Along with 10 national acts there will be 10 local acts that you will not want to miss.  Then off to Delaware.  Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel will be covering the August 2nd Virginia show to give an in depth look at the 2013 Summer Tour and what we can expect here in New York.  *here is a hint* Great music and a great time.

    The band then comes back to the Empire State to Poughkeepsie’s The Chance on August 7th and Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on August 11th.  From there it is just across the pond from Plattsburgh, where they will be serving up two nights of chaos at Burlington, Vermont’s Higher Ground before coming back to Rochester for a kick-ass show at a kick-ass venue – The Armory.

    For more information on the tour go to: http://www.sickpuppies.com/events/

    To buy the new Album, Connect visit iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/connect-deluxe/id646984341

  • ‘One More Time’ Provides Needed Daft Punk Fix for Fans at Upstate Concert Hall

    I have been waiting for Daft Punk’s new album Random Access Memories since their last album, the soundtrack to Tron: Legacy. Although Daft Punk purists have been waiting for the next great album to drop from the reclusive French duo, we can satisfy the need for their incredible blend of disco, house and electronic music by going through their discography, replaying “Get Lucky” over and over and over, or we can go see One More Time, a Daft Punk Tribute Band that puts on a live show that can satiate fans, to an extent.

    Daft Punk one more time

    Playing Upstate Concert Hall with its low ceilings, the band set up their pyramid, a replica of the 2006/7 Alive Tour stage setup, but lighting director Cullen Noon noted that they were missing two 17′ poles that form an apex behind the pyramid at 15′ high. It wasn’t a downside to the show, but would have been cool to see. Speaking of lights – throughout the night, the lighting was batting nearly 1.000, varying with the set as it progressed, timing it just right on certain lyrics, highlighted by a disco ball used at the perfect moments of the 80 minute set.

    Daft Punk one more time

    Musically, the show felt short. I had high hopes for this show and by the time the crowd was warmed up, it felt as though we were already on the latter half of the set. Time flies when you’re having fun, and remixes and mashups of songs added to it, but something was missing – perhaps a large, sweaty crowd massed towards the stage, thumping to the beat of every track without a skip – but we were in Clifton Park and the crowd was around 100 at best, so that was part of it. But still, Daft Punk music is never a reason to not dance.

    Daft Punk one more time

    The music was everything you would expect it to be – the hits, the rare tracks, a bit of everything, including the new track that debuted only a week prior. The set started out as the Alive Tour opener – “Robot Rock”, “Oh Yeah”, “Touch It”, “Technologic”, then departed for a mix of tracks, a bit of everything for the crowd. “Derezzed” from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack was a welcome surprise and made the pyramid light up something spectacular in varying sweeps of color. A deep remix of “Harder Better Faster Stronger” was evidence the duo, R & B, were not just pressing play but spinning a unique set for us. “Overture” > “Crescendolls” was a sweet combo, as was the spirited version of “Human After All”. The disco ball was timed perfectly on the robot-speak lyrics on “Human”. “Get Lucky” was gives a standard mix and provided a spark to the crowd at the right moment. An encore of “One More Time” was expected but still welcomed by all, as the tune is likely the most popular of all the band’s songs over the years.

    For those who still won’t be content with Random Access Memories after it comes out later this month, fear not! The duo will perform at Website Hall in NYC in August, with a new live show to reflect the new album. Since Daft Punk isn’t planning to go out on tour anytime soon, the closest we’ll get is One More Time.

    • Daft Punk one more time

  • Review: EXODUS, Armor Column and more at UCH 4/22

    On Monday, April 22nd, Upstate Concert Hall welcomed a piece of thrash-metal history to the Capital District when Exodus and Armor Column took the stage. Supported by five, count ’em, five local acts, Exodus showed everyone in attendance why they are held in such high regard and continue to leave a wake of euphoric devastation where ever they play, even three decades after their formation.

    Anchored by guitarists Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt, along with drummer Tom Hunting, (each of whom have been, for the most part, playing under the Exodus flag since the early ’80s), singer Rob Dukes prowled the stage like a prize fighter daring someone to enter the ring, HIS ring. Bassist Jack Gibson, earning the misleading honor of being the most subdued band member, provided a firm, gut-bruising foundation, and together, Exodus whipped the faithful crowd into a maelstrom of pumping fists, spasmodic thrashing, and a sea of heavy-metal-devil-horns.

    While the relentless double-bass assault from Hunting’s kit and the infallible bassline from Gibson couldn’t be ignored, and were crucial to laying the groundwork, the main feature was the trio of Holt, Hunolt, and Dukes. With Duke’s menacing vocals and glowering stares into the entranced crowd, he worked like a sorcerer, controlling the masses. Every time he pointed to the crowd, as if on cue, they either broke into a frenzied mosh, screamed his words back to him, or simply flashed their horns. In spilt beer, sweat, and occasional droplets of blood, they shared a communion of sorts with Dukes.

    Whereas Dukes led the crowd in a way a paranoid person might categorize as brainwashing, Holt and Hunolt captivated the audience by obliterating those brains with blistering solos and blitzkrieg metal riffs. Their double-axed offensive was as tireless as it was astounding. The speed and precision of their runs in solo was impressive enough, but when done in tandem, it resulted in a room full of wordless, appreciative screams and bellows from the testosterone charged throngs. Well before the first break in the music, Exodus left no doubt that no matter the miles and years they’ve accumulated, they are still a mighty force to be reckoned with.

    A quick roundup of the supporting bands:

    Protocol 7 served as a worthy opener, setting the stage with their fast and furious style, complete with gas masks. Only a broken E string on their bass guitar made an early end to their caustic set.
    https://www.facebook.com/protocol.seven.7?fref=ts

    Hollow is Thy Name kept the testosterone pumping, delivering an unflinching set that was short on chit chat, big on cajones. It was like a Clark Kent-to-Bizarro transformation when A.J. Justiniano took off his glasses.
    https://www.facebook.com/HollowIsThyHeartMusic?fref=ts

    Dolabra took the stage next and showed off their seasoned chops, with solid contributions from every member. While the front of the stage was nowhere near empty prior to their set, empty space was hard to come by without a fight once they launched into their opener.
    https://www.facebook.com/Dolabra?fref=ts

    Armor Column flew their flag onstage next, led by amazing Rob Halford-esque vocals. But they are no knock-off act, as top-to-bottom, they did their thing and owned the stage during their short time on it.
    https://www.facebook.com/ArmorColumn?fref=ts

  • 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.

    4/20 albany the machineThe 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.

    4/20 albanyThe 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 4/20 albanyTimbre 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

  • One More Time: A Daft Punk Tribute, bringing Robot Rock to Upstate NY, April 20th in Syracuse and April 27th in Clifton Park

    With Daft Punk slowly leaking the collaborators of their upcoming album Random Access Memories, anticipation is at an all time high as fans await the release of the first single, “Get Lucky”, in the coming weeks. The reclusive French duo have no plans to tour just yet and even when they tour, tickets are likely to be impossible to get and in select cities throughout the country. Fortunately, the tribute act One More Time is filling a void with an incredible live show that mimics Daft Punk’s live act, to the best degree that one can imitate such a spectacular show.

    one more time

    With two shows coming to Upstate New York – Saturday April 20th at The Westcott Theater and Saturday April 27th at Upstate Concert Hall, lucky fans are going to be in for a huge treat. Not knowing what to expect beyond Youtube videos, an interview was in order with R and B, the guys behind One More Time.

    Pete Mason: For those who have never seen a Daft Punk tribute such as One More time, how closely, if at all, does your stage show replicate that of Daft Punk?

    R & B: Our show has been perfected and grown into a FULL scale LED pyramid stage show complete with a lot of the same equipment used during the Alive tour. There are even sections in the set that replicate the same lighting cues as Daft Punk’s Alive tour. From the chromed helmets, to the light suits, and finally the encore performance, our show is as close as your going to get to the actual band. This is a project heavily researched and perfected with the help of the hardcore Daft fanbase.

    PM: What makes Daft Punk continue to be the gold standard of Electronic Music, especially since the surge of dubstep in the past few years?

    R: Daft Punk are the pioneers of modern electronic music of our generation. In the 70’s, we had Kraftwerk, In the 90’s, it’s DP. Daft Punk’s show in ’07 was the very first large scale electronic production show that paved the way for such artists and their large stage shows, i.e. Deadmau5.

    N: It’s also in their sound. For instance, Daft Punk has grown to be a successful group because of their appreciation for a “true to time” quality which has been seen on each of their albums. We intend to model our sets around that same feel by using songs and samples which fit “that” mold, instead of pushing for a contemporary sound such as dubstep, or complextro.

    PM: Is there a particular Daft Punk album, or era, that you identify with in particular, or love to play more than any other album?

    R: Our set is heavily flourished with Human After All, Since it was this era that the band had premiered their full-scale light show for the first time.

    B: It’s this kind of inspiration we kept going back to while programming our current show with the likes of the Tron soundtrack and of course our fav, Homework. There’s a little bit of everything throughout the set.

    one more time

    PM: How has the lack of Daft Punk live shows necessitated the arrival of a band such as One More Time?

    R & B: There’s such a heavy fanbase that wants to see the band perform more live. We grew from researching the Daft fanbase and are simply a living and breathing interpretation of all that work put into one. After we started this show, Daft Punk fans have continuously come up to us and thanked us for bringing our interpretation to the local and theater venues that wouldn’t be able to accommodate the real band. Our show is a presentation of material and fan requests in a new and unique way.

    PM: Have you had any contact with the reclusive duo?

    R & B- We have not.

    PM: How eager are you anticipating the new album Random Access Memories?

    R & B: We are both very excited for the release. The 10 second clip that debuted on SNL, exhibited our favorite element and style of electronic music, Disco.

    PM: What other influences have had an impact on your musical education and brought you to play electronic music?

    R: While my main influences in EDM stem from Daft Punk itself, I regularly listen to a lot of classic and indie rock. My musical taste was heavily influenced from college radio back when I was in school. This is where I got my start at as DJ for the first time.

    B: I’d say an early love for electronic music, lent itself to loving the French house sound. Artists like Underworld and The Chemical Brothers led me into harder styles of music as a child. When I originally saw Daft Punk and their costumes, I immediately fell in love with the idea of electronic artists using stage presence in a more creative way. Everyone from Aphex Twin’s dancing bears to artists like Deadmau5 have pushed the scene into more entertaining dimensions; we’re just trying to pay tribute to the guys that started it all.

  • Sevendust: Live at Upstate Concert Hall on Feb 6th

    From the first chords of “Decay” the sold out crowd of Upstate Concert Hall went crazy.  There was something in the air on February 6th.  Sevendust always packs the house in Upstate New York, and they should.  Their brand of alternative metal has withstood the test of time and their newest releases, like “Decay” show that the band isn’t going anywhere.

    “Decay” highlights everything great about Sevendust: the dueling guitars of Clint Lowery and John Connolly, hard hitting rhythms of Morgan Rose and the soulful energy of Vinnie Hornsby, along with Lajon Witherspoon’s unmistakable melodic howl.

    sevendustThe tour is supporting the  new album Black Out the Sun and tried to do that with just two songs. The opening number “Decay” and the only other song they played from the new release, “Till Death”.  With a catalog as large as theirs, fans appreciated the mix from over the years, but any emphasis on the new release might have been overshadowed by past hits.

    The second song of the the set was “Praise” from Sevendust’s third album Animosity.  The crowd went crazy as front man Lajon Witherspoon belted out powerful vocals at the top of his lungs and the crowd fired back knowing most the words to this and every song after it.  The sun was blacked out and the night was still young.  Lajon and company went on to play “Denial” (Home/1999), “Ugly” (Next/2005) and “Bitch” from Sevendust’s debut gold album nearly 16 years ago.  Before the band took a little breather and talked about how great it was to be back in Upstate NY.  It’s home to some of their best shows and biggest fans.  The next two songs were thoughtful and well placed.  A calm before the storm that resulted in harder, edgier work.  “Trust” and “Angel Son” are both from Sevendust’s Animosity album, however “Angel Son” was originally written for a compilation album Strait Up, dedicated to the life of Snot‘s former lead singer Lynn Strait who tragically passed away in a car accident at the age of 30.  This is as close as Sevendust will ever come to a ballad and it highlights the range and talents of the band.

    Morgan Rose was able to set the pace throughout the night adding mesmerizing drum solos.  Their were times that the waves of sound threatened to blow the crowd back through the front doors.  But as the set moved on and the music got faster, the drums got louder and the crowd spread out and the pit finally opened up to a circle were only the strong survive.  “Waffle” (Home/1999) led the charge and went into “Strong Arm Broken” (Cold Day Memory/2010) and then “Till Death” from the new release.  The Set ended with “Pieces” (Next/2005) and the appropriately names “The End Is Coming”  (Cold Day Memory/2010).

    sevendustThe variety of songs over Sevendust’s long career is a testament to their staying power and influence in the industry.  After 16 years of pushing the envelope and bringing hard-nose, in your face music to the masses they are still experiencing incredible success.  Their most recent single “Decay” has been getting a ton of airtime on FM stations all over the country and SiriusXM’s Octane channel.

    The encore was extra special for the audience and the band.  The first song was “Splinter” from Sevendust’s 2010 release Cold Day Memory.  And then, Upstate New York’s own Joey Belladonna was pulled onto the stage to help sing “Face to Face”.  It took a lot of coaxing to get the shy lead singer from the legendary metal band, Anthrax, to the stage but when he finally came out from hiding behind the speakers to the crowd, people in Joey’s hometown of Oswego could have heard the roar.

    Overall the night was a huge success, opening band Avatar from Sweden is definitely a rising star to keep an eye on and support act, Lacuna Coil is always a crowd favorite.  Look for an upcoming interview with Lacuna Coil’s Andrea Ferro.

  • Two Takes: Big Gigantic Gives Stellar Performance at Upstate Concert Hall

    Some shows are too big for just one review. For Big Gigantic, we sent staff photographers Chris De Cotis and Tom Miller to Upstate Concert Hall to capture the show. Here are their takes and photos.

    Review and photos by Tom Miller:

    Big Gigantic is the dynamic duo of Dominic Lalli (saxophone) and Jeremy Salken (drums). The pair brought their unique style of improvisational, livetronica music to the Upstate Concert Hall on February 12th. The high-energy performance, amazing music, and mind-blowing light show made for a memorable evening. An eclectic blend of tunes from all four of the bands albums; Wide Awake (2009), Fire It Up (2009), A Place Behind the Moon (2010), and Nocturnal (2012) had the crowd jumping and dancing at every beat.

    Los Angeles DJ, Kill Paris and Chicago-based DJ Manic Focus opened the show.

    Review and photos by Christopher De Cotis

    On Tuesday, February 12th, Big Gigantic brought their 2013 Winter Tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY. Having just seen them a month ago on Jam Cruise, I knew as soon as the show was announced that I was going to be there.  I’ve been a big fan of the duo after seeing them for the first time at the 2010 Nateva Festival in Oxford, Maine.  As I saw coverage of the first shows of this tour, I began to wonder what it was going to look like at Upstate Concert Hall.
    The stage was covered with a large riser and a row of light panels from the band’s current light rig.  Drummer Jeremy Salken’s drum kit was on the right side of the stage and a table was set up on the left for the DJ equipment and laptop computers used by Manic Focus, Kill Paris and saxophonist Dominic Lalli.  The two opening sets sounded good and there was a short break before Big Gigantic took the stage.  The crowd had continued to grow throughout Kill Paris’ set and most people I asked were excited to see the band for the first time.  Their set was about an hour long and after the band left the stage the cheering crowd called them right back out for an encore and they played for almost twenty more minutes.

  • AVATAR opens for SEVENDUST at Upstate Concert Hall Feb 6th

    When Sevendust comes to upstate it is guaranteed to be a great time.  Combine their powerful sound with the Italian Gothic metal sensation Lacuna Coil and Swedish-based melodic death metal band Avatar doing their first U.S. tour – be prepared to have your face melted.

    When Avatar came onto the stage, the audience didn’t know what to think of this five piece ensemble.  Upstate Metal ran into the founder and drummer, John Alfredsson, an hour or so before the show at Pizza Hut of all places and got the lowdown on the set.  The plan was  for 30-40 minutes of in your face metal, a little theatrics, and hopefully to impress the American crowd.  Well, I think they undersold the “little” theatrics, but they definitely impressed the American crowd.  When John founded the band in 2001 with singer, Christian Rimmi, it took the duo 2 years to get settled in and find the rest of the permanent members.  So, with almost 10 years of touring Europe under their belt it was time for them to break into the states.  Being on a Sevendust & Lacuna Coil tour guaranteed Avatar a lot of metal heads will see their music for the first time.  Were they ready? Absolutely.

    Christian’s theatrics proved to entice and excite the crowd at Upstate Concert Hall.  Guitars shredded and drums pounded but all eyes were on the frontman to see what the hell was he going to do next.  Coming out in a black executioner style mask for the first song, he then headed backstage to change it up a bit.  When Christian reappeared for the second song, a friend of mine and Upstate Metal editing master, Chris Fleischmann accurately described him as the result of Alice Cooper and Freddy Kruger having a love child.  A demented love child that fronted a band of Swedish misfits.  In a good way.  The set played out and Avatar won themselves some fans.  They hung out at the merchandise table for most of the night and was even seen at the bar a time or two.  I’d say run out and buy their new album, Black Waltz, but who am I kidding.  Go over to iTunes and give it a listen.

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