Tag: valentines

The Final Shows at Valentines Slated for December 20+21

A monumental shift in the Albany jamband scene is upon us – Valentine’s, located at 17 New Scotland Ave in Albany, a longtime haven for bands like moe. Conehead Buddha, Ominous Seapods and many others passing through the area, will be closing its doors on New Years Eve.

Albany area promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions will present his final weekend of shows at Valentines on December 20th and 21st. On Friday, two of the venue’s past favorites will reunite, FreeBeerandChicken and Wreckloose, with doors at 8pm and show at 9:30. Cover is $10. On Saturday, Albany favorites Peter Prince and Moonboot Lover, Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets, and Subduing Mara will perform. Doors at 8, show at 9 with a $15 cover. Both shows are 18+

Come celebrate the historical relationship between Valentine’s and Guthrie Bell Productions with friends and family throughout the Capital District! This night will be one for the books and will be there to bring you all the details of this sure to be infamous night of music and farewells.

Guthrie Bell has brought so many bands to Valentine’s over the years that the list reads like a Who’s Who of Northeast Jambands – moe., Disco Biscuits, Soulive, Ominous Seapods, Moonboot Lover, Conehead Buddha, Schleigho, Free Beer and Chicken, Yolk, Eastbound Jesus, Dr. Jah, Formula 5, Timbre Coup and hundreds more. Come join us and bid farewell to an historic venue.

Please note: Guthrie Bell Productions will continue to produce and promote live music in the Capital District. They currently have scheduled events at The Palace Theatre, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, and Red Square. Check out their facebook event page for more details.

December 12, 2013
All the Fun and All the Thanks at Valentine’s Final Funsgiving

Valentine’s of Albany hosted the 6th annual B3nson Funsgiving event for the last time on Saturday, November 22nd. The night consisted of seven diverse Upstate New York bands, alternating on the stages of the two story venue with familiar faces around every corner. With Valentine’s set to close and relocate by the end of this year, it was only proper to gather with friends to make a few more memories at the music hall and beer joint one last time.

Hammer Hawk was the first on the lineup, a trio of musical muscle who greeted the venue with edgy rock angst. Bear Grass had a consistent growing sound with pleasant echoes of Indie folk throughout the set. Lead female singer, Katie Hammon, is a great compliment to the harmonies of the five piece band as their music was an easy listen with relaxing melodies and joyous tempos. Rival Galaxies was an intergalactic experience with their high energy robotic futuristic rock and one of the highlights of the night. Rival Galaxies has a familiar sound to Daft Punk, especially with their disco dueling keyboards. Confetti rained down on the audience along with the steady beats, mighty guitar riffs and lyrics being sang via megaphone.

The Parlor performed some of the best dance music with their Indie Jazz sound complete with a solid horn section and funky bass line. The Parlor introduced new songs to the crowd with vocalist Jen O’Connor singing soft lyrics to Eric Krans’ smooth guitar licks. The carefree duo of Scientific Maps joked with the audience that it’s been years since they’ve practiced but you wouldn’t have known without them saying so. Aaron Smith plays with a nerdy and slightly rebellious grandeur as he strums with a carefree tone.

The night ended with the annual Beard contest with categories for both men and women, making for some interesting facial hair and accessories. Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned was unofficially the winner of the best/most beards in a band category. They have a gypsy sound with the accordion and powerful guitar strumming, giving off a sincere bohemian madness that they crowd couldn’t get enough of. Barons in the Attic concluded the event with their usual wild and riot starting music, making for a serious floor shaking set. Valentine’s has given the B3nson Funsgiving family a place to call home for the past few years and for that, we are all grateful. Be sure to visit Valentines before it’s too late!

wants to hear what your favorite memories are from any of the past B3nson’s Funsgiving’s at Valentine’s. Please comment below for your chance to win a poster from this year’s Funsgiving with signatures from members of each band! A winner will be chosen on December 20th.

December 5, 2013
Thanksgiving Eve in Upstate New York: Where the Party at?

Thanksgiving Eve – in Upstate New York, as well as around the country – has become known as one of the biggest party nights of the year, with the day after being one that nearly everyone has off from work to enjoy and eat all day with loved ones. With the holiday season upon us, it’s that time of the year to reflect on all the people, places and things in your life that you are thankful for. Upstate New York is fortunate to have a diverse music scene across the state, with plenty of home grown talent as well as artists visiting from all over the world, to enjoy our beautiful scenery, unique concert halls and our states deep appreciate for good music.

This Thanksgiving Eve go out and support our local venues and musicians because we can all be grateful for a good time!

Rochester
Sophistafunk with Subsoil at Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint, Rochester

Albany/Capital Region

Black Mountain Symphony at Paulys
Timbre Coup with Solaris at Red Square
Wild Adriatic at The Hollow with Titanics (free to first 100 people to RSVP on their Facebook event page)
High Peaks Band at Bailey’s Café, Saratoga
Eastbound Jesus with The North and South Dakotas, Putnam Den, Saratoga
Hammell on Trial at 6pm and The DeadBeats at 10pm at Valentines, Albany

North Country
Capital Zen 5 piece Reunion CD release party at GUGs in Glens Falls

Oneonta
John Scarpulla Band w/Hop City Hellcats at Oneonta Theater

Binghamton
InnerMission at Cyber Café West

Syracuse
95X & Music for the Mission Toys for Tots Benefit at The Lost Horizon
Chuck Dorgan and Jess Novak at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, East Syracuse
Los Blancos, Tim Herron Corporation, and Medicine Wheel, Charley Orlando and Mike Vincitore at Dinosaur BBQ

Buffalo
Lazlo HoLLyfeld at Hotel Lafayette
Sin District at The Forvm
Brian Setzer Orchestra at the University at Buffalo

November 25, 2013
6th Annual B3nson Family Funsgiving taking place at Valentine’s This Friday

This Friday the 6^th Annual B3nson Family Funsgiving will take place at Valentine’s Music Hall, which is soon to close its New Scotland Avenue doors. The B3nson Collective has had shows there for many years and this will be the last big blowout for them at the venue. With only a $10 admission at the door, including two CDs, there is little to no reason not to get your dancing shoes on for this show.

Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned will be headlining along with B3nson Collective regulars The Parlor and Barons in the Attic. New comers to the label including Rival Galaxies, Bear Grass, Hammer Hawk, and Scientific Maps will be rounding out the evening. There will be facial hair and beard contests, prizes, and so much smiling and drinking going on at the venue starting at 7 PM and going late into the evening. This will definitely be a great show to partake in this Friday night, and one of the last large shows at Valentine’s.

With only a $10 admission at the door, including two cds, there is little to no reason not to get your dancing shoes on for this show.

November 20, 2013
The Future History of Valentine’s will be Written at Quail & Central

The end is nigh. Valentine’s, the longtime Albany music venue and home to many a metal, moe. and Dr. Jah show, will soon close its doors as the Albany Medical Center expansion clears out the Park South neighborhood, taking with it many memories and a location that was tough to beat, both for up and coming bands and established acts over the past 20 years.

Nothing will replace Valentine’s, but owner Howard Glassman isn’t throwing in the towel. Sometime in the new few months, Valentine’s will relocate to 335 Central Avenue, most recently occupied by Cagney’s, right next door to Pauly’s Hotel and across Quail Avenue from The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. While the name is still up in the air, Glassman says that after coming up with a name for the new venue, a search of a name revealed a bar in Albany years ago that already had that name, but shares, “We’ll come up with something. It’s 50/50-60/40 that it’s going to be Valentine’s. It’s of a time and a place, I don’t think you can take this here and call it Valentine’s but, you never know. Maybe we’ll open a bigger place and call it Valentine’s.”

The new venue has about the same width as the current Valentine’s location, but with an Adirondack feel to the room as all the wood interior and surfaces give a North Country cabin feel that fits right in for Capital District live music fans; the bar will look and feel great. The stage will be located in the back of the venue, stretching the width of the room and have installed LED lights and a soundboard built into the end of the bar. While there is a lot of history at this new location (who in Albany didn’t go to Cagney’s when they were in high school/college?) and while some of this history will come from Valentine’s (The PA, Hank Williams and Muhammad Ali are coming along, per Glassman) the rest of the decor will start from scratch. Glassman adds “We’ll probably have some sort of garage sale for some stuff. People have already asked if they can have certain things. Someone already asked for the ‘No Pepper’ sign.” Fans can expect similar capacity and amenities akin to the current Valentine’s, but a big highlight to the new venue is a great amount of free parking on Central, Quail and in The Linda parking lot, which is free after 6pm – a big improvement on the crowded New Scotland/Park South area streets, which fans will quickly appreciate.

The last couple months at Valentine’s is shaping up to send the venue out with a bang. Many bands are planning to perform, including Subduing Mara, who according to Glassman have been “Putting the feelers out for getting together and coming to play. Can’t Say is doing a gig (December 27th) and The Disenchanted are back together (December 28th). Greg (Bell, of Guthrie/Bell Productions) has Wreckloose, they’re doing a night and the next night he’s got (Peter Prince and) Moonboot Lover and Dr. Jah (and the Love Prophets) and I think he’s putting one more on that bill.” These final shows are expected to be announced for mid-late December and will confirm as soon as the dates are firm.

Yet there was only a brief moment when Glassman was not considering to open another Valentine’s. “There was a small, small window of a day or two when my wife was like ‘Well now you gotta go get a job’, and I am uniquely unqualified for anything, so I had to go find the place.” The search had been ongoing since December 2012, but “Push came to shove and it was like, ‘Let’s do this’. The staff’s all on board, everybody’s ready to pick up and come on over here.” But the reality of the new venue and what is being left behind is not lost on Glassman. Not by a longshot. Howard’s views on the history of Valentine’s and his vision for the new location, whatever its name, are reassuring and inspiring to current Valentine’s patrons:

“It’s gonna be a little different, only because it’s going to be our bar. It’s going to be our building. We can do whatever we want and not have to worry about getting kicked out. This is what I do, so this will be around as long as I’m around. I think people need to feel like they have their place. Think about all the bars that have closed. CBGB’s, Maxwell’s, think about when the Palais Royale was still open. It’s not the same (as Valentine’s) but it’s not the same for different reasons. But once we open up, hopefully the first Wednesday when The Deadbeats play, and people come in and they’re like “Ah there’s Grumpy and there’s Chris’, and they settle in, and I think when their ass makes an indentation in the seat, they’ll be cool and say ‘Alright. This is where we’re gonna hang for the next 20 years.’ I think it’s the vibe. It’s totally a vibe thing.”

Stay tuned to Valentine’s for upcoming acts in the next few months. Stay tuned to on Facebook and Twitter for updates and news throughout Upstate New York.

October 21, 2013
Bound for Great Music: Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen Album Release Party

Last Thursday night was filled with string picking, bow strumming and warm bluegrass music at Valentine’s in Albany in celebration of Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen second album, Bound for Abiquiu release party. The hosts were joined by their friends, The Grassroots Rebels and Driftwood, two Upstate New York bands that combine Americana and bluegrass with plenty of attitude and flair. With Memorial Day weekend upon us, the show was a great way to relax with simple songs and prepare for the sunny days ahead.

I have a good amount of friends that hail from Binghamton, who are obsessed with Driftwood and now I can understand why. The four piece stringed band took the stage and wasted no time by starting a musical ruckus. Claire Byrne is a furious fiddle player, who shakes the ground with heart as she played all night with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Ooh keep it down for the banjo solo” yelled guitarist, Dan Forsyth, hushing the crowd and cranking up the banjo picking by Joe Kollar. The band has fantastic chemistry as there is constant communication on stage with words and instruments, everyone holding their own but still blending perfectly together. It isn’t until a few songs in that the crowd finally hears vocals and they were worth the wait. Driftwood has impeccable harmonies that give their melodies and lyrics a more heartfelt joy. The tunes had attention grabbing, sharp ends with steady, heart racing crescendos. Joey Arcuri brought out the bow on his standup bass giving the songs a new sound with darky, heavy notes. As the set went on, Driftwood gave respects to Dan Johnson by repeatedly dedicating multiple songs to him as well as the venue. Kollar joked that it was their best Albany crowd ever, considering they haven’t played the area in over a year and Claire added, “I like Valentine’s and Dan Johnson.” My favorite song of the night was “Brother” which had a slight Celtic sound, complete with light, airy, long bow strokes. Driftwood are touring all over the East Coast this summer and are most excited for a new album in the works, set to drop in this fall. Be sure to catch them at such festivals as Taste of Syracuse, The Great Blue Heron and Grassroots.

Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen gently opened their CD release party with their newest hit “Bound for Abiquiu,” and the venue was mesmerized. Johnson’s voice is mature and soothing, with a country twang that made the show feel like a warm summer night. “Garden Below” had some of my favorite lyrics of the night such as, “Sometimes I feel like an ocean looking for a river that I can’t find.” Brian Elsenbeck demonstrated his musical skills by alternating between the accordion and the banjo all night with great enthusiasm, and as Dan puts it, he is nicknamed “The Wizard of Accordion Mountain.” Roger Noyes, on the pedal steel guitar, kept the crowd lingering on every easy going note with a laid back, southern vibe. Fans got a treat when Claire Byrne of Driftwood joined the boys on stage for their classic hit, “Baton Rouge,” adding an angelic vocal twist. One of my favorite moments of the night was during the song, “Dancing Fool,” a new romantic tune with guitar strumming so sweet it caused a few couples to slow dance around the venue. Dan Johnson’s lyrics break your heart one moment and build you up with loving hope the next, a classic bluegrass rollercoaster. The former Albany local who now calls Vermont home, anticipates more visits to Upstate New York to share his newest album at such festivals as Rhythm on the Ridge on June 8^th and Bellstock 20 on July 18^th.

Setlist: Bound for Abiquiu, Come on in My Kitchen, Adam and the Snake Oil Salesman, The Garden Below, My Three Friends, Baton Rouge*, Dancing Fool, Out of the Shade, Off on the Tide, Utica Blues, Another Good Thing is Come and Gone, Someone New, Sid Purple

*with Claire Byrne of Driftwood

Pick up Dan’s new album and great merch at his Bandcamp!

May 31, 2013
‘No Pepper’ a Documentary on Albany’s Historic Music Venue, Valentine’s, needs Kickstarter Support!

Valentine’s Music Hall and Beer Joint is one of the most well known venues in Albany, hosting hundreds of bands throughout its history and leaving many memories behind after the shows are over. Now, a Kickstarter has been created to fund a Documentary on the classic venue. Titled No Pepper, after the sign at the bottom of the first floor stage, the movie will examine the history of the venue, the bands who played there and the significance it holds for live music fans in Albany.

Created by TG Branfalt Jr, he explains his reasoning behind the venue, “The story of Valentine’s has never been told and I think it’s time to tell it. If you’re an East Coast musician you have either heard of, or played at Valentine’s. If you’re a fan of underground or local music you have heard of or been to Valentine’s. As club after club closes it’s important to keep a record of the ones that played a role in shaping the city – no other club helped shape the musicians of Albany like V-Tines. Valentine’s is an incredible venue for budding musicians, run by awesome people. And places for musicians to play in Albany are dying.”

Summing it up as honestly as he can, “Valentine’s is important to Albany’s culture.” Indeed it is.

Keep in mind that the spread of a certain hospital complex and urban renewal are quickly threatening the location, so it is of the utmost importance to document the venue and its history before too long.

You can stay in touch with the project through their Facebook page, and take a look at Valentine’s with Amy Fischer’s profile in of the fabled venue, including a chat with Howard Glassman, the proprietor of the establishment.

The Kickstarter is only open until June 19th, so act soon! If you pledge just $25, you’ll get the soundtrack and DVD of the completed documentary.

Support live music in Albany, but right now, do what you can to support Valentine’s and their Kickstarter for No Pepper.

May 31, 2013
Albany knows how to MOVE – recap of MOVE Music Festival, April 27th

The second annual MOVE Music Festival was held April 27^th in Albany, bringing 100 bands to play in 10 venues across the city, catering to a wide array of musical genres. People are always looking for the next big thing and wanting to be a part of something, especially from the beginning. Some bands catch big breaks and it’s fun to be a fan who can say, “I saw them before they were famous.” Albany’s MOVE Music Fest gave concert goers the opportunity to experience new acts from all over the state and country, promoting the cities’ ever growing music scene. I barely knew 5 out of 100 bands on the lineup and was expecting really amateur music from bands who I thought were getting their first gig out of their mother’s basement. However, I was more than surprised with the talent that each group displayed and can’t wait to see their upcoming shows.

It was more than overwhelming to look at the schedule for the day and pick a place to start. With each band only getting an hour to play, my friends and I tried to strategize a route which was convenient for ourselves and would give us the chance to catch the few bands we did know in action. In the end, we decided to start at Valentines because it was the closest venue to my apartment and never fails with good music. We arrived at the venue around 4pm with plenty of people inside and out ready to catch the first of many acts to come. Party Boat kicked off my evening with wailing vocals that reminded me of the indie band GroupLove, complete with catchy lyrics and simple harmonies. I love surfer music, mostly for the unique guitar sounds that I don’t hear too often living in Upstate New York. I was excited to learn that the group is from Saratoga Springs and often play at Valentines plus other nearby venues.

Next up was The Ameros, who opened with one of my favorite songs, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant. This not only pumped me up but the rest of the crowd too causing a massive surge to the front of the stage. Lead singer Jesse Calhoun belted out lyrics of freedom and rebellion with great passion and honesty, almost causing a riot on the dance floor. Charles Pope blew me away with his sharp guitar riffs especially during “New American Century.” The Ameros musical style ranges from reggae, rock, funk and explosive hip hop. This was their second time playing at the MOVE Music Festival and Calhoun said it went way better this year since they got to play at one of their favorite venues, Valentines, and were able to support their friends’ bands by catching more music too.

While catching some fresh air outside, my friends and I were approached by a few tie dye wearing, hairy faced dudes handing out flyers for the band, TreeHouse! It seemed legit. We headed upstairs at Valentines to check out the reggae group that had traveled all the way from the Carolinas to play here. As it was getting closer to show time, we noticed that the guys handing flyers outside were now on stage, tuning up and was actually the band TreeHouse! The band takes pride in their excessive way to self-promote themselves, such as pulling people in from out the streets. I was totally surprised by the deep vocals coming from Jeremy Anderson that echoed off the walls in the venue. Bassist Matt Link did not stop dancing and grooving the entire time they were on stage. Trey Moody laid out tasty beats throughout the set, only encouraging the band to keep pushing the reggae party vibe.

Barons in the Attic, the grunge rock Albany locals, took the downstairs Valentines stage and blasted into their set with “Julia.” The upbeat melody mixed with hardcore rhythm was more than enough to get the crowd in full dance mode. The Barons combine punk, garage and folk with energetic force and attitude, always making for a good show. Matt Hamilton was unavailable for the show so fans were treated to Eric Krans from “The Parlor” who fit right in by strumming and stirring up the crowd just as loud as the rest of the boys.

For a change of pace, we headed towards Lark St where there would be more venues with more music. My girlfriend suggested we check out Brown Bread & Von Holt, an electronic pop band from her home town in Beacon, NY. We cruised into Lark Tavern, a bar that after undergoing renovations, hosts routine musical acts of all genres in their back room with a small stage and plenty of table seating. The dynamic duo is Rebecca Doerfer (Brown Bread) and Colin Cheyne (Von Holt) who together make up a bone chilling dance party. Doerfer’s voice is haunting and angelic while Cheyne sends out eerie chords from his guitar. Their sound is a dark and electronic space jam full of heartbreak yet good spirits.

Still a new festival, MOVE is off to a great start and has support next year when they want to host 100 bands in our back yard of Albany.

May 6, 2013
Valentine’s: The Beer is Cold and the Sound is Good

Every music lover remembers certain nights of great music with great friends: the gems that you reminisce about years and years later. For me, more than a few of those times were at Valentine’s in Albany, NY. It’s one of those places that things can get down and funky.

To be honest, it’s a hole in the wall. But it’s a magic hole I love to escape to. Have you ever pissed in a trough style urinal the same night as shaking Derek Trucks’s hand and then smoked a joint with Jimmy Herring? Neither have I, but only because I don’t usually use the men’s room.

Howard Glassman has been the owner and bartender of Valentine’s since 1998. Before that he was the booking manager at Bogie’s in Albany, back when Bogie’s had acts like Guster, The Spin Doctors, Rusted Root, God Street Wine and the Ominous Seapods. When Bogie’s went in the direction of dance party music, Howard started working for Valentine’s; a year later he bought the joint. Mike McGrath, the manager and bartender at Valentine’s, has his own background in booking live music in Albany at the old Lionheart location on Lark Street.

Originally called Papa’s Place, Valentine’s was owned by Karen Seeburg and her family. Back then it was just a locals bar. Enter Jeff Guthrie and Greg Bell, local Albany music promoters extraordinaire. They caught wind of the tragically underused upstairs floor and convinced Karen to let them bring in a sound system and lighting rigs for a show once a week. In six months’ time, Greg and Jeff were bringing Karen bands every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and convinced her to allow them to set up a stage and a real sound system. If you are familiar with hippie jambands in Upstate NY, you probably know The Deadbeats, a staple Grateful Dead cover band that have a Wednesday night residency in Albany. Greg Bell met the band in Saugerties back in 1994 and hired them for the bar and the rest is history. Wednesday nights downstairs at Valentine’s has been an Albany tradition ever since and the party keeps going til 4 am.

In general, Valentine’s has a plethora of live music on both floors. The downstairs caters to a smaller crowd/bands and is open for business as the main floor. It has a pool table, some arcade games and a dart board. Upstairs the bigger acts can fit. I’ve seen moe. multiple times upstairs at Valentine’s. When moe. wanted to play a random low key show, they’d advertise under the pseudonym “Monkeys on Ecstasy.” The first big show Greg brought to Valentine’s was The Weasels with Soul Asylum. The first sold out show was Ominous Seapods with Moonboot Lover and Dr. Jah & the Love Prophets.

I sat down with Howard to talk about the history of the venue, what makes Valentine’s such a special place and an Albany Live Music institution.

Amy Fischer: What are the pros of running a live music venue?

Howard Glassman: Live music! I get to see live music. I probably see more live music than anybody. I’ve seen more music than reviewers, promoters…

AF: The good, the bad, and the ugly?

HG: Exactly! That’s the great thing. Oh and I get free beer.

AF: Do you feel like you are part of a community being a bar owner?

HG: I feel like this place is part of a community. I think I am only a part of a community because I play in a band (Grainbelt), I book and I deejay, I do it all.

AF: What about the cons of running a live music venue?

HG: Dealing with bureaucracy, from all directions. The city, radio stations, booking agents, record companies. Some people would think it’s the drunks but it’s not. It’s not the customer. The people that come here, they come for a reason – they come for the music. The assholes are the ones that got dragged here by their friends and this ain’t their scene, so they’ll complain about anything, like the bathrooms that we’re all used to, they just don’t understand what we do here. They’ll go online and rate us as being terrible because they think everything should be nice and clean. (smirks) We’re a dive bar rock club, and our sound system is really good. The beer is cold and the sound is good. That’s a priority for us.

AF: (nods and smiles) “The beer is cold and the sound is good. It’s a rock club dive bar.”

Promoters lose money on shows all the time. Are you better off because you are a bar owner? At least you make money on the drinks. There are all types of music that comes here. Do you wish that you didn’t have to bring music in that you think sucks? If you know there will be a good crowd, you must feel you have to accommodate, knowing that people would come?

HG: Yeah, I learned a long time ago that you can’t book with your heart, you have to book with your head. (pauses) But sometimes I book with my heart, because I want to see a band and it’s cheaper for me to get them to come here to play, rather than go to NYC and pay gas and tolls. If I lose a couple hundred bucks, it will be worth it for me and for the 30 people who may come out and get their minds blown off.

In this past year Albany has had a late night hurdle to jump over. A “Cabaret License” has been trying to pass through the law books, requiring those under 21 to leave the establishment by 11 pm and amplified music to end by 2 am. (Bars can legally serve until 4 am in Albany!!) Many feared that this would further diminish the seemingly depleting visits of national acts to the area in recent years. Albany has been a stop for Max Creek, Rufus Wainwright, Derek Trucks Band, John Scofield, Jorma Kaukonen, The Disco Biscuits, Robert Fripp with Trey Gunn and Adrian Belew, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Buckley, the Last Poets… but what tour manager would want to bring his band to a place where half their fans would be forced to leave halfway through their first set? Luckily, Howard hasn’t been told to change anything since the bar’s hearing months ago and business continues as usual.

The more inevitable fear seems to be the ever expanding Albany Medical Center. The hospital has been making major renovations for a few years now and the construction workers are getting closer and closer. And closer. The run down housing in the neighborhood has slowly been bought out and bulldozed.

AF: Do you ever fear that you’ll have to shut down?

HG: You mean because Albany Med is eventually gonna buy the area here? No, we’ll just buy another building. What else am I gonna do? (laughs) I’m not qualified to do anything else. This is it.

AF: Any last tips you’d like me to print? How to get good service or anything?

HG: Don’t piss off the bartenders. Have your money ready and if it’s packed don’t try to order a bunch of fruity shots or complicated drinks.

AF: (laughs) Anything else?

HG: Yeah, in the men’s room don’t stand too close to the trough when you take a piss – stay six inches away or in the summer you’ll feel the splash on your shorts.

I hope he remembered to tell Derek Trucks.

Valentine’s is located at 17 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY

Hours are 5 pm – close Tuesday thru Saturday; Sunday & Monday closed unless live music scheduled

FYI – Valentine’s is a CASH ONLY BAR – no tabs, no credit cards accepted. There is an ATM on-site. Entry is 18 & over for most shows, otherwise 21+. Visit valentinesalbany.com for more info and their show calendar.

Special thanks to Howard for this interview and profile on a great music venue.

April 3, 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