NYS Music 20​14

Author: Bryan Lasky

  • Equifunk Leprechaun’s Ball Brings a Pot of Gold to New York City

    On St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Equifunk threw a Leprechaun’s Ball during the day at (Le) Poisson Rouge to celebrate the holiday. There was a lot of green throughout the crowd and even more smiles on stage as three bands tore through their sets and wowed the crowd with each song they played.

    Starting the afternoon was Dorsia, a four piece band that brought loads of power to the stage. With two guitars trading off solos and tight jams that effortlessly extended into the beyond, Dorsia was just the music to start the day off. Bobby Paltauf Band was next and the 14 year old and his band kept the energy up in the venue. Playing many tracks off his first album, Lost + Found, the band was comfortable and played a great set. Stand outs were “Flood Franklin Park”, “Guitar”, and “Lost + Found,” with the last track bringing the audience into an uproar with a rocked out nonstop jam. Nigel Hall joined the band during a flawless rendition of the ‘Soulive version’ of “Eleanor Rigby ” earlier in the set as well.

    The main event was Eddie Roberts & The Funky Charms who sauntered onto the stage and began to deliver a more than two hour set of covers with jams that just continuously went to beautiful and unexpected places. The all-star band included Nigel Hall, Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman, James Casey, Ron Johnson, and John Staten. All of these incredible musicians have played together in various projects before but never together, and hopefully it will happen again soon as the whole show was a highlight. Eddie stated early in the set that they were planning on doing many 80’s covers, and the crowd ate up every song. Two highlights were a great “Sweet Dreams” and an awesome “All Night Long.” Ending the night with “Let the Music Take Your Mind” the band took a bow and Equifunk successfully threw another great event. Look for the 3rd Annual Leprechaun’s Ball next year and make sure you get down to it.

    Dorsia and Bobby Paltauf Band photos courtesy of Jessica Giovannetti

  • KISS and Def Leppard Rocking Across the Country This Summer

    KISS and Def Leppard announced a summer tour that will span 42 cities throughout the United States, this summer. The tour will be hitting Upstate, NY for two shows – August 5th at Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the second being on August 13th at Darien Lake Peforming Arts Center.

    KISS is entering their 40th year in the music industry and they’re looking to celebrate it the entire year, including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although KISS has had many lineup changes throughout the years, Def Leppard has had pretty much the same lineup since the early 80’s.

    This tour is also supporting the military with an exclusive presale and discounted tickets for those who have served the country. More information on that can be found at here. Tickets go on sale starting Friday March 21st.

    Kiss Def Leppard 2014 Tour

  • Crosby, Stills, and Nash Embarking on July Tour

    Crosby, Stills, and Nash have announced a July tour that will see New York get three shows. On July 3rd, the legendary trio will hit the original site of Woodstock at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

    They have played the venue a few times since it has been opened, but it is always a treat to see an original performer of the festival play on the hollowed grounds. A few days later on July 8th and 9th, they will be making a stop at The Beacon Theatre for the only two night stand of the tour. They will be playing songs from all of their entire discography as well as brand new music. They will be joined by a backing band consisting of Shane Fontayne (guitar), Steve DiStanislao (drums), Kevin McCormick (bass), James Raymond (keyboards), and Todd Caldwell (organ). Tickets will be going on sale soon.CSN 2014 Tour

  • Deer Tick Pack The Hollow to the Brim

    On the first Friday of March, Deer Tick played to a rabid sold out crowd at The Hollow in Albany. Opening the show was Toy Soldiers, a fantastic band hailing from Philadelphia, who mixed rock, blues and funk into a great sound. By the end of the set the crowd was in the palm of their hands as they jammed out the last song in extended solos for each member of the band. They will be back at The Hollow on May 28th and you should make sure you see them.

    20140307 - Deer Tick 9

    Taking the stage after a short break was Deer Tick, who was welcomed by one of the most enthusiastic crowds ever seen at The Hollow. From the moment they came on stage, people were jumping and dancing around in the small space that each person occupied. The band split the show up into thirds, with the first and third part being straight up in-your-face rock and roll, and the middle portion being a beautiful acoustic section. Deer Tick showed that they can master either one with ease. Hopefully it won’t be a long time before they come back to the area.

  • Paul Simon Headlining 75th Anniversary Cooperstown Concert

    Paul Simon is headed to Cooperstown, NY for a special concert taking place on August 2nd. The Baseball Hall of Fame is putting on a one day concert to celebrate its 75th anniversary at The Clark Sports Center, where this years hall of fame induction ceremony will take place earlier that week.

    Other artists confirmed are The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, who will be the evenings house band, and ex-Yankee Bernie Williams. Many more performers and other celebrities will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Paul Simon is slated to play three songs which will celebrate baseball through music, film, and video. Tickets are currently on sale now, but if you cannot afford one of the tickets, there will also be complimentary lawn seats right behind the ticketed area.

    Cooperstown 75th anniversary

  • Beck Coming to the Northeast This Summer

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    Beck, who just released the critically acclaimed Morning Phase, will be coming to the Northeast and tri-state area in June, after his appearance at Firefly, Beck will make his way to the beautiful site MASS MoCA on June 24th.

    MASS MoCA has hosted many shows in the past couple of years, most notably Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival. July 1st, Beck will play Central Park’s Summerstage in New York City.

    Morning Phase has been linked to another great Beck album Sea Change. Many of the same players from that album worked with Beck again on this one. Beck always brings something special to his shows and since he hasn’t been touring on a regular basis for a while now, these shows should definitely be packing a punch.

    Presale for both shows began March 12th at 10 a.m. (the general password is “MORNING,” and the Central Park password is “PHASE”), and general sales start on March 14 at noon.

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  • Osheaga Music Festival Announces 2014 Lineup

    The Osheaga Music Festival has announced its 2014 lineup that is going to take over Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal on August 1st-3rd this summer. The headliners  include Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, and Outkast. Other major acts set to perform are Skrillex, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Foster the People, Modest Mouse, The Replacements, HAIM, and Lorde, who will be making Osheaga one of her few festivals appearances this summer.

    Osheaga 2014

    Other acts set to perform include Childish Gambino, Local Natives, Portugal. The Man, London Grammar, White Denim, AWOLNATION, Four Tet, and CHVRCHES. Ingrid Michaelson, Gogol Bordello, Bleachers, Hospitality, and The Men will be representing New York at the festival. With the festival taking place so close to New York, there is no reason to not make the trek over the border for this great festival. Tickets are on sale now at Osheaga’s website for the entire weekend.

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  • Skrillex Bringing The Mothership Tour to New York in June

    Skrillex is bringing “The Mothership Tour” to New York for three dates in June. The New York leg starts at The CMAC Peforming Arts Center in Canandaigua on June 2nd, and the next evening at  The Washington Avenue Armory in Albany.

    On June 7th, Skrillex will wrap up his New York leg at Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York City. Performing at these shows alongside Skrillex will be DJ Snake, What So Not, and Milo and Otis.

    Skrillex’s shows are always a party with blaring lights, lots of dancing, and concert goers leaving with nothing but smiles on their faces. Tickets go on sale for Albany and Canandaigua on Friday March 14th at 10AM. Governor’s Ball Tickets are available now.

    Here is a behind the scenes look at what to expect from the tour.

    Skrillex 2014 tour

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  • The Gaslight Anthem and White Denim Teaming Up for One Night Only

    The Gaslight Anthem and special guests White Denim are coming to Upstate Concert Hall on June 19th for a great billing that is happening for one night only.

    The Gaslight Anthem and White Denim The Gaslight Anthem hails from New Jersey and have been critically acclaimed by many, once sharing the stage with New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen. The band boasts an impressive tour schedule with worldwide stops. Their music is heavily influenced by punk, rock, and Americana –  all coming together to give them a very unique sound.

    White Denim, based out of Austin, Texas, have been taking their psychedelic-blues rock all over the country in the past year. They have been gaining steam as of late and are looking at a big year to come, with upcoming appearances at SXSW, Bonnaroo and Firefly music festivals. Tonight you can check out White Denim when they perform live on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as they broadcast from the 28th annual SXSW festival in Austin, TX.

    This show is surely a great one for those in the Capitol Region! Tickets for The Gaslight Anthem and White Denim are on sale now.

  • Lucid Lights Up The Hollow

    Lucid swung by The Hollow on February 22nd and turned the venue into a dance floor. Openers Way Down, a local three-piece jazz rock band, started the show with a mix of covers and originals to the crowd’s delight. A fun take on Ween’s “Roses Are Free” had more of a Phish vibe to it than Ween, much to the crowd’s enjoyment. All three members are fantastic on their instruments, showing high skill levels on all of the songs, but vocals could use some improvement. Don’t let that stop you from seeing them though, as their musicianship is fantastic.

    20140222 - Lucid 9

    Lucid barely fit the whole band on the small stage of The Hollow and broke out the funk right away. Jaime Armstrong’s saxophone and Lowell Wurster’s percussion-work continuously pushed the band throughout the night. The songs came at a blazing pace, seamlessly never stopping. They introduced a new drummer in Chris English, and even though it was his first show, he did a fantastic job of keeping things interesting behind the kit.  They played late into the night with nothing but smiles on stage and throughout the crowd. Make sure to catch Lucid out on tour as they regularly play throughout Upstate New York.