NYS Music 20​14

Author: Darren Kemp

  • ROCtober Kicks Off With The Kings of Metal: Judas Priest

    Retired? Definitely not. Fans in Rochester lined up around the block on a beautiful, early autumn evening in Rochester to catch the eponymous demigods and kings of metal Judas Priest kick off their world tour. The band had previously announced their retirement in 2011, but thankfully decided that the metal must live on. Despite multiple lineup changes over the years, most of the band’s core remained intact with head screamer Rob Halford, guitarist Glenn Tipton, founding member Ian Hill, and long-time drummer Scott Travis. Joining them to replace the departed K.K. Downing would be Richie Faulkner formerly of the Lauren Harris band.

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    Kicking things off, reportedly (repeatedly on stage by Steel Panther themselves) for a $50 paycheck, was Los Angeles, California’s Steel Panther. Well known for reviving the once stagnant metal scene on the historical Sunset Strip, Panther’s show falls somewhere between Motley Crue and your mom’s worst freaking nightmares. Featuring songs like  “Asian Hooker” “Gold Diggin’ Ho” and “17 Girls in a Row,” the band had the audience simultaneously head-banging and laughing their asses off for their hour set. Don’t worry guys, we were laughing WITH you, not at you.

    As set break ensued, the black-clad masses rushed to grab a smoke or a cold Labatt’s while the time of the legends entrance drew near. A mishmash of an audience with as many gray maned old timers and grizzled bikers as excited youngsters. A giant Priest banner shrouded the stage as fans surged – and in many cases stumbled – towards the front. The house music suddenly blared the Black Sabbath metal anthem “War Pigs” as palpable excitement ignited throughout the throngs of attendees. The curtain dropped and the true kings of metal broke directly into the last and first songs respectively from their brand new 2014 release Redeemer of Souls – “Battle Cry” and “Dragonaut”. With such a rich history of 40+ years of albums, it’s refreshing and a sign of huge cojones to see Priest engaging the crowd with brand new material right off the bat and throughout the night.

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    After some brief and apropos banter from Mr. Halford, the band continued with two tracks from the bands impressive catalog – 1982’s “Devil’s Child” and 1976’s “Victim of Changes” – before continuing to showcase their new material with “Halls of Valhalla”. One more new song would make an appearance – title track “Redeemer of Souls” – before the band finished out the set with a grand m/etal finale of hits. ’84s “Jawbreaker” had the crowd in a signing, headbanging frenzy and everyone’s favorite “Breaking the Law” only amped the energy up to new levels. Naturally, no Priest show is complete without a Harley revving across the stage and this one would be no exception with Rob revving his bike fittingly to the tune of “Hell Bent for Leather”.

    As the clock approached midnight, the band came out for a quick encore and bid the well satiated crowd adieu. Forty (plus) years of metal and this band shows no signs of decay. We can only pray (to the devil) for 40 more. Sad you missed the fun? Our ROCtober article has all the big shows coming to town, so get off your couch and go see some live music!

    Jim Gilbert-Judas Priest-05

    Steel Panther Setlist

    Pussy Whipped, Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World, Asian Hooker, Tiger Woods, Gold Diggin’ Ho, Girl From Oklahoma, Community Property, Eyes of a Panther, 17 Girls in a Row, Gloryhole, Death to all but Metal, Party all Day

    Judas Priest Setlist

    Battle Cry * > Dragonaut, Metal Gods, Devil’s Child, Victim of Changes, Halls of Valhalla, Love Bites, march of the Damned, Turbo Lover, Redeemer of Souls, Beyond the Realms, Jawbreaker, Breaking the Law, Hell Bent for Leather

    Encore: You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, Living after Midnight

    * Intro only

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  • Dopapod Announce New Studio Release “Never Odd or Even”

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    Brooklyn’s Dopapod have announced that their 4th studio effort, Never Odd Or Even will be independently released on November 11th. Culminating from a combination of studio efforts and a gargantuan touring schedule bringing ‘Pod all over the country, fans and band members alike are psyched. East Rochester native and shred-master/vocalist Rob Compa shares his excitement – “The Never Odd or Even sessions cultivated a serious growth in the band’s creativity, each person stepped to the plate and put out great creativity and passionate playing, while inspiring everybody else involved in the project to do the same. We really feel that the material this time around represented a big leap forward, not just in the way we’ve been interacting as a band, but in the way our focus has become sharper in paying attention to things like melody, theme, lyrical imagery, and structure – all the elements that make a great song.”

    Organist/keyboardist Eli Winderman added his own thoughts about the recording process with friend and producer Jason “Jocko” Randall – “We lived at his studio for about a month for these sessions and it just clicked right away, with Jocko’s attitude and approach to the recording process, we were able to really dial in the sounds we wanted, get those perfect takes we were aiming for, and have a blast the whole way through.” Fans interested in the new album can visit the bands website to sign up for a mailing list which will get them a FREE digital download on release day as well as a chance to stream the first video released, “Picture in Picture”.

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    Upstate fans will have several opportunities to catch Dopapod this fall starting with a homecoming show for Mr. Compa this Thursday, October 2nd at Water Street Music Hall  in Rochester with instrumental wizard trio Consider the Source. Local up and coming uber-talented guitarist Collin Jone’s one man band Stereo Nest will start the show up in style. Ticket’s are available online  and at several local ticket vendors ($12.50 pre/18$ door).

    Check out our list below for more area Dopapod show opportunities.

    10/23 Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theatre w/ Umphrey’s McGee $27.50-$30

    10/29 Binghamton, NY – Forum Theatre w/ Umphrey’s McGee $25-$30

    11/1 Oneonta, NY – Oneonta Theatre w/ Space Carnival

    11/21 New York, NY – The Gramercy Theatre w/ Alan Evans’ Playonbrother & Teddy Midnight $16-$21

  • Rochester Prepares for ROCtober Show Onslaught

    Naysayers about the Rochester music scene will need to clam it up this October. End to end, the month is loaded with more shows than some cities are lucky to see in a full calendar year.  ROCtober starts out “Hell Bent For Leather” October 1st with metal icons Judas Priest opening their tour in town at the Main Street Armory. Tour openers continue with hip hop legend NAS also starting his tour in ROC-city the very next night (Also at the Armory). Seemingly unafraid of any genre The Armory will also bring in Reggae (Elephant Man Oct. 10), classic rock (Kansas Oct. 16), country (Charlie Daniels Band Oct. 22) and alternative rock (Bastille Oct. 24).

    Montage Music Hall adds to the fun with their own load of diverse genre shows. The New Mastersounds – an unbelievable funky English export – will team up with local top-tier talents Mojo Collective and Ocupanther for their inaugural visit to Rochester Oct 7. The 9th features the new/bluegrass of regional heavy hitters Cabinet. The 17th will find the absolute kings of the metal breakdown Unearth with special guest The Darkest Hour. Buffalo’s Aqueous will heat up the 24th with North Carolina’s The Mantra’s. The 30th will kick off Halloween weekend in style with two of Upstate’s favorite bands: Jimkata and Turkuaz.

    Water Street Music Hall was missed for a good portion of 2013-14 due to some ownership changes but they are back and as usual are wasting no time bringing top-tier talent to the area. Dopapod and Consider the Source will jam up Oct 2nd. New Orleans’ Mingo Fishtrap returns to ROC Oct. 5 after an unbelievably packed set at the Xerox International Jazz Fest. The funk will continue with Lettuce making their premier trip to ROC Oct. 23. And to cap it off, one for the ladies – Water Street’s annual Men of General Hospital show Oct 24.

    And all that barely touches the surface, check out our list for the rest of the notable haps in ROCtober below.

    10/01 Judas Priest w/ Steel Panther (Armory)
    10/02 NAS (Armory)
    10/02 Dopapod w/ Consider the Source (Water Street)
    10/03 BASSNECTAR w/ Kill Paris and Son of Kick (Armory)
    10/04 Strange Birds (Montage)
    10/04 Giant Panda  w/ Mosaic Foundation (Zeppa Auditorium)
    10/05 Mingo Fishtrap (Water Street)
    10/07 New Mastersounds w/ Moho Collective and Ocupanther (Montage)
    10/09 Cabinet w/ TBD (Montage)
    10/10 Elephant Man w/ Gyptian and Spice (Armory)
    10/10 Theory of a Deadman w/ Fozzy and 3 Pill Morning (Water Street)
    10/11 Deicide w/ Septic Flesh (Montage)
    10/12 Ryan Montbleau Band w/ Tall Heights
    10/16 Heavy Trash w/ Bloodshot Bill (Water Street)
    10/17 Unearth w/ Darkest Hour (Montage)
    10/22 Charlie Daniels Band (Armory)
    10/23 Lettuce (Water Street)
    10/24 Aqueous w/ Mantras (Montage)
    10/24 MEN OF GENERAL HOSPITAL (Water Street)
    10/24 Bastille (Armory)
    10/25 Badfish (Water Street)
    10/28 Goat Whore (Bug Jar)
    10/29 AJR (Montage)
    10/30 Jimkata w/ Turkuaz (Montage)
    10/31 Love and Theft w/ Joel Crouse and DJ DU (Water Street)
    10/31 Roots Collider w/ Thousands of One, Subsoil, Mrs Skannato and Personal Blend (Flour City)

  • First Listen: Ocupanther ‘III e III’

    datastretch is happy to share the first listen of Ocupanther’s new single “III e III”. Ocupanther hails from Rochester and first came onto the scene in 2011. Three of the four members of this quartet played together for years as regional touring band Pia Mater.

    A change in direction for that band and the addition of long time friend and shred wizard Mike Pantano birthed Ocupanther. Data Stretching will mark the third studio release for the band after 2012’s Troncoso and 2013’s Progressor. Keep an eye on for a full review of the new release and enjoy “III e III” while you wait.

    Upcoming Ocupanther dates:

    Sept 13th – Night Lights Music Festival – Sherman, NY

    September 26th – Temple Bar & Grill – CD Release Celebration – Rochester, NY

    Oct 2nd – Tralf Music Hall w/ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – Buffalo, NY

    Oct 7th – Montage Music Hall- w/ New Mastersounds – Rochester, NY

    Oct 18th – Westcott Theater w/ Electron – Syracuse, NY

    Nov 1st – Lovin’ Cup’s Hallo-Palooza – Henrietta, NY

    Nov 21st – Flour City Station – Rochester, NY

  • Gathering at Chaffee’s 34: A Grand Slam of a Fest

    DSC_0587On a global scale, few mere mortals will ever know the exquisite blissful nature inherent in a music festival. Those mortals include friends you encouraged to come – they show feigned interest but never show up. Grumpy old men ranting about “those hippies need to get a job”. Business people who can’t possibly leave their desk for three days. Those people have missed the boat – no weekend ritual truly embodies and personifies the definition of vacation better. True freedom exists there:  freedom from ringing cells, fashion faux pas, nagging bosses, judgement, and often shoes. To truly live off the earth and feed our natural senses – the sights – the smells – and of course, the sounds. The 34th annual Gathering at Chaffee’s epitomized this hedonistic alternate reality perfectly.

    This year would provide some upgrades to the Chaffee experience. For longer than some of the attendees lives, there has been a popular saying here – “It ain’t Chaffee’s if it doesn’t rain”. To answer the weather critics, the festival added a giant circus-esque tent to the front of the stage allowing for not only plenty of dry space to dance, but also quite possibly one of the best light shows a medium-sized festival has ever seen. Images and lights danced over the white tents interior all weekend while smoke effects added another layer of visuals. Morning yoga was added – for those who got up early, or had not yet slept. The yearly beer tasting expanded with the delicious concoctions of Erie’s Lavery Brewing Company. Oh, and the rain? Well, I guess all they needed was a tent because outside of a couple ten-minute sprinkles, the weather was close to perfection from start to finish.

    DSC_036834 years is a hell of a long time for any festival to exist nowadays. When such longevity is achieved, it’s rarely a fluke. Rather, everything has to be just right. The right amount of security to be safe without feeling under surveillance. The right amount of amenities to stay comfortable without abridging the “back to nature” aspect. Enough port-a-potties to insure no long lines engaged in the “pee-pee” dance (Also worth noting – some of the cleanest port-a-potties EVER). And of course, music. Lots of it.

    Musical highlights over the weekend were aplenty. Eric Brewer & Phriends performed a near flawless set of Phish covers. Groove rock juggernaut Aqueous busted out some old tunes, some extra long jam sessions and a set with multiple guest appearances – Funktapuss‘s Latez Antonio singing vocals on TLC’s Waterfalls and a full band switch over with Ohio’s Broccoli Samurai (and Eric Brewer to boot) during original tune “The Median”. A crew of uber talented Erie bands performed including a side stage rager by Potwhole and a blistering set by the soon-to-be-big Falling Hollywood. Jimkata’s soaring peaks that lead the way for festival closer Spiritual Rez – a set that can only be described as an unstoppable party. All bands brought their A game, no filler acts to be found here.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/45575994″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

    Of course, like any weekend of fun, eventually its time to go home. As people packed up, the overwhelming sentiment was that: “This was the best Chaffee’s yet”. This rang a bell for me, I had heard this before – last year at Chaffee’s 33. And have no doubts, Chaffee’s 35 will be even better. It’s already on my calendar,  do yourself a favor and put it on yours.

    All photos by Darren Kemp

  • ROC Party in the Park Wraps Up August in Style

    It’s been an excellent year for DSO-21ROC Windstream Party in the Park Series. Finally back in it’s home – the recently revamped Martin Luther King Jr Park (formerly Manhattan Square Park) – the “party in the parking lot” moniker of years past has been shed. The new/old venue is filled with trees and shade, a bowl-like area filled with food vendors, local support acts, local breweries on site, and plenty of parking.

    Tonight, August 7, the quintessential Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra will man the main stage for two full sets. With 17 years and over 2000 shows under their belt, there is simply no band on earth that better recreates the live Dead experience for fans new and old. Will they play a classic Dead show or one of their original set lists? Stop down and find out! Only $5 and DSO goes on at 6PM sharp for their first set.  Rochester’s Extended Family will provide support before and in between sets in the bowl area. (Don’t get any idea’s Deadheads, this bowl is an architectural one!)

    After the show those who still want to dance can walk a half block to The Montage Music Hall and catch two of Rochester’s hottest live acts Ocupanther and Friday in America. Admission is free with a flyer (available at PITP) or a mere $2 if you can’t find a flyer.

    On August 14th PITP 2014 will wrap up with millions of peaches. What?? Of course I mean the popular alt-rock of The Presidents of the USA. Also along for the ride will be the slide guitar super group The Slide Brothers (featuring members of Rochester’s own Campbell Brothers) as well as the much buzzed about local alt-rock act Melia.

  • Dopapod Fall Tour 2014 Announced

    Brooklyn’s Dopapod announced yesterday an extensive 2014 fall national tour that includes several dates in Upstate New York.

    Early fall will find them headlining a show in Saratoga Springs on September 27.  They play Rochester on October 2 with supporting act Consider the Source opening.

    They come back through the state later on in October to support Umphrey’s McGee at Niagara Falls on the 23rd and in Binghamton on the 29th before finishing up with Space Carnival at the Oneonta Theatre in Oneonta on November 1.

    Check out the entire tour graphic below and mark your calendars for some Dopapod rage!

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  • Primus Awards GOLDEN TICKET to Albany, NYC and Rochester

    Oompa Loompa Doopity Doo, has an announcement for you! Primus has announced their fall tour which includes Golden Ticket dates in Albany (10/24), New York City (10/31) and Rochester (11/02).

    primus golden ticketIf you didn’t get the hints, this tour will be Willy Wonka themed with the moniker “Primus and the Chocolate Factory”.

    Alongside the tour Les and friends will release their 8th studio album, aptly named “Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble“. The announcement also came with a first listen of the debut single “Pure Imagination”. These are sure to be hot golden tickets, don’t delay!

    Primus Fall Tour 2014

    October 22 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
    October 24 – Albany, NY @ Palace Theatre
    October 25 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
    October 26 – Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center for Performing Arts
    October 28 – Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater
    October 29 – Baltimore, MD @ Hippodrome
    October 31 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
    November 1 – New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre
    November 2 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
    November 3 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
    November 5 – St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
    November 7 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
    November 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
    November 9 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
    November 11 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater
    November 12 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
    November 14 – Biloxi, MS @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
    November 15 – Austin, TX @ ACL live at the Moody Theater
    November 16 – Dallas, TX @ The Majestic Theatre
    November 17 – San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theatre
    November 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre Phoenix
    November 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre LA

  • Papadosio Announces Fall Tour 2014

    North Carolina’s jazzy jamtronica favorite, Papadosio has announced an extensive 35-date US tour for fall 2014.

    Billed as the “Imaginal Cells” tour, ‘dosio will be visiting old and new cities and will be joined by Twiddle, Jimkata, Asian Teacher Factory, Ghost Owl, and Tauk on select dates.

    Upstate will get four visits – September 5 at the Catskill Chill festival, October 14 at The Haunt in Ithaca, October 15 at The Westcott in Syracuse, and October 22 at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Regarding the tour’s name, the band released the following statement:

    “Intertwined with evolution lies design.  Nature casts blueprints for transition that resemble reinvention. Embryo, larva, pupa and imago mark the lifespan of the caterpillar, and nestled in the depths of metamorphosis lie dormant cells with an ancient memory of the future embedded within.”

    We’re not sure what that means either, but you can bet will be there to find out!

    Papadosio Fall Tour 2014.

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  • MOE.DOWN 15 Releases Final Lineup

    The 15th annual moe.down festival announced their final lineup today.

    As always each night of the three-day festival will feature moe., along with additional headliners Gogol Bordello, O.A.R., Les Claypools Duo de Twang, Lotus, Soulive and the Jerry Douglas Band.

    Joining them will be the ever-changing Everyone Orchestra, Upstate’s Wild Adriatic and Aqueous, The Rich Robinson Band, Vermont’s Twiddle, Floodwood, The Werks, Conehead Buddha and American Babies.

    moe.down will be held Labor Day weekend August 29-31 at the Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, N.Y. Tickets start around $150 and are available online.

    HEYMOE