NYS Music 20​14

Author: Joy Houle

  • Hearing Aide: LIVE ‘The Turn’

    Live_-_The_Turn_(album_cover)After a contentious break-up in 2009, a two-year hiatus (through 2011), a skeptically received announcement about a new lead singer (in 2012), and then another two years waiting for new music, LIVE has finally delivered a new album. Officially released on October 28, The Turn contains almost 50 minutes of sound that’s similar enough to old-school LIVE to satisfy the faithful, but with an edge that’s sure to win over new fans.

    LIVE’s signature sound in the 1990s was a unique blend of spiritually inspired lyrics with alternative rock sound. Now, focusing less on the faith, love, and water that seem to constantly flow through the old albums, The Turn digs up a darker, harder twist — and also includes a few references to fire. “Siren’s Call,” focusing on the torment of losing oneself to another, seems to be in direct opposition to “Dance with You” (1999) which presents getting lost in love as a graceful experience.

    The harder side of LIVE isn’t necessarily a new thing; earlier songs such as “White, Discussion” from Throwing Copper (1994) or “Lakini’s Juice” from Secret Samadhi (1997) both have a darker feel with a sound best described as “hollow.” Songs from The Turn, such as “6310 Rodgerton Dr” could be seen as progressions of those earlier sounds.

    The lengthy delay following  the departure of original frontman, Ed Kowalczyk, and the addition of Chris Schinn allowed time to thoughtfully redefine LIVE. The time was well spent. The Turn presents a good balance between LIVE’s original personality and the new chemistry produced by Schinn, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey, the other founding members of the group.

    Offering up 11 tracks, The Turn is a great comeback album. “Natural Born Killers” in particular tells a good story; “The Way Around Is Through” offers good advice and “The Strength to Hold On” will hopefully someday be performed by LIVE with the support of an orchestra.

    Key Tracks: Natural Born Killers, The Way Around Is Through, The Strength to Hold On

  • Primus Pounds the Palace

    Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble sold out Albany’s Palace Theatre on October 24. With a radically unique style, Primus is difficult to define, however, their signature sound earned them a great deal of popularity in the 1990s.

    primus palaceOpening the first set on a bare, black stage, the three piece band treated the mostly-Gen-X crowd to seven songs. Six of those songs were released in the 1990s, including the popular “My Name is Mud” and “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver.” Les Claypool, the band’s bassist and lead singer, explained that they had received some feedback on social media that fans were ‘sick of’ Primus performing “Jerry was a Race Car Driver” repeatedly at shows. The Albany crowd was clearly not among the complainers; they were disappointed. They recovered though, as many of them came to see the second set.

    In stark contrast to the stage from the first set, the second engaged fans with brilliant color, funky costume, and stage characters. This performance featured the band’s reinterpretation of the soundtrack from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Psychedelic video rolled scenes from the film behind the performers, and even the sound and light technicians, set up as usual in the auditorium, dressed in the red Oopma Loompa uniform. The classy nature of the Palace was a perfect venue for this performance; it added a rich drama to the show that might be lacking from those held in less grand locations.

    primus palacePerforming all 14 compositions in order, Primus’s distinctive sound heightened the dark, scary elements of the music, emphasizing some of the more ominous parts of the film. Claypool put down his bass guitar for many of the songs, relying instead on the resonance of the classical bass. The band also welcomed a cellist and percussionist to the stage, which added to the quality of the sound.

    Primis finished the performance with another couple songs from the 1991 album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese. Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble tour dates run through January and are updated at primusville.com.

  • Fall Night In Brings The Fray, Great Big World and Andy Grammer to Albany

    Fall Night In, sponsored by 99.5 The River, at Albany’s Palace Theatre brought Pop to Upstate on Sept. 9. The Fray, a Christian-turned-Pop-Rock band from Colorado, headlined the show, bringing a fairly young but devoted audience to the Palace. With a simple yet creative stage set enhanced by a brilliantly designed light show, The Fray put on a good show. They are best known for their 2006 hit singles, “How to Save a Life” made widely popular by Grey’s Anatomy and  “Over My Head (Cable Car)”. While fans were thrilled to hear those hits, both the crowd and the band seemed to gain more energy and excitement during the performance of songs from their recently released album, Helios. In particular, the song “Give It Away” was very well received, despite the suggestive ’70s Disco sound, which has been largely avoided in most popular music over the past forty years.

    In fact, The Fray incorporated a lot of unexpected, but distinct styles into their songs, including Gospel in “Hold My Hand” and a funky groove in “Love Don’t Die”. Most interesting about this performance though was the way the band collectively emphasized certain instruments. Band members were given time for solos, but the musicians almost seemed to prefer putting the attention on the instruments. During one number, three of the five musicians on stage were banging on drums; for another, four of them were using a keyboard/piano. And, as was expected, The Fray’s harmonies, particularly during the ballads that made them famous were spot on.

    The opening acts for Fall Night In included the two-person Pop band, A Great Big World, who are most famous for their single “This is the New Year” (2012) thanks to Glee and Andy Grammer, best known for “Keep Your Head Up (2011).

    A Great Big World was the evening’s great big surprise. Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino, who formed the band while enrolled at NYU, do not look like typical Pop stars. They might be more aptly described as hipsters, with a strong “nerd” factor. At first awkward on stage, once they started playing, power and passion popped out, and the band’s quirkiness became very appealing. Just like the white clothes they wore against the black stage, their nerdy appearance contrasted with a charming performance. Axel’s Sesame-Street-type voice against his fierce keyboarding also seemed like a contradiction, but it worked — really well (bringing to mind a young Elton John). “Land of Opportunity” was especially captivating. Ignoring the lyrics, the song sounds very happy, positive and upbeat (making me want to communicate with smiley-face emoticons).  But once you pay attention to the words and Axel’s passionately angry keyboarding, you realize that the song’s meaning is far from happy; it’s actually about a devastating break-up.

    “Say Something” the song that attracted the attention of Christina Aguilera in 2013 and  launched the young band into fame, was played solo by Axel. The enchanting artistry of his performance left the entire auditorium absolutely silent. But not for long; as soon as Axel finished, the crowd exploded with admiration and as his band members rejoined the stage, they too seemed impressed.

    Both, A Great Big World and Andy Grammer, who opened the night, were very interested in dialogue with the audience, telling stories and sharing song meanings. This goes a long way in a live performance, allowing fans to connect with the musicians in a personal way. Grammer is a natural entertainer; not only is his music catchy, but he is also really funny. His song, “Forever” about the amount of time it takes for women to get ready to go out, was a surprising treat. He delighted his young fans with his 2011 hit, “Keep Your Head Up” and managed to engage the older audience members as well with good stories, many related to the Upstate community, where he spent some of his younger years.

    All three bands are continuing to tour, but not together. Both The Fray and A Great Big World will be heading to Europe soon, and Andy Grammer is ambitiously traveling throughout the US and overseas. Grammer will perform at The Palace again on Nov. 26 for the O.A.R. show.

  • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony hit Lake George

    Grunge bands aren’t the only performers from the ’90s making a comeback. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, a Hip-Hop act made famous in 1996 with their #1 single, “Tha Crossroads” will be at the brand new Charles R Wood Festival Space in Lake George on Friday, Sept. 19.

    2012 Rock The Bells

    Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has sold over 40 million records worldwide and collaborated with widely popular artists including Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, 2Pac, and the Notorious B.I.G..

    With a new album in the works, the group has been gearing up for a resurgence.  They recently made appearances at the BET Awards and the Beats Grammy Party with Eminem and Dr. Dre, and have participated in several festivals. Upstate fans can expect to hear the group’s big hits including “Thuggish Ruggish Bone”, “1st of Tha Month”, “Tha Crossroads”, “Notorious Thugs”, and more.

    Saratoga’s DAO JONES and local phenom, DJ Playground will also be performing.

    Tickets are available online or from 42 Degrees located at 23 Park St. Glens Falls, NY. $25 (advance; $30 gate) for general admission. $40 (advance; $45 gate) gets you VIP access to an “up front” tented area (with a private beer and wine vendor). An additional $80 gets you to the Meet~n~Greet.

    The event is rain or shine and those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Brought to you by Improv Records and Kamp David Productions, who remind fans that blankets are welcome, but coolers, animals and bad attitudes are not.

  • AURA Music and Arts Festival Announces Full Line-Up

    moe., The Disco Biscuits and The Main Squeeze performing a special tribute to Michael Jackson. That’s just a taste of what’s coming to the 6th Annual Aura Music & Arts Festival in Live Oak, Florida in March.

    AURA announced today the addition of iconic jam band moe., who will play two sets, to the already impressive 2015 line-up. Headlined by The Disco Biscuits, Papadosio and Snarky Puppy, the festival will take place at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida March 6 – 8, 2015.

    AURA 2014_Facebook

    AURA has also added two sets by high-energy funk quintet The Main Squeeze along with returning artists Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and McLovins. Chicago’s versatile electronic trio Cosby Sweater will make their AURA debut along with South Florida’s improvisational Stinky Pockets. True to AURA’s collaborative nature, artists-at-large The Shady Horns (Ryan Zoidis and Eric Bloom of Lettuce) will pop up in several sets throughout the weekend with their sax and trumpet in tow. For fans that want to arrive early, Ghost Owl has been added to the Thursday night pre-party with Dopapod and Kung Fu.

    The full line up includes:
    The Disco Biscuits, moe., Papadosio, Snarky Puppy, Kung Fu, Dopapod, RAQ, Jimkata, Consider the Source, The Main Squeeze x2 including a very special Tribute to Michael Jackson, American Babies, The Mike Dillon Band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Mantras, McLovins, Ghost Owl, Cosby Sweater, Fusik, Ketchy Shuby, Uproot Hootenanny, Stinky Pockets, and Artists at Large: The Shady Horns

    Tickets start at $150 and can be purchased online here. Festival organizers have made ticket payments easy by developing a Payment Plan.

    Stay up to date on festival news by following Twitter & Instagram.

  • Steely Dan Closes the SPAC Season with Absolute Mastery

    Steely Dan is known for high-quality composition, intellectual lyrics, and songs that contain multiple layers of meaning. Yet, while on SPAC’s stage on Sunday, Aug. 31 their performance was quite simple. No fancy props, no flashy clothes, no crazy antics. The complexity of their music compared to the simple performance on stage was ironic.

    The irony of Steely Dan seems to be a common theme. Even their name is ironic. Those who don’t know the band might assume it is named for one person whom perhaps either has a “steely voice” or who makes the guitar screech like grinding steel. But Steely Dan is not named for one person – they are named for an adult toy that was the subject of the novel, The Naked Lunch and the band’s name definitely does not describe how they operate on stage.

    Their performance does not focus on one person; in fact, it’s not even really focused on the two men (Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) who founded the band in the 1960s while attending Bard College. All 13 musicians on stage had an opportunity to show off their incredible talent. The keyboardist, guitarists, and backup singers were all given ample time to display their gifts. All four horn players had solos, and even had a chance to step to the front of the stage to highlight their life’s work. The drummer had multiple times to shine, and in fact, lights were arranged behind and underneath him to further emphasize his explosive talent.

    Fagen and Becker, who are of course, the glue that holds Steely Dan together, were the guys who drew thousands of fans to Saratoga Springs. Both are brilliant musicians. Fagen was working with malfunctioning equipment; the G above middle C on his  keyboard was not working, but, as he told the crowd, he worked around it. Becker’s stories, which started out in a conversational tone, but following tangent after tangent, ended up fitting into the music that the band was building up behind him.

    Fans who came to hear their Steely Dan favorites were not disappointed. The 1970s hits, such as “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number,” “My Old School,” and “Reelin’ In the Years” were performed with absolute mastery.

    Steely Dan’s Jamalot 2014 Tour will end with a three-day run Sept. 19-21 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester,N.Y. with several other scheduled performances in the Northeast.

    Set List:
    Cubano Chant (orchestra) , Black Cow, Aja, Hey Nineteen, Black Friday, Show Biz Kids, Time Out of Mind, Two Against Nature, Dirty Work, Bodhisattva, I Want To (Do Everything for You), Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More, Babylon Sisters, Reelin’ In The Years, Josie, Peg, My Old School, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number

    Encore:
    Kid Charlemagne, The Untouchables

  • Rochester’s Sirens and Sailors Experience “Every Band’s Nightmare”

    Upstate NY’s metalcore band, Sirens and Sailors, is living “every band’s nightmare” right now. According to several posts to social media, the band is currently experiencing a devastating crisis overseas. While on a European tour with Scottish band, To Kill Achilles, they returned to their van to find that everything “down to [their] toiletries” had been stolen.

    According to a recent Facebook post by one of the band members, they have been left with nothing, and that this experience is “one of the most devastating things to ever happen to us as a touring band.” Despite their former commitment to “earning their keep” and resisting the urge to start a crowd-funding program (such as Kickstarter) to support them, Sirens and Sailors now has “no other option” and are asking fans to help out. Their tour-mates, To Kill Achilles, are also using the power of social media to encourage fans to support. More details and up-to-date Twitter feeds are available at http://sirensandsailorsmusic.com/tour/ and https://www.facebook.com/sandsmusic?fref=nf.

    Sirens and Sailors was scheduled to play in the Czech Republic on August 28 and in Belgium on August 29. This is the band’s first European tour. Formed in Rochester in 2005, this five piece band has been actively “earning their keep.” They released Sirens & Sailors in 2007 and Still Breathing in 2010, and Skeletons in 2013, all available at iTunes.

  • REO Speedwagon and Chicago Keep ‘Pushin’ On’

    How do you become a rock ‘n’ roll legend? You keep ‘pushing on.’ At least, that’s what REO Speedwagon’s lead singer, Kevin Cronin, told upwards of 11,000 fans at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Aug. 19, 2014. “You’ll have people tell you that your dream can never come true. They will ask why you don’t you just give up. They will tell you to quit. But if you want to make your dream come true, you just gotta keep pushing on.” That, of course, led into REO’s 1976 song, “Keep Pushin’ ”.

    The REO Speedwagon and Chicago collaboration has not happened before this year, but it does make a lot of sense since both legendary groups have been ‘pushin’ since 1967. Both experienced their peaks in the 1970s and ’80s, drawing fans in the 40+ age group to the Saratoga show. Many of the ‘older’ fans brought their kids, or grandkids to this show, in part thanks to the GE Kids in Free program, but also because they recognized how important it is for youth to experience the quality music that has influenced current pop stars. Not to mention that it doesn’t hurt for kids to hear the message that you need to ‘work hard to make your dreams come true.’ The night’s highlight, of course, was the last half hour of the show featuring the joint performance of six hit songs – three of REO’s and three of Chicago’s. One might expect a stage crowded with fourteen incredibly talented guys to be too much. But they pulled it off. Every person on that stage contributed his own unique style to the songs they performed together.

    Neither REO nor Chicago are resting on their 20th century laurels; both are still writing and performing new music. REO’s “Whipping Boy” and Chicago’s “Now” were almost as well received by fans as their hits were. Cronin’s stories were entertaining — in particular, his recap of an afternoon hike in Saratoga had the full attention of all fans. While in the woods he acquired a deer tick, which launched him into a captivating story about how he got the “creeps” and relied on a hand-held mirror to make sure he was entirely tick free. The mirror revealed parts of his anatomy he hadn’t seen before, and as he discovered himself he developed a new appreciation for certain body parts. Eventually though, he realized that it was all an illusion. The mirror was concave, making everything appear much bigger than it actually was.

    Chicago’s band members didn’t tell funny stories, however, the passionate performance of trombonist James Pankow was just as fascinating.

    What appeared to be a competition between drummer, Tris Imboden, and percussionist, Walfredo Reyes, was also a lot of fun to watch.

    The perfect August night that aptly opened with local, one-man band, Rich Ortiz’s “Summer Song” ended with “Roll with the Changes” and the message that change is inevitable, and often good. SPAC fans were incredibly fortunate to be able to see these two legendary bands perform together; after all, it may never happen again. Right now, tour dates are scheduled through the end of this month.

  • Rock’s Newest Stars, Nothing More, Offers High-Energy Performance

    When Jonny Hawkins was cut from his San Antonio elementary school chorus, he adopted the belief that he couldn’t sing. But he loved music, and he isn’t a quitter, so he turned to drums. By the time he was in middle school, he had joined with Daniel Oliver and Mark Vollelunga to form the band Nothing More. As the group developed and began to seriously consider a career as a rock band, Hawkins began to question the life-long belief that he couldn’t sing. Questioning that belief allowed Hawkins to uncover a surprising and strong talent. Today he is lead singer of Nothing More, and the band is working its way to the top of the charts.

    The idea of questioning beliefs is the theme of Nothing More’s 2014 self-titled album. The band performed to a small but enthusiastic crowd at Upstate Concert Hall on Aug. 15, 2014. Using their own experiences as inspiration, songs like “This is the Time (Ballast)” encourages listeners to open their eyes and not be blind to reality. “Mr. MTV” is about greed and gluttony, pointing out a very real problem in America today, which is an insatiable need (want) for material things that don’t truly satisfy.  

    Nothing More’s music and message were received well by fans. Almost everyone crowded towards the stage once the band came out, leaving many open bar stools (which is extremely rare at this venue). The band brought on Paul O’Brien for drums, allowing Hawkins to move to the front of the stage as lead vocalist. It’s great fun to watch him bang on his small auxiliary drum-set, but even when he isn’t drumming, he clearly wants to bang on something.

    Hawkins wasn’t the only one with energy though. All the guys were into the performance. Of note was the inclusion of an interesting prop used to mount the bass guitar and allowed Hawkins, Oliver and Vollelunga to play the instrument together. The choreographed performance of “Salem” was also high energy, giving all four musicians the chance to drum together.

    The opening acts, too, had a lot of energy. Into Shadow, an Oneonta-based band, opened the night with a distinctly ’90s sound. Sleepwave, a new group led by Spencer Chamberlain, former lead singer of the immensely popular Christian metal band, Underoath, is a very interesting blend of influences and styles. They mix ’80s headbanging with sounds reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, and Jane’s Addiction. Chamberlain’s dramatic performance makes it appear as if he was in severe emotional pain, but that passion does keep eyes on the stage.

    All three bands have upcoming tour dates; Nothing More is continuing on a very ambitious schedule well into October.

    Nothing More – Website | Facebook

    Sleepwave – Website | Facebook

    Into Shadows – Website | Facebook

  • The Moody Blues takes SPAC off on a Timeless Flight

    Where better to watch a half century’s worth of one band’s music than Saratoga Springs, where history ranks with horses and health? Formed in the mid 1960s, the Moody Blues are sometimes classified in the ‘psychedelic rock’ genre, holding space in the same category as Pink Floyd, but many of the elements one would expect at a psychedelic rock show were not present at SPAC on August 4. Most of the fans were over 60 — the musicians themselves are hovering around 70 — and there was a distinct absence of the substances that occupy the air and space during rock shows attended by younger crowds.

    What was present though was a very sincere love, appreciation, and enthusiasm for the music. Performers and fans alike were very much ‘into it.’ The band members played like they were in their 30s, with expressions of ecstasy held during intense guitar riffs and the occasional wink at the ladies in the front row. Fans were singing along, trying hard to capture the magic on their handheld cameras, and even dancing in the aisles — which was definitely a pleasure to see. After all, those of us in the X and younger generations learned how to celebrate music from the very people who were at the Moody Blues show.

    The subject of aging was merrily acknowledged. John Lodge (bassist) congratulated his fans, saying “All you old hippies, you made it after all!” Graeme Edge (drummer) stepped down from his elevated set on the stage to address the crowd at the front mic, and quipped, “Back then I had brown hair, white teeth, and this [forming a V with his index and middle fingers] meant ‘peace.’ Now, I have white hair, brown teeth, and this [the V] means Viagra.”

    But of all the ways in which the aging process was celebrated by the Moody Blues and their fans, the most significant was the music. The evolution of the band’s 50 year history was traced with songs like “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Nights in White Satin,” and “In Your Wildest Dreams.” One of the fans shared that the music of the Moody Blues is ‘poetry set to music.’ And it is. It’s also worth noting that the band (Lodge, Edge and vocalist/guitarist Justin Hayward) share the stage with some pretty talented people: Norda Mullen (flute & vocals), Gordon Marshall (drums), Julie Ragins (sax,  keyboard, and vocals), and Alan Hewitt (keyboard & vocals).

    The Moody Blues, promoting their 2013 compilation album, Timeless Flight, are on tour through this summer.