Frost Ridge and other parties are embroiled in a legal battle over amplified music hosted at Le Roy campground are awaiting a decision to reverse a preliminary injunction levied by the State Supreme Court back in May.
State Supreme Court Justice Robert Noonan was expected to release a written decision last week, but reportedly needs more information.
No date for a follow-up hearing has been announced.
Attorneys for Frost Ridge Campgrounds asked the court to reverse the decision because the owners want to hold their annual concert series at the campground. Since the injunction, they have organized shows at alternative sites.
The injunction issued in May was in response to lawsuits from the Town of Le Roy. New information presented the court shows the Zoning Board of Appeals determined that Frost Ridge was being operated in 2013 within the bounds of its use.
Ownership of the grounds has changed hands the past several years. The Luetticke-Archbell family purchased the grounds in 2008. In doing so, there was no apparent confusion over how the land could be used, due in part to a 1998 decision by the town’s zoning board of appeals. As the land was being sold then the ZBA was asked to clarify how it was zoned. The board supposedly responded by viewing the activities on the grounds as “preexisting nonconforming”, as the nature of their business was established before the town devised a master plan in 1967.
Since 2012, Luetticke-Archbell have established a healthy summer music festival, luring music talents from across the country. According to the campground’s website, music has been played there since it was known primarily as a ski lodge. The campgrounds, according to the two brothers, were established in 1963.
The town, citing from their records, see only the ski lodge as being grandfathered into their zoning plans. Everything else, after 1967, would require a use variance, which would ultimately be granted through a review of the town board.
In addition to the on-going lawsuit, the Luetticke-Archbell family suffered the loss of their home by fire over the July 4th holiday weekend. The cause of the fire is reportedly undetermined.
Featured photo: The Farm, as they performed at the Frost Ridge Campgrounds in 2013. The picture was shared on the campgrounds’ Facebook page.
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast and uprooted Red Square proprietor Francis Verret, along with scores of Louisiana families, from his home.
Verret’s been a resident of the Capital Region for nearly a decade now, having been the proprietor of Red Square for the past nine years. And, last night, he announced another change: the popular downtown Albany venue on Broadway is changing its name to the Parish Public House.
“It has always been the plan to open our kitchen and expand the business beyond just our live music events,” says Verret. “That plan has finally come to fruition with the launch of Parish Public House, which combines the quality, original live music events that Red Square has been known for with a Cajun-inspired restaurant and bar.”
On July 24, at 8 p.m. Parish Public House will host its own grand opening, presenting live music from Eric Lindell & Co.
Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Verret eventually settled down and purchased the Red Square in 2006. As the years progressed, he said, so did the vision of transforming the live music club into a Cajun-themed restaurant and bar; serving up tried-and-true Cajun specialties and Louisiana’s favorite cocktails. The menu promises a wide range of dishes, from a simple Po Boy to a richly flavored Étouffée, Jambalaya and Gumbo.
Verret explains that the new name is also inspired by his old home. A parish is the Louisiana equivalent to New York’s county.
“We’re going to build our own little Louisiana parish right here in downtown Albany,” says Verret, adding that the new place will feature “the food, community, spirit, and, well – spirits – that embody the Cajun culture that is celebrated around the world.”
Eric Lindell first appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2005, a fact that missed by Verret. He said, Lindell makes the perfect complement to kicking off the Louisiana-themed venue.
Located at 388 Broadway, Parish Public House will be open for lunch and dinner service from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday, with later bar hours. Live music will continue at the venue most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and an event menu will be available during shows.
Feature photo of Jeff Bujak performing at the Red Square last July.
The owners of Frost Ridge Campground suffered another loss over the holiday weekend, when they lost their home to fire early Saturday morning.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning at North Road near Conlon Road, the town of Le Roy. A passerby reportedly called the Le Roy Fire Department after observing flames coming from the building.
Le Roy Fire Company respond to a Saturday morning fire at the home of David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell, owners Frost Ridge Campground. (Photo Credit: John Spaulding/Courtesy of Le Roy Fire Company)
In all, more than 20 fire companies responded to the scene, mostly in the form of tanker trucks, as the location lacked an antiquate source of water.
Home owners David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell, who also own the Frost Ridge Campground, were not home when the fire started, but reportedly appeared at the scene as firefighters attended to the blaze.
An explosion at the scene knocked a firefighter down, otherwise, no serious injuries were reported. Greg was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for monitoring.
The origin of the fire is being investigated.
The family released the following statement Monday morning:
The Luetticke-Archbells and the Town of Le Roy have been embroiled in litigation over the perceived use of the campgrounds. The events of which have been reported earnestly in The Batavian, an online newspaper that covers the town.
In recent past, the campgrounds have been used as an outdoor venue for concerts. Neighboring homeowners have since complained to the town over excessive noise. The town has since filed a lawsuit over zoning violations, claiming the campgrounds do not have the right to host such events. The town has even gone as far as to state that the land is not zoned to permit campgrounds, despite the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals twice recognizing the business existed before a master plan was devised in 1967.
At Los Angeles International Airport, blurry-eyed travelers stand upon moving walkways with luggage in tow as they head out from the solace among the clouds to the bustle on the ground. The average person walks about 3mph. A weary cosmopolitan standing atop this massive conveyor belt like a bag of produce moves twice as quickly, while seemingly standing still.
On a lazy Sunday, Dani Moz stands outside her childhood home in Delmar as, she too, continues to move while seemingly standing still. Handmade signs throughout the neighborhood advertise a garage sale. Her garage sale. A blue Chris Drury Rangers jersey hangs upon a rack with a $50 price tag spinning in the breeze. The hockey team out of New York just lost the Stanley Cup Finals the previous night to her hometown Los Angeles Kings. There it hangs, along with three racks of clothes, a number of different books and DVDs, CDs and sheet music – relics of her life as Danielle Mozeleski.
Atop a table outside her parent’s garage stands a box and several promotional headshots at the ready for the now-(former) television phenomenon to sign autographs. What she raises from the sale will help fund the album to which she’ll proceed to record on the West Coast in a few days. What she doesn’t sell today will go to charity.
The pedestrian looking tag sale is just another example of the constant motion in Moz’s life. As she stands on the driveway, hugging old friends and chatting with local high school kids, her singing career is moving. She is less than a month removed from the competition on NBC Television’s The Voice; but her schedule is no less hectic today.
Quite the contrary.
“It’s actually crazy, ’cause it hasn’t. The great thing about leaving the show when I did was the opportunities that have been thrown my way. I’m now doing music full-time, so my career in PR has been put to the side for now. Which is fantastic. I’ve really been focusing on music 100 percent.”
Before performing, Moz established a public relations career, ultimately landing a job at Boston Gardens, marketing for the venue that plays host to the Celtics and Bruins. That experience has taught her the importance of timing. The metal of a career takes shape once it emerges from the fires of the crucible. For Moz, that crucible was the weekly competition viewed by millions on national television. There are stars who have taken similar paths; Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Chris Daughtry. But, when considering the hundreds of contestants who have appeared on The Voice and similar shows, she knows the rate of success is against her. Even those who ultimately win, are not guaranteed fame.
“Being on a show like The Voice, there’s a big misconception that, just because you’re on that platform, things will come easy to you after the show. Or, if you make it to a certain point, [people] think ‘oh, you’re definitely going to be famous. Label deals are going to be thrown at you.’ And, to a certain degree, there is that. However, now more than ever is the time to work hard and hustle.
Now is not the time for me to sit back and wait for offers to fly,” said Moz. “Now is when I’m getting in everyone’s face to say, ‘Hey, I may not be relevant when the show starts back up again in September, so this is where I am now, and this is what my vision is. Help me bring it to life.’”
Moz is already separating herself among her peers. Speaking among friends from the show, she said she can already see fellow competitors bewildered from the lack of record deals coming their way. “That’s where everybody has it twisted,” she said. So, once she was voted off the show, thanks to a strong will she attributes from her mother, she started hammering out her career. “I never take anything for granted… You’ve got to earn it. You got to hustle.” Even a short stay with her parents back home has called for radio interviews, performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and visiting her high school to speak to students about building character. Living in Los Angeles provides her the resources to pursue her dream, networking with producers and pitching her talents to a number of different labels.
Moz has an EP she previously released on iTunes in 2010. But, she said, her sound has evolved since, and she is ready to try out new material.
“I’m really excited to bring that to fruition, and to put all my new material together,” said Moz. “Definitely going to make a full Dani Moz album of my own songs, and shop it to labels, and see where it goes and takes me.”
“It’s all about having the passion and the drive.”
That’s what she said to members of Bethlehem Central’s choir and band groups. As she stood the students, Moz found her role switch to motivational speaker, as some questions asked of her where of students discouraged from not reaching their own goals. “I was in the same spot you guys are in,” she said, admitting that as a student she was never first chair, and she never earned the lead in all her four years in drama. But, she said she continued on because it was her passion.
“So, it’s not to say, if you’re not the best at what you’re doing, you can’t excel and flourish in that field.”
Before the sun rises the following day, Moz is at a terminal at Albany International Airport. A mix-up with the flight has her on the phone with customer service.
Nothing is to get in her way.
Moz headlines Schenectady County’s SummerNight Beach Party with a performance at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 11. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Pink Floyd will release their first studio album in 20 years when The Endless River hits the shelves in October.
The news of the new album slipped through the channels of social media roughly a week after the band officially announced the release of their 20th anniversary box set of The Division Bell.
Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called "The Endless River". Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful.
Samson is married to Floyd guitarist and vocalist, David Gilmour. She also has genuine ties to the band, as lyricist on “Division Bell”.
The Division Bell box set was released June 30. This 20th anniversary box set features six discs, including three replica colored or clear vinyl discs, 5 collectors’ prints, a Blu-ray disc and for the first time Andy Jackson’s 5.1 audio mix of ‘The Division Bell’.
In 1994, Division Bell debuted at No 1 in the UK and in the USA, staying at the top of the US charts for 4 weeks; it also went to No. 1 in eight other countries and, to date, has reached total album sales of more than 12 million.
It was the last studio album for the iconic rock band.
Apparently Peter Nash’s status as rap’s “Prime Minister Pete Nice” does not exempt him from paying New York state taxes.
The Albany Times Union reported that the Clifton Park resident and retired rapper pled guilty to misdemeanor criminal tax fraud in Albany County Court Tuesday, July 1.
Nash did not attempt to use his rap moniker to avoid taxes, but the Albany Count District Attorney’s Office said he must pay the Empire State $13,101 in back taxes, penalties and interest. He will also be on probation for three years, the district attorney’s office said. He will be sentenced on Aug. 26.
As Master of Ceremonies for the group 3rd Bass, Nash released three albums between 1989 and 1991, two of which went gold. “Pop Goes the Weasel!” a track directed towards Vanilla Ice’s unwelcome a popularity in rap circles, reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard rap charts.
Nash subsequently quit the music business and devoted his time to baseball history and memorabilia.
According to several published sources, Nash owned a memorabilia shop in Cooperstown, and authored a book titled Legends of Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery.
His baseball endeavors also include attempts to secure property for an official grave site of Negro League players.
Nash was involved in litigation in 2009 with an auction house relating to the authenticity of baseball memorabilia he consigned for sale which resulted in him signing a court order admitting to having committed fraud.
There is little question as to how quickly news travels today. With the advent of smart phones, computers and 24-hour news services – the impact of the event is as immediate as its occurrence. But, the collective experience is no longer as vivid, only because of the diversity by which we all receive the news; where one person may watch a transmission over television, another is viewing it from his iPhone. The shared memory isn’t quite shared at all.
In 1964, television was the leading means of entertainment, and NBC’s Ed Sullivan was the man to provide you that entertainment. Radio could no longer compete. And, the home computer would not be conceptualized for another 20 years. Sullivan practically invented “prime time” television with his 8 p.m. telecasts. But, on February 9th, he not only entertained viewers, he created news. And, in doing so, had a hand in creating a memory.
Dr. Gordon Thompson is the music department chair for Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. He remembers that broadcast of The Beatles, as, it seems, everyone from his generation. It’s a shared memory as vivid as that February night 50 years ago.
“In 1963-64, a generation of baby boomers sought to distinguish themselves, not only from their parents, but also from their older siblings,” said Dr. Thompson. “As usual, they did this en masse, just as they always do, whether hippies, punks, gangstas, etc. They buy the same clothes and adopt the same jargon, all as a way to separate themselves from the others.”
Dr. Thompson is a ethnomusicologist, or one who studies the relationship between music and culture. He is also respected as this area’s leading expert on all things Beatles.
And, come July 5th, he’ll have a seat at Albany’s Times Union Center to attend a Paul McCartney concert. Ironically, on account of the ticket prices (which, as of today, are going for as high as $766.50 on studhub.com), he initially thought of not going.
“Well, this morning I changed course and went for the tickets, so I’m going. I’ll be in section 103.”
When arena officials announced the event in April, news crackled across all mediums. The excitement seemed to overshadow the news of Ringo Starr performing at the smaller, more intimate, Palace Theatre. Nonetheless, “Macca”, the man behind many of the band’s lyrics, has never been here. And, though popular music has transformed since “The Fab Four” left the stage, their music is as timeless, and popular, as Bach.
“I’m not sure exactly that we could call Bach ‘popular,’ but his music was important,” said Dr. Thompson. “McCartney has said that they compared themselves to Bach because, just like him, they were chugging out music on a regular basis for a particular audience. His was the Lutheran church. Theirs was the baby-boom generation.”
NBC newscaster Edwin Newman reported the details on “Beatle Mania” the following November. Newman, a respected journalist known for his candid interviews of foreign head’s of state, was also a music aficionado. From 1965 to 1971, Newman was a Broadway drama critic. Later in life, he hosted summer Boston Symphony concerts from Tanglewood, in Massachusetts.
But, in 1964, it remained questionable whether or not he appreciated The Beatles.
“It’s anybody’s guess why The Beatles emerged from its cellar night clubs to national prominence, but emerged, they did,” reported Newman, who is held in reverence for his journalistic talents. However, he was also known for his sense of humor, as evident in his playful quips in the same report. “The sound they make is called the Mersey Sound, because Liverpool is on the Mersey River. [Pause.] The quality of Mersey is somewhat strained.
One reason for The Beatles’ popularity may be because it’s almost impossible to hear them [over the screaming of fans].”
Newman’s career as a journalist would span over four decades.
No one accused him of being a music critic.
“Trying to second-guess history is a tricky business,” said Dr. Thompson. “Everything looks so inevitable to us, but was much less definite to contemporary players. If not for Felix Mendelssohn, we might not be paying attention to Bach. I’m not saying that Bach’s music doesn’t have much to commend it; but aesthetics are a social construct and social constructs by definition are constantly changing.
One of the reasons the Beatles remain so important is because of the cultural role they played at a critical point in history. In the wake of the Second World War, the rise of the baby boomers, the exponential growth of globalism – aided by both the beginnings of satellite telecommunications and the initiation of commercial transatlantic jet travel – and the emergence of acoustic-magnetic recording and a convergence of audio playback technologies, the Beatles were the most successful performers out of the gate. Their recordings, indeed their career, helped to define the popular-music industry in such a way that they shaped the very artistic vehicles used by artists today.
Yes, Lady Gaga is building on Lady Madonna in a way.”
So explains the appeal McCartney has upon today’s youth. The fingerprints left behind by The Beatles of yesterday are still visable, if not through music than by avant garde choices in fashion. Though it can be safely assumed that part of McCartney’s popularity is fueled behind older generations that age along with him, but the simplicity of and the diversity within the group’s catalogue of music has an appeal for everyone.
Today, “Beatlemania” is no longer an event, but a shared phenomenon enhanced by the many means in which fans use to listen to music. The same tools used to disseminate details of current events, draws generations together in a shared memory.
“They were modernists in an era when parents wanted things to return to an imagined happier pre-Cold War era, “said Dr. Thompson. “In an era of presidential assassinations, brutally repressed civil-rights marches, and an increasingly angry and dangerous world that seemed right on our doorstep, the Beatles irreverently espoused innocence. Rather than duck and cover in fear of an atomic bomb, the Beatles told us to live and be funny doing so.”
Tickets are still available for Paul McCartney by visiting the Times Union Center box office, or through Ticketmaster.
Not going to be around this holiday weekend to catch Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC)?
There’s still hope for you.
Livephish.com will be streaming the three-day event over the Internet.
Phish is coming to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 3-5. One of the crown jewels of venues at which the ever-popular jamband will stop to perform during this year’s summer tour.
It’s a developing trend for venues and artists to telecast their performances over the Internet. It certainly is a perk for those who are unable to obtain tickets, or simply can’t travel the distance to attend the show. But, for those who can attend, should.
For one, live events have an appeal that can not be replicated on a computer. And, another reason was reported by us back in June, when it was announced that the Putnam Den would host late-night shows at two locations: Putnam Den and The Parting Glass in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The post-shows in Saratoga have become a destination after seeing Phish at SPAC, with up and coming bands, as well as local bands ready to burst onto the scene and keep fans dancing into the wee hours of the night. The lineup for this year’s post-shows is yet another installment of great music that shows the vibrant scene of Upstate New York.
It’s to be expected that the group will be playing some tracks from their most recent album, Fuego, which they debuted earlier this month. Please be sure to read Myke Menio’s review of it here.
The Washington Avenue Armory announced this morning legendary heavy metal group Slayer, will headline a show on November 25th that will include Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus.
“We are way f—ing excited about hitting the road again with Suicidal and Exodus,” said Slayer frontman Tom Araya. “F—ing intense. See you in the fall.”
Each of the three bands has had a hand in establishing the popularity of heavy metal music from the start of the 1980s. Slayer went as far as winning two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance in 2007 (“Eyes of the Insane”) and 2008 (“Final Six”). This tour comes a year after the loss of original member, guitarist Jeff Hanneman.
In 2010, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis and his only performance after that was two songs during an encore at one of Slayer’s Big 4 performances in April 2011.
A few weeks ago Rob Dukes parted ways with Exodus, former vocalist Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza plans to return to fill the role.
The US tour launches November 12th from Oakland, CA.
Tickets for Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus can be purchased through all Ticketmaster locations, through the Armory’s box office, or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.
Queen embarked on their summer tour last night when they took the stage at Chicago’s United Center. This is the group’s first tour in eight years, and the first serial performance planned with Adam Lambert.
The flamboyant frontman of American Idol fame paired up with the iconic rock band last September for iHeart Radio. The popularity of that performance set the wheels into motion for something larger, and by the following March, a tour was announced.
The Once In A Lifetime Tour skirts our area this summer, with stops in Toronto, Montreal, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, East Rutherford, N.J. and Uncasville, C.T..
Brian May and Roger Taylor (66 and 64, respectively) continue to rock crowds of fans who cross over several generations. Lambert, 32, steps in place of the late Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991.
Queen started in 1970 and grew into fame in the era of glam rock, which also ushered in the likes of Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie). Today, Mercury is revered as one of the best performers in the history of rock, with his penchant for showmanship.
Lambert, too, has developed a reputation for bringing a level of showmanship to his own shows. His charisma and talent has seemed to translate well so far. Though there may be few Mercury fans who will hesitate to embrace Lambert, there should be little question that he is the best in this generation to step in for the job. Judging from the performance below, he owns it.
The Once In A Lifetime Tour
June 19 – United Center, Chicago
June 21 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg
June 23 – Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon
June 24 – Rexall Place, Edmonton
June 26 – Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
June 28 – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C.
July 1 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
July 3 – The Forum, Los Angeles
July 5-6 – The Joint, Las Vegas
July 9 – Toyota Center, Houston
July 10 – American Airlines Center, Dallas
July 12 – The Palace at Auburn Hills, Detroit
July 13 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto
July 14 – Bell Centre, Montreal
July 16 – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
July 17 – Madison Square Garden, New York
July 19 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
July 20 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Washington, D.C.
July 22 – TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
July 23 – Izod Center, East Rutherford, N.J.
July 25 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
July 26 – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
July 28 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ont.
Atop a table outside her parent’s garage stands a box and several promotional headshots at the ready for the now-(former) television phenomenon to sign autographs. What she raises from the sale will help fund the album to which she’ll proceed to record on the West Coast in a few days. What she doesn’t sell today will go to charity.
Moz has an EP she previously released on iTunes in 2010. But, she said, her sound has evolved since, and she is ready to try out new material.
