NYS Music 20​14

Author: Pete Mason

  • Like a Boss: Gov’t Mule Returns to the Palace Theatre

    Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule returned to the Palace Theatre Friday, Nov. 14 amid their 20th anniversary tour. “World Boss” opened the show on a strong note, seguing into “Steppin’ Lightly”, a song of pure heartache.  “Gameface” stretched into a jam of “Mountain Jam”, a nod to the fest Warren lent his name on for many years. A deep rocker emerged in “Which Way Do We Run” followed by the highlight of the set, “I’m a Ram”, full of Haynes turning his vocals up to 11. Danny Louis played the keys with the sound of a second guitar, a latter day Ray Manzarek. The set ended with “Railroad Boy”, which makes for good fightin’ music.

    govt mule palace(Before Set 2 started, a proud grandparent mentioned to me that this show was his grandson’s first concert ever. Grandpa picked a good one too. Hope you enjoyed the show Chris!)

    A spooky wind machine sound preceded the Set 2 opener, “Fearless”, by Pink Floyd, with Danny Louis joining on second guitar. Mule will release an album of Floyd covers, Dark Side of the Mule, on Dec. 9. “Beautifully Broken” let loose a cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, jammed out quite nicely before returning to “Beautifully Broken”. A Doors cover, “People are Strange” roused the crowd once again as the set ended on a high note, closing with “Soulshine” and “Slackjaw Jezebel”. The encore “Bring on the Music” off 2013’s Shout! capped a solid rock performance from veterans Gov’t Mule who blended rock and jam perfectly – not too much rock and not too little jam.

    Download the show at Mule Tracks.

    Set 1: World Boss > Steppin’ Lightly, Gameface, Which way do we Run, I’m a Ram, Child of the Earth, Stratus, Railroad Boy

    Set 2: Fearless > Stoop So Low, Beautifully Broken > Breakdown > Beautifully Broken, Larger Than Life > Drums, People Are Strange, Soulshine, Slackjaw Jezebel

    Encore: Bring on The Music

  • Funk Sessions at Putnam Den with The New Mastersounds

    The Heard opened a night of funk at Putnam Den, bringing blazing Chicago funk along with them courtesy of a solid horn section, who would later join The New Mastersounds for a few numbers. With guitarist Eddie Roberts leading the ultratight rhythm section, the night was full of instrumental funk that dipped into various subgenres of their signature sound, including funk of the late 60’s and early 70’s, surf rock, boogie, disco and Sly and the Family Stone-level peaks when accompanied by the horns. Little is left on the stage when the Leeds quartet plays and Saratoga Springs was fortunate to have such high caliber musicians in town. Here’s hoping to a quick return to the Capital Region. Check out their new album Therapy and see them in 2015 when they likely return to the Northeast for festival dates.

    Setlist: Soulshine, All I Want, MRG, Yo Moma, Each to their own, This ain’t work, Pure, MM’s, Upstairs*, Fast Man*, Surfin, Burnt Back, Freckles>Be Yourself>Knees, 33*, Nervous*

    Encore: 20 minutes of funk

    *with The Heard horns

  • String Cheese Incident Returns to Upstate

    A cover heavy jammin good time was had by a packed State Theater in Ithaca on Monday Nov. 10, the band’s first return to the Southern Tier since 2005.

    string cheese incident upstateOpening with a 10+ minute “Shine”, the audience was enthralled from the high energy exhibited from the band members. “Orange Blossom Special” emerged from a jammed out “So Far From Home,” while “Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk” stood out as a highlight of the show, giving a nod to their performance at Lockn’ Festival with K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band. A closing “Colorado Bluebird Sky” was the highest of notes to end on, full of jamgrassy goodness throughout the western anthem.

    Two songs stood out in the second set – the opener “BollyMunster” and off of the recent release Song in My Head, “Colliding”. I am still not sold on “BollyMunster,” simply because of its melting pot nature, featuring touches of bluegrass, Bollywood, and electronic as it just overwhelms what could be a stronger composition if stripped down slightly, even to an acoustic level. “Colliding,” however, wowed the audience with returns to the composition after a strong central jam. “Can’t Wait Another Day,” another track off Song in My Head, could easily transport you to a beach in the Caribbean, full of life and carefree dancing. “Outside and Inside” had a surprising inclusion of U2’s “Mysterious Ways,” catching the audience off guard but welcomed more than Songs of Innocence on their iPhones.

    The encore was a treat. Bill Nershi weaved his way through the semi-biographical “Jellyfish,” which ended up with two verses of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritavilla” before moving into the closer “Black Clouds”. Their first time back in Upstate in nine years and String Cheese impressed the capacity crowd who were sent buzzing into the streets of Ithaca. Fortunately, this night’s show did not end early with the fire alarm being pulled. Back in October 2005, Bill Nershi made up for this faux pas by treating the fans to acoustic versions of “Bar Stool” and “Texas” in the street in front of the venue, but tonight the band would leave it all on the stage and the fans likewise would leave it all on the dance floor.

    Set 1: Shine > So Far From Home > Orange Blossom Special, Sweet Spot, Master Blaster (Jammin), Drums, Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk, Colorado Bluebird Sky

    Set 2: BollyMunster, Miss Brown’s Teahouse > Chameleon > Miss Brown’s Teahouse, Colliding > Land’s End > Can’t Wait Another Day, Outside And Inside > Mysterious Ways > Outside And Inside

    Encore: Jellyfish > Margaritaville > Black Clouds

    String Cheese Incident continued their tour of NY with two nights at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. The crowd was getting restless until, at last, SCI took the stage a little after 8:30 with no shoes on but big smiles. The show kicked off with “Search” featuring some killer dueling solos from percussionists Jason Hann and Michael Travis. Keeping up with the upbeat vibe, “Birdland” saw strong organ chords from Kyle Hollingsworth with light cymbal work making for a fusion of jazz and funk when adding Keith Moseley’s bass. Bill Nershi gives a consistent earthy folk sound on his acoustic guitar as he danced merrily around the stage with Michael Kang, providing high voltage on the electric guitar. “Sometimes a River” held the classic rock rhythm with an easy flowing country melody as the crowd happily sang back the lyrics with gusto. Performing the title song of their album, “Song in my Head” was a swirling and dizzying light tune with steady builds before turning into a dark jam as the melody suddenly dropped to the thunderous boom of Travis. The set ended with “Close Your Eyes” which was a harmonious and ferocious jam with an ethnic flair from Hann on bongos and old world plucking from Nershi.

    The second set was a nonstop roller coaster of dark space and psychedelic melodies, starting out with an awesome Caribbean cover of “This Must Be the Place” by Talking Heads. “Valley of the Jig” was an Irish Lord of the Dance show, but with a dark side of Mars vibe. Taking a moment to experience the here and now, Moseley shouted out “Happy 11/11!” at 11:11pm as the band appropriately went into the breezy cute ballad of “Smile”. Not too surprising given the reputation of The Cap, but the beginning notes of The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” resulted in a full-out explosion of midnight madness. SCI must have been on Colorado time as the show went pretty late for a week night as the set closed out with a spooky “Desert Dawn.” The encore of “Restless Wind” summed up everything there is about String Cheese Incident. Kang’s fiddle work brought out their deep roots of bluegrass, Hollingsworth slammed on his keys, and the entire band lifted the crowd with rockitude. SCI was appreciative of the fans and the atmosphere of the venue as they repetitively thanked the crowd. Both shows are available for download on livecheese.com.

    Set 1: Search, Birdland, You’ve Got the World, Sometimes a River, Indian Creek, Song In My Head > Give Me the Love, Close Your Eyes

    Set 2 : This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) > It Is What It Is> Valley of the Jig, Smile, Joyful Sound> Shakedown Street> Desert Dawn

    Encore: Restless Wind

  • The Sounds of Fabulous Phish in Chilling Thrilling Las Vegas

    The day of the dead saw the demise of one Phish Halloween tradition and the birth of something completely different. Rather than play another band’s album as a musical costume, Phish opted to interpret a rare cut from the Disney collection – Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (1964), turning a 25 minute sound effects album into a 65 minute demonstration in improvised interpretation.

    The result was one of the most talked about nights of Phish, not only for the performance that was experienced, but the potential of what was to come the next two nights and over their upcoming New Years run in Miami.

    chilling thrilling soundsThe first of three sets was bookended with haunted numbers, an opening sequence of “Buried Alive > Ghost” and a funk filled “Wolfman’s Brother” to close it out, steadily building the anticipation for the grand mystery of what this Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House set would end up being.

    The stage and lighting were well done, per usual. The word in the casino was that the Cirque du Soleil show at MGM Grand, KÀ, was not in production that night, meaning the elaborate stage performances that Phish has become known for at their larger events would be accompanied by some of Vegas’ best. Phish began their set with “The Haunted House” inside of a haunted house that was pushed out onto a stage filled with smoke and a graveyard. An audio-visual highlight, “The Fuse” showed a slow burning fuse across the front of the haunted house which built the audience to froth and a jam that is hopefully heard in Miami. When the fuse went out, the walls from the house blew down and it was game on – the band was dressed in white tuxedos with ghoulish makeup, playing on top of this haunted house. The cheers were defeaning.

    chilling thrilling sounds
    photo by Rene Huemer

    During “Dogs” the audience, naturally, howled along with the pre-recorded barks and screams and the band worked into a jam that could re-emerge in “I Saw it Again.” “Timber” was the first really spooky song of the night while “Your Pet Cat”, like all songs on the album, were introduced by Esther, a graveyard resident who kept the interpretation of the album true to the original by including the original narration.

    chilling thrilling sounds
    photo by Rene Huemer

    The spaciest jam of the night, “Shipwreck”, was full of weirdness and had the deepest jam, in the vein of “Sand”, a looming threat in Set 3. “The Unsafe Bridge” became a Pulp Fiction-esque surf rocker while both dark and foreboding.

    “The Chinese Water Torture” ended up being the song that sounded most like an above-standard Phish-jam while “The Birds” got deep and heavy and gave the crowd a gift in the form of Esther’s pre-recorded “They Attack!” serving as both a catalyst and bridge to the jams that developed. The set was ending on such a high note when “Martian Monster” followed “The Birds” with its own sound snipper with ‘Your Trip is Short’. Repeated over and over, the crowd caught on quickly during a 10 minute groove that never let up.

    chilling thrilling sounds
    photo by Dave Vann

    I look forward to finding out how this album came to the band’s attention and how their discussion of how to play this set developed, as well as how the night was produced and choreographed. Those who put the show together command respect for contributing such a major component to evening.

    The third set kept the energy flowing, starting with “Punch You in the Eye > Golden Age > Tweezer > Heavy Things”, all of which flowed together seamlessly. Guyute was greeted with cheers for its rarity while “Sand” gave us the longest jam of the weekend, clocking in at 18 minutes and segued seamlessly into “Tweezer Reprise”. An encore of Leonard Cohen’s “Is this what you Wanted” referenced ghosts of a relationship haunting a house, and doubling as a question to difficult to please Phish fans. Page McConnell broke out the keytar for an appropriate “Frankenstein” cover that ended the night.

    chilling thrilling sounds
    Poster by Michael Boyer

    The introduction of brand new improv, a counterbalance to last year’s brand new album Wingsuit (later released in June as Fuego) was more than welcome by fans – there was no ambivalence here as nearly all saw this for what it was: Phish doing the unexpected and  appealing to the pleas of fans who seek a greater degree of improvisational jamming.

    We all won in Vegas with Phish. Each night kept getting better and we had reminders on the 1st and 2nd of November with some choice teases and jams. Never a dull moment to be had, Phish connected early with a surprise roundhouse and we enjoyed the bewilderment that followed through the bold choice of Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House.

    Set 1: Buried Alive>Ghost, Scent of a Mule, Sample in a Jar, Reba, 46 Days, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Lawn Boy, Saw It Again>Tube, Wolfman’s Brother

    Set 2: The Haunted House, The Very Long Fuse, The Dogs, Timber, Your Pet Cat, Shipwreck, The Unsafe Bridge, The Chinese Water Torture, The Birds, Martian Monster

    Set 3: Punch You In the Eye>Golden Age>Tweezer->Heavy Things, Guyute, Sand->Tweezer Reprise

    Encore: Is this What you Wanted, Frankenstein

  • New Music and U.S. Tourdates Coming from ELO

    Billboard reports that ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, upon receiving Outstanding Contribution to Music award at Classic Rock Honours in Los Angeles, hinted that ELO will not just be writing new music, but also a 2015 tour is being planned.

    jeff lynne
    Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

    Lynne, who revived the ELO name and revisited such classic ’70s and ’80s hits as “Telephone Line,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Showdown” and so many more at London’s Hyde Park, confirmed to Billboard he will be bringing ELO to the States.

    “I had so much in Hyde Park with 50,000 people, where I just played in September, first time I’ve played in 28 years it was fantastic and I loved every minute, so I’m definitely gonna come here and play.” His manager clarified that 2015 was the target date for touring.

    New music can be expected, along with classic ELO tracks, as Lynne said “I’m working on a new album and that’ll be involved in the new times when we play.”

  • Native American Music Awards to be held at Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel

    Update: the Fifteenth Annual Native American Music Awards will be streamed live on the home page of First Nations Experience from Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel and FNX-TV at www.fnx.org.

    native american music awardsThe 15th Annual Native American Music Award (NAMA) Ceremonies will be held the Seneca Allegany Events Center at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, New York on Friday November 14. Hosted by A Taste of Honey‘s Janice Marie Johnson, the event will have live performers and special guests, including five-time award winner Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji, Jamie Coon, American Idol finalist Charly Lowry and her band Dark Water Rising, former NFL player and opera singer Lawrence Harris, many more nominees and much more.

    A special Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to Colville Tribal Chairman & five-time award winner Jim Boyd.

    Additionally, the 15th Annual Native American Music Awards Commemoration will have its first ever national television broadcast on First Nations Experience, FNX, on Thanksgiving Day, November 27 at 8PM EST/5PM PST with a repeat broadcast on Saturday, November 29, 2014.

    First Nations Experience is the first and only public television network in the U.S. dedicated to Native American and World Indigenous content Contact your local PBS station to request they air the FNX/Native American Music Awards program.  Local PBS Station information can be found below or by clicking here.

    The New York Times says of the NAMA, “Devoted to bringing Indigenous music to the world’s consciousness, the Native American Music Awards is an ultimate celebration of both traditional and contemporary Native American music.  It was founded as the world’s first and largest national professional membership-based organization for the advancement & recognition of Native American music expressions around the world.

    If you wish to attend the the 15th Annual Native American Music Awards, note that tickets are limited and can only be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets or by calling the Seneca Allegany Casino at  (716) 945-9300. Public voting is open to the general public. Music from all nominees is currently featured on the audio players on www.NAMALIVE.com. Anyone can listen and cast their vote by visiting the Awards website, Vote now page.

  • Film Review: St. Vincent

    Bill Murray is at the age where he can play a grandfather, a wise old sage or a lovable curmudgeon, ala Walter Matthau, but less jowly. In Theodore Melfi’s feature-length directorial debut St. Vincent, Murray takes the lead in stride, giving a wonderful performance as a retiree who reveals through the simple act of watching a neighbor’s kid, much to his disdain, more and more of his true character while being a prick on the exterior.

    St. VincentNew neighbors Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) move in and after a rough introduction, Vincent offers to watch Oliver as Maggie has no other recourse with a pending divorce and full-time job. Vincent, never having children and not seeming to care for them at all, gives Oliver a place to do his homework and learn about life, while making $11/hour from Melissa. When Oliver is bullied, Vincent bears witness and puts the fear of god – he, the local who knows their mothers in more way than one – into the bullies, then gives Oliver a lesson on how to defend himself and break a would-be attackers nose. 

    St. VincentLieberher stands out more and more as the film progresses and reminded me of Abigail Breslin when she starred in Little Miss Sunshine and stole the show. Lieberher is in the same league as Breslin, shining from the periphery. Poignant quotable observations such as “It’s gonna be a long life” provoke thought and sum up scenes quite well. Oliver is given the task of not only following along with Vincent’s lead – whether to the local bar, the racetrack or the bank, where Vincent stashes track winnings in an account under his ‘grandson’s’ name – but to improve on the situation in the only way a 9-year-old can, through honest observations.

    Through the course of the film, and via the directive of his teacher Brother Geraghty (Chris O’Dowd), Oliver is assigned to look for living saints – less Mother Teresa and more ‘people you know’ – and make a presentation through his research. Seeing through the surface that Vincent wears like a coat of armor, Oliver unlocks the mystery of this ornery individual that few would consider a saint without delving deeper into his character. It is through Murray’s acting and Melfi’s writing that we get a well-composed character that is far from superficial but could be categorized as ‘a drunk mean old man’. The only weird part of Murray’s portrayal of Vincent is his Brooklyn accent, as I cannot recall a film where Murray used an accent, let alone in a convincing manner;  at one point it sounded like a weak Woody Allen impression but overall, it grows on you.

    McCarthy makes a strong jump into a dramatic role with far less humor in what is simply her finest film role yet, better than Bridesmaids. Trying to keep it all together through a pending divorce and custody battle, Maggie is strong and focused on doing the best for Oliver, even if it means leaving her with Vincent on a regular basis. Maggie appears as the left brain to assist the right brain that is Vincent, both providing balance to the other in a symbiotic relationship. When Vincent goes to the hospital, Maggie, Oliver and Daka (Naomi Watts) tend to Vincent and get what parts of his life straightened out that they can. Watts falls so deep into playing the Russian Daka, a ‘lady of the night’ as Oliver is informed, that you forget it is Watts behind the pregnant belly and large sunglasses of a stripper.

    Making sacrifices and putting others above yourself when you don’t want to are part of being a saint. Vincent’s experience with Oliver is heartfelt and provides one with guidance and the other with purpose, something both parties are able to work off of symbiotically. St. Vincent is yet another great film for Bill Murray to shine while sharing the spotlight with Jaeden Lieberher.

  • The Architecture of Sound, Part 1

    The venues we see music are more than just a place to congregate to experience concerts and performances. The work that goes into architecture – the designing, creating and building these venues is a lengthy process that spans years, well before patrons take their seats or find dance space to enjoy the sound. Architects, engineers and consultants contribute to the development of the overall sound, acoustics and open space that factor into the finished product – a music venue with, in more and more instances, incredible acoustics and sound.

    To shed some light on the architecture side of designing music venues, spoke with Matthew Geiss, AIA, NCARB, Principal and an Adjunct Professor at The Catholic University of America’s School of Architecture and Planning. A graduate of the School of Architecture at Syracuse University, Geiss spoke with Pete Mason to discuss the ‘how’ of music venues and acoustics as the latter grows in importance throughout the design and construction process.

    Pete Mason: When the design process for a music venue begins, what factors are brought into play initially for the rest of the design to build around?

    Matthew Geiss: It depends on the type of venue and primarily whether or not it will be new construction or a renovation of an existing space. Many large music venues need to be multifaceted (can be used for multiple types of events). Typically, the larger the number of functions a building is designed to accommodate, the less it can actually perform for each individual function. In other words, if a building is designed to accommodate live bands, theatre, orchestral performances, etc…- due to the different requirements for each function – choices need to be made to maximize the benefit of each without creating a negative impact to any of the other functions.

    If it is new construction, the primary factors are the site – how large will the building be, how will people enter and exit, what other buildings surround the building site, etc… – and the function – how will the building be used, how often will it be used, how many people are to be accommodated, etc…

    Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

    PM: How are acoustics and the flow of music built into the design in a way that does not affect the overall structure of the building? How can acoustics be worked into a building without making the overall structure unappealing, or worse, unsafe?

    MG: With most performance spaces, acoustical design is something which is inserted into the building to capitalize on the performance. In most cases (such as the Alice Tully Hall renovation at Lincoln Center by Diller Scofidio and Renfro) the acoustical elements of the interior are slid into the shell or structure of the space like a sleeve. Structural requirements will generally interfere with acoustical requirements of the space so the two are generally separated. Typically the building will have a structure, with a skin on the outside (enclosure) and a skin on the inside (the acoustical, aesthetic or finished space). Of course, these are generalizations. Many Gothic and Romanesque churches, domed spaces (such as the baptistery in Pisa) have incredible acoustical properties where the structure, enclosure and finished space are one and the same.

    architecture of sound
    The Baptistry at Pisa, Italy

    PM: How long does the process for designing, drafting and building a music venue take, in years?

    MG: This is a difficult one to generalize as it will have a huge range depending on the building type, finishes, site conditions, etc… A small interior retrofit or renovation may happen within the span of a year or two (from initial design to completion of construction), where a large performance space will likely take in excess of 5 years from initial design to the completion of the structure.

    architecture of sound
    Alice Tully Hall by FXFOWLE Architects United States

    PM: When it comes to the process of designing a music venue, what would surprise music fans the most?

    MG: I would say that the most surprising element might be the large number of people involved in the design and the collaborative process which is required. When I was working at STUDIOS Architecture here in Washington, DC, we designed the performance studio at XM Radio Headquarters here in town. We had a team of over 20 people (acoustical consultants, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, structural engineers, and architects) working on the design of only two rooms.

    architecture sound
    Alice Tully at Lincoln Center. Photo by Iwan Baan

    PM: Considering the great many music venues in America – what are some of the best venues for sound and acoustics, that you have come across in your experience?

    MG: The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, NY; 9:30 Club, Washington, DC.

  • Hearing Aide: Hard Working Americans ‘The First Waltz’

    Hard Working Americans have released The First Waltz, a live recording of powerful rock numbers with songwriting that any blue collar working, freedom-loving Americans can easily rock out to, start to finish. Only a year old, Hard Working Americans includes Dave Schools on bass, (Widespread Panic) guitarist Neal Casal (Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Chad Staehly on keys (Great American Taxi), Duane Trucks on drums and guitarist Jesse Aycock. The album will have a visual component when a film of the same name, directed by Justin Kreutzmann, is released later this year, offering insight and a snapshot of the start of this supergroup. The album debuted October 28 and can be picked up on iTunes or in the band’s store.

    Hard Working Americans the first waltzOpening up The First Waltz with “Blackland Farmer”, the vibe of Tom Waits “Goin Out West” is present as slow grooving blues, intertwined with “New Speedway Boogie” lyrics. Pedal steel guitar from Aycock enters into Michael Houser territory. A dual song, “Another Train/Working Man Blues” included a mild and driving “Train” that picks up with “Working Man Blues”. Snider remarks on “Mission Accomplished”, “It was the great Billy Joe Shaver who once said that ‘God loves ya the most when you dance’”, and with that Duane Trucks sets a beat in the vein of “Not Fade Away” while Casal plays a catchy Mexicali riff. A Jekyll and Hyde song, “Run a Mile”, begins with patient blues and halfway in takes this speed of ‘4’ and doubles it to an ‘8’, albeit briefly, building back up to a ‘6’ as the band rocks out.

    Todd Snider’s vocals are gritty, powerful and thought-provoking, particularly in “I Don’t Have a Gun”, where his songwriting skills add an emotional weight, referencing a drunk night and confrontation of which Snider opines in a grateful escape, “I’m so glad that I don’t have a gun.” A great deal of instrumental prowess from the full band is to be found on “The Mountain Song”, but it is on “Straight to Hell”, a marquee song for Hard Working Americans, that the band and Snider’s songwriting shine. An established sing-along for the nascent group, Snider sings the words “I’m goin’ straight to hell, just like my momma said, I’m goin’ straight to hell”, with such conviction, you feel empathy for such a determined view of the afterlife. The flipside to “Straight to Hell” is “Stomp and Holler”, a footstomper aided by Trucks’ kick drum, inspiring and motivating any audience to play along from start to finish.

    “Guaranteed” has the potential to drift into uncharted territory in a live setting, venturing into the somewhat uplifting blues-tempo and forgoing any noodling when rocking through it suffices, while “Wrecking Ball” stands alone as the most emotionally charged song of the album. The final track, “Come From the Heart”, featuring Roseanne Cash is a soulful and inspiring love song. All throughout, Snider, Schools, Casal, Staehly, Trucks and Aycock give a powerhouse clinic of collaboration, sounding as though the band has been together for a decade when they are just about to turn 1 with The First Waltz.

    Hard Working Americans Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

    Key Tracks: Blackland Farmer, Straight to Hell, Stomp and Holler

  • TU Center to get $13.1M Upgrade

    Albany’s Times Union Center (TUCenter) is set to undergo a major renovation after a plan was announced by Albany County Executive Dan McCoy today that would potentially bring national sporting events back to the area, as reported by The Times Union.

    TUCenterSynthesis Architects proposal would take away the open-air terraces in the entrance area facing South Pearl Street and enclose them to create a gathering space for concertgoers, sports fans and area workers during the winter.

    McCoy said in a statement, “This is going to be a transformative project that will change the face of the Times Union Center and will perfectly complement the new Civic Center, which will be an integral part of revitalization downtown.”

    Much of the reason for the renovation plans stems from the shift in the Albany Convention Center to the area behind the Times Union Center, and the need for more space to attract, in particular, NCAA basketball events. Included in the renovations are LED screens that would face out onto South Pearl Street, streaming images of events inside the arena, potentially.

    Enclosing the TUCenter atrium could potentially change the environment before and after events at the Times Union Center, giving fans a reason to mingle in the venue’s open space, rather than hustling inside to avoid the elements and unwelcoming nature of the staircase-laden entrance way, as it stands now.