Category: Features

Yarn and The Brummy Brothers to Perform at Red Square on Valentine’s Day

On Friday, February 14th, Yarn, a Brooklyn based band with members originally from Schenectady will take the stage at Red Square. These fellas have cultivated a following across the United States to which the fans affectionately call themselves the “Yarmy.” Perhaps it is the incessant touring that attracts old and new fans, but more likely Blake Christiana’s art of song crafting captivates and rivets the world of Roots Americana. The Brummy Brothers will be making their debut appearance in Albany as they open for Yarn.

After spending a few weeks in the recording studio, these bluegrass rockers are ready to stretch their legs for a lively night of song and dance. Eric (mandolin) and Dave Brumberg (upright bass) were joined by Andrew Morris (guitar) and Russell Gottlieb (banjo) in 2012 to form The Brummy Brothers, touring the Northeast heavily. These New Jersey boys would inspire all to “shake their brum.” Doors are at 8 pm, show starts at 9pm. Don’t miss this one! Pick up tickets at the door for only $10.

February 13, 2014
The Fab Faux Coming to The Egg This Saturday

The Fab Faux, accompanied by the Crème Tangerine Strings and Hogshead Horns will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the arrival of The Beatles in New York with a concert at The Egg on Saturday, February 15th at 7:30 PM.

Unlike Beatles tribute bands who sport wigs and period costumes to recreate a Beatles concert, the Fab Faux instead features some of New York’s top studio musicians – Jimmy Vivino and Frank Agnello (guitar), Will Lee (bass), Jack Petruzelli (keyboards) and Rich Pagano (drums). With a commitment to the accurate reproduction of The Beatles’ repertoire, The Fab Faux will perform a concert of songs rarely or never performed live by the Beatles.

This will include a set of “unplugged” tunes. While the Beatles often used acoustic instruments on their recordings, they were hard pressed to play their quieter material in concert due to the volume of the ecstatic audiences who screamed and cheered through their live performances.

The concert will also feature works from their later recordings, which featured highly developed arrangements, often enhanced with strings and horns. By the time these works were written and recorded, the Beatles had stopped touring so they were never performed in concert.

Tickets are $35-$45 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone – 518-473-1845 – or on line.

February 12, 2014
A Packed Upstate Concert Hall Welcomes Back Umphrey’s McGee
Upstate New York only gets a few doses of Umphrey’s McGee in the cold of winter, but they sure heat things up at every stop. Kicking off their three nights in Upstate was a stand-out performance at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park. The venue was packed, more so than it was last time the Chicago prog-rockers came to town, as the word has gotten out and Umphrey’s is becoming a draw who may have outgrown their usual Capital District stomping grounds.

A “Catshot” intro built up the crowd as the six members took the stage. These instrumental intros are unique to Umphrey’s and serve as an excellent way to give the show a rolling start. Picking up a pair of Headphones (more on that in a bit) just as “Phil’s Farm” got going, the solid 15 minute rocker built off “Catshot”, with Bayliss and Cinninger hitting great peaks with start/stops that gave a jolt to the crowd as they began a night of dancing. “Miami Virtue” had Jeff Waful’s lights come alive in a dark jam before bleeding seamlessly into “Professor Wormbog”, which had some Boyz II Men acapella vocals thrown in for a curveball before returning to heavy prog funk.

Warm lights accompanied “Morning Song” alongside Bayliss’ full flex vocals amid soaring guitar peaks. And if “Phil’s Farm” was the first blow of the night, “Mantis” held the knockout punch of the first set, clocking in at a shade under 20 minutes, with a “Jimmy Stewart” section, complete with lyrics.

During the show, I had the unique experience to test out the new “Headphones and Snowcones” feature that is available all Umphrey’s shows this tour. Comfortable and easy to manage, these were quite frankly a welcome accessory to the show. Not only do you get to experience quality, soundboard sound, but the pristine audio environment that creates a 3-D experience for your ears. The sound is crystal clear, and if you have Tinnitus like I do, you can adjust the volume and prevent further damage, while keeping out that hiss that ultimately takes away from the music. The only drawback I can think of is the cost: at $40, plus refundable deposit, it might be out of budget for some, but you do get a UMLive download of the show, so it depends on your personal preferences for how you want to hear the show. Given an opportunity to try this again, I would certainly pay to hear the band sound the way it should be heard.

Opening the second set with “Miss Tinkles Overture”, Umphrey’s brought back a “Jimmy Stewart” jam with additional lyrics. The hard metal rock of Jake Cinninger and Kris Myers tore up “Tinkles”, which can serve equally well anywhere in a set, but stood out perfectly to welcome the crowd back. “Push the Pig” had a dark bass groove from Ryan Stasik, eventually leading into “Roseanna” by Toto. With Umphrey’s, you are virtually assured an 80’s cover and the rarer, the better. Looking around the venue, only the older fans seemed to know the song, mouthing some of the lyrics while the younger fans sang along only with ‘Rose-an-na!’

Although it wasn’t jammed out, “Roseanna” did melt into a full band jam that pushed into the shred-metal of “Go to Hell” and then “Der Bluten Kat”. The last time Umphrey’s was in town, “DBK” clocked in at 30 minutes. This version ended up at only 27 minutes, not including “The Fuzz” that was sandwiched in between. There is no bigger jam vehicle for Umphrey’s than a solid “DBK” and it was great to hear another fantastic version.

A second installment of ‘Hey, Remember the 80s?’ came in the second half of the encore with Kris Myers introduced as Glen Danzig (and Jake Cinninger heading behind the drum kit), as we were about to get the classic metal group’s “Mother”. Myers knows his metal and you haven’t heard a cover done with such accuracy, let alone a cover of Danzig, until you’ve heard Umphrey’s “Mother”. A hot show with electricity teeming throughout the crowd as they dispersed, fans began making plans for the weekend shows in Syracuse and Rochester, part of the luxury of Upstate New York’s proximity to great music towns.

Setlist
Set 1: Catshot > Phil’s Farm, Miami Virtue > Professor Wormbog, Morning Song, Crucial Taunt, Mantis
Set 2: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Push The Pig > Rosanna > Go To Hell, Der Bluten Kat > The Fuzz > Der Bluten Kat
Encore: The Weight Around, Mother

Download Ed Guidry’s recording of the show from Archive.org
February 12, 2014
Hearing Aide: Irv Lyons Jr. “I Love the Night”

Oneida Nation Native Irv Lyons Jr. has just released his debut album, I Love the Night. Lyons’ three-man band hailing from Camillus, New York has a vintage Rock & Roll sound crossed with Americana love songs.

The trio consisting of Mike Casale on bass, Jim Bianchi on drums, and Irv Lyons Jr. on lead guitar and vocals, combine for an unforgettable album of love songs that are filled with passion and some psychedelic sound effects.

Lyons is no novice to Americana music however; he is part of another better known group called The Fabulous Ripcords who have a similar style incorporating blues, Latin, and roots music. Irv Lyons Jr.’s ten-track debut should solidify his name in the Americana Romance genre.

The opening track, “Wanna Be With You”, is a solid tune about a burning yearning for that dream women. All he asks is that through night and day, rain or shine, she will always be by his side. The song then goes into an amazing jam section where Lyons’ guitar solo, reminiscent of Carlos Santana, leaving the listener stunned. “Like A Machine” conveys Lyons’ insatiable urge to be with the woman he loves. From her hair to her perfume, everything reminds him of her unconditional love.

“Slide” is a driving rock song about being lost in a world without the love he once knew and all he wants to do is drive, leaving all his worries behind. “Why Can’t We Live Together” is a slower ballad expressing the sadness and confusion behind a problem that has troubled couples since the beginning of time. His love is unstoppable, but he just can’t bear to live without her. “Rude” is a fiery number about an impudent girl with a bad attitude and no manners that no man can stand.

“If You Love Me” is an acoustic jam featuring an unknown female vocalist. The song asks that if a person could love another so much, how could they keep doing those terrible things. All they want is to be treated right by the person they love. “Strong Hold” is another tune about a deep love featuring the female vocalist, but this time things are going a little rough. The only answer is to hold on tight and try and make it better. “Bedroom Eyes” is a fast paced number about making love to a dream woman. The distorted vocals makes for a psychedelic sound that adds a distinct flare to the album. “Be My Baby” is another acoustic jam with distorted vocals that stands out from the rest. This unique song tries to persuade a woman to give Lyons’ a chance to show how he can be better than her other man. The final and title track on the album, “I Love The Night,” reveals Lyon’s Latin influence with a fast groove and a message of how serene and blissful the night can be.

Irv Lyons Jr.’s new album can be purchased on Amazon or CD Baby. You can follow the band online via Facebook and ReverbNation.

Key Tracks: Be My Baby, Like A Machine, Wanna Be With You

February 12, 2014
Willie Nelson and Family With Co-Headliner Alison Krauss and Union Station Announce Tour

Willie Nelson & Family and Alison Krauss and Union Station with Jerry Douglas have announced a co-headlining tour that will pass through Upstate New York this June. With 35 shows happening this summer on the tour, New York is very lucky to have four chances of seeing this great pairing.

On June 7, the tour will hit The Artpark in Lewiston, while the next night will see the tour head down to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel. For those in New York City, the show will make a stop at the beautiful Radio City Music Hall on June 10. Wrapping up the month on June 21, the CMAC Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua will host this great show. Joining the headliners on these dates will be up-comer Kacey Musgraves.

This tour marks the first time Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss will have toured together. Ticketing info will be released shortly.

February 12, 2014
Robert Randolph and the Family Band are Bringing the Love to Bearsville on Valentine’s Day

Looking for something to do on Valentine’s Day in Woodstock? Whether you’re single or not, Bearsville Theater is the place to be as Robert Randolph and the Family Band bring their signature pedal steel dance party to town.

Fresh off his latest album Lickety Split and producing The Slide Brothers debut album, Robert Randolph is a sacred steel virtuoso, having made his mark for over more than 15 years, starting in the New Jersey/New York City area and spreading out to play Bonnaroo and dozens of other festivals, as well as opening up on tour for Eric Clapton, and that’s the short-short version of his musical resume. Seeing Randolph and his band in action will ignite your hips and get things shaking in no time. Expect a wild night in Woodstock

Doors at 8, show at 9. Reserved balcony seating is available for $45 and General admission tickets are $35. Pick up tickets for Robert Randolph here.

As a bonus offer, pick up tickets to Robert Randolph & The Family Band on Friday and The Blind Boys Of Alabama on Saturday and save $10. Click here to pick up tickets to both shows.

February 12, 2014
Sammy nominee Jeremy Miller is a rocker and an author

Last December, Upstate Metal’s Steve Strader took the opportunity to speak with Jeremy Miller, lead vocalist of Syracuse’s One Last Shot. Last week, One Last Shot was named among two Syracuse metal bands that are up for a 2014 Sammy Award.

The Sammys are presented each year by The Syracuse Area Music Awards Executive Committee. The committee is a not-for-profit organization that supports Syracuse musicians.

The award ceremony is scheduled for March 7th, at the Palace Theatre.

Jeremy Miller is a natural wordsmith and his band depends upon him for his writing skills as much as his singing ability. Like many writers, he falls victim to inspiration and often finds himself writing down ideas as they come, or speaking into a digital recorder. Over time, those notes have turned into song lyrics or have collected inside numerous notebooks. Those notebooks are now being worked into a book, about which he spoke to Upstate Metal.

Strader: So first off what made you want to write a book?

Miller: A lot of reasons actually. First, I’ve always wanted to have my own book. A lot of my favorite artists have put out books similar to this like Danzig, and William Control of Aiden. Most importantly my fiancee saw all these lyrics I have laying around in notebooks and pushed me to do it. I finally took her push and am doing it now.

Strader: How long have you been working on this?

Miller: I guess realistically since I started writing lyrics. I’ve been writing lyrics and poetry since around 11 years old.

Strader: You mentioned there will be un-used lyrics in it, is there any other cool content you’ll be displaying to your fans?

Miller: Yeah, so far it’s split in 4 parts. First part is unused lyrics/ poetry, the 2nd part is random short ideas, the 3rd part is passages I’ve written about important band situations, and the last part is stories from shows. There’s also flyer art inside/ art I’ve made throughout the book.

Strader: Will there be any embarrassing moments?

Miller: Maybe for other people, everything I do in life can be looked at as embarrassing. I’m okay with that, it makes life fun.

Strader: What are you hoping readers will get out of this by the end?

Miller: Maybe it can give some insight to people trying to start a band, and hopefully people in underground DIY bands will be able to relate these situations. Also people can have a laugh or two at some of the stories.

Strader: Anything you can “leak” about this book and what we can expect?

Miller: There’s situations with drugs (not my band mates obviously), bum fights, and violence all inside. It comes out late December or early January. Most likely early January. I may leak something around mid December-ish. Oh, and its 50+ pages long. (So far…)

Strader: How will this book be made available?

Miller: It will be a real physical book. It will be printed professionally like if you got it at Barnes and Noble. You will be able to get one online or at shows. Just follow us at Facebook or Twitter and you’ll get all the updates.

Strader: Any last thoughts or words?

Miller: If this goes well, I have other books planned. This is also “Volume 1”, so as more events happen and if things stay interesting, I hope to make a “Volume 2”. Just stay tuned, and thank you for talking to me about this.

February 12, 2014
Local Limelight: The Garcia Project – Creating The Jerry Garcia Band Experience

The Garcia Project, based in Saratoga Springs, is a faithful conduit for the music of Jerry Garcia Band, conveying emotional resonance through the music that Jerry Garcia fans have known for decades. The Garcia Project includes Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, and Kat Walkerson on vocals. A cavalcade of musicians join them in various lineups,including Greg Marshall, Jordan Giangreco (The Breakfast, Viral Sound) and Scott Guberman rotating in on keys, Dan Crea, David Alderman and Fred Wilkes on bass and Bob McKeon, Aaron Martin and Brian Sayers on drums on any given night. While the lineup can change from show to show, it’s always The Garcia Project!

Additionally, Mik and Kat perform the songs of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band tunes in their our own arrangements, as Acoustically Speaking.

Kat Walkerson has a truly soulful voice, displaying great energy with her passion pouring out from her vocals. A kind soul that brings a warmth to any room she performs in, her voice is a perfect compliment to Mik’s, who is The Garcia Project’s “Jerry”, a part he plays with humility and focus on the music to channel the spirit of the Fat Man. In paying tribute to Jerry, Mik has made two guitars and replica speakers and equipment to bring about the true Garcia sound. Previously, Mik was in the band Tapestry for over 20 years. Recently, Mik and Kat have performed with Melvin Seals and the guys from JGB Band.

Pete Mason: How does The Garcia Project channel the sound and spirit of Jerry Garcia Band?

Mik Bondy: Everyone in The Garcia Project loves the music that the Jerry Garcia Band created. We are all huge fans of Jerry. And much like us, the folks that come out to share in the experience are huge Jerry fans too. This makes the synergy between the musicians and the audience very strong, right from the start. Couple that synergy with professional, seasoned musicians that really want to provide and recreate a Jerry Garcia Band experience and really care about the music and the performance of it – and you have the recipe. We also study the music and the various eras, we build instruments and rigs that mimic the sound and styles. We always do a group huddle before we perform a show and thank Jerry for the music and ask his blessing on what we are about to create with the people. We fell very blessed and are thrilled that folks keep coming out and enjoy it as much as we do. Its really all about the love of the music.

PM: What sets The Garcia Project apart from the other well know Jerry Garcia Band act, Melvin Seals and JGB?

MB: Melvin Seals and JGB are great friends of ours. Kat performed with Melvin and JGB a few times back in 2010-2011. Both Kat and I recently performed with Melvin and members of JGB up in Saranac Lake, NY and Melvin Seals performed as keyboard player for The Garcia Project last year (and will again this year) at Jerry Jam, the best Jerry festival in the Northeast. We really love and respect Melvin and the JGB band.

Melvin Seals has his own new arrangements of songs and writes his own custom set lists. The Garcia Project has been recreating classic Jerry Garcia Band shows and sets and attempts to perform in the same style and tempo as each show and era. Each era has it’s own flavor. We recently did a 77 show at Mexicali Live that there was no recording of the original JGB show, so we pieced together the show from other recordings from the year for reference and then performed it in that style. Both bands have very unique sound and we love what we both add to the scene.

Listen to the whole Mexicali Blues show where we recreated JGB Nov 16, 1977

PM: Why the music of Jerry Garcia Band? Why not Grateful Dead songs?

Kat Walkerson: Our love for the Grateful Dead is equal to our love of Jerry Garcia Band. If not for attending Grateful Dead shows, we wouldn’t have known about Jerry Band. Even back when Jerry was around, JGB was much lesser known and attended. It was something special that you were lucky to stumble upon. We feel that the Jerry Garcia Band catalog is an extraordinary collection of wonderful songs. Many of them are songs not original to the Jerry Garcia Band. They were songs that Jerry picked out because they were special. Adding to that, he mixed them all up, rearranging them and making them the style of music that is Jerry Band. We all agreed and loved them too. And we loved what happened to us as a community when we gathered for this music. This music creates a special space, a fertile ground where positive things grow. Love, friendship, community, healing, forgiveness, progress in general. Jerry Band is a love and connection fest of the purest nature. We always say “The Grateful Dead is like Saturday night, and Jerry Garcia Band is like Sunday morning”. What is created and experienced when we all gather and enjoy this music together is something that should continue. So, as we love the grateful dead, and play some whenever we can fit it in, we focus on the Jerry Band catalog. Like the Grateful Dead, there is also decades worth of this music, so many great musicians rolled through the band in (30?+) years. There is so much to hear and enjoy. We want to do our part to make sure this music gets and stays out there.

PM:Is there a certain year or era of Jerry Garcia Band that you particularity enjoy the most? Why?

MB: I really love all of the eras, really. But the 1977-78 Jerry Garcia Band shows have been firing me up recently. I love the tempos and the arrangements.

KW: All equally

Bob McKeon: Late 1970s and late 1980s.

Dan Crea: 1978 with Donna and Maria.1977 counts too but there was no Maria, and I’m a big fan of hers. I like the open space that Keith left between his notes and how his sound kept the mix nice and open. Great “Lonesome’s” in this era!

PM: Where do you think you’ll be in five years?

MB: We would love to travel and take the music of Jerry Garcia to many more people around the world. With the right team, I could see us touring and playing venues all around the world.

The Garcia Project Tour Dates:
February 15 – Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
February 22 – WSG String Band and Blessed and Gifted, Spaceland Ballroom, Hamden CT
March 22 – The Cannery Music Hall, Southbridge, MA
April 5 – Arch Street Tavern, Hartford, CT
April 19 – 420 Celebration at The Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, NY
July 25 – Jerry Jam Music Festival, Bath, NH, with Melvin Seals on Keys. The festival runs July 25-27.

Acoustically Speaking Tour Dates:
February 1 and 22 – Opening for The Garcia Project
February 21 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY
February 28 – West Mountain Ski Resort, Queensbury, NY
March 28 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY

Keep up on everything The Garcia Project on their Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

February 11, 2014
Greensky Bluegrass Entertains The Town Ballroom on a Winter-Laced Wednesday

Fans of all music genres convened at The Town Ballroom on Wednesday, February 5 for Greensky Bluegrass. It was a heck of a storm all day long in the Buffalo area, however, it didn’t keep the die hard music lovers away.

Tumbleweed Wanderers opened the night off and came out strong despite nearly missing out on the opportunity because their van had broken down. They got the crowd ready for the nights headliner and gained a solid reaction from there on stage flare to their great sound. The Tumbleweed Wanders, hailing from a much warmer climate in Northern California mentioned the cold on a few occasions.

Headliner Greensky Bluegrass may be a bluegrass band but have hints of all sorts of genres and know how to get a crowd involved. Greensky’s uncanny ability to get the crowd moving with uplifting jams also featured one of the best light shows to date for the bluegrass scene. The quintet from Michigan is led by all members at any given time. Dave Bruzza (guitar), Anders Beck (dobro), Mike Devol (upright bass), Mike Bont (banjo) and Paul Hoffman (mandolin) all know how to step up and take charge, as was apparent throughout the night. If you had looked through the crowd it was apparent fans were really having a good time. The band wasted no time and jumped right into it, showing that they were ready to play right out of the gate. There was plenty of banter throughout the night, saying how cool it was to play in Buffalo despite the weather. In true Greensky Bluegrass tradition, they took a song and really made it their own with their rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” into brilliant bluegrass.

The Tumbleweed Wanderers

Greensky Bluegrass

February 11, 2014
Blues Singer Alexis Suter Performing at The Recovery Lounge and BluSeed Studios February 15-16

There are gems in the Adirondacks, hidden places for music, speakeasies of the forest, places where they appear to be normal businesses by day and then at night transform into underground music venues. Superhip shows occur, spread by word of mouth, donations at the door with shared communal liquids and solids. Two such venues, The Recovery Lounge and BluSeed Studios, are hosting visiting International Recording Artist Alexis P Suter and her band the weekend of Feb 15th-16th.

International recording artist and Blues Music nominee Alexis P. Suter and her band are returning to the Adirondacks. She is a true vocal phenomenon with a gale force wind of a baritone voice that will lift your soul right out of your body, leaving it limp, shaking and dancing. She has opened up at the Midnight Ramble in Woodstock New York over 90 times. Levon Helm has said of her “She is one of those wonderful spirits, she’s got her arms around you; you can feel that”.

Alexis is doing two different shows. On Saturday Feb 15th, The Upper Jay Art Center’s Recovery Lounge will open its doors at 7PM for an 8PM show. This will be with a full band geared toward the blues and their classic songs. Be prepared to stand up, dance and shout. At BluSeed Studios in Saranac Lake on Sunday Febuary 16th at 230 PM she will be bringing it to the heart with a Gospel Show highlighting her roots. Don’t miss this vocal powerhouse with her band of blues.

February 11, 2014