NYS Music 20​14

Category: Features

  • Hearing Aide: AFR “Psychopath of Rightousness”

    Aaron Smith, of the Rochester-based, metal core band AFR, turns the drums into a concussion instrument. Throwing their latest EP, Psychopath of Rightousness, into my stereo only reminds me of how my high school music teacher had it so wrong to call them otherwise. Psychopathofrighteousnesscover

    AFR dropped the EP late last month, their second in two years. It consists of six, heavy tracks that promise to beat the hell out of your ears once you’re done. In fact, the band’s bassist Todd Church received my email shortly after I was done listening, simply stated: “Wow!”

    AFR is a five-piece band, featuring two guitarists and a bassist, that had started out back in the spring of 2012. Naturally, there has been a few line-up changes. Church was brought into the fold last year, and Aaron replaces Brandon Lewis behind the drum kit. Despite the short amount of time, the group is already signed to a label (Dead Trash Mob Records/Buffalo), and they’ve garnered a healthy respect from local fans for their abundance of showmanship, with or without the support from the crowd.

    Psychopath comes at the heels of last year’s release, A Hero to Villians, which in itself was a polished display of talent. Edwin Hernandez and Zack Sweedler continue to supply some tight guitar riffs, and Church lays down the bassline. Alan Rohr’s lyrical presentation again lends the band its metal core characteristics. But, what seems to separate this newest release from the last is its focus on the percussion. There is a subtle shift to the bass and percussion that gives Psychopath a slightly, but noticeably, harder sound than their last EP.

    Each track starts off quickly, with the exception of “DeFeo”. Amityville Horror fans will recognize the name and correctly associate the song title with that of the tragic events which ultimately inspired the book and subsequent movies. This track starts off with audio from a news broadcast reporting the details of the murders, scantly accompanied by guitar and cymbal, before tearing through their power chords. Otherwise, the boys like to rip it up right at the start.  Perhaps the best example of this would be “Bring on the Destructor”.

    Destructor is a favorite. It sets the tone for the rest of the EP.  The report from Smith’s drums is what resonates with me after putting the headset down. Those familiar with AFR’s repertoire won’t be disappointed. But, that hard edge was achieved through a subtle tweak in focus towards the percussion and bass from the new guys.

    AFR valiantly represents the emerging music scene out of Rochester. It’s a scene that has the attention of people in and out of New York State. And, with that said, the fact that this band is only two years in the game, and already making a name for themselves, is a testament that speaks louder than their music. (If that’s even possible.)

    You can purchase Psychopath of Rightousness from iTunes or through Reverbnation.

    Key Tracks: Bring on the Destructor, One in the Chamber, DeFeo

    Tour dates:

    August 2 – Rochester – Firehouse Saloon

    August 5, 6 – Syracuse – Lost Horizon (BATTLECROSS headliner)

    August 15 – Canandaigua – Villager Pub

    August 16 – Jordan – Hagefest (2-day fest)

    August 30 – Bridgewater – Xtravaganza2 (2-day fest) at Club Aqua

  • Show Number One: Phish at CMAC

    It’s interesting how perception can alter your own reality.  For the longest time, I wanted nothing to do with Phish, jaded by some fans who surrounded me growing up.  As I got older and ultimately left that circle, my musical journey continued. While that bad taste was always in the back of my head, I began liking bands of similar ilk and that perception towards Phish started to be internally questioned. One week ago today, I stepped through a door and saw my very first Phish show.

    While it’s slightly embarrassing now, I realize what I’ve missed all of those years and now know why so many bands I enjoy today list them as a huge influence. Here are my takeaways from my first Phish show at CMAC on July 15, 2014.

    • Unique hardly describes Shakedown Street. Every walk of life was there peddling their skill, from music and glass work to food and jewelry. It’s literally like a small, self-sustaining village that is temporarily setup and torn down offering anything you might need.
    • There’s a communal feel like nothing I’ve ever felt before in the music scene. I was told by a friend that you can hold one finger in the air to let everyone know that you need a ticket. Within minutes, I bartered with a guy who was more than happy to take an uneven trade just to help me out.
    • Holy sh** – lot food is SO damn good!
    • I thought I’ve seen some of the best lights, but Kuroda easily puts them all to shame.
    • Even though the music has always come first for me, I can now see why people see Phish just for the party.
    • During the first set, someone turned around and told me, “Nobody has crowd participation like this band. Nobody!” My observation: the fan couldn’t be more right. I have never seen a collective fan base that knows every song in and out and participates as much.
    • A three-dimensional matrix of lights swept the stage in hues and shades that only added to the spectacle. Fans were literally sent into pure elation through simply color and sound.
    • In any public space, people usually put a guard up; guards don’t exist at a Phish show though. Everything seemed to be simply accepted here with a smile and friendly interaction.
    • I’ve honestly never been a fan of Phish’s vocals, but if you can step back and see it as a piece to the overall musical puzzle, the blended effect is actually pretty good. The lyrics are still another story for me.
    • The band works the room. In the same way where a comedian has ups and downs throughout a show, so does Phish. It’s not by mistake though as it sends the highs higher. To draw an easy parallel, Stevie Ray Vaughan didn’t go all out, all the time for a reason.
    • Their songs sometimes end in the softest of landings, similar to a feather; I mean that as a compliment.
    • Smiles continued to get bigger as their set progressed.
    • Towards the end of the first set, the band took a long pause which lead directly to an outpouring (and I don’t think that word is big enough) of appreciation. Watch the video all the way to the end and tell me it doesn’t give you chills.
    • Dammit, they’ve converted me…at least partially.
    • The art they produce is pure professionalism in a varied state, making each night deeply meaningful to a true follower. Think about it; could a circus come to town and just wing it? Does Broadway just ad lib each night? What Phish does has an infinite vision and breadth.
    • People were just FEELING it. If at some point we need a unit of measurement for “feeling it”, can we call it a Phan?
    • You can literally feel the band get their feet underneath them.
    • Chris Kuroda doesn’t even flinch when he’s hit by a glow stick. The man is just as focused and dialed in as the band. As lights trigger, Chris will occasionally snap a finger in the air right on beat.
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    • The reason why Chris Kuroda defined the Lighting Director position in the jam scene is because he puts as much thought and energy into his contribution as the band does.
    • In the same way a blender can puree multiple parts into a unified substance, Phish does the same with music. I know that their base is blues, jazz, rock, and a few other genres, but the sound that emanates is Phish and only Phish.
    • Best salesman pitch from a peddling fan: $5 heady vegan water
    • I would’ve liked to see more personalization from the band. I was honestly surprised with how dedicated the fan base is that, minus some jumping and smiling, the band was fairly robotic onstage. There was limited talking between songs, and while I don’t like that to go on for too long, it’s nice when a band mentions the city or tells a little story about it.
    • My biggest surprise/let down was the encore. A one song encore from any band is pretty weak, but this is the biggest jam band in the world. Not only was it only one song, but it was one of the shortest of the night.
    The crew during set break
    The crew during set break

    While I don’t think I’ll ever be the guy who researches every version of every song, intently listening for subtleties and memorizing Phish’s musical footprint, I think the band, at least for now, has converted me from a cynic to an appreciator of all that they do.  I know for sure that even though I can’t follow them around the country, I will definitely catch them the next time they’re in town.

    Set List

    Set 1:  Buried Alive, Twist, Heavy Things, 555, Halley’s Comet, Bathtub Gin, Wingsuit, Divided Sky, Wombat, Bowie

    Set 2:  DWD > Back on the Train > NICU > Gotta Jibboo > Theme from the Bottom > Meatstick, Fuego, The Wedge, Antelope

    Encore: Character Zero

  • Gogol Bordello Bounces Through Burlington

    The show started with Eugene, of course. Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello is very much about making music as a collective, but at the same time it’s very much about lead singer Eugene Hutz, a thickly accented Ukrainian with Roma (Gypsy) ancestry who moved to Burlington, Vt., in 1992 as a political refugee with his family.

    Traditional Gypsy music was piped in as a shirtless Eugene, wine bottle in hand and guitar strapped to his back, strutted onto the stage Saturday night at Burlington’s Higher Ground, for what the band called on Facebook a“long awaited homecoming show.”

    Eugene was soon followed onto stage by the rest of the band: violin player Sergey Ryabtsev, bassist Thomas Gobena, drummer Oliver Charles, guitar player Michael Ward, accordion player Pasha Newmerzhitsky, and Pedro Erazo-Segovia and Elizabeth Sun, who both do vocals and percussion.

    Lutz played the guitar and sang the beginning of “Illumination” telling the crowd, “You are the only light there is for yourself my friends.” The rest of the band joined in after a verse. That lighter song made way to “Ultimate” a song with a heavy up and down beat that got the entire crowd jumping already, just two songs into the show.

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    They went on to rock through 15 more songs — including five from the band’s newest album, Pura Vida Conspiracy released in 2013 — plus four encore tunes. They also ripped through older hits like “Start Wearing Purple” “Think Locally, Act Globally” and “Not a Crime”.

    The crowd was super engaged, with the entire floor area bouncing with the beats. The pit was intense and sweaty but not too scary, and crowd surfers popped up here and there but weren’t a regular occurrence. The frantic rhythms did chill out at points to drum jams and bass solos, then they would pick back up again, working the audience into a frenzy.

    Eugene was a lot of fun, asking the crowd, “Ya dig, ya dig, ya dig, ya dig?” and interacting plenty in between songs. He yelled to the audience to start a circle pit, and he spilled red wine all over the audience as he used the same hand to hold up his mic and bottle, while he shook his guitar in the air with his other hand. He even made fun of audience members toward the end of the show for acting like they were tired. Saturday was the second in a two-night run for Gogol at Higher Ground, and Eugene said he had tired them out too much.

    The other band members were all interesting characters, too. Elizabeth looked like she wanted to cast a spell on you as she waved her arms around and leaned into her mic. Pasha, who looked like a British soccer hooligan, somehow made accordion playing look sexy as he energetically pumped the instrument. Pedro added some hip hop elements as he growled into the mic and pounded a drum he had strapped to his chest.

    With eight people on the stage, you’d think it would turn into a bit of a mess, especially when they’re all as energetic as this crowd of musicians. But they placed platforms at the front of the stage, so Eugene could jump up there when the spirit took him, or Elizabeth and Pedro could flank him on there when there was a big vocal moment, or Thomas could jump up when the bass line was featured.

    At times the movement looked coordinated, but at others, it seemed as though musicians were coming, going and lounging around on stage doing their own thing, giving it a feel of a Gypsy camp.

    There were two cameras filming the entire show, one from in front of the stage and one from farther back, for a documentary being made about the band, so watch for shots of Higher Ground when it comes out!

    Gogol Bordello has several other dates coming up around New York state, including Port Chester Saturday, July 19; Clifton Park Tuesday, July 22; and Rochester Saturday, July 26. To see their show date, go to www.gogolbordello.com. For info about other shows at Higher Ground, go to www.highergroundmusic.com.

  • Albany Blues Musician and Teacher, Tom Healey is Dead

    Albany blues musician and Albany High teacher, Tom Healey, died unexpectedly Monday, according to several news reports.

    News of his passing has trickled across the Internet over the past several hours, prompting a flood of tributes on his personal Facebook page, and that of his band, The Tom Healey Blues Band.

    Tom Healey
    Photo Credit: Wanda Callagy as shared on Tom Healey’s Facebook page

    “Tom was one of the smartest and funniest men I have ever met,” stated Albany High math teacher, Michael Justice, on Healey’s personal Facebook page. “This school year I had the pleasure to eat lunch with Tom, Greg Baker, and my sister Jen just about ever day. It was my little slice of sanity in a crazy place. Tom’s unfiltered comments about all things Albany High and beyond were not to be missed. I will miss him dearly…”

    A note from Dred Scott stated that Healey’s last performance was at a private show in Vermont this Friday.

    In addition to his work as a blues musician, Healey taught social studies teacher at Albany High. Healey had only just retired from his teaching position.

  • Find Family, Friends, Charity and Fun This Weekend at The Gathering at Chaffee’s

    Most festival’s are lucky to get past their first year nowadays, the ones that hold longevity often do it deservedly and the 34th annual Gathering at Chaffee’s is no exception. Along with the storied history, the 2 day festival’s proceeds have always gone to charity, specifically the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie, PA. 

    chaffeesscheduleHeld just a hop skip and a 20 mile jump west of Erie, PA on the expansive land of the Chaffee family, this 2 day affair offers on site car camping, explorations through the woods, vendors, on site local beer tasting from Lavery Brewery and local home brewers  (10$ for unlimited samples while supplies last) and a whole lot of excellent music. Beyond that, whether you’re a first timer or have been coming for years, you will find one of the friendliest group of festival denizens just about anywhere. Upgrades this year include a 100’x40′ party tent lit up with visuals and morning “hangover” yoga on Saturday.

    Things will kick off at 2:30 Friday afternoon with a duo of Erie based bands. The experimental “little bit of everything” sounds of Triage Unit will be followed by the hard bluesy rock of Special Guest. After the locals, the tasteful jamtronica of Ohio’s Broccoli Samurai will make way for the funk bombs of Massachusetts Funktapuss. Eric Brewer and “Phriends” will bring it back to the local scene with a Phish tribute set and Buffalo’s red-hot groove machine Aqueous will headline Friday for the second straight year.

    Things start-up earlier Saturday at 11AM with six straight locally based bands – the alt-rock of Falling Moira, the Trohoske Grey Jazz Trio, This American Songs americana, the hip hop jam of The L.E.C., Gnosis’s electronica, and  arguably Erie’s biggest band, Falling Hollywood. North Carolina’s BIG Something will start the heavy jamming for the night. Twenty year vets and often moe. contributors Conehead Buddha will then set thing up for the nights two headliners – Ithaca’s Jimkata and Boston’s Spiritual Rez.

    Make your weekend a gathering! Only 50$ at the gate and online, including free camping, parking and unlimited awesomeness. And remember, try to have some extra fun, because after all, it’s for the kids!

    Funktapuss from the 2013 Gathering

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  • New Work for Hootie & The Blowfish Possible?

    When Darius Rucker was approached about the possible return to his roots, he didn’t blow off the question about Hootie & The Blowfish.

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    The rock artist turned country music sensation was originally the front man for Grammy Award winning Hootie & The Blowfish.  Hootie formed in 1986 on the campus of The University of South Carolina at Columbia, where Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld attended.  It was in 1994 that they came into popularity with the release of Cracked Rear View. The album charted four, Top 20 hits in the United States, ultimately going platinum 16 times, ultimately earning the distinction of best-selling album of 1995.  It is considered one of the best selling debut albums of all time.

    Rucker announced the launch of his solo career in 2008 and has since achieved accolades from Nashville as a country music artist.  His second solo album Learn to Live reached platinum in 2009.

    Hootie & The Blowfish never broke-up.  In fact, the band still performs together at least four times a year for their charity endeavors. Rucker told Contactmusic.com in 2008 that he would consider bringing Hootie and the Blowfish back to the studio after he has recorded, “three or four country records.”

    Rucker’s 2013 release True Believers is his fourth country music album.

  • MOE.DOWN 15 Releases Final Lineup

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

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

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

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

    HEYMOE

  • Oak Mountain Second Annual Bluegrass and Arts Festival

    Less than a month away, Adirondack bluegrass lovers are gearing up for the second annual Bluegrass & Arts Festival on August 16, 2014 at the beautiful Oak Mountain Ski Resort.  With a full day and evening of festivities planned, attendees are in for a treat.

    Oak Mountain Bluegrass & Arts Festival
    Oak Mountain Bluegrass & Arts Festival

    Oak Mountain Ski Resort is situated in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, in Speculator, NY.  This lovely ski lodge is the hub of the Speculator community and surrounding area for seasonal visitors and locals, offering activities year round.  Owners, Laura and Matt O’Brien, have outdone themselves in coordinating events for all those in the community from trail races, to skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling competitions and events, snow shoe racing, tubing, cardboard racing, mountain biking, bbq’s, movie nights, Halloween parties, winter carnivals, holiday fairs, fireworks, and live music every chance they can offer it.  In addition, this spectacular location is a hub for private weddings and events of all sorts.  So it is only fitting to offer to those in the surrounding area an opportunity to enjoy some backwoods music at the most picturesque local.

    Oak Mountain Chair Lift Rides
    Oak Mountain Chair Lift Rides

    Oak Mountain Bluegrass Festival 2013
    Oak Mountain Bluegrass Festival 2013

    With a highly successful first year event, they anticipate double the attendance as word has spread of how much fun, and how family friendly this event is for music lovers.  Attendees can either purchase day passes for $15, or for $20 they can stay for overnight camping on the mountainside.  In addition to a stellar lineup, there are activities planned for the children, and vendors will be on site selling their wares and edibles throughout the day.  For those wishing a full meal, there is an on site full kitchen making some of the most delicious meals available in the area.  With Saratoga Eagle sponsoring the beer and wine, patrons can choose between Bud Light, Davidson’s, Paradox, Widmer, or Shipyard- Pumpkinhead, as well as the fully stocked bar in the clubhouse.

    Oak Mountain Cuisine
    Oak Mountain Cuisine

    The lineup begins at 12:30pm with Swampcandy taking the stage, followed at 3:00pm with the Remsen Social Club who played last year’s event, then at 5:30pm The Old Main (aka The Birdseed Bandits) will take the stage, followed at 8pm by Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, and to finish out the night is crowd favorites Nick, Nigel, and Braids from Floodwood to cap off the amazing evening of music.

    The Old Main
    The Old Main

    Nick & Braids
    Nick & Braids

    Tickets can be purchased online at http://oakmountainski.com/home/ or at the Oak Mountain Ski Resort. Do not wait till the last-minute to join us at Oak Mountain’s Second Annual Bluegrass & Arts Festival.

  • 93Q Summer Jam Rocks Papermill Island

    For the sixth year now 93Q has celebrated the beginning of summer with a party.  This year’s party was held June 22, at Papermill Island in Baldwinsville, on the perfect sunny 70 degree evening.  As the gates opened, the stage began to fill in as though a tide was washing the crowd inward.  This evening definitely had the potential to bring the party up a notch or two with a stellar lineup just ready to start the summer bash off right; beginning with Erin Bowman, then followed by the new hit group AJR, My Crazy Girlfriend, and ending with the AMA award-winning Hot Chelle Rae.

    As the shows began, Erin Bowman, a stunning young lady with a powerful voice, won over the crowd immediately with her original tunes such as “King Boy”, “Problem”, and of course her new smash hit, “Hey Summer”.  It was the mash-up medley though that truly showcased her vocal range, style, and influences in music with songs as diverse as “Oops I Did It Again”, “No Diggity”, “If You Want to Be My Lover” and even REM’s “Loosing My Religion”.  This diverse collection was beautifully choreographed and delivered perfectly. Every performer/band has a signature look that makes them unique.  Erin was no exception.  Her look was classic 1960’s retro from her high wasted shorts and donut themed top to her retro camera and felix the cat looking phone cover.  This musician was extremely talented, playing and writing her own songs, and wowing the audience.  She definitely left an impression on the audience who now know her as an up and coming star.

    Next up for the evening was AJR.  Watching these three brothers, Adam, Jack, and Ryan, take the stage I felt a bit reminiscent of how the fans must have behaved with the Beatles all those years ago.  These young fans were pushing and shoving, shouting and crying, just to get a view of them.  As they began to play I could see why.  Their style was uniquely their own.  Raised and influenced by many great artists of the 60’s and 70’s these young men truly shone through in a Beach Boys kind of way.  Their breakout hit “I’m Ready” featuring the voice of cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants is one example of their creative and fun-loving mannerisms and musical style.

    Next on the bill was the pop/hip hop group My Crazy Girlfriend.  Myah Marie, Cosmo, and twins Justyn and Bennett Armstrong took over the stage and won over the audience with their harmonic, upbeat and individualistic style.  Performing for years individually, their unique style and outstanding stage presence meld together perfectly to bring audiences hit songs such as “Crazy, Stupid Love”.  The one thing that stood out with this group was their love of their audience, as they demonstrated doing everything in their power to reach out and make their day as they were performing.

    The final act of the evening, and Central NY favorite, Hot Chelle Rae took over the stage and owned it the moment they came out. These three young men  never cease to amaze me with their talent.  Taking American Music Awards Best New Artist award in 2011, it is apparent why Ryan and Jamie Follese’ and Nash Overstreet continue to create hit after hit forging new directions with their music each time they put out an album.  Can’t think of a better band to start-up the summer fun with or a better setting to do so.

  • moe. Auction For a Good Cause

    Earlier this month Buffalo jam band, moe., is auctioned off Vinnie Amico’s Pooch Drumhead, to donate the proceeds to the family of one of the children featured in one of their recent videos.

    Haley, a 12-year-old girl who was in the “Blond Hair, Blue Eye’s” music video, suffered a spinal stroke in May. The band reported that she was struggling but continuing to strive. She is partially paralyzed on her right side. She loves music and is an athlete and needs everyone’s help.

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    The drumhead is used and will be signed by the entire band during their July 2014 tour. You can read more about Haley’s story by visiting haleyshealing.org.

    moe. recently announced additions to their fall tour, including stops in Montreal and Toronto September 14 and 16.

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    Pre-sale ticketing goes on sale 7/9 10am ET through moe.ticketing

    FALL DATES

    9-12- Orono, Maine- Collins Center for the Arts
    9-13- Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada- Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
    9-14- Montreal, Quebec, Canada- Virgin Mobil Corona Theatre
    9-16- Toronto, Quebec, Canada- The Mod Club
    9-18- Peoria, Illinois- CEFCU Center Stage
    9-19- Royal Oak, Michigan- Royal Oak Music Theatre
    9-20- Cincinnati, Ohio- Moonlite Gardens

    Support the moe auction!