In 2000, country superstar, Garth Brooks, retired at the height of his career, to devote time to his wife and growing children. This Thursday, a press conference is planned for what is expected to be an official announcement of a return to touring. The announcement is to be broadcast via live stream on garthbrooks.com. News of this tour assumed tour has slowly trickled out over the past week.
Garth Brooks
“The wait is over 7/7.”
Garth posted the cryptic message last week on his website, building anticipation for a possible return to country music and touring. One thing fans love about Garth is his contagious child like behavior, which came across loud and clear yesterday as he apparently could no longer hold back his upcoming announcement for a 2014 World Tour on GMA.
Perhaps he is more excited than the fans to return. His Friends In Low Places are ready to join him in Letting The Thunder Roll again. Welcome back Garth, you were worth the wait.
Over the last few weeks Garth has been in the news as the shows he had planned to perform in Ireland have become a fight between the establishment and the residents living in and around the venue. Speculation began to build as he planned these events, if he would come out of retirement. He was quoted earlier in the year that he would return touring once his girls were grown.
An acclaimed performer, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Brooks is the second best-selling solo artist behind Elvis Presley. In overall sales he is behind only The King, and The Beatles.
Brooks is a two-time Grammy Award winner, and 17-time AMA Award winner.
Despite overwhelming success, he reportedly struggled inwardly over priorities in his life, leading to his retirement announcement in 2000.
Brooks is respected by fans for his dedication to family life. But, while on stage, he shows an apparent love and adoration to his fans.
In 2009 Brooks briefly came out of retirement to perform in Las Vegas, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Nashville. Sporadic performances generally covered his music and covers from some of his favorite performers. In 2013 he released his first music in almost a decade. Blame It All On My Roots was a box set of all his hits, some new songs, and covers from his favorite artists.
It has been six years since the metal gods Judas Priest released the concept album Nostradamus. Since then, guitarist K.K. Downing retired from the band and Judas Priest embarked on their Epitaph World Tour for the past 2 years, thought to have been their last. Now with Redeemer of Souls, the seventeenth album from Judas Priest, new guitarist Richie Faulker is paired with lead guitarist Glenn Tipton, showcasing killer riffs and solos that combined with powerful vocals from Rob Halford. The album has lots of range from blazing metal tracks to some of the slower, gloomy atmospheric tracks.
“Dragonaut”, the opening track, is a fast and thrashy song that kicks off the album and sets the tone. The title track then kicks in with a more guitar solo-focused approach before “Halls of Vahalla” displays some of Halford’s top-notch sonic vocals. The next four tracks take a slower yet crunchy direction. Fans of “Diamonds and Rust” will really like this part of the album. The album kicks into high gear once again with “Metalizer”.
One really great stand out track is “Secrets of the Dead”; It’s easily one of the catchiest guitar riffs of 2014. The last two tracks, “Battle Cry” and “Beginning of the End”, end the album very appropriately.
Overall, Redeemer of Souls is a fantastic release from Judas Priest. It’s much better than Nostradamus, but comparable to Angel of Retribution. This album is a message to the fans saying there’s still a lot left in the tank. Be sure to catch Judas Priest with Steel Panther this fall as they will be kicking off their tour in Rochester on October 1 and stopping in Brooklyn eight days later on October 9.
Key track: Secrets of the Dead
The new album from Judas Priest, Redeemer of Souls can be purchased here.
The Luna Light Music & Arts Festival will take place in Barto, PA from July 11-13. The location is two hours southwest of NYC at Hex Hollow Farms and will be headlined by the healthiest batch of funk New York has to offer, Lettuce. Keller Williams, Shpongle, Particle, and The Heavy Pets are also among the 40+ bands on the bill in the festival’s inaugural year.
While Woodstock ’94s host town, Saugerties, NY, will draw an estimated 20,000+ eclectic EDM, hip hop, and rock fans for The Hudson Project this weekend, Luna’s attendance will be capped around 1,800, including some of New York’s best live rock bands. Buffalo’s Aqueous, Ithaca’s Jimkata, and New York City’s Consider The Source will each offer unique interpretations of rock. Lettuce will play the prime-time Saturday night set.
With a plethora of festivals to choose from this summer, the intimate crowd size and rocking lineup make Luna Light Festival one to catch. Check out more details on the festival’s website and see below for the full schedule.
If you’re experiencing any type of power loss this weekend there is a very good chance it is being drawn to Silver Creek, NY at Willow Creek Winery. This weekend the Winery and Buffalive Productions will be hosting two days of music that will surely get everyone raging.
Friday starts things off with Conspirator, which was started back in 2004. The group was formed by Disco Biscuits members Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein and DJ Omen. The group has seen some solid success in the festival circuits and in 2012 was joined by RAQ’s Chris Michetti and Pendulum’s KJ Swaka. The group will be sure to give you the full dance treatment and a fantastic electronica experience.
Opening the show will be Buffalo’s own Funktional Flow and if anyone saw them at 2014’s Buffalove Music Festival a few weeks back will tell you, get there early to see this band, they have stepped up big time and are on the way to something big. Jamestown’s Notixx rounds out the lineup for Friday night. Ryan Sinatra will get you moving with his electronic experience that will keep you wanting more.
If Friday isn’t enough for you, and I am sure it won’t be, the weekend continues with Saturday’s Electric Odyssey. The event starts at 12pm with two stages and music from 13 acts. If your camping there is a special treat with music going until the sunrise.
Schedule Of Events
Side Stage: 12pm-1pm – JennaBeatz
1pm-2pm – Chuck Latona vs. Mix Master Bates 3pm-3:45pm – Brian TheVerdict Atzrott 4:45pm-5:30pm – Medison 7pm-8pm – NeckBrace 9:30pm-10:30pm – Space Junk 12:15am-1:15am – DJ Big Basha
Maybe it was because the run began on a Thursday night. Or maybe it was because of the delayed gate opening from the round of thunderstorms that rolled through Saratoga just before the venue was to open, but the Latin phrase ‘Non sequitur’ for “that which does not follow” can easily be used to sum up the first night performance from Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 3rd, 2014.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Expectations are always high when Phish comes to play at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Phans based in the Capital District consider SPAC to be Phish’s summer home venue. Even the band themselves have said as much in media interviews. With one night of summer tour already under their belt, a new album from which to showcase material from and rumors that few covers were to be played this tour, the hard-core phans question was ‘How would the band handle song selection and position?’ The answer: Rather oddly.
The other oddity was drummer Jon Fishman’s scaled back drum kit with fewer cymbals, snare drums and the absence of the wood blocks under his hi-hat. Phish heads were lamenting the elimination of the woodblocks and various cymbals from which Fish draws distinctive sounds for certain songs like “Walls of the Cave”, “It’s Ice”, “Reba” and “Fluffhead”. Summer tour has just begun and already phans are in crisis mode: First, there may be no covers which traditionally serve as launch pads for exploratory jamming (think “Torn & Frayed”, “Cross-Eyed and Painless”, “Boogie on Reggae Woman”) and now the possible elimination of other songs from the repertoire because of the changes to the drum kit. Or perhaps new takes on old favorites from our favorite drummer with a less is more approach? You have to love a band that knocks you out of your comfort zone.
We were certainly knocked out of our comfort zone with the odd selection of “Farmhouse” as the opening tune. First songs lay the vibe for the rest of the set and a slow tempo song about cluster-flies and swatting them on what was turning out to be a damp, cloudy, and foggy night did make for an unusual statement. “Wolfman’s Brother” was funky as usual but delivered at a sleepy relaxed pace as if the band was still warming their hands and fingers up from the lingering drizzle. The band seemed to pick up the tempo with “Maze”. It was jarring enough to get our attention but a little rough around the edges in the interplay between Anastasio and McConnell. Would “Maze” prove to be the launch pad for the rest of the set?, one that flows with synchronized dark nasty jams or would it continue to be a disjointed mishmash of singles? We got our answer with the sleepy reggae of “Yarmouth Road” and another song with lyrics about insects. So this means “Bug” is coming, right? Nope, “Strange Design” was up next. But it is clearly making sense. The set-list is just strangely designed so that is why they are playing “Strange Design”.
Now that we are all feeling strange and sleepy about this set, Trey takes us to REM sleep with “Devotion to a Dream”, the first of four songs to be played tonight from Fuego. We are on a dreamy journey of the band’s 30+ year history. It seems to now be headed in the right, albeit strange direction which is beginning to seem by design . “Ocelot” begins the wake-up call and delivers with its usually jamtastic but too short ending. The alarm clock has sounded “Chalkdust Torture”. “Mound”, the dreamlike but awesome “Roggae” and “Possum” closed out an odd strange first set.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
Set Two began with a 15-minute plus “Bathtub Gin” and a 12-minute plus “Limb-by-Limb”, which was by far the highlight of the evening. The almost half hour of music in Set Two’s first two songs makes up for the sleepy weird first set. Everyone is stoked for the energy to continue. But would “2001” make an appearance in the three spot? Nope, that’s a cover. Mon dieu and Merde! Instead, the second song from Fuego, “WinterQueen” bats third and allows those of us who danced and raged silly during the first thirty minutes to dial it down and catch a breath (not that we needed it after set I). My own personal feeling is that “WinterQueen” is a first set song and will hopefully find a home there. “The Line”, the third song from Fuego (for those readers unfamiliar with the story), is about basketball player Darius Washington, Jr., who as a freshman and Conference USA Rookie of the year and a 72% free throw shooter for the University of Memphis missed two of three free throw attempts during a game vs University of Louisville. Had he made all three attempts Memphis would have beaten the then sixth ranked Louisville Cardinals.
“Tweezer”, “Prince Caspian” and the playful and fun “Sparkle” are always fun and frolicking, but a not-so-special/best all time “Antelope” ended Set II. Phish returned to the stage and performed a two song encore: “Sing Monica”, which has a throw-back 60’s vibe to it ala the Beatles era, and Tweezer Reprise.
Photo by Jim Gilbert
A brief recap of night one of Phish at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) would sound like this: Interesting song selection and placement in a definitely weird somnolent first set. The Fuego material is all worthy of being added into the rotation and the songs will find their homes. The show definitely left us with questions about covers, and how Fishman will get the same sounds in songs on his stream-lined drum kit. We definitely have something to talk about and ponder and as always the carrots were dangled that leave us wanting more. Just no clusterflies please.
Phish, Saratoga Performing Arts Center – July 3rd, 2014
Setlist
Set 1: Farmhouse, Wolfman’s Brother, Maze, Yarmouth Road, Strange Design, Devotion to a Dream, Ocelot, Chalkdust, Mound, Roggae, Possum
Set 2: Bathtub Gin > Limb By Limb > Winterqueen, The Line, Tweezer > Caspian > Sparkle, Antelope
Encore: Sing Monica > Tweeprise
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.
Rochester’s annual Party in the Park concert series is well under way and is poised to offer up some top-notch acts throughout the month of July. This Thursday the 10th brings in two of the country’s top bluegrass acts: Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth. ROC-city denizens LOVE their bluegrass so make sure to hit this one up early if you want to get in. Yonder kicks things off at 6:30PM sharp and Railroad Earth will take the stage at 8:30PM for this co-headlined event. After the show is done, Florida’s The Heavy Pets will be playing a block away at The Montage Music Hall with local jam machine Haewa. (10-13$, tickets available at the door)
The bluegrass turns to newgrass on the 17th as Minnesota’s high energy Trampled by Turtles headlines the night. Joining them is the legendary funk of New Orleans’s Dirty Dozen Brass Band and local favorites The Prickers. With 30+ years on the scene, the Dirty Dozen will bring the heat no matter what the weather may be.
The 24th brings a big genre switch-up as the self-described “country-punk” of Memphis’s Lucero. Touring behind their 2013 Texas & Tennessee Lucero will be joined by the newly formed super group The Baseball Project. With Mike Mills and Peter Buck of REM fame and Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate, it’s hard to believe these guys aren’t headlining! The Mambo Kings will start things off. After the festivities be sure not to miss Buffalo’s hottest groove rock export, Aqueous, who will be headlining a show just down the street at The Montage. Rochester’s Ocupanther will open. (8$/10$)
Finishing out the month on the 31st is Dickey Betts and Great Southern. Best known for being a founding member of The Allman Brothers, Betts has toured with his own band since 2000 when he parted ways with the Allmans. Opening things up will be another dose of New Orleans funk: Dumpstaphunk. Featuring progeny of the original Neville Brothers, July will end with what will likely be a legendary crowd for both bands.
Rochester’s Party in the Park is held at Martin Luthur King Jr. Park every Thursday from 5-10PM. All shows are 5$ at the gate or available on Ticketmaster. Stay tuned as continues to be your prime source for Rochester Party in the Park information!
Though indiscriminant from the outside, passing beyond the entry is a portal into another time. In an era during the booming peak of industrial America, Troy hustled and bustled with growth. As a result of successful patronage to Troy Savings Bank, a music hall was gifted to the public. In 1870, the Board of Trustees of the bank moved its offices to a new building, located at 30 Second St, that included a music hall on the upper floor. George Browne Post was the hired architect.
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is an acoustic marvel with no clear reason as to why. Many have attributed the sound quality to variables like hard walls, ratio to length, width and height, stage dimensions, interior design and textures. However, it wasn’t until 1890 when an Odell concert organ was installed that the hall reached it full acoustical potential. The organ was eight years old at the time of purchase belonging to millionaire William Beldon. The organ has remained untouched since its installation with the exception of routine maintenance. According to the Troy Savings Bank website, the organ is “the nation’s largest nineteenth-century concert organ in original condition.”
Just as a nation struggled with the ups and downs of the economy over the last hundred years, so had the hall. As the twentieth century developed the advent of radio and television provided cheaper and easier means of entertainment. However, in 1979, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Corporation was formed as a not-for-profit organization to restore and maintain the hall. In 1989, the hall was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is operational.
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall continues to carry on tradition. Historically, a great musician of their time rarely failed to include the hall on an American tour. World-renowned performers are booked year round from singers and songwriters to orchestras and comedians. Every artist, every performance seemingly captures the essence and glory of the halls storied past. Every wooden chair is equipped with metal bars located on the back and on the underside of the seat. Hinting to the past, the bars held top hats and the scarves. Indeed, Troy Savings Bank preserves history and magnificence.
There was a nice breeze and a stunning sunset on the gorge that Artpark sits upon on Wednesday, July 2. The venue was filled to capacity with a sold out crowd to see O.A.R. and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.
Phillip Phillips brought an intense energy and proved to a lot of people that he is much more than an American Idol winner. He also showed the heavy influence that Dave Matthews had on him as everyone in the crowd was commenting on it. Did he sound, move and act like Mr. Matthews? Yes, but he was also very good in his own right and has the potential to be just as big with this next generation of music fans.
He played his hits “Fly”, “Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Home” as well as his own version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”, which all the young girls swooned over. Phillip Phillips will be much more than a former Idol winner and he produces such a great show filled with an energetic stage presence, great fan interaction and just plain great music.
The heart of the crowd was there for O.A.R., veterans at this point to the live music scene and always a band that likes to come to the Western New York area. The band wasted no time coming out to the stage and busting right into the music with “About Mr. Brown”, a song from their first album, The Wanderer, and had everyone singing right from the start.
The band dove into their most commercially successful song “Shattered” just as they warmed up, turning up the heat on a very humid evening. What makes these guys so fan-friendly is the fun they have onstage together. A clear example was Jerry DePizzo (saxophone/guitars) and Richard On (guitars) who both threw their picks into the air following a solo, giving someone in the crowd that souvenir to remember the night. Marc Roberge (vocals, guitar) loves to get the crowd up and moving with his reggae inflection, dictating the mood of the entire show. The band ended the night with their biggest fan favorite, “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker“. This band knocked it out of the park as they have many times when visiting the area, and coming off their eighth album that was released last month, their doesn’t seem to be any letting up.
About Mr. Brown, Black Rock, Love and Memories, Dareh Meyod, Night Shift, Favorite Song, Shattered (Turn The Car Around), Old Man Time, Hey Girl, Two Hands Up, City On Down, Delicate Few, King Of The Thing, We’ll Pick Up Where We Left Off, Heaven, War Song
