Category: Features

Disc Jam 2014 pins an Unforgettable Festival Weekend

There were Discs and Jams a plenty at this year’s Disc Jam Music Festival in Barre, MA on June 13 -15, 2014. The 3-day event took place at Camp Coldbrook, a “recreation destination” and golf hot spot that offered plenty of space for festival goers to relax and enjoy the weekend. Veteran Disc Jammers agreed that Camp Coldbrook was a great new location from previous years for its spacious, softer camp grounds and were happy with the addition of late night musical sets. Tent city was an organized mess as folks were given somewhat free range of the open field located at the bottom of a hill plus you could hear the music perfectly and catch a glimpse of the light shows. VIP had the perk of wooded camping plus access to two swimming pools with a pool stage that hosted various DJ’s throughout the weekend.

Disc Jam had two main stages, the Innova stage and Rage stage, set up right next to each other providing a nonstop continuous flow of music. Circled around the stages were the various food and craft vendors as well as Disc Jam Artist Collective tent, located in the corner of the entrance. The tent was overwhelmed with visual stimulation, featuring work from 16 main artists plus diverse and consistent live art that spilled onto the walkway. The festival offered “flow classes” for those who know how to surrender to the flow and were seeking to learn hoop tricks, yoga, juggling and much more. But the main focus of the weekend was the music. Over 50 musical acts from all over the Northeast and beyond traveled to Disc Jam to experience the carefree and intimate party loving festival.

Friday

Heavy rain in the morning with dark clouds throughout the day is a harsh start to any festival but Disc Jammers came prepared and ready to party. Albany’s Mister F were lucky to miss the rain with an early slot in the day with a set that had a few songs off their latest album, The F Stands Four. They began with an electronically funky “Eye Level” to a blast of brass from Matty Carl from ShwizZ on saxophone during “Answer the Dog”. Boston’s own, The Jauntee, was up next and had a set of improvisational funk rock with an extra funky “Blownin’ Up the B Line” closer. Twiddle from Vermont provided an easy shifting of genres in their set with a steady flow. One of their highlights was the “Hattie’s Jam > When It Rains It Pours” with soulful key playing from Ryan Dempsey and lyrics reflective of the weather with hopes of sunny skies with a brief “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” tease. Headliners of the night were the mighty Turkuaz and Kung Fu, plenty of funk with different flair. New York City slickers Turkuaz brought their high energy, funk loving family to Disc Jam and left nothing but smiles, especially from their traditional but always powerful encore “Monkey Fingers” featuring solos from all over the rage stage. There was no getting around the hard-hitting funk that Kung Fu throws at you. Todd Stoops scratched his double layered keys apart while Chris DeAngelis warped the crowd with his heavy bass slapping. Straight up in your face funk!

With the main stages closed at 1am, late nighters had the option of checking out the Disc Jam Music Hall that featured music until 4:30am. The music hall featured your typical stage with open dance space and a 2nd level walkway around half of the hall. The talk of the night was Indobox as they performed light, upbeat electronica. The storm of Indobox creates no destruction; it is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Silent Disco Tent was exclusively for VIP and staff members and was kept low-key despite the fast paced beats being pumped through the headphones.

Saturday

Heavy clouds still lingered into Saturday with brief breaks of sunshine and plenty of wind gusts. Santa Mamba was a great way to ease into the day thanks to their salsa flair from Rhode Island. Their cover of Peter Frampton’s “Oh Baby, I Love Your Way” was refreshingly spicy. Aqueous brought their improvisational rock jams from Buffalo with original compositions and catchy melodies, setting the groove bar high. Goosepimp Orchestra was a collection of crazy characters, donned with various wigs and party hats that created a loud funk party on the Innova stage. Their fun-loving attitude was carried out with their booming brass section and the boogie beats from the bongos. Alan Evan’s Playonbrother, formally known as the Alan Evans Trio, proved they are more than just a jazz band. Their sound is gigantic with shattering guitar shredding from Danny Mayer and Beau Sasser must have extra arms to work the keys the way he does. Alan Evans is a thunderstorm on the drums as his vocals come out clear as day.

With the clouds finally clearing, the night sky was filled with stars and a full honey moon, unleashing the wild side in party goers just in time for the evening sets. Disc Jammers got a double dose of Consider the Source for a two-hour set on the main stage and a late night acoustic set. Their bizarre and Middle Eastern psychedelic tunes are powerful, warping experiences, acoustic or not. If you’re lucky enough to get close to the stage, you can marvel at the focused finger picking skills of Gabriel Marin and John Gerrara with Jeff Mann controlling the rhythmic speed. The main act of the night was Dopapod, who were happy to return to Disc Jam for another year of experimental funky rock. The quartet from Boston blasted off with “Like a Ball” with screaming vocals and a steady climbing melody. After a 17 minute space odyssey from “STADA” with “Smoke on the Water” teases, Dopapod brought out one of their biggest fans, Kristen DeTroia, to celebrate her 100th show. The set went on after a brief set break with a pretty decent glow stick war ensuing as they soon as “Trapper Keeper” began. Dopapod makes you feel like a kid again with their playful, adventurous funky bass and relentless dance rhythms.

Sunday

Sunday brought out blue skies with limited clouds, plenty of sunshine and with a full music schedule, the day was looking bright. Hope Road: A Tribute to Bob Marley and The Wailers woke up the crowd with their laid back, chill tunes that the reggae legend and lifestyle is known for. There was no sleeping through The Party Band, a marching band that paraded around the campsites with a full brass section and drum line playing classic tunes and today’s radio hits. Otis Groove, a trio from Boston, delivered a set of high voltage rock with some funky Hammond organ playing by Sam Gilman. Disc Jam got spun some Hip Hop Funk when Upstate NY band, Sophistifunk took the main stage with Jack Brown spitting the ever true words of “Sex, Drugs, Rock n Roll”. The unstoppable duo known as The Hornitz got bumped up to an earlier slot and got put on the main stage with no argument from anyone. Their fresh beat boxing and brass horn looping is original and fun as they remix Phish’s “Lengthwise” and “Day Man” from the popular TV cult show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. One of the most up and coming cover bands took over the main stage with tributes to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish to form Pink Talking Fish. Their setlists are incredible as they easily transition from one smash hit to another twist of a surprise like “2001>Life During Wartime>Run Like Hell.”

The Nth Power do more than play music on stage, they are spreading love. They have a smooth R&B soulful with enticing vocal harmonies that ease the crowd into the groove. But when Nikki Glaspie starts to wail on those drums, the contagiousness had Nigel Hall playing his keys so hard that he literally sent them flying. He had to ask if anyone had crazy glue to piece it back together while Weedie Braimah stretched his worldly bongo skills for listening pleasure. The last two acts of the night were double hitter super jams with a special Disc Jam Funk All-Star set and Particle and Friends Super Jam to close down the main stage. The All Star set consisted of Alan Evan’s PlayonBrother guitarist Danny Mayer, Nikki Glaspie on drums, Aaron Bellamy on Bass, Club D’Elf keyboardist Amy Bellamy with Brian Thomas and Jared Sims on horns. Jen Durkin from Deep Banana Blackout joined in on vocals and tambourine as she cheered “Let’s Funk It Up!” Before Nigel Hall could join in on the fun, the power cut out resulting in an urgent rush of staff who luckily had it up and running for the final act of the night, Particle.

The West coast quartet of Particle brought up some special guests to help end the weekend at Disc Jam. The Hornitz joined them for the set starter of “The Battle Without Honor or Humility” also known as the theme to Kill Bill. Shred master Danny Mayer once again hopped onstage for his turn for “W”. Eric Gould’s friends of Pink Talking Fish Richard James and Dave Brunyak sat in for “Metropolis”. Particle jammed out their space rock until a little before midnight with half the attendees still left with the option of camping until Monday morning.

After a weekend full of unlimited music, art and disc golf, Disc Jam continues to be a festival that is spinning towards a bright future. Disc Jam is a great festival for families, people new to the scene and those who keep coming back for more. Here’s hoping that Disc Jam has found at home at Camp Coldbrook and will return next year bigger and better than ever.

June 24, 2014
Rain Cuts Widespread Panic at ArtPark to One Solid Set

Well, at least we got one set of Widespread Panic, as rain and winds cancelled the second set of the famed Georgia’ jam band’s show at ArtPark in Lewiston on Tuesday, June 17, but for what we got in the first set, it was worth the ticket price, as well as my five-hour drive from Albany.

Opening with the instrumental illness of “A of D”, the seated crowd of a few thousand watched with curiosity and interest as the Athens-born worked through compositions, leaving room for improvisation in the right spots. The driven rock of “Surprise Valley” wowed the crowd via Jimmy Herring’s guitar work, while “Hatfield”, a song about the weather, was played to a backdrop of a divided sky which had formed on the horizon behind the stage, a storm drawing not far from the venue, but skirting by. These back to back extended songs, most notably “Hatfield” with John Bell’s trademark rambling lyrics, led to a short “Dyin’ Man”.

“Henry Parson’s Died”, a cover that I am not typically partial to was surprisingly strong, with Herring particularly shred-happy and consistent throughout; tonight the crowd got a real treat in southern-bred guitar playing. “Little Kin > Radio Child” featured a tight segue between the two songs about the kids. “Casa del Grillo”, a Los Lobos-style Chicano rocker was a rare treat, only played once or twice a year over the past 5 years. “Casa’s” lyrics were mixed between Spanish, English and John Bell-ese, and featured the organ accents from JoJo Hermann that perfectly framed the body of the number.

“Greta” and “Cream Puff War” were a pairing full of dirty funk and a seamless segue into “Cream Puff War’. The early Grateful Dead song filtered out of a higher intensity “Greta” jam, with Dave Schools’ bass taking charge to push Todd Nance to drive the rhythm into the faster-faced “Cream Puff War”. Listen to the two tracks below.

Then the winds came, followed by a downpour. We were asked to leave the park, and the helpful staff directed us to shelters and the parking lot. The heavy stuff did not come down for quite some time, taking pause and leading us to think we had a good shot at a second set, since this rainstorm started moments after Widespread Panic took setbreak. But the calm of the storm brought an onslaught of rain and high winds, forcing cancellation of the rest of the show. Not the optimal ending for the rare Widespread Panic show in Upstate New York, but we got one helluva set!

Download Lenny Stubbe’s recording of the show here

June 24, 2014
Lucky Jukebox Brigade keeps the Waterhole Hopping

An enthusiastic crowd danced the night away at the Lucky Jukebox Brigade’s free show at the Waterhole on Thursday June 12th.

Lead singer Deanna DeLuke wasn’t feeling well that night, with what she described as a “sore throat/cold/cough/laryngitis mess,” so the band made some changes to the lineup to compensate. Ragliacci, a side project featuring Lucky Jukebox Brigade percussionist Kristoph DiMaria on guitar and tuba player Andy Burger, opened the show with some fun gypsy folk-style tunes.

After they wrapped up, Lucky Jukebox Brigade took the stage. The Albany-based band, which formed in the fall of 2010, sounded like a band of gypsies as they began. DeLuke’s smoky voice was soft and strained but beautiful as she strummed her baritone ukelele. The horn section – Burger on tuba, Chris Weatherly on euphonium and trumpet, and Jimmy Affatigato on saxophone – played long, mournful notes and bass player Geppi Iaia, percussionist Kristoph DiMaria and drummer Carl Blackwood kept things driving.

One of the fun things about this band is they switch things up a lot. Band members switch around instruments relatively frequently – they probably did a little more of it due to DeLuke’s sore throat, but it’s clearly at least part of the regular act. Some of the most fun I had was watching DiMaria sing a song that was clearly a story, and the dramatic gestures he used as he told it.

In addition to changing up instruments, they also often switch their sound. Many of the band’s songs sound like a band of gypsies holding a carnival; one song, “Carnivultures,” even has someone acting as a carnival barker, boasting about sideshow acts. But their music samples from a variety of other styles as well. Some bordered on ska, hip hop, punk and funk, while others have a ’50s feel to them. The variety kept surprising the people bopping along on the dance floor.

Most songs seemed to be original tunes, but they did blend in a few covers, including Blind Melon’s “No Rain” and the No Doubt ska tune “Spiderwebs.” In the end, they had plenty of music to keep the crowd dancing till well past many people’s bedtimes on a school night. In the end, DeLuke said she had a lot of fun. “The crowd was so warm and energetic that I felt better as the night went on,” she said in an email after the show.

The band’s second album, Familiar Fevers, is scheduled for release July 18. They will play a WEQX-hosted album release party along with Black Mountain Symphony that night at 8:30 p.m. at the Hollow Bar + Kitchen in Albany.

For a taste of the new album, watch the cute video they just released for the song “Bend at the Marsh,” where they play their instruments while playing on a playground and then get in a big squirt gun war.

You can also check them out at an Alive at 5 after party at the Hollow June 19, and when they open for Rusted Root on June 28 at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.

The music keeps going through the summer at the Waterhole with free music each Thursday night through the venue’s Party on the Patio series. Go to www.saranaclakewaterhole.com for more information.

June 23, 2014
Hearing Aide: Phish ‘Fuego’

So this is weird…. usually a band releases an album, then goes on tour in support of the album. Leave it to Phish to do the exact opposite. Last Halloween, Phish broke tradition of playing an entire cover set as their “musical costume” and instead debuted twelve new songs. The “Phishbill” announced the set as Wingsuit, and that it would be the foundation of the band’s new album. The upcoming Phish album has since been given the name Fuego after the opening track on the album.

Most of the songs from the Halloween Wingsuit set made the cut and have been included on the Fuego album. “Halfway to the Moon” (a song that debuted live in 2010) was added as well. The album was produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin (of Pink Floyd fame) and the studio tracks sound much different than when they first graced listeners’ ears that Halloween night.

The title track “Fuego” kicks things off and is the beast and the potential improvisational behemoth of this album. It was the star during the Halloween set and the same applies to the album. The take from this track was recorded during a soundcheck at Boardwalk Hall leading up to the Halloween debut. The first jam segment features drummer Jon Fishman attacking his snare drum with a ferocity most mortals have never seen. Trey Anastasio (lead guitar, vocals) jumps on board and rips into an arena-melting solo. Phish tells us that “Inside your fuego, we keep it rolling” and this becomes the central theme for the rest of the song — fun, upbeat and easy to sing along with. The end has a smooth jam that stays within the confines of the song before slowly fading out. The possibilities for “Fuego” jams in the live setting seem limitless.

“The Line” takes the pace down and is a song about Memphis guard Darius Washington Jr. missing free throws at the end of the 2005 Conference USA championship. The song’s backup vocals and ending harmonizing are reminiscent of some of the newer U2 offerings. The lyrical concept of an enduring basketball heartbreak is admirable but the song has a cheeseball factor to it that is hard to ignore.

“Devotion to a Dream” picks things back up and has a poppy sound with a mainstream feel to it. The harmonizing vocals have a warm feel to them, adding some pep to the tune. This song seems better left for Trey Anastasio Band than for Phish. “Halfway to the Moon” follows and translates tremendously onto the studio recording. The song fits Page McConnell’s (keyboards, vocals) vocal range perfectly and his precisely-timed grand piano additions highlight this song. The addition of some vocal processing help give “Halfway” a Floydian dream-like feeling. Another track that has Phish fans dreaming of a big jam in its future.

“Winterqueen” and “Sing Monica” have contradicting live-to-studio translations. “Winterqueen” fell flat on Halloween but benefits from the studio setting, although still not a track that will be bringing people out of their seats anytime soon. “Sing Monica” (named just “Monica” during the Wingsuit set) was performed acoustically during its debut and the studio version misses a lot of that live, acoustic charm.

“555” is a huge star of the Fuego album. The Mike Gordon (bass, vocals) and Scott Murawski (Max Creek, Mike Gordon Band) penned piece is groovy, funky, and oozing with life. The addition of horns and backup singers make this a standout track that requires slow groove chair dancing. “555” is 555 times better than “Winterqueen”.

“Waiting All Night” certainly has a Bob Ezrin spin on it, and sends us back into the floating dream. It’s not often Anastasio’s vocals jump out at you but the passion he sings with on top of the harmonies in “Waiting All Night” is some of his best vocal work in years.

When “Wombat” debuted on Halloween, it was a thermonuclear explosion of awesomeness and funk that erupted that Boardwalk Hall crowd. The Fuego album version struggles to recreate the energy of that night and seems a bit too stiff. That is until the 2:12 mark when backup singers and horns inject “Wombat” with the swag it seems to be missing.

“Wingsuit” is the closing track of Fuego after being the opener during the Wingsuit set on Halloween. This beautiful song has an excellent blend of all four band members. Their four unique sounds complement each other to produce that distinct Phish sound. Anastasio closes the album (as he does many live shows) with another spine-tingling solo.

Recorded during Phish’s 30th year of existence, “Fuego” continues the band’s legacy of trying new things and pushing things forward. The infusion of Bob Ezrin is noticeably present and, when mixed with Phish, creates a sound that is very different from Phish’s other albums and worth a listen. All that is left is to see is how these songs grow on this year’s summer tour which kicks off July 1st in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

You can purchase Fuego here.

Key Tracks: Fuego, Halfway to the Moon, 555

June 23, 2014
Marco Benevento at The Saint in Asbury Park

New Jersey native Marco Benevento took the stage at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ for a weekend of live music in a most intimate setting. The Saint, with a max capacity of 150, is one of the last small sized venues of its kind. If you haven’t had a chance to catch a show at The Saint, the diminutive size becomes a catalyst for a most memorable experience.

Friday night was filled with instrumental jams, dancing, and light-hearted interactive jokes between the crowd and band. Songs like “The Real Morning Party” and “Limbs of a Pine” had the band and crowd vibrating in unison for the duration of the night. A most unexpected and beautiful cover of “Fearless” had the entire room silenced holding on to every note, building up, to let it all out for a funky fun rendition of “Benny and the Jets”. Marco also invited local singer-songwriter Nicole Akins to the stage for a bluesy rendition of “Dazed and Confused”.

This weekend also included the debut of Benevento’s new song “The Saint” in honor of this iconic venue. This new song as well as several vocal tracks will be on his new album “Swift” which will be released in September.

June 23, 2014
Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus to Raise Washington Avenue Armory

The Washington Avenue Armory announced this morning legendary heavy metal group Slayer, will headline a show on November 25th that will include Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus.

“We are way f—ing excited about hitting the road again with Suicidal and Exodus,” said Slayer frontman Tom Araya. “F—ing intense. See you in the fall.”

Each of the three bands has had a hand in establishing the popularity of heavy metal music from the start of the 1980s. Slayer went as far as winning two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance in 2007 (“Eyes of the Insane”) and 2008 (“Final Six”). This tour comes a year after the loss of original member, guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

In 2010, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis and his only performance after that was two songs during an encore at one of Slayer’s Big 4 performances in April 2011.

A few weeks ago Rob Dukes parted ways with Exodus, former vocalist Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza plans to return to fill the role.

The US tour launches November 12th from Oakland, CA.

Tickets for Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus can be purchased through all Ticketmaster locations, through the Armory’s box office, or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

June 23, 2014
Rochester Jazz Festival 2014 Opens to a Huge Success: Friday Night Photo Gallery

The 2014 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival kicked off on Friday with large crowds and packed houses. The sites and sounds of Jazz Fest seem to improve from year to year. With free stages offering music in the streets, festival goers also had their choice of local restaurant food vendors, to locally famous food trucks like Cheesed and Confused. No matter what you taste is, it’s sure to be satisfied by this festival.

Headliner Janelle Moane belted out tunes to he delight of a packed Kodak Theatre. Her unique brand of pop-jazz was a delight. She embodies what a female jazz artist strives to be, while offering up her style and stage presence. For her encore she invited members of the audience to join her on stage.

Whether you saw any of the free shows or purchased tickets to one of the headliners at the Kodak Theatre, if you attended this weekends festivities you surely had your fix of live music.

Check out our photo galleries from Friday night by our own Kelli Marsh.

Out & About at the Jazz Festival

Photos By: Kelli Marsh

Holophoner at Max of Eastman Place

Nikki Hill at Abliene

Janelle Monae at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

June 23, 2014
Greensky Bluegrass Announces 2014 Fall Dates – Opening in Buffalo

Greensky Bluegrass released their 2014 fall dates today. The tour will start in Buffalo, NY on September 10th at The Town Ballroom. The tour will consist of 35 dates and will spread throughout the East coast and venture as far as the Northwest and California region and closing out in Mexico at Strings & Sol. Greensky Bluegrass will be supporting their fifth album with this tour, which will be due out on September 9th entitled If Sorrows Swim.

The show at The Town Ballroom is an all ages event, show starts at 8PM and tickets can be purchased for $16 in advance and $18 day of the show. Grab your tickets online or at the venue box office.

Greensky Bluegrass 2014 Fall Dates

9/10 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
9/11 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
9/12 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
9/13 – Gramercy Theater – New York, NY
9/16 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
9/17 – Americana Music Festival – Nashville, TN
9/18 – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
9/19 – Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD
9/20 – Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
9/23 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA
9/24 – Ziggy’s – Winston-Salem, NC
9/25 – Visulite Theater – Charlotte, NC
9/26 – Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
9/27 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
9/30 – Duling Hall – Jackson, MS
10/01 – 1884 Lounge at Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN
10/02 – Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
10/03 – Vogue Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
10/04 – TBA
10/22 – Wolly’s – Des Moines, IA
10/23 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
10/27 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
10/28 – Sol Santa Fe – Santa Fe, NM
10/29 – Orpheum Theatre – Flagstaff, NM
10/31 – Suwannee Hulaween – Live Oak, FL
11/01 – 11/02 – Brooklyn Bowl – Las Vegas, NV
11/05 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
11/06 – Top Hat – Missoula, MT
11/07 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
11/08 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
11/09 – Neptune Theater – Seattle, WA
11/12 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA 11/13 – Troubadour – W. Hollywood, CA
11/14 – 11/15 – TBA
12/11 – 12/14 – Strings & Sol – Puerto Morelos, MX

Town Ballroom- Buffalo, NY 2/5/14

June 23, 2014
Queerpunk Band BOYS leads Anarchy in the BK

The number of expensive hats and paper clip necklaces in the room—not to mention the Ty Segall lookalikes—would make you think you’re at Glasslands rather than a punk queercore show at some Park Slope venue best known for being “the bar next to that really good pizza place”. It’s Gay Pride Day in Brooklyn and the all girl band, “BOYS” (ha, ha) is ready to give the amassed dearly-beloved-we-have-gathered-here-today crowd all that they’ve got. Charged with duck taped ¥ signs on their jackets (can you say DIY), BOYS start the show with their fit fueled artillery. “My secret for getting by is acting like you care when you’re sleeping with random girls” sings Frances Rex on “Musical Beds”.

Their set is full of Venus in Furs references and an Elliot Smith sense of self-doubt and betrayal. On “Self Control”, they sing, “All this dread fills my head/ Of your happiness in someone else’s bed”. On “Circles”, a song that beckons for the kind of emotional disengagement explored by Belle & Sebastian, you can hear a kind of spacey dark sound that takes cues from 90s alt rock.

As sad as the lyrics are, the crowd dances fervidly to the angry bass lines and it’s as if everybody finds themselves by singing about being lost together. The punk band, however, isn’t quite punk in the three chords sense of the word. Each member is a talented multi-instrumentalist in their own right—in fact, drummer Allie Falco happens to be in two other bands, Saint Rocco and Royal Garde. With their melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, and fast and loud energetic performance, the NYC born and raised band brings the crowd together by expressing its discontent with society’s disapproval of the gay, transexual, lesbian and transgender communities.

For someone whose queer exposure is limited to Monika Treut screenings and late night conversations with the self proclaimed pansexual “Mexi Lexi” on Christopher Street, I felt more at ease in the chaos of a room full of proud queercore fans than I ever did in the homophobic city of Jakarta, where I grew up. And if you still seek reassurance—yes, couples were getting it on in the back row (ah, the true marker of a successful show). If you can’t make it to the Punk Island festival on June 21st, make sure to catch the band live at Fontana’s on the 26th!

June 21, 2014
Meet Your NYS Music Staff: Writer Jimmy Chambers

Since an early age, Jimmy Chambers always wanted to be a writer. Of what, he wasn’t sure, but he knew that is what he wanted to. This became his passion and he used it as a form of comfort. He realized a few years later that music was also a form of comfort. He related to sadder songs and was drawn to them. He had found his true passion: to write about music and intertwine it with feeling and share it with others, so that others could relate to him and therefore relate more to themselves.

While attending Suffern High School, music took over his life and the writing fell to the way side. It was always there, notes were written, a journal here and there, but mostly he was just obsessed with Rock n’ Roll. It was the time of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Oasis and Phish.

His first Phish show was quite an experience, not just because of the music, but because of the way society formed around the music, the community. It was special. It was a story that had to be told. The next two years he did not do much writing. He went to see Phish wherever and whenever he could, and one day he ran into the Disco Biscuits. As a result of music becoming a powerful force in Jimmy’s life, he went back to his love of writing, took writing classes at Hudson Valley Community College, and later brought his talents to Plattsburgh State. Every writing class he took, every article he wrote, was about music. This was two and a half years of striving to be a Rock n’ Roll writer; he had friends who asked “How do you get through college, writing about Phish?” Very coolly, he replied, “I just did.”

He graduated in 2003 and was a teaching assistant for 8 years, after which Jimmy went into building and ground work at The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Browsing Facebook, he saw an opportunity to write for and jumped on it. His friends were happy he was finally doing something that he could be proud of. Jimmy is now 38 and realizing more it is each day that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

Although Jimmy has seen many, many concerts, certain bands always seem to slip through his fingers. Frightened Rabbit, The Shins, The Cure, Band of Horses, The XX, Chrvches, and Spiritualized are just a few of many. These are not dreams, Jimmy will see all these bands!!

June 20, 2014