NYS Music 20​14

Category: Features

  • An Interview with Marco Benevento Before Friday’s Stop at Nietzsche’s

    Marco Benevento is coming to Buffalo this Friday for an intimate night of music at Nietzsche’s and sat down for an interview with Jeremiah Shea.  The experimental pianist, who’s known for his engaging live show, will be joined by his band which features Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums.  The three were last in the area when they headlined the Night Lights Fall Music Festival this past September and fans of Marco have been eagerly awaiting his return.  Opening up the night will be WeazilDust (Packy Lunn from Jimkata doing a DJ set) and Lazlo Hollyfeld who play regularly in the area and will add to a night of great music.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABW_fIufv9g

    I got the chance to sit down with Marco and discuss a few things from his upcoming album to his approach to the stage.  Marco is exactly how you’d expect him to be when we talked: personable, genuine, and appreciative of all of the support he’s had throughout his career.  Our talk only lasted a half hour, but the insight into his music and life went pretty deep as his candid answers were anything but rehearsed.

    IMG_4160Jeremiah Shea: It’s been a little while, but what was the experience like having Holly Bowling sit in with you on more than one occasion?

    Marco Benevento: It was awesome!  The first time it happened, we were playing in San Francisco and the audience was really close to the stage.  The point of the gig was a fundraiser for Bread and Roses and every cent that came into the door went right to that organization.  Nobody got paid for the gig, it was just volunteered time.  Because we were setup so close to the audience, people could actually reach the piano from the audience and press a key down.  I was jokingly saying, “It’s $2 if you want to reach up here and play a couple of keys.”  People just got out singles and were holding money in the air to reach up and play.  Holly just jumped up on stage and I was like, “Oh shit,” but she sat down next to me and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a crazy fan and I’m friends with Dan.”  Dan is our sound guy, so I knew it was ok and she jumped right into “Atari.”  We totally rocked out and she knew the changes, and then we recreated that same experience at the Highline Ballroom in NY.

    JS: I know you guys are experienced in improvisation, but how was it being the one who was surprised?

    MB: Oh it totally made the night, especially in San Francisco.  There were a lot of people who thought it was planned, so it was a cool experience.  I was totally taken back by her knowledge and how she just knew all of the chords and didn’t flinch.

    JS: You’re a guy who is always testing new ideas and mixing things up musically speaking.  What new projects have you been working on?

    MB: Yeah, my band, which includes Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums, went out to Oregon and we recorded with this incredible engineer/songwriter, Richard Swift, who is my age and plays with The Shins and The Black Keys.  He’s just this genius engineer with a studio outside of Portland and we made the record with him that is primarily a vocal record.  It’s all new music I wrote and instead of being instrumental, I put words to my melodies.  We’ve been testing it out a lot lately, but the new record is the biggest project we’ve been working on.

    JS: Is the plan to still have the album out this Fall?

    MB: Yep!

    JS: Now the vocal approach is a little different from what you normally do.  Was that Richard’s idea or yours?

    MB: That was my idea going into it and prior to going into it, we had made demos at my place before we went in.  I knew I wanted to do it and I thought I should do it with a guy who has done a lot of that stuff.  It was all something that I had planned out, but I wanted him to be the guy to capture it all.  We did it in three days and it was just a very natural evolution of sound for me.

    JS: Have you been tinkering with any new gadgets lately for your rig?

    MB: One of my favorite gadgets is my Boss DR-3 delay pedal which was made back in the 70’s or 80’s and is just rockin’. I also have this Casiotone RC-1 which is predominantly featured on the new record.  I sampled a lot of it from the Casio that’s here in my studio and it’s one of the best drum machines I’ve ever heard in my life.  I want to do a whole album with it because it’s that amazing.  The RC-1 has been rockin’ it for me and I never see it for sale or find anyone that knows about it.  It’s just a hidden gem that is so badass.

    DSC07262 (1) copy

    JS: How was your experience at Bowlive this year?

    MB: I’ve been doing that with them for about the last five years and it was great.  They asked me to do it this year, and I said yes, but only if we covered “Soulful Strut” by Young Hault and “The In Crowd” by Randy Lewis. Those are both old school, funky piano jams from the 70’s and were instrumental hits at the time.  It was a lot of fun and they have a great thing going over there.

    JS: You had a pretty packed schedule at this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.  How was that experience as a whole and what was your favorite gig?

    MB: I played about 1-4 gigs a day over the course of ten days, so it was busy.  I got the chance to play with George Porter, my old band, and a bunch of other gigs.  It’s always fun to play Jazz Fest.  My favorite gig was probably playing at the Fairgrounds right before Phish with Anders Osborne.  Playing for that many people at the Fairgrounds is a real treat.

    JS: You are very personable on stage and it seems as though you like the interaction with the crowd.  How do they shape the show and what does it do for you to have that back and forth?

    MB: You get so much energy from the audience.  If there’s 50, 200, or 2000 looking at you, dancing with you, and listening to you, you feel that when you’re on stage.  It’s hard to describe, but you feel that.  You can sense that maybe a lot of them are on acid and it’ll be a weird night or they’re drunk and belligerent, and we play to that.  We never write a set list down, so when we go on stage, nobody knows what’s going to happen.  I try to feel out what the crowd wants to hear next.  You can ignore that feeling from the crowd as a musician and play what you’ve already decided on playing, but I don’t like to do things like that.  I like to go out there and think, “what do these guys want to hear?”  You really get a sense of what the audience wants while you’re out there being focused on.

    JS: You’ve said this past year that you wanted to do a residency at the Red Square in Albany this upcoming Fall.  Do you have any details on that?

    MB: The last time I played a gig there, I was egging the crowd on and announced on the mic, “Tell the Red Square we want to play here every Saturday in October,” and the crowd went nuts.  What I said leaked online and we had planned to do it, but the promoter had his hesitations.  We were talking about doing it this October, but I don’t think it’s going to happen unfortunately.

    JS: What upcoming festival gigs are you most looking forward to and why?

    MB: We’re doing this really great one in Oregon, just outside of Portland, called Pickathon.  It’s incredible!  It has such a wide variety of music there and I just really like it.  It’s not every jam band you’ve ever heard of playing there, it’s more a big variety and I just love that!

  • Caustic Method Returns to Syracuse at Mac’s Bad Art Bar

    New York natives Caustic Method, performed in Syracuse to promote their new album The Virus. They joined RUINATION, Killaton, Elevator Death Squad, Diamond Plate, and East of the Wall, at Mac’s Bad Art Bar on April 6th.

    caustic methodCaustic’s long awaited return brought new members as well as new material. The new lineup has been working well for the guys with the production of the bands third album and their very first video for the single, “The Virus”. The latest album is the first with the new members and speaks volumes to the bands dedication to their music. When they were unimpressed with the first cut of this album, after several hours and money spent, they threw it out and started fresh. The band decided to do things their way the second time around. The whole album, with the exception of “The Virus”, is improvised. Said Matt Caustic, “Everyone was like, ‘Caustic is back’, I didn’t know we went anywhere.”

    caustic methodPerforming songs like “12 Step Suicide” and “The Virus”, the band brings new life to metal music. In a genre that makes it difficult to stand out, Caustic is not a band you can forget, and Matt will argue that point. “You can’t try to sound like anyone, you just have to do your own thing”, and they are doing just that. Matt Caustic’s years of experience shine through while he is on stage. He is powerful while still being understood. Darrin Scott on the guitar brings a rock star quality that few metal bands have. He is a seasoned artist whose value to this band is very clear as soon as he begins to play. Angel Rivera on the drums is incredibly talented with his unique style. Bass player and newest member, Eric Maliszewski, plays flawlessly with the band as if he has been playing with these guys for years. I have been a Caustic Method fan for years and have seen several different members in this band. Something clicks when these guys are on stage. This is it – they have finally found the perfect combination of talent. Matt Caustic being the only original member believes they have finally made the band he has been looking for. “When I look to my right I know he has my back, to my left, he has my back. That was missing before.”

    These guys are not only talented but they are also the kind of musicians you can respect. Their dedication to the music they play is inspiring. At the end of the night, before performing “Anti-hero”, Matt proclaims, “The world needs more metal heroes”. I think he is right, and I think the members of Caustic Method are the perfect candidates. They sure have my vote.

    Check out Caustic this summer and look them up on Facebook!

    May 11th The Cove. Geneva, OH

    June 6th Trishstock 2014. Locke, NY

    June 15th Montage Music Hall. Rochester,NY

    June 19th Three Fat Guys Bar. Syracuse, NY

    June 28th Macs Bad Art Bar. Mattydale, NY

    July 6th American Legion Post 80. Binghamton, NY

  • Trace’s Closes Out In Style

    Trace’s Bar and Grill in Rome, New York has been one of the single sources of live entertainment for Romans for the past three years. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Trace’s will be closing their doors. Heathre and Phillip Price, owners, have been supportive of local musicians over the years and in true form decided to celebrate by hosting a “Farewell Party” on April 25th and 26th.

    Dark Passenger - Trace's

    With a full lineup planned for both evenings, patrons packed the pub to say their farewells to the establishment as well as show their support for live music in the area. Friday’s line up included local bands Turn the Tide, Armed with Valor, After the Clearing, Mole and the Level Antz, Enemy Down, and Omnipresent.  The Last Tree - Trace's

    While Saturday’s shows included Wet Bread, Dark Passenger, The Last Tree, Item 6, Fight for Rome, and last but not least, No Complyance.

    No Complyance - Trace's first and last band to grace the stage at the venue
    No Complyance – Trace’s first and last band to grace the stage at the venue

    It was bittersweet for No Complyance to be the final band to play the venue after three years, but fitting as they were also the very first to ever play the venue. We thank Trace’s for always supporting the local music scene, and urge our readers to continue to go out and support your local musicians in these venues to keep them flourishing for years to come.

    FIGHT FOR ROME - Trace's Item 6 - Trace's

  • Hearing Aide: The Blurry Nights Bend Musical Boundaries in New EP

    Picture if you will, early 90’s Alice in Chains, mixed with the hipster sound possessed by The Strokes, covered over with Henry Rollins singing while Marc Brownstein throws in a couple of electronic beats just to keep it hip. You follow that? Not many would. Somehow however The Blurry Nights, formerly, Sonic Spank, have taken this sound and made it theirs.

    The opening track “Beekeeper”, off their self titled debut EP, is a a hard ripping track where the lyrics are not that clear, but yet the tune gets stuck in the listeners head, and the droning sound lingers all day. Trying to make sense out of it however, may be a struggle. A shredding guitar solo in the middle by Benjamin Karp, brings the song a White Lion feel, while going right back into Ian McGuire singing about the “Beekeeper.” A catchy opening track, for the right reason? You can be the judge.

    “Checked Out”, the next track has a groovy beach vibe, with lyrics about being, well, checked out. A feeling that many rock stars claim to have known, or felt at some point during their career, but with this laid back chill tune you can feel vocalist McGuire, really has checked out and does not want anyone to harsh his mellow. This is a song for any hipster who just wants to be cool, have his day in the sun and chill.  “Hours to Kill”, the next track is similar to “Beekeeper”, catchy, heavy making little sense, but all and all good hard rocking fun. The track of the EP is “Don’t Need 3”, with the drums at the beginning of the song, played by new comer Jeremy Worthington, set off a sweet beat that leads to great things. A fast beat layered with a sweet high pitched guitar gets the listeners attention for the story about to be told. The songs tells the tale of a guy trying to get comfortable with his lady friend and all of a sudden she wants to bring another dude into the mix! Not for this guy! He may be singing this song as if he’s Julian Casablancas, but he is not down for the swingster way of life; that’s not for him. (not that Julian is, but, who knows).

    The EP ends with “Cant Have a Fun Alone”, showing more of the Sonic Spank sound than the previous songs did. With extended jams and build ups that would transfer quite well in a live setting. Which can be seen as the band has their offical EP release party on Saturday May, 17 at Bourbon and Branch in Philadelphia. This is a time of experimental rock that should not be missed by anyone into any type of music.

    Key Tracks: Checked out, Don’t Need 3, Can’t Have Fun Alone

  • The New Mastersounds Announce First Show in Buffalo with Orgone

    Just announced today, The New Mastersounds will be playing their first ever show in Buffalo, NY later this year on Wednesday, September 3rd with Orgone. Calling England home, it’s understandable why this funky four-piece hasn’t played the area, but The Tralf will welcome them with open arms as the group has always had a great following due to their unique blend of music.  Their most recent album, Therapy, was released earlier this year in March to great reviews and adds to an impressive catalog of music since their inception in 1999.

    Joining them is another band who’s rarely played Buffalo in Orgone.  The L.A.-based band is well-known on the West Coast, but has rarely done any extensive touring on this side of the country.  Like The New Mastersounds, Orgone has its roots in funk, but stretches the boundaries in many directions as they touch on soul, boogie, disco, and afrobeat.

    The combination of the two bands is going to make for one incredible night of music as they compliment each other well and likely won’t be back again for quite some time.  Stay tuned for ticket info this Friday, and make sure to grab them fast to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

  • Hayes Carll Visits Club Helsinki on May 15th with Caroline Rose

    Texas singer-songwriter Hayes Carll will perform at Club Helsinki on May 15th with alt-country performer Caroline Rose opening.  Carll, known for his outspoken politically infused rockers and his self-described “degenerate love songs”, brings to mind Todd Snider with a hint of Dylan and John Prine added in.

    His “KMAG YOYO” was the Americana Music Association’s #1 Album in 2011 and made year-end Best Of lists in Rolling Stone, SPIN and the New York Times. A mix of rock and honky-tonk, Hayes Carll bring his well-respected sound to Upstate New York just as the summer is approaching, a perfect time for his brand of music.

    Caroline Rose will open the night, bringing a sound that recalls Norah Jones, her sweet folk/Americana sound just scraping the surface of her deep talent. Give a listen to “Here Comes the Rain” for a taste of what she has to offer.

    Pick up tickets for the show at Club Helsinki’s website. 

  • Glenn Miller Orchestra Turns the Clock Back at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    Inside one of the Capital District’s oldest music venues, the Glenn Miller Orchestra brought back the RCA Records sound of the 1930s and 40s amid the pastel pink, green and white interior of Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. While there are no original members, an observation bandleader Nick Hilscher made, eliciting a ripple of laughter from the crowd, they are workhorses, performing 48 weeks a year on tour with typically five shows each week. Honed and polished, the band was the sound of perfection in their extensive catalog of hits from the Big Band era of American music.

    glenn miller orchestra

    With conductor/singer Hilscher, who was classy and decked out in a suit, the 16-piece band played a brief “Moonlight Serenade” to open the show, establishing the most notable Glenn Miller song’s smooth jazz as the theme of the evening. “Caribbean Clipper” and “Tuxedo Junction” followed, with intermittent applause after each orchestra member’s solo. Derbys, plungers, wah-wah and solo-tone mutes were used at various times by the four trombonists – George Reinert, John Tyler, Joe Zeigenfus and Jason Bennett – altering the sound to that of big bands from the pre-World War II era. Following “Serenade in Blue” from the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade, featured singer Natalie Angst came out to sing “String of Pearls” and “Church on Time”, a golden voice that sounded like it had lept from the movie musicals from the same era.

    Glenn Miller, having enlisted in the war effort, he formed a band in the Army Air Force, from which the classic “Begin the Beguine” originated. Alternating brass and woodwinds were featured on “The White Cliffs of Dover”, particularly by Christopher Hearld and Kevin Sheehan whose clarinet was a soothing presence.

    Recalling the Modernaires, a vocal group who performed with Glenn Miller in the 30s and 40s, today’s Glenn Miller Orchestra has the Moonlight Serenaders, including Natalie Angst and band members Joe Zeigenfus, Kevin Sheehan and Ian O’Beirne, along with Nick Hilscher. Singing “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, (the first ever gold record with 1.2 million sales), the audience was moved to sway and sing along with the American classic. A unique comedy/parody tune, “Conchita Marquita Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita Lopez” from the movie Priorities on Parade, fit the Moonlight Serenaders perfectly. The first set ended with “The American Patrol”, dedicated to the veterans in the audience, who stood up at Hilscher’s request, making up roughly 10% of the men in the audience.

    After a short break, the band returned to continue the night with a “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Pennies from Heaven” and “The Lady is a Tramp”. These three familiar numbers put the Music Hall’s incredible acoustics front and center, which have been experienced by thousands since opening in 1875. With big bands having played the room since over the past 140 years, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was well aware of the fabled legends that had preceded them. Closing with “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “In the Mood” and a full version of “Moonlight Serenade”, as well as an encore of Eddie Durham’s “The Tiger Rag”, a speedy club jazz number, featuring piano from James Navan, the current incarnation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra brought a sound from the 20th century and reintroduced it into the American music catalog of the 21st century.

  • Brace Yourselves… Mysteryland USA 2014 is Coming

    Brace yourselves… Mysteryland 2014 is coming. Over Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, “The festival that started the worldwide electronic music phenomenon” is making its U.S. debut. The first Mysteryland festival was held in the Netherlands in 1993, and was an annual event until 2009. Three festivals occurred in 1997. Without an event in 2010, Mysteryland was presented in Chile in 2011. In 2012 and 2013 Mysteryland was presented to audiences in both the Netherlands and Chile.

    This is not a concert. It is not a show. It is not a nightclub. It is an event. There will be more than 200 DJs performing on seven stages on Saturday and Sunday.

    Kaskade. Steve Aoki. Nicky Romero, Showtek, NERVO, Fedde Le Grand. Moby. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Dillon Francis. Flosstradamus. That’s just the main stage. Kaskade is performing as a headliner for the first time here.

    The Sunday School Mini-Fest features three stages of underground talent. Check out The Big Top Tent for techno, Spiegeltent for the Visionquest showcase, and the Vinyl-Only stage for a B2B set with Carl Craig and Dimitri.

    Mysteryland 2014Big Gigantic. Chase & Status. Zomboy. Paper Diamond. Bro Safari. These acts are being featured on The Boat (the kids call these sounds ‘bass’ and ‘trap’). Dillon Francis + Flosstradamus, performing together for the first time as Dillstradamus, will close The Boat at Mysteryland USA 2014.

    Q-Dance is an indoor tent featuring higher BPM dance music.

    Mysteryland USA 2014 is being held at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, in Bethel Woods, New York. This was the site of the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Limited camping space was made available at the venue, and the Holy Ground Camping Circus-stage will host a pre-party on Friday night featuring Nicky Romero’s Protocol music label. Mysteryland participants will also be allowed to camp offsite or stay at local hotels. Those staying offsite are only allowed to enter and leave the festival once per day.

    In addition to the music, Mysteryland presents “experiential environments”, featuring art installations, theatrical performances, a rodeo, the Love Chapel, a library, a Confessional, live painting, yoga, and more. This is a world-class festival that is sure to feature elaborate stage settings, awesome sound and visuals, and a great environment to find yourself in a spontaneous community of people ready to listen to music and dance like there is no other place on earth. ID&T and SFX Entertainment are the production companies presenting Mysteryland at Bethel Woods, and they are the same groups that produce the Sensation festivals, Life in Color, and Tomorrowland.

    More information about Mysteryland USA 2014 can be found at www.Mysteryland.us

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  • Canalside 2014 Summer Schedule Nearly Complete

    Buffalo’s annual Canalside summer music venue announced their concert line-up for the 2014 summer this week.

    Local favorites (moe., BPO and Conehead Buddha) are sprinkled in along the names of headliners from the past (Shaggy, George Thorogood and Extreme) and more.

    The final date, August 14th, is left to be announced at a later time.

    This will be the first Canalside since The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Board of Directors voted in January to enter into a contract with Global Spectrum.

    Global Spectrum is one of the world’s largest and most respected venue management companies, and is now responsible for public space management at Canalside in Buffalo.

    June 12: Shaggy with DJ Milk and Soul Rebels
    June 19: Moe. with Conehead Buddhs
    June 21: Tedeschi Trucks Band
    June 26: Sam Roberts Band with July Talk
    June 27: George Thorogood and the Destroyers
    July 3: Gord Downie and the Sadies with Hey Rosetta! and Boy & Bear
    July 10: Fitz and the Tantrums
    July 17: Lake Street Dive and the Oh Hellos
    July  24: Extreme
    July 31: Sheila E.
    August 7: BPO Rock Show: Earth Wind & Fire and Michael Jackson
    August 8: Girl Talk
    August 14: TBA

    Thursday events are free, otherwise presale prices run at $15 and Day of Show at $25.

  • Grand Opening Celebration of Grandma’s Studio & The Albany Barn

    The Capital District welcomed the newest addition to the music community on Friday, May 2nd, with the grand opening of Grandma’s Studio at The Albany Barn.

    The recently renovated St. Joseph’s Academy building was turned into a 22 low-cost live/work residence for artists in the area with the concept of creating affordable living and wide open, creative work space. The idea for bringing a community together to work towards the goal of building art, music and relationships gifted the appropriate title, The Barn. Within the walls of the new venue, Bryan Brundige owns and operates the multi-track recording studio, Grandma’s, dedicated to the creation and capturing of music in comfort.

    20140502 - Grandma's Grand Opening 1

    The fresh new venue has bright, white walls that were lit up with multi-colored changing bulbs and were the perfect highlight for the local art on display throughout the two floored area. The first concert at the new performance space kicked off with Palatypus, Kimono Dragons, Le Rubb and PJ Katz & the Fat Buckle Band. Guests could enjoy the music from the main floor in front of the grand stage or with the open aired, walkway of the second floor. New to the scene and already set to perform at this year’s Tulipfest, the Kimono Dragons bring a much need surfer rock vibe to land lovers in Albany with fast riding riffs and rhythmic swells. Le Rubb is a unique quintet that brilliantly fuses electronica and jazz creating their own sound with echoes of digital turntables, horns and wind instruments with the classic percussion set up and bass. PJ Katz, multi-instrumentalist and producer, joined forces with the Fat Buckle Band for a high energy rocking set to close out the event.

    20140502 - PJ Katz and The Fat Buckle Band 13

    There’s nothing like the thrill of a new venue opening that can send the heart racing with hope and imagination. Just think of all the new show possibilities that are now plausible. is a strong supporter for the growth of music in Upstate New York and beyond. We congratulate and thank Grandma’s Studio and The Albany Barn on their opening and efforts to create a space for artists to “live, work and inspire.”