Category: Features

Getting Lucid in Vermont at Nectar’s

Lucid has a brand new drummer and they want to introduce him to the crowd at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT.

Chris “Hollywood” English is in the fold, and the show this Saturday, May 3rd will mark the band’s first visit since he came on board.

The show kicks off at 9 pm, and is for those 21 and up only. Admission is $5.00. Joining Lucid will be Goosepimp Orchestra and FiKus.

Lucid by Bryan Lasky

Lucid earned the title of New York State’s #1 band in our March Madness voting contest, beating out an initial field of 64 bands.

Hollywood just joined the Popular group out of Plattsburgh. He started his career as the drummer for the legendary Buddy Guy, was most recently with AudioInflux

FiKus, is a jam band out of North Jersey, with an eclectic sound that combines progressive melodies with infectious grooves, electronic beats, and edgy vocals.

FiKus by Bryan Lasky

Goosepimp Orchestra is best described by the press release we just received. Their sound is, “the form of funk that dissolves the barriers between artist and audience. The energy plotted through space race like arrangements, channeled by geeks who became stage freaks, and absorbed into every opened mind via third eyes is a condensed and charismatic force from the center of the Earth and the beginning of time.”

Heavy.

If you have the ability, make haste and get thee there.

May 1, 2014
Hearing Aide: Cosby Sweater’s “Party Dad”

One of the rising stars in the ever expanding ‘jamtronica’ scene shares a name with the clothing choice of once of the most iconic television stars of the 1980s. Cosby Sweater is now starting to make itself known for not only a clever moniker, but also real good dance music. Fresh off the addition of a new drummer, Jeff Peterson, and a string of supporting gigs for Conspirator in the Northeast, Cosby Sweater has just released its new EP, Party Dad. In a fan-friendly move that Bill himself could even appreciate, they’ve also made the release available as a ‘name your price’ download. Seems like a great idea for a way to get a solid recording of easy to listen to yet infectious electronic dance music out to the masses and Huxtables everywhere.

The opening track ‘Pillow Talk’ grabs your ear right away with a simple drum and bass line with an overlay of digital effects courtesy of David Embry. Once a simplistic but steady groove is established, the group’s signature saxophone sound is brought into the mix rounding out this easy listen that kicks things off on the EP. While maintaining the same beat, the song delves into an almost dubstep-like theme before the sax is re-introduced, serving as a bookend of sorts. Right from Jump Street, the listener gets a little taste of just how versatile Cosby Sweater(s) can be.

‘Open Mouth Kiss 2.0’ follows and gives another great glimpse into the band’s ability to mesh different musical styles together. The sax takes a bit of a back seat at the outset of this one while a an electronic bass line with a simple drum beat accompaniment give the tune a house techno feel early. As the synthetic beat increases and then explodes, the ‘Kiss’ fully transitions back into one of the dubstep variety with a blistering saxophone line delivered by Nicholas Gerlach which serves as a delightful release to the aforementioned tension. This group seems to be at its musical peak when the saxophone is going full speed ahead on top of everything else.

Strangely, there are extended sections on this EP where the saxophone isn’t present at all. ‘Clappin’ ft. jFET’ is really just an electronic “filler” track of sorts, however, ‘No One But You’ is an incredibly catchy number and one that would seem to have limitless potential in a live festival setting. This acid-disco/funk/techno hybrid of a song is really well mixed and has all the elements needed for a proper late night dance party. Oddly, the emphasis on this one seems to be on the production end as there’s no real saxophone input present. Why this recording strays away from this element at points is somewhat mysterious but when the sax sound is called upon, it delivers in spades each time.

I think the lesson we learned here today is check out this EP as soon as possible for an amount you deem fit. Do your homework and then go see this band before they fully shed their ‘under the radar’ status. They’ll be playing SummerCamp and Electric Forest Festival as well as supporting Umphrey’s McGee for a gig later this summer on July 26th at White River State Park in Indianapolis.

Key tracks: Pillow Talk, Open Mouth Kiss 2.0, No One But You

April 30, 2014
Editor’s Playlist #3: A Viable Alternative to Jazz Fest

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, a.k.a Jazz Fest, is wrapping up this weekend and if you weren’t one of the lucky people in attendance this year we don’t want you feeling left out. This week’s Editor’s Playlist #3 is in the spirit of Jazz Fest, highlighting artists in the jazz and funk scene, both of which dominate most lineups throughout NOLA during this fest each year. This sampling of sorts will range from, hopefully, some artists you haven’t heard of, but also some heavy hitters that headline wherever they play.

With so many great bands making up each respective scene, it was definitely a tall order to try to pick a few standouts. On the funky side of things, I chose to go with the current kings, Lettuce, adding “King of the Burgs” and the live version of “Nyack.” Both showcase this band’s immense capabilities and prove why they’re one of the best out there. Also in the funk-realm is Alan Evans’ Playonbrother, Kung Fu and Zach Deputy. One other band you might not have heard of is Cape Cod’s Funktapuss and we’re featuring a new song from their upcoming album in “Soul Specific.”

On the jazz side, I chose to go with both someone who’s been around and an up-and-coming band who’s made some big waves as of late. The seasoned veteran is none other than Derek Trucks with his now-disbanded band and their song “Pleasant Gardens” from their 1998 album Out of the Madness. The other song featured is a new favorite in Snarky Puppy‘s “Lingus,” which is just an incredible display of musicianship all around.

Stay tuned for the next Editor’s Playlist in the near future, and if you’re still craving some actual Jazz Fest music, check out the Phoncert app for iOS or website as they will be streaming some of the remaining performances through Friday, May 2nd.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/32587914″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

April 30, 2014
The Good News is The Word, May 1 at The Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester will host The Word, a quintet super group, and supporting act, Kung Fu tomorrow night May 1st.

The Gospel Rock band is made up of pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, John Medeski from Medeski Martin & Wood, and brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson with Chris Chew from North Mississippi Allstars. The show is a must see given the limited tour dates of this rare lineup combining forces for a night of soul strengthening grooves. The Word began over a decade ago when North Mississippi Allstars toured with Medeski Martin & Wood and were joined in the studio with Robert Randolph, recording their debut album and gaining recognition for their fusion of gospel, blues and rock.

John Medeski will perform at this year’s Lockn’ Music Festival with Phil Lesh & Friends for both nights. This will be your last chance to catch The North Mississippi Allstars before they leave for their European Tour in June and July. Robert Randolph will tour with his band, Robert Randolph & The Family Band this summer making stops at Mountain Jam and FloydFest. Each of these artist shine with their respectable bands but together, The Word is a high energetic, funky blues reunion with tour dates few and far between. Tickets are still available ranging from $35 to $45 with the doors set to open at 7pm and show at 8pm.

Kung Fu returns to Upstate after a successful spring tour of powerhouse funk sets with back to back sell out shows during the New Orleans Jazz fest. Yesterday, it was announced that Kung Fu will be returning to this year’s Catskill Chill Music Festival. Their electronic funk music is prime for any dance floor and is a solid choice for the sure to be jazzy funk filled evening ahead.

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Author’s Note: This is a never before seen video I recorded at my first Word show at Terminal 5 in New York City on Dec 27th, 2007 with lifelong friend and photographer, Bryan Lasky.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSikToyAeT0]

April 30, 2014
Rochester Announces 2014 Party in the Park Lineup

The City of Rochester has announced the Party in the Park lineup for 2014 and it is a doozy! This year’s events will take place back at Manhattan Square Park, where it originated.

June kicks off with The Wailers and Lucinda Williams. Bluegrass fans will get a treat in July with Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth and Trampled by Turtles on the roster. Deadheads and rockers get August with the always excellent Dark Star Orchestra and the lords of the “Peaches”: Presidents of the U.S.A.

The entire 2014 Party in the Park lineup:

6/19 The Wailers

6/26 Lucinda Williams

7/3 Drive By Truckers

7/10 Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth

7/17 Trampled By Turtles, Dirty Dozen Brass Band

7/24 Lucero, The Baseball Project

7/31 Dickey Betts and Great Southern, Dumpstaphunk

8/7 Dark Star Orchestra

8/14 Presidents of the USA, The Slide Brothers

Note: August wraps up PITP with 2 fantastic shows, get all the deets here!

April 30, 2014
Artpark Makes Final Announcement, Completing 2014 Summer Season Offering

Just yesterday, Artpark announced the remaining bands for their Tuesday and Wednesday night 2014 summer concert series they present each year. The final bands for First Niagara presents Tuesday in the Park and Coors Light Wednesdays round out a spectacular overall offering for the 2014 season and give plenty of reasons to make the short trip up to Lewiston!

In yesterday’s announcement, Artpark will add Sara Bareilles, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Hagar, Heart, Gregg Allman, Styx, and Michael McDonald + Toto to an already outstanding lineup for the upcoming season. Tickets for these events will go on sale Saturday, May 3rd at 10am with various seating options that’ll meet anyone’s budget. Check out the full lineups below and take advantage of one of Western New York’s best venues for a concert.

First Niagara presents Tuesday in the Park Full Lineup:
June 10– Daryl Hall & John Oates
June 17 – Widespread Panic
June 24 – Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band
July 1 – Blue Rodeo with special guests 54-40
July 8 – Boston
July 15 – Megadeth
July 22– Aretha Franklin
July 29 – Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum presents Sammy Hagar
A Journey Through the History of Rock featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, & Vic Johnson
August 5– Heart
August 12– Gregg Allman
August 19– Styx
August 26– Michael McDonald + Toto
Coors Light Wednesdays Full Lineup:
June 18 – Arctic Monkeys
June 25 – Ziggy Marley & Steel Pulse
July 2 – O.A.R. & Phillip Phillips
July 9 – Sublime with Rome
July 16 – Sara Bareilles
July 23 – 3 Doors Down

April 29, 2014
Catskill Chill 2014 Line-Up Announced

Our friends at the Catskills Chill announced today the line-up for the fifth annual Catskill Chill Music Festival, to be at Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY on September 6-7, 2014

2014 ARTIST LINE-UP:
Yonder Mountain String Band with special guest Allie Kral, The New Deal, Lettuce, Electron, Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ Set), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Papadosio, The New Mastersounds, Dopapod, Kung Fu, Particle, Break Science, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Marco Benevento, Orchard Lounge, Eric Krasno Band, The Breakfast, The Heavy Pets, Twiddle x2 (Original & Dead Set), Turkuaz x2 (Original and Sly & The Family Stone Set), Alan Evans’ Playonbrother x2 (Original & Cream Set), The Nth Power, American Babies, Consider the Source x2 (Electric & Acoustic Set), Aron Magner & Tom Hamilton: Acoustic Again, Brownie (DJ set), Brock Butler Acoustic, The Main Squeeze, Roots of Creation, Jen Durkin & the Business, Pink Talking Fish, FiKus, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Tauk, Cosby Sweater, The Mantras, The Manhattan Project, The Primate Fiasco, lespecial, Wyllys, Eastbound Jesus, ShwizZ, ShwiKus plays P-Funk, The Alchemystics, Fat Mannequin, The Hornitz, Flux Capacitor, Skytree x2, Subset, Business Casual Disco x2, Driftwood, SOLARiS, Funktional Flow, MUN x2 (Electric & Acoustic Set), Cocktail Party Phenomenon, Speakerbot x2, The Jauntee, Mister F, The Chronicles, The Fritz, Tall County, and Formula 5.

Prior to the show’s line-up announcement, Canadian jam band The New Deal announced they would appear through a statement on their Facebook page Tuesday morning.

The Catskill Chill is known for it’s intimate surroundings – allowing only five thousand revelers – in a beautiful lakeside setting. Organizers confirmed that the capacity will remain the same, as was in the past.

Chilled out Fan

There will be free parking, free camping, daily yoga, live art, local farmer’s market, craft and food vendors, open mic and more and communal bonfires each night.

Returning artists at the Catskill Chill are challenged to come up with a unique flare. Highlights will include a number of tribute sets. In addition to their original sets, Turkuaz will pay homage to Sly & The Family Stone and Twiddle will offer up their electric take on the Dead, and Alan Evans’ Playonbrother tackles a set of Cream.

Past performers have included the following artists – The Meter Men with Page McConnell, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Lotus, Galactic, 7 Walkers, Conspirator, Keller Williams, Soulive, Lettuce, The New Mastersounds, JGB with Melvin Seals, EOTO, Rubblebucket, Easy Star All-Stars, Tea Leaf Green, Papadosio, Perpetual Groove, Dumpstaphunk, Particle, and The Motet.

Lettuce

A limited number of Early Bird tickets are currently available for $145. For tickets & RV rentals, please visit the link below

FESTIVAL LINKS:
www.CatskillChill.com
www.facebook.com/CatskillChill
Twitter + Instagram: @CatskillChill | #Chillfam

April 29, 2014
University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts Hat Trick – Rozzi Crane, Parachute & Gavin DeGraw

How could the crowd at University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts not go wild with this line up? With Rozzi Crane, Parachute, and Gavin DeGraw, the audience was bound to see them shoot and score on each of these acts.

Rozzi Crane opened the evening in total darkness as she belted out the notes to her first song. The strong and emotive voice made the audience sit up and take notice immediately. As the spotlight came on and her silhouette was outlined, each member of the audience sat there agape. This huge voice and soulful sustenance of a jazz great was in the body of this petit young lady. One would expect to see the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, or Etta James up there; instead, the voice that resonated this sound came from Miss Rozzi Crane. As I sat shooting photos, I could hear those around me saying , “Who is that?!” A star was born that evening to the audience in Buffalo. She continued with an ease as though she had been in front of an audience her whole life. Her level of comfort on the stage and with the crowd demonstrated that the stage was her home away from home. As her set ended, she invited everyone out to her merchandise area to do a meet and greet. Either getting there too early or too late, I didn’t get the chance to speak to her directly, but I did talk to one of her crew members. As she mentioned during her show a connection with Adam Levine, I asked about the details of how she was discovered. He shared how Adam Levine of Maroon 5 heard her through a Youtube video that had been shared with him through a mutual friend and immediately signed her to his new label. Touring with Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson in 2013 was only the beginning to this amazing young lady’s journey. She definitely has a “Voice” to listen for big things in the future. One word to describe Rozzi, soulful.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTauDOWKD-s]

Next up was Parachute. The band is a group of five musicians who have known each other and played together since high school and college. To me, they are one of the most talented, versatile, and best kept secrets around today. Members, Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, piano), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Alex Hargrave (bass), Kit French (saxophones, keyboards, vocals), and Nate McFarland (guitar, vocals) have a knack of creating the most relevant songs.

This five-piece truly are a group of amazing musicians, however, I believe it’s their songwriting skills that sets them apart from everyone else. They have the ability to connect with their listeners on a different level. They have the ability to take real life events, add a score of music that is amazingly perfect for the feel of the song, and share it in a way only they can. When I tell you their crowd loves them, they literally rushed the stage the minute they came on. And what makes this even more special was the way the group embraced them, by slapping hands along the stage, going out into the audience to sing, and brining the audience up on stage to dance with them during their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” number.

Parachute – “Dancing In The Dark”

These guys love what they do and it’s apparent to those that love what they do. One word to describe Parachute, consummate.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXqYw_II6Pc]

Setting the bar for the evening so high with his two amazing opening acts, only Gavin DeGraw could come out and rock the audience into even more of a frenzy than they already were. There’s just something about Gavin DeGraw that I can’t put my finger on that makes this man legendary. Is it his humility at being able to share his passion with the audience? Is it his remarkable sexy voice that draws one in? Or could it be his bewitching smile and sense of humor that mesmerizes you? It’s probably the combination of all of these traits, along with his amazing talent and will to share his passion in music, that makes him a super star. Gavin has the ability to come out and perform for an audience like he’s singing just to you. Covering many shows over the years, this was my second opportunity to see Gavin perform. The audience of fans consisted of a smorgasbord of individuals from all walks of life and age groups. This demonstration of variety clearly shows how legendary he has become being able to entice so many.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

Touring this year for his fifth album Make A Move, Gavin performed numbers from the album like “Leading Man,” “Best I Ever Had,” and the album’s cover song “Make A Move.” In addition to that, he played some older favorites and new music recently written together with his band, Billy Norris (Musical Director, guitar, and background vocals), Ian O’Neill (drums and background vocals), James Cruz (bass), and David Maemone (keyboards).

The crowd’s new favorite though was clearly his song “Finest Hour,” co-written with Ryan Tedder. He also performed a killer cover of Adele’s “Rumor”, but it was his cover of his musical inspiration, Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman/Where You Are,” that brought the crowd to their feet. Performing alongside Billy Joel recently at Madison Square Garden, Gavin described how the pivotal moment was a dream come true as Billy Joel was the catalyst for his decision to become a performer after seeing him at a show during the 90’s. His journey was not an easy one without bumps in the road, however Gavin overcame many obstacles to achieve his dream and is truly an inspiration to all that have followed his career. As he performed “More Than Anyone” a ballad from his first album Chariot, it only took one verse for the crowd to take over and sing the song for Gavin.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

I can’t image how that makes a performer feel when the audience loves your music so much, they will serenade you. One word to describe Gavin DeGraw, sincere.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eryloGiIhUU]

It was truly a pleasure covering this show as a reporter and photographer as one feeds off of the energy in the crowd. The energy of this crowd was off-the-charts-crazy with love and admiration for all of these artists. This definitely was a hat trick for the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts and the fans that attended. One word for the show, outstanding.

April 29, 2014
Hearing Aide: Turkuaz ‘Future 86’

The first thing that drew me to the new album Future 86 by Brooklyn’s Turkuaz is the name. Having grown up a child of the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions of NY, I’m very familiar with these signs that have adorned the shoulders of NY route 17 for at least a decade. My mind immediately began to reminisce about a myriad of journeys down this roadway. To see old friends, for music, for business, or just to simply go for a ride. No doubt Turkuaz, who tours relentlessly, has passed the signs thousands of times.

This title, seemingly indicative of the present being past and pursuit of futures anew, is an excellent analogy for the band’s sound. While deeply rooted in old school funk, the band, in parallel, shows no fear in approaching the genre in uncharted ways: To boldly funk where no man (or woman) has funked before.

The album, from the opening notes of first track “Bubba Slide” to the closing single “Pickin’ Up (Where You Left Off)” consumes you like a blissful virus. The contagion first infects lower extremities: toes start to tap, feet quiver; it moves upwards to the hips which are helpless to not shake. It then invades organs: heart starts to pump and feel warm, the brain forgets those daily doldrums and commands arms to fly skyward. The confinements of life are momentarily gone. From beginning to end, this release bleeds happiness and joy. It’s music of the soul, of hope, freedom and redemption. The production and song selection truly capture the ‘kuaz experience and intensity. Bells and whistles are minimal and unnecessary. This band excels live as ever-growing audiences across the North East can attest to and “Future 86” delivers that outstanding experience directly to the comfort of your armchair and headphones. While the future of NY’s Route 17 may remain in question, Turkuaz’s seems destined to be glorious. Go buy it and you can thank me later.

Key Tracks Bubba Slide, T.V., X.Y.Z. (Feelin’ Tough)

April 29, 2014
Governors Ball 2014 Announces Afterparties

Governors Ball who announced their lineup in January 2014 have unveiled a batch of shows surrounding the entire weekend of festivities.

On Thursday June 5th there are two concerts happening to help kick the weekend off. At Brooklyn Bowl Kurt Vile and The Violators will be gracing the stage, while over at Westway Tourist will be starting the weekend off. On Friday Washed Out will be taking on the crowd at Brooklyn Bowl starting at 11:30 PM. Saturday has the most announced shows so far with four concerts happening all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. On Sunday there are two shows announced so far with Diarrhea Planet heading to Glasslands while Damon Albarn will be heading to the intimate Irving Plaza. More after shows are going to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for all pf these shows go on a special pre-sale April 29th 10 AM with the code “govballnyc.” If you miss out on that, a public sale will happen on Friday May 2nd. Tickets for Governors Ball are on sale now on their website.

April 29, 2014