Category: Reviews

Interview: Boxed Wine talk about Shows, Syncs and Cheap Fun

Friday, June 20th. My friend buys us tickets to see Dresses play The Studio at Webster Hall. I like the duo but feel as if my street cred is in question walking into a venue after a gaggle of fourteen year olds making some kind of remark about wearing dresses to a Dresses show. I try putting off going in for the openers, but between the scalper trying to sell me tickets to a show I already have tickets for, and the homeless guy on 11th street making me bear predictable Charlie Sheen jokes against my will, I realize it’d be easier to follow my friend inside.

Surprisingly enough, we walk into a beach-party kind of vibe. A band called Boxed Wine is on and I initially can’t tell if there are four or five members in the band—a guy in a ponytail and blue Boxed Wine shirt (apparently this guy never got the memo that this is bad luck) keeps bouncing on and off stage to sing gang vocals. Within minutes, the band has the crowd dancing. There’s a palpable sense of familiarity in the air—not in the sense that you recognize them from one of the OC mixes but in a way you know you’ve heard the songs before. When “Summer Wine” comes on, I find that I’m no longer thinking about rent, or my shitty coffee shop hours the next day. Instead, I ricochet into that two week long Halloween freshman year (Syracuse will stretch out any holiday where it’s socially acceptable to wear seasonally challenged outfits and spend the night adjacent to the toilet) when my friends drove up to my dorm, corrugated fiberboard boxes in hand, and we stayed in and got wrecked off of cheap red wine together. That’s the exact sentiment Boxed Wine captures in their music.

With the lead singer of Silver Conor on their side, a song in an Adam Sandler movie, and tragicomic DIY music videos, this New Jersey band is out to show you that sometimes cheap really is more fun. In this interview, lead singer Chris Nova talks more about the band that we’ve all seen from the corner of our eyes.

Gauraa Shekhar: According to your website, you guys love Johnny Walker Red, Magic Hat and Craft Beer. How did you end up with the name Boxed Wine?

Chris Nova: Well it happened after we wrote the first EP drinking Franzia Sangria every night (re: the cause of Summer Wine’s poor vocal takes, haha). We settled on ‘wine’ as part of the name, but argued between naming the band Fine Fine Wine or Winetown. Someone said why not just name it Boxed Wine, but we all assumed it was taken. When we looked it up and saw it was open, we were shocked and made the Facebook page that night!

GS: What brought you guys together?

CN: Ralph and I lived together for most of college at Rutgers, and met Mike halfway through mutual friends. Ralph played in a band called Jackie Treehorn with Mike (who’s also the best singer in Boxed Wine) and the precursor band to Boxed Wine, Le Le Low, but they both imploded and we all did nothing for a bit. Then Ralph and I started writing different songs when we were both depressed about how awful the ‘real world’ was. The songs were just an escape that grew gradually over time into a full band with other members. Eventually we settled on the current lineup, adding Mike and his friend Steve. Now we’re practicing with our new member Andrea who’s gonna be playing keyboard since that our sound is changing up a bit.

GS: Your songs are always in commercials, playing before Banks shows at Irving Plaza, etc. Do you guys have a say in the syncs at all or do you just randomly turn on the TV and go, “man, our song’s in a washing machine ad”?

CN: We played before Banks’ show?! That’s so cool! (Laughs) We must have a fan in NYC! We have say on some songs and not on others. The sync market is crazy competitive so they often need a yes immediately. We trust our friends in the licensing world to look out for us, but they did soundtrack an Adam Sandler movie commercial with “Waste Your Time” so we might need to reevaluate those friendships…

We never see the commercials first, our fans and friends usually text us and ruin the surprise. We don’t have cable though so it’s actually pretty helpful.

GS: On that note, what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever heard your music play?

CN: We got a small random check for being in a Norwegian airlines in-company video, so though we’ll never see it we hope it made us a fan or two! Go Norway!

GS: These days artists have started giving music videos an importance again. Bands like Cable and Babes have quite the narrative play going on in their videos but you guys are definitely onto something new. What was the thought process behind the music video for “Spies”?

CN: Well Spies isn’t a music video we made, but we’re glad you enjoyed the guinea pigs! We don’t have enough money to make videos for all our songs, so we ended up stealing a bunch of footage from YouTube to give something entertaining to watch during the non-single tracks!

You should check out Arnold in the “Tearing It Up” video, or Nickelback in the “Into the Nite” one…

We love music videos though, but have kinda screwed up every one so far, especially Cannibal. That turned out to be oddly misogynistic instead of as ridiculous as originally planned. We might remake it with naked dudes and dogs, but the original idea was pretty much done in an MGMT video we hadn’t seen. They probably do more drugs than us, which is why their music video was better. Unfortunately it had a different and much worse effect on their last album…

GS: NJ has a very tightly kit music community. I just learned that Bruce Springsteen helped Nicole Atkins set up her new record label after they met at an Ashbury Park show once. Have you met anyone from NJ who has served as your rock and roll guardian angel?

CN: Our bassist’s dad is Joe Cerisano of the 80s rockers Silver Condor. He also sang the ‘Be All You Can Be’ Army theme, which is awesome. He’s been super helpful with general career advice, which is great. Unfortunately half the people he knows in the music business are dead from an overdose of Rock and/or Roll.

Fun fact: he also sang the best version of “When a Man Loves a Woman” with Clarence Clemons on sexy sax duties. It is jaw dropping.

GS: How do you guys deal with situations where fans in Boxed Wine T-shirts insist on coming up on stage three times per show to sing gang vocals?

CN: We have an officially licensed Homer Simpson ‘Reachin’ Stick’ that we use to push them off stage.

Haha just kidding! We love our fans and honestly wish our shows were crazier, kinda like a Black Lips show. I have never been drunker or happier jumping off the stage while they played through ‘Bad Kids’ and that’s a memory to cherish. We want our crowd to have those memories too.

GS: Which show has been your favorite thus far? Why?

CN: We’ve played some seriously great basement shows in New Brunswick, but the best in our memory was April 20, 2013. It was insane and we had a whole basement soaked and exhausted at the end. That was a memory indeed.

GS: What would you say is the difference between performing in NY and NJ?

CN: There’s no venues in New Jersey, so there’s the answer. Haha kidding again. There are a few, but our best shows have been in basements, hands down. The Court Tavern finally noticed us recently and we had a good show there so we’ve set up another for August 30th.

Unfortunately there are more scammy venues in NJ than NY. There’s a difference between a draw requirement and “here’s 50 $20 tickets to sell or you don’t play an have to pay us back.” NJ has more of the latter and it’s absolutely awful. We’ve always said no to that garbage, and they’ve only tricked us once, causing us to purposefully invite no one and cancel the day before, ha.

GS: People in NY are slightly…well, insane. They tend to say a lot of ridiculous things (paging guy down the street from me who sings dirty versions of nursery rhymes and claims to be a pirate)–what’s the most bizarre thing someone’s said to you at a show?

CN: The exchange went as such:
Homeless man: “you look like a Beatle, can I have a dollar?”
Chris: “what?”
HM: “you look like John Lennon, give me a dollar!!!”
Chris: “thanks but sorry I don’t have any cash”
HM: “FUCK YOU JOHN LENNON GIMME A DOLLAR!!!!”

He then chased us. Very slowly…

GS: I know you guys look up to bands like Bear Hands. In an ideal world, which artists/bands would you like to tour with?

CN: All we want to do is tour and hang out with Tokyo Police Club, that’d be like a dream come true. I’d say Spoon would be a close second. I met Britt and he was so appreciative of his fans; just an all around nice dude. My dream, though, would be to play with the Strokes, but I imagine the second coming of Bowie would happen first.

GS: What are you all listening to right now?

CN: Ralph is listening to a bunch of synth pop bands like Magic Man and Betty Who, so now he never shuts up about Charli XCX. He keeps playing the new Blondfire record on repeat as well.

I’m currently obsessed with Mounties (because Steve Bays is a musical god) and have listened to their debut album like 40 times this month. I’m also crazy about JJAMZ because Alex from Phantom Planet is in it. Unfortunately JJAMZ has been quiet since 2010.

Mike never stops listening to Gaslight Anthem, and it’s clearly influencing the awesome solo songs he’s been writing. Frank Turner and the Fratellis are other passions of his, as well as the Naked and Famous.

Steve listens to way heavier stuff and loves Crosses and the Deftones when he’s not listening to Rush. That’s why he’s the greatest drummer in indie pop, haha.

GS: What’s your favorite Boxed Wine song?

CN: My favorite is currently our next single “Innocent.” but I also really like “Young Lovers”. Ralph’s is probably our new single ‘Quiver.’ Mike is a rockist and likes “Bones” and Steve likes another b-side that’s our heaviest track. It’s untitled currently but will be out pretty soon, we hope.

GS: What led you to make your new album available for free download on Bandcamp?

CN: We’re just realists. Everyone steals music, including us, so we felt this was a way to give back. People have the option to give us a few bucks and they often do, which shows us the true good in humanity. We line our pockets with humanity! Really though, we’d rather people buy a tangible T-shirt and come see us instead of spend the money on the digital songs themselves. We just try not to be jerks, and expect the same from any fans.

Unfortunately we’re forced to charge on the bigger sites, but if you’re not smart enough to figure out how to get it free then unfortunately you must pay handsomely, ha.

GS: Why should our readers pick up “Cheap, Fun?”

CN: It’s FREE, why wouldn’t you take it?! In all seriousness, it will hopefully make your day brighter, guide you in times of trouble, and bring you closer to His Holiness (sic.) David Bowie. All we want to do is help people forget that the world is a cold, dark, cruel place with no rhyme or reason to anything other than the fact that we should all be dancing way more often. And eating pizza. And taking naps. That’s it.
___

Download Boxed Wine’s latest album Cheap, Fun here.

June 29, 2014
Hometown Heroes moe. at Saranac Brewery in Utica

It’s officially summer whenever moe. plays their first show of the year at Saranac Brewery. This year it actually was the first day of summer, and the clear skies and warm sun made it a bearable accompaniment to the second of two nights of moe. at Saranac Brewery. More than 1,000 fans filled the outdoor venue, drinking Saranac’s latest offerings as well as staples such as Pale Ale and Adirondack Amber. An attentive crowd, the brewery attracts a strong hometown crowd for the Utica summer concert series, but nothing like moe. brings in.

moe. Saranac Brewery

Kicking off the night with three newer tunes, two off of the recent No Guts, No Glory release, warming the crowd up slowly with the more familiar “Billy Goat” followed by “Annihilation Blues” and “Do or Die”, all warmly received, but not as much as the next trio of songs. The classic combo of “Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okay Alright” featured Conehead Buddha horns from Shaun Bazylewicz, Terry and Shannon Lynch on all but “Wormwood”, which had a more aired-out pace to it. “Nebraska” found the horns on stage once again, as well as on “Late in the Evening”, a fully rhythmic version that had some interesting interplay between horns and percussion, as well as Marley Amico joining on saxophone . The classic jam vehicle “Moth” ended the set nicely, and set the stage for a phenomenal second set.

Things began a bit dark, and not just because the sun went down. moe. took their time getting into “Spanish Moon”, working patiently into the intro that kept everyone guessing. Joined again by Conehead Buddha horns, the crowd erupted as Chuck sang through the Little Feat lyrics, taking their time to explore the entire composition. Local musician Jason Barady joined on mandolin for “Jazz Wank”, which took a meandering stroll through the improv-friendly composition before segueing ever so nicely into “Buster”, garnering the biggest cheers of the night – the anticipation was stroked ever so carefully on this one.

“Buster” found its way into “Yodelittle”, which clocked in at over 20 minutes and featured a nice jam, segueing into “Four”. With two distinct improv-induced movements, there was full band contribution on making this version of “Four” a stand out among its peers, and made for the highlight of the night, and part of an instant classic second set. “Downward Facing Dog” closed the set, and after al.nouncements, “Same Old Story”, off No Guts No Glory, as well the song from which the lyrics give the album its title, started off the encore, while Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” stormed through the crowd. Of note in “Godzilla” are Rob’s vocals/sounds he was making during the open section of the 70s hit, and well worth a listen.

moe. next plays in New York at Great South Bay Festival in Patchogue on July 19 (get tickets here) and from August 29-31 at moe.down XV in Turin, NY. Get tickets here.

Listen to the show below courtesy of Archive.org

June 26, 2014
The Disco Biscuits Throw Down (and Back) at Irving Plaza

The Disco Biscuits recently completed a brief three night run through New York City at a Irving Plaza, a venue that didn’t seem to befit these monsters of the jam scene. Ditching their usual spacious confines of Best Buy Theatre in Times Square, the group instead opted for a throwback of sorts with the location moving downtown to the approximate 1,000 person capacity Irving Plaza. This was a curious move for a band that could easily sell out venues twice the size of this, but it did make for a highly spirited and energetic performance that surely reminded the musicians and certain audience members of a time when rooms like this were the norm.

The Philly based rockers wasted no time in getting down to business with a blistering ‘Save the Robots’ intro that settled nicely into a slow, extended jam before the next composed section that gave everyone a chance to get their bearings or attempt to carve out space on the cramped floor. Another lengthy jam then followed, anchored by stellar drum and bass play by Allen Aucoin and Marc Brownstein, respectively. Despite a ‘Crickets’-like buildup, the frenzied jam soon came to a boil and the band shifted directions into one of their oldest and most iconic songs, ‘Aceetobee’. This old school Bisco classic saw a composed section that was stretched out, played to perfection and then followed by a fascinating psychedelic jam that had elements ranging from ambient to funk rock. Eventually, the music “normalized” to a degree as keyboardist Aron Magner took control of things and led the way through a seamless segue to yet another Biscuits classic, ‘Mr. Don’. This segue and the driving, pulsating jam that followed was truly some of the best music in this set with the light rig now in full gear and taking advantage of the close walls and light fixtures. The entire run at Irving Plaza had been highlighted by four song first sets and The Disco Biscuits showed tonight would be no different by ending things with one more transition into the ending of yet another classic original number, ‘Magellan’. With a first set that could’ve been plucked right from the pages of a late 90’s setlist (as the previous night’s was) now in the books, setbreak gave everyone a change to get hydrated, refuel and set the bar high for hopes of what was to come.

The second set opened, appropriately enough, with ‘The Overture’, a song based on classical music structure that has the group’s signature style of electronica thrown on the end of it. The mesmerizing, laser light filled jam that followed seemed to delight both audience and band members as the music reached deep levels of electronic improvisation. Jon Gutwillig’s signature guitar lick signaling the beginning of ‘Gangster’ soon rang through the already saturated room that unleashed a new intensity to both the music and light show. Right on cue, the band then steered things right into one of their most renowned and associated covers, Pink Floyd’s ‘Run Like Hell’. Gutwillig continued to take the lead on the outtro jam that featured some truly impressive soloing on his part.

After yet another ‘Crickets’ jam fakeout, the Biscuits continued to honor the old school vibe and then launched into perhaps one of their oldest songs, ‘Pat and Dex’, which brought a noticeable roar from knowledgeable veteran fans. The completion of ‘Pat and Dex’ marked the first time the band finished a song and stopped playing without transitioning into something else, an impressive feat. Perhaps due to the increasingly humid temperature in the room, the band seemed to lose just a little bit of steam in finishing the second set with an unfinished ‘Shem-Rah-Boo’ that meandered for a little while before a noticeable ‘Life During Wartime’ jam took over.

This gave to way to another older song in the form of an inverted ‘Bernstein & Chasnoff’ that was well-played and then capped with a ‘Run Like Hell’ ending. This offered one last impressive display of music and light symmetry that seemed to put a bow on an impressive night of music that saw the band play a number of older and classic songs with all the electronic fury and technical prowess they have at their disposal today.

June 25, 2014
A Musical John Legend Sells Out The Oncenter

John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse

Every once in a while you just know you are in the midst of greatness as it’s unfolding. This summarizes “An Evening With John Legend“, as he played for the sold out crowd in Syracuse at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, June 12, 2014.

John Legend, 2007 Starlight Award recipient from the Song Writers Hall of Fame and a nine time Grammy Award Winning, musician/songwriter/producer, is best known for his collaboration with artists such as Kayne West, Jay Z., Alicia Keyes, Britney Spears, The Roots, Sade, and Lauren Hill to name a few. This multi-talented musician spans genres of R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop crossing over to the pop charts with his recently number one hit “All of Me”. However John Legend has dominated the R&B chart for years with his albums, Get Lifted, Once Again, and Evolver. John is currently touring and promoting his current album Love in the Future which debuted in the Billboard Top 200 at number 4. This album to date has released four hits, “Who Do We Think We Are”, “Made to Love”, “You & I (Nobody in the World)”, and of course the number one hit , “All of Me”.

Just like John’s music, his set was comfortable and intimate with four couches set up behind the string quartet, guitar player, and John’s baby grand piano. Four lucky couples who won their upgraded seats from local radio and television stations, were able to view the entire show from the stage. As John began the show, this intimacy extended even more so to the audience as he shared an amazing history of how he began singing in his grandfather’s church choir at the age of seven. After graduating from high school as his class Salutatorian, John was offered scholarships at such prestigious schools as Harvard, Georgetown, and Morehouse College, however it was the University of Pennsylvania where he further fine tuned his musical knowledge and experience as a side bar to his studies in English and African American Literature. This insight into his course of studies, helped to explain to me his wonderful way with words and songwriting.

John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse

From the moment John took the stage, the crowd was truly mesmerized by each number he sang, as they sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next story, joke, song he shared. As he played hits such as “Made to Love”, “Tonight”, “Maxine”, “Used to Love U”, “Ordinary People” and so many more, the audience sang back, clapped along, and prompted him to continue begging him to not stop. His rendition of “Where Did My Baby Go” with the accompaniment on strings was spectacularly beautiful, while his “Good Morning Love” was as though he was serenading each and every one of us. As he sang “Caught Up” the audience became a part of the song singing along and clapping as though they were part of the show themselves.

During the show John shared a personal story of how he was invited to perform on Jimmy Fallon’s show the week they were honoring Bruce Springsteen. During that show he sang his version of “Dancing In the Dark” hoping at one point and time to hear feedback from Bruce’s team or Bruce himself. He spoke of months going by with no hope of any response either good or bad, when out of the blue he received a call from Bruce’s management personally requesting him to play his version at a tribute for Bruce Springsteen himself. This validation should not have been a surprise to anyone as the rendition was amazingly beautiful. We often see songs remixed time and again to speed ballads up into dance numbers. However to see a fast song slowed down to a ballad tempo was amazingly beautiful as we heard the song with new insight.

It was however his dedication to his grandmother who taught him how to play that moved me the most. Many covers have been done of Simon and Grafunkels’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, however the raw emotion he put into this number brought goosebumps as he sang his resonating melody straight up to heaven for her. One could feel the love and adoration as he sang to her.

As the night came to an end and John left the stage for a moment, the crowd chanted over and over for one more song. As they cheered in anticipation, it was of course the encore they had awaited all night, “All of Me”. This sexy song, seems to touch everyone who hears it as an anthem to love, after all it was written as such for John’s wife, Christine Teigen. As I left the show, these feelings seem to spill out onto those in attendance. Unbeknownst to one unexacting lady, out in the lobby was a surprise orchestrated by her boyfriend who took this opportunity to express his love and propose to her after the show. To paraphrase one comment made by John Legend during the show, “for those men in attendance, I(John) am setting you guys up nicely for a wonderful romantic evening with your ladies. Please don’t ruin it and say something stupid”. That young man didn’t. She said yes. John would be proud.

John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse

John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse

June 25, 2014
moe. Brings it Back Home at Buffalo’s Canalside

moe. celebrated a nice little homecoming party at this past Thursday’s concert. The event was Buffalo’s Canalside Concert series’ second free show and most successful one this year. moe. continues to really give their all when they return to where it all began 25 years ago. Playing in the small clubs of Buffalo back then may have been a little different from what they played in front of Thursday, but the energy level just continues to reign supreme after all of these years.

The night started off with opening band Conehead Buddha, and as the sun set, it was a perfect beginning to the night alongside Buffalo’s inner harbor. The harbor itself was lined with plenty of boats, giving the spectators on the water some great music to go along with their already fun-filled day.

moe. had a shorter run time due to a 10:00 pm curfew, but they made the best of it playing songs new and old as well as covering The Rolling Stones “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin”, Black Sabbath’s “Wizard”, and The Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated”.

It really doesn’t matter if it’s a free show when moe. comes back home as they always seem to play to the crowd, and in Buffalo, NY, the crowd continues to love the band that remembers their roots.

Setlist: Y.O.Y. > Skrunk > Blue Jeans Pizza, Understand > 32 Things, Same Old Story >(nh) Rebubula, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’*, Akimbo* >(nh) Threw It All Away*, The Wizard*

Encore: I Wanna Be Sedated

* w/ The Conehead Buddha Horns: Shannon Lynch on saxophone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone

Check out the video of “32 Things” recorded by our friends at WNYMEDIA.NET

June 25, 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
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
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