Buffalive Productions and Buffalo Iron Works put together quite an evening with some rising talent as well as one big name in the livetronica music scene. Allen Aucoin from The Disco Biscuits closed out a great night of music with his solo project pseudonym DrFameus.
DrFameus just manned with a computer and his kit, drummed out beat after beat with ease. It was also a very special night for local band, Sonder, as they released their newest CD, Cymatics. Opening the show was local product Space Junk who continues to spread their space rock in the area.
Tribute bands tend to fall into one of two extremes. They are either really impressive and give you an experience reminiscent of the band they’re covering or they fall flat and just play a bunch of songs by the band to which they’re supposed to be paying tribute. Pink Talking Fish is neither of those. Playing the music of three of music’s powerhouses – Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish – is no easy task. Doing so in a manner that both pays a strong tribute to the original musicians while also creating a completely new experience is an even more daunting. Yet Pink Talking Fish does just this, with ease.
Playing to their name, Pink Talking Fish opened their first of two long sets at The Spot Underground in Providence, RI with Pink Floyd’s “Nobody Home.” They followed this up with an epic segue sandwich starting off with the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” smoothly moving into Phish’s “Sand.” This flowed nicely into “Another Brick in the Wall” and then back to “Sand” and topping it off with a return to “Slippery People.” This pumped up the crowd who was locked and loaded for the next three hours of nearly non-stop music. The first set continued for about another hour with a nearly equal mix of music from the three bands, with highlights being “Burning Down the House,” “Carini,” and the awesome “Crosseyed and Painless” played during the pause in the middle of “Divided Sky” which closed out the set.
After a short set-break, they came back with fire. Opening the second set with “2001” followed by “Life During Wartime” – not one soul in the room was standing still. Displaying their love for these bands and knowledge of the music, Pink Talking Fish covered a song that Phish has only played once – at their recent Halloween show in Las Vegas. “The Dogs” was easily a crowd favorite of the show, surprising everyone in the house when it started up with the sounds of howling dogs. This was followed up with a dual performance of “Cities,” a Talking Heads song covered often by Phish. Initially playing it in the slow funk style of Phish, they ended it with the first verse played in the uptempo style of the Talking Heads. The set ended right at the curfew of 2:30 AM with a simply superb “Mike’s Groove,” with “Psycho Killer” in the middle, that segued into the perfect cap to a great night found in “Eclipse.” But that wasn’t the end of the show. They came back with a double encore of “Memories Can’t Wait” and “First Tube” to bring the night to a serendipitous ending.
Pink Talking Fish took what could have been a standard tribute band show and turned it into a very unique experience. They don’t simply cover the songs of these three legendary bands. They make a show out of it. They kept the audience on their toes both with the set list and with the teases of other songs throughout the improvisation. Everyone was glowing as they exited the venue.
“I did a special show with Wavy Gravy a while back, and we were supposed to talk about Woodstock” Arlo Guthrie recalled on Sunday, November 16 at Bardavon, as he tuned his sparkly blue 12-string acoustic. “The thing is, neither of us could remember much of anything.”
Guthrie began the second set at Poughkeepsie’s Bardavon Theater with the recollections of Woodstock he did have. After a helicopter dropped him off, Arlo was told he had to play a day before planned. “Someone told me ‘Arlo, you gotta play, man!’ and I just said, ‘I can’t go out there!’ ”
It did not take long for one to realize Guthrie’s anecdotes and tales are as essential to his show as singing and strumming. Genuine laughter reverberated around the historic theater for much of the night, as he demonstrated a practiced sense of humor. With long flowing white hair and a deep raspy voice; Guthrie had the stage to himself for the last night of a solo tour. A harmonica hung around his neck, four acoustic guitars rested beside him, and a black bay grand piano sat behind Guthrie. Each instrument was utilized during both of his 45 minute sets, featuring timeless folk and blues tunes.
It is no surprise that Guthrie looked at home on the Bardavon’s stage. He grew up with his father Woody and his pals drinking whiskey, plucking guitars, and singing the blues, the first generation to record music. Guthrie dedicated an old folk tune to one of those friends—his mentor, friend, and Hudson Valley legend Pete Seeger. “I remember Pete played this song thirty years ago and I didn’t think of it again. Then, one day I was walkin’ down the sidewalk and it got in my head and wouldn’t leave!” Guthrie exclaimed before proffering “Deep Blue Sea.” He devoted another song to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott after describing the night he met his wife of 43 years, Jackie, at a rodeo in Hollywood with Elliott.
Guthrie teased the crowd with a few lines from “Alice’s Restaurant” while joking that he might have written a briefer song had he known everyone would clamor for it the rest of his career. His other most recognizable song, “City of New Orleans” drew the loudest applause of the night from an enthusiastic fan base. “Al The Goose” and “The Motorcycle Song” enticed more laughter from the audience. Guthrie closed the night by inviting the crowd to help in a cover of his father’s “My Peace.” Nearly everyone joined in for an awe-inducing conclusion to the evening.
Arlo Guthrie demonstrated to the Bardavon faithful why he has been touring for four decades. He combines timely humor with his warm personality and music prowess to produce an entertaining performance. No one left the show early or checked their watch; rather, fans were eager to sing along and laugh deeply as Guthrie seemed like an old friend on stage.
With the cold looming in the air, Buffalo music fans flocked to Buffalo Iron Works to catch Particle with special guests and Buffalo’s own Space Junk. The crowd had funneled in early to catch the opening band which continues to produce some real solid jams and kept everyone moving right until Particle took the stage. Particle took it to the next level with inspiring jams and spaced out rock. The lighting kicked it up yet another notch creating the ultimate concert experience and no wonder why the group is all the late night rage.
Particle has also announced their winter tour dates today and for fans of the Buffalo show have a chance to check them out again with a date in Syracuse which is not too far away from a good amount of the state of New York on January 11. The tour will cover a lot of ground throughout the country and it was good to see that NY will get to see them again in a few months. Â For tickets and more info, you can visit the band’s webpage here.
Dark Star Orchestra performed a classic energizing 1987 show on Saturday Nov. 15 to a nearly sold out crowd, at The Palace in Albany.
The event was hosted by Guthrie Bell Productions. Dark Star Orchestra has made a name for themselves by performing Grateful Dead shows in their entirety with sincere conviction. This night was no different as fans of all ages gathered to hear the familiar songs that prove to still mean so much to so many. The night started off with a funky, light-hearted key work, from Rob Barraco on “Hey Pocky Way” (The Meters) that got everyone jumping. Jeff Mattson has vocals that will nearly break your heart if you’re not careful and if that doesn’t do it; his passionate guitar riffs ignite the Dead like atmosphere. For a split second, it almost looks like Rob Eaton is Bob Weir with his facial similarities, rustic vocals and fresh rhythm guitar strumming.
Set two brought a continuous flow of music that surged throughout the venue. The crowd sang out the worn lyrics of “Eyes Of The World” with gusto. The night took a turn into dark territory as “Drums>Space” was a terribly stretched vortex of noise from Dino English and Rob Koritz before finally picking up with “Gimmie Some Lovin” by The Spencer Davis Group. The set came to an end with a cheerfully sweet fan favorite of “Sugar Magnolia” with an appropriate encore of “It’s All Over Now”. As the performance wound down, the musicians revealed the specific show that they had recreated effortlessly that night as September 15, 1987 at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Dark Star Orchestra beautifully crafts the art that is Dead music with more than just playing the notes, it’s something you feel. You can witness the Grateful Dead/Dark Star Orchestra experience at the Best Buy Theater in NYC on the Nov. 28 and 29 and The Westcott in Syracuse on Dec 1.
Set One: Hey Pocky Way, New Minglewood Blues, When Push Comes To Shove, Beer Barrel Polka; Me And My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Row Jimmy, Queen Jane Approximately, Tennessee Jed, The Music Never Stopped
Set Two: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Space > The Wheel > Gimme Some Lovin’ > All Along The Watchtower Tease > Black Peter > Sugar Magnolia
A lot of bands say they have a hard time giving it their all at shows with poor turnouts. Freekbass and his band, The Bump Assembly, do not fall into this category.
Many local and national artists who have played in Buffalo, NY over the years have learned that competing against a Buffalo Bills game is not an easy task. That being said, when I walked into Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar (DBGB’s) on Thursday Nov 13 to watch Freekbass lay down his impressive slap bass licks and unmistakable funk sound, I was greeted by an overwhelming crowd of diehard Bills fans who had completely taken over the bar and restaurant, forcing Freekbass and his band to postpone their set until the game’s conclusion. And upon finally starting their first song, they were playing to a crowd of about 15 people, including NYS Music photographer Meredith Snow and myself
But did this stop them from putting on a captivating live show? Absolutely not.
The funkadelic three-piece treated the audience to their enraptured stage presence and dance routines, which could only be described as being choreographed by the Blues Brothers themselves. Nothing could stop them from presenting themselves and the music they love the way they wanted to do it. They probably would’ve done the same had they only been performing for the sound guy and bartender.
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It’s work ethic and dedication like that, that makes bands truly stand out. Their musicianship is uncanny and their collective heart is just as apparent and powerful. I would recommend them to any avid funk, r & b, or hip hop listener. Freekbass’ new album is called Everybody’s Feelin’ Real. Its been available online on bandcamp for the last three months – if you’re a fan of anything that falls into the space-groove funktronica category – go download a copy immediately.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is a name you are going to be hearing a lot of in the near future. Their latest album I’m In Your Mind Fuzz is out now and is a 42 minute psychedelic journey of proportions not seen in many years. All ten tracks seep right into one another without letting you catch your breath for more than a second, if you are even given a second. All seven members of the band meld into a beautiful creation on I’m In Your Mind Fuzz with no one member sticking out, making it a true group effort.
Although the band hails from Australia, they recorded much of the record at Daptone Studios in Brooklyn and in Hunter Mountain, New York. When I spoke to the band at a recent show in New York during their time here for the CMJ festival, they loved being in New York and recording in two different parts of the state. They especially liked Upstate New York and the openness of it all compared to New York City. The spaciness in parts of the record can most likely be attributed to the wide open land of Hunter Mountain.
The first four tracks come at you like a bullet. These 13 minutes are some of the tightest on the record and feel like one straight thought that the band decided to break up and name four separate things. Right off the bat the drums and distorted guitars of “I’m In You Mind” get your head moving along. Once the fuzzy vocals and harmonica come into the picture, you’re already hooked. The four tracks are straight out of the psychedelic sounds of bands like The 13th Floor Elevators. The music continues that way through the last seconds of “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz” before transitioning into “Empty” which slows down the proceedings slightly, but not enough for you to want to stop bopping along with what the Australians are producing for your ears and mind to take in.
The next highlight on the album is “Hot Water” that sounds as if it could be a Jethro Tull outtake, from the flute to the vocal delivery it is a spot on tribute to the great band. A brief respite of the beginning 40 seconds of “Am I In Heaven” gives you one more moment to catch your breath before the full punk and psychedelic sounds roar right back into your mind. “Slow Jam 1” and “Satan Speeds Up” bring the album to a slowed down dream like state. Beautiful vocal work and otherworldly effects on the guitar shine of these two tracks before the closing eight minute epic of “Her & I (Slow Jam II) bring it all home for the record. The band is at their most classic rock moment with this song, giving a performance reminiscent of The Doors or a jam from early Santana, and gives the listener a sense of accomplishment of completing the record on such a high note after everything that has been thrown at them.
King Gizzard picked the perfect name for this album as you feel in the beginning as if you are losing your mind with the sounds that are coming at you at such a rapid pace. As the record goes on though you go into a fuzz, along with the band, as you have no idea what will be thrown at you next. To have the band end the album with such a long track that could be played on any radio station in the world, despite it’s length, shows how confident this band is in their music. Run to your nearest record store, or your I-Tunes account, and get this album immediately and hope the band comes back to the states to play some live shows again soon, they are not to be missed.
Key Tracks: I’m In Your Mind, Cellophane, Her & I (Slow Jam II)
Back in May I saw the clip below for Whiplash, a film about an aspiring jazz drummer and an overbearing professor. I waited patiently for six months for the film to be released. Watch the two minutes clip to get a sense of why the anticipation for this film was so strong.
That scene takes place only 20 minutes into the 100+ minute film and is far from the most powerful scene in a building, erratic sequence of events that demonstrate the will to be the best and the extent to which one can push the human body and spirit before it cannot be pushed any further.
Miles Teller plays Andrew, an aspiring jazz drummer at the Shaffer Conservatory, a fan of Buddy Rich and a tireless student of his work. J.K. Simmons plays Terence Fletcher, a sought after professor and leader of The Studio, a Shaffer ensemble that is the highest level at which the best of the best can hope to be a part of. Andrew finds his way into The Studio, only to find out that Fletcher, while a brilliant professor is a psychological tormentor, breaking his students down until the point that perfection can be attained.
Simmons is quite simply outstanding in his best role to date, exhibiting anger and emotion not seen since OZ; every wrinkle and line on Simmons’ face is stretched and contorted as he berates and abuses his students, with particular focus on Andrew. The rapid fire personality of Fletcher rubs off on Andrew and shifts his personality in a Stockholm Syndrome fashion, abusing himself through intense practicing to the point of clothes drenched in sweat and bloody hands. Andrew dates and breaks it off with Nicole, quite coldly, opting to focus squarely on his drumming and his future. Bloody cymbals and drums galore, Andrew pushes himself, turning into a madly driven drummer fighting for his seat in The Studio.
Whiplash is one of those film roles where an educator makes a strong impact on a student. In this case, Fletcher is a saboteur, tearing Andrew down bit by bit; even when there is nothing left to strip from him, he finds more. Fletcher is a sadist and nothing gets past him. When Andrew is finally broken, he shines his brightest.
Teller’s drumming is quite impressive, well-practiced and looking as close to the real thing as possible – it’s tough to fake playing drums in a movie but through the efforts of drummer director Damien Chazelle it comes off as flawless. The film’s cinematography is jazz influenced as well, bouncing around to the music and catching every little facet of a jazz core ensemble that is disallowed from errors. The Sundance Award-winning film is strongest because of the drumming, cinematography and Simmons’ Oscar-worthy performance.
Whiplash is rated R and is playing in limited release.
The hustle and bustle of Times Square was weaving in and around 42nd and 8th as usual for a Saturday night as The Bronx invaded Midtown at one floor below street level for a night filled with the heartiest crock of Irish rock around. New York City’s Black 47 pulled out all the stops at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill on November 15 for their final performance ever, marking over 2,400 shows for the band’s 25-year career (that’s more shows than the Grateful Dead played in 30 years). The band wouldn’t let the last guitar chord ring without first thanking their fans with a performance that would help bring proper closure to what has meant a lot to many of them over the years.
In one way, the night was like any other Black 47 show – good friends, intimate venue, pints flowing, and plenty of happy dancing feet. Surely the band could have sold out a larger venue but that would have taken away from the experience of a Black 47 show (and for the record, this show sold out early in September, more than two months beforehand). As frontman Larry Kirwan told early in the fall, he sees the band’s legacy as being known for doing what they want and as a band for the moment. They kept true to their style and flow by having a fantastic music club bursting at the seams with friends and memories rather than a concert hall where people wouldn’t be as connected with each other.
Larry Kirwan
Speaking of friends, many of Black 47’s guest musicians from over the years and past band members joined them on stage throughout the evening. Mary Courtney, a traditional Irish singer and musician, appeared early in the evening. Joining the band later was Bronx-based musician and long-time member of the Saturday Night Live band Christine “The Beehive Queen” Ohlman (who, after singing on “Blood Wedding,” had to beeline back to the SNL set for the show’s taping). To much applause Larry Kirwan’s partner in crime in the founding of Black 47, Chris Byrne (who left the band in 2000 to focus on other music projects) came back to the stage twice to sing with the band. Also joining the band on stage throughout the night were Rory Kirwan (Larry’s son), Irish dancer Jake James, substitute piper Andrew Sharp (who filled in for Mulvanerty on some weeknight gigs), Rob “The Ginz” Graziano, good friend and occasional fill-in bass player. Even two of the band’s dedicated behind-the-scenes guys “Staten Island” Tom Marlow and P2 joined the band on stage for a few choruses of “Gloria” during the encore – more on that shortly.
It seems that after 25 years it must be one heck of a mind-bender to plan the final, ultimate set list. Regardless of whatever roshambo and coin-tossing that may have gone on to cut songs or leave songs on the set list (even right up until the show with last-minute changes), the final selection was solid and well-suited for the over two-hour sendoff and captured a bit of every flavor of the band’s catalog.
For those familiar with Black 47, they know that the live experience with the band is hard to top, especially with the musicianship on stage. This shone strong through the entire set as the band flaunted its talent even more so than usual for this final show; the guys took the opportunity to stretch their arms as a group one last time. The core of the band was solid as always and the horns/pipes were as on top of their game as they could be. While there is a lot more that can be said about this, two particular crowd-invoking moments came from Geoff Blythe’s soaring notes on the ballads “Fanatic Heart” and “Mychal,” a song honoring FDNY chaplain Mychal Judge who lost his life in the 9/11 attacks.
Then there were moments that were just plain fun. A lot of dancing was had throughout the night, particularly during a set of reels early on (something the band does live and only has recorded on their Live In New York City album, bootlegs aside.) During “Rockin’ the Bronx” Joe “Bearclaw” Burcaw turned his bass amp up a little to pound out some licks rivaling that of Stanley Clarke as Fred Parcells (trombone), Geoffrey Blythe (sax), Joseph Mulvanerty (uilleann pipes) and Tom Hamlin (drums) joined in for a free-form jam before Kirwan returned to the stage to get the audience singing along with one more chorus on the song. Like a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show with rice thrown during the wedding scene, cigarettes rained on the stage during the opening of “40 Shades of Blue” at the line of selling a soul for a cigarette outside of CBGB. Not to mention the band’s sense of humor between songs which kept spirits high.
A lot of Black 47’s music has carried at least some sort of wide range of emotions with it. Perhaps the most profound moment was during the band’s powerful political song “James Connolly,” a repertoire-defining song about the great Irish labor organizer. The passionate crowd raised fists of solidarity in the air as a banner of Connolly unfurled on stage next to a Starry Plough flag. A few people in the audience were so eager to raise a flag of their own that they passed it up on stage to be held up. Other moments commanded respect during the songs, such as “Mychal,” as the room fell near dead silent – a scene that seems to be witnessed less and less frequently at shows these days.
Before it was all over, the set was closed with “Funky Céili,” the band’s song that got extended MTV airplay in 1993 and opened the encore with “Maria’s Wedding,” the song Black 47 played on their first network TV appearance with David Letterman in the same year. Finally, the flood gates opened for an all-out jam on “Gloria” leading into a chorus of “I Fought The Law” with just about everyone in the place singing along. All of the guests who could stick around to the end of the gig came back out for one more old-fashioned rock ‘n roll jam. Thought they did not end the show with their own material, it was certainly a positive, high energy rock ‘n roll way to wrap up 25 years.
As a last tip of the hat to the crowd, Bearclaw, Mulvanerty, and Graziano sang an a capella “Happy Trails” while friends in the audience shared one last hug over Black 47 some others quickly flocked to a line to say hello to Kirwan after the show. It was a bittersweet moment as the stage went silent and the din of the crowd was all that remained.
Many fans have taken to the “25 Years of Black 47” fan-run group on Facebook sharing memories about their first Black 47 shows and have been sharing numerous photos and videos from their final few shows.
The gigs may be over, but the music lives on. Long live Black 47!
Setlist: Green Suede Shoes, The Big Fellah, Livin’ In America (with Mary Courtney, vocals, and Jake James), The Reels (with Jake James), Three Little Birds / Desperate, Danny Boy, Culchie Prince, Fanatic Heart, Rockin’ the Bronx, Five Points (with Andrew Sharp, flute, and Jake James), Fire of Freedom (with Rory Kirwan, vocals), Mychal, Walk All The Days (with Chris Byrne, vocals), Blood Wedding (with Christine Ohlmann, vocals), James Connolly (with Jake James, bodhrán), 40 Shades of Blue, Funky Céili
Encore: Maria’s Wedding, Gloria / I Fought The Law
*links are to full-length video from the show
Be sure to follow Black 47’s YouTube page for more full-length videos from their final performances as they are posted.
(Video Credits: Lee Harwig for “Gloria” and Rory’s rap during “Fire of Freedom”; Mike O’Connor for “Funky Céili” and “40 Shades of Blue;” and Joey “Knobs” Juntunen/Dan “Bojo” Boujoulian for “Livin’ In America,” “Fire of Freedom,” and “Walk All The Days.” )
One of the best things to recently come out of the Boston area is not surprisingly big, loud and dirty. The 10 piece funk band, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has come out with a new album, Bucket Express, a collection of modern day noise with a vintage soul that everyone can get down to. The 10 track album features songs with strong vocals alongside 70’s funk and soul melodies with a dash of Latin and hip hop, making it the ideal album for any social gathering. The album features members from Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone and Galactic, who were big influences on BODB from day one.
The album starts with the booming funk of the brass section and ear grabbing vocals by Sarah ‘Lil Shrimp’ Seminski on “Mr. Boom Boom” with classic rock n roll guitar riffs and rhythm that instantly set the bar high for the rest of the album. “Real MC” features stand out back to back solos from each brass section for a jazz infused flavor with organ chilling chords as spitting fluid vocal work starts for a modern hip hop twist. “Miz Green” brings out the funk with heavy bass notes, electronic beat bops and the sensual and powerful stylings of Seminski. The album’s title song, “Bucket Express”, gives great representation of the group with the rhythm of a locomotive that builds up the energy with hip hop melodies and spotlight work on each instrument for a funk free for all. “Boss Hogg” squeezes the juice out of that organ and serious guitar shredding proves that they are their own boss. “Can’t Get No Release” has harmonious vocals singing powerful lyrics of growth with the band providing crescendo after crescendo of soul.
The romance starts to heat up on “Get To Know You Better” with dreamy key work, hot drum work and straight forward lyrics of passion. “Fine Fly Woman” has frequent buildups with fast strumming that gets those hips swinging. The album starts to wind down with its last two tracks as “Central Ave Blues” with a big city, back alley night club kinda feel. “Vidalia” is a serious slow groove in comparison to the rest of the heart racing tracks but it stretches out Seminski’s gorgeous vocal range, making it the perfect come down to the album.
Bucket Express is easy to have on repeat and helps to forget the weight of the world with the heavy funk. Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has an unmistakable ear for creating a fresh fusion of sound that appeals to generations across the spectrum as each track is a stand-alone piece of delight and surprise. After this past Halloween, keyboardist Brett Badolato and singer Sarah Seminski have parted ways with the band but The Bucket shall continue on with their journey of funk. There will be some big shoes to fill for sure but we hope that the Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket finds themselves somewhere in Upstate NY for the new year ahead.
Key Tracks: Bucket Express, Can’t Get No Release, Vidalia
Bucket Express is available for free streaming on Soundcloud as well as clicking here for their website plus live performances too.
One of the best things to recently come out of the Boston area is not surprisingly big, loud and dirty. The 10 piece funk band,