Category: Reviews

Consider Spring Revived: Spring Revival 2 at Carey Lake

After what can only be called a “trying” Winter and early Spring, Upstate NY was more then ready for a weekend that didn’t suck monkey balls. Enter Statewide Music’s Spring Revival 2. With forecasts only showing a few storms and weather ranging into the 80’s, the timing couldn’t have been better for a revival of the Spring we had yet to receive. This three day fest entered it’s second year in a brand new venue: Macedon, NY’s Carey Lake. Situated perfectly between Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Ithaca, the venue was easy to find and flat, with plenty of space for car camping, surrounded with enough trees, streams, gardens, and woodland creatures to satisfy the even the most Ranger Rick loving hippies. A bar and restaurant fronted the head of the property and also held the late night bands with a heaping dose of small town hospitality (Not to mention a pretty kick ass brunch!).

Thursday night kicked kicked the festival off with a nice group of early arrivals with the new improv-heavy Rochester trio, Underground Funk. Headliner and ‘s March Madness Winner, Lucid, (who also have the coolest tour bus ever) held the main stage expertly, and Rochester’s Haewa, whom would play two blistering sets over the weekend, kept things going until 1AM. It’s often when the music is done at small festivals when you really get to wander and meet new and interesting people and many were up til the sun rose. The night time revealed travelers from at least four different states had come to share in the groove, some who lived life from festival to festival, and many others that came to see the specific acts. Acoustic guitars, joyful conversations, and a small drum circle carried the festival until the morning.

Speaking of sun, Friday came with a ton of it. Temps soared into the 80’s by the time Personal Blend kicked off and no one was complaining. The first truly glorious day of 2014 also inspired all the bands that day as everyone was delivering their A-game sets. Albany’s Formula 5 won the afternoon crowd over with an inspired set and their brand new bassist (not to be confused with movie and television star) James Woods. The fun was given an exhilarating short break late in the afternoon as a short but fierce storm, henceforth named Hurricane EZ-Down, gave everything a nice soak and showed whose tents were truly “wind-friendly.” After a short break and a slight schedule change, Ithaca’s Solaris and Vermont’s Flabberghaster paved the way for the first of two headlining nights for Buffalo’s hottest export, Aqueous. The foursome whose genre, dubbed “groove rock”, but was more like “everything is awesome rock”, played an energy filled set anchored by a spot on first time cover debut of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Funky Monk”. Closing down the evening, Rochester’s nocturnal psych-rock-animal Ocupanther, kept the night owls going ’til last call.

Revival’s Saturday schedule was loaded with bands straight through from 11AM until 2AM. Many bounced between the two stages with a seemingly endless supply of dancing fuel, while others played Frisbee or explored the grounds. This was a great time to check out many of the great vendors on site as well, and I picked myself up some organic homemade deodorant and a brisket taco that can only be described as freakin’ delicious. Straying from the music didn’t last long though as Albany’s Mister F blew up a cover of Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat”, made famous in Napoleon Dynamite. Warming up the stage for Aqueous’s second night, a full two set show, were Rochester’s Roots Collider and Haewa’s second set of the weekend.

Aqueous wasted no time getting into two blistering energy filled sets with the pairing of fan favorite originals, “Complex Part II” and “Origami”, with Solare Flare’s Hank and Margo spinning fire stage left. Concluding the set with a debut of The Cars “Just What I Needed”, the band took a short break while the audience refilled their beers. Never short on surprises, the band re-entered with bassist Evan McPhaden dressed in a full Tigger costume and a set of music that truly defined the amazing weekend as a champion. The newly re-finagled Universe Shark closed the festival down in style in the Carey Lake bar.

Carey Lake will hold three more Statewide Music events this year with the next being the bluegrass/Americana/folk based Fiddler’s Picnic (June 12-15). Wish you had made it? No worries. Spring Revival 3 has already been announced for May 14-17th 2015.

May 21, 2014
Staind Sells Out Turning Stone Showroom Two Nights In a Row

Under the cloak of darkness, the band takes the stage and begins to rock the audience on not just one night, but two, packing the house on both occasions. Best known for their seven hit albums and more than 25 hit singles, Staind has remained one of the most popular hard rock bands over the past two decades and sold out two nights at Turning Stone Showroom.

Staind

With Aaron Lewis on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Johnny April on bass and backing vocals, Mike Mushok on lead guitar, and Sal Giancarelli on drums and percussion, how can you not love the electricity felt in the air and vibrations throughout the room with the amps blasting some of their best known hits from over the years.

What many don’t know about these rock stars is their dedication to giving back to communities throughout New England through a charity called It Takes A Community Foundation. The foundation was founded in 2010 by Aaron Lewis and his wife, Vanessa, when the small rural school in their hometown was closed due to budgetary constraints. Instead of seeing their children and the others in the town bused to schools outside their community, they came together to establish the foundation to combat this problem. Through a benefit concert that year, they were able to raise enough money to reopen the school as a private local school available to all the children in the community. Now in their 4th year of raising money through benefit concerts and an annual golf tournament, the foundation focuses on reviving rural communities throughout all of New England by working together with the leaders in the communities to identify and address their individual needs and crises at hand. For more information on the charity and the concert and golf tournament for 2014, please visit It Takes A Community Foundation at http://itacf.org/index.php/about.html .

For more information on Staind and their upcoming shows please visit their page at http://www.staind.com .

May 21, 2014
Avenged Sevenfold comes to Syracuse

Avenged Sevenfold performed at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena in Syracuse on May 15th, touring in support of their album Hail to the King. Joining Avenged one last time on the Shepherd of Fire Tour was Hellyeah.

Despite some changes this year with the departure of guitarist Greg Tribbett and bassist Bob Kakaha, Hellyeah is better than ever. Vocalist Chad Gray has amazing energy. He loves what he does and tells the crowd that metal music saved his life. New bassist, Kyle Sanders, is a great addition to the band as well. He is talented and fascinating to watch as he whips his hair around and plays in different directions. Vinnie Paul on the drums is clearly a veteran performer. He interacts with the crowd better than any drummer I have seen. Tom Maxwell is a rock star on the guitar. Also joining the guys on tour is guitarist Christian Brady. He has only been confirmed as a touring guitarist with the band but he has proved to be a great asset. The band keeps the crowd pumped throughout their set, finishing it off with the hit “Drink, Drank, Drunk”.

Avenged Sevenfold took the stage. and their rapport from performing together for 15 years is immediately obvious. They worked well together, anticipating the moves of one another and just having fun. The band wasted no time in getting the crowd fired up with hits like “Shepherd of Fire” and “Critical Acclaim”. Matt Shadows looks as if he was born to be on this stage. His ability to transition from screaming to singing so flawlessly is remarkable. Synster Gates is fantastic on the guitar and it is clear he loves to be on stage. Johnny Christ takes on the role of entertainer; he is playful and makes you feel like he could be just a neighborhood kid you grew up with. Zacky Vengeance is serious but charismatic. Arrin Illejay is hidden behind the drums, but when you can see him, he is captivating; the newest member of Avenged Sevenfold has definitely won the hearts of fans.

Halfway through the show the lights dim and all we can see is Matt Shadows. He begins to speak of his best friend, James “The Rev” Sullivan, their drummer who passed away in 2009. He tells the crowd that throughout the show they will hear a voice that isn’t theirs, it’s the Rev. They have devoted themselves to keeping The Revs memory alive. He sings “Fiction” as photos of The Rev play on the screen behind him. Shadows is emotional but he performs beautifully. It is an intimate moment between the band and their fans as they grieve together. These guys remind us that the bonds of true friendship can not be broken, even by death.

The band brings the energy back with their hit “Nightmare.” The previously solemn crowd erupts as they sing along, ending the night with “Almost Easy.”

These bands put on an amazing show. People from every generation came to see them play and did not leave disappointed. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for them.

May 21, 2014
The Breakdown at Susquehanna

Susquehanna Breakdown Music Festival was an all day event on Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA on May 10th. Hosted by music sensation Cabinet, whose blues infused rock and roots Americana sound has established them a firm footing in the soils of the East coast, for a second year, the festival was a success.

Cabinet is from the hills of Pennsylvania making the backdrop of Montage Mountain a perfect fit. A heavy rotation of artists from NY trampled the stages giving high-energy performances leaving the audience tired, yet wanting more. The Brummy Brothers kicked off the day and music alternated without a break all day and into the night. Highlights include a set from Marco Benevento and Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, as well as artist at large, Ron Holloway. The festival was a big dance party from start to finish for all ages. The family oriented event offered something for everyone whether it was hippy clothes shopping, face art or hula-hoops.

Check out our photo gallery of the festival.

May 20, 2014
Buffalo Packed Nietzsche’s to Catch the Genius that is Marco Benevento

As the weather breaks and nicer temperatures start to become the norm, the residents of Buffalo begin to come out of their winter slumber and explore the city again. This past Friday night, Marco Benevento was in town and, with mother nature’s cooperation, Buffalo’s music community came out in droves and ascended upon Nietzsche’s for a night of great music. As 10pm came and went, the venue began filling up with all walks of life to catch the jazz experimentalist himself. Benevento has played Buffalo pretty consistently as of late and it seems as though the scene here is not only appreciative of his visits, but the crowd continues to grow every time he comes back.

The night started off with local favorites, Lazlo Hollyfeld. With a beer in hand, it was actually difficult to try to maneuver to the front of the venue as it was that densely packed for Lazlo. The group, in my eyes, was a perfect fit to open the night as their instrumental experimentation goes hand in hand with the type of crowd Benevento brings out. With over ten years under their belts, Lazlo knew exactly how to draw a crowd in and keep them entranced with their choice of songs for the set. Without any effort, your ears immediately gravitated towards Matt Felski who has the unique role of Vibraphonist in the band. For those unfamiliar, the instrument is similar to a xylophone and, as you can imagine, stuck out like a sore thumb. That might sound like a slight, but the way Felski utilized staccato and legato couldn’t have been more perfect. I can’t say I’ve ever heard this instrument outside of jazz, let alone in a small band, but these guys made it work and have a truly unique sound because of it. While I would’ve enjoyed seeing some more of them that night, their set was stellar and got the crowd in the perfect mindset for what was to come. Their jamming was dark and exploratory, having almost a heavy metal feel in terms of both tempo and tone. Guitarist Sonny Baker was the visual focal piece for the band as his energy swelled with peaks in the music and forced him to frantically pluck away in certain segments and attack his solos with a fierce tenacity. As they wrapped up their set, the crowd let out an exuberant cheer, letting the band know of their appreciation and enjoyment.

Marco Benevento took the stage around midnight, which was appropriate for Buffalo as the city is known for its late nights and 4am last call. Midnight is when things start to get interesting here and that would hold true on this night as well. Benevento started off the night sprinting out of the gate and showing everyone right away why he’s so talented. On one song, he held the strings inside of his piano, creating a similar effect to a muted guitar and adding a layer of texture to his deep overall tone. As he stated in our interview, he doesn’t go on stage with a setlist in mind; he completely plays to the crowd and feels out what they’re hoping to hear from him. Friday night was no different. Benevento was locked in from the get-go as every change in tempo and every blistering solo only electrified the crowd even more. A few songs in, he turned and looked out across the crowd, grinning, to let both the band and audience know he was having a good time.

As we got deeper into the set, you began to question how much his weathered piano could take. Even though it looked like it could’ve been lying around in the back of Nietzsche’s, the tone that was culled from its depths was beautiful. It was definitely an odd juxtaposition of visual ugliness, yet tonal beauty. The use of effect pedals with his historic rig only make his sound that much more unique. His tone and approach is literally out of this world. If you closed your eyes, it was almost as if you were strolling through Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory” and he was playing the soundtrack.

While only a year has passed since I last saw these guys, they have grown tighter as an overall entity. Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and Andy Borger (drums) have learned how to compliment what Benevento does and now play much larger roles within the group. When they would collectively stop, it felt as though the pressure had finally let up. The three were so good at keeping an incessant pace that you felt the need to gasp for air on the short break in between songs.

Benevento himself is a madman behind the keys. You could see it in his face at various points throughout the show that he was really trying to push his musical boundaries. In and of itself, you can respect him for that, but he balances that seriousness with a jovial side that enjoys the dynamic between the band and crowd. As a clear example of his playful side, a large wolf mask somehow made its was to the stage and Marco was the first to embrace it, playing through the second half of a song while it was on his head. It was difficult to discern whether the whole thing was planned, but Marco’s eagerness and energized playing said otherwise.

The show went on until about 2am with Marco covering songs off of every album, including some new tunes off of his upcoming Fall release. It was an incredible night of music to say the least. As the crowd filed out, I overheard what I presumed to be a new fan talking about how they couldn’t wait for the next time he’s in town. Not surprised, I now understand why Marco is always smiling.

May 20, 2014
Hearing Aide: Andy Frasco’s ‘Half a Man’

Andy Frasco has accomplished more in his four-year musical career than some artists do in a lifetime. After releasing his first album, Love, You’re Just Too Expensive as a nineteen-year-old in 2010, Frasco spent the ensuing months with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation before making two more records, playing over 1,000 shows in their support and receiving Musician of the Year awards at several international film festivals.

Andy Frasco isn’t slowing down. His most recent release, Half a Man, continues the self-described “party blues” aesthetic that he established in his past work. This unique genre, which at first glance may seem paradoxical, is represented by Frasco’s ability to take traditional blues concepts and integrate them into fun, accessible tunes.

Part of what makes Frasco’s music so appealing—particularly throughout Half a Man— is his songwriting. Frasco’s lyricism is often rather simplistic, especially when compared to the complexity of his instrumentation, which incorporates a variety of elements ranging from organs to horn sections to electric guitars. Tracks like “Shakin’ Ain’t a Crime” and “Smokin Dope and Ronk n’ Roll” are lyrically straightforward, dealing with themes that are relatable to Frasco’s audience.

The album’s standout track, however, is an updated version of a song on his debut album. “Main Squeeze,” originally a slow moving ballad sung by Megan Burtt, is now a grooving jam, accented by piano riffs and featuring a chorus of backup singers. The track is full of movement. It’s characteristic of Frasco’s past four years, and it’s complimented by ten more tracks that demonstrate his signature party blues sound.

Key Tracks: Main Squeeze, Sunny Day Soldier, Shakin’ Ain’t a Crime

May 20, 2014
Alice In Chains Level The Landmark Theatre In Syracuse

Nearly 2,500 people crowded to downtown Syracuse to witness the arrival of Alice In Chains, who made their first appearance Central New York in over a decade at Landmark Theatre. The grunge gods are still releasing great music with the critically acclaimed rock album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here which was released last year and have been touring the world in support of that album.

This was my first time ever seeing a rock show at The Landmark Theatre. The place still has an eerie yet beautiful feeling to it due to the historic structure. The entire place is seated and crammed; however, I don’t think anyone cared.

Canadian hard rockers Monster Truck had the pleasure of opening for Alice In Chains. They graced the stage at 7:30PM, played a very stellar 40 minute set and were well received by the fans. If Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd had a love-child in the modern era of rock music, it would most certainly be Monster Truck. Most of the songs they played were very jazzy with a flare of southern rock. While a very entertaining band, Monster Truck really shined during their slow and bluesy song “Through The Sun.” Their use of drums, guitar, and keyboards along with vocals and bass from Jeremy Widerman makes them a force to be reckoned with. I would expect this band to break out shortly.

Alice In Chains started their 18-song set shortly after, with massive production, killer and crystal clear sound, massive stage lights, the whole nine yards. They started off with “Them Bones, ” doing a great job mixing it up between their well known hits, as well as their album cuts and new material. Keeping the tone heavy, they went into “Damn That River” and “Again”, before they went into their new material such as “Check My Brain” and “Hollow.” Also let me point out that this was the first time during what I call the “Duvall-Era” of Alice In Chains where William Duvall is front and center of the entire band. Duvall has done a sensational job of filling in the shows of arguably one of the greatest singers that ever lived, the late Layne Stanley.

The highlight of the entire show was “Rain When I Die.” The duel harmonizing vocals of Duvall and Jerry Cantrell is nothing short of amazing. And another highlight was “Nutshell.” Cantrell displayed some of his best lead guitar skills during “Stone” and actually stopped midway through the song to fire up the crowd. They wrapped their set with their super heavy “We Die Young” before closing with their Vietnam War themed “Rooster.” The band came back out for a three song encore of “No Excuses,” “Got Me Wrong,” and their dark hit “Would.”

Overall, it was a fantastic show. Easily one of the best hard rock tours of this year. Cantrell addressed the crowd and said they hope to return to Syracuse real soon.

May 19, 2014
Ben Mauro Celebrates Sold Out EP Release Party

Just back from an overseas tour with Lionel Richie, Ben Mauro returned home to the Central New York area to not only relax and catch up with family and friends, but also to launch his new EP, Take Your Time. In an interview with Ben last month, I not only had the opportunity to talk to him about this upcoming release party, but I was also able to review the new album and touch on what inspired the tracks.

Ahead of the show, I joined Ben as he came to speak with the local television station here in Utica, WUTR TV, to give viewers an insight into the release party as well as a sample of music to be played. What better setting for the interview than at Utica Classic Guitars, a shop owned and operated by Robert Acquiviva, a music business icon in the Utica area. Surrounded by guitars, Ben sat down to talk about his experiences, the upcoming EP release party, his show “Let’s Go with Ben Mauro”, and life as a guitarist and musician on the road.

As the day had finally come for the release party at Shifty’s Bar & Grill, best known for their Open Mic Night’s on Wednesdays, the place was completely sold out and packed to capacity to a much-anticipated crowd. Joining Ben on stage that evening was his SAMMY Award winning backup band, Phoenix Eleven, featuring Greg “Goose” LaPoint on drums, Joe Grosvent on bass, and Max McKee on guitar and vocals, as well as special guests Deyquan and Yajha Bowens on keyboards and vocals, and Al Cutri on saxophone. Also joining Ben on stage were good friends and musicians Ricky Chisolm, who Ben once played with in a band, and his musical instructor Rick Balestra who joined in with his electric guitar.

The night was an amazing mix of new releases, old favorites, and some amazing covers of Johnny Cash, The Eagles, and of course Lionel Richie and the Commodores. All in all, it was a great time! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YCE4f-DTw4]

The crowd loved his new music and was blown away by his amazing guitar playing. Life came full circle for Ben as he returned to celebrate at the very spot he first got up on stage and played in front of a live crowd, except this time it was sold out just for him.

May 17, 2014
No Still Life at The Kirkland Art Center when The David Wax Museum Performed with Rusty Belle

On May 2nd, The Kirkland Art Center hosted the much-anticipated David Wax Museum with opening act Rusty Belle. As I entered the venue to prepare for the evenings photos, I knew I was in for a treat the minute I took note of the stage. Foreshadowing for what was to come, I found a myriad of musical instruments, some common, some not so much. Makeshift instruments, including coffee cans, baby shoes, canteens, washboards, and donkey bones, scattered across the stage as a hint of cultural sounds in store for us that evening.

As Rusty Belle took the stage, this trio of musicians jumped right into the mix, treating audience members to a back home, feel-good, foot stomping, “what music is about” performance. Comprised of brother and sister, Matt and Kate Lorenz along with friend, Zak Trojano, these three bring a distinct twist to their bluegrass sound. Their unique approach using commonplace items brings you back to what it was like generations ago when music was a celebration of friends and family gathering to just enjoy the sound and each other’s company. With our fast paced lives, Rusty Belle brought us back to those times and totally entranced the audience with their music.

As David Wax, Suz Slezak, and the band members took the stage, the audience was primed with anticipation for their set to begin. Clearly I was amongst a huge following and was excited to see what was in store as a newcomer. They certainly didn’t disappoint either. Their amazing mix of Americana and Mexican variety melted together with a distinctive sound all their own. With the use of a donkey jaw bone as one of the instruments of the evening, the sound added a cultural percussion that amplified the effect even more so. Numbers such as “Knock Knock Get Up”, “Harder Before Its Easier”, and “Yes Maria Yes” are only a few of the songs that sealed the fate noting them now as one of my favorite live shows to see. Joined on stage by Rusty Belle on a few numbers only exaggerated an already outstanding performance by this group. As they all unplugged and came out into the audience, it was apparent why this band is held in such high esteem by followers. Their connection to their music, each other, and their audience captivates and casts a spell over those in proximity.

Even though the performance was held in an art museum, there was no still life in any proximity of this group. Audience members were dancing, clapping, stomping, and singing along as though they were part of the performance. As the show ended, one could only feel as though they had truly experienced what American music is all about. The blend of bluegrass, mexican, rock, country, jazz, and funk gave these two bands their unique sound, but also brought those in the room back to the roots of what music was all about: a celebration of family , friends, and the sounds around us in the art of music and culture.

May 16, 2014
Poughkeepsie Wanted Rock and Volbeat Delivered

Poughkeepsie was long overdue for a rock show on Tuesday night when Volbeat, Trivium, and Digital Summer came to town. The Mid-Hudson Civic Center was beginning to fill up when Digital Summer hit the stage early. Kicking things off early didn’t stop anyone from getting right into it. The hard rock newcomers had the stage presence of a headlining act, getting the crowd moving with their contagious energy. Most impressively, the band featured 13 year old Austin Rios on drums, who could easily give his much older peers a run for their money.

Trivium kept the night going, powering through a 45 minute set packed with hits. The guitar driven tracks were accompanied by the powerful vocals from frontman Matt Heafy, who got the crowd jumping and singing along on tracks like “” as well as the band’s latest single, “Strife”. They saved he best for last, building up anticipation with an eerie drum intro and light show to match before kicking things into high gear one last time. Mosh pits broke out while the entire audience screamed “In Waves” each time the chorus hit.

Despite being entertained by a surprisingly musical soundcheck, fans began to grow anxious for headliner Volbeat to take the stage. Just before 10pm chants for the band were met with the dimming of the lights. They immediately jumped into “Doc Holliday”, featuring the first of countless solos from guitarist Rob Cagiano. Amid hits such as “Lola Montez” and “Heaven Nor Hell” singer Michael Poulsen joked around with the crowd and talked about some of his influences growing up, including Johnny Cash. A cover of “Ring of Fire” fit Poulsen’s voice perfectly, with the audience drowning him out on occasion.

With an extensive catalog to choose from, the band did their best to fit in a few songs from each, including energetic dance along track “Sad Man’s Tongue” from their 2007 release Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil. Fans were in for a treat on “Evelyn”, when Trivium’s Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu joined Volbeat on stage. Heafy provided the screams on the heavier track, with Poulsen’s distinctive voice on the chorus, making the crowd go absolutely insane for the all-star combination. Following “Still Counting” the audience were desperate for more, chanting for one final song until the band finally made their return. The 4 song encore came to a close with older tracks “Thanks” and “The Mirror and the Ripper.” The punk rock tracks had the audience jumping along from front to back for one last time. Simply put, Volbeat are a fun band to see live. For both old and new fans, it’s nearly impossible to not dance along with a smile on your face throughout the entire set.

May 16, 2014