NYS Music 20​14

Category: Reviews

  • Mike Doughty Returns to Rochester Leaving No Question Unanswered

    “Hey Mike (Doughty)!  White, wheat or rye?”

    “I’m sorry good sir but you must abide by the format that we have established for this evenings happenings.  If you would like to ask a question you must etch it upon one of these neon colored sticky notes and place it gently in the Question Jar.  Hence, the Question Jar Tour.  Get it??”

    Digging deep into the Jar, Mike Doughty’s satirical sidekick and cello virtuoso, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston draws a tightly folded green post-it from the pile:

    “If you had to be buried alive with any cartoon character, which would it be and why?”

    Consideration is taken as anticipation fills the room.

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    “That would depend upon whether you consider Grimace to be a cartoon character or not.  I have seen him in cartoon form but was that simply rendered from an actual blue animal who chums around with Ronald and the Hamburglar?  Is he a glossy painted oversized paper mache statue that was never really rendered into a cartoon but I want to think that he was?  I don’t wish to answer your question with a question so I will say Grimace.  How about some music?”

    This type of banter – interlaced with a catalog of tunes that is 20+ years in the making – was the embodiment of a concert performance birthed in the madness that is Mike Doughty, embraced by the fans who came to participate in just that.

    The format of Doughty’s Question Jar Tour is this: prior to performance, audience members populate an empty pickle jar with questions and song requests.  No instruction is provided, no limitations imposed.  Mike and Andrew pull from the jar and so the show begins.  What makes this work is that Doughty fans are of a certain intelligence and possess a bizarre sort of sophistication.  They are loyal to his musical journey and lack the convention to be satiated with having their preconceptions fulfilled.  They came for adventure, they came along for the journey and sold out the Club at Water Street in the process.

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    Barring a fake encore of which Mike and Scrap gave ample warning, the set rolled on for nearly 3 hours and 26 songs.  The list was marked by an abundance of Mike’s solo work sprinkled with a few from his Soul Coughing days.  “Grey Ghost”, “Madeline and Nine” and “Navigating by the Stars at Night” opened the set.  Stage to audience banter was had.  Music resumed.  This continued for some time as the audience was immersed in performances of “Circles”, “Unsingable Name”, “27 Jennifers”,  and “Sunken-eyed Girl”.  “White Lexus” made the set after Mike had to admit to having never actually driven a white Lexus.  The duo finished with a cover of 90’s folk-pop duo Drink Me’s “Train to Chicago”, and two from 2005’s Haughty Melodic “Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well” and “Your Misfortune”.  A fitting closer considering the challenges that Mike has had to face over the years.  Yet a hopeful song that epitomizes the whole Mike Doughty thing.

    Mike and Scrap delivered a genuine and genuinely strong performance to their fans in Rochester.  There is no question that they are welcome back whenever they need an audience to play along.

    Set 1: Grey Ghost, Madeline and Nine, Navigating by the Stars at Night, Janine, These Are Your Friends, Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future, Ossining, Russell, Busting Up a Starbucks, Tremendous Brunettes, Super Bon Bon, Circles, Unsingable Name

    Set 2:  (I Keep On) Rising Up, When the Night is Long, Lazybones, I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing, 27 Jennifers, Sunken-Eyed Girl, Vegetable->Sleepless, I Hear the Bells, White Lexus, Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well, Put It Down

    Encore: Train to Chicago (Drink Me cover), Your Misfortune

  • Interview: Craig Campbell gets Loved by Syracuse

    Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill in Syracuse has done it again. National recording artist Craig Campbell partied with Syracuse Friday, November 14.

    From the moment I met Craig Campbell I knew that he would not disappoint. Such an amazing talent with such respect and love for his fans. From the VIP meet and greet, through his entire show, and even after his performance by inviting every fan to his merchandise table for pictures and autographs, he proved just how important his fans truly are to him.

    Performing his hit songs “Keep Them Kisses Coming”, “Outta My Head”, and “Family Man”, Craig proved to Syracuse just what a class act he is. He and his band left the crowd cheering after every song and wanting more. Inviting two special fans up on stage to enjoy a shot of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine (Big Orange Moonshine) and a beer while he played a few songs on the keyboard was simply amazing. He played a verse of Garth Brooks’ hit song “The Dance” and the entire place sang it right along with him. Best of all, Craig Campbell shared a little piece of a song he wrote that Garth Brooks performs on his new CD!
    Craig’s entire performance was full of fun. I have to say that one of my favorite parts was while he was taking client’s cell phones and videoing himself singing and of course, making funny faces. I’m hoping he comes back to Syracuse many times. I would go to every show!

    Kim Richer: Craig, thanks for taking the time to speak to . it’s so very nice to meet you.

    Craig Campbell: You’re quite welcome. It’s my pleasure.

    KR: So tell me a little about this tour you’re on.

    CC: Well this isn’t really a tour. I enjoy going out and playing at festivals, bars and honky tonks. The size of the venues are nice because it gives me a chance to be on a more personal level with my fans. The shows that I’ve had this year have been great. This is the busiest year I’ve ever had coming off a top 10 song with “Keep them kisses coming”. Things have been really good for me this year.

    KR: That’s great! Now do you find that you have more freedom doing shows this way instead of doing a tour?

    CC: Well, there’s pros and cons to everything. I want to be on a tour to expose my music to more people. I could go do shows all day long and have the same 1000, 2000 people show up but when you get on a tour you have the opportunity to play in front of 15,000 and there’s a good chance that many of those 15,000 have never heard of your or never heard any or your music so that’s the appealing side of being on a tour. You get to be in front of all of these people and try to get your music out to more as the percentage of exposure is way higher. There is something cool about doing your own show in a club, but then there is also something really neat about being able to play in front of a whole ton of people.

    KR: That’s true, but I must say from a fan standpoint I love the smaller shows because it’s so much more fan friendly and on a much more personal level.

    CC: Even more personal than that are the theater shows I’ve done where everyone is sitting down and you can talk to the fans and carry on and talk about the songs.

    KR: If there is someone you could pick to go on tour with, who would it be?

    CC: Oh gosh, I’d love to go out with Luke Bryan. I’d love to go out with Garth, Eric Church, anybody. I’ve made some good friends over the years in country music. It doesn’t matter to me because I know no matter who it is we are gonna have fun no matter what.

    KR: Now I understand you come from a pretty large family in Georgia. Is anyone else musically inclined or are you the only one?

    CC: Well, everyone on my mama’s side of the family had some sort of musical ability whether it be singing or just playing. I was always the only one that wanted to chase it down and pursue it.

    KR: When you were young was there anyone that you aspired to be like?

    CC: I was a big Travis Tritt fan. I listened to the way he sang, the way he wrote his songs and the way he played. He was a great musician. He was the all around music package, he could do it all, write, play and sing. He was someone that I absolutely looked up to.

    KR: Have you had a chance to meet him?

    CC: Yeah, actually he sang on my last record. He’s a really really nice guy. It was a must on my bucket list to meet him so having him sing on my record was icing on the cake!

    KR: I love Travis Tritt myself. I also understand your wife played a part in your last album with the song “Topless”

    CC: Yeah, we wrote it together. She’s an amazing singing and songwriter herself so she always has a place on my albums for at least one song. We wrote it and thought it would be perfect for that last record.

    KR: Oh most definitely. It shows the fun side. A lot of married artists usually do something sweet and sentimental but it’s nice to see the fun side as a couple too.

    CC: I feel like both of us have a really good sense of humor so that was perfect for us.

    KR: Can we look forward to her performing with you live anytime?

    CC: Yeah, when she is on the road with me or if we are in her hometown or my hometown she will get up and do a couple songs. Eventually I would like to have her sing on my album, so we’ll see. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

    KR: I’m interested in hearing a little more about this corn hole tournament you host annually.

    CC: During CMA Fest there is a lot going on. There are a lot of free shows, there’s golf tournaments and all these other events going on for charity. I have always been geared toward Colon Cancer and Colon Cancer Research and awareness and I though man, nobody is having a corn hole tournament, let’s have a corn hole tournament. So we started it two years ago and did it this past year and it was a great success. It actually was a big part of me becoming the spokesperson for Fight Colorectal Cancer which March is Fight Colorectal Cancer month and we are actually going to my next tournament in the month of March. It’s going to be bigger and better and Bayer Heath Care is going to sponsor it so it’s going to be huge.

    KR: Oh, that’s fantastic. I look forward to seeing that. I’ve played corn hole and I can tell you that I am not the best.

    CC: Oh you don’t have to be good as long as you’re having fun. That’s one of the reasons I chose that game. It’s fun and anyone can do it.

    KR: Have you been to Syracuse before.

    CC: No, I’ve been to the area but never to Syracuse before. We actually played with the Hootn-Anges when we were in NY before out at Kegs Canal side.

    KR: Are you working on a new album or are any new projects coming up?

    CC: Yeah, my record label actually closed last May so I’ve been trying to get that worked out. Now that it is, I will have some announcements in the next few weeks.

    KR: If there was anything in your career you could change, what would it be?

    CC: I signed my record deal without having a manager. At the time it sounded like a good idea but in retrospect it wasn’t a great choice. Just because there were no checks and balances. There was nobody on my side holding anybody accountable. For the most part though we’ve done really well and I would do it all over again.

    KR: Have you always wanted to sing and write music?

    CC: Yeah, even in high school I was at the bars as often as I could trying to get in with the bands to see if they would let me go in and sing a couple of songs. After graduation, I knew that music was something I couldn’t shake so I decided to move to Nashville and chase it down.

    KR: What was your journey like when you got to Nashville?

    CC: It was long but I was making a good living in Nashville singing demos, playing and writing songs. I played piano for Tracy Bird and Luke Bryan. I got to do some really cool things and was putting food on the table so that was a success as far as I’m concerned.

    KR: Has country music always been the choice?

    CC: Yes, that’s all I know.

    KR: If I were to grab your ipod would it all be country?

    CC: I listen to some other stuff. I like good singing. I love Bruno Mars, Adele, Boyz to Men, Brian McKnight but it’s about 98% country.

    KR: If you could sing with one person past or present, who would it be?

    CC: Definitely Keith Whitley

    KR: If you could give one piece of advice someone following your path, what would it be?

    CC: It’s either all or nothing. You have to be 100% and not take no for an answer.

    KR: Do you have any regrets?

    CC: Nope, not one. Every decision I’ve made has either been based on gut feeling, or prayed about it or decisions my wife and I have made together. It’s all good stuff.

  • Film Review: Uni-Terra

    Uni- Terra is an independent film written by Fredonia student Joseph Edwards, who also cast, directed, shot and edited the film, a lot for such a young filmmaker. It only took him three months to put this together and the movie was filmed on his very own campus, SUNY Fredonia. Edwards is a communication major with a minor in film studies.

    The film had its first premiere in 101 Jewett Hall on Friday, Nov. 14. The cast, friends and Edwards’ parents showed up for the event.

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    Charles Scheffler, Samantha Ploetz, Joseph Edwards, Drew Smith, Richelle Dalaba (Left to right)

    “In the near future, a philosophical extra-terrestrial of an ancient, enlightened alien race is sent to assassinate an corrupt, insidious world leader of Earth’s newly-found utopian civilization, Uni-Terra,” said Edwards of the plot of the film.

    The film genre is considered “fictional narrative, [and] political sci-fi.” Edwards went into detail about the meaning behind Uni-Terra, saying, “A government should not have too much power. It is important for people to understand their standings, but there is a lot of secrecy in our government.”

    “Film production is what I want to do. I want to be an independent filmmaker,” Edwards said. “Ever since I saw my first PG-13 film, Castaway, I was interested with how everything worked. Everyone watches the film for itself, but they do not understand how much work goes behind the camera.”

    Edwards was involved with BOCES at his high school, where he picked up the basic skills for radio, audio and television. Edwards also has been a writer for a long time, and he said that has helped him become more interested in script writing.

    The premiere of the film had a great atmosphere, and everyone in the audience saw the passion that Edwards has for his films and how thankful he was that everyone showed up to the event. He greeted everyone who came into the lecture hall with a smile, handshake or even a hug.

    Uni-Terra is an impressive film that was made in just a short amount of time. It has a perfect amount of action, special effects, in-depth meaning and humor. The film starred Charles Scheffler, Samantha Ploetz and Drew Smith. Scheffler played Sinatra, an alien that is sent to assassinate Godric Walton (Smith) for his overly empowered government. Quinn Maverick (Ploetz) is one of Walton’s best wingmen, and is sent to exterminate the threat known as Sinatra. However, Sinatra soon convinces Maverick to help him overthrow the corrupt government and to expose Walton for the evils that he is committing in Uni-Terra. Edwards’ girlfriend, Richelle Dalaba, even made an appearance in the film as one of Walton’s bodyguards.

    The film received loud applause from the audience, and actors cheered each other on as their names appeared in the credits.

    “I loved watching him grow up and seeing his films. It was great,” Edwards’ father said.

    “Being in Joseph’s film was a learning experience for me. This was the first film that I have ever been cast in. I have been cast in multiple roles in musicals and plays throughout the past few years, but the intense feeling of being in front of a camera is very different and pretty scary,” Ploetz said. “There were some ups and downs while filming, which made it even scarier to be in front of the camera, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I feel as though this experience has made me grow as an actor.”

    Uni- Terra has been entered into a handful of film festivals, including The SUNY Wide Film Festival and The Boonies International Film Festival.

    Check out the trailer here: Uni-Terra Trailer by Joseph Daniel Edwards.

  • Gov’t Mule Tour Closes at State Theatre Ithaca

    Gov’t Mule closed out their twentieth anniversary fall tour at the State Theatre in Ithaca on November 15, pulling out all of the stops and in the words of Warren Haynes regarding the last show of the tour, making sure, ‘Anything Goes!’ Indeed this fact was true as the Mule blasted out a career spanning set that featured multiple and extended instrumental interludes and definitive renditions of multiple Mule jam vehicles.

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    The band hit the stage at 8:20 with late-comers still stumbling their way to their seats as the group developed a spacey swell. Haynes used some deft manipulations of feedback immediately before dropping coin into slot with the twisted groove of ‘Bad Man Walkin’. The hallmark of this introductory set is not only the expected holographic Haynes guitar explorations, but the dirty sock funk laid down by the sturdy rhythm section. ‘Inside Outside Woman Blues’ continues this trend with the first ‘big’ jam of the evening, culminating in a knotted guitar/bass battle between bassist Carlsson and Haynes. Keyboardist Danny Louis is also a major proponent of the grooves being developed on the evening lending spongy Rhodes asides and Moogy colorizations.

    A jam then constructed with hammer and nails resulted in the shady chugging introduction of ‘Broke Down on the Brazos’ from Mule’s 2009 LP, By A Thread. Haynes deconstructed the outro jam in a blue flurry of quotes, smoothly revealing obscured melodies with every quote. ‘Brazos’ fell perfectly into a sprawling ‘Tributary Jam’ allowing Louis to explore his sonic stamp collection while exchanging licks across stage with Haynes.

    ‘Whisper in Your Soul’ followed and was dedicated to Grace Potter by Haynes. The shimmering track is the appropriate cool down period for the set even though it splashes into watery wah-wah’s guitars by its conclusion. Haynes and Mule standard, ‘Banks of the Deep End’, made a welcome appearance keeping the damper down and did not stray from the theme of cultivating funky blues rhythms that had been developed over the evening.

    Following a restful duo of tracks, Haynes donned the slide for the first time the evening during the show highlight, ‘Devil Likes It Slow’, surpassing 13 minutes. A plethora of thematic snapshots are examined while Carlsson forgoes the steps and heads straight for the stars with his bass virtuosity. The composition becomes elastic when Louis steps forward for a Herbie Hancock impression while Haynes lays back with jazzy interjections. Musical summits are reached and then left behind for greater things. Inspiring musicianship is the hallmark for the Mule and this particular jam leaves no doubt.

    ‘Thorazine Shuffle’ then closes the powerful set while also sandwiching the punchy smirk of 2013’s ‘Funny Little Tragedy’. This is a runaway train of a jam that careens around corners before peaking and leaving the excited crowd anticipating the second set. It’s hard to believe the band could follow the previous jamming on ‘Devil’ with anything, but again they come up in spades by topping themselves yet again.

    The tight quarters and cramped bathrooms of the historic State Theatre were no match for the camaraderie enjoyed over the break due to the Mule’s superior and joyful playing. After such a well jammed out first set, the second set was sure to be brimming with musical surprises. As to not blow the roof off of the place after the incendiary close of the first set, the Mule eased it in with the slick guitar buoyancy and undulating bass of ‘Done Got Wise’ followed by the refreshing Reggae drift of ‘Scared To Live’, both found on 2013’s Shout!.

    Properly warmed up and ready to kick, the band jumped into a funktified reading of the Betts/Haynes composition ‘Kind of Bird’, a song built for musical madness and a song performed by Mule since their inception. Here it is given a moody long distance reading with a full on ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Reed’ jam as well as a quote from the Turtles, ‘Happy Together’. ‘King of Bird’ spotlights stellar playing, seamless segues and stratospheric playing by the entire band. The venue gathers a late night haze, the temperature rose in the balcony and the Mule turned the assembled crowd to putty. Bird calls glided over rolling thunder, before coagulating into a massive scrubbing froth of swelling musical foam. Multifaceted and dynamic jams are lead by Haynes but given momentum by Louis and Carlsson who came in for a slamming landing at the only natural resting place, the expansive mine field of a Matt Abts drum solo. Woah.

    ‘I Think You Know What I Mean’ slinked through the bar room door, the influence of its distinctive drum beat reflected in the version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘When the Levee Breaks’ that it envelops. Haynes slipped the slide on his finger again for this song suite, bringing much of the collected crowd to its feet. The natural progression between songs is hand in glove as Haynes weaves the band between compositional boxcars. Two more song pairs combine to culminate the evening in a way that only the Mule can. The kinetic cowbell driven ‘Bad Little Doggie’ is a crowd favorite and defiantly breaks its lead to act as a prelude to the evenings second Zeppelin reference, a floor stomping ‘How Many More Years’. Played with the Zeppelin arrangement but dictated in the classic Howlin’ Wolf fashion. Rising and falling like the seasonal waves on Cayuga Lake the song disintegrates into a crowd clapping conglomerate before reprising intensely.

    The band returns to ecstatic applause for their encore and responded in kind by playing a pair of Mule standards road tested, recognizable and as comfortable as dependable winter gloves. Undeniable proof of who is still one of the finest live bands in the land. ‘Mule’ and ‘Soulshine’ close the evening paired fittingly in what is a celebration of a great band, touched by tragedy, luck, respect, talent, change, stability and undeniable abilities. Lets raise our glasses to another twenty for Gov’t Mule, Warren, Matt and Allen’s original vision, unchanged and still kickin.

  • BIG Something proves they are a BIG deal at Parish Public House

    North Carolina’s BIG Something made the trek to Albany’s Parish Public House formally known as Red Square, for a night of alternative rock with some original groove. The Capital District was greeted with the first sight of snow that night on the 13th as BIG Something prepared to heat up Broadway. The 6 piece band began the night with some Pink Floyd and a Edgar Winter “Frankenstein”, definitely a solid start.

    big something parishThe BIG Something has a bigger than life sound, as they rock out loud with a fusion improv of funk, jazz and hip hop. Casey Cranford is a double threat with his captivating EWI (electronic wind instrument) as well as saxophone playing. Josh Kagel has an ear for hitting all the right notes whether it’s alternating reality on his keyboard/synth or on trumpet. Jesse Hensley surges vibrating psychedelic rifts as Doug Marshall’s steady bass notes heighten the trip.

    After a wide and diverse sampling of their musical influences, BIG Something performed some of their original work off their latest album, Truth Serum which was released at the beginning of the month. Click here to listen and download the album. “Megalodon” a slamming funk of a hip hop song with collaborations from DJ logic on their latest album had high voltage guitar, blaring horns and ear catching album scratching. “Capt. D” is like discovering a heavy punk rock club with a tropical Caribbean theme, refreshingly rebellious and alarmingly inviting. “Sirens” had each instrument screaming for attention with psychedelic echoes coming from all angles. The evening ended with their amped up rock rendition of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” followed by an all-out jamgrass encore of “Amanda Lynn” with front man, Nick MacDaniels strumming the life out of a mandolin. BIG Something is the next big thing! As BIG Something continues to spread their highly energetic unique sound, be on the lookout for tour dates and their 4th annual festival, The BIG What?! June 25-27th in North Carolina.

    Setlist: Welcome to the Machine > Saturday Night Zombie > Frankenstein > Pinky’s Ride, UFOs are Real, A Simple Vision > Mr. Roboto, Megalodon, Capt. D Sirens > Love Generator > Baba O’Riley
    Encore: Amanda Lynn

  • Film Review: Dumb And Dumber To

    Long awaited sequels have a bad reputation. Especially movies like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of Crystal Skull, and Best Man Holiday are examples of sequels that never should have been made. The Farrelly Brothers broke the terrible long awaited sequel trend with the release of Dumb And Dumber To which hit theaters on November 14.  So how do you make a faithful sequel all these years later?

    dumb and dumber toDumb And Dumber To doesn’t exceed its 20 year predecessor by any means, but it follows a similar formula like the original with a well written script, intriguing story, and Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey reprising their roles of the goofy but lovable Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas that could never be portrayed by anyone else. Their demeanor, their silliness, their chemistry, and their jokes aren’t something that any actor can wake up one day and get into character. (Which is why 2003’s dreadful prequel Dumb And Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd was doomed from the start) Bottom line, this is a solid sequel. Plenty of laughs, silly slapstick jokes, some familiar faces to appreciate, and a whole lot of dumb.

    It’s mindboggling that both Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey could pull these roles off again, especially 20 years later.   To be fair Jim Carrey hasn’t stopped appearing in comedies, however Jeff Daniels is known as a serious actor, not to mention has kept a low profile the past decade, which makes you appreciate this movie even more.

    The Farrelly Brothers nailed it with their directorial work in this movie, and penned a great story and script. In this movie, we find Lloyd and Harry on a another road trip, this time, they’re out to find Harry’s daughter that he never met, because he’s in need of a kidney, and again, Harry and Lloyd find themselves in the way of another criminal plot in their journey. So it has the same formula that original movie had that made it work, yet it doesn’t try to copy or duplicate the first movie.

    You can’t go into this movie expecting it to be better than the first, because you are just going to be disappointed. But if you’re a fan of true slapstick comedy, have love for the characters Harry and Lloyd, and appreciate a good story, then you and all your friends will love this movie. And be sure to figure out which character Bill Murray is before the closing credits roll.

  • Like a Boss: Gov’t Mule Returns to the Palace Theatre

    Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule returned to the Palace Theatre Friday, Nov. 14 amid their 20th anniversary tour. “World Boss” opened the show on a strong note, seguing into “Steppin’ Lightly”, a song of pure heartache.  “Gameface” stretched into a jam of “Mountain Jam”, a nod to the fest Warren lent his name on for many years. A deep rocker emerged in “Which Way Do We Run” followed by the highlight of the set, “I’m a Ram”, full of Haynes turning his vocals up to 11. Danny Louis played the keys with the sound of a second guitar, a latter day Ray Manzarek. The set ended with “Railroad Boy”, which makes for good fightin’ music.

    govt mule palace(Before Set 2 started, a proud grandparent mentioned to me that this show was his grandson’s first concert ever. Grandpa picked a good one too. Hope you enjoyed the show Chris!)

    A spooky wind machine sound preceded the Set 2 opener, “Fearless”, by Pink Floyd, with Danny Louis joining on second guitar. Mule will release an album of Floyd covers, Dark Side of the Mule, on Dec. 9. “Beautifully Broken” let loose a cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, jammed out quite nicely before returning to “Beautifully Broken”. A Doors cover, “People are Strange” roused the crowd once again as the set ended on a high note, closing with “Soulshine” and “Slackjaw Jezebel”. The encore “Bring on the Music” off 2013’s Shout! capped a solid rock performance from veterans Gov’t Mule who blended rock and jam perfectly – not too much rock and not too little jam.

    Download the show at Mule Tracks.

    Set 1: World Boss > Steppin’ Lightly, Gameface, Which way do we Run, I’m a Ram, Child of the Earth, Stratus, Railroad Boy

    Set 2: Fearless > Stoop So Low, Beautifully Broken > Breakdown > Beautifully Broken, Larger Than Life > Drums, People Are Strange, Soulshine, Slackjaw Jezebel

    Encore: Bring on The Music

  • Hearing Aide: In This Moment ‘Black Widow’

    In This Moment has come a long way in their colorful music career. On November 18, Black Widow, the band’s fifth studio effort will be released. Each album from 2007’s debut Beautiful Tragedy, to their breakthrough 2012 album Blood have all been very different from one another. So what direction did Black Widow take?

    in this moment black widowThe album starts off with a short little intro track called “The Infection” then goes into the recently released single “Sex Metal Barbie.” This track is a very awkward track. The combination of riffs, popish-like sound, dubstep beats, and silly lyrics do not blend well at all. It’s hard to grasp to hear In This Moment release this kind of sound. When Blood was released, the combination of Metal and Dubstep was done very well. On “Sex Metal Barbie” it doesn’t work. Producer Kevin Churko did not do a good job with this track at all.

    The next track “Big Bad Wolf” is great track. It has a heavy, Nu Metal sound to it. This is definitely a track that finally got me hooked on this album. This has frontwoman Maria Brink going back to the more angry, heartfelt vocals we used to. And “Dirty Pretty” is a decent track.

    The title track “Black Widow” again goes back to the similar poppy overproduced sound that “Sex Metal Barbie” had. It’s a shame. Maria Brink is just oozing with talent, her vocals shouldn’t have to be produced at all. Makes you miss her raw singing and screaming vocals on Beautiful Tragedy.

    Brent Smith of Shinedown makes a guest appearance on the track “Sexual Hallucination” Hearing them sing together is absolutely mesmerizing, so another high point on this album. It has a pop beat to it still, but the vocals of Maria Brink and Brent Smith mesh so well that it doesn’t matter.

    Lead single “Sick Like Me” is a pretty solid track. One of the heavier tracks of the album, this track reminds us how talented In This Moment is when the band is clicking on all cylinders. “Blood Creature Poster Girl” is a charming track as well.

    “The Fighter” is an absolutely beautiful track. It features Maria Brink using her powerful voice over piano and string arrangements. Definitely the best track. It takes you back to the days of 2008’s The Dream.

    The album continues with some good tracks with “Bones” and “Natural Born Sinner” then it segues with “Into The Darkness” which serves as an intro to another great piano ballad “Out Of Hell.” At the end, Black Widow finishes heavy with “Turn You” before closing track “Rib Cage” kicks in to end it on a high note.

    Overall, the album has some very low points from the band. It’s clear in some tracks they’re trying to move toward a more poppy sound. It is also disappointing that there are no guitar solos from Chris Howorth. Chris is a brilliant guitarist and a hell of a song writer. It’s a damn shame this album did not highlight his talent more. However, it is still an, In This Moment album, and there are some fantastic songs mixed into the album. So it seems lop-sided. It’s a blend of great songs and some head scratching songs mixed throughout the album.   That falls clearly on producer Kevin Churko and the band making the switch from Century Media Records (who have been a staple of some great metal bands) to the mainstream Atlantic Records may have played a key role in the output of the sound of Black Widow. Moving forward it will be nice to see the song writing process return solely to Maria Brink and Chris Howorth like it was during the time of their earlier albums and away from Kevin Churko. People who are expecting the old In This Moment sound will be in for quite a shock when listening to this album. Even people who are expecting Blood Part 2 may have their hopes too high. But nonetheless, a fair album from In This Moment which would make this easily the weakest entry. This album could have done so much better if you take out some of the “pop” tracks that are infused in it. Take those out, and you have a solid album.

    You can purchase the album here.

    Key Tracks: Big Bad Wolf, Sexual Hallucination, The Fighter

  • Hearing Aide: LIVE ‘The Turn’

    Live_-_The_Turn_(album_cover)After a contentious break-up in 2009, a two-year hiatus (through 2011), a skeptically received announcement about a new lead singer (in 2012), and then another two years waiting for new music, LIVE has finally delivered a new album. Officially released on October 28, The Turn contains almost 50 minutes of sound that’s similar enough to old-school LIVE to satisfy the faithful, but with an edge that’s sure to win over new fans.

    LIVE’s signature sound in the 1990s was a unique blend of spiritually inspired lyrics with alternative rock sound. Now, focusing less on the faith, love, and water that seem to constantly flow through the old albums, The Turn digs up a darker, harder twist — and also includes a few references to fire. “Siren’s Call,” focusing on the torment of losing oneself to another, seems to be in direct opposition to “Dance with You” (1999) which presents getting lost in love as a graceful experience.

    The harder side of LIVE isn’t necessarily a new thing; earlier songs such as “White, Discussion” from Throwing Copper (1994) or “Lakini’s Juice” from Secret Samadhi (1997) both have a darker feel with a sound best described as “hollow.” Songs from The Turn, such as “6310 Rodgerton Dr” could be seen as progressions of those earlier sounds.

    The lengthy delay following  the departure of original frontman, Ed Kowalczyk, and the addition of Chris Schinn allowed time to thoughtfully redefine LIVE. The time was well spent. The Turn presents a good balance between LIVE’s original personality and the new chemistry produced by Schinn, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey, the other founding members of the group.

    Offering up 11 tracks, The Turn is a great comeback album. “Natural Born Killers” in particular tells a good story; “The Way Around Is Through” offers good advice and “The Strength to Hold On” will hopefully someday be performed by LIVE with the support of an orchestra.

    Key Tracks: Natural Born Killers, The Way Around Is Through, The Strength to Hold On

  • Still in Awe After an Amazingly Intimate Performance by Peter Rowan in Oneonta

    Sporting yoga pants and loving it, after having eaten a yummy vegetarian meal, at the table right next to mine, no less! the iconic Peter Rowan casually strolled onto the stage at BSide Ballroom and Supper Club in Oneonta, armed only with a guitar and a story to tell. To have such an essential figure in the bluegrass world performing in this small intimate venue with a seating of approximately 140 maximum, was a true dream come true.

    peter rowan oneontaStarting off the show on a melancholy yet hopeful note with “Doc Watson Morning” a song about a “guitar-picking kind of day,” Rowan ended the song with a mini yodel, which was nice to hear so early on in the set. Giving the audience what they truly were hoping to hear, Pete moved into an acoustic solo rendition of “Panama Red” which he brilliantly chose to mash-up with classic folk tune “Freight Train” which proved to be quite the winning combination. Moving on to another one of his better known tunes, Jack Bonus’s “Hobo Song” it became clear at this point in the set that he felt totally at ease with the crowd, and in return, made the audience feel as if they were just chilling with Pete in his living room. The next song up moved the audience from Pete’s living room to a desert with tumbleweeds blowing by, when he sang a version of “Tumbleweed” throughout which he put so much emotion into each and every note.

    peter rowanAt this point in the evening, Peter Rowan brought out bassist Paul Knight, who has toured with Pete in the past, performing as part of the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band. It also marked the point in the set during which much storytelling ensued, which is always a treat coming from someone who has played with so many other musicians, and traveled to so many corners of the earth. I have to confess that when Pete was eating dinner next to me, I worked up the nerve to put in a shameless plug for myself that he was helping me kick off my birthday week celebration, and right after he brought Knight out on stage, they were kind enough to sing happy birthday to me! It’s definitely going to be hard to top that on my list of memorable birthdays.

    Reminiscently telling one story about his days playing with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, during which time, as Pete put it, Monroe would always “call me plural” and refer to him as Peter Rowans, the audience received an intimate and real history of this legend who stood before us. Switching to stories about learning more rootsy rhythms from New Orleans, such as the “stomp” and the “slow drag” Pete performed his own song in slow drag, “Ragged Old Dream” off of his aptly named The Old School album. Segueing into a more bluesy part of his set, Rowan explained how he used to go to record stores in Boston, where one used to be able to sit and listen to blues and folk albums for hours, and proceeded to perform a particularly bluesy version of “In the Pines”. Ending his set with the title track off his new album Dharma Blues was fitting, especially because it ended with a true signature Peter Rowan yodel.

    peter rowanChoosing a somewhat odd time to take a set break, being so close to the 10:00pm time the show was projected to end, Pete ended up coming back on to play at 9:30, but went a bit beyond the original end time, which nobody seemed to mind. Beginning with an instrumental number with amazing use of harmonics up and down the neck of the guitar by Rowan, he then went into a very touching tribute he wrote for Jerry Garcia, his former band mate from his days playing with Old and In the Way, titled “Jerry and the Deep Blue Sea” in honor of the work Jerry used to do to raise money for the protection of dolphins and coral reefs around Hawaii. Playing a few more numbers off his new album Dharma Blues, which was inspired by his recent trips to India and Nepal, we were introduced to a much more spiritual side of Peter Rowan.

    His song “Arise” which was heavily influenced by the concept of bodhisattva, was explained to the audience by Rowan as the idea that all beings have been our parents in previous lives. The cyclical nature of the concept of bodhisattva was beautifully mimicked in both the lyrics and the musical notes so masterfully chosen by Rowan. Returning to a spiritual world from a more Western culture, Rowan pulled out a particularly note-intensive version of “Land of the Navajo” incorporating an almost reggae-style bass solo, followed by Rowan playing some more impressive harmonics followed by an extended yodel jam. Ending his set with “Restless Grave” off Dharma Blues, on which he was accompanied by Gillian Welch on the album, the crowd was unhappy to see him go.

    Thankfully, Rowan was urged by the audience to come back onstage for an encore, and he was even taking requests. He chose to give us two of his more popular numbers, “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy” and of course, “Moonlight Midnight” which received a big old howl from the audience! Saving up just enough energy to sign CDs and chat with anyone who wanted to be in the presence of such a spiritual being with a lifetime of experiences to share, it was easy to see that everyone in attendance for this performance was truly in awe of the special gift that had been handed to us: having the opportunity to listen to this bluegrass icon in such an intimate setting. Peter Rowan will be touring around the northeast until November 23, so make sure to add one of his shows to your calendars if you can. It will truly be worth the experience.