NYS Music 20​14

Category: Show Reviews

  • Photo Gallery: James Taylor returns to SPAC after 11 Years

    The SPAC lawn is almost famous on its own.  How many musicians have shouted out from the stage to “the lawn people” to see how they out there are doing?  Shout outs and reassurance that “they” are important, too.  Sometimes over $40 a ticket, the lawn seats are no longer considered the cheap seats.  For James Taylor, it seemed like everyone in Saratoga had their lawn chair out on the ultimate lawn enjoying the original ‘JT’ sing classics like “You’ve Got a Friend” or “Fair and Rain”.  The lawn chairs were lined up on the hill and clear across the back lawn.  Thousands and thousands of SPAC lawn chairs filled with four generations of James Taylor fans.

    It was the second solo performance of the week at SPAC that seemed to attract a lot of couples.  The night was the perfect July evening in Saratoga, the temperature was just right and not a drop of rain.  The sound surrounding the crowd was spot on – perhaps the best sound mix of the season, thus far.  Taylor and his All Star band played for nearly 3 hours covering his almost 50 year career.  Even some new songs, such as “Today, Today, Today” were added to the night’s set list.  The North Carolina native now lives just across the Massachusetts board from New York in Berkshire County, after an 11-year hiatus from playing Saratoga I think it is safe to welcome him back and hope for many encores in years to come.

    Set 1:
    Something in the Way She Moves, “Today, Today, Today”, Lo and Behold, Copperline, Everyday (Buddy Holly cover), Country Road, Millworker, Carolina in My Mind, One More Go Round, Sweet Baby James, You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King cover)

    Set 2:
    Stretch of the Highway, You and I, Handy Man (Sparks of Rhythm cover), Hour That the Morning Comes, Steamroller Blues, Only One, Fire and Rain, Up on the Roof (The Drifters cover), Mexico, Your Smiling Face

    Encore:
    How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Marvin Gaye cover), Shower the People

  • Hudson Project held great potential, but turned into a muddy mess

    The potential for the Hudson Project was endless. With MCP presents backing major festivals like Camp Bisco and Counterpoint, and with a lineup blending such a wide variety of fantastic acts everyone had very high expectations for the inaugural year of this fest.

    The first qualm that many of the patrons had, had been the fact that there would be no car camping and an added expense for leaving your car in a parking lot for the weekend, to be shuttled to the festival venue. Many festival goers were left dragging all of their camping gear miles across the grounds to camp sites scattered every which way. A wooden bridge connecting two muddy stretches of trail with steep, rickety stairs were the main access to the festival grounds leaving many people struggling to carry all of their gear up and down. By the last day of the festival the small swamp under these stairs had flooded to the point that everyone attempting to evacuate the premises had to wade through the mud with all of their belongings.

    Aside from the lengthy journey to actually set up camp sites, there were many check points fully staffed with local police and police dogs. While the need for increased security to cease drug trafficking throughout festivals is certainly necessary, the last thing someone wants after walking miles with all of their belongings is for local police to tear through your bags and coolers, making you feel like a criminal. Within each checkpoint the festival staff looked through purses, wallets, pockets, hats and threw out open cigarette packs, which not only was unnecessary but also created excessively long waits to enter the actual music venue. Although the need for safety at a festival should always be top priority, the festival promoters took this to new levels.

    Throughout the festival, police patrolled the camp grounds shining their flashlights into attendees tents. Security guards patrolled the main roads on horses, and each checkpoint was a gauntlet for individuals before getting into the venue to see music. On top of all of this it seemed like basic amenities like cell phone charging stations, showers and shuttles, all cost an excessive amount of money. If the patrons are not allowed back into their cars throughout the weekend then cellphone charging stations should be free. The water fill up stations, however, were extremely convenient (and free, surprisingly), but during the heat of the day the lines were so long it would leave many people feeling overwhelmingly dehydrated and exhausted. One of the rules on the festival’s website was that Camel Back water packs would not be allowed to be filled until inside of the venue, also leading to very long lines throughout the weekend.

    However many qualms one may have with the Hudson Project, one thing is for certain; the music was golden. Sound Tribe Sector 9 played a phenomenal hour and a half set with their new bassist Alana, showing that even with out their former front man David Murphy, they were still more than capable of throwing down an energy packed set. The Flaming Lips played the main stage directly after Sound Tribe with a crowd that seemed to go on for miles. Their stage set up was perhaps the most intricate out of any act of the weekend, with giant psychedelic mushrooms and rainbows that made the stage into a spectacle, paired with the amazing Flaming Lips set. At one point the band had to stop playing due to an individual in the crowd having a seizure which the band attributed to their wild stage presence and décor (very possible).

    Friday night was by far the best lineup for music at Hudson Project with many of the major head liners one directly after the other. This, unfortunately, made it difficult to catch all of the bigger acts. It would have been far more ideal to spread out the headliners day-to-day instead of having large acts back to back Friday and Sunday. Saturday was a full day of fantastic music including ZZ Ward who played an outrageously soulful and energy-packed set that was perfect for a beautiful sunny day in the c. Twiddle also performed a fantastic daytime set in the circus tent but with that many people in a closed tent it was abrasively hot and difficult to enjoy the entire set. Bonobo played a beautiful and ambient set while the sun went down and the evening settled on the Hudson Project. After Bonobo, Big Gigantic took the main stage with full force. This was interrupted by a torrential downpour that sent many campers running to take shelter, and other attendees dancing in the pouring rain. Almost all of the late night sets were extremely sub par. Moby’s set was filled with heavy drops and face melting bass with seemed to keep the crowd happy from start to finish. Four Tet played the exact opposite set on the other side of the grounds with zero bass drops and more of an experimental sound which gave patrons options between their late night experience.

    The social media backlash began after the Sunday acts were cancelled due to extreme weather conditions were outrageous. Patrons from near and far shared their horror stories from each day at the festival leading up to one of the worst closing days since Woodstock ’99. Patrons began demanding a refund for a third of their ticket for missing an entire day of music and major acts such as BassNectar, Paper Diamond and Tipper. Those who were not lucky enough to get off the festival grounds before the storm hit were left scrambling to collect their things and seek shelter. By the time the patrons of the festival got to their vehicles the ground had begun to dissipate leaving hundreds of people stranded without food or water. The major social media backlash led to the festival putting out a statement that all attendees would be refunded for the last day of the festival. This was still a fuzzy area for many patrons who had purchased their tickets off friends or internet trading groups.

    The weather certainly was the muddy tip of the iceberg for a long weekend at the first year festival. While the music still made it well worth your while, many of the circumstances throughout the weekend made it a less than desirable festival to consider attending again. This could be attributed to many different reasons, many of which are far beyond the festival promoter’s control, nonetheless it left many people very unimpressed by this festival.  Nonetheless, with the broad spectrum of musical guests the Hudson Project brought to Upstate, NY, this festival has a potential to make a comeback in 2015.

    Editor’s note: requests for comment from MCP Presents were not returned

  • Conspirator Lit Up the Sky at Willow Creek Winery on July 11

    Conspirator Lit Up the Sky at Willow Creek Winery on July 11. Funktional Flow set the night off in the opening slot, and as the sun went down, the Buffalo foursome threw down a perfect introduction to a night full of music. The guys continue to perform at a very high level, with funk and jam filled solo’s evolving into songs that could match up with the powerhouses in the music scene. Highlighted by songs “Edge of Time” and “Mulligans”, the band is becoming a nice regular at this spectacular venue. They have a show coming up on July 26 with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at the Winery, so clear your schedule and prepare to get funktified.

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    As good as Funktional Flow played, sometimes all you need is one guy and a vision to light up the night. Ryan Sinatra, aka Notixx, is an electronic artist who takes tunes, bass thumps the heck out of them, and creates an overall good time. He takes the party to the next level and keeps it there. Notixx was perfectly slotted between the two acts, giving the fans no choice but to stay and continue to get down.

    There haven’t been many times that our area has seen The Disco Biscuits, but when the opportunity arose to catch two key members from the band, Buffalo jumped at it. Conspirator, a side project of Aron Magner (keys) and Marc Brownstein (bass) from The Disco Biscuits, brought their improvisational, tech-laced funk to the Willow Creek Winery. The super group also includes RAQ’s Chris Michetti and drummer TORCH, which completed the foursome that raged through the night. Along with the music, the band brings a superb lighting show that made you want them to return to our side of the state sooner than later.

  • Willow Creek Winery Hosts an 18-Hour Dance Machine with The Electric Odyssey

    You want to have a day of fun? Take a fabulous venue, combine great friends and dance filled music and you’ve got yourself one heck of a good time. The Electric Odyssey took place on July 12 at Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, NY. The event started earlier Saturday and continued till Sunday’s sunrise, it was a great day of people coming together and creating something special. A lot of the crowd had enjoyed a great night the night before with Conspirator and decided to stay for the weekend, which is a great option at this venue, creating a go-to concert destination.

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    Mister F continues to bring their game to western NY and it’s no wonder Blue Stream Productions just picked them up to join Aqueous and Ocupanther, they are truly stepping out as a premier band in New York. The Manhattan Project started the evening out with a stellar set, with the two-man band creating great vibes and a thunderous bass thump that got people moving.

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    While two of Disco Biscuits players played the previous night, drummer Allen Aucoin manned the stage solo with his side project, DrFameus. You see something special, when watching Allen on stage, Armed with a drum kit, and a few toys, Aucoin played for an hour and a half nonstop. You have to be in some great shape to pull what he did, in that amount of time, and there is a reason he has the success he does. He brought everyone out of the woods and primed for the evening’s music.

    Notixx donned the stage for a second night, he was good the night before but he seemed to have kicked it up a notch. He had the crowd thumping to his beats. The energy was great and at one point had a couple of fans up on stage dancing to the music. Notixx was perfect for the night and kept everyone out late from scurrying to the woods, keeping everyone raging.

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    Mister F played another set in the side stage and is starting to become a nice late night band. They just love to play any chance they get whether its 3PM  in the blaring sun or 3AM, they’re up to the challenge of getting people going.

    The Electric Odyssey was an incredible event and with its success look for it to be an annual event in Western New York. It seems that it will be around for years to come.

  • The Queens of the Stone Age Held Court at the Palace

    Albany rocked on Sunday, July 13 when Queens of the Stone Age rolled into The Palace Theatre. Nearly 2,000 fans of diverse ages were remarkably well behaved while entertained by this band that has performed together since 1996.

    The average rock show typically captivates with BIG personalities who look or behave in striking or outlandish ways. They generate audience excitement by talking to fans between songs or with an elaborate stage. Not QOTSA. (Or their opener, Brody Dalle, for that matter.) The Queens’ frontman, Josh Homme came across as somewhat unassuming. He definitely does not look like the average modern rock star, he appears clean cut with his short hair, simple clothes and lack of obnoxious tattoos. (Apparently he has 17 of them, but they aren’t the focus of his on-stage appearance). He had very little to say to fans during the show — most of what came out of his mouth were lyrics.

    The visual focus of the show was definitely NOT on Homme or any other member of the band — it was on the light show. These guys have invested in great lights and a brilliant lighting tech. All this to take the focus off the band? I don’t know, but it worked. The lights were impressive. And, of course, the music was good. While their grunge roots run deep, this group’s talent lies in their ability to successfully incorporate a variety of styles. Lots of strong, cool bass backed by deep drums, screaming guitars and strong vocals. In their music you can hear The Ramones and Alice in Chains. Unfortunately, Homme’s great voice seemed somewhat hollow or muffled, and while that could have been an equipment issue, you couldn’t help to wish for more clarity so the lyrics could be clearly heard.

    QOTSA’s opener shared a somewhat reserved stage presence. Brody Dalle, who is also Homme’s wife, led the group that warmed up Albany’s fans. Dalle’s fast, hard sound and “bad girl” appearance are reminiscent of Joan Jett, but like QOTSA, there’s not a lot of ego-mania going on. Dalle seemed almost uncomfortable on stage — rarely looking in the direction of the fans and taking a head-down type of approach. That didn’t bother the Albany crowd though, they were enthusiastic and maybe a bit surprised at how hard the lady played. She succeeded in getting fans psyched; they were on their feet from QOTSA’s first song to the last.

    Set List: Keep Your Eyes Peeled, You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire, No One Knows, Avon, My God Is the Sun, Smooth Sailing, In the Fade, Hangin’ Tree, The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret, If I Had a Tail, Like Clockwork, I’m Designer, Make It Wit Chu, Fairweather Friends, Little Sister, I Sat By the Ocean, Sick Sick Sick, Go With the Flow
    Encore: The Vampyre of Time and Memory, Monsters in the Parasol, A Song for the Dead

  • Gogol Bordello Bounces Through Burlington

    The show started with Eugene, of course. Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello is very much about making music as a collective, but at the same time it’s very much about lead singer Eugene Hutz, a thickly accented Ukrainian with Roma (Gypsy) ancestry who moved to Burlington, Vt., in 1992 as a political refugee with his family.

    Traditional Gypsy music was piped in as a shirtless Eugene, wine bottle in hand and guitar strapped to his back, strutted onto the stage Saturday night at Burlington’s Higher Ground, for what the band called on Facebook a“long awaited homecoming show.”

    Eugene was soon followed onto stage by the rest of the band: violin player Sergey Ryabtsev, bassist Thomas Gobena, drummer Oliver Charles, guitar player Michael Ward, accordion player Pasha Newmerzhitsky, and Pedro Erazo-Segovia and Elizabeth Sun, who both do vocals and percussion.

    Lutz played the guitar and sang the beginning of “Illumination” telling the crowd, “You are the only light there is for yourself my friends.” The rest of the band joined in after a verse. That lighter song made way to “Ultimate” a song with a heavy up and down beat that got the entire crowd jumping already, just two songs into the show.

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    They went on to rock through 15 more songs — including five from the band’s newest album, Pura Vida Conspiracy released in 2013 — plus four encore tunes. They also ripped through older hits like “Start Wearing Purple” “Think Locally, Act Globally” and “Not a Crime”.

    The crowd was super engaged, with the entire floor area bouncing with the beats. The pit was intense and sweaty but not too scary, and crowd surfers popped up here and there but weren’t a regular occurrence. The frantic rhythms did chill out at points to drum jams and bass solos, then they would pick back up again, working the audience into a frenzy.

    Eugene was a lot of fun, asking the crowd, “Ya dig, ya dig, ya dig, ya dig?” and interacting plenty in between songs. He yelled to the audience to start a circle pit, and he spilled red wine all over the audience as he used the same hand to hold up his mic and bottle, while he shook his guitar in the air with his other hand. He even made fun of audience members toward the end of the show for acting like they were tired. Saturday was the second in a two-night run for Gogol at Higher Ground, and Eugene said he had tired them out too much.

    The other band members were all interesting characters, too. Elizabeth looked like she wanted to cast a spell on you as she waved her arms around and leaned into her mic. Pasha, who looked like a British soccer hooligan, somehow made accordion playing look sexy as he energetically pumped the instrument. Pedro added some hip hop elements as he growled into the mic and pounded a drum he had strapped to his chest.

    With eight people on the stage, you’d think it would turn into a bit of a mess, especially when they’re all as energetic as this crowd of musicians. But they placed platforms at the front of the stage, so Eugene could jump up there when the spirit took him, or Elizabeth and Pedro could flank him on there when there was a big vocal moment, or Thomas could jump up when the bass line was featured.

    At times the movement looked coordinated, but at others, it seemed as though musicians were coming, going and lounging around on stage doing their own thing, giving it a feel of a Gypsy camp.

    There were two cameras filming the entire show, one from in front of the stage and one from farther back, for a documentary being made about the band, so watch for shots of Higher Ground when it comes out!

    Gogol Bordello has several other dates coming up around New York state, including Port Chester Saturday, July 19; Clifton Park Tuesday, July 22; and Rochester Saturday, July 26. To see their show date, go to www.gogolbordello.com. For info about other shows at Higher Ground, go to www.highergroundmusic.com.

  • Show Number One: Phish at CMAC

    It’s interesting how perception can alter your own reality.  For the longest time, I wanted nothing to do with Phish, jaded by some fans who surrounded me growing up.  As I got older and ultimately left that circle, my musical journey continued. While that bad taste was always in the back of my head, I began liking bands of similar ilk and that perception towards Phish started to be internally questioned. One week ago today, I stepped through a door and saw my very first Phish show.

    While it’s slightly embarrassing now, I realize what I’ve missed all of those years and now know why so many bands I enjoy today list them as a huge influence. Here are my takeaways from my first Phish show at CMAC on July 15, 2014.

    • Unique hardly describes Shakedown Street. Every walk of life was there peddling their skill, from music and glass work to food and jewelry. It’s literally like a small, self-sustaining village that is temporarily setup and torn down offering anything you might need.
    • There’s a communal feel like nothing I’ve ever felt before in the music scene. I was told by a friend that you can hold one finger in the air to let everyone know that you need a ticket. Within minutes, I bartered with a guy who was more than happy to take an uneven trade just to help me out.
    • Holy sh** – lot food is SO damn good!
    • I thought I’ve seen some of the best lights, but Kuroda easily puts them all to shame.
    • Even though the music has always come first for me, I can now see why people see Phish just for the party.
    • During the first set, someone turned around and told me, “Nobody has crowd participation like this band. Nobody!” My observation: the fan couldn’t be more right. I have never seen a collective fan base that knows every song in and out and participates as much.
    • A three-dimensional matrix of lights swept the stage in hues and shades that only added to the spectacle. Fans were literally sent into pure elation through simply color and sound.
    • In any public space, people usually put a guard up; guards don’t exist at a Phish show though. Everything seemed to be simply accepted here with a smile and friendly interaction.
    • I’ve honestly never been a fan of Phish’s vocals, but if you can step back and see it as a piece to the overall musical puzzle, the blended effect is actually pretty good. The lyrics are still another story for me.
    • The band works the room. In the same way where a comedian has ups and downs throughout a show, so does Phish. It’s not by mistake though as it sends the highs higher. To draw an easy parallel, Stevie Ray Vaughan didn’t go all out, all the time for a reason.
    • Their songs sometimes end in the softest of landings, similar to a feather; I mean that as a compliment.
    • Smiles continued to get bigger as their set progressed.
    • Towards the end of the first set, the band took a long pause which lead directly to an outpouring (and I don’t think that word is big enough) of appreciation. Watch the video all the way to the end and tell me it doesn’t give you chills.
    • Dammit, they’ve converted me…at least partially.
    • The art they produce is pure professionalism in a varied state, making each night deeply meaningful to a true follower. Think about it; could a circus come to town and just wing it? Does Broadway just ad lib each night? What Phish does has an infinite vision and breadth.
    • People were just FEELING it. If at some point we need a unit of measurement for “feeling it”, can we call it a Phan?
    • You can literally feel the band get their feet underneath them.
    • Chris Kuroda doesn’t even flinch when he’s hit by a glow stick. The man is just as focused and dialed in as the band. As lights trigger, Chris will occasionally snap a finger in the air right on beat.
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    • The reason why Chris Kuroda defined the Lighting Director position in the jam scene is because he puts as much thought and energy into his contribution as the band does.
    • In the same way a blender can puree multiple parts into a unified substance, Phish does the same with music. I know that their base is blues, jazz, rock, and a few other genres, but the sound that emanates is Phish and only Phish.
    • Best salesman pitch from a peddling fan: $5 heady vegan water
    • I would’ve liked to see more personalization from the band. I was honestly surprised with how dedicated the fan base is that, minus some jumping and smiling, the band was fairly robotic onstage. There was limited talking between songs, and while I don’t like that to go on for too long, it’s nice when a band mentions the city or tells a little story about it.
    • My biggest surprise/let down was the encore. A one song encore from any band is pretty weak, but this is the biggest jam band in the world. Not only was it only one song, but it was one of the shortest of the night.
    The crew during set break
    The crew during set break

    While I don’t think I’ll ever be the guy who researches every version of every song, intently listening for subtleties and memorizing Phish’s musical footprint, I think the band, at least for now, has converted me from a cynic to an appreciator of all that they do.  I know for sure that even though I can’t follow them around the country, I will definitely catch them the next time they’re in town.

    Set List

    Set 1:  Buried Alive, Twist, Heavy Things, 555, Halley’s Comet, Bathtub Gin, Wingsuit, Divided Sky, Wombat, Bowie

    Set 2:  DWD > Back on the Train > NICU > Gotta Jibboo > Theme from the Bottom > Meatstick, Fuego, The Wedge, Antelope

    Encore: Character Zero

  • Phish in Canandaigua: Cuddly But Muscular

    The 2014 summer tour from Phish continues to be an ever-unravelling adventure in setlist construction and jam sequences. The show at Canandaigua on Tuesday was no exception. Launching into the rarity “Buried Alive” right out of the gates, the foursome then segued into an oddly placed but adventurous first-set “Twist”, clocking in just over 8 minutes. From there, Phish went right into straight-forward versions of  “Heavy Things”, “555” (the first of 4 tracks off the new album Fuego) and “Halley’s Comet” before really finding their stride for what was potentially the most focused closing 2nd half of a first-set the band has played this summer tour. Starting at 8:06 p.m., When they started Bathtub Gin and really not letting up until the closing notes of David Bowie at 9 p.m., the band painted a melodic canvas for 54 minutes straight swaying in an out of intensity and exploration until the set finished.

    Phish in CanandaiguaHarkening back to the aforementioned adventurous setlists, this writer can assuredly say pre summer-tour, he would not be clamoring to ooze compliments over a “Bathtub Gin”, “Wingsuit”, “Divided Sky”, “Wombat”, “David Bowie” First set closer. However, it as if Phish, whether it be intentionally or serendipitously, is beginning to find their footing for the new Fuego tracks. The Canandaigua setlist did not contain one cover and had a ton of new material, so it could be argued the band is carefully, and strategically trying to integrate the new material into their setlists, that in many ways in recent years, had become very predictable.

    Phish in CanandaiguaOf note from the end of this first set, was the 17 minute “Divided Sky”, which seemed to perfectly jive with the divided sky and piercing sunset over Canandaigua Lake at the same time.  This version is definitely a top-3 version from the 3.0 era. Another impressive showing also came from “Wombat” (clocking in at over 7 minutes) which has quickly risen to be a ridiculously fun dance number with bassist Gordon and keyboardist McConnell having enjoyable interplay. This has got to be one of the silliest, yet funkiest phish songs to come out of the barn in the past decade with the chorus “Cuddly, but muscular.” The entire pavilion inside of CMAC was getting down with many observed to be thrusting their Wombat wings in almost mock Chicken-dance and shadowing the original Wombat strut from Abe Vigoda from last year’s Halloween set. The jam was shorter than many of us would have liked but was a tight little package of funk. Definitely: one of the “jammiest” highlights of the night.

    Phish in CanandaiguaThe second set began with a monstrous “Down With Disease” that ebbed and flowed from a laid back sonic sound scape to an intense funky jam with Page McConnell crushing several sections of the arrangement with powerful keystrokes. All told, the DWD clocked in just over 20 minutes and was truly a playground of emotions. It perfectly summarized where this band is at on this summer tour installment. Seemingly firing on all cylinders, Phish has is leaving predictability aside and blazing new trails, especially in the song selection and placement in the second set, specifically the previously notable 2nd set, 2nd song which had previously been “thee slot” to expect an exploration. That continued Tuesday at CMAC when the band, coming off the heels of the raucous DWD, eased into a shortened “Back on the Train”.

    Phish in CanandaiguaThe second set continued in this quick-hitting fashion but never officially stopping and starting an arrangement and seguing set start to finish. Albeit short affairs with a 6 minute “Back on the Train”, a 5 min “NICU”  (first one of summer tour), an 8-min “Theme from the Bottom” and a 5 minute “Meatstick”, the set truly felt like one big melodic jam with a 9-minute “Gotta Jiboo” and a 10+ minute “Fuego” taking center stage before a longer than 2014 summer-tour standard “Run Like an Antelope” brought what was one, very cohesive set and show to a close. The encore was “Character Zero” and the band quickly exited the stage to hit the long overnight trip to Detroit for next show on the tour.

  • 93Q Summer Jam Rocks Papermill Island

    For the sixth year now 93Q has celebrated the beginning of summer with a party.  This year’s party was held June 22, at Papermill Island in Baldwinsville, on the perfect sunny 70 degree evening.  As the gates opened, the stage began to fill in as though a tide was washing the crowd inward.  This evening definitely had the potential to bring the party up a notch or two with a stellar lineup just ready to start the summer bash off right; beginning with Erin Bowman, then followed by the new hit group AJR, My Crazy Girlfriend, and ending with the AMA award-winning Hot Chelle Rae.

    As the shows began, Erin Bowman, a stunning young lady with a powerful voice, won over the crowd immediately with her original tunes such as “King Boy”, “Problem”, and of course her new smash hit, “Hey Summer”.  It was the mash-up medley though that truly showcased her vocal range, style, and influences in music with songs as diverse as “Oops I Did It Again”, “No Diggity”, “If You Want to Be My Lover” and even REM’s “Loosing My Religion”.  This diverse collection was beautifully choreographed and delivered perfectly. Every performer/band has a signature look that makes them unique.  Erin was no exception.  Her look was classic 1960’s retro from her high wasted shorts and donut themed top to her retro camera and felix the cat looking phone cover.  This musician was extremely talented, playing and writing her own songs, and wowing the audience.  She definitely left an impression on the audience who now know her as an up and coming star.

    Next up for the evening was AJR.  Watching these three brothers, Adam, Jack, and Ryan, take the stage I felt a bit reminiscent of how the fans must have behaved with the Beatles all those years ago.  These young fans were pushing and shoving, shouting and crying, just to get a view of them.  As they began to play I could see why.  Their style was uniquely their own.  Raised and influenced by many great artists of the 60’s and 70’s these young men truly shone through in a Beach Boys kind of way.  Their breakout hit “I’m Ready” featuring the voice of cartoon character SpongeBob Squarepants is one example of their creative and fun-loving mannerisms and musical style.

    Next on the bill was the pop/hip hop group My Crazy Girlfriend.  Myah Marie, Cosmo, and twins Justyn and Bennett Armstrong took over the stage and won over the audience with their harmonic, upbeat and individualistic style.  Performing for years individually, their unique style and outstanding stage presence meld together perfectly to bring audiences hit songs such as “Crazy, Stupid Love”.  The one thing that stood out with this group was their love of their audience, as they demonstrated doing everything in their power to reach out and make their day as they were performing.

    The final act of the evening, and Central NY favorite, Hot Chelle Rae took over the stage and owned it the moment they came out. These three young men  never cease to amaze me with their talent.  Taking American Music Awards Best New Artist award in 2011, it is apparent why Ryan and Jamie Follese’ and Nash Overstreet continue to create hit after hit forging new directions with their music each time they put out an album.  Can’t think of a better band to start-up the summer fun with or a better setting to do so.

  • Foreigner Taps Local Talent for Performance at CMAC

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    Mick Jones of Foreigner

    The picturesque venue of Canandaigua Music and Arts Center, CMAC, located about 20 minutes outside of Rochester N.Y. was the setting for Don Felder, Styx and headliner Foreigner.

    What stole the show was when Foreigner brought the Canandaigua Academy Jazz Choir on stage with them for a song. The Choir had been asked by Lou Gramm to sing with him at the Rochester Jazz Fest and later was asked by a representative from Foreigner to be the choir vocals in the hit 90’s ballad song “I Want to Know What Love Is”, which was gladly accepted by Amy Story, Academy Choral Director.

    The stage is set under the shell with seating. Typically, no one is allowed to stand in the aisle that is in front the first row seating; an exception was made for this special occasion. Both supporters of the choir and fans of Foreigner crowded up to the front to get an up close, personal view and experience. The second to last song in Foreigner’s set, the choir came on the stage. The facial expressions and radiant glow from the smile of the choir member faces was contagious. The voices of the inspired younger generations seemed to exude the emotions of appreciation for the opportunity Foreigner had given them.

    Sounds of voices quickly filled the air and were received with an energetic welcoming enthusiasm from Foreigner. The audience was feeding off the energy from everyone on the stage. By the looks from one gentleman in the front row, he had enough energy for the entire audience. He was proudly looking with a twinkle in his eyes at the stage as he stretched one arm out in front of him, singing with all his heart. This gentleman could only have been a proud Papa bear by the amount emotion that he was watching someone up on stage. The choir was professional the entire evening and did a tremendous job and were truly wonderful ambassadors for their school.

    Kelly Hansen and the Canandaigua Academy Jazz Choir
    Kelly Hansen (Foreigner) and the Canandaigua Academy Jazz Choir

    Although the choir stole the show, Foreigner was a class act and there is more to be said than just a great performance by these guys. They covered the stage like they were 16 years old still. Running from one side to the next, playing up to the audience. The interacted with the choir and made sure the focus was about them. Foreigner is a group of musicians that are quality people. They gave to a community; to a group of young adults by providing an incredible opportunity to perform with such a large act, instilling a memory that so many more than just the choir will never forget, impacted lives by just being able to experience and see that performance. If only more musicians and people could be like this the world would be a better place. Photo credit: Tony DeLeo