Category: Show Reviews

Glenn Miller Orchestra Turns the Clock Back at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Inside one of the Capital District’s oldest music venues, the Glenn Miller Orchestra brought back the RCA Records sound of the 1930s and 40s amid the pastel pink, green and white interior of Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. While there are no original members, an observation bandleader Nick Hilscher made, eliciting a ripple of laughter from the crowd, they are workhorses, performing 48 weeks a year on tour with typically five shows each week. Honed and polished, the band was the sound of perfection in their extensive catalog of hits from the Big Band era of American music.

With conductor/singer Hilscher, who was classy and decked out in a suit, the 16-piece band played a brief “Moonlight Serenade” to open the show, establishing the most notable Glenn Miller song’s smooth jazz as the theme of the evening. “Caribbean Clipper” and “Tuxedo Junction” followed, with intermittent applause after each orchestra member’s solo. Derbys, plungers, wah-wah and solo-tone mutes were used at various times by the four trombonists – George Reinert, John Tyler, Joe Zeigenfus and Jason Bennett – altering the sound to that of big bands from the pre-World War II era. Following “Serenade in Blue” from the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade, featured singer Natalie Angst came out to sing “String of Pearls” and “Church on Time”, a golden voice that sounded like it had lept from the movie musicals from the same era.

Glenn Miller, having enlisted in the war effort, he formed a band in the Army Air Force, from which the classic “Begin the Beguine” originated. Alternating brass and woodwinds were featured on “The White Cliffs of Dover”, particularly by Christopher Hearld and Kevin Sheehan whose clarinet was a soothing presence.

Recalling the Modernaires, a vocal group who performed with Glenn Miller in the 30s and 40s, today’s Glenn Miller Orchestra has the Moonlight Serenaders, including Natalie Angst and band members Joe Zeigenfus, Kevin Sheehan and Ian O’Beirne, along with Nick Hilscher. Singing “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, (the first ever gold record with 1.2 million sales), the audience was moved to sway and sing along with the American classic. A unique comedy/parody tune, “Conchita Marquita Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita Lopez” from the movie Priorities on Parade, fit the Moonlight Serenaders perfectly. The first set ended with “The American Patrol”, dedicated to the veterans in the audience, who stood up at Hilscher’s request, making up roughly 10% of the men in the audience.

After a short break, the band returned to continue the night with a “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Pennies from Heaven” and “The Lady is a Tramp”. These three familiar numbers put the Music Hall’s incredible acoustics front and center, which have been experienced by thousands since opening in 1875. With big bands having played the room since over the past 140 years, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was well aware of the fabled legends that had preceded them. Closing with “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, “In the Mood” and a full version of “Moonlight Serenade”, as well as an encore of Eddie Durham’s “The Tiger Rag”, a speedy club jazz number, featuring piano from James Navan, the current incarnation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra brought a sound from the 20th century and reintroduced it into the American music catalog of the 21st century.

May 12, 2014
Grand Opening Celebration of Grandma’s Studio & The Albany Barn

The Capital District welcomed the newest addition to the music community on Friday, May 2nd, with the grand opening of Grandma’s Studio at The Albany Barn.

The recently renovated St. Joseph’s Academy building was turned into a 22 low-cost live/work residence for artists in the area with the concept of creating affordable living and wide open, creative work space. The idea for bringing a community together to work towards the goal of building art, music and relationships gifted the appropriate title, The Barn. Within the walls of the new venue, Bryan Brundige owns and operates the multi-track recording studio, Grandma’s, dedicated to the creation and capturing of music in comfort.

The fresh new venue has bright, white walls that were lit up with multi-colored changing bulbs and were the perfect highlight for the local art on display throughout the two floored area. The first concert at the new performance space kicked off with Palatypus, Kimono Dragons, Le Rubb and PJ Katz & the Fat Buckle Band. Guests could enjoy the music from the main floor in front of the grand stage or with the open aired, walkway of the second floor. New to the scene and already set to perform at this year’s Tulipfest, the Kimono Dragons bring a much need surfer rock vibe to land lovers in Albany with fast riding riffs and rhythmic swells. Le Rubb is a unique quintet that brilliantly fuses electronica and jazz creating their own sound with echoes of digital turntables, horns and wind instruments with the classic percussion set up and bass. PJ Katz, multi-instrumentalist and producer, joined forces with the Fat Buckle Band for a high energy rocking set to close out the event.

There’s nothing like the thrill of a new venue opening that can send the heart racing with hope and imagination. Just think of all the new show possibilities that are now plausible. is a strong supporter for the growth of music in Upstate New York and beyond. We congratulate and thank Grandma’s Studio and The Albany Barn on their opening and efforts to create a space for artists to “live, work and inspire.”

May 9, 2014
The Continental holds 2nd Annual Reunion

On April 26th, SUNY Fredonia Professor Elmer Ploetz, myself and another volunteer made our way towards the back entrance of the Town Ballroom in downtown Buffalo on April 26th. It was to play host to the second annual Continental Reunion Show and I had volunteered to help Prof. Ploetz record and interview people. At this year’s reunion, 11 bands were set to perform. I thought it would be like any other rock show. I was dead wrong.

The Continental, located on 212 Franklin Street, was Buffalo’s largest goth and punk scene in the late ’80s before ultimately closing down in 2005. Last year’s reunion had nearly 1,000 people showing up for the event.

The clock on the wall struck seven and the doors opened with a wave of people in leather, fishnets, heavy make up, corsets. Soon after, the slight smell of cannabis filled the arena. I stayed behind my set up tripod on the upper level of the venue while I waited for the bands to take stage.

Bob James’ band started out the night with his first single “Lorraine.” The crowd bobbed their heads to the music as they came in with drink in hand to prepare for the rest of the evening. Each band was set to play for approximately 20 minutes. Even between the short amounts of time, the atmosphere was great and the fans cheered and rooted as bands brought up old memories.

The band that caught my attention was The Kevin K Band. With my camera, I zoomed in on the singer who wore purple glasses with a bright vest. The band rocked out one song after another and I found myself singing along to the chorus of each song, cheering loudly as they finished. With their loud and hard guitars and fast beats, they were the definition of an old school punk band.

I was told the bands that everyone was looking forward to were Tension and The Enemies. That night was the first time that Tension played in 25 years and I heard non-stop talk about them performing. The Enemies caused an equal amount of buzz between fans, as they were to perform with two of the original members.

Between sets, I got the opportunity to take a break behind the camera and venture out into the bar area to interview people. For an older, edgier crowd, people had smiles on their faces and were hugging one another in remembrance of The Continental.

I heard stories about The Continental being a safe haven and a place where misfits went and felt like they belonged. A person from our crew sparked a conversation with a man, who as he spoke, painted an image of young, goth girls looking in the mirror, fixing their make up. The interview turned quite a loop when be mentioned that he was blind, something I failed to initially observe. In an instant, he pulled on a leash he had in his hand and a woman immediately came to his side. She had a collar around her neck and my eyes could not stop looking at her golden eye make up. She introduced herself as his “Seeing-eye Bitch.” I was thrown off guard at the sight of the two of them but that gave me a realization that The Continental was all about the strange and the unusual.

And, I was part of it.

Tension and The Enemies took the stage toward the end of the night, and that was the most I heard the crowd cheer. Some people starred in awe since it was years since they saw the bands play. My professor was even rocking out to the music along with the people who waited for the reunion to happen. I, along with two other girls from our crew, went to the front of the stage to watch the two bands perform. From our vantage point, I saw older faces light up and young rock ‘n’ roll hearts unleashed again. We then just let everything loose, threw up the classic horns with our hands and screamed after each song. We didn’t know the words, but the excitement and the feeling of the drums rocking our bodies made us want to be part of the crowd. After their sets, we took our sweaty selves up near the tripods and cameras. We all babbled about how awesome the bands were and almost forgot that two more bands were set to perform.

We watched as the stage was prepared for the next act. A black banner with red, bloody letters read, “SKINBOUND.” We knew the next band was not going to be some classic punk band. The lights dimmed and a red light surrounded the stage. Everyone looked confused when over the speakers they heard the sound of eerie church music and suddenly, the band came out with rough guitars and pounding drums. The singer came out with harsh growls and screams.

At first, I was taken back by the band. I was like, ‘Who would have a heavy metal band at a punk show?’ But, in a heartbeat, the three of us made our way to the stage again and we followed suit with the crowd, heads banging to the beat of the guitars. We yelled and once more threw up the horns. I gasped a few times as I watched the keyboard player do backflips while he stood on stage. “We are going to play Coldplay’s, ‘Viva La Vida’ because we like to piss them off,” the singer announced, and the band proceeded into a metal version, complete with deep growls. It made a lasting impression as I knew I would never listen to the original song without the image of a band dressed in black, a keyboard player doing backflips, and a tattooed covered singer doing intense vocals. As much as the band was intimidating on stage, I met them after the show and observed young guys with humbled hearts as they were asked to take pictures and sign autographs.

Progressively fewer people made their way towards the stage as the last band started to play, which was not until after midnight. Industry of Life Divine took the stage with pink and black balloons filling the stage. We made our way back to the camera and video area and watched as the stage filled with half-naked women in leather, carrying whips. The scene distracted from the music, the music that came through the band sounded like a poppy version of Marilyn Manson, with a psychedelic rock. On the corner of the stage was a girl who twirled around a light up, rainbow hula-hoop and I mentally gave her props for being able to twirl it around her neck, legs and hips. But, that was the only real entertainment on the stage.

All our equipment was packed and our crew got out of the venue before the total chaos of traffic could happen. My ears rang, my throat was dry and the back of my neck sore. I came in there not knowing what to expect and I came out with a real acceptance of what The Continental was: it was a home for the people who were told they did not belong anywhere else. It was a place for the misfits to show their true colors. It was a true punk rock family.

May 8, 2014
The Devil Makes Three ‘Did Wrong Right’ in Rochester

Rochester rarely sees a bluegrass show, let alone a sold out bluegrass show. The April 23rd Devil Makes Three show at the Zeppa Auditorium was a welcomed oddity to that norm but they did wrong right. A 9 PM arrival to a show almost usually results in a few people at the bar, enjoying a drink before the party starts. Count this show as an oddity in that realm too then – the house was packed and pensively listening to the opening band, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons, an Americana band from Providence, RI with a bluesy sound.

The Devil Makes Three hit the stage strong with “Stranger, a song off the new album” I’m a Stranger Here. They wasted no time with playing house favorites when they slid smoothly into, “Beneath The Piano > Bullet” – the energy level was building with each song. With a look around the room, most knew every word to these songs, which played to the feel of the night, a room full of friends. The setlist was a fantastic combination of new songs and well-known songs from all their albums. Some of the highlights for this girl were, “Old Number 7” and “Gracefully Face Down” and by the sounds of it, I wasn’t the only one there whom had memorized nearly every word to every song. Most notably though, I was thrilled to hear upright bassist Lucia Turino sing a swanky tune. She rarely sings and seeing her play that bass and sing was a definite treat.

Quite possibly the greatest oddity of the night was the “bluegrass moshpit” that ensued and consumed every person anywhere near the stage. Maybe it was the fast paced “Do Right Wrong > Black Irish” that created the frenzy, or possibly it was the energy of the sold out room on another chilly Upstate, NY night, either way the moshpit was a new experience for this gal. A friend advised I take it all in and enjoy, “because it puts hair on your chest,” he said. But I digress, I prefer not to be tackled whilst dancing my heart out.

If this show was any indication of the things to come for this band, I will say that they are on their way up and already have a strong fan base in just about every city they play. Look for The Devil Makes Three this summer at festivals across the country.

May 8, 2014
UMBowl V – A Most Unique Live Music Experience

It’s one thing for a band to craft a setlist that fans will be talking about for weeks and months to come. It is another to have the fans decide the setlist through voting, both beforehand and in real-time at a concert. Still, Umphrey’s McGee has found a way to make this a reality, using separate themes over four quarters of their UMBowl experiences, which held its fifth installment at The Capitol Theatre on May 3rd, to put on the must-see event UMBowl V for fans of Umphrey’s but especially those who appreciate live, improvisational rock.

UMBowl is nothing short of a smart idea for live music, unparalleled in complexity, audience engagement and the resulting musical odyssey. In the past, I have listened to these shows days after, while fans were abuzz about the experience, and I thought they were interesting, but I didn’t get the hype. Up until last week, I would never have considered flying or driving to Chicago for UMBowl, where the previous four were held, but after being able to drive just over two hours south to take in my first UMBowl, it is undoubtedly not my last. I will happily follow UMBowl wherever it goes – this is a premiere live music experience where the band meets the fans halfway and puts on nothing short of a stellar show, pushing the boundaries of art in musical performance.

The Cap was packed downstairs, creating an intimate feeling for the night, with the upstairs reserved for VIP and photographers, but you weren’t missing much up there; the view looked better in the lower house, and that is saying a lot. At times you forgot you were at The Cap, as the show transported the focused crowd of 1,000 with each jam, improv and cover that came across the setlist.

But first, since this is a four quarter show with OT, the sports theme was present, but mostly in the form of commemorative towels and a couple of guys wearing eye black and football jerseys. But then, ESPN’s Around the Horn came on the big screen, with host Tony Reali hosting his show, giving a brief rundown to his panel of the show that was about to take place. Reali sat in earlier this year with Umphrey’s for “Layla”, so this was a fan sharing in the experience rather than just a hired gimmick. Take a look below for the intro video.

The themes of each quarter flowed nicely, building progressively on each other as the night went on. The first set was not so much a warm up as it was a chance to stretch improv potential out, then the fan favorites, (halftime/setbreak) audience direction, one pre-approved text at a time, then a set of originals chosen in real-time, a five hour concert experience that keeps the band on their feet and aware of their fans moods and tastes, but without having to deal with them shouting their requests at them.

Q1 was ‘Raw Stewage’, voted on beforehand by fans among a variety of “Jimmy Stewart” improve portions of past jams, as they have come to be called. Hardcore fans could identify the song from which each “Jimmy Stewart” arose, some even mentioning the specific date. The rest of us sat back and watched a spectacular improv session develop, pulling on hints from the music to pick out the original song the JS was born from. Essentially, the protean Umphrey’s had created a set of fan choices of their favorite jams from the past. The skill and focus to reconstruct these improvs is mind-boggling.

Q2 was the All Request quarter, with fans once again having voted on the songs beforehand from a select list. Opening with moe.’s “Rebubula”, the crowd was ignited and we were off and running. The instrumental “All Things Ninja” followed, then a show-stopper in “Crazy Fingers”, with Jake Cinninger on vocals. The audience was floored and dropped jaws all around focused squarely on the skinny guy singing the fat man’s song, to perfection.”#5″ had a nice long jam, while the perfect closing to the set came in the form of “Brain Damage > Eclipse”. The set was just incredible start to finish, although “Bell Bottom Blues” was snubbed in voting. Let’s hope it’s on the ballot for UMBowl VI.

Q3 was a Stew Art event, where the fans determined via text message what direction the band should go in. You text an idea, such as ‘Frank Zappa-esque Jam’, and the result was the band would segue into a jam that developed into “Willie the Pimp”. Among other highlights of this 43 minute set were “Emergency Dance Party” and “Daft Funk”, leading to some of the best dancing of the night and the moment when the set truly launched onward and upward. “Rockabilly Throwdown” flipped yet another ignition switch while “Barry White Love Letter” with Jake on vocals had elements of the dub version of “Breathe” by Easy Star All Stars. Bill Evans came out on sax for part of this event, adding a seventh member to the Stew Art, no small feat for just any musician.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, Q4 was “Choose Your Own Adventure”, where fans texted choices among three song choices shown on the screen behind the band. Percents rose and fell among them, with some votes getting contentious between a pair of songs and coming down to the wire. “The Haunt” opened things up, and there was a tease of moe.’s “Spaz Medicine” about 2/3 of the way in. “The Triple Wide” beat out “Last Man Swerving” in the second spot, which led into a “Funk Jam”, where the voting vs “Industrial Jam” wasn’t even close, although I did hear Joel Cummins throwing in some industrial tickles of the keys in the vein of NIN. Brendan Bayliss and Ryan Stasik took the lead in the funk jam, each taking a section while the next voting commenced.

This was shaping up to be the most fun set of them all, particularly as fans cheered for their choice that rose in the voting and drifted back down to earth. “Wife Soup” beat out “Plunger” and “Great American” for a HUGE version of the Anchor Drops classic. Statik drifted over toward Joel to jam along, then returned behind Jake and blended in with Myers’ kit in the shadows of Waful’s lights. Cummins took a patient climb towards the first grand peak in “Wife Soup”, then Jake led towards the second major peak equally unrushed, building and building until the collective ‘gasm on stage and in the crowd sent a rush of chills and cheers throughout The Cap.

“Flamethrower”, one of the walk on numbers that has been a regular feature of Umphrey’s shows for the past few years, was short and moved into “FF”, with an “All in Time” tease towards end of the jam. “Space Funk Booty” segued into what would be the final choice of the night, either the end of “JaJunk”, the end of “Bridgeless” or the end of “Mulche’s Oddysey”. JaJunk was an afterthought from the moment voting started and was tied or within a point between “Bridgeless” and “Mulche’s”. Cheers accompanied each song as they pulled ahead, one text at a time, but in the end, victory was eked out by “Mulche’s”, definitely the correct call for the punch this song delivers to cap a set.

Prior to the encore, a tribute to former drummer Mike Mirro aired on the screen, the crowd recalling the fallen bandmate with revered silence. A Goodfellas parody video then aired on the screen, followed by the start of OT. “Nothing But a G Thing” started things off, with the rarity of Stasik on vocals, followed by “Much Obliged > Glory” with Bill Evans on sax once again, the full encore giving an emotional ending to a premiere night of music. UMBowl ranks as one of the most inventive and marathon sessions of live music you can witness and participate in, and will certainly be a staple of many lucky fans music calendars for years to come.

May 7, 2014
May Day Throw Down with The Word & Kung Fu at The Cap

The historic Capitol Theatre hosted a night of funk and soul on May 1st thanks to supergroups Kung Fu and The Word. The small crowd of over 500 people left more than enough dance room on the wide open GA floor and prime seating in the loge/balcony with universal grand views of the architecture and visionary light show. The Cap is larger than life with its numerous chandeliers, deep colors of carpeted floors and tall ceilings that glow with the psychedelic projections that glide over the venue.

Kung Fu started the evening with a brief set of electrifying rock and funky heavy jazz with members of RAQ and The Breakfast. The dirty rhythm of Adrian Tramontano with the deep bass notes of Chris DeAngelis was the ideal groove to get the night moving. Todd Stoops kept both hands busy on two different sets of keys throughout the set as Rob Somerville blasted light-hearted funk melodies. Kung Fu will bring their lethal funk to festivals this year such as Disc Jam, Gathering of the Vibes and Catskill Chill.

The Word was greeted with overwhelming cheers and general excitement for a night with the quintet of musical masterminds, as well as this being a rescheduled show for the original date in February. The Word reunites Robert Randolph on steel lap guitar, John Medeski on keyboards, Chris Chew on bass and brothers Cody Dickinson on percussion and Luther Dickinson on guitar for the first time since 2012. The Word performed an outstanding three-hour set full of slip sliding guitar licks, crashing cymbals and rejuvenating organ chords full of bluesy rock. Medeski swam laps over the keys with hard-hitting strokes of spiritual reckoning.

Randolph is an A+ entertainer as he karate chops and both figuratively and literally licks the lap steel strings with a smile in his chair or on his feet. Luther Dickinson energized the crowd with his head to head strumming with Randolph and overall, southern rock flair. The big man himself, Chris Chew, laid out a consistent, booming rhythm much to the delight of the fans and band members after his personal health hiatus back in 2012. The Word will be performing at the Jam Cruise 13 but you can catch individual members, Robert Randolph and the Family Band at Mountain Jam Music Festival, John Medeski will be at this year’s Lockn’ Festival and North Mississippi Allstars members will be touring Europe for the summer. The Word continues to bring together music lovers and band members for a fusion of gospel rocking funk to create a unique and instrumental experience.

Download the show from etree

May 7, 2014
Dopapod, Aqueous and Mister F Put On One Heck Of A Show Saturday, April 26th

Waiting Room in Buffalo has been booking great show after show this year, and is becoming one of the places to be for live music. The event that they hosted last Saturday night was just short of spectacular. It provided the perfect combination of an up and coming band with Mister F, a band that is one step away from exploding on the jam scene in Aqueous, and a band that continues to close out shows, making you want more, in Dopapod.

Walking into the venue you heard to start the night was the guitar playing from Andrew Chamberlaine of Mister F, who kept you looking for more and the dexterity in his fingers as his soloing became mind altering, hooking you into their set. Where Chamberlaine was the center of the attention, Scott Hannay (keys, guitar, bass) was the heart and soul of the group. His smile and charisma throughout the set brought everyone onto the stage and got the crowd amped up for the night, the perfect situation for the opening band.

Aqueous, from North Tonawanda, continue to get bigger and better with every show they play. They not only know how to play music, they can effortlessly transition from song to song. They opened the show right out of the gate with “Gordon’s Mule > Complex” and would roll from song to song with ease, giving the fans no time to take a break. The strongest part of the band is just how well each other feeds off of each other. Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss both are able to mix their guitar sounds together and at the same time respect each others playing where it doesn’t drown one another out. Dopapod’s Rob Compa joined the band on stage during “Strange Times” bringing three different guitars together. The real backbone for this group is Nick Sonricker and Evan McPhaden who both provide the perfect beats and bass to let Gantzer and Loss explore their respected guitar fret boards, providing the listener a musical journey to wherever they want to take them. The end of their set brought such great energy to the floor with a cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, with Mister F’s Scott Hannay on keyboard . One of Aqueous’ strongest assets is bringing a cover to their show and making it their own. Aqueous is not only becoming one of Buffalo’s greatest musical gems they are turning into one of the must see bands on tour right now.

There is so much love between Aqueous and Dopapod and it shone brightly when Rob Compa came on stage sporting an Aqueous button on his guitar strap. Compa has such a humble approach to his guitar and in mere minutes his improvisational skills turn up the heat in any room. Luke Stratton’s lights were exceptionally well done, often providing the perfect backdrop to the show. They seemed to accompany Compa’s guitar playing perfectly and even taking his extensive solos to another level. Eli Winderman (keys) and Rob Compa (guitar) pair so well together, feeding off each other and giving each other some ideas of where to go next. Chuck Jones (bass) and Scotty Zwang (drums) provide the perfect time table for Compa and Winderman to improvise throughout the night. Highlighted especially by “Eight Years Ended” as well as an impressive run with “Donkey Kong Theme > Present Ghosts > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant”. Dopapod continues to be a force to reckon with. There is no wonder they have been invited to some of the biggest festivals and their talent to take music from one point to another is incredible.

Aqueous Setlist: Gordon’s Mule > Complex, The Median > Staring into the Sun > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Strange Times*** > Complex II, Highway Star^$
** w/ Rob Compa from Dopapod
^ Aqueous debut, Deep Purple cover
$ with Scott Hannay from Mister F

Dopapod Setlist: Bluetooth, Flipped, King Harvest*, Like A Ball, 8 Years Ended, Donkey Kong Theme > Present Ghosts > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Picture in Picture^
*The Band cover; for Rob’s dad
^with Scott Hannay from Mister F on keys

May 2, 2014
University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts Hat Trick – Rozzi Crane, Parachute & Gavin DeGraw

How could the crowd at University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts not go wild with this line up? With Rozzi Crane, Parachute, and Gavin DeGraw, the audience was bound to see them shoot and score on each of these acts.

Rozzi Crane opened the evening in total darkness as she belted out the notes to her first song. The strong and emotive voice made the audience sit up and take notice immediately. As the spotlight came on and her silhouette was outlined, each member of the audience sat there agape. This huge voice and soulful sustenance of a jazz great was in the body of this petit young lady. One would expect to see the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, or Etta James up there; instead, the voice that resonated this sound came from Miss Rozzi Crane. As I sat shooting photos, I could hear those around me saying , “Who is that?!” A star was born that evening to the audience in Buffalo. She continued with an ease as though she had been in front of an audience her whole life. Her level of comfort on the stage and with the crowd demonstrated that the stage was her home away from home. As her set ended, she invited everyone out to her merchandise area to do a meet and greet. Either getting there too early or too late, I didn’t get the chance to speak to her directly, but I did talk to one of her crew members. As she mentioned during her show a connection with Adam Levine, I asked about the details of how she was discovered. He shared how Adam Levine of Maroon 5 heard her through a Youtube video that had been shared with him through a mutual friend and immediately signed her to his new label. Touring with Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson in 2013 was only the beginning to this amazing young lady’s journey. She definitely has a “Voice” to listen for big things in the future. One word to describe Rozzi, soulful.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTauDOWKD-s]

Next up was Parachute. The band is a group of five musicians who have known each other and played together since high school and college. To me, they are one of the most talented, versatile, and best kept secrets around today. Members, Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, piano), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Alex Hargrave (bass), Kit French (saxophones, keyboards, vocals), and Nate McFarland (guitar, vocals) have a knack of creating the most relevant songs.

This five-piece truly are a group of amazing musicians, however, I believe it’s their songwriting skills that sets them apart from everyone else. They have the ability to connect with their listeners on a different level. They have the ability to take real life events, add a score of music that is amazingly perfect for the feel of the song, and share it in a way only they can. When I tell you their crowd loves them, they literally rushed the stage the minute they came on. And what makes this even more special was the way the group embraced them, by slapping hands along the stage, going out into the audience to sing, and brining the audience up on stage to dance with them during their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” number.

Parachute – “Dancing In The Dark”

These guys love what they do and it’s apparent to those that love what they do. One word to describe Parachute, consummate.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXqYw_II6Pc]

Setting the bar for the evening so high with his two amazing opening acts, only Gavin DeGraw could come out and rock the audience into even more of a frenzy than they already were. There’s just something about Gavin DeGraw that I can’t put my finger on that makes this man legendary. Is it his humility at being able to share his passion with the audience? Is it his remarkable sexy voice that draws one in? Or could it be his bewitching smile and sense of humor that mesmerizes you? It’s probably the combination of all of these traits, along with his amazing talent and will to share his passion in music, that makes him a super star. Gavin has the ability to come out and perform for an audience like he’s singing just to you. Covering many shows over the years, this was my second opportunity to see Gavin perform. The audience of fans consisted of a smorgasbord of individuals from all walks of life and age groups. This demonstration of variety clearly shows how legendary he has become being able to entice so many.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

Touring this year for his fifth album Make A Move, Gavin performed numbers from the album like “Leading Man,” “Best I Ever Had,” and the album’s cover song “Make A Move.” In addition to that, he played some older favorites and new music recently written together with his band, Billy Norris (Musical Director, guitar, and background vocals), Ian O’Neill (drums and background vocals), James Cruz (bass), and David Maemone (keyboards).

The crowd’s new favorite though was clearly his song “Finest Hour,” co-written with Ryan Tedder. He also performed a killer cover of Adele’s “Rumor”, but it was his cover of his musical inspiration, Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman/Where You Are,” that brought the crowd to their feet. Performing alongside Billy Joel recently at Madison Square Garden, Gavin described how the pivotal moment was a dream come true as Billy Joel was the catalyst for his decision to become a performer after seeing him at a show during the 90’s. His journey was not an easy one without bumps in the road, however Gavin overcame many obstacles to achieve his dream and is truly an inspiration to all that have followed his career. As he performed “More Than Anyone” a ballad from his first album Chariot, it only took one verse for the crowd to take over and sing the song for Gavin.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

I can’t image how that makes a performer feel when the audience loves your music so much, they will serenade you. One word to describe Gavin DeGraw, sincere.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eryloGiIhUU]

It was truly a pleasure covering this show as a reporter and photographer as one feeds off of the energy in the crowd. The energy of this crowd was off-the-charts-crazy with love and admiration for all of these artists. This definitely was a hat trick for the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts and the fans that attended. One word for the show, outstanding.

April 29, 2014
The Revivalists Blow the Roof Off The Sinclair in Boston

The Revivalists are a mixed-genre band of 7 members that have been touring since 2007 with 75% less hype than they deserve. The meek crowd that surrounded me, casually chatting and chasing beers, had no clue what they were in for. With Zack Feinberg tearing it up on guitar, Rob Ingraham switching from bass to alto and tenor sax, George Gekas holding an intricate bass line, Andrew Campanelli keeping the tempo changes steady on drums, Michael Girardot slamming the keys and trumpet, Ed Williams getting rowdy with his pedal steel guitar, and of course, Dave Shaw killing vocals and guitar, the sound was barely contained by The Sinclair.

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The Heavy Pets opened the show, a perfect band of eclectic genres and heavy sound to rip up the stage in preparation for The Revivalists. Their funk-rock, jam band roots livened up the casual state of The Sinclair and immediately got bodies moving. They are surely ones to watch – touring all the way from Florida is just the start for this energetic bunch.

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When Dave Shaw hit the stage, the energy level changed immediately and drastically. Within the first song, “Masquerade” from their most recent album, Shaw was already inches from the audience. He sat on speakers to intimately sing sweet melodies, then jumping across the stage to his band members, he growled into the mic as Girardot bent over his pedal steel guitar in bliss. The band moved swiftly through song after song from City of Sound, easing their way back to their first album, Vital Signs. They threw in easy groove songs like “Not Turn Away” and “Souls Too Loud,” and then turned it down with the easy-going “Appreciate Me II,” still holding the anxious energy with Shaw’s leap down into the crowd as he rocked out with his new fans. They ended the set making a newly-wed couple’s dream come true with their country-based song “Soulfight” before entering into one of the best songs in their repertoire, “Criminal.” Shaw continued to create an earthquake on stage, showing no depletion in stamina, while Ingraham pumped his saxophone in the air to amp things up even further and Feinberg tore through solo after solo of pure perfection with his guitar. Shaw ended the song crying into his condenser mic, head between knees, as he watched people shout with hands in the air like wild animals.

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The crowd pleaded for their return with chanting and screaming and The Revivalists arrived with a vengeance. They pulled out “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers and slowed down the beat so dramatically at parts that our bodies were crumbling at each chord and our souls were melting at the desperate howl in Shaw’s crooning voice. With Ingraham shrieking into his sax and Feinberg shredding apart his guitar, the audience head-banged as one entity. The biggest surprise was that the roof of The Sinclair was still in tact.

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No matter what song The Revivalists pulled out of their pocket, they made each one after even stronger, heavier, groovier, and funkier. They played with reggae beats and rocked the house with soulful reinventions. Every person in there was consumed by the music and, after a short break to catch their breaths, ready for a second, third and fourth dose of The Revivalists. The band is like an addiction because when they have revived you once, you’re bound to crave a revival again soon.

Setlist: Masquerade, When I’m Able, When I Die, Not Turn Away, Stand Up, Concrete, Pretty Photograph, Souls Too Loud, BTBD, Appreciate Me II, Fireflies, Soulfight, Criminal

Encore: Whipping Post

April 29, 2014
An Evening of Firsts with The Goo Goo Dolls

As the Goo Goo Dolls began their 2014 Otis Midnight Sessions Tour, they couldn’t have chosen a better venue than the newly renovated Oncenter Carrier Theater in downtown Syracuse, NY as their first stop on the tour.

The beautiful venue, with top-notch acoustic sound and lighting, could only showcase the ambience they wished to achieve in their “Story Tellers” format. As the Oncenter announced their first show to be performed in the theater, it took a mere 5 minutes for the Goo Goo Dolls to sell out the theater; this isn’t surprising though as the Goo Goo Dolls have amassed a huge following in this area. This could be attributed to the fact that they hail from Buffalo, NY, have an amazing new album, Magnetic, out with several hit songs already such as “Come To Me” and “Rebel Beat,” or because they have a fan base that spans generations as they have been together since their inception in 1986. Whatever the reason, it set the stage for an amazing first night in the theater.

The Goo Goo Dolls – 2014 The Otis Midnight Sessions Tour

As the night began, the stage was setup to resemble a jam session with bar stools, intimate lighting, and a hint of fog, all of which gave off a feeling of being an informal and cozy atmosphere. From the L.A. area, Run River North, opened the evening under a dimly lit stage to a first time audience. To say they blew away the house would be an understatement. The setting of the low light together with their harmonizing and musicality was awe-inspiring and mesmerizing. To describe their style and sound, one could say that if you crossed the Civil Wars (highlighting their acoustic prowess) with Mumford and Sons (highlighting their upbeat tempos and harmonizing), you would wind up with the unique sound of Run River North.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Cv3bpj2a4]
Run River North is made up of six of the most talented young musicians; Alex Hwang on vocals and acoustic guitar, Daniel Chae on electric guitar and violin, Jennifer Rim on violin, Joseph Chun on bass, John Chong on drums, and Sally Kang on vocals and keys. Their unique sound was phenomenal and their stage presence immediately put the crowd at ease as they joked around and demonstrated their personalities. They definitely won over this crowd awaiting the Goo Goo Dolls, and left the stage with their new fans in the audience wanting more. Run River North was an excellent opening act and definitely did their job to warm up the crowd to the intimate feeling the Goo Goo Dolls were shooting for.

Run River North – 2014 Otis Midnight Sessions Tour

Soon thereafter, Johnny Rzeznik took his seat on stage, all alone, and immediately began an acoustic rendition of “Sympathy.” Once finished, he greeted his fans, welcomed them to the show, and began an intimate conversation about his inspirations for songs, his time in the Goo Goo Dolls, his friendships and relationships along the way, and slowly one by one he was joined on stage by Robby Takac, co-founder of the Goo Goo Dolls on vocals and bass, Korel Tunador, longtime touring keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist, and backup vocalist, Brad Fernquist, longtime touring guitarist, mandolin player, and back up vocalist, and newcomer to the tour, Craig McIntyre, on drums and percussion.

Throughout the evening, Johnny and Robby shared their personal history of the Goo Goo Dolls, had conversations with the audience, and drew the audience in as they played such favorites as “Name,” “Slide,” and “Black Balloon.” One story Johnny shared really struck a chord; he told of how he had come upon a block party one day in NYC in which everyone was having a great time, sharing the day with friends and neighbors. He spoke of missing that camaraderie that was once normal to him growing up in Buffalo as he still to this day has yet to meet his neighbors in his current neighborhood. He found inspiration in this experience which lead to “Rebel Beat” being born. As one watches the video, you share what it must have been like to see that block party through Johnny’s eyes and it instills a wish to become more cohesive as a community.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUi8gQPsMdw]
This insight to life as seen through the eyes of the Goo Goo Dolls is what makes their songwriting special. This insight to life and times as they change is what has given the Goo Goo Dolls the longevity within their career as a group. Throughout the evening they made it a point to thank the audience and give credit to them as they are who have made it possible to do what they love all these years. They spoke of the bands that began with them at the same time and those bands are no longer around. It’s the mutual respect between the audience and band that has made this group endure the changes in music over the course of their career. Their music spans not only genres, but also generations of fans. Since the beginning, their music has reflected whatever is going on in their personal lives at that particular moment in time, just as it has with their audience. It’s this very personalization in their songwriting that appeals to the fans; it’s this insight into who they are that allows them to relate one on one with them as individuals and celebrate life’s ups and downs. One example, “Come To Me,” is the perfect model of art imitating life as Johnny writes this as his promise to his new bride.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8VMYLniuDk]
Longevity in the music business is unique and not often experienced as some bands and performers simply cannot evolve. Forming in 1986, they set out on a 28 year journey that’s produced 28 top ten singles. One of the most memorable of those singles was “Iris,” a song written for the City of Angels soundtrack. In 1998, the single was nominated for a Grammy for “Song of the Year.” Fast forward to 2011 and we see the same song re-enter the charts in the United Kingdom and hit number 3. Amazing! Johnny shared how he literally developed a writer’s block as the song’s deadline approached, but in the 9th hour he pulled the perfect song together to submit. Great things come from those under pressure and this shows how well adapted the Goo Goo Dolls have been over the course of their career as very few songs have accomplished this feat.

All in all, this was the perfect show to showcase the brand new Oncenter Carrier Theater, the perfect show to introduce Run River North to their newest fans here in New York, and the perfect show to kickoff the Goo Goo Dolls 2014 Otis Midnight Sessions Tour.

April 26, 2014