NYS Music 20​14

Category: Show Reviews

  • Musical Force: Alan Evans Playonbrother and Turkuaz hit Putnam Den

    Putnam Den hosted two soulful bands, Alan Evans Playonbrother and Turkuaz, this past Thursday the 27th of March that rocked the roof off the venue. Both acts had new music to share with fans that eagerly filled up the dance floor.

    alan evansWith their most recent name change, Alan Evan’s Playonbrother started the night to prove that they are more than a jazz trio. Were they always this edgy? The new name was the boost the group needed to give them more of a dark rock sound. Guitarist Danny Mayer was relentless in his strong guitar riffs throughout the set, never slowing down as Beau Sasser on keys cranked out sharp notes for the familiar jazz like sound that fans have always loved. Alan Evan’s passionately beat his drums and cymbals with a new found fiery confidence, not his usual cool, calm and collected manner. One of the highlights of the night was their rendition of Cream’s “Sunshine of your Love” and subsequent jam, an out of control, hard hitting masterpiece. The trio recently released a new album, Woodstock Sessions, Vol 1. that is available online or at their shows on their current tour with Turkuaz.

    The well-oiled funk machine known as Turkuaz shook the crowd and Putnam Den with their explosive dance music. The 9-piece band from Brooklyn resembles a modern day Talking Heads but with more funk, some Motown flavor and a touch of techno. The band has harmonies coming from every direction and member, not to mention a great chemistry that makes each show fun and special. Their synchronized dance moves were contagious to the crowd and kept everyone pumped up throughout the night. Guitarist Dave Brandwein dances in the eye of the Turkuaz tornado, being a strumming, sturdy force. Geneva Williams and Sammi Garett showcased a wide range of vocals, both in unison and in the solo spotlight. Chris Brouwers was a treat to watch perform in that he can multi-task like a boss as he plays the trumpet and keys at the same time. They are set to release their newest album, Future 86,on April 1st with all pre-orders (digital or physical) receiving a code to download it the day it comes out, no joke. To quote one of their new songs, “The future is coming now” and it is Turkuaz. Be sure to see Turkuaz and Alan Evans Playonbrother at Rock n Roll Resort v4: The Dream Machine, and get your hands on their latest music.

    Setlist: Typa-Lika, Night Swimming, Coast, Rules, Murder Face, 20 Dollar, Chatte, Lookin’ Tough, Can You Handle It?, Tiptoe Thru Crypto, It’s Hard, Honky Tonk, Future, Bubba, Take me to the River, Monkey Fingers

  • Soulive’s Bowlive V at Brooklyn Bowl

    On Friday March 22nd and Saturday March 23rd, Soulive took to the Brooklyn Bowl stage to finish off their eight night “Bowlive” residency. The coveted residency is in its fifth year, and always brings out special guests from all over the musical spectrum. Each night features The Shady Horns, which currently consists of Ryan Zoidis (alto and tenor saxophone), James Casey (tenor saxophone) and Eric Bloom (trumpet). In addition, each night has its own special guests. Friday night featured Marco Benevento (keyboards) and Sonya Kitchell (vocals), and Saturday featured Bill Evans (saxophone) and Scott Metzger (guitar). This was just what was on the bill, but Soulive brought plenty of unannounced guests of their own.

    Bowlive V

    Friday night’s show started off with Soulive sans The Shady Horns for a few burning classics, “Shaheed” and “Aladdin.” “Aladdin” is a track in which Neal Evans’ precision becomes obvious. He uses a gritty, distorted tone for this one that causes just about everybody in the audience to display their own version of the “wince-y funk face.” Soulive then brought The Shady Horns to the stage, dropped a Lettuce cover called “The Dump” and proceeded into a sultry cover of “Lenny” by Stevie Ray Vaughan. It’s always a treat when you get to hear Soulive play this cover, because it always brings out the best of Eric Krasno’s improvisation, with bends and licks that you can feel touch your soul. After this relaxed “Lenny”, Soulive brought it way up with a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression.”

    Marco Benevento came out for this one, and didn’t leave the stage the rest of the night. This wasn’t just any version, but a version that included the first unannounced sit-in of the night, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. The 11 year-old guitar prodigy shredded through solos and didn’t slow the band down one bit. Krasno got the sound guy to boost him up in the mix and the kid completely stole the show. As the song came to a close, the crowd went wild and as he left the stage Alan said, “See this is why we need more instruments in schools, y’all.” Building on the high energy, Soulive brought out Felix Pastorius (son of the legendary jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius) for a jazz standard. This version of Billy Cobham’s “Stratus” was the highlight of the night and included solos by Pastorius and Benevento.

    Friday night’s second set included an all-star lineup of guests that played an all-star lineup of covers. The additional unannounced guests included Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass and Kofi Burdbridge on flute. The covers in this set were all over the genre map. The set opened with a medley of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America” and “If You Want Me to Stay” by Sly Stone, and progressed to “Revolution” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles. The set came to a close with “The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin and then onto an encore of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by The Beatles. Friday night’s penultimate show was an amazing show full of special guests, Soulive classics, and fan-favorite covers.

    Bowlive V

    Going along with the previous nights’ trend, Soulive came out alone to do a few classics, “Uncle Junior”, “Bubble” and “Brother Soul” before welcoming their guests. “Uncle Junior” is one of those fast-paced grooving songs that is perfect for getting the crowd dancing and interested in what’s to come next. Bill Evans was the first to take the stage for another Soulive original, “Cannonball”. Evans brought a heavy jazz-fusion influence to the mix with solos that were a bit more adventurous, even a bit dissonant at times. The perfect song to fit Evans’ style was the next one they played, “Nubian Lady” by Yusef Lateef. Soulive did quite a few off of their Melvin Spark’s tribute album Spark! on this magical night. Soulive brought out Maurice “Mobetta” Brown (trumpet) of Tedeschi Trucks Band to play another track from the Sparks cover album called “Povo.”

    As expected, the second set brought special guests and covers galore. Sonya Kitchell came out for a sweet version of “Grandma’s Hands” which then segued into Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues” with Mark Rivers on vocals. Next, Saunders Sermons (trombone) of Tedeschi Trucks Band graced the stage for “When I’m Kissin’ My Love.” The night ended in an unbelievable encore that included all the guests of the night and The London Souls. Neil Young’s “Down By The River” and “Feelin’ Alright” by Dave Mason were the last two songs played on this magnificent eight-show run.

    These two nights of music contained some of the best performances I have ever seen. I will most certainly be back next year and would recommend any night of “Bowlive” residency to anybody looking to go out and see live music done right.

  • Red Square Plays Host to Groovestick and The Jauntee

    Two bands I had yet to see, The Jauntee and Groovestick, were on the bill with The Assortment of Crayons at Red Square on March 21st. Assortment of Crayons are a solid group from New Paltz who have established themselves in the mid-Hudson Valley and are always a treat to see, but the other two bands eluded me thus far. The Jauntee have a fair amount of hype thanks to this article where they were considered potential heirs to the throne of Phish. A statement like that will perk my ears up any day, but I had to see them for myself to make a fair call. Their shows on Archive.org are good, but in person was the deciding factor.

    groovestick jaunteeTaking the stage quickly after Assortment of Crayons, The Jauntee started with “I Wanna Love You > J.M.O”, the latter of which was short and goofy, always a plus when a band doesn’t take the music too serious. “Mr. Murderin’ Man” had some early jam potential that built up with hypnotic guitar and keys, to the point where it was hard to tell which instrument was making what sound. Beck’s “Devil’s Haircut” wedged inside what later turned out to be the not-always-jammed “Gravity of Thought” was impressive, not just for matching the complexity of the Beck song, but putting a little twist on the song, dropping it down a tempo to create a signature sound. “My Shadow” had a dash of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” inside, an example of great band chemistry on stage – even when bassist John Loland bolted off the stage for the bathroom, the other three never missed a beat, and he was back on stage a half a minute later to fall right back into place. Impressive, but another show or two might convince me further. The Jauntee are certainly talented musicians and put on an impressive show; I’d expect their festival appearances this summer raise their bar even higher, for they are still young but the talent is already apparent to many, including myself.

    Setlist: I Wanna Love You > J.M.O., Mr. Murderin’ Man, Gravity of Thought -> Devil’s Haircut -> Gravity of Thought, My Shadow > Fractal Fuck -> Let the Drummer Take One

    Download or listen to the full show on Archive.org

    Groovestick, an Albany quasi-supergroup features Dan Gerken of Timbre Coup on guitar, Chris Carballeira of Funk Evolution on Hammond Organ and keys and The Chronicles’ Franz Celestin on drums and percussion. Opening up with 20 minutes of “Electric Shoes” was quite impressive, giving Gerken plenty of room to shred.  A salsa infusion on “Inkblot” changed the groove and ended up filling the dance floor with not-your-ordinary dancing fools: I hadn’t seen this at Red Square since perhaps Marco Benevento back in December. It was no coincidence that an organ was part of both performances.

    “GSauce” rocked some blues while “Mischief” had a nice bass groove from the multi-instrumentalist Gerken, which eventually led into “Get Down on It”. A cover happy end of the show featured a Stevie Wonder sandwich of an instrumental “I Wish” (aside from vocal “Doo Doo Doo’s”) seguing fluidly into “Superstition” and back into “I Wish”. The New Deal’s “Home” ended the set while the encore featured Prince’s “Controversy” and Charles Mingus’ “Jump Monk”, with each song of the final 30-40 minutes igniting the crowd more and more. Groovestick was impressive, and paired well with The Jauntee, two acts that are must-sees next time either play in your town.

    Setlist: Electric Shoes, No Time for That, Shark Bait, Inkblot, Big Foot, GSauce, Wormhole > Bakers Dozen, Mischief > Get Down on It, I Wish > Superstition > I Wish, Home
    Encore: Controversy, Jump Monk

  • JD McPherson Rocks Rochester at Abilene

    Roots rocker JD McPherson treated Rochester to two nights of foot stomping tunes.  Playing the second of two sold out shows at Abilene Bar & Lounge, McPherson takes things back to the roots of rock and roll.  Backed by a band brimming with raw talent, McPherson wooed the enthusiastic crowd with songs like, “Fire Bug”, “Dimes For Nickels” and “North Side Gal”.

    Kelli_Marsh_JD_McPherson-1026

    Abilene was busting at the seams with adoring Rockabilly fans holding records to be signed and singing along to every song. Special guest Sean Rowe joined the band singing and playing guitar and bringing the already thrilled crowd even more excitement. JD McPherson’s fierce blend of rock and roll and blues had the crowd bouncing from start to finish. McPherson closed both nights with “Wolf Teeth” to the crowds delight.

  • Real Estate Plays The Higher Ground in Burlington, VT – March, 21

    It’s not common to see an staff writer stray from his or her namesake territory and cover a show on foreign turf. Every so often, an act so deserving makes an appearance in a neighboring state, a small road trip ensues and the audience is made even more aware of the boundless concert opportunities offered in the Northeast.

    The most recent example of this came about on Friday night at The Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont, where the New Jersey-based jangle-pop outfit, Real Estate put on a headlining set with opening act, Pure X.

    Currently on the road in support of their recently released third album, Real Estate played several dates at South by Southwest and two sold out nights in Cambridge, Massachusetts before heading north to Burlington. Their tour with Pure X is currently en route to the Midwest before heading overseas for a European Circuit in May.

    While Real Estate’s set at the Higher Ground featured a large portion of material from their debut LP and 2011’s Days, much of the set was made up of material from the latest addition to their discography, Atlas.

    Real Estate introduced their set with “Had to Hear,” the same track that opens Atlas. “Had to Hear,” along with much of the material on Real Estate’s latest album, focuses on the barriers in communication brought about by life on the road. For someone who writes so openly about the difficulties of touring, however, Martin Courtney gave the impression of being perfectly comfortable on stage at The Higher Ground.

    Real Estate’s live set was incredibly cohesive; Courtney, Bleeker, and guitarist Matt Mondanile’s experience playing together since high school is entirely apparent in their performance. The threesome’s ability to lengthen their songs into intricate jams showed an amazing level of musical awareness. With the recent addition of keyboardist Matt Kallman and contributions from drummer Jackson Pollis, Real Estate’s live sound features a collection of textures and layers that produce a remarkably full sound.

    The consistency in Real Estate’s current lineup is largely the result of the recording process behind Atlas. During a sting of tour dates in Wilco’s schedule last summer, Real Estate took over Jeff Tweedy’s Loft studio in Chicago and recorded the album in a relatively short period of time, coming into the process with the album completely written.

    It was no surprise on Friday that Real Estate’s set had been the product of more than a year of rehearsing Atlas’ material. While Burlington may be a hike from the Upstate area, Real Estate’s appearance at The Higher Ground proved to be a wholly acceptable reason to make the weekend trip to our northern neighbor.

  • Flashback: Summer Slaughter 2013 Gets A Mixed Review

    If you take a few minutes to do the math in your head, Summer Slaughter is kind of a strange concept. The daylong event on August 10th, 2013, which circused down the road across major metal loving cities – big and small – is the self proclaimed “Most Extreme Tour of the Year.” It’s an indoor event — think lots of sweaty people crowded — so really, there is quite a bit of room, just like any hyped concert, for problems. Here’s the weird deal: among certain dissatisfaction of goers, bands, and other events, the term “extreme” should be taken in both positive and negative lights.

    In each city, viewers were pleasured to the sound and visual power of one or two local or “lesser known,” bands. Most of the time, these slots were determined by contest winning. As for Upstate Concert Hall, these bands came in the forms of Hollow is thy Heart and A Ruthless Scene

    summer slaughter

    Hollow is thy Heart’s name is as electrifying as their performance: strange, raw, and mysterious. Their sound was characterized by a mix of thrash, death, and metalcore. Although they were given the short end of the stick as far as sound issues and slot, the four-piece took to the stage like it was their last day on Earth and certainly cared about their job. We can’t say the same for the next crew.

    A Ruthless Scene is from New Jersey (insert a bunch of New Jersey jokes here) who specialize in one thing: The Breakdown. For all those who listen to real music, and would not know otherwise, a breakdown is a slang term given when a guitarist plays one note over and over again to a specific, simple pattern. During the set, the band generally displayed a lack of energy and desire to sound like every other Sumerian-core band out there.  To quote one person, “I wish I brought earplugs because A Ruthless Scene was ruthlessly annoying.” The next band, Thy Art is Murder, was more of the same.

    Then, the story took an interesting twist. Quick-rise-to-fame “Aliencore” band, Rings of Saturn, demolished the room. Their signature speed picking was ever present, and their energy was no less sincere. “Kneel before my minions as they kneel before me,” the crowd screamed along with Ian Bearer, vocalist. After being accused of recording at half speed in the studio, then speeding everything up, Upstate Metal can confirm that everything done in the studio was done live. The only thing missing was abruptly departed bass player Sean Martinez, who took off just weeks ago. Still, this geared the crowd up for the next round.

    Revocation and Aeon both are examples of unrelenting passion. If you have not been through a viewing of a documentary Why You Do This, it comes on high recommendation. The movie, which features the words of Gojira and Last Chance to Reason, outlines the many hardships an “up and coming” metal band goes through. Specifically, the movie points to how bands go through financial trouble on the road. With Revocation’s newest album just out, tour support is a must, and although life on the road can be hard, they still had fire in their performance. Equally, Aeon’s vocalist, Tommy Dahlstrom, was not present. Still, they persevered, leaving the crowd in awed respect.

    One major source of controversy for this tour happened in the aftermath of Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe’s manslaughter charge (he was acquitted) were the rules of stage diving in many clubs. This required bands and fans alike to be aware that stage diving was forbidden. The Ocean, who are known for delivering a high energy, almost angry performance, took to Facebook when they remarked on the irony of calling “the most extreme tour of the year,” but stage diving was not allowed. Their performance was as loud and blatant: clear and to the point. Impressive, too, is their wide genre variety. Interestingly, their post warranted the attention of Summer Slaughter’s creator, Ash Avildsen. Although he was displeased with their remarks, the crowd was left quite impressed with their dynamic performance.

    Impressive, though, hardly encapsulates the performance of Cattle Decapitation, who are musical veterans, but seem to have just began to gain more popularity, with their latest release, Monolith of Inhumanity. Decap’s music videos are controversial enough, but their performance was fast, angry, and honest. It would have been even better if Upstate Concert Hall had provided vocalist Travis Ryan with a microphone that worked for more than half the set.

    What can be said about Norma Jean? The band was an underdog from the beginning. When the line up was first announced, the most extreme tour of the year was criticized for putting a band on the bill that played anything less than blast beats.

    The rest of the show, of course, is history. Think of the stomping of feet as the entire crowd jumped to “Icarus Lives” by Periphery. There is some kind of force that comes over the crowd when certain bands play. It causes the crowd to sway and sing along, and Periphery has this angle. Or, how everyone’s mouth was wide open at the site of Animals’ as Leaders technical ability, or how the crowd asked “how could it all be?” To Dillenger’s onstage antics.

    So, Upstate Metal talked about what would happen if we set up Summer Slaughter. Here’s what it looks like:

    Here’s what would have happened if we set up Summer Slaughter:

    1. Hollow is thy Heart

    2. Revocation

    3. Rings of Saturn

    4. Animals as Leaders

    5. Between the Buried and Me

    6. Cattle Decapitation

    7. Dillinger Escape Plan

    8. Periphery

    9. Decrepit Birth

    10. Brutal Truth

    11. Behemoth

  • The Women of Ireland Take The Stanley By Storm

    As Central New York continues to celebrate their week long St. Patrick’s Day traditions, it was only fitting to host the beautiful Women of Ireland at the magnificent Stanley Center for the Arts.  While not all of the Women of Ireland could make it, they did send some very special ladies and gentlemen to represent and share their traditions of music and dance across the pond here in America.

    And what a fabulous production it was.  To state that the musicians and dancers were outstanding is just an understatement of their amazing talents and effortless delivery.  The lovely O’Neill sisters, Fiona, Naomi, and Evangeline, are no strangers to the music industry as they have roots in music both here in America and across the pond in Ireland.  They grew up in Ireland in the County Kerry, an area where coastline and natures beauty surrounded them.  Studying music, dance, and theater at an early age fueled in them a passion to share their voices and talents with audiences worldwide, and after spending some time in America with the likes of stars such as Bruno Mars, Tom Cruise and Miley Cyrus, their homeland began to beckon them home where to our great fortune, they became involved with Women of Ireland.

    Mix the angelic voices with the light and airy steps of Kelly McDonnell and you have a perfect combination.  Kelly McDonnell hails from County Tipperary and at the age of 3 began dancing with the Fleming Ball Academy.  With several amazing championship wins under her belt by the age of 16, Kelly turned professional and traveled the world performing for huge audiences, select celebrities, and shows such as Michael Flatley’s “Celtic Tiger”.  Her amazing spring and effortless ease entrances those who are lucky enough to see her perform.

    How could this show get any better you ask?  Well just add in Anthony Fallon.  Anthony began his dancing career at the early age of 3 also, under the tutelage of Terry Gillan and Philip Owens in Dublin Ireland, and at the age of 6 began competing.  Anthony was World Irish Dancing Solo Champion from 2000-2004, and with numerous titles under his belt he began touring.  While working in America he was invited to tour with Riverdance: The Show, where after two years he was offered a principal position. Anthony is the Principal Choreographer for the Irish dancing you see in the Women of Ireland, and I must compliment his magnificently creative, and impeccably  timed choreography you see through each and every number in the production.

    Rounding out the ensemble I would be remiss to not mention how absolutely enjoyable were the performances by both Katie Shaughnassey and Maureen Devereaux. These young ladies float across the stage performing their slips, reels, and jigs as though clouds moving to the music. And rounding out the cast was a band of musicians who are top notch in their crafts. On uileann pipes was Dan Callaghan, on bodhran was Andrew Meyer, on guitar was Searn Ernest, Katie Greenan was on fiddle, and on drums was Renato Milone.

    For all that attended the show on March 11th they were thoroughly entertained with both traditional celtic tunes such as Danny Boy and Red Haired Mary, and more contemporary tunes such as Josh Groban’s “You Lift Me Up”, Original Castle’s “One Tin Soldier”,  and John Lennon’s “Imagine”.  They were treated to the traditional celtic instruments of the uleann pipes, the bodhran, and of course the fiddle.  As the dancers joined them on stage audience members couldn’t help but tap their toes and clap along.

    This production took every detail in mind.  I have been part of many shows and this one was an outstanding artistic production.  The light show and sound match the talent it was highlighting and all together was seamlessly carried out.

    Although all the women of Ireland could not make it to The Stanley Center for the Arts, it was truly our gift that they shared this cast and crew with Central New York making this pre St. Patrick’s Day show the perfect way to begin the holiday week.

  • Ed Kowalczyk sells out The Swyer Theater

    If you are a fan of 1990’s grunge, you know the band Live. Though songs like “I Alone” and “Heaven” debuted twenty or so years ago, they still get air time today. Not all fans of 1990s grunge or Live know the name Ed Kowalczyk though. Live’s former lead singer has taken a new direction (sort of) since splitting with the band, Live, in 2009.

    Kowalczyk’s direction is an active one; he is producing new stuff and still tours. Quite a bit. Despite his happy marriage and four kids, he is seemingly always on the road. He sold out The Egg’s Swyer Theater in Albany on March 21 and is heading overseas shortly.

    Ed Kowalczyk followed an opening performance by Anna Rose, originally of Dutchess County and promoting her album Behold a Pale Horse, she is all voice.  While her stage presence is still a bit awkward – she even explained that she’s been accused of laughing too loud –  Anna Rose’s powerful voice over heart-felt lyrics will lead her to greater things in the future.

    Kowalczyk, also known for pairing his powerful voice and lyrics, opened with “All Over You”. It seemed like everyone in the theater knew the words, leading me to believe that the sold out show was filled with Live fans. But as the show proceeded, and Kowalczyk shared his newer, more religious songs, it was clear that there was a strong Christian contingent in attendance as well. Kowalczyk’s three solo albums since 2010 focus on his re-awakening into the Christian faith, but listening even to his oldest material, you can sense the strong religious tide that runs through all his music.

    The Egg is a great venue because the layout allows fans to feel really close to the performer(s). This was my third time seeing Kowalczyk (once with Live ten or so years ago, then solo at Albany’s Alive at Five series in 2011), and this show did feel more intimate. Kowalczyk seemed totally at ease, and the closeness made it a lot easier to see the emotion that was written all over his face. He offered a very good sampling of 20 years worth of music, performing 18 songs including one surprise cover of The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.”

    Last Time Kowalczyk was in Albany he confessed that he has a long history with New York’s Capital City since he once courted a girl who attended Siena College, who later became his wife. Now that he and his family have moved to the East Coast (Connecticut) from California, I suspect that we will see lots more of Kowalczyk.

    Setlist: All Over You, The Distance, The Great Beyond, Bottle of Anything, All That I Wanted, The Dolphin’s Cry, Angels on a Razor, Selling the Drama, Seven, Pain Lies on the Riverside, Face and Ghost, Heaven, I Alone

    Encore: Lakini’s Juice, Gimme Shelter, The Beauty of Gray, Overcome, Lightning Crashes

  • Jesus Christ! and the Hallucinogenic All Stars Bless Putnam Den

    Some of the biggest problems in modern music today include the needless repetition of every theme. Unfortunately, most people have “seen it all before,” and local music is especially notorious for this. For example, go to a metal show, and you’ll probably see the guitarist put his or her foot on the monitor. It’s old and tired. On the other hand, there are certain acts that try their own thing. Imagine that you’re a member of Jesus Christ! and the Hallucinogenic All Stars.

    You’ve smoked so much weed that you can’t see straight and you’ve drunk so much you can’t stand. But more importantly, your musical ideas are quite different than others and you’re unafraid to showcase them.

    Although the part about being ‘too high’ is an exaggeration, Jesus Christ! is very clearly unconcerned with what pop music is, how much money they’ll make, or whether they’ll have a career in music. They’re on stage for the fans and for their enjoyment of music.

    If you love the sounds of Clutch and Mastodon, you’ll probably also like Jesus Christ! They’re technically a three piece band, featuring guitar played by Jon Imbo, bass and vocals from Dustin Alexander, and drums from Ross Kelch, but this is where things get tricky. Anyone who goes to a show will notice a bearded man on the left side. His name is Jacob Pederson. He stands behind a partition, so he looks like he is probably a keyboard player, or a DJ, but his job is not one that you typically see on stage. He is literally a bartender, and the new people in the crowd had no idea how to react when he stepped away from the partition to hand the drummer, Ross, a mixed drink. He shakes, stirs, and produces right on the spot.

    This is just an example of Jesus Christ!’s non-conformities. Other than this, their bartender works on the light show and handles roadie and driving duties for the band, and by the power of his drink making would be arrested if they even attempted driving. The man acts as a hype man, and is not afraid of the possibility of anyone questioning why a non – musician would be on stage.

    But Jesus Christ! and the Hallucinogenic All Stars aren’t all about getting high. There is a lot more to their show than might be apparent. For instance, their sound, although similar to other bands, has its own groovy nuances. You’ll recognize Clutch and Mastodon, as well as Kyuss, in the mix, but their use of tasteful harmonies and rough vocals sung into one of those old time radio microphones have an awe-inducing effect.

    The band played some of their usuals at their March 19th Putnam Den show like “the Mountain,” and “Shipwrecked,” and covered a song as well, but besides the headlining Mobile Deathcamp, the band was a highlight of the night and did not disappoint. Their sound was a lot different from Dark Matter and Satan Place, who also played the same show. Their presence in the studio easily carries over to a live setting, where the band gets heavy enough to yell, casual enough to sway, and doesn’t mind jamming a bit.

    Anyone who comes to their shows in the future can expect one thing: the ability to relax after a long week at work, have a drink, and sway to the music. You don’t have to be high to have a good time, but you do have to believe in miracles, because in a musical sense, that’s exactly what Jesus Christ! will give you.

  • MVCC Jams with Floodwood and The Birdseed Bandits

    What do you get when you cross the Birdseed Bandits with Floodwood?  You get one electric foot stomping, feel good, jam session.  How could this get even better?  Hold it at one of the best venues in town, the Mohawk Valley Community College’s (MVCC) IT Auditorium.  The space is designed with top notch acoustics, state of the art sound and lighting, and not a bad seat in the house.

    Floodwood at MVCC
    Floodwood at MVCC

    The show began with Adam Ludemann, Seth Becker, and Nash Robb, the trio that makes up the Birdseed Bandits, setting the bar high with their unique acoustic sounds with a strong banjo, guitar, percussion, and bass tempo.  This sound reverberates into your soul and the unique composition can’t help but make you tap your feet to the beat.  They’ve been hailed as Punk/Americana or “Punkicana,” Folk/Rock, Adirondack Folk, “Foot stomping” Folk/Punk-Rock, or Alternative Americana.  No matter what genre they are categorized within, they are definitely talented and a feel good band.

    Floodwood took the stage immediately after  and from the minute they walked out on stage you could feel the love and energy from their fans.  While the audience during the opening performance remained in their seats clapping their hands and tapping their toes to the songs, the minute Floodwood took the stage these same fans rushed to the edge of the stage to be right there in front to dance and stomp along.  This tale tell sign is a foreshadowing of what is to come for those who have never been part of a band’s shows. I must add how absolutely wonderful this venue is set up to accommodate not only those who wish to be part of the performance by dancing and singing along up front, but those who wish to remain seated during the performance without obstructions. Kudos to the venue as the design truly accommodates their audiences and bands alike.

    Floodwood didn’t disappoint as usual.  Their full set list of amazing creative sounds entranced the audience and whether fast paced or melancholy, the audience was mesmerized throughout the whole show.  But it’s the engagement with the crowd that makes them stand out as top performers.  It’s the peek into their personalities that engages the audiences.  You can see this clearly.  It’s the amazing talent and experience of true greats such as Al and Vinnie that set the bar.  It’s the interactions experienced with Nick playing the banjo or fiddle and Jason with his mandolin among the crowd that makes them part of the show.  And it’s Zach strumming the base one minute and then the next thing you know he’s down on the carpet doing pushups (which I must add were very impressive).  It is this peek into their personalities that only makes their audiences love them more and engages them as their Floodwood family.  This is true entertainment.  This is what makes them stand out.

    As a newly developed fan of Floodwood, I look forward to their upcoming shows this festival season, and want to spread the word to those who may not have seen them previously.  Floodwood is a “MUST SEE” show.  Check them out their tour schedule;  you can thank me later for introducing you to them.