Category: Show Reviews

Giant Panda Returns to Ithaca for an Epic Night of Dub and Dance with Beat The Grid

There was standing room only at The Haunt as Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad returned to Ithaca with Beat The Grid on Thursday, February 20th. Good vibes and smiling faces were in abundance, with fans coming from far and wide to see what was undoubtedly the best show around. Giant Panda has recently returned from an eight-show West coast tour, highlighting their new mixtape In Roots We Trust, featuring The Expanders and The Simpkin Project, which explores North American Reggae music.

Giant Panda is a Dub/Americana/Roots band from Rochester NY, but got their start in Ithaca about ten years ago. The band has gained immense popularity since then, touring the country and even getting spots at some of the nation’s largest music festivals, including Summercamp and All Good Music Festival. Giant Panda’s music is known for its positive and uplifting lyrics backed by infectious dub that soothes the soul. In addition to dub/reggae, they also released a country album displaying the band’s musical versatility.

Opening for the band was a local Ithaca group by the name of Beat The Grid. The band had a similar upbeat feel with some added funk that warmed the crowd up nicely.Their beautiful female vocalist had the entire audience mesmerized by her smooth voice and exotic dancing. Beat The Grid’s set included fan favorite “Her Cosmic Lines” and many other tracks from their 2013 self-titled album, as well as some new songs.

For a small venue, the sound at The Haunt was of very high quality and the place was busting at the seams with the huge amount of people in attendance. Giant Panda opened with “Not The Fool” and “Solution”, spreading the love and pushing towards making this world a better place. The night continued with songs old and new, with teasers from their upcoming album to be released this summer. Dylan Savage on guitar and Tony Gallicchio on keys displaying their mastery of their instruments as they traded solos that sent chills down the spine. Guitarist Dan Keller was also in his prime, presenting his saxophone skills and unforgettable vocals to add to the already amazing performance. Giant Panda mashed up some of their most popular songs, “Missing You More” and “Pockets” to make for some outstanding medleys and even surprised the crowd with a rendition of soul legend Marvin Gaye’s “Lets Get It On.”

After Giant Panda left the stage, chants for “One More Song!” were started up by the fans, who at midnight had a lot more left in the tank and were not ready to call it a night. Not long after, the band returned to play Jackie Wilson’s classic “Higher and Higher”, featuring Dan Keller on saxophone and “Mr. Cop” as every crowd member sang the chorus “They callin’ up the cops ‘cause it smells like Ganja!” There was not a still body in the house as everyone danced their hearts out for the fifteen-minute encore, leaving everyone sweaty, exhausted, and satisfied.

February 27, 2014
Twiddle and Fikus Rock out The Hollow

The Hollow in Albany was packed Thursday, February 20th when Fikus and Twiddle came to town. The crowd was full of dedicated fans and fresh faces eager to get their groove on. Fikus had a great loud start as they spiced up the bar with New Jersey funky flavor. Keyboardist Jon Schmarak was on the verge of breaking his right leg as he repetitively stomped and beat his keys with the heavy rhythm from drummer Kito Bovenschulte. Bongos were slapped by Pete Kozak adding a dirty rumba beat that they audience couldn’t get enough of as Fikus combined funk, electronic, soul and much more for an unforgettable set. For those that can’t wait for the next show, you can download their EP Plus + for free on their website.

Twiddle, the quartet from Vermont, provided optimistic and groovy music that sent hearts soaring and feet dancing. Their energetic performance was light and upbeat, with hints of reggae and modern day funk. The band has great chemistry together as their music consistently build great waves for their music and fans to climb and dip upon. Mihali Savoulidis provided the heavy rock vibe with the wailing of his guitar and lead vocals that were quite catchy. Keyboardist Ryan Dempsey hit a wide range of keys as he showed contempt smacked the high notes before twisting nobs for a robotic melody with his synth. One of the highlights of the night was when the band made the insane transition into Phish’s “Divided Sky” catching the entire audience off guard and into heavy jam bliss. Be sure to catch Twiddle before they end out north to Smoke Signals in Lake Placid.

February 27, 2014
Cosmic Jackson Storms the North Country

The Adirondacks are best known in the winter time as a destination for skiers, snow borders, ice fishing, and snowmobilers. So it was a pleasant surprise on my visit to Oak Mountain, in Lake Pleasant, NY on February 22nd to see how they have incorporated an entire music series for all of their patrons and locals to enjoy once the sun went down on the mountains, featuring Cosmic Jackson.

This is becoming a trend we see with other ski resorts as well, such as Woods Valley, who have taken to offering live music throughout the winter season for both visitors and locals to enjoy. I think it is a brilliant way to feature wonderful local talent and reach an audience of all ages that may not necessarily venture out otherwise for live music.

Starting off their winter music series at Oak Mountain was the Willie Playmore Band, followed by Jason and Nick from Floodwood, local favorites The Birdseed Bandits, and Marshall Stewart’s acoustical show, as well as many other talented artists. Excited to see this evening’s featured band, Cosmic Jackson, I settled in to a packed audience of many patrons who I had seen earlier on the slopes, as well as some new faces of snowmobilers that stopped for some food, drinks, and a good time. I was happily surprised at this band’s amazing musicality and harmony on the two guitars, bass, and drums. Playing such an eclectic set list of music, the dance floor didn’t stop all night. Cover songs varied from Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”, to Bob Dylan & Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel”, to Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion”. What really got the crowd going though was their cover of “What I Got” by Sublime and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Give Me Three Steps”. Again, the variety floored me as they were able to reach the entire audience with music they loved from genres and generations across the board.

It’s great to see small communities such as Lake Pleasant/Speculator thriving this winter with tourism due to the cooperating weather, but what makes me even happier is to see them offering amazing live performances all season long for everyone to enjoy.

February 26, 2014
Rusted Root Entertains a Packed House at Buffalo Iron Works

Rusted Root took the stage in front of a very large crowd in downtown Buffalo on Tuesday, February 18th at the recently opened Buffalo Iron Works, one of the up and coming music venues in the area. Rusted Root has been coming to Buffalo for years and for good reason, as the fan base as always been good to the band.

Rusted Root front man Michael Glabicki (vocals, guitar) believes so as well, in a recent interview with . “Yeah it feels sort of like home to us, you know. The fans are fantastic for us, in how they let loose and we have a lot of fun there”. Rusted Root hails from just a little over three hours away in Pittsburgh, PA and usually makes an annual trip to the queen city.

Rusted Root covered a wide spectrum of their catalog, even introducing a few new songs soon to be out on their next album. Opening the evening with “ Hands Are Law” followed by “Martyr”, it really got the band set up and going quickly, with their signature acoustic and percussion sounds. “Suspicious Minds”, an Elvis Presley cover, was perfectly paired with Glabicki’s warm vocals. “Cat Turned Blue” is a very interesting song start to finish, using elements of a Hendrix-esque style of Bob Dylan’s classic “All Along The Watchtower” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” making an already great song even more entertaining. Closing out the set with “ Send Me On My Way”, one of the band’s biggest singles to date, was very well received from the crowd.

The encore picked up right where they left off with a newer song in “ Please Pick Up” and the very excitable “Rain”. Completing the night with “Drums > Ecstasy” seemed fitting, the fans running on an emotional high that paired well with the song. The opening drums by local musician Preach Freedom and bass thumping by Norman is truly an amazing build up to “Ecstasy” and is one of the real strengths of the song. It was a perfect close to a short but sweet night, with hopes that Rusted Root will soon come back home.

Setlist: Hands Are Law, Martyr, Suspicious Minds, Cruel Sun, Lost In A Crowd, Promise Land, Food And Creative Love, The Movement, Laugh As The Sun, Cat Turned Blue, Cover Me Up, Fortunate Freaks, Back To Earth, Send Me On My Way

Encore: Please Pick Up, Rain, Drums>Ecstasy

February 25, 2014
moe. Closes out Winter Tour at The F Shed in Syracuse

moe sure knows how to close out a tour and leave the fans wanting more, as they wrapped up another successful tour to a packed house at The F shed on Saturday February 15th.

The F Shed is a unique venue, located just miles off the New York State Thruway in Syracuse making it accessible from all major highways. It is essentially a giant garage that could easily store a fleet of commercial airlines. It almost gives the feel of an outdoor dance tent that most concertgoers would relate to, and it gives off an incredible vibe. Every city should really look at its model as something they should consider in their area.

Max Creek set the stage for the evening with some solid jams, led by Scott Murawski who would eventually join moe. on stage for a few songs. Max Creek has been a successful touring band for over 30 years and musically sound as great as any of the biggest names out there, with improvisational abilities that are top notch.

moe. wasted no time and opened the show with the classic fan favorite “Akimbo”, to thunderous applause. The lights were amazing and moe. was simply just hitting their stride when “32 Things” came up and got everyone flying. “Bring You Down >Awesome Gary > Mar De Ma” was an incredible run and gave the crowd not a moment to rest, with Rob Derhak giving off a hint of a smile as he slapped the bass. Scott Murawski from Max Creek joined the boys during “Mar De Ma” and helped accompany the band during a very solid cover of The Rolling Stones, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” with “Spaz Medicine” closing out a very hot first set.

“Okayalright” got the crowd up and running again and is such a perfect opening song. “Happy Hour Hero” paid homage to Saranac Brewery and is always a nice shout out to the home of Al Schnier. “Blue Jeans Pizza >Seat Of My Pants” had to be the highlight of the night, especially on Al side, where he went into full blown rockstar mode at the front of the stage, making sure everyone was able to get that classic pose captured on the sea of cell phones held up high. When Schnier was holding back, Chuck Garvey would come in to wallop you with his solos, keeping your attention on the entire stage. Closing out the set with “Spine Of A Dog > Buster”, the band filled out what was an incredible run of songs.

The two songs of the encore brought chills to the air with covers of Pink Floyd’s “Time” and Frank Zappa’s “San Ber’dino”, followed by an impromptu costume change during “Downward Facing Dog” as Schnier mocked in his dog costume that he decided to wear throughout the final song, a classic image for all moe. fans.

moe. certainly brings their A game every time they play Upstate and we’re all very fortunate to be able to see them so often in New York State where they are truly a gem.

Set1: Akimbo >32 Things, Bring You Down > Awesome Gary > Mar-DeMa*, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’*, Spaz Medicine
Set 2: Okayalright > Happy Hour Hero, Gone, Blue Jeans Pizza > Seat Of My Pants, Spine Of A Dog > Buster
Encore: Time, San Ber’dino, Downward Facing Dog
{* w/ Scott Murawski}

February 24, 2014
Buddhahood’s 6th Annual ‘January Thaw’ Event Brought Family & Friends out for a Good Cause

In September 2007, Buddhahoods founding member Tony Cavagnara was tragically killed in a car accident en route to a gig. Since then every year the remaining members and a crew of musical friends have been putting on the annual January Thaw concert. All proceeds from these concerts are donated to the Tony Cavagnaro Young Musician Scholarship Fund which benefits the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. This years show included Buddhahood and friends and local Rochester reggae force Thunderbody. Taking place at the beautiful Zeppa Auditorium (formerly The German House), things kicked off early to a who’s who of Rochester music fans and musicians.

During the extensive two+ hour set, Buddhahood was joined by dozens of local musicians. From Suzi Willpower to both Sean Drogan and Charles Lindner of The Manhattan Project, the stage was filled end to end with musicians playing from their hearts all night. Genre’s became meaningless as the band and guests skillfully traversed the musical map on a global scale. Blues, rock, world music, and more came together in a way only artists with true skill can render. Beyond that. any truly outstanding show, is filled with moments that engage our emotions, and this show was a shining example. During one moment in particular, when Tony’s own son joined the band for a very well done clarinet sit-in, not a dry eye could be seen.

Donations to Tony’s fund for Hochstein can be made here.

February 24, 2014
Well Worn Boot & Mr. Boneless at Buffalo’s Central Park Grill

Despite their stylistic differences, Buffalo-based bands Well Worn Boot and Mr. Boneless are both independently known for their high-energy rock-and-roll shows. If you put the two on a bill together in their hometown, you’re lucky if the building is intact afterwards. Luckily, Central Park Grill survived the night on Friday, February 7^th, when both Well Worn Boot and Mr. Boneless took the stage to a packed room for good-natured mayhem and truly original music. In addition to sharing Buffalo as their home turf, Boneless and Boot both started out in nearby Fredonia, New York, making the line-up a reunion of sorts. Before either band took stage the downstairs bar began to fill in, with new and old friends catching up over (numerous) drinks, waiting for the night of music to begin.

Mr. Boneless @ Central Park Grill – Photo: Patrick DePuy

Mr. Boneless opened up the show at about 10:30 PM, with a quintessential up-tempo set that featured gritty vocals over steady rock licks played with a modern twinge. The retro/modern dichotomy is sort of a recurring theme for the band, both in terms of musicality and stage presence. Musically, Boneless has a very apparent blues influence, but their tempos often lend themselves more to straight rock or punk, with transitions that you would find in 90’s alternative. I often hear a influences of Modest Mouse, Maps & Atlases and some “X” factor that varies between songs. A major highlight of this band is their dynamics, alongside guitar tones that range nicely between a clean vintage sound and over-driven fuzz. Boneless definitely favors song structure over jamming, however, they are not afraid to let a guitar solo rip or pound out a deep riff for a few extra bars. By the end of the set Central Park Grill was hot – both figuratively and literally – and ready to go.

Well Worn Boot @ Central Park Grill – Photo: Patrick DePuy

Well Worn Boot took the stage to a full room around midnight, opening with crashes of noise that gave stragglers at the bar one last heads-up before appropriately launching off with “Certified Party Girl”. According to flutist/vocalist/front man, The Plainsman, this was the only calculated move of the night, acknowledging proudly, “After that we were basically just picking out of a hat.” Known for their stage theatrics, Friday night was no different, with all characters engaging in wandering stories, audience participation and off-the-cuff antics. This appetite for providing undeniable entertainment, regardless of form (or intentional lack there of) is what makes Boot so endearing; they provide the same high-level of energy and passion whether they are playing a college town dive-bar or opening for GWAR at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom. This, paired with the fact that no two shows are the same makes for a concert experience like no other- – a responsibility that Plainsman does not take lightly. “Playing in Buffalo is no joke”, he explained, “You ever met a Bills fan? These people can take a hit, man. You have to notify them that they just lost, and they probably still won’t believe. That’s dedication. We have fans who have been to around fifty of our shows…We’re like Phish, but with less jamming.”

Well Worn Boot @ Central Park Grill – Photo: Patrick DePuy

Favorites of the night included classics such as straight-up-rocking “Ballad of Billy Klubb” (imagine 13^th Floor Elevators and Jethro Tull teamed up, with Tom Waits lyrics sung in Spin Doctors fashion); “Drunk on The Highway”, a steady psych-rock inspired tale featuring alien abductions and sex with space chicks, and fan-favorite rarity, “Chautauqua County” which is ultimately a punk rock ode to the region that pushed audience members to their peak unruliness. The set also included a number of new songs from Boot’s upcoming comic/EP Boot in Space, which is set to release on April 19^th. And if that’s not enough, Boot is in the process of taking submissions for their “Wild Wild Fest” which will take pace at the end of August in Silver Creek. That said, Boot is first and foremost concerned with providing a quality live performance and throwing a solid party for fans old and new. As The Plainsman summarized Friday night, “We were just happy to have so many friends in attendance. Every show is huge for us. I’ve been acting like I’m the biggest dude in America for like four years now.”

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Mr. Boneless: misterboneless.bandcamp.com
Well Worn Boot: www.wellwornboot.com
Patrick DePuy, Photos: www.patrickdepuy.com
Bumrush Booking: www.bumrushbooking.com

February 23, 2014
Railroad Earth returns to The Town Ballroom with a New Album and New Jams

Railroad Earth wasted no time plunging into a night full of new and old songs to a solid crowd at The Town Ballroom on Wednesday, February 12th. Fans talked of how great the last show was and expected the same and tonight’s show turned out to be just as good.

Have Gun, Will Travel opened the show with a very Rock and roll feel which got the early crowd’s blood flowing. Have Gun, Will Travel is a band that is from Brandeton, Florida and their sound is very authentic with touches of Americana, folk, and rock. Their high energy clearly got everyone moving and was a perfect start to what was going to be an incredible evening.

Railroad Earth came out to thunderous applause that has welcomed them many times in the Buffalo area. The group from Stillwater, New Jersey belted into “Black Elk Speaks” getting the crowd’s energy level up. Todd Sheaffer (vocals, guitar) led them through the first set with “Chains” and closed out the set with “Just So”.The second set began with one of their newest singles of their brand new album Last Of The Outlaws, “Chasin A Rainbow” and is accompanied by some catchy fiddling by the very talented Tim Carbone, who sliced through the crowd and picked them up over and over throughout the song as well as other times throughout the night.

John Skehan (mandolin, bouzouki, piano) and Andy Goessling (banjo, guitar, dobro) traded several solos throughout the night with Carbone, with their progressive jams making every song interesting and fun. Goessling is truly talented, switching to a number of instruments throughout the night and making each instrument different and unique at the same time. Andrew Altman (bass) the newest member of the band added a lot of youth and creativity throughout the night playing both the stand up bass as well as the electric bass. Sheaffer didn’t say much and with his bass vocals and occasional guitar solo didn’t need to, it was displayed on his very humble smile as he would survey the crowd, he was living in the moment. Closing the set with fan favorites “The Jupiter & The 119 > Cuckoo Medley” reminded how good the group was playing with each other, as each member took on a progressive solo. The encore closed out the evening with “Monkey”, another catchy song off their newest album. RRE has been gaining a lot of speed over the last few years and is one of the tightest groups of well rounded musicians that can produce greatness at any point of the show; they did it several times in Buffalo and it won’t be the last time.

Set 1: Black Elk Speaks, Untitled #12, Walk Beside Me, Chains, Little Bit-o Me, Daddy-o, Just So You Know, Bread And Water

Set 2: Chasin A Rainbow, Dandelion Wine, Saddle Of The Sun, One The Sun Gets In Your Blood, Colorado, Walls Of Time, Hangtown Ball, Goat, Jupiter & The 119>Cuckoo Medley

Encore: Monkey

Have Gun, Will Travel

Railroad Earth

February 22, 2014
A Love Fest in Bearsville: Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Valentine’s Day in Woodstock seemed like a perfect romantic weekend getaway, but what to do while in town besides eat, shop and enjoy the picturesque Catskill setting? Robert Randolph and the Family Band answered that question with a performance at Bearsville Theater to a vibrant, coupled crowd. The Compact warmed the crowd up with power trio guitar rock, highlighted by a some Herbie Hancock and a “Cissy Strut” jam appetizer.

This was the first of many trips to Bearsville Theater and the location is ideal, only a little over an hour drive from Albany and right off the main road with ample parking, even with an excess of snow taking up spots, but understandably so after this eternal winter. The venue has a cabin in the woods architecture but inside its far more than that. A sunken bar so as not to block the view of the view of the stage, which was unfettered via glass windows, making for optimal sightlines to the crowd in the bar. Limited reserved seating upstairs provided a great view but downstairs among the crowd, dancing on the floor were the majority of the crowd. Randolph’s howling, and screaming pedal steel guitar squealed as he and his band took the stage for an all too short 90 minute set.

Following a warm up instrumental, The Family Band tore into “Amped Up”, one of the many highlights off of 2013’s Lickety Split, and gave the crowd an electric charge to begin the night. Seated at first, then standing up for some of the songs that took a more aggressive touch, Randolph was mellower but still gave off an energy that fed into the crowd. This was the breakout Bonnaroo star of 2002, but with more restraint and focus. The result: a honed sound and showcase of the beauty of the pedal steel as well as what you can do when you possess a great deal of talent in the instrument. Randolph’s cousin, Danyel Morgan, held grooves down on bass and quickly escalated the beat as Robert sped up the lead. A variation on the Wetlands classic “The March” brought the quartet into sync in one of the few composed parts of the evening.

It wasn’t “La Grange” but it was damn close. Pouring ZZ Top into “Shake Your Hips” included Robert inviting the ladies in the audience to dance on stage, an ever-welcome staple of a Randolph show. Deep instrumentals and a sit-in with an unknown guitarist preceded the closing “I Don’t Know What You’ve Come to Do”, with Danyel’s high-range vocals setting the crowd a foot. Between the pedal steel’s shrieks of joy and Danyel’s passion, you couldn’t find a better closing song for the sweat-inducing set.

An encore of a slow Randolph-led jam deferred to Ted’s Jam, wrapping up the show just after midnight. Altogether, it was a perfect Valentine’s Day with The Family Band. The only thing that seemed amiss – one of their biggest hits is “I Need More Love” but it wasn’t played on Valentine’s Day? The show had no complaints, but it felt like a missed opportunity on second glance. Nevertheless, Robert Randolph and the Family Band have a unique and rounded sound that is second to none. You can catch them in Syracuse on March 20th at The Westcott Theater.

February 21, 2014
SLUG Grooves Their Way Into Club Aqua

On February 8th at Bridgewater’s Club Aqua, SLUG took the stage for all those brave enough to weather the cold. It didn’t take long though to warm up the crowd with their groovy, bluesy sound. Reminiscent of a mix of Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan, SLUG has taken these inspirational sounds and created a sound uniquely their own. This feel good, easy going music features Stephen “Fletch” Fletcher on lead vocal and rhythm, Irwin Winkler on lead guitar and back up vocals; Chris “The Kraken” Dunn on bass and back up vocals; Mike Finley on keyboards and back up vocals, and Adam Morgan on drums.

This year the band will spend a good deal of time touring festivals all over the country. Check them out locally at the Strawberry Jam on May 15th in Fort Plain, NY or at Shake the Mountain on May 16th in Northville, NY. For further details on these and upcoming events please check their website.

February 21, 2014