Category: Show Reviews

Particle Makes it Hot on a Snowy Day in Saratoga

The neon signs that welcomed fans to Putnam Den were illuminated by falling snow landing on the glass. People huddled around the snow covered tables, smoking, trying to stay warm. The venue was very welcoming to the cold as leather couches sat in the middle of the room, giving off a cozy, warm, almost home-like feeling. People trudged in slowly and the floor became soaked in footprints as the perfectly lit room filled. Everyone who made it through the treacherous weather to get there prepared themselves for the great time that is a Particle party.

John Wayne and the Pain opened the evening with their unique sound of Reggaetronic Dub. The mixture may sound abstract but when put all together a great sound was created. They pushed musical boundaries to the limits when they covered the Grateful Dead classic, “Wharf Rat”, a song that wouldn’t seem to fit this genre, but with these three musicians they made it work. Starting the song with Garcia like guitars licks and ending it the same way was a phenomenal feat, that very few could pull off.

As Particle prepared to take the stage, fans who were milling around the room came to the center for what was sure to be a rager. The slightly tilted hats that have become a staple in the scene were out in full force as were the girls in their artsy skirts with drinks in hand. Clay Parnell (bass) and Brandon Draper (drums) started out the show with “Papa Delta”, a heavy drum and bass beat, getting the crowd going, warming their cold bones. The energy level was extremely high as guitarist Ben Combe and keyboard extraordinaire Steve Molitz joined the other two on stage. Molitz then led the drum and bass jam into the Chemical Brothers’ “Denmark”, a keyboard heavy dance track, with the crowd throwing their hands in the air, smiling, and giving each other high fives. Particle had arrived. Molitz was also hopping up and down to ensure the energy level was steady.

Although the sound of Particle is keyboard heavy, the next track, “London Forces”, was focused on Combes’ guitar playing, building up and up until an explosion of sound emerged showing the versatility of the band. Covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” was a treat for all, slowing the pace down a bit, allowing fans to catch their breath but still staying connected to the show. The beautifully covered song also showed the immense range Particle has in their playing ability. The party continued with more beats to keep the crowd moving, to keep them warm. This being only the second show with this rotation they were spitting pure fire and will continue to do so as the band’s chemistry grows.

Setlist: Papa Delta, Denmark, Hits, London Forces, Red Orchestra, Launchpad, Have A Cigar, New Song, Kneeknocker, W, Elevator, Below Radar, Axel F

Encore: Pro, Sun Mar 11

Prior to the show, I had the privilege of siting down with Particle members Steve Molitz and Clay Parnell before their recent show at Putnam Den.

Jimmy Chambers: How has the sound of Particle changed as new members have joined the band?

Steve Molitz: Different people bring different sounds and tones, but I don’t think the Particle sound changes that much. There is sort of this core thing that happens when the songs get played, I don’t want to say it’s bigger than the musicians playing it but it’s separate from the musicians playing it. The various musicians over the years have tapped into it. The songs are created with am end line, but by bringing in new musicians there is room for a song to grow, but always keeping that core intact. And it’s interesting playing with different players, because you get to hear what the interpretation of the song is. A great example of this is Clay (Parnell) on bass he interpreted a song that we have been playing for ten years differently than when it was written, and now we have a completely new sound to a song we have been playing for over ten years.

JC: Clay are you pulling double duty with Brothers Past or are you mostly going to be focused on particle?

Clay Parnell: Well in a sense I am. I mean Brothers Past hasn’t disbanded, we have a couple of dates lined up. But everybody in Brothers Past is doing really amazing things, Tommy Hamilton is out with the American Babies. Our keyboardist, (Tom McKee) is running a music school.

JC: How did you end up joining an established band, when your are already in an established band?

CP: Its funny, Steve and I, since both of our main projects were kind of in a lull I kinda had a lot going on, like I say I’m the man of a million side projects.

JC: Like the Warren Haynes of bass.

CP: Yeah, you know, Steve asked me what I was doing, and asked me about this, and I just went with it.

SM: It all came about very organically, it started with just jamming on tunes in the studio, and just worked out. He heard the tracks and laid down his bass lines, and that was that. It all came together very well.

JC: How did you get involved playing with Phil Lesh, and how did that experience impact your playing, because the Grateful Dead sound is a little different than the Particle sound?

SM: I think he (Lesh) came to see Particle at the Cow Palace (San Francisco), I think, and shortly thereafter he asked if I want to play with Phil Lesh and Friends. I said yeah, but I never grew up listening to the Grateful Dead, I didn’t have their albums, I wasn’t familiar with their songs. So I told him I may not be the best guy for the job and he said that’s even better, that’s perfect! He was thrilled that I didn’t know the material because then I wouldn’t try to emulate anyone who has played it before me. You really made a good point when you asked how it influenced my playing, because I definitely learned a lot playing with theses different lineups.

JC: Now that you have this formation in the band where do you see yourself going? About ten years ago I saw your name everywhere, Disco Biscuits shows, then it kind of died down a bit. But now you have this resurgence with Clay in the band this huge tour. Where do you see it going?

SM: Yeah you’re right, right now we have like 40 tour dates on the books. This tour takes us down the East Coast and as far south as Texas. Then the next tour starts in Tahoe (Nevada) and works its way down to San Diego and out through Arizona, Utah, the Midwest, ending at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. So we’re definitely getting around, planning a big fall tour as well and finishing putting a few touches on the new album. As for the big picture, its kind of counterproductive to think about the future too far and that’s something I’ve learned being on the road for over 14 years. So I’m not really trying to get ahead of myself thinking where will we be in a year, five years. It’s more just thinking ‘I am so excited for the show we are going to play tonight’, and ‘I’m so excited for the show we’re going to play tomorrow night and so on’. Trying to play each night as it comes, live each moment as it comes. And have as much fun as possible doing it.

February 13, 2014
A Packed Upstate Concert Hall Welcomes Back Umphrey’s McGee
Upstate New York only gets a few doses of Umphrey’s McGee in the cold of winter, but they sure heat things up at every stop. Kicking off their three nights in Upstate was a stand-out performance at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park. The venue was packed, more so than it was last time the Chicago prog-rockers came to town, as the word has gotten out and Umphrey’s is becoming a draw who may have outgrown their usual Capital District stomping grounds.

A “Catshot” intro built up the crowd as the six members took the stage. These instrumental intros are unique to Umphrey’s and serve as an excellent way to give the show a rolling start. Picking up a pair of Headphones (more on that in a bit) just as “Phil’s Farm” got going, the solid 15 minute rocker built off “Catshot”, with Bayliss and Cinninger hitting great peaks with start/stops that gave a jolt to the crowd as they began a night of dancing. “Miami Virtue” had Jeff Waful’s lights come alive in a dark jam before bleeding seamlessly into “Professor Wormbog”, which had some Boyz II Men acapella vocals thrown in for a curveball before returning to heavy prog funk.

Warm lights accompanied “Morning Song” alongside Bayliss’ full flex vocals amid soaring guitar peaks. And if “Phil’s Farm” was the first blow of the night, “Mantis” held the knockout punch of the first set, clocking in at a shade under 20 minutes, with a “Jimmy Stewart” section, complete with lyrics.

During the show, I had the unique experience to test out the new “Headphones and Snowcones” feature that is available all Umphrey’s shows this tour. Comfortable and easy to manage, these were quite frankly a welcome accessory to the show. Not only do you get to experience quality, soundboard sound, but the pristine audio environment that creates a 3-D experience for your ears. The sound is crystal clear, and if you have Tinnitus like I do, you can adjust the volume and prevent further damage, while keeping out that hiss that ultimately takes away from the music. The only drawback I can think of is the cost: at $40, plus refundable deposit, it might be out of budget for some, but you do get a UMLive download of the show, so it depends on your personal preferences for how you want to hear the show. Given an opportunity to try this again, I would certainly pay to hear the band sound the way it should be heard.

Opening the second set with “Miss Tinkles Overture”, Umphrey’s brought back a “Jimmy Stewart” jam with additional lyrics. The hard metal rock of Jake Cinninger and Kris Myers tore up “Tinkles”, which can serve equally well anywhere in a set, but stood out perfectly to welcome the crowd back. “Push the Pig” had a dark bass groove from Ryan Stasik, eventually leading into “Roseanna” by Toto. With Umphrey’s, you are virtually assured an 80’s cover and the rarer, the better. Looking around the venue, only the older fans seemed to know the song, mouthing some of the lyrics while the younger fans sang along only with ‘Rose-an-na!’

Although it wasn’t jammed out, “Roseanna” did melt into a full band jam that pushed into the shred-metal of “Go to Hell” and then “Der Bluten Kat”. The last time Umphrey’s was in town, “DBK” clocked in at 30 minutes. This version ended up at only 27 minutes, not including “The Fuzz” that was sandwiched in between. There is no bigger jam vehicle for Umphrey’s than a solid “DBK” and it was great to hear another fantastic version.

A second installment of ‘Hey, Remember the 80s?’ came in the second half of the encore with Kris Myers introduced as Glen Danzig (and Jake Cinninger heading behind the drum kit), as we were about to get the classic metal group’s “Mother”. Myers knows his metal and you haven’t heard a cover done with such accuracy, let alone a cover of Danzig, until you’ve heard Umphrey’s “Mother”. A hot show with electricity teeming throughout the crowd as they dispersed, fans began making plans for the weekend shows in Syracuse and Rochester, part of the luxury of Upstate New York’s proximity to great music towns.

Setlist
Set 1: Catshot > Phil’s Farm, Miami Virtue > Professor Wormbog, Morning Song, Crucial Taunt, Mantis
Set 2: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Push The Pig > Rosanna > Go To Hell, Der Bluten Kat > The Fuzz > Der Bluten Kat
Encore: The Weight Around, Mother

Download Ed Guidry’s recording of the show from Archive.org
February 12, 2014
Greensky Bluegrass Entertains The Town Ballroom on a Winter-Laced Wednesday

Fans of all music genres convened at The Town Ballroom on Wednesday, February 5 for Greensky Bluegrass. It was a heck of a storm all day long in the Buffalo area, however, it didn’t keep the die hard music lovers away.

Tumbleweed Wanderers opened the night off and came out strong despite nearly missing out on the opportunity because their van had broken down. They got the crowd ready for the nights headliner and gained a solid reaction from there on stage flare to their great sound. The Tumbleweed Wanders, hailing from a much warmer climate in Northern California mentioned the cold on a few occasions.

Headliner Greensky Bluegrass may be a bluegrass band but have hints of all sorts of genres and know how to get a crowd involved. Greensky’s uncanny ability to get the crowd moving with uplifting jams also featured one of the best light shows to date for the bluegrass scene. The quintet from Michigan is led by all members at any given time. Dave Bruzza (guitar), Anders Beck (dobro), Mike Devol (upright bass), Mike Bont (banjo) and Paul Hoffman (mandolin) all know how to step up and take charge, as was apparent throughout the night. If you had looked through the crowd it was apparent fans were really having a good time. The band wasted no time and jumped right into it, showing that they were ready to play right out of the gate. There was plenty of banter throughout the night, saying how cool it was to play in Buffalo despite the weather. In true Greensky Bluegrass tradition, they took a song and really made it their own with their rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” into brilliant bluegrass.

The Tumbleweed Wanderers

Greensky Bluegrass

February 11, 2014
Decades Night Becomes Dancing Night: Aqueous at Nietzsche’s, February 5th

In over 30 years of live music at Nietzsche’s Buffalo, no band has ever been granted a residency, until Wednesday February 5th, 2014 when Aqueous secured a month long gig at Nietzsche’s where they will play themed shows every single Wednesday night with various opening bands. Wednesday was “Decades Night,” so both Aqueous and Baltimore based Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (PPPP) brought some celebratory cover songs to the party.

Pigeons started the night off strong with their excellent brand of funk/improv. Coming out hot with the perfectly named “Upfunk”, PPPP got the crowd grooving from the first note. Both “Decades Night” covers of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” were well adjusted to the band’s style and fit perfectly in their set. Pigeons did a great job injecting the crowd with energy and setting the stage wonderfully for Aqueous.

Selling out Nietzsche’s has become old hat for Aqueous. Tonight was a difficult night for people to make it out to Nietzsche’s. With a storm that dropped 10 inches of snow and a late Wednesday night gig, Aqueous was still able to bring in a crowd of around 150. Those brave 150 would leave the two hour set happy, appreciative, and tired from dancing.

Aqueous opened the run with the newly penned “Complex ii” that has seen some growth already during its short life. The first Decades Night themed cover would appear after just one song. Aqueous closed “Complex ii” and immediately released The Doors “Break on Through” (60’s); the energy in the building would never slow from that point. Two more Aqueous originals with some exploratory jamming would set things up for the 70’s decade cover. The Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” gave the Nietzsche’s crowd a chance to show off their disco moves that they have watched their parents do at weddings.

Once again two more Aqueous originals followed, including an excellent “Aldehyde.” Next it was time for the 80’s decade cover. Covering a-ha’s “Take On Me” was an excellent choice and the clear highlight up until this point of the show. However, this was no laughing matter. The crowd was in a frenzy grabbing each other, singing the cheesy lyrics and basking in the fun.

Aqueous followed next with their original tune “Skyway” before seguing into the last cover of the night. The 90’s cover of Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” came out of nowhere. If you had that as your office pool choice for the 90’s decade, please provide visual evidence. Unfortunately, Britney was not around to shake it for us, but guitarist Dave Loss handled things like a pro. Luckily for us, Dave decided not go the sexy teenage schoolgirl route, instead he helped turn the cover into a funky take on the teeny-bopper classic. The crowd ate it up, everything was weird and perfect at the same time. An outstanding jam concluded “Baby One More Time” before the band returned to “Skyway” which finished up the set.

The encore choice of the rarely played “Dig It Good” capped the night while staying true to the jamming spirit of Aqueous’ core. Smiles, laughter, and happiness were certainly the dominant emotions of the crowd as the exited Nietzsche’s. Just a reminder, this was only the first of the four residency shows. See you next Wednesday for the “Love” themed set and opening band from North Carolina, The Mantras.

Aqueous Residency Remaining Dates at Nietzsche’s:
Wednesday, February 12 with The Mantras
Wednesday, February 19 with Broccoli Samurai
Wednesday, February 26 with Big Something

Setlist: Complex ii>Break On Through (Doors), Dave’s Song>Gordon’s Mule, Stayin Alive (Bee Gees)>Kitty Chaser, Aldehyde>Take On Me (a-ha), Skyway>One More Time (Britney Spears)>Skyway

Encore: Dig It Good

February 11, 2014
Jay-Z Brings Heat to Buffalo’s First Niagara Center

Jay-Z has made a reputation as one of the greatest living rappers, and his Magna Carta tour continues to prove just that. Opening with, “U Don’t Know”, Jay-Z started his performance at Buffalo’s First Niagara Center with an energy that promised to keep the packed house on it’s feet. Backed by a four-piece outfit that featured renowned DJ Timbaland, drums, guitar and keys, Jay-Z dropped rhyme after rhyme spanning his nearly 20 year career.

The crowd rapped along to favorites like “99 Problems”and “Big Pimpin” while Jay-Z never broke his stride. His calls out to the audience to “Put your diamonds in the air”, were met with enthusiastic hands held high into the sky each time. Even when the pace slowed briefly for an interlude by Timbaland the momentum wasn’t lost. “Jigga My Nigga”, picked the crowd right back up and carried them through with more hits until Jay-Z took his time to thank the audience. Fresh off his 19th Grammy win, Jigga said no matter how many albums or awards he has, the best feeling is being on stage and performing, promising the audience he’d “Never get jaded”. Picking individuals out of the crowd, he spent nearly ten minutes chatting and making his thank you heartfelt and personal before going into the encore. Pointing to one girl in the crowd he said, “You know every lyric to every song, I appreciate you”. Picking another man out he said, “You were rocking with me all night, I appreciate you”. Jay-Z is leaving his mark as one of the great entertainers of his time, and continues to visibly enjoy every second of it.

Setlist: Higher Intro, U Don’t Know, Crown, On to the Next One, Holy Grail, Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit, Beach is Better, Drunk in Love (Beyonce Cover), 99 Problems, Picasso Baby, Dead Presidents II, Pound Cake (Drake cover), No Church in the Wild (Jay Z & Kanye West cover), Somewhereinamerica, Big Pimpin’, Timbaland Interlude, Jigga My Nigga, Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99), Dirt Off Your Shoulder, I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me), Niggas in Paris (Jay Z & Kanye West cover), Tom Ford, Public Service Announcement, Clique (Kanye West, Jay Z & Big Sean cover), Run This Town

Encore: Encore, Empire State of Mind, Izzo, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), Young Forever (Nelson Mandela Tribute)

February 10, 2014
Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar Slide Smoothly at The Egg

Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar, two legendary slide guitarists, played an intimate concert in The Lewis A. Swyer Theatre at The Egg in Albany on Friday January 31st.

The less than 450 person crowd was surprisingly loud as Sonny Landreth took the stage to perform the first few songs solo, just a man and his guitars. With such small venue, every seat had a perfect view of Landreth as he sat down and began the show with “Next of Kindred Spirit.” His fingers easily covered the frets as he slid all over the neck of guitar with a complex simplicity. He rocked the guitar in his arms with care and a laid back attitude that you’d find on a front porch on a warm summer day. “Broken Hearted Road” introduced lyrics full of sorrow with sharp chords that cut right through you. There was complete silence in the crowd as the theatre was filled with the mind blowing humid riffs.

Cindy Cashdollar was greeted by Landreth and the rest of the audience for the duration of the set, and thanked everyone especially Sonny for the thrill of performing together. Upstate’s own Cashdollar brought a raw and edgier sound to the southern blues rock of the evening, her own unique style of danger. Both musicians constantly exchanged smiles throughout the show, adding to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the round room. Landreth encouraged the audience to “let the spirit take you” as they went into “Cherry Ball Blues”, an upbeat blues funk song. “Key to the Highway” a cover song often performed by Eric Clapton, was described as Landreth’s own personal theme song complete with escalating rocking high notes. Cindy Cashdollar frequently smacked her guitar with graceful force and a toe tapping rhythm. Landreth seemed pleased with the show mentioning that they covered all the basics, happy blues, sad blues and everything in between before closing the set with Robert Johnson’s “Walkin Blues” with long drawn out chord attitude from Cashdollar.

This was the first show of The American Roots & Branches series being hosted at The Egg and it set the bar high for the rest of the year. Both Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar are extraordinary musicians who make an unstoppable duo, redefining the blues with southern charm.

Setlist:

Sonny Landreth Solo: Next of Kindred Spirit, 2 Shuffle, Here & After, Broken Hearted Road, South of 1 – 10
Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar: Blues Attack, Cherry Ball Blues, Key to the Highway, Hell at Home, World Away, All About You, It Hurts me too, Prodigal Son, Walking Blues
Encore: Bayou Teche

February 7, 2014
Dirty Birds at The Bowl

Last Friday, one of the most iconic music venues in Brooklyn played host to a musical homecoming of sorts. Hometown heroes Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds put their unique blend of soul, funk and rock on full display to a sold out Brooklyn Bowl. As an added bonus for their loyal and local fans, the group announced they would cover one of ten legendary rock albums in its entirety for this special show and would allow the final selection to be voted on by the public. With Led Zeppelin IV emerging as the winner after all votes were tabulated, this was guaranteed to be a noteworthy affair.

Another local product of the thriving Brooklyn music scene started things off shortly after 8 p.m. Zongo Junction, an up and coming eight-piece Afrobeat band, delivered several smooth flowing instrumental songs highlighted by some impressive percussion work and a mustachioed bassist who resembled a young and spry Frank Zappa. The opening act later brought on a female vocalist to add another element to their steady groove based music.

Then it was time for the main course in the form of Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow) and her seven Dirty Birds which includes her brother Jackson on harmonica who complemented the group’s blaring brass section all night with a string of rousing harmonica solos. Amidst the sounds of nearby 7-10 splits and a hungry Brooklyn Bowl crowd, the group first went through a number of originals that served as a showcase for Kincheloe’s powerful singing voice that rested on top of a bed of aggressive and cohesive funk rock.

Once the originals were out of the way, a certain distinctive “Hey, Hey Momma” followed and The Birds were off and running with their ‘dirty’ take on Led Zeppelin IV. The rest of ‘Black Dog’ was played to perfection and ‘Rock and Roll’, which followed, gave the three piece horn section another chance to shine in this uptempo rocker. One of the true highlights of the show was the justice that the band did to perhaps the most well known song on the album, ‘Stairway to Heaven’. The group moved deftly though the slow, emotional beginning sections and seamlessly progressed to the frenetic finish that’s the signature of this classic number. In doing so, the group managed to mold the song into something different by spinning it with their version of soulful and heartfelt rock.

Sister Sparrow and her Dirty Birds continued to go through each track on the album and give the increasingly rabid Brooklyn Bowl crowd a new taste on some old classics. The group continued to show off their musical chops with a fun take on the ending of Paul Simon’s ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’ that was placed right in the middle of a memorable ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. With a legendary full album cover now in the books, the Zeppelin tribute carried on with ‘D’yer Mak’er’ serving as an encore of sorts before the group left the stage to a hearty standing room only ovation.

With a total set time of just over 80 minutes, there were hopes that another set of music would follow but it was not to be this night. An informal dance party of sorts soon began on the dance floor and once Sister Sparrow herself joined in, it was clear that the rock and roll portion of this evening was now done. Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds had accomplished their goal of delivering a memorable night of music that served as both a showcase of the group’s infectious big band sound and a tribute to one of the most collectively revered rock albums of all time.

February 7, 2014
Paula Cole and Marc Cohn Visit The Palace Theatre in Syracuse

It is not very often that Central New York is treated to Grammy Award winning artists, let alone two in one night at the same show. On January 12th, the Palace Theatre in Syracuse, NY was honored to feature Paula Cole and Marc Cohn in their limited engagement tour.

Paula Cole & Marc Cohn

The show opened with Paula Cole, accompanied by long time band mates percussionist, Ben Wittman and guitarist, Kevin Barry on a number that immediately drew in the audience with the strong beat and lyrics. She had me as she began to stomp and clap to the beat as though she was performing a Latin American dance of some sort. When an artist can stand up and perform as an entire musical instrument through body percussion and beat-boxing, I’m hooked. I loved her voice and musicality (I am a sucker for a piano every time), however I soon realized that it would be her lyrics that stood out to me . Her ability to take life’s moments and place them to music and tell a story is not an easy feat, and she does it beautifully. Paula narrated her songs as she performed them. As she explained at what point and time in her career she wrote them, who and what they pertained to, and how she was influenced by many personal stories, it made the listener more attentive to not only the music, but the lyrics and gave them a sense of ownership in the song.

Paula Cole

Reminiscent of past singers and writers of other eras, Paula’s music brought me back to a time in the 60’s and 70’s where music was written to deliver a message. Messages in songs such as “Billy Joe” demonstrated a side of touring that is not so glamorous but filled with numerous lonely and isolated days on the road only to pick up and move on again from city to city. Her song “Happy Home” is written as a tribute to her mother and way for her to express her understanding of her situation. Paula described seeing in her mother’s eyes a her longing to be more than just a wife and mother. She saw the longing to let out an adventurous creative woman that was inside but never broke free because she was bound by the duty of her generation to be a wife and mother and maker of the “Happy Home”. She revealed to the audience that when writing her hit “I Don’t Want to Wait”, it wasn’t originally written to be the soundtrack for Dawson’s Creek, however it was a message about ending the cycles of anger and abuse that families go through at times. She also delivered wonderful covers of Burt Bacharach’s “Walk on By’ and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. Again delivering them with a fortitude and spunk that resonated an inner strength within her and clearly gave her audience an impression of who she is and what she is all about.

No matter what tune she is performing or writing, you can be rest assured that Paula Cole will deliver it with a strength and presence that resonates who she is and what she stands for. If I was to describe her music style I would definitely call it versatile and eclectic. Many times artists tend to create a “sound” that is distinctively their own. Often done so with several songs that begin to sound the same. Although Paula’s music has a common thread and sound, each song takes on a life of its own delivering an unique sound and poignant message. This eclectic vibe is what makes her extremely talented and demonstrates how she refused to become cookie cutter. Instead she pushes her boundaries and the listener to gifted with music that is new and fresh and different.

As Marc Cohn took the stage you immediately knew that you were in for a treat. He drew in the audience with his bluesy sound and forceful voice performing Willie Dixon’s “29 Ways”. Wow is all I could say. Again, I was hooked. Joined by Kevin Barry on guitar and Glenn Patscha on keyboards, this trio took over the audience for the rest of the evening and kept them rocking. As he sang this and other songs, his improvisations were amazingly witty and lightened the mood of each audience member reminding us that we were there to have a good time and loosen up. Although he was the most amazing musician, he clearly was a performer and really down to earth person. Anyone who can improvise lyrics in songs as he goes and crack jokes while doing so, is a true performer.

Marc Cohn

Inspiration comes from many sources for each artist, and I detected a similar bluesy pop quality to songs “Walk Through This world With Me” and “Perfect Love”, which were reminiscent of tunes from Eric Clapton and James Taylor, and similar artists of that time period. While “Silver Thunderbird” had a tad hint of Jackson Browne in it, in my opinion. You could tell with choices of tunes he’s recorded over the years his influences on his music and his song writing. His album Listening Booth, 1970 is an entire album dedicated to influences on his music as he covers songs such as “Wild World” and “After Midnight”. But it is his rendition of “Baby I’m Amazed” that is my ultimate favorite and is a beautiful tribute to an amazing songwriter and performer, Paul McCartney.

Marc brought Paula out to join him on this last show of their short tour to sing “The Letter” a song made famous by The Box Tops back in 1967 during the Vietnam War era and another on the Listening Booth album. Their rendition and styles mesh perfectly to deliver a jazzy rendition of the tune.

Paula Cole & Marc Cohn

Musicians often write songs for hire and at times suffer from writers block and go for extended periods of time without writing any new material. Marc shared his personal story one of these blocks he went through recently and for the first time in four years he broke through this block and how he did just this. He recently was asked, along with several other NYC musicians, to put together a song to accompany a story. The project revolved around a story of the men that come from Canada with their Christmas trees to sell on Broadway each year during Christmas time in NY City. They don’t usually have much money and often no where to stay. With the help from an unlikely source in the story was the song “Treeman” born. “Treeman” will be featured as the project song and we were fortunate to be one of the first audiences to hear his new song, and it was amazing. It was as if he saved all his best lyrics from the past four years to use in one song.

Marc Cohn

Marc often is asked if he ever gets tired of singing his hit “Walking in Memphis” and he’s adamant about how proud he is of the song and how he never tires of playing this one. As a huge fan, I must say I am so thankful he doesn’t tire of it, because he audiences never will. This is his signature tune. The one most adored by fans all over, and rightly so. This tune will be one of the classic tunes that will span generations and be covered by artists in the future, just as Marc covered the tunes of those that inspired him.

Overall the shows from both Paul Cole and Marc Cohn were beyond amazing. They are the perfect pairing to compliment each others styles, and for audiences attending. The playlist for the evening in both sets brought the audience back to a time when music was mostly performed acoustically with just a singer/songwriter and a piano, and without the pomp and circumstance, but just the music and the audience. Central New Yorkers were treated this evening, and we thank Paula and Marc for making a stop to share such talent in our neck of the woods.

February 7, 2014
Eastbound Jesus: Two Night Live Album Recording at Red Square

Upstate New York has a strong and authentic sound when it comes to bluegrass music. It’s an old world rebellion mixed with a hopeful heartache for the future that was heard loud and clear in Albany last weekend. Red Square and Guthrie/Bell Productions hosted Eastbound Jesus for two nights for a live recording session album on Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st. The Northern Rock group invited Upstate bands Driftwood and The Blind Spots to share the stage and showcase their folk bluegrass talents. Eastbound Jesus has a dedicated fan base that easily relates to their catchy lyrics, contagious melodies and a love for flannel.

Driftwood, the all string quartet from Binghamton, showed no mercy to their instruments or the audience as they opened the show on Friday night. They are a fierce and savage bunch of sophisticated folks who bring out the best in each other. Their lyrics and melodies follow each other in rounds that create a beautiful chaos of Americana. Driftwood’s music grows, it expands and the acoustics stretch the length of the room and outside the venue. They started with a soft lullaby of “High School Paycheck” to start the evening and the crowd was mesmerized with the mighty stand-up bass notes of Joey Arcuri. Claire Byrne won over many hearts that night as she ignited her fiddle with a burning passion that caught newcomers off guard. “Buffalo Street” was the biggest hit of the set, as the audience quickly picked up on the rhythm from the tambourine, clapping in unison and adoring the harmonies with whistling. Driftwood’s newest self-titled album is available for a free streaming on their website or Soundcloud and be sure to catch them on their tour across the East Coast this spring.

Setlist: High School Paycheck, Words, Lost Indian, Dusty, Buffalo Street, 2 Kill Ya, Brother, Before I Rust, Carby, Outerspace, Sun’s Going Down

Friday night proved to be another fun filled Eastbound Jesus show with lots of flannel, foot stomping and group sing-alongs. The weekend kicked off with “Easy Now” and with the lyrics, “It feels like forever since I’ve known that I’ve been home” there was a great cheer of appreciation and excitement. Jerry Reed’s “East Bound and Down” was a surprise for fans as it brought out the southern hillbilly in everyone. “North Country Girl” brought out a romantic flair with rolling guitar chords and charming vocals from each member. EBJ welcomed Driftwood’s fiddler Claire Byrne for a few songs, demonstrating that she can hold her own with the boys and brought a graceful yet rowdy style to the set. One of the perks of Red Square is the intimate space giving you the ability to get up close to musicians so that when they each member gets that same crazy look in their eyes; you can feel the music really kick in. EBJ saved some of their most climactic songs for the end such as “Where The Winter Goes” and “Waitin’ On The Sun” with each song building up unlimited possibilities for hard strumming and thunderous rhythm. The night ended with a three-song encore, much to the crowd’s delight who were already thirsty for Saturday’s show.

Setlist: Easy Now, I Wouldn’t Know, Pickin It, East Bound and Down*, Here’s to You, North Country Girl, Sittin by the River, Roll in my sweet Baby’s Arms, Talking to John, Ghost Town, Southbound Train, Corn Whiskey, Doors Open, Tennessee, Maggie’s Farm, Where The Winter Goes, Waitin’ On The Sun, Beat The Breaks

Encore: Out Yonder, Mouthful of Diamonds, Hold On Me Now
*Cover by Jerry Reed

Keep scrolling and Check out Tabitha Clancy’s review and photos from Saturday night below!

The live album party continued in a “Small Town, Saturday Night” fashion, much like Hal Ketchum would say. Eastbound Jesus brought the grit and the grind to Red Square in Albany for a second night of recording. These Greenwich swashbucklers are music machines just pumping out song after song after song but not in a boring factory line kind of way. Their high-energy arrangements are supported by well written lyrical stories. The PBR imbibers are a synchronous target audience of these blue-collar tunes turning the night into a merrymaking group participation event.

Eastbound knows their audience well and seemingly walked the crowd through a warm-up first. “Beat the Breaks,” new to the amassed catalog of tunes, was the only song played both nights. “Without You” is a slow, sweet melodic piece with just the right touch of sadness. Creating a build up, Eastbound kicked it up a notch with “Holy Smokes!” A special treat was in store for the room when Bryan Brundige (trombonist from The Chronicles) and Tony Meier (keys) were called up to “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine,” in a collaborative jamband and calypso groove rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “Turn on Your Lovelight.”

Eastbound Jesus crafted a set of crowd favorites from their discography, new tunes and threw in a few covers for what will soon be a playlist on a live disc. Their punchy personalities, stage camaraderie and homogeneous blend of instrumentation can only mean, “Someday, it’s gonna go down.”

Stay up to date with on Facebook and Twitter for news when Eastbound Jesus’ live album will be released this coming winter/early spring.

February 6, 2014
The David Mayfield Parade at Abilene in Rochester, NY
To say that one has “seen” a David Mayfield Parade show is an understatement. The experience can best be described as an event that you were a part of when the Parade came to your town. The charisma that emanates from Mayfield’s heart and soul, the music that he creates and the interactions he shares with the crowd are a spectacular occasion.

This night the venue was full and the music was hot! Highlights were hearing originals like, “Love Will Only Break Your Heart” – in true Mayfield fashion songs about love were followed by strong fiddle and bass filled dance songs, and dancing on the bar and the chairs and flat-out on the floor.

Banter among band members is common place at live shows but banter WITH the audience is what you get from Mayfield. Saturday’s show at Abilene Bar & Lounge in Rochester, NY was no exception to the carnival side-show antics that make this band who they are and sets them apart from the others. Mayfield was in the midst of performing his sexual prowess where he fit the entire mic into his mouth while batting his eyes and flirting with the crowd – a female fan yelled out, “I love you David!” to which Mayfield replied, “I thought I told you to wait outside”. The small crowd at the intimate one room venue erupted with roars of laughter at the well-played banter.

Another moment shared between the crowd and Mayfield was set inside a circle of fans as Mayfield serenaded us with his acoustic guitar – sharing these intimate interactive moments with music and the artist is what music lovers hope for with shows like this.

The setting is small, especially in the winter when the back deck is closed off but the intimacy that can be reached between bands and patrons can not be found in any other venue in this city. Abilene has become Rochester’s secret garden for music, whether it’s as the Americana stage at Jazz Fest or the little bar with the blue grassy – rockabilly bands in the cold of winter. This venue is perfect just the way it is and I look forward to seeing shows here in the future.
February 6, 2014