NYS Music 20​14

Category: Special

  • Upstate NY Teacher Kent Knappenberger is Awarded the Inaugural 2014 Music Educator Award

    Upstate New York is home to inaugural Grammy’s 2014 Music Educator Award – Kent Knappenberger of Westfield Academy and Central School in Westfield, N.Y. was recently announced as the winner of this well deserved award.

    There were 30,000 nominees and 10 finalists for the award that recognizes teachers that have – made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The schools of the 10 final nominees will receive a grant of $1,000 and the 9 finalist teachers will receive an equal honorarium, while Knappenberger will receive a $10,000 honorarium.

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    Photo By: Derek Gee of the Buffalo News

    CBS This Morning reported the news on Tuesday morning and viewers had the opportunity to see why Mr. K (as his students call him) was the natural choice for this award. Knappenberger has been teaching 6th-12th grade Music for 25 years at Westfield Academy,  he says, “for this art form there is this synergy that takes place.” Mr. K believes it is his job to find something musical in every child. Students and parents agree that he is no ordinary teacher – one student in the CBS interview said, “Mr. K makes you love music, even if you did previously, it just grows.”

    When Kent Knappenberger isn’t teaching music, he’s at home on his farm with his wife, 9 children and his farm animals. This educator surely fits the role of the type of individual many of us had in school, whom showed us the musical talent we held inside. That one life-changing teacher that brought us to embody the music that we live and breathe, in whatever capacity possible.

    The deadline for nominating next year’s recipient is March 31st. If you know a music educator that you would like to nominate, applications are currently online at GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com.

  • Aqueous Announces Spring Tour 2014 Leg 1

    Buffalo NY’s hottest rocking commodity Aqueous has announced the first leg of their spring tour 2014.  The band played close to 130 shows in 2013 and expects to exceed that number this year as their popularity and fan base expand. The tour includes a four week residency at Burlington VT’s Nectar’s. which of course is famous for launching another phoursome into mass popularity. Is Aqueous next? Only time will tell. Check these guys out, they are the real deal.

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    2014 Spring Tour Dates

    *March 1st – Albany, NY – Red Square w/ Mister F
    *March 6th – Burlington, VT – Nectars
    *March 7th – Boston, MA – Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant & Music Club
    *March 12th – Burlington, VT – Nectars wsg/ Mom & Dad
    *March 13th – Syracuse, NY – THE LOST HORIZON
    *March 14th – Toronto, ON – The Rivoli w/ After Funk
    *March 15th – Erie, PA – the crooked i
    *March 17th – Stratton Mountain, VT – Grizzly’s Bar and Restaurant ST. PATTY’S DAY
    *March 19th – Burlington, VT – Nectars
    *March 20th – Oneonta, NY – Black Oak Tavern
    *March 21st – Ithaca, NY – Lot 10
    *March 26th – Burlington, VT – Nectars
    *March 27th – Portsmouth, NH – Thirsty Moose Tap House
    *March 28th – Kenilworth, NJ – 10th Street Live
    *March 29th – Plains, PA – River Street Jazz Cafe w/ Flux Capacitor
    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/130643962″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

  • Dollar Diplomacy is rockin’ the Falls

    A local band from Buffalo, New York that goes by the name of Dollar Diplomacy is making quite a name for themselves.

    Dollar Diplomacy is Brad Martynowicz (lead vocals), Tyler Wright (lead guitar, rhythm guitar), John Harrington (percussions) and their newest member, Zenon Maciejewski (bass and back up vocals).

    Dollar Diplomacy self-describes itself as a heavy-blues rock band with vocalist Martynowicz adding that they are “very jamming”. Their biggest influence is the immortal powerhouse band, Led Zeppelin.

    The band’s first time performing was in 2011 when theyopened up for Davy Zee And The Renegades in Ellicottville, New York for Oktoberfest. The band had a different identity at the time, playing under the name Cut Short with a different bassist. The post-concert rush ended however and a few months later, Cut Short broke up. Wright and Harrington tried forming a new band and had multiple different members but nothing was working until they asked Martynowicz to help form a band. They had a solid line up for a year with all the remaining original members of Cut Short until the band changed the name to Dollar Diplomacy. Maciejewski later joined the band after their original bassist left the band a few months later.

    The band’s unique name actually came from a history lecture when Harrington was sitting in class and his professor mentioned President William Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy” and the name stuck ever since.

    When asked how the band works for song writing and composing, the band described that they start with a rough draft of an idea and keep revising the idea over and over until they are kind of content with the end product, figuring out ways to make new songs work for them rather than them working for the new songs. Collectively, the entire band collaborates on a new works, however, the band is in consensus that Wright and Harrington are the main songwriters. As a band they compose and write lyrics together but they all agreed Wright and Harrington are the main songwriters.

    Wright explained how at their last practice they wrote a song that they were definitely eager to perform. Wright said that he had a riff that he has been excited to play, at practice he said he just started the new riff and rest of the band joined in and, spontaneously, they formed a new song. Martynowicz added that he recorded the song on his phone and he started writing corresponding lyrics for it. Afterwards, they performed it as a band to see what works and what doesn’t.

    The band finds it boring to play the same old songs over and over again and they often eventually reach a point where change is needed. At this point, they re-enter the song writing process.

    The band was set to record an album last December. They have yet to be signed to a record label but they have been putting songs on their Facebook page and have been going to local Hot Topic’s and giving out demo CDs. There is currently no set release date on the album but their album will be available both on CDs and on ITunes.

    Dollar Diplomacy performed with, Reloaded at Niagara Falls Hard Rock Café on January 10th.

  • Normal Instruments Play An Anything but Ordinary Show at The Hollow on January 11th

    Normal Instruments  teamed up with Albany locals Leila Harrison and Jon Santolla for a spectacular show at the Hollow on January 11th. DJ Leila and Mentally Ill started the night off with a ton of energy and before you even entered the venue you could hear and feel the deep drum and bass pumping into the streets of Albany. Mentally Ill (Jon Santolla) played a darker, harder set while Leila kept her set light-hearted with a twist of booty dropping house music. Both of these artists continuously remind us why they are the most prevalent Drum and Bass DJs in the Upstate.

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    Normal Instruments played two full sets and the collaboration of four musicians with this caliber of talent could only result in amazing things. Each musician holds their own and counterbalances one another while still staying in unity and synchronicity with each other. Every song branches off into new realms, fusing the disconnect of organic and electronic. Although all of the members of the band come from very different backgrounds within the music community, they use their differences to make a completely different and fresh sound.

    Jules Jenssen once again did not disappoint and tore it up on the drums, heavily accompanied by Cosmic Dust Bunnies’ Matt Becket on the bass. Jeff Bujak is a source of constant entertainment and dancing no matter what genre of music he is contributing to. Both Bujak and Michael Carter take Normal Instruments to new levels of electronic mastery.  The show was packed with energy from beginning to end and it was apparent that each member of the band was genuinely having fun during their performance. By the time Normal Instruments left the stage the Hollow was ten degrees hotter and the crowd was cheering for more. Overall an absolutely amazing show and impressive show of talent by all artists. Albany definitely looks forward to this New England-based power house.

  • Winter Boogie Coming to Carey Lake February 1st

    Statewide Music will present the first annual Winter Boogie Saturday February 1st at Carey Lake in Macedon, NY. This will be the first of many fun-filled family orientated events at the beautiful site that was first used in last years Phall Fest (Check out ‘s review here).winterboogie

    Music under the big tent and seasonal activities such as sledding, ice skating, and cross country skiing will be happening from noon til 9:30 outside, with the night finishing with Rochester’s Into The Now playing 2 full sets in the bar at the front of the property until 2AM. All ages.

    Rochester’s hottest “fab five”, Roots Collider will headline the outdoor portion of the event with their unique brand of rock-raging heavy dance music from 8-9:30PM. Ms D & Bloom Carter, Infrared Radiation Orchestra, Haewa, and Kung Fu Grip (a Sublime tribute) will round out the rest of the days music. Festival goers will also get to enjoy a late night fire show by Solar Flare and Miss Margo. Tickets – 10$ presale, 15$ day of show, are available at Carey Lake Bar & Grill, Aarons Alley and online.

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    Full Lineup:

    2:00-3:00 Ms D and Bloom/Carter
    3:30-4:30 Infrared Radiation Orchestra
    5:00-6:00 Haewa
    6:30-7:30 Kung Fu Grip – Sublime Tribute
    8:00-9:30 RootsCollider
    10:00-2:00 Into the Now (2 sets inside)

  • Lockn’ Festival 2014 Announces Initial Lineup

    Lockn’ has announced their initial lineup for this year’s music festival on September 4th-7th, 2014, taking place again at The Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA. The lineup includes 2 nights each of Phil Lesh and Friends, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Widespread Panic and The String Cheese Incident. The Allman Brothers Band is also set to headline and with longtime guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks having recently announced their departure from the band at the of the year, only adds to the excitement to the lineup for this up and coming festival. Last year’s venue set up had both main stages located next to each other, with little or no performance overlap, guaranteeing more music and encouraging more musician’s sit-ins. Let’s hope this set up is here to stay.

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    Lockn’ was founded by Dave Frey who also founded the HORDE festival and Peter Shapiro who owned New York City’s historic rock club, Wetlands Preserved. Frey and Shapiro created the festival combining all their experiences of continuous music and intertwined artists to create a unique festival, playing true to their theme, “when something ends, another begins.” After last year’s successful start, fans are eager to see what they dynamic duo has planned for this year. Another passion besides music, Frey and Shapiro are both involved with environmentally conscious organizations. Lockn’ will offer locally sourced foods, recycling programs and carbon offsetting to help benefit the beautiful grounds of the farm.

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    Tickets are now on sale ranging from $180 – $699, not including the Camping Pass – options that range from $69 to $199. They have tent-only, car camping, forest and preferred tent-only camping passes as well as RV passes. All campgrounds have close access to bathrooms, fresh drinking water and showers for a small fee. Since the venue is spread over a 4800 acre farm, the festival encourages guests to bring bicycles and will offer transportation at regular frequent intervals.

    Check out Upstate’s review from Lockn’ 2013 with photos from Phrazz.

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    Follow Lockn’

    Facebook | Twitter | @locknfestival

  • The Chronicles run a ‘Trane Through Red Square as their Residency Continues

    The softly-lit room that is Red Square was to be host to this evening’s gala – a performance by The Chronicles, paying tribute to John Coltrane’s musical catalog. The soundboard was filled with guys laughing and chatting witty banter before the show, only to find out these fellows were the opening act, Mr. Breakdown. The five piece band toyed with various jams before stunning the crowd with a cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Mike Kemmlein , the lead guitarist, played this song masterfully, from his extreme vocal range to his darting guitar, it was performed brilliantly and livened up the set.

    This stellar opening performance set the stage for The Chronicles to pay tribute to jazz legend John Coltrane. The room was illuminated with blue lights, giving the ambiance of a Harlem jazz club in the 40’s or 50’s. As the band took the stage, the room was quite open, but as the music progressed the floor filled up. The opening number was “Naima”, a beautiful song highlighting the keyboards of Paul Phillipone with a hum of Jeff Naina’s saxophone and Bryan Brundige’s trombone sending out a melodic spring-like vibe; this was great way to start the set. “A Love Supreme” featured Brundige on talkbox, odd to see at first but as the jam went,  it was a perfect selection. “I Love you to Death” was repeated as a back drop while the horns and the keys soared, accompanied with free form guitar by Justin Henricks that fit in superbly with intense passion. “India Locomotion” was a danceable track highlighting the speed Nania and Henricks making a bowlful of sound.

    “Annie”, a song by Erykah Badhu, was a fun number grabbing the crowds full attention with the lyrics “Annie don’t wear no panties.” “Interzone” began with a gripping sax solo with a low touch of Daniel Lawson’s bass and Andrae Surgick lightly tapping his high hat as he he sat behind the kit. With each measure the groove of the sax sped up and the rest of the band followed suit. Henricks played very familiar guitar riffs right back into the sax, showing off the all the band members talent of how well they can play individually and as a complete unit. “The Groove for Nala” was very heavy on the drum and bass, a groove that only a jive turkey wouldn’t be able to get down to.

    The Chronicles were able to put a spin on classic Coltrane making it relevant to the vibe of today, a very difficult task. They will continue there residency at Red Square this Thursday, highlighting the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, with opening act Cedric Burnside, a classic night and one that should not be missed.

    Mr. Breakdown Setlist: Funk Train, It’s Your Thing, Hot Pants Breakdown*, Do What You Can, Top, Hard at Work, Zoomin, Nothing Compares To You, Take Your Shirt Off, Shining Star, Sista
    *Greyboy Allstars version

    The Chronicles Setlist: Naima, A Love Supreme, Syeeda’s Song Flute, India, Locomotion, Annie, Interzone, Sly, Groove for Nola, Butterfly, Just Knew

  • Well Worn Boot Now Accepting Submissions for ‘Wild Wild Fest’

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    Rowdy, unique and uncontainable are just three [insufficient] words to describe a Well Worn Boot show – and this year’s Wild Wild Fest is sure to be no different.  A music and camping festival held at Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, NY, this one-of-a-kind festival focuses on Americana, pop culture, sideshow and Rock-and-Roll.

    Well Worn Boot is  now accepting submissions from “ENDLESS genres”.  Most importantly Wild Wild Fest is about diversity, good music and olympic partying.

    Aside from many great regional acts, this years headliners include Weirdo Folkie Baby Gramps, Video Game Metal-Heads, and Armcannon.

    The event is August 29-30, 2014 and submissions end March 1st. More information is available at www.wellwornboot.com and submissions may be sent to wildwildfestival@gmail.com.

  • Mister F to Play Red Square With Wyllys January 25

    Mister F is set to end their three night run with Wyllys and Tweed at Red Square on Saturday January 25th. Mister F formed in 2013 with the collaboration of Ben Pickering, Matt Pickering and Andrew Chamberlain of Albany’s own Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay of Capital Zen. Since their start in 2013 the band has taken the music scene by storm playing at festivals such as Mountain Jam, moe.down, Camp Bisco and snoe.down. Their following has reached far beyond their Albany roots as they play shows as far as Chicago and Knoxville.

    The band will play along side Brooklyn, New York’s Wyllys, who started spinning discs at the very young age of 15 and has never looked back since. Wyllys takes an “anything goes” mentality blending all genres of music to create his “nu-disco-house” form of music. Wyllys has played festivals throughout the circuit such as Bonarroo, Electric Forest, Camp Bisco and Mountain Jam.

    Tweed will also join these two artists to truly solidify that this will be a phenomenal night of music. Tweed formed at the University of Delaware  and combine a mixture of Funk, Rock and electronic for a truly unique musical experience.

    These three acts together ensure that you will not want to miss out on this night of music. The show will start at 8 pm and tickets are $10.

    Follow

    Mister F| Wyllys|Tweed| Event 

  • Equifunk Announces All-star Lineup for 2nd Annual Leprechaun’s Ball

    Equifunk, one of ‘s top music festivals of last year, has announced a one of a kind show coming to (LE) Poisson Rouge in New York City on March 15th, their Second annual Leprechaun’s Ball. The all day affair features many artists that have played the popular festival in the past – teaming up for a great show.  Going from 1PM-8PM, the show will give everyone a glimpse into how the musical machine that is Equifunk gets down in New York City.

    The Bobby Paltauf Band and Dorsia will be starting the day off with sets of their own before handing over the stage to Eddie Roberts & The Funky Charms – This band is made up of amazing musicians who are all masters at their respective instrument.

    The band will include Eddie Roberts (Guitar, New Mastersounds), Nigel Hall (Keyboards, Nigel Hall Band/Lettuce), Jennifer Hartswick (Trumpet, Trey Anastasio Band), Natalie Cressman (Trombone, Trey Anastasio Band), James Casey (Saxophone, Lettuce/Trey Anastasio Band), Ron Johnson (Bass, The Warren Haynes Band/Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), John Staten (Drums, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe/Pimps of Joytime).  This is sure to be a day to be remembered by all in attendance.

    Tickets will be going on pre-sale here on January 24 at noon.  The sale will be live for 24 hours before a general sale happens the following day.  Do not miss this show if you are in New York City area on March 15.