NYS Music 20​14

Category: Special

  • Echo Hill officially done

    Echo Hill, the up-and-coming alternative band out of Smithtown, Long Island, has officially disbanded.

    Alex Laudani, co-founder of the four-piece band, took to the band’s official Facebook page last week to make the announcement.

    https://www.facebook.com/ECHOHILLTHEBAND/posts/611263735626767

    It had been a feel good story that was first reported on our site in December.  The band, consisting of college-aged musicians of whom working towards, or recently earning their respective degrees, had garnered much attention to itself.  Last summer, they organized a successful concert, including several bands local to Long Island, with the intent to collect food to the region still suffering from 2012’s Hurricane Sandy.

    Since then, the band has appeared in numerous periodicals and began landing gigs within New York City, including Webster Hall (which, was later canceled).  When we spoke to them in December, they were tentatively making plans to tour throughout Upstate New York.

    And, that’s about when things started to unravel.

    When they were together Echo Hill consisted of (from left to right) Dylan Coates, Keith Miller, Monique Teichert and Alex Laudani. (Photo Credit: Echo Hill)
    When they were together Echo Hill consisted of (from left to right) Dylan Coates, Keith Miller, Monique Teichert and Alex Laudani. (Photo Credit: Echo Hill)

    Just weeks following our feature article, the band announced lead singer, Monique Teichert had left the band.  At the time, the cited that Teichert and her band mates did not share the same level of commitment, but a more acrimonious relationship was alluded on the band’s Facebook a short time later.

    Echo Hill quickly sought after what would be their third lead singer in three years.  However, just short of two months after Teichert’s departure, Laudani reluctantly put the band “to death.”

    In a text message, Laudani said he is in the early stages of starting a new project.

    “I’ll be back with a vengeance.”

    As for Teichert, she too expressed that she has not quit on music.  In a personal message through Facebook, she stated, “I’m not quitting on music. I’ll keep you posted on my new project.”

    A “farewell” package has been prepared on Echo Hill’s official website, making several of their singles available to the public at no charge.

  • Protest the Hero Kicks Off Tour in a Long-Awaited Return to Buffalo

    It might only be a short drive separating Buffalo from its northern neighbor Toronto, but that has proven to be a great enough divide for Protest the Hero.  The Canadian metal act’s last visit was back in 2009, but thankfully that all changed with the kickoff  to their 2014 North American tour happening right in the Queen City.

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    The night started out as any night in Buffalo would during our long winter stretch: discouragingly cold.  And just as that’s an expectation, so too is the community’s passion for music.  Without disappointment, The Waiting Room was packed with metal enthusiasts who were eager to see the eclectic mix of bands.  Opening the night were up-and-comers Intervals and Night Verses.  Both bands are relatively new to the scene and have only been around for a few years now, but neither disappointed.

    The Safety Fire was the third band on and, at this point, the crowd was dialed in and beginning to get into the show.  The band started their set with an audio clip of the Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2 which drew a resounding response from the crowd.  As the clip finished, they dove right into their first song “Red Hatchet” off of their most recent release Mouth of Swords.  The song had an underlying similarity in tone to the Sonic intro which made for a seamless transition into their set.  The UK-based band has only been across the pond a few times to tour, with their first actually being in support of Protest the Hero back in 2012.  With their understandably low exposure to U.S. audiences, the five-piece squeezed everything out of their set and really left everything out on the stage.  Their guitarists Derya ‘Dez’ Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles employ custom, Telecaster-esque Wirebird guitars which gives their harmonized runs a sharp and unique tone.  The third song “Huge Hammers” got the biggest crowd response and is one of the band’s most popular songs.  With hands raised, the crowd echoed the beat and created a unified feeling with the music.  As their set wrapped up, the band put their remaining energy into the last song, running circles around the stage on the anthemic “Glass Crush.”

    Up next was Battlecross whose raw, thrash metal sound gave the crowd even more reason to move.  Their modern take on a classic metal genre was energized by the thunderous double bass attack of Shannon Lucas who’s their temporary drummer on this tour.  Lucas has played with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder and All That Remains to name a few and is their current fill-in while they look to permanently fill the void left by the departure of longtime drummer Michael Keger last year.  You wouldn’t have known the difference though as the band literally didn’t miss a beat all night.

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    Battlecross guitarist Tony Asta (left) and bassist Don Slater (right)

    Battlecross ripped through their set, focusing on their new album War of Will for the majority of the content for show.  Their speed an aggression was balanced out by runs of beautiful melody via guitarists Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala.  Calling Detroit home, the band fully embodies the Motor City’s drive and blue-collar mentality.  With their set coming to a close, the band pulled from their 2011 release Pursuit of Honor in “Kaleb” and “Push Pull Destroy.”  The throwback sent the crowd into a frenzy and lead singer Kyle “Gumby” Gunther only antagonized them more with his in-your-face attitude.  These guys will be back in Buffalo in May in support of Killswitch Engage, so don’t miss another chance to catch their incredible live show.

    The long-awaited return of Protest the Hero was finally over as the buzz in the crowd began to build for the imminent start to their show.  Although it had been five years and two album releases since their last visit, the crowd was more than willing to forgive and forget as that was all about to change.  The band took to the stage to a loud and warm welcoming.  Since their last visit, the band lost longtime drummer Moe Carlson who has now been permanently replaced by the still unrecognized Mike Ieradi.  Also new to the group was temporary bassist, Cameron McLellan.  Arif Mirabdolbaghi is still with the band, but was forced to skip the tour due to scheduling issues with another endeavor.

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    Protest the Hero guitarist Luke Hoskin

    The band kicked off their set with “Hair-Trigger” from 2011’s Scurrilous.  The crowd was already amped up for this performance, but the song’s bridge was an early highlight in the show with a heavy push to get closer to the band.  Protest the Hero seemed to be in mid-tour form with a rhythmically-tight execution of their difficult, math metal sound.  The soaring melodies of Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin were met throughout the night by Rody’s equally expansive vocals.

    The band took on the new album in a few instances, but none more effectively than the combination of “Clarity” and “A Life Embossed,” played back to back early on in the set.  It was admittedly the band’s first performance of “Clarity” which went off without a hitch.  The energy throughout the set continuously built as they progressed and touched upon each of their four releases.  As expected, the band displayed their impeccable proficiency on their instruments on each and every song, rarely taking the instrumental easy road.

    The wait was worth it in the end as the crowd appreciated the opportunity to catch one of metal’s most talented groups.  All and all, the show was a great kickoff to the tour and I would highly recommend catching them towards the tail end when they make a stop in Rochester on April 4th.

    Protest the Hero Set List:
    Hair-Trigger, Underbite, Sequoia Throne, Clarity, A Life Embossed, Bury the Hatchet, Mist, Sex Tapes, The Dissentience, Blindfolds Aside, Bloodmeat, C’est la Vie

    Editor’s Note: Photo Credit Thomas Sgori/UpstateMetal Staff

  • Scott Ian’s “Speaking Words” turns Family Affair

    Anthrax guitarist and founder Scott Ian stopped at Syracuse’s Lost Horizon for his “Speaking Words” tour and delivered an insightful, intimate, and amusing show in front about 100 people.

    Ian, who is in the tail end of the “Speaking Words” Tour, is also in the middle of working on Anthrax’s 11th studio album (slated for a later 2014 release), and said to be wrapping up his autobiography that’s due out next year.

    There was speculation whether or not Joey Belladonna was going to make an appearance, he did not.

    Doors opened at 7, the show actually started about 8:10,  It was a small-scale production show.   It was just Scott Ian with a projection screen that showed some amusing comic slides, that show cased his stories in amusing manner. Of course as expected, a few drunk and obnoxious people in the crowd, Ian gracefully told them to, “shut the fuck up” more than once.

    Ian opens his set by throwing the crowd off by reading from Red Hot Chilli Pepper‘s frontman, Anthony Keidis’ autobiography.  Then as expected he chatted about his upbringing, to starting the band, to getting signed by Def Jam Records.  Then he shifted gears and spoke about how he first met Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, sharing all the goods of his relationship with Lemmy, and the times he thought he could keep up drinking with him.  The crowd could not stop laughing. Ian is a great story-teller.  The comic slides just made it more amusing.  Then after what was about 45 minutes of sharing crazy Lemmy Stories, the crowd was blessed to hear some funny party and prank stories that Ian shared with the late and great Dimebag Darrell.

    Towards the end of the show Ian did a Q & A session with the crowd. (Yes, I got my question in about Damnocracy from the VH1 show “Supergroup”) This ultimately led to what may be the craziest incident of any concert.

    A man, bald and sporting a goatee, emerged from the crowd and accused Ian of being his biological father.  It was apparent that Ian recognized the man, who claimed to be 30-years-old, as before the mystery man spoke Ian immediately yelled, “Dude, I am not your father.”

    The man continued to tell the story shared to him by his mother that she allegedly had relations with Ian in New York City more than 30 years ago.

    “Dude, your mom’s a fucking liar,” said Ian. “Sorry, man.”

    The man was escorted out by security, apparently crying and Ian swiftly deflected the situation from being a further distraction to the show.  It was, however,  definitely the highlight of the show, or in that case the highlight of the entire “Speaking Words” Tour.   The show almost felt like a metal version of an episode of Maury.   Talk about something that people don’t normally see every day.

    (I did speak to Ian after the show, and he said he had no doubt in his mind that the story behind the man’s claims was fake.)

    Once the theatrics concluded, the Q & A session resumed.  There were some questions apparently inspired by alcohol and foolishness, but there were some great questions from the crowd including too.  One man asked Ian about the times he spent with the late, and great, Ronnie James Dio (who was also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAMMY’s).

    The show finally ended around 10:30.  Ian did do a VIP meet and greet after the show, doing autographs, and sharing more stories.   I chatted with Ian about the Yankees and cool Anthrax experiences, also there is the possibility of doing another Spoken Word Tour that will include Fozzy Frontman/WWE Superstar Chris Jericho.  They did a tour together in Australia last year and it was very successful.

    Overall, it was great show for anyone that is into Anthrax, or Heavy Metal in general.  And, of course, Scott Ian tells great stories that will guarantee you a nice chuckle and some stories to tell all your friends and family.  Hopefully he brings the Speaking Words show back to Syracuse, as well as a full-blown Anthrax show as well.

    For more Metal News, Concert Reviews, and more keep visiting Upstate Metal and be sure to follow me on twitter @SaintGOfficial and feel free to share your thoughts with me.

  • Bruce of Asking Alexandria starts label

    Scare Don’t Fear first band signed to KBB Records

    Kyle Borman (left) and Ben Bruce [guitarist, Asking Alexandria] of KBB RECORDS (Photo Credit: KBB Records)
    Kyle Borman (left) and Ben Bruce [guitarist, Asking Alexandria] of KBB RECORDS (Photo Credit: KBB Records)

    Ben Bruce’s current job title is that of guitarist for Asking Alexandria.  But, that’s not his only job title.

    This week Bruce. and Asking Alexandria co-manager Kyle Borman, announce, not only the launch of their new record label, but also their first act – SCARE DON’T FEAR (SDF).

    “After years of planning, touring, writing and learning, and after ups and downs, arguments and agreements, I have grown to not only love the music industry, but understand it and respect it,” said Bruce. “KBB Records is a label run by artists, for artists. With my love and passion for music along with my knowledge and understanding of the music industry it’s our goal to work alongside incredible artists of all genres and to create and release amazing music for the world to fall in love with.”

    Bruce’s other responsibilities involve touring with Asking Alexandria with axe in hand.  The group has captured a huge following since their 2012 release of Reckless and Relentless, which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200. They currently boast more than four million followers on their Facebook page. The UK band is scheduled to hit our area with stops in New York City (Best Buy Theater – Mar. 21), Sayreville, NJ (Starland Ballroom – Mar. 22), Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory, Mar. 23), Worcester, MA (The Palladium – Mar. 25), Rochester, NY (The Armory – Mar. 26), Albany, NY (Upstate Concert Hall – Mar. 27) and Pittsburgh, PA (Club Zoo – March 28).

    “KBB started as a small recording studio that Ben and I started together a few years ago with the intentions of providing traveling bands a means to record high end, professional records and demos while out on the road,” said Borman. “Together, Ben and myself have managed to turn what started out as a small, mobile recording studio, into an artist friendly record label with a team of staff with the experience and passion that can rival even the largest record labels around the world. KBB Records is dedicated to developing talented and passionate artists of all genres and helping them share their music with the world and accomplishing their dreams.”
    The first band signed to the new label is SCARE DON’T FEAR, a Providence, RI-based fusion of hip-hop and metal.

    “Everyone in SCARE DON’T FEAR is extremely proud to be a part of KBB RECORDS. SDF are huge fans of ASKING ALEXANDRIA, so when Ben and Kyle approached us about teaming up, we were stoked. We have been working at this goal for over five years and it’s a very rewarding feeling to not only get signed, but to get signed to a label that has such an amazing team behind it. All of us are looking forward to building towards the future with KBB RECORDS.”

    CLICK HERE to watch a studio update from SCARE DON’T FEAR.

     

    KBB RECORDS ONLINE: Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   YouTube   WebsiteSCARE DON’T FEAR ONLINE: Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   YouTube

    SCARE DON’T FEAR (L-R): Chris Jungles (vocals), Larry Ohh (drums/beats),
    Frankie Screamz (vocals), Joe Auger (guitar) & Ryan Grandmaison (bass/vocals) (Photo Credit:KBB Records)
     

  • Band of Horses Pack The Egg on their Acoustic Tour

    Band of Horses set free remarkable talent inside The Egg’s acoustic heaven on February 23, leaving a deep mark on the 900+ people inside the Hart Theatre. With only about half of the audience seated, the group’s long time friend, Sera Cahoone, warmed up the room with her soft, sultry, simple sound, along with the steel pedal guitar mastery of Jason Kardong. Sera’s casual stories about ten years of touring were happily received– especially the one of the rat eating her leftover dinner at a dumpy hotel, although  it is not the premise behind the song, “Shitty Hotel”; that tale followed.

    The few hundred fans still milling in the lobby during Cahoone’s performance made their way to their seats just in time to hear three powerful voices backed by a clean piano perform the dramatic ballad, “St. Augustine”. Though classified as Indie, Southern Rock or Alternative Country, seeing and hearing Band of Horses, you can sense the Seattle influence. There is a distinct grunge feel to the look and sound of these guys, but the Southern influence is heavy as well.

    The acoustic tour, promoting their recently released Acoustic at the Ryman album, is a short-lived experience with only 13 performances scheduled and Albany was the eighth stop. The stage setup at The Hart Theater included rugs, a floor lamp spouting a plain living room shade, and an old record player, creating a homey, comfortable experience meant to mimic what is supposed to be a laid-back, toned-down experience. That’s a tough act to achieve when using gigantic equipment such as a baby grand piano, a bass, and whole host of guitar varieties — not to mention the massive vocals.

    The relaxed scene was in direct opposition to the powerfully strong sound that was consistently offered. One thing is for sure — these guys know sound. Whether solo or collaborative, each piece was well balanced, offering the same commanding intensity with one voice as with all the instruments together. The music was very well written for acoustic performance, and the inclusion of the toned-down drums was brilliant.

    Their songs are deep, penetrating and sometimes heart-breaking. The high quality of the group’s talent, performed in a theater designed to perfectly move sound resulted in beautiful, potent and dramatic music. I went to this show to hear “Laredo,” became intrigued by “Ode to LRC” and was seriously moved by “No One’s Gonna Love You.” Crowd favorites included “Is There a Ghost” and “Funeral.”

    Just before wrapping up their set, the band’s founder and lead, Ben Bridwell, announced their “fake last song,” offering a refreshingly humorous perspective on the strangely accepted “encore” ritual that both musicians and fans accept, despite the insincerity of it. But it was worth the two minute wait. Just before the encore, the band members walked through the crowd to pass out little plastic egg-shaker sound-makers to the entire audience. (These instruments had the band’s name printed on them – a brilliant marketing strategy!) The crowd was encouraged to join in the performance – and wow – this was almost as good as having everyone know every word to the song and loudly sing it. Actually, maybe this was better. Again, a testament to this group’s sense of sound, this instrument could not possibly be offensive or off-key. It was soft enough to complement the band’s music, yet still offer crowd participation. So not only do the Band of Horses know sound; they also know how to draw people in!

  • Chris ‘Hollywood’ English Joins Lucid as New Drummer

    North Country Adirondack-rock, blues-fusion outfit Lucid is continuing their 10-year journey with a new drummer.  Chris “Hollywood” English is deeply rooted in music as he comes from a family full of musicians. The addition of Chris only solidifies the growth and forward motion of Lucid. It is a match made in musical utopia.

    Chris has an extensive musical background and attended The School of the Arts Performing School in Rochester.  His musical upbringing, schooling and time spent playing on the road have shaped him into a musician who is not only a crowd-pleaser, but into someone that’s known and respected among his peers.

    Throughout Chris’ career, he has shared the stage with Charlie Hunter, moe., Bobby Blue Bland, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Soulive, Robert Randolph, The Word and AudioInFlux, to name a few. Chris is currently working on his first solo album, which will showcase songs that he has composed and written, with plans to release in the coming year.

    Chris plays drums with an intense rhythmic accuracy and skill that every drummer strives for, but few can deliver. His talent on the drums in concert with his incredibly powerful and soulful vocals contributes to any venture he takes on, aiding in creating a complete and euphonious musical experience for an audience.

    Find yourself in the celebration that is a Lucid show, and you’ll quickly understand the infectious, unique experience that music fans are raving about. Come and join the party.

    Follow Lucid

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  • Mister F Celebrates Year One at Red Square

    On March 1st, 2013, Albany was introduced to Mister F, a group comprised of members of Timbre Coup and Capital Zen, with an electronic-meets-progressive rock sound. One year later, after 97 shows at 48 venues across 16 states, Mister F celebrated their first anniversary with a vibrant and excited crowd at Red Square.

    With opener Formula 5 filling in for an ailing Aqueous (feel better Mike!), the Brothers Pickering, Matt and Ben, Scott Hannay and Andrew Chamberlaine played a two hour set, complete with a surprise cover of “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)”, a rearranged “Vocoder”, where the double-time parts were half-time and the half-time parts were double-time, and an accelerating “Jump the Shark” to close the set. An occasion worth celebrating, Mister F has another big show on April 11th, the release party for their debut album The F Stands Four. 2014 is shaping up quite nicely for one of Albany’s hottest acts.

    Download the entire show from Archive.org

    Mister F at Red Square Setlist: Answer the Dawg, Deal Breaker, Treadmill, Everything You Say, Naive Melody, Vocoder^, Oasis > Eye Level, Get Used to it, Hedgehog, This one goes to 11 > Unisex Collider > This one goes to 11, Shit Catapult%, Jump the Shark.

    Encore: Oh my Dayum > On and On
    ^ inside-out
    % debut

  • Marco Benevento Touring Upstate NY in May

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    Western NY is in for a treat as the ivory wizard Marco Benevento brings his extensive spring touring through Upstate, then Rochester and Buffalo. Joining him again are David Dreiwitz (Bass/Ween) and Andy Borger (Drums/Tom Waits Band etc). Benevento is well known for innovative shows with mixed setlists, audience interaction (Want to play the piano for a dollar?), and virtuoso instrumentation.

    The tour stops first at The Montage Music Hall in Rochester NY on May 15th. The Montage has gone through some recent renovations including upgraded sound and lights and has the local music community abuzz with their new jam heavy venue schedule. Tour continues May 16th at Buffalo’s historic Allentown music home, Nietzsche’s. Ticket prices and support acts to be announced.

    Follow

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  • Linkin Park And 30 Seconds To Mars To Co-Headline Carnivores Tour With Stops Through New York

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    The Carnivores Tour will kick off on August 8th in West Palm Beach, Florida and close out in Concord, Ca on September 19th.  The tour will be co-headlined by Linkin Park and 30 Seconds To Mars . AFI will be joining the tour as special guest. The tour will be making stops in Wantagh, NY on Tuesday, August 19th and at Darien Lake on Thursday, Aug 21st.

    Linkin Park, an American rock band from California will be co-headlining with 30 Seconds To Mars, who is fronted by Jared Leto, who just received an Oscar for his performance in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. The bands have never toured together, making it a great to catch them for the first time.

    Tickets can be purchased through Live Nation starting on March 7th.

    Carnivores Tour 2014
    8/8  West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Amphitheatr
    8/9  Tampa, FL – George M. Steinbrenner
    8/12  Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
    8/13  Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
    8/15  Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
    8/16  Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
    8/18  Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
    8/19  Wantagh, NY – Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
    8/21  Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
    8/23  Montreal, QC – Parc Jean-Drapeau
    8/24  Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
    8/26  St Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair
    8/27  Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
    8/29  Tinley Park, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
    8/30  Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
    9/5 The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    9/6  Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
    9/8  Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
    9/10  Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center
    9/11  Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater *
    9/13  Quincy, WA – The Gorge Amphitheatre
    9/15  Los Angeles, CA – The Hollywood Bowl *
    9/16  Chula Vista, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
    9/18  Wheatland, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
    9/19  Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion

    * Linkin Park and 30 Seconds To Mars only

  • Brewery Ommegang Hosts Modest Mouse On Saturday May 24th

    mouse

    Modest Mouse will be making a stop at Brewery Ommegang in the historic Cooperstown, NY on Saturday May 24th. The Brewery Ommegang is nestled in the beautiful town of Cooperstown and with the legendary Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame,  making it a very attractive show for visiting fans.

    Modest Mouse will be joined by Brand New. There will be on-site camping available and the concert will take place on the field behind the brewery. The brewery which has hosted many top acts like The Black Crowes and Grace Potter And The Nocturnals in the past are no strangers to great music.

    Tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 7th at 10am and can be purchased through Dan Smalls Presents or through Brewery Ommegang.