The Head and The Heart are coming to Albany’s Upstate Concert Hall on May 26th to celebrate Memorial Day. The band released their second album Let’s Be Still last fall and have been touring behind it since last fall. Their folk-rock music can soothe whatever is ailing you with wonderful harmonies and beautiful instrumentation. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM, be sure to grab some.
Cher will be bringing her Dressed To Kill Tour through Buffalo, NY at the First Niagara Center on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Dressed To Kill tour starts on March 22 in Phoenix, Arizona with Pat Benatar as special guest for the first 13 dates.
Cyndi Lauper will be taking over for Pat Benatar as special guest for 36 dates on the tour which will start in Buffalo, NY. Cher’s current singles “ Take It Like A Man” and “Womans World” have been on the top of the Billboard Dance Charts. Both singles come from her latest album, Closer To The Truth which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Pop Charts. Tickets are currently on sale through First Niagara Center.
Music streaming giant, Spotify has recently boasted about their most popularly streamed artist – Swedish DJ and music producer Avicii. His “Wake Me Up” is the new record holder for Spotify’s music streaming service, with 200 million streams and counting, according to their twitter account.
“Wake Me Up” was released in June 2013 and was the first single off the debut studio album, True. The song features uncredited vocals from American soul singer Aloe Blacc and Incubus’ Mike Einzinger who played acoustic guitar on the collaboration.
The marquee at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester may not have been lit but the lights were shining on stage at Garcia’s as Hartford-based improv/rock quartet The McLovins hosted a CD release party for their newest (and fourth) album, Beautiful Lights.
The somewhat mild weather didn’t bring out a large crowd on that Thursday evening, which worked to create a more intimate feel to the show. Despite this, the band didn’t fall back on treating it as a rehearsal and brought a decent amount of energy to their performance, especially during their second set.
The first set kicked off with the 2010 single “Cohesive,” a collaboration The McLovins wrote and recorded with Tom Marshall (Phish lyricist) and Ant Krizan (of Spin Doctors fame). After getting the room warmed up the band gained more momentum and gave the crowd a good taste of their new album, which made up a significant portion of this set. Unlike McLovins shows of the past the first half of the show was less jam-and-shred heavy and focused more on the straight ahead performance of the new material close to how it was recorded – an intentional move by the band to explore new creative areas. A highlight of this was the title track (an instrumental piece) off the album that features a few simple, yet beautiful ideas that could serve as a conduit for a much longer live performance as the band grows with it.
After a set break with time to gaze at the numerous photos of Jerry Garcia cladding the walls of the venue, The McLovins started with more energy reflected both on stage and in the crowd. Early on in the set a little sampling of head candy was dished out with a tease of the Grateful Dead’s “St. Stephen.” About mid-set the band broke out one of their staple earlier tracks, “Tokyo Tea,” which guitarist Justin Berger channeled a few of the familiar guitar tones of Trey Anastasio during many of his improvised riffs directly leading into a refreshing jam on “2001.” More songs from Beautiful Lights were featured including “Birthday,” which was the strongest live performance from the new album as they worked in the cohesive improv they have established their name with. To wrap up the show, The McLovins gave a nice rendition of “The Weight” with each band member taking a turn on one of the verses.
For a young band whose members are still in college, The McLovins can pull together strong performances while showing they are eager to explore new areas and make their next show better than the last. The band has been in its current lineup for roughly two years now – Jake Huffman (drums/vocals), Jason Ott (bass/vocals), Justin Berger (guitar/vocals), and Atticus Kelly (keys/guitar/vocals). With this amount of time together and the release of Beautiful Lights the band is making a new statement about their determination to make it to bigger places. The McLovins have been able to generate a lot of energy with larger festival audiences in the past and it is worth anticipating their next festival stop after the release of Beautiful Lights.
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.
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.
Rod Stewart and Santana are teaming up for an early summer tour that is going to hit two cities in Upstate New York – Rod Stewart and Santana: The Voice, The Guitar, The Songs. The tour opener will be at Albany’s Times Union Center on May 23rd. May 31st the pair will hit Buffalo’s First Niagara Center.
Both of these men have been a huge influence for generations and this is sure to be a very special show. Expectations are high for hearing a lot of hits played in each of their sets as their respective catalogs have been on the charts for over 40 years.
Tickets go on sale Friday March 7 at 10 AM, with an American Express pre-sale happening on Tuesday March 4th at 10 AM. This show is going to be a great way for New Yorker’s to kick off their summer.
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.
Looking to build on last week’s excellent “love” themed show, Aqueous returned for their third of four residency shows at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo and decided to bring the weird. The theme was “Willy Wonka,” and the cult classic “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” would set a golden ticket vibe for the night. A big crowd assembled early to check out Ohio-based Broccoli Samurai (you can imagine the cool merchandise) and their jamtronica style. More samurai than broccoli, most of the set was well-received and the high octane beats certainly injected some energy into the crowd.
With a screen behind the band showing clips from the movie and Aqueous dressed in awesome Willy Wonka costumes, you could tell they were serious about the night’s theme. Mike Gantzer (guitar, vocals) was dressed as an oompa-loompa, Dave Loss (guitar, vocals, keys) as Willy Wonka, Evan McPhaden (bass) as Charlie Bucket, and Nick Sonricker (drums) as Mike Teavea. The band looked the part and immediately brought the crowd to the fantasy world of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Starting the set with a pumped up version of “The Candy Man”, the band then moved to the old composed favorite “Willy is 40.” A funky intro gave this version some life. As it got going, Aqueous slid into “Oompa Loompa Song” before finishing “Willy is 40” with an extended outro section that featured a bit of welcomed improv. Don’t worry, even if you hate “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or have no idea what it is, the next section was all about the music.
Two Aqueous-penned songs, “Strange Times” and “Uncle Phil’s Parachute” would provide the first foray into major improv of the night. “Strange Times” found a big, slowed-down funky groove that had the audience prepping for Lettuce, who were playing at the Tralf that upcoming Friday night. Although the perfectly named song fit the theme of the night, this “Strange Times” was not strange at all. This was a funky, beautiful, creative journey; one of the best versions of the song to date. “Uncle Phil’s” would have the difficult challenge of following up and would deliver with authority. The super slow intro provided an ideal landing spot for the madness created during the “Strange Times.” This “Uncle Phil’s” jam would once again slow down and find a serious dance groove. Nick Sonricker would lead them from this excellent groove, spitting fire from his drum sticks into a “Pure Imagination” themed jam. This beat prompted pure guitar bliss, then got weird and finally finished with a full blown version of “Pure Imagination.”
“King for a Day” would be thrown a wrench as a girl from the crowd jumped up on stage whipping her hair around. Aqueous quickly jumped into Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” while clearly laughing and enjoying the fun. The musicianship of the band was on full display as they moved in and out of “Foxy Lady” like it was an actual part of “King for a Day.”
An interesting “Triangle” took place when Broccoli Samurai guitarist, John McCaron joined and allowed Dave Loss to strictly play the keyboards during the Aqueous favorite. Adding the keyboard sounds to “Triangle” provided extra texture to the jam and McCaron carved out some beautiful solos.
Some more Wonka creativity would intermix with Aqueous originals “What’s the Connection” and “Mosquito Valley Part I” finishing up the set. “Oompa Loompa Song” would return once more for the encore followed by the rare “Dr. Brox” and the finished ending of “Uncle Phil’s.”
“Willy Wonka” night resulted in another fantastic show at Nietzsche’s for Aqueous’ residency, and yielded the biggest crowd yet. 250+ people were treated to a night of craziness and some serious improv for an extremely talented up-and-coming band.
The last of Aqueous’ four residency shows at Nietzsche’s is this Wednesday, February 26th with special guest, Big Something and will feature a “mystery artist” theme. For the final theme, all cover songs will be from one artist and Aqueous will blend in their own material. Aqueous had vowed to not play any repeats over the four weeks so with fan favorites “Warren in the Window,” “Complex,” and the awesome new “Staring into the Sun” left to be played, the last show of this residency shapes up to be a monster.
Setlist: The Candy Man>Willy is 40>Oompa Loompa Song>Willy is 40, Strange Times>Uncle Phil’s Parachute>Pure Imagination, King For a Day*, Triangle**>Oompa Loompa Song>What’s the Connection?>Mosquito Valley Part I>What’s the Connection
Encore: Oompa Loompa Song>Dr. Brox>Uncle Phil’s Parachute
*Foxy Lady teases
** The Median tease
Action Bronson will be bringing his next tour to the Albany area on March 29th at Upstate Concert Hall. Bronson is known as one of the best rappers around today. He has been compared to, and collaborated with, Ghostface Killah, which is an honor for any rapper. Bronson has yet to release an album, but has put out many mixtapes with his latest being Blue Chips 2. Bronson is also known to throw a rowdy show and this being the tour closer should be one for the books. Tickets are on sale on Monday February 24th at 10 AM.
