NYS Music 20​14

Category: UpstateLIVE Archives

  • Peach Music Festival 2014 Delivers on a Much Anticipated Weekend

    The Peach Music Festival of 2014 may have hit a few bumps in the road in the last week before the festival got under way, however it did not stop them from having one very successful event. When the news came out that Bob Weir and Ratdog would be cancelling the remainder of their touring schedule, including the Peach, there were some very unhappy fans who expressed their opinions all over social media. The Peach on the other hand took a deep breath and managed the situation like any good executive would and came through in a big way. They were able to fill Weir’s void with a second night of  Trey Anastasio Band. The festival also added a special set of Grateful Dead music by a super-group of very talented musicians.

    Thursday night brought the majority of the crowd to the mountains of Pennsylvania and the music started at 6PM with Citizens Band Radio followed by local northeast bluegrass standouts Cabinet. Cabinet was asked back with good reason, they were one of the most talked about groups from last year’s festival. George Clinton and Parliament Funk followed Cabinet and brought the funk. George Clinton and the P Funk have been playing for over 40 years and have been part of some big time stages; it was great seeing them at The Peach. Late night is always a great time when it comes to music festivals. Dopapod,who also returned to The Peach again this year, played an incredible set combined with great lighting and jams that lit up the sky. There were plenty of people talking about what a great show it had been closing out night one. This was only the beginning as Friday would bring some heavy hitters and with the newly added acts for Friday night, the anticipation was at an all time high.

    Friday started off the day with, From Good Homes on the main stage and Trigger Hippy on the Mushroom Stage.  Blackberry Smoke got a lot of people moving at the Peach Stage and by the time JJ Grey and Mofro began their set the majority spent their time there. JJ Grey doesn’t travel much up north and being at the Peach this year was something I was excited for. JJ Grey’s voice and southern soul reminded me of Joe Cocker. Grey’s voice delivers as much as his music does with flashes of excitement on stage. He brought a lot of smiles and he was perfect in the placement of the festival. Playing several of his notable songs and bantering back and forth with the crowd, he was a shining spot in not just the Friday lineup but in the entire weekend. I hope that JJ Grey and Mofro can make some time to come up north more often, he is definitely more than welcome.

    One thing about the Peach, you sure do get your exercise bouncing from stage to stage. As soon as JJ Grey was finishing up The Revivalists were getting going over on the Mushroom stage and by the time you made it over there, The Revivalists crowd was packed right up to the stage. Out of the middle of the crowd one could see David Shaw’s  head and noticeable hair bobbing to the beat, shaking everyone’s hands as he made his way to and from the stage. He loves every minute on and off the stage, smiling from ear to ear.  The Revivalists give the fan the ultimate experience every time they perform with great energy, music and showmanship.

    The Peach stage was just ramping up as soon as the dinner hour was looming with a Dead set featuring a cast of excellent musicians. The lineup was put together in the last week with the departure of Bob Weir and Ratdog from the festival lineup. The festival had brought a lot of the Grateful Dead crowd in past years and with the remaining fan base that didn’t bail with the Weir announcement, were treated to a great set by Joe Russo (drums), Jackie Greene (guitar), Jeff Chimenti (keys), Reed Mathis (bass), Scott Metzger (guitar), Tom Hamilton (guitar) and Joan Osbourne (vocals).Tedeschi Trucks band carried on after a great set and opened with Traffic’s ” Who Knows What Tomorrow Brings”. Playing their staples with “Midnight in Harlem” and “Bound for Glory”. TTB also played Willie Johnson’s ” Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burned”  which saw a seated Trucks with an acoustic guitar. Trucks normally can be seen playing his Gibson SG, so it was nice to see him donning a different look and playing some old Delta blues taking the listener back to a simpler time.  Trey Anastasio Band was headlining the evening and I couldn’t have been more excited, shamelessly I haven’t seen TAB yet and was looking forward to it; seeing Phish many times I had an appreciation for Trey’s guitar work interlaced with his normal band but it was the mix with horns and backup singers I was looking forward to checking out the most. Opening with the upbeat ” Sometimes after Sunset” and playing a set filled with songs like “Shine” Phish’s ” Sand” and closing out with “Push on Til the Day”. Trey’s guitar solos grab your attention and he loves to feed off the energy of the crowd producing a different solo on any given night.

    Anastasio is truly a master with being able to take the crowds feelings and let it be broadcast with his solid guitar playing. The encore brought a familiar song to the masses with Led Zepplin’s ” Black Dog”. When it was first announced that TAB would be playing two nights, it was a bittersweet feeling, I felt that maybe another band would have been added but I was soon glad that TAB would be playing two nights because one set just wasn’t enough for me and I couldn’t wait come Saturday evening on the main stage.  Friday’s late night sets included Scranton’s own Cabinet on the Grove stage and Big Gigantic on the Mushroom stage. Big Gigantic has played countless festivals throughout the entire country and their Livetronica and lighting kept the late night crowd entertained into the night.

    What started out as an overcast type day soon turned into a day filled with sunshine and music. Everyone  dusted themselves off  from the night before, got a breakfast burrito and a morning beverage and dove right back into the music filled Saturday. The Mushroom stage started the day off with The London Souls and Rich Robinson Band, while The Peach stage brought out The  Tribal Seeds and The Infamous Stringdusters. The Grove stage hosted Tom Graham and Jamestown’s Big Leg Emma. Big Leg Emma had a sizable crowd brewing, representing the western New York scene rather nicely. Gov’t Mule took the Peach Stage as they did many times before at this festival and the many festivals around the country. Warren Haynes, an extremely talented guitarist, with his crunchy guitar and southern twang, always seems to impress the crowd. Haynes is not only a great guitarist but he is one of the most humble and respected people throughout the industry, he is as real as someone gets in the spotlight and it shines through in his playing. One of the greatest things about Warren was his guitar technique. Brian Farmer, who by the time you’ll have read this  had unfortunately passed away; Farmer may have been one of the most well liked persons who seemed to have loved life every time you saw him. It’s with a heavy heart that I type this and know that this gentle giant will be missed by so many, Thank you Mr. Farmer for making sure that Warren’s guitars always sounded top-notch.

    Another bright spot for western New York State was Aqueous, who played the Grove stage and had the largest gathering of people on that stage, their constant touring throughout New York and Pennsylvania has really paid off, as well as the many followers coming from Buffalo, NY that made the trip. The band started off their set with “King for a Day”. Kicking it into high gear with a rousing segue series with “Skyway>Staring into the Sun>Heart Shaped Box> Warren in the Window”.  Closing the set with ” Strange Times”  and using every bit of their allotted time with one incredible set from start to finish. The set was perfectly placed at a time when the crowd was filtering into the main stage area for Trey Anastasio Band’s second night set. If there were any non believers watching Aqueous perform their set, I would bet that there wearing an Aqueous shirt today. As everyone shuffled off from Aqueous, the main stage filled in with many people for night two of Trey Anastasio Band. The talk around the campgrounds was on how everyone loved TAB the night before. Night two included three Phish songs to keep all the phans pretty content with “Alaska”, “Gotta Jibboo” and “First Tube”. Trey played to the crowd again on the second night and at one point dodging a few giant-sized balloons that found their way on stage, without missing a beat and smiling in true Trey form.

    As good as TAB was, the night belonged to The Allman Brothers Band. The amphitheater was packed to the gills both in the pavilion and on the lawn. There were not many people at the venue that weren’t down to hear the band. As the Allmans came on stage the crowd erupted, Butch Trucks came up to his elevated drum kit with fists clenched high and got the fired up crown even more excited. Ever since the Allmans announced this would be their final tour the anticipation for this show was at an all time high. The band was also going to play their 1972 album, Eat a Peach in its entirety. As soon as the group hit the first few notes of  “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” they new this night was going to be something special. Following along to the album, the boys played “Les Brers in A Minor” and “Melissa”. “Mountain Jam” was incredible, with Oteil Burbridge’s thumping bass, Butch Trucks’  rolling drums matched with being on an actual mountain and at The Allman’s festival it was a once in a lifetime experience. Rolling right through with ” One Way Out”, ” Trouble No More”, “Stand Back”  and closing the set with a rousing ” Blue Sky”. The Allmans stepped off stage for what seemed like seconds, returning with just Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes who came out and played ” Little Matha” while images of the late Duane Allman with old footage of the Allman Brothers band were displayed on the screens. It was a great moment with two of the newest members of the band paying a tribute to the originals. Danny Louis once again joined the group onstage; Louis who plays in Govt Mule, played on the opening song and on “That’s What Love Will Make You Do”. Closing the night out with “Black Hearted Woman” the band finished up their first night and it was one of the best I have ever seen from them. The band was on point, and they showed it all night long. The Allmans are true pioneers in the music scene, if there wasn’t groups like this, we wouldn’t have a lot of the music we love to listen to from so many others. It was amazing to catch them before they decided to hang it up and if you weren’t able to make the festival you may want to make some plans to catch them with their Beacon Theatre run.

    Setlist: *Ain’t Waistin’ Time No More, Les Brers in A Minor, Melissa, Mountain Jam, One Way Out, Trouble No More, Stand Back, Blue Sky Encore: Little Martha, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Black Hearted Woman *Eat A Peach in its Entirety

    Late night featured two great bands with Lotus and The Ron Hollaway Band playing on opposite sides, NYS Music’s own Garrett Montgomery reflects on the latter which we both had the pleasure of attending. As a mass exodus of  fans headed to watch Lotus from the poolside Mushroom Stage, Ron Holloway started spraying melodic runs with his tenor saxophone at the smaller Grove Stage.  A highly revered veteran of the festival circuit, this was only the second ever show Holloway has played with his new project, The Ron Hollaway Band. After singers Amanda Lynne and Jenny Poppen pleaded “God make me funky!” and bassist Chris Brown’s quickly flicking fingers demonstrated he was blessed with that gift, the late night crowd was provided a special surprise. Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and Danny Louis  joined The Ron Holloway Band on stage for unforgettable renditions of “The Weight” and “The Letter.”

    “We were fortunate enough to slide into that midnight spot,” lead singer Jenny Poppen said. “It couldn’t have been a more perfect place. People were leaving the Allman Brothers, heard us, and had to stop.  We were hoping Warren and Derek would join us, but it was a last-minute surprise even for us!”

    Solos flew like hotcakes for the star-studded The Band cover, while Rod Gross kept everyone in line on the drums.  The crowd sang the well-known lyrics in unison, and then the heavy hitters stepped up.  Holloway soloed first, laying out a template for the others to build on.  Warren retorted in soul-wrenching style.  Trucks, who seemed to be hiding near the back of the small stage, slid in and added his share to the monster jam.  Holloway’s guitarist Joe Poppen, however, would not be outdone during his set.  He shredded to pieces what the other rock stars built up, showcasing his own clout as a highly talented guitarist.

    When “The Weight” wound down, The Allman Brothers‘ guitarists and Govt’ Mule keys player stuck around for a cover of “The Letter”.  According to Holloway, “They saw the song list and gravitated toward those two songs.  [Warren and Derek] liked the idea of playing both songs, which made it even more fun having them stay out for two.” Holloway, who has played with Root Boy Slim, Dizzy Gillespie, Little Feat, and many more musicians throughout his career, added, “It was an honor and a privilege being up with them, those are two of my very best friends.”

    After the guests left the stage, the Ron Hollow Band continued to rock the crowd well past curfew, playing a mix of jazz, soul, funk, and blues. Amanda Lynne started a heartfelt cover of Neil Young’s “Down By The River” that Jenny Poppen added her “Black Betty” touch to. Holloway warned, “Careful ladies, there are a lot of horny guys out there,” as his band mates grooved and grinded on stage. While it was easy to be seduced by their shaking hips and pretty faces, their appeal was rooted even deeper in their soulful voices. With musical legends crowding the stage, no one could mistake Jenny running the show and Amanda Lynne’s voice was rousing.  Holloway, who discovered Lynne in 2013, realized she wasn’t being properly utilized in her previous band.  “I thought to myself, ‘I want to get her in a setting to really shine.’  So she was definitely going to be a part of the band.”

    The Peach set included a grooving version of “What Is Hip” and keys player Wes Lanich cranked it up during “Memphis Soul Stew.”  While the night was full of covers, Holloway portends, “We’re here for the duration. We’re thinking about getting into the studio and recording, that’s a definite. It’ll probably be a mixture of both [covers and originals], but definitely expect originals.” The next scheduled Ron Holloway Band show is at the 8×10 Club  in Baltimore. Though no dates are confirmed yet, Holloway and Jenny Poppen both hinted that it will not be long before the band returns for another show in the northeast.

    Set list: Blackbird, God Make Me Funky, The Weight, The Letter, Baby I Love You, Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean, Make It Rain, Congo Square, Baby Love, If I’m In Luck (I Just Might Get Picked Up), Breaking Up Somebody’s Home, Down By The River, Kissing My Love, What Is Hip, Memphis Soul Stew, Rock Ready

    Lineup: Ron Holloway (tenor saxophone), Jenny “Black Betty” Poppen (vocals), Amanda Lynne (vocals), Joe Poppen (guitar), Christopher Brown (bass), Wes Lanich (keys), Rodd Gross (drums)

    Guests: Warren Haynes (guitar), Derek Trucks (guitar), Danny Louis (keys)

    Sunday tends to be a more laid back day, with a crowd that had been going hard since thursday night, Sunday set up with a sense calmness to it. A good amount of people tend to also pack up and head out and get to the travel ahead of schedule and back to reality. For  the hardcore festival goers that like to use every minute of the weekend for the festival, they are treated to some great music. The day started out with Wake Up With Warren. A set with Warren Haynes and an acoustic guitar. Warren played several Govt Mule songs, Allman Brothers Band tunes, a Rolling Stones cover and closing with Pink Floyd’s ” Wish You Were Here”. Haynes is such a versatile guitar player that he can play just about anything and with the knowledge of music that he has learned, he makes it look easy.

    Taj Mahal Trio, who is led by Grammy award-winning blues musician, Henry Saint Clair Fredricks has been playing music for 50 years. Taj Mahal, is what he uses for his stage name played with some of the greatest blues musicians in his time and was a refreshing sound of authentic raw blues on Sunday. The Soul Rebels, a band from New Orleans had a big sound and was working to get the crowd jumping for the Allman Brothers return to the stage. The eight piece band brought the funk, jazz and dance to the stage and was a nice surprise to the Sunday afternoon. Bridging The Rebels and the Allmans was Jimkata, which closed out the Grove stage with a solid set and very good appearance at The Peach.

    The Allman Brothers band closed out the festival, once again coming on stage to a standing ovation and the band got right into it opening with The Spencer Davis Group’s ” Don’t Want You No More”. Playing through their extensive catalog while playing popular songs such as ” Statesboro Blues” , “Midnight Rider”, ” Soulshine”, ” In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and closing with ” Whipping Post”. The Peach fans definitely got a big slice of Allman Brothers for the weekend and it’s going to be tough to see this band hang it up with touring. I sure hope they rethink it and perhaps still attend the festival that they created only three short years earlier. If the Allmans decide to permanently put it on hold I sure hope they pass the torch to a great band that can take on the festival and continue to grow it the way the Allman Brothers Band had always planned.

    Setlist: Dont Want You No More, It’s Not My Cross to Bear, Midnight Rider, Done Somebody Wrong, Hot’Lanta, Dusk Till Dawn, Leave My Blues At Home, Statesboro Blues, Soulshine, You Don’t Love Me, Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl, Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, JaBuMaOt >In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, No One To Run With

    Encore: Whipping Post

  • The New Mastersounds Kick Off Tour in Buffalo Next Week

    Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds
    Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds

    Over the years, music has become more accessible than it’s ever been. With internet radio sites, 160GB iPods, satellite radio, YouTube, and every other outlet, the amount of choices out there are near limitless. Listening to music in your headphones and in the car are one thing though, while actually experiencing the collective force of a live show is far different. Even with how accessible music is, shows are still something that unfortunately can’t be everywhere, all the time. We’ve yet to figure out the whole geographical boundary thing, outside of live streaming, which is ultimately a better-than-nothing alternative. The further a band is from you, the lower the chance you will see them. It’s still just as dead simple as that. Thankfully for one band, that is all about to change. This Fall, The New Mastersounds, a band whose roots in Leeds, England has limited their Stateside exposure, are making their rounds with a first-time stop in MANY Upstate cities with three nights in Brooklyn (9/11-9/13) and closing Catskill Chill (9/7), the band will be making first time trips to Buffalo (9/3), Rochester (10/7), Saratoga Springs (11/8), and Syracuse (11/9).

    The New Mastersounds are riding on the heels of their latest album Therapy, which was released back in March. While they will surely play a few off of the album, the depth of their catalog should bring out some longstanding favorites and a few surprises. The show in Buffalo will be the tour kickoff and is being held at one of Buffalo’s best venues in The Tralf. On the same stage where Lettuce played earlier in the year, the British funksters will bring their jazz-spiked flavor out for all to hear, and finally see. The anticipation around the city for fans is getting stirred into a frenzy with less than a week before the show. The band is known for their blending of old school tone and approach with pure energy. Their music’s simple mission is the passing of kinetic energy, whether through dance, foot tapping, or a neck-jarring head nod. There’s just no way to shake that.

    With the Catskill Chill Music Festival looming, the Wednesday night show is the perfect setup for anyone who is looking to get a sneak peek of what they’ll be in for down in Hancock. What you won’t find at The Chill though, and coming to Buffalo for only their fourth show, is West Coast-natives Orgone. The band calls Portland, Oregon home and, again, with the geographical divide, the band has not made it over on this side of the country as much as fans would like. With the funk scene thankfully growing stronger in every city, this band can now make a worthwhile trip to help spread their word.

    The combination that was put together by ECE Presents for this show is worthy of an applause. And while we’ll get the jazz side of funk from The New Mastersounds, Orgone plays on the soul side of funk’s fence. Regardless of style, both bands have been around a while and surely will not disappoint the expected packed house at The Tralf.

    The New Mastersounds

    Grab your tickets now to these shows throughout New York State:

    |  Buffalo  |  Hancock (Catskill Chill)  |  Brooklyn (9/11, 9/12, 9/13 Early, 9/13 Late)  |

    |  Rochester  |  Saratoga Springs  |  Syracuse  |

  • “Lace Up” Albany – Machine Gun Kelly Adds Armory Date

    Rapper Machine Gun Kelly, aka MGK, may be on tour with Limp Bizkit, but that isn’t stopping him from taking a night that the tour has off to stop up to Albany to play the Washington Avenue Armory. The 24-year old is no stranger to Albany fans who have packed the place last year to see this dynamic young star.  MGK released his second full album last year, Black Flag, and is perhaps best known for his many mixed tapes that he released leading up to being signed by Diddy three years ago to Bad Boy Records.

    “I got the name Machine Gun Kelly because of my rapid-fire delivery when I was 15 and started doing shows,” says MGK.  That rapid delivery is still there mixed with the maturity of time.  Fans relate to his lyrics, coming from a broken home and being an outcast in tough neighborhoods with no brothers or sisters to look out for him.  Colson Baker moved around as a child and was essentially raised simultaneously by his father and the streets after his mother left him at a young age. Ready for the prime time, MGK is on a shooting star and passengers should hop aboard now.

    Mark your calendars for an Oct. 4 date with openers to be announced soon. Tickets are available now at Ticketfly.  Avid Entertainment has promised an exciting fall line-up for the second largest venue in the city, and this, along with other fall dates previously announced such as, Masquerave, Pierce the Veil, Slayer, it is a good indication that they holding true to their word.

    A hint at a big announcement yesterday by Washington Avenue Armory’s Michael Corts gave us a hint as to whom may be announced. His partner at Avid Entertainment, Darren Sparato, all but confirmed my educated guess this morning.

    Early tour releases already showcased a New York City date on October 8 and a Boston date on October 10, with a few off dates in October as the only viable option. The big hint in the clue was 19XX. Did it mean the band 1975, a reference to Van Halen’s famous album 1984, or Prince’s party anthem, “1999”? No, I think it paid reference to Machine Gun Kelly’s chest tattoo, Est. 19XX.

  • A Bluegrass Double Header with Railroad Earth and YMSB at Rochester’s Party in the Park

    Rochester’s Party in the Park has returned to the original location of the concert series this summer and music lovers couldn’t be happier about the move. Music events are always well attended in the city center and with the spectacular lineup of artists, this summer of music has been a good one, especially with Railroad Earth and YMSB.

    Kelli_Marsh_Justin_YMSB-1016

    With the recent surge in Bluegrass music in the last several years, Rochester bluegrass fans were in for a treat when Party in the Park served up a double-header of bluegrass with Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain String Band as co-headliners of the Thursday night event. The show brought a full crowd to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square Park for a night of dancing and local food from on-site food trucks. The energy was phenomenal, the music was on point and concert goers were delighted with the sounds of bluegrass music.

    YMSB opened the night with a set list full of favorites like “My Gal” and jammy, out of the ordinary, fantastic “Only A Northern Song” – where the band proved that even without Jeff Austin, they still have undeniable energy that can’t be contained. With Austin’s departure the band had to look elsewhere for someone to fill that void and the result has been the addition of mandolin player Jacob Jolliff and Allie Kral on violin. Although Austin’s place could never be filled, the addition of Kral and Jolliff seems to be a comfortable fit.

    Kelli_Marsh_Justin_YMSB-1005

    Highlights of the night included the addition of Allie Kral on violin with YMSB and two songs with RRE; after the departure of Jeff Austin, fans have been wondering which direction the band was going to go in with filling in his place, without replacing what Austin brought to the band. The result was a more than pleasant surprise with her addition.

    I had the opportunity to speak with Kral after the show and I asked her about leaving Cornmeal and what it was like to be on stage with the boys from Yonder Mountain String Band and whether this was a permanent thing for her. With a giant smile on her face she explained how she had only been playing with Cornmeal for so long and now she’s learning  jazz and more bluegrass and it’s awesome; she went on to say that her husband was happy she was on tour and enjoying herself. When I asked if this might be a permanent gig for her she stated, “Not permanently but I’m happy to be here.”

    Kelli_Marsh_Justin_YMSB-1028

    Railroad Earth Setlist: Lordy Lordy, Head, When the Sun Gets in Your Blood, Carrying Coal to Newcastle, A Day on the Sand, Bird in a House, Monkey, Walk Beside Me, Hard Livin’, RV*, Like a Buddha*

    * with Allie Kral on violin

    Yonder Mountain String Band Setlist: Blue Collar Blues, Hello City Limits, Don’t Worry Happy Birthday, Finally Saw The Light> Girlfriend Is Better> Finally Saw The Light, Dire Wolf, Pockets, Dominated Love Slave, Long Time, Loved You Enough, My Gal, Honestly> Only A Northern Song> Honestly,
    E: Southern Flavor

    Download the show here for the Music Archive

  • The Great NY State Fair Starts With a Bang

    Starting The Great NY State Fair has started off with a bang, and some lightning, Kellie Pickler took the stage at Chevy Court to a packed crowd holding umbrellas and wearing ponchos.  These hardcore country fans were in for a treat at the Fair’s first free show.  Full of charm and talent, this young lady brought sunshine to the audience as she sang, shared stories, and gave an amazing performance to kick off the fair’s first show of the year.

    Randy Houser – Grandstands Day 1

    DAY ONE – Rain or Shine, The Show Must Go On

    The one thing that stood out about Kellie was how personable she was with the audience.  Whether it was waving to those shouting her name, holding up signs, or just waving her way, she made sure she acknowledged each and every one with a smile and a wave as though seeing an old friend once again.  She even signed several autographs during her encore number.  My first time and definitely not the last time I see this country girl perform.

    Day  1 at The Great NY State Fair was chock full of country superstars.  Country music fans hit the lottery with the Grandstand lineup Thursday evening with one of country music’s most loved entertainers, Brad Paisley headlining and he brought along some very special guests, Charlie Worsham, Leah Turner, and Randy Houser to join him.

    I had the opportunity to cover these four performers earlier this year for NYS Music at the Taste of  Country Music Festival down at Hunter Mountain in the beautiful Catskills.  I immediately spotted Charlie Worsham out in the crowd doing what I loved about him most. He was down in the audience just hanging out and talking with all his fans, signing things, and being incognito right up until the time he put his earpieces in and jumped up on the platform and began singing and showing this audience just what he’s about.  This young man is one hell of a guitar and banjo player.  Sporting his signature orange converse, which he claimed he wore in honor of our Orangemen, he came right out in to the audience to pick and shred number after number.  He told the crowd, “You may not know me….yet,” “yet” being the key word in that sentence as once you see Charlie in person, he’s really hard to forget.  Yes Charlie, I was there for your first experience crowd surfing.  It was epic and I have photos to prove it.

    Immediately following Charlie was one of country music’s on the rise female artists, Leah Turner.  The one thing that strikes me about Leah Turner is her strength.  Her voice is strong, her presence is strong, and her impression is lasting.  Rocking the audience and turning heads, the amazing performer is quickly making her mark in the country music business as a force to be reckoned with.

    The next artist opening up for Brad was Randy Houser.  I was happily anticipating this particular artist because this would be the first time I saw Randy perform his full show.  Randy’s musical talent was put to the test this past June when on the way to the Taste of Country Music Festival, his bus broke down somewhere along the Pennsylvania highway.  Making a split second decision, Randy and keyboardist, John Henry Trinko, packed it up and headed up through the mountains literally arriving five minutes before he had to go on.  Playing an all acoustic set that was spectacular, I couldn’t possibly imagine how he would top that show.  Well, the bus arrived this time, and he brought it.  With a full band behind him, Randy whipped the audience into a frenzy, leaving it all out on the stage.  One word,  sensational.  So happy I was able to see and hear him both full on with a full band and then stripped down acoustically.  When it boils down to it, he is truly an amazing musician and vocalist, and talent such as that is unmistakable.

    With the audience primed and ready to roll, the main event began.  The one thing I must say about Brad Paisley’s show, is that it’s two shows in one.  The perfectly choreographed video that plays behind Brad as he plays hit after hit, is spectacular and puts this show on a whole different level.  I should expect no less, as Brad is truly on a different level.  Brad is and amazing vocalist, but is also one amazing guitarist, I must add.  I think it’s the one part of the show I look forward to the most.  Shredding out like the rock star he is, you can’t help but love the new direction country music has been taking, getting back to their southern country rock and roll roots.  For those of you who haven’t followed Brad and the comical tweets of late, Brad has been mischievous to say the least.  With a new album, Moonlight In The Trunk, ready to be released this week, Brad took matters into his own hands allowing his fans bits and pieces of the album prior to the release date and against the wishes of his record label. This release was extremely important to Brad as his last album didn’t have the intended effect it was supposed to have.  Brad felt that taking control and releasing on his terms would accomplish not only the message he wanted to send his fans, but thank his fans for being supportive over the years. Have to say, the comical scuttlebutt between Brad and his label was fun to watch unfold, almost making you wonder if it was a practical joke.  In the end, Brad got his wishes did things his way, while the label did things their way and invited the  fans to thank him personally by leaking his real email address.  In the end, Brad, Label, and Fans all were happy.

    DAY TWO – The Show that Could Possibly Break All Records

    With Day One in the record books as an amazing start to the 2014 Fair, Day Two was bound to possibly be one of those days that beat some records.  There are several factors that would assist in making a day at the Fair a record-breaking day….cooperating weather…special events going on…special day for select groups…or the acts at the stages…yep it was the act going on at Chevy Court at 8PM that would definitely shatter some records this day.  This artist was one of those names that would surely draw a full paying crowd at the Grandstand, but instead the Fair treated their attendees to this act for free.

    The Fair treated fairgoers to Jason Derulo.  I am still waiting to see if Jason was able to break the Bruno Mars attendance back in 2011 of 35,000.  Looking at the crowd that evening, I believe it may have come close.  Attendees began saving their seats before the 2pm Smashmouth show, and by the time 6pm came along, the inner area was cordoned off.  This wasn’t just an entertainer coming out to the middle of the stage and singing.  This show had everything.  Jason Derulo is already known for his amazing musical talents as a vocalist, but until you see him live, you can’t ascertain his true talents.  He came out with a full entourage of professional dancers as he commanded that stage keeping up with each and every step they laid down.  All I kept thinking of was how much he reminded me of Michael Jackson, with the voice and the moves.  He definitely has something special.  Dancing With The Stars would be handing him that trophy for sure if they included him in one their upcoming seasons.

    DAY THREE – Mr. 305 Hit’s the 315- Everyone Loves Some Bacon, Brothers That Is

    As Day Three began, the NY State Fair included two amazing shows at the Chevy Court stage.  The 2PM show was Sean Kingston, which I unfortunately missed, as I’m still figuring out how to be in two places at once.  However I was able to take in their 8PM show with The Bacon Brothers Band.  What an amazing group of performers they were.  Rocking with a bluegrass, country, jazzy, pop vibe this group were thoroughly entertaining and very talented with a big variety of instrumentation which included various percussion, harmonica, mandolin, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, etc.  Was so pleased they made Central New York one of their stops on their summer tour schedule.

    At the Grandstands on Day Three we had Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull.  This distinguished performer is hugely talented and one of the best business men I have ever seen in the music business, taking the business by storm and branding himself as a worldwide superstar.  He has appeared in numerous collaborations, taken home award after award (including a Grammy) and built himself an international empire in a ten year span. Taking the stage in a tailored suit and sunglasses, his charm, style, and charisma spilled over into the audience as they screamed and cheered his name.  Singing hit after hit, Pitbull had a stronghold on the audience from the moment he came out.

    As NYS Music covers the Great New York State Fair, we would like to point out a few notables to make sure you take the time to see.  I always have loved the 25 cent milk, the butter sculpture, and all the animals, this year my new discovery was the butterfly exhibit.  For a single $1, you can enter a tent filled with the most beautiful butterflies as they twitter and land on you.  Was an amazing experience and such a cool find right inside the Horticulture Building.  Oh, and while you’re there don’t forget to get your $1 baked potato.

    Looking forward to the next three days there,  the musical acts, foods, and adventures you too can share at the worlds first and best the Great NY State Fair.

  • Bernie Williams & His All Star Band Impress A Hometown Peekskill Crowd

    Bernie Williams and his All-Star Band played a mix of tightly composed originals and well-known covers to an ecstatic Hudson Valley Paramount Theater crowd on Friday, August 22.

    Saxophonist Richie Cannata, formerly of the Billy Joel Band, played musical director on stage to an ensemble that included a singer, trumpet player, keys player, bassist, two guitarists, and two drummers.  With love pouring from the crowd, Williams sounded at home on stage in Peekskill, alternating between acoustic and electric guitars.

    Williams at The Paramount.

    Local musician Nick Rael kicked the night off, playing a drummer-backed acoustic set for 40 minutes.  After two originals, Rael caught the crowd’s attention with Bob Marley’s “Is This Love.” He showed strong vocals during a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” and original “81 Ford Grenada” induced empathetic chuckles and a choral sing-along from the crowd.  Rael closed his set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” which drew plenty of cheers.

    Williams led his band on stage to a standing ovation at 8:45 p.m.  The Westchester resident opened the night with the title track from his album Moving Forward.  The album features 14 tracks and was nominated for “Best Instrumental Album” Latin Grammy award in 2009.  During the live track, Williams grooved on his electric guitar.  Richie Cannata, who kept a tenor and soprano saxophone nearby all night while also directing the show, pointed for a trumpet solo while Williams picked out smooth jazz scales on the guitar. “It’s great being here near home tonight,” Williams said between songs. “Back in Puero Rico, my mom was an educator for 40 years. She gave [me and my siblings] a well rounded-education and wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. Well, here I am though.”

    Williams told anecdotes and interacted with the crowd throughout the set. He dedicated a slow, catharctic cover of Sting’s “Fragile” to Don Zimmer and thanked Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens for providing the inspiration for “Desvelado” (Spanish for sleepless). “I didn’t have to interact with an audience in my previous career,” Williams joked, “so I’d say this is a lot harder.” “Ritmo de Otoño,” the rhythm of the fall, exhibited Williams’ composition skills at their finest.  The tune began with a soprano saxophone solo from Richie Cannata reminiscent of the silky hook in “Baker Street.”

    The band kicked into gear for a Latin-jazz fusion that conjured images of its autumnal title.  The drummers both played crisp solos and each note from Williams’ guitar was poignant.  Richie Cannata dropped to both knees, wagging his saxophone over his head from side to side dramatically.  The jam crescendoed, reaching to 97% before dropping back into the original solo from Cannata on the soprano sax.  With a final bang, the full band joined back in, earning another standing ovation.

    Many pairs of fathers and sons donning Yankees caps and shirts filled the Paramount’s seats while a talented father-son pair shared the stage.  After waiting patiently during the first half of the set, Richie’s son Eren Cannata proved he had inherited his father’s musical ability while singing an acoustic-backed cover of “Imagine.”  The crowd expelled an audible “ahhhh” of delight when the John Lennon classic was recognized, and many swayed along in their seats.  When the band played a cover of Steve Miller’s “Fly Like An Eagle,” Eren showed that he also has his father’s flair for dramatics, dancing across the stage, one moment reaching to the sky, the next pointing to the crowd and igniting a clap-along.  He scatted smoothly during “Alphabet Blues” and flashed his wide vocal range during an exuberant cover of Van Morrison’s “Domino.”

    As the show progressed, the crowd grew more and more engrossed.  Eren Cannata’s energy was contagious and, when guest saxophonist Jay Beckenstein joined the party during “Fly Like An Eagle,” the crowd really “wow’ed.”  Beckenstein decided playing one sax at a time was not enough.  With an alto sax in his left hand and a soprano in his right, he played the chorus as the band sang along.  Another highlight came during the last song of the set when Richie Cannata pointed out everyone for a solo, including a funky slap-down from bassist Gene Perez.

    The band left the stage to roaring applause which, after a minute, turned into a “Ber-nie Will-iams” chant.  He reciprocated the love with a final acoustic solo with the spotlight on him.  While Williams may be better known for the four World Series rings he earned with the New York Yankees, his performance at the Paramount showed he can also enthrall a crowd with a pick and guitar.

    Setlist: Moving Forward, Go For It, Desvelado, Ritmo de Otoño, ?, Imagine, Fly Like An Eagle, Fragile, Alphabet Blues, ?

    Encore: Domino, Williams acoustic solo

  • Billy Idol to Release New Album, ‘Kings & Queens Of The Underground’

    The man that had you rebel yelling in the 80s, Billy Idol, will release Kings & Queens Of The Underground. This will be his first album in over a decade and is set to release on October 21.

    Kings & Queens Of The Underground
    Album cover designed by street artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey. Trevor Horn produced the album and Greg Kurstin contributing two songs  as a producer.

    Idol has a new single off the album called, “Can’t Break Me Down.” Fans can listen to the song here on his official website. The iTunes album version also includes “Hollywood Promises”, another new song from Idol.

    The track list for Kings & Queens Of The Underground below:

    1. Bitter Pill
    2. Can’t Break Me Down
    3. Save Me Now
    4. One Breath Away
    5. Postcards From The Past
    6. Kings & Queens Of The Underground
    7. Eyes Wide Shut
    8. Ghosts In My Guitar
    9. Nothing To Fear
    10. Love and Glory
    11. Whiskey And Pills

    A new album is not the only thing Billy Idol has in store for fans. Idol’s self-written autobiography, Dancing With Myself will be on shelves October 7.

    Idol announced that him and his band, including longtime collaborator and guitarist Steve Stevens will be heading over seas for a European Tour starting in November. This is only the first leg of the tour and the rest of the world tour will continue into 2015.

    Fans can pre-order Kings & Queens Of The Underground on iTunes.

  • Zac Brown Band Serves Up Much More than Chicken Fried

    While most people may know the Zac Brown Band as those country guys that sing about fried chicken and a cold beer on a Friday night, I can assure you there is a whole lot more on this band’s menu. Upstate New York fans in Darien Center and Saratoga Springs had the opportunity to hear country, rock, blues, bluegrass, metal, and island music in the same evening. Six different bands didn’t play, just one. Well, two if you count the spectacular opener, Sturgill Simpson, who is in a category all to himself.

    Sturgill Simpson started the evening off with no introduction and no high-production stage setup. It was just Sturgill, his band, and their immense talent. That alone was enough to fill the stage. While he may have sung a cheating song in pure old country fashion to start the evening, die-hard country fans were met with great music and some non-traditional country topics as the set progressed. Simpson looked like he walked off the set of Welcome Back Kotter, wearing a non-country uniform consisting of a 3/4 sleeve baseball jersey, think 1970′s. In fact, everything about him screamed the ’70s – his attire, his musical style, and even his haircut. It was reminiscent of listening to AM radio in my mom’s kitchen – tapping my feet while eating my Farina Cream of Wheat and grabbing my bagged lunch before running off to school. However, with lyrics like “There’s a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this plane, Where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain” and “Every morning when I rise I look in the mirror and despise, The sight of everything and all that I’ve become.” This is definitely not my mama’s country music. Perhaps more like listening to a modern-day metaphysical outlaw – a splendid mix of Kris or Willie’s ability to write and Merle or Waylon’s soulful badassery that spews out in the music. Sturgill didn’t speak a whole lot on stage, but when he did, he commented that “this (SPAC) is a really cool venue, man” and that Upstate “is a really beautiful place.” A nice realization to others that New York is much more than skyscrapers and taxi cabs.

    The Zac Brown Band could possibly be country music’s best live band. Their music pulls you in, though after hearing it, you might choose to jump right in on your own. It was no surprise that the eight-piece band brought a huge sound, featuring three guitars (Zac plays along while singing with his rich, melodic tones), fiddle, bass, keys, drums and additional percussion. The multi-part harmonies supplied by the rest of the band gave emphasis to choruses, as if the 17,000 in attendance singing along to every song weren’t enough.

    Upbeat fiddlin’, sweet guitar pickin’, twangy singin’ all went together to make some soulful, redneck rock. From that to Mediterranean feel, island music, the band seemed to do it all. It didn’t matter what type of tune ZBB played, the crowd stayed on their feet and danced the summer night away. The first set included a brief intermission while the stage crew switched over to the acoustic set. During that time, the entire band didn’t leave the stage. Instead, they shot, flung, slingshot and tossed about a hundred t-shirts into the eager crowd.

    The acoustic portion included six of the band members playing various stringed instruments, including Clay Cook on mandolin and John Driskell Hopkins on the uke. The harmonies were out of this world and throughout SPAC, couples embraced and swayed side to side as the lyrics plead “don’t give up on me”. The acoustic set also included James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, but someone forgot to include the piano. Before the set ended, he brought a young boy to the stage, and after a brief introduction, nonchalantly added, “Derek, let me introduce you to your new friend” and handed him a signed guitar.

    The second set started with a storm, hail and lightning on a shim covering the entire front of the stage. As the music started up, lights began to shine on the musicians behind the shim. “Let it rain, let it pour” being sung as the shim rose, yet the storm continued behind the band. During the brief ten-minute set break, Zac found the time to change into a top hat and dressed all in black. Shortly into the set, an unexpected cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” had Hopkins wailing out the lead vocals. The country crowd let their hair down and put their horns up high as they sang as loud and proud as they did for Zac’s owns songs. Toward the end of the second set, Zac Brown Band busted out Marshall Tucker’s iconic “Can’t You See”.

    During “Colder Weather”, Zac spent the whole song shaking hands and offering up fist bumps to the front couple rows in the pit. A sincere smile came across his face as he gazed up over the appreciating audience. You could see the reciprocated appreciation in his eyes.

    The first song of the encore, “Day of the Dead”, had the entire band in glow-in-the-dark skeleton outfits. The four-song encore also included Charlie Daniel’s “Devil Went Down to Georgia”, and it took until the last song of the show for fans to hear “Chicken Fried”. It may have been the most popular dish on the menu, but the variation throughout the evening couldn’t help but make you feel both full and satisfied.

  • Rochester’s Sirens and Sailors Experience “Every Band’s Nightmare”

    Upstate NY’s metalcore band, Sirens and Sailors, is living “every band’s nightmare” right now. According to several posts to social media, the band is currently experiencing a devastating crisis overseas. While on a European tour with Scottish band, To Kill Achilles, they returned to their van to find that everything “down to [their] toiletries” had been stolen.

    According to a recent Facebook post by one of the band members, they have been left with nothing, and that this experience is “one of the most devastating things to ever happen to us as a touring band.” Despite their former commitment to “earning their keep” and resisting the urge to start a crowd-funding program (such as Kickstarter) to support them, Sirens and Sailors now has “no other option” and are asking fans to help out. Their tour-mates, To Kill Achilles, are also using the power of social media to encourage fans to support. More details and up-to-date Twitter feeds are available at http://sirensandsailorsmusic.com/tour/ and https://www.facebook.com/sandsmusic?fref=nf.

    Sirens and Sailors was scheduled to play in the Czech Republic on August 28 and in Belgium on August 29. This is the band’s first European tour. Formed in Rochester in 2005, this five piece band has been actively “earning their keep.” They released Sirens & Sailors in 2007 and Still Breathing in 2010, and Skeletons in 2013, all available at iTunes.

  • Interview: Matt Hitt from Drowners at Governors Ball 2014

    Over the course of the three days of this year’s Governors Ball festival on Randall’s Island, was there to share the festival experience with our readers – the sights, the sounds, and the highlights. We also had the opportunity to chat with a few of the acts after their sets at the festival.

    One of those acts was NYC’s own, Drowners – who played early in the afternoon on the final day of Governors Ball. Blending a mix of British pop sounds with rock and punk, the band has their own take on the pop/punk genre. Steve Malinski caught up with Drowners frontman Matt Hitt to chat about the band’s music, Governors Ball experience, and what’s coming up for the band.

    Drowners is kicking off the Dr. Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING tour September 25 in Ohio with a number of shows outside of the northeast. They come back to Rough Trade in Brooklyn on October 28 to wrap up the tour.

    Steve Malinski: We’re joined backstage at Governors Ball with Matt Hitt from Drowners.

    Matt Hitt: Hello.

    SM: Congrats, you guys had a really awesome set earlier today.

    MH: Thank you very much. Cheers!

    SM: I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t heard of Drowners before this year’s Governors Ball. Especially with your new album out this year, what has your experience been like grabbing up new fans and building a following on the wave of the album?

    MH: Well, we were a band for around a year and a half before the album came out and we had a couple of singles but we were playing loads of gigs and touring a lot since the album came out. Since it’s been out, it’s oddle like, quite surprising to see how many people have bothered to learn the words or that type of thing, you know. We used to play and people would only know one song but now they seem to know most of them.

    Governors Ball 2014 10 Drowners
    Drowners at Governors Ball 2014. Matt Hitt at center.

    SM: You have a British influence that you bring into the music. Do you find that having a different sound in that regard has helped attract new fans?

    MH: I like, well we all love punk music and rock and roll – Buddy Holly and others. We aim to write good pop songs but because of our crude punk upbringings we can’t help but to make it more aggressive. But, in a live capacity that works because I see a lot of bands who don’t move around or don’t even look up when they play and we play like we’re excited to see people.

    SM: Yeah, it was great to see folks, especially the younger people there, being engaged since you so often see people on their phones at shows these days.

    MH: You gotta give them something to look at so they’re not refreshing their Instagram feed the whole time.

    SM: What was the experience like being one of the hometown acts at Governors Ball kicking off the afternoon?

    MH: It was really quite amazing. We’ve just been on tour for like three months and everyone in the band was quite excited to come back to NY. Playing here was – well, festivals always feel alien because you only normally ever play gigs that you know people have come to see you play. But at festivals it’s like a potluck. It’s like everybody bought a ticket to come see someone like Bastille or whatever. So when you see people coming up to see you and sing along with you it’s kind of invigorating . Especially being back in NY (which we were excited about anyway) was awesome.

    SM: You guys did a tour earlier this year with SKATERS, another NYC band, over in Europe. How did that go?

    MH: It was good. I think it was like the sixth time they have been there in it was our first time there. I feel like we kind of have a similar sound and we’re in the same ballpark, you know, so we had a crossover of fans. It was rewarding for both of us, like, it was our first time there getting a chance to play in front of British fans.

    SM: So are you guys hanging out for their set on Sunday?

    MH: Yeah, we’ll be seeing them Sunday. This is kind of a sick lineup and I think I’ll be coming back. Got nothin’ else to do man, it’s the weekend!

    SM: For my first festival experience I wouldn’t have asked for a better lineup.

    MH: It’s pretty good, yeah. It’s funny to compare festival etiquette or festival crowds or dressing rooms or stages or whatever it is. Here… Coachella is like Fort Knox, you can’t walk through a door without someone trying to get on your case but here it’s got a bit more… enjembemom, you know, ha.

    Matt Hitt of Drowners (left) with 's Steve Malinski at Governors Ball 2014
    Matt Hitt of Drowners (left) with ‘s Steve Malinski at Governors Ball 2014

    SM: Aside from SKATERS, is there anyone else you’re looking forward to catching while you’re here?

    MH: I want to see Jenny Lewis but I think I missed her. I’m gonna go see Julian Casablancas – I can actually hear Julian playing now. I’ve seen him like three times already. His front of house co-produced our record, so we have a mutual friend. But yeah, Julian. I want to see Vampire Weekend but I’m working Sunday night so I’m going to have to miss them, but I’ve seen them at Reading.

    SM: Before we wrap up, if there was one artist you could sit in with either in a session or on stage, who would that be?

    MH: I really would have loved to have seen The Beatles perform because they say they couldn’t even hear themselves through  a mixture of shit technology. Any video I’ve seen of them is either grainy or been on television so I’d love to be in a Beatles gig to see what it actually sounded like. I think that bands sound better now through technology. But I want to know what shit sounded like before tuning pedals.

    SM: Matt, I know you want to get out there to catch Julian’s set, so I’d like to thank you very much for your time.

    MH: Thank you for having me.

    SM: Perhaps we’ll catch up again in the future.

    MH: Cheers, and thank you very much, I appreciate it.