Country music has evolved since it’s inception in the early 1920’s. A mix of folk music, blues, western music, and so many other styles, it has become America’s music. Like the melting pot of cultures it originated from over the years, one thing holds true, country music tells a story, and those who have shared their stories over the years are held in high regards by those who know country music. One individual that comes to mind as one of country’s greats is Loretta Lynn.
Loretta Lynn – Turning Stone Showroom
Loretta Lynn is known as the First Lady of Country Music, the Coal Miner’s Daughter, and the Queen of Country Music – and rightly so. Her career has spanned more than 50 years in the business, with 54 albums, 15 compilation albums, 88 singles, of which 16 were number one hits, and three of her songs were recently selected as those listed as “100 Greatest Country Songs of All Times“, in Rolling Stone Magazine.
Originally scheduled to appear in 2013 at the Turning Stone, a medical emergency caused Loretta’s tour to have to be rescheduled, and those who originally bought tickets to the 2013 show were happy to see her June 21, 2014. As the crowd gathered, it was a delight to see the mix of generations who recognize this amazing woman’s talents. As the show opened with her son, Ernest, and twin daughters Peggy and Patsy, warming up the crowd for Loretta, you could see how Loretta’s love of music and talent continue through her children. As her daughter helped her to her seat front and center on stage, that country melody sang through loud and clear as this icon performed hit after hit.
Loretta Lynn – Turning Stone Showroom
Was truly an honor to be able to cover this show and see firsthand one of country music’s legends. We all have seen her story on film, heard her story through her songs, but to see her first hand as one of this country’s first women in the country music business was special, because Loretta Lynn is special. Surviving in a music business at the time dominated by men, her perseverance and persistence to get her songs heard are only one aspect of what makes this woman great. Continuing through life, a life that wasn’t all sunshine and roses, she came out on the other side stronger and a role model to all who know her story. She is truly an example for all women to follow, and our adoration and respect as a trailblazer is immense. We sincerely thank Loretta for all she has done for country music, and for gracing our stage here in Central NY at The Turning Stone Showroom.
Pink Floyd will release their first studio album in 20 years when The Endless River hits the shelves in October.
The news of the new album slipped through the channels of social media roughly a week after the band officially announced the release of their 20th anniversary box set of The Division Bell.
Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called "The Endless River". Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful.
Samson is married to Floyd guitarist and vocalist, David Gilmour. She also has genuine ties to the band, as lyricist on “Division Bell”.
The Division Bell box set was released June 30. This 20th anniversary box set features six discs, including three replica colored or clear vinyl discs, 5 collectors’ prints, a Blu-ray disc and for the first time Andy Jackson’s 5.1 audio mix of ‘The Division Bell’.
In 1994, Division Bell debuted at No 1 in the UK and in the USA, staying at the top of the US charts for 4 weeks; it also went to No. 1 in eight other countries and, to date, has reached total album sales of more than 12 million.
It was the last studio album for the iconic rock band.
At Los Angeles International Airport, blurry-eyed travelers stand upon moving walkways with luggage in tow as they head out from the solace among the clouds to the bustle on the ground. The average person walks about 3mph. A weary cosmopolitan standing atop this massive conveyor belt like a bag of produce moves twice as quickly, while seemingly standing still.
On a lazy Sunday, Dani Moz stands outside her childhood home in Delmar as, she too, continues to move while seemingly standing still. Handmade signs throughout the neighborhood advertise a garage sale. Her garage sale. A blue Chris Drury Rangers jersey hangs upon a rack with a $50 price tag spinning in the breeze. The hockey team out of New York just lost the Stanley Cup Finals the previous night to her hometown Los Angeles Kings. There it hangs, along with three racks of clothes, a number of different books and DVDs, CDs and sheet music – relics of her life as Danielle Mozeleski.
Atop a table outside her parent’s garage stands a box and several promotional headshots at the ready for the now-(former) television phenomenon to sign autographs. What she raises from the sale will help fund the album to which she’ll proceed to record on the West Coast in a few days. What she doesn’t sell today will go to charity.
The pedestrian looking tag sale is just another example of the constant motion in Moz’s life. As she stands on the driveway, hugging old friends and chatting with local high school kids, her singing career is moving. She is less than a month removed from the competition on NBC Television’s The Voice; but her schedule is no less hectic today.
Quite the contrary.
“It’s actually crazy, ’cause it hasn’t. The great thing about leaving the show when I did was the opportunities that have been thrown my way. I’m now doing music full-time, so my career in PR has been put to the side for now. Which is fantastic. I’ve really been focusing on music 100 percent.”
Before performing, Moz established a public relations career, ultimately landing a job at Boston Gardens, marketing for the venue that plays host to the Celtics and Bruins. That experience has taught her the importance of timing. The metal of a career takes shape once it emerges from the fires of the crucible. For Moz, that crucible was the weekly competition viewed by millions on national television. There are stars who have taken similar paths; Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Chris Daughtry. But, when considering the hundreds of contestants who have appeared on The Voice and similar shows, she knows the rate of success is against her. Even those who ultimately win, are not guaranteed fame.
“Being on a show like The Voice, there’s a big misconception that, just because you’re on that platform, things will come easy to you after the show. Or, if you make it to a certain point, [people] think ‘oh, you’re definitely going to be famous. Label deals are going to be thrown at you.’ And, to a certain degree, there is that. However, now more than ever is the time to work hard and hustle.
Now is not the time for me to sit back and wait for offers to fly,” said Moz. “Now is when I’m getting in everyone’s face to say, ‘Hey, I may not be relevant when the show starts back up again in September, so this is where I am now, and this is what my vision is. Help me bring it to life.’”
Moz is already separating herself among her peers. Speaking among friends from the show, she said she can already see fellow competitors bewildered from the lack of record deals coming their way. “That’s where everybody has it twisted,” she said. So, once she was voted off the show, thanks to a strong will she attributes from her mother, she started hammering out her career. “I never take anything for granted… You’ve got to earn it. You got to hustle.” Even a short stay with her parents back home has called for radio interviews, performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and visiting her high school to speak to students about building character. Living in Los Angeles provides her the resources to pursue her dream, networking with producers and pitching her talents to a number of different labels.
Moz has an EP she previously released on iTunes in 2010. But, she said, her sound has evolved since, and she is ready to try out new material.
“I’m really excited to bring that to fruition, and to put all my new material together,” said Moz. “Definitely going to make a full Dani Moz album of my own songs, and shop it to labels, and see where it goes and takes me.”
“It’s all about having the passion and the drive.”
That’s what she said to members of Bethlehem Central’s choir and band groups. As she stood the students, Moz found her role switch to motivational speaker, as some questions asked of her where of students discouraged from not reaching their own goals. “I was in the same spot you guys are in,” she said, admitting that as a student she was never first chair, and she never earned the lead in all her four years in drama. But, she said she continued on because it was her passion.
“So, it’s not to say, if you’re not the best at what you’re doing, you can’t excel and flourish in that field.”
Before the sun rises the following day, Moz is at a terminal at Albany International Airport. A mix-up with the flight has her on the phone with customer service.
Nothing is to get in her way.
Moz headlines Schenectady County’s SummerNight Beach Party with a performance at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 11. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Lake Street Dive is a band on the upswing, and their Westcott Theater performance shows it. After more than ten years of playing music together, this little Boston four-piece has made a big splash and are progressively building a solid fan base. After a YouTube performance of the Jackson 5’s, “I Want You Back” that went viral (two million views) and their appearances on the Colbert Report, The Late Show with David Letterman, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Town Hall (NYC), they are definitely carving a niche for themselves.
Bands like theirs generally get a good turnout in hip and trend-savvy metropolitan areas like Brooklyn or Cambridge, but generally not as much in smaller cities like Syracuse. But, thanks to a soulful subculture of Syracuse show-goers, and a breathtaking performance at last year’s Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY, Lake Street Dive was about 70 tickets away from selling out the Westcott Theater – a 700 person capacity venue. This is quite a feat, and came as a lovely surprise to the band, “You are very nice,” lead singer Rachael Price said to the audience with a very appreciative and genuine tone, “we like you very much.” The show-stopping soul-queen also stated that they would definitely be back again, much to the chagrin of fans.
The scene was hot, sweaty, sultry and sweet that Thursday, June 26. The Westcott Theater was packed wall-to-wall with fans and newcomers of all ages, eager to be near the now big-stage dive bar band. Rachael Price wasted no time in filling the air with impressive vocal pushes on “You Go Down Smooth” and soulful sing-along lines on the title track of Lake Street Dive’s 2014 album release, Bad Self Portraits. The evening felt a bit like it was taken from a page of Rachael’s diary; as her songs reflected on her bitter-sweet, sometimes tragic, sometimes triumphant love life. She proceeded to dive into the complexities of love, musing on the dichotomy of sad break-ups and the happy resignation of reuniting with the one you truly love in the fun and soulful rock/pop tune “Stop Your Crying”. She went on to flex her vocal muscles and impress the crowd further as she held insane sustain on the sultry and sexy “Just Ask”. Lake Street Dive demonstrated that it is much more than a front-woman band on songs like the funky soul tune “Rabid Animal”, wherein bassist Bridget Kearney and drummer Mike Calabrese sang immaculate and perfectly balanced harmonies and inspired the crowd to clap along. Lake Street Dive maintained audience attention and interest throughout a full set, and encore finished by a cover the classic rock/soul hit by Hall and Oates, “Rich Girl”. This nostalgic, feel-good hit was a perfect choice. Everyone loves “Rich Girl” and everyone left loving Rachael Price and Lake Street Dive.
Syracuse punk band, One Last Shot will play the Kevin Says stage at this year’s Vans Warped Tour at Darien Lake, NY on July 8.
One Last Shot has been touring all over New York and gained fans in the process. They were nominated for a Sammy, the highly coveted music award in the Syracuse music scene, for the area’s Best Metal Band. The band is featured in the February and August 2014 issues of Alternative Press Magazine.
Last Halloween, the band released their full length album, Bastards of the Plague. The album has songs featuring William Control of Aiden and, and Matt Good of From First To Last.
Keep up to date with One Last Shot on their Pure Volume page and buy Bastards of the Plague HERE.
There is something magical about Buffalove Music Festival, which took place on June 19-21 in Silver Creek, NY at the Willow Creek Winery. The festival nearly doubled in size in its second year and the venue itself was absolutely breathtaking. Willow Creek Winery will be the concert destination in years to come and Cody Conway, the man behind Buffalove Music Festival, hopes to make it one of the premier destinations for concert goers all over Western New York. The venue boasted two stages, complete with great lighting and superior sound, while the grounds had vending and concessions for anyone looking. The area was also conveniently small, making it very easy to get around. Ticket holders were able to camp and park at no extra cost, which you don’t see at any festival, making the experience very affordable. Over the course of three days, there were over twenty bands, so there was little time to sleep and recover; however, it provided a perfect showcase of bands from all over New York as well as neighboring states.
The festival started off on Thursday with Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers and Slip Madigan on the main stage. The Little Mountain Band played in-between the two, while Lazlo Hollyfeld went on after. Jimkata, who calls Ithaca home, headlined Thursday night and treated the early festival crowd to a great night of music. Jimkata continues to make a name for themselves out in the Buffalo area as they amazed and wowed concert goers in their first Buffalove appearance. They will continue to impress the Western New York region when they take the stage tonight at The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY. Slip Madigan came back out for the late night faithful with a set on the side stage for anyone looking to party through the end of the night.
Friday brought out the majority of the crowd, and with fans filtering in throughout the day from their busy work weeks, the weekend really looked to pick up some steam. One of the neat things about this festival is the small size and family-like vibe that it produces. All of the bands, workers, and fans all seem to know one another and it created such a different experience than those commercial-size festivals. The music began promptly at twelve o’clock with Red Horning Project and Lancaster, NY’s Wonder Crayon on the main stage, and The Grace Stumberg Band between the two slots on the side stage. Formula 5, an Albany-based band, really impressed a lot of folks, and rightfully so, combining jazz, funk and jamming. It was easy to see how many new fans they converted with lots of chatter around the camp sites about them, especially their late night split session with Funktional Flow. Their cover of moe.’s “Happy Hour Hero” was a great set closer and perfectly placed in Buffalove’s happy hour slot.
Groove Force and Smackdab followed Formula 5 on the main stage, while Broccoli Samurai and Brown Sugar played between breaks, leading up to what a lot of people were waiting for, headliners Funktional Flow. Smackdab is such a fun group, very uplifting and they provided the perfect setup to the evening. Combining soul and funk to create just a blazing good time, they really are what festivals are all about. Broccoli Samurai, who call Cleveland, Ohio home, set it off on the side stage, making a strong case for the main stage next year. The band is influenced by such bands as Lotus, The Disco Biscuits, and STS9 and produces a live electronica show that got everyone talking throughout the festival.
Funktional Flow has grown so much in the last few years and is truly making a name for themselves as of late. They have been relentlessly touring for the past few years and their playing and following is proof of that hard work. Funktional Flow consists of Ben Whelan (bass), Jeffrey Kuebler (guitar), Mike Szczepanik (guitar) and Jim Edgar (drums). Flow provides a funk driven jam that feeds off of the energy on stage as well as in the crowd. The rhythm section of Ben Whalen and Jim Edgar are the real heartbeat of the group, while Szczepanik and Kuebler bridge everything together with their exceptional guitar work. Busting out fan favorite “Mulligans” was a real treat and its jam rivals some of the best of the scene. Funktional Flow had some nice surprises as well when they played Umphrey’s McGee’s “Hajimemashite”, with Kuebler leading vocals that were spot on. Even with that hard-to-follow combo, the band surpassed everything when they closed with Trey Anastasio Band’s “Push on Til’ the Day”, complete with horns and fireworks and a truly amazing solo by Szczepanik. Funktional Flow put on such a good show that they really set the bar high for Aqueous who would be headlining the festival the following night. Flow took a much deserved break before their late side stage set with Formula 5. Those who managed to stay up were treated to a special night.
Funktional Flow Set List: Moonlight, Improv, Edge of Time, Animals, Ambush, What Will Be Will Be, Bumblin, Sevenate, Runaway>Bring You Down>Runaway, Mulligans, Hajimemashite*, Push on Til’ the Day^
*Umphrey’s McGee cover
^Trey Anastasio Band cover
Friday Photo Gallery:
With everything that already happened, it was crazy to think there would be another day packed with great music and great vibes. Saturday started right at twelve o’clock with Blue Roots, followed by Relics on the side stage. Relics, Western New York’s tribute to the music of Pink Floyd, played the entire Animals album and filled the side stage tent with anyone that was up early enough. The band is most known in the area for being a side project of Buffalo News music critic, Jeff Miers. He did a great job recreating the Roger Waters role, with the band as a whole performing flawlessly. It was a great start to the day and got everyone’s blood flowing.
Jeff Miers of Relics
Mister F played on the main stage in the dinner slot and anyone grabbing some eats from the various vendors got a pretty good show. Mister F is an Albany-based band that is tightly run, featuring members of Timbre Coup and Capital Zen. The group is quickly becoming a must see act and has been gaining some solid steam this year. Playing several festivals this summer and coming off their debut album, The F Stands Four, the sky is the limit for these guys.
Headlining the night, and such a big part of the Buffalo music scene, was none other than Aqueous. The band has been playing nonstop for sometime now since they graduated from North Tonawanda. Their playing has evolved into something quite magical and their future looks strongest of all the bands from this festival. The group who consists of Mike Gantzer (guitar), David Loss (guitar), Evan McPhaden (bass) and Nick Sonricker (drums) is really something to be proud of for anyone who is from the area. The band combines great music with a stage presence that just oozes energy all over the place. It’s a real joy to have watched these guys grow up from when they started out. Gantzer and Loss have such a control over their respected guitars and pack a one-two punch on any given song.
McPhaden may hang back a bit in the background with drummer Sonricker, but they’re an integral part of what makes this band so successful. “They’re Calling For Ya” started out the opening set, which provided a perfect build up to the evening, followed by “King For a Day” and “Mosquito Valley Part I>Marty>Complex Part II”. AQ dipping into the covers,as they usually do, with the Smashing Pumpkins “Today “, followed by an impressive run of “Timmy’s Blades>Cellino> Triangle”. “Cellino” was one of the biggest bustouts with the song not being played in 60 shows, according to UnclePhils’sBlog. Loss’s intro on “Triangle” setup a back and forth musical volley with guitar-mate Gantzer. Sonricker kept them both in check all night though with his tight percussive work.
A short set break for the band brought out DJ Jeff The Repeater, and armed with just a Macbook and his beats, he entertained the crowd with some techno-infused dance music.
Aqueous resumed their night with “Willy is 40>20/20>Warren in the Window” with a tease of Phish’s “Meatstick”. Aqueous debuted a first time David Bowie cover in “Lets Dance” before a solid set ending run that included “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Staring into the Sun>Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Star Spangled Banner”, finishing with fireworks overhead that produced a very memorable moment. One thing that Aqueous does well is treading in unknown waters. Even with cover’s that most bands couldn’t pull off, they still find a way to make a song their own. The encore was no different. The band ended the night with R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly>Mice>I Believe I Can Fly”.
Aqueous Set List –
Set 1: They’re Calling For You, King for a Day, Mosquito Valley Part I>Marty>Complex Part II, Today*>Timmy’s Blades>Cellino>Triangle
Set 2: Willy is 40>20/20>Warren in the Window, The Village Dog and Pony Show>Eon Don, Lets Dance^, Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Staring in to the Sun>Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Star Spangled Banner
Encore: I Believe I Can Fly#>Mice>I Believe I Can Fly#
*Smashing Pumpkins cover
^David Bowie cover
#R. Kelly cover
All in all, Buffalove is an incredible festival that is only going to grow year after year. I think Cody Conway and his vision for what it’s going to become is a true testament to what he is as a person. Aqueous’ encore was more of a tribute to that as well with the belief that this festival will continue to fly.
After 8 days of the hedonistic grooves and late night debauchery of the 13th annual Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest I felt a strong need to get my butt to church. I would not visit a standard house of worship, this church bestowed the powers of the elements. For the next 90 minutes in Rochester, the forces of Earth Wind and Fire would command my soul with the gospel of funk. They spoke not from pulpits, the three original clergy members and choir of 9 spoke with guitar, bass, horns a plenty, multiple percussion stations, a practical Valhalla of keyboards, bongos, shakers, candle stick makers and I believe at one point a kitchen sink may have entered the fray. These priests of boogie brought forth no judgement, they brought smiles, joy, and the inherent obvious fact that every one of these 12 men on stage unequivocally love what they do.
The normally reserved nature of the beautiful Kodak Hall at Eastman School of Music became a virtual party room. A congregation of old and young, suburban and urban, liberals and conservatives all standing together for the purest spectacle of music mastery that may have ever entered this distinguished venue. Seats did not remain full for long as the performance was peppered with standing ovations, rushes to the front to shake hands offered by the band, and an endless cacophony of applause, shrieks and dancing feets.
After a quick introduction from some distinguished sponsors, county executive Maggie Brooks and Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren; the band entered to the sounds of the classic “Boogie Wonderland” before plowing expertly through a set list filled with classics such as “Shining Star”, “Devotion”, “After the Love is Gone” and everyone’s favorite “September”. Given the bands 40+ years on the scene they also fed the fanatics some deep cuts. But this experience went way beyond the songs. With multiple instrumental solos, an absolutely goose bump inducing vocal solo by original member Philip Bailey, the aforementioned hand shaking section, amusingly suspicious looks from the band at the audience after exclaiming “Some of you may even have been conceived to our songs.”, and even some freaking cymbal karate kicks, no one left this show feeling unrequited.
Also offered was a moment that was a surprise even to the band. During an earlier stop for coffee in Rochester’s beautiful east end district, Earth Wind and Fire vocalist Phillip Bailey was approached by Eastman graduate saxophone wizardress Alexa Tarantino for some musical questions. What came of this was Alexa was invited to join the band for a stunning sax solo towards the middle of the set which concluded with the most raucous standing ovation, possibly of the entire week of Jazz Fest 13. Not quite done yet with what had to be a life changing experience, she would be seen later in the back jamming with the horn section until the end of the show. Bravo Alexa, all of Rochester could not be prouder of you! If you have a musical bucket list of any sort, no matter what your genre of choice is, put Earth Wind and Fire on it, it’s an experience no one could forget.
The metal gods Judas Priest, who embarked on what was thought to be their final tour the previous two years have decided that there is no rest for the wicked and announced a U.S. run with glam metal jokers Steel Panther this fall, with the very first stop at the Main Street Armory in Rochester on Wednesday, October 1 as well as a stop in Brooklyn. The tour is set as follows:
Oct. 01 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
Oct. 03 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Oct. 04 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Fest at Champions
Oct. 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays
Oct. 10 – Atlantic City, NJ – Harrah’s
Oct. 11 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theater at Foxwood’s
Oct. 14 – Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center at UMass
Oct. 15 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
Oct. 17 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
Oct. 19 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
Oct. 24 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
Oct. 28 – Duluth, GA – The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Oct. 30 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live Arena
Nov. 06 – Allen, TX – Allen Event Center
Nov. 07 – Austin, TX – FunFunFun Fest
Nov. 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia
Nov. 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Jobing Arena
Nov. 13 – Highland, CA – San Manuel Casino
Nov. 14 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl
Nov. 16 – San Jose, CA – City National Civic
Nov. 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Judas Priest are set to release their 17th album Redeemer of Souls on July 8 via Epic Records. Frontman Rob Halford recently trademarked the term “metal god” because he wants no one else to ever be known as a “metal god” other than him. Steel Panther will be supporting last year’s studio effort All You Can Eat.
Tickets for the Rochester show will go on sale on July 11 and can be purchased here.
“It’s the year 3030, and here at the Corporate Institutional Bank of Time we find ourselves reflecting, finding out that, in fact, we came back. We were always coming back…”
These are the lyrics to “State of the Nation”, the first track off of Deltron 3030‘s self-titled debut album which was released back in May 2000. Nobody knew it back then, but the rapping Nostradamus was making the first prediction of his off-the-grid career through these words. It took fourteen years, but his second album, Event 2, was finally released this past year in September. We should’ve trusted his prediction and known he was coming back. The fourteen year gap didn’t help Deltron 3030’s popularity, but for those who are in the know, Deltron is one of the most interesting rappers out there. In today’s watered-down rap offering, Deltron is a throwback to a time when groups had to have chops to even be noticed. Deltron 3030 is composed of rapper Del the Funky Homosapien, Kid Koala, and producer Dan “The Automator” and the group brings a futuristic and, almost, avant-garde approach to the table. The first album was a concept album about the world in the year 3030, rife with vivid imagery and interesting ideas like “upgrading your grey matter”.
Fast-forward to the new album, which takes place in 3040, and Del is back, announcing such with a second track titled “The Return”. And while a fourteen-year span would normally see various lineup and sound changes to a band, Deltron 3030 returns with the same members and only a slight progression in sound, which is a compliment, not a knock. Everything that made Deltron 3030 interesting, mysterious, and transcending is in place and has only been upgraded since the original release. Who knows? Maybe Del never upgraded past the dial-up modem and it just took that long to upload his latest. Regardless of the reason, Deltron not only has a new album, but he’s touring and coming to Buffalo next week. On Thursday, July 10, Deltron 3030 will be bringing his futuristic spacecraft to The Waiting Room. Since the rapper takes a music industry lightyear to release another album, it’s highly recommended to catch him live while he’s here on this planet. You can grab your tickets here and plan for a peak into the next millennia as Del will surely take everyone on a trip through the wormhole.
There we were, the final day of the Taste of CountryMusic Festival and what a spectacular day it was with sunny skies, warmer temperatures, and no sign of rain in the forecast. Perfect weather to end a perfect weekend. As I checked out of my hotel in East Durham, The Shamrock Inn. It had the amenities I needed, shower, bed, and electricity to charge up my camera, computer, and phone, but it had one thing I needed most of all, a bar directly across the street with more live music and a kitchen open till 2am. Yep, this girl didn’t mind the half hour travel through the windy mountainside, which I must add was spectacular. As I spoke with the campers throughout the weekend, they absolutely loved being there at Hunter Mountain.
Catskill Mountains – Taste of Country Music Festival
Day Three
The energy at the mountain seemed to be a little more passive this morning as I made my way through the vendors to select my breakfast of choice. It very well could be as the attendees were beginning to slow down from their two-day drinking binge, perhaps it was the sullenness they were beginning to feel with the approaching end to the festival, or perhaps they just weren’t awake enough yet. Whatever it was, it certainly was easier to maneuver through the crowd this morning to get this creation I had heard of the previous day at my favorite corn dog vendor. This creation was the best of all breakfast foods wrapped into one scrumptious delicacy. It was a breakfast sausage on a stick with a donut drizzled with syrup and covered with bacon bits. Yep, these carney chefs were geniuses when it came to hangover foods for these people, and myself who just appreciates anything with bacon.
Breakfast of Champions
As I made my way to the Ram Guts and Glory stage, the jealous stares at my purchase were evident as I pointed back towards my new vendor friend. With another stellar lineup in store I was really looking forward to the day’s shows. First up was Jessica Lynn, followed by Chase Rice, Tyler Farr, Thomas Rhett, Thompson Square, and ending this amazing weekend as no other could, Hank Williams Jr., aka Bocephus.
As Jessica Lynn took the stage, the crowd was sparse but, beginning to fill in, as this beautiful young lady with a full band behind her eased them into the day with some amazing music. Her sound was the perfect blend of classic country and modern country with hints of pop. With the accompaniment of the pedal steel guitar (played by her father), a fiddle, two guitars, bass, percussion, and even backup singers (one being her mother), her style was country classic, and her talent as a songwriter was apparent.
She sang songs she penned about girls in the music business, “Taking Over”, and about insecurities girls often feel about themselves in numbers such as “Pretty”. To look at Jessica you would think she was immersed in the country music business from the time she was born. After all, she had two parents who were also in the music business. However , this northern gal grew up in Yorktown Heights, NY and at an early age found country music, and life for this New Yorker was never the same. Her roots may be from the north, but this girl has a southern charm that goes on for miles.
Jessica Lynn -Taste of Country Music Festival
As Jessica’s show ended, next on the ticket was Chase Rice. Rice is one of Nashville’s superstars on the horizon as he has burst onto the scene as an independent artist and made huge strides in a business dominated by coorporate record labels. This handsome young man, who once played football for North Carolina and worked in a Nascar pit, is all about writing music. Although, he’s best known for his #1 hit song he co-wrote, “Cruise” that changed his life and propelled him into the spotlight, he’s quick to share his plans for the future and add to that catalog of musical hits.
When asked about the song he says “I am very appreciative of it, but I’m about a lot more than just one song”. That he is. Chase is currently touring with Dierks Bentley and has built a huge fan base across the country. Getting ready to release his next album Ignite the Night on August 19, Chase is living his life by his motto – “On a scale of 1 to 10, be an 11.” As he performed Sunday for the huge crowd that had amassed for him, he sang “Ready Set Roll”, and to this day he is still amazed how crowds sing along with him and know all the words despite the fact radio has never played the song.
His show was one of the most energized performances I had seen all weekend. With brothers City and Fence Tucker backing Chase up on guitar/bass, these two shred like no others with a duel pitting brother against brother, east crowd vs. west crowd to see who could yell the loudest. Chase Rice is a going to be a country super star, that I would place money on.
Chase Rice – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Okay, now that the football player and his dueling guitarists had left the stage, out came a man after my own heart, Tyler Farr. I loved his southern twang, I loved his redneck tunes, I loved his camo attire, and I loved his beautiful ballad “Hello Goodbye” he wrote after finding his love in the wrong driveway. Those were all endearing qualities, but what I loved most about this guy? I loved how mid sentence he spotted the guy with the turkey decoy on his head and called him out as his new best friend. This man (Tyler, not decoy head) was awesome. All weekend long the turkey decoy hat made the jumbotron, garnered whispers, points, and high fives, and it floored me why no one else had noticed it from the stage.
After all, it was definitely not small or the norm, even with this rowdy bunch. Kudos Tyler on being one with your audience. His voice, a low sexy voice, with a rugged after tone – moved you no matter if he was singing about “Chick, Trucks, and Cold Beer”, how he was “Redneck Crazy”, or how she was the “Whiskey In my Water”. No matter what he sang, he nailed it. Perhaps this is because he’s actually a classically trained musician. The control he has over his voice, almost purrs as he sings. As many of these artists had done all week, he also performed a cover, this one was by Awolnation, “Sail”. His cover got the attention of everyone there and by the end of his set, Tyler Farr was my, new best friend.
Tyler Farr – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Up next was Thomas Rhett. Although Rhett was born into the country music world, his plans were not to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. Seeing what Rhett Atkins went through in the business, Rhett Jr. spent a good portion of his early years trying to decide which direction to take. No matter which way he turned, it kept leading him back to the music industry. Starting out as a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by the likes of Jason Aldean and Lee Brice, and Florida Georgia Line to name a few. It was only a matter of time this talented young man would begin singing his own songs and climbing the charts himself. As much as he is a talented songwriter and singer, he has a special charisma that translates to his audiences.
From the moment he took the stage, there was a good time to be had. Singing his hits “Get Me Some of That”, “It Goes Like This” and “Something To Do With My Hands” the crowd, going crazy for each song he sang, became part of his show. Quite literally as Thomas came out into the crowd to find someone to share the stage with. Didn’t take long to find Connor, a Brantley Gilbert doppelgänger, to come up on stage with him to finish out Garth Brook’s “Friends In Low Places”. Sometimes no matter how much we try to fight something, fate plays a part in it and this is a shining example of how Thomas Rhett was meant to be on the stage.
Thomas Rhett – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Next on the all-star billing was Thompson Square, a husband and wife duo who have been taking Nashville by storm lately. Relatively new to listeners, this couple is not new to country music or their journey to where they are today. Arriving in Nashville to pursue solo careers, the couple met the first week there and from that moment on have found together everything they ever dreamed of. Joining forces after marrying on the music front as well, this duo combined their aspirations, songwriting talents, and blend the best attributes of both to create Thompson Square.
Since Just Feels Good, their second album, was released, their schedule has been packed with a full year of touring and performing. When this couple hits the stage you feel their connection. You feel their chemistry on stage as they performed “You’re Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” and “Here We Go Again”. However it was their performance of “If I Didn’t Have You” that fans felt their passion in each other and the music they share.
As they began playing their final song “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” I looked around to see the first hand how contagious this love they share is with their audience. Couples dancing all around me just confirmed what an amazing team they are, and how worthy they are to be the first and only married couple to receive CMA Vocal Duo of the Year honors, in addition to multiple other CMA, AMC, AMA, and Grammy Awards and Nominations. Just proof that sometimes things are great on their own, but combine them and they are even better together. As a footnote, the award for line of the day was awarded to Thompson Square as they spotted a special guest in the audience and shouted out, “Is that Spiderman? Well it’s not a party until Spidey shows up”. Classic.
It Ain’t A Party Till Spidey Shows Up
As the sun began to set, and the festival prepared for its final act, concert goers seemed a little more subdued awaiting the legendary Hank Williams Jr. Growing up in Murfreesboro, TN instilled a few country customs one never outgrows. These include the love of cornbread, barbecue and sweet tea, the appreciation of clogging and square dancing, and the sheer awe of country greats such as Hank Williams, his son Bocephus, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, and so many more that graced the Grand Ole Opry stage.
No matter how far north you go, you always hold dear to your heart those country basics. So the anticipation of seeing Hank Williams Jr. in person was surreal in a way for this gal. Those in the audience seemed to share this belief as well. The crowd wasn’t the rowdy, on your shoulders holding beer up in the air bunch that had been having a good time all weekend. No, this bunch was perhaps the same group, but they were a buzz with a respectful excitement of suspense now awaiting Hank Williams Jr. to take the stage. Without keeping the crowd in suspense any longer, Hank Williams Jr. took the stage, and from that moment on that man had your attention. Not quite sure what was to be expected, but without any reservations, this man far exceeded what I imagined.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As Hank Williams Jr. began his set, you knew immediately that this was a man who made no excuses, didn’t apologize for who he was, and took full ownership of his beliefs, his life choices, and career. He truly was an original outlaw. As he performed numbers throughout the evening the audience gained an insight into what makes Hank tick. Raised in a household with frequent guests who gathered around the dinner table and piano, Hank’s momma, Audrey, couldn’t understand why when Hank got into music he kept gravitating towards that rockabilly sound.
Perhaps it was because Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash (his godmother), Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley didn’t play old-fashioned country or gospel type music, when they came over. No, they banged those keys and rocked the house, and this was what Hank wanted to play. In a career that has seen more number one albums, singles, awards, and continues to thrive today, the man on stage was a living legend. As he began playing his hits such as “Women I’ve Never Had” “A Country Boy Can Survive” and “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”, the crowd cheered and clapped and Hank fed off of this and just got better and better with each number.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Because Hank has had such a successful and long career, he has the options of traveling or not traveling. He is selective when it comes to shows, so when he was approached, he said it was a no brainer to come to see us at Taste of Country Music Festival. It was on a mountain that once held one of the all time great festivals, was great hunting and fishing country, and offered a Remington Arms factory right up the road. What was to decide?
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As the show progressed I was truly amazed at this man’s versatility. Hank Williams Jr. is quite a musician as well as an amazing singer. At one point he was sharing his love and respect for Fats Domino, as he played the piano and sang “Jambalaya”. The next minute he was performing Johnny Cash’s “Walk The Line”, and you would have sworn it was Johnny himself singing it. Then he went into one of the best mash-ups of Lynyrd Skynard/ZZ Top/Aerosmith that I’ve ever heard. All the while he shredded, strummed, tickled the ivories, and rosined up his bow – he did so with a new brim each and every number. This man is a classic. He had a hat for his guitar numbers, a hat for his rock numbers, and a hat for his honky-tonk numbers.
As he played throughout the night, I believe my favorite moment was hearing him talk of how he had been approached by a lady who had always wanted to see his father play, however didn’t have the chance to make it in time, so he dedicated a number to her. As he sang to her “Lovesick Blues” you could see Hank Williams live on through his son, through country music, and through the never-ending love and adoration of his fans. As Hank Williams Jr. played the evening, this sentiment held true for him too. As he closed out the festival, joined on stage by Tyler Farr and Thompson Square, fans knew they had just witnessed a piece of history not often seen.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As the curtain called, the set began to be torn down, the buses filled with gear, the shuttles filled with passengers ready to go back to their cars in the lots and hotels surrounding the mountainside, festival goers were left with an afterglow of sorts from the amazing weekend they just experienced. I must commend the event organizers, planners, volunteers, and staff for an amazingly seamless event. The security team was top-notch, diffusing anything that may escalate into a problem so that everyone there was safe and had a good time without incident.
I commend them on their top-notch staff that was hands on from day one and had every detail possible covered, beforehand and as it arose. They were efficient, professional, courteous, and always striving to make the event the best for everyone involved from the performers to staff, to media, to attendees. I can’t imagine how 2015 will live up the standards of 2014’s Taste of Music Country Festival. Oh wait, maybe you can get Tim McGraw to headline.
Atop a table outside her parent’s garage stands a box and several promotional headshots at the ready for the now-(former) television phenomenon to sign autographs. What she raises from the sale will help fund the album to which she’ll proceed to record on the West Coast in a few days. What she doesn’t sell today will go to charity.
Moz has an EP she previously released on iTunes in 2010. But, she said, her sound has evolved since, and she is ready to try out new material.
Bands like theirs generally get a good turnout in hip and trend-savvy metropolitan areas like Brooklyn or Cambridge, but generally not as much in smaller cities like Syracuse. But, thanks to a soulful subculture of Syracuse show-goers, and a breathtaking performance at last year’s 
The normally reserved nature of the beautiful Kodak Hall at Eastman School of Music became a virtual party room. A congregation of old and young, suburban and urban, liberals and conservatives all standing together for the purest spectacle of music mastery that may have ever entered this distinguished venue. Seats did not remain full for long as the performance was peppered with standing ovations, rushes to the front to shake hands offered by the band, and an endless cacophony of applause, shrieks and dancing feets.
