Steve Martin is a wild and crazy guy. He is also a comedian, actor, screenwriter, author and a fantastic banjo player. All of these talents melded into one superb experience at a pair of sold out shows at the beautiful Kodak Theater at the Eastman School of Music during the second day of Xerox’s Rochester International Jazz Fest this past Saturday.
Along with the multi-talented backing band Steep Canyon Rangers – from Brevard, North Carolina – and fellow Grammy winner Edie Brickell, Martin kept the capacity crowd riveted. Featuring fantastic original music peppered with comedic and interactive banter, the 90 minute show left no one feeling slighted.
The show bounced between original songs with a healthy dose of joking in between. The Rangers seemed especially apropos for this part as they engaged in as many belly laughing experiences as the comedic legend did. About halfway through, Brickell took the stage and commanded the crowd’s attention with beautiful vocals that have not skipped a beat from her younger years. She stayed for a few songs including Steve and Edie’s 2014 Grammy award-winning track “Love Has Come For You” and “When You Get To Asheville”.
A celebration was to be in order this night as well, as it was the bands 5th year anniversary of their first performance. Steve jokingly offered his band members a “free copy” of the 1991 movie, Father of the Bride, as an anniversary present. Martin even managed to keep the humor local, joking that he was “glad to be where the Botox is fresh.”
Grammy-nominated composer-pianist Vijay Iyer (pronounced “VID-jay EYE-yer”) was described by Pitchfork as “one of the most interesting and vital young pianists in jazz today,” – March 2014 marks the release of Mutations, Iyer’s eighteenth album and his debut for the prestigious ECM label: a recording for piano, string quartet and electronics, the first album to document his works for chamber ensembles.
Vijay Iyer’s previous release, Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dreams Project (2013), is his third collaboration with poet Mike Ladd, based on the dreams of veterans of color from America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was hailed as #1 Jazz Album of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and described in JazzTimes as “impassioned, haunting, [and] affecting.” –
Photos by: Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, photographer Kelli Marsh
Every once in a while you just know you are in the midst of greatness as it’s unfolding. This summarizes “An Evening With John Legend“, as he played for the sold out crowd in Syracuse at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, June 12, 2014.
John Legend, 2007 Starlight Award recipient from the Song Writers Hall of Fame and a nine time Grammy Award Winning, musician/songwriter/producer, is best known for his collaboration with artists such as Kayne West, Jay Z., Alicia Keyes, Britney Spears, The Roots, Sade, and Lauren Hill to name a few. This multi-talented musician spans genres of R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop crossing over to the pop charts with his recently number one hit “All of Me”. However John Legend has dominated the R&B chart for years with his albums, Get Lifted, Once Again, and Evolver. John is currently touring and promoting his current album Love in the Future which debuted in the Billboard Top 200 at number 4. This album to date has released four hits, “Who Do We Think We Are”, “Made to Love”, “You & I (Nobody in the World)”, and of course the number one hit , “All of Me”.
Just like John’s music, his set was comfortable and intimate with four couches set up behind the string quartet, guitar player, and John’s baby grand piano. Four lucky couples who won their upgraded seats from local radio and television stations, were able to view the entire show from the stage. As John began the show, this intimacy extended even more so to the audience as he shared an amazing history of how he began singing in his grandfather’s church choir at the age of seven. After graduating from high school as his class Salutatorian, John was offered scholarships at such prestigious schools as Harvard, Georgetown, and Morehouse College, however it was the University of Pennsylvania where he further fine tuned his musical knowledge and experience as a side bar to his studies in English and African American Literature. This insight into his course of studies, helped to explain to me his wonderful way with words and songwriting.
John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse
From the moment John took the stage, the crowd was truly mesmerized by each number he sang, as they sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next story, joke, song he shared. As he played hits such as “Made to Love”, “Tonight”, “Maxine”, “Used to Love U”, “Ordinary People” and so many more, the audience sang back, clapped along, and prompted him to continue begging him to not stop. His rendition of “Where Did My Baby Go” with the accompaniment on strings was spectacularly beautiful, while his “Good Morning Love” was as though he was serenading each and every one of us. As he sang “Caught Up” the audience became a part of the song singing along and clapping as though they were part of the show themselves.
During the show John shared a personal story of how he was invited to perform on Jimmy Fallon’s show the week they were honoring Bruce Springsteen. During that show he sang his version of “Dancing In the Dark” hoping at one point and time to hear feedback from Bruce’s team or Bruce himself. He spoke of months going by with no hope of any response either good or bad, when out of the blue he received a call from Bruce’s management personally requesting him to play his version at a tribute for Bruce Springsteen himself. This validation should not have been a surprise to anyone as the rendition was amazingly beautiful. We often see songs remixed time and again to speed ballads up into dance numbers. However to see a fast song slowed down to a ballad tempo was amazingly beautiful as we heard the song with new insight.
It was however his dedication to his grandmother who taught him how to play that moved me the most. Many covers have been done of Simon and Grafunkels’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, however the raw emotion he put into this number brought goosebumps as he sang his resonating melody straight up to heaven for her. One could feel the love and adoration as he sang to her.
As the night came to an end and John left the stage for a moment, the crowd chanted over and over for one more song. As they cheered in anticipation, it was of course the encore they had awaited all night, “All of Me”. This sexy song, seems to touch everyone who hears it as an anthem to love, after all it was written as such for John’s wife, Christine Teigen. As I left the show, these feelings seem to spill out onto those in attendance. Unbeknownst to one unexacting lady, out in the lobby was a surprise orchestrated by her boyfriend who took this opportunity to express his love and propose to her after the show. To paraphrase one comment made by John Legend during the show, “for those men in attendance, I(John) am setting you guys up nicely for a wonderful romantic evening with your ladies. Please don’t ruin it and say something stupid”. That young man didn’t. She said yes. John would be proud.
John Legend @ Oncenter SyracuseJohn Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse
Rockstar Energy Drink has announced their lineup for the 2014 Uproar Festival. This year’s tour will be headlined by heavy metal rockers Godsmack as they support their brand new, sixth studio album 1000hp. Formed in 1995, this will be Godsmack’s second time appearing at the Uproar Festival.
What would a festival be in 2014 without Seether? The band has already seen Rock on the Range and Rocklahoma. They will also be on the Aftershock Festival later this year. Seether will hit the tour for their second time in support of their sixth studio album, Isolate and Medicate.
Skillet will make their first run on the Uproar Festival. Skillet has been touring for over the past year supporting their current album Rise. Skillet has been on four separate tours since the summer of 2013 including last years Carnival of Madness.
Buckcherry will also grace the main stage and make their first appearance on the festival. Their single “Crazy B!^@#” is certified 2x platinum by the RIAA. The band is rumored to release an Ep titled “F#@k,” which every track on the disc will have that word in it’s song title.
Uproar’s lineup will feature 13 bands in all. The rest of the lineup will include Pop Evil, Escape The Fate, Redlight King, Three Years Hollow, New Medicine, Within Reason, Sons of Revelry, These Raven Skies & Tattered.
Also look out for the Suicide Girls to perform a Burlesque show on the festival this year.
With more dates still to be announced, Uproar will bring the festival to New York on Friday, August 22nd in Syracuse at the New York State Fairgrounds. The festival itself will kick off on Friday, August 15th at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.
Uproar’s main stage looks like one big melting pot for rock and metal music. Godsmack will bring the hard rock and heavy metal, Seether will bring their post grunge style of rock. You will hear the Christian rock and metal sound of Skillet and the hard alternative style of Buckcherry. With all the energy this show is gonna bring , you’re going to need all the free Rockstar Energy Drinks you can handle.
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If you haven’t listened to Lake Street Dive’s cover of the Jackson 5 single, “I Want You Back,” then you should. After hearing it, if you aren’t swooning, crooning, or feeling the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you might want to check your pulse; chances are you are dead. This single performance around a single mic on a Brighton, Massachusetts street corner brought nearly instant and well-deserved attention (now almost two million views) to this tremendously talented Boston-based group. They have since performed on the Colbert Report, The Late Show with David Letterman, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Town Hall (NYC). This rising star of a band brings its captivating soul/Motown/jazz/pop sound to Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on Thursday, June 26th at 8PM.
Lake Street Dive is a four-piece, formed by fellow students who met over a decade ago at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The band was hand-picked and named by trumpet/guitar player Mike Olson, who found inspiration in a neighborhood of seedy bars in his hometown of Minneapolis. All members of the band assist in writing songs, singing, and are phenomenal musicians in their own right, but the reality is, Lake Street Dive is fronted by a goddess. Rachel Price, a Nashville native, commands a silky, yet full and powerful, soul-rattling voice that will make you melt. Her vocal technique is impeccable, her dynamic works seamlessly with her backup vocals, and her look…well, just Google her, you’ll see what I mean.
Lake Street Dive’s tour follows the release of their sixth album, Bad Self Portraits, and is sure to draw a good crowd to the Westcott Theater on Thursday, June 26th. Come support the little dive bar band that is making waves worldwide, and keeping soul alive and relevant in modern music.
The Disco Biscuits recently completed a brief three night run through New York City at a Irving Plaza, a venue that didn’t seem to befit these monsters of the jam scene. Ditching their usual spacious confines of Best Buy Theatre in Times Square, the group instead opted for a throwback of sorts with the location moving downtown to the approximate 1,000 person capacity Irving Plaza. This was a curious move for a band that could easily sell out venues twice the size of this, but it did make for a highly spirited and energetic performance that surely reminded the musicians and certain audience members of a time when rooms like this were the norm.
The Philly based rockers wasted no time in getting down to business with a blistering ‘Save the Robots’ intro that settled nicely into a slow, extended jam before the next composed section that gave everyone a chance to get their bearings or attempt to carve out space on the cramped floor. Another lengthy jam then followed, anchored by stellar drum and bass play by Allen Aucoin and Marc Brownstein, respectively. Despite a ‘Crickets’-like buildup, the frenzied jam soon came to a boil and the band shifted directions into one of their oldest and most iconic songs, ‘Aceetobee’. This old school Bisco classic saw a composed section that was stretched out, played to perfection and then followed by a fascinating psychedelic jam that had elements ranging from ambient to funk rock. Eventually, the music “normalized” to a degree as keyboardist Aron Magner took control of things and led the way through a seamless segue to yet another Biscuits classic, ‘Mr. Don’. This segue and the driving, pulsating jam that followed was truly some of the best music in this set with the light rig now in full gear and taking advantage of the close walls and light fixtures. The entire run at Irving Plaza had been highlighted by four song first sets and The Disco Biscuits showed tonight would be no different by ending things with one more transition into the ending of yet another classic original number, ‘Magellan’. With a first set that could’ve been plucked right from the pages of a late 90’s setlist (as the previous night’s was) now in the books, setbreak gave everyone a change to get hydrated, refuel and set the bar high for hopes of what was to come.
The second set opened, appropriately enough, with ‘The Overture’, a song based on classical music structure that has the group’s signature style of electronica thrown on the end of it. The mesmerizing, laser light filled jam that followed seemed to delight both audience and band members as the music reached deep levels of electronic improvisation. Jon Gutwillig’s signature guitar lick signaling the beginning of ‘Gangster’ soon rang through the already saturated room that unleashed a new intensity to both the music and light show. Right on cue, the band then steered things right into one of their most renowned and associated covers, Pink Floyd’s ‘Run Like Hell’. Gutwillig continued to take the lead on the outtro jam that featured some truly impressive soloing on his part.
After yet another ‘Crickets’ jam fakeout, the Biscuits continued to honor the old school vibe and then launched into perhaps one of their oldest songs, ‘Pat and Dex’, which brought a noticeable roar from knowledgeable veteran fans. The completion of ‘Pat and Dex’ marked the first time the band finished a song and stopped playing without transitioning into something else, an impressive feat. Perhaps due to the increasingly humid temperature in the room, the band seemed to lose just a little bit of steam in finishing the second set with an unfinished ‘Shem-Rah-Boo’ that meandered for a little while before a noticeable ‘Life During Wartime’ jam took over.
This gave to way to another older song in the form of an inverted ‘Bernstein & Chasnoff’ that was well-played and then capped with a ‘Run Like Hell’ ending. This offered one last impressive display of music and light symmetry that seemed to put a bow on an impressive night of music that saw the band play a number of older and classic songs with all the electronic fury and technical prowess they have at their disposal today.
moe. celebrated a nice little homecoming party at this past Thursday’s concert. The event was Buffalo’s Canalside Concert series’ second free show and most successful one this year. moe. continues to really give their all when they return to where it all began 25 years ago. Playing in the small clubs of Buffalo back then may have been a little different from what they played in front of Thursday, but the energy level just continues to reign supreme after all of these years.
The night started off with opening band Conehead Buddha, and as the sun set, it was a perfect beginning to the night alongside Buffalo’s inner harbor. The harbor itself was lined with plenty of boats, giving the spectators on the water some great music to go along with their already fun-filled day.
moe. had a shorter run time due to a 10:00 pm curfew, but they made the best of it playing songs new and old as well as covering The Rolling Stones “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin”, Black Sabbath’s “Wizard”, and The Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated”.
It really doesn’t matter if it’s a free show when moe. comes back home as they always seem to play to the crowd, and in Buffalo, NY, the crowd continues to love the band that remembers their roots.
Setlist: Y.O.Y. > Skrunk > Blue Jeans Pizza, Understand > 32 Things, Same Old Story >(nh) Rebubula, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’*, Akimbo* >(nh) Threw It All Away*, The Wizard*
Encore: I Wanna Be Sedated
* w/ The Conehead Buddha Horns: Shannon Lynch on saxophone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone
Check out the video of “32 Things” recorded by our friends at WNYMEDIA.NET
Well, at least we got one set of Widespread Panic, as rain and winds cancelled the second set of the famed Georgia’ jam band’s show at ArtPark in Lewiston on Tuesday, June 17, but for what we got in the first set, it was worth the ticket price, as well as my five-hour drive from Albany.
Opening with the instrumental illness of “A of D”, the seated crowd of a few thousand watched with curiosity and interest as the Athens-born worked through compositions, leaving room for improvisation in the right spots. The driven rock of “Surprise Valley” wowed the crowd via Jimmy Herring’s guitar work, while “Hatfield”, a song about the weather, was played to a backdrop of a divided sky which had formed on the horizon behind the stage, a storm drawing not far from the venue, but skirting by. These back to back extended songs, most notably “Hatfield” with John Bell’s trademark rambling lyrics, led to a short “Dyin’ Man”.
“Henry Parson’s Died”, a cover that I am not typically partial to was surprisingly strong, with Herring particularly shred-happy and consistent throughout; tonight the crowd got a real treat in southern-bred guitar playing. “Little Kin > Radio Child” featured a tight segue between the two songs about the kids. “Casa del Grillo”, a Los Lobos-style Chicano rocker was a rare treat, only played once or twice a year over the past 5 years. “Casa’s” lyrics were mixed between Spanish, English and John Bell-ese, and featured the organ accents from JoJo Hermann that perfectly framed the body of the number.
“Greta” and “Cream Puff War” were a pairing full of dirty funk and a seamless segue into “Cream Puff War’. The early Grateful Dead song filtered out of a higher intensity “Greta” jam, with Dave Schools’ bass taking charge to push Todd Nance to drive the rhythm into the faster-faced “Cream Puff War”. Listen to the two tracks below.
Then the winds came, followed by a downpour. We were asked to leave the park, and the helpful staff directed us to shelters and the parking lot. The heavy stuff did not come down for quite some time, taking pause and leading us to think we had a good shot at a second set, since this rainstorm started moments after Widespread Panic took setbreak. But the calm of the storm brought an onslaught of rain and high winds, forcing cancellation of the rest of the show. Not the optimal ending for the rare Widespread Panic show in Upstate New York, but we got one helluva set!
Summer is officially here, so why not get it started on the right foot with the rootsy world rock music of Rusted Root, who are making a trip out to Oneonta on Friday night, June 27! They will be performing at the historic Oneonta Theatre, which is the perfect venue for a band of Rusted Root’s caliber, as it will be sure to attract both the college crowd (for those students who are sticking around this summer) and fans who went to see the band when they first hit the scene back in the ‘90s. This show starts at 8PM, with doors opening at 7. Be sure to visit the bar in the lobby of the Oneonta Theatre before the show and between bands; a nice selection of local beers are always on tap.
Rusted Root, a band with its roots firmly set in their hometown of Pittsburgh, is a collaboration of members who have always been drawn to and experimented with every form of music, covering regions as far-reaching as India, the Middle East, and Africa. Going to one of their concerts is truly like going on a journey through all these exotic places, as they take you there with their music. Rusted Root’s most recent album The Movement(2012), as described by the band’s vocalist and percussionist Liz Berlin, is a real testament to their community of fans, as the album was created as a result of a funds contributed by fans. In addition to Berlin, the band’s current line-up includes Michael Glabicki on lead guitar/vocals, Patrick Norman on vocals/bass/guitar/percussion, Dirk Miller on guitar, and Preach Freedom on percussion. It will be interesting to hear tunes off their new album, but it is likely that they will also be performing some of their classics, such as “Send Me On My Way” and “Ecstasy”, which are always a blast to hear and experience live.
Rusted Root will be joined by two very special guests to open up their June 27 performance. First off, Soco Mojo, a true hometown band based out of right here in Oneonta, will be joined by another local legend, the spectacularly talented vocalist and guitarist John Scarpulla. A funky blues rock band, featuring the swirly reverberations of a Hammond and sharp jazzy sounds of a flute, Soco Mojo is sure to get everyone moving and psyched up for the rest of the evening.
The second band of the night will be none other than the runners up in ’s 2014 March Madness contest, Big Leg Emma! Based out of Jamestown in Western NY, Big Leg Emma have really come onto the jamband scene strong in the last couple of years, and if they keep up the good work, they are sure to continue growing and moving in the right direction. With a heavy base of real Americana music, throwing in some bluegrass, folk, and country for good measure, the jam component definitely comes out during their live performances, when their more dancy psychedelic side truly emerges.
If you live closer to the Albany area and can’t make it to Rusted Root’s show in Oneonta, they will be performing the following night, on June 28, at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park. Be sure to visit www.rustedroot.com for additional tour dates.
Originally from Brooklyn and now based out of Philadelphia, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (CYHSY for short) will be rocking BSP Kingston this Thursday night.
Formed in 2005, CYHSY are just one of the many indie rock gems to emerge from Brooklyn and have only gained momentum since then in the underground music scene. Following the departure of some band members to other musical interests, CYHSY has essentially turned into a solo project for frontman Alec Ounsworth. The band released their fourth full-length studio album Only Run on June 3rd, which features the single “Coming Down” with vocals by Matt Berninger of The National.
Opening the show is noise/art rock duo Stagnant Pools from Bloomington, Indiana who have been supporting CYHSY on a number of recent shows. The duo has been compared to acts such as Sonic Youth and Joy Division. Like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, they have recently released Geist on June 10 which can be previewed on their Bandcamp page.
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“Greta” and “Cream Puff War” were a pairing full of dirty funk and a seamless segue into “Cream Puff War’. The early Grateful Dead song filtered out of a higher intensity “Greta” jam, with Dave Schools’ bass taking charge to push Todd Nance to drive the rhythm into the faster-faced “Cream Puff War”. Listen to the two tracks below.
