Syracuse’s own Country Swagg Band, opened for Colt Ford at Toby Keith’s Syracuse, Friday night September 26. Performing covers of big stars such as Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, Country Swagg brought their “A” game to get the party started. As always, they did not disappoint. The show was packed with high intensity and yes, lots of fun too.
Lead guitarist, Tim Horst, just amazes me with that guitar. It’s hard enough playing it while in front of you, but he plays it backwards and up behind his head. During a sweet sentimental moment just after singing “Say Yes” written by lead vocalist Mike Johnson, he professed his love for his new bride of two weeks to the crowd. The fans, of course, just ate it up. Nothing like a country fairytale. The crowd sang along to every song and showed their support for this local country group; several Country Swagg T-shirts were even seen in the sea of people.
Country Swagg Band
Georgia native, Colt Ford hit the stage with his bass thumping mix of country/rock and hip hop to a huge crowd of fans ready to bring down the house. Colt Ford and his guys showed their love of the USA through some of their music and of course the American flag that hung from Colt’s shotgun mic stand. They saluted our veterans and troops with heartfelt lyrics that brought a few tears to the fans. Then it was back to the high energy, chest thumping bass that just takes control of your body and you’re unconsciously dancing away. He was set to party all night. Ford rocked the stage all while showing the crowd his fancy footwork and shaking his hips – reaching into the crowd grabbing cell phones to take selfies, handing them back to aw struck fans was the highlight of the evening.
Another highlight of this performance was when he asked the drummer for a stick and reached out into the crowd handing it to a young boy. Following that, one of the crew members approached the boy with a stack of picks. The smile on his face was priceless. Such a class act;
Ford sang of everything country, farmers to home cooked meals and truckers and hot country girls. They knew how to party and strike a chord in every fan there. The guys left the stage only to come back out to a chanting crowd to perform a cover of Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself”. Then they saluted the crows and America, all bowing together while Colt Fold raised his mic stand and waved the American Flag.
As day ten of The Great New York State Fair rolled in, it was destined to be a huge day. Skies were blue, temperatures perfect, and the day had a line up that made country music fans salivate…in fact it was the only day the grandstands had sold out with more than 17,000 fans anticipating a night they won’t forget. It was time for the “Burn It Down” tour to take center stage and you could already feel the heat.
Jason Aldean – Great NY State Fair Grandstands
Day 10-
Uncle Kracker –Setting out a bit early to enjoy the day with my son and his friends, it was a godsend that we did as we got stuck in the hour-long traffic on 690 coming in to the Fair. My regular exit, Exit 7, had already been closed and parking was being diverted to the Exit 6 Orange Parking Lot. Getting nervous that I would miss the opportunity to photograph Uncle Kracker (as media is only allowed the first three songs generally), I stayed calm and snaked my way around the hundreds of cars to the far back parking areas. Seeing that the window of time was diminishing, I began to panic. All I can say at this point was THANK YOU PARKING ATTENDANT that allowed me to make my own parking space that day so that I could catch the bus to the front gate. I literally made it with less than two minutes to spare. I didn’t even care that my son his friends never noted where we parked so that later in the evening when we left it would take us a half hour to find the car. All was good. I made it on time.
As I approached Chevy Court and as Uncle Kracker (real name Matt Shafer) took the stage, I noted a standing room only crowd. It was one of the largest afternoon crowds I had seen to date. Didn’t surprise me though as Uncle Kracker brings such an eclectic mix of music to his fans. His distinctive sound; raspy & sexy, lends itself perfrectly to a mix of country, rap, rock, and hip hop. Now with five albums under his belt and collaborations with such stars as Kid Rock and Kenney Chesney, it’s hard to believe that he began all those years ago as a DJ with his brother. He is an accomplished songwriter, performer, and his rapport with the crowd was entertaining as he bantered back and forth. Notable (and favorite) moments of the show had to include his mash-up of Steve Miller’s “Joker” into Jim Croce’s song “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown”, and his remake of “Drift Away” originally by Dobie Gray. His spin brought the crowd to their feet and a smile to their faces. In fact all of his songs tend to be upbeat and positive. Closing with his songs “Smile” and “All Summer Long” (co-written and recorded by friend, Kid Rock), you couldn’t help leaving Chevy Court in a good mood ready to tackle the crowds of the day.
Set List: Heaven > Saturday Night > Good To Be Me > Little While > Better Days > Blue Skies > Follow Me > Stranger >Got That Thing/Leroy Brown > Sun Goes Down > Happy > Disasters > Drift > Smile > All Summer Long
On this beautiful day as one meandered around the Fair you couldn’t help feeling like a small fish in a big sea. The crowds were massive. On Day 10, 120,617 individuals made their way through the gates breaking all previous records held for 25 years. In fact, on this day, the statistics show that the Great NY State Fair was the place to be.
Paid Parking Number – 23,010 which is the most the parking supervisor can recall in his more than a quarter century at the fair
Attendance for sold out Jason Aldean/Florida Georgia Line/Tyler Farr show : 17,050
$1 baked potatoes sold: 4,753
25 cent milk tickets sold 34,510
Gallons of chocolate milk sold at Rainbow Bar 1,508 (sold out by 8:30pm)
Number of Twinx (Twix bar in a Twinkie wrapped in bacon and deep-fried with a sprinkling of powdered sugar) sold at the Fried Specialties two booths: 1,140 about double any other day, says owner Jim Hasbrouck
Number of cups of beer and soda sold at the grandstand Saturday night approximately 18,500
Number of rides taken on the Wade Shows Midway 122,781
As I made my way through the sea of people towards the Grandstands it seemed that the wave of people would never end as they entered in the pre-requisite dress code of cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and either red white and blue or camouflage attire. It was proof that the Mason Dixon Line no longer exists and all things country are embraced right here in Central NY.
Tyler Farr– First up was Tyler Farr, one of country music’s newest and most promising acts of 2014. Being the second time I covered one of his shows, I couldn’t wait to see him and his awesome band perform once again. Just love taking photos of Gary, his guitar player who sports one of the greatest Mohawks out there. The one thing that stands out about Tyler Farr is his love of his audience. NYS Music unfortunately couldn’t coordinate our anticipated interview with Tyler for this show/article due to his busy schedule, but had we been able to I was planning to award him my official “Audience Appreciation” award. The first of its kind, and one that is not given out to just anyone. The first time I covered a Tyler Farr show was at the Taste of Country Festival down at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills. For the entire weekend, one young man in the audience wore a turkey decoy on his head. You couldn’t help but notice, you couldn’t help but admire his audacity, and you couldn’t help but wonder about him. I can’t tell you how many artists came out to perform on Friday and Saturday that had to have seen him. Then on Sunday when Tyler came out, he immediately called out the dude and told him “he was his new best friend”. Those things resonate with me as a journalist. I look to capture the interaction between the performer and audience and feed off of that energy for photos and my reviews. It was duly noted.
Fast forward now to this show, and once again Tyler Farr proved to me he’s all about his audience as he came right out into the crowd to perform amongst them, bringing the reason he’s where he is, down to earth again, with his fans. Not only did he bring it down to this fans, he gave a shout out to the sound and stage crew that work tirelessly during shows to make it all happen seamlessly. This young man does not put himself up on pedestals, so for this very reason I will place you up on one as a star. Humility is a wonderful character trait, and remembering what it’s all about in the fast paced music business is difficult to do. He is one individual you will hear more about as time goes on. His musical abilities, songwriting capabilities, and stage presence will be making this new artist one of country music’s future stars. I know he’s one of mine.
Florida Georgia Line– To say I was excited about the next two acts was an understatement. This would be the first time I had the opportunity to cover a Florida Georgia Line show. Well, they certainly lived up to my expectations. These two young men are two of the most energetic performers out there. They came out with a bang, singing, dancing, sending the crowd into a frenzy. If you were in the pit this evening, there is no doubt that you got to shake hands with one if not both as they did everything they could to reach out to everyone. I was totally impressed by them. True class act. Working the stage every minute of every song, they belted out favorites “Round Here”, “Shine On”, “This Is How We Roll”, Dirt”, and “Cruise” to name only a few on their set list. But it wasn’t until they began “Party People” that they took the crowd over the top as the crowd joined Tyler & Brian singing, cheering, and screaming alongside them and the band. High energy doesn’t begin to describe the electricity you felt from the performance. Power surge was more like it.
Jason Aldean – Jason Aldean’s Burn It Down Tour of 2014 has been sold out from coast to coast. With fire spewing all around him, Jason enters the stage, slowly rising on a platform from down below. As the form of the shadow appears with his cowboy hat tucked down over his eyes amidst the explosions and flames, it was apparent why this show has been deemed as one of the best tours of the year. This superstar sure knows how to make an entrance. For Jason Aldean, it’s not just all show, he can back this pomp and circumstance up with the music and the talents needed to classify him as one of today’s country superstars. With twelve number one hits, record selling albums, numerous nominations and awards from American Music Awards, Billboard, Country Music Association, Country Music Television Awards, Academy of Country Music, Teen Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and The Grammy’s, Jason Aldean has made his mark on Nashville, and in the record books as a country legend.
With his new album Old Boots, New Dirt right on the verge of release, it’s already hitting the charts with it’s first released number one single “Burnin It Down”. With a few more sneak peeks being released such as “Two Night Town,” “Sweet Little Something” and “Gonna Know We Were Here”, it’s only a matter of time that the number one hits and awards blazing their way through the charts for this album as well.
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.
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.
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.”
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
With less than two weeks to go, is gearing up for one of the best kept secrets of the North Country known as Backwoods Pondfest. The intimate festival offers a weekend of live music, camping, art and much more on August 8 and 9 at Peru, N.Y. Going strong in their 8th year, Backwoods Pondfest never disappoints with this year’s all-star lineup including Chali 2na and House of Vibe, Twiddle, Spiritual Rez, Turkuaz, Cabinet plus many more.
This “Road to Backwoods” series will shine a light on the Blind Owl Band, the all string quartet from Saranac Lake.
The Blind Owl Band will be a part of Troy’s Rocking on the River series on July 30th. Every Wednesday the downtown Troy area comes to life with free, outdoor concerts for guests to experience a wide range in musical genres. The music starts at 5pm and ends at 8:30pm, set up by the Green Island Bridge parking lot. Armed with a banjo, standup bass, mandolin and guitar, Arthur Buezo, Christian Cardiello, Eric Munley and James Ford create harmonious vocals and melodies that stretch as high as the Adirondack Mountains and their sound is an authentic, rebellious freight train. Despite the vintage and bluegrass vibe, Blind Owl Band pulls inspiration from modern day music to create a sound that is uniquely fresh. The long haired, mountain men will also makes stops at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT on July 31st and the Sterling Stage String Fling at Sterling, NY on August 1st.
Tickets are still available for Backwoods Pondfest and can be purchased on their website here or at any show featuring Lucid, The Garcia Project, Capital Zen and North Funktree. Tickets are only $70 including over 20 bands on 2 stages with 2 nights of car camping. Bring a non-perishible good and receive $5 off ticket price if you buy tickets Day of Show. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter for more to come from out “Road to Backwoods” series.
Hank Williams III, otherwise known as Hank3, will be playing several dates in Upstate, NY this June. Bringing his hellbilly style of country music to Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester. Williams is touring in support of his recent, October 2013 release of his double country album, Brothers of the 4X4, and punk album, A Fiendish Threat.
A Hank3 show is a one-of-a-kind musical performance that begins with a set of country music, then a set of his hellbilly tunes, followed by a knock down drag out Assjack psychobilly set. His shows take on these different personas while featuring Williams’ extensive range of instrumental expertise.
You can get your hellbilly groove on with Hank3 starting Wednesday June 11, in Rochester, NY at the Montage Music Hall. Doors open at 7PM, this is an 18+ show and tickets will be available at the door for $20.
Friday June 13 in Buffalo at the Town Ballroom the doors open at 7PM, ages 16+ and tickets are $20 in advance and $24 day of the show. Tickets are available online or at the box office.
Lastly, Saturday June 14 at Lost Horizon in Syracuse, doors open at 7PM and tickets can be purchased for $20 in advance and $25 day of show. Pick up your tickets at the venue box office.
Bluegrass heavyweights Yonder Mountain String Band have announced the lineup for their annual Harvest Music Festival being held at Ozark, AZ October 16-18 2014. This camping and music festival is bringing the top names in the industry to the picturesque Mulberry Mountain for a celebration of epic proportions.
Joining the festival lineup this year will be – Yonder Mountain String Band with special guest Jerry Douglas, Trampled By Turtles, Railroad Earth, The Jayhawks, Lettuce, The Devil Makes Three, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Jerry Douglas Band, Tea Leaf Green, Everyone Orchestra, Split Lip Rayfield, Elephant Revival, Cornmeal, and so many more!
All tickets include camping, a family camping area with a “lights out” at 11pm policy is also available. Children 11 and under are free with a paying adult, VIP tickets and camping are available. Tickets can be purchased online HERE.
Rochester rarely sees a bluegrass show, let alone a sold out bluegrass show. The April 23rd Devil Makes Three show at the Zeppa Auditorium was a welcomed oddity to that norm but they did wrong right. A 9 PM arrival to a show almost usually results in a few people at the bar, enjoying a drink before the party starts. Count this show as an oddity in that realm too then – the house was packed and pensively listening to the opening band, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons, an Americana band from Providence, RI with a bluesy sound.
The Devil Makes Three hit the stage strong with “Stranger, a song off the new album” I’m a Stranger Here. They wasted no time with playing house favorites when they slid smoothly into, “Beneath The Piano > Bullet” – the energy level was building with each song. With a look around the room, most knew every word to these songs, which played to the feel of the night, a room full of friends. The setlist was a fantastic combination of new songs and well-known songs from all their albums. Some of the highlights for this girl were, “Old Number 7” and “Gracefully Face Down” and by the sounds of it, I wasn’t the only one there whom had memorized nearly every word to every song. Most notably though, I was thrilled to hear upright bassist Lucia Turino sing a swanky tune. She rarely sings and seeing her play that bass and sing was a definite treat.
Quite possibly the greatest oddity of the night was the “bluegrass moshpit” that ensued and consumed every person anywhere near the stage. Maybe it was the fast paced “Do Right Wrong > Black Irish” that created the frenzy, or possibly it was the energy of the sold out room on another chilly Upstate, NY night, either way the moshpit was a new experience for this gal. A friend advised I take it all in and enjoy, “because it puts hair on your chest,” he said. But I digress, I prefer not to be tackled whilst dancing my heart out.
If this show was any indication of the things to come for this band, I will say that they are on their way up and already have a strong fan base in just about every city they play. Look for The Devil Makes Three this summer at festivals across the country.
The post explained that it was a group decision and made with heartfelt conversations over the past few months. The decision follows the birth of Austin’s new baby daughter and a winter tour that did not include the founding member.
Austin has also been focusing on his solo career and it seems they are all in agreement that this is a positive move for them all.
All future tour dates will feature special guests in place of Austin, with a new permanent line-up in 2015.
The official statement: Yonder Mountain String Band is all about family, and through the support of our family of fans, we have been able to play music for you for the past 15 years. We couldn’t be more proud about our successes and experiences performing at the best venues and festivals in the country, and for the most dedicated fans any band could ever wish to have. With this said, YMSB would like to share some news about the future of the band. Collectively, after long, heartfelt discussions, we’ve all decided to move forth with a newly formed line-up due to varying career goals and creative pursuits. As of today, all future YMSB shows will be performed with Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), and David Johnston (banjo, vocals). We will welcome exciting special guests throughout the rest of the year and we look forward to a new permanent line-up in 2015. YMSB fully supports Jeff Austin and his emerging solo career.
Yonder Mountain String Band will perform all scheduled dates throughout 2014 with the new line up and special guests. Jeff Austin will be announcing more dates for his solo endeavors in the coming months. The band wants the fans to know that this decision did not come easily, and we’ll certainly keep all of our fans up to date with the new Yonder band- member line-up information.
We greatly look forward to seeing everyone out on the road this Summer and Fall!
The boys from Yonder Mountain String Band will be bringing that thumpin noise back through Upstate NY in 2014 with their brothers in bluegrass arms, Railroad Earth, with their respective signature bluegrass sounds. Their summer tour will have stops throughout the East and West Coasts, with a much-needed stop in Syracuse, NY on July 11th at the F Shed.
This is an all ages show, doors open at 7PM and the show starts at 8PM. Tickets are $29.50-$60 and can be purchased online here, tickets go on sale this Friday at 10AM.
The Devil Makes Three is a folk-rockabilly-bluegrassy trio originating from nearby Brattleboro, VT – they will be traveling through Rochester, NY on their upcoming Spring Tour.
The group of friends left the East Coast and headed West to California, where they became, The Devil Makes Three in 2001 and have spent the last decade building a fan base from coast to coast. The trio has graced the stages of festivals such as – Delfest, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. They are a force to be reckoned with without a doubt.
The band will play Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY with Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons on April 23, the doors open at 7:30PM, this show is at 8PM, Ages 16+ tickets are $15 and can be purchased HERE.
Jeff Austin and 
