On a night celebrating 20 years of a free South Africa, The Swyer Theater at The Egg played host to a once in a lifetime show – Hugh Masakela and Vusi Mahlasela performing South African selections in an intimate setting.
To start the night, Vusi Mahlasela took the stage alone, playing “Ubuhle”, a speedy bike ride after a slow climb on a guitar that sounded like a harpsichord with a hint of sitar. Joined after by Francis Fuster (percussion), Ian Herman (drums), Bakithi Kumalo (bass, who, along with Herman and Fuster kept a consistent beat throughout the night), Mongezi Ntaka (guitar) and finally, Hugh Masakela, the audience rose up to thunderous applause and welcomed the sound of South Africa to the stage.
Ubuntu, translated as ‘humanity towards others’, was mentioned for the first time this evening, prior to the song “Meadowlands”, featuring a jazz groove, Vusi’s vocals and Hugh’s trumpet. Hugh then spoke about how much of a privilege it was to play in Albany, and thanked Albany for their role in the anti-apartheid movement, likely referencing the 1981 protests against the South African rugby football team who came to Bleeker Stadium to play against a local club. Nods and rumbles of agreement echoed through the theater, as Hugh told us that tonight we would hear songs of love, protest, tradition, and revolution
The legendary Mama Africa, Miriam Makeba, had her name invoked prior to “Thanayi”, pointing out that some form of beauty was to be found within all of us. Hugh performed in Troy, NY in the mid-90s with Makeba, a memorable experience that more than a few audience members chatted happily about in the theater lobby before and after the show. The cowbell intro to “Grazing in the Grass”, the most easily recognizable of the night’s songs, highlighted the trumpet once again as Masakela performed double-duty between the two instruments. “Weeping”, containing the melody from “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (the South African national anthem at a time when South Africans could not sing their own anthem under apartheid), was one of the more passionate and emotional songs of the evening. The lyrics reference moving past the anger over apartheid, rather than seek revenge after years of injustice:
It doesn’t matter now / It’s over anyhow / He tells the world that it’s sleeping / But as the night came round / I heard it’s lonely sound / It wasn’t roaring, it was weeping
As Masakela said early in the evening, “Forgiveness – all men should wear it like a crown.”
The show continued with “Say Africa”, an active crowd sing-along; Johnny Clegg’s ode to Nelson Mandela, “Asimbonanga”, clearly a more emotional and life affirming song for Hugh and Vusi, followed by “When You Come Back”, which told the story of the gold trains that traveled from countries in south and central Africa to Johannesburg, bringing miners to work 16 hour days. Hugh imitated the train whistle and screech eerily well, the tone of his voice and the threatening pace of the beat conveying the passions towards the exploitation of labor.
Naturally, the final songs of the evening would be more upbeat, and with Masakela saying to the crowd “Shake your bootie for all those old geezers” (a reference to Mandela and those he was sentenced to life in prison with), the crowd rose up and danced, waved their arms and sang “Bring him back home to Soweto”. For the final ten minutes, there was nonstop music, dancing and band introductions. An encore of “Pata Pata” was prefaced with an apology from Hugh, “Sorry, but you have to stand up and boogie harder”, the band singing “Dance, dance, dance, what a party!” and sending the crowd out with broad smiles and beaming with energy.
Professing the philosophy of Ubuntu throughout the night, Mahlasela and Masekela mentioned its many elements – love, helpfulness, neutrality, variety, and the redistribution of morals, knowledge and skills – throughout their music, a common theme that tied the night, audience and band together.
Hugh Masakela and Vusi MahlaselaSetlist: Ubuhle, Meadowlands, Thanayi, Miyela Afrika, Grazing in the Grass, Weeping, Say Africa, Asimbonanaga, When You Come Back, Stimela, Bring him back home, Unomeva
In the world of hard rock and heavy metal, there are drummers, and then there is Vinnie Paul. Starting up his first project in 1981, which would soon become the game-changing metal band Pantera, Vinnie has been delivering crushing drum beats for three solid decades. When tragedy struck in 2004 while playing with Damageplan, it was unclear if Vinnie would ever play drums again. But you can’t take the music out of the man, and soon Hellyeah, a veritable metal supergroup, was formed in 2006 with Vinnie once again behind the kit. interview
On the recent Five Finger Death Punch and Volbeat tour, Hellyeah brought their incredible sound and heavy presence in support every night. When the tour came to The Times Union Center in Albany New York, I was lucky and honored to be able to talk with Vinnie about the road, the band’s newest record, and the future. Because of a scheduling error, Jim Gilbert and myself were rushed into a small back room with a broken cooler and a chair, and were warmly welcomed by rock royalty.
Vinnie Paul (Hellyeah, Damageplan, Pantera) and Jeff Ayers (NYSMusic)
Jeff Ayers: So how has this tour been going? I’ve been following you on social media, it looks great.
Vinnie Paul: Absolutely awesome. One of the favorite tours I have ever been a part of. Every band is different from each other, and unique from each other. It’s been sold out, or nearly sold out every night, and it’s a great opportunity for us to play to a lot of people that have never seen us, and to play to people who have seen us before. It’s just been awesome man. Five Finger and Volbeat have been treating us great, and we are all really good friends, everybody gets along, so everybody’s having a great time.
JA: That’s great. Speaking of social media, you really do a lot on the internet.
VP: I try to keep the fans informed as much as I can.
JA: You definitely do, and speaking from people who came up in the music business before all that, was that easy for you to pick up, or did it take some getting used to?
VP: You just have to catch up, you know? Back in the day it was word of mouth. “You gotta check this band out”. This guy went and told this guy, and that guy went and told these girls, and those girls went and told their friends. Five people told ten people, and that is how it spread. Nowadays you can touch so many people with just a touch of the button, it’s incredible.
JA: Recently in the press, Gene Simmons said Rock is Dead. Your band, and this tour, is direct opposition to that statement. In your own opinion, what do you believe is the current state of rock music?
VP: I think Gene was speaking from a different perspective. We are talking about, if you wanna look at the bands that are still headlining huge festivals and stuff, it’s still KISS, it’s still Motley Crue, it’s still Metallica. It’s the same bands that were doing it fifteen or twenty years ago. There hasn’t been any bands that have stepped to the forefront to be as big as those bands. So that’s where his perspective is coming from. But as far as rock and metal being dead, there is no way it will ever die. It is the greatest form of music there ever was, people love it and still support it. Sometimes it goes through phases of more popularity or less popularity, unfortunately with all the downloading that goes on it is harder and harder for artists to tour, especially young bands that are just coming up. But there are still people who are out there fighting, we are here, Five Finger is here, Volbeat is here, there are a lot of great bands out there doing this. I’m not going away from it. It has changed a ton from when you would buy Pantera albums, and not CD’s and all that, but you either get in line with or you fucking fall by the wayside.
Album Cover
JA: Very true. As a drummer, and from maybe a non-metal area, what are some of your lesser known influences? Maybe something that drives you from the beginning of your career, or music that you have found as your career has taken you places?
VP: I’m a fan of any kind of music except hip-hop. Hip-hop just doesn’t do anything for me. I grew up listening to a lot of country and western, a lot of David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings, and stuff like that. And, you know, all the bands from Texas; Kings X, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians, all that stuff was really influential and good to go watch at an early age. I don’t think there are any big ‘secrets’ as to something in my [music] vault that you don’t know anything about. I love female singers. I like Christina Aguilera, and I like the Heart sisters. Lzzy Hale, from Halestorm is an amazing vocalist, Pat Benetar, so maybe that’s something people didn’t really know.
JA: Lots of great music. Pat Benetar is actually going to be [in Albany] very soon. So this just hit me, because you mentioned David Allan Coe, how did the album that you guys did [Vinnie, his brother Dimebag Darryl and Rex Brown from Pantera] with David Allan Coe come about? What’s the story behind Rebel Meets Rebel?
VP: Well it’s really crazy. Like I said, my brother and I used to hear him [a lot], he was one of my mom’s favorite country artists back in the day. My brother went over in 1999 to see David Allan Coe play at a place called Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas. So, you know, we always would take our Pantera CD’s and DVD’s with us to pass them off to people, and Dime actually stood in line, the meet and greet line, for David Allan, and he stood there with like a hundred people and he was at the end of the line. So when he got up to David he said “Hey man, I know you don’t know who I am or anything, but I play in this band Pantera and I love your music, and I wanna give you a DVD, and maybe we can get together and write some songs sometime.” So Dime gave him his phone number, and the next day about eight o’clock in the morning, Dime said his phone rang, and he said there was this country dude on the phone and [laughs, in his best David Allan impression] “Hey man, this David Allan Coe” and Dime was like David Allan Coe? At eight o’clock in the morning? What’s going on?
Jim Gilbert: I would not think he would be up at eight in the morning.
VP: Yeah, right? [laughs] But he was like, “I just watched this DVD you gave me man, and you guys are like the fucking Beatles of fucking 1999 man! When are we gonna get together and start writing some songs?” That is basically how it happened. So he came into town, and everytime he would come to town after that we would write a few songs with him. This happened like four times and by that point we had enough stuff for a record, and we finished it. At that time, we were doing Damageplan, and the fans were really confused as to what had happened with Pantera, and we didn’t want to confuse them further, so we put it on the shelf. Then, after the horrible thing that happened with my brother, it took me about eight months to get my life together, and the first thing that came to me was man, Dime was really proud of that album, and I gotta get it out for him, you know? It was really important to me, so I started my own label and put it out, and it did really well.
JA: Yea, I love that record.
VP: Thank you. Honestly, it was the first true collaboration between a heavy metal outlaw band and a country outlaw together. Some people had done it with a single or something, but that was the first full length record.
JG: Also, country music influencing metal right now, is so popular, there is such a blend.
VP: Yeah there is a great crossover there, for sure.
JA: So back to Hellyeah. Blood for Blood, marks in my opinion, the best, most coherent version of the band to date.
VP: Thanks man.
JA: Did you guys go into the studio with that mindset, or was that born from the recording process?
VP: Well, we felt like we got back on track with what we wanted to do, and what the fans wanted us to do, being a metal band. The first two records were really experimentally, doing things outside of what we had done with Nothing Face, Mudvayne and Pantera, and songs like “Alcohaulin’ Ass” and “Hell of a Time” were songs that wouldn’t work in those bands. So once we got that out of our system, we got back to doing what are roots are, which is metal, with Band of Brothers. Once we finished the Gigantour last year with Megadeth and Black Label Society, we felt like we pulled the heavy fans back in. We wanted to get in the studio and make the best record of our careers. At that time, that is when we realised that Greg [Tribbett] and Bob[Zilla] didn’t have the same vision or focus, and they both had serious personal issues that were taking away from the band, so we parted company. So myself, Tom [Maxwell] and Chad [Gray] wrote the entire record with a brand new producer [for us] Kevin Churko, and he really understood the vision we had and we made the best record we ever made, so we are really proud of it.
JA: You should be, it is a really great record. You said that the track “Say When” is the first time you have written a drum part that extreme since the Far Beyond Driven days. Do see more parts like that in the future?
VP: Yeah man, especially with the direction we are going, it allows for more drumming, and heavier stuff. Like I said, the other records, the earlier Hellyeah was more rock and roll influenced, so it required me to be more of a back beat on things. Going back in the metal direction, it gives me more freedom as a drummer to tear it up and do more.
JA: Awesome! What’s next for Hellyeah after this tour?
VP: Well we have a long tour to go, this is only the tenth show! [laughs]. So this goes until November, then we will be off until New Years Eve, with a show I can’t talk about yet, and then next year is a whole year of touring. Definitely a tour of the U.S., Europe again in the spring, we will be going to South America, Japan, all that and non-stop touring until probably October next year, then back to the studio and do it all over again!
The Fleetwood Mac reunion tour has just begun and already has been expanded well into 2015. The shows will feature the return of long time member Christine McVie whom – sans a quick two show stint in 2013 – has not been active in the band since 1998. The North America centered tour will run at least into April of next year with dates all across the US and Canada.
Upstate fans can look forward to a triple dose of Mac and McVie with dates in New York City (Jan 22 Madison Square Garden) Uniondale (Jan 25 Nassau Coliseum) and Buffalo (Jan 31 First Niagara Center). Tickets to all these shows are bound to sell out, so if you want to catch this rare reunion of one of classic rocks greats, do not delay.
Fleetwood Mac 2014-2015 Tour
10/10 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/11 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
10/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
10/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
10/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
10/19 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
10/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10/22 – Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Center
10/31 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
11/01 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
11/10 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
11/12 – Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
11/14 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
11/15 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
11/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
11/20 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
11/22 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
11/24 – Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Arena
11/25 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
11/28 – Inglewood, CA @ The Forum
11/29 – Inglewood, CA @ The Forum
12/02 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
12/03 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
12/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
12/12 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
12/14 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
12/15 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
12/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
12/19 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BB&T Center
12/20 – Tampa, FL @ Tampa Bay Times Forum
01/16 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
01/17 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
01/20 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
01/22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
01/24 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall
01/25 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
01/28 – Providence, RI @ Dunkin’ Donuts Center
01/31 – Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
02/03 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
02/05 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
02/07 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
02/08 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
02/11 – Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
02/12 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
02/14 – Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
02/17 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
02/18 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
03/01 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
03/07 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
03/08 – Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena
03/11 – Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
03/12 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
03/15 – Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena
03/17 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex
03/18 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
03/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
03/28 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
03/31 – Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
Better By Morning is the creation of Jake Brooks (vocals, guitar, bass, keys) and Johnny Gravitt (Lead and rhythm guitar), they’ve released their first EP You Say. It’s aptly titled as many listeners will have much to say after hearing this.
Joining them on this EP are Roy Stein on drums of, My Plastic Sun and Jet Black Berries and Johnny Cummings, organ on tracks 1 & 3, also a member of My Plastic Sun and Jet Black Berries, their live performances feature Bradley Paquet (bass) and Kyle Squires (drums). Stein and Cummings come to the band through Nazareth College where Brooks is a student and Stein a Professor and Director of the Music/Business program, quite the interesting combination. Stein was enlisted to help finish the EP after their previous drummer departed and the multitalented Cummings was introduced to the equation by Stein. Together they’ve created a frankly stunning first release, bolstered by the nimble ears and fingers of Cody Niver at CGI Studios in Ontario, N.Y. and Tim Lynch at The Recording Company, Albany, N.Y. Track 2 was mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound and the balance by Cody Niver at CGI Studio. Deftly talented artists’ each, the end result is even, yet dynamic with an underlying impulse for a number 11 on the volume knob.
If you have any knowledge (and you should) of Stein and Cumming’s work in their bands My Plastic Sun and Jet Black Berries, you’ll know these are two of the most remarkably talented individuals working from the Rochester area. To have them participate and speak as highly of Brooks as they do says volumes of what is in store from Better By Morning. Like Cummings, Brooks is a multi-instrumental talent, his voice is both commanding and sensitive, its depth belies his age. The band hails from lovely Saratoga Springs, N.Y., so having surroundings that inspire are certainly falling in their favor. The strength of his musical partnership with Gravitt is clearly evident and they’ve set a high bar for themselves. The hallmark of great pop and rock are big guitars, Gravitt provides the needed licks to accentuate and power the sweet melodies. Better By Morning has implied that planning for another EP is already in the works, but that’s for later, let’s get right to their current offering.
While they’ve chosen “alternative” as the box to click genre wise, the songwriting duo of Brooks/Gravitt prove it’s much more than that with their lyrical and musical flexibility that conjures the energy of an early U2 with Coldplay intellect and diversity. The opener “Bird Won’t Fly” really lays it out there with a solid hook, soaring vocals and a driving rhythm, immediately listenable and repeatable. “Sell” has a Franz Ferdinand feel, the syncopated guitar and layered harmonies rise and fall into the breathy verses.
“Hearts” is pure melodic power-pop in spades, it hits on every cylinder from the call and respond vocal to the rich instrumentation. The mix is so even that the bass pushes the melody line while the drums pacing is bright and on top of it, swelling with the guitar and urging the emotive delivery from Brooks. Very dynamic and well-engineered. “Pages” sounds like the built-in single, the catchy guitar riff, the easily assessable lyric, it pushes, bounces and urges motion within the listener. Trademark stuff for well-hewn power-pop.
The closer, “Change Your Mind” gives Gravitt a chance to really cut it loose and get outside of the box a little. While his subtlety throughout the earlier songs is within the formula and fitting, there’s always space and frankly need, for that signature riff. I’d like to hear more of it. The restraint demonstrated by each player throughout is admirable, they obviously have the chops to run-over each other trying to grab the limelight. It shows a great deal of maturity and thoughtfulness to avoid that trap and work as a cohesive unit.
Key Tracks: Sell, Pages, Change Your Mind
I believe there is a ton of room for growth with Better By Morning, I also believe that there is another personality they take on when they play live. They’ve just announced an opportunity to see just that at Bug Jar in Rochester on November 11. Details on the show and their EP are available at their many social media and internet outlets, their website, facebook, twitter
What happens when music emerges from Pennsyltucky by way of Austin via two lovely ladies with a fire in their hearts? Storied tales told through song in a style reminiscent of old-timey country yet dashed in modern indie folk-rock make up The Hello Strangers, that is what happens!
Currently, The Hello Strangers are on tour in support of their self-titled album. Featuring eleven songs and two originals, country giant and omnipresent, Jim Lauderdale sings “What You Don’t Know”. A slowed version of “Que Sera, Sera” is a hauntingly beautiful nod to the sisters’ lineage as their grandfather, Ronald Chace, sang with Doris Day.
An equally talented trio supports Larrissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace: Spencer Pheil, Trent Renshaw, and Tom Hoy. Don’t miss this opportunity to say hello, hear some tunes and perhaps, no longer be strangers. The Hello Strangers are sure to tickle your fancy. Local 518 band, Rebel Darling led by MR Poulopoulos, will open the show. Tickets are available at The Linda.
On a Fall October night in Albany at The Low Beat, two local bands took to the stage to show that the music scene in the area is alive and well. The Sea The Sea, with openers Great Mutations played their first and third live shows of the area, respectively, and made new fans to those who were in attendance. Three piece act Great Mutations, from Troy, started the evening off with some easy-going rock tunes that would sound perfect on the California coast. Their songs were well written, both musically and lyrically. The beginning of their set saw some trepidation from the band, but by the end of the set their confidence oozed through the music. Lead singer and guitarist Matt Thouin said after the set that the band likes to mainly record and haven’t looked into playing live shows, but hopefully this will change as the band showed off a lot of potential in their 40 minute set.
After a short break The Sea The Sea played their first Albany show. Duo Mira Stanley and Chuck E. Costa played a great set of folk-rock that had signs of deep space and jamming thrown in for good measure. The Sea The Sea’s name, which means ‘a cry of joy’, came from a Greek tale of soldiers arriving to see the ocean and exclaiming the words and Mira and Chuck sing their songs with such joy that the name fits perfectly. Their harmonies at times soared over the music with their dreamy lyrics and made everyone in the venue focus on what was being sung instead of the music that was being produced.
With only one album to their credit, The Sea The Sea decided to surprise the crowd and play a set mostly composed of brand new music that no one has heard yet and hopefully will make the second album the band plans on recording will living in the Albany area once again. The one song they played from their first album was the title track “Love We Are We Love” and it gave the group a moment to not worry about the new material and let them go zone in on the music. The rest of the music throughout the night was wonderful as well. The best new track was “Drunken King” near the end of the evening. The haunting track has Pink Floyd vocal wailing from Mira, while Chuck sings straight forward and plays the keys. The minimal music in the song lets the lyrics really be the forefront of what the listener is hearing throughout the song.
With two guitars, a harmonica, a drum set, a keyboard, and two voices, The Sea The Sea put on an hour-long set that seemed to go by too quickly. Though the music is not what one would consider busy, it melds perfectly with their voices to create a beautiful sound-scape that gets caught in your head and doesn’t want to leave. The band is now once again living in the Capital District and should be playing regularly around town. The small crowd at The Low Beat for the show were won over by show’s end. Hopefully as more shows pop up for The Sea The Sea, the crowds for this great duo continue to rise like the tide.
Sixx A.M. released their third full-length album Modern Vintage on October 7 and has struck lightening once again. What makes this Eleven Seven Music released album even more intriguing than the previous two releases, is that this marks the first time that Nikki Sixx, James Michael, and D.J. Ashba have written an album without using a Nikki Sixx novel as source material.
Opening track “Stars” has brilliant guitar work while “Gotta Get It Right” song sounds like something Queen would write. This album fully shows off the kind of music that influenced them. The songs seem a lot shorter than songs off their previous releases. It’s definitely a step in a different direction. The material isn’t as heavy as the other two releases, but by no means lacks energy in the songs.
“Get Ya Some” is a nice change of pace with the acoustic guitar, then “Let’s Go” cranks things real loud really showcasing the band’s depth. James Michael’s vocals throughout the album are absolute gold. He has such an Elton John flavor with a touch of 90’s alternative to his voice that really makes this band really stand out among other hard rock bands. Sixx A.M. is not just riding high because of the name. The band has real talent.
It was recently revealed current Black Label Society drummer Jeff Fab laid down the drums for this album and will be playing behind the kit for the live shows.
Midway through the album, Sixx A.M. goes into a power ballad with “Drive” before going into the Motley Crue like “Give Me A Love” which is also a catchy tune. Going into the end of the album, “Miracle” is clearly a nod to the eighties, while closing track “Before It’s Over” ends the album on a rather strange note.
Overall, a solid release from Sixx A.M. A departure from the previous two releases, however, Sixx A.M. is here to stay. I would expect after Motley Crue wraps up their farewell tour, Nikki Sixx will make Sixx A.M. his full-time gig, And I would imagine D.J. Ashba will have plenty time off with Guns N’ Roses to be a part of it.
If you attend college at SU, every now and then you need an excuse to go to Funk N’ Waffles. Maybe it’s the sweet aroma, abstract art, or the dynamic acts they book. No matter what your reasoning is, October 9th is the day to be at the Funk, because the one the only Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will astound all of us with a funky fresh energy that will make the best (waffle) dinner and a show of all time. Based out of Baltimore, this quirky combo has sailed to the top in the past five years, from the University of Maryland dorms to prestigious stages across the nation. I got to talk with the lead singer Greg Ormont about their past summer festival season, greatest moments, and upcoming releases.
Julia Wolfe: If you were describing your music to someone who doesn’t know your band, what three adjectives would you use?
Greg Ormont: High energy, psychedelic, and funk. I would need to put fun in there somewhere, so I would probably do that for extra credit?
JW: Sure! I’m cool with bonus points. I also noticed you guys recently played at the Catskill Chill Music Festival, alongside Lettuce, Papadosio, and Dopapod. What was that like?
GO: It was an honor to play Catskill Chill. It was our second time playing there, and the lineup is just so impressive from top to bottom. It was an incredibly deep and fanastic, funky lineup, so playing alongside those musicians is just a dream come true. We were able to invite some of our friends up on stage, so we had Mihali Savoulidis from Twiddle play guitar with us, along with others. There’s so much great cool stuff to see and great music.
JW: What would you say is your dream gig? What bands do you idolize?
GO: My dream gigs would be Jam Cruise, Madison Square Garden, and Vegas on Halloween somewhere. I would play with Phish, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. If I had to answer with one dream gig, though, it would be the Superbowl Halftime Show with special guest Stevie Wonder.
JW: I looked into your discography, and it shows your first record was released in 2010, so you guys are still pretty new. How have you handled taking off so quickly in the past 5 years?
GO: We just love to play music. Back when we started this band, it was for fun. To this day, it’s still about the fun. As we play bigger venues and have more prestigious lineups, we continue to focus on having a good time on stage and have the crowd have an even better time. We’ve always been drawn to the energy that we share with an audience, and that’s what we focus on. It’s nice that we get to play later and longer at shows, but it all boils down to having a great time.
JW: It looks like you’ve hit up a ton of venues across the US. What has been your favorite so far?
GO: Opening for the Disco Biscuits at the Best Buy Theatre on New Year’s Eve. The 930 Club in DC and the 8 by 10 in Baltimore were also some of our favorites.
JW: Where can we expect to see you in the future? Any cool shows or releases coming up?
GO: We just recently announced New Year’s Eve in Richmond, Virginia. Just yesterday, we announced more shows in Upstate New York. We’re also playing Aura Music Festival in Florida, which is one of my favorite places to play by far. It’s one of the most beautiful grounds I’ve ever stepped on with the most visionary lineups of the year. It’s going to be a great show.
JW: If people want to follow your updates, where can they find you?
GO: Definitely on our facebook page as well as our website, but I also would recommend to follow our Instagram. Facebook has most of our band information, but our Instagram has all of our wacky, spur of the moment photos from our tour, so both are worth checking out.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong released their second album, Psychology in July of 2014, and have undergone an extensive season of touring since. Despite their multiple stops in upstate New York, you won’t get as much of an inclusive experience unless you go to Funk N’ Waffles on South Crouse Ave. They stop here October 9th at 8:30pm, and food and beverages will be available for sale, as always. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, but I’d recommend getting there early to secure a seat. See ya there!
Exciting news today as Trey Anastasio Band has announced a fall tour of the Northeast and a new album, Paper Wheels, due in early 2015. The album was recently recorded by the band at The Barn, Anastasio’s reconstructed barn-turned-rehearsal/recording studio located outside Burlington, VT, in less than a week.
Inspired by the immediacy of Stax-era recordings, Anastasio and his band mates recorded the songs live, playing and singing together in one room and often requiring no more than one or two takes. This tour will let the band preview the songs on the album before the release. As an added bonus today you can download “Bounce” right now as a free download at Trey’s website for a preview of Paper Wheels. The album was produced and engineered by Bryce Goggin, who helmed several Phish albums and has also partnered with Anastasio on previous solo projects, and mixed by Elliot Scheiner (Steely Dan, Van Morrison).
Trey Anastasio Band has previewed some of these songs already on their West Coast tour this past spring, as well as the special Brooklyn Bowl taping for PBS in August. Other songs that have been played already and are expected on the new album include “In Rounds,” “Paper Wheels,” “Lever Boy”and “Sometime After Sunset”.
The tour will start the day after Thanksgiving in Chicago before coming to the East Coast. The first two night stand of the tour will take place at the famed 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. on December 2 and 3. This will be followed by another two night stand at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre on December 5 and 6. On December 9, the band will be Binghamton’s Broome County Forum Theatre. The Beacon Theatre in New York City will get the band on December 11 and 12 with the tour wrapping up the following evening on December 13 at Philadelphia’s Tower Theatre. Tickets will be going on a pre-sale through Trey Ticketing on Thursday October 9 at Noon with a public sale happening Thursday October 16. The full list of tour dates is below.
11/28 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
11/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/30 – Richmond, VA @ The National
12/02 & 03 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/05 & 06 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/07 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre 12/09 – Binghamton, NY @ Broome County Forum Theatre 12/11 & 12 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
12/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
Putnam Den was the site of one of the hottest shows that is going to be seen anywhere, at anytime on Friday, October 3 with Super 400. The bar was packed, first with patrons surrounded around the TVs watching the baseball playoffs but when Suitable Groove took this stage the bar became sparse and the stage area began to fill up to get a better look at opening act of the evening.
Opening up with the hoppy dance track “Up to the Front”, which grabbed everyone’s attention with an energy matched by few. The solos where abounding as each member added their own uniqueness to the bands sound. The drummer, Ian Henderson, did not just hold the songs together with his rhythmic beats, he also sang lead vocals, a complicated task. Bassist Eric Johnson helped in this as well as he laid down beats in which keyboardist Chadd Portwine, who was filled with energy, danced around getting the crowd even more engaged then they already were. The guitar playing of Wayne Chaet, however, was a very high energy groove, a Suitable Groove if you will. They also had the ability to bring it back down to the songs original composition. This was the perfect opening act for what was to come next with Super 400 ready to take the stage.
The energetic “Be My Friend” opened up Super 400‘s set and had the crowd eating out of their hands from the onset and there was no turning back. This and many of their songs featured shredding guitar solos from Kenny Hohman, but unlike many bands where guitars solos are the feature of the band, this was not the deal with Super 400. They focused more on the songs, the lyrics and the melodies which complemented the songs to perfection. Lori Friday added a higher pitch and slower vocal that matched Hohman’s more raspy southern rock feel. Friday however was not just a backing vocalist by any stretch of the imaginations, taking leads on many tracks that still wasn’t her highlighted skill. She laid down sick bass solos and had the crowd in awe. She was tearing it up to the point drummer Joe Daly and her were almost dueling, which just brought the energy lever higher. The show was amazing in every aspect.
Playing covers of the Beatles “Don’t Let me Down,” to Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet,” and new renditions of standards that have been heard hundreds of times, but with Super 400 playing them it seemed as if it was the first time they were ever heard. Everyone in attendance was blown away, and although it was a free show, people said they would have had no problem paying to see this spectacle, a statement to just how fantastic the night was.
Sixx A.M
Inspired by the immediacy of Stax-era recordings, Anastasio and his band mates recorded the songs live, playing and singing together in one room and often requiring no more than one or two takes. This tour will let the band preview the songs on the album before the release. As an added bonus today you can