Singer-songwriter Joe Cocker passed away today at the age of 70. It is believed he succumbed to Lung Cancer in his Colorado residence.
Joe Cocker’s distinct voice will be forever missed and his influence will live on through the countless singers of our generation. Cocker’s rendition of The Beatles’ song “With a Little Help From My Friends” will forever be remembered as one the greatest moments in rock history.
Southern Jammers Widespread Panic have confirmed a two night stop in Brooklyn at Kings Theatre within their first leg of Spring Tour 2015.
The band who do not usually play the Northeast much let alone New York State, is starting to make it up north more frequently. Playing Lewiston’s Artpark this past Summer and Syracuse in November 2013, the band continues to play more frequently which all at certainly welcome. The two night show in Brooklyn will be on April 24-25 at the newly refurbished Kings Theatre. Tickets will go on sale January 30 at 10am
Spring Tour 2015
03/13 Boise, ID -Morrison Center
03/14 Spokane, WA -Martin Woldson Theater
03/15 Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
03/17 Portland, OR – Schnitzer Concert Hall
03/19 – 03/21 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
03/24 – 03/25 Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
03/27 – 03/28 Las Vegas, NV – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
04/24 – 04/25 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
So far this week, we’ve brought you the Best of Upstate 2014, featuring the best albums, festivals and venues. Today we focus on the up-and-coming acts in Upstate New York. Last year, Aqueous took top honors as the best Band on the Rise coming out of Upstate New York. Since last year, they have released a new album Cycles, off a successful Kickstarter campaign, played numerous festivals from Summercamp to Peach Fest and many in between, and should be announcing Spring tour dates very soon. Band on the Rise is a title bestowed only one-time to bands from Upstate New York and Aqueous was clearly a solid choice in 2013.
The 2014 Band on the Rise is Mister F. Based out of Albany and featuring Andrew Chamberlaine (guitar) Scott Hannay (keys) Ben Pickering (bass) and Matt Pickering (drums) the progressive/electronic band have been touring throughout the Northeast, down the East coast, as far as Kansas, opening up for such acts as Twiddle, Snarky Puppy, Dopapod, Turkuaz, The Mantras and Tauk. With their debut album, The F Stands Four, the band is set for a great 2015, which they will ring in with two separate NYE performances – one at Rock n Roll Resort in Kerhonksen, and then later that night at Parish Public House in Albany following moe.’s New Years show at The Palace Theatre. Check Mister F’s set at Disc Jam this summer and see what makes them ‘s 2014 Band on the Rise.
Honorable Mentions
Buffalo’s Aqueous have played 100+ shows for two straight years now up and down the east coast and throughout the mid west. That trend will continue this winter as the band continues to reinforce their fan base throughout the mid and eastern US. Upstate denizens will get several chances to see the fast rising groove rock band. Besides the previously announced Dec 18 show at The Hollow in Albany and NYE at Buffalo Iron Work’s – AQ will hit Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs Feb 7 (w/ legendary jam band Max Creek)and Jamestown on Valentines day. More NY dates are rumored to be in the works.
More info on all shows can be found on the band’s website. Check out the full list of 2014-15 tour dates below. Ticket’s for Aqueous’s NYE show are available here for 10$ pre-sale.
Phish bassist Mike Gordon has released a new live CD. Recorded on March 22, 2014 at The Rio in Vancouver, British Columbia, the CD features Scott Murawski on guitar, Tom Cleary on keyboards, Craig Myers on percussion, and Todd Isler on the drums in support of Gordon. The show has been remastered and is available at livephish.com.
The Rio in Vancouver show includes tracks “Long Black Line,” “Face,” “Paint,” and “Jumping,” off Mike Gordon’s studio album, Overstep, which released on February 25, 2014. Also on the Vancouver release is “Peel,” during which front-row fans joined in the music-making process by hitting the keys on a light-up keyboard that spanned the length of the stage. According to Gordon, “all the new cannons were firing,” and “’Peel’ kept traveling into crevices of our dreamworlds.”
Gordon will be taking his talents to South Beach. Phish rings in 2015 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, December 31-January 3.
In our 2014 Best of Upstate series, we have so far looked at the Best Albums and Best Festivals of 2014. Today we look at the music venues throughout Upstate NY. The region is blessed with incredible clubs, theatres and arena throughout the state, all bringing in a wide range of musical acts for the population living in Upstate New York, and drawing in music fans from outside our region.
Best Club
Honorable Mentions
Best Theatre
Honorable Mentions
Best Arena/Amphitheater
Honorable Mentions
Despite the name, Quiet Life (New London, CT/Portland, OR) along with The Ballroom Thieves (Boston, MA) will settle up at BSP Kingston with sets of cozy, foot-stomping tunes fit for the dull hump of a Wednesday.
Natives of New London, CT and currently from Portland, OR, Quiet Life is touring behind the breakout success of their recent EP release “Housebroken Man,” which included collaborations with My Morning Jacket guitarist Jim James and Cary Ann Hearst of Shovels & Rope. The band is also putting the finishing touches on a new full length album, produced by Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog, due out in 2015. Known for a rowdy live show, Quiet Life have toured with the likes of The Lumineers, Alabama Shakes, and The Head & the Heart.
Joining Quiet Life is The Ballroom Thieves bringing a slow, deliberate build in their music to the BSP. Their music takes a commanding role onstage from the start, turning any size venue into an intimate environment.
Kingston’s own Time Travels will be opening the show.
The show runs from 7 – 11 pm and tickets are available here and at the door for $7
.
Turkuaz, a fun filled funk band out of Brooklyn, NY who are infamous for their matching jumpsuits are playing at The Westcott Theatre in Syracuse on December 11. This large family consists of 8 members; Dave Brandwein on guitar and vocals, Taylor Shell play the bass, Craig Brodhead on guitar and synths, Michelangelo Carubba on drums, Greg Sanderson plays saxophone, Joshua Schwartz also on saxophone and vocals, Chris Brouwers trumpet and keyboard, lastly Sammi Garett, vocals and tambourine. Despite the size of the band, these multi-talented musicians have a unique chemistry amongst themselves. This celebration starts on Thursday, December the 11 at 8pm. Annie in the Water and Ocupanther open up the night. Get your tickets here.
Here we are, reaching the end of an incredible 2014 and it’s time for our annual ‘Best of Upstate’ series, this one focusing on albums. The Upstate staff have been hard at work this entire year covering local and national acts across New York State and beyond. We are blessed with the great deal of music that passes through Upstate and brings a wide range of offerings to the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.
Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2014. We looked at 12 categories – Upstate Album, Overall Album, Upstate Show, Show, Upstate Festival, Festival, Family Friendly Festival, Club, Best Theater/Theatre, Arena/Amphitheater, Bands on the Rise and Best Collaboration. – and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year. We’ll bring you a couple categories each day this week, starting with the best albums today.
Honorable Mentions
Formula 5 Edging on Catastrophe
Perfect Pussy – Say Yes To Love
Tie: Phish Fuego and String Cheese Incident A Song in my Head
Honorable mentions