NYS Music 20​14

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • Thank Jesus, Metal Returns to Saratoga

    The Saratoga Springs, New York horse racing tourists are going home, students are going back to school, and the metal is returning to the Putnam Den. Hometown hard rockers Thank Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars [JCHA] are offering up a great night of music on Friday, September 5th. Five dollars will get you through the door, and into a night heavy on the music and the fun.

    JCHA has been hosting a monthly heavy music residency at the Den, whose reputation leans toward jam music.  The monthly onslaughts have been importing talent from around the northeast along with other local heavy hitters.  This month is no different except that instead of it’s normal Thursday occurrence, Metal is invading the Saratoga prime-time, a sacred Friday night.

    Crown of Vultures, formerly Vacant, from Albany, will bring their progressive metal to the stage. Then the incredible two man assault of Foaming at the Mouth is an act not to be missed, bringing black and death metal to heights you might not soon forget. Surfacing, from Brooklyn will round out the eclectic night with metalcore reminiscent of Miss May I, and are poised to release their debut full length CD in October.

    JCHA is the premier stoner heavy rock band in the region, and along with their on stage bartender/light show technician, will project a performance that has to be seen to be believed. Local artist Alexis Herzog will be painting live during the show, and her finished work from the previous show will be raffled off to one lucky winner, courtesy of only the price of admission.

    Summer is over, fall is about to begin. Friday nights in beautiful Saratoga Springs can be unfiltered excitement during this time, as businesses are resetting from a busy season, and ready to entice the Upstate crowd to come out. Have faith, for JCHA, along with the Putnam Den, promise to provide you with a great show to have some fun, and bang your head.

  • The New Mastersounds Kick Off Tour in Buffalo Next Week

    Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds
    Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds

    Over the years, music has become more accessible than it’s ever been. With internet radio sites, 160GB iPods, satellite radio, YouTube, and every other outlet, the amount of choices out there are near limitless. Listening to music in your headphones and in the car are one thing though, while actually experiencing the collective force of a live show is far different. Even with how accessible music is, shows are still something that unfortunately can’t be everywhere, all the time. We’ve yet to figure out the whole geographical boundary thing, outside of live streaming, which is ultimately a better-than-nothing alternative. The further a band is from you, the lower the chance you will see them. It’s still just as dead simple as that. Thankfully for one band, that is all about to change. This Fall, The New Mastersounds, a band whose roots in Leeds, England has limited their Stateside exposure, are making their rounds with a first-time stop in MANY Upstate cities with three nights in Brooklyn (9/11-9/13) and closing Catskill Chill (9/7), the band will be making first time trips to Buffalo (9/3), Rochester (10/7), Saratoga Springs (11/8), and Syracuse (11/9).

    The New Mastersounds are riding on the heels of their latest album Therapy, which was released back in March. While they will surely play a few off of the album, the depth of their catalog should bring out some longstanding favorites and a few surprises. The show in Buffalo will be the tour kickoff and is being held at one of Buffalo’s best venues in The Tralf. On the same stage where Lettuce played earlier in the year, the British funksters will bring their jazz-spiked flavor out for all to hear, and finally see. The anticipation around the city for fans is getting stirred into a frenzy with less than a week before the show. The band is known for their blending of old school tone and approach with pure energy. Their music’s simple mission is the passing of kinetic energy, whether through dance, foot tapping, or a neck-jarring head nod. There’s just no way to shake that.

    With the Catskill Chill Music Festival looming, the Wednesday night show is the perfect setup for anyone who is looking to get a sneak peek of what they’ll be in for down in Hancock. What you won’t find at The Chill though, and coming to Buffalo for only their fourth show, is West Coast-natives Orgone. The band calls Portland, Oregon home and, again, with the geographical divide, the band has not made it over on this side of the country as much as fans would like. With the funk scene thankfully growing stronger in every city, this band can now make a worthwhile trip to help spread their word.

    The combination that was put together by ECE Presents for this show is worthy of an applause. And while we’ll get the jazz side of funk from The New Mastersounds, Orgone plays on the soul side of funk’s fence. Regardless of style, both bands have been around a while and surely will not disappoint the expected packed house at The Tralf.

    The New Mastersounds

    Grab your tickets now to these shows throughout New York State:

    |  Buffalo  |  Hancock (Catskill Chill)  |  Brooklyn (9/11, 9/12, 9/13 Early, 9/13 Late)  |

    |  Rochester  |  Saratoga Springs  |  Syracuse  |

  • Zac Brown Band Serves Up Much More than Chicken Fried

    While most people may know the Zac Brown Band as those country guys that sing about fried chicken and a cold beer on a Friday night, I can assure you there is a whole lot more on this band’s menu. Upstate New York fans in Darien Center and Saratoga Springs had the opportunity to hear country, rock, blues, bluegrass, metal, and island music in the same evening. Six different bands didn’t play, just one. Well, two if you count the spectacular opener, Sturgill Simpson, who is in a category all to himself.

    Sturgill Simpson started the evening off with no introduction and no high-production stage setup. It was just Sturgill, his band, and their immense talent. That alone was enough to fill the stage. While he may have sung a cheating song in pure old country fashion to start the evening, die-hard country fans were met with great music and some non-traditional country topics as the set progressed. Simpson looked like he walked off the set of Welcome Back Kotter, wearing a non-country uniform consisting of a 3/4 sleeve baseball jersey, think 1970′s. In fact, everything about him screamed the ’70s – his attire, his musical style, and even his haircut. It was reminiscent of listening to AM radio in my mom’s kitchen – tapping my feet while eating my Farina Cream of Wheat and grabbing my bagged lunch before running off to school. However, with lyrics like “There’s a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this plane, Where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain” and “Every morning when I rise I look in the mirror and despise, The sight of everything and all that I’ve become.” This is definitely not my mama’s country music. Perhaps more like listening to a modern-day metaphysical outlaw – a splendid mix of Kris or Willie’s ability to write and Merle or Waylon’s soulful badassery that spews out in the music. Sturgill didn’t speak a whole lot on stage, but when he did, he commented that “this (SPAC) is a really cool venue, man” and that Upstate “is a really beautiful place.” A nice realization to others that New York is much more than skyscrapers and taxi cabs.

    The Zac Brown Band could possibly be country music’s best live band. Their music pulls you in, though after hearing it, you might choose to jump right in on your own. It was no surprise that the eight-piece band brought a huge sound, featuring three guitars (Zac plays along while singing with his rich, melodic tones), fiddle, bass, keys, drums and additional percussion. The multi-part harmonies supplied by the rest of the band gave emphasis to choruses, as if the 17,000 in attendance singing along to every song weren’t enough.

    Upbeat fiddlin’, sweet guitar pickin’, twangy singin’ all went together to make some soulful, redneck rock. From that to Mediterranean feel, island music, the band seemed to do it all. It didn’t matter what type of tune ZBB played, the crowd stayed on their feet and danced the summer night away. The first set included a brief intermission while the stage crew switched over to the acoustic set. During that time, the entire band didn’t leave the stage. Instead, they shot, flung, slingshot and tossed about a hundred t-shirts into the eager crowd.

    The acoustic portion included six of the band members playing various stringed instruments, including Clay Cook on mandolin and John Driskell Hopkins on the uke. The harmonies were out of this world and throughout SPAC, couples embraced and swayed side to side as the lyrics plead “don’t give up on me”. The acoustic set also included James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, but someone forgot to include the piano. Before the set ended, he brought a young boy to the stage, and after a brief introduction, nonchalantly added, “Derek, let me introduce you to your new friend” and handed him a signed guitar.

    The second set started with a storm, hail and lightning on a shim covering the entire front of the stage. As the music started up, lights began to shine on the musicians behind the shim. “Let it rain, let it pour” being sung as the shim rose, yet the storm continued behind the band. During the brief ten-minute set break, Zac found the time to change into a top hat and dressed all in black. Shortly into the set, an unexpected cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” had Hopkins wailing out the lead vocals. The country crowd let their hair down and put their horns up high as they sang as loud and proud as they did for Zac’s owns songs. Toward the end of the second set, Zac Brown Band busted out Marshall Tucker’s iconic “Can’t You See”.

    During “Colder Weather”, Zac spent the whole song shaking hands and offering up fist bumps to the front couple rows in the pit. A sincere smile came across his face as he gazed up over the appreciating audience. You could see the reciprocated appreciation in his eyes.

    The first song of the encore, “Day of the Dead”, had the entire band in glow-in-the-dark skeleton outfits. The four-song encore also included Charlie Daniel’s “Devil Went Down to Georgia”, and it took until the last song of the show for fans to hear “Chicken Fried”. It may have been the most popular dish on the menu, but the variation throughout the evening couldn’t help but make you feel both full and satisfied.

  • REO Speedwagon and Chicago Keep ‘Pushin’ On’

    How do you become a rock ‘n’ roll legend? You keep ‘pushing on.’ At least, that’s what REO Speedwagon’s lead singer, Kevin Cronin, told upwards of 11,000 fans at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Aug. 19, 2014. “You’ll have people tell you that your dream can never come true. They will ask why you don’t you just give up. They will tell you to quit. But if you want to make your dream come true, you just gotta keep pushing on.” That, of course, led into REO’s 1976 song, “Keep Pushin’ ”.

    The REO Speedwagon and Chicago collaboration has not happened before this year, but it does make a lot of sense since both legendary groups have been ‘pushin’ since 1967. Both experienced their peaks in the 1970s and ’80s, drawing fans in the 40+ age group to the Saratoga show. Many of the ‘older’ fans brought their kids, or grandkids to this show, in part thanks to the GE Kids in Free program, but also because they recognized how important it is for youth to experience the quality music that has influenced current pop stars. Not to mention that it doesn’t hurt for kids to hear the message that you need to ‘work hard to make your dreams come true.’ The night’s highlight, of course, was the last half hour of the show featuring the joint performance of six hit songs – three of REO’s and three of Chicago’s. One might expect a stage crowded with fourteen incredibly talented guys to be too much. But they pulled it off. Every person on that stage contributed his own unique style to the songs they performed together.

    Neither REO nor Chicago are resting on their 20th century laurels; both are still writing and performing new music. REO’s “Whipping Boy” and Chicago’s “Now” were almost as well received by fans as their hits were. Cronin’s stories were entertaining — in particular, his recap of an afternoon hike in Saratoga had the full attention of all fans. While in the woods he acquired a deer tick, which launched him into a captivating story about how he got the “creeps” and relied on a hand-held mirror to make sure he was entirely tick free. The mirror revealed parts of his anatomy he hadn’t seen before, and as he discovered himself he developed a new appreciation for certain body parts. Eventually though, he realized that it was all an illusion. The mirror was concave, making everything appear much bigger than it actually was.

    Chicago’s band members didn’t tell funny stories, however, the passionate performance of trombonist James Pankow was just as fascinating.

    What appeared to be a competition between drummer, Tris Imboden, and percussionist, Walfredo Reyes, was also a lot of fun to watch.

    The perfect August night that aptly opened with local, one-man band, Rich Ortiz’s “Summer Song” ended with “Roll with the Changes” and the message that change is inevitable, and often good. SPAC fans were incredibly fortunate to be able to see these two legendary bands perform together; after all, it may never happen again. Right now, tour dates are scheduled through the end of this month.

  • 518 Drummers Union Clinic at Trick Shot

    Trick Shot Billiards and Music Hall in Clifton Park host the 2nd Annual 518 Drummers Union clinic Tuesday, August 26.

    The clinic features John Glassbrenner and Brian Zink. Proceeds from the clinic goes towards a benefit for Zink’s behalf.

    Zink, drummer for the local band Fort Rooster, suffered considerable losses from a resent fire. The promotional poster described it as a “total loss.”

    “As for how we got the idea for the clinic, it first started off as a brainstorm of mine because I saw a lot of articles about drum clinics and said, ‘I can do that right at Trick Shot featuring local talent.’,” said Greg Gamache, head audio and production engineer at Trick Shot. “I have all the resources. So I contacted Brian and John and they were in. We got the backing from Parkway Music to help with sponsorship also.”

    Zink has won multiple Guitar Center Drum Offs in recent years.

    Glassbrenner is the drummer for the death metal band Incontinence. The band that hails out of Schenectady is finalizing their latest album, Infecting Paranoid Minds.

    “Jason Bittner (of Shadows Fall) graciously donated an autographed ride cymbal to be raffled off during the clinic,” said Gamache. “The cymbal was used exclusively on the Dimebag tribute song ‘Leave It Alone”, written by Tristan Grigsby and also features Dave Ellefson and Tim Ripper Owens.”

    Trick Shot is located at 1602 Rte 9 in Clifton Park. 518 Drummers Union event starts at 6 p.m. and scheduled to last until 9:30 p.m. A $5 cover gets you into the show, along with food and drink specials, and a 50/50 raffle. Donations are also accepted.

  • Origin Tour Kicks Off in Clifton Park

    The All Things Dead Tour kicked off in Clifton Park, NY on Wednesday, Aug. 13. Promising to be one of the heaviest tours this fall, it is a month-long assault on the United States and Canada. Fresh off of the Summer Slaughter tour, Origin headlines an impressive lineup, and this first show at Trickshots Billiards started with a bang.

    Photo by Jim 'JT' Gilbert
    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    The first band on the stage was the only local support, Declension, playing practically right in their own backyard. Having shared the stage with bands like Dying Fetus already in their short career,  they showed no nerves warming up the already sixty plus crowd. Starting with an epic intro, it foreshadowed the five-piece band’s talented dual guitar harmonies in later songs. Crushing riffs and old school metal guitar solos, reminiscent of King Crimson, made for a good start on the night.

    Next up was Texas band Abolishment of Flesh, who wasted no time diving into their brand of southern extreme metal. The bass and guitar launched into tapping riffs and the singer showed an impressive range from guttural low screams to almost black metal highs. They employed interesting musical breaks in a few of their songs, which was a little surprising, but worked very well with their overall sound.

    Photo by Jim 'JT' Gilbert
    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    Trickshots has been putting on consistently good shows, along with Joelggernaut Productions, and this night was no different. A big, heavy sound and a great light show highlighted the talent on stage, and the bar was slinging drinks and food at a rapid pace. Beyond Creation, hailing from Montreal, Canada, was the first band of the night to draw a big crowd right to the front of the stage. The attendance was steady from the time the doors opened at 6pm, and they were all happy to be there. Lots of familiar faces from the Upstate metal scene, and also many new fans as well, giving the bar and the merchandise booths a lot of business.

    The first two bands on the night were showered with impressive strobe lights, to accent their brutal music. Beyond Creation projected talent and precision, commanding the stage in a hard red light, allowing their music to speak volumes. Two eight string guitars lent to the deliberate sonic destruction they were dealing to the audience, and the crowd response was just as huge. Parallels could be made between the tight, honed presence of Cryptopsy and the intensity of Lamb of God.

    All of the great moments of the night so far could barely prepare the crowd for the incredible energy of King Parrot. All the way from the other side of the world, Australia, they joked at one point that they thought they might be in Billiards, New York. But, this was actually their second time in the states, and definitely feel at home being on stage in America, or more likely, anywhere. Toddy, the singer, strutted on the stage shirtless and began to whip the crowd into a frenzy, running to the back and the front of the club with his wireless microphone. It was a sight to behold, and it felt much like catching a crazy punk or metal band at CBGB’s in late ’70s. They instigated the first ever Wall of Death at Trickshots, and the audience happily obliged. A cross between Rob Halford and Iggy Pop, the singer brought everything he had and more, at one point jumping on the bar in the middle of a song. Their unique brand of heavy thrash metal and punk impressed the entire club and set the stage for the headliner.

    Photo by Jim 'JT' Gilbert
    Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert

    Origin just released their new album, Omnipresent, to great reviews from fans and critics. Fitting nicely into their own headlining tour, they were poised to bring their special brand of shredding death metal to Clifton Park. Exploding onto the stage with a relentless onslaught of metal, they drew the biggest screams of the night. The also had the best mix from the soundboard, allowing the audience to really hone in on the intricate music they produce. John Longstreth, revered by many as one of the top drummers in the metal genre, kept the entire set in perfect time with crushing percussive energy. Both John, and the singer, Jason Keyser,  call Upstate New York their home, and it was a treat for the crowd to see this band in this area. Jason led a three-part vocal assault that mesmerized the crowd as well as riled them up. They had incredible energy and an amazing stage presence that even allowed for Jason to crowd surf at one point. Being a weekday show, it abruptly ended at 11PM, with Origin possibly cutting their set short. But no one in attendance was unhappy with all of the incredible talent presented before them, getting what they played for and more.

    Origin is a very hardworking band, and headlining a tour like this shows all the fruits of their intense labour. For the rare time they, and the rest of the bands, graced the stage in Upstate New York, it was definitely a show that the people who were in attendance will wear that like a badge of honor. For anyone reading this in cities where this tour might be making a stop, it is a heavy metal experience that is not to be missed.

  • Saratoga Springs Didn’t Want the Night to End with Luke Bryan

    Hot August Sundays at SPAC has meant country music and last Sunday was no exception.  A sold out crowd at Saratoga Performing Arts Center welcomed the nation’s hottest star, Luke Bryan, along with Lee Brice and Cole Swindell. Twenty-six thousand fans filled the pavilion and the lawn enjoying the perfect weather and high-energy performances.

    First up was Cole Swindell.  Cole had a short set but the crowd had an extended time getting in and the amphitheater and lawn were pretty much full by the 7PM start time.  While folks knew his biggest hit “Chillin’ It” that hit number one on the country charts in 2013 and his newest single “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” – Cole’s biggest hits of the night were sung by Luke Bryan.  Swindell is a very accomplished songwriter and his friend Luke Bryan has benefited with numerous hits: “Just a Sip”, “Beer in the Headlights”, “Roller Coaster” and many more.

    Lee Brice served as direct support for the tour and sang his heart out to the capacity crowd.  From songs about being crazy to being in love with beer. The redneck factor was sky-high and the good times were definitely rolling.  Even a toast with the famous red solo cup was enough to have SPAC erupt with whoops and hollers. Brice’s “A Woman Like You” may have been his only number one but it was the rendition of “Love Like Crazy” that stole the show.  The big man, who went to Clemson on a football scholarship, held the note on Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-zy for what seemed an eternity.  The screams from the women in attendance, the vast majority, were only matched later in the evening when the headliner shook what his mama gave him.

    And shake, he did.  Luke Bryan may have a great voice and great songs, but his good looks and on-stage presence wins the reward for making grown women swoon. Upbeat songs and a lot of dancing carried over from the stage through the seats, all the way back to the far reaches of the lawn.  The winner of numerous Country Music Awards, including the Top New Artist in 2010 and Artist of the Year in 2012, along with Billboard’s Top Country Artist in 2013.  Bryan sang all his number one hits, such as: “Rain Is a Good Thing“, “Someone Else Calling You Baby“, “I Don’t Want This Night to End“, “Drunk on You“, “Crash My Party“, “That’s My Kind of Night“, “Drink a Beer” and his most recent number one, “Play It Again“”  In total Luke Bryan has 11 number ones and his last two albums also topped the charts, going double platinum.  

    Bryan’s stage performance included the expected shaking and gyrating, but also included him bringing out a cooler full of beer and tossing cans into the audience.  The beer-loving crowd that was chugging down over $10 cans all night long did not miss a beat.  While the artist attempted to toss most of the beers to the attractive women near the stage, the men were less than gentlemanly snatching them out of the air.  Those antics didn’t ruin the mood and seemed more par for the course.  In fact, a sentimental toast recalling old friends that the crowd has shared a beer with that are no longer with us on this earth was cause for 26,000 to raise their cans of beer, or bottles of water in the air.  It was the perfect way to wind down the evening only to have the party crashed and a duo encore that seemingly everyone stayed for to hear.  “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” finished the show.  The country girls did shake it for Luke and he gladly returned the favor.

    For those that are not fans of country music but do enjoy a good Skynyrd or Marshall Tucker tune should give the newer country artists a chance.  While cliché country topics of pick-up trucks, drinking beer and swimming holes still resonant through the genre, the pace is a little faster and the guitar solos are a little longer.  And if those reasons don’t sell you on trying country music again, well, perhaps a plethora of  ‘Daisy Dukes’ might change your mind.

  • Pink Talking Fish Swimming Through Northeast This Fall

    Pink Talking Fish, with the wonderful combination of musical influences from Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads, and Phish, will once again make their way around New York and the rest of the Northeast this fall.

    The band loves to weave in and out of all three bands’ repertoires without a pause, making this band one of the most interesting tribute acts out there today. It’s no secret how much New York loves all three of these bands, and the band is playing the most shows in that state to satisfy the crowds. The first New York date is on October 18 at New York City’s The Cutting Room. The following Thursday and Friday will see the band tackle The Wescott Theatre and Putnam Den respectively.

    “There’s some serious energy when it comes to live music in Upstate New York,” said Eric Gould, the band’s bassist. “I went to college in Ithaca so, between attending shows all around the region during my time there and touring with Particle, I have a special place in my soul for this music scene. So psyched about late night Bella Terra and the 1-2 punch of Syracuse/Saratoga. We are going to have no repeats between those 2 shows so that people have an opportunity for a multiple show run PTF experience and catch a bit of the “tour fever”.”

    The last time they were at Putnam Den was a great show and it sounds like this time will be more of the same. The full tour can be seen below.

    pink talking fish 2014

  • Lionel Richie Brings the Party to Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    As one of the final stops on the All The Hits, All Night Long Tour, a tour that spanned the world from North America to Asia, India, and down under, it was certainly an extreme honor to be able to cover Lionel Richie for NYS Music at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 25.

    lionel richie saratoga
    Lionel Richie – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    Lionel Richie truly needs no introduction, but humor me as his career deservedly should be applauded.  Throughout his years as both a member of the Commodores and as a solo artist, Lionel Richie is and has achieved….

    • 100 million albums sold worldwide
    • Oscar winner
    • 5 time Grammy winner
    • 16-time American Music Award winner
    • Golden Globe winner
    • 5 time People’s Choice Award winner
    • A World Music Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
    • A Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
    • An ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
    • A United Negro College Fund Achievement Award recipient
    • A Goldene Kamera Award winner. Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee
    • Tuskegee Institute Honorary Doctor of Music Degree
    • Germany’s ECHO Award for Lifetime Achievement
    • TV Land Icon Award recipient
    • Hong Kong’s Rojo Award winner
    • Alabama Music Hall of Fame Inductee
    • Italy’s San Remo Festival Lifetime Achievement Award winner
    • World Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
    • National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Governors Award winner
    • One on only two songwriters to achieve #1 records for 9 straight years.  The other accomplished songwriter?  Irving Berlin

    Opening the evening clad in red and hot, hot, hot was CeeLo Green and his amazing band.  Belting out tunes, performing and dancing as hot as their costumes, this group of entertainers sure turned up the heat to prepare the audience for the main event on this summer evening. Not that Lionel needed any warm up, but just the same Ceelo definitely provided an audience geared up to go and ready to dance all night long.

    This tour was named appropriately, All the Hits, All Night Long, as Lionel took the stage and commanded the love and admiration of fans that span generations belting out hit after hit and inciting the audience into dancing all night long.  Just saying, ‘He was spectacular’ doesn’t begin to describe what I witnessed on July 25th at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.  He took the stage and from the moment he began interacting with the audience I witnessed a tidal wave of sheer enjoyment from VIP fans in the front rows of the pit to the those seated in the balcony and out on the lawn.  He forewarned the audience that as he performed throughout the evening, memories would flood back to a place you were when you first heard the song; a time you recalled that marked special meanings in your life, and perhaps install the courage of karaoke as each member in the audience became a singer, singing along with each and every song.

    It was true.  It happened.  As he belted out his ballads, I was back in high school at the prom dancing to “There Times A Lady” and on the dance floor taking my first dance as a wife to “Truly” and back in my first car with the windows rolled down singing at the top of my lungs to “Brick House” –  as I thought I was the best backup singer ever.  He did transform me back to those moments, the audience did sing along with each and every song, and I must admit, I did too.  What’s amazing is although I aged, he didn’t age a bit.  His voice was pure, his performance agile and tireless, and his ability to connect with his audience spot on.  Perhaps he drank some of that mineral water years ago from the springs in Saratoga, giving him the ability to share his music forever with his fans.  His secret I wish to know, because Lionel is timeless, his music timeless, and his energy tireless.

    Also requiring applause is Lionel’s band.  Lionel is such an amazing performer, he could take a microphone out to the middle of a stage and just sing acoustically without any problems and rock the house.  However, with Ben Mauro on lead guitar, Ethan Farmer on Bass, Dino Soldo on Saxophone and Harmonica, Oscar Seaton on Drums, and Chuckii Booker on Keyboards, these five powerhouses turn up the volume on this show and bring the party all night long with Lionel.  Shredding alongside Lionel throughout the night, hanging upside down off the piano, and rocking all over the stage the band truly were the cherry on top of this amazing sundae performance – okay it was Friday, but you know what I mean.

    With a few new dates being announced on Lionel’s website, please take a moment to see if and when you have the opportunity to see his next show, I give it an 11 on a scale of one to 10, and 6 out of 5 stars.  That’s allowed, right?  Nonetheless, I think you get my point, if the opportunity presents itself to take in one of his shows, I highly recommend it.  Tell them NYS Music sent you.

  • The Moody Blues takes SPAC off on a Timeless Flight

    Where better to watch a half century’s worth of one band’s music than Saratoga Springs, where history ranks with horses and health? Formed in the mid 1960s, the Moody Blues are sometimes classified in the ‘psychedelic rock’ genre, holding space in the same category as Pink Floyd, but many of the elements one would expect at a psychedelic rock show were not present at SPAC on August 4. Most of the fans were over 60 — the musicians themselves are hovering around 70 — and there was a distinct absence of the substances that occupy the air and space during rock shows attended by younger crowds.

    What was present though was a very sincere love, appreciation, and enthusiasm for the music. Performers and fans alike were very much ‘into it.’ The band members played like they were in their 30s, with expressions of ecstasy held during intense guitar riffs and the occasional wink at the ladies in the front row. Fans were singing along, trying hard to capture the magic on their handheld cameras, and even dancing in the aisles — which was definitely a pleasure to see. After all, those of us in the X and younger generations learned how to celebrate music from the very people who were at the Moody Blues show.

    The subject of aging was merrily acknowledged. John Lodge (bassist) congratulated his fans, saying “All you old hippies, you made it after all!” Graeme Edge (drummer) stepped down from his elevated set on the stage to address the crowd at the front mic, and quipped, “Back then I had brown hair, white teeth, and this [forming a V with his index and middle fingers] meant ‘peace.’ Now, I have white hair, brown teeth, and this [the V] means Viagra.”

    But of all the ways in which the aging process was celebrated by the Moody Blues and their fans, the most significant was the music. The evolution of the band’s 50 year history was traced with songs like “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Nights in White Satin,” and “In Your Wildest Dreams.” One of the fans shared that the music of the Moody Blues is ‘poetry set to music.’ And it is. It’s also worth noting that the band (Lodge, Edge and vocalist/guitarist Justin Hayward) share the stage with some pretty talented people: Norda Mullen (flute & vocals), Gordon Marshall (drums), Julie Ragins (sax,  keyboard, and vocals), and Alan Hewitt (keyboard & vocals).

    The Moody Blues, promoting their 2013 compilation album, Timeless Flight, are on tour through this summer.