NYS Music 20​14

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • Conspirator Makes A Stop at Putnam Den on February 27th with Digital Dharma

    Conspirator will be making a stop at Saratoga’s Putnam Den on Thursday, February 27th with local electronica band Digital Dharma. Conspirator was formed in 2004 by Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits and DJ Omen as a creative outlet to further explore electronic music production. Since 2004 the band has created quite the following and fan base nation wide and played some of the biggest festivals on the circuit. Chris Michetti of Raq and Kj Sawka of Pendulum were added to the group in 2012 to create a powerful and dynamic foursome that has taken the live music scene by storm. Drummer Torch joined the group in place of Sawka and the result has been extended improvisation that dips into blues and jazz amid an electronic base.

    conspirator digital dharmaWith the release of Unleashed in January 2013, it was clear that Conspirator was here to stay. The energy packed album brings a new light to the world of electronic music with skillful instrumentation and a vast array and fusion of different techniques and styles from all reaches of the world of music.  This is definitely going to be a show you will not want to miss. Tickets for Conspirator and Digital Dharma are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Doors at 8, Show at 9. Buy tickets here

  • Particle Makes it Hot on a Snowy Day in Saratoga

    The neon signs that welcomed fans to Putnam Den were illuminated by falling snow landing on the glass. People huddled around the snow covered tables, smoking, trying to stay warm. The venue was very welcoming to the cold as leather couches sat in the middle of the room, giving off a cozy, warm, almost home-like feeling. People trudged in slowly and the floor became soaked in footprints as the perfectly lit room filled. Everyone who made it through the treacherous weather to get there prepared themselves for the great time that is a Particle party.

    John Wayne and the Pain opened the evening with their unique sound of Reggaetronic Dub. The mixture may sound abstract but when put all together a great sound was created. They pushed musical boundaries to the limits when they covered the Grateful Dead classic, “Wharf Rat”, a song that wouldn’t seem to fit this genre, but with these three musicians they made it work. Starting the song with Garcia like guitars licks and ending it the same way was a phenomenal feat, that very few could pull off.

    As Particle prepared to take the stage, fans who were milling around the room came to the center for what was sure to be a rager. The slightly tilted hats that have become a staple in the scene were out in full force as were the girls in their artsy skirts with drinks in hand. Clay Parnell (bass) and Brandon Draper (drums) started out the show with “Papa Delta”, a heavy drum and bass beat, getting the crowd going, warming their cold bones. The energy level was extremely high as guitarist Ben Combe and keyboard extraordinaire Steve Molitz joined the other two on stage. Molitz then led the drum and bass jam into the Chemical Brothers’ “Denmark”, a keyboard heavy dance track, with the crowd throwing their hands in the air, smiling, and giving each other high fives. Particle had arrived. Molitz was also hopping up and down to ensure the energy level was steady.

    Although the sound of Particle is keyboard heavy, the next track, “London Forces”, was focused on Combes’ guitar playing, building up and up until an explosion of sound emerged showing the versatility of the band. Covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” was a treat for all, slowing the pace down a bit, allowing fans to catch their breath but still staying connected to the show. The beautifully covered song also showed the immense range Particle has in their playing ability. The party continued with more beats to keep the crowd moving, to keep them warm. This being only the second show with this rotation they were spitting pure fire and will continue to do so as the band’s chemistry grows.

    Setlist: Papa Delta, Denmark, Hits, London Forces, Red Orchestra, Launchpad, Have A Cigar, New Song, Kneeknocker, W, Elevator, Below Radar, Axel F

    Encore: Pro, Sun Mar 11

    Prior to the show, I had the privilege of siting down with Particle members Steve Molitz and Clay Parnell before their recent show at Putnam Den.

    Jimmy Chambers: How has the sound of Particle changed as new members have joined the band?

    Steve Molitz: Different people bring different sounds and tones, but I don’t think the Particle sound changes that much. There is sort of this core thing that happens when the songs get played, I don’t want to say it’s bigger than the musicians playing it but it’s separate from the musicians playing it. The various musicians over the years have tapped into it. The songs are created with am end line, but by bringing in new musicians there is room for a song to grow, but always keeping that core intact. And it’s interesting playing with different players, because you get to hear what the interpretation of the song is. A great example of this is Clay (Parnell) on bass he interpreted a song that we have been playing for ten years differently than when it was written, and now we have a completely new sound to a song we have been playing for over ten years.

    JC: Clay are you pulling double duty with Brothers Past or are you mostly going to be focused on particle?

    Clay Parnell: Well in a sense I am. I mean Brothers Past hasn’t disbanded, we have a couple of dates lined up. But everybody in Brothers Past is doing really amazing things, Tommy Hamilton is out with the American Babies. Our keyboardist, (Tom McKee) is running a music school.

    JC: How did you end up joining an established band, when your are already in an established band?

    CP: Its funny, Steve and I, since both of our main projects were kind of in a lull I kinda had a lot going on, like I say I’m the man of a million side projects.

    JC: Like the Warren Haynes of bass.

    CP: Yeah, you know, Steve asked me what I was doing, and asked me about this, and I just went with it.

    SM: It all came about very organically, it started with just jamming on tunes in the studio, and just worked out. He heard the tracks and laid down his bass lines, and that was that. It all came together very well.

    JC: How did you get involved playing with Phil Lesh, and how did that experience impact your playing, because the Grateful Dead sound is a little different than the Particle sound?

    SM: I think he (Lesh) came to see Particle at the Cow Palace (San Francisco), I think, and shortly thereafter he asked if I want to play with Phil Lesh and Friends. I said yeah, but I never grew up listening to the Grateful Dead, I didn’t have their albums, I wasn’t familiar with their songs. So I told him I may not be the best guy for the job and he said that’s even better, that’s perfect! He was thrilled that I didn’t know the material because then I wouldn’t try to emulate anyone who has played it before me. You really made a good point when you asked how it influenced my playing, because I definitely learned a lot playing with theses different lineups.

    JC: Now that you have this formation in the band where do you see yourself going? About ten years ago I saw your name everywhere, Disco Biscuits shows, then it kind of died down a bit. But now you have this resurgence with Clay in the band this huge tour. Where do you see it going?

    SM: Yeah you’re right, right now we have like 40 tour dates on the books. This tour takes us down the East Coast and as far south as Texas. Then the next tour starts in Tahoe (Nevada) and works its way down to San Diego and out through Arizona, Utah, the Midwest, ending at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. So we’re definitely getting around, planning a big fall tour as well and finishing putting a few touches on the new album. As for the big picture, its kind of counterproductive to think about the future too far and that’s something I’ve learned being on the road for over 14 years. So I’m not really trying to get ahead of myself thinking where will we be in a year, five years. It’s more just thinking ‘I am so excited for the show we are going to play tonight’, and ‘I’m so excited for the show we’re going to play tomorrow night and so on’. Trying to play each night as it comes, live each moment as it comes. And have as much fun as possible doing it.

  • Local Limelight: The Garcia Project – Creating The Jerry Garcia Band Experience

    The Garcia Project, based in Saratoga Springs, is a faithful conduit for the music of Jerry Garcia Band, conveying emotional resonance through the music that Jerry Garcia fans have known for decades. The Garcia Project includes Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, and Kat Walkerson on vocals. A cavalcade of musicians join them in various lineups,including Greg Marshall, Jordan Giangreco (The Breakfast, Viral Sound) and Scott Guberman rotating in on keys, Dan Crea, David Alderman and Fred Wilkes on bass and Bob McKeon, Aaron Martin and Brian Sayers on drums on any given night. While the lineup can change from show to show, it’s always The Garcia Project!

    the garcia project

    Additionally, Mik and Kat perform the songs of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band tunes in their our own arrangements, as Acoustically Speaking.

    Kat Walkerson has a truly soulful voice, displaying great energy with her passion pouring out from her vocals. A kind soul that brings a warmth to any room she performs in, her voice is a perfect compliment to Mik’s, who is The Garcia Project’s “Jerry”, a part he plays with humility and focus on the music to channel the spirit of the Fat Man. In paying tribute to Jerry, Mik has made two guitars and replica speakers and equipment to bring about the true Garcia sound. Previously, Mik was in the band Tapestry for over 20 years. Recently, Mik and Kat have performed with Melvin Seals and the guys from JGB Band.

    Pete Mason: How does The Garcia Project channel the sound and spirit of Jerry Garcia Band?

    Mik Bondy: Everyone in The Garcia Project loves the music that the Jerry Garcia Band created. We are all huge fans of Jerry. And much like us, the folks that come out to share in the experience are huge Jerry fans too. This makes the synergy between the musicians and the audience very strong, right from the start. Couple that synergy with professional, seasoned musicians that really want to provide and recreate a Jerry Garcia Band experience and really care about the music and the performance of it – and you have the recipe. We also study the music and the various eras, we build instruments and rigs that mimic the sound and styles. We always do a group huddle before we perform a show and thank Jerry for the music and ask his blessing on what we are about to create with the people. We fell very blessed and are thrilled that folks keep coming out and enjoy it as much as we do. Its really all about the love of the music.

    PM: What sets The Garcia Project apart from the other well know Jerry Garcia Band act, Melvin Seals and JGB?

    MB: Melvin Seals and JGB are great friends of ours. Kat performed with Melvin and JGB a few times back in 2010-2011. Both Kat and I recently performed with Melvin and members of JGB up in Saranac Lake, NY and Melvin Seals performed as keyboard player for The Garcia Project last year (and will again this year) at Jerry Jam, the best Jerry festival in the Northeast. We really love and respect Melvin and the JGB band.

    Melvin Seals has his own new arrangements of songs and writes his own custom set lists. The Garcia Project has been recreating classic Jerry Garcia Band shows and sets and attempts to perform in the same style and tempo as each show and era. Each era has it’s own flavor.  We recently did a 77 show at Mexicali Live that there was no recording of the original JGB show, so we pieced together the show from other recordings from the year for reference and then performed it in that style. Both bands have very unique sound and we love what we both add to the scene.

    Listen to the whole Mexicali Blues show where we recreated JGB Nov 16, 1977

    PM: Why the music of Jerry Garcia Band? Why not Grateful Dead songs?

    Kat Walkerson:  Our love for the Grateful Dead is equal to our love of Jerry Garcia Band. If not for attending Grateful Dead shows, we wouldn’t have known about Jerry Band. Even back when Jerry was around, JGB was much lesser known and attended. It was something special that you were lucky to stumble upon. We feel that the Jerry Garcia Band catalog is an extraordinary collection of wonderful songs. Many of them are songs not original to the Jerry Garcia Band. They were songs that Jerry picked out because they were special. Adding to that, he mixed them all up, rearranging them and making them the style of music that is Jerry Band. We all agreed and loved them too. And we loved what happened to us as a community when we gathered for this music. This music creates a special space, a fertile ground where positive things grow. Love, friendship, community, healing, forgiveness, progress in general.  Jerry Band is a love and connection fest of the purest nature. We always say “The Grateful Dead is like Saturday night, and Jerry Garcia Band is like Sunday morning”. What is created and experienced when we all gather and enjoy this music together is something that  should continue.  So, as we love the grateful dead, and play some whenever we can fit it in, we focus on the Jerry Band catalog. Like the Grateful Dead, there is also decades worth of this music, so many great musicians rolled through the band in (30?+) years. There is so much to hear and enjoy. We want to do our part to make sure this music gets and stays out there.

    PM:Is there a certain year or era of Jerry Garcia Band that you particularity enjoy the most? Why?

    MB: I really love all of the eras, really. But the 1977-78 Jerry Garcia Band shows have been firing me up recently. I love the tempos and the arrangements.

    KW: All equally

    Bob McKeon: Late 1970s and late 1980s.

    Dan Crea: 1978 with Donna and Maria.1977 counts too but there was no Maria, and I’m a big fan of hers.  I like the open space that Keith left between his notes and how his sound kept the mix nice and open.  Great “Lonesome’s” in this era!

    PM:  Where do you think you’ll be in five years?

    MB: We would love to travel and take the music of Jerry Garcia to many more people around the world. With the right team, I could see us touring and playing venues all around the world.

    The Garcia Project Tour Dates:
    February 15 – Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
    February 22 – WSG String Band and Blessed and Gifted, Spaceland Ballroom, Hamden CT
    March 22 – The Cannery Music Hall, Southbridge, MA
    April 5 – Arch Street Tavern, Hartford, CT
    April 19 – 420 Celebration at The Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, NY
    July 25 – Jerry Jam Music Festival, Bath, NH, with Melvin Seals on Keys. The festival runs July 25-27.

    Acoustically Speaking Tour Dates:
    February 1 and 22 – Opening for The Garcia Project
    February 21 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY
    February 28 – West Mountain Ski Resort, Queensbury, NY
    March 28 – Franklin’s Tower, Albany, NY

    Keep up on everything The Garcia Project on their Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.

  • Donna The Buffalo Stampedes Across New York State

    Donna The Buffalo will be taking their herd across New York state with their winter tour with stops in Saratoga Springs at Putnam Den on Thursday February 6th, Beacon at The Towne Crier on Friday, February 7th and Buffalo at The Tralf Music Hall on Saturday, February 8th. Donna The Buffalo, coming off their latest album release, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday will be bringing their jamboree-styled bluegrass party to a venue close to you and surely will not be one to miss as they never fail to produce a great night out. Donna The Buffalo, founded in Trumansburg, NY consists of Tara Nevins (Vocals, Guitar) with her bag full of instruments, Jeb Puryear (vocal, guitar), Kyle Spark (bass), Mark Raudabaugh (drums) and David Mccracken (keys).

    Donna The Buffalo Across New York

    Tickets for Donna The Buffalo across New York can be purchased on each venues respective websites or at the door day of show, so head out and enjoy what will be a great show.

    February 6th- Putnam Den– Saratoga Springs, NY $17/ Day of Show $20

    February 7th- The Towne Crier– Beacon, NY $25/Day of Show $30

    February 8th- The Tralf Music Hall– Buffalo, NY $18/Day of Show $20

  • Umphstate: An Interview with Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee

    The hype from all of the New Year’s runs has finally died down and right on its heels come the first announcements of the festival season. Sandwiched right in between though, and largely overlooked, is the winter tour where bands often times debut new material and dig deep for old fan favorites. Umphrey’s McGee tour has begun and the band is set to blaze a trail right through the heart of Upstate New York, all within the first week of February. The band will make stops in Clifton Park, Syracuse, and Rochester among many other dates across the U.S. The Chicago-natives recently finished a two-night standalone set at the famous Beacon Theater in New York City which has only led to more anticipation for these upcoming dates.

    Writer Jeremiah Shea had a chance to interview with keyboardist Joel Cummins about the upcoming tour and their new album that is due to come out in the coming months.

    joel cummins interviewJeremiah Shea: What are your thoughts on the recent two-night run at The Beacon Theater?
    Joel Cummins: It was a pretty awesome weekend. Being able to play the Beacon last year and then doing two nights this year really let us soak it in a little more. The Beacon is one of the greatest venues in the country, if not the world. There’s been so many great shows there and amazing performances that when you play there, you really feel like you have to step up and not just bring your A game, but your A+ game. You have to wow people in New York.

    JS: Last year in January you guys played Buffalo and Syracuse on back to back nights before making a stop at The Beacon Theater; this year you’re hitting Clifton Park, Syracuse, and Rochester.  Is there a reason you show Upstate New York so much love?
    JC: A lot of it has to do with two things: where people are and how far you can travel between cities. Logistically, our typical limit is about 450 miles before you make touring increasingly more expensive. Coincidentally, there are a lot of good places in New York to play between Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany. There are a lot of good mid-size cities that we’ve been trying to build over the years. Since we played Buffalo in the Fall, it made sense for us to come to Rochester this time. We played the Harro East Ballroom one other time and had a great time there, so we’re psyched to come back. We haven’t played the F Shed in Syracuse before, so that’ll be a really fun night and we’re pumped to have Kung Fu out with us on that one.

    JS: Are you guys doing anything special on this run of shows to celebrate the band’s 16th birthday?
    JC: Every show is a special night to be honest; you know how we do it.  We try to mix it up and play as many different things as possible.  We have this website called All Things Umphrey’s where everything is in a database that we’ve played in the past.  We can use that to go back and see what we’ve played and haven’t played in an area and continue to shred as much of the catalog as we can to keep it fresh for people.  Once somebody has seen 8-10 shows, they start to hone in on what they haven’t seen yet; every city is different.  We’ll go in and see that we haven’t played “Booth Love” or “Hurt Bird Bath” at a particular place in four years.  It’s a really helpful tool for us to keep mixing things up.  This is our typical biggest tour of the year between January and April and we try to hit every corner of the US.  Our new album will be coming out in the first half of 2014, probably sometime in May, so this will kind of be the warm-up for that.  My guess is that one or two of the songs that didn’t make the new album will probably get played on this winter tour.

    JS: You made some mentions of the new album on your Twitter account.  What’s on tap and is there anything you can share?
    JC: Ya know, not too much at this point as we’re trying to keep it under wraps right now.  I can tell you that we started by recording 16 tunes, 7 of which were brand new and 9 of which we’ve played live before. I think we’re going to end up with probably 10 or 11 tunes on the new album with some bonus material. There’s at least 5 new tracks on the album, I’d say, that we haven’t played live previously. I think that’s always exciting for the fans when you can kind of inject the set list with some brand new stuff for people. We also have a couple of newer ones that we’ve been playing pretty consistently for the past couple of years and a couple of classic Umphrey’s McGee tunes that we previously haven’t been able to hit perfectly with the studio takes. We finally got a couple of these where we really feel like we nailed the essence of the song and they fit the overall vibe of the new album which is definitely heading in a more hard rock direction; there are tons of great guitar riffs on this album.

    JS: Does the band’s approach vary nightly depending on the venue or city?  If so, how?
    JC: It’s different every night and we mix up who writes the set list. On a typical day, we make a list of songs in the morning and people can add or subtract things depending on what they’re feeling. By the afternoon, somebody will pick it up and try to make a set list out of everything that’s been suggested. I think that really keeps it fresh, especially when you have different people writing the set list who think about it and approach it differently. We’ll typically try to always do a mix of newer and older material so that it’s fresh for everyone.

    JS: How do you guys interject teasers into your songs live?  Are they planned or discovered during your set?
    JC: Most of the time if we’re teasing something, it’s happening in the moment. It’s very rare that it’s something that’s planned. I think one of the things that we all thrive on is that stuff in the moment where nobody’s really sure what’s going to happen, but you kind of try to pick up a song. That actually happened at The Beacon. We started teasing the Eminem song “Lose Yourself” and then it ended up kind of morphing into “Kashmir”. That was an example from this weekend where we ended up hitting a cool little patch of teases there, but it was certainly not planned.

    JS: What do you like about touring compared to the festival circuit in the summer?
    JC: I feel like when we do our own shows, we’re playing to our people; everybody who’s there is there for us. That’s always a really special thing when you can do these tours and really feel the excitement from the fan base. That’s the fun thing about the beginning of the year. With the festivals now, it’s such a great time getting to see so many of our friends all around the country. That’s kind of the highlight of the summer festival season whenever we get to do that. That’s also the time when we try to convert some new fans, so we definitely approach the shows a little bit differently. We’ll still try to throw in a few rarities or things that you might not expect to see us play at a festival, but when we play for the hardcore fans, I’d say that these winter tours definitely have the biggest variety of our catalog that you’ll see. I looked on All Things Umphrey’s the other day and in 2013 we played 329 different songs, so there really is a lot of room for variety. It’s really nice at this point to have that catalog selection where we can play so many different things.

    JS: Does Jefferson Waful have any new tricks up his sleeve this year?
    JC: He does! He’s actually in the process of transitioning from the grandMA console, which we’ve been using, to the grandMA2. I’m not totally sure if he’s going to have it up yet for these shows as it’s probably about a month-long process to make that transition and learn everything that needs to be learned. That is definitely new though and in the works for 2014, so it’s only going to promise to make the production and light show that much stronger. We’re always tweaking our light show and playing different things out depending on what the venues allow. This most recent run at The Beacon we definitely had our biggest light rig that we’ve ever brought to New York. We’re definitely trending in that direction of bigger and better, which is a nice way to trend. We’ve been really lucky with Jefferson that he’s such a passionate, driven, and really great artist behind the light console. There are plenty of moments during the night when the fans get excited about the music, but you know you have somebody who has a really great eye for art and a way to connect that to music when the lighting designer can elicit cheers from the crowd.

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  • Help Mister F Become Mister A-OK

    Albany’s newest Prog-Funk rockers Mister F need your help and have begun a campaign on indiegogo.com to raise funds for their forthcoming debut studio album. Formed in early 2013 from members of Upstate New York-based bands Timbre Coup and Capital Zen, Mister F is an eclectic, high-energy four-piece band that takes a no-holds-barred approach to blending genres while keeping your feet moving. Having performed at festivals such as Mountain Jam, moe.down, Summer Camp, Camp Bisco, and snoe.down with their previous bands, members of Mister F are no strangers to the live music community.

    Some music lovers can be hesitant to engage in these sorts of fundraisers, and for those people I’d like you to lend me your ear for a minute. Consider the facts of a small band on the rise trying to make it to a level of success that simply pays the bills. Let’s consider the costs and rewards of one show,  say it’s 200 miles away and pays a guarantee of $500 for a band of four. Immediately we have to subtract gas expenses. At roughly the 15 miles per gallon a tour van would get (if one is lucky) that brings the grand total down to $400. Of course most bands, whether they have a sound guy or not will have to pay one roughly $80-120. Now we are down to $320. A smart group will also have street teamers which need promotional material to spread for the show. Subtract another $30 and we are at $290. No one has eaten anything yet so let’s chop another $40 in miscellaneous expenses leaving us at $250 for four people for roughly 10 hours of work and travel. Roughly $60 a piece or $6 per hour. Band’s MUST consider this sort of campaign to stay fed and working. On top of that, you aren’t just handing over money as any amount of donation from $10 and up comes with a reward, at the least you get an excellent brand new album from a hungry band determined to succeed.

    MISTERF-DK

    Mister F’s debut album pre-sale fundraising campaign starts with the basic level of perk packages – a digital download of the album upon release, or a hard copy of the album on compact disc. Scott Hannay, vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist/bassist for the band and creator of Umphrey’s McNES – a series of 8-bit ‘chiptune’ remakes of Umphrey’s McGee songs – has offered a package where he will create your likeness as an 8-bit Nintendo character and write an original 30-second 8-bit video game theme song for your character. Matt Pickering, drummer/vocalist, is offering a package where he will draw you a personalized picture. You can also get show-used drumsticks, guitar strings and bass strings used during the recording of the album, receive a private lesson from any member in the band – such as a guitar lesson from lead guitarist Andrew Chamberlaine – or have bassist/guitarist/vocalist/band chef Ben Pickering cook a meal for you. There are many other packages available, and more may be added as the campaign progresses. Check out the full list of perks and a pretty damn hilarious video on the indiegogo site here.

    We’re all looking forward to autographed hard copies of albums and poster packages to come in the mail very soon. We hope you all will join in supporting one of our favorite bands.

  • Dave Matthews Band Announces 2014 Summer Tour Dates in Upstate

    Dave Matthews Band will be back in the summer of 2014, on tour across the country and bringing a new twist to their shows to fans everywhere. “A Very Special Evening with Dave Matthews Band” will showcase the band performing two sets at each one show with electric and acoustic arrangements, unlike the traditional one long set.

    DMB will be returning to the Upstate area, making stops at Darien Lake and of course, SPAC for two nights. Click here for a list of all the tour dates. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, February 7th but Warehouse fan members can order tickets as early as this Thursday, Jan 16th. Warehouse fans have ticket upgrade opportunities, possible meet and greets and premium ticket packages. Either way, make sure you get tickets to these sure-fire, sell out shows this summer.

    dave-matthews-tour

    Follow Dave Matthews Band

    @davematthewsband  | Facebook | Warehouse

  • Getting to Know M.R. Poulopoulos

    In the historic Stockade district of Schenectady lives a creative song crafter we will come to know as M.R. Poulopoulos. The singer-songwriter will be performing on January 17 at Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs. We wanted to get to know M.R. Poulopoulos a bit so we sat down with him at Ambition, a small sandwich eatery located on the trendy and quaint Jay St. of downtown Schenectady.

    Tabitha Clancy:  Lets start with where you were born and raised.

    M.R. Poulopoulos: I was born in Albany, NY. So I’m a local boy. I was raised where Bethlehem, Albany and Guilderland meet. It was rural suburban area. As I grew up over the course of 15 years, all of that space was developed. I grew up on the outskirts of Albany. I went away for college but I always gravitated toward Albany.

    TC: Where did you go to college?

    MRP: Undergraduate I went to Providence College in Rhode Island. I always reminded of a Janeane Garofalo quote. She went there for a little while. There is a dorm called McVinney Hall but everyone called it the virgin vault. It was an all female dorm with restrictions that males couldn’t be in the building after 9 pm – rules that were consistently broken. The point that Garofalo made was that “you could stand on top of McVinney and drop a rock on anyone walking by and it wouldn’t matter because they’re all the same.”

    After a few years of going to school there, I found a group of friends I truly connected with on a music level. I discovered I wanted to share myself and express myself in a musical medium.

    TC: Is this the period when you started playing guitar?

    MRP: Yes. A buddy of mine has a Fender Stratocaster (which I now own) and a small little amp and I would play around on just making sounds. I learned a few chords from him. That was freshman year. Then sophomore year I found a group of folks and we would just sit around. They would teach me standard chord progressions and melodies. It was all these different of angles of music, a number of different approaches. Part of hanging out was trying to fuse our different styles together and make something fun of it. We all ended up playing in a band together called Men are Broccoli. I think that was my senior year.

    TC: What did Men are Broccoli end up sounding like?

    MRP: It had more of a groove to it – a groove rock. We would give it a harder edge. We also did a lot of covers that reflected our styles.

    TC: How did you break away?

    MRP: My contribution to that group was blues music. I think it was the raw expression of the blues soloists that I particularly enjoyed. I was trying to learn that style. I started playing at a place called Savanna’s in downtown Albany. It’s now no longer. It was such a great room and they had an open mic night. I played bottleneck slide on a Robert Jonson composition but I learned Eric Clapton’s arrangement.  It took me four times just to get started. By the fourth time the room was dead quiet and focused because I kept screwing up. But that fourth time I nailed it. A group of guys liked what I did and asked me to be part of a band – Manikin Ed. That is when I stepped into playing in the Albany area.

    We were playing the River Street Pub as Manikin Ed and there was a guy that was coming to these open mics. His name was Matt Durfee. We ended up hitting it off musically. I started straying away from the electric sound and started gravitating towards the acoustic again. Matt was playing acoustic. We ended up forming a band called Palatypus (intentional misspelling). We released an EP in 2007 called Lazaretto. We carried some weight with that. We travelled the Northeast a little bit.

    TC: Palatypus sort of ran its course. How did you get to the point of being a solo singer-songwriter that you are now?

    MRP: Matt wanted to do some solo work and I was going through some personal things in 2010-11. I put out a solo album called Greenhorn. That carried it’s own weight. That set me off on a solo route.

    TC: You have come a long way, learning your craft and then establishing yourself. How did you decide that this was the direction you wanted to go in?

    MCR: I don’t think its something I decided on, I think its something that decided on me. I have a drive to share myself artistically. I like playing music, I really like singing and I like stories. It’s a good little trio that can work toward a song.

    TC: Describe how you create the song from the melodies to the lyrics.

    MCR: The lyrics come from a variety of sources either a personal trial or a personal triumph. Those are some standbys, but I love books. The first two tunes that I really enjoy were a personal experience and a book, respectively. “Drunk,” the lead track off of Greenhorn is totally personal. It’s a pretty generic experience but I think the tune sounds good; it has something new to provide despite the generic title. Then there was another tune that made it onto the Palatypus CD called, All I Own. The song is loosely based on William Kennedy’s character, Francis Phelan from the book, Ironweed. I read that book and it floored me.

    TC: Clearly you draw inspiration from books but who are some of your musical influences?

    MCR: It goes all the way back to being kid. I was a fiend for Beach Boys tapes. I wanted all the Beach Boys tapes I could find. I got into a period where I wanted to listen to everything that was Billy Joel. That was probably sixth grade. I just loved Billy Joel. I think there was something natural about his voice and you could tell he was singing from somewhere. Then there was that period in high school where I got into rap. I listened to a lot of Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan. I started gravitating towards them because I liked the beats and I liked the jazz samples in Tribe Called Quest. I also liked where they were coming from lyrically. Then when I got to college I was introduced to Phish, Grateful Dead, all sorts of contemporary jam music and well-orchestrated music – I didn’t know music could or should sound like that. I took a class called the history of jazz. I got hip to John Scofield. Then I got into songwriters. I started focusing on the presentation of lyrics. Probably like most people, just a variety of influences coming together.

    TC: Lets talk about both albums.

    MCR: Anybody who listens to both of them they will know that they are two very different albums. I named Greenhorn because I wanted it to be an introduction into an artistic project. I wanted people to know that I’m not coming at this from the angle of a professional. I wanted people to know that I was just testing this out. I wanted to start from where I was actually at and not peek before I was out there. That is where the name came from and the approach I took. All the tunes were recorded live.

    Then on Harvest the Heart I wanted to show people the progression. I learned a lot. We did a lot of separate tracking. You’ll notice the arrangements are tighter. The musician parts are a lot tighter. We had gotten some really good recording equipment by chance. It’s very much a contrast to Greenhorn.

    TC: You are progressing from singer-songwriter but now you are also playing out under another moniker, Rebel Darling. Lets talk about Rebel Darling.

    MCR: It was just one of those names that came together. When the idea hit, it was such a ‘Wow, that’s a good name!’  I uttered the name on stage. It was just a good idea, people liked it and it really describes the sound. The improvisation is there and it gives us an edge. The arrangements are tight but there is that vibration, that communication on stage.

    TC: Who exactly is Rebel Darling?

    MCR: Its this amorphous collection of guys who play music together as a group and sometimes not. There is a Rebel Darling that I play with in Cambridge MA. She is a viola player. Sometimes we play other songs, but by in large, it is my songs.

    TC: You seem to have a soft spot for playing Caffe Lena. Would you consider this home base?

    MCR: Caffe Lena is the kind of room where I don’t get to make that decision. That room is really something special. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have a gig there. That room is historic and full of spirit without a doubt.

    M.R. Poulopoulos will be at Caffe Lena on Friday, January 17, 2013. Poulopoulos will share the stage with NYC singer Caitlyn Canty.

    You can also catch M.R. Poulopoulos on the following dates in the Upstate area:

    Friday, February 21: Shelburne Falls, MA
    Friday, February 28: Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
    Saturday, March 1: Peekskill, NY
    Saturday, March 8: Easthampton, MA
    Sunday, April 6: Saratoga Springs, NY

  • Celebrating the New Year with Twiddle

    New Year’s Eve is not just a day that people reflect on the past twelve months and make goals for the new year, it is perhaps the single greatest live music night of the year.  The first signs of the holiday season means different things to different people. Holiday shoppers imagine Black Friday super sales, kids think of the presents under the tree, but diehard music fans start to salivate over New Years Eve shows in there area.  For Saratoga Springs, it was an easy decision – Putnam Den was hosting the jam party of the year with local favorites, Twiddle from Vermont and Albany’s own Way Down.

    Way Down lays down a funky, progressive jam with influences throughout the musical spectrum.  There were times that you could close your eyes and imagine guitarist Justin Hendricks being center stage jamming along side Jimmy Herring or Derek Trucks.  There was a hint of southern jam in the long jams and upbeat progressions that got the crowd dancing early in the night.  The dance floor was packed a couple songs into the set and stayed that way for the entire evening. While Way Down may be fighting popular appeal because of lack of singing (only two vocal numbers for the entire set), they make up for it in mastery of their instruments.  It is no surprise to discover that bassist Dylan Perrillo and drummer Kevin Urvalek graduated from the Crane School of Music.  Just before the end of the set Mihali (Twiddle) hopped on stage and jammed with the young trio.

    By the time headliner Twiddle took the stage, the Putnam Den was already packed.  The usual crowd that hangs outside for cigarettes or fresh air were hiding inside because of the subzero temperatures lingering around.  Inside it was nice and toasty and the drinks were refreshing.  The New Years party was in full swing and owners Tiffany and John Albert were behind the bar.  Twiddle’s jams build up and develop throughout the song.  Whether you are a jam fanatic or a jazz purist, you can rest assure you will be delighted by the complex nature of the band’s music.  While the crowd at the Putnam Den was geared toward twenty-somethings out for a night of gold skirts and gold shirts and gold shoes and any other gold accessory that you can imagine, the slightly older fans hanging out in the back or on the sides appreciating that these four artists are the real deal.  Delighting fans with favorites like  “The Box”, “When It Rains It Pours” and finishing with a special encore of “Frankenfoote”

    Thirty years ago another band formed in Vermont with adept control over their instruments and the understanding and appreciate on how to build a jam to the point that it quite literally split open and melts.  Mihali Savoulidis (lead vocals/guitar), Ryan Dempsey (keys), Brook Jordan, (drums) and Zdenek Gubb (bass) are equipped with the talent and state of mind to take the reins and start their own legacy.  New Year’s Eve at the Putnam Den is just the beginning of Twiddle’s journey in 2014.  Twiddle’s upcoming shows include a couple in New York and Vermont in January before traveling south to Florida to start the festival season off at AURA.

    Putnam Den is no stranger to incredible shows like the one they offered patrons on NYE. Look for these great shows coming up: Mallett Brothers (1/10), Ghosts of Jupiter (1/24), Particle (2/5), and Donna the Buffalo (2/6), and more giving way to an exciting new year.

    Setlist
    Set 1: Doinkinbonk!, Hattibagen McRat, Apples, Countdown-> Auld Lang Syne->  Mamunes the Faun, Wasabi Eruption, The Box -> Too Many Puppies -> The Box
    Set 2: Syncopated Healing, Polluted Beauty, Wildfire, Tiberius, Cabbage, Hattis Jam > When It Rains It Pours > Somewhere Over the Rainbow > WIRIP, Theme to “Friends”, Earth Mama
    Encore: Frankenfoote