Category: Central NY

Oversteppin’ Out: Mike Gordon Band Kicks off National Tour in Syracuse

While we wait for Phish tour dates to be announced, the most pleasant of distractions, Mike Gordon, is making stops around the country over the next 5 weeks, an extensive tour to support Mike’s latest solo album Overstep. Starting in Syracuse on February 28th and ending in Burlington in early April, Mike Gordon Band has more than enough time to test out his recent studio tracks before live audiences and delve into his deep solo catalog. Featuring Scott Murawski on guitar, Tom Cleary on keys, Craig Myers on percussion and Todd Isler on drums, the first show of the tour was a solid one, giving a taste of what’s to come over the next 20 or so shows.

A tightly packed crowd in the darkened confines of the Westcott Theater was shifting about and settling in throughout the first set, with fans craning their necks for a better view of the band, who many were seeing for the first time. Mike Gordon Band does not tour as extensively as Trey Anastasio Band, the more popular and familiar of the Phish side-projects, and as such the chances of seeing Mike Gordon’s band is limited to tours in support of new albums, or the occasional short run, as he played in December 2011. Thus, the show was sold out earlier in the week and those in attendance were lively in spirit and properly clad in Orange.

“Face”, one of the half dozen songs from new album Overstep, opened the night, followed by the more familiar “Say Something”, which has been played by Phish twice in 2013 and beckons the crowd to screech the title “sAAAAy Something!” The ambiance in the jam that developed from “Traveled Too Far” is a hallmark of Mike’s band – they aren’t there to play standard versions or the same old jam each time – they have an affluence of patience when it comes to the unscripted portion of the songs, making nearly any song a jam-vehicle, even if just for one night. “Dig Further Down” wowed the audience when Mike’s bass and Scott’s guitar lit up in LED fashion; when placed against the silhouette of the backdrops, the visual took on an Anglerfish-vibe, where your attention is drawn to the light, while unable to see the full behemoth lurking in the darkness. The first set ended with “Jumping”, a solid calypso-infused number that was ripe for jamming and jumping. Ninety minutes of music to start the tour? This could bode well for the next month or more.

A fair opener of “Paint” and an ethereal “Ether” led into more spacious jamming between Mike and Scott, with the rest of the band following suit as a well-oiled machine. “Jones” had repeating vocals that were akin to Bowie’s “Fame” refrain, while “Fire From a Stick” had Mike and Scott bouncing back and forth on stage. “Peel”, not my favorite track on Overstep by any measure is miles better live, complete with Mike performing yoga sun salutes before the song began.

The slow build into “Peel” featured Mike on an acoustic guitar, plucking away while percussionist Craig Myers broke out a Kamel N’goni during “Angatta”, drawing the attention of the chatty crowd. Mike spoke to the crowd briefly during the night, but unless you were close the acoustics were muffling his words like Charlie Brown’s teacher’s voice. He commented that he was so busy getting ready for tour, but he felt so much more relaxed just being there, and commented on his espresso vegan milkshake from earlier in the day. “Hap-Nappy”, a familiar tune from the GRAB/Mike & The Italians days of 2006, found its way back into “Peel” to close the set. The encore of “Andelman’s Yard” had a mossy lightscape with more stellar percussion from Myers and added another dose of familiarity to the setlist.

Altogether, it was a great start to the tour and warmed up a cold winter chill that can only be fully thawed with Summer Tour plans in place. Mike still has a couple shows in the area, including dates in Woodstock, Tarrytown, Mass MoCA and Burlington in late March/Early April. Get your tickets early – these shows are already selling out.

Set One: Face, Say Something, Cruel World, Sugar Shack, Mississippi, Traveled Too Far, Crumblin’ Bones, Dig Further Down, Jumping
Set Two: Paint, Ether, Jones, Fire From a Stick, Peel > Mrs. Peel > Angatta, Hap Nappy > Peel
Encore: Andelman’s Yard

March 3, 2014
Giant Panda Returns to Ithaca for an Epic Night of Dub and Dance with Beat The Grid

There was standing room only at The Haunt as Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad returned to Ithaca with Beat The Grid on Thursday, February 20th. Good vibes and smiling faces were in abundance, with fans coming from far and wide to see what was undoubtedly the best show around. Giant Panda has recently returned from an eight-show West coast tour, highlighting their new mixtape In Roots We Trust, featuring The Expanders and The Simpkin Project, which explores North American Reggae music.

Giant Panda is a Dub/Americana/Roots band from Rochester NY, but got their start in Ithaca about ten years ago. The band has gained immense popularity since then, touring the country and even getting spots at some of the nation’s largest music festivals, including Summercamp and All Good Music Festival. Giant Panda’s music is known for its positive and uplifting lyrics backed by infectious dub that soothes the soul. In addition to dub/reggae, they also released a country album displaying the band’s musical versatility.

Opening for the band was a local Ithaca group by the name of Beat The Grid. The band had a similar upbeat feel with some added funk that warmed the crowd up nicely.Their beautiful female vocalist had the entire audience mesmerized by her smooth voice and exotic dancing. Beat The Grid’s set included fan favorite “Her Cosmic Lines” and many other tracks from their 2013 self-titled album, as well as some new songs.

For a small venue, the sound at The Haunt was of very high quality and the place was busting at the seams with the huge amount of people in attendance. Giant Panda opened with “Not The Fool” and “Solution”, spreading the love and pushing towards making this world a better place. The night continued with songs old and new, with teasers from their upcoming album to be released this summer. Dylan Savage on guitar and Tony Gallicchio on keys displaying their mastery of their instruments as they traded solos that sent chills down the spine. Guitarist Dan Keller was also in his prime, presenting his saxophone skills and unforgettable vocals to add to the already amazing performance. Giant Panda mashed up some of their most popular songs, “Missing You More” and “Pockets” to make for some outstanding medleys and even surprised the crowd with a rendition of soul legend Marvin Gaye’s “Lets Get It On.”

After Giant Panda left the stage, chants for “One More Song!” were started up by the fans, who at midnight had a lot more left in the tank and were not ready to call it a night. Not long after, the band returned to play Jackie Wilson’s classic “Higher and Higher”, featuring Dan Keller on saxophone and “Mr. Cop” as every crowd member sang the chorus “They callin’ up the cops ‘cause it smells like Ganja!” There was not a still body in the house as everyone danced their hearts out for the fifteen-minute encore, leaving everyone sweaty, exhausted, and satisfied.

February 27, 2014
moe. Closes out Winter Tour at The F Shed in Syracuse

moe sure knows how to close out a tour and leave the fans wanting more, as they wrapped up another successful tour to a packed house at The F shed on Saturday February 15th.

The F Shed is a unique venue, located just miles off the New York State Thruway in Syracuse making it accessible from all major highways. It is essentially a giant garage that could easily store a fleet of commercial airlines. It almost gives the feel of an outdoor dance tent that most concertgoers would relate to, and it gives off an incredible vibe. Every city should really look at its model as something they should consider in their area.

Max Creek set the stage for the evening with some solid jams, led by Scott Murawski who would eventually join moe. on stage for a few songs. Max Creek has been a successful touring band for over 30 years and musically sound as great as any of the biggest names out there, with improvisational abilities that are top notch.

moe. wasted no time and opened the show with the classic fan favorite “Akimbo”, to thunderous applause. The lights were amazing and moe. was simply just hitting their stride when “32 Things” came up and got everyone flying. “Bring You Down >Awesome Gary > Mar De Ma” was an incredible run and gave the crowd not a moment to rest, with Rob Derhak giving off a hint of a smile as he slapped the bass. Scott Murawski from Max Creek joined the boys during “Mar De Ma” and helped accompany the band during a very solid cover of The Rolling Stones, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” with “Spaz Medicine” closing out a very hot first set.

“Okayalright” got the crowd up and running again and is such a perfect opening song. “Happy Hour Hero” paid homage to Saranac Brewery and is always a nice shout out to the home of Al Schnier. “Blue Jeans Pizza >Seat Of My Pants” had to be the highlight of the night, especially on Al side, where he went into full blown rockstar mode at the front of the stage, making sure everyone was able to get that classic pose captured on the sea of cell phones held up high. When Schnier was holding back, Chuck Garvey would come in to wallop you with his solos, keeping your attention on the entire stage. Closing out the set with “Spine Of A Dog > Buster”, the band filled out what was an incredible run of songs.

The two songs of the encore brought chills to the air with covers of Pink Floyd’s “Time” and Frank Zappa’s “San Ber’dino”, followed by an impromptu costume change during “Downward Facing Dog” as Schnier mocked in his dog costume that he decided to wear throughout the final song, a classic image for all moe. fans.

moe. certainly brings their A game every time they play Upstate and we’re all very fortunate to be able to see them so often in New York State where they are truly a gem.

Set1: Akimbo >32 Things, Bring You Down > Awesome Gary > Mar-DeMa*, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’*, Spaz Medicine
Set 2: Okayalright > Happy Hour Hero, Gone, Blue Jeans Pizza > Seat Of My Pants, Spine Of A Dog > Buster
Encore: Time, San Ber’dino, Downward Facing Dog
{* w/ Scott Murawski}

February 24, 2014
Hearing Aid: Mosaic Foundation “Signs Of The Time”

Rochester reggae stalwarts Mosaic Foundation have released their latest album, Signs of The Times and have announced a big CNY show with The Moho Collective on Saturday, March 8th at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse. This will be the first time both bands have appeared at the legendary club and a fantastic opportunity for folks to see these two spectacular Rochester-based bands together. Skip to the end for details, but let’s check out the album first.

Mosaic Foundation has been plying their trade around the Northeast for half a decade, always danceable and infectious, open and joyful, reflective of the vibe and groove of their loosely framed genre. The disc jumps out of the gate with “We Can Make It If We Try”, a signature sounding anthem, reflective and positive, upbeat and uplifting, as Cha Cha establishes his vocal command and a flat-out infectious groove. “Reggae Escape” stretches the authenticity of Cha Cha’s voice and the band’s message, “This music is used to settle disputes … used to teach the youth their roots … righteous truths brothers.” The variety of pacing used here keeps the listener anticipating the next, whether driven by JP’s drums or Ken’s funky scratches. “My Planet”, then “Helping Hands” express the joy and sorrow of existence balanced against the perspective of survival and giving, the basic inter-connective tissue between everyone.

The title track picks up the theme and puts a bounce under it, letting the positive outweigh the negative, giving it breath to keep up the fight. Allowing space for reflection and vision while following a true path set before them. “Stand Firm” feels like a homage to those who’ve gone before them and a rallying cry to those they stand shoulder to shoulder with. It’s defiant, it’s firm, but the heartfelt joy comes out on top. “Abundance Of Water” is a call to arms of sorts, asking for vision from those living merely in the present. Then “San Kofa” spins forward the guitars and the band feels the up-shift in pacing, and depth of message, intensifying their passion for both.

“Praises” shows the true authenticity of Mosaic Foundation, each member’s musical instinct understands spacing, pacing and breathing. Reggae must be felt, perhaps more than any other genre, there’s a natural motion implied and if it doesn’t move you, it falls flat. There’s none of that here. “Harder The Battle” remains expressive of the struggle and what will overcome it, unity, love, strength, honesty and joy. “Harder the battle, sweeter the victory” indeed. “Jellyfish”, the closer, let’s the boys cut it loose and jam a little, the mix of the keys is deep and layered, evoking layers of feeling like an oceanic trip. The piano is exemplary, the guitar tasty and the rhythm solid, the idea of closing with an instrumental is unique and confident. Very cool stuff, well played and much respect!

Be sure to hit the big upcoming show on March 8th at The Lost Horizon with The Moho Collective! Check out The Moho Collective’s website. Advance tickets are available from Mosaic Foundation members. More details are available on the facebook event page here.

Mosaic Foundation is:

Ken Luk – guitars/ Melodica/ Minimoog/ piano/ vocals
Ekwem Itot Bogmis – piano/ Rhodes/ Hammond Organ/ vocals
Michael Corey – guitars
John-Paul Nawn – drums/ vocals
“Bongo” Brian Davis – percussion
“Cha Cha” Yao Foli Augustine – lead vocals/ percussion
Aaron Sprague – bass
Zach Dumrese – Sound Captain

Guests on this recording:
Angelo Peters – clavinet/ Farfisa and Hammond organ/ guitar
Lee Hamilton – sax
Ryan Zawel – trombone

February 22, 2014
SLUG Grooves Their Way Into Club Aqua

On February 8th at Bridgewater’s Club Aqua, SLUG took the stage for all those brave enough to weather the cold. It didn’t take long though to warm up the crowd with their groovy, bluesy sound. Reminiscent of a mix of Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan, SLUG has taken these inspirational sounds and created a sound uniquely their own. This feel good, easy going music features Stephen “Fletch” Fletcher on lead vocal and rhythm, Irwin Winkler on lead guitar and back up vocals; Chris “The Kraken” Dunn on bass and back up vocals; Mike Finley on keyboards and back up vocals, and Adam Morgan on drums.

This year the band will spend a good deal of time touring festivals all over the country. Check them out locally at the Strawberry Jam on May 15th in Fort Plain, NY or at Shake the Mountain on May 16th in Northville, NY. For further details on these and upcoming events please check their website.

February 21, 2014
Red Hot Chilli Pipers Turn The Heat Up in Syracuse

Despite frigid temperatures in Syracuse February 7th the city was on fire! Not only because our beloved Orangemen were setting the town on fire and leading their division in basketball, but because The Red Hot Chilli Pipers were setting the stage on fire at the Syracuse Palace Theater.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Opening the show in true Celtic Style, the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band began the evening warming up the crowd with traditional sounds and a spectacular drummers light show. If you haven’t seen these folks, they are a band of approximately 36 pipers who have played locally and competitively since 1973. Truly a Syracuse gem and the perfect way to begin a show featuring the Pipers.

Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band

Second to take the stage was Hobo Graffiti, a local rock band, who gave the audience a taste of the rock and roll side of what the evening had in store. With Kris Wiechmann on vocals and acoustic guitar; Tommy Matkowski on 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars; Chuck Kahl playing upright bass; Kevin Dean playing bass, snare, cowbell, tambourine, and ride cymbal; and Heather Jones finishing out the group with vocals and guitar, this band gave the audience a taste of what they have deemed as their own style of rockabilly and dirty rock. Their strong vocals and amazing musical talents once again confirmed what a mix of musical talent is here locally in Central New York.

Hobo Graffiti

Under the cover of darkness, The Red Chilli Pipers took the room by storm with the opening song “Insomnia” demonstrating just what was in store for the evening. Traditional bagpiping music was not on the set list, instead the evening would be more than two full hours of the most non-traditional bagpiping you would imagine with the perfect bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, and sound & lighting to accompany. I personally love when bands begin with a strong foot stomping number to bring the crowd to their feet first and foremost and trust me when I tell you, this was truly foreshadowing for what was to come.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

They did not let off all night with constant playing and sound offs between bagpipers Willie Armstrong, who when not piping is saving homes and lives as a fireman; Craig Munro who has been recently featured playing in Disney’s movie Brave; and the crowd favorite Gordon “Dougie” McCance who constantly wins the pipe off as the others claim it’s not based on talent but on the cuteness factor during their “Tag Team Jig”. We also saw spectacular drum battles between Grant Cassidy who is referred to often as the as having the fastest hands in Scotland on the snare drums (aka the Ferrarri of drums), Steven Black on full drums, and Paul Jennings on cajon and bongo drums. These musicians are top notch and true performers giving the show of their life each and every night.

The music was a mix of their own and amazing covers of songs such as Coldplay’s “Fix You” and “Clocks”, Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”, ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin”, War’s “Low Rider”, Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”, and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. At one point and time they even had the whole audience up participating during C&C Muisc Factory’s “Everybody Dance Now”. With Alan McGeoch on bass, Gary O’Hagan on keyboards, and Ben Holloway on electric guitar the pipers and percussionists had the perfect accompaniment on each and every number.

It was however the encore number though of their newest release Avicci’s “Wake Me Up”, and crowd favorite Queen’s “We Will Rock You” that showcased each and every one of them as true artists and performers.

Syracuse could have been -50 degrees and these guys still would have melted every girls heart and heated up the stage like only The Red Hot Chilli Pipers can. I can’t even imagine on a hot summer day how anyone would survive one of their shows.

February 19, 2014
Lettuce and The Monk Dropped The Funk on The Westcott Theater

On Sunday February 9th, Lettuce, The Monk and DJ Kraz graced The Westcott Theater stage. It was flurrying snow outside, but that didn’t deter the dedicated live music fans of Upstate New York from coming out on a Sunday night to get their fill of face-melting funk.

DJ Kraz got the night off to a grooving start by spinning some classic funk records from the 70s and 80s and some hip-hop from the 90s. The Monk came out next and played a set that warmed the crowd up nicely for Lettuce. The Monk’s set included a cover of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes and songs that spanned the genres of funk, rock, Latin, reggae, blues and jazz music.

photo by Leah Corbett

Finally, Lettuce, the heaviest funk band out there, took to the stage with their rage-faces on. The band is made up of 7 all-star musicians: Eric Bloom (trumpet), Erick Coombs (bass, vocals), Adam Deitch (drums, vocals), Neal Evans (keyboards, vocals), Eric Krasno (guitar, synth), Adam Smirnoff (guitar) and Ryan Zoidis (alto sax). The band launched into an intro jam that included short segments of covers, one of which was “N***** in Paris” by Kanye West & Jay-Z. Then Lettuce dove straight into a track off of their latest album, Fly, entitled “Madison Square.” This song has hard hitting yet suspenseful note sustains and a horn arrangement that begs the listener to dance like crazy. Lettuce’s front of house engineer dialed the mix in perfectly, as you could clearly hear each instrumentalist in the band. After playing an intro of “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash, the band laid down a fat version of “By Any Schmeeans Necessary.” After a couple more tracks from their second studio effort, Rage, the band threw it way back in time with “Nyack.” This song off Lettuce’s first album, Outta Here, is the fastest song they’ve ever written and requires serious communication amongst band members to play properly. Lettuce absolutely killed this classic track and thoroughly satisfied all the long-time Lettuce fans in the audience.

The band did a few more from Fly and then brought up Alecia Chakour on stage to sing some thunderous lead vocals. Anybody in the audience who felt the show was lacking vocals was taken aback and turned their focus back to the stage. Alecia sang soulful lead vocals on the following three tracks, which were “What Do I Have To Do”, “Clean Up Woman” and “Afraid To Try.” Lettuce continued on, playing a couple of brand new tracks and eventually closing the set with the horn-driven “Lettsanity”. Lettuce got off the stage and the crowd was yelling and screaming “We Want Lettuce, We Want Lettuce…”. The band got all of about two minutes to take a break before the crowd had forced them back onto the stage with the chant. Lettuce came back out with Alecia Chakour on vocals for a burning hot cover of Syl Johnson’s “The Love You Left Behind.” Everything seemed to come together perfectly on this one, the vocals and horns complementing each other while the guitars, bass, keys and drums held down a tight groove. Lettuce closed their set with an intense 10 + minute version of “Blast Off” that boasted extensive solos from drummer Adam Deitch and keys player Neal Evans.

The crowd played a huge part in making this show as fun and exciting as it was. Everyone was dancing like crazy for the entire set and they really fed the band with their energy. Lettuce responded by throwing down a two hour set of exhilarating funk music. Overall, this was a fantastic night of high-quality, live music complete with funky dance beats, ripping horn solos, wet bass lines and everything you’d expect from the most powerful seven-piece funk band in existence.

Setlist: Intro>Madison Square, By Any Shmeeans Necessary, Speak E.Z., Nyack, Fly, Bowler, Slippin’ Into Darkness, What Do I Have To Do, Clean Up Woman, Afraid To Try, Yakitori, Phyllis, Lettsanity

Encore: The Love You Left Behind, Blast Off

Download the show here.

February 18, 2014
3 Doors Down to Perform Back-to-Back Shows for Upstate NY Fans

Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down will bring their Songs From The Basement acoustic tour to two Upstate NY venues next week. On Monday, February 17th the band will be performing at The Egg in Albany. They then head west for a performance at Verona’s Turning Stone Casino on Tuesday, February 18th. Both shows start at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the Albany show are available through The Egg box office and tickets for the Turning Stone Casino show are available through Ticketmaster.

Since forming in 1995, 3 Doors Down has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide, garnered three Grammy nominations, two American Music Awards, and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting, including BMI’s coveted “Songwriter of the Year” award. The band’s debut album, The Better Life (2000), which is now certified six times platinum, featured the smash hit “Kryptonite.” Their sophomore album, Away from the Sun (2002), saw similar success with its radio mainstays “When I’m Gone” and “Here Without You.” The band continues to perform for crowds around the globe with the 3 Doors Down/Songs From The Basement acoustic tour.

February 15, 2014
moe. Playing Two Nights in Syracuse at The F Shed

moe. will be bringing their A Game to The F Shed at The Market this coming weekend, February 14-15. Fans of all music will be in for a treat as moe. will bring their improvisational rock show to the Syracuse music scene.

Syracuse is no stranger to the band and being close to home for the group their should be plenty of faithful fans in attendance. moe. is coming off an incredibly showing when they played at The Capitol Theatre for the Wetlands 25th anniversary and will not be slowing down as they play for two nights to Syracuse.

moe. has also made the Wetlands 25th Anniversary soundboards free to their fans which can be downloaded from their website. The shows featured a lot of special guests including Jimmy Herring, Wayne Krantz, John Medeski, Conehead Buddha Horns, and many more.

Tickets can be purchased at The F Shed At The Market $30 General Admission $75 VIP.

February 13, 2014
Umphrey’s McGee Rocked The F-Shed in Syracuse

On Saturday, February 8^th, Umphrey’s McGee showed up to play a high-energy show at The F-Shed in Syracuse, NY. The crowd filed in through the narrow doors leading to the converted market shed venue. Umphrey’s eased into their set with “October Rain” seguing into “The Linear.” They kept their music selections relatively relaxed and atmospheric in the first set.

The set moved forward and the band launched into an epic version of “Wappy Sprayberry” in all its electro-jammy, hard rock-esque glory, including teases of Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam.” Umphrey’s went on to close the set with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains The Same.” The band did an unbelievably tight rendition of the tune, complete with guitar tones almost identical to Zeppelin’s. This setlist choice was certainly a challenging one to come through on, but Umphrey’s pulled it off with poise.

The second set really kicked off the party. As soon as Umphrey’s busted into “All in Time” the crowd seemed to shift into full-on dance mode. Umphrey’s dragged this one out, going into “No Comment” and then back into “All in Time.” After a soft, inspirational and brief “End of The Road”, the band launched back into rage mode with “Room To Breathe” and “Puppet String” before closing the set with “1348.” The momentum they had built up during the second set carried over to the encore. Umphrey’s came out on fire with a cover of Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” in which the drummer Kris Myers sang the entire tune whilst keeping his heavy double-kick pattern. “Hot For Teacher” got a loud response from the audience that propelled the band to rock it even harder. Umphrey’s then finished up the night with a fun and steady version of “Front Porch.”

I was totally entertained and extremely impressed with the overall quality of this show. The sound mix was crisp and clear for the entirety of the set and the lighting direction was done phenomenally. Umphrey’s showed their fans once again that they can do any style of music and still get the fans moving and grooving properly. The combination of the jam-band style, heavier hard-rock style and even some experimental electronic was infectious. This show further proves Umphrey’s resilience in the live music scene and begs each fan to come out to their shows time and time again whenever they pass through town.

Umphrey’s McGee F-Shed Setlist:
Set 1: October Rain > The Linear, Plunger, Booth Love > Out Of Order, FF > Wappy Sprayberry > The Song Remains The Same
Set 2: Puppet String > Slacker, All In Time > No Comment > All In Time, End Of The Road, Room To Breathe > Puppet String, 1348
Encore: Hot For Teacher, Front Porch

Download the show here.

February 13, 2014