Beck, who just released the critically acclaimed Morning Phase, will be coming to the Northeast and tri-state area in June, after his appearance at Firefly, Beck will make his way to the beautiful site MASS MoCA on June 24th.
Morning Phase has been linked to another great Beck album Sea Change. Many of the same players from that album worked with Beck again on this one. Beck always brings something special to his shows and since he hasn’t been touring on a regular basis for a while now, these shows should definitely be packing a punch.
Presale for both shows began March 12th at 10 a.m. (the general password is “MORNING,” and the Central Park password is “PHASE”), and general sales start on March 14 at noon.
It is rare to find a music fan who devotes their time to only one type of music. When speaking with the musicians that you read about on our websites, you will find a huge diversity of bands that had influenced their love for music.
And, that is the basis behind our most recent change.
Upstate Live is excited to announce its merger with Upstate Metal. Each has focused on the same mission – to promote live music and the local talent here in the Empire State.
Through the years, we have come to recognize the best way to follow through with this mission statement of ours would be to combine our efforts. Music fanatics appreciate a wide spectrum of sound that carries them through different genres. As these tastes mature and musicians continue to push the envelope on the characteristics that define their given category, it has become difficult to discern where one genre ends and another one begins.
In the coming weeks, regular readers of may notice a few new names. With the merger, we welcome within the talented writers and photographers that helped earn success for Upstate Metal. This talented group of writers, photographers and editors will only enhance our ability to spread great music across the state to bring you the coverage you have already come to expect from us.
In addition, you should expect to see a new look to our website very soon. It is not all about aesthetics. We promise this will help all of our readers to navigate clearly by region, genre, and news category.
They got your St. Patrick’s Day fun for you proper on the Saturday night before the much celebrated holiday! Get your freak on and act like a carefree leprechaun for a day while indulging in some varied and exceptional music. The team that brought festival goers the immensely successful Equifunk (the all-inclusive festival now in its sixth year) unveils the Second Annual Leprechaun’s Ball, featuring Bobby Paltauf, to take place at the intimate Le Poisson Rouge in downtown New York City on Saturday, March 15th starting at 1 pm.
Photo by Mike Thut
The line-up is stocked again with professional musicians adept at bringing layered musical musings guaranteed to start a multi-hour dancethon. The all-day extravaganza is buoyed by a stellar 2013 inaugural effort and this year proves an even more impressive array of musicians all amassed under one roof. The Bobby Paltauf Band and Dorsia are poised to start the day in an incendiary manner before the all-star band, Eddie Roberts and the Funky Charms, are set to tear the roof off the joint. With veterans Eddie Roberts (guitar/New Mastersounds), Nigel Hall (keys/Nigel Hall Band), Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet/Trey Anastasio Band), Natalie “Chainsaw” Cressman (trombone/Trey Anastasio Band), James Casey (saxophone/Lettuce), Ron Johnson (bass/Warren Haynes Band) and John Staten (drums/Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), it is likely to get very hot inside the comfortable confines of one of the city’s most lively and respected venues. Tickets are only $25 and can be purchased here
In a festival preview and exclusive, we sat down with one of the day’s artists for a little Q&A to wet our appetite in anticipation of the event.
Bobby Paltauf is a quickly-ascending artist who has played with some of the genre’s finest including Dumpstaphunk, Twiddle, Stanton Moore and Buddy Guy. Paltauf’s surprise sit-in last September at Catskill Chill with The Meter Men was considered by most to be the highlight of the amazing festival weekend. Paltauf is set to drop his first album in mid-March. With so much immediate success and so much talent oozing from his pores, it’s a challenge to remember that he is only 14 years old. Like many who saw Derek Trucks when he was wowing audiences as a teenager, we again have a 14-year-old guitar phenom in our midst.
Much like other teen musicians, the McLovins, Paltauf’s reputation is built on talent and not as a novelty teenage act. The guitar prodigy’s impeccable timing, rhythm and uncanny ability to innately exude cool confidence under pressure is already becoming a known trademark. A quick-study, jam band aficionado Paltauf is adept at various styles while making an indelible mark with an approach all his own. Although a diamond in the rough, Paltauf is a rare gem that will not be left uncovered for long and Leprechaun Ball is an ideal opportunity to watch him shine!
Chadbyrne Dickens: When did you play with Buddy Guy!? Bobby Paltauf: I played with Buddy Guy on November 11th of 2010 at the Ridgefield (Connecticut) Playhouse on “Strange Brew” and “Voodoo Child.” I went backstage to meet him and he saw the Buddy Guy guitar strap (I had bought earlier just that day) and invited me to play with him. It was unreal.
CD: What music do you like to listen to? BP: Bluegrass, jazz, funk, blues and bands like Phish, Soulive, Lettuce and The Grateful Dead.
CD: What is your favorite moment in your career? BP: Playing with The Meters for sure. I’d been listening to “Cissy Strut’ and all that stuff so just to play with them and Page McConnell from Phish….It was crazy. It was awesome!
CD: Who is your idol? BP: I listen to a ton of Eric Krazno with Lettuce and Soulive and Trey Anastasio of Phish. I love how each song in each setlist is always different from all other versions. I can learn a lot from the tone they have.
CD: What rules does a great guitarist have to live by? BP: Sitting in with an artist… you have to be ready. You have to be careful…when I was playing with the Meters, I didn’t really know the songs at all. George Porter explained some right beforehand and I was kinda nervous, but you have to learn to relax and feel your way into it at the right time.
CD: Who inspires you to do better? BP: Hmm. Probably hearing all these new artists come out and going to new shows and learning new things makes me want to play and practice.
CD: Do you plan to go to college? Are academics important to you? BP: Yes! Obviously, I would much rather be playing, but academics is very important as you want to be smart. I want to go to a music school to learn more jazz theory and other stuff.
CD: How was your band chosen? BP: We were playing with a few different local musicians we met at jams, but the most recent line-up we’ve been going with since September is Gene Leone Jr. (keys), Miles Livolsi (bass), Caitlin Kalafus (drums). We met them through Josh Kroop (Kung Fu’s manager) who was like, “you must play with Myles and Caitlin”, so we set up a little jam session as a trio and it was just magic right there when we started jamming. Gene is a good friend, we’ve been playing together for three years now and we put him on keys. It’s just a great line-up.
CD: What is the greatest challenge being so young in the music scene? BP: I don’t know. Well, my dad always says that it’s hard to get people who follow bands to come out to see me as they are mostly in their 20’s and don’t know my music yet.
CD: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? BP: I’d like to see myself playing festivals and venues around the country with a good band while having fun. I have to focus on the guitar and learning new stuff all the time but also improving vocals and getting the band to learn new songs. I don’t think my voice has even changed yet.
CD: Tell us about your upcoming album? Where recorded/who plays on it/wrote it etc? BP: Our new album is titled, “Lost and Found” and was recorded at The Barn at Maple Hill Farm. My dad produced it. Corin Nelson engineered and recorded all the tracks on it and it sounds great. It features John Kooya on Rhodes and clavinet and Bob Nunno who I met at a school we played at, he was actually the music teacher there, and he just killed it on saxophone so we included him on some of the originals. The only covers on it are John Scofield’s “Ideofunk” and the Soulive inspired version of the Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” but most songs are originals that we have been playing since about May of last year. I write. We have a couple instrumental jazz/funk tunes that I wrote and one of the songs, “Atmosphere” that was written in Caitlin’s basement the first time we played.
To warm up for the Leprechaun’s Ball, the Bobby Paltauf Band will be playing with John Popper at B.R.Y.A.C. in Bridgeport, CT on March 9th which is the official CD release party. Paltauf has also been tapped to be the artist-at-large at Rock n Roll Resort in Kerhonkson, NY on April 4th. Everyone wants to be able to say they saw Derek Trucks when he was 14 and now we all have the opportunity to watch the next great guitar prodigy unfold in front of our very eyes. One should cherish this rare opportunity to witness it firsthand.
The pantheon of New Jersey music legends is pretty well established with stars like Sinatra and Springsteen, but slowly making their way into the discussion is a band that hails from Stillwater Township in Sussex County and has a style all its own. On Saturday, Railroad Earth delivered a full serving of their popular brand of rootsy Americana rock to an eager audience at everyone’s favorite Manhattan movie theater turned upscale music venue, Best Buy Theater. With a dance floor packed full of the group’s faithful following and an energy only the Big Apple can produce, the band treated everyone to two full sets of music and an encore that put their craftsmanship and versatility on full display.
The Garden State troubadours sauntered onstage shortly after 9:00 pm and kicked things off with ‘Saddle of the Sun’, a selection from the group’s second album Bird in a House. This song and the ‘Chasin’ a Rainbow’ which followed saw Railroad Earth in its default setting, so to speak, with acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle and upright bass all up front and center. This combination seemed to give the music its deepest and fullest sound of the night which allowed the band to maneuver in a lot of different directions all night. Bassist Andrew Altman then switched over to an electric bass which still kept the rhythm, but certainly gave it a little bit more rock and roll feel on songs like ‘Lovin’ You’ and ‘Hunting Song’; the latter saw instrumentalist extraordinaire Andy Goessling join Todd Sheaffer on acoustic guitar. This middle portion of the first set featured intricate interplay between band members but also seemed to temper some of the high energy that was present early on. This was fixed with a fine version of ‘Crossing the Gap’ which gave a nod to the band’s home state and “crossing the river from the Jersey side”. For set closer, the band treated everyone to a stellar version of ‘Head’ which was highlighted by phenomenal solos and interplay between John Skehan on mandolin and fiddle master Tim Carbone. By the end of this classic hit, the entire dance floor was dancing and screaming along in harmony with the refrain before things came to a momentary end.
After a first set that both started and ended strong, hopes were high that the second set would continue to trend in the right direction. ‘Long Way to Go’ kicked things off and got people on the floor moving again slowly but surely. As the set progressed, Railroad Earth continued to prove that it can create its signature sound in a variety of different instrument combinations. Skehan moved over to an electric piano for a beautiful harmony driven song called ‘Grandfather Mountain’. His delicate work on keys worked as great backdrop and extra layer of sound on this soulful number. Not to be outdone, Goessling then picked up not one but two saxophones for ‘Hard Livin’’ which followed and also featured Skehan on banjo and Tim Carbone on electric guitar. This was truly an impressive musical display as the instruments continued to rotate, but the rootsy signature sound of the band never wavered. A side effect of all the switching, unfortunately, was that the second set didn’t seem to have a lot of flow between songs and with the exception of a thirteen minute plus ‘Warhead Boogie’, no songs were really explored or stretched out beyond their normal boundaries. ‘Dandelion Wine’ served as the set closer this evening before a two song encore featuring ‘Elko’, the namesake of perhaps the band’s most iconic album, sent everyone home and back outside to the reality of winter.
For a few hours, however, Best Buy Theater was anything but frigid as Railroad Earth and their trademark hybrid of roots rock and bluegrass warmed up a room full of devoted followers and new fans. No matter what combination of instruments or band personnel that’s used, they continue to churn out songs that seem to genuinely come from the heart which makes for a fun and easy listen. As they continue to hone their sound and perfect their craft, there’s no telling where this band will fall in the esteemed line of Garden State musical exports.
Morrissey announced today that he will be touring the United States this summer and will be stopping in New York for two shows near the end of the tour. On June 16th, he will be bringing his great body of work to the Artpark Main Stage Theater in Lewiston, NY. Five days later on the 21st, he will be closing the tour out at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY with special guest Sir Cliff Richard, Kristeen Young will be opening at both shows.
This tour is in support of an as of now yet unreleased new album that should be out by the time the tour starts. Morrissey has had trouble recently with tours being cancelled part way through, so here is hoping that this tour goes off without any problems. Ticketing information will be released soon.
Last Friday, one of the most iconic music venues in Brooklyn played host to a musical homecoming of sorts. Hometown heroes Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds put their unique blend of soul, funk and rock on full display to a sold out Brooklyn Bowl. As an added bonus for their loyal and local fans, the group announced they would cover one of ten legendary rock albums in its entirety for this special show and would allow the final selection to be voted on by the public. With Led Zeppelin IVemerging as the winner after all votes were tabulated, this was guaranteed to be a noteworthy affair.
Another local product of the thriving Brooklyn music scene started things off shortly after 8 p.m. Zongo Junction, an up and coming eight-piece Afrobeat band, delivered several smooth flowing instrumental songs highlighted by some impressive percussion work and a mustachioed bassist who resembled a young and spry Frank Zappa. The opening act later brought on a female vocalist to add another element to their steady groove based music.
Then it was time for the main course in the form of Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow) and her seven Dirty Birds which includes her brother Jackson on harmonica who complemented the group’s blaring brass section all night with a string of rousing harmonica solos. Amidst the sounds of nearby 7-10 splits and a hungry Brooklyn Bowl crowd, the group first went through a number of originals that served as a showcase for Kincheloe’s powerful singing voice that rested on top of a bed of aggressive and cohesive funk rock.
Once the originals were out of the way, a certain distinctive “Hey, Hey Momma” followed and The Birds were off and running with their ‘dirty’ take on Led Zeppelin IV. The rest of ‘Black Dog’ was played to perfection and ‘Rock and Roll’, which followed, gave the three piece horn section another chance to shine in this uptempo rocker. One of the true highlights of the show was the justice that the band did to perhaps the most well known song on the album, ‘Stairway to Heaven’. The group moved deftly though the slow, emotional beginning sections and seamlessly progressed to the frenetic finish that’s the signature of this classic number. In doing so, the group managed to mold the song into something different by spinning it with their version of soulful and heartfelt rock.
Sister Sparrow and her Dirty Birds continued to go through each track on the album and give the increasingly rabid Brooklyn Bowl crowd a new taste on some old classics. The group continued to show off their musical chops with a fun take on the ending of Paul Simon’s ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’ that was placed right in the middle of a memorable ‘Misty Mountain Hop’. With a legendary full album cover now in the books, the Zeppelin tribute carried on with ‘D’yer Mak’er’ serving as an encore of sorts before the group left the stage to a hearty standing room only ovation.
With a total set time of just over 80 minutes, there were hopes that another set of music would follow but it was not to be this night. An informal dance party of sorts soon began on the dance floor and once Sister Sparrow herself joined in, it was clear that the rock and roll portion of this evening was now done. Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds had accomplished their goal of delivering a memorable night of music that served as both a showcase of the group’s infectious big band sound and a tribute to one of the most collectively revered rock albums of all time.
Relix.com announced the “Friends” that will be joining Phil Lesh for 8 shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, and as part of an exclusive deal with Relix, Phil & Friends will play a sting of shows at the popular venue, with the first set of shows in April 2014.
Today Phil’s “friends” were confirmed to be – For the first segment, Lesh will be joined by Furthur band mates John Kadlecik, Joe Russo and Jeff Chimenti as well as the husband/wife duo Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Phil’s band for the second segment will be made up of Russo, Kadlecik, Jackie Greene and Marco Benevento. A pre-sale for the Cap shows starts on Wednesday, February 5 at 10 a.m. ET with the general onsale to follow a week from today. These shows will take place in two segments: April 2 – 5 and April 9 – 12.
In addition, Lesh also has a visit booked to Shapiro’s new Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas on April 18 – 20. His band for these shows will be made up of John Scofield, John Medeski, Joe Russo and Jackie Greene. Tickets to see Phil in Vegas go on sale tomorrow, February 1, at 1 p.m. ET via BrooklynBowl.com.
One of the true up and coming bands in America is taking its act back to where it all began for them. Brooklyn’s own Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds play Friday night at the venerable Brooklyn Bowl and they have a special treat in store for those in attendance in the form of a musical cover. The powerful eight-piece, brass infused musical outfit will present their take on one of the more iconic rock albums of all time: Led Zeppelin IV. In a “thank you” of sorts, the band gave their fans the opportunity to pick their choice of the musical cover with an online poll that offered 10 different album selections.
This performance is bound to be memorable not only because of the musical content, but also due to the deep ties Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds has with Brooklyn. The group, which is the brainchild of Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow) and her brother Jackson, honed its craft with gigs at small bars and musical residencies throughout Brooklyn. Their unique hybrid of soulful rock and infectious funk is now being met with critical acclaim nationwide. Throw in cover songs of one of the most revered groups in rock history and Friday’s performance has the potential for greatness.
Zongo Junction will be opening and doors will be open at 6 p.m. with a start time slated for 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.
Equifunk, one of ‘s top music festivals of last year, has announced a one of a kind show coming to (LE) Poisson Rouge in New York City on March 15th, their Second annual Leprechaun’s Ball. The all day affair features many artists that have played the popular festival in the past – teaming up for a great show. Going from 1PM-8PM, the show will give everyone a glimpse into how the musical machine that is Equifunk gets down in New York City.
The Bobby Paltauf Band and Dorsia will be starting the day off with sets of their own before handing over the stage to Eddie Roberts & The Funky Charms – This band is made up of amazing musicians who are all masters at their respective instrument.
The band will include Eddie Roberts (Guitar, New Mastersounds), Nigel Hall (Keyboards, Nigel Hall Band/Lettuce), Jennifer Hartswick (Trumpet, Trey Anastasio Band), Natalie Cressman (Trombone, Trey Anastasio Band), James Casey (Saxophone, Lettuce/Trey Anastasio Band), Ron Johnson (Bass, The Warren Haynes Band/Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe), John Staten (Drums, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe/Pimps of Joytime). This is sure to be a day to be remembered by all in attendance.
Tickets will be going on pre-sale here on January 24 at noon. The sale will be live for 24 hours before a general sale happens the following day. Do not miss this show if you are in New York City area on March 15.
In a time when many festivals are announcing their lineups, Governors Ball 2014 has announced a very diverse one to grab the attention of music aficionados everywhere. With headliners Outkast, Jack White, and Vampire Weekend and The Strokes, there is a little something for everyone. Other acts topping the lineup are Skrillex, Phoenix, Interpol, Disclosure, and Foster the People. The lineup was first announced not via the festivals website, but in an ad in the New York Times, making everything about this festival different from everything else being announced around now.
Other notable acts included at the festival this year are TV on the Radio, Julian Casblancas, Spoon, Broken Bells, Damian ‘Jr’ Gong Marley, Neko Case, DAmon Albarn, Empire of the Sun, Sleigh Bells, The Head and the Heart, Janelle Monae, Fitz and the Tantrums, La Roux, Washed Out, Kurt Vile, Frank Turner, Lucius, and many others. The full lineup can be seen below. 3 day passes are on sale now here with single day tickets being available in the near future. Mixing rap, rock, edm, reggae, indie, and punk, Governors Ball has something for everyone this year.
In a festival preview and exclusive, we sat down with one of the day’s artists for a little Q&A to wet our appetite in anticipation of the event.
The Garden State troubadours sauntered onstage shortly after 9:00 pm and kicked things off with ‘Saddle of the Sun’, a selection from the group’s second album Bird in a House. This song and the ‘Chasin’ a Rainbow’ which followed saw Railroad Earth in its default setting, so to speak, with acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle and upright bass all up front and center. This combination seemed to give the music its deepest and fullest sound of the night which allowed the band to maneuver in a lot of different directions all night. Bassist Andrew Altman then switched over to an electric bass which still kept the rhythm, but certainly gave it a little bit more rock and roll feel on songs like ‘Lovin’ You’ and ‘Hunting Song’; the latter saw instrumentalist extraordinaire Andy Goessling join Todd Sheaffer on acoustic guitar. This middle portion of the first set featured intricate interplay between band members but also seemed to temper some of the high energy that was present early on. This was fixed with a fine version of ‘Crossing the Gap’ which gave a nod to the band’s home state and “crossing the river from the Jersey side”. For set closer, the band treated everyone to a stellar version of ‘Head’ which was highlighted by phenomenal solos and interplay between John Skehan on mandolin and fiddle master Tim Carbone. By the end of this classic hit, the entire dance floor was dancing and screaming along in harmony with the refrain before things came to a momentary end.
Today Phil’s “friends” were confirmed to be – For the first segment, Lesh will be joined by Furthur band mates John Kadlecik, Joe Russo and Jeff Chimenti as well as the husband/wife duo Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Phil’s band for the second segment will be made up of Russo, Kadlecik, Jackie Greene and Marco Benevento. A pre-sale for the Cap shows starts on Wednesday, February 5 at 10 a.m. ET with the general onsale to follow a week from today. These shows will take place in two segments: April 2 – 5 and April 9 – 12.