The Revivalists will be coming to the Upstate New York area with a show on August 12 at The Waiting Room in downtown Buffalo. The Revivalists have been touring non-stop since 2007 and the New Orleans based band has no plans to let up. The group has such an amazing energy level, with their rocking sound and unique blend of music that gets everyone up and wanting more.
Opening for the Buffalo show will be home-grown funkadelic jamband Funktional Flow, who have been really taking their music to the next level. The band most recently enjoyed a successful Buffalove Festival, where they were one of the headliners of the event.
Thomas Wynn and The Believers are set to open the show. The band comes from Orlando, Florida and has been coined by SOUNDBOARD as – “Southern Rock Muscle/Soulful Rock n’ Blues.”
The Waiting Room will be the place to be come Tuesday, August 12. You should anticipate a full crowd right from the beginning so get your tickets today. Tickets for The Revivalists can be purchased through the Waiting Room in Buffalo for $15, doors open at 8pm
Supergroups in music usually consist of members who are individually famous for their prior work with another band. If Soulive were to form today, you could say that they would be a funk supergroup, snatching up members from some of the top bands in the scene. That’s not the case though as this is a band that has been around since the late ’90s and is in the opposite position – they were one of the bands who laid the groundwork for funk’s recent resurgence and the groups leading that push today. The trio consists of Alan Evans on drums, Neal Evans on organ/bass keys, and Eric Krasno on guitar.
At one point the band had been a touring force, even opening for the Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews. Their instrumental combination of funk, jazz, soul, and rock was enlivening and people were taking notice. With each of these guys though, keeping the pedal to the floor and constantly being involved in the scene has led to other projects and ventures. Neal and Eric are touring to a greater capacity with Lettuce, Eric splits that with contributing in the studio and occasionally touring with Tedeschi Trucks Band, while Alan has Playonbrother who have been making a name for themselves as of late. Alan also owns his own studio and regularly produces records for various bands. The net of it is that Soulive performances are now a rarity and shouldn’t be squandered. Given the fact that their shows don’t happen often, with the talent these guys possess, anytime they do get together, it’s usually a magical performance replete with inspiring moments of musical mastery. This Saturday, Rochester is in for a treat as Soulive is set to perform at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. If my words aren’t a big enough nudge, the show is free and is the only local tour date for the band besides a late August date in Turin when they appear at moe.down. The show kicks off at 9pm at the East Ave. & Alexander St. Stageand is one Jazz Fest act you don’t want to miss.
It’s officially summer whenever moe. plays their first show of the year at Saranac Brewery. This year it actually was the first day of summer, and the clear skies and warm sun made it a bearable accompaniment to the second of two nights of moe. at Saranac Brewery. More than 1,000 fans filled the outdoor venue, drinking Saranac’s latest offerings as well as staples such as Pale Ale and Adirondack Amber. An attentive crowd, the brewery attracts a strong hometown crowd for the Utica summer concert series, but nothing like moe. brings in.
moe. Saranac Brewery
Kicking off the night with three newer tunes, two off of the recent No Guts, No Glory release, warming the crowd up slowly with the more familiar “Billy Goat” followed by “Annihilation Blues” and “Do or Die”, all warmly received, but not as much as the next trio of songs. The classic combo of “Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okay Alright” featured Conehead Buddha horns from Shaun Bazylewicz, Terry and Shannon Lynch on all but “Wormwood”, which had a more aired-out pace to it. “Nebraska” found the horns on stage once again, as well as on “Late in the Evening”, a fully rhythmic version that had some interesting interplay between horns and percussion, as well as Marley Amico joining on saxophone . The classic jam vehicle “Moth” ended the set nicely, and set the stage for a phenomenal second set.
Things began a bit dark, and not just because the sun went down. moe. took their time getting into “Spanish Moon”, working patiently into the intro that kept everyone guessing. Joined again by Conehead Buddha horns, the crowd erupted as Chuck sang through the Little Feat lyrics, taking their time to explore the entire composition. Local musician Jason Barady joined on mandolin for “Jazz Wank”, which took a meandering stroll through the improv-friendly composition before segueing ever so nicely into “Buster”, garnering the biggest cheers of the night – the anticipation was stroked ever so carefully on this one.
“Buster” found its way into “Yodelittle”, which clocked in at over 20 minutes and featured a nice jam, segueing into “Four”. With two distinct improv-induced movements, there was full band contribution on making this version of “Four” a stand out among its peers, and made for the highlight of the night, and part of an instant classic second set. “Downward Facing Dog” closed the set, and after al.nouncements, “Same Old Story”, off No Guts No Glory, as well the song from which the lyrics give the album its title, started off the encore, while Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” stormed through the crowd. Of note in “Godzilla” are Rob’s vocals/sounds he was making during the open section of the 70s hit, and well worth a listen.
moe. next plays in New York at Great South Bay Festival in Patchogue on July 19 (get tickets here) and from August 29-31 at moe.down XV in Turin, NY. Get tickets here.
Whether you are looking for a festival where you can party all day and night or want to bring your little ones and know that they are going to experience an enriching musical, artistic, and communal atmosphere (with plenty of space and respect given from partiers), the Great Blue Heron is here to deliver!
For the twenty-third time, the Great Blue Heron Music Festival will bring to Sherman, NY the sounds of Americana-jam favorites Donna the Buffalo and a smorgasbord of great grassroots, traditional, and Americana acts. From the passionate bluegrass-folk licks of Binghamton’s Driftwood, to the feel-good, deep reggae groove of Mosaic Foundation, to the periodically psychedelic folk/Americana of The Horse Flies, to mystical instrumentation by East Indian master Naryan Padmanabha…your ears will have a feast. If that’s not enough, they also have a nice little swimming pond which does wonders in the Fourth of July heat and other fun acts like fire-spinning. So come to Sherman, NY on the Fourth of July weekend (July 4-6), and bring your friends and family to the best little festival Western New York has to offer.
Check out the schedule below for the times each band will play, and if you haven’t picked up your ticket yet, you can grab it here.
Phish tour looms, but in the meantime, get warmed up with The Lawn Boys, a Phish tribute band out of New York City, on Saturday, June 28th at 9pm at Red Square in Albany. This show marks The Lawn Boys their first ever show in Albany, days before Phish’s summer tour kicks off. With tickets just $10 at the door, you’ll get two sets of Phish from some of their biggest fans.
On the fence? Check out video below and get ready to Phish!
Every once in a while you just know you are in the midst of greatness as it’s unfolding. This summarizes “An Evening With John Legend“, as he played for the sold out crowd in Syracuse at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater, June 12, 2014.
John Legend, 2007 Starlight Award recipient from the Song Writers Hall of Fame and a nine time Grammy Award Winning, musician/songwriter/producer, is best known for his collaboration with artists such as Kayne West, Jay Z., Alicia Keyes, Britney Spears, The Roots, Sade, and Lauren Hill to name a few. This multi-talented musician spans genres of R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop crossing over to the pop charts with his recently number one hit “All of Me”. However John Legend has dominated the R&B chart for years with his albums, Get Lifted, Once Again, and Evolver. John is currently touring and promoting his current album Love in the Future which debuted in the Billboard Top 200 at number 4. This album to date has released four hits, “Who Do We Think We Are”, “Made to Love”, “You & I (Nobody in the World)”, and of course the number one hit , “All of Me”.
Just like John’s music, his set was comfortable and intimate with four couches set up behind the string quartet, guitar player, and John’s baby grand piano. Four lucky couples who won their upgraded seats from local radio and television stations, were able to view the entire show from the stage. As John began the show, this intimacy extended even more so to the audience as he shared an amazing history of how he began singing in his grandfather’s church choir at the age of seven. After graduating from high school as his class Salutatorian, John was offered scholarships at such prestigious schools as Harvard, Georgetown, and Morehouse College, however it was the University of Pennsylvania where he further fine tuned his musical knowledge and experience as a side bar to his studies in English and African American Literature. This insight into his course of studies, helped to explain to me his wonderful way with words and songwriting.
John Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse
From the moment John took the stage, the crowd was truly mesmerized by each number he sang, as they sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next story, joke, song he shared. As he played hits such as “Made to Love”, “Tonight”, “Maxine”, “Used to Love U”, “Ordinary People” and so many more, the audience sang back, clapped along, and prompted him to continue begging him to not stop. His rendition of “Where Did My Baby Go” with the accompaniment on strings was spectacularly beautiful, while his “Good Morning Love” was as though he was serenading each and every one of us. As he sang “Caught Up” the audience became a part of the song singing along and clapping as though they were part of the show themselves.
During the show John shared a personal story of how he was invited to perform on Jimmy Fallon’s show the week they were honoring Bruce Springsteen. During that show he sang his version of “Dancing In the Dark” hoping at one point and time to hear feedback from Bruce’s team or Bruce himself. He spoke of months going by with no hope of any response either good or bad, when out of the blue he received a call from Bruce’s management personally requesting him to play his version at a tribute for Bruce Springsteen himself. This validation should not have been a surprise to anyone as the rendition was amazingly beautiful. We often see songs remixed time and again to speed ballads up into dance numbers. However to see a fast song slowed down to a ballad tempo was amazingly beautiful as we heard the song with new insight.
It was however his dedication to his grandmother who taught him how to play that moved me the most. Many covers have been done of Simon and Grafunkels’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, however the raw emotion he put into this number brought goosebumps as he sang his resonating melody straight up to heaven for her. One could feel the love and adoration as he sang to her.
As the night came to an end and John left the stage for a moment, the crowd chanted over and over for one more song. As they cheered in anticipation, it was of course the encore they had awaited all night, “All of Me”. This sexy song, seems to touch everyone who hears it as an anthem to love, after all it was written as such for John’s wife, Christine Teigen. As I left the show, these feelings seem to spill out onto those in attendance. Unbeknownst to one unexacting lady, out in the lobby was a surprise orchestrated by her boyfriend who took this opportunity to express his love and propose to her after the show. To paraphrase one comment made by John Legend during the show, “for those men in attendance, I(John) am setting you guys up nicely for a wonderful romantic evening with your ladies. Please don’t ruin it and say something stupid”. That young man didn’t. She said yes. John would be proud.
John Legend @ Oncenter SyracuseJohn Legend @ Oncenter Syracuse
Rockstar Energy Drink has announced their lineup for the 2014 Uproar Festival. This year’s tour will be headlined by heavy metal rockers Godsmack as they support their brand new, sixth studio album 1000hp. Formed in 1995, this will be Godsmack’s second time appearing at the Uproar Festival.
What would a festival be in 2014 without Seether? The band has already seen Rock on the Range and Rocklahoma. They will also be on the Aftershock Festival later this year. Seether will hit the tour for their second time in support of their sixth studio album, Isolate and Medicate.
Skillet will make their first run on the Uproar Festival. Skillet has been touring for over the past year supporting their current album Rise. Skillet has been on four separate tours since the summer of 2013 including last years Carnival of Madness.
Buckcherry will also grace the main stage and make their first appearance on the festival. Their single “Crazy B!^@#” is certified 2x platinum by the RIAA. The band is rumored to release an Ep titled “F#@k,” which every track on the disc will have that word in it’s song title.
Uproar’s lineup will feature 13 bands in all. The rest of the lineup will include Pop Evil, Escape The Fate, Redlight King, Three Years Hollow, New Medicine, Within Reason, Sons of Revelry, These Raven Skies & Tattered.
Also look out for the Suicide Girls to perform a Burlesque show on the festival this year.
With more dates still to be announced, Uproar will bring the festival to New York on Friday, August 22nd in Syracuse at the New York State Fairgrounds. The festival itself will kick off on Friday, August 15th at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.
Uproar’s main stage looks like one big melting pot for rock and metal music. Godsmack will bring the hard rock and heavy metal, Seether will bring their post grunge style of rock. You will hear the Christian rock and metal sound of Skillet and the hard alternative style of Buckcherry. With all the energy this show is gonna bring , you’re going to need all the free Rockstar Energy Drinks you can handle.
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If you haven’t listened to Lake Street Dive’s cover of the Jackson 5 single, “I Want You Back,” then you should. After hearing it, if you aren’t swooning, crooning, or feeling the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you might want to check your pulse; chances are you are dead. This single performance around a single mic on a Brighton, Massachusetts street corner brought nearly instant and well-deserved attention (now almost two million views) to this tremendously talented Boston-based group. They have since performed on the Colbert Report, The Late Show with David Letterman, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Town Hall (NYC). This rising star of a band brings its captivating soul/Motown/jazz/pop sound to Syracuse’s Westcott Theater on Thursday, June 26th at 8PM.
Lake Street Dive is a four-piece, formed by fellow students who met over a decade ago at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The band was hand-picked and named by trumpet/guitar player Mike Olson, who found inspiration in a neighborhood of seedy bars in his hometown of Minneapolis. All members of the band assist in writing songs, singing, and are phenomenal musicians in their own right, but the reality is, Lake Street Dive is fronted by a goddess. Rachel Price, a Nashville native, commands a silky, yet full and powerful, soul-rattling voice that will make you melt. Her vocal technique is impeccable, her dynamic works seamlessly with her backup vocals, and her look…well, just Google her, you’ll see what I mean.
Lake Street Dive’s tour follows the release of their sixth album, Bad Self Portraits, and is sure to draw a good crowd to the Westcott Theater on Thursday, June 26th. Come support the little dive bar band that is making waves worldwide, and keeping soul alive and relevant in modern music.
The Disco Biscuits recently completed a brief three night run through New York City at a Irving Plaza, a venue that didn’t seem to befit these monsters of the jam scene. Ditching their usual spacious confines of Best Buy Theatre in Times Square, the group instead opted for a throwback of sorts with the location moving downtown to the approximate 1,000 person capacity Irving Plaza. This was a curious move for a band that could easily sell out venues twice the size of this, but it did make for a highly spirited and energetic performance that surely reminded the musicians and certain audience members of a time when rooms like this were the norm.
The Philly based rockers wasted no time in getting down to business with a blistering ‘Save the Robots’ intro that settled nicely into a slow, extended jam before the next composed section that gave everyone a chance to get their bearings or attempt to carve out space on the cramped floor. Another lengthy jam then followed, anchored by stellar drum and bass play by Allen Aucoin and Marc Brownstein, respectively. Despite a ‘Crickets’-like buildup, the frenzied jam soon came to a boil and the band shifted directions into one of their oldest and most iconic songs, ‘Aceetobee’. This old school Bisco classic saw a composed section that was stretched out, played to perfection and then followed by a fascinating psychedelic jam that had elements ranging from ambient to funk rock. Eventually, the music “normalized” to a degree as keyboardist Aron Magner took control of things and led the way through a seamless segue to yet another Biscuits classic, ‘Mr. Don’. This segue and the driving, pulsating jam that followed was truly some of the best music in this set with the light rig now in full gear and taking advantage of the close walls and light fixtures. The entire run at Irving Plaza had been highlighted by four song first sets and The Disco Biscuits showed tonight would be no different by ending things with one more transition into the ending of yet another classic original number, ‘Magellan’. With a first set that could’ve been plucked right from the pages of a late 90’s setlist (as the previous night’s was) now in the books, setbreak gave everyone a change to get hydrated, refuel and set the bar high for hopes of what was to come.
The second set opened, appropriately enough, with ‘The Overture’, a song based on classical music structure that has the group’s signature style of electronica thrown on the end of it. The mesmerizing, laser light filled jam that followed seemed to delight both audience and band members as the music reached deep levels of electronic improvisation. Jon Gutwillig’s signature guitar lick signaling the beginning of ‘Gangster’ soon rang through the already saturated room that unleashed a new intensity to both the music and light show. Right on cue, the band then steered things right into one of their most renowned and associated covers, Pink Floyd’s ‘Run Like Hell’. Gutwillig continued to take the lead on the outtro jam that featured some truly impressive soloing on his part.
After yet another ‘Crickets’ jam fakeout, the Biscuits continued to honor the old school vibe and then launched into perhaps one of their oldest songs, ‘Pat and Dex’, which brought a noticeable roar from knowledgeable veteran fans. The completion of ‘Pat and Dex’ marked the first time the band finished a song and stopped playing without transitioning into something else, an impressive feat. Perhaps due to the increasingly humid temperature in the room, the band seemed to lose just a little bit of steam in finishing the second set with an unfinished ‘Shem-Rah-Boo’ that meandered for a little while before a noticeable ‘Life During Wartime’ jam took over.
This gave to way to another older song in the form of an inverted ‘Bernstein & Chasnoff’ that was well-played and then capped with a ‘Run Like Hell’ ending. This offered one last impressive display of music and light symmetry that seemed to put a bow on an impressive night of music that saw the band play a number of older and classic songs with all the electronic fury and technical prowess they have at their disposal today.
moe. celebrated a nice little homecoming party at this past Thursday’s concert. The event was Buffalo’s Canalside Concert series’ second free show and most successful one this year. moe. continues to really give their all when they return to where it all began 25 years ago. Playing in the small clubs of Buffalo back then may have been a little different from what they played in front of Thursday, but the energy level just continues to reign supreme after all of these years.
The night started off with opening band Conehead Buddha, and as the sun set, it was a perfect beginning to the night alongside Buffalo’s inner harbor. The harbor itself was lined with plenty of boats, giving the spectators on the water some great music to go along with their already fun-filled day.
moe. had a shorter run time due to a 10:00 pm curfew, but they made the best of it playing songs new and old as well as covering The Rolling Stones “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin”, Black Sabbath’s “Wizard”, and The Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated”.
It really doesn’t matter if it’s a free show when moe. comes back home as they always seem to play to the crowd, and in Buffalo, NY, the crowd continues to love the band that remembers their roots.
Setlist: Y.O.Y. > Skrunk > Blue Jeans Pizza, Understand > 32 Things, Same Old Story >(nh) Rebubula, Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’*, Akimbo* >(nh) Threw It All Away*, The Wizard*
Encore: I Wanna Be Sedated
* w/ The Conehead Buddha Horns: Shannon Lynch on saxophone, Terry Lynch on trumpet, Shaun Bazylewicz on trombone
Check out the video of “32 Things” recorded by our friends at WNYMEDIA.NET
Supergroups in music usually consist of members who are individually famous for their prior work with another band. If 
