Category: Regions

Get Ready for Disc and Dance at this year’s Disc Jam Music Festival, June 13-15 2014

Get ready for a weekend full of great music, disc golf and a fresh location at the 4th annual Disc Jam Music Festival on June 13-14, 2014 at Camp Coldbrook in Barre, Massachusetts. A little over two hours from Albany, NY and only a 1 ½ hour from Boston, Disc Jam is easily accessible in the middle of the New England area for those looking for a weekend getaway. You don’t need to play disc golf to attend the festival but everyone will have access to the beautiful 18 hole course with two tournaments taking place over the weekend. The family friendly festival will feature over 50 musical performances with 3 stages plus a late night silent disco as well as acoustic stage. Headliners include two sets each of Dopapod and Consider the source, plus performances by Kung Fu, Twiddle, a Particle and Friends Super Jam, plus many more. Disc Jam has released their daily schedule, sobe sure to plan ahead so you don’t miss a second of the jam packed weekend!

Changing locations within a month of any festival is a very risky move but the new location of Camp ColdBrook allows festival goers access to more late night music at an indoor music hall until 3am, plus access to a full bar, arcade, swimming pool and the traditional golf course. “We know that it is kind of late in the game, but in the end, we feel that the move is the right decision and hope that all of our attendees will feel the same way once they have seen this beautiful new site,” said festival promoter Tony Scavone. “While we have enjoyed our time in Brimfield, MA, we feel that Camp Coldbrook is better suited for what we are trying to accomplish with Disc Jam and that this new site will provide for the enjoyable experience possible for our attendees, which in the end is our main focus.”

The intrigue 18 hole disc golf course is open to all festival goers wearing their Disc Jam wristband, with two tournaments taking place over the weekend. Saturday’s Tournament is a two round, singles tourney in three divisions: Pro, AM and Women, while Sunday’s tournament will be a one round doubles-partners event with prizes given out to those in all categories. Besides disc golf, the festival offers multiple activities such as yoga, wellness meetings, hula hoop workshops plus live painting and installation artists.

Tickets are still available online with the 3-day music and camping pass set at $100 with VIP at $200. Those looking for a 1-day music pass for Saturday or Sunday, plus the disc golf tournament is $70. Day passes are available for each day at the gate only and allow you to see all the main and side stage acts but no silent disco or late night bands. It’s an easy walk from the parking lot to the campgrounds that are set up in a clean and dry flat area of land. Private woods camping is available in the VIP package plus there will be the quiet Family Camping area. Children under 12 years old are free but must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Disc Jam is setting up to be the highlight of this year’s festival season with something for everyone of all ages, so be sure to grab tickets well they still last and check out ‘s top five must see acts of Disc Jam: Aqueous, Shwizz, Sophistafunk, Fikus, and Cosmic Dust Bunnies.

Aqueous is one of Upstate’s own, representing Buffalo, NY with their high energetic funkified rock jams.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h_wZlUAJ9g]

Shwizz is a progressive rock and jazz band from Nyack, NY that has been a part of major festivals on the North East music scene such as The Catskill Chill, Gathering of the Vibes and now, Disc Jam!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t64c4YretvY]

Sophistafunk, the trio from Syracuse combine old school hip hop with new age funk, making for a unique electronic and live band experience.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLBTa560NRU]

Fikus uses electronic beats, edgy rock fused funk and crisp vocals to create tight jams. Be on the look out for their new album, Living Life Through Multi Colored Scenery, coming July 1st.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaysX77oCxU]

Cosmic Dust Bunnies intergalactic wavetronica, all improvisational jams have earned them a slot as Gathering of the Vibe’s Road to Vibes Contest winner and more importantly, this year’s Disc Jam.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjbGJb22oYs]

June 9, 2014
Taste of Country Music Festival 2014 at Hunter Mountain – June 12th-15th

Coming out of the gate in 2013 as a new country music festival, the Taste of Country finished with a huge win for all involved. With a field of winning performers in the first year, those in attendance at Hunter Mountain were in for a treat.

Set in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York State, only a few hours north of the NYC, and an hour off of the NY State Thruway, Hunter Mountain is centrally located and the perfect setting for a country music festival. Just envision lush green foliage and cool mountain breezes along with your favorite artists, food, friends and family. What could be better?

Country music is said to have originated in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North America as immigrants brought over favorite instruments such as the Irish fiddle, the German-derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the West African banjo. This collection of culturally based music and instrumentation has evolved over the years into what is today’s country music.

Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014

Country music is so diverse and appeals to so many listeners that we now see it crossing over to main stream radio, with hits topping both charts. It just seems fitting to have this event in the foothills of the mountains, be it not its original Appalachian mountainside, it’s still truly the perfect setting for the only country music festival held in the Northeast.

With a “Who’s Who List” of country musicians gracing the two stages this year, you would be hard pressed to choose which stage to be at at any given time. However, don’t fret, because this festival has been organized by Townsquare Productions, LLC, a collaboration between Townsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals. “Townsquare Media Group is a diversified media, entertainment and digital marketing services company that owns and operates radio, digital and live event properties, and Chet-5 Festivals has produced the Mountain Jam music festival since its inception in 2005”.

They have organized these two stages so that the musical acts are performing at staggered times and attendees can meander between the two and not miss a minute of either show. Having attended several festivals in the past, this option has me extremely excited as I can see everyone on my “must see” list, and not have to choose between which stage to spend my time.

Taste of Country Music Festival 2014 Line Up

Options for camping are numerous as well, however becoming limited in certain areas. Passes can be purchased for the whole weekend event, with or without camping, and they recently released single day passes in the event you can’t make it for the whole three-day festival. Wait…did I say three-day festival? I meant four-day festival as they have just announced their “Campground Kickoff Party” to begin on Thursday, June 12th as a thank you gift to ticket holders. And if you don’t feel like camping, visit the Taste of Country Music Festival website for a list of alternate lodging accommodations within the area. Shuttles will run from local designated areas throughout the entire weekend and tickets are still available for the shuttle services.

Like all great events with music, fun, and friends, there must be food. Those attendees planning to eat at the event will have a smorgasbord of choices to choose from, with numerous vendors satiating appetites with foods as unique as grilled mac & cheese sandwiches to the perfect Chinese noodles and vegetables. Yes I said grilled mac and cheese sandwiches.

For this who can’t sit still, there will be vendors and activities on site to saunter through and see all there is to see. For the perfect view of the whole event, don’t forget to ride the chair lift to the top for the best vantage of all the goings-on below.

Spectacular music is the focus of the entire weekend, with spectacular views, spectacular food, and spectacular friends and family. Now that is what country living is all about.

June 8, 2014
Intune Music & Lifestyle Festival Plans for a Huge Kickoff

On June 28^th, Island Park in Williamsville, NY will become the center for a new, one-day festival, setting up shop right in the middle of suburbia. Intune Music & Lifestyle Festival will be laying down its inaugural foundation for a day of music, artists, workshops, and other various activities. Upon speaking with one of the organizers, Amanda Gutierrez, she said that the festival is a tribute to a friend, Zack Yambor, and their goal is to turn the pain of his loss into a positive for the community. The vision is truly inspirational and what they plan on encompassing within the gates is a large offering to satisfy anyone who plans on attending.

Throughout the day, those in attendance will be treated to various musical acts such as Skyes, Sumkind, Steel Keys and Brass, Bertioga, Dysrupt, and Kooli. Headlining the festival though is none other than Break Science, featuring Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch. Besides the music, there will be eight free workshops, teaching anything from yoga to live graffiti. Local farmers and food vendors will be there as well to show off their latest with live cooking demos. The fest will take place from noon to 10pm and feature a jam-packed day for a great kickoff! Tickets are $20 presale and you can get them here.

And if you’re a musician who’s interested in playing, there’s still TWO open slots that the organizers are looking to fill via a contest. Hit the link if you think you have what it takes.

With so much to offer, here’s a summary of activities you can expect to see at the festival.

Map of the festival grounds

Bands:
– Break Science
– Skyes
– Sumkind
– Steel Keys and Brass
– Bertioga
– Dysrupt
– Kooli
– The Goods
– Satya Hinduja
– Devon James
– Lo-Ski

Workshops:
– Music Production
– DJing
– Yoga
– Cooking
– Screen Printing
– Film
– Musical Theatre
– Art
– Skating

June 6, 2014
Skrillex Heated up The Armory in Albany on his Mothership Tour June 3rd

The mighty Skrillex crash-landed his Mothership Tour at The Washington Armory in Albany last night with the help of DJ friends, Milo & Otis, What So Not, and DJ Snake. The Mothership Tour almost needs a dozen tracker trailers to carry all the lights and sound equipment, plus a massive generator to power up the unforgettable show. The vibrations you will hear and feel from the speakers on the Mothership Tour are similar to a pleasurable earthquake. Skrillex and the EDM genre as a whole attracts a special kind of crowd, mostly in their late teens and 20s, clothed with eye-catching neon, lots of glitter and brightly colored beads. The Capital District hasn’t been too fond of the raves hosted at The Armory for the past few months, but luckily this show went off stress-free.

The Milo & Otis duo was a great start to the night with fast paced dance beats and techno tunes that helped the ravers loosen up for the long night ahead of them. What So Not mixed heavy bass notes with soaring vocals that released an animal-like dark side into the crowd who ate it up. As the night progressed, the audience grew, and DJ Snake took the stage for a set of blaring techno and extreme lasers. DJ Snake got the biggest response out of the crowd when we started up his latest collaboration with Lil Jon, “Turn Down for What”. The rebellious chant got the masses screaming with their hands up in delightful angst.

After much cheering and being egged on by DJ Snake, Skrillex leapt on stage to do what he does best, melt faces and blow minds with his hard hitting electronic music. It was hard to tell who was having the better time, the ravers or Skrillex. His hands were all over his mixing tables, even standing atop of them as he amped up the crowd and leapt off just as the music would drop. The consistent climaxes kept everyone moving and the smoke machine blasts were also a crowd pleaser. The massive back drop was a rainbow of lights or showcased images of iconic pop culture; either way it went was a thrill to watch, especially to watch a slow motion of Family Matter’s Urkel and Full House’s Uncle Jesse break it down. Skrillex mixed fresh beats with popular songs that sent the crowd into a frenzy such as Damien Marley’s “Welcome to JamRock” and even the opening theme from The Lion King with a rising sun backdrop. He slams his entire body on that stage, supplies everyone with a powerful energy of music and compliments Albany on being the “hottest” stop on his tour, as it’s apparent that everyone is soaked in sweat. A Skrillex show has everything that young American’s are all about: loud music, robots, lasers and a carefree party attitude.

Whether you love or hate the EDM scene, Skrillex is a must see act. It’s empowering to watch any artist do what they love, but with Skrillex, you can appreciate his audience control and interaction. His stage presence is almost as big as the bass bombs he drops. Here’s hoping the Capital District will continue to host these EDM events for respectable ravers seeking a bizarrely fun journey into the livetronica world.

June 6, 2014
Saving Abel Turn Bus Around: Albany show canceled

Less than 24 hours before their scheduled concert at Monirae’s in Pennellville, NY – while en route to Upstate New York – Saving Abel announced that they won’t be there.

Members of the band reportedly broke away from their recording sessions and were in the midst of traveling to Upstate New York once plans unraveled.

Saturday’s show in Albany, The Take Back Tour, is advertised as an educational movement to inform concert goers on building a sustainable community. It also included information on recent federal legislation that tour promoters say allows the military to detain citizens without due process.

A Washington Armory representative said the show is scheduled to proceed without Saving Abel.

Saving Abel was reportedly dropped by the show promoter, Robert Rodrigo. Attempts to contact the promoters for comment were unanswered.

The band posted an announcement late last night on Facebook, but when approached The Washington Armory about the news this afternoon, the staff was initially unaware of the details.

The venue representative explained they are not responsible for planning the event. As managers of the facility, they only rent out the building to show organizers. Shows like Tuesday’s Skrillex show that was a huge success.

Saving Abel still plans to play the Monirae’s show, but in September.

Dedicated Central New York fans, like Tim S. were upset. The father responded to the band’s Facebook post to say he bought VIP tickets specifically for his daughter’s birthday.

The band responded to clarify they would honor tickets from the show that was supposed to happen tonight.

The band is dedicated to all their fans but they said a trip to New York didn’t make fiscal sense if they were only playing one show.

June 6, 2014
Norwood Village Green Concert Series

The Norwood Village Green Concert Series has spent the past four decades providing free music to the North Country community.

Norwood, which is approximately ten miles north of Potsdam, is truly Upstate and well beyond the reaches of Interstates 87 and 90. Nonetheless, the concert series organizers are quick to boast that since 1974, they have entertained a half a million music revelers with a collection of music talent that includes Grammy, Juno and Emmy award winders, as well as two National Medal of Arts recipients, and several international, national, regional and local artists.

Norwood Village Green Concert Series concerts are free of charge, but donations are encouraged by means of a “pass the bucket” approach.

Each concert listed below starts at 7 p.m.

THE NORWOOD VILLAGE GREEN CONCERT SERIES

Thursday, June 5 – The RPO Marimba Band (+ North Country Children’s Museum’s KidPower: Fun and Fitness Exhibit)
Thursday, June 12 – Onyx Clarinet Quartet and Riverside Brass Quintet
Sunday, June 15 – Sonic Escape
Thursday. June 19 – Tas Cru
Sunday, June 22 – Kleztory
Thursday, June 26 – Northern Symphonic Winds, Scott LaVine, Dr. Brian Doyle, Conductors
Sunday, June 29 – The Cathie Ryan Band
Sunday, July 6 – All Star Big Band under the direction of Wally Siebel with guest Tony DeSare
Wednesday , July 9 – The Susquehanna String Band
Sunday, July 13 – Harpeth Riseth
Thursday, July 17 – Sultans of String
Sunday, July 20 – The Gibson Brothers
Thursday, July 24 – Martha Gallagher and Harper’s Delight
Sunday, July 27 Jamcrackers – Peggy Lynn, Dan Duggan and Dan Berggren
Thursday, July 31 – The Brass Firemen
Sunday, August 3 – Northbound with special guest, King Kong

June 5, 2014
Jbre x Dougie Kent Release New Single “Stimulation”

Hailing from Lancaster, PA Jbre x Dougie Kent is a new hybrid breed of music infusing elements of both commercial hip-hop/rap with their EDM producer SaneBeats from London, U.K. At 22 years old, one would dismiss “#TheDuo” as a novelty act, however, doing this would be a disservice to these young musicians who have carefully honed their craft over the past two years.

After dropping their iTunes debut album After Hours in January 2014 and opening for legends such as DMX. G-Eazy, Wale, and countless others – Jbre x Dougie Kent drop their latest single “Stimulation”. Produced by SaneBeats, the single leaves listeners to a more mature side of the artists. Margaret Kramer, also a Lancaster native, was brought into the studio after being praised for her talents at a local college party. Jbre x Dougie Kent will be announcing tour dates this summer which includes various shows such as their highly anticipated concert July 20th in Hollywood, CA at The Avalon. Catch the new song “Stimulation” along with others on Trap and Bass below!

June 5, 2014
Mysteryland USA: The View Through a New EDM Fan’s Lens

MysteryLand USA was my first EDM festival but I doubt it will be my last. As a middle aged rocker that occasional enjoys the occasional jam band, I really didn’t know what to expect. However, when I got to the grounds of the original Woodstock at Bethel Woods, I could already feel the excitement in the air. My normal routine for festivals or concerts is to get there early and to scout the stages and setup. I start planning my shots and my day with no one else around, understanding the lay of the land. For Mysteryland this was at high noon on Saturday, and there wasn’t a single light, laser or LED to be seen. There were however, huge circus-style tents, a Spanish stage with sugar face designs, a vinyl area with old albums all over and an octagon building that was brought over from the Netherlands. There was even a large boat set-up as a stage. But the highlight was the main stage. It was a house of cards, no, it was a castle of cards. It looked amazing and in the middle was an area that the DJs and artists could practice their craft and entertain the 20,000 fans in attendance.

When the gates finally opened all the festival-goers were greeted by sheriffs and state troopers with their canine unit drug sniffing dogs. Festival organizers, ID&T, said they were going to run a clean festival and to the best of their ability they did a great job. After spending two days, it wasn’t the typical cloud of smoke, nor did I walk by underage drunks passed out at three in the afternoon. Did I mention that they enforced a 21 and over policy? Additional fences were added to increase security and there were 850 people working the festival besides the 250 performers. This wasn’t the normal festival; ID&T were planning for the future and wanted to prove to their hosts that they could offer up a quality, successful festival on the holy grounds of Woodstock and keep it safe and clean. The goal wasn’t as much about making money as it was getting an invitation back.

One of the aspects of the festival that I did look forward to were the costumes the ravers put together to express themselves. While some outfits were purchased, it seemed like most extravagant and therefore the best ones were handmade. I saw people dressed as animals, Dr. Seuss characters, the whole cast from Alice in Wonderland, aliens and more. There was even a parrot and a pirate combo with her on his shoulder, put that by the boat stage and it was the perfect scenario. As per any electronic music event, there were no shortages of hula hoops or fuzzy boots, and more than your fair share of glitter and body paint. A few of the outfits (or lack of) made me thankful that I have three sons, because if I had a daughter wearing a bra and panties out in public I wouldn’t be the happy-go-lucky guy that I am. Honestly in the proper setting it really does barely raise an eyebrow.

Some of the things that made Mysteryland unique compared to most festivals that I’ve been to were the amount of International visitors. Over 27 countries were represented and more than half the states also had a solid presence. The European touch on the festival was evident in the hospitality and organization, especially in the media area. Overall this festival was other worldly and I look forward to the next one.

June 5, 2014
Basilica Hudson Gearing Up for Soundscape 2014

The Basilica Hudson recently announced an abridged lineup for Soundscape 2014 for September.

The two-night affair promises at least the following five acts for September 12th and 13th: Swans, Deafheaven, Tim Hecker, Julia Holter, and Gamelan Dharma Swara. However, more acts are anticipated to arrive.

Purchase your tickets anytime before June 15th, and you are granted an “Early Bird” discount of $50 for the weekend. Afterwards, the price goes back up to $60.

Originally a foundry that produced railroad car wheels in the 19th century, Basilica Hudson is an 18,000-square foot arts and performance venue that boasts a capacity of 1,200 people, but no climate control. Hence, shows are scheduled during the Upstate New York springs and autumns. It is located on the South Bay off the eastern shores of the Hudson River, south of the Amtrak Terminal.

June 4, 2014
Dave Matthews Band Rolls into Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

As they make their way to Buffalo, the talk right now is about the stellar show Dave Matthews Band just put on with their two-night run at SPAC. The Dave Matthews Band will play Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on June 11th. DMB never seems to disappoint their loyal fan base in Western NY, and with the new two set format that includes an acoustic set and a full band, electric set, it will surely be an unforgettable experience. The band has been playing songs throughout their extensive catalog, making every show more unique and exciting night in and night out.

Darien Lake Performing Arts Center is the perfect backdrop to a summer concert and with the amusement park connected, you can enjoy some fun during the day before catching a great show at night. With the venue being a consistent stop over the years for DMB, the show is always the perfect start to the summer concert season for many fans in the WNY region.

Tickets can be purchased through Live Nation here.

To get you ready for the show, check out these highlights from SPAC:

“Minarets” (5/30/14)

“Pig” (5/31/14)

June 4, 2014