Category: Regions

Show Number One: Bruce Springsteen in Albany
I’m not sure how it took me this long to see him, but it did and it was fully worth the wait. Bruce Springsteen puts on an amazing show, has incredible showmanship and presence on stage, and even played some wildcard audience requests look like they were part of the plan for the night. This was far from a greatest hits show and I found a few new favorite songs throughout the night. Here’s my take away from my first Bruce Springsteen show, at The Times Union Center in Albany on May 13th.
- The crowd was comprised of everyone from little kids to grandparents, and everyone in between. Bruce spans all generations.
- “Don’t Change” and “My Love will not Let You Down” were a good 1-2 punch of to open the show. Never heard either before, let alone expected an INXS cover to start a Bruce show.
- Tom Morello on guitar was a treat. Didn’t know he would be playing with Bruce, let alone that Little Steven wasn’t playing. Fair trade for me.
- “Death to my Hometown” was tribal as hell.
- I couldn’t tell if it was a standard show, or if there were bustouts. It didn’t matter either way. This show wasn’t defined by the setlist.
- The audience interaction could have gotten old fast, and usually it does. Bruce is WAY more patient with the audience and the audience doesn’t seem to be pushy when it comes to getting him things to read or signs for songs they want to hear. Good band-audience relationship.
- Reading a Mother’s Day card, then dancing with the mom in question was pretty cool. Your Mother’s Day gift is weak by comparison.
- “Better Days” – new favorite tune. “Seaside Bar Song” and “Meet me at Mary’s Place” as well.
- When an audience member requests “Stayin’ Alive”, it seemed like it wouldn’t happen. Then Bruce throws on the acoustic and this happens. “Stayin’ Alive” is one helluva a song when Bruce plays it. Stripped of Disco!
- Seriously 17 band members? Glenn Miller Orchestra I saw last week had 19. But the sound for Bruce was worth it, just surprised to see 17 on stage.
- “Shackled and Drawn” – HUGE song. Love this song, the Celtic-ness to it, although a bass line here would have been perfect. Good choreography as well.
- “The Ghost of Tom Joad” – I imagine Pete Seeger looks down from heaven and smiles whenever Bruce plays this one. Major highlight for me.
- I joked before the show with a few friends that I hope he plays “Born in the U.S.A.”, which was likely my first Bruce song growing up in the early 80s. I was pretty shocked to hear it, thinking it was a song he shelved for a long time.
- “Born to Run”! Born->Born.
- The crowd hung on every song and knew them all. Energetic and focused and not there just for the party – they wanted to hang on every note. Reminds me of Pearl Jam and Phish crowds.
- Bruce’s intro for the E Street Band – never heard that before and damn it’s a good one.
- Jake Clemons, Clarence Clemons nephew, has filled some very big shoes, and the tribute on the screen during intros was very touching.
- The whole ‘not leaving the stage for an encore’ is confusing when most bands I see do that. Explains why the lights came on around 1030, if not earlier.
- Russ Lawton looks like a young max Weinberg.
Sure, there were some songs I wish I heard – “Growing Up”, “Because the Night”, “Atlantic City” and “Rosalita” – but I’m not disappointed I didn’t see them. It just means I need to go and see him more, chasing those tunes. What an amazing first show!

Check out Bruce’s Notes from the Road
May 15, 2014
The Man, The Myth, John Legend comes to Proctors Friday May 16th

John Legend, the nine-time Grammy Award winning recording artist, is coming to the historic Proctors Theater in Schenectady tomorrow Friday 16th.

His All of Me Tour has been selling out shows across the Upstate region and beyond, making tomorrow night a special show for those lucky enough to snag tickets. The show is set to start at 8 pm with no intermission during the 2 hour performance. One of the reasons this tour so special is that Legend is performing acoustically with just his piano, making for a more raw and intimate show each night.

Legend’s tour is part of the promotion for his fourth studio album release, Love in the Future, produced by Kanye West and David Tozer, giving the classic soulful feel with a twist of modern sound. After a decade on the Billboard charts and with his new album, John Legend recently landed his first Hot 100 No. 1 spot with “All of Me.”

The singer songwriter has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people and is celebrated for more than just his music. Legend is honored for his social activism with launching the Show Me Campaign, a nonprofit organization fighting poverty around the world. He is also a part of The Education Equality Project, Teach for America and the Harlem Village Academies.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsYrpNHQ6hg]

May 15, 2014
Turning Stone Showroom Rocks Out with Bret Michaels Life Rocks Tour

The Bret Michaels Life Rocks Tour rocked Central NY to a sold out crowd April 30th at the Turning Stone Casino Showroom. Currently touring across America, Bret Michaels Band took the stage with an energy level of high-octane and continued as the crowd fed the momentum.

Bret Michaels – Turning Stone

Bret Michaels Life Rocks Tour, formerly of the band Poison and well-known musician and reality star, is touring the country raising awareness while rocking audiences. A community-oriented performer, Bret Michaels is well-known for his support in causes such as American Diabetes Association, Operation Homefront, and PetSmart Charities. His appreciation of his fans was apparent as he reached out to touch, smile, and point to the audience as he performed. I was pleasantly surprised at this rock stars behavior as I learned about how he dedicates so much time to helping others. Although it wasn’t necessary, it definitely upped his sexy level which was already pretty high. Check out Bret’s new single “A Beautiful Soul” which sums up this rock star’s heart when it comes to his audiences and his dedication to helping others.

May 14, 2014
Black Label Society, Down, Devil You Know, and Butcher Babies rock sold out Upstate Concert Hall

It’s clear that metal is not dead in Upstate New York as Black Label Society lead the Revolver Golden Gods Tour along with Down, Devil You Know, and Butcher Babies leveled Upstate Concert Hall to a sold out crowd this past Monday night. This would mark the first time in roughly a decade that Black Label Society played at Upstate Concert Hall. The overall production was fantastic. The sound was incredible. The insanity was nonstop. And the concert security brought their A game as the old school metal fans unleashed their energy right back to the bands.

Doors opened a little late which may have hurt the opening set from Butcher Babies. Butcher Babies started their set at 7:23 as there still was a long line out the door. They played a 30 minute set with an overall positive crowd response and did a meet and greet at their merch table after their set.

Devil You Know graced the stage a little after 8. Devil You Know features former Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones, who made his return to the stage after retiring from music a few years back. Jones has never sounded better with his brutal vocals and charismatic stage presence. On top of that, Jones has rediscovered his passion for metal music and he made that clear to the crowd. Three songs into their set the mosh pit opened up the floor. The rest of the band was tight, brutal, and clearly having a good time on stage together. Their 30 minute set contained songs off their newly released debut album The Beauty of Destruction. No Killswitch material at all. I don’t think the crowd had a problem with that which proved how great the band was. Devil You Know is out to prove they are a force to reckon with.

Down started their heavy and hostile set that caused the floor to erupt. Mosh pits and body surfers galore. Phil Anselmo at his veteran status is clearly STILL the best frontman in metal. Still has the intimidating stage presence and brutal vocals that are always imitated but NEVER duplicated. New guitarist Pat Bruders replaced longtime guitarist Kirk Windstein, however, his guitar style and backing vocals were so clutch. If you were blind, you never would have known Down had a different lineup. The crowd erupted before Down got to their first song “Eyes of the South.” Most of their set consisted of songs from NOLA, with a very little newer material sprinkled into their set. They didn’t play anything from their upcoming EP Down IV Part Two. I would say “Lifer,” which the band dedicated to the late and great Dimebag Darrell was the highlight of the set. Down closed their set with the melodic “Stone the Crows” and the heavy trademark anthem “Bury Me in Smoke.” It was a damn shame that Down only played for 45 minutes. If you were present at this show, some may argue that Down could have headlined.

Zakk Wylde and the newly revamped line up of Black Label Society swarmed the stage around 10:30 opening with their latest single “My Dying Time.” Wylde, one of the best guitarist in music and the king of pinch harmonics used many different guitars throughout the set including his trademark Bullseye Les Paul, the Randy Rhoads Flying V, Hybrid Flying V/Les Paul, and Gibson EDS 1275 double neck guitar. The production of their set was amazing with use of laser lights and smoke machines to really make the experience a huge spectacle which captured everyone’s attention because there were no more mosh pits. Half way through the set, Wylde unleashed a powerful seven minute long guitar solo that really showcased his fast shredding ability. A couple of songs later, they went into the mellower songs starting with “Angel of Mercy” with new guitarist (who Wylde jokingly claimed to the crowd that they traded 3 first round draft picks to Lizzy Borden to get him) Dario Lorina hopped on the piano that really showcased the entire bands talent. Soon after, Lorina switched to lead guitar and Wylde sat behind the piano for a really powerful rendition of Black Label Society’s most iconic ballad “In This River.” It was really moving to hear both of those ballads back to back. Then Wylde unleashed the Gibson EDS 1275 double neck guitar to play the fan favorite “The Blessed Hellride.” Black Label Society unleashed a swarm of Black Label beach balls into the crowd during the super-heavy “Suicide Messiah” and “Concrete Jungle” before closing the entire set with “Stillborn.” Overall, one of the best shows from Black Label Society. There was no encore or a Pantera jam with Phil Anselmo.

This concert was by far one of the best metal tours of the year. Hopefully the capital region won’t have to wait another decade for Black Label Society to slay the Upstate Concert Hall again.

SDMF!

May 14, 2014
Preview: Boston Calling Music Festival May 23-25 2014

For quite some time there were no major music festivals in Boston besides EarthFest—an all-day summer concert, which holds the title as the biggest free radio station concert in the country (hosted by Radio 92.9). And then only last year, an event called Boston Calling sprung up out of nowhere, dipping its toes in the festival waters. Surely enough it did not disappoint and with bands like Of Monsters and Men, Portugal. The Man, The Shins, Matt and Kim, Fun. and The National all performing, the festival even developed its own sound. With the widely acclaimed success of its first event, Boston Calling 2014 geared up soon after for a September 2013 festival, this time featuring acts like Vampire Weekend, Kendrick Lamar, Passion Pit and The Airborne Toxic Event. The festival was even more popular the second time around than the first.

Now, in only two weeks, the third-ever Boston Calling is coming back from May 23-25. This Friday through Sunday weekend event features some of its biggest names yet including Jack Johnson, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Death Cab For Cutie. The ticket options consist of a 3-Day Pass, a Weekend Pass (just Saturday and Sunday) and then single-day passes for each day.

The festival, which is held at City Hall Plaza, kicks off Friday when the dates open at 6pm. The main entrance is located on Congress Street and the staff highly recommends taking public transportation as the event is easily accessible from multiple MBTA stations, including the Orange, Blue, Red and Green lines. Friday features the mellowest superstar—Hawaiian native Jack Johnson, along with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Cass Mccombs. The music is expected to end that night around 11pm.

Saturday’s gates open at 12pm and the all-day event will, again, go on until roughly 11pm. With Death Cab For Cutie, The Decemberists, The Head and the Heart, Frank Turner, Jenny Lewis and The Neighborhood it should be an exciting day. Also scheduled to hit the stage is Warpaint, Walk Off the Earth, Maximo Park and Magic Man. Sunday starts and ends the same times as Saturday. Modest Mouse, Tegan & Sara, Phosphorescent, Built to Spill, Brand New, and Bastille will all be playing. Additionally there will be Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Districts, and Tigerman WHOA!.

Altogether it’s looking like a great weekend for Boston that’s sure to live up to past Boston Calling festivals, if not surpass those.

Check out Boston Calling – Lineup General Info Tickets

May 14, 2014
An Interview with Marco Benevento Before Friday’s Stop at Nietzsche’s

Marco Benevento is coming to Buffalo this Friday for an intimate night of music at Nietzsche’s and sat down for an interview with Jeremiah Shea. The experimental pianist, who’s known for his engaging live show, will be joined by his band which features Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums. The three were last in the area when they headlined the Night Lights Fall Music Festival this past September and fans of Marco have been eagerly awaiting his return. Opening up the night will be WeazilDust (Packy Lunn from Jimkata doing a DJ set) and Lazlo Hollyfeld who play regularly in the area and will add to a night of great music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABW_fIufv9g

I got the chance to sit down with Marco and discuss a few things from his upcoming album to his approach to the stage. Marco is exactly how you’d expect him to be when we talked: personable, genuine, and appreciative of all of the support he’s had throughout his career. Our talk only lasted a half hour, but the insight into his music and life went pretty deep as his candid answers were anything but rehearsed.

Jeremiah Shea: It’s been a little while, but what was the experience like having Holly Bowling sit in with you on more than one occasion?

Marco Benevento: It was awesome! The first time it happened, we were playing in San Francisco and the audience was really close to the stage. The point of the gig was a fundraiser for Bread and Roses and every cent that came into the door went right to that organization. Nobody got paid for the gig, it was just volunteered time. Because we were setup so close to the audience, people could actually reach the piano from the audience and press a key down. I was jokingly saying, “It’s $2 if you want to reach up here and play a couple of keys.” People just got out singles and were holding money in the air to reach up and play. Holly just jumped up on stage and I was like, “Oh shit,” but she sat down next to me and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a crazy fan and I’m friends with Dan.” Dan is our sound guy, so I knew it was ok and she jumped right into “Atari.” We totally rocked out and she knew the changes, and then we recreated that same experience at the Highline Ballroom in NY.

JS: I know you guys are experienced in improvisation, but how was it being the one who was surprised?

MB: Oh it totally made the night, especially in San Francisco. There were a lot of people who thought it was planned, so it was a cool experience. I was totally taken back by her knowledge and how she just knew all of the chords and didn’t flinch.

JS: You’re a guy who is always testing new ideas and mixing things up musically speaking. What new projects have you been working on?

MB: Yeah, my band, which includes Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums, went out to Oregon and we recorded with this incredible engineer/songwriter, Richard Swift, who is my age and plays with The Shins and The Black Keys. He’s just this genius engineer with a studio outside of Portland and we made the record with him that is primarily a vocal record. It’s all new music I wrote and instead of being instrumental, I put words to my melodies. We’ve been testing it out a lot lately, but the new record is the biggest project we’ve been working on.

JS: Is the plan to still have the album out this Fall?

MB: Yep!

JS: Now the vocal approach is a little different from what you normally do. Was that Richard’s idea or yours?

MB: That was my idea going into it and prior to going into it, we had made demos at my place before we went in. I knew I wanted to do it and I thought I should do it with a guy who has done a lot of that stuff. It was all something that I had planned out, but I wanted him to be the guy to capture it all. We did it in three days and it was just a very natural evolution of sound for me.

JS: Have you been tinkering with any new gadgets lately for your rig?

MB: One of my favorite gadgets is my Boss DR-3 delay pedal which was made back in the 70’s or 80’s and is just rockin’. I also have this Casiotone RC-1 which is predominantly featured on the new record. I sampled a lot of it from the Casio that’s here in my studio and it’s one of the best drum machines I’ve ever heard in my life. I want to do a whole album with it because it’s that amazing. The RC-1 has been rockin’ it for me and I never see it for sale or find anyone that knows about it. It’s just a hidden gem that is so badass.

JS: How was your experience at Bowlive this year?

MB: I’ve been doing that with them for about the last five years and it was great. They asked me to do it this year, and I said yes, but only if we covered “Soulful Strut” by Young Hault and “The In Crowd” by Randy Lewis. Those are both old school, funky piano jams from the 70’s and were instrumental hits at the time. It was a lot of fun and they have a great thing going over there.

JS: You had a pretty packed schedule at this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. How was that experience as a whole and what was your favorite gig?

MB: I played about 1-4 gigs a day over the course of ten days, so it was busy. I got the chance to play with George Porter, my old band, and a bunch of other gigs. It’s always fun to play Jazz Fest. My favorite gig was probably playing at the Fairgrounds right before Phish with Anders Osborne. Playing for that many people at the Fairgrounds is a real treat.

JS: You are very personable on stage and it seems as though you like the interaction with the crowd. How do they shape the show and what does it do for you to have that back and forth?

MB: You get so much energy from the audience. If there’s 50, 200, or 2000 looking at you, dancing with you, and listening to you, you feel that when you’re on stage. It’s hard to describe, but you feel that. You can sense that maybe a lot of them are on acid and it’ll be a weird night or they’re drunk and belligerent, and we play to that. We never write a set list down, so when we go on stage, nobody knows what’s going to happen. I try to feel out what the crowd wants to hear next. You can ignore that feeling from the crowd as a musician and play what you’ve already decided on playing, but I don’t like to do things like that. I like to go out there and think, “what do these guys want to hear?” You really get a sense of what the audience wants while you’re out there being focused on.

JS: You’ve said this past year that you wanted to do a residency at the Red Square in Albany this upcoming Fall. Do you have any details on that?

MB: The last time I played a gig there, I was egging the crowd on and announced on the mic, “Tell the Red Square we want to play here every Saturday in October,” and the crowd went nuts. What I said leaked online and we had planned to do it, but the promoter had his hesitations. We were talking about doing it this October, but I don’t think it’s going to happen unfortunately.

JS: What upcoming festival gigs are you most looking forward to and why?

MB: We’re doing this really great one in Oregon, just outside of Portland, called Pickathon. It’s incredible! It has such a wide variety of music there and I just really like it. It’s not every jam band you’ve ever heard of playing there, it’s more a big variety and I just love that!

May 14, 2014
Hearing Aide: The Blurry Nights Bend Musical Boundaries in New EP

Picture if you will, early 90’s Alice in Chains, mixed with the hipster sound possessed by The Strokes, covered over with Henry Rollins singing while Marc Brownstein throws in a couple of electronic beats just to keep it hip. You follow that? Not many would. Somehow however The Blurry Nights, formerly, Sonic Spank, have taken this sound and made it theirs.

The opening track “Beekeeper”, off their self titled debut EP, is a a hard ripping track where the lyrics are not that clear, but yet the tune gets stuck in the listeners head, and the droning sound lingers all day. Trying to make sense out of it however, may be a struggle. A shredding guitar solo in the middle by Benjamin Karp, brings the song a White Lion feel, while going right back into Ian McGuire singing about the “Beekeeper.” A catchy opening track, for the right reason? You can be the judge.

“Checked Out”, the next track has a groovy beach vibe, with lyrics about being, well, checked out. A feeling that many rock stars claim to have known, or felt at some point during their career, but with this laid back chill tune you can feel vocalist McGuire, really has checked out and does not want anyone to harsh his mellow. This is a song for any hipster who just wants to be cool, have his day in the sun and chill. “Hours to Kill”, the next track is similar to “Beekeeper”, catchy, heavy making little sense, but all and all good hard rocking fun. The track of the EP is “Don’t Need 3”, with the drums at the beginning of the song, played by new comer Jeremy Worthington, set off a sweet beat that leads to great things. A fast beat layered with a sweet high pitched guitar gets the listeners attention for the story about to be told. The songs tells the tale of a guy trying to get comfortable with his lady friend and all of a sudden she wants to bring another dude into the mix! Not for this guy! He may be singing this song as if he’s Julian Casablancas, but he is not down for the swingster way of life; that’s not for him. (not that Julian is, but, who knows).

The EP ends with “Cant Have a Fun Alone”, showing more of the Sonic Spank sound than the previous songs did. With extended jams and build ups that would transfer quite well in a live setting. Which can be seen as the band has their offical EP release party on Saturday May, 17 at Bourbon and Branch in Philadelphia. This is a time of experimental rock that should not be missed by anyone into any type of music.

Key Tracks: Checked out, Don’t Need 3, Can’t Have Fun Alone

May 13, 2014
The New Mastersounds Announce First Show in Buffalo with Orgone

Just announced today, The New Mastersounds will be playing their first ever show in Buffalo, NY later this year on Wednesday, September 3rd with Orgone. Calling England home, it’s understandable why this funky four-piece hasn’t played the area, but The Tralf will welcome them with open arms as the group has always had a great following due to their unique blend of music. Their most recent album, Therapy, was released earlier this year in March to great reviews and adds to an impressive catalog of music since their inception in 1999.

Joining them is another band who’s rarely played Buffalo in Orgone. The L.A.-based band is well-known on the West Coast, but has rarely done any extensive touring on this side of the country. Like The New Mastersounds, Orgone has its roots in funk, but stretches the boundaries in many directions as they touch on soul, boogie, disco, and afrobeat.

The combination of the two bands is going to make for one incredible night of music as they compliment each other well and likely won’t be back again for quite some time. Stay tuned for ticket info this Friday, and make sure to grab them fast to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

May 13, 2014
Caustic Method Returns to Syracuse at Mac’s Bad Art Bar

New York natives Caustic Method, performed in Syracuse to promote their new album The Virus. They joined RUINATION, Killaton, Elevator Death Squad, Diamond Plate, and East of the Wall, at Mac’s Bad Art Bar on April 6th.

Caustic’s long awaited return brought new members as well as new material. The new lineup has been working well for the guys with the production of the bands third album and their very first video for the single, “The Virus”. The latest album is the first with the new members and speaks volumes to the bands dedication to their music. When they were unimpressed with the first cut of this album, after several hours and money spent, they threw it out and started fresh. The band decided to do things their way the second time around. The whole album, with the exception of “The Virus”, is improvised. Said Matt Caustic, “Everyone was like, ‘Caustic is back’, I didn’t know we went anywhere.”

Performing songs like “12 Step Suicide” and “The Virus”, the band brings new life to metal music. In a genre that makes it difficult to stand out, Caustic is not a band you can forget, and Matt will argue that point. “You can’t try to sound like anyone, you just have to do your own thing”, and they are doing just that. Matt Caustic’s years of experience shine through while he is on stage. He is powerful while still being understood. Darrin Scott on the guitar brings a rock star quality that few metal bands have. He is a seasoned artist whose value to this band is very clear as soon as he begins to play. Angel Rivera on the drums is incredibly talented with his unique style. Bass player and newest member, Eric Maliszewski, plays flawlessly with the band as if he has been playing with these guys for years. I have been a Caustic Method fan for years and have seen several different members in this band. Something clicks when these guys are on stage. This is it – they have finally found the perfect combination of talent. Matt Caustic being the only original member believes they have finally made the band he has been looking for. “When I look to my right I know he has my back, to my left, he has my back. That was missing before.”

These guys are not only talented but they are also the kind of musicians you can respect. Their dedication to the music they play is inspiring. At the end of the night, before performing “Anti-hero”, Matt proclaims, “The world needs more metal heroes”. I think he is right, and I think the members of Caustic Method are the perfect candidates. They sure have my vote.

Check out Caustic this summer and look them up on Facebook!

May 11^th The Cove. Geneva, OH

June 6^th Trishstock 2014. Locke, NY

June 15^th Montage Music Hall. Rochester,NY

June 19th Three Fat Guys Bar. Syracuse, NY

June 28^th Macs Bad Art Bar. Mattydale, NY

July 6^th American Legion Post 80. Binghamton, NY

May 13, 2014
Trace’s Closes Out In Style

Trace’s Bar and Grill in Rome, New York has been one of the single sources of live entertainment for Romans for the past three years. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Trace’s will be closing their doors. Heathre and Phillip Price, owners, have been supportive of local musicians over the years and in true form decided to celebrate by hosting a “Farewell Party” on April 25th and 26th.

With a full lineup planned for both evenings, patrons packed the pub to say their farewells to the establishment as well as show their support for live music in the area. Friday’s line up included local bands Turn the Tide, Armed with Valor, After the Clearing, Mole and the Level Antz, Enemy Down, and Omnipresent.

While Saturday’s shows included Wet Bread, Dark Passenger, The Last Tree, Item 6, Fight for Rome, and last but not least, No Complyance.

No Complyance – Trace’s first and last band to grace the stage at the venue

It was bittersweet for No Complyance to be the final band to play the venue after three years, but fitting as they were also the very first to ever play the venue. We thank Trace’s for always supporting the local music scene, and urge our readers to continue to go out and support your local musicians in these venues to keep them flourishing for years to come.

May 13, 2014