Cut Chemist, founder of Jurassic 5 and helped to form the Grammy winning Ozomatli, with his 7″ size record partner Josh “DJ Shadow” Davis have added dates to their current “Renegades of Rhythm” tour. This “vinyl-only” tour honoring Afrika Bambaataa’s influence on hip-hop’s beginnings is spreading to new markets through November in the U.S. and Canada. The big news is the DJs are using Bambaataa’a actual vinyl collection for this tour.
Their performances are garnering critical acclaim, especially the two sold-out tour openers at Irving Plaza in NYC with Bambaataa in the audience while they spun beats from his legendary vinyl collection. Rolling Stone recently gave high praise for the turntablists, saying “Deep into their September 4th set at New York’s Irving Plaza, as DJ Shadow bent over his spread of turntables, cueing the next sequence of beats, his partner in spin, Cut Chemist, gingerly lifted a piece of 12-inch vinyl from one of his decks and held it aloft, like a round, black equivalent of the Ten Commandments. He had, in fact, just played a religious object.”
The list of new dates is expansive and includes stops at The Town Ballroom, Buffalo on 11/11 and The Westcott Theater in Syracuse on 11/10. Check the deets and beats at their websites, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. There is a ton of info available on each, both historical and the story of Bambaataa’s influence to them both as it’s being told through this tour.
Nov. 6 – Pawtucket, R.I. – The Met
Nov. 8 – Montreal, Quebec – Corona
Nov. 10 – Syracuse, N.Y. – The Westcott Theater
Nov. 11 – Buffalo, N.Y. – Town Ballroom
Nov. 14 – Pittsburgh, Pa. – Mr. Smalls Theatre
Nov. 15 – Charlottesville, Va. – Jefferson Theater
Nov. 17 – Athens, Ga. – Georgia Theatre
Nov. 20 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Garrick Centre
Nov. 21 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – O’Brien’s Event Centre
Nov. 22 – Edmonton, Alberta – Encore at WEM
Nov. 23 – Calgary, Alberta – Flames Central
Nov. 25 – Oakland, Calif. – The Fox
Every October, there seems to be quite the buzz in Western New York over a few things, whether it’s the onslaught of changing colors with the trees, the Oktoberfest themed weekends or the pumpkin picking for the families there seems to be always something to do. One big event that seems to also get people out and about is the many different types of Automotive sales events that seem to dominate the radio and television channels. So how does one decide who to visit? I’m not sure there really is a correct answer but one local dealership has seemed to really taken the month of October and really made it their own.
Paddock Chevrolet, nestled in the tiny Buffalo suburb of Kenmore, coined the tagline ” A world-class dealership with small town values” and has been around for over 77 years in the same location. So how does Paddock Chevrolet make October different then its competition? They have branded themselves and the month with an annual sales event called ROCKTOBER. The event which started out as a sales event that produced the catchphrase “Rocking deals on Rocking Wheels” will be amping up this year with some really incredible stuff. The month will obviously be a perfect time to check out some of the deals but there will be some fun stuff happening at the same time making it a lot more fun to come to the dealership.
The showrooms will be a lot more lively with live music on Saturdays featuring some local music talent. A perfect place for not only an up and coming artist to get their name out there and a place where local solo artist Tim Britt will be able to increase his already growing audience. Britt will be appearing on Saturday October 25. Britt has opened for Dave Matthews Band’s Boyd Tinsley (violin) and guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds. Tim Britt is an incredible artist and a must see for anyone in the area. There will also be food trucks on site for Saturday’s in October and who doesn’t love a perfect excuse to get some great eats from local food trucks? Giveaways will be going on all month as well with three signed guitars being giving away, signed by Dave Matthews, Keith Urban and local hometown hero and Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik. There will also be a grand prize giveaway for a trip for two to Las Vegas for a 2 night 3 day stay at Planet Hollywood and orchestra seats at the Rock of Ages show. You also may want to checkout Paddock Chevrolet on Facebook because they are also giving away two signed microphones, signed by Michael Buble and James Taylor. Rockband and Guitarhero will be in the showrooms as well to keep you busy while you wait or keeping your kids entertained while your going through the sales buying experience.
This event is starting to become the destination for buying a new vehicle. The biggest thing people hate to do seems to be buying a vehicle so why not go somewhere that is making it fun again to head down to the dealership with the whole family. Grab something to eat from the local food trucks, check out some local music, maybe win a cool guitar or trip and perhaps drive home in a great new vehicle for you and your family.
When Jeff Tweedy took to the storied stage of Buffalo’s iconic Town Ballroom this past Wednesday it was clear that he had nothing to prove. The alt country, alt rock, alt convention pioneer had once again cut a detour into the sonic highway he’s been paving for the better part of the last three decades. This time with his newly formed band , Tweedy, and a repertoire of fresh yet strangely familiar songs that left the audience craving Uncle Tupelo, longing for Loose Fur, begging for Wilco yet somehow completely immersed in the journey at hand.
Tweedy consists of Jeff on guitar and lead vocals, long-time friend/collaborator and down-right dynamite musician – Darin Gray on bass, the fabulous Jim Elkington on guitar, and the multitalented, multi-instrumentalist Liam Cunningham. Oh, and who better to round off the new lineup than Tweedy’s 18-year old son Spencer on drums? He has grown up quite a bit since his appearance behind a kit in Sam Jones’ 2002 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart – A Film About Wilco. Stands to reason, Spencer was 6 at the time. He has come a long way since then, and so has dad.
Tweedy took the stage armed with new material from their recently released 20-track, 74 minute debut album Sukierae – an album whose title is fittingly the nickname of Jeff’s wife & Spencer’s mother, Suzie Miller. The band kicked things off with a viciously beautiful 14-song set of masterfully developed songs that somehow felt Jeff Tweedy influenced, yet altogether Tweedy the band. Highlights of that set included the melodic, “Summer Noon”, the heart-wrenching yet charming, “Nobody Dies Anymore” and the drum-forward ever-shifting, “Diamond Light Pt. 1”. The band remained focused throughout the first set, with very little of the slightly awkward, yet adorable banter that Jeff has been known to strike up with his audiences over the years.
Then the gloves came off…
Turning to his son and offering a hug, Jeff suggested the band take a break and the lighting crew dim the stage. It was time in the program for Jeff to dig into his immense catalog and perform some choice numbers on his own. Just he and those beautiful acoustic guitars that he plays so effortlessly. The crowd sang along softly and mostly in key in their very best Jeff Tweedy voice – “I am an American aquarium drinker, I assassin down the avenue”. For the next hour, Jeff delighted all in attendance with songs of familiarity from his time with Uncle Tupelo, Loose Fur and Wilco. Classics like “Jesus, etc.”, “Hummingbird”, “I’m the Man Who Loves You” and “A Shot in the Arm” were included in the 12 song set. All interlaced with the type of crowd interaction that has become an irreplaceable aspect of the Live Jeff Tweedy Experience. “Free Bird” was requested prompting Jeff to explain his elaborate plan to form a coalition to rid the World of those who shout “Free Bird” at any live performance. Whistling solos were met with large applause which led to…more whistling solos.
When the band re-emerged, Jeff had everyone in the audience right where he always does, wrapped tightly around his finger. “Thank you Buffalo, you are hands down the best audience we’ve had on this tour” yelled Jeff. “We’re off to Michigan tomorrow and well, we don’t want to leave. We could play this room every night.” The 5-song encore featured yet another new melodic Tweedy song, “Please Don’t Let Me Be So Understood”, covers of Mavis Staples’ “Only the Lord Knows” and Doug Sahm’s “Give back the Key to My Heart”, “California Stars” from Jeff’s Mermaid Avenue Project and “Acuff-Rose” from the Uncle Tupelo vault.
It was a beautiful journey through Jeff Tweedy’s personal history and musical history. Blended perfectly for a stellar performance in a legendary place.
Setlist: Nobody Dies Anymore, Flowering, Summer Noon, World Away, New Moon, Pigeons, Desert Bell, Why Why Why?, High As Hello, Fake Fur Coat, Diamond Light Pt. 1, Hazel, Love Like a Wire (Diane Izzo cover), Low Key
Solo: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, One Wing, Reservations, New Madrid (Uncle Tupelo), Please Tell My Brother, Hummingbird, The Ruling Class, Passenger Side, Jesus, Etc., Misunderstood, I’m the Man Who Loves You, A Shot in the Arm
Encore: Please Don’t Let Me Be So Understood, Only The Lord Knows (Mavis Staples cover), Give Back The Key To My Heart (Doug Sahm cover), California Stars, Acuff-Rose
All is quiet in the rural community of Newstead, but this past summer, the rural, Western New York community served as a battleground in what has become a war on noise, with laws against sound in need.
The fight against noise pollution has been all the rage in 2014. In January, the USA Today published a story stating noise as the leading quality of life complaint in, of all places, New York City. The fight has even hit Bourbon Street, where New Orleans’ city council is addressing whether or not to strengthen its own noise ordinances.
Located 25 miles northeast of Buffalo, Newstead boasts a population of approximately 8,500 people. Some of which reside in the trailer park community of Quarry Hill Estates, who last November spoke to the town board to complain of noise levels coming from a neighboring venue. The then-proposed law was subsequently nicknamed “Braun’s Law” named after Braun’s Concert Cove.
Braun’s Bar & Grill boasts an “outdoor” venue that includes a spacious canopy built in part to limit noise from disturbing neighboring property owners. (Photo Credit: Braun’s Bar & Grill/Facebook)
Braun’s Concert Cove was established in 2012 to compliment the bar and grill owned by Ray Braun. The footprint of the property is located on Main Street, approximately 2600 feet from Quarry Hill Estates. It has two predominate structures; one of which is the bar and grill, the other is the “cove” that resembles something similar to an airplane hangar. One local music reviewer described how the structure dwarfed a mid-week concert audience of 500 people.
From this stage, several hard rock acts have played to crowds numbering in the thousands. Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen, Pop Evil, Sebastian Bach, Jackyl – have all recently performed. On September 6, Winger played Braun’s last concert. It was a contract already negotiated before Braun’s Law passed.
Braun’s Law had nearly passed back in April, but one abstention from council member, Marybeth Whiting prevented a majority vote. At the time, Whiting said she wanted to research the subject further. In July, when the Town Board advertised it would bring the subject back for a vote, an online firestorm erupted. This time, all the weight was placed on Whiting’s vote. With just a few days before the board meeting, Braun quickly took to Facebook, posting Whiting’s picture and phone numbers at the town office, including her personal cell phone number and email address.
HERE SHE IS!!!,” read the post on the Brauns Bar & Grill Facebook page, “the council woman who is voting YES to the ‘Brauns law’ as they call it, to put us out of concert business. … Email her, call her, call her office. LET HER KNOW!!! ASK HER WHY?”
Before passing into law, Whiting addressed the attention she received from her opposition. She cited the names of neighboring communities with noise laws – Clarence, Lancaster and Townawanda. She also named cities outside of New York, with continued reputations for hosting live music, despite the presence of noise laws – Red Rocks, New Orleans and Austin.
“This isn’t rocket science,” said Whiting, from her seat on the board. “The town of Newstead isn’t any different from any of these communities. Whether it’s loud noise or residents in place – more often than not there is a noise ordinance in place. It is an effort for everyone to coexist, not to close any one business down.”
“It would be wrong to conclude that my vote counts any more than anyone else’s on this board. However, Mr. Braun has chosen to single me out in very vile, demeaning and derogatory ways. In doing so, Mr. Braun has shown this entire community the type of person he really is. Life is full of choices. I could have chosen to respond in kind, but I did not.”
The thread of comments referenced in this article was promptly deleted from the Braun’s Concert Cove Facebook page within the days following the town board meeting.
“I attended the town board meeting that was held awhile back on this matter,” said Newstead resident Deborah Loke, who brought along a decibel meter. The amplified voices within the Town Hall on that evening peaked at 99.1 decibels, she said.
“At the time I brought up the Basket Factory Restaurant in Middleport that was shut down by their town board. The business was very renown, but due to the short-sightedness of their town passing an extremely low noise ordinance, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back and it was shut down a short time later.”
Here in Upstate New York, we’ve covered news regarding Frost Ridge Campgrounds in Le Roy, where town officials are combating against campground owners hosting outdoor concerts. In the college town of Amherst, lawmakers recently disallowed the use of loud speakers from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m., affecting fast food drive-thrus. And, in July, the Town of Newstead included a noise ordinance into its own law books – outlawing noises louder than 80 decibels after 9 p.m., and 65 decibels after 11 p.m.
In favorable atmospheric conditions, a sound registering at 110-decibels can be heard from a distance of 12 miles away. The sound of an electric shaver registers at approximately 80 decibels.
“She probably is a good lady,” stated Braun, of Whiting. “But making a bad decision that we need more answers to is what I want. I did not build this massive place on approval of town to have six regulars come in for a beer and sandwich in the afternoon. How will that pay for this place? No tax credits here. No funding here either. … No one knows the behind the scenes we have done to make this happen, nor will many care, but I’m not going down without answers or a fight.
Someone needs to pay me my money back if this is how it can [come to be] and can be pushed out of a town that approved it.”
The comparison the town board attempted to draw between Newstead and Austin was to argue how communities, large and small, face similar challenges, establish noise ordinances, and still support live music.
But, the Texas city goes beyond establishing decibel thresholds.
“Austin’s approach to sound is more than enforcement,” said Don Pitts, Manager of the Music & Entertainment Division of The City of Austin’s Economic Development Department. “What we’ve learned over the past five years is that you can’t solely depend on enforcement.
The Music Office conducts an investigation for each amplified sound application and we prepare a report recommending approval or denial of the application and any appropriate conditions and restrictions. We base our report on the following criteria below. We also use cut off times and days of weeks among other things to mitigate the impact to nearby residents.”
The entertainment division first assesses whether or not a venue is suitable for providing outdoor music. The office considers several factors, including local topography and proximity to residential and commercial property.
The governing body that administers over a city of nearly 900,000 people is apparently conscious of how surround buildings can serve as a buffer as well, as they also look into building design, the construction of the stage and orientation of speakers. As the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin has a stake in nurturing the local music scene. Pitts explained that a joint effort between his office and local venue owners created a program to assist business owners prepare an acceptable environment for all to enjoy.
“The Music Venue Assistance Program (MVAP) is an innovative program based on the Music Division’s music venue case study work with Cedar Street Courtyard and Black Heart Bar, and launched in 2013 with Council support,” said Pitts. “MVAP assists qualified venues to acquire sound mitigation technologies through a low-interest emergency personal loan program, and also provides them with best practices expertise for deploying those technologies with maximum efficacy.
This program has already proved to be a win-win solution for neighborhoods and venues alike, creating high-quality listening experiences for music patrons, while simultaneously providing significant reduction of sound bleed in residential areas.”
Drawing comparisons between Newstead and Austin leaves much for speculation. Both sides of the argument state that Braun’s Concert Cove was cooperating with the suggestions from the town board, which one could compare to Austin’s MVAP program. However, it remains to uncertain as to whether or not Braun’s would even pass Austin’s initial review process due to how closely it stands to an existing residential area. Nonetheless, it is clear Newstead did not follow Austin’s lead, despite its own comparisons.
As the changing of leaves usher summer away in New York’s Upstate, the fallout from Braun’s Law continues into the winter months. Councilmember Whiting resigned from her post on August 5. Her letter to her compatriots stated she no longer wanted to be a politician.
Braun immediately invoked words of litigation before the board placed the law into effect. However, as of the drafting of this article, he has not filed a lawsuit.
Buffalo’s Aqueous, one of New York’s fastest growing bands, has announced an October 21 release date for their 3rd studio effort Cycles. Featuring eight road tested originals and two brand new instrumentals, the album exemplifies a leap forward in songwriting and focus for the four-piece groove rock outfit.
Fans can now pre-order the album on the band’s merch page and stream the first track – “20/20”, which, like most Aqueous tunes, seamlessly mixes multiple influences into one coherent composition. Aqueous will play a three show Upstate New York run to celebrate the release along with North Carolina’s The Mantras. Catch the mini-tour Oct 23 in Ithaca NY at The Dock, Oct 24 at The Montage in Rochester, and a hometown show Oct 25 at Buffalo’s Iron Works.
“This is the most invested we’ve been in a studio effort so far; it feels really cohesive, and we were truly afforded the opportunity to spend the time elaborating on ideas and being thorough in our execution of them,” explained guitarist Mike Gantzer. “We all feel a true sense of accomplishment and excitement for our fans to hear this; it contains some of the most intense and thematic compositions in our catalog, and generally speaking feels like a profound step for us.”
Guitarist/keyboardist David Loss adds his own thoughts on the recording process – “I couldn’t be happier with the way this album came together. Everyone gave their best performances and I think it really shows. It was great to work with Justin Rose and Richie English again at GCR Audio in Buffalo as well as finally getting a chance to work with Jocko at More Sound. This was an all around great experience!”
Cycles was crowd funded via a successful Kickstarter campaign which fans helped exceed a $7000 goal by over $2000. Go grab yourself a pre-order and check out the full track listing below.
Cycles Track Listing
1. Dawn [1:00]
2. Kitty Chaser (Explosions) [9:39]
3. 20/20 [5:02]
4. The Median [6:41]
5. Skyway [8:47]
6. Complex Pt. I [8:11]
7. Wandering [1:56]
8. Complex Pt. II [9:04]
9. King for a Day [7:45]
10. Staring into the Sun [15:02]
Setlist: So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, Mary Jane’s Last Dance, American Dream Plan B, Into the Great Wide Open, Forgotten Man, I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me), U Get Me High, Rebels, Two Gunslingers, Yer So Bad, Learning to Fly, Shadow People, I Should Have Known It, Refugee, Runnin’ Down a Dream
Steve Winwood performed at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on September 7, 2014. The setlist included I’m a Man, Them Changes, Can’t Find My Way Home, Medicated Goo, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Empty Pages, Higher Love, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Gimme Some Lovin’
If you’re hip to The Nth Power, you know that they preach the power of love and have become a musical sanctuary for that message. Drummer Nikki Glaspie took some time during their set in Buffalo and told the crowd, “The purpose is to share love with all of you and to share love with the world because there’s not enough.” When the band made their stop last Friday before their Saturday night Chill, the group and city came out to share in the compassion for one another.
With anything love related, you have to be careful not to get in too deep, too fast. So let’s take a step back and start at the beginning, where most love stories start. The Friday night began on the earlier side for typical Buffalonians with Jamestown’s smackdab starting things just before nine. The band has been an area staple for funk for quite some time now and really knows their own strengths, playing to them specifically at shows. The group is fronted by vocalist Jon Marc Johnson whose strength and power has the ability to draw you in. The rhythm this group has is like none other in the area as they’re anchored by thick cuts from bassist Ryan Ecklund and precision stickwork from drummer Daniel Witherspoon. Their music though has so many different facets and that’s largely due to the melodies that are being crafted around everything.
During one particular section, keyboardist Mark Cooper laid down a heavy synth section that propelled a psychedelic drift into a borderline metal tear. The group may be heavy on the funk side, but they dabble and take some exploratory jamming out into other areas right in stride. At times, the band would slide into some more jam-heavy segments that were slow and droney, conjuring up sounds that were akin to Pink Floyd and The Doors having a funky little baby.
It was the perfect pairing for the night as the band’s sound complimented The Nth Power’s well and the crowd enjoyed the smackdab set overall. If we’re back on the topic of love though, this was simply the first date and Buffalo was already tripping over their words in anticipation for more.
For a little taste of smackdab, check out a video of their song “First and Main” from their set. The video is brought to you by our friends at Buffalo.fm.
As The Nth Power took the stage, Buffalo gave a warm welcoming to the group being that it was their first appearance in the Queen City. After a few bars of an intro, the band dove head first into “Spirits”, easily an early favorite with its haunting melody and fat bass line. It might’ve been early on in the relationship, but this band was not shy about bringing it early on. Percussionist Weedie Braimah played off of the rhythm from Nikki Glaspie, adding an incredible range of percussive sounds to the overall color of the song. With no setlists visible, it seemed as though this band was just going to feel its way through the set.
The Nth Power’s Nick Cassarino and Nate Edgar
While the drumming from Weedie and Nikki was a powerful force in and of itself, it seemed the crowd couldn’t take their eyes off of the front of the stage where guitarist Nick Cassarino bobbed and danced as he plucked his strings and felt every note through the expressions on his face. His energy and presence alone had the crowd charged and equally feeling the same emotions that Cassarino was going through. The excitement he brought not only fueled the crowd, but the band seemingly fed off of it as well, engaging each of them deeper into the music. Love usually takes time to develop, but when you’re this passionate, you can quickly fall head over heels for what’s being created, and the crowd in Buffalo that night was all in.
Throughout their set, you could tell that the band was communicating through a romantic language that was in the music vernacular. At one point, Nick Cassarino asked each member how they were feeling to which each responded with a strike of a key or a hit on their drum. They were feeling good and the eye contact and shared smiles were an easy indicator from the beginning. Not wanting to leave the crowd out, Cassarino also asked the crowd, “Does it feel good to you?”, to which the crowd responded with a heartfelt scream.
Nikki Glaspie of The Nth Power
It was easy to get swept away in the compassionate delivery of The Nth Power’s music. Each member added so much to the music itself, but also to the overall performance. Bassist Nate Edgar was another who you could physically see was feeling the music. As he swayed along to the beat, he would not only keep up rhythmically with Nikki Glaspie’s superb drumming, but also dance around the melody and support Nick and Nigel in where they were headed throughout a song. It’s a daunting task that Nate not only handled, but challenged the other band members at times with some colorful bass runs of his own.
When falling in love, there’s usually several factors that add up to the infatuation, and the same can be said about the band. It’s not just one member that does it, it’s their collective efforts that builds them up that high. At one point during their set, percussionist Weedie Braimah took a solo that really showcased his prowess and what he adds. The man was literally combing out a rhythm with his fingers on his djembe, pulling every possible note, yes I said note, that is possible through pure precision. A thrusting beat came barreling out of the solo with which drummer Nikki Glaspie and the rest of the band jumped on, bringing the remaining sitters to their feet. The band’s control over the mood and feel in the room was apparent as they could lift the crowd before gently laying them down. In the same way Cassarino’s axe could cut, his voice could simultaneously cull the deepest of woes with grace and pure empathy. Every part of this band fits together like a puzzle, filling in the proper gaps, while leave the right amount of space.
The Nth Power keyboardist Nigel Hall
The band wrapped up the lovefest with “Soul Survivor” as an encore, unleashing blinding rhythmic speeds and a guitar solo that was dropped like a bomb on the crowd. Since they initially walked off to a chant of “ten more songs”, I guess the band wanted to pack the power of ten into one. The power of love is strong and if you don’t know that, you need to check this band out and feel it for yourself. Leaving the venue, you could tell everyone still had butterflies in their stomach as they went through a rollercoaster of emotions and were walking on clouds being simply uplifted. There’s something special about this band and it’s amazing and exciting at the same time that this is only the beginning.
As mentioned earlier, “Spirits” was an early favorite from The Nth Power. Watch the video of the song here from that night:
smackdab:
The Nth Power:
After the show, The Nth Power was gracious enough to sit down with us for an interview. Here are some shots from after their set and the interview itself. We want to thank our friends at Buffalo.fm for all of the video from the night and to The Nth Power for taking the time. Buffalo and NYS Music love you right back!
One band from Leeds, England and the other from Los Angeles.
Meeting in Buffalo last Wednesday, Orgone and The New Mastersounds packed The Tralf for a soulful throwback with a good helping of funk thrown in for good measure. With one making the far trip east across the U.S. and the other coming west across the pond, Buffalo was treated to a perfect pairing of solid musicianship all on one stage.
Frontwoman Adryon De Leon
Orgone kicked things off, and while they may have opened the show, this is FAR from your typical opening act. The band came onstage Wednesday night and laid it right out for the Queen City, jumping into a tight melody that rode along the rhythm and combined to pull at people’s feet and sway their hips. The band blends funk and soul in a very classic, yet powerful way, emitting a surplus of energy that immediately powered the crowd. The Wednesday night audience was sparse at the release of the first note, but had the floor covered by the time the song wrapped up.
Singer Adryon De Leon joined the band onstage after the start, gracefully stepping up to deliver her powerful voice. She didn’t let the crowd have it right out of the gate, opting to ease in with a soulful, yet jazzy hook. Her full capabilities were quickly realized by the city’s funky fans. The diva commanded the stage with her presence and elevated the already incredible musicians who backed her.
The band was able to walk around the venue before the show started without many noticing, but that is sure to change after the performance they put on. The sitters were soon standers and standers quickly became dancers. Their sound was the catalyst to a shift in energy in the room. Other music websites must not have caught an Orgone show yet, because this band is without a doubt worthy of a mention when talking about the Top 10 Current Funk Acts if you’ve seen them live.
The enthusiastic crowd that filled the place on Wednesday let the band know how they were feeling during any lull in the action, screaming and encouraging the band to keep it up. Orgone’s throwback sound was refreshing and deeply intoxicating. The way the instruments played off of De Leon’s voice left many with eyes closed, fully embracing the sound. In retrospect, the West Coasters damn near stole the show.
De Leon sat out for a few songs, allowing the rest of the talented group to share in some of the spotlight. All around, this is a special mix of people, from guitarist Sergio Rios to percussionist Chuck Prada who ripped a solo all his own earlier in the night. As De Leon stepped back out though, her quickly developed fan group cheered her back on. Her multifaceted approach was showcased through her ability to groove through low-end melodies and belt out highs that sent the crowd reeling.
Keyboardist Dan Hastie
Before finishing their set, guitarist Sergio Rios said, “That’s what it feels like to love.” Surely it was a setup though as the blistering solo he saved for the final song completely blindsided the crowd. He just let us have it, throwing everything he had through the six strings of his guitar. With how powerful of a set overall, and especially in closing, this band put on, it wouldn’t surprise me if Orgone packed the same room on their own next time they come back.
The New Mastersounds were up next and did not have an easy act to follow. Guitarist Eddie Roberts’ suave and dapper attitude was quickly exuded though as he setup, letting everyone know that they were up for the challenge.
Kicking the night off, the band immediately showed the crowd their stripped down and organic approach, while simultaneously filling the room and proving the old adage of “less is more” to be true. With little to no introduction, the band went from the first song into “Dusty Groove”, leaving only a rhythmic reset in-between. This may have been the first date of their U.S. tour, and also the first time they had played together in over two months, but the crowd would have been oblivious if the band hadn’t told them. The four-piece from across the pond settled in rather quickly with no visible rust.
Drummer Simon Allen and bassist Pete Shand were tightly synced from the start, becoming even more intertwined as the show wore on. Their direction provided a moving treadmill that the other two members had to jump on with their melodies. While the lengthy break might be a detriment to some bands, The New Mastersounds seemed to be actually using the reunion to their advantage with an excitement you could feel through their music.
In true testament to how rhythmically tight this band is, Eddie Roberts played a tambourine with his foot as he started the opening line of “Morning Fly” through his ’65 Gibson hollow body guitar. As Eddie ripped through jazz scales, Simon built the beat while the remaining members would join for support. The undeniable swell captivated the whole room and pushed everyone to dance harder into the night. It was as though the band just picked up their musical conversation right where they left off. And just like a renewed friendship has those exciting moments, so too did this night with the entire band sharing smiles with the crowd when they would particularly nail a segment.
As individuals and collectively as a band, their simplistic approach utilized spacing as tension that fought an incessant rhythm. By laying back, the band drew your ear in and allowed the music to breath before taking off again. As they launched into the opening track “Old Man Noises” from their latest album Therapy, the band brought an unmatched ferocity to whatever song they damn well chose. Organist Joe Tatton threw his heavy Hammond overtones out into space while Eddie took that same foot he used for the tambourine and turned it loose on his wah pedal, creating a tremelo effect on an incredible rendition of that song’s solo.
Many people were caught deeply entrenched in the music throughout the night. The positive and soul-quenching material was absorbed by everyone who happened to venture out and written across their faces even after it came to a close. It may have been a trip for both bands, but the crowd was thankful for the night of music and everything the bands put forth on stage. As for the battle of who had the better set, well, it would be a tie in this writer’s eyes, but you can decide for yourself…
Thanks to our friends at WNYmedia Network, we have audio of both band’s full sets:
Just over a year ago, five musical soul mates came together to form The Nth Power and have seamlessly risen to the top, carrying the power of love and transcending the senses in the most purely uplifting manner. The supergroup of sorts is comprised of keyboardist and singer, Nigel Hall, whose raw emotion and passion is one of the many driving forces within their music. Drummer/vocalist Nikki Glaspie, who recently parted ways with the NOLA funk outfit Dumpstaphunk, truly believes in what The Nth Power is doing and made the band her primary focus with the decision. Rounding out the group is Nick Cassarino on guitar and vocals, Nate Edgar who holds down the low-end on bass, and percussionist Weedie Braimah. The band may be less than two years in the works, but have an immense amount of experience with members playing with such acts as Lettuce, Beyonce, John Brown’s Body, Warren Haynes Band, Toubab Krewe, and the aforementioned, Dumpstaphunk.
Taking on the soulful side of funk, the group embraces a mutual love and respect for music’s power and utilizes the tool to take people on a roller coaster ride of emotions, hitting them right where it counts. Their live show has been described as more than just music and, as the band rolls into town next Friday, Buffalo is ready to embrace the band’s love with open arms.
The Nth Power is set to play Catskill Chill Music Festival the following night in Hancock, NY with a late night set start time of 1:15am. For those in the western N.Y. region, this is a great opportunity to check these guys out if you’re unable to make the fest. Being that this is the band’s first time to the Queen City, they’re hoping to see a good turnout and mutual love for their overall mission. If you have ever checked out their Twitter page, you will see a lot of hashtags that say #thenthpowerlovesyou, and it’s through their music that it’s expressed. On the flip side, I can say to them that #buffalovesyouback and the excitement and anticipation for the show is washing over the city with less than a week left.
Photo by Joshua Brasted
Opening the night will be Jamestown’s smackdab. The funk band not only draws influence from the headliner, but was extremely excited to be announced as the opening act. The five-piece is fronted by singer Jon-Marc Johnson and also includes Matt Baxter on guitar, Mark Cooper on keys, Ryan Ecklund on bass, and Daniel Witherspoon on drums.
Tickets are only $10 in advance and can be purchased here. They can also be purchased at the door for $12.
If you’re still on the fence, check out a video of The Nth Power below. Being that this is their first show in Buffalo, the band is sure to dig deep and put on a great performance for all who show up to The Tralf next Friday.
Just over a year ago, five musical soul mates came together to form 