Category: Buffalo

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
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
Canalside 2014 Summer Schedule Nearly Complete

Buffalo’s annual Canalside summer music venue announced their concert line-up for the 2014 summer this week.

Local favorites (moe., BPO and Conehead Buddha) are sprinkled in along the names of headliners from the past (Shaggy, George Thorogood and Extreme) and more.

The final date, August 14th, is left to be announced at a later time.

This will be the first Canalside since The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Board of Directors voted in January to enter into a contract with Global Spectrum.

Global Spectrum is one of the world’s largest and most respected venue management companies, and is now responsible for public space management at Canalside in Buffalo.

June 12: Shaggy with DJ Milk and Soul Rebels
June 19: Moe. with Conehead Buddhs
June 21: Tedeschi Trucks Band
June 26: Sam Roberts Band with July Talk
June 27: George Thorogood and the Destroyers
July 3: Gord Downie and the Sadies with Hey Rosetta! and Boy & Bear
July 10: Fitz and the Tantrums
July 17: Lake Street Dive and the Oh Hellos
July 24: Extreme
July 31: Sheila E.
August 7: BPO Rock Show: Earth Wind & Fire and Michael Jackson
August 8: Girl Talk
August 14: TBA

Thursday events are free, otherwise presale prices run at $15 and Day of Show at $25.

May 10, 2014
The Continental holds 2nd Annual Reunion

On April 26th, SUNY Fredonia Professor Elmer Ploetz, myself and another volunteer made our way towards the back entrance of the Town Ballroom in downtown Buffalo on April 26th. It was to play host to the second annual Continental Reunion Show and I had volunteered to help Prof. Ploetz record and interview people. At this year’s reunion, 11 bands were set to perform. I thought it would be like any other rock show. I was dead wrong.

The Continental, located on 212 Franklin Street, was Buffalo’s largest goth and punk scene in the late ’80s before ultimately closing down in 2005. Last year’s reunion had nearly 1,000 people showing up for the event.

The clock on the wall struck seven and the doors opened with a wave of people in leather, fishnets, heavy make up, corsets. Soon after, the slight smell of cannabis filled the arena. I stayed behind my set up tripod on the upper level of the venue while I waited for the bands to take stage.

Bob James’ band started out the night with his first single “Lorraine.” The crowd bobbed their heads to the music as they came in with drink in hand to prepare for the rest of the evening. Each band was set to play for approximately 20 minutes. Even between the short amounts of time, the atmosphere was great and the fans cheered and rooted as bands brought up old memories.

The band that caught my attention was The Kevin K Band. With my camera, I zoomed in on the singer who wore purple glasses with a bright vest. The band rocked out one song after another and I found myself singing along to the chorus of each song, cheering loudly as they finished. With their loud and hard guitars and fast beats, they were the definition of an old school punk band.

I was told the bands that everyone was looking forward to were Tension and The Enemies. That night was the first time that Tension played in 25 years and I heard non-stop talk about them performing. The Enemies caused an equal amount of buzz between fans, as they were to perform with two of the original members.

Between sets, I got the opportunity to take a break behind the camera and venture out into the bar area to interview people. For an older, edgier crowd, people had smiles on their faces and were hugging one another in remembrance of The Continental.

I heard stories about The Continental being a safe haven and a place where misfits went and felt like they belonged. A person from our crew sparked a conversation with a man, who as he spoke, painted an image of young, goth girls looking in the mirror, fixing their make up. The interview turned quite a loop when be mentioned that he was blind, something I failed to initially observe. In an instant, he pulled on a leash he had in his hand and a woman immediately came to his side. She had a collar around her neck and my eyes could not stop looking at her golden eye make up. She introduced herself as his “Seeing-eye Bitch.” I was thrown off guard at the sight of the two of them but that gave me a realization that The Continental was all about the strange and the unusual.

And, I was part of it.

Tension and The Enemies took the stage toward the end of the night, and that was the most I heard the crowd cheer. Some people starred in awe since it was years since they saw the bands play. My professor was even rocking out to the music along with the people who waited for the reunion to happen. I, along with two other girls from our crew, went to the front of the stage to watch the two bands perform. From our vantage point, I saw older faces light up and young rock ‘n’ roll hearts unleashed again. We then just let everything loose, threw up the classic horns with our hands and screamed after each song. We didn’t know the words, but the excitement and the feeling of the drums rocking our bodies made us want to be part of the crowd. After their sets, we took our sweaty selves up near the tripods and cameras. We all babbled about how awesome the bands were and almost forgot that two more bands were set to perform.

We watched as the stage was prepared for the next act. A black banner with red, bloody letters read, “SKINBOUND.” We knew the next band was not going to be some classic punk band. The lights dimmed and a red light surrounded the stage. Everyone looked confused when over the speakers they heard the sound of eerie church music and suddenly, the band came out with rough guitars and pounding drums. The singer came out with harsh growls and screams.

At first, I was taken back by the band. I was like, ‘Who would have a heavy metal band at a punk show?’ But, in a heartbeat, the three of us made our way to the stage again and we followed suit with the crowd, heads banging to the beat of the guitars. We yelled and once more threw up the horns. I gasped a few times as I watched the keyboard player do backflips while he stood on stage. “We are going to play Coldplay’s, ‘Viva La Vida’ because we like to piss them off,” the singer announced, and the band proceeded into a metal version, complete with deep growls. It made a lasting impression as I knew I would never listen to the original song without the image of a band dressed in black, a keyboard player doing backflips, and a tattooed covered singer doing intense vocals. As much as the band was intimidating on stage, I met them after the show and observed young guys with humbled hearts as they were asked to take pictures and sign autographs.

Progressively fewer people made their way towards the stage as the last band started to play, which was not until after midnight. Industry of Life Divine took the stage with pink and black balloons filling the stage. We made our way back to the camera and video area and watched as the stage filled with half-naked women in leather, carrying whips. The scene distracted from the music, the music that came through the band sounded like a poppy version of Marilyn Manson, with a psychedelic rock. On the corner of the stage was a girl who twirled around a light up, rainbow hula-hoop and I mentally gave her props for being able to twirl it around her neck, legs and hips. But, that was the only real entertainment on the stage.

All our equipment was packed and our crew got out of the venue before the total chaos of traffic could happen. My ears rang, my throat was dry and the back of my neck sore. I came in there not knowing what to expect and I came out with a real acceptance of what The Continental was: it was a home for the people who were told they did not belong anywhere else. It was a place for the misfits to show their true colors. It was a true punk rock family.

May 8, 2014
Local Limelight, Geek Week Edition: Buffalo’s Armcannon

Armcannon, a most unique band from Buffalo, makes music for nerds. Not just any nerds, but those who loved video game music, metal and progressive rock. As part of Geek Week, spoke to Chris Dlugosz (keyboard) and Dan Theman (guitar) about the band, their music, and appearances at unique music festivals you might not have heard of. Mike Willard (guitar), Larry Steele (drums) and Ian Machniak (bass) round out the Western New York group making waves as electronic music and metal merge genres.

photo credit: David Weaver http://www.burstmethod.com

Jeremiah Shea: Finish this sentence: Armcannon is for fans of…

Chris Dlugosz: The nostalgia of the classic themes of NES and SNES, as well as non videogame people who appreciate musical proficiency.

Dan Theman: Armcannon is for fans of progressive metal, retro gaming nerds, and people who like serious music that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Jeremiah Shea: Where would Armcannon like to see themselves in 5 years?

Chris Dlugosz: With another complete album or three available to the public. Our constant improvement in quality is not slowing.

Dan Theman: Oh god. I don’t think we’re a band that has delusions of grandeur, that we’ll be playing Brazilian soccer stadiums in 5 years. We take our compositions and arrangements incredibly seriously, and labor over every chord, every accent, and every note. But we’re not a band who focuses that sort of energy towards the music business and “making it”. That said, Dan (Danimal Cannon) is currently composing music for new video games and he would love to be a well known video game composer in 5 years. Chris would be right at home scoring movies, and Mike would be known as a world class guitar player and jazz/metal guitarist. It’s kind of funny how our ultimate goals are not necessarily focused on the band itself, but Armcannon has given us the privilege, the pleasure, and the the practice to really hone our skills as musicians, meet amazing people, and play some incredible shows. That said, in 5 years, hopefully we’ll have an album of original music out, because as much as we love arranging old nostalgic themes, we also desire to spread our wings as musicians as far as they’ll go.

Jeremiah Shea: What’s on the horizon this year for Armcannon?

Chris Dlugosz: We are secretly writing a secret new kind of album that nobody has done before.

Dan Theman: We’ll be in Orlando this upcoming weekend headlining an event called Ongaku Overdrive. We’re currently writing some original music, we’ll see where that takes us.

Jeremiah Shea: Explain how you got involved with the upcoming festival in Orlando. Is this your first Fest?

Chris Dlugosz: They approached us through this beautiful process we like to call “The Internet does all the work for us” and simply invited us to play. This is utterly and absolutely NOT our first fest, as fests are 99% of the type of shows we have always played. The biggest of them all is MAGfest which stands for Music And Gaming fest. It’s basically a mecca where all the good videogame bands converge for a whole weekend.

Dan Theman: We usually play a few festivals around the US every year. There’s actually a growing and thriving scene of bands and artists making music that’s inspired from games in all kinds of genres. Sometimes that includes acts that are considered “nerdy” as well. Most of the regular shows we play we’re incredibly different than any of the acts on the bill, we stick out like a beautiful sore thumb. These festivals allow us to play shows with like-minded artists from all across the world, for fanbases that you wouldn’t believe. This sort of scene is completely off the radar of the traditional music business, but the dedication of the fans who pack these events allow these events to successfully exist as a microcosm of the rock world, on another planet entirely. What if I told you one of the most intense and raucous shows we’ve ever played was in a hotel ballroom? It’s really something else.

photo credit: Emi Spicer http://uglymachine.net/

Jeremiah Shea: Cite some major accomplishments for the band – I know you guys have played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, correct?

Chris Dlugosz: Through some interesting circumstances, we were allowed a brief cameo on two different occasions with the BPO. it was an event called VideoGames Live where a touring conductor goes from city to city and hijacks the philharmonic orchestras and makes them play video game music.

Dan Theman: We’ve performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic twice actually! We played small sets in the middle of the touring Video Games Live orchestral show, I love the idea that you might find us in a sweaty basement, or on a gilded stage filled with world class musicians. We take immense pride in our 3 album releases, and hearing another musician talk about how our arrangements and playing have influenced them in some way never seems to get old. This year we were contacted by Capcom to produce some official remixes for a Megaman 25th Anniversary album which was really fun to do.

Jeremiah Shea: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever been a part of?

Chris Dlugosz: The coolest thing we have been a part of is MAGfest. We have been headliners there every year since 2006, and since then we have made literally hundreds of good friends and network connections for this ever-expanding nostalgia-infused sub-culture. We have watched the staff there grow from excited youths to full fledged business filling entire convention centers rivaling the size of PAX.

Dan Theman: The coolest thing for us is performing at a festival called MAGfest which stands for Music and Gaming Festival. The crowds at that particular festival are special in the way that they truly “get” what we’re trying to do, they catch all of the obscure subtleties that we layer into our music. Their intensity during the show is essentially unrivaled, and that sort of passion feeds back into us, pushing us to new heights. We feel very much at home there, in a world where we constantly feel a little like outcasts that exist as a novelty or curiosity for most people.

Armcannon – Website Bandcamp Facebook Twitter

Dan Theman also makes original music with Nintendo Gameboys. It’s called Chiptune and you can see his TED talk about it earlier this year.

May 7, 2014
Dopapod, Aqueous and Mister F Put On One Heck Of A Show Saturday, April 26th

Waiting Room in Buffalo has been booking great show after show this year, and is becoming one of the places to be for live music. The event that they hosted last Saturday night was just short of spectacular. It provided the perfect combination of an up and coming band with Mister F, a band that is one step away from exploding on the jam scene in Aqueous, and a band that continues to close out shows, making you want more, in Dopapod.

Walking into the venue you heard to start the night was the guitar playing from Andrew Chamberlaine of Mister F, who kept you looking for more and the dexterity in his fingers as his soloing became mind altering, hooking you into their set. Where Chamberlaine was the center of the attention, Scott Hannay (keys, guitar, bass) was the heart and soul of the group. His smile and charisma throughout the set brought everyone onto the stage and got the crowd amped up for the night, the perfect situation for the opening band.

Aqueous, from North Tonawanda, continue to get bigger and better with every show they play. They not only know how to play music, they can effortlessly transition from song to song. They opened the show right out of the gate with “Gordon’s Mule > Complex” and would roll from song to song with ease, giving the fans no time to take a break. The strongest part of the band is just how well each other feeds off of each other. Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss both are able to mix their guitar sounds together and at the same time respect each others playing where it doesn’t drown one another out. Dopapod’s Rob Compa joined the band on stage during “Strange Times” bringing three different guitars together. The real backbone for this group is Nick Sonricker and Evan McPhaden who both provide the perfect beats and bass to let Gantzer and Loss explore their respected guitar fret boards, providing the listener a musical journey to wherever they want to take them. The end of their set brought such great energy to the floor with a cover of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, with Mister F’s Scott Hannay on keyboard . One of Aqueous’ strongest assets is bringing a cover to their show and making it their own. Aqueous is not only becoming one of Buffalo’s greatest musical gems they are turning into one of the must see bands on tour right now.

There is so much love between Aqueous and Dopapod and it shone brightly when Rob Compa came on stage sporting an Aqueous button on his guitar strap. Compa has such a humble approach to his guitar and in mere minutes his improvisational skills turn up the heat in any room. Luke Stratton’s lights were exceptionally well done, often providing the perfect backdrop to the show. They seemed to accompany Compa’s guitar playing perfectly and even taking his extensive solos to another level. Eli Winderman (keys) and Rob Compa (guitar) pair so well together, feeding off each other and giving each other some ideas of where to go next. Chuck Jones (bass) and Scotty Zwang (drums) provide the perfect time table for Compa and Winderman to improvise throughout the night. Highlighted especially by “Eight Years Ended” as well as an impressive run with “Donkey Kong Theme > Present Ghosts > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant”. Dopapod continues to be a force to reckon with. There is no wonder they have been invited to some of the biggest festivals and their talent to take music from one point to another is incredible.

Aqueous Setlist: Gordon’s Mule > Complex, The Median > Staring into the Sun > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Strange Times*** > Complex II, Highway Star^$
** w/ Rob Compa from Dopapod
^ Aqueous debut, Deep Purple cover
$ with Scott Hannay from Mister F

Dopapod Setlist: Bluetooth, Flipped, King Harvest*, Like A Ball, 8 Years Ended, Donkey Kong Theme > Present Ghosts > My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Picture in Picture^
*The Band cover; for Rob’s dad
^with Scott Hannay from Mister F on keys

May 2, 2014
Artpark Makes Final Announcement, Completing 2014 Summer Season Offering

Just yesterday, Artpark announced the remaining bands for their Tuesday and Wednesday night 2014 summer concert series they present each year. The final bands for First Niagara presents Tuesday in the Park and Coors Light Wednesdays round out a spectacular overall offering for the 2014 season and give plenty of reasons to make the short trip up to Lewiston!

In yesterday’s announcement, Artpark will add Sara Bareilles, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Hagar, Heart, Gregg Allman, Styx, and Michael McDonald + Toto to an already outstanding lineup for the upcoming season. Tickets for these events will go on sale Saturday, May 3rd at 10am with various seating options that’ll meet anyone’s budget. Check out the full lineups below and take advantage of one of Western New York’s best venues for a concert.

First Niagara presents Tuesday in the Park Full Lineup:
June 10– Daryl Hall & John Oates
June 17 – Widespread Panic
June 24 – Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band
July 1 – Blue Rodeo with special guests 54-40
July 8 – Boston
July 15 – Megadeth
July 22– Aretha Franklin
July 29 – Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum presents Sammy Hagar
A Journey Through the History of Rock featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, & Vic Johnson
August 5– Heart
August 12– Gregg Allman
August 19– Styx
August 26– Michael McDonald + Toto
Coors Light Wednesdays Full Lineup:
June 18 – Arctic Monkeys
June 25 – Ziggy Marley & Steel Pulse
July 2 – O.A.R. & Phillip Phillips
July 9 – Sublime with Rome
July 16 – Sara Bareilles
July 23 – 3 Doors Down

April 29, 2014
University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts Hat Trick – Rozzi Crane, Parachute & Gavin DeGraw

How could the crowd at University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts not go wild with this line up? With Rozzi Crane, Parachute, and Gavin DeGraw, the audience was bound to see them shoot and score on each of these acts.

Rozzi Crane opened the evening in total darkness as she belted out the notes to her first song. The strong and emotive voice made the audience sit up and take notice immediately. As the spotlight came on and her silhouette was outlined, each member of the audience sat there agape. This huge voice and soulful sustenance of a jazz great was in the body of this petit young lady. One would expect to see the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, or Etta James up there; instead, the voice that resonated this sound came from Miss Rozzi Crane. As I sat shooting photos, I could hear those around me saying , “Who is that?!” A star was born that evening to the audience in Buffalo. She continued with an ease as though she had been in front of an audience her whole life. Her level of comfort on the stage and with the crowd demonstrated that the stage was her home away from home. As her set ended, she invited everyone out to her merchandise area to do a meet and greet. Either getting there too early or too late, I didn’t get the chance to speak to her directly, but I did talk to one of her crew members. As she mentioned during her show a connection with Adam Levine, I asked about the details of how she was discovered. He shared how Adam Levine of Maroon 5 heard her through a Youtube video that had been shared with him through a mutual friend and immediately signed her to his new label. Touring with Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson in 2013 was only the beginning to this amazing young lady’s journey. She definitely has a “Voice” to listen for big things in the future. One word to describe Rozzi, soulful.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTauDOWKD-s]

Next up was Parachute. The band is a group of five musicians who have known each other and played together since high school and college. To me, they are one of the most talented, versatile, and best kept secrets around today. Members, Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, piano), Johnny Stubblefield (drums), Alex Hargrave (bass), Kit French (saxophones, keyboards, vocals), and Nate McFarland (guitar, vocals) have a knack of creating the most relevant songs.

This five-piece truly are a group of amazing musicians, however, I believe it’s their songwriting skills that sets them apart from everyone else. They have the ability to connect with their listeners on a different level. They have the ability to take real life events, add a score of music that is amazingly perfect for the feel of the song, and share it in a way only they can. When I tell you their crowd loves them, they literally rushed the stage the minute they came on. And what makes this even more special was the way the group embraced them, by slapping hands along the stage, going out into the audience to sing, and brining the audience up on stage to dance with them during their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” number.

Parachute – “Dancing In The Dark”

These guys love what they do and it’s apparent to those that love what they do. One word to describe Parachute, consummate.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXqYw_II6Pc]

Setting the bar for the evening so high with his two amazing opening acts, only Gavin DeGraw could come out and rock the audience into even more of a frenzy than they already were. There’s just something about Gavin DeGraw that I can’t put my finger on that makes this man legendary. Is it his humility at being able to share his passion with the audience? Is it his remarkable sexy voice that draws one in? Or could it be his bewitching smile and sense of humor that mesmerizes you? It’s probably the combination of all of these traits, along with his amazing talent and will to share his passion in music, that makes him a super star. Gavin has the ability to come out and perform for an audience like he’s singing just to you. Covering many shows over the years, this was my second opportunity to see Gavin perform. The audience of fans consisted of a smorgasbord of individuals from all walks of life and age groups. This demonstration of variety clearly shows how legendary he has become being able to entice so many.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

Touring this year for his fifth album Make A Move, Gavin performed numbers from the album like “Leading Man,” “Best I Ever Had,” and the album’s cover song “Make A Move.” In addition to that, he played some older favorites and new music recently written together with his band, Billy Norris (Musical Director, guitar, and background vocals), Ian O’Neill (drums and background vocals), James Cruz (bass), and David Maemone (keyboards).

The crowd’s new favorite though was clearly his song “Finest Hour,” co-written with Ryan Tedder. He also performed a killer cover of Adele’s “Rumor”, but it was his cover of his musical inspiration, Billy Joel’s “She’s Always A Woman/Where You Are,” that brought the crowd to their feet. Performing alongside Billy Joel recently at Madison Square Garden, Gavin described how the pivotal moment was a dream come true as Billy Joel was the catalyst for his decision to become a performer after seeing him at a show during the 90’s. His journey was not an easy one without bumps in the road, however Gavin overcame many obstacles to achieve his dream and is truly an inspiration to all that have followed his career. As he performed “More Than Anyone” a ballad from his first album Chariot, it only took one verse for the crowd to take over and sing the song for Gavin.

Gavin DeGraw @ University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

I can’t image how that makes a performer feel when the audience loves your music so much, they will serenade you. One word to describe Gavin DeGraw, sincere.

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

It was truly a pleasure covering this show as a reporter and photographer as one feeds off of the energy in the crowd. The energy of this crowd was off-the-charts-crazy with love and admiration for all of these artists. This definitely was a hat trick for the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts and the fans that attended. One word for the show, outstanding.

April 29, 2014
David Wax Museum to play Four Shows This Week in Upstate

David Wax Museum heads to the Upstate and NYC area this week, bringing with him a fusion of traditional Mexican folk with American roots and indie rock to create a Mexo-Americana sound. Reminiscent of Los Lobos and Calexico, David Waz and Suz Slezak combine Latin rhythms, infectious melodies, and call-and-response hollering that was hailed by TIME Magazine for “virtuosic musical skill and virtuous harmonies”, building a reputation among concertgoers all over the U.S, Canada, Europe and China.

With the release of Knock Knock Get Up (September 2012), David Wax Museum has reached a level of cross-cultural integration and musical fluency that allows them to speak heartfelt poetry with a tongue that is wholly their own.

Catch them at The Haunt in Ithaca on April 30th, Babeville in Buffalo May 1st, Kirkland Art Center in Clinton May 2nd and Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon on May 3rd

April 29, 2014
Blindsided in Buffalo: Turkuaz and Playonbrother Pack a Heavy One-Two Punch

Being blindsided usually means you’ve been attacked or hit when you’re vulnerable or uninformed. In the case of sports, it’s used in football when a quarterback is hit from behind when he can’t see the guy coming. Just like the quarterback, sometimes you have a feeling or inclination that said hit is coming, and yet you still can’t avoid it. That was the case this past weekend when Turkuaz and Playonbrother rolled into Buffalo for a show at Nietzsche’s. The combination of the two packed a heavy enough punch Friday night that nobody in the crowd, including myself, was sure what hit them when all was said and done.

In typical fashion, Nietzsche’s began to get cozy as the start of the show approached and everyone was laughing and having a beer, unaware of what was about to go down. Playonbrother took to the stage around 10:30pm to kick things off. Now the band was just recently in town for a show on Black Friday, but there was still a lot of people who hadn’t seen them judging by the casual conversations throughout the crowd that night. As Alan Evans, Danny Mayer, and Beau Sasser walked up the steps in the front of the stage, it was time, and they planned to get things going right away with the late start.

The band kicked off their set with “They Call Me Velvet,” blasting into the heavy beat and forcing everyone who wasn’t already near the stage to pack in and pay attention. Back in November, Sasser had an issue with his amp, but that was obviously fixed as the bass from his Hammond was the fattest sound I’ve ever heard coming from him. Adding to the infectious sound coming from the stage was Mayer’s syncopated riffs playing off of Evans’ hard-hitting beats. We wouldn’t know it until after the show, but these three guys somehow managed to make just as much noise as the nine that would succeed them. Throughout the entire night, I had my funk face on, scrunched up from how well these guys played.

After the first song wrapped up, Alan Evans graciously played host to his hometown and introduced his bandmates before letting everyone know who he was. One of the early highlights was a Frank Zappa cover the guys did in “Easy Meat.” Beau Sasser plays in a Zappa cover band known as The Z3, so it’s obvious where this one came from. What wouldn’t be obvious just seeing this in writing was how dirty and heavy these guys played this song. They might be generally classified as funk, but the commanding beat by Evans mixed with the heavy riffing of Mayer and Sasser took everyone by surprise; this was the first blindsided moment of the night. The song was darker and heavier than just about anything I’ve ever heard from them.

Evans played at times like he had something against his drums, hitting harder and harder as the song progressed. One of their new songs, “Nothing to Say,” was also an easy favorite from their set. During this one, Sasser took the lead, showcasing his abilities on the Hammond organ. His Leslie speaker was spinning out the hottest licks all night, but on this song in particular, he took us on the funkiest of space odysseys with the throttle broken from being pushed too far forward. The band closed their set with “Cosmic Hazel Dust,” a personal favorite and song that sums up their sound and direction. After ripping into the first parts of the song, the band segued into a trance-like section where Sasser’s droney bass added the perfect texture to the funk-laden beat of Evans.

n front of it all was Mayer’s searing wah tone coming from his guitar as he used his instrument as a vehicle for expression. With eyes closed, Mayer took one of the more memorable solos of the night and left the crowd begging for more. While it was Evans first time opening in his hometown in quite sometime, the band took the slot and proceeded to hit the crowd early and hard, setting up Turkuaz who would take the stage next.

Set List: They Call Me Velvet, Charlie Brown, Easy Meat, Ain’t No, Nothing to Say, Only One, Buffalo, Sunshine of Your Love, Cosmic Hazel Dust

Once Playonbrother’s gear was cleared, there was finally room for Turkuaz to take the stage. The nine-piece band from Brooklyn is usually tight no matter where they play, but with the smaller stage of Nietzsche’s, the only thing more cramped was the dance floor. The horns that set off the opening of their set were a clear indicator of how the night was going to go – intensely fast and tightly synched. The first song, “Chatte Lunatique,” went blasting forward while guitarist Craig Brodhead tried to keep pace on his first solo. The thump of Taylor Shell’s bass was the front car of this race, setting the pace alongside drummer Michael Angelo Carubba. The ladies of Turkuaz, Geneva Williams and Sammi Garett, took to the stage with tambourines in hand to close out the opening song. The look on everyone’s face at the first stop in the action said it all – “what the hell just hit me?”

To say these guys (and gals) are talented would be selling them short. As you can imagine, a nine-piece band has an enormous sound, but it’s not just nine instruments/voices, as most of the members pull double duty. Craig Brodhead plays guitar and synths, Joshua Schwartz plays saxophone, sings, and adds percussion, Chris Brouwers plays the trumpet and keyboards, and both of the Turkuaz girls add vocals and the tambourine. It doesn’t even stop there as the entire band has coordinated several dance moves, in complete synchronization, during a few of their songs which only adds to their outpouring of energy. The nine add so much that, unless you listen intently on one person, it’s tough to even distinguish where a particular sound is coming from. Drummer Michael Angelo Carubba was visually buried behind everyone, but still managed to stick out with his excellent percussion work, keeping the other eight in line. The self-proclaimed funk army is truly just that!

Throughout their entire set, the band would simply not let up. If the band was in the driver seat, then they were stomping on the gas and taking everyone in attendance for a mandatory ride; the band was musically relentless. It’s amazing how tight the band remained given the tenacity and tempo of their music. Regardless, you could tell they were doing something right as the crowd was packed from front to back and everyone was getting down.

One highlight of their set, and proving how closely knit these two bands had become over the course of this tour, was when Beau Sasser hopped the railing and jumped on stage for an impromptu sit in. He took over Craig Brodhead’s keyboard and his synthy slithering mixed well with Turkuaz’s deep funk. I’m not sure how Beau fit with everyone up there, but you could clearly see the camaraderie and friendship that was forged as everyone was having a great time.

The band closed with “Shape,” and you could literally feel the ground shaking below your feet. With the entire band jumping in unison, the crowd followed suit for the peak of the performance. The final bass and guitar showdown brought a funky blues solo to close out an incredible night of music. As they filed off the stage, one by one, the crowd beckoned for more. Lucky for us, the band appeased with an unscripted, off-the-cuff encore of “Monkey Fingers” to keep the Friday night party going. As the night officially wrapped up, there was a collective gasp for air as it had literally been knocked out of the crowd. I had never seen Turkuaz up until this point and I can say that they came out of nowhere and blew me away. Thankfully for Western New York, the band is slated to come back this Fall for the Night Lights Fall Music Festival.

Set List: JB Intro, Chatte Lunatique, Coast to Coast, Bubba Slide, Murder Face, Night Swimming, M’Lady, Tiptoe, Snap Your Fingers, It’s Hard, Honky Tonk Women, I’ve Got a Feeling, Back to Normal, 20 Dollar Bill, The Shape I’m In

Encore: Monkey Fingers

Photos by Thomas Sgroi

April 26, 2014