Rochester’s annual Party in the Park concert series is well under way and is poised to offer up some top-notch acts throughout the month of July. This Thursday the 10th brings in two of the country’s top bluegrass acts: Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth. ROC-city denizens LOVE their bluegrass so make sure to hit this one up early if you want to get in. Yonder kicks things off at 6:30PM sharp and Railroad Earth will take the stage at 8:30PM for this co-headlined event. After the show is done, Florida’s The Heavy Pets will be playing a block away at The Montage Music Hall with local jam machine Haewa. (10-13$, tickets available at the door)
The bluegrass turns to newgrass on the 17th as Minnesota’s high energy Trampled by Turtles headlines the night. Joining them is the legendary funk of New Orleans’s Dirty Dozen Brass Band and local favorites The Prickers. With 30+ years on the scene, the Dirty Dozen will bring the heat no matter what the weather may be.
The 24th brings a big genre switch-up as the self-described “country-punk” of Memphis’s Lucero. Touring behind their 2013 Texas & Tennessee Lucero will be joined by the newly formed super group The Baseball Project. With Mike Mills and Peter Buck of REM fame and Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate, it’s hard to believe these guys aren’t headlining! The Mambo Kings will start things off. After the festivities be sure not to miss Buffalo’s hottest groove rock export, Aqueous, who will be headlining a show just down the street at The Montage. Rochester’s Ocupanther will open. (8$/10$)
Finishing out the month on the 31st is Dickey Betts and Great Southern. Best known for being a founding member of The Allman Brothers, Betts has toured with his own band since 2000 when he parted ways with the Allmans. Opening things up will be another dose of New Orleans funk: Dumpstaphunk. Featuring progeny of the original Neville Brothers, July will end with what will likely be a legendary crowd for both bands.
Rochester’s Party in the Park is held at Martin Luthur King Jr. Park every Thursday from 5-10PM. All shows are 5$ at the gate or available on Ticketmaster. Stay tuned as continues to be your prime source for Rochester Party in the Park information!
There was a nice breeze and a stunning sunset on the gorge that Artpark sits upon on Wednesday, July 2. The venue was filled to capacity with a sold out crowd to see O.A.R. and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.
Phillip Phillips brought an intense energy and proved to a lot of people that he is much more than an American Idol winner. He also showed the heavy influence that Dave Matthews had on him as everyone in the crowd was commenting on it. Did he sound, move and act like Mr. Matthews? Yes, but he was also very good in his own right and has the potential to be just as big with this next generation of music fans.
He played his hits “Fly”, “Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Home” as well as his own version of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”, which all the young girls swooned over. Phillip Phillips will be much more than a former Idol winner and he produces such a great show filled with an energetic stage presence, great fan interaction and just plain great music.
The heart of the crowd was there for O.A.R., veterans at this point to the live music scene and always a band that likes to come to the Western New York area. The band wasted no time coming out to the stage and busting right into the music with “About Mr. Brown”, a song from their first album, The Wanderer, and had everyone singing right from the start.
The band dove into their most commercially successful song “Shattered” just as they warmed up, turning up the heat on a very humid evening. What makes these guys so fan-friendly is the fun they have onstage together. A clear example was Jerry DePizzo (saxophone/guitars) and Richard On (guitars) who both threw their picks into the air following a solo, giving someone in the crowd that souvenir to remember the night. Marc Roberge (vocals, guitar) loves to get the crowd up and moving with his reggae inflection, dictating the mood of the entire show. The band ended the night with their biggest fan favorite, “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker“. This band knocked it out of the park as they have many times when visiting the area, and coming off their eighth album that was released last month, their doesn’t seem to be any letting up.
About Mr. Brown, Black Rock, Love and Memories, Dareh Meyod, Night Shift, Favorite Song, Shattered (Turn The Car Around), Old Man Time, Hey Girl, Two Hands Up, City On Down, Delicate Few, King Of The Thing, We’ll Pick Up Where We Left Off, Heaven, War Song
The owners of Frost Ridge Campground suffered another loss over the holiday weekend, when they lost their home to fire early Saturday morning.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning at North Road near Conlon Road, the town of Le Roy. A passerby reportedly called the Le Roy Fire Department after observing flames coming from the building.
Le Roy Fire Company respond to a Saturday morning fire at the home of David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell, owners Frost Ridge Campground. (Photo Credit: John Spaulding/Courtesy of Le Roy Fire Company)
In all, more than 20 fire companies responded to the scene, mostly in the form of tanker trucks, as the location lacked an antiquate source of water.
Home owners David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell, who also own the Frost Ridge Campground, were not home when the fire started, but reportedly appeared at the scene as firefighters attended to the blaze.
An explosion at the scene knocked a firefighter down, otherwise, no serious injuries were reported. Greg was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for monitoring.
The origin of the fire is being investigated.
The family released the following statement Monday morning:
The Luetticke-Archbells and the Town of Le Roy have been embroiled in litigation over the perceived use of the campgrounds. The events of which have been reported earnestly in The Batavian, an online newspaper that covers the town.
In recent past, the campgrounds have been used as an outdoor venue for concerts. Neighboring homeowners have since complained to the town over excessive noise. The town has since filed a lawsuit over zoning violations, claiming the campgrounds do not have the right to host such events. The town has even gone as far as to state that the land is not zoned to permit campgrounds, despite the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals twice recognizing the business existed before a master plan was devised in 1967.
There is something magical about Buffalove Music Festival, which took place on June 19-21 in Silver Creek, NY at the Willow Creek Winery. The festival nearly doubled in size in its second year and the venue itself was absolutely breathtaking. Willow Creek Winery will be the concert destination in years to come and Cody Conway, the man behind Buffalove Music Festival, hopes to make it one of the premier destinations for concert goers all over Western New York. The venue boasted two stages, complete with great lighting and superior sound, while the grounds had vending and concessions for anyone looking. The area was also conveniently small, making it very easy to get around. Ticket holders were able to camp and park at no extra cost, which you don’t see at any festival, making the experience very affordable. Over the course of three days, there were over twenty bands, so there was little time to sleep and recover; however, it provided a perfect showcase of bands from all over New York as well as neighboring states.
The festival started off on Thursday with Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers and Slip Madigan on the main stage. The Little Mountain Band played in-between the two, while Lazlo Hollyfeld went on after. Jimkata, who calls Ithaca home, headlined Thursday night and treated the early festival crowd to a great night of music. Jimkata continues to make a name for themselves out in the Buffalo area as they amazed and wowed concert goers in their first Buffalove appearance. They will continue to impress the Western New York region when they take the stage tonight at The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY. Slip Madigan came back out for the late night faithful with a set on the side stage for anyone looking to party through the end of the night.
Friday brought out the majority of the crowd, and with fans filtering in throughout the day from their busy work weeks, the weekend really looked to pick up some steam. One of the neat things about this festival is the small size and family-like vibe that it produces. All of the bands, workers, and fans all seem to know one another and it created such a different experience than those commercial-size festivals. The music began promptly at twelve o’clock with Red Horning Project and Lancaster, NY’s Wonder Crayon on the main stage, and The Grace Stumberg Band between the two slots on the side stage. Formula 5, an Albany-based band, really impressed a lot of folks, and rightfully so, combining jazz, funk and jamming. It was easy to see how many new fans they converted with lots of chatter around the camp sites about them, especially their late night split session with Funktional Flow. Their cover of moe.’s “Happy Hour Hero” was a great set closer and perfectly placed in Buffalove’s happy hour slot.
Groove Force and Smackdab followed Formula 5 on the main stage, while Broccoli Samurai and Brown Sugar played between breaks, leading up to what a lot of people were waiting for, headliners Funktional Flow. Smackdab is such a fun group, very uplifting and they provided the perfect setup to the evening. Combining soul and funk to create just a blazing good time, they really are what festivals are all about. Broccoli Samurai, who call Cleveland, Ohio home, set it off on the side stage, making a strong case for the main stage next year. The band is influenced by such bands as Lotus, The Disco Biscuits, and STS9 and produces a live electronica show that got everyone talking throughout the festival.
Funktional Flow has grown so much in the last few years and is truly making a name for themselves as of late. They have been relentlessly touring for the past few years and their playing and following is proof of that hard work. Funktional Flow consists of Ben Whelan (bass), Jeffrey Kuebler (guitar), Mike Szczepanik (guitar) and Jim Edgar (drums). Flow provides a funk driven jam that feeds off of the energy on stage as well as in the crowd. The rhythm section of Ben Whalen and Jim Edgar are the real heartbeat of the group, while Szczepanik and Kuebler bridge everything together with their exceptional guitar work. Busting out fan favorite “Mulligans” was a real treat and its jam rivals some of the best of the scene. Funktional Flow had some nice surprises as well when they played Umphrey’s McGee’s “Hajimemashite”, with Kuebler leading vocals that were spot on. Even with that hard-to-follow combo, the band surpassed everything when they closed with Trey Anastasio Band’s “Push on Til’ the Day”, complete with horns and fireworks and a truly amazing solo by Szczepanik. Funktional Flow put on such a good show that they really set the bar high for Aqueous who would be headlining the festival the following night. Flow took a much deserved break before their late side stage set with Formula 5. Those who managed to stay up were treated to a special night.
Funktional Flow Set List: Moonlight, Improv, Edge of Time, Animals, Ambush, What Will Be Will Be, Bumblin, Sevenate, Runaway>Bring You Down>Runaway, Mulligans, Hajimemashite*, Push on Til’ the Day^
*Umphrey’s McGee cover
^Trey Anastasio Band cover
Friday Photo Gallery:
With everything that already happened, it was crazy to think there would be another day packed with great music and great vibes. Saturday started right at twelve o’clock with Blue Roots, followed by Relics on the side stage. Relics, Western New York’s tribute to the music of Pink Floyd, played the entire Animals album and filled the side stage tent with anyone that was up early enough. The band is most known in the area for being a side project of Buffalo News music critic, Jeff Miers. He did a great job recreating the Roger Waters role, with the band as a whole performing flawlessly. It was a great start to the day and got everyone’s blood flowing.
Jeff Miers of Relics
Mister F played on the main stage in the dinner slot and anyone grabbing some eats from the various vendors got a pretty good show. Mister F is an Albany-based band that is tightly run, featuring members of Timbre Coup and Capital Zen. The group is quickly becoming a must see act and has been gaining some solid steam this year. Playing several festivals this summer and coming off their debut album, The F Stands Four, the sky is the limit for these guys.
Headlining the night, and such a big part of the Buffalo music scene, was none other than Aqueous. The band has been playing nonstop for sometime now since they graduated from North Tonawanda. Their playing has evolved into something quite magical and their future looks strongest of all the bands from this festival. The group who consists of Mike Gantzer (guitar), David Loss (guitar), Evan McPhaden (bass) and Nick Sonricker (drums) is really something to be proud of for anyone who is from the area. The band combines great music with a stage presence that just oozes energy all over the place. It’s a real joy to have watched these guys grow up from when they started out. Gantzer and Loss have such a control over their respected guitars and pack a one-two punch on any given song.
McPhaden may hang back a bit in the background with drummer Sonricker, but they’re an integral part of what makes this band so successful. “They’re Calling For Ya” started out the opening set, which provided a perfect build up to the evening, followed by “King For a Day” and “Mosquito Valley Part I>Marty>Complex Part II”. AQ dipping into the covers,as they usually do, with the Smashing Pumpkins “Today “, followed by an impressive run of “Timmy’s Blades>Cellino> Triangle”. “Cellino” was one of the biggest bustouts with the song not being played in 60 shows, according to UnclePhils’sBlog. Loss’s intro on “Triangle” setup a back and forth musical volley with guitar-mate Gantzer. Sonricker kept them both in check all night though with his tight percussive work.
A short set break for the band brought out DJ Jeff The Repeater, and armed with just a Macbook and his beats, he entertained the crowd with some techno-infused dance music.
Aqueous resumed their night with “Willy is 40>20/20>Warren in the Window” with a tease of Phish’s “Meatstick”. Aqueous debuted a first time David Bowie cover in “Lets Dance” before a solid set ending run that included “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Staring into the Sun>Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Star Spangled Banner”, finishing with fireworks overhead that produced a very memorable moment. One thing that Aqueous does well is treading in unknown waters. Even with cover’s that most bands couldn’t pull off, they still find a way to make a song their own. The encore was no different. The band ended the night with R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly>Mice>I Believe I Can Fly”.
Aqueous Set List –
Set 1: They’re Calling For You, King for a Day, Mosquito Valley Part I>Marty>Complex Part II, Today*>Timmy’s Blades>Cellino>Triangle
Set 2: Willy is 40>20/20>Warren in the Window, The Village Dog and Pony Show>Eon Don, Lets Dance^, Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Staring in to the Sun>Kitty Chaser (Explosions)>Star Spangled Banner
Encore: I Believe I Can Fly#>Mice>I Believe I Can Fly#
*Smashing Pumpkins cover
^David Bowie cover
#R. Kelly cover
All in all, Buffalove is an incredible festival that is only going to grow year after year. I think Cody Conway and his vision for what it’s going to become is a true testament to what he is as a person. Aqueous’ encore was more of a tribute to that as well with the belief that this festival will continue to fly.
After 8 days of the hedonistic grooves and late night debauchery of the 13th annual Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest I felt a strong need to get my butt to church. I would not visit a standard house of worship, this church bestowed the powers of the elements. For the next 90 minutes in Rochester, the forces of Earth Wind and Fire would command my soul with the gospel of funk. They spoke not from pulpits, the three original clergy members and choir of 9 spoke with guitar, bass, horns a plenty, multiple percussion stations, a practical Valhalla of keyboards, bongos, shakers, candle stick makers and I believe at one point a kitchen sink may have entered the fray. These priests of boogie brought forth no judgement, they brought smiles, joy, and the inherent obvious fact that every one of these 12 men on stage unequivocally love what they do.
The normally reserved nature of the beautiful Kodak Hall at Eastman School of Music became a virtual party room. A congregation of old and young, suburban and urban, liberals and conservatives all standing together for the purest spectacle of music mastery that may have ever entered this distinguished venue. Seats did not remain full for long as the performance was peppered with standing ovations, rushes to the front to shake hands offered by the band, and an endless cacophony of applause, shrieks and dancing feets.
After a quick introduction from some distinguished sponsors, county executive Maggie Brooks and Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren; the band entered to the sounds of the classic “Boogie Wonderland” before plowing expertly through a set list filled with classics such as “Shining Star”, “Devotion”, “After the Love is Gone” and everyone’s favorite “September”. Given the bands 40+ years on the scene they also fed the fanatics some deep cuts. But this experience went way beyond the songs. With multiple instrumental solos, an absolutely goose bump inducing vocal solo by original member Philip Bailey, the aforementioned hand shaking section, amusingly suspicious looks from the band at the audience after exclaiming “Some of you may even have been conceived to our songs.”, and even some freaking cymbal karate kicks, no one left this show feeling unrequited.
Also offered was a moment that was a surprise even to the band. During an earlier stop for coffee in Rochester’s beautiful east end district, Earth Wind and Fire vocalist Phillip Bailey was approached by Eastman graduate saxophone wizardress Alexa Tarantino for some musical questions. What came of this was Alexa was invited to join the band for a stunning sax solo towards the middle of the set which concluded with the most raucous standing ovation, possibly of the entire week of Jazz Fest 13. Not quite done yet with what had to be a life changing experience, she would be seen later in the back jamming with the horn section until the end of the show. Bravo Alexa, all of Rochester could not be prouder of you! If you have a musical bucket list of any sort, no matter what your genre of choice is, put Earth Wind and Fire on it, it’s an experience no one could forget.
The metal gods Judas Priest, who embarked on what was thought to be their final tour the previous two years have decided that there is no rest for the wicked and announced a U.S. run with glam metal jokers Steel Panther this fall, with the very first stop at the Main Street Armory in Rochester on Wednesday, October 1 as well as a stop in Brooklyn. The tour is set as follows:
Oct. 01 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
Oct. 03 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Oct. 04 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Fest at Champions
Oct. 09 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays
Oct. 10 – Atlantic City, NJ – Harrah’s
Oct. 11 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theater at Foxwood’s
Oct. 14 – Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center at UMass
Oct. 15 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
Oct. 17 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
Oct. 19 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
Oct. 24 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
Oct. 28 – Duluth, GA – The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Oct. 30 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live Arena
Nov. 06 – Allen, TX – Allen Event Center
Nov. 07 – Austin, TX – FunFunFun Fest
Nov. 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia
Nov. 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Jobing Arena
Nov. 13 – Highland, CA – San Manuel Casino
Nov. 14 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl
Nov. 16 – San Jose, CA – City National Civic
Nov. 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Judas Priest are set to release their 17th album Redeemer of Souls on July 8 via Epic Records. Frontman Rob Halford recently trademarked the term “metal god” because he wants no one else to ever be known as a “metal god” other than him. Steel Panther will be supporting last year’s studio effort All You Can Eat.
Tickets for the Rochester show will go on sale on July 11 and can be purchased here.
“It’s the year 3030, and here at the Corporate Institutional Bank of Time we find ourselves reflecting, finding out that, in fact, we came back. We were always coming back…”
These are the lyrics to “State of the Nation”, the first track off of Deltron 3030‘s self-titled debut album which was released back in May 2000. Nobody knew it back then, but the rapping Nostradamus was making the first prediction of his off-the-grid career through these words. It took fourteen years, but his second album, Event 2, was finally released this past year in September. We should’ve trusted his prediction and known he was coming back. The fourteen year gap didn’t help Deltron 3030’s popularity, but for those who are in the know, Deltron is one of the most interesting rappers out there. In today’s watered-down rap offering, Deltron is a throwback to a time when groups had to have chops to even be noticed. Deltron 3030 is composed of rapper Del the Funky Homosapien, Kid Koala, and producer Dan “The Automator” and the group brings a futuristic and, almost, avant-garde approach to the table. The first album was a concept album about the world in the year 3030, rife with vivid imagery and interesting ideas like “upgrading your grey matter”.
Fast-forward to the new album, which takes place in 3040, and Del is back, announcing such with a second track titled “The Return”. And while a fourteen-year span would normally see various lineup and sound changes to a band, Deltron 3030 returns with the same members and only a slight progression in sound, which is a compliment, not a knock. Everything that made Deltron 3030 interesting, mysterious, and transcending is in place and has only been upgraded since the original release. Who knows? Maybe Del never upgraded past the dial-up modem and it just took that long to upload his latest. Regardless of the reason, Deltron not only has a new album, but he’s touring and coming to Buffalo next week. On Thursday, July 10, Deltron 3030 will be bringing his futuristic spacecraft to The Waiting Room. Since the rapper takes a music industry lightyear to release another album, it’s highly recommended to catch him live while he’s here on this planet. You can grab your tickets here and plan for a peak into the next millennia as Del will surely take everyone on a trip through the wormhole.
Holding court above the Niagara River Gorge, Artpark in Lewiston, NY on June 25th was an idyllic setting for an evening of roots reggae featuring Ziggy Marley and his band, with Steel Pulse in support. A way laid back crowd was chilled out by the lush surroundings and a noticeably heavy ganja haze. After a smoky and celebratory set by Steel Pulse, the humid and heavy Summer evening brought an ambient island vibe created by the performed reggae ‘riddims’ and perfect weather.
Ziggy and his bridge bolt tight backing group set the thematic tone for the evening with the opening song “Love Is My Religion”. Prior to its beginning, Marley, head tilted back in a meditative stance, encouraged the assembled crowd to “Rebel with Love”. Marley often preceded his songs with a quote from their lyrics and a short rumination on their content. The collected crowd of Rastamen, college kids, Deadheads and happy families all slipped into a similar groove as Marley’s band played the crowd into a mellow mood.
“Wild and Free” followed, Marley’s paean to marijuana, which Marley sang with great conviction, eyes shut, hand rising toward the collapsing sky. Marley stood at center stage in a flowing white top acting as a didactic freedom fighting Rasta, spreading his musical gospel message to the gathered masses. The group assembled around him, organically throbbing their way through dancehall, ska, rock, club beats and one drop, deftly and with attitude throughout the evening. Marley’s keyboardist also added some ‘toasting’ to the tracks, the Jamaican act of a DeeJay talking or rapping over undulating rhythms.
Marley likens his live concerts to fully formed stories told through the narrative of the individual songs. This evening was comprised of many essential chapters, each musical piece a solitary element constructing the fully fleshed out picture of the performance. The band premiered a nice chunk of the recent Fly Rasta release to great effect, the newer songs taking on additional unrealized details in their live renditions while nestled comfortably next to Marley’s previous work. The set also contained past Ziggy Marley glories played in addition to ‘Melody Makers’ favorites which had the crowd joining in with their own lyrical voices.
The show started to hover above the ground when Marley decided to reach into his late father’s catalog of music for an ‘irie’ performance of “Lively Up Yourself”, one of a few of the elder Marley’s songs performed over the course of the evening, in addition to “One Love” and a penetrating, “So Much Trouble In the World”. During “Lively Up Yourself”, Marley gave a musical shout out to his famed Father with a, ‘Big Papa told ya so’ lyrical quote followed by great applause. These musical appreciations to his Father were so tasteful and natural, they fit perfectly into the natural flow of the show, unlike other ‘tributes’ to Bob Marley which often come off as contrived.
As the concert continued and a veil of darkness dropped over the venue, the jamming got deeper and the dancing heated up; the reggae became more fluid and the rhythms more playful. Artpark was transformed into a sweaty dancehall maelstrom of love, dance, and Rasta vibes. All that was missing from the night were multiple bottles of Red Stripe being imbibed and some steamy sand.
“Black Cat” became a show highlight with Marley allowing his band to stretch out on the track, with his guitarists illustrating their improvisational authority. Similarly to his studio releases, Marley’s music takes on a plethora of insular, as well as pastoral and rural, themes, hence its huge web of influence and attraction to fans from all walks of life. Marley has accepted and taken on the role of disseminating his father’s developed message of love, peace, and freedom for the world as well as creating his own uniquely ‘Ziggy’ message.
The stand out and title track of the new LP Fly Rasta signaled the beginning of the end as it was fittingly slotted to start the encore. Its message and imagery of flight not only applies to Rasta, but to all of those who respect the strength and love created and spread by reggae music. Its fundamental theme of finding yourself, respecting others, and of ‘One Love’ illustrates neither prejudice nor favorites. Marley’s ideal is that anyone and everyone can find the Rasta magic through the acceptance and enjoyment of reggae.
Ziggy Marley at Artpark was the type of concert one longs to be able to witness. Low on pushy crowds, obnoxious drunks and poor sound, this particular performance contained everything a fan could hope for when taking an excursion for live music, quality musicians, positive messages and a collaborative experience between band and crowd alike.
There is just something really interesting about Primus and their unique style of music. It might be because of their frontman Les Claypool who isn’t exactly your normal guy. The way he slaps his bass, stomps his foot, or dances in a circle is only half of it. Whether donning his pig mask or telling his quirky stories, there is something that just grabs your attention and takes you on a strange trip with Claypool and his band. Primus packed the waterfront area of North Tonawanda’s Gratwick Park for the Niagara River Rocks concert series on Sunday, June 22.
The band played through a number of songs which included favorites, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”, “My Name Is Mud”, and “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”. Claypool, who always likes to narrate during shows, went on to tell a story about how he had thought about throwing himself over Niagara Falls that afternoon, but eventually decided that would probably be a bad idea. It’s a good thing, too, because if Sunday was any indicator, there is still plenty of fans eager to see what Claypool does next.
Setlist: Here Comes The Bastards, Moron TV, Fisticuffs, Groundhog’s Day, Over The Falls, South Park Theme, Lee Van Cleef , Jilly’s On Smack, Mr. Krinkle, Eleven, The Heckler, American Life, Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver, My Name is Mud, Over the Electric Grapevine, Jerry Was a Race Car Driver, Harold of the Rocks, Too Many Puppies
Thousands of people with umbrellas and ponchos crowded the fields of Lewiston’s Artpark for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. The sky was filled with heavy overcast with a few rays of sun but that did not stop the generation of The British Invasion and a few younger generations from waiting on the famous drummer.
The opening band for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band was New York City’s very own, Andy Suzuki & The Method. The band filled their set with alternative songs with a mixture of blues and folk. Suzuki’s voice won the audience over with the loud applause and whistles after each song. Suzuki dedicated the song “Born Out of Mischief” to his mom and to all the other moms and dads in the crowd. The band kept the crowd entertained by making them a part of the show – clapping along to the chorus of “Lucy (The Devil)”. Suzuki even took a moment to point out his mom in the crowd while she waved back. The band ended with a bang, getting the crowd excited for Ringo Starr.
The stage immediately started to prepare for the one-time Beatle to make his appearance. The crowd cheered as the crew revealed the famous drummer’s drum kit with a huge red star on the bass drum. As the stage changed, so did the weather. The clouds came in thick and dark and in just a few minutes it started down pouring and rolls of thunder echoed throughout the hills. Fans continued to stand in the rain and chanted “Ringo! Ringo! Ringo!” until lightning was seen. The venue announced moments later that the show was postponed until the storm passed. People took cover in their cars, under the merchandise and beer tents or stood in the rain. Fans waited with crossed fingers for the rain to stop. In less than half-hour, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up. People were instructed to go back to the venue as the stage was swept dry for Ringo.
The All Starr Band made their first appearance on stage shortly after the stage was cleared of water. The crowd grew louder before everyone got the first look at Ringo Starr, who came out on stage, raising his hands with peace signs and thanked the crowd for holding up in the rain and said – “We would have played in the rain but they would not let us.”
Ringo’s All Starr Band consisted of many well-known names in the music industry, Todd Rundgren (guitarist), Greg Rolie (keyboardist), Steve Lukather (guitarist), Richard Page (bassist), Gregg Bisonette (drummer) and Warren Ham (saxophonist/ percussionist). The whole band had the amazing ability of singing and performing with each talented artist, it was as thought the audience witnessed five different bands performing on one stage.
The band opened up with Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox”. Throughout the night the setlist was a mixture of early Beatles songs, “Don’t Pass Me By” and “I Wanna Be Your Man”. Ringo had a sing along with the crowd for “Yellow Submarine”. He joked with the crowd saying if they did not know the song, they were at the wrong show. But also a mixture of 80’s songs were lead by the All Starr Band and some of the favorites of the night were, “Africa” was sung by Steve Lukather (Toto), “Black Magic Woman” sung by Gregg Rolie (Santana) and “Broken Wings” which was sung by Richard Page (Mr. Mister). Page’s incredible voice took the crowd by awe and a few lighters were seen swaying in the air during the song.
Towards the end of the night, Ringo performed the international single “Photograph” also co-written by George Harrrison. But the crowd sang loudly to “With A Little Help From My Friends”, Ringo could barely be heard while the crowd sang and fans wrapped their arms around one another’s shoulders. After the song was finished, Ringo thanked the crowd and said that was it and briefly left the stage. But the All Starrs quickly started getting the crowd to clap their hands up high and the band started singing “Give Peace a Chance”. Ringo came back to join in with the last song and performed the song in remembrance of John Lennon.
Tears could be seen on some of the faces in the crowd as the band bowed together on stage. Wishlists and bucketlists were crossed off for most people there as they witnessed the most famous drummer of all time. Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band made an impact of every rock n roll fan in that crowd. It was not just a rock concert, to some; it was a memory that will last them a lifetime.
The normally reserved nature of the beautiful Kodak Hall at Eastman School of Music became a virtual party room. A congregation of old and young, suburban and urban, liberals and conservatives all standing together for the purest spectacle of music mastery that may have ever entered this distinguished venue. Seats did not remain full for long as the performance was peppered with standing ovations, rushes to the front to shake hands offered by the band, and an endless cacophony of applause, shrieks and dancing feets.
The band played through a number of songs which included favorites, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”, “My Name Is Mud”, and “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”. Claypool, who always likes to narrate during shows, went on to tell a story about how he had thought about throwing himself over Niagara Falls that afternoon, but eventually decided that would probably be a bad idea. It’s a good thing, too, because if Sunday was any indicator, there is still plenty of fans eager to see what Claypool does next.
The All Starr Band made their first appearance on stage shortly after the stage was cleared of water. The crowd grew louder before everyone got the first look at Ringo Starr, who came out on stage, raising his hands with peace signs and thanked the crowd for holding up in the rain and said – “We would have played in the rain but they would not let us.”