Well, at least we got one set of Widespread Panic, as rain and winds cancelled the second set of the famed Georgia’ jam band’s show at ArtPark in Lewiston on Tuesday, June 17, but for what we got in the first set, it was worth the ticket price, as well as my five-hour drive from Albany.
Opening with the instrumental illness of “A of D”, the seated crowd of a few thousand watched with curiosity and interest as the Athens-born worked through compositions, leaving room for improvisation in the right spots. The driven rock of “Surprise Valley” wowed the crowd via Jimmy Herring’s guitar work, while “Hatfield”, a song about the weather, was played to a backdrop of a divided sky which had formed on the horizon behind the stage, a storm drawing not far from the venue, but skirting by. These back to back extended songs, most notably “Hatfield” with John Bell’s trademark rambling lyrics, led to a short “Dyin’ Man”.
“Henry Parson’s Died”, a cover that I am not typically partial to was surprisingly strong, with Herring particularly shred-happy and consistent throughout; tonight the crowd got a real treat in southern-bred guitar playing. “Little Kin > Radio Child” featured a tight segue between the two songs about the kids. “Casa del Grillo”, a Los Lobos-style Chicano rocker was a rare treat, only played once or twice a year over the past 5 years. “Casa’s” lyrics were mixed between Spanish, English and John Bell-ese, and featured the organ accents from JoJo Hermann that perfectly framed the body of the number.
“Greta” and “Cream Puff War” were a pairing full of dirty funk and a seamless segue into “Cream Puff War’. The early Grateful Dead song filtered out of a higher intensity “Greta” jam, with Dave Schools’ bass taking charge to push Todd Nance to drive the rhythm into the faster-faced “Cream Puff War”. Listen to the two tracks below.
Then the winds came, followed by a downpour. We were asked to leave the park, and the helpful staff directed us to shelters and the parking lot. The heavy stuff did not come down for quite some time, taking pause and leading us to think we had a good shot at a second set, since this rainstorm started moments after Widespread Panic took setbreak. But the calm of the storm brought an onslaught of rain and high winds, forcing cancellation of the rest of the show. Not the optimal ending for the rare Widespread Panic show in Upstate New York, but we got one helluva set!
The 2014 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival kicked off on Friday with large crowds and packed houses. The sites and sounds of Jazz Fest seem to improve from year to year. With free stages offering music in the streets, festival goers also had their choice of local restaurant food vendors, to locally famous food trucks like Cheesed and Confused. No matter what you taste is, it’s sure to be satisfied by this festival.
Headliner Janelle Moane belted out tunes to he delight of a packed Kodak Theatre. Her unique brand of pop-jazz was a delight. She embodies what a female jazz artist strives to be, while offering up her style and stage presence. For her encore she invited members of the audience to join her on stage.
Whether you saw any of the free shows or purchased tickets to one of the headliners at the Kodak Theatre, if you attended this weekends festivities you surely had your fix of live music.
Check out our photo galleries from Friday night by our own Kelli Marsh.
It All Starts Tomorrow! The 2014 Edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. We will have your continued coverage for all 9 days of the festival. Stay tuned for daily show reviews, photos and artist interviews.
Headliner Show Tickets – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Tickets are available for Janelle Monae, Michael McDonald, Fourplay and Buddy Guy. Tickets are sold out for both shows of Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell and for Earth, Wind and Fire. – Buy tickets online at rochesterjazz.com, at the door if not sold out, or at the Ticket Shop, 100 East Ave and Gibbs St., 10AM – 11PM daily during the festival, 585-454-2062
Club Pass Shows: Exchange Club Pass tickets for Passes before getting in line to attend any show at the Festival Ticket Shop – Corner of East Ave & Gibbs St., the Kiosk at the Corner of Gibbs Street and Main St. (4PM – 10PM) or the Merchandise Tent on Gibbs Street (4PM – 11PM). Tickets cannot be exchanged for passes at venues. Admission to Club Pass shows is with the Club Pass or $20/ $25 Kilbourn Hall, cash only at the door, no advance sales for individual club pass shows. First-come, first-served for everyone!
Free Shows – No tickets are required, all shows rain or shine.
Water Street Music Hall, which first opened its doors as the Country Warehouse in 1977, has gone through many changes over the years – owners have come and gone just as the name has changed from earlier years. Recently there was a change in the owners of the historical Rochester venue and they were unable to serve alcohol for some time, which led to several shows being moved to different venues within the city. Water Street Music Hall announced yesterday, the addition of Dan Smalls of Dan Smalls Presents, as the newest member of the Water Street family. Smalls will now be the exclusive talent buyer for the venue.
Currently the exclusive talent buyer for the State Theatre in Ithaca, the summer concert series at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, and the prestigious Event Gallery in the Woodstock Museum at the Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Dan joins Water Street with more than two decades in the entertainment business. This new addition completes our team in providing a diverse lineup and a variety of genres.
Anthony Marsocci, owner of Water Street said, “Dan is the consummate talent buyer, he is smart, dedicated and one of the most down to earth persons I have ever met. We feel fortunate that Dan has joined our team and shares our vision of creating a memorable experience for both the artist and fan. Dan Smalls has brought shows to Water Street in the past, and with the upcoming renovations and the new management team in place, he is ready to bring music back to Water Street and to the city of Rochester.
This time last year, an ambitious Buffalo native was putting the final touches on the vision he had of throwing his own music festival. Of course, only local bands would be on the bill as this was intended from the get-go to be a celebration of the Buffalo music scene and its surrounding regions. The gamble paid off and the community responded in a big way, coming out in droves to share in the enthusiasm for Western New York music. The person I’m speaking of is Cody Conway and his ambitious goal, that likely seemed far-fetched to a lot of people, came to fruition and Buffalove Music Festival was established as one of the premier festivals in the area, calling Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, NY its home.
This year marks the second year of the festival and the underdog status is no more. Throughout the region, music fans were waiting for the announcement of who they would be seeing on this year’s bill. Fast forward to the present and the start of the festival’s second year is upon us. Things kickoff Thursday (tomorrow) with the Intrepid Travelers starting things off at 6pm. The full lineup is pretty deep this year too, with over 20 bands on the bill. If you bought the full weekend pass, you can look forward to seeing acts like Jimkata, Aqueous, Funktional Flow, Mister F, smackdab, Lazlo Hollyfeld, Slip Madigan, Broccoli Samurai, and many more.
Beyond all of the music, there are new features and personal touches added this year for the enjoyment of all of the festival-goers. Things such as fireworks, a 9-hole frisbee golf course, an Open-Mic Stage, kids activities, and a quiet zone for family camping are some of the great additions that are available this year, building upon the foundation of last year’s successes.
Given the pride that the people and the band’s of Buffalo take in the Queen City being their hometown, last year’s festival alone saw some pretty unique moments as band’s pulled out their best material and all the stops for their sets. Last year’s bust out of the Pink Floyd cover “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” by Aqueous was noted as one of our Best Jams from 2013. It’s exciting to think what we’ll be treated to this year with so many returning acts looking to step up their game and really wow the crowd.
There won’t be a better place to spend this weekend than at Buffalove. Here’s the full lineup of band’s you will see, all linked, so that you can keep up on your favorites by checking out their respective websites:
If you’ve been dragging your feet and still need a ticket, click here to order yours now. With over 20 bands, 3 stages, free camping and parking, and all of the other activities and things to do, the $50 price tag really doesn’t seem like much for all that you get. Additionally, if you’d like to see the festival poster or understand the schedule for the weekend, check out the pictures below which should give you an idea of what is on tap for Buffalove’s much-anticipated second year.
Every summer, fans from all over Western New York come to Darien Lake for Dave Matthews Band; at this point, it’s become the start to a lot of people’s summer concert season. The weather always seems to be the same as well, wet and rain-filled, and it was no different this year. The only thing that changed was the traditional set that DMB usually incorporates into the evening. This year, the band chose to go with a two-set approach and they hit a home run with the concept. The first set incorporated many of their hits into an acoustic driven platform. Opening the night with “Dancing Nancies”, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds wasted no time getting everyone up and moving and it marked the first time since 1997 that the song was opened by both Matthews and Reynolds.
Carter Beauford quickly joined in on the set behind his drum kit for “Recently”. Steffan Lessard (bass), Jeff Coffin (sax), Boyd Tinsley (fiddle), and Rashawn Ross (trumpet) soon followed and “Two Step” broke out boosting an already high level of energy. “Minarets” seemed to also get a lot of attention on this tour, and given it’s rarity in past years, it was a nice to hear it put into the rotation once again. The first set slowed down a bit during “Stolen Away On 55th and 3rd”, but soon picked right up with “Tripping Billies”, “Satellite”, and “What Would You Say”, closing out the first set.
The second set would be in the more traditional flow with a full band electric set and given the first set, which was toned down, made it even more powerful. The second set started with an improvisational intro behind a sheer style curtain, leading up to the highly energized “So Right”, putting an already amped up crowd into a full on frenzy. “#41” was slotted perfectly in the second spot, and with the crowd in a high point, it drove the show to its peak.
Tinsley and Matthews jammed together and soon were joined by the electric force behind Reynolds guitar. “The Lovely Ladies” (Cindy Mizelle, Tawatha Agee, and Sharon Bryant) joined the band on stage during several of the songs with their beautiful background vocals on songs “Save Me”, “Long Black Veil” , “You and Me” and “Stay”, which closed out the second set. It was good to see the ladies joining the band once again on tour since it had been so long since they had last done so.
“The Song Jane Likes” kicked off the encore, which, for an encore, was the first time since 2012 it was played. “Grey Street” closed out the evening, feeding the high energy right until the last note was played. DMB always plays well to the crowd at Darien Lake, however I think this year may have been their best in recent years.
Set 1 (acoustic): Dancing Nancies, Recently, Two Step, Minarets, Stolen Away on 55th and 3rd, Tripping Billies, Satelitte, What Would You Say
Set 2 (electric): So Right, #41, When The World Ends, Save Me, Long Black Veil, So Much To Say>Anyone Seen The Bridge>Too Much, Crush, If Only, Belly Belly Nice, Jimi Thing, You and Me, Stay
They will share the stage with Chevelle, A Day To Remember, Middle Class Rut, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Big Data, Tove Lo, and Joywave.
Sahlen’s Stadium will host the event August 9th.
For Cry to the Blind, it’s another rung on the ladder.
The band has released three CDs independently since 2009. They are a heavy, modern rock band, who market themselves as a “therapeutic release” for their fans. They like to promote a “positive spin on the negative energy that surrounds us every day,” as stated on their Facebook page.
Last December, the band released a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” taking the No. 1 pop single and making into a hard rock track of their own. The accompanying YouTube video went viral, earning them enough attention to gain play time on Sirius Octane.
Earlier in the year they shared the stage with Imagen Record’s Framing Hanley in Watertown. The band had also filmed a video for a new release “Unbroken” in partnership with Imagen Records back in March.
Cry to the Blind is not signed with any record labels as of yet, but the pairing up with Imagen appears to be something worth keeping an eye on for the near future.
Editor’s note: We previously reported that Bonzai would take place in July.
Last week, on the eve of my birthday, I decided to stay up late on a weekday, knowing that I’d have to wake up by 6am the next day to go to work. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band was in town though for their first show ever in Buffalo and I wasn’t going to miss it. Even with the exhaustive circumstances, what transpired that night invigorated me in a way not every concert does. Waking up the following morning, I felt alive, beaming with excitement, and still humming the notes from the night prior. I can only speak for myself, but throughout life, I am constantly chasing that kind of high from music, but was certainly not expecting it to this degree when I walked in to Nietzsche’s the night before.
As I approached the building, I still wasn’t sure what to expect. There is no adjacent parking lot, so you can’t tell if the venue is packed or empty for any show. Crossing the threshold, it was as though the doors had just opened even though I was unfortunately late to arrive. My disappointment in Buffalo for not showing up on a night like tonight – where a band was making their first appearance here – started the night off on the wrong note. Regardless of the crowd situation, on this particular Thursday, Nietzsche’s was the place to be as Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band was ready to share their gritty funk with whoever showed up.
Changing their opening song on the fly, the band kicked things off with a new song in “Wake Yo’self”. This song will be featured on their upcoming album, so the only way to catch this one at the moment is live. The bass line throughout the song had a relentless determination to it that gave the crowd a reason to move right from its opening notes. As it propelled forward through thick and heavy waters, trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson and keyboardist Mary Frances, aka Mama Funk, highlighted his spaces with peaks of cutting tone. There might not have been the greatest turnout for their first show, but the band was determined to have a good time and make sure everyone else did too. Talking with the band after the show, I brought up how bassist Al Al Ingram’s tone is similar to the bass tone on Cake’s “The Distance”, but in a heavier and funky way. The band collectively laughed in agreement and shared how they actually had talked about covering that song on numerous occasions. The show was off to a great start and with a lot of people in attendance unfamiliar with the bands songs, this was the perfect choice as it immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.
Mama Funk Leading the Booty Band
The band continued to light up the crowd with one heavy-hitting song after another. I’ve always felt that a smaller crowd can affect how a band plays in a negative way, but not these guys. On several occasions throughout the show, various members stepped off the stage and came right out into the crowd to dance. Mama Funk, Derrick Lee Johnson, and Al Al Ingram all took turns playing their instruments amongst the dancers in attendance and it really helped elevate the crowd’s overall response. Mama Funk specifically blew me away as her sweet and unassuming look was only a disguise. Throughout the night, she displayed her prowess on the keyboards as she supported the band through her various tones, ripped through solos, and constantly exuded a fun and free spirit that came out through her playful approach. It was all about a good time with her and the band as a whole and there was no shortage of those moments on this particular Thursday night.
The Booty Band played a variety of music from their catalog, but two covers stood out as I had never heard a band cover a hip hop song before in person. The band chose two Dr. Dre songs in “Let Me Ride” and “Nuttin’ Butt a G-Strang” – the latter being an obvious play on the famous “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”. Both of these songs were instantly recognized by the crowd and hit me about as hard as the originals did when I first heard them. The songs had such a beautiful, funky flow to them, similar to the original, but felt right being instrumentalized. Adding layers of live and spacey keyboard runs made two already fine choices that much better. The funky rides down memory lane were complete with rap battles between Johnson and Ingram and choruses colored by Mama Funk. By sharing the vocal responsibilities on these two and others over the course of the night, the self-proclaimed “Mountain Gangstas from North Carolina” were able to flex to the style they were playing and showcase the voice that made the most sense.
John Paul Miller on guitar with Al Al Ingram and Derrick Johnson in the background
The Booty Band’s spirit was just contagious. As they wrapped up their set, the crowd was simply not ready to let them go. After some clamouring, the band returned with grins all over their faces, ready to keep the night going a little longer for the outpouring of appreciation. One person from the crowd yelled, “hey, we all have to work tomorrow, just play one more song.” It was clear that those in attendance didn’t care that it was already past 1am at this point and I couldn’t have agreed more; we all just wanted a little more before they packed up and left. The band obliged with two songs to close the night that featured some heavy grooves and some deep funky ruts. Drummer Lee Allen was blatantly abusive towards his drum kit during the finale, making sure that his talented band mates wouldn’t completely overshadow his own impressive skills; everyone in the crowd already knew this though as Allen drove the rhythm the entire night. This band is loaded with talent from the front of the stage to the back, and if you haven’t taken the time to listen to them or catch them live, you need to drop what you’re doing now and make some time.
On a final note, I have to take a second to outline the band’s genuine appreciation for their fans and that they get to wake up and play music everyday. I talked to both Derrick Lee Johnson and Mary Frances after the show, separately, and I thought it was interesting how they echoed similar sentiments when I asked them for their thoughts on the turnout. Mary Frances said, “”It doesn’t matter if there’s 20 people or a packed house, everyone deserves a good show”. While Derrick Lee Johnson said, “I get to do my passion every single night. Whether it’s 10 people or 10,000 people, I get to pick up my trombone every night and play.” Hearing this from two different members in an off-the-cuff conversation was a breath of fresh air. There’s so many acts nowadays that play for the money and fame and those are the same bands you hear have broken up because money and fame don’t happen overnight. After hearing this, I thanked both of them for having that love and passion for their craft and that definitely translated as they genuinely had fun on stage and you could tell that they enjoyed the night just as much as everyone that was in attendance. The money and fame will come to them in time, so long as they keep doing what they’re doing, people are bound to catch on. I know that next time they come around, everyone in Buffalo will be bringing a friend as they easily won over those who came to dance on a late Thursday night/early Friday morning. As for work the next day, I got by and I am indebted to these guys for kicking off my birthday in the best way possible – with an incredible, booty shaking display of live music!
Setlist: Wake Yo’self, @$$, Quick E, Funk Life, Let Me Ride*, Cancion de Fuego, Mama Feel Good, Sunday Afternoon, Sanchez, Shadows -n- Sunshine, Nuttin’ Butt a G-Strang (Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang)*, 24/7, Naw Brah, Flea Bite, Trunk, Livin’ the Dream
Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda, NY will host Primus at their annual Niagara River Rocks Concert Serieson Sunday, June 22nd. Primus will play the waterfront show with opening act support from Fishbone.
Primus has been staying very busy with touring and this summer will be no different, scheduled to be at many festivals throughout the summer. Primus has been playing together for over 25 years and brings all sorts of influences to the table, with frontman and bassist Les Claypool’s unique style in the forefront it really makes for an interesting evening.
Doors open at 2PM and the show starts at 3PM, all ages are welcome. Tickets can be purchased for $7 or you can purchase VIP tickets for $30 which includes such benefits as private bathrooms, beverage stands and optimal view of stage.
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival released their lineup schedule for the upcoming festival which will take place in Sherman, NY on July 4-6, 2014. The “Heron” is chock-full of talent and is headlined by Donna The Buffalo.
The festival which began in 1992 as a single-day celebration featuring the music of Donna The Buffalo, has grown into a full blown weekend-long festival featuring bluegrass to zydeco. Jimkata is joining the festival this year as well – with three stages on three hundred acres the 2014 Great Blue Heron is sure to make it yet another great festival in the Western NY Area. Happy Heron!
“Greta” and “Cream Puff War” were a pairing full of dirty funk and a seamless segue into “Cream Puff War’. The early Grateful Dead song filtered out of a higher intensity “Greta” jam, with Dave Schools’ bass taking charge to push Todd Nance to drive the rhythm into the faster-faced “Cream Puff War”. Listen to the two tracks below.
Primus has been staying very busy with touring and this summer will be no different, scheduled to be at many festivals throughout the summer. Primus has been playing together for over 25 years and brings all sorts of influences to the table, with frontman and bassist Les Claypool’s unique style in the forefront it really makes for an interesting evening.