NYS Music 20​14

Category: Rochester

  • Josh Ritter and The Beast Within

    “I’m singing for the love of it, have mercy on the man who sings to be adored.”

    In an industry inundated with flash, flare and over the top shock-inducing antics, Josh Ritter employs nothing by way of tactic.  In fact, there is nothing exceptional to note of the author-singer-songwriter from Moscow, Idaho.  No fancy foot pedals, no blinding light displays, no revealing bootie shorts.  Nope, just an every-guy and his acoustic guitar.

    What begs consideration however is the depth of his musical catalog and the urgency with which he performs to his loyal following of folk/Americana aficionados.  As a performer, Josh exhibits a boyish charm; an ease and accessibility granted through wide eyes and a cheek-straining smile.  He seems almost smitten to play the songs that he himself has penned.  Like somewhere in the silence of his own head he is begging the question, “Is this really happening?”.  This humility and enthusiasm proves infectious to his audience, and those who packed into Water Street Music Hall on a frigid Friday night in November were no exception.

    Josh Ritter’s current tour, based distantly on the heels of his 2013 LP A Beast in it’s Tracks, is a minimalist presentation and a treat for fans of all things acoustic.  No frills here.  Just he and longtime collaborator Zachariah Hickman on string accompaniment, along with a smattering of original folk music that dates back 15 years.  The audience listened in delight as the duo opened with “Monster Ballad”, “Bonfire” and the foot-stompin’ “Me and Jiggs” from the 2000 LP The Golden Age of Radio.  The set chugged along for over two hours, highlighted by classics such as “Curse The Rose”, “Cumberland” and the painfully revealing yet aptly titled “Hopeful”, a song from his current album that chronicles his divorce from musician Dawn Landes in 2011.  The encore was short and sweet, comprising of the “So the World Runs Away” B-Side “Galahad” and the all-time Ritter classic “Kathleen” from 2003’s Hello Starling LP.

    As the show drew to a close, Josh and Zach pulled back on the strumming and gave the audience it’s long overdue vocal solo:

    “I’ll have you back by break of day. I’m going your way anyway. If you’d like to come along. I’ll be yours for a song.”

    Josh Ritter came to Rochester for more than a song.  In fact, he came for 25 of them.  Throughout the performance he illustrated his prolific range:  brilliant songwriting, enthusiastic musicianship, All-American charm and just enough vulnerability to make it all real.  The Beast that is Josh Ritter is a force to be reckoned with.

  • Mike Doughty Returns to Rochester Leaving No Question Unanswered

    “Hey Mike (Doughty)!  White, wheat or rye?”

    “I’m sorry good sir but you must abide by the format that we have established for this evenings happenings.  If you would like to ask a question you must etch it upon one of these neon colored sticky notes and place it gently in the Question Jar.  Hence, the Question Jar Tour.  Get it??”

    Digging deep into the Jar, Mike Doughty’s satirical sidekick and cello virtuoso, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston draws a tightly folded green post-it from the pile:

    “If you had to be buried alive with any cartoon character, which would it be and why?”

    Consideration is taken as anticipation fills the room.

    Kelli_Marsh_Mike_Doughty-1001

    “That would depend upon whether you consider Grimace to be a cartoon character or not.  I have seen him in cartoon form but was that simply rendered from an actual blue animal who chums around with Ronald and the Hamburglar?  Is he a glossy painted oversized paper mache statue that was never really rendered into a cartoon but I want to think that he was?  I don’t wish to answer your question with a question so I will say Grimace.  How about some music?”

    This type of banter – interlaced with a catalog of tunes that is 20+ years in the making – was the embodiment of a concert performance birthed in the madness that is Mike Doughty, embraced by the fans who came to participate in just that.

    The format of Doughty’s Question Jar Tour is this: prior to performance, audience members populate an empty pickle jar with questions and song requests.  No instruction is provided, no limitations imposed.  Mike and Andrew pull from the jar and so the show begins.  What makes this work is that Doughty fans are of a certain intelligence and possess a bizarre sort of sophistication.  They are loyal to his musical journey and lack the convention to be satiated with having their preconceptions fulfilled.  They came for adventure, they came along for the journey and sold out the Club at Water Street in the process.

    Kelli_Marsh_Mike_Doughty-1011

    Barring a fake encore of which Mike and Scrap gave ample warning, the set rolled on for nearly 3 hours and 26 songs.  The list was marked by an abundance of Mike’s solo work sprinkled with a few from his Soul Coughing days.  “Grey Ghost”, “Madeline and Nine” and “Navigating by the Stars at Night” opened the set.  Stage to audience banter was had.  Music resumed.  This continued for some time as the audience was immersed in performances of “Circles”, “Unsingable Name”, “27 Jennifers”,  and “Sunken-eyed Girl”.  “White Lexus” made the set after Mike had to admit to having never actually driven a white Lexus.  The duo finished with a cover of 90’s folk-pop duo Drink Me’s “Train to Chicago”, and two from 2005’s Haughty Melodic “Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well” and “Your Misfortune”.  A fitting closer considering the challenges that Mike has had to face over the years.  Yet a hopeful song that epitomizes the whole Mike Doughty thing.

    Mike and Scrap delivered a genuine and genuinely strong performance to their fans in Rochester.  There is no question that they are welcome back whenever they need an audience to play along.

    Set 1: Grey Ghost, Madeline and Nine, Navigating by the Stars at Night, Janine, These Are Your Friends, Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future, Ossining, Russell, Busting Up a Starbucks, Tremendous Brunettes, Super Bon Bon, Circles, Unsingable Name

    Set 2:  (I Keep On) Rising Up, When the Night is Long, Lazybones, I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing, 27 Jennifers, Sunken-Eyed Girl, Vegetable->Sleepless, I Hear the Bells, White Lexus, Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well, Put It Down

    Encore: Train to Chicago (Drink Me cover), Your Misfortune

  • Bush Tour Hits Rochester and NYC in 2015

    BUSHLondon’s Bush took the grunge world by storm in 1994 with the wildly successful Sixteen Stone and it’s successor Razorblade Suitcase which debuted at number one on Billboard. After an extended break up between 2002 and 2010 Bush came back with a revamped lineup and an extensive world tour. Now, having just released their 6th album Man on the Run (Oct 21) – it’s time to get back on the road.

    New York sees two opportunities to catch Gavin Rossdale and crew – Feb 24 at The Best Buy Theatre in NYC and Feb 27 at Rochester’s Main Street Armory. Info on tickets as well as “meet and greet” and other VIP packages can be found here.

    Bush 2014-2015 Tour 

    12/1/2014 Brady Theater Tulsa, OK
    12/2/2014 The Pageant St. Louis St Louis, MO
    12/3/2014 The Cubby Bear Chicago, IL
    12/4/2014 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI
    12/5/2014 War Memorial Auditorium Nashville, TN
    12/8/2014 W Hotel Hollywood Hollywood, CA
    12/9/2014 Fulton 55 Fresno, CA
    12/10/2014 Sleep Train Arena Sacramento, CA
    12/12/2014 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
    12/13/2014 The Forum Inglewood, CA
    12/15/2014 The Fillmore Charlotte, NC
    1/30/2015 Nob Hill Masonic Center San Francisco, CA
    1/31/2015 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
    2/2/2015 Municipal Auditorium Riverside, CA
    2/3/2015 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ
    2/5/2015 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
    2/7/2015 Arvest Bank Theater Kansas City, MO
    2/8/2015 Paramount Theatre Cedar Rapids, IA
    2/10/2015 Myth St. Paul, MN
    2/11/2015 Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
    2/14/2015 Murat Theatre Indianapolis, IN
    2/15/2015 Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
    2/17/2015 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA
    2/18/2015 The Sound Academy Toronto, Canada
    2/20/2015 Oakdale Theatre Wallingford, CT
    2/21/2015 Androscoggin Bank Colisee Lewiston, ME
    2/23/2015 House of Blues Boston, MA
    2/24/2015 Best Buy Theater New York, NY
    2/27/2015 Main Street Armory Rochester, NY
    2/28/2015 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ
    3/1/2015 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
    3/3/2015 The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD
    3/4/2015 Ritz Theater Raleigh, NC
    3/6/2015 House of Blues Myrtle Beach, SC
    3/10/2015 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK
    3/11/2015 South Side Ballroom Dallas, TX
    3/13/2015 Bayou Music Center Houston, TX
    3/14/2015 Majestic Theatre San Antonio, TX

  • The McLovins Announce Saratoga and Rochester Dates

    Hartford, Connecticut’s The McLovins have announced four new tour dates including two visits to Upstate in Rochester and Saratoga Springs. The Superbad “hero” monikered group has grown at a furious pace since their debut in 2008 touring all over the US.

    Saratoga Springs gets a visit at the Putnam Den Dec 5 w/ The Orwells providing support. This show is FREE. Fast forward to 2015 and you can catch the ‘lovin’ at Rochester’s Montage Music Hall February 21.

    The band will also be working in some new lighting and video effects with lighting director Thai Guy. According to drummer Jake Huffman: “This tour we will have 3 lasers, lights, and a full projection rig with us and we are starting to dabble in video.”

    McLovin’s tour update

    Dec 5th | Saratoga Springs NY, Putnam Den w/ The Orwells | 18+ / FREE SHOW
    Jan 5th | Chicago IL, Martyrs’ | 21+
    Jan 10th | Indianapolis IN, The Mousetrap | 21+ / $5
    Feb 21st | Rochester NY, The Montage Music Hall | 16+ / $10

    http://youtu.be/adxvdyZSG_c?list=UUMINDmMb52m-mmg3ax09IfQ

  • A Night of Great Interest: Primus in Rochester

    On a crisp November 2 night, Primus adorned Rochester, NY – a city not unfamiliar to Primus. With the original band back together and the recent release of a new studio album, the crowd was really anticipating the night’s show. At 8PM sharp hundreds of people filled into the Main Street Armory.

    Primus in Rochester
    Official poster by Drew Millward

    The night began and proceeded in a psychedelic punk rock fashion. Highlights of the show being “Jilly is on Smack” and “American Life”. These men are professionals in the art of suspense. What made “Jilly is on Smack” so special was how the band stepped pensively into the song. The crowd was left cliff hanging on the long gut wrenching bow strokes of Les Claypool on the upright bass. With a steady progression they drove deeper. Until finally a drop in by Larry LaLonde, whose guitar riffs sounded electric elastic, reminiscent of rubber bands.

    When executed with as much freedom of control as it was last night, the tune ‘American Life,’ is a testament to experiencing music. As a classic and more pissed off Primus song, the reminiscence of the youth of the band showed through. The pitter-patter of a cold bass line is the cold grey fog cloaking the crowd. Through the muttered mumbles of lyrics, Claypool’s line, “It’s a cold day on Ellis Isle,” can be heard clearly lurking through the fog. When the lyrics ended, the rest of the song was delivered hard. Everyone was rocking out. A compelling victory to end set one.

    To be read in the voice of Gene Wilder: “There is no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going… There’s no knowing where they’re rowing.” If you just shuttered a little, you probably had nostalgia of the Willy Wonka boat ride scene that was so creepy it scared everyone out of his or her little seven-year-old pants. As the curtains opened up to a second set, the stage had been transformed into a whole new place. The usual blowup astronauts were replaced by blowup mushrooms.

    A screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was played as a backdrop. Les Claypool become none other than Willy Wonka. Primus played their version of the musical in its entirety. The audience was one cluster of genuinely happy folk. The acoustic sounds from the upright bass and cello in combination with electric guitar created a rare layering of haunting sounds perfect for a tribute to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

    So much of the chilling whimsical experience can be attributed to outrageous sounds coming off of Tim Alexander, better known as Herb, who was completely caged in by a circus of different types of percussion instruments. It truly was a weird psychedelic trip down that same chocolate river on an electric wonder boat that was forcibly propelled through a current of percussion by cello and upright bass. No doubt about it, the Primus in Rochester and the Chocolate Factory experience is a lot of creepy and double the amount weird, but we can handle it, we are big kids now.

  • Primus set to Bring a Twisted good time to Rochester Main Street Armory

    Today, Primus will turn Rochester Main Street Armory into a twisted-nostalgia-psychedelic-fun-house in support of their new record, Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble. The band released the album October 21 and Rochester marks the ninth stop on their countrywide tour, which has been well received. Essentially, the album is exactly what you would expect from Primus

    : heavy, psych-funk with a playful dark side—except this time they are covering songs from Willy Wonka, which adds an extra dose of strangeness. Bassist Les Claypool is the mastermind behind the freak show, and he, along with band members Larry LaLonde (Ler) and Tim Alexander (Herb) will be dressed up as characters from the film to go along with the elaborate stage design. The music alone is a trip, but paired with lighting and theatrics, this evening is sure to be a spectacle. As an added treat, fans can win Primus tickets for life by finding one of six golden vinyl records (as opposed to the regular chocolate-brown color).

    Rochester Main Street ArmoryDoors are at 6:30PM but show time is slated for 8PM; this is Sunday show, and it is the Armory, so expect an early evening. Tickets are $39.95-$45.00, and available at the box office, Ticketfly.com, House of Guitars and Aaron’s Alley.

  • Cabinet Carves Through Rochester

    Bluegrass has been taking on different personas these last few years and a genre that encompasses all that is bluegrass has grown to include the old-timey tunes of Bill Monroe and Del McCoury to the jamgrass of YMSB and Greensky Bluegrass, Cabinet‘s show on October 10 in Rochester at Montage Music Hall proved to fans that they are fully capable of existing in both suits. Cabinet has their roots planted in the old-timey music of the past while existing in the present and fans of the bluegrass genre are pumped to have this band in the mix.

    “I was determined to carve out a music of my own, I didn’t want to copy anybody” – Bill Monroe

    Cabinet Montage Music Hall Rochester (9)

    The night began with a solid jam with high energy, Todd Kopec played his soul out on the fiddle with style and ease. In fact the entire set seemed to have a strong jamgrass tone to it; the dance floor was full of fans whom enjoyed the slight change in pace from previous Rochester appearances. “Oxygen” was strong, the energy was not that of their DelFest appearance but a much jammier session with moments of instrumental ecstasy from each band member. Also notable was the energy that came from mandolin player, JP Biondo on “Doors” was unmatchable and resonated throughout the venue with fans singing out loud to the inspiring lyrics of a song that represents the paths we take in life and how we view our place in this universe.

    Cabinet Montage Music Hall Rochester (15)

    Without a doubt this show was one of the best Rochester has seen from Cabinet. The band continues to climb higher and higher on the pecking order of bluegrass bands. Cabinet’s last New York appearance on this tour will be at the Highline Ballroom in NYC Oct. 30 for a two-night Halloween event, Night of the Living Dead, featuring the Infamous String Dusters featuring Keller Williams and special guests Cabinet; whom will be showcasing the music of the Grateful Dead for this special event. The show is sold out at this time, please contact the venue for further information on tickets.

    Cabinet shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon, their continuous touring, their depth of talent and their excellent stage presence are carving a path through the bluegrass genre, and rightfully so by the caliber of this show. Expect to see more and more of this band as time goes forward.

  • Fundraiser Show for Slain RPD Officer Daryl Pierson Coming to Rochester Armory

    ARMORYIn the face of happenings in Ferguson, MO and a national media seemingly hellbent on sensationalizing every unfortunate interaction between a civilian and officer it’s easy to forget that most of these guys (and gals) selflessly put their lives on the lines every day to protect our liberties. That’s their job. And on the night of September 23, Rochester Police Department officer Daryl Pierson was doing nothing more than his job when he was murdered in the line of duty trying to apprehend a subject.

    Since then the community of Rochester has come out in droves for the Pierson family and RPD with multiple benefits, donations,  and a simply breath-taking display of support at a massive service at the Blue Cross Arena attended by seemingly every officer and dignitary in a 100 mile radius. The love will continue this Dec. 6 at the Main Street Armory with a benefit night filled with some well-known and up and coming hard rocking entertainment.

    Headlining the event is life long Rochester native and songwriter Hall of Fame member Lou Gramm. Well known as the long time “Juke Box Hero” for classic rock heavy weight Foreigner, Lou has been fronting his own band since leaving Foreigner for good in 2003. With a set list heavily weighted with Foreigner classics and a mix of his own solo material Lou commanded a huge audience at this past years Xerox International Jazz Festival (Check out our gallery of XRIJF Lou Gramm unreleased photos below) and no doubt will bring a lot of fans to this charity event.

    Steve Augeri is best known for being the first “official” replacement singer for Steve Perry in everyone’s favorite sing-a-long group Journey. Now off with his own group, fans should expect to hear a ton of that former  bands repertoire which is back loaded with some of the most heartwarming songs of all time. I can’t imagine their will be a dry eye in the house during “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Faithfully”.

    Two band’s demise became one bands journey – up and coming bands Abandoned Buildings Club and Velvet Elvis both bit the dust in 2013 and those that continued joined forces as King Buffalo. Featuring deep grooves with a heavy background overlaid with psychedelic vocals and a fantastic rhythm section, this band has gathered a ton of buzz and will make a lot of new fans for a great cause this night.

    Also joining the fun will be Download – Rochester’s favorite hard rock cover band – and Rainline, who gathered some new fans of their own playing their heavy hitting originals at the 2012 Lilac Festival. Tickets are 20$ and are available on Ticketfly, at the House of Guitars, or Aaron’s Alley. All proceeds will benefit the Pierson family. Come on out and pay tribute to one of Rochester’s hero’s, why wouldn’t you?

    Lou Gramm band LIVE at Xerox International Jazz festival

  • RAGEchester: Lettuce Brings the Funk to Water Street Thursday

    Fall Tour 2014
    Fall Tour 2014

    If you have yet to hear the collective talent from the funkiest group in the world, you’re sadly missing out. Although they’ve been around now for damn near twenty years, Lettuce is that elusive band that once you hear, you don’t know how you’ve lived without.  Everything from their extremely tight and infectious rhythms thrown down by drummer Adam Deitch and bassist Jesus Coomes, to the offset melodies that just reek of funky hooks is what makes this band so dope. No matter where you look, there’s a diverse mix of talent who all bring their own flavor to their otherwise flavorless name. Maybe that’s part of the thing that gets people.  With a somewhat unsuspecting name, you’re instantly gripped by the music that just feels so right.

    This Thursday, Lettuce is making their way to the area as they make a stop at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester.  The band played Buffalo earlier this year in February, and for the sold out crowd that was present, there wasn’t a still body in the place. From wall to wall, the band seduced the audience through nothing but sound and their feel-good energy.

    The band began their fall tour at the beginning of October and over the course of the last couple of weeks has excited their devoted fans as they’re feeding off of the energy and excitement of playing some new music. Their last record, Fly, was released back in 2012, and to say people are eager to hear something new from this group would be an understatement.  Already, the band has played at least three new songs on this tour, so fans should expect something they’ve yet to hear. The band is locking in and the new material has provided fuel to this funky fire. If you’ve been following their live journal, you know the guys are feeling it with segments like the following:

    Schmeeans (guitar): We came, we saw, we raged. And we had a great show, we played a brand new song for the very first time tonight, never ever done before, can’t ever be the first time again. Only one first time baby.

    Neal (keyboard/organ): The coolest thing about tonight is if you’re in Baton Rouge tonight and you witness this show with Lettuce and Gramatik at The Varsity, we are dropping brand new music that’s never been heard, and I think people are gonna bug out cause we’re bugging out. We’re having such a great time and this is only day three. This is gonna be an incredible tour.

    Deitch (drums): Tonight in Tuscaloosa was off the chain. We added a new song that we’re calling for now “The Big Anthem,” and it felt really big and powerful for the first time, we’re really excited to have added that. And then we played another song that Shmeeans and I wrote in Harlem entitled “Chief,” played that again and it was even better tonight. The new songs are infusing a lot of energy into our sets, and when we’re excited you know the crowd’s gonna be excited, so we feel like they got it tonight.

    Want to know how fresh this material is? Check out Krasno’s log in the diary about a new song he heard a day prior to playing:

    Krasno (guitar): It’s always fun to play new stuff super fresh, its way fresh for me because I didn’t play it till today pretty much.

    Casual fan or dedicated one, there’s no reason why this tour specifically isn’t one of the most exciting the band has ever been on and luckily Rochester’s in their sights. Their Emo’s show in Austin, TX last week was streamed, and while it was choppy, the new music was somehow crisp and full of that typical Lettuce RAGE. If you don’t have your ticket yet, you’re going to want to grab one quickly here.

  • Thousand Foot Krutch to Light Up The Sky in Clifton Park

    Capital Region, consider this your “Courtesy Call.” Get ready to throw up your “Rawkfist” Upstate N.Y.  Thousand Foot Krutch is bringing their fall “Born This Way” tour to the Capital Region. The tour was named after the lead single off their brand new eighth studio album OXYGEN : INHALE. Supporting acts for the 19-date tour will be We As Human, Righteous Vendetta, and in select cities, Like A Storm.

    TFK was formed in Canada in 1995. The band started seeing success in 2002 with the current lineup of Trevor McNaven, Joel Bruyere and Steve Augustine. Country megastar Carrie Underwood is a huge fan and performed the song “Let the Sparks Fly” live on stage with the boys at Winter Jam in Tulsa, Oklahoma. TFK has toured with many big names in rock music such as Breaking Benjamin, Skillet, Red and Chevelle.

    The band’s sound is a fusion of Christian Rock meets Rap Metal, mixing melodic and high energy songs with slick verses and very catchy choruses and hooks.

    TFK with Carrie Underwood
    TFK with Carrie Underwood

    Ready to “Strike Back” and help support the tour is Memphis, Tennessee’s We As Human. The band has been touring relentlessly all year and it looks like they are not ready to stop yet. The band has recently toured with Black Stone Cherry and were part of Rock On The Range, K-Rockathon, Rocklahoma and were also on last years Carnival Of Madness.

    Righteous Vendetta will bring “The Fire Inside” every venue on the tour. After Vendetta’s song “This Pain” was played on Sirius/XM Octane, the Wyoming natives have hit a lot of rock music fans radars and have also appeared on numerous tours. They’re an awesome up and coming rock band.

    Clifton Park you better “Move” and get your tickets before everything “Falls Apart“. TFK will make their rare appearance in the area on Wednesday Oct. 22 at Upstate Concert Hall. Doors open at 7pm and show starts at 8pm. Advanced tickets are $17 and $20 day of show. You can purchase tickets at all Ticketmaster locations, the club box office 371-0012 and Northern Lights Smoke Shop.

    Rochester will also see the tour on Tuesday Oct. 21 at The California Brew Haus. Tickets for this show can be purchased through ticketfly for $20. The event is 18 and older.

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