NYS Music 20​14

Category: Rochester

  • Hank Williams III Blazing Through Upstate New York

    Hank 3 and The Damn Band - photo by Sonja Seebach
    Hank 3 and The Damn Band – photo by Sonja Seebach

    Hank Williams III, otherwise known as Hank3, will be playing several dates in Upstate, NY this June. Bringing his hellbilly style of country music to Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester. Williams is touring in support of his recent, October 2013 release of his double country album, Brothers of the 4X4, and punk album, A Fiendish Threat.

    A Hank3 show is a one-of-a-kind musical performance that begins with a set of country music, then a set of his hellbilly tunes, followed by a knock down drag out Assjack psychobilly set. His shows take on these different personas while featuring Williams’ extensive range of instrumental expertise.

    You can get your hellbilly groove on with Hank3 starting Wednesday June 11, in Rochester, NY at the Montage Music Hall. Doors open at 7PM, this is an 18+ show and tickets will be available at the door for $20.

    Friday June 13 in Buffalo at the Town Ballroom the doors open at 7PM, ages 16+ and tickets are $20 in advance and $24 day of the show. Tickets are available online or at the box office.

    Lastly, Saturday June 14 at Lost Horizon in Syracuse, doors open at 7PM and tickets can be purchased for $20 in advance and $25 day of show. Pick up your tickets at the venue box office.

  • Talking Heads Concert Film Turns 30, Select Anniversary Showings in NYC, Upstate NY

    Thirty years ago, Talking Heads released the concert film Stop Making Sense. It was filmed in 1983 over the course of three December nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater during the “Speaking in Tongues” tour. Directed by Jonathon Demme and produced by Gary Goetzman, this filmed has been highly acclaimed by fans and critics alike.

    stop_making_sense_poster

    To celebrate this piece of music and cinema history, there are select theatrical rereleases this summer, including some showings in the NYC and Upstate areas. The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY will be showing it May 22. The Brooklyn Academy of Music will be showing it two nights June 4 and 5. The Little Theatre in Rochester will be showing it June 16. And the Alamo in Yonkers will be screening it July 10. Also the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington, NY will get a screening but a date has yet to be announced.

    record-collection-–-talking-heads

    The film shows Talking Heads at their best, with great shots and superior sound. With their hits firing on all cylinders such as “Burning Down the House,” “Psycho Killer,” and many more. The band really made it possible to bring the concert to experience to those where not fortune enough to see them during their hey day.

    Check below for all the screening dates and locations of Stop Making Sense.

    May 22 – Pleasantville, NY – Jacob Burns

    May 23-June 5 – Ogden, UT – Art House Cinema 502

    June 4-5 – Brooklyn, NY – BAM

    June 7 – Portland, OR – Reed College

    June 13-14 – Kansas City, MO – Tivoli Theatre

    June 13-19 – Missoula, MT – Roxy

    June 16 – Rochester, NY – Little Theater

    June 18-20 – Los Angeles, CA – New Beverly

    June 18, 22 – Columbus, OH – Gateway Film Center

    June 19-22 – Oak Cliff, TX – Texas Theatre

    June 22 – Phoenix, AZ Phoenix Center for the Arts

    July 3 – Littleton, CO – Alamo

    July 4-5 – Troy, OH – Mayflower

    July 10 – Yonkers, NY – Alamo

    July 14 – Austin, TX – Alamo Ritz

    July 15, 17 – Kalamazoo, MI – Alamo

    August 1-3 – Seattle, WA – SIFF Cinema

    August 6 – Lexington, KY – Kentucky Theatre

    August 14 – Houston, TX Miller Outdoor Theatre

    August 14, 16 – Chicago, IL – Music Box

    August 22-24 – Kansas City, MO – Armour

    September 6 – New Orleans, LA – Shotgun Cinema

    September 6, 8 – Silver Springs, MD – AFI Silver

    September 19 – Kansas City, MO Kansas City Public Library

    TBD – Kingston, Canada Screening Room Cinema

    TBD – Los Angeles, CA – Oscar Theatre

    TBD – Huntington, NY – Cinema Arts Center

    TBD – Portland, OR – Academy Theater

    TBD – Portland, OR – Northwest Film Center

    TBD – Memphis, TN – Indie Memphis

    TBD – Nashville, TN – Belcourt Theater

  • Saturday’s Unearth-ing of The Oncoming Storm in Rochester

    Front Cover of The Oncoming Storm
    Front Cover of The Oncoming Storm

    Metalcore as a genre has seen better days; the peak has come and gone, leaving cornerstones in evolution’s wake. From one of the foundational areas for the genre in Massachusetts, Unearth came up during the New Wave of American Heavy Metal alongside other genre-definers like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, and The Acacia Strain. It wasn’t until the mid-2000’s where those bands really started to hone in on the sound that would come to define metalcore. Of those founding fathers, Unearth was one of the most clearly definable with a sound and heaviness that was uniquely their own.

    In 2004, the band released The Oncoming Storm. I still remember hearing it for the first time and thinking how truly ahead of its time it felt. The only thing that went deeper than the melodic hook was the tenacity at which the band played. Despite having a sound that was as large and powerful as an orchestra of metal, the band at the time was just a five-piece, consisting of Trevor Phipps (vocals), Buz McGrath (guitar), Ken Susi (guitar and backing vocals), John Maggard (bass), and Mike Justian (drums). The melodies captured on that record were some of the most beautifully written, exploiting harmonies for every tonal drop they were worth. Every one of the forty-plus minutes on that album served a purpose and it helped to elevate not only them, but this style of music as a whole to a certain level of visibility.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of8Ob0xjSGU

    This Saturday (May 31st), in celebration of the album’s ten year anniversary, Unearth will be playing it for the first time, from start to finish at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester. Opening the night will be Texas in July, Cruel Hand, and Armed for Apocalypse. If it wasn’t hinted enough above, these guys defined heaviness for a generation of metal fans and set the bar for their peers. The Oncoming Storm is the band’s legacy and they’re giving fans a chance to witness its significance and weight as a whole.

  • The Devil Makes Three ‘Did Wrong Right’ in Rochester

    Rochester rarely sees a bluegrass show, let alone a sold out bluegrass show. The April 23rd Devil Makes Three show at the Zeppa Auditorium was a welcomed oddity to that norm but they did wrong right. A 9 PM arrival to a show almost usually results in a few people at the bar, enjoying a drink before the party starts. Count this show as an oddity in that realm too then – the house was packed and pensively listening to the opening band, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons, an Americana band from Providence, RI with a bluesy sound.

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    The Devil Makes Three hit the stage strong with “Stranger, a song off the new album” I’m a Stranger Here. They wasted no time with playing house favorites when they slid smoothly into, “Beneath The Piano > Bullet” – the energy level was building with each song. With a look around the room, most knew every word to these songs, which played to the feel of the night, a room full of friends. The setlist was a fantastic combination of new songs and well-known songs from all their albums. Some of the highlights for this girl were, “Old Number 7” and “Gracefully Face Down” and by the sounds of it, I wasn’t the only one there whom had memorized nearly every word to every song. Most notably though, I was thrilled to hear upright bassist Lucia Turino sing a swanky tune. She rarely sings and seeing her play that bass and sing was a definite treat. 

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    Quite possibly the greatest oddity of the night was the “bluegrass moshpit” that ensued and consumed every person anywhere near the stage. Maybe it was the fast paced “Do Right Wrong > Black Irish” that created the frenzy, or possibly it was the energy of the sold out room on another chilly Upstate, NY night, either way the moshpit was a new experience for this gal.  A friend advised I take it all in and enjoy, “because it puts hair on your chest,” he said. But I digress, I prefer not to be tackled whilst dancing my heart out.

    DSC_0967

    If this show was any indication of the things to come for this band, I will say that they are on their way up and already have a strong fan base in just about every city they play. Look for The Devil Makes Three this summer at festivals across the country.

  • The Black Keys Coming to Rochester in September

    turnblueEveryone’s favorite blues rocking duo The Black Keys have announced a Rochester, NY show for September 14th at The Blue Cross Arena.

    The band will be touring in support of their newly released album, Turn Blue. This will be the bands first Flower City visit since 2010 at CMAC. Back then they were still an opener, now they are headlining and no doubt will have a packed house. Cage the Elephant will open the show. Ticket information is not yet available.

    The Black Keys 2014 Tour dates
    9/05 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center*
    9/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena*
    9/07 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena*
    9/09 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center*
    9/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center*
    9/12 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena*
    9/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ CONSOL Energy Center*
    9/14 – Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena*
    9/16 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ Air Canada Centre*
    9/18 – Montreal, QC, Canada @ Bell Centre*
    9/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center*
    9/21 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden*
    9/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center*
    9/25 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center*
    9/27 – Chicago, IL @ United Center*
    10/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center†
    10/25 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre†
    10/27 – Calgary, AB, Canada @ Scotiabank Saddledome†
    10/28 – Edmonton, AB, Canada @ Rexall Place†
    10/30 – Vancouver, BC, Canada @ Pacific Coliseum†
    10/31 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center†
    11/1 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena†
    11/9  – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl†
    11/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ U.S. Airways Center†
    11/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverik Center†
    11/13 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center†
    11/15 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center†
    11/16 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center†
    12/4 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena‡
    12/5 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena‡
    12/6 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum‡
    12/8 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena‡
    12/9 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center‡
    12/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena‡
    12/12 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena‡
    12/13 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena‡
    12/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BB&T Center‡
    12/16 – Tampa, FL @ Tampa Bay Times Forum‡
    12/17 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center‡
    12/19 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center‡
    12/20 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center‡
    12/21 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center‡

    *with special guest Cage The Elephant
    †with special guest Jake Bugg
    ‡with special guest St. Vincent

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  • Is Cry to the Blind on the cusp?

    If you haven’t seen Cry to the Blind by the end of this year, you haven’t been trying.

    “Shows are coming in like crazy!” said band manager, Tommy “The Don” Casserino.  Announcements have been reporting out with a fury over the past few weeks.

    Last week it was announced they will be opening for Framing Hanley for one show in Watertown, NY on May 15th at Exhibition Hall. Wednesday, CTTB was named to 95X‘s XFest for Saturday, June 21st in Syracuse, NY.  Adelita’s Way heads the playbill. And, yesterday, the East End Music Festival listed them among nine different acts to play on Friday, June 13th in the band’s hometown of Rochester, NY.

    After the 95X Fest announcement, Casserino said, “Without the 95x Crew there would be no local support for the bands.”

    Casserino also revealed that Rock Rage Radio approached the band for a possible tour.

    “Cry to the Blind is a band that gives you 110% of what they do,” said Casserino. “My hats off to Radio Contraband for pushing ‘Wrecking Ball,’ and opening doors for the band.”

    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.

    Now, the boys will take to the stage with Framing Hanley as one of the concert’s opening acts in Watertown.  Framing Hanley is a legitimate Top 10 talent that has been out of the circuit for a few years.  This tour is in support of their latest album The Sum of Who We Are, which is their first release since severing ties with Silent Majority and signing with Imagen Records.

    The band had filmed a video for a new release “Unbroken” in partnership with Imagen Records back in March.  Casserino said the video is to be released soon.

    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.

  • Rochester Announces 2014 Party in the Park Lineup

    The City of Rochester has announced the Party in the Park lineup for 2014 and it is a doozy! This year’s events will take place back at Manhattan Square Park, where it originated.

    party in the park 2014June kicks off with The Wailers and Lucinda Williams. Bluegrass fans will get a treat in July with Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth and Trampled by Turtles on the roster. Deadheads and rockers get August with the always excellent Dark Star Orchestra and the lords of the “Peaches”: Presidents of the U.S.A.

    The entire 2014 Party in the Park lineup:

    6/19 The Wailers

    6/26 Lucinda Williams

    7/3 Drive By Truckers

    7/10 Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth

    7/17 Trampled By Turtles, Dirty Dozen Brass Band

    7/24 Lucero, The Baseball Project

    7/31 Dickey Betts and Great Southern, Dumpstaphunk

    8/7 Dark Star Orchestra

    8/14 Presidents of the USA, The Slide Brothers

    Note: August wraps up PITP with 2 fantastic shows, get all the deets here! 

  • Water Street Music Hall is Back in Business

    Water Street Music Hall posted on their Facebook page this morning that Happy days are here again! – The Rochester, NY music venue has their liquor license once again. After a change in owners and management team and this long-awaited granting of their liquor license, Water Street is back in the game.

    Water Street Music Hall
    Photo by: Darren Kemp

    Rochester has suffered lately with a lack of venues fit for the same shows that are coming to Buffalo and Ithaca, NY.  With Water Street Music Hall re-opening with a full liquor license and an updated interior, this is great news for Rochester.

    The folks at Water Street have said they will now be handling all of their booking as well as the Zeppa Auditorium on Gregory St. in Rochester. After the sold out Devil Makes Three show at Zeppa this past Wednesday (that was co-produced with Funtime), this is a good sign of things to come for the Rochester music scene.

    will have concert announcements and news as it is released so stay tuned for the exciting comeback of one of Rochester’s favorite music venue.

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  • Turkuaz and Playonbrother Coming to Funk Up WNY on Back to Back Nights

    Turkuaz and Playonbrother kicked off their co-headlining tour together just a few weeks back with an atypical album release party for both bands in Saratoga Springs.  Turkuaz released Future 86, while Playonbrother, fresh off of a name change, released their Woodstock Sessions album.  Fast forward to today, and this funk train is barreling down the I-90 for stops at Rochester’s Montage Music Hall on April 17th and Buffalo’s Nietzsche’s on April 18th.

    Turkuaz has been blazing a path for themselves via combination of feel-good funk and constant touring.  The band is just coming off of their two-set performance at Rock ‘n Roll Resort with raving reviews from those that were there.  Similar to Lettuce, this funk “army” calls New York City home and has a deep roster that’s completely stacked with talent.  With as much as we could go on about these guys (and gals), that’s just half of the show.

    Playonbrother isn’t a band you want to sleep on.  You may not recognize the name quite yet, but I promise you, you will know it walking out.  The band’s last show in Buffalo was when they were still known as Alan Evans Trio, but their sound and sheer funk-ferocity haven’t changed.  Despite their size, the trio packs a huge punch live and offers up an opposing approach to their tour mates, who easily outnumber them.

    Besides how well the two fit on paper, they seem to have great chemistry off the stage as well.  For Beau Sasser’s birthday, the two bands combined to form Jaguar at Beau’s home base of Bishop’s Lounge in Northampton, MA.  The special evening featured Beau on hammond organ (POB), Michael Angelo Carubba on drums (Turkuaz), Danny Mayer on guitar (POB), and Craig Brodhead on guitar as well (Turkuaz).  For our shows in Buffalo and Rochester, there’s been rumors of some more intermingling of band members with the Turkuaz horn section prepping to join in on Playonbrother’s set.  It’s not too far-fetched either as we all know that Alan Evans has always loved to add horns to his other band, Soulive.

    Regardless of what happens, one thing is for sure: your feet won’t stop moving from the drop of the first beat to final crash of the cymbal.  These two bands have been having a great time on the road together and that will only permeate throughout the crowd and Western NY region following these two dates.

  • The Oncoming Tour: Unearth to Play Entire Album for its 10th Year Anniversary

    Unearth Oncoming 3Unearth may not be as widely known outside of metal’s circle pits, but their impact on the scene and genre as a whole can be seen throughout.  Originally debuting back in 1998, the band rose to prominence with other New Wave of American Heavy Metal acts such as Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall, re-energizing the genre and grabbing the bar from previous nu-metalites and setting it much higher than it’s been since the early 90’s.

    Their style, along with the others mentioned, mixed the speed and chops of metal with the heaviness of hardcore into a brand new genre known as metalcore.  Their most prominent album, The Oncoming Storm, was released in 2004 and is one of the best of the era with well-written, beautiful melodies giving way to the most brutal breakdowns of the time; you couldn’t help but feed off of their energy.  They are one of the few bands whose onstage presence somehow carries over to the studio.  With the album reaching its 10 year anniversary, the band has decided to put a tour together and play it in its entirety for the first time ever, start to finish.

    Announced yesterday, the band will be hitting the road for over 20 dates including a stop in Rochester on May 31st at Montage Music Hall.  In direct support will be Texas in July, Cruel Hand, and Armed for Apocalypse.  If you’re unfamiliar with Unearth’s body of work, here are two of their official videos from The Oncoming Storm.  Crank it up and enjoy! m/