NYS Music 20​14

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  • Native American Music Awards to be held at Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel

    Update: the Fifteenth Annual Native American Music Awards will be streamed live on the home page of First Nations Experience from Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel and FNX-TV at www.fnx.org.

    native american music awardsThe 15th Annual Native American Music Award (NAMA) Ceremonies will be held the Seneca Allegany Events Center at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, New York on Friday November 14. Hosted by A Taste of Honey‘s Janice Marie Johnson, the event will have live performers and special guests, including five-time award winner Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji, Jamie Coon, American Idol finalist Charly Lowry and her band Dark Water Rising, former NFL player and opera singer Lawrence Harris, many more nominees and much more.

    A special Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to Colville Tribal Chairman & five-time award winner Jim Boyd.

    Additionally, the 15th Annual Native American Music Awards Commemoration will have its first ever national television broadcast on First Nations Experience, FNX, on Thanksgiving Day, November 27 at 8PM EST/5PM PST with a repeat broadcast on Saturday, November 29, 2014.

    First Nations Experience is the first and only public television network in the U.S. dedicated to Native American and World Indigenous content Contact your local PBS station to request they air the FNX/Native American Music Awards program.  Local PBS Station information can be found below or by clicking here.

    The New York Times says of the NAMA, “Devoted to bringing Indigenous music to the world’s consciousness, the Native American Music Awards is an ultimate celebration of both traditional and contemporary Native American music.  It was founded as the world’s first and largest national professional membership-based organization for the advancement & recognition of Native American music expressions around the world.

    If you wish to attend the the 15th Annual Native American Music Awards, note that tickets are limited and can only be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets or by calling the Seneca Allegany Casino at  (716) 945-9300. Public voting is open to the general public. Music from all nominees is currently featured on the audio players on www.NAMALIVE.com. Anyone can listen and cast their vote by visiting the Awards website, Vote now page.

  • Seether and Papa Roach Announce 2015 tour

    10639587_865587163452588_6264813037501404959_nSeether and Papa Roach will be doing a co-headlining tour starting in early 2015. Islander and Kyng will also be the support acts on the tour.

    Tour Dates:

    1/9 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
    1/10 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
    1/11 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
    1/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
    1/14 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
    1/15 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort & Casino
    1/17 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre
    1/18 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
    1/20 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
    1/21 – Bethlehem, PA – Sands Entertainment Center
    1/23 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
    1/24 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom
    1/25 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre
    1/27 – Kansas City, MO – Midland Theatre (Seether Only)
    1/28 – Waterloo, IA – McElroy Auditorium
    1/30 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
    1/31 – Dallas, TX – Southside Ballroom
    2/02 – Wichita, KS – Cotilion
    2/03 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
    2/05 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield
    2/06 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
    2/07 – Las Vegas, NV – The Joint

    Papa Roach recently just announced that their new album, F.E.A.R, will be released on January. 27. Seether will also be playing new material from their album Isolate and Medicate that was released July of this year.

    Tickets go on sale this Friday (Nov. 7), with a presale starting Thursday (Nov. 6) Tickets can be found HERE

    Pre-order F.E.A.R on iTunes

    Purchase Isolate and Medicate HERE

  • Horror Film Review: V/H/S Viral

    vhsOctober 23 saw the early release of V/H/S Viral, the third installment of the V/H/S film series, which has been praised by horror fans everywhere.   But how does a horror series such as this strike lightning three times?

    Like the previous two, there are multiple stories in an anthology style with an additional framing segment that wraps around throughout the movie filmed in the style of found footage. Those who are sensitive to camcorder movement or not a fan of found-footage films such as “Cloverfield,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “Cannibal Holocaust,” then this movie is not for you. Those who enjoy the thrill of a shock and twisted plots are sure to get a kick out of this movie.

    Each of the four stories (originally planned for five, the segment “Gorgeous Vortex” was cut for unknown reasons) share one common theme, in each story the main character is seeking to be famous or famous on the internet by filming their own video.

    The first segment is entitled “Vicious Circles” which follows a man trying to film a car chase through Los Angeles of an Ice Cream truck causing disasters. It was hard to get into at first because of all the camera splicing seemed a little obnoxious at first. But once the focus of car chase began, it got interesting. This is the framing segment that comes full circle at the end. A respectable job from director Marcel Sarmiento.

    The movie then takes a completely different direction with “Dante The Great.” It moves into a fantasy direction, but still keeping the horror element. This story revolves around a magician named Dante, who does magic tricks from his trailer park home before discovering a cloak that gives him magical powers giving him superstar fame. But with the magic comes a price, and of course dead bodies. Very intriguing performances from Justin Welborn and Emmy Argo. The special effects of this story was a real spectacle to watch.

    “Parallel Monsters” is where this movie kicks into insanity. Adding a bit of the Sci-Fi element, the story revolves around a Hispanic named Alfonso played by Gustavo Salmeron, an inventor who successfully builds a machine that creates a portal link to a parallel universe that mirrors our universe, but makes the mistake by taking a visit to what seems to be a mirror universe yet turns out to be a nightmare. This one will make you squirm a little bit. There is a little bit of horror cheese to this one, but it gives it a B-Horror charm. But it’s still very much twisted. This story deserves an award for originality.

    The final story “Bonestorm” follows a group of mischievous skateboarders who decided to film their skating videos in the middle of a cult’s holy ground which turns into a very bloody massacre. I found this story a little less inspiring and it had an ending that made you scratch your head. Kind of disappointing compared to the other stories in the movie.

    Overall, this movie is great popcorn horror flick. It’s no masterpiece by any means. Anyone who is into The Twilight Zone or just looking for a cheap thrill should enjoy this movie. The editing is choppy which can be annoying. The acting is quite well considering the level of talent that this movie is working with. All four of the directors did a great job keeping the suspense in all the stories and not doing any cheap jump scares either. But the real talent is in the writing of this movie. The ideas and plots that they came up with in each segment is really the magic of this film.

    Definitely worth a watch, especially with a date or group of friends, V/H/S Viral is available now on Video On Demand or you can see it in select theaters November 21.

  • Mark Doyle’s ‘Guitar Noir’ Scheduled at O.C.C. on November 22

    Jazz Fest founder and producer, Frank Malfitano, has announced the Syracuse Jazz Fest has added a fifth concert to its series. Mark Doyle’s Guitar Noir Project has been added to the sixth Annual Legends of Jazz Series at O.C.C. on Saturday, November 22 at 7:30 pm in the college’s new Recital Hall.

    mark doyle's guitar noirAfter a sold-out performance in May at The Auburn Public Theater, then sharing the Syracuse Jazz Fest 32 stage with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in July, this will be the final appearance of Guitar Noir until April 2015. Unlike the previous shows, the string quintet will be featured for two full sets as the 10-piece ensemble presents the full In Dreams album in set one, then reprise some of the funkier R&B numbers they brought down the Jazz Fest house with in set two. As always, Doyle never rests on his laurels and he has several surprises up his musical sleeve for the audience at O.C.C.

    Doyle says, “We wanted to do an intimate show in Syracuse, I’m grateful to Frank for suggesting O.C.C.’s new recital hall – I really didn’t want to wait until next April to perform again with this project. And as the nights get longer and we head toward winter, the Noir concept really starts to take on an added dimension.” Malfitano went on to say that the project was simply too stellar to lay dormant over the winter months. “Mark, as everyone knows, is a Legend, and a seven-time SAMMY winner and SAMMYS hall-of-famer who is equally adept at Blues, Rock, Pop and Jazz, but this dectet chamber/jazz/rock ensemble is a very special and unique project that really deserves to be seen in its entirety. Because of time limitations at Jazz Fest we were only able to scratch the surface of this amazing presentation this past summer, so presenting it in its entirety in late November was simply too irresistible an opportunity to pass up.”

    The November 22 concert at O.C.C. will feature guitarist Mark Doyle’s critically acclaimed Guitar Noir Project, which features a core quintet composed of Doyle and Terry Quill on guitars, Bill DiCosimo on keyboards, Edgar Pagan on bass, and Joshua Dekaney on drums, along with a five-piece Guitar Noir String Ensemble comprised of Ally Brown, Shelby Dems, and Leila Dean on violins, Claire Marie Wilcox on viola and Kate LaVerne on cello.

    Doyle’s incredibly varied career began as a child prodigy jazz pianist before seeing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. His first band ‘Jukin’ Bone’ was signed to RCA when he was in his late teens and produced two albums that were labeled by Creem magazine as “seminal classics of early ’70s hard rock.” He served as lead guitarist/arranger/right-hand man for David Werner, Andy Pratt and Cindy Bullens performing band-leader duties on many tours with them besides numerous sessions with the likes of Hall and Oates, Judy Collins, Leo Sayer and many others. The ’80s found him doing several world tours and television appearances as lead guitarist for Meatloaf and adding a shiny disc to his studio wall by arranging and singing background vocals on “Straight From The Heart’ with Bryan Adams. A move to Boston brought Mark another direction as String Arranger for most of Maurice Starr’s acts including New Kids On The Block, Tiffany and The Stylistics also contributing his production skills and immeasurable musical prowess to each. After a stint in Japan playing keys and acoustic guitar for the Epic/SONY and Pioneer labels, Mark returned to Syracuse and concentrated on his internationally critically acclaimed solo career while producing and performing regionally. His Guitar Noir and Out Of The Past CDs, along with his double CD/DVD release Solstice At The Cathedral bridge his multifaceted influences and talents, leading to more current work with his blues/rock band Mark Doyle and The Maniacs which is his ongoing guitar project. Doyle is also performing select Opera House concerts as guitarist/pianist and band leader with Mary Fahl (former lead singer of October Project) who recently released, Live at The Mauch Chunk Opera House, reviewed on these pages and previously issued ‘From The Dark Side Of The Moon’ a reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s classic album in 2011. A long-awaited follow-up to Guitar Noir in In Dreams: Guitar Noir II, plus three studio Maniacs issues, one live CD, a live DVD and a behind-the-scenes DVD have kept Doyle at the top of his game, but if you know the man at all, he doesn’t really know any other way.

    Tickets for this first-ever full Syracuse performance by Guitar Noir are priced at $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show, and are on sale now (cash only!) at Sound Garden in Armory Square, located at 312 West Jefferson Street, Syracuse. Only 150 tickets will be sold for this event, so get your tickets early and don’t get left out as many did at The Auburn Public Theater show.

  • Hinder Signs New Record Deal with New Singer

    On the heels of a public announcement that Hinder signed with The End Records on November 4, it should also be noted that Nolan Neal will be the new singer of the band.  Nolan Neal, owner of 16th Edge Studios located on the famous “Music Row” in Nashville has been filling in with the band for the past year, but no official statement of his role in the band had been announced until this week.

    hinder new recordSpeculations of Neal replacing founding member and vocalist Austin Winkler after Winkler entered rehab in 2013 have been ongoing, including an unofficial update to the band’s Wikipedia page.  The band and Neal never made an official announcement on the transition, until the announcement of the new single “Hit the Ground” scheduled for November 24 and a new album with Nolan Neal on vocals planned for 2015.

    With Hinder’s debut release Extreme Behavior in 2005, Hinder sold over three-million copies in the US and their #1 single, “Lips of an Angel” launched the band into the hearts of rock and roll fans everywhere.  The band has had continued success throughout the decade with Winkler including their latest release Welcome to the Freakshow that went to #3 on the Hard Rock charts.

    Hinder also brought on veteran manager, Mark Adelman, of Career Artist Management. Adelman has worked with such heavy metal gods such as Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, making one curious of the new direction of Hinder.  Of course, Adelman has also worked with acts such as Kenny G and Rufus Wainwright.

    Below is a video of new lead singer Nolan Neal performing with friend, Bobby Amaru (Saliva) at a private show in Albany, New York. They gave Neon Gods a taste of a brand new tune, written by Nolan.

    For More Information visit Hinder’s Official Site, Facebook and Twitter.

  • Aqueous to Celebrate NYE in the Buff!

    AQ-NYE-2014Aqueous have announced plans for a NYE party at Buffalo’s Iron Works with regional funk superstars Funktional Flow. This will be the band’s second show at one of the Nickel City’s newest venues following a near sell-out at their CD release show October 25th. The Iron Works is located in the harbor district across the street from the home of the Buffalo Sabres – The First Niagara Center – and features an “always open” kitchen, killer draft lineup, and top notch sound lights and stage. Sabres fans should take note, as attendees to the NYE home game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning can get $5 off at the door with their ticket stub.

    Non-hockey fans can net a pre-sale ticket for $10 or take their chances at the door for $12. Don’t delay on those tickets –  it is extremely likely this event will sell-out –  Flow has a huge local crowd and Aqueous has not been in town for NYE since 2012. Given both bands last few NYE sets there should be lots of surprises in store. Check out last year’s Aqueous setlist below. Welcome back to the Buff AQ! (Shirts and shoes required)

    2013/12/31 Aqueous at The Crooked I, Erie PA

    SET I: The Median, Skyway > Eon Don, Complex Pt. II *, Coyote Run **, Africa ***

    SET II: Auld Lang Syne > Master of Puppets ^ > Origami, Dave’s Song > Kitty Chaser (Explosions), King For a Day > Willy is 40, All In, Mean Mr. Mustard ^^ > Polythene Pam ^^ > She Came in Through the Bathroom Window ^^ > Golden Slumbers ^^ > Carry that Weight ^^ > The End ^^

    ENCORE: Her Majesty ^^ > Warren in the Window

    NOTES:
    * First time played original
    ** with Eric Brewer on guitar
    *** First time played, Toto cover
    ^ First time played, Metallica cover
    ^^ First time played, The Beatles cover

  • Save Your Change, Nickelback is Coming to NY

    nickelback
    Pic via wikipedia.org

    Upstate NY will get 15¢ worth of Nickelback next summer with three shows planned across the state  in August. After years of bludgeoning eardrums with gleeful disdain the ‘back has earned – to the chagrin of everyone else – a strong following in their Canadian homeland and across The States and have sold over 50,000,000 records. The tour will support the groups 8th studio release No Fixed Address which will dump onto the scene on November 17th.

    Thrill seekers can catch the boys for around the cost of 160 Timbits™ August 7 at Darien Lake Performing Art Center. Incidentally, those that choose the amusement park admission combo ticket can buy those Timbits in the park before the show. Two additional chances in August come August 11 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center and August 14 in Wantagh NY at Nikon Performing Arts Center at Jones Beach. Chances are the pickle won’t be in attendance. No refunds, eh?

    Check out the entire tour below.

    Nickelback 2015 North American Tour

    2/15 — Allentown, Pa. — PPL Center
    2/16 — Manchester, N.H. — Verizon Wireless Arena
    2/18 — Montreal, Quebec — Bell Centre
    2/19 — Ottawa, Ontario — Canadian Tire Centre
    2/21 — London, Ontario — Budweiser Gardens
    2/22 — Toronto, Ontario — Air Canada Centre
    2/24 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — Van Andel Arena
    2/25 — Louisville, Ky. — KFC Yum! Center
    2/27 — Columbus, Ohio — Nationwide Arena
    2/28 — Moline, Ill. — iWireless Center
    3/2 — Kansas City, Mo. — Sprint Center
    3/3 — Sioux Falls, Iowa — Denny Sanford Premier Center
    3/5 — Omaha, Neb. —  CenturyLink Center
    3/6 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Target Center
    3/8 — Winnipeg, Manitoba — MTS Centre
    3/10 — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — Sasktel Centre
    3/12 — Calgary, Alberta — Scotiabank Saddledome
    3/13 — Edmonton, Alberta — Rexall Place
    3/15 — Vancouver, British Columbia — Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
    3/22 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena
    3/24 — Charleston, S.C. — N. Charleston Coliseum
    3/25 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
    3/27 — Tampa, Fla. — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
    3/28 — West Palm Beach, Fla. — Cruzan Amphitheatre
    4/1 — Houston, Texas — Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    4/3 — Dallas, Texas — Gexa Energy Pavilion
    4/4 — Austin, Texas — Austin360 Amphitheater
    4/7 — Tulsa, Okla. — BOK Center
    6/19 — Portland, Ore. –Sleep Country Amphitheater
    6/20 — George, Wash. — The Gorge
    6/23 — Wheatland, Calif. — Sleep Train Amphitheatre
    6/24 — Mountain View, Calif. — Shoreline Amphitheatre
    6/26 — Irvine, Calif. — Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
    6/27 — San Diego, Calif. — Sleep Train Amphitheatre
    6/30 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Isleta Amphitheater
    7/1 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Ak-Chin Pavilion
    7/3 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Mandalay Bay Events Center
    7/5 — Salt Lake City, Utah — USANA Amphitheatre
    7/7 — Denver, Colo. — Red Rocks Amphitheatre
    7/10 — Tinley Park, Ill. — First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
    7/11 — Indianapolis, Ind. — Klipsch Music Center
    7/29 — St Louis, Mo. — Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
    7/31 — Cincinnati, Ohio — Riverbend Music Center
    8/1 — Clarkston, Mich. — DTE Energy Music Theatre
    8/4 — Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio — Blossom Music Center
    8/5 — Toronto, Ontario — Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
    8/7 — Darien Lake, N.Y. — Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
    8/8 — Hershey, Pa. — Hershey Park Stadium
    8/11 — Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — Saratoga Performing Arts Center
    8/12 — Burgettstown, Pa. —  First Niagara Pavilion
    8/14 — Wantagh, N.Y. — Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
    8/15 — Uncasville, Conn. — Mohegan Arena
    8/18 — Mansfield, Mass. — Xfinity Center
    8/19 — Bangor, Maine —  Waterfront Park
    8/21 — Holmdel, N.J. —  P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
    8/22 — Camden, N.J. — Susquehanna Bank Center
    8/25 — Bristow, Va. — Jiffy Lube Live
    8/26 — Virginia Beach, Va. — Farm Bureau Live
    8/28 — Charlotte, N.C. —  PNC Music Pavilion
    8/29 — Atlanta, Ga. —  Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood

  • World’s Loudest Month Announces Dates

    Metal heads and hard rockers have been waiting patiently for the dates of the World’s Loudest Month, while they know it’s May, it’s not quite definite what order they are in.  This year AEG Live, Danny Wimmer, and RockHouse are including a new stop  called Northern Invasion festival in the Twin Cities (Minnesota).

    The World’s Loudest Month brings together the biggest names in rock music.

    The 2015 World’s Loudest Month festival dates and locations are as follows:

    Monster Energy Fort Rock: April 25 in Fort Myers, FL
    Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville: April 25 & 26 in Jacksonville, FL
    Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion: May 2 & 3 in Concord, NC
    Northern Invasion: May 9 in Somerset, WI
    Rock On The Range: May 15, 16 & 17 in Columbus, OH
    Rocklahoma: May 22, 23 & 24 in Pryor, OK
    River City Rockfest: May 24 in San Antonio, TX
    RockFest: May 30 in Kansas City, MO

    “With each passing year we continue to work hard to bring something special to the rock fans around the country and to make it easy and convenient for them to attend our events,” comments Joe Litvag, co-executive producer of the WLM series for AEG Live.  “That was the reason behind starting Northern Invasion in the upper Midwest.  There is such a tremendous community of rock fans in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota, and nothing was all that convenient for them.  So, we thought, ‘Why not bring them a rock festival that they can call their own?’”

    “After selling over 360,000 tickets last year for World’s Loudest Month we are constantly looking for great cities and strong markets to add to the family of festivals associated with WLM.  Minneapolis has an incredible rock radio station and it’s only fitting that we bring Northern Invasion to the region as our newest destination to the World’s Loudest Month,” says  Danny Wimmer, co-executive producer of the WLM series for DWP.

    Not sure which one to go to? Here are some links to more info on the various stops of the WLM tour.

    Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville (April 25 & 26, Jacksonville, FL)

    www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com

    After selling out in 2014, Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville kicks off the World’s Loudest Month and celebrates its 5th year anniversary, returning to Jacksonville, Florida April 25 and 26th. Florida’s biggest rock festival lineup will be revealed Monday, December 8, with tickets going on sale Friday, December 12.

    Monster Energy Fort Rock (April 25, Fort Myers, FL)

    www.FortRockFestival.com

    The World’s Loudest weekend includes South Florida’s Biggest Rock Festival, Monster Energy Fort Rock, Saturday, April 25 at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida–the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox–for its 3rd consecutive year after selling out last year. The full festival lineup will be released Monday, December 8, with tickets going on sale Friday, December 12.

    Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion (May 2 & 3, Concord, NC)

    www.CarolinaRebellion.com

    Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the fifth annual Monster Energy CarolinaRebellion. In 2014, the mid-Atlantic’s biggest rock festival sold out of camping and VIP packages, and over 60,000 fans were treated to two and a half days of picture perfect weather. For the 2015 festival, layaway packages will be offered for the first time beginning Cyber Monday (December 1, 2014). Further details regarding layaway (ticket prices, camping and hotel packages) will be announced in the coming weeks, with the concert lineup to follow in early 2015.

    Northern Invasion (May 9, Somerset, WI)

    www.NorthernInvasion.com

    Look for details soon about this new rock and camping festival that will take place during the World’s Loudest Month.  Lineup, ticket information, and camping information will be announced in December.

    Rock On The Range (May 15-17, Columbus, OH)

    www.RockOnTheRange.com

    ROTR sold out in advance for the second year in a row in 2014, with 120,000 concert-goers on-hand at Columbus Crew Stadium to experience blistering performances from 60 of the world’s hardest rocking bands on three stages over three days. In 2015, ROTR will welcome live music’s top cable channel, AXS TV, to film the weekend as part of their live festival coverage.  Weekend Field GA and Stadium GA layaway tickets are on sale now at www.rockontherange.com. Also new to Rock On The Range in 2015 will be the Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 VIP Lounge which features amenities such as dedicated Wi-Fi, charging stations, private restrooms, premium food options and more. This upgrade will be available on all ticket purchases.  Returning packages like the ROTR VIP Packages, Hotel and Ticket Bundles and Camping packages will go on sale Monday, November 10 at 10:00 AM ET. Detailsand prices for VIP, Hotel, and Camping Packages are available at www.rockontherange.com.  Regular tickets will go on sale once the band lineup has been announced in early December.

    Rocklahoma (May 22-24, Pryor, OK)

    www.Rocklahoma.com

    In May 2014, a record crowd of over 60,000 fans turned out for the eighth year of America’s Biggest Memorial Day Weekend Party featuring the best current active rock artists and classic bands at “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds. Rocklahoma’s seat renewal process will begin on Monday, November 17, 2014 and runs through Wednesday, January 7, 2015. The renewal option is available to those who purchased a Weekend Reserved or VIP Package ticket in 2014. To renew seats for 2015, please call 866-310-2288 or email info@rocklahoma.com and a team member will contact you as soon as possible.  Rocklahoma’s 2015 lineup will be announced in January.

    River City RockFest (May 24, San Antonio, TX)

    www.rivercityrockfest.com

    River City RockFest returns to the AT&T Center in San Antonio for its third year. Look for concert lineup details to be announced soon. In 2014, nearly 20,000 were in attendance at San Antonio’s premier rock festival, with 25 top rock bands performing on four stages.

    Rockfest (May 30, Kansas City, MO)

    www.RockfestKC.com

    Rockfest returns to Penn Valley Park in downtown Kansas City for its 23rd year. In 2014, Rockfestclosed out the World’s Loudest Month festival series with over 50,000 in attendance for the seventh consecutive year of America’s largest one-day music festival.

    The World’s Loudest Month mobile app is available to download via iTunes and Android.

    Website: www.WorldsLoudestMonth.com
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/WorldsLoudestMonth

  • Lettuce Funks up Upstate Concert Hall

    Lettuce spent a funky Tuesday night in Clifton Park on their fall tour through New York and the rest of the Northeast.

    The Upstate Concert Hall gig started out with a fun set from Exmag, a three-piece electronic act from Brooklyn that likes to call their music things like “future-funk” and “future-soul.” They included samples from songs like Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” in their act and had heads bobbing.

    Then Lettuce took the stage, and the crowd really started to get down. The Brooklyn-based funk group tore through a setlist full of old favorites and new jams that forced everyone in the venue to get up and dance.

    lettuce upstate concert hall

    Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff and Erick “Jesus” Coomes lead the band on guitar and bass, respectively, but the horn duo of Ryan Zoidis and Eric Bloom really laid down the funk. Neal Evans’ keys and Adam Deitch’s drums tied the sound together. A highlight was when a female vocalist with a crazy set of pipes joined the band on stage for a few songs, giving the tunes an extra edge and power.

    Catch Lettuce November 15 at Bear Creek Music Festival in Florida, at Brooklyn Bowl in early December, or hit up one of their shows on their recently announced January-February tour across the country.

    • lettuce upstate concert hall

  • 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.