James Taylor announces five additional shows to the US summer tour, including one in Upstate New York, with a July date in Buffalo, NY at the First Niagara Center. The five additional shows will be in the months of July and August.
Additional dates
7/13 Bangor, ME – Cross Insurance Center
7/29 Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
8/6 Memphis, TN- Mud Island Amphitheatre
8/8 Little Rock, AR- Verizon Arena
8/9 Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Arena
The tour will start on May 30th in Portland, OR and will finish on August 9th in Oklahoma City, OK and tickets can be purchased through JamesTaylor.com on March 11th at 10am.
Buffalo seems to be going through a revival as of late with new buildings going up downtown and old ones being restored all around the city. One in particular has made some big news this week and that is the reopening of one of Buffalo’s most beloved venues, Showplace Theater.
Showplace Theater was originally opened up in the early 20th century as a movie theater before becoming a concert venue in the mid 90’s. There’s a good amount of history in the movie theater alone, but as a concert venue, it was a hotbed for many popular touring bands before closing its doors in 2008. The venue saw such national acts as Gov’t Mule and New Found Glory while also playing host to local favorites Cannibal Corpse, Snapcase, and Every Time I Die.
A shot of the venue from 1997
The deeply historical building sat vacant for quite some time before the current owner, Joe Breidenstein, came along and decided to put his time, energy, and resources into this Buffalo landmark. The building has been completely renovated from fresh coats of paint and new light fixtures to the rebuilding of the stage and adding a screen to serve as a backdrop for upcoming shows.
The first event is slated for next Monday (March 17th) and will be a St Patrick’s Day party called IRISH FOR A DAY. Rather than jumping in without looking, Breidenstein purposely setup a lower-key opener to get his feet wet. The inaugural show pulls together various local acts in Breckenwood, Crashfuse, Cosmic Shakedown and Sleepy Hahas to kick things off.
It’s exciting to see the revival of a venue I’ve personally spent countless hours in. With the throw-away-what’s-broken attitude that is so prevalent nowadays, it’s refreshing to see someone working to bring back a piece of Buffalo’s history from both an architectural and musical standpoint.
“We just wanted to play metal in the boys’ club,” said Leather Leone, of Chastain, in the new book by Jill Hughes Kirtland, Not Just Tits in a Corset: Celebrating Women in Metal. “We were metal. And the music represented us. I remember early on at shows when I saw females in the audience I’d try to bring them in so they’d get it. I don’t want to f*ck him. I want to be him.”
Kirtland, a music journalist and band manager, reports the stories of several women rockers, in their own voices, through a series of intimate interviews and photographs. The names who collaborated with Kirtland involve some of the most prominent and influential women in the metal industry – Lita Ford, Ann Boleyn, Doro Pesch, Betsy Bitch, Leather Leone, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Elize Ryd, Sharon Den Adel, Alissa White-Gluz, Angela Gossow, Maria Brink, Floor Jansen, Tarja Turunen, Cristina Scabbia, Charlotte Wessels, Roxy Petrucci, Linda Mcdonald, Lzzy Hale, and Simone Simons.
The book promises to provide insight from the women who helped blaze a trail, and continue to destroy stereotypes. (Photo Credit: Freeman Promotions)
The book, which Kirtland self-published, details the unique history, challenges and triumphs women have encountered throughout their careers in metal music, while also celebrating the compelling global community these women have created amongst each other and the fans. It’s not just musicians featured, but the women behind the scenes also tell their stories, all of them offering inspiration and support to the up-and-comers.
“Ten years ago I heard [from women], “Since I saw you in a metal band, I thought ‘okay, I can do this as well,’” recounted solo artist, and former member of The Gathering, Anneke van Giersbergen. “Sometimes we need a little bit of an example.”
Doro Pesch wrote the foreword to the book. Pesch, who is often referred to as “Metal Queen”, earned respect after a career that ha spanned nearly 25 years uninterupted. She is credited with being the first woman to front a band at the Monsters of Rock festival in Castle Donington, in England. German born, she earned her stripes and Europe and briefly tasted success in the United States before grunge pushed her back to the European front. Today, she continues to tour with her band.
The book, with a pretty cool book cover design by the way, is now available as a hardcover or softcover printed book or e-book on the author’s website and will be available through other online retailers soon.
A book launch party open to the public (all ages) will take place on Thursday, April 3rd (6:30pm) at Roxy & Duke’s Roadhouse in Dunellen, New Jersey. Female-fronted metal bands MINDMAZE, A SOUND OF THUNDER, and FLAMES OF FURY will be performing that night with other special guests.
Gathering of the Vibes will announce their 2014 lineup this Saturday March 15th, LIVE at the Legendary Capitol Theatre with vibe veterans, Deep Banana Blackout and Kung Fu. Doors are at 7 pm with the show set to start at 8pm but the official announcement will be made at 11pm and fans can join in on the action via Facebook.
The annual musical and arts festival is set to take place July 31st-August 3rd, once again at the beautiful Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT. With past headliners, Phil Lesh & Friends, Primus, STS9, Elvis Costello and much more, all bets are on to see who will join the Vibe Tribe in a weekend of love and light.
The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY is the ideal location for the Vibes announcement because it holds special ties with The Grateful Dead and their fan base. It makes sense to bring together the vibe tribe and Dead Head community to remember their roots as well as look forward to the excitement of this year’s festival season. Deep Banana Blackout is a funky New Orleans jazz group with a full horn section and a high energy attitude. Kung Fu packs a punch with psychedelic funky melodies and electro-jazz fused fun. The two Connecticut bands are a powerful combo for the night and are sure to get the party vibes flowing.
You can purchase tickets here, they range from $25 to $45 or you can enter this contest to win two free tickets to Saturday’s show.
Phish has announced their 2014 Summer Tour Dates. In what’s quick become an annual tradition, the second Vermont’s Phab Phour step off of the MSG stage early January 1st each year the rumor mill is officially “Bouncing Around the Room”.
With the amount of Phrenetic phanactics nowadays the social universe of Phish is akin to 24×7 hour news outlets, with everyone stretching to find anything to report on the quartet’s future. Will 2014 be a year off? Will they take it light? What do all these side project dates mean? We’ve all heard it, we all know we just have to wait, but we all suck it up greedily anyway. And why wouldn’t we? Phish tour has become the virtual Chris-Kwanza-Hannakuh-Mas of every jamband fan’s year.
People plan vacations around it, weddings, births, anything to make as many shows as humanely possible. But fear not, Icculus has listened and the dates have been released. New York folk will be happy to know we get a three-night Fourth of July run in Saratoga and a mid-July date at Canandaigua’s Constellation Brands Amphitheater. If this isn’t going nearly Fast Enough for You, watch the video below and see the entire treasure map to Colonel Forbin’s Stash.
Translation via Livemusicblog: Good evening. Please read this very carefully. You will need to follow these instructions to the final detail if you wish to be a part of the twenty fourteen PHISH Summer Tour.
PHISH SUMMER TOUR 2014
7/1 Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
7/3 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
7/4 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
7/5 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
7/8 Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
7/9 Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
7/11 Randall’s Island, New York, NY
7/12 Randall’s Island, New York, NY
7/13 Randall’s Island, New York, NY
7/15 Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center, Canandaigua, NY
7/16 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
7/18 FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/19 FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/20 FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
7/25 PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC
7/26 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/27 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/29 nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
7/30 nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
8/1 Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach, AL
8/2 Oak Mountain Amphitheater Birmingham, GA
8/3 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA
8/29-8/31 Dick’s, Commerce City, CO
The Gaslight Anthem and special guests White Denim are coming to Upstate Concert Hall on June 19th for a great billing that is happening for one night only.
The Gaslight Anthem hails from New Jersey and have been critically acclaimed by many, once sharing the stage with New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen. The band boasts an impressive tour schedule with worldwide stops. Their music is heavily influenced by punk, rock, and Americana – all coming together to give them a very unique sound.
White Denim, based out of Austin, Texas, have been taking their psychedelic-blues rock all over the country in the past year. They have been gaining steam as of late and are looking at a big year to come, with upcoming appearances at SXSW, Bonnaroo and Firefly music festivals. Tonight you can check out White Denim when they perform live on Jimmy Kimmel Live, as they broadcast from the 28th annual SXSW festival in Austin, TX.
This show is surely a great one for those in the Capitol Region! Tickets for The Gaslight Anthem and White Denim are on sale now.
Kyle Borman (left) and Ben Bruce [guitarist, Asking Alexandria] of KBB RECORDS (Photo Credit: KBB Records)
Ben Bruce’s current job title is that of guitarist for Asking Alexandria. But, that’s not his only job title.
This week Bruce. and Asking Alexandria co-manager Kyle Borman, announce, not only the launch of their new record label, but also their first act – SCARE DON’T FEAR (SDF).
“After years of planning, touring, writing and learning, and after ups and downs, arguments and agreements, I have grown to not only love the music industry, but understand it and respect it,” said Bruce. “KBB Records is a label run by artists, for artists. With my love and passion for music along with my knowledge and understanding of the music industry it’s our goal to work alongside incredible artists of all genres and to create and release amazing music for the world to fall in love with.”
Bruce’s other responsibilities involve touring with Asking Alexandria with axe in hand. The group has captured a huge following since their 2012 release of Reckless and Relentless, which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 200. They currently boast more than four million followers on their Facebook page. The UK band is scheduled to hit our area with stops in New York City (Best Buy Theater – Mar. 21), Sayreville, NJ (Starland Ballroom – Mar. 22), Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory, Mar. 23), Worcester, MA (The Palladium – Mar. 25), Rochester, NY (The Armory – Mar. 26), Albany, NY (Upstate Concert Hall – Mar. 27) and Pittsburgh, PA (Club Zoo – March 28).
“KBB started as a small recording studio that Ben and I started together a few years ago with the intentions of providing traveling bands a means to record high end, professional records and demos while out on the road,” said Borman. “Together, Ben and myself have managed to turn what started out as a small, mobile recording studio, into an artist friendly record label with a team of staff with the experience and passion that can rival even the largest record labels around the world. KBB Records is dedicated to developing talented and passionate artists of all genres and helping them share their music with the world and accomplishing their dreams.”
The first band signed to the new label is SCARE DON’T FEAR, a Providence, RI-based fusion of hip-hop and metal.
“Everyone in SCARE DON’T FEAR is extremely proud to be a part of KBB RECORDS. SDF are huge fans of ASKING ALEXANDRIA, so when Ben and Kyle approached us about teaming up, we were stoked. We have been working at this goal for over five years and it’s a very rewarding feeling to not only get signed, but to get signed to a label that has such an amazing team behind it. All of us are looking forward to building towards the future with KBB RECORDS.”
CLICK HERE to watch a studio update from SCARE DON’T FEAR.
SCARE DON’T FEAR (L-R): Chris Jungles (vocals), Larry Ohh (drums/beats), Frankie Screamz (vocals), Joe Auger (guitar) & Ryan Grandmaison (bass/vocals) (Photo Credit:KBB Records)
It might only be a short drive separating Buffalo from its northern neighbor Toronto, but that has proven to be a great enough divide for Protest the Hero. The Canadian metal act’s last visit was back in 2009, but thankfully that all changed with the kickoff to their 2014 North American tour happening right in the Queen City.
The night started out as any night in Buffalo would during our long winter stretch: discouragingly cold. And just as that’s an expectation, so too is the community’s passion for music. Without disappointment, The Waiting Room was packed with metal enthusiasts who were eager to see the eclectic mix of bands. Opening the night were up-and-comers Intervals and Night Verses. Both bands are relatively new to the scene and have only been around for a few years now, but neither disappointed.
The Safety Fire was the third band on and, at this point, the crowd was dialed in and beginning to get into the show. The band started their set with an audio clip of the Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2 which drew a resounding response from the crowd. As the clip finished, they dove right into their first song “Red Hatchet” off of their most recent release Mouth of Swords. The song had an underlying similarity in tone to the Sonic intro which made for a seamless transition into their set. The UK-based band has only been across the pond a few times to tour, with their first actually being in support of Protest the Hero back in 2012. With their understandably low exposure to U.S. audiences, the five-piece squeezed everything out of their set and really left everything out on the stage. Their guitarists Derya ‘Dez’ Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles employ custom, Telecaster-esque Wirebird guitars which gives their harmonized runs a sharp and unique tone. The third song “Huge Hammers” got the biggest crowd response and is one of the band’s most popular songs. With hands raised, the crowd echoed the beat and created a unified feeling with the music. As their set wrapped up, the band put their remaining energy into the last song, running circles around the stage on the anthemic “Glass Crush.”
Up next was Battlecross whose raw, thrash metal sound gave the crowd even more reason to move. Their modern take on a classic metal genre was energized by the thunderous double bass attack of Shannon Lucas who’s their temporary drummer on this tour. Lucas has played with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder and All That Remains to name a few and is their current fill-in while they look to permanently fill the void left by the departure of longtime drummer Michael Keger last year. You wouldn’t have known the difference though as the band literally didn’t miss a beat all night.
Battlecross guitarist Tony Asta (left) and bassist Don Slater (right)
Battlecross ripped through their set, focusing on their new album War of Will for the majority of the content for show. Their speed an aggression was balanced out by runs of beautiful melody via guitarists Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala. Calling Detroit home, the band fully embodies the Motor City’s drive and blue-collar mentality. With their set coming to a close, the band pulled from their 2011 release Pursuit of Honor in “Kaleb” and “Push Pull Destroy.” The throwback sent the crowd into a frenzy and lead singer Kyle “Gumby” Gunther only antagonized them more with his in-your-face attitude. These guys will be back in Buffalo in May in support of Killswitch Engage, so don’t miss another chance to catch their incredible live show.
The long-awaited return of Protest the Hero was finally over as the buzz in the crowd began to build for the imminent start to their show. Although it had been five years and two album releases since their last visit, the crowd was more than willing to forgive and forget as that was all about to change. The band took to the stage to a loud and warm welcoming. Since their last visit, the band lost longtime drummer Moe Carlson who has now been permanently replaced by the still unrecognized Mike Ieradi. Also new to the group was temporary bassist, Cameron McLellan. Arif Mirabdolbaghi is still with the band, but was forced to skip the tour due to scheduling issues with another endeavor.
Protest the Hero guitarist Luke Hoskin
The band kicked off their set with “Hair-Trigger” from 2011’s Scurrilous. The crowd was already amped up for this performance, but the song’s bridge was an early highlight in the show with a heavy push to get closer to the band. Protest the Hero seemed to be in mid-tour form with a rhythmically-tight execution of their difficult, math metal sound. The soaring melodies of Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin were met throughout the night by Rody’s equally expansive vocals.
The band took on the new album in a few instances, but none more effectively than the combination of “Clarity” and “A Life Embossed,” played back to back early on in the set. It was admittedly the band’s first performance of “Clarity” which went off without a hitch. The energy throughout the set continuously built as they progressed and touched upon each of their four releases. As expected, the band displayed their impeccable proficiency on their instruments on each and every song, rarely taking the instrumental easy road.
The wait was worth it in the end as the crowd appreciated the opportunity to catch one of metal’s most talented groups. All and all, the show was a great kickoff to the tour and I would highly recommend catching them towards the tail end when they make a stop in Rochester on April 4th.
Protest the Hero Set List:
Hair-Trigger, Underbite, Sequoia Throne, Clarity, A Life Embossed, Bury the Hatchet, Mist, Sex Tapes, The Dissentience, Blindfolds Aside, Bloodmeat, C’est la Vie
Editor’s Note: Photo Credit Thomas Sgori/UpstateMetal Staff
It had been a feel good story that was first reported on our site in December. The band, consisting of college-aged musicians of whom working towards, or recently earning their respective degrees, had garnered much attention to itself. Last summer, they organized a successful concert, including several bands local to Long Island, with the intent to collect food to the region still suffering from 2012’s Hurricane Sandy.
Since then, the band has appeared in numerous periodicals and began landing gigs within New York City, including Webster Hall (which, was later canceled). When we spoke to them in December, they were tentatively making plans to tour throughout Upstate New York.
And, that’s about when things started to unravel.
When they were together Echo Hill consisted of (from left to right) Dylan Coates, Keith Miller, Monique Teichert and Alex Laudani. (Photo Credit: Echo Hill)
Just weeks following our feature article, the band announced lead singer, Monique Teichert had left the band. At the time, the cited that Teichert and her band mates did not share the same level of commitment, but a more acrimonious relationship was alluded on the band’s Facebook a short time later.
Echo Hill quickly sought after what would be their third lead singer in three years. However, just short of two months after Teichert’s departure, Laudani reluctantly put the band “to death.”
In a text message, Laudani said he is in the early stages of starting a new project.
“I’ll be back with a vengeance.”
As for Teichert, she too expressed that she has not quit on music. In a personal message through Facebook, she stated, “I’m not quitting on music. I’ll keep you posted on my new project.”
A “farewell” package has been prepared on Echo Hill’s official website, making several of their singles available to the public at no charge.
Floodwood takes the stage on Saturday, March 8th at The Waiting Room in downtown Buffalo. Floodwood, who call Upstate New York home is one of the region’s hottest bluegrass bands to date. Comprised from of Al Schnier (guitar) and Vinnie Amico (drums) and Woodenspoon’s Jason Barady (mandolin), Nick Piccininni (fiddle, banjo) and Zachary Fleitz (bass), the band really knows how to jam. Floodwood has been constantly touring when moe. is not and has been playing all over including some of the biggest festivals over the past few years.
Big Leg Emma will be opening the show, an American roots rock band from Western, NY. Big Leg Emma is known to get everyone up and moving with their dance vibe which is driven from traditional folk, bluegrass and country.
Funktional Flow, a local funky jam band will be special guest as well and we encourage everyone to make sure they get there early enough to catch them, as they are one of the freshest and up and coming bands in the Western, NY area.
Tickets for Floodwood can be purchased through the Waiting Room. $15- $18. Doors 8pm
![Kyle Borman (left) and Ben Bruce [guitarist, Asking Alexandria] of KBB RECORDS (Photo Credit: KBB Records)](https://dev.nysmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/KBB_Records.jpg)
