NYS Music 20​14

Tag: albany

  • The Chronicles run a ‘Trane Through Red Square as their Residency Continues

    The softly-lit room that is Red Square was to be host to this evening’s gala – a performance by The Chronicles, paying tribute to John Coltrane’s musical catalog. The soundboard was filled with guys laughing and chatting witty banter before the show, only to find out these fellows were the opening act, Mr. Breakdown. The five piece band toyed with various jams before stunning the crowd with a cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Mike Kemmlein , the lead guitarist, played this song masterfully, from his extreme vocal range to his darting guitar, it was performed brilliantly and livened up the set.

    This stellar opening performance set the stage for The Chronicles to pay tribute to jazz legend John Coltrane. The room was illuminated with blue lights, giving the ambiance of a Harlem jazz club in the 40’s or 50’s. As the band took the stage, the room was quite open, but as the music progressed the floor filled up. The opening number was “Naima”, a beautiful song highlighting the keyboards of Paul Phillipone with a hum of Jeff Naina’s saxophone and Bryan Brundige’s trombone sending out a melodic spring-like vibe; this was great way to start the set. “A Love Supreme” featured Brundige on talkbox, odd to see at first but as the jam went,  it was a perfect selection. “I Love you to Death” was repeated as a back drop while the horns and the keys soared, accompanied with free form guitar by Justin Henricks that fit in superbly with intense passion. “India Locomotion” was a danceable track highlighting the speed Nania and Henricks making a bowlful of sound.

    “Annie”, a song by Erykah Badhu, was a fun number grabbing the crowds full attention with the lyrics “Annie don’t wear no panties.” “Interzone” began with a gripping sax solo with a low touch of Daniel Lawson’s bass and Andrae Surgick lightly tapping his high hat as he he sat behind the kit. With each measure the groove of the sax sped up and the rest of the band followed suit. Henricks played very familiar guitar riffs right back into the sax, showing off the all the band members talent of how well they can play individually and as a complete unit. “The Groove for Nala” was very heavy on the drum and bass, a groove that only a jive turkey wouldn’t be able to get down to.

    The Chronicles were able to put a spin on classic Coltrane making it relevant to the vibe of today, a very difficult task. They will continue there residency at Red Square this Thursday, highlighting the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, with opening act Cedric Burnside, a classic night and one that should not be missed.

    Mr. Breakdown Setlist: Funk Train, It’s Your Thing, Hot Pants Breakdown*, Do What You Can, Top, Hard at Work, Zoomin, Nothing Compares To You, Take Your Shirt Off, Shining Star, Sista
    *Greyboy Allstars version

    The Chronicles Setlist: Naima, A Love Supreme, Syeeda’s Song Flute, India, Locomotion, Annie, Interzone, Sly, Groove for Nola, Butterfly, Just Knew

  • moe. Years Eve in Albany

    The vibe headed into moe. New Years Eve at The Palace Theatre was naturally festive, with moe.rons dressed up in an array of different attire, from tutus and wigs to tuxedos. This was bound to be a special evening in Albany.

    moe. Years Eve in Albanymoe. played a second night at the historic Palace Theatre to close out the year. Starting in rare form with a small stage set up in front of the main stage, the band played a short, fun and very well received acoustic set.Although the music itself was quiet it still captured the crowd’s attention. Highlighting this short set was the rarely played “Backwoods”, a song that long time moe. fans were quiet pleased to hear. In return, people who may not have been privy to that song were treated to a rendition of the Tom Petty classic,”Wildflowers”, the last acoustic song of the set, leaving Al Schnier, Chuck Garvey and Rob Derhak on the small stage while the other members Jim Loughlin and Vinnie Amico dispersed.

    When the main stage curtains opened, a clock on the back drop of the stage was counting down the minutes until 2014. Drummer Amico furiously hit the drums, ensuring the acoustic set was not going to be the evening’s vibe. The rest of the band joined in at this point playing “Water”. This transitioned into the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon classic “Time”, slowing things down yet bringing the crowd into the fold. Going into the immense “Recreational Chemistry”, showcased the ability moe. has to fiercely jam, with wailing guitar solos and hard drum beats the set concluded on a high note.

    “Mar-Dema”, an instrumental song highlighting Amico’s drumming talents transitioned into the fan favorite “Meat”. A heavy song with a slow beginning, Al and Chuck, the groups two guitarists, traded psychedelic guitar licks while Rob held it together with the bass. This lasted for a minute or two then broke down into a colossal jam verging on heavy metal. The intense electricity in the room was palpable. Percussionist Jim Loughlin took a xylophone sol, a highlight that raised the bar for the rest of the jam, hitting each note yet emphasizing the other instruments, putting him in a class of his own. “White Lightning Turpentine”, a transitional bluesy instrumental gave the crowd a rest after the velocity that ensued previously. This transitioned into a segue of songs, consisting of “Four”, “Spaz Medicine”, “Spine of the Dog and ending with a huge rendition of “Buster”, a staple in the moe. universe and one of their tightest and most danceable numbers. The tightness and patience the band possessed was outstanding as they were right on point for every note as the set closed.

    moe new years eve albanymoe. has never been know for their serious side and they proved this by coming out in animal costumes and playing “Sensory Separation Bank.” The New Years countdown began as balloons filled the room and the audience went nuts. The band sang “Auld Lang Syne”, a staple of any New Years Eve show, as per tradition. This cliché was easily forgotten when local heroes Shannon Lynch (saxophone), Terry lynch (trumpet) and Shaun Bazylewicz (trombone) from Conehead Buddha joined the band for Paul Simon’s classic “Late in the Evening” to kick off the first set of 2014. Terry Lynch not only played the trumpet throughout the set, he also took lead vocals on the Black Sabbath tune “The Wizard”  which added to the fun. The set closed with a fantastic version of “Plane Crash”, where the horns took control and all the ranges imaginable were conquered, ending the set on a very high note.

    moe new years eve albanyThe encore started with Al thanking all the moe. family for being there, and announced that lighting designer, Jason Huffer, would be leaving his five year stint with moe. This left the the crowd with a mixed reaction, as the moe. lights are a large part of the show. Playing “Bearsong”, the first of two encores, led to an ensuing jam that was heavy and dirty with a guitar jam bordering trance. “Wind it Up” followed suit nicely, continuing with the trance vibe as the guitars began to shred, moving the crowd towards the show’s finale. The end of a show is never easy, but when done like this it is, without a doubt, easier. Happy moe. Year to all!

    moe. setlist

    Set I: Shoot First^, Blue Eyed Son^@, Willin’, Backwoods, Wildflowers^^, Water > Time > Recreational Chemistry

    Set II: Mar-DeMa > Meat, White Lightning Turpentine, Four > Jazz Wank > Spine Of A Dog > Buster

    Set III: Sensory Deprivation Bank , Auld Lang Syne > Late In The Evening$+, Spaz Medicine$ > Not Coming Down$, The Wizard$+, Nebraska$, Spanish Moon$+ > Threw It All Away$, Plane Crash$

    Encore: Bearsong, Wind It Up

    Notes
    ^Acoustic, band on small stage
    @Al on mandolin
    ^^Only Rob, Al and Chuck (on acoustics)
    $ with Conehead Buddha Horns: Shannon Lynch (sax), Shaun Bazylewicz (trombone), Terry Lynch (trumpet, trumpet & vocals on Wizard)
    +debut

  • moe. head Eastbound to take over Albany

    Standing out in the cold is rarely a good time, but this did not stop the masses from waiting outside the Palace Theatre in Albany for moe. and Eastbound Jesus to kick off two nights to close the year out in Albany. The doors didn’t open until 7 pm, yet there were plenty of people waiting to get in, standing around, mingling, and talking about what songs would be played, how excited they were to get in and see two of the hottest bands around.

    Eastbound Jesus, from Greenwich, New York, had the crowd’s attention from the moment they took the stage at The Palace Theater, opening up for moe.’s first of two nights to cap off 2013. ”Waiting for the Sun” off Northern Rock was not your typical bluegrass, mixed with electric guitar solos. This is one of separating factors Eastbound from the mainframe of bluegrass. This jam could have gone on infinitely, but as they were the opening act, time restriction definitely brought this jam of endless possibilities to a halt. “Where the Winter goes” focused on harmonizing echoing the sound of Fleet Foxes, Crosby, Stills & Nash, among others, giving fans a chance to see this band for their many instruments, but also having a genuine good time on the stage, with the overflow engulfing the crowd. The multiple instruments played was very impressive, and although the lead guitarist Adam Brockway handled most of the solos and banjo player Luke Anderson filling a key role in many of the band’s extended runs. Closing the set with “The Ballad of Eastbound Jesus”, the crowd started to clap their hands to the beat, leaving the band and crowd mutually happy. Eastbound Jesus played their songs tight and had the crowd in the palm of their hand in an opportunity to showcase their sound to a wide audience.

    There are umpteen jam bands in the music scene today, mostly sounding very similar and almost having no identity. moe. is not one of these bands. With a unique sound spanning many musical horizons from psychedelic to hard rock, moe. covers it all. The set opener, “Paper Dragon”, had these aspects. Starting out slow with the emphasis on Jim Loughlin’s percussion playing, he was busy on his many instruments to keep the rhythm going. This was not the case for long as the song sped up and guitarist Al Schnier began to shred, a recurring theme for the evening. The drums, led by Vinnie Amico and anchored by Loughlin transitioned into the forgettable “Y.O.Y”, just a lot of sound over more sounds, doing very little for the crowd. This would’ve become a problem if the band stayed on this course, however the mess known as “Y.O.Y” shifted into one of the nights highlights, “George”, which had the crowd going utterly nuts as they sang along to the line “It’s not my problem!”, followed with a tremendous jam led by Schnier . The first set was very much a set based around the guitar playing of Al, although the vocals of Rob Derhak and the guitar playing of Chuck Garvey were very apparent in helping them come together.

    The second set opened with “Zed Naught Z”, rocking the fans right out of their seats, with nary an individual sitting down. Loughlin had a tremendous xylophone solo that sounded like a carousel ride, transitioning into a spacey Grateful Dead-style jam, almost losing the crowd. “Timmy Tucker” hooked the crowd back in, and quickly. The jam that ensued showed patience and timing, particularly as Amico’s drums and Loughlin’s percussion complimented Derhak’s bass and vocals and the rhythm became tight. Garvey and Schnier were able to duel guitars, creating a unifying sound between them, jamming another fan favorite, “Akimbo”. A straight forward song, “Akimbo” was fun but nothing special, and segued right back into Timmy Tucker”, with fury from the wailing guitars. This five song palindrome of the set was finished with “Zed Naught Z”, seeing everything come full circle. The patience to get from point A and go all over the place and ending at point A is a talent very few bands possess. “Opium” segued into another favored moe. classic, “32 Things”. The crowd sang along, everyone cheering for more moe. when it was finished.

    The band came back out and played a cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla”, a heavy number which did just as an encore should do: left the crowd wanting more. They would get more later that night, as it was already New Years Eve. As the doors opened and fans dispersed onto Pearl Street, the cheers and claps were proof to patrons on the street that a very good time was had at the Palace.

    EastBound Jesus setlist
    Set: Waitin on the sun, Beat The Brakes, Where The Winter Goes, Katie Belle, Doors Open, 54 Miles, Ballad Of Eastbound Jesus

    moe. setlist
    Set 1: Paper Dragon > Y.O.Y. > George > Skrunk, Blue Jeans Pizza, Puebla > The Pit
    Set 2: Zed Naught Z > Timmy Tucker > Akimbo > Timmy Tucker > Zed Naught Z, Opium, 32 Things
    Encore: Godzilla

    Stay tuned for a review of moe.’s New Years Eve show on Wednesday, January 8th.