Tag: blues

Lake Street Dive Welcomed Warmly to the Westcott Theater

Lake Street Dive is a band on the upswing, and their Westcott Theater performance shows it. After more than ten years of playing music together, this little Boston four-piece has made a big splash and are progressively building a solid fan base. After a YouTube performance of the Jackson 5’s, “I Want You Back” that went viral (two million views) and their appearances on the Colbert Report, The Late Show with David Letterman, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Town Hall (NYC), they are definitely carving a niche for themselves.

Bands like theirs generally get a good turnout in hip and trend-savvy metropolitan areas like Brooklyn or Cambridge, but generally not as much in smaller cities like Syracuse. But, thanks to a soulful subculture of Syracuse show-goers, and a breathtaking performance at last year’s Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY, Lake Street Dive was about 70 tickets away from selling out the Westcott Theater – a 700 person capacity venue. This is quite a feat, and came as a lovely surprise to the band, “You are very nice,” lead singer Rachael Price said to the audience with a very appreciative and genuine tone, “we like you very much.” The show-stopping soul-queen also stated that they would definitely be back again, much to the chagrin of fans.

The scene was hot, sweaty, sultry and sweet that Thursday, June 26. The Westcott Theater was packed wall-to-wall with fans and newcomers of all ages, eager to be near the now big-stage dive bar band. Rachael Price wasted no time in filling the air with impressive vocal pushes on “You Go Down Smooth” and soulful sing-along lines on the title track of Lake Street Dive’s 2014 album release, Bad Self Portraits. The evening felt a bit like it was taken from a page of Rachael’s diary; as her songs reflected on her bitter-sweet, sometimes tragic, sometimes triumphant love life. She proceeded to dive into the complexities of love, musing on the dichotomy of sad break-ups and the happy resignation of reuniting with the one you truly love in the fun and soulful rock/pop tune “Stop Your Crying”. She went on to flex her vocal muscles and impress the crowd further as she held insane sustain on the sultry and sexy “Just Ask”. Lake Street Dive demonstrated that it is much more than a front-woman band on songs like the funky soul tune “Rabid Animal”, wherein bassist Bridget Kearney and drummer Mike Calabrese sang immaculate and perfectly balanced harmonies and inspired the crowd to clap along. Lake Street Dive maintained audience attention and interest throughout a full set, and encore finished by a cover the classic rock/soul hit by Hall and Oates, “Rich Girl”. This nostalgic, feel-good hit was a perfect choice. Everyone loves “Rich Girl” and everyone left loving Rachael Price and Lake Street Dive.

July 7, 2014
May Day Throw Down with The Word & Kung Fu at The Cap

The historic Capitol Theatre hosted a night of funk and soul on May 1st thanks to supergroups Kung Fu and The Word. The small crowd of over 500 people left more than enough dance room on the wide open GA floor and prime seating in the loge/balcony with universal grand views of the architecture and visionary light show. The Cap is larger than life with its numerous chandeliers, deep colors of carpeted floors and tall ceilings that glow with the psychedelic projections that glide over the venue.

Kung Fu started the evening with a brief set of electrifying rock and funky heavy jazz with members of RAQ and The Breakfast. The dirty rhythm of Adrian Tramontano with the deep bass notes of Chris DeAngelis was the ideal groove to get the night moving. Todd Stoops kept both hands busy on two different sets of keys throughout the set as Rob Somerville blasted light-hearted funk melodies. Kung Fu will bring their lethal funk to festivals this year such as Disc Jam, Gathering of the Vibes and Catskill Chill.

The Word was greeted with overwhelming cheers and general excitement for a night with the quintet of musical masterminds, as well as this being a rescheduled show for the original date in February. The Word reunites Robert Randolph on steel lap guitar, John Medeski on keyboards, Chris Chew on bass and brothers Cody Dickinson on percussion and Luther Dickinson on guitar for the first time since 2012. The Word performed an outstanding three-hour set full of slip sliding guitar licks, crashing cymbals and rejuvenating organ chords full of bluesy rock. Medeski swam laps over the keys with hard-hitting strokes of spiritual reckoning.

Randolph is an A+ entertainer as he karate chops and both figuratively and literally licks the lap steel strings with a smile in his chair or on his feet. Luther Dickinson energized the crowd with his head to head strumming with Randolph and overall, southern rock flair. The big man himself, Chris Chew, laid out a consistent, booming rhythm much to the delight of the fans and band members after his personal health hiatus back in 2012. The Word will be performing at the Jam Cruise 13 but you can catch individual members, Robert Randolph and the Family Band at Mountain Jam Music Festival, John Medeski will be at this year’s Lockn’ Festival and North Mississippi Allstars members will be touring Europe for the summer. The Word continues to bring together music lovers and band members for a fusion of gospel rocking funk to create a unique and instrumental experience.

Download the show from etree

May 7, 2014
The Palace Welcomed the King of the Blues, B.B. King on the 17th

The Palace in Albany hosted the legendary B.B. King, one of the greatest guitarist of all time, and King of the Blues, on Thursday the 17th of April, to a crowd of all ages and backgrounds who all shared a love for the blues. The venue buzzed with teens in blue jeans and adults in fur, parading in the lobby and the aisles, eager for the magic of B.B. King and his guitar “Lucille.” The band warms up the stage with instrumental jazz, each stretching their musical muscles as guests take their seats. The introduction was made and B.B. King was escorted onto the stage, making for a grand entrance as the crowd greets him with a standing ovation. He takes a seat at center stage and goes through the introductions of the band, poking fun and setting the laid back tone of the evening.

“Here is something for the lovers tonight,” B.B. cooed as the band opened with “I Need You.” His voice is still strong as his vocals are crisp and echoed beautifully around the Palace. He plays each note on purpose with an incredible ease and care. The long exaggerated plucking is second nature to him and so are the blues. “You Are My Sunshine” started a massive sing-along that was adorable coming from everyone in the audience. As the lights would begin to darken, B.B. would request them to be brighter as he got a kick from looking out at all the fans trying to get his attention; this shifted the focus off of the music and was a bit irritating.

But the show went on to “Rock Me Baby,” a sophisticated, sexy song with a slow tempo, consistent buildups from the band, and rebellious guitar riffs from B.B. The show came to an end all too soon as B.B. said his good nights with a very slow exit. B.B. King still performs with a smile, booming vocals and mighty hands, but it was a disappointment to have the show end so early with such a short setlist. Despite his distracted stage presence, the 88-year-old musician is still a must see act as he continues to spread the blues to Upstate NY and beyond.

April 24, 2014
Hearing Aide: Amanda Rogers’ ‘WILD’

Several weeks ago I had the chance to review six songs off Amanda Rogers’ newest album WILD. The EP was a solid set that previewed the direction Rogers is taking with the album, which dips its toes in all sorts of musical genres. Rogers draws on some widespread influences from country to pop to piano ballads, all of which help keep her work undefined in any broader musical classification. The first half features singles that stand well on their own, while the second half really settles in, flowing agreeably between tunes.

One of the best songs off the album is a piano pop gem “Welcome To The Show.” With a really distinct and pleasing tone, the piano plays an upbeat rhythm that will have you hooked—a great way to start off. The drums pick the song up into a groove when they come in on the chorus and the carefree piano solo following after creates an open and unencumbered space of some feel-good music. Free and easy whistling throughout brings you back to an outdoor summertime atmosphere, something almost all of us in the New York area are longing for right about now when spring hits. With “Welcome To The Show” leading off, Amanda Rogers anticipates a sort of driving in your car with the windows down/living in America vibe to the rest of the album.

“The American Dream” presents this American feel throughout Rogers’ music, however not in an idealized or glorified way as she addresses some national issues with lines like, “We’re overworked and we’re underpaid” and “This American dream right in front of your TV screen,” as a possible call out to those who forgot about their dreams, contented by TV. “More, More, More” adds to Rogers’ exposing of the United States corporate structure by putting down certain CEOs who make an unnecessary amount of money at the expense of others.

“Sweet Sleep” is a soft lullaby tune that’s definitely meant to be listened to under the covers at night. There’s an airy freshness in songs like “Someone Waits” and “Genes I’m Always Wearing,” both of which have a similar feel to what’s heard in “Welcome To The Show.” With “10 Years Closer” Rogers offers a gloomy side to the album with some darker style singing. Altogether WILD is a long 19-song album with Amanda Rogers’ unique voice and piano style traveling through various styles of music.

Amanda Rogers on

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April 17, 2014
Hearing Aide: Amanda Rogers “WILD”

Upstate New York native Amanda Rogers is an internationally recognized singer-songwriter whose ninth studio album WILD will be released Wednesday, April 2nd.

Having spent the past 15 years centered around her musical career, Rogers has seen her music make appearances on television networks such as MTV and the Discovery Channel, and has multiple international tours under her belt. Her 2008 album Heartwood reached #81 on the International Top 100 Charts, and in its May 2012 issue, Rolling Stone Magazine stated that “Amanda’s tender, elfin voice is reminiscent of Heather Nova.” Additionally, Rolling Stone went on to illustrate how “[Amanda] has always been honest,” which is really an admirable trait in the pop world of music. Amanda Rogers has a classical background, while her sound is often unbound to any one genre. She encompasses various influences from Carole King’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’ style as well as Tori Amos’ classical roots and her unique sound can be classified as “lo-fi bedroom ambience,” or “pop with a dash of folk and blues.”

Amanda Rogers’ new upcoming album WILD was written and recorded right in the heart of Syracuse, New York, at Subcat Studios, where she worked with Co-Producer/Engineer Jon Lessels as well as L.A. recording engineer Patrick Macdougall. Towards the end of the summer, Rogers had a staggering total of roughly 30 songs written and recorded as demos. These recordings were then reworked to complete the final album. With a solid DIY way of going about the music industry as an independent touring and recording artist, Rogers’ return home to Upstate New York must have seemed fitting for the process.

“10 Cent Songbird” is a notable song off the album with its opening piano chords under a storm of thunder-like ambiance, which is then followed by the introduction of some light fiddling of a distorted guitar. The chorus will likely be stuck in your head only after the first listen, displaying Rogers’ knack for writing catchy pop music. “More, More, More” shows Amanda’s lyrical abilities as she calls out a distaste for corrupt corporations while pushing for working-class Americans with lines like, “I’ll work three jobs and still be poor, So CEOs can have their whores.” Straying a bit from the theme of WILD, and “Walking” offers a different aspect to the album as Rogers talks of “being careful these days” and “looking for steps to follow in,” which is quite contrary to anything wild, but possibly adds to Rogers’ sincerity and honesty noted by Rolling Stone. The album could maybe have been recorded and polished up a little bit better, as the drums and electric guitar often sound somewhat generic throughout and in need of innovation and freshness. With the many rigid rules commonly found in todays pop music however, WILD takes aim towards becoming an overall original, unconventional pop record.

Key Tracks: 10 Cent Songbird, Walking, More, More, More

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March 28, 2014
Hearing Aide: Wild Adriatic’s “Big Suspicious”

Rock and roll trio and Saratoga Springs, NY natives Wild Adriatic have a new long player titled Big Suspicious. This current collection is hallmarked by a plethora of imposing guitar licks, resounding rhythms, and vintage vocal approaches. The band is sincerely ‘no frills’ rock and roll and the blueprint to their art is an organic approach to song creation and presentation. The secret lies in the bands simplistic yet virtuous approach to their music. The band is made up of guitarist/vocalist Travis Grey in addition to bassist Rich Derbyshire, and drummer Mateo Vosganian.

The LP ranges thematically from swampy blues to pop soul, with the unpretentious and diverse vocalizations by Travis Gray, a highlight of the set. The marriage of the groups tight instrumentation in addition to the vocal melodies equate to an album that unabashedly shares its influences as well as putting a unique spin on these influences. You will find no jam band sensibilities on this record; the band constructs succinct, well developed and orchestrated rock music. This is not to say there is no extended jamming by the band, just that there are no wasted notes or aimless improvisations, every note and melody has a purpose.

The adamant opening of the record begins in earnest with the mountainous one-two punch of ‘Can’t Be Your Man’, and ‘Mess Around’. The band elicits early Humble Pie on this opening track through the swampy central guitar licks and grimy group approach. In contrast the following ‘Mess Around’ which rides on an accelerating stomp that sounds if it draws its influence from early ZZ Top with its boogie chugging attitude. This is serious juke-joint ass shaking music. An additional note on ‘Mess Around’ is the addition of some swinging horns that act as a welcome addition to the song not an unneeded gimmick as can often be the case these days.

’40 Days 40 Nights (Hard Times)’ again brings to mind Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton’s Humble Pie excursions. Its dual keyboard and guitar ascending riff grabs you by the collar and says, ‘Listen up!’ It’s refreshing to hear a modern band stay true to the roots of their influence and just play some heavy rock and roll. No window dressings here, no unnecessary effects, just some pals blasting away on electrified and aggressive riffs and melodies.

A song like the following ‘Tight Grip’ identifies the band as being able to be classified along with the same rockers that enjoy a band such as Gov’t Mule. There is an edge to their music and an aggressive nudge of the elbow to the listener by the attitude presented. The only respite from the barrage of weighty blues and rock licks in the first half of the album is the soul soaked ‘Holding You’ that swings with a contemporary R and B feel and original instrumental attack.

The ability of the group to swing between poles of influence is well documented on the collection with the expansive and catchy ‘Cooperstown’ acting in contrast to the balladry of the preceding tune. Falsetto vocal melody lines inject the song with a lightness that balances its metallic instrumentation. The pounded blacks and whites of the keyboard in addition to distorted guitar strikes add up to a dynamic and well preformed song that accentuates that groups songwriting strengths.

‘Lose My Mind’ is a highlight of the collection. Alternating between a gently picked acoustic guitar line verse and a fuzzy apocalyptic chorus that creeps along like a boot stuck in the mud. This song would nestle nicely on the ‘B’ side of many 1970’s rock single releases exhibiting all of the historic hallmarks of the music created in this era.

Again, the band dynamically hits the switch moving into a soul review with a reading of the song ‘Walk For Miles’. Vocalist Travis Gray really stretches out on the last half of the record, channeling Rochester, NY and Foreigner front man Lou Gramm with a clean but versatile vocal approach. The keyboards also seem to play a more prominent role in this latter half of the record with feathery Hammond flourishes on ‘Lonely’, and the piano being in the forefront on the groovy ‘Heavy Soul’. The horns also return on ‘Heavy Soul’ in addition to some velvety backing vocals that equate to a smooth ride through dramatic soul changes.

The album concludes on the song ‘Woe’, a funky low key affair that rolls on a drippy wah-wah accompaniment and the wordless foundation setting vocal line. Uniquely different from the songs that preceded it, ‘Woe’ shines on a light on the bands ability to express uniquely different approaches to the foundational genres of influence the band holds close and that form the basis of their music. The song and the album conclude with a wordless group chant sung and supported by hand claps and the tracks swinging melody.

Wild Adriatic’s new recording Big Suspicious is a collection created in the fiery coal chamber of rock, soul and blues. The record keeps its feet rooted firmly in the spheres of influence from which the basis of all music is created. The group’s confidence and attitude is expressed through the recording and is passed on to the listener through their excitable representation and eager dissemination. Gripping keyboards, distorted guitars, and crisp howling vocals paint the portrait of heavy blues and classic rock and roll on display for the eager listener.

Key Tracks: Mess Around, Cooperstown, Lose My Mind

February 11, 2014