NYS Music 20​14

Tag: lucid

  • Road to Backwoods: DoomF*ck

    The 8th annual Backwoods Pondfest, held in beautiful Adirondack Region of Peru, NY only a short drive from Plattsburgh and neighboring Canada takes place this coming weekend of August 8th and 9th. The 2 day festival will feature live music, art, yoga, hooping classes and new this year, a Disc Golf Tournament. Backwoods Pondfest attracts people from all over the East Coast every year, looking for an intimate festival experience that is family friendly yet knows how to party. The festival offers a large range of musicians, supporting both national and regional acts with this year’s lineup featuring The Manhattan Project, Chali 2na and The house of Vibe, Twiddle, Alan Evans’ Playonbrother, Aqueous, and many more. This “Road to Backwoods” piece will highlight the local improv band, Doomf*ck.

    BACKWOODSPONDFEST

    Doomf*ck hails from Plattsburgh, NY with Backwoods Pondfest being right in their own backyard to rage the Tent Stage first thing Saturday morning. There is a consistent rotation of band members with main stable member and bassist Catherine-Harrison-Wurster leading the heavy improv band. The diverse lineup creates a unique show experience each time with a fusion of jazz, punk, funk and simply noise. Doomf*ck will be performing tonight Aug 4 at Club Metronome, located above the historic Nectar’s in Burlington, VT as part of Metal Mondays with RAIL, Mac Swan and Black Holly. Doors are at 9pm with a charge of $5 for 18+ and $3 for 21+ event.

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    Tickets are still available for Backwoods Pondfest on their site or at any show with Lucid, The Garcia Project, Capital Zen and North Funktree. The last day to purchase tickets online is Tuesday Aug 5th but will be available at the festival at the gate. With early bird tickets already sold out, don’t miss out on your chance to experience Backwoods Pondfest. Be sure to like on Facebook, twitter and Instagram for Backwoods and all your festival coverage.

  • Road to Backwoods: Lucid

    Excitement continues to build as one of Upstate’s top music festivals, Backwoods Pondfest, is only a week away. The 8th annual 2 day festival will take place in Peru, NY on August 8 and 9 with live music, car camping, art and much more. Settled way up in the North Country, Backwoods attracts people of all ages from all over the East Coast each year with a family friendly environment and party loving attitude. The lineup is never a disappointment, making this year no different especially with Chali 2na and House of Vibe, Twiddle, Spiritual Rez, Turkuaz, plus many more. This “Road to Backwoods” edition will focus on the band hosting the festival itself, Lucid.

    BACKWOODSPONDFEST

    Lucid is versatile enough to perform in small bars or large outdoor stages with a strong stage presence that is fun and captivating. Given their Plattsburgh upbringing, their music is raw and honest that fuse together northern rock, funk and honky-tonk blues. Lucid will perform two sets throughout the festival weekend, an acoustic set on Friday night and an electric late night set on Saturday. This past year, Lucid was the winner of the March Madness tournament, a true testimony to their passionate fan base after going strong for 10 years together. Lucid will be performing TONIGHT at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs Aug 1, performing two sets starting at 9PM with a $7 cover for the 21+ event where you can also purchase tickets for Backwoods Pondfest.

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    Tickets are still available for Backwoods Pondfest and can be purchased on their website or at any show featuring The Garcia Project, Capital Zen and North Funktree. Tickets are only $70 including over 20 bands on 2 stages with 2 nights of car camping. Bring a non-perishable good and receive $5 off ticket price if you buy tickets Day of Show. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter for more to come from out “Road to Backwoods” series.

    Lucid performing “Crazy Fucked Up World” from Backwoods Pondfest 2013

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybYQHFfPWoQ]

  • Road to Backwoods: The Blind Owl Band

    With less than two weeks to go, is gearing up for one of the best kept secrets of the North Country known as Backwoods Pondfest. The intimate festival offers a weekend of live music, camping, art and much more on August 8 and 9 at Peru, N.Y. Going strong in their 8th year, Backwoods Pondfest never disappoints with this year’s all-star lineup including Chali 2na and House of Vibe, Twiddle, Spiritual Rez, Turkuaz, Cabinet plus many more.

    This “Road to Backwoods” series will shine a light on the Blind Owl Band, the all string quartet from Saranac Lake.

    Backwoods The Blind Owl Band

    The Blind Owl Band will be a part of Troy’s Rocking on the River series on July 30th. Every Wednesday the downtown Troy area comes to life with free, outdoor concerts for guests to experience a wide range in musical genres. The music starts at 5pm and ends at 8:30pm, set up by the Green Island Bridge parking lot. Armed with a banjo, standup bass, mandolin and guitar, Arthur Buezo, Christian Cardiello, Eric Munley and James Ford create harmonious vocals and melodies that stretch as high as the Adirondack Mountains and their sound is an authentic, rebellious freight train. Despite the vintage and bluegrass vibe, Blind Owl Band pulls inspiration from modern day music to create a sound that is uniquely fresh. The long haired, mountain men will also makes stops at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT on July 31st and the Sterling Stage String Fling at Sterling, NY on August 1st.

    blindowlband
    Tickets are still available for Backwoods Pondfest and can be purchased on their website here or at any show featuring Lucid, The Garcia Project, Capital Zen and North Funktree. Tickets are only $70 including over 20 bands on 2 stages with 2 nights of car camping. Bring a non-perishible good and receive $5 off ticket price if you buy tickets Day of Show. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter for more to come from out “Road to Backwoods” series.

  • Road to Backwoods Pondfest: Lucid in the North Country on June 6th and 7th

    10321572_10152418026195944_4418165811163170152_oWith so many great festivals right in our backyard, we are lucky in the Upstate region to be able to pick and choose what we attend every summer. One gem that calls the North Country home and always has a solid lineup is Backwoods Pondfest. Now in its 8th year, this years fest will be headlined by Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na with his project Chali 2na and the House of Vibe.  Other acts include bands like Twiddle, Spiritual Rez, Turkuaz, Alan Evans’ Playonbrother, Conehead Buddha, and of course, the gracious hosts, Lucid. With it still being two months away though, there’s still a lot of great music to catch in the near future before even thinking about that.

    Welcome to ‘s “Road to Backwoods Pondfest” series.  Through this, we plan on highlighting some of the shows in the region that we are sponsoring that feature Pondfest bands before its August kick off. Being that it’s our first installation, it made sense to tell you about the guys who host Pondfest every year, Lucid.  The band hails from the Plattsburgh region and have been a gracious host over the years to the many bands that make the trip in August.  As the winner of ‘s March Madness tournament, Lucid is gaining popularity throughout the region as one of the premier up and coming bands to catch.

    On Friday, June 6th Lucid will be taking the stage at Olive Ridley’s in Plattsburgh.  Joining them that night are two bands from the area that are local favorites in Doomf*ck and Trinity Park Radio.  The following night, Lucid is making the short trip south to Saranac Lake to play Waterhole.  Opening the night will be The Royal Noise whose powerful funk sound is a great fit for the show.

    Lucid (Photo by Laura Carbone)
    Lucid (Photo by Laura Carbone)

    For both shows, doors open at 9pm with music beginning at 10, so head out and get a taste for what’s to come this August when Backwoods Pondfest kicks off its 8th year.  And if you still haven’t picked up your Pondfest ticket quite yet, hit the link and grab yours now!  There’s a reason why this is one of our favorites in New York.

  • Here are Your Phish Post-Shows at Putnam Den and The Parting Glass

    Phish is coming to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 3rd, 4th and 5th, and is proud to announce late-night shows brought to you by the Putnam Den at two locations: Putnam Den and The Parting Glass in downtown Saratoga Springs.

    The post-shows in Saratoga have become a destination after seeing Phish at SPAC, with up and coming bands, as well as local bands ready to burst onto the scene and keep fans dancing into the wee hours of the night. The lineup for this year’s post-shows is yet another installment of great music that shows the vibrant scene of Upstate New York.

    As a bonus, this year shows will be held at not one but TWO venues, located a very short walk from each other. See the map below.

    On July 3rd, the hardest working band in the North Country, Lucid, takes the stage at Putnam Den. Careening across the musical spectrum as a V8 blend of genres, Lucid’s sound emerges from a blend of jazz, rock, honky-tonk blues and reggae. Always a Den fave, Lucid gets the 2014 Putnam Den Phish after-party series off to a rollicking start. Tickets are $10. Pick them up here. At The Parting Glass, catch Dead Sessions, a super-group of Vermonters covering the musical of the Grateful Dead. This show has sold out in recent years, so get tickets early!

    July 4th brings us not only America’s birthday, but also Vermont Night! After celebrating our independence and the music of Phish at SPAC, come see Vermont’s Twiddle at Putnam Den and/or Waylon Speed at The Parting Glass.

    Twiddle, a Vermont based quartet, spins tall tales over an intricate soundscape of hi-def shred. Their fresh multi-genre approach conjures up jazz, classical, and bluegrass, but above all, masterfully blends reggae and funk.

    Waylon Speed’s genre is Underground Outlaw Dirt Rock, while the Washington Post has said, “Waylon Speed is a cross between Metallica and the Lumineers, with an unnecessary dash of Prince showmanship.” Not sure what to make of that? Pick up tickets to both shows and check out Twiddle AND Waylon Speed!

    Tickets for this show at $10 each, or pick up tickets to both for $15 and go back and forth between the two shows!

    Pick up Tickets for Twiddle and/or Tickets for Waylon Speed

    On Saturday, July 5th, two rising stars in the jamband world perform late-night shows. At Putnam Den, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will take the stage at midnight, while The Parting Glass will host Albany’s Formula 5.

    Based out of Baltimore, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (PPPP) has an undeniably unique and versatile live sound that combines funk, rock, and electronic with intense energy from their improvisational jams, bringing a party with their danceable electro-funk grooves. Opening for PPPP is Richard James & The Name Changers, a Boston-based rock band with a piano driven, song-oriented sound that appeals to adventuresome music lovers with genre bending tastes and a desire to dance.

    Formula 5, Albany’s biggest jamband, will headline at The Parting Glass, celebrating the recent release of their sophomore album Edging on Catastrophe, bringing their funk-infused jamming to Saratoga. Their live performances combine elements of funk, jazz, rock and more to their own original music. Formula 5’s ever-changing melodies with familiar sounds and catchy lyrics are enough to turn anyone into a lifelong fan.

    Tickets for this show at $10 each, or pick up tickets to both for $15 and go back and forth between the two shows!

    Pick up tickets for PPPP and/or pick up tickets for Formula 5

  • Consider Spring Revived: Spring Revival 2 at Carey Lake

    DSC_0009After what can only be called a “trying” Winter and early Spring, Upstate NY was more then ready for a weekend that didn’t suck monkey balls. Enter Statewide Music’s Spring Revival 2. With forecasts only showing a few storms and weather ranging into the 80’s, the timing couldn’t have been better for a revival of the Spring we had yet to receive. This three day fest entered it’s second year in a brand new venue: Macedon, NY’s Carey Lake. Situated perfectly between Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Ithaca, the venue was easy to find and flat, with plenty of space for car camping, surrounded with enough trees, streams, gardens, and woodland creatures  to satisfy the even the most Ranger Rick loving hippies. A bar and restaurant fronted the head of the property and also held the late night bands with a heaping dose of small town hospitality (Not to mention a pretty kick ass brunch!).

    Thursday night kicked kicked the festival off with a nice group of early arrivals with the new improv-heavy Rochester trio, Underground Funk. Headliner and ‘s March Madness Winner, Lucid, (who also have the coolest tour bus ever) held the main stage expertly, and Rochester’s Haewa, whom would play two blistering sets over the weekend, kept things going until 1AM. It’s often when the music is done at small festivals when you really get to wander and meet new and interesting people and many were up til the sun rose. The night time revealed travelers from at least four different states had come to share in the groove, some who lived life from festival to festival, and many others that came to see the specific acts. Acoustic guitars, joyful conversations,  and a small drum circle carried the festival until the morning.

    Speaking of sun, Friday came with a ton of it. Temps soared into the 80’s by the time Personal Blend kicked off and no one was complaining. The first truly glorious day of 2014 also inspired all the bands that day as everyone was delivering their A-game sets. Albany’s Formula 5 won the afternoon crowd over with an inspired set and their brand new bassist (not to be confused with movie and television star) James Woods. The fun was given an exhilarating short break late in the afternoon as a short but fierce storm, henceforth named Hurricane EZ-Down, gave everything a nice soak and showed whose tents were truly “wind-friendly.” After a short break and a slight schedule change, Ithaca’s Solaris and Vermont’s Flabberghaster paved the way for the first of two headlining nights for Buffalo’s hottest export, Aqueous. The foursome whose genre, dubbed “groove rock”, but was more like “everything is awesome rock”, played an energy filled set anchored by a spot on first time cover debut of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Funky Monk”. Closing down the evening, Rochester’s nocturnal psych-rock-animal Ocupanther, kept the night owls going ’til last call.

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    Revival’s Saturday schedule was loaded with bands straight through from 11AM until 2AM. Many bounced between the two stages with a seemingly endless supply of dancing fuel, while others played Frisbee or explored the grounds. This was a great time to check out many of the great vendors on site as well, and I picked myself up some organic homemade deodorant and a brisket taco that can only be described as freakin’ delicious.  Straying from the music didn’t last long though as Albany’s Mister F blew up a cover of Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat”, made famous in Napoleon Dynamite. Warming up the stage for Aqueous’s second night, a full two set show, were Rochester’s Roots Collider and Haewa’s second set of the weekend.

    Aqueous wasted no time getting into two blistering energy filled sets with the pairing of fan favorite originals, “Complex Part II” and “Origami”, with Solare Flare’s Hank and Margo spinning fire stage left. Concluding the set with a debut of The Cars “Just What I Needed”, the band took a short break while the audience refilled their beers. Never short on surprises, the band re-entered with bassist Evan McPhaden dressed in a full Tigger costume and a set of music that truly defined the amazing weekend as a champion. The newly re-finagled Universe Shark closed the festival down in style in the Carey Lake bar.

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    Carey Lake will hold three more Statewide Music events this year with the next being the bluegrass/Americana/folk based Fiddler’s Picnic (June 12-15). Wish you had made it? No worries. Spring Revival 3 has already been announced for May 14-17th 2015.

  • Local Limelight: North Country Stalwarts Lucid

    Lucid is the top band in New York’s smallest market yet perform quite well in the larger markets throughout Upstate and beyond, making them true underdogs in the Upstate New York scene. This passion to prove their mettle has netted the band of 10 years a recent hit album, Home is Where We Wanna Grow, their own music festival, Backwoods Pondfest, a following of passionate fans, and of course, their iconic bus ‘Lucy’.

    lucidChampions of the inaugural March Madness tournament, Lucid embodies the North Country spirit and is one of the most successful acts to come out of the region. Playing a mix of rock, jam and funk and self-described ‘wood rock’ in their powerhouse performances, Lucid mixes the sound of six members to create a sound that can be imitated but not duplicated. Featuring Kevin Sabourin (guitar), Lowell Wurster (percussion/harp), Jamie Armstrong  (saxophone), Chris Shacklett (Bass), Andy Deller (Keys) and new addition Chris English (drums), the future is bright and the potential for a burst out of the Upstate area seems imminent for the septet from the northern 518.

    Pete Mason: How did Lucid first start out?

    Lowell Wurster:  Kevin (Sabourin), Jamie (Anderson) and Nick (Sauvie, our first bass player) played with a few different people, just jamming mostly, who found our first drummer, Ryan “Rippy” Trumbull. I knew Jamie and Kevin from growing up in Plattsburgh. One day I saw Jamie walking and we got to talking; he said he was playing with some guys and to come check them out. I went and really dug what they were doing. They were having so much fun and I asked them if I could come to a practice and jam a bit. After practice they asked if I wanted to be in the band! A few months later we were playing a show in Plattsburgh at this horrible place called Maggie’s and had a friend sitting in on keys. There was this dude (Andy Deller) yelling to our buddy what the key changes were. At break we asked our friend Steve who that dude was and he told us his name was Andy and a great key player at that. He played with us the whole second set and the rest was history. Five years later our bass player Nick wanted to pursue higher education instead of being in a band. We had a few fill in bass players until St. Patrick’s Day five years ago we had Chris Shacklett play a show with us, and it was like magic; he fit right in. That night on the bus ride home we asked him if he wanted to join and he said yes. After our first big tour down to Florida, our original drummer, Rippy decided he didn’t want to travel anymore. As sad as it was he decided to leave. we tried out a few different drummers and we asked Kyle Murray to join the fun. He rocked with us for about a year and a half. Kyle decided life on the road wasn’t for him and wanted to phase out as our drummer, then just like magic, Chris English popped up at the perfect moment. By the grace of God, Chris decided Lucid was exactly what he needed in his life and we knew he was exactly what we needed in ours. Chris moved up to Plattsburgh about two months ago and shit is beautiful now.

    Jamie Armstrong: Sabo, Nick (our original bassist) and I were spending time together playing music and hanging out. Stumbled into it really. Andy, Lowell and Rippy (our original drummer) came along shortly there after. We all had mutual musical interests and loved hanging out together, so naturally the band grew more and more over time as we bonded and our music developed. As some members decided to leave (as things started getting more committal) along the way, we’ve seemed to have perfect luck picking up new members to fill the role and evolve the band in a positive way. Great examples of that are Chris Shacklett, who joined on bass in 2009 and Chris English who recently joined on drums.

    Chris Shacklett: I joined the band about four years after the initial formation. The band formed for me when I graduated from Plattsburgh state in 2009 without having any idea how I was going to be an “adult”. Everything felt right from the very beginning and every place in time the band has taken me has been exactly where I needed to be. For my whole life I knew music was the main element of my being, but I never seriously considered playing music to be a career until I joined Lucid.

    PM: What are Lucid’s main influences on their music and style?

    Jamie Anderson : The band itself is very eclectic. We draw on many styles as we all have differing musical backgrounds. If I could some up a style for Lucid it would be ‘homegrown blues Americana.’

    Andy Deller: I think our home is the main influence. That and a stubborn refusal to pigeonhole ourselves in any kind of way. It’s hard to point to other artists that are influences. That is to say, each member brings his own particular influences. Our tastes do intersect; I don’t think there is a one of us who would say they did not like Zeppelin or The Beatles or Hendrix. But I am the only avid Rush fan I know of in the band, and the other fellas have their particular favorites. So we each bring our own thing to the total sound.

    Chris English: My main musical influence and style is all over the map. I’m into a lot more local artists than anything. Some of the music I started listening to at a early age include Donny Hathaway, The Clark Sisters, Buddy Guy, Paul Simon, Grateful Dead, The Funk Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and many more.

    PM: What separates the North Country from rest of Upstate? What makes it distinct?

    Kevin Sabourin: Wilderness, a deep appreciation of nature and life that comes with being a fairly self-reliant people who are hard working. Crafts people, music loving, tough, rugged and beautiful, like the surroundings in which we live.

    Andy Deller: What separates us from the rest of Upstate is the Adirondack State Park, to be geographically obvious. We’re maybe a little more backwoods and redneck than the rest of Upstate – not that there’s a value judgment on that. It’s neither better nor worse, just different. To be more serious, I think the people in our area really make the difference; I’ve never seen audiences more gracious, more open to something new and different, or more ready to dance.

    Chris Shacklett: I don’t think there is any separation. Separation is not conducive to the band’s purpose. I may be saying this because I believe my scope of the North Country or Upstate is not broad enough to draw any borders.

    Jamie Armstrong: We live way up here in the Northern Adirondacks. Next to Lake Champlain. Fresh air! Being sandwiched between a beautiful mountain range and a huge blue lake is all I need. And the geographical diversity reflects in the people who live up here. The music community is encouraging.

    PM: For those who don’t live there or venture north, what is the music scene like across the North Country?

    Chris Shacklett: Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart. You just gotta poke around.

    Lowell Wurster: Well we are spread out up here, but there are amazing pockets of music lovers spread out around the ADK’s. Beautiful little communities that love original music. Folks up here look at music as a necessity, not a luxury. I’ve never met bigger music lovers then in the North Country. Plattsburgh is undergoing some amazing changes and I’m really happy and excited to be on several different community action boards that are helping spread art and music around the area. Saranac Lake is amazing and filled with real folks who thrive for music; their Winter Carnival is something to behold, hearty folks up there. I love it up there, right in the mountains and cold as hell. Backwoods Pondfest has brought tons of amazing acts to the North Country over the last eight years and with its continued success shows the thirst these mountain folks have for original music. They can’t seem to get enough.

    Andy Deller: Well, because of the audiences I described above, the scene is VERY diverse, creative, and supportive. On any given night you can stroll through Plattsburgh or Burlington and find any number of different styles – rock, blues, funk, reggae, metal, jazz quartets, and brass bands. What I truly love is the cross-pollination: people from highly diverse bands getting out and jamming with one another in impromptu acts. It happens all the time here.

    Jamie Armstrong: It’s very rich, with a wide array of styles and ideas floating around, but all held together by a supportive arts community. There’s a lot of support up here. Kids are movin’ and shakin’ and motivated. That goes for our community in general. A lot of great people are trying to make positive change all the time!

    PM: What other musicians do you think also encompass the spirit of the North Country?

    Kevin Sabourin: The Blind Owl Band, who have the same North Country work ethic and attitude that we do of going until the job is done and playing long hours and working hard.  The crowd has been busting there ass all day working, building farming, so we have to work as hard as they do for them.

    Lowell Wurster:  The one that immediately comes to mind is The South Catherine St. Jug band from years and years ago, Sven Curth (who plays solo mostly) but is in the band JIM who plays a few times a year and is made up of some of the North Country’s best.

    Andy Deller: The local artists that don’t receive much press, and maybe even avoid it: Trinity Park Radio, Will Scheifley, and his on again off again Shameless Strangers, Mike Pederson, Giovanina Bucci, Catie Wurster and her band Doomf**k – the list can go on and on. We have a huge, hugely diverse, and highly active music scene up here where people can take the time to have some real professional fun, and it’s all thanks to the audience – the people of the North Country.

    Jamie Armstrong: I guess to sum it up, there’s a lot of musical diversity in a very tight knit community up here in the mountains. People are trying to make things happen in a positive way up here. We love it.

    Chris English: I can say George Wurster is the spirit of the North Country. I love that guy.

    Catch Lucid on tour this summer throughout New York and select New England dates, wrapping up with the Lucid-hosted Backwoods Pondfest Music Festival.

    May 7 Firehouse, Rochester, NY
    May 8 Spring Revival, Macedon, NY
    May 9 Nietzche’s, Buffalo, NY
    May 10 Keegan Ales, Kingston, NY
    May 16 Shake the Mountain Festival, Solid Rock Ranch, NY
    May 22 Blarney Stone Pub, Norwich, NY
    May 23 Olive’s, Nyack, NY
    May 29 Nanola, Malta, NY
    May 31 Main Pub, Manchester, CT
    June 10 Church, Boston, MA
    June 12 Theos BBQ, Springfield, MA
    June 20 Shepard’s Cove, Lake George, NY
    July 25-26 BRYAC, Bridgeport, CT
    August 8-9 Backwoods Pondfest Music Festival, Peru, NY

    Lucid Website Facebook Twitter YouTube

  • Getting Lucid in Vermont at Nectar’s

    Lucid has a brand new drummer and they want to introduce him to the crowd at Nectar’s in Burlington, VT.

    Chris “Hollywood” English is in the fold, and the show this Saturday, May 3rd will mark the band’s first visit since he came on board.

    The show kicks off at 9 pm, and is for those 21 and up only. Admission is $5.00. Joining Lucid will be Goosepimp Orchestra and FiKus.

    20140222 - Lucid 1
    Lucid by Bryan Lasky

    Lucid earned the title of New York State’s #1 band in our March Madness voting contest, beating out an initial field of 64 bands.

    Hollywood just joined the Popular group out of Plattsburgh. He started his career as the drummer for the legendary Buddy Guy, was most recently with AudioInflux

    FiKus, is a jam band out of North Jersey, with an eclectic sound that combines progressive melodies with infectious grooves, electronic beats, and edgy vocals.

    20140220 - Fikus 3
    FiKus by Bryan Lasky

    Goosepimp Orchestra is best described by the press release we just received. Their sound is, “the form of funk that dissolves the barriers between artist and audience. The energy plotted through space race like arrangements, channeled by geeks who became stage freaks, and absorbed into every opened mind via third eyes is a condensed and charismatic force from the center of the Earth and the beginning of time.”

    Heavy.

    If you have the ability, make haste and get thee there.

  • Editor’s Playlist #2 – Spring Revival Edition

    Our second editor’s playlist features some of the artists performing at this years second annual Spring Revival Festival taking place May 8-11th at Carey Lake in Macedon NY. This family and wallet friendly festival features some of the top up and coming bands in the state, easy access, vending on site, plenty of camping space and non stop music on #2 stages.

    springrevival

    Book-ending the playlist and also headlining both Fri and Sat night at the festival is Buffalo’s Aqueous. The AQ boys have played close to 300 shows since 2012 and have been rewarded with an ever-expanding frenetic fan base referring to themselves as “AQuaintances”. Being the bands first 2 night run at a festival they are bound to have some surprises in store. Both tracks – “20/20” and “Complex II” – are some of the bands newest material and are sourced from their March Nectar’s residency. Stay tuned to for a first look at the band’s 2014 summer tour coming tomorrow!

    Our second track is an UpsateLIVE exclusive first listen of “The Clear” from Albany’s Formula 5. The band recently finished recording their excellent sophomore effort Edging on Disaster and remain one of our staff’s favorite bands to cover and follow.

    Third, from the also Albany based Mister F, is the lead-off track “Everything You Say” from the just released The F Stands Four. This marks the debut album for the Albany dance-prog-electro-rock outfit. Check out Tim O’Shea’s review of the whole disc over here.

    Our fourth and fifth tracks enter the psych-electro field even more. Roots Collider and Ocupanther, both Rochester based, have been garnering excellent crowds and reviews. The Collider track “Infinity” is almost impossible not to dance too with a sound that bestows at least a subtle nod to the prowess of instrumental dance rock pioneers STS9. Ocupanther’s “This, A Seagull” is actually a compilation of a studio based jam and a practice session for the newest OCU-song “III e III”. The band is in the midst of mixing their third album and wanted to give fans an early taste of what to expect.

    Keep in mind, beyond this playlist there remain tons of top-notch bands performing at The Revival including Rochester’s Haewa and Lap Giraffe, Buffalo’s Lazlo Hollyfeld and Universe Shark, northern NY and ‘s March Madness champion Lucid, the incredibly intense Flabberghaster from Vermont, and much much more. Hope to see y’all there! 

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/30379126?secret_token=s-hio2v” params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

  • And the Winner of Music March Madness 2014 is…

    Lucid! The North Country’s finest barreled through the competition with strong support from their fans, knocking off the top seeded Ominous Seapods on their way to the championship against Big Leg Emma. It was a true Cinderella story, a #16 seed coming out on top over 6 rounds of tight voting in March Madness 2014. Lucid has plenty of time to relish the victory, as we await the soon to be announced lineup for their own Backwoods Pondfest Music Festival, held in Peru, NY on August 8th and 9th.

    When asked how it felt to win the inaugural March Madness, percussionist Lowell Wurster had this to say:

    It feels like there is a lot of love out there for Lucid. We have been working really hard for 10 years and I think we have good name recognition. As I generally don’t view music as a competition, because I think it’s hard enough to be a musician in the first place, the football player in me is ferociously competitive, so it was interesting to see that side come out of me again.

    I am happy people recognize us and felt they knew us well enough to vote for us, especially during this very exciting transitional period for us. Having Chris English join the band is one of the best things that has happened in a long time, and it got all of us amped up to make some serious moves. We feel that we are finally the band we were always supposed to be, and we all have the same goals now and that is super exciting. We are looking forward to the future with bright eyes and cant wait to see where it takes us.

    Winning the march madness tournament only gives us more validation that we are onto something and people may be taking notice. This whole transition has happened within the month of March, which also marked Lucid’s 10th year. I don’t think this is coincidental, we are excited and can’t wait to keep working as hard as we ever have, to play our music, and spread our message of love, light and community.

    Look for our Local Limelight profile of Lucid later this month, and be sure to check them out at these shows in April:

    April 24, Monopole Bar, Plattsburgh
    April 25, Unitarian Church, Plattsburgh
    April 27, Plattsburgh Half Marathon, City Rec Center