NYS Music 20​14

Tag: Saranac Brewery

  • Umphrey’s Mcgee triUMPH over storm at Saranac Brewery in Utica 08/03

    Diehard fans brave the elements during the summer season to enjoy their favorite band and songs with good friends. Umphrey’s McGee fans proved this to be true after enduring heavy rains and thunderstorms this past Sunday, August 3 at the outdoor venue at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. Light rain started the evening, progressing to heavy rains with the occasional lightning strike and booming thunder. For everyone’s safety, the concert was delayed for two hours with fans seeking refuge in the Saranac Brewery, a reminder that there are worse places to be stuck indoors. With the delay of the show, Umphrey’s could only perform one set with a show time of 9PM vs 7PM and a curfew of 11PM but what a set it was.

    Umphrey's McGee. Photo by Bryan Lasky
    Umphrey’s McGee. Photo by Bryan Lasky

    Touring to support their latest and 8th album, Similar Skin, representing their new label Nothing Too Fancy Music. Umphrey’s played some fresh music as well as classic favorites. The show opened with a groovy and hard “Ringo” as bassist Ryan Stasik laid down a funky doo-wop and the band hit heavy rock peaks only to sway down to a jazzy melody from keyboardist Joel Cummins. “The Linear” saw crisp vocals from Brendan Bayliss and fast paced rhythms from Andy Farag and Kris Myers. The set got dark with a haunting “Morning Song” with echoes from Jake Cinninger guitar picking before going into an upbeat “Out of Order”. Among the many reasons to enjoy an Umphrey’s McGee show is the light show. Lighting Designer Jefferson Waful’s lights are truly stunning especially with the raindrops reflecting every glow. The dimensions of color, light symmetry and precise timing soar as high as the music does. Umphrey’s McGee treated soaked fans to a three song encore, the reggae easy flow of “FF”, the electrifying boogie of “Bad Friday” followed by the first and only cover of the night, David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”.

    Umphrey’s McGee is a powerhouse of improvisational progressive rock clashed with classic metal and electronic funk. Fans can download this show and past shows from umlive.net. Be sure not to miss Umphrey’s McGee when they return to Upstate NY as part of their fall tour to the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on Oct 23 and the Forum Theatre in Binghamton on Oct 29.

    Setlist: Ringo, #5 > The Linear, In The Kitchen, Morning Song > Out Of Order, Example 1, Educated Guess, Wappy Sprayberry > Eat
    Encore: FF > Bad Friday > Let’s Dance

  • Annual Tradition, Enter The Haggis Rocks Saranac Thursday, You In?

    One of the most anticipated shows of the Saranac Thursday line up  in Utica, NY is definitely the crowd favorites from Toronto, Canada –  Enter The Haggis.  This indie, roots rock, folk, celtic group blazes new trails for themselves each time they set out to create their music. This Thursday, July 17 at the Saranac Brewery in Utica, fans are hoping they may share a taste of what is to be material from the new album.  Join us at 6pm, whether they share or not, their catalog of music is riveting enough and you definitely won’t be sorry you came.

    With Brian Buchanan (vocals, fiddle, keyboards, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar), Craig Downie (vocals, highland bagpipes, trumpet, harmonica, whistle, acoustic guitar, and bells), Trevor Lewington (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, octave mandolin, and keyboards), Mark Abraham (bass guitar and vocals) and Bruce McCarthy (drums and percussion ) – you know the music will be top notch. How could it not? with the most impressive collection of talent on stage.  Although their rousing sound never fails to get the toes tapping, the hands clapping, and the crowd screaming,  it’s their songwriting that takes them over the top and sets them apart from all the others.

    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis

    It’s a gift, their creativity.  Each album forges new trails for them and their audience, adoringly referred to as Haggis Heads.  The last album, The Modest Revolution came about based on one day’s news publication.  As they read through this news periodical, they found all the inspiration necessary to come up with a full album of music addressing topics from that day’s current events.

    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis

    As creative as that was, their new project, The Penny Black Project, is even more so.  Over the years touring, they have heard some of the most interesting stories and tales from Haggis Heads all over the world.  Putting out a request to all their fans to share their unique stories, there was only one catch.  It had to be submitted the old fashioned way, with pen and paper and sent via the postal service.  The anticipation to hear these stories and their interpretation of them is keeping their fans on the edge of their seats.  As mixing has commenced, it’s only a matter of time for the final release date to be announced.

    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis
    Enter The Haggis

  • Hometown Heroes moe. at Saranac Brewery in Utica

    It’s officially summer whenever moe. plays their first show of the year at Saranac Brewery. This year it actually was the first day of summer, and the clear skies and warm sun made it a bearable accompaniment to the second of two nights of moe. at Saranac Brewery. More than 1,000 fans filled the outdoor venue, drinking Saranac’s latest offerings as well as staples such as Pale Ale and Adirondack Amber. An attentive crowd, the brewery attracts a strong hometown crowd for the Utica summer concert series, but nothing like moe. brings in.

    hometown moe utica
    moe. Saranac Brewery

    Kicking off the night with three newer tunes, two off of the recent No Guts, No Glory release, warming the crowd up slowly with the more familiar “Billy Goat” followed by “Annihilation Blues” and “Do or Die”, all warmly received, but not as much as the next trio of songs. The classic combo of “Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okay Alright” featured Conehead Buddha horns from Shaun Bazylewicz, Terry and Shannon Lynch on all but “Wormwood”, which had a more aired-out pace to it. “Nebraska” found the horns on stage once again,  as well as on “Late in the Evening”, a fully rhythmic version that had some interesting interplay between horns and percussion, as well as Marley Amico joining on saxophone . The classic jam vehicle “Moth” ended the set nicely, and set the stage for a phenomenal second set.

    Things began a bit dark, and not just because the sun went down. moe. took their time getting into “Spanish Moon”, working patiently into the intro that kept everyone guessing. Joined again by Conehead Buddha horns, the crowd erupted as Chuck sang through the Little Feat lyrics, taking their time to explore the entire composition. Local musician Jason Barady joined on mandolin for “Jazz Wank”, which took a meandering stroll through the improv-friendly composition before segueing ever so nicely into “Buster”, garnering the biggest cheers of the night – the anticipation was stroked ever so carefully on this one.

    “Buster” found its way into “Yodelittle”, which clocked in at over 20 minutes and featured a nice jam, segueing into “Four”. With two distinct improv-induced movements, there was full band contribution on making this version of “Four” a stand out among its peers, and made for the highlight of the night, and part of an instant classic second set. “Downward Facing Dog” closed the set, and after al.nouncements, “Same Old Story”, off No Guts No Glory, as well the song from which the lyrics give the album its title, started off the encore, while Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” stormed through the crowd. Of note in “Godzilla” are Rob’s vocals/sounds he was making during the open section of the 70s hit, and well worth a listen.

    moe. next plays in New York at Great South Bay Festival in Patchogue on July 19 (get tickets here) and from August 29-31 at moe.down XV in Turin, NY. Get tickets here.

    Listen to the show below courtesy of Archive.org

  • moe. To Play Two Nights At Saranac Brewery In June

    MOEmoe. will be playing back to back nights at Saranac Brewery on June 20-21. Saranac Brewery has hosted many shows in the past including moe., which are no strangers to the Utica, NY landmark. The band will be promoting their newest album, No Guts, No Glory – which will be out on May 27th. The summer tour will include stops in Bellevue, CO on June 13th and Kansas City, MO on June 15th. It looks like moe.’s summer is starting to fill up with many shows throughout the country.

    Tickets go on sale for Saranac on Saturday, April 5th at noon.

    moe. Upcoming Dates

    5/28- New York, NY – No Guts, No Glory album release show
    5/30-Providence, RI- Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
    5/31-Hampton Beach, NH- Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
    6/13-Bellevue, Co- Mishawaka Ampitheatre
    6/14- Denver, Co- LOHI Music Festival
    6/15- Kansas City, MO- The Crossroads
    6/20- Utica, NY- Saranac Brewery
    6/21- Utica, NY- Saranac Brewery
    6/22-Hudson, NY- Clearwater’s Great Hudson Revival Festival
    7/31- Breitenbach am Herzberg, Germany- Burg Herzberg Festival
    8/2-8/3- Bridgeport, CT- Gathering of the Vibes

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