In our 2014 Best of Upstate series, we have so far looked at the Best Albums and Best Festivals of 2014. Today we look at the music venues throughout Upstate NY. The region is blessed with incredible clubs, theatres and arena throughout the state, all bringing in a wide range of musical acts for the population living in Upstate New York, and drawing in music fans from outside our region.
Best Club
Honorable Mentions
Best Theatre
Honorable Mentions
Best Arena/Amphitheater
Honorable Mentions
Weeknight concerts are sometimes a hit-or-miss affair because of a light crowd (or we should say the tough ones brave enough to call in late to work the next day). That wasn’t the case this past Tuesday as Flogging Molly rallied a flock of dedicated music fans at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.
The night had an easy start with some good tunes from The Pasadena Band, named after their hometown in Maryland. Concert early birds were treated to the band’s aggressive singer-songwriter type rock with occasional funky reggae beats and lingering melodies, somewhat akin to what the band 311 has going on. Though, of course, their set was short as an opening act but they’re worthy of checking out for a full set next time they’re around.
Continuing the run of opening acts not-to-miss was The Mighty Stef who, though from Dublin, champion an alternative rock sound without the traditional Irish music elements that Flogging Molly incorporates. Mostly bright and energetic The Mighty Stef had some first-time listeners talking after their set. Two songs that stood out from their set were their new single “The Nightwatchman of the Iveagh Flats” and the slower, darker “Death Threats” off of an EP of the same name.
Flogging Molly met a surge of energy for their set with a small pit forming in the middle of The Cap’s open-floor orchestra level early in the set (despite the signs on The Cap’s doors about not moshing during the show).
The band broke into a brief acoustic set about halfway through their time on stage – “a set to rest our dancers’ feet,” Dave King remarked as he was introducing “The Sun Never Shines (On Closed Doors).” For a set full of driving rock this feature of the show added a swing of dynamic that was done well.
Of course the setlist included “Devil’s Dance Floor,” “Float,” “Drunken Lullabies,” and “Salty Dog,” – songs that Flogging Molly wouldn’t make it out of Port Chester alive for not playing. But, rather than simply getting on stage to play a bushel of songs before moving on to the next gig, they took the time to make a few dedications and tributes throughout the evening. Early on a “Whistles the Wind” was dedicated to Conor McGee, a fan recently passed, introduced by King with a few words about Conor and his family who were in the crowd. “The Likes of You Again” was dedicated to the band’s guitarist and Rochester native Dennis Connor and “The Sun Never Shines (On Closed Doors)” to The Pasadena Band’s Joey Harkum, both of whom had recent losses in their families.
It seems like the fact of a concert falling on a weeknight inevitably looms over it, sometimes dampening the experience. While possibly true for this Flogging Molly show, especially for those dragging their feet to work in the wee hours of the following morning, one takeaway is this: Don’t underestimate a weeknight show.
If you missed your chance at seeing Flogging Molly on their current tour, the band is planning on releasing a new album sometime next year (their first in four years), so we may perhaps see them in New York again soon.
A cover heavy jammin good time was had by a packed State Theater in Ithaca on Monday Nov. 10, the band’s first return to the Southern Tier since 2005.
Opening with a 10+ minute “Shine”, the audience was enthralled from the high energy exhibited from the band members. “Orange Blossom Special” emerged from a jammed out “So Far From Home,” while “Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk” stood out as a highlight of the show, giving a nod to their performance at Lockn’ Festival with K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band. A closing “Colorado Bluebird Sky” was the highest of notes to end on, full of jamgrassy goodness throughout the western anthem.
Two songs stood out in the second set – the opener “BollyMunster” and off of the recent release Song in My Head, “Colliding”. I am still not sold on “BollyMunster,” simply because of its melting pot nature, featuring touches of bluegrass, Bollywood, and electronic as it just overwhelms what could be a stronger composition if stripped down slightly, even to an acoustic level. “Colliding,” however, wowed the audience with returns to the composition after a strong central jam. “Can’t Wait Another Day,” another track off Song in My Head, could easily transport you to a beach in the Caribbean, full of life and carefree dancing. “Outside and Inside” had a surprising inclusion of U2’s “Mysterious Ways,” catching the audience off guard but welcomed more than Songs of Innocence on their iPhones.
The encore was a treat. Bill Nershi weaved his way through the semi-biographical “Jellyfish,” which ended up with two verses of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritavilla” before moving into the closer “Black Clouds”. Their first time back in Upstate in nine years and String Cheese impressed the capacity crowd who were sent buzzing into the streets of Ithaca. Fortunately, this night’s show did not end early with the fire alarm being pulled. Back in October 2005, Bill Nershi made up for this faux pas by treating the fans to acoustic versions of “Bar Stool” and “Texas” in the street in front of the venue, but tonight the band would leave it all on the stage and the fans likewise would leave it all on the dance floor.
Set 1: Shine > So Far From Home > Orange Blossom Special, Sweet Spot, Master Blaster (Jammin), Drums, Dirk > Jungle Boogie > Dirk, Colorado Bluebird Sky
Set 2: BollyMunster, Miss Brown’s Teahouse > Chameleon > Miss Brown’s Teahouse, Colliding > Land’s End > Can’t Wait Another Day, Outside And Inside > Mysterious Ways > Outside And Inside
Encore: Jellyfish > Margaritaville > Black Clouds
String Cheese Incident continued their tour of NY with two nights at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. The crowd was getting restless until, at last, SCI took the stage a little after 8:30 with no shoes on but big smiles. The show kicked off with “Search” featuring some killer dueling solos from percussionists Jason Hann and Michael Travis. Keeping up with the upbeat vibe, “Birdland” saw strong organ chords from Kyle Hollingsworth with light cymbal work making for a fusion of jazz and funk when adding Keith Moseley’s bass. Bill Nershi gives a consistent earthy folk sound on his acoustic guitar as he danced merrily around the stage with Michael Kang, providing high voltage on the electric guitar. “Sometimes a River” held the classic rock rhythm with an easy flowing country melody as the crowd happily sang back the lyrics with gusto. Performing the title song of their album, “Song in my Head” was a swirling and dizzying light tune with steady builds before turning into a dark jam as the melody suddenly dropped to the thunderous boom of Travis. The set ended with “Close Your Eyes” which was a harmonious and ferocious jam with an ethnic flair from Hann on bongos and old world plucking from Nershi.
The second set was a nonstop roller coaster of dark space and psychedelic melodies, starting out with an awesome Caribbean cover of “This Must Be the Place” by Talking Heads. “Valley of the Jig” was an Irish Lord of the Dance show, but with a dark side of Mars vibe. Taking a moment to experience the here and now, Moseley shouted out “Happy 11/11!” at 11:11pm as the band appropriately went into the breezy cute ballad of “Smile”. Not too surprising given the reputation of The Cap, but the beginning notes of The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” resulted in a full-out explosion of midnight madness. SCI must have been on Colorado time as the show went pretty late for a week night as the set closed out with a spooky “Desert Dawn.” The encore of “Restless Wind” summed up everything there is about String Cheese Incident. Kang’s fiddle work brought out their deep roots of bluegrass, Hollingsworth slammed on his keys, and the entire band lifted the crowd with rockitude. SCI was appreciative of the fans and the atmosphere of the venue as they repetitively thanked the crowd. Both shows are available for download on livecheese.com.
Set 1: Search, Birdland, You’ve Got the World, Sometimes a River, Indian Creek, Song In My Head > Give Me the Love, Close Your Eyes
Set 2 : This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) > It Is What It Is> Valley of the Jig, Smile, Joyful Sound> Shakedown Street> Desert Dawn
Encore: Restless Wind
Last weekend Phil Lesh and Friends played their first of a five weekend residency at the storied Capitol Theatre, starting with a Halloween show. Highlights included spooky takes on “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and both versions of “Dark Star” with “Fire on the Mountain” sandwiched in between. An encore of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” ended the night, like the song did for The Grateful Dead in 1990 and 1991. The next night saw the band tackle “He’s Gone” which included an extended jam,”Mason’s Children” and a great encore of the run of “Help on the Way>Slipknot>Franklin’s Tower”. The two night run consisted of members John Kadlecik, Dan Lebowitz, Rob Barraco, Joe Russo, and Scott Law, while Nels Cline joined in on night two.
This coming weekend Phil will be joined by Eric Krasno, Joe Russo, and Chris Robinson Brotherhood featuring Chris Robinson, Neal Casal, and Adam MacDougall. This line up is surely to take the music towards a more psychedelic sound. The 2005 tour with Chris Robinson has been said to be one of the stronger line ups in the Friends history. Eric Krasno most famously played with Lesh and Russo in Central Park at an unannounced show almost exactly one year ago. The set last about a half-hour and consisted of primarily jazz-style improvisation. The theatre should be buzzing with feelings of the mid 60’s as soon as the band takes the stage on Friday November 7. Tickets are still availabe, but are limited in supply.
This five week residency is of course part of the deal that Lesh maybe with Peter Shapiro, owner of Relix, Brooklyn Bowl, and The Capitol Theatre. Although it looks like Phil won’t be performing 30 shows at The Capitol Theatre like first thought, he will be getting close after he closes the year out with help from Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. The PhilRAD shows take place on December 30 and 31 and are already sold out. At age 74 Phil Lesh definitely won’t be doing this for much longer, so if you have the chance to buy a ticket, take the ride and see the bassist when you get the chance.
Phil Lesh will continue his exclusive deal with Peter Shapiro and The Capitol Theatre with a five weekend run throughout November. Unlike his other runs though these shows are only taking place on Fridays and Saturdays starting with a Halloween show on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. This run will see a new cast of musicians play with Phil every weekend with the only constant being one of the best drummers on the scene, Joe Russo.
The first weekend of shows will have Dan Lebowitz, Rob Barraco, John Kadlecik and special guests. The Halloween show is sure to be special as The Grateful Dead always used to treat holidays with a nod and a grin. The following weekend of Nov. 7 and 8 will see The Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Eric Krasno join in on the fun. Chris Robinson is no stranger to playing with Phil over the years and Krasno joined Phil and Russo in Central Park a year ago. The third weekend of shows has some old friends coming to the stage in Larry Campbell, John Kadlecik, Teresa Williams, and Jeff Chimenti. The penultimate weekend has Keller Williams, John Kadlecik, and Jason Crosby bringing their take on the catalog. These two middle weekends may not be the shows most fans are going to try for tickets for first, but they will certainly be some of the more interesting shows of the run.
The final weekend will have Stu Allen, Anders Osborne, Marco Benevento, and special guests to cap off the run with Lesh and Russo. These last two shows are already gaining a lot of hype and it is well deserved as the cast of musicianship that is going to be on stage is impressive, and the idea of unannounced guests coming as well lets the mind wander of who else will join. All shows will be going on sale through the venue’s website on September 12th at Noon and will likely sell out rather quickly.
Steely Dan is known for high-quality composition, intellectual lyrics, and songs that contain multiple layers of meaning. Yet, while on SPAC’s stage on Sunday, Aug. 31 their performance was quite simple. No fancy props, no flashy clothes, no crazy antics. The complexity of their music compared to the simple performance on stage was ironic.
The irony of Steely Dan seems to be a common theme. Even their name is ironic. Those who don’t know the band might assume it is named for one person whom perhaps either has a “steely voice” or who makes the guitar screech like grinding steel. But Steely Dan is not named for one person – they are named for an adult toy that was the subject of the novel, The Naked Lunch and the band’s name definitely does not describe how they operate on stage.
Their performance does not focus on one person; in fact, it’s not even really focused on the two men (Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) who founded the band in the 1960s while attending Bard College. All 13 musicians on stage had an opportunity to show off their incredible talent. The keyboardist, guitarists, and backup singers were all given ample time to display their gifts. All four horn players had solos, and even had a chance to step to the front of the stage to highlight their life’s work. The drummer had multiple times to shine, and in fact, lights were arranged behind and underneath him to further emphasize his explosive talent.
Fagen and Becker, who are of course, the glue that holds Steely Dan together, were the guys who drew thousands of fans to Saratoga Springs. Both are brilliant musicians. Fagen was working with malfunctioning equipment; the G above middle C on his keyboard was not working, but, as he told the crowd, he worked around it. Becker’s stories, which started out in a conversational tone, but following tangent after tangent, ended up fitting into the music that the band was building up behind him.
Fans who came to hear their Steely Dan favorites were not disappointed. The 1970s hits, such as “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number,” “My Old School,” and “Reelin’ In the Years” were performed with absolute mastery.
Steely Dan’s Jamalot 2014 Tour will end with a three-day run Sept. 19-21 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester,N.Y. with several other scheduled performances in the Northeast.
Set List:
Cubano Chant (orchestra) , Black Cow, Aja, Hey Nineteen, Black Friday, Show Biz Kids, Time Out of Mind, Two Against Nature, Dirty Work, Bodhisattva, I Want To (Do Everything for You), Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More, Babylon Sisters, Reelin’ In The Years, Josie, Peg, My Old School, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
Encore:
Kid Charlemagne, The Untouchables
Garcia’s, with its bar stretching a decent portion of one side of the venue, was filled with a typical evening pub crowd relaxing and loosening up a bit. The stage was set for the entertainment of the night – a house band perhaps? Well, that’s what it felt like as the folks were hanging out until Irish rockers Black 47 took the stage there on July 31. Though, there was a special anticipation in the air as Black 47 winds down its career later this year while the music is still ripe and fresh, with just a few dozen more shows to go.
For having an incredible 25-year career with around 2,000 live shows, many albums, and international notoriety and respect in the genre, Black 47 maintained that pub band atmosphere throughout the evening. People who have followed the band for years know that they are nothing close to being sell-outs or ones to set themselves apart from the crowd, and those who might be seeing the band for the first time could quickly sense their authenticity and genuine nature. Singer/guitarist Larry Kirwin very enthusiastically helped set that tone as he openly encouraged bootlegging and photography of the show before they kicked the show off with “Green Suede Shoes”. Black 47 has strong ties with themes of Irish Republicanism, which resonated with the crowd – Kirwan told a brief story behind “Johnny Comes A’Courtin” with a mention of Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader who invaded Ireland in the 17th century. Some thumbs down and boos were seen and heard at this mention; a stab at the negative point in history and not the band. The political themes heard throughout the evening seemed to bring everyone together on a sort of common ground.
Known for their blend of rock, reggae, punk, and jazz with traditional Irish sounds and folk themes, Black 47’s set was complete with a spectrum of song styles. It included both dance tunes and songs that rang out like anthems, such as “The Night The Showbands Died” where many raised their hands in the air along with the band. Closing the evening was a one-song encore. “This is how we do Dylan!,”Kirwan exclaimed as they performed a worthy cover of “Like A Rolling Stone”. The crowd was left chanting again for one more song, though for a weeknight things had to wrap up before it got too late. [embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rqt6NcoTfM[/embedyt] [embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1hi0_JuzeI[/embedyt] If you are debating whether or not to catch Black 47 one last time or have been meaning to catch them for the first time and haven’t yet, what are you waiting for? This is the last call, so be sure to check them out and give them a fond farewell at one (or more!) of their upcoming shows in the region: Hooley On The Hudson in Kingston August 31, The 2014 Irish Festival in Ballston Spa September 13, Hudson Valley Irish Festival in Peekskill September 20, and Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant in Manhattan September 27. Their final show is November 15 at B.B. King Blues Club in NYC. Check out their full schedule here.
Setlist: Green Suede Shoes Celtic Rocker Wedding Reel Johnny Comes A’Courtin’ Culchie Prince Fanatic Heart Rockin’ In The Bronx Five Points Fire of Freedom The Night the Showbands Died James Connolly Salsa O’Keefe Funky Ceili Encore: Like A Rolling Stone
New York City’s own Irish-American rockers Black 47 may be winding down their career at the end of this year, but before they do so they’ll be hitting Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. this Thursday.
Black 47 has had an incredible 25-year career and to cap things off they have recently released their final album, Last Call, this past March. Aside from their latest, they have 16 full-length albums, including a few live recordings.
While Black 47 will be making two more stops in the Hudson Valley (Kingston and Peekskill) before the end of September, a packed house at Garcia’s will prove to be one heck of a party.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the Capitol Theatre’s website here.
The event is open to 21-years and older, allowing all to raise their pints in the air!
Here’s a track off of Last Call: “The Night the Showbands Died”
This coming Saturday, May 31st, The Strokes are kicking off Governors Ball festivities at The Capitol Theatre. The show sold out in mere minutes of going on sale a couple of weeks ago, as the band last played together in November of 2011, and haven’t hit the New York tri-state area since April of that year. The band was a big influence to the early 2000 rock scene and still have an influence on bands today. While the band has been on hiatus, both Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr. have enjoyed success as solo artists, but fans have been clamoring for the band to get back together and have rejoiced with the announcement of these two shows.
Governors Ball is going to be gearing up to hyper speed starting with this show. One week after wards The Strokes will be playing to a much bigger audience as the sun sets on June 7th.
The Capitol Theatre is going to be a great stage for The Strokes to come back to and get their feet wet before taking over the main stage at the festival.
It’s one thing for a band to craft a setlist that fans will be talking about for weeks and months to come. It is another to have the fans decide the setlist through voting, both beforehand and in real-time at a concert. Still, Umphrey’s McGee has found a way to make this a reality, using separate themes over four quarters of their UMBowl experiences, which held its fifth installment at The Capitol Theatre on May 3rd, to put on the must-see event UMBowl V for fans of Umphrey’s but especially those who appreciate live, improvisational rock.
UMBowl is nothing short of a smart idea for live music, unparalleled in complexity, audience engagement and the resulting musical odyssey. In the past, I have listened to these shows days after, while fans were abuzz about the experience, and I thought they were interesting, but I didn’t get the hype. Up until last week, I would never have considered flying or driving to Chicago for UMBowl, where the previous four were held, but after being able to drive just over two hours south to take in my first UMBowl, it is undoubtedly not my last. I will happily follow UMBowl wherever it goes – this is a premiere live music experience where the band meets the fans halfway and puts on nothing short of a stellar show, pushing the boundaries of art in musical performance.
The Cap was packed downstairs, creating an intimate feeling for the night, with the upstairs reserved for VIP and photographers, but you weren’t missing much up there; the view looked better in the lower house, and that is saying a lot. At times you forgot you were at The Cap, as the show transported the focused crowd of 1,000 with each jam, improv and cover that came across the setlist.
But first, since this is a four quarter show with OT, the sports theme was present, but mostly in the form of commemorative towels and a couple of guys wearing eye black and football jerseys. But then, ESPN’s Around the Horn came on the big screen, with host Tony Reali hosting his show, giving a brief rundown to his panel of the show that was about to take place. Reali sat in earlier this year with Umphrey’s for “Layla”, so this was a fan sharing in the experience rather than just a hired gimmick. Take a look below for the intro video.
The themes of each quarter flowed nicely, building progressively on each other as the night went on. The first set was not so much a warm up as it was a chance to stretch improv potential out, then the fan favorites, (halftime/setbreak) audience direction, one pre-approved text at a time, then a set of originals chosen in real-time, a five hour concert experience that keeps the band on their feet and aware of their fans moods and tastes, but without having to deal with them shouting their requests at them.
Q1 was ‘Raw Stewage’, voted on beforehand by fans among a variety of “Jimmy Stewart” improve portions of past jams, as they have come to be called. Hardcore fans could identify the song from which each “Jimmy Stewart” arose, some even mentioning the specific date. The rest of us sat back and watched a spectacular improv session develop, pulling on hints from the music to pick out the original song the JS was born from. Essentially, the protean Umphrey’s had created a set of fan choices of their favorite jams from the past. The skill and focus to reconstruct these improvs is mind-boggling.
Q2 was the All Request quarter, with fans once again having voted on the songs beforehand from a select list. Opening with moe.’s “Rebubula”, the crowd was ignited and we were off and running. The instrumental “All Things Ninja” followed, then a show-stopper in “Crazy Fingers”, with Jake Cinninger on vocals. The audience was floored and dropped jaws all around focused squarely on the skinny guy singing the fat man’s song, to perfection.”#5″ had a nice long jam, while the perfect closing to the set came in the form of “Brain Damage > Eclipse”. The set was just incredible start to finish, although “Bell Bottom Blues” was snubbed in voting. Let’s hope it’s on the ballot for UMBowl VI.
Q3 was a Stew Art event, where the fans determined via text message what direction the band should go in. You text an idea, such as ‘Frank Zappa-esque Jam’, and the result was the band would segue into a jam that developed into “Willie the Pimp”. Among other highlights of this 43 minute set were “Emergency Dance Party” and “Daft Funk”, leading to some of the best dancing of the night and the moment when the set truly launched onward and upward. “Rockabilly Throwdown” flipped yet another ignition switch while “Barry White Love Letter” with Jake on vocals had elements of the dub version of “Breathe” by Easy Star All Stars. Bill Evans came out on sax for part of this event, adding a seventh member to the Stew Art, no small feat for just any musician.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, Q4 was “Choose Your Own Adventure”, where fans texted choices among three song choices shown on the screen behind the band. Percents rose and fell among them, with some votes getting contentious between a pair of songs and coming down to the wire. “The Haunt” opened things up, and there was a tease of moe.’s “Spaz Medicine” about 2/3 of the way in. “The Triple Wide” beat out “Last Man Swerving” in the second spot, which led into a “Funk Jam”, where the voting vs “Industrial Jam” wasn’t even close, although I did hear Joel Cummins throwing in some industrial tickles of the keys in the vein of NIN. Brendan Bayliss and Ryan Stasik took the lead in the funk jam, each taking a section while the next voting commenced.
This was shaping up to be the most fun set of them all, particularly as fans cheered for their choice that rose in the voting and drifted back down to earth. “Wife Soup” beat out “Plunger” and “Great American” for a HUGE version of the Anchor Drops classic. Statik drifted over toward Joel to jam along, then returned behind Jake and blended in with Myers’ kit in the shadows of Waful’s lights. Cummins took a patient climb towards the first grand peak in “Wife Soup”, then Jake led towards the second major peak equally unrushed, building and building until the collective ‘gasm on stage and in the crowd sent a rush of chills and cheers throughout The Cap.
“Flamethrower”, one of the walk on numbers that has been a regular feature of Umphrey’s shows for the past few years, was short and moved into “FF”, with an “All in Time” tease towards end of the jam. “Space Funk Booty” segued into what would be the final choice of the night, either the end of “JaJunk”, the end of “Bridgeless” or the end of “Mulche’s Oddysey”. JaJunk was an afterthought from the moment voting started and was tied or within a point between “Bridgeless” and “Mulche’s”. Cheers accompanied each song as they pulled ahead, one text at a time, but in the end, victory was eked out by “Mulche’s”, definitely the correct call for the punch this song delivers to cap a set.
Prior to the encore, a tribute to former drummer Mike Mirro aired on the screen, the crowd recalling the fallen bandmate with revered silence. A Goodfellas parody video then aired on the screen, followed by the start of OT. “Nothing But a G Thing” started things off, with the rarity of Stasik on vocals, followed by “Much Obliged > Glory” with Bill Evans on sax once again, the full encore giving an emotional ending to a premiere night of music. UMBowl ranks as one of the most inventive and marathon sessions of live music you can witness and participate in, and will certainly be a staple of many lucky fans music calendars for years to come.