NYS Music 20​14

Tag: The Egg

  • Al Kooper Celebrates Belated 70th Birthday with Friends at The Egg

    Al Kooper, one of Rock n Roll’s most historic musicians, performed at The Lewis A. Swyer Theatre inside The Egg in Albany on May 17th in celebration of his 70th birthday. The small theatre held less than 400 people who greeted Kooper with a standing ovation. Al Kooper has quite the resume, recording with such musicians as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, B.B. King, and dozens more. Kooper thanked the audience for attending his belated birthday party since he had to reschedule due to his age and New York’s harsh winters. It was just Kooper on stage for the first few songs as he went back and forth between the electronic keyboard atop his vintage Hammond organ. His vocals were tender and worn, but sincere. He was then joined onstage by a bassist and his drummer “The Sheriff” as Kooper himself switched to electric guitar to play a slightly off-key version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”.

    Kooper has classic “Dad Humor” that anyone can relate to with corny puns and jokes about being clueless as to what all the buttons are for on his electric keyboard. Keeping the atmosphere light and funky with his Funky Faculty band, Kooper led the way into Booker T’s classic “Green Onions”, a laid back summer time groove. One of the highlights of the show was to hear his version of “Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones where you can hear Kooper’s organ playing on their original album. He has a smoother jazz vibe to him but can pack a big punch like The Stones. The Funky Faculty built up repetitive peaks with vintage guitar riffs, funky bass rhythm and blaring horns to make a solid, modern day groove.

    For the second portion of the show, Kooper was joined by longtime friend and guitarist Jimmy Vivino, known to today’s youth as a member of the house band for Conan O’Brian. The Sheriff jumped on the cymbals and was joined with a quick bass as Vivino lets out the long echoes of his guitar strings. The whole crowd felt it and began to sway from the pressure of the heavy blues being played out. Vivino sounded like he was revving an engine, a lot of built up energy waiting to zoom by and sent hearts racing to keep up. Given the Upstate NY location, they were eager to pay tribute to both the late Levon Helms, performing The Band’s “The Weight” which sparked an endearing sing-along, and Bob Dylan on their rendition of “Highway 61” which caused the band members to pause and join in on the rhythmic clapping. Kooper ended the night by introducing the last song by saying, “This was the word to me” as he went into Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” another album you can hear his gospel organ playing. After all these years, Kooper still performs the classic hits with a youthful kick that is easily recognized and cherished.

  • Al Kooper to play 70th Birthday Show at The Egg Saturday May 17th

    Al Kooper will be celebrating his 70th Birthday with a performance at The Egg tomorrow night, Saturday May 17th at 7:30pm.

    The legendary musician will be joined with his group the Funky Faculty, guitar virtuoso Jimmy Vivino and some very special unannounced guests. Tickets are still available for $35 and can be purchased at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone – 518-473-1845 or online. This show will be part of The Egg’s continuous American Roots and Branches concert series, celebrating the classic music that still continues to influence generations today.

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    Al Kooper is a legendary musician with a career spanning 50 years whose trademark organ riffs can be heard on classic recording by The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Tom Petty, George Harrison and countless others. He was especially close with Bob Dylan, playing with him for many years live and in the studio, and is well-known for his work on “Like a Rolling Stone.” Kooper played a key role as a member of The Blues Project, Super Session and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Don’t miss your opportunity to catch a part of Rock n Roll history tomorrow night as well as an awesome birthday party.

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  • Regional Music History 101 with the Carolina Chocolate Drops

    The Egg Performing Arts Center’s American Roots and Branches series featured two unique acts that celebrated bygone eras of early American music that have since been revisited, to critical acclaim. Carolina Chocolate Drops, along with opening band Birds of Chicago performed in the Swyer Theater to an intimate sold out crowd, sitting quiet and focused during each song and story behind it, but applauded with great aplomb once a selection had completed. Hanging onto every note, the bands on stage were feeding a patient and receptive audience, eager to hear music that has otherwise been forgotten in American musical history.

    Carolina Chocolate DropsBirds of Chicago opened the night with a six song set of folk-country that was mellow yet had a steady beat. Performing for the first time in Albany, Allison Russell sang with a June Carter-esque voice and vibe, playing banjo and clarinet on “Wild Horses”. Making jokes about her heritage (Scottish-Grenadian-Canadian) and nodding to her husband JT Nero (who has an incredible range in his voice) who is also Scottish, noted that this only complicates their daughter’s extensive heterogeneous background even more. “Sans Souci”, a pre-zydeco French influenced tune was a highlight of the set, and with the guitarist using his pedal with a gentle touch, he carefully poured each note out carefully, turning what may have been a 45’ speed song to that of a 33’. The finale, “Fever” gave the audience a fake-out, where an initially chill and happy song turned into a foot-stomping rager. A perfect complement to the main act this evening, Birds of Chicago stood out with a sound that was as unique as their band members.

    Carolina Chocolate Drops took to the stage and opened up with an Emma Shelton tune “Pretty Little Girl with the Blue Dress on”, where Rhiannon Giddens somehow did not stumble over the complicated Micro-Machines-Guy speed of lyrics, accentuating every word perfectly. “Sandy Boys” encouraged a community sing-along, in an Appalachian/Hackensaw Boys style. A soulful “Country Girl” preceded a brief history lesson, taking the audience back to 1855 and using an 1858-era minstrel-style banjo, which had a light sound due to its hollow back. Along with the Bones, two pieces of wood click-clacked together with precision by Rowan Corbett, these are two of the oldest instruments in the world, brought to America by slaves from Africa and the banjo only brought into the broader musical pantheon in the latter part of the 19th century.

    Rhiannon, reserved and soft-spoken but with a stage presence that shows marks of experience and maturity that added to the sound and performance on stage, also played banjo and fiddle in the course of the evening, the latter of which was key to the sound of many songs and underscores Hubby Jenkins’ banjo. A Hank Williams tune suggested by a friend “Please Don’t Let Me Love You” preceded a solo tune from Hubby, who had only a single string holding his guitar around him – no sturdy strap – for this was a band playing ol’ timey music with ol’ timey instruments, down to how they wore them on stage.

    Singing Odetta’s “Waterboy”, the peak of the song was the wick of a firecracker, setting off the audience in applause and loudly garnering a ‘God Damn!’ from an audience member, certainly speaking for all. “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad” was performed in a more upbeat fashion than the familiar Grateful Dead version while “Ruby”, a bluegrass standard, was played in its original version with dobro, bones and Rhiannon’s sweet voice eliciting the cry for the title woman. “Buck Creek Girls” had cellist Malcolm Parson playing his cello in the style of Edgar Meyer, and later picking it up to play it as the song accelerated, thanks to Corbett’s Bones, a new favorite instrument of all in attendance.

    Thanks to Scottish settlers in North Carolina in the 1700s, Scotch-Gaelic mouth music was brought to the region. “Puirt a Beul”, sung by the Chocolate Drops with a beat from the bass drum, it recalled Irish singing but without a full band sound and had a distinct language it, incomparable to any other folk style. These songs could have been an early inspiration for Cajun songs if the Acadians were to have picked something up on their way from Maine to Louisiana.

    As the set came to a close, more raucous upbeat songs were performed, closing with storytelling music in “Old Cat Died/Brown’s Dream”. The encore, “Read ‘em John” was a song about how to spread and enrich an idea, a capella style, a perfect Coda for the evening.

  • Jake Shimabukuro Ukulele Master at Albany’s Hart Theatre

    Enthusiastic fans filed into Albany’s Hart Theatre at The Egg on Sunday, March 30th, to view the ukulele virtuoso, Jake Shimabukuro. Since the age of four, the 38-year-old phenom proved to be very entertaining and a one-of-a-kind musician.

    Shimabukuro showcased his lightning-fast and complex finger work at his opening show. Eventually, Shimabukuro was joined by electric bass guitarist Rich Glass for a few original tunes. Crowd favorites included “Gentle Mandolin,” and a stirring melody entitled “Blue Roses Falling.” During the second half of the show, Shimabukuro picked up the tempo a bit with an impressive “electric guitar” jam and the always famous cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Jake Shimabukuro offers his audience an experience that is both unique and entertaining.

    Watch Jake Shimabukuro’s  Ukulele performance right here

  • The Carolina Chocolate Drops to Perform at The Egg on April 2nd

    The Carolina Chocolate Drops will perform at The Egg on Wednesday, April 2nd at 7:30 PM as part of the American Roots & Branches concert series. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a string and jug band, bringing back a sound from the 1920s and 1930s,  recalling the dirt-floor dance electricity of the Mississippi Sheiks and Cannon’s Jug Stompers. The band features Rhiannon Giddens (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Hubby Jenkins (guitar, mandolin, vocals), cellist Malcolm Parson and multi-instrumentalist Rowan Corbett.

    The Birds of Chicago will open for Carolina Chocolate Drops. Tickets are $34.50 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone 518-473-1845.

  • Ed Kowalczyk sells out The Swyer Theater

    If you are a fan of 1990’s grunge, you know the band Live. Though songs like “I Alone” and “Heaven” debuted twenty or so years ago, they still get air time today. Not all fans of 1990s grunge or Live know the name Ed Kowalczyk though. Live’s former lead singer has taken a new direction (sort of) since splitting with the band, Live, in 2009.

    Kowalczyk’s direction is an active one; he is producing new stuff and still tours. Quite a bit. Despite his happy marriage and four kids, he is seemingly always on the road. He sold out The Egg’s Swyer Theater in Albany on March 21 and is heading overseas shortly.

    Ed Kowalczyk followed an opening performance by Anna Rose, originally of Dutchess County and promoting her album Behold a Pale Horse, she is all voice.  While her stage presence is still a bit awkward – she even explained that she’s been accused of laughing too loud –  Anna Rose’s powerful voice over heart-felt lyrics will lead her to greater things in the future.

    Kowalczyk, also known for pairing his powerful voice and lyrics, opened with “All Over You”. It seemed like everyone in the theater knew the words, leading me to believe that the sold out show was filled with Live fans. But as the show proceeded, and Kowalczyk shared his newer, more religious songs, it was clear that there was a strong Christian contingent in attendance as well. Kowalczyk’s three solo albums since 2010 focus on his re-awakening into the Christian faith, but listening even to his oldest material, you can sense the strong religious tide that runs through all his music.

    The Egg is a great venue because the layout allows fans to feel really close to the performer(s). This was my third time seeing Kowalczyk (once with Live ten or so years ago, then solo at Albany’s Alive at Five series in 2011), and this show did feel more intimate. Kowalczyk seemed totally at ease, and the closeness made it a lot easier to see the emotion that was written all over his face. He offered a very good sampling of 20 years worth of music, performing 18 songs including one surprise cover of The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.”

    Last Time Kowalczyk was in Albany he confessed that he has a long history with New York’s Capital City since he once courted a girl who attended Siena College, who later became his wife. Now that he and his family have moved to the East Coast (Connecticut) from California, I suspect that we will see lots more of Kowalczyk.

    Setlist: All Over You, The Distance, The Great Beyond, Bottle of Anything, All That I Wanted, The Dolphin’s Cry, Angels on a Razor, Selling the Drama, Seven, Pain Lies on the Riverside, Face and Ghost, Heaven, I Alone

    Encore: Lakini’s Juice, Gimme Shelter, The Beauty of Gray, Overcome, Lightning Crashes

  • Band of Horses Pack The Egg on their Acoustic Tour

    Band of Horses set free remarkable talent inside The Egg’s acoustic heaven on February 23, leaving a deep mark on the 900+ people inside the Hart Theatre. With only about half of the audience seated, the group’s long time friend, Sera Cahoone, warmed up the room with her soft, sultry, simple sound, along with the steel pedal guitar mastery of Jason Kardong. Sera’s casual stories about ten years of touring were happily received– especially the one of the rat eating her leftover dinner at a dumpy hotel, although  it is not the premise behind the song, “Shitty Hotel”; that tale followed.

    The few hundred fans still milling in the lobby during Cahoone’s performance made their way to their seats just in time to hear three powerful voices backed by a clean piano perform the dramatic ballad, “St. Augustine”. Though classified as Indie, Southern Rock or Alternative Country, seeing and hearing Band of Horses, you can sense the Seattle influence. There is a distinct grunge feel to the look and sound of these guys, but the Southern influence is heavy as well.

    The acoustic tour, promoting their recently released Acoustic at the Ryman album, is a short-lived experience with only 13 performances scheduled and Albany was the eighth stop. The stage setup at The Hart Theater included rugs, a floor lamp spouting a plain living room shade, and an old record player, creating a homey, comfortable experience meant to mimic what is supposed to be a laid-back, toned-down experience. That’s a tough act to achieve when using gigantic equipment such as a baby grand piano, a bass, and whole host of guitar varieties — not to mention the massive vocals.

    The relaxed scene was in direct opposition to the powerfully strong sound that was consistently offered. One thing is for sure — these guys know sound. Whether solo or collaborative, each piece was well balanced, offering the same commanding intensity with one voice as with all the instruments together. The music was very well written for acoustic performance, and the inclusion of the toned-down drums was brilliant.

    Their songs are deep, penetrating and sometimes heart-breaking. The high quality of the group’s talent, performed in a theater designed to perfectly move sound resulted in beautiful, potent and dramatic music. I went to this show to hear “Laredo,” became intrigued by “Ode to LRC” and was seriously moved by “No One’s Gonna Love You.” Crowd favorites included “Is There a Ghost” and “Funeral.”

    Just before wrapping up their set, the band’s founder and lead, Ben Bridwell, announced their “fake last song,” offering a refreshingly humorous perspective on the strangely accepted “encore” ritual that both musicians and fans accept, despite the insincerity of it. But it was worth the two minute wait. Just before the encore, the band members walked through the crowd to pass out little plastic egg-shaker sound-makers to the entire audience. (These instruments had the band’s name printed on them – a brilliant marketing strategy!) The crowd was encouraged to join in the performance – and wow – this was almost as good as having everyone know every word to the song and loudly sing it. Actually, maybe this was better. Again, a testament to this group’s sense of sound, this instrument could not possibly be offensive or off-key. It was soft enough to complement the band’s music, yet still offer crowd participation. So not only do the Band of Horses know sound; they also know how to draw people in!

  • Dweezil Zappa and Zappa Plays Zappa Play Roxy & Elsewhere at The Egg

    One of Frank Zappa’s classic albums, Roxy & Elsewhere, was on display for a packed house on Tuesday, February 25th at The Egg in Albany. Dweezil Zappa noted after “The Torture Never Stops” that the album is “40 years old and it’s still from the future”, a bold statement and reflection on Frank’s influence that has hardly ceased since his untimely death in 1993. Tonight, it would be a look at the past and a glance into the future of Zappa’s music through the lens of the band that is keeping the sound alive and fresh for the next generations.

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    Leading off Roxy with “Penguin in Bondage”, baritone Ben Thomas channeled Frank’s voice greater than expected – it was almost spooky how much he sounded like him. “Pygmy Twylyte” was almost too short but provided an aire of familiarity for some of the uninitiated audience members who are familiar only with certain covers provided by Zappa’s jamband descendants. During “Dummy Up”, there was a fair amount of “Albany-style twerking” between Thomas and saxophonist/flutist Scheila Gonzalez, who rolled up and mimed smoking a high school diploma. Chris Norton played daredevil during “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?”, standing on his swivel chair and juggling, with moderate success. He returned to playing the xylophone parts of the song on his keys, doubling as a percussionist, a role he shared with drummer Ryan Brown.

    The horror movie inspired “Cheepnis” had Dweezil a little chatty while “More Trouble Everyday” received a standing ovation from the crowd. Prior to “Be-Bop Tango”, Dweezil remarked “If this is The Egg… then the stage must be the yolk”, and delved into the long exploration that to the untrained ear would be considered a musical mess when it was easily the highlight of the night. “Tango”, from which Phish’s “Reba” could have been conceived in the dorms at UVM, was accompanied by Thomas dancing while playing trombone, with Dweezil noting about this jazz, “It’s not dead, just very smooth.” And with that, the album was complete and anything else that was to come was gravy.

    The rest of the show had varying tempos, a few familiar hits (“Baby Snakes”, “Florentine Pogen”) and found deeper, longer compositions, specifically “The Black Page” (#1 & #2) as well as the stand alone, stripped down trio performing “Apostrophe”, and Peter Jones coming out for the vocals on “Debra Kadabra”. By the time the band came out for the encore, fans knew to expect even more familiarity in fan favorites that were nowhere to be found in the main set. “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” and “Cosmik Debris” segued into each other, eliciting huge applause from the crowd. Dweezil then went democratic and asked the fans to vote on the last song of the evening, with the two most popular choices being “Whipping Post” and “Muffin Man”. Naturally, the original, “Muffin Man”, took top honors and closed out the night with great fanfare and a buzz in the crowd as they slowly departed into the Swyer Theater lobby. Frank Zappa may be dead, but his legacy and music will never fade away with son Dweezil heading up Zappa Plays Zappa.

    Setlist: The Torture Never Stops, {Roxy & Elsewhere} Penguin in Bondage, Pygmy Twylyte, Dummy Up, Village of the Sun, Echidna’s Arf (Of You), Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? Cheepnis, Song of Orange County, More Trouble Everyday, Be-Bop Tango {Roxy and Elsewhere} I’m So Cute, Baby Snakes, Teenage Wind > Teenage Prostitute, Apostrophe, Debra Kadabra > The Black Page #1 > The Black Page #2 > Florentine Pogen

    Encore: Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow > Cosmik Debris, Muffin Man

  • The Fab Faux Celebrate 50 Years of The Beatles at The Egg

    In terms of music we know today, there is no band more important in history than The Beatles. When these four young Englishmen came to New York in February of 1964, they changed the world as we know it. Since the beginning of the month of February, there have been numerous celebrations, shows, exhibits, talks, and performances dedicated to the boys from Liverpool, England. On Saturday, February 15, Albany ended their own week of celebration dedicated to the Beatles with a beautiful performance by The Fab Faux at The Egg.

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    The Fab Faux is comprised of skilled musicians who have worked with a who’s who of the music industry. The main five men are Will Lee, Jimmy Vivino, Rich Pagano, Frank Anello, and Jack Petruzzelli.  On some nights, like Saturday, they bring out the four-piece Hogshead Horns, and the two-piece Crème Tangerine Strings. The first set this evening focused on the more acoustic side of The Beatles catalog. A rambunctious “Two of Us” kicked things off with a bang. “Norwegian Wood” saw Vivino bust out his sitar skills, while he let loose on his guitar during “Paperback Writer”. The Hogshead Horns added beautiful textures to “Penny Lane” and “Got to Get You into My Life.” A perfect rendition of “I Am the Walrus” including the Creme Tangerine Strings closed out the set.

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    In the second set, the band took it to another level. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was outstanding, and had the contribution of the late George Harrison, via soundboard, help out with the ending of the song. At the end of Vivino’s blistering guitar solo, he thanked George and Eric Clapton for the inspiration to a standing ovation. Will bounced around on stage all night like a little kid on Christmas Day, stating how he couldn’t be happier playing this music right now. For “Get Back” he climbed through the audience, never stopping his playing, and getting the crowd up and moving. Rich and Frank’s vocals were amazing all night. Jack took over the stage for “Oh! Darling” and wowed the crowd with a tremendous take on the classic Abbey Road song. The show ended with the ending medley from that album before a one-two punch of an encore of “Twist and Shout” and “Hey Jude.”

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    The band was in great spirits all night, joking between songs and showing nothing but smiles. The same thing can be said for the audience. There is something about the music of The Beatles, when played right, that there is nothing else to do but surrender yourself to the music and dance to it. Here’s to another 50 years of their music!

    Set 1: Two of Us, I’ve Just Seen a Face, ‘Till There Was You, Nowegian Wood, Blackbird, And I Love Her, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away^, Mother Nature’s Son^, Things We Said, Nowhere Man, Tell Me Why, Run For Your Life, Paperback Writer, Penny Lane^, Got to Get You into My Life^, I Am the Walrus^*

    Set 2: And Your Bird Can Sing, She’s a Woman, I Feel Fine, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, You Won’t See Me, Lady Madonna^, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da^, Baby It’s You, Ticket to Ride, Eleanor Rigby*, Get Back, Strawberry Fields^*, Oh! Darling, Revolution, Golden Slumbers^*>Carry That Weight*^>The End*^>Her Majesty

    Encore: Twish and Shout, Hey Jude

    ^- with The Hogshead Horns
    *- with The Creme Tangerine Strings

  • Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar Slide Smoothly at The Egg

    Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar, two legendary slide guitarists, played an intimate concert in The Lewis A. Swyer Theatre at The Egg in Albany on Friday January 31st.

    The less than 450 person crowd was surprisingly loud as Sonny Landreth took the stage to perform the first few songs solo, just a man and his guitars. With such small venue, every seat had a perfect view of Landreth as he sat down and began the show with “Next of Kindred Spirit.” His fingers easily covered the frets as he slid all over the neck of guitar with a complex simplicity. He rocked the guitar in his arms with care and a laid back attitude that you’d find on a front porch on a warm summer day. “Broken Hearted Road” introduced lyrics full of sorrow with sharp chords that cut right through you. There was complete silence in the crowd as the theatre was filled with the mind blowing humid riffs.

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    Cindy Cashdollar was greeted by Landreth and the rest of the audience for the duration of the set, and thanked everyone especially Sonny for the thrill of performing together. Upstate’s own Cashdollar brought a raw and edgier sound to the southern blues rock of the evening, her own unique style of danger. Both musicians constantly exchanged smiles throughout the show, adding to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the round room. Landreth encouraged the audience to “let the spirit take you” as they went into “Cherry Ball Blues”, an upbeat blues funk song. “Key to the Highway” a cover song often performed by Eric Clapton, was described as Landreth’s own personal theme song complete with escalating rocking high notes. Cindy Cashdollar frequently smacked her guitar with graceful force and a toe tapping rhythm. Landreth seemed pleased with the show mentioning that they covered all the basics, happy blues, sad blues and everything in between before closing the set with Robert Johnson’s “Walkin Blues” with long drawn out chord attitude from Cashdollar.

    This was the first show of The American Roots & Branches series being hosted at The Egg and it set the bar high for the rest of the year. Both Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar are extraordinary musicians who make an unstoppable duo, redefining the blues with southern charm.

    Setlist:

    Sonny Landreth Solo: Next of Kindred Spirit, 2 Shuffle, Here & After, Broken Hearted Road, South of 1 – 10
    Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar: Blues Attack, Cherry Ball Blues, Key to the Highway, Hell at Home, World Away, All About You, It Hurts me too, Prodigal Son, Walking Blues
    Encore: Bayou Teche