Tag: upstate concert hall

Show Number One: GWAR at Upstate Concert Hall
There is a phrase that we do not use at – ‘(insert band name) killed it’, simply because it is overused hyperbole. But there has always been one exception to the rule – Gwar. Part tongue in cheek, part serious, Gwar truly does ‘kill it’ on stage, the ‘it’ being the audience’s wardrobe, each of the costumed freaks on stage and the expectations of even the most fervent Gwar fans.

I have never seen Gwar before, but I knew of them in high school thanks to my friend Larry. The only song I can recall even today is “Have You Seen Me?” and whether they played it or not, I was making Gwar my destination on December 11, a birthday celebration and the best choice of a birthday show possible. Here are my takeaways from my first Gwar show at Upstate Concert Hall.
- I missed American Sharks, out of Austin, but showed up in time for most of Corrosion of Conformity. Years of seeing jam bands has me convinced that an 8pm start time really means an 830 or 845 start time. But I met American Sharks and they are some quality guys with a solid first album.
- The mood in Upstate Concert Hall (UCH) felt like a haunted house when Corrosion of Conformity was on stage.
- Listening to CoC made me think back to Headbangers Ball in the ’90s. What a great era of MTV.
- UCH is pretty much the only venue in the greater Capital District area where I would want to see a show like this.
- No one was on their phones, no one was taking selfies, everyone was just standing around and staring at the band, half waiting for Gwar, half indifferent to CoC. To each their own.
- There was a small mosh pit up close which I promptly got the fuck away from.
- Not sure what the real title of the song is, but ‘Funky Time Push Up’ was a great song in the CoC set. Overall, a good warmup for the main act!
- Tonight’s Gwar show was the third to last of their ‘Eternal Tour 2014’. I had to wonder if this meant they would mail it in or if they were ending on a high note. Ultimately, it was a high note, but regular fans could make a better call on that than a noob like me.
- As the crowd gathered close to the stage, I wondered if there would be a Sea World style ‘splash zone’.
- The Gwar chant from the Bohabs and Scumdogs (this is what Gwar fans call themselves I later learned) gets an A+ for the idea but C+ for execution.
- An opening tribute to Oderus Urungus set a theme that went throughout the evening and brought all individual players into the spotlight for a song or two. a well deserved aspect of the show.
- Thankfully this wasn’t a lame ‘Shit, Oderus isn’t here…. well lets just do the same old but without him.” It felt not so much scripted as it was a well thought out performance that brought the recently deceased Oderus (Dave Brockie) into the spotlight, but not in a ‘we’re whoring you out from the grave’ kind of way.
- Two songs in and I was wondering for Vulvatron to appear.
- Crowd surfing: I hadn’t seen this since Woodstock 1999, because this isn’t my scene anymore. Plus, I’m at the age where I can’t help but think ‘that’s dangerous’ even though I know what a thrill it is.
- Band members have giant breasts, antlers, one is a weird knight from Gauntlet and a troll or two; what PCP fueled dream is this from?
- “Genocide” – this was a great song, highlight of the night.
- This is not a concert or a show; this is a performance and an incredible one at that.
- How do they play/perform in such bulky costumes?
- Two girls who were covered in the band’s ‘fluids’ walked by me to clean off in the bathroom. When they returned, I asked them if getting sprayed was worth it. The 19-year-old said no, but her 20-year-old friend next to her was nodding her head enthusiastically. To each their own.
- The old school thrash of “Bonesnapper” was pretty awesome.
- Musically, the guitarists stole the show and the drummer is solid as he drives the head banging.
- Weirdest on stage appearance: giant lamprey eel meets Mac n Me, then squirts blue blood.
- Vulvatron is more than just a pretty face – she has giant fake blood squirting boobs too!
- There were a fair amount of couples at the show, but it was tough to tell who dragged who.
- The spraying of fluids increased in distance as the night progressed. I got hit standing near the soundboard. It felt like my show experience was complete at that point.
- The band has an odd infatuation with crack during their on stage banter.
- Without the monologues in between the songs, the entire show would have blended together.
- The use of Oderus was tasteful and not desperate, and ultimately tied the whole show together. The band exists without him but they have found a way to pay tribute to him without overdoing it.
- The encore of “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys was… unexpected. I was hoping for “Carry on my Wayward Son” or “Have You Seen Me?” but I wasn’t chasing a Gwar song at my first show.
- Following the encore, there were cheers and chants for Oderus, prompting Blothar implore the audience to SCREAM for Oderus. Collective community interactions abound regardless of music genre.
- Altogether, this was a phenomenal show and I can’t believe it took this long to see them. I know I will see Gwar again in my lifetime – the performance is one of the most elaborate I have seen and I can’t grasp how they do this night in, night out, dozens of times a year. I can’t think of another band that puts this much work into a musical performance on this level.
December 17, 2014
Best of Upstate 2014: The Venues

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

The Hollow Bar & Kitchen

Honorable Mentions

Upstate Concert Hall

Brooklyn Bowl

Buffalo Iron Works

Garcia’s

Putnam Den

Best Theatre

The Capitol Theatre

Honorable Mentions

The Palace Theatre

The State Theatre

Town Ballroom

Best Arena/Amphitheater

SPAC

Honorable Mentions

CMAC

Ntelos Wireless Pavilion

NYS Fairgrounds

Artpark

Bethel Woods

December 10, 2014
Lettuce Funks up Upstate Concert Hall
Lettuce spent a funky Tuesday night in Clifton Park on their fall tour through New York and the rest of the Northeast.

The Upstate Concert Hall gig started out with a fun set from Exmag, a three-piece electronic act from Brooklyn that likes to call their music things like “future-funk” and “future-soul.” They included samples from songs like Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” in their act and had heads bobbing.

Then Lettuce took the stage, and the crowd really started to get down. The Brooklyn-based funk group tore through a setlist full of old favorites and new jams that forced everyone in the venue to get up and dance.

Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff and Erick “Jesus” Coomes lead the band on guitar and bass, respectively, but the horn duo of Ryan Zoidis and Eric Bloom really laid down the funk. Neal Evans’ keys and Adam Deitch’s drums tied the sound together. A highlight was when a female vocalist with a crazy set of pipes joined the band on stage for a few songs, giving the tunes an extra edge and power.

Catch Lettuce November 15 at Bear Creek Music Festival in Florida, at Brooklyn Bowl in early December, or hit up one of their shows on their recently announced January-February tour across the country.
November 6, 2014
Clifton Park Fans Welcome Back Breaking Benjamin

Fans were lined up for hours outside Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Thursday night in anticipation for the long-awaited return of Breaking Benjamin. After legal issues with former band mates, frontman Benjamin Burnley assembled a new band that consists of former Red guitarist Jasen Rauch, former Adelitas Way guitarist Keith Wallen, former bassist from OurAfter Aaron Bruch and former Picture Me Broken drummer Shaun Foist.

The very limited eight-city tour titled “Unplugged” is the first acoustic tour in the band’s history with every show either being sold out or very close to a sell out. Upstate Concert Hall was packed tight as you could barely fit another person in the sold out venue. Fans were buzzing with excitement and anticipation sharing past memories of the band and how cool it was that they were getting the first show of the comeback tour while waiting for the band to take the stage.

The new par can LED style lighting the concert venue is sporting now brought a really nice ambiance over the stage and the crowd. Around 8:40pm the wait was finally over. Breaking Benjamin took to the stage to a thunderous roar from the crowd while everyone clapped. The stage was set in usual acoustic fashion with all the band members sitting in chairs with the drummer behind them while Ben stood up.

As the band geared up and hit the first notes for the first song in the set “So Cold,” the fans screams became louder. Then once Ben’s voice resonated through the crowd, every set of eyes in the building was locked on Brunley. Once the song was over they crowd erupted with applause. Ben not really much for talking on the night and more all about business thanked the fans and said “sing along if you know the words.” The band then played “Follow”.

Burnley gave a small speech before they played the song “Unknown Soldier,” Ben thanked the fans for coming to the first Breaking Benjamin acoustic tour and making it so f#@#!^@ awesome for us tonight. He then dedicated the song to the American Armed Forces.

Breaking Benjamin just kept the flow of the night going and just jammed out song after song. Ben asked the crowd “so how do you like the acoustic stuff?” The fans cheered with acceptance which brought a big smile to Ben’s face. BB then went into the song “Blow Me Away”. The crowd sang every word to every song of the night so far which prompted Ben to say how much he loved the crowd here in Clifton Park. He then told the fans that we are going to play some stuff off our first album -“Water” then played through the venue.

Ben then talked about a song that inspired him and made him love music when he was fifteen years old. He then covered the Alice in Chains hit “Them Bones”.

During the song “I Will Not Bow” Burnley pointed out a snafu that one of the guitarist had which made Ben jokingly ask “you ok buddy” Burnley then said to the packed house “it’s great to be back and you guys here tonight are f#@%!#@ awesome.” The band then played “Until The End”.

After the last song in the set “Diary of Jane” Breaking Benjamin stood center stage and took a group bow and thanked the fans by shaking hands, throwing guitar pics and drum sticks to the crowd. Breaking Benjamin the exited the stage which started a defining chant of “one more song” from the crowd.

After a very short exit from the stage. Breaking Benjamin gave the fans not only one more song, but how about a four song encore. They started with a cover of the Nirvana song “Polly”. Before the last encore song of the night “Rain” Ben stated again how f’in amazing the crowd was.

This was a really great show that every Breaking Benjamin fan should get to witness someday. The acoustic setting worked really well and the fans cheered for and sung to every song the band played on the set list. Ben sounded amazing on the mic and the night exceeded my expectations. There was the one little snafu with the guitar and some high screech sounds on the mic here and there but that didn’t ruin the performances at all. It actually enhanced the show giving it a true live vibe. Mishaps happen live, and it’s good to know that you’re getting a true live performance from the band. Even though the cover songs were really good, I wish BB played their own songs “Without You,” “Dear Agony” and “Had Enough” instead. All that aside the 25 song set list just flew by and left me wanting more.

Breaking Benjamin “Unplugged” tour Clifton Park, N.Y.

Setlist: So Cold * Follow * Unknown Soldier * Break My Fall * Simple Design * Blow Me Away * Water * Polyamorous * Natural Life * Shallow Bay * Give Me A Sign * Home * Breath * Them Bones (Alice in Chains cover) * I Will Not Bow * Until The End * Forget It * Prison Sex (Tool cover) * Evil Angel * Lights Out * Diary Of Jane * Encore: Polly (Nirvana cover) * Here We Are * Sooner Or Later * Rain

October 24, 2014
Thousand Foot Krutch to Light Up The Sky in Clifton Park

Capital Region, consider this your “Courtesy Call.” Get ready to throw up your “Rawkfist” Upstate N.Y. Thousand Foot Krutch is bringing their fall “Born This Way” tour to the Capital Region. The tour was named after the lead single off their brand new eighth studio album OXYGEN : INHALE. Supporting acts for the 19-date tour will be We As Human, Righteous Vendetta, and in select cities, Like A Storm.

TFK was formed in Canada in 1995. The band started seeing success in 2002 with the current lineup of Trevor McNaven, Joel Bruyere and Steve Augustine. Country megastar Carrie Underwood is a huge fan and performed the song “Let the Sparks Fly” live on stage with the boys at Winter Jam in Tulsa, Oklahoma. TFK has toured with many big names in rock music such as Breaking Benjamin, Skillet, Red and Chevelle.

The band’s sound is a fusion of Christian Rock meets Rap Metal, mixing melodic and high energy songs with slick verses and very catchy choruses and hooks.

TFK with Carrie Underwood

Ready to “Strike Back” and help support the tour is Memphis, Tennessee’s We As Human. The band has been touring relentlessly all year and it looks like they are not ready to stop yet. The band has recently toured with Black Stone Cherry and were part of Rock On The Range, K-Rockathon, Rocklahoma and were also on last years Carnival Of Madness.

Righteous Vendetta will bring “The Fire Inside” every venue on the tour. After Vendetta’s song “This Pain” was played on Sirius/XM Octane, the Wyoming natives have hit a lot of rock music fans radars and have also appeared on numerous tours. They’re an awesome up and coming rock band.

Clifton Park you better “Move” and get your tickets before everything “Falls Apart“. TFK will make their rare appearance in the area on Wednesday Oct. 22 at Upstate Concert Hall. Doors open at 7pm and show starts at 8pm. Advanced tickets are $17 and $20 day of show. You can purchase tickets at all Ticketmaster locations, the club box office 371-0012 and Northern Lights Smoke Shop.

Rochester will also see the tour on Tuesday Oct. 21 at The California Brew Haus. Tickets for this show can be purchased through ticketfly for $20. The event is 18 and older.

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October 20, 2014
Ready, Set, OK Go! Celebrate Album Release at Upstate Concert Hall on Oct 14

OK Go, the American alternative rock group, performed in Upstate New York on Tuesday Oct 14th in support of their new album, Hungry Ghosts. Upstate Concert Hall was their only stop in New York and was lucky enough to host their unofficial release party as their new album launched that same day. The Capital District crowd was eager to hear the alternative rock pop group as cheers started with the lights dimming on two huge screens on stage. Short video clips of famous pop culture scenes were cast on the screens with the only words being said: ‘OK’, ‘Go’ and the musicians names, frontman and guitarist Damian Kulash, bassist Tim Nordwind, drummer Dan Konopka and keyboardist/guitarist Andy Ross.

The quartet started the night with “Upside Down & Inside Out”, a slamming song that channels everyone’s inner Miley Cyrus with screaming lyrics “Can’t stop, won’t stop” with a massive rainstorm of confetti and smoke. Tuning into their classic surfer punk song, “You’re So Damn Hot” before smashing into “Writings on the Wall”, an upbeat groove with a build up of explosive laser sounds and steady vocals. OK Go celebrated hosts WEQX on their 30th anniversary and gave thanks by performing the electrifying cosmic funky song “I Won’t Let You Down” which can often be heard on their station. New song, “Obsession”, is more of a dark pop with hushed vocals, deep bass and lighthearted cowbell. The bright and colorful melody of “This Too Shall Pass” caused a crowd singalong reminding those of their past performance at Tulip Fest 2010.

“This next song requires my phone cause we are nerds like that” Kulash said as he began to record the crowds various orchestrated stomps and claps to create a unique beat box breakdown. OK Go and guests didn’t prepare to blow out the PA system but that didn’t stop Kulash from diving into the middle of the crowd with his acoustic guitar for a cutesy ballad surrounded by the glow of cell phones. With everything back up and running, OK Go wasted no time gearing up the crowd again with “Get Over It” and “Skyscraper”. The set ended with sincere harmonies and classic rock guitar solos from “Turn Up The Radio”. The crowd demanded more and OK Go quickly returned for a humorous acoustic performance of “The Confrontation” from Les Miserables. The night ended with their original hit and climactic “Here We Go Again”, aka ‘The Treadmill Song’ as fans were invited on stage for a organized mess of a closer.

An OK Go show is just as entertaining and unpredictable as their music videos if not more. My new dream job is to be the person controlling the nonstop confetti storm throughout the entire night, which is also biodegradable. These musicians are scientists of sound, using every physical object to create original and fresh music. They are very personable, taking breaks between each song to tell jokes, stories, beard advice, pose for pictures, etc… OK Go put a tremendous amount of effort into their show performances with big smiles on their faces. You can stream their new album, Hungry Ghosts for free on YouTube, Spotify or Soundcloud. CD’s are $13 and vinyl is $25 on their website, with instant MP3 downloads included.

Check out OK Go’s latest music video, “The Writings On The Wall” from their new album, Hungry Ghosts.

October 16, 2014
Dan Maines, bassist of Clutch, talks Upstate NY, a new record, and The Walking Dead

When Clutch came to Upstate Concert Hall in September, I was lucky enough to sit down with the bassist, Dan Maines. The lineup of the band has added members to it’s roster over the years, but the core lineup of Dan, Neil Fallon, Jean-Paul Gaster and Tim Sult has remained the constant for over twenty years. Clutch has been a staple to the Upstate New York music scene for most of their career, and it was great to talk about the area, the band and the process with Dan. Also, for the first time, we brought along a local musician, Dustin Alexander, who plays in the band Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars to ask a few questions, bassist to bassist.

Dustin Alexander (JCHA), Dan Maines (Clutch) and Jeff Ayers (NYS Music) backstage of Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com

Jeff Ayers: In your personal opinion, how has playing in the heavy rock scene changed in the last two decades? Do you still feel like it’s an uphill battle?

Dan Maines: I don’t know, that’s kind of a hard question to answer. We are not in the position to really know what it’s like for a band starting out now. It might be a little more difficult for them now, as opposed to when we started. We were coming up at a point in time when a whole new genre of music was moving into the mainstream. Bands that we were listening to for years, that we were looking at as influences, they were suddenly becoming major label bands. That happened for us as well, and we got swept up in that frenzy, to jump on that bandwagon. What people were calling alternative, or grunge rock, and some bands that didn’t even fit into that category were swept up too, for better or worse. Talking with the band we are on tour with now, Lionize, they are in a better position nowadays. Hearing the things they pick up on [coming up in the industry.] Now, it seems like it’s not even mandatory to be a legitimate band anymore.

JA: Yeah, I see that too.

DM: Bands that play along to recorded tracks, that isn’t really being in a band. The whole thing for us is playing a live show, to be entertaining for us and the live audience.

JA: You guys do that very well, I have to say.

DM: Thank you. I mean if you can’t do that as a band, without the use of computers or backtracks, you should probably rethink your approach.

JA: I totally agree. You talked about being swept up by the major label race in the 90’s to sign a bunch of bands. You guys started on Atlantic or Columbia Records right?

DM: We started on East West. Which was part of that Atlantic family, and that was in 1992, when we signed, and the record (Transnational Speedway League) didn’t come out until 93. We actually released an EP on Earache Records before that. (Passive Restraints).

JA: Then in 2008, you started WeatherMaker Records. How was that process, being in the business for a while at that point then starting your own label? Was it tough?

DM: Yeah, it definitely was. We were on East West, then moved to Columbia, and then Atlantic. We just got fed up with the game. It’s a weird business, so many personal changes happen on the fly, on a weekly basis sometimes. We felt like there wasn’t any real direction, and nobody knew what the hell to do with us. We signed with an independent label, DRT, and put out three records with them. But that was the slow decline with our relationship with labels. We had to go to court, and winning that decision bolstered our resolve to just say, “Let’s do it ourselves”. At that point, we were in the right position, we had already put out records on our own. We put out Jam Room on Riverroad Records, which was basically selling records out the backdoor of the van. So we had been doing it already to a point, and the only thing we didn’t have was distribution. So we had to find a couple of really good people in that field to work for us in an unconventional label.

JA: Speaking a little about Upstate NY, you guys have been coming to this area for a long time. I can’t even count the amount of times I have seen you play this area. Do you enjoy Upstate NY? Are you happy with the response you get from this area?

DM: Definitely. That is kinda how we started out. Being from Baltimore, we would play up to Boston, and then head to Detroit, and then play our way back home. So this became our spot, or one of them.

Dan Maines (Clutch) at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com

JA: Do you remember Saratoga Winners?

DM: Absolutely. I mean they were one of the earliest supporters of us, even more so than our hometown. This has always been a really great place for us to play.

JA: We have a great metal scene in this area, but also a great jam scene. You guys fit into so many pieces of that puzzle.

DM: Yeah that’s good. Man, I’ve never even thought about that. Makes sense.

JA: Personally speaking, I started listening to you guys in the mid nineties because a local radio station was playing you (Z-Rock), and then you guys started playing up here. Not only a fan of you guys, but through the times I have seen you tour, I have found favorite bands because the were your openers. Like The Sword, and Mastodon. Do you hand-pick your tour mates?

DM: We get a lot of help from our booking agency, when we are planning on touring, they also have bands on their roster that they suggest to us. Also, bands that we might not know exist, but want to tour with us, submit themselves through our booking agency. We are with The Agency Group. That’s how we found out about American Sharks, when we were touring with The Sword. Kyle (Shutt) suggested that we play with them, and I am really glad he did, because they are great.

JA: You guys have been really lucky to have your music attached to other aspects in the media. You have your songs used in sports games and broadcasts, and video games like Tony Hawk, and also television. Do you see a big help from that stuff? More recent example was when “Regulator” was used in a 2012 episode of The Walking Dead.

DM: That was huge for us!

Dustin Alexander: Are you a Walking Dead fan?

DM: Absolutely! I lost my mind when I got that email.

DA: I got the chills when that song came on.

JA: Dustin and I were watching that episode together, and we jumped off the couch when that scene happened, screaming “Clutch is on the Walking Dead!”

DM: That was amazing. It definitely helped us reach new people, too. Before that episode came out, we keep track of what songs and albums are doing the best on iTunes for example. After that episode aired, there was a huge spike in interest in that song. Same thing goes for like hockey or baseball teams that will sometimes use one of our tunes. I think the Vancouver Canucks, they were using ‘Electric Worry’ as their goal song.

JA: So cool!

DM: Yeah, it’s a hockey stadium, so I guarantee you that more than half the people in that place have never heard of us before. They get that [song] in their heads, and they go ask their friends, or they go look it up. It all helps.

JA: Because I am a giant nerd, I have to ask you this question. On the new record, “Earth Rocker”, the song ‘Unto the Breech’ has a lot of Doctor Who references. Who is the fan in the band?

DM: Neil! To be honest, I didn’t know about half the shit he was talking about.

JA: Ha! But whatever works for the song I guess?

DM: Oh yeah.

JA: I’m going to turn this over to Dustin Alexander, who is a local musician playing in the same genre as you guys, to ask a few more questions:

DA: My biggest concern, as far as touring, is how do you keep healthy? You guys play hard and long, and are playing huge sets night after night. How do you maintain yourselves?

DM: I drink a lot more water than I ever did. That is the biggest thing. Because, you are not gonna stop drinking beer, that just isn’t gonna happen. You are not gonna stop eating pizza. You can eat less pizza, but just drink as much water as you can. I wish I knew that fifteen years ago. It catches up to you. Don’t eat McDonalds.

DA: Since you guys have been together for so long, how do you get everybody to be on the same frequency and the same mindset? How has that worked out for you in Clutch, creating records?

DM: You kinda just have to be honest about it. It’s a weird thing for us. As long as it doesn’t remind us of something we have already done, or another band entirely, we are always down to try something a little different. At the same time, there is never any spoken direction. We don’t even know what the hell we are doing sometimes. We are writing a new record right now, and the only goal posts we have is to write. The more open you are to musical ideas, the easier it is to write songs, because you aren’t pigeon holed into a specific sound. There are instances where individual instruments can throw something new into a song that the other members won’t pick up on[right away]. Like, Jean-Paul could do some kind of a New Orleans shuffle kind of beat in a song, and that song could have nothing to do with funk whatsoever, but it fits that groove.

DA: Sometimes you are in the studio and laying down stuff, and you pick up on things you didn’t even know were part of the song.

DM: That’s what makes it interesting, especially in this band.

DA: What’s next after the tour, are you planning on going back in the studio?

DM: This tour is the last “Earth Rocker” tour that we will do. We are going to take three months off, and write and finish the material for this new record, and hopefully go into the studio as soon as we can next year and get something out.

DA: Do you guys have a method you follow each year, time to tour, time to get in the studio kind of thing?

DM: Yeah we have to plan it out quite a bit, because we don’t really write on the road. It’s hard to set aside a big chunk of time at home to write. So when we are home, we get together as often as we can at our studio and record every single idea we have. Whether it is a single riff, or a whole song, we get it down on tape and move on. Then a few months later we go back to it, and listen to everything we have and try to see what we can piece together into a song or an album. Sometimes it comes together in the matter of an hour, sometimes it takes weeks.

DA: Do you feel like after you write the riffs and give it that break, it helps?

DM: Sure, it does.

DA: As a bassist, I have to ask, your rig set-up is pretty rad. Are you using the Orange Tiny Terror?

DM: Yeah, I got the terror running through the Orange fifteen, and the SVT through the other cab.

DA: Is that the 1000 watt head or the 500?

DM: I’m not sure. I have both, and one is set up for the European tours, and the other is for the U.S.

DA: I have the 500 watt and i’ve been so happy with it.

DM: Yeah, they are awesome.

DA: Your rig sounds powerful up there. Do you use a pedal rig at all?

DM: No, I used to try and mess around with a wah pedal, and I liked the stuff I used it for on the records, but it’s kind of a trap for me I think. So I took it out of the mix completely, to force myself to think of something to play, rather than rely on the crutch of a pedal.

DA: I noticed that your lines are sturdy, and hold the floor down, and not too intricate. Do you notice yourself pulling back a bit to keep it a little less complicated?

DM: Yeah. That is the kind of playing a like in a bass player anyway, for the most part. The Band of Gypsys is my epitome of perfect music. Billy Cox is solid as a rock, and I use that as a starting point to my approach to playing. When I feel like I can elaborate a little, and do a “Look what I can do” riff, then I’ll do it. It’s not like, “Where can I do something sick in this song?” That’s not what it is about for me. You can find the balance though.

DA: Well that is why I like your playing because of how sturdy you keep it.

DM: Well, I get to play with Jean-Paul, so I’m lucky.

September 20, 2014
American Sharks talk Touring and Having a Great Time at Upstate Concert Hall

Good bands and fun times seem to come out of Texas a lot these days. American Sharks are a prime example of the type of music and tour ethos that can be attributed to bands like The Sword and The Black Angels.

After their head-turning set at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY opening up for Clutch, I got to sit down with Mike Hardin (bass/vocals) and Will Ellis (guitar) to talk about touring, the fast pace the band has been coming up in the music scene, and what it means to have a good time. This was also the second interview I got to do with local musician Dustin Alexander from Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars(JCHA), bringing a “in the trenches” point of view to this article. We hope to include more local musicians talking to touring musicians in subsequent articles at .

Interview with American Sharks. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert.

Jeff Ayers: So when did the band start? Where did the band come from?

Mike Hardin: Will and I started the band a while back in Houston, Texas.

JA: Are you originally from Houston?

MH: Sort of. We are kind of from a mish-mash of place, but we are all from Texas. The band kinda started when we were living in downtown Houston. Then we moved to Austin and that’s where we met Nick [Cornetti] our drummer. After that we went through a change and became a three piece, and that would be the actual beginning of the band. From then on we changed a lot.

JA: When was this?

Will Ellis: 2009

JA: How about musical influences? What influenced you to start this project?

WE: Roky Erickson, ELO

MH: I listen to David Bowie. Only David Bowie. [laughs]. But, I’d say Roky Erickson was a huge influence. Roky Erickson and the Aliens, specifically, was a big influence on this band.

JA: Cool. First time I heard you guys, I thought I was listening to Motorhead and Red Fang fighting. I was instantly hooked.

WE: Awesome!

JA: You guys are already making waves. Speaking of Red Fang, you have done some tours with them, and you’ve played with The Sword, and now Clutch. How has the response for you on these tours been?

WE: Yeah, very positive. It’s been really awesome man. It’s slowly getting better and better, where we show up in cities we have never played before and people are there wearing out shirts and stuff.

MH: We were touring for a few years by ourselves, and you go to cities and no one knows who you are. Now we can come to cities and there are people coming out to see us play.

JA: Well that is the name of the game right? Specifically with this tour with Clutch, I think you guys are a great fit. How did that come about, for you guys to get on this tour?

MH: We toured with Clutch and The Sword last year. Basically, we are friends with The Sword, and Kyle[Shutt] is our manager, and he was trying for us.

WE: We asked him to nudge [Clutch] a bit, asked him to give them our music. He told them they needed to see us play, so when they came through Houston, they had us play one show with them. Next thing we knew we were going out on tour with them.

Jim Gilbert: Actually, the room we are in, The Sword once set off all the fire alarms and they claimed they were only using a vaporizer.

MH: [laughs] This has happened a couple of times being on tour with The Sword actually. Once, on tour with Clutch and The Sword, Clutch was playing and the fire alarms started going off–

WE: Yeah, that place was in Athens, Georgia (The Georgia Theatre), and it had burned down years before, so everyone in the place was freaking out thinking it was burning down again

JA: Thats hilarious, I’ve met those guys and they seem like fun dudes. Speaking of the future, you guys are coming back to Upstate Concert Hall opening up for GWAR. It’s the first tour without Dave [Brockie] too. How did that tour come about?

WE: I don’t really know! Our booking agent submitted us, and it just happened.

JA: Well that is going to be an awesome tour, and I’ll be back to see you guys then.

MH: Yeah, we can’t wait.

JA: So, right before this, you wrapped up a tour with The Whores, and now Clutch, and then GWAR. How many shows a year do you think you play?

WE: Probably over 200.

JA: That is living the dream. Are you predominantly touring the U.S.?

WE: Yes, just U.S. so far.

JA: Is there anything on the horizon for other countries?

MH: Nothing set in stone. We have things we are working on, but nothing we can talk about yet.

JA: What’s next for you guys after the GWAR tour?

WE: Take a nap. [laughs] We are going to start working on our next record. It’s tough touring in the winter, so we want to hunker down and start pushing through our second record.

American Sharks. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com

JG: [speaking of Nick the drummer] I got to ask, what is like being onstage with Animal from The Muppets?

MH: Ha! No one has ever called him that before! Animal! [laughs] He does do the drums like that. That is so hilarious. I’m going to tell him that for sure.

JG: I had to look quick a couple times to see if he was using a stick or a hammer.

JA: You guys have a great stage presence.

WE: I think Animal might be his favorite drummer actually.

MH: Oh dude! I didn’t know that!

JA: Well it shows [laughs] I ask this of a lot of bands, are there any bands you just can’t stop listening to at this moment?

WE: I’ve been listening to a lot of Roedelius, Arthur Verocai, and a lot of different chill stuff. Helps keep everything nice and calm.

JA: So when you get on stage you can rage it!

MH: I almost exclusively listen to David Bowie all the time

JA: I have to ask the obligatory question: pre-Ziggy [Stardust], Ziggy, or post Ziggy?

MH: All of it. Well like late 80’s through the 90’s, there is some really terrible shit in there [laughs]. But also, there is this band called Midnight, which is a newish band and they shred. If you like Motorhead, they are like an even crazier Motorhead. They played in Austin the day we left for this tour and I was so pissed I had to miss them.

JG: Be honest, have you[Will] ever walked in on Mike in the bathroom painting a Bowie lightning bolt on his face?

MH: [laughs] Yea and we lock eyes in the mirror

WE: [laughs] No I haven’t!

JA: I am now going to throw the questions to Dusitn, a local musician from this area

Dustin Alexander: The first thing that always comes to mind is how do you toe the line between partying and having fun on tour, and feeling better the next day? Having to play night after night, how do you maintain that?

WE: I just smoke weed most of the time.

MH: Yeah. But also, to be honest, partying and playing can spiral out of control really fucking fast. People say that, and you go “Haha, VH1 Behind the Music”. It doesn’t seem real to you until you are in it, and you can see the effects [this lifestyle] can have on you. Personally, I had some very negative experiences with alcohol. Be responsible. All of the sudden you can realize that you haven’t been sober in a year, and that is not good. I feel like I’m going to die. Not in a “I’m tired” way, but in a real, I am dependent on getting drunk when I wake up until I fall asleep. That is now O.K. That happens and that’s real, and you don’t think about that [when you are starting out].

WE: You get on each other’s nerves and stuff, you are on edge because you are hungover, and you are cooped up with everyone. It’s best to choose your party nights wisely, and I mostly drink maybe a couple beers a night, and just smoke a lot of weed.

DA: I feel marijuana is almost a performance enhancing drug for touring anyways. I mean sore muscles, can’t get sleep, a little nervous? That will take care of it!

MH: [laughs] Yeah, yeah.

DA: You have pretty aggressive vocals, and to do that night after night, is there something you do to prep, or cool down?

MH: I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. More if I can, but I am a notorious voice loser. Also, I need to get sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep, I’ll lose my voice, and that sucks. Sleep is probably the most important thing in my opinion.

DA: How do you deal with that, when your voice kicks out and you are on tour?

MH: You get pissed off. It can be pretty embarrassing when you are playing in front of a packed house and you can’t sing. It can be a little frustrating.

WE: Usually whenever his voice does give out, we get to a place so he can get some sleep, and then it can come right back.

MH: I think people don’t put enough thought behind getting sleep. If I get a full night’s rest, I’m great. I normally do, I try for a full eight hours a night. I think it works wonders, because I rarely get sick.

JG: Where do you guys get sleep on tour? Do you get hotels, or the van?

WE: It depends on the tour usually. We try to get hotels, because when we crash at people’s houses, a lot of people want to hang out and talk to you all night. We might have an eight hour drive the next morning and we won’t get enough sleep. So we have to drop a little money [for a hotel] to make sure we get our rest.

MH: When you are on tour with a band like Clutch, they have a bus. So they route the tour based on that. All of us would rather spend money on a hotel than laying in a ditch because we flipped our van because we were so tired. It’s not worth it.

DA: A question about your bass rig. Are you running through and overdrive pedal or anything?

MH: Oh yeah! I use a pedal called the assmaster. [laughs]. It’s like B: assmaster. It’s made by Malekko. It’s 250 dollars, so it’s a little pricey, but it’s totally worth it. It’s the best thing I’ve found.

DA: Yeah it sounds thick, and you weren’t losing anything in the mix. It sounded gnarly.

MH: It has a really great bass boost on it, and you can make a lot of adjustments on it too.

DA: I play bass and sing at the same time like yourself. Do you find that singing sometimes gets in your way, because you might want to play a heavier bass line, but you have to worry about singing too?

MH: Oh for sure. But most of the time, the way we try and write music, it by simplifying and making it a little more accessible. Especially being a three piece, I don’t have to be [so busy]. As long as the bass is driving and thick, I can leave the other stuff to Will, because he has magic fingers. But I know what you mean, because sometimes there is a part in my head that I want to play, but I can’t because I’m doing a lot of singing there as well.

JG: Where did the idea for short songs come about, most of your songs top out around two or three minutes.

MH: The thoughts complete at that point. We don’t have to keep dragging on.

WE: We try to cut all the bullshit out of the writing.

MH: The Beatles, they were writing two minute songs, and they were great. The Ramones as well. Why should we try for more if we can get out what we want in that timeframe.

American Sharks at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com

JG: You guys are on tour 200+ days a year, can you give us one hilarious story from the road?

MH: We were on tour with The Sword one time, and we were going through Albuquerque, but we weren’t playing there, so we all stayed there for the night. I don’t know if you have ever been there, but it is a crazy kind of city, there is definitely something in the air or the water. We get a hotel and all get rooms on the same floor right next to each other, and we are going to party all night. So we go to this strip club, and get kicked out. [laughs]. Well first Kyle from The Sword gets kicked out of a bar, in the beginning of the night. We were already loaded and they wouldn’t serve him and they are like “Get out of here!” So we show up and Kyle is in the streets so mad, screaming “Let me back in” and another dude from the bar is apologizing profusely because he knows he is in The Sword. So we go down to this strip club, and we are hanging out, doing strip club stuff, you know, and how does the rest of this go?

WE: We had a guy on tour, our camera guy, and I was gone at another bar when they first got to the strip club. When I showed up, there was this woman trying to stab our camera guy with her stiletto, and everybody’s holding her back and she’s screaming about money. Apparently he got one dance, and she said it was like five dance, and the bouncers are telling everyone to get out. So I acted like I wasn’t friends with any of them, and sat down at this other chair and finished my drink.

MH: So we were pretty wasted and we met all these people from Albuquerque and we all went back to our rooms on the top floor and had a raging party. All the classics that you would do if you were, say Van Halen, we did all of those things. I literally fell to the carpet at one point and passed out.

JG: That was not a night you got good sleep.

MH: [laughs] No way! But it was fun.

September 18, 2014
Snarky Puppy and Mister F bring worldly dance party to Upstate Concert Hall

Music lovers at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park got a taste of homegrown, world-class music Thursday Sept 11th with performances by Mister F and Snarky Puppy.

The livetronica four piece band, Mister F calls the Capital District home and was surrounded by familiar faces as they celebrated their 100th show of the year. Mister F played multiple songs off their debut album released this year, The F Stands Four and has been touring heavily to share their electric dark funk sound. Opening the night with “Vocoder” featured Scott Hannay demonstrating his wild keyboard playing skills and vocals on the talk box with upbeat flair. Ben Pickering laid down major bass rhythm as he grooved to the steady tempo for “On and On” while Andrew Chamberlaine stretched out his strings for a hard-hitting melody. The jams got dark as Matt Pickering clashed cymbals and struck drums with seriously focused energy that spread across the venue. Don’t miss Mister F as they will be all over the Upstate area this week, making stops in Oneonta, Ithaca and Albany performing their electric fusion with force.

Snarky Puppy is one of the biggest bumps under the radar; you either have no idea who they are or were losing your mind that you got to see them in the intimate setting of Upstate Concert Hall. This year, Snarky Puppy won a Grammy Award in the Best R&B Performance category for their rendition of “Something” by Brenda Russell from their album Family Dinner – Volume 1 and have been catching the main stream ear ever since. The all instrumental band was a 7-headed monster that night as they kicked off their World Tour here in Upstate with hypnotizing tight jams. Bassist and pack leader, Michael League joked that it feels like they have been on a nonstop tour since 2006. League is everything you would want in a band leader, with friendly crowd engagement and strong transition assists, encouraging the band to always take it to the next peak. They have nonstop buildups with tremendous horn solos stretching out mellow jazz notes before leaping right back into the jams. They have a foreign yet universal sound that speaks to everyone with a fusion of pop, funk and futuristic jazz. The drummer and percussionist had an all-out dizzying solo session of salsa rock as jazz flute was introduced for a circus melody. The show ended with a celebratory all out blast of an encore that left the crowd still wanting more. Here’s wishing Snarky Puppy a safe and awesome tour with a fast return to Upstate NY!

September 16, 2014
Clutch Brings Earth Rocker to Upstate Concert Hall
In Upstate New York, it is that special time of the year again. Time for the leaves to change, the nights to get colder, and Clutch to return to the area. For much of their 24 years of playing, they have managed to always make Upstate a stop on their tours. Good thing too, because this area absolutely loves the band and comes out in droves to witness their pure rock fury.

Neil Fallon of Clutch

Upstate Concert Hall, the premier club in the area to bring acts like this around consistently, was on point for this show. Their great security staff kept the patrons safe, the fine bartenders kept everyone’s thirst at bay, and the stage crew kept the whole thing running smoothly. Without establishments of this calibre, audiences would not be able to see so many great acts come to their town.

First up for the night was American Sharks from Texas. A three-piece consisting of a bassist/vocalist, guitarist and drummer, they took the stage to an already half-packed room at 8:00 PM. Before exploding into their first song, the singer told the crowd he was betrayed, and with tongue in cheek, said that he was drinking vodka instead of water all night. This was a good gauge as to the type of fun the band had on stage, and the infectious riff-rock music they played. Hints of Alice Cooper, Motorhead, and Red Fang permeated their sound, and the audience ate it up. Driving guitar and bass riffs helmed each song, short and sweet at about two or three minutes in length. The drummer was the most mesmerizing, hitting his skins like a crazed caveman, then walking away from his set after each song to stare it down, eager to beat it into submission on the next one. At one point, the atmosphere was like a zombie prom, or a romanticized punk rock show, with groups of people feeling the grooves and infecting nearby fans to dance and sway with them. The fast-paced rock was peppered with trippy instrumental nuggets, giving a big, full sound from the band. “We have a few more warm up songs before we get to the set” the singer would say from time to time, gaining chuckles from the audience and increasing the good vibes of the show.

Lionize hit the stage next, a stellar act off of Clutch’s label, Weathermaker Records. In fact, their sound was very parallel to Clutch, with big groovy hooks and funk riffs, littered with a commanding vocal presence. Some songs made use of reggae-esque timing and vocals, while other songs produced full-on southern metal assaults. They were a contrast from American Sharks’ two minute sonic attacks, as Lionize played longer epics that were full of sound. A little bit for everyone, bouncing between burn-up-the-road heavy jams to introspective, keyboard-heavy, funk ballads. Relying heavily on their newest album’s material, they delighted the now almost-packed house of Upstate Concert Hall with their musical prowess.

With the lights down and a rowdy backtrack song ushering Clutch onstage, the crowd was whipped instantly into a frenzy. A fast four count from their drummer Jean-Paul Gaster broke directly into set opener, “Cyborg Betty”, off their new album Earth Rocker. Neil Fallon picked up his mic and slid right into his onstage preacher persona, gesturing madly at the audience with each cadence. They easily had the best sound of the night, and possibly one of the best sounding stage performances ever at this venue. A straight four-piece band, fans were able to pick out the guitars, bass and drum riffs with ease from wherever they were in the tightly packed room. By the time the band hit “Crucial Velocity”, both in song title and in intensity, the crowd was mere putty in Clutch’s collective hands. A brand new song was unfurled at this show, and possible a few others on this tour, and Neil belted out “Decapitation Blues” with poise and determination that seemed like they had been playing it for years. It featured the first full on guitar solo of the night, and Tim Sult’s expertise washed over an already incredible array of sounds.

I was lucky enough to be backstage before Clutch went on, and heard Jean-Paul warming up like a well-wound clock. It showed on stage, too, because coupled with an epic bottom floor held down by Dan Maines, is a tight-as-nails rhythm section that is unparalleled in this type of music. Screaming “Fire it up, Yeah that’s the ticket now kick out the jams” as they launched into crowd favorite “Mice and Gods” reflected exactly what was happening that night.

The crowd was full of happy faces, all mesmerized by the sheer brilliance of the heavy, powerful rock and funk that was being bestowed upon them. At times Neil would chew his jaw like a grandfather telling you an important story, or he would get more worked up and anoint the crowd with his microphone. If you have never seen Clutch live, it is an experience akin to something almost religious, as you feel better afterward like you could take on anything. The ethos of the band are summed up perfectly in the title track of “Earth Rocker”, as he sings “If you are gonna do it, do it on the stage, or don’t do it at all.” This isn’t a band that uses backing tracks or loops. They produce all the high-octane intensity directly in front of the audience, no smoke and mirrors. There was no signs of slowing down an hour into the set either, as they brought out acoustic guitars, with Neil on a beautiful hollow body for “Gone Cold”. Finishing out the night with a two song encore and giving props to the two openers, Clutch proved, once again, why it is always a treat to see them in Upstate New York.

Clutch will be on tour throughout September, check their website for dates and tickets.

Setlist: Cyborg Betty, Book Saddle and Go, Crucial Velocity, Burning Beard, Decapitation Blues, Mob Goes Wild, Mice and Gods, Profits of Doom, Power Player, I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth, The Yeti, Texan Book of the Dead, Unto the Breach, Earth Rocker, Cypress Grove, Gone Cold.

Encore: D.C. Sound Attack, Electric Worry
- Dan Maines (Clutch) at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
- American Sharks at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
September 15, 2014