Tag: Wild Adriatic

A Day with Wild Adriatic, Triumphantly Conquering the Capital Region

Pulling up to my house in their touring van with nothing but smiles, Wild Adriatic took me in for a day in the life in Upstate New York. We headed up the Northway to a Red Robin in Clifton Park to enjoy lunch and talk about their tour that just finished up. A wild week in Texas, New Orleans, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania had just ended, and Mateo Vosganian, Rich Derbyshine, and Travis Gray had stories to share from the road. From a night or two of smaller crowds to sing-a-longs in the car to a stop off in Maryland at an open mic that proved to be a great night of music for the band, Wild Adriatic had plenty of stories to tell over burgers and fries.

Pulling into Charles R. Wood Festival Space for Rocktoberfest in Lake George, the sounds of AM Bodega could be heard over the speakers. As the band unloaded the van and set up shop, AM Bodega were playing a solid set of music including some nice jams and a good take on Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter”. When it was time for Wild Adriatic to take the stage, the audience, although not large, all came close to the stage to watch the band take over for an hour and a half. Despite the tour and the long drives, the bands energy on stage was tremendous. Travis’s voice was in fine form, belting out his signatures wails and hitting every note. Rich was bouncing and dancing all around the stage non-stop throughout the set. Finally Mateo was hitting his drums with all his might and even at times was shaking the stage he was going so hard.

The set saw more covers than I am used to seeing from the band, but since they had a long set to play, they delved deep into their repertoire and busted out “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. Both were done beautifully, as was expected when upon the opening riffs. When the three of them decided to play covers, they do so as close to the original as they can. Travis was in a talkative mood as well from the stage, happy to be home seeing familiar faces after being on tour. The band was also very comfortable with one another on stage letting themselves get lost in a ten minute rendition of “Mess Around”. Having been touring so extensively lately the band has acquired this jamming skill to add to their live show and it suits them great. Locking into the song, they moved through three separate phases in their jam and brought it all back home, returning to the chorus of the song to close out the set.

After the set and packing up their gear, Wild Adriatic hung out, signed merchandise and talked with fans. As Black Mountain Symphony started up their country-rock, the van was finally packed up and we drove back down the Northway to Albany for the night show and tour capper at The Hollow Bar. The night’s setlist was written and the radio was on loud as we headed down the road listening to Joe Walsh, Mountain, and Led Zeppelin. Another load in and another soundcheck later, everyone was hanging in the basement of The Hollow when Titanics came down to hang out as well after finishing up their own soundcheck. Soon Party Boat was also down there waiting for the show to start, and three bands from Upstate New York were all trading touring stories and having a good time. Another meal was eaten at The Hollow with more stories from the road before Party Boat started the show. Their garage and surf infused rock was a great start to the evening. The laid back vibe won the crowd over with jokes and new music from the Albany band and are definitely worth catching the next time they are on the bill at a show.

Titanics came on next after a short break and the duo played a great set of indie-rock music. The music turned spacey at times, which was great to see. The blend of loops, keys, guitar, and vocals had the crowd take notice to not sleep on them either. With new music just out recently, these guys are really starting to become a local Albany fixture with bigger things to come. Taking the stage for the second time of the day, Wild Adriatic stormed on with “Lonely” and the crowd responded with dancing and chanting and singing the song right back at them. Some more left field covers for the band happened in The Darkness’s “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and MGMT’s “Electric Feel”, and both went over great with the crowd. I was amazed at how much energy Travis, Mateo, and Rich all still had from earlier in the day. Everything sounded and looked as if it was their first performance of the day. Wild Adriatic are road warriors and just want to be on stage all of the time. The packed house at The Hollow gave just enough room for everyone to dance and have a good time. There was some more jamming from the band as well, showing the Albany crowd that touring gets a band tighter and lets the songs shine even more than you remember from the last time you saw them.

Closing down the tour with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll” was a perfect tour-capper. Smiles, hugs, and drinks were shared among all the familiar local faces after the show was over. Wild Adriatic loves to remind audiences they are from Upstate New York and like to keep everything done with the “family” they have built up here. It was no coincidence that the last shows they are playing before heading to Europe are in the Capital Region of New York. The band has a lot to look forward to coming up really soon, but they also like to take a second and enjoy the moment. The Hollow provided them with a home town show to celebrate how great this year has been to them and they will be playing one more night at the venue before going abroad. That night is Halloween evening and the band is planning some great things for night. Be sure to get there for the fun that is going to take place and wish them safe travels before they head onto a plane across the Atlantic to conquer some new territory.

October 17, 2014
Interviewing Wild Adriatic on Pulling Double Duty, and more

Albany’s own Wild Adriatic will be playing two shows on Saturday October 11, one in Lake George and one in Albany. The two shows cap a week-long tour that saw the band go down to Texas for a few shows before making their way back home. To start off their day they will be on the bill alongside Rusted Root, Black Mountain Symphony, and AM Bodega at Lake George’s Oktoberfest taking place at Charles R. Wood Park, where The American Music Festival just took place. Following that show the band will pack up the van and head down the northway to Albany and make their way to The Hollow Bar for their show with locals’ Titanics and Party Boat. I got the chance to speak to Mateo Vosganian, drummer and beard extraordinaire of Wild Adriatic. It included interviewing Wild Adriatic about this past summer, playing multiple shows in a day, their upcoming European tour and more.

Bryan Lasky :How was the past week or so of tour in Texas?

Mateo Vosganian: The past week in TX was a crazy one! Every time we go back the shows get a little better and we keep making new friends along the way. This time we were fortunate enough to join our friends The Continuums from Austin on a little run of shows. It was our first time in Bryan and Houston but both cities were cool with smaller shows at sweet venues. The San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Austin shows were all awesome and then yesterday we had the pleasure of playing New Orleans for our first time! It was a small Monday night show with some great local acts, but the venue was awesome and we’ll be back in town for Mardi Gras 2015.

BL: What is it about Texas that keep you going back? I think this was the second or third time for you there if I’m correct.

MV: Texas is awesome. Plain and simple. The weather is always nice (if a little overwhelming with the heat/humidity, but hey…), the people are typically laid back and fun in the bigger cities we visit, and the music fans there love rock and roll. Playing to a room of new faces in TX is one of our favorite things to do because we’re always confident in more than half the room being very into what we’re doing. Texas has stayed engaged with us as a band, even though we’re in NY and only tour down every 3 months or so. There are a few great promoters and venues down there who have put their faith in the band and are working to help us grow down there. We’re grateful for the little set up we’ve been ushered into down in TX. So much so that we’ve decided to move to Austin from 2/10-3/23 this year. We’ve rented a house and rehearsal space and will be writing and demoing for a new album down there. We’re going to be meeting with producers and basically figuring out the vibe for the next record while we’re there, as well as a 4 week residency at Empire Garage & Control Room before a crazy week at SXSW 2015. We have some great friends down there we’d like to collaborate with and we all feel like living there for a bit will help us bolster even more of a buzz down that way. And even if not, it’ll be a totally sweet vacation from NY to escape the middle/end of winter.

BL: Is there any new music on the horizon? I know Big Suspicious only came out in January, but fans are already clamoring some new tunes.

MV: Hell yeah. We’ve got 2-3 tunes we’re going to start playing in Europe hopefully. We’ll probably play a few over this next month as we prepare for the Euro tour. Then when we get home we’re back in writing and US touring mode til we move to Austin for a more focused writing push. I’d really like to do a new single EP with a new single, a new b-side, a few b-sides from Big Suspicious, and a live or cover track early in 2015. I’m hoping to have something together for that before SXSW. Then LP #2 will be aiming for January 2016.

BL: Is it difficult playing 2 or more shows in a day? It seems like you guys have been doing it a lot lately

MV: I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. Oftentimes it’s stressful since it involves a cramped timeframe and everyone is rushing to get everything done and get it done perfectly so we can be on time for the next gig. Typically if we have 2+ gigs in a day, we’re excited about all of them so we’re able to keep the energy high and adrenaline flowing for the whole day. We had a conversation in June 2013 and then again when the album came out about how it was time to say yes to everything. I think we’re winding down on the say yes to EVERYTHING thing but having a solid work ethic and be willing and available to play early and often has helped us immensely.

BL: So a European tour is happening next month. How did that come about and how are you guys feeling going into the shows?

MV: We are all anxious as hell to get over there and get started. We’ve had a great publicist, Carmen, working hard for us in Europe and have had some great reviews of the album and have heard from a lot of excited European fans. We’ve been touring relentlessly since the album came out and I think we all feel really good on stage right now as a trio. We’re learning and growing together, and it’s made for some nice transitions in how we play live. We’re as high energy as ever but the amount of attention we’re each paying to each other on stage is at a heightened level. We’re all much more aware and that’s allowed us to take a few more risks and read the room (and each other) a lot better. As far as how it came about, our European booking agency Teenage Head Music heard about us randomly through a friend and reached out. THM is an awesome agency because pretty much their entire roster is American bands or bands from other countries like Australia and New Zealand, all going to Europe for tours on a very cool routing of venues in a handful of great countries.

BL: How important do you feel having a local radio station is to building a following for a band around a city with how the music business has changed and everything is accessible online?

MV: I think it’s pretty important, but building a following for a band is a very complex undertaking. The way to do it varies by band, by city, by genre, etc and there are so many contributing factors to what builds a band these days. A local radio station that is active and involved in the community is absolutely a key factor to spreading the word. We’re fortunate to have snagged the ears of WEQX listeners and the local area has been crazy supportive as far as showing up at our shows, dancing their faces off, buying merch, and spreading the word. We meet so many awesome people who tell us they’re going to bring more people next time they come see a show, and that is priceless. I think one of the things that has become clear is that the music business relies a lot more on having a supportive community of people invested in each other than ever before. We’ve had a very successful year and we owe it all to the help of other bands and their management (at every level of the game, from moe. to our homeboys the Continuums in Austin, TX and beyond), the promoters who take continual risks on bands, the radio stations who play bands when no one else is, and the music lovers who come out to shows, buy the album, and tell a friend. There’s a whole lot of people who rely on each other to bring new music to the world, and we try to re-invest in our friends and business acquaintances who do good things for the community around them.

BL: Any other plans you have coming up that you’d like to let the public in on yet, or do you want to leave some surprises for everyone?

MV: Announcing our New Years Eve plans soon! It’ll be our first and only Upstate NY show after returning home from Europe and before 2015! More exciting things will be announced over the next few months, I promise!

Tickets for both shows this Saturday are available now. Catch them at these small shows while you can before they move on up to hopefully some larger venues in the near future.

October 10, 2014
American Music Festival for The Lake made a splash on September 20 and 21

One of the best ways to end the summer festival season was spent at the inaugural American Music Festival for the Lake, in Lake George on September 20th and 21st. The two day family event was a fundraiser to keep Lake George clean and free of invasive species while enjoying local vendors, amusement rides and fantastic music. The event took place at the new Charles R. Wood festival space, a cozy 2.5 acre venue which is the first of many projects for the area that will include a skate park, a playground, interactive environmental trails and more. A humble stage stood front and center with a small sectioned off VIP area with rows of fold up seats while most people enjoyed being spread out on their blankets.

Saturday

The festival weekend started at noon with local one man band, Rich Ortiz. His rustic vocals sang out original songs from his album, Face of a Lion, with a pedal bass at his feet that looped rhythm and melodies. Ortiz is a relaxed version of Keller Williams, as he sat on stage, casually serenading the crowd with an appreciative heart. His covers of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” and Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You” were sincere and clean cut. The North & South Dakotas, a 5-piece northern rock band from Saratoga Springs, kicked up the afternoon a notch with their barnyard bluegrass. “Troubles of Me” a rebellious anthem with a pounding rhythm and growing chorus.

The classic American rock group, NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) was greeted with loud cheers as they started their set with fresh songs off their latest album Brass Tacks. NRBQ has been performing together for over 50 years and have stayed true to their fusion of rock, pop and blues. As fans shouted out requests, keyboardist Terry Adams reassuringly said, “Keep requesting them. We’re gonna play them all!” The entire set was upbeat with a variety of doo wop grooves especially for “Driving in my Car” and “Fighting Back”.

Paranoid Social Club made the trek down from Portland, Maine to give Upstate NY a taste of upbeat garage rock. With their band motto being, “At the Paranoid Social Club, we all fit in” most young adults can relate to their lyrics filled with angst, partying and finding the right girl, with swears blocked out for the family event. Their top international hit “Two Girls” was dedicated to all the swingers in the crowd with a catchy hard pop melody. Their set ended with ultimate party song “Wasted” with teases of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” for a high energy rock throw down.

Local rock stars Wild Adriatic made their set just in time after performing at the annual Lark Fest in Albany only a few hours earlier. With energy to spare, the boys came out blaring vocals and in your face rock that shook the crowd. Bassist Rich Derbyshire was his usual animated self as he roamed the stage and even ran through the audience without missing a beat. One of the highlights of the set was their rendition of Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone”, with an intense buildup and even bigger break down.

The crowd had greatly doubled for the headlining act of Robert Randolph and the Family Band with many folks upgrading to VIP for a closer standing view. Led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, the soulful rock music filled the air with an abundance of love and happiness. Going off their latest album, Lickety Split, “Amped Up” did exactly that, amped up the crowd with fast paced funk and plenty of pedal steel riffs from Randolph. Bassist Danyel Morgan and cousin to Randolph, took the lead for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “The Sky is Crying” with R&B vocals and bluesy bass line. As the music started to pick up pace again, vocalist and littler sister, Lenesha Randolph joined in to testify and sing out strong ballads while Robert Randolph beat his slide guitar with a tambourine and shaker. One of the most surprising moments of the act was RR inviting fans on the stage to play guitar with him, the first being too cold, the second was a hot shredder and the third was Terry Scoville from Upstate’s own Capital Zen to win over the crowd. RR was feeling it as he stomped his feet, nodding his head in approval at the flowing groove. As the jam ended, “Shake Your Hips Baby” started up and brought dozens of girls of all ages on to the stage for a blowout dance party. With the evening coming to an end, fireworks shot up overhead and the band played a tear jerking rendition of “America, The Beautiful.” Saturday had gone by flawlessly despite the overcast skies with folks eager to return for more music and fun the next day.

Sunday

A complete 360′ change for weather brought plenty of sunshine, blue skies with a perfect breeze that welcome back folks to the 2nd day at the American Music Festival at Lake George. Sunday’s theme was “Country Music” with another lineup full of talented musicians from all over the USA. The day started with Stony Creek Band, a stable of Upstate NY music that has been around for over 40 years. Joking that the festival never said which country, the band performed an upbeat paradise inspired from Zimbabwe. After their long run together, it’s no wonder they explore even create their own musical genres such as Celtic disco and cosmic cowboy. A slight change in the schedule brought Rich Ortiz back to the stage for a few acoustic numbers with a stand out cover of Phish’s “Possum”.

Travelling all the way from Mississippi, the 6-piece folk band known as Rosco Bandana performed a set of captivating indie psychedelic blues. Jackson Weldon picks apart the electric mandolin like a gentle storm as Emily Sholes strikes the keyboards and is captivating with finger cymbals. The gypsy music instills a sense of southern pride with the foot stomping and haunting harmonies. Up next was, Girls Guns and Glory who are not as intimidating as their name may lead on but still no one to mess with. The four piece Boston bluegrass group are a mix of 50s rock with new age country as their songs are about truck driving and mishaps with the world of eBay. Lead vocalist and guitarist Ward Hayden has a unique range of vocals, including a crowd pleasing yodel.

Claire Lynch felt right at home in Upstate NY where she was originally from Poughkeepsie in what she calls “Yankee land”. A petite southern belle with an voice that has earned her the title of “Female Vocalist of the Year” to the International Bluegrass Music Association. Joined by Nickel Creek’s stand up bassist Mark Schatz, mandolinist Matt Wingate and fiddler Bryan McDowell, they created a set of old fashioned acoustic country music. Lynch’s voice floated lightly above the crowd with songs like “Humming Bird” and the old mountain tune of “Paul and Peter Walk” but trembled for the heartbreaking solider tribute of “Dear Sister”.

Last but certainly not least, headliners New Riders of the Purple Sage closed out the festival with their vintage and timeless jams. NRPS were a spin off of The Grateful Dead with original members Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia who soon fully committed to The Dead with NRPS gaining their own identity and sound. The group now includes original members David Helson and Buddy Cage with Michael Falzarano, Ronnie Penque and Johnny Markowski. The group performed a song collection from over their decades and decades touring together. Poking fun at yesteryear’s technology, they introduced “I Don’t Know You” as taken from their first album. The set was full of their classic tunes like the southern sweetness of “Louisiana Lady”, “Rocky Road” and a wild “Panama Red”. They still have a timeless sound as their harmonies are gentle with sturdy guitar riffs and sharp rhythm. The night concluded with a Grateful Dead “Ripple”, a familiar favorite among the crowd who had no problem singing along.

The American Music Festival was a solid way to close out the summer season. One of the key factors of the festival was the impressive sound quality and top notch lighting that highlighted the talented national and regional acts on stage. There is nothing more American than enjoying the scenic Upstate NY area with live music and local vendors while supporting a good cause. Here’s hoping that Lake George continues to host this family friendly and music loving festival next year!

September 30, 2014
The American Music Festival at Lake George Sept. 20 and 21, 2014

Not that anyone needs a reason to visit the great Upstate, NY in the Fall but in case you need one, The American Music Festival for the Lake takes place this weekend, Sept. 20 and 21, 2014 at Lake George. The two-day event will offer plenty of crafts, activities, food and live music from both regional and national acts.

Tickets are still available online at their site or at the gate with prices set at $ 15 on Saturday and $10 on Sunday with children under 14 free each day with an adult. There are VIP tickets available for $25 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday that offers guaranteed seats with a special viewing section. Ticket admission includes the music, block party and the arts and crafts fair.

The festival will take place at the new Charles R Wood Park in the West Brook enviro-park project on Beach Road in Lake George. The park offers 2.5 acres of festival space out of the 12.5 acre park with big plans for the rest of the area such as a playground, skate park, water feature and environmental interpretive area. The event will raise funds and awareness for S.A.V.E. (Stop Aquatic inVasives from Entering) LAKE GEORGE- a partnership which was created in hopes of removing an invasive species that is currently threatening the lake.

The rain or shine event begins at 11AM with music themes set – Saturday is rock and Sunday is country; supplying a little something for everyone. Saturday’s headliners include local big shots Wild Adriatic and rock legends Robert Randolph & The Family Band with fireworks to follow. Sunday’s main acts include Boston’s country rock band, Girls Guns and Glory with American jammers, New Riders of the Purple Sage. The schedule below includes the weekend lineup:

SATURDAY – Noon til Fireworks
Noon: Rich Ortiz
1:00: The North & South Dakotas
2:30: NRBQ
4:00: Paranoid Social Club
5:30: Wild Adriatic
7:00: Robert Randolph & The Family Band

SUNDAY – Noon – 6pm
Noon: Stony Creek Band
1:15: Rosco Bandana
2:30: Girls Guns and Glory
4:00: Claire Lynch Band
5:00: New Riders of the Purple Sage

Be sure to clear up your schedule so not to miss one of the last big summer events of Upstate, NY!

September 18, 2014
moe.down 15 Comes Back to the Festival’s Original Time and Place

moe.down 15 is set for its return Labor Day Weekend at the Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, N.Y.

After moving to a different location several years ago, the fest is finally back to the original time and place where it all began. There’s no doubt that moe. fans and live music lovers are pleased by the announcement.

moe.down began at the Snow Ridge Ski Resort in 2000 with around 3,000 people in attendance and has since grown to become home to roughly 10,000 music revelers for Labor Day Weekend. More important than the time and location of the festival, is the band that started it all, moe.. The Rock/Jam quintet has had a revolving cast since their forming at the University of Buffalo in 1989, with Rob Derhak and Chuck Garvey being the only original members remaining. moe. has become a veteran and staple of the festival scene, getting their start at Gathering of the Vibes in 1998.

This year’s line-up will include moe., Gogol Boredello, O.A.R., Lotus, Soulive, Les Claypool’s Due De Twang, Jerry Douglas Band, The Rich Robinson Band, Everyone Orchestra, Twiddle, Floodwood, Aqueous, The Werks, Conehead Buddha, American Babies, and Wild Adriatic. Representing the Upstate New York area is Aqueous of Buffalo, known for their Groove/Rock style, Conehead Buddha with their Latin and funk rhythms hailing from Coxsackie, Floodwood and their unforgettable String Band sound from Utica, Wild Adriatic of Saratoga Springs, and of course moe..

The festival grounds at the Snow Ridge Ski Resort are a beautiful and well suited are for the event, with the ski slopes for seating. There are two stages on the grounds, with numerous vendors selling many different types of food and other goods. Two support groups for festivalgoers can be found; Yodeladies, a women’s support group and The Happy Hour Heroes, an AA Support group. Both being named after moe. songs. The adjacent hills are used as camping grounds, separated into Family and Sober, Quiet and Regular camping areas. A Kid’s Tent is set up during the day from 12-4pm for parents needing their young ones supervised. Snow Ridge Ski Resort is also right next to the local Steak N’ Brew for anyone wanting an actual meal at the fest.

moe.down has been host to many big name headliners over the last 15 years, besides moe. themselves. Past headlining acts include Stanley Jordan Trio, Umphrey’s McGee, Slightly Stupid, The Black Keys, Cake, Redman and Method Man, Ani DiFranco, Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck, The Roots, Medeski Scofield Martin and Wood, Ziggy Marley, Keller Williams, Tea Leaf Green, Violent Femmes, Blues Traveler, Mike Gordon, Michael Franti and Spearhead, John Brown’s Body, Donna the Buffalo, Soulive, The Wailers, Dave Grissam Quartet, and Les Claypool.

moe.down 15 will provide a nice mix of Jam, Rock, Funk, and Bluegrass for live music lovers from the Upstate area and abroad. The beautiful grounds, wholesome environment, and good music can be a perfect end of the summer getaway for any type of person. The fest starts Friday, August 29^th and will end Sunday the 31^st. Tickets are on sale now for $150 and may also be bought at the gate. Parking for the weekend will be an addition $10. More information can be found at the moe.down website.

moe.down 15 Festival Playlist

Warm yourself up for moe.down 15 with a preview playlist of this year’s preforming artists.

Performers on the playlist include moe., Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, O.A.R., Soulive, Lotus, Floodwood, Aqueous, Twiddle, and The Werks. Be sure to check out the upcoming moe.down 15 Festival Preview via NYS Music Music Guide.

moe.down 15 will be held on Labor Day weekend, August 29-31, at the Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, N.Y. For tickets, please visit the band’s website.

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August 14, 2014
Albany’s Alive at Five Concert Series Lineup for 2014 Announced

Albany’s Mayor Kathy Sheehan announced the Alive at Five Summer 2014 concert series lineup at a city news conference this morning. The Alive at Five Thursday tradition of free music brings together thousands of people to the Capital District each week featuring local and national acts of various genres. This year the series will return to the beautiful Corning Reserve in downtown Albany, overlooking the Hudson River and will run from June 12th to Aug 7th.

The acts of 2014 Alive at Five are:

• Fitz and the Tantrums, an Los Angeles-based pop act, headline the first show on June 12th with The Features.

• Easy Star All-Stars headline reggae night on June 19 with John Brown’s Body.

• Dwele, a Grammy-nominated singer, headlines R&B night on June 26 with Mirk.

• Lord Huron, a Michigan-born folk singer, performs on July 10 with Mary Leigh Roohan.

• Eastbound Jesus, Stellar Young, and Hard Soul will perform on Albany Invasion Night on July 17.

• Dustin Lynch headlines Country Night on July 24 with Jacob Powell.

• ’70s rockers Grand Funk Railroad plays on July 31 with local stars Wild Adriatic.

• Sheila E. plays on Aug. 7, the final show with Conehead Buddha.

For more information about Alive at Five, visit albanyevents.org and stay up to date on your music news with on Facebook, twitter and Instagram.

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May 7, 2014
Hearing Aide: Wild Adriatic’s “Big Suspicious”

Rock and roll trio and Saratoga Springs, NY natives Wild Adriatic have a new long player titled Big Suspicious. This current collection is hallmarked by a plethora of imposing guitar licks, resounding rhythms, and vintage vocal approaches. The band is sincerely ‘no frills’ rock and roll and the blueprint to their art is an organic approach to song creation and presentation. The secret lies in the bands simplistic yet virtuous approach to their music. The band is made up of guitarist/vocalist Travis Grey in addition to bassist Rich Derbyshire, and drummer Mateo Vosganian.

The LP ranges thematically from swampy blues to pop soul, with the unpretentious and diverse vocalizations by Travis Gray, a highlight of the set. The marriage of the groups tight instrumentation in addition to the vocal melodies equate to an album that unabashedly shares its influences as well as putting a unique spin on these influences. You will find no jam band sensibilities on this record; the band constructs succinct, well developed and orchestrated rock music. This is not to say there is no extended jamming by the band, just that there are no wasted notes or aimless improvisations, every note and melody has a purpose.

The adamant opening of the record begins in earnest with the mountainous one-two punch of ‘Can’t Be Your Man’, and ‘Mess Around’. The band elicits early Humble Pie on this opening track through the swampy central guitar licks and grimy group approach. In contrast the following ‘Mess Around’ which rides on an accelerating stomp that sounds if it draws its influence from early ZZ Top with its boogie chugging attitude. This is serious juke-joint ass shaking music. An additional note on ‘Mess Around’ is the addition of some swinging horns that act as a welcome addition to the song not an unneeded gimmick as can often be the case these days.

’40 Days 40 Nights (Hard Times)’ again brings to mind Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton’s Humble Pie excursions. Its dual keyboard and guitar ascending riff grabs you by the collar and says, ‘Listen up!’ It’s refreshing to hear a modern band stay true to the roots of their influence and just play some heavy rock and roll. No window dressings here, no unnecessary effects, just some pals blasting away on electrified and aggressive riffs and melodies.

A song like the following ‘Tight Grip’ identifies the band as being able to be classified along with the same rockers that enjoy a band such as Gov’t Mule. There is an edge to their music and an aggressive nudge of the elbow to the listener by the attitude presented. The only respite from the barrage of weighty blues and rock licks in the first half of the album is the soul soaked ‘Holding You’ that swings with a contemporary R and B feel and original instrumental attack.

The ability of the group to swing between poles of influence is well documented on the collection with the expansive and catchy ‘Cooperstown’ acting in contrast to the balladry of the preceding tune. Falsetto vocal melody lines inject the song with a lightness that balances its metallic instrumentation. The pounded blacks and whites of the keyboard in addition to distorted guitar strikes add up to a dynamic and well preformed song that accentuates that groups songwriting strengths.

‘Lose My Mind’ is a highlight of the collection. Alternating between a gently picked acoustic guitar line verse and a fuzzy apocalyptic chorus that creeps along like a boot stuck in the mud. This song would nestle nicely on the ‘B’ side of many 1970’s rock single releases exhibiting all of the historic hallmarks of the music created in this era.

Again, the band dynamically hits the switch moving into a soul review with a reading of the song ‘Walk For Miles’. Vocalist Travis Gray really stretches out on the last half of the record, channeling Rochester, NY and Foreigner front man Lou Gramm with a clean but versatile vocal approach. The keyboards also seem to play a more prominent role in this latter half of the record with feathery Hammond flourishes on ‘Lonely’, and the piano being in the forefront on the groovy ‘Heavy Soul’. The horns also return on ‘Heavy Soul’ in addition to some velvety backing vocals that equate to a smooth ride through dramatic soul changes.

The album concludes on the song ‘Woe’, a funky low key affair that rolls on a drippy wah-wah accompaniment and the wordless foundation setting vocal line. Uniquely different from the songs that preceded it, ‘Woe’ shines on a light on the bands ability to express uniquely different approaches to the foundational genres of influence the band holds close and that form the basis of their music. The song and the album conclude with a wordless group chant sung and supported by hand claps and the tracks swinging melody.

Wild Adriatic’s new recording Big Suspicious is a collection created in the fiery coal chamber of rock, soul and blues. The record keeps its feet rooted firmly in the spheres of influence from which the basis of all music is created. The group’s confidence and attitude is expressed through the recording and is passed on to the listener through their excitable representation and eager dissemination. Gripping keyboards, distorted guitars, and crisp howling vocals paint the portrait of heavy blues and classic rock and roll on display for the eager listener.

Key Tracks: Mess Around, Cooperstown, Lose My Mind

February 11, 2014
Wild Adriatic Rocks The Hollow for Album Release Show

Wild Adriatic’s new album Big Suspicious was released on Saturday, January 18th in Albany and to celebrate, the band played an all-out rock and roll show to a sold out crowd at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. The band was feeding off of the energy of the crowd for their hour and a half long set; bringing everything they had in their musical bag of tricks and more to the frenzied audience.

The evening started with The Black Fox River Project and their country-flavored rock tunes filling the venue with slide guitars and harmonies. Their music is better meant for summer time instead of the bitter cold winter that was taking place outside, but it made everyone inside the venue feel that much closer to the warmer weather to come. Their set ended with a great up-tempo rock number that had the crowd dancing for the first time of the evening, in what would become the norm for the remainder of the night.

Buffalo natives Aqueous were up next and came out of the gates swinging with funky laced rock that kept the crowd going for almost an hour straight. Dave Loss switched from his guitar to his keyboard throughout the entire set, showing great skills on both instruments, while Mike Gantzer ripped solos on his guitar continuously bringing many cheers from the crowd. Evan McPhaden and Nick Sonricker, on bass and drums respectively, held down the grooves for the other two to work over. Aqueous showed the crowd during their set why they are on the rise and ready for a huge year.

The jam-packed crowd seemed to get even thicker by the time Wild Adriatic took the stage. Travis Gray’s distinctly soaring vocals were perfect during the entire set, as was Rich Derbyshire’s superb bass playing, and Mateo Vosganian’s drum kit rattled all evening as he pounded endlessly. The band was joined by Pat Daley on keys during the set to celebrate his inclusion on the album. On a couple of songs the band was also joined by a three part horn section that added an extra element to the already amazing music being played.

Covering almost their entire album, as well as a cover of the classic “Shout”, Wild Adriatic played a show to remember to start off a year that will see them go all over the country and play South by Southwest. Their brand of rock and roll reverberates to the 70s bluesy garage era of music that comes out and takes your breath away from all the dancing that goes on. Ending on a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” many members of the audience climbed onto the stage to dance with the band as they tore through the number. The show was being filmed by the band and hopefully we will all get to relive the show again soon.

Setlist: Your Man, Mess Around, The Fool, Holding You, Trouble, Cooperstown, Tight Grip, Lose My Mind, Because of Me, Shout, 40 Days, Heavy Soul, Letter, Lonely, Woe, The Spark, Immigrant Song

January 27, 2014