UPDATE 1/4/16: Craig Strickland was found dead today. Here’s the post from the Ponca City News:
The body of country singer Craig Strickland was found Monday north of Bear Creek Cove on Kaw Lake by a state game ranger…
Original post:
The search for Backroad Anthem vocalist Craig Strickland continues. Strickland, 29, and his friend Chase Morland, 22, set out for a late-night duck hunting trip on Sunday, Dec. 27 on Kaw Lake in Ponca City, Oklahoma.
Backroad Anthem posted on their Facebook page that Craig’s father, Randy Strickland, texted the band informing them that they haven’t had any contact within 24 hours from Craig or Chase and feared the worse.
Weather conditions that night saw a mixture of rain, sleet and snow with 45 mph winds making it around 15 degrees.
Morland tweeted what seemed to be a joke and not distress, even though they were traveling through some rough weather, turned serious hours later. Craig Strickland retweeted Morland’s post.
Morland tweeted late Saturday night:
Morland was found dead at the lake by State Troopers on Monday morning, Dec. 28, near Tulsa. Their boat was also found which seemed to have capsized in the water. Strickland’s dog Sam was found alive and well sitting next to the body of Morland. Police have stated that no flotation devices were found.
Strickland’s wife Helen, who is a former Miss Arkansas USA, has sent out several tweets over the last few days updating the search rescue efforts while remaining hopeful that Craig will be found and asking fans to pray for him.
Backroad Anthem released several statements through social media since they been made aware of the news of Strickland’s disappearance. In their statement, the band says that Craig is the most passionate person they know. The statement went on to say that his passion for music and the stage has kept them going miles and miles down the road. “Craig is an amazing person, husband, son, bandmate, and most certainly best friend.”
John Bradbury, drummer of legendary ska band The Specials, died on Monday, Dec. 28 at the age of 62.
Bradbury was the drummer from English 2-Tone and ska band The Specials, formed in 1977. He was known for his signature reggae and ska sound and seen as ground-breaking on the Specials’ early hits. He was an integral member of the Specials reunion in 2008. No cause of death was given when the band broke the news via Twitter.
The Specials were known for their ’60s mod-style suits worn on stage, and they had seven hits in the UK top 10, including “A Message to You, Rudy” and “Too Much Too Young.”
Bradbury was born and raised in Coventry, England where the Specials formed. When the band split up in 1981, he joined The Specials AKA. He also headed the JB All-Stars, a northern-soul revue act.
It’s hard to fathom that Phish has now been back playing together for longer than their “hiatus” (2000-2002) and “break up” (2004-2009) – combined. Phish 3.0, as this era is commonly called, is also days away from seeing its seventh consecutive New Year’s Eve of the band’s modern day. One of the most sought after tickets amongst fans and most lauded nights of the Phish year on the calendar is certainly one of celebration. As the band caps off a monumental, peak year, leading into the New Year, I break down the New Year’s Eve gags of 3.0, and what the band might have in store for 2016.
2009
The Gag:
From Phish.net: During DWD, as the clock turned midnight, hundreds of balloons were released upon the crowd, fireworks went off on each side of the stage, and a disco ball was lowered onto the pedestal. After DWD, Trey opened the ball and Fish climbed inside. Trey and Mike, with some help from stagehands, proceeded to put the ball in a giant cannon aimed towards a giant net hanging from the rafters with an illuminated “X” on it. Page hit the trigger and purportedly “blasted” the ball through, not only the net, but also the roof of the arena. A searchlight appeared to come through the roof and was accompanied by helicopter sounds. With Fish apparently shot out of the venue, Trey asked if anybody knew how to play the drums and ended up finding Sarah, a girl from Pittsburgh.
Trey asked how long she had played the drums and what her favorite song was and she responded with six months and Fluffhead respectively. Sarah was surreptitiously replaced by Fish, now wearing a dress identical to Sarah’s and a black wig, who played the entire third set and encore, but Sarah came out at the end of the third set and bowed with the band instead of him. Blue Moon was a Phish debut and was performed as an instrumental while Trey thanked the entire crew. After the show, the disco ball was revealed to have “crashed” into a white car that had been parked in front of the American Airlines Arena with a sign on the windshield stating “This car was driven down from Vermont” and “fueled by maple syrup.” After being “struck” by the “human cannonball,” the car was emitting smoke and leaking maple syrup and the entire area was cordoned off with police tape.
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “Down with Disease”
My Take: The first New Year’s Eve run of the current era of Phish returned to the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Having played this venue once before in 2003, it was a much welcomed change from the cold, Northeast New Year’s runs that the band played for their home fans seemingly every year throughout their history. Coming off their first, full year back together, Phish seemingly did it all in 2009: comeback shows in March, a full summer tour, a festival, and a fall tour. Needless to say, they were probably a bit tired by this New Year’s run, or at least didn’t leave much time or creativity for the gag, and one that’s rather forgettable, at least in my mind. The Miami run did see some fantastic bust outs and a super show on 12/30, and capped a great return to glory for the band.
2010
The Gag:
From Phish.net: Before midnight, several groups of multiethnic dancers appeared on stage and sang the Meatstick lyrics in their respective languages. The band joined the dancers and then stealthily disappeared from the stage, only to reappear at the other side of the arena in the giant hotdog from past NYE shows (’94 and ’99). As a result, portions of the Meatstick were pre-recorded. Appropriately, the post-show music was Captain Beefheart’s Tropical Hot Dog Night.
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “After Midnight”
My Take: The return to THE venue for New Year’s Eve shows in my opinion, Madison Square Garden, saw Phish and friends perform “Meatstick, the Musical.” Not only was this one the most enjoyable and creative New Year’s gags of 3.0, but it ranks up there for me with the all-time ones. The band put some serious thought into this one. Certainly drawing upon Trey Anastasio’s recent foray into the world of Broadway musicals, having been tapped to co-write the score for Hands on a Hardbody (which would open in the spring of 2012, and eventually 2013 on Broadway), the band enlisted some trained dancers for this awesome rendition of an old, Phish favorite. There was also no mistake that this New Year’s Eve show featured some of the band’s best playing, highlighted by an all-time version of “Ghost” in the second set.
2011
The Gag:
From Phish.net: Prior to Steam, a steam kettle and hot plate went off on stage, with Trey acting like he was attempting to put out the steam. Shortly after the song began, steam also came from the floor near the soundboard area. An amp (with the steam kettle on it), a keytar, a bass, a vacuum, and a few lights were then lifted off the stage. A woman in the front of the stage tossed a “Steam” sign into the front row, then rose with a barricade and security guard before eventually being lifted up over the band. Several other aerialists (clothed in various casual attire, equipped with black backpacks emitting smoke and lights on their backs) subsequently rose up from the crowd and ascended and descended several times. The first aerialist counted down to midnight, at which point balloons were released from the ceiling. The aerialists later returned with lights in their hands for Down with Disease, which also featured Trey and Mike being raised up and back down a few times before finally rising several feet on hydraulic lifts.
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “Down with Disease”
My Take: The second straight New Year’s back at MSG (and the second of four consecutive) saw Phish again take their gag to a higher level. In my opinion, the 3.0 stunts have been better when the band has not played a fall tour, allowing them more time to put energy and effort into their finale for the previous year.
A newer song “Steam” saw the band levitate both musically – and figuratively. A true sight to behold, the band capitalized on a great, new groove before tearing into the seemingly every-other-year, post-midnight, “Down with Disease.” I’ve said multiple times on the record that “DWD” has the single, most celebratory riff in the band’s catalogue, so there’s no accident that it often ends up being the first song of the New Year. Always welcome in my eyes!
2012
The Gag:
From Phish.net: Trey, Page and Mike came out for the third set in golf carts and began hitting golf balls into the crowd. Fish then arrived on a golf cart wearing donut pants and shirt, an argyle vest, and a golf hat. Golf carts were brought back on stage during Kung, then began racing past the stage periodically during Chalk Dust. During the Chalk Dust jam, golfers began getting out of the carts, hitting balls into the crowd and dancing on stage. One of the golfers did the New Year’s countdown from on top of a cart. Auld Lang Syne was accompanied by balloons dropping from the ceiling and ping pong balls fired from cannons.
Tweezer Reprise featured Carrie Manolakos on vocals and a number of backup singers. The remainder of the third set and encore featured song titles focusing on a golf theme. Wilson was preceded by an animated Wilson golf ball on the venue’s jumbotrons. Iron Man was preceded by Page coming to the front of the stage to wish the crowd Happy New Year and reference the start of the 30th year of Phish. In an apparent reference to Bob Hope, Page wore a blazer, USS Nimitz ball cap and carried a golf club. Driver was stopped and restarted. This show featured the Phish debuts of Garden Party and Fly Like an Eagle, the first full Phish performance of Iron Man (which was last played December 31, 2003, or 192 shows), and the first ever a cappella Lawn Boy.
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “Tweezer Reprise”
My Take: 2012 saw Phish try something different yet again. Deciding to focus more on a theme than a specific gag, I was impartial to the Golf stunt, mostly because I am a golfer. (My handicap is currently 9 and falling fast!) Featuring racing golf carts around the stage, and the debut of beloved classic rock tune, “Fly Like an Eagle,” this was again a New Year’s stunt that benefited from no fall tour, extra time to prepare and meticulous planning. If they ever do anything golf related again, the band should definitely take some lessons beforehand though. I’ll be waiting for my phone to ring, fellas. Fore!
2013
The Gag:
From Phish.net: After the conclusion of the first set, Trey and Page carried a keyboard-shaped cake out to the front of the stage (with a giant two-dimensional mountain behind it, this created a tableau of the cover of Phish’s Colorado ’88 release), and proceeded to slice and serve cake in honor of their 30th anniversary to fans near the front of the stage. After the cake was served, a video was played showing Fish collecting various props from the band’s previous New Year’s Eve concerts and driving a replica of the band’s “JEMP” truck down to New York City. The truck from the video appeared in Madison Square Garden and was moved to the center of the floor. All of the songs played during both setbreaks were from the year 1983. The band performed the second set standing on top of the truck, using a stripped-down stage setup including hockey sticks for mic stands. Melt contained a DEG tease from Trey. During Grind, the “days lived” stated by the band referenced how old they would be when they returned for their 60th anniversary. During the encore break, a video montage of photographs and film from throughout Phish’s history and previous New Year’s Eve concerts was shown. After the encore, a video image was shown of a “Save the Date” card for Phish’s 60th anniversary show (on December 31, 2043) with each band member digitally aged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpdHMbfeAI
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “Fuego”
My Take: 2013, and the fourth consecutive New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden, concluded the band’s 30th year together – a true milestone. It’s for this reason that they broke from convention and re-wrote the script to make this NYE extra-special, as only they could. Instead of a traditional gag or stunt where they were isolated at one end of the arena for the third set, the band treated fans to a subtle “thank you” of old school tunes for the second-set, in the middle of the World’s Most Famous Arena. I still get chills thinking about this show, as if offered time to reflect about the past 30 years of Phish –past, present and future – all at the same time. Truly magical.
2014
The Gag:
From Phish.net: The Phish debut of Dem Bones began a cappella, then Fish moved to vacuum. The song was then stopped because, Trey said, the vacuum had become stuck to Fish’s face. Brian Brown and Lee Scott (Trey’s guitar tech and Fish’s drum tech respectively) came out to assist in trying to remove the vacuum and then went behind the stage with Fish to fix the problem, with Mike suggesting they switch it “from suck to blow.” There was the sound of a small explosion and the lights went out. A giant inflatable Fishman then emerged from behind the stage and took off over the crowd, while the balloon drop, including Henrietta donut balloons, occurred and the band played Auld Lang Syne. Trey quoted Martian Monster during his speech at the end of Julius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ZTDjJRV-o
Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “The Dogs”
My Take: 2014 saw a return to Miami, and the first New Year’s not held at Madison Square Garden since 2009. A notable let down in the gag department again, and holds true with my theory of sort of rushing it when they play a fall tour. Add in a super, mega, spectacular Halloween where the band tapped every creative bone in their body for an all-original crop of tunes based on the 1964 Disneyland album Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, and it’s easy to forgive the band for having a holiday hangover. It was nice though to see some lasers and “The Dogs,” one of those creative Halloween debuts, ring in the New Year.
2015
So, what does New Year’s Eve 2015 have in store for Phish fans? The band returns to the Mecca of Madison Square Garden, where let’s face it – there’s just something extra special about Phish, New Year’s and New York. There’s more energy when you are in the center of the universe of one of the rowdiest nights of the year.
As for the stunt, there could be a Star Wars theme, as some fans are calling. I highly doubt that. There may be a nod to the upcoming shows in Mexico, with possibly a “Mexican Cousin” tie-in. Still seems unlikely, though. Maybe the theme of flowers enveloping the city has something to do with the gag, as it sometimes has in year’s past. Who knows? There could be an “Auld Lang Syne” > “Fluffhead” combo which would most-certainly invoke deafening screams post-midnight in MSG, especially during the “Fluff came to New York!” line. That’s the most plausible of the theories I, and friends have kicked around.
But, my guess is something entirely different. It’s something no one is expecting, and will be super-creative. (Remember, we didn’t get a fall tour this year). Exactly what will it be? I’m not sure, and that’s half the fun – being surprised and living in the moment.
So fellow fans, what do you think this year’s gag will be?
Whatever, the gag, remember to celebrate another year of Phish, friends and fun! Happy New Year!
Don’t have plans yet for New Year’s Eve? Music fans across New York State have got plenty of choices this Thursday. NYS Music helps you get there with the short list of NYE activities.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at the Historic German House with special guests Danielle Ponder & Tomorrow People and Funknut. Three Heads Brewing Tasting Party start at 7pm with an acoustic jam featuring members of GPGDS and Extended Family. Late night the party continues with Subsoil and Level 7 Hip Hop DJ Set. $20 in advance/$30 day of show.
When NYS Music caught up with Mister F’s Scott Hannay earlier this year, we talked about what it’s like to sit-in with a band, the preparation (often none) and coordination that goes into a guest spot, and his goal of jamming out with Turkuaz.
Fast forward to the end of 2015 and Scott Hannay has sat in with over 50 bands, performed with Mister F in Colorado and stretched his music experience even further. Wrapping up 2015, NYSMusic followed up with Scott on the year he had and what lies ahead for him and Mister F.
Pete Mason: What have you learned over the course of the year, regarding guest appearances and overall musicianship?
Scott Hannay: It’s hard to properly put into a paragraph what I’ve learned from this year compared to other years, but I can certainly tell a marked difference in my own musicianship after this one. Throwing oneself into so many different styles and situations has a way of broadening horizons. I’ve gotten to shred Middle Eastern scales with Consider the Source, travel into outer space jamming with Formula 5, make a run on all the instruments (except drums) with The Werks, tickled keytar with After Funk and The Magic Beans, and those are just a small few of many. It’s been incredibly humbling. I’ve always said you can learn something from everyone, but I’ve been really, really spoiled with the ‘everyone’ that I get to learn from!
PM: What has the year in music been like, for both Mister F and yourself?
SH: This year has been exciting for a lot of reasons. We’ve had some very high-profile musicians play with us this year, and I have also gotten to play with many very incredible players. As a band, Mister F played over 150 shows this year throughout over 20 states, providing many opportunities for collaborations. We even found ourselves in Colorado for the first time, where I took my only night off to go play more music at a jam night in Boulder and got together with Jaden Carlson Band for a session. It’s been a very immersive year in terms of music for me, and will continue to be until 2016!
PM: So with how this year went, what do you set your sights on for sit-ins? That Turkuaz happened pretty fast after we last chatted…
SH: Turkuaz happened pretty quickly, yes – the day after the last article came out! We’re playing with Particle on January 1 at The Hollow. I’ve gotten to play with them before, and Steve Molitz has sat in with Mister F, so, who knows what will happen! We’ve got a string of official Umphrey’s afterparties coming up, too, so hopefully some of them can come out and throw down with us. Either way, 2016 is already looking great!
This video is from Buffalove, the night I played all three stages – the ‘hat trick’, if you will. Mister F played the 2nd stage, then I hopped up with PTF on the main stage after breaking down and packing up. Rick (from PTF) and I then traded keytar solos latenight with After Funk at the woods stage. Buffalove was recently tied with Disc Jam for best small festival in your NYS Music article – it was definitely one of the most memorable nights of my summer!
Strangefolk’sGarden of Eden takes place this weekend in Jay, VT at Stateside Amphitheater, bringing back to Vermont the original festival that was spawned 20 years ago on nearly the same weekend. The Vermont foursome have teamed up with Percy Hill and Assembly of Dust for two days of music amid an idyllic setting that provides incredible views and sound in a remote location that encourages a weekend trek to the site.
Guitarist/Singer Jon Trafton spoke to NYS Music about his thoughts on the 20th anniversary event, the return to Eden, and what fans can expect from the weekend:
“This upcoming Eden festival at Jay Peak is the 20th anniversary – almost to the date – of the first one we did. What’s cool about it is that Jay Peak is about 20 miles down the road from the original site, in Eden, VT. So, twenty years later we come nearly full circle.
I’ve been spending a lot of time revisiting the Eden shows, checking out what we played, looking at pictures, getting back into that mindset. The early Edens were so free and easy and under the radar. They were more like a big party we threw for our friends and fans.
I remember at the first Eden it struck me that we had something bigger than ourselves happening. There was a group of 600 or so people who trekked into the middle of Vermont to be together and celebrate with us. We were just a part of it, maybe a catalyst but not necessarily the focus. It had a life of its own. That has always stuck with me. So many of those people have remained friends and we’ve all grown up together. I know a lot of them will be at Jay Peak, so going into it feels like a family affair.
It’s been fun looking back on those years. They seem so long ago and not long ago at all. I’m looking forward to this upcoming one and hopefully we can re-launch the Eden annual tradition.”
The music starts on Friday at 7pm with Percy Hill, followed by two sets of Strangefolk. On Saturday, fans have a wide variety of music and events to choose from. The VIP Strangefolk set takes place at noon, as well as a free performance by Dead Sessions, celebrating the August West Festival, with free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and more throughout the day. There is also hiking, golfing, mountain biking and much more that Jay Peak has to offer, including the indoor water park! The music gets started at 7pm on Saturday once again with Percy Hill, followed by two more sets of Strangefolk, and at midnight, Assembly of Dust performs at Bullwheel Bar right next to Stateside Amphitheater until 2am.
Strangefolk formed in 1991 and began holding the Garden of Eden festival in 1996 in Eden Mills, Vermont. The festival was also held in subsequent years in Plattsburgh, various locations in Vermont, and Greenfield, Massachusetts, the latter morphing into the StrangeCreek Campout which continues to this day.
Strangefolk took a hit in 2000 when band founding member and guitarist Reid Genauer left to pursue a graduate degree. The founding members of the band joined forces again as Strangefolk Reunion in 2012 and continue to play shows each year.
While the Garden of Eden hasn’t been held since 2006, when Strangefolk played the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival in Burlington in 2013, they called the performance “Edge of Eden” as a hat tip to the fest.
Kissing Candice brought their bloody, gory horror themed show to Syracuse’s newest DIY venue, The Rock Garage on December 18th. Syracuse area locals, The Entropic Principle, Welcome the Ancients, and IMPULSE helped get the crowd warmed up.
The lights go dark, smoke rolls onto the stage, the crowd’s excitement builds as the intro cues up; then the band explodes onto the stage tearing right into “Unloaded” off of their newest album “Blind Until we Burn.” They didn’t waste any time before ripping into “Successful test” and their latest single “Put em’ up.” The band played a very powerful and supercharged set consisting of a mix of songs from their EP “Conjured” and newest release “Blind Until We Burn” including highlights “Tusk” and “Nilbog” to which they pay homage to one of the “best” worst movies of all time Claudio Fragasso’s Troll 2!
Even though it was cold outside, Kissing Candice had no trouble keeping fans excited and engaged throughout their 50 minute set. After taking a short break, the band came out a played a two song encore ending the blood and smoke filled set with a song that that is not often played “Rampage.” The band thanked everyone and invited the crowd to hang out with them at their merch table before they were on their way back to Long Island.
It is certain that with their mix of metal, hardcore and industrial and let’s not forget some very catchy heavy and hook – laden songs, Kissing Candice puts on one hell of a blood and gore soaked show!
Lemmy, born Ian Fraser Kilmister, the legendary frontman of iconic metal band Motorhead, died Monday at his home in Los Angeles due to complications from an aggressive cancer that was only discovered on Dec. 26, according to the band’s official Facebook page.
There is no easy way to say this…our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely…
If there were a definition of the term “badass” in the Oxford Dictionary, Lemmy’s picture would be it. The man lived a pure rock and roll lifestyle until his last breath. Famous for his deep vocals into a down-turned microphone and his unorthodox style of playing bass, Lemmy proved an inspiration to a generation of musicians of all genres. Many called his style of playing “lead bass” because he really wasn’t holding the low end as most bassists do. He was like a second lead guitarist in the Motorhead trio.
Lemmy had experienced a number of health issues in recent months, cutting shows short in Salt Lake City and Austin and canceling a show in Denver altogether. Prior to leaving the stage in Austin, he said, “I can’t do it,” before leaving the stage. The thin air of Salt Lake was named as the cause for Lemmy cutting the show short and also given as the reason for the Denver cancelation.
Musicians the world over have taken to social media to express their sympathies and appreciation for Lemmy, including original Motorhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke, who wears the unfortunate title of sole remaining original member of the band following the November death of drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor.
I have just been told that Lemmy has passed away in LA.Like Phil, he was like a brother to me. I am devastated.We did…
Lemmy was born in Burslem, England on Dec. 24, 1945. The infamous Hollywood club, Whiskey A Go Go, hosted a private, star-studded 70th birthday celebration for Lemmy on Dec. 13. The show featured a band consisting of Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke of Guns N Roses; Robert Trujillo of Metallica; Charlie Benante and Scott Ian of Anthrax; Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society; and Steve Vai, among others.
Comedian Jim Norton, who befriended Lemmy and had him as his band director on the short-lived HBO stand-up series Down and Dirty, tweeted the following:
Lemmy began his musical career in the early ’60s and was heavily influenced by the Beatles. He served time as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and earned his chops in the early prog-rock band Hawkwind. On his exit from the band, Lemmy said in his autobiography that he was fired “for doing the wrong drugs.”
Motorhead and Lemmy’s legacy loom large on the metal scene and popular music as a whole. His death leaves a big hole in rock and roll. The world has lost a legend and as posted on Motorhead’s Facebook page:
Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.
HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.
Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister
1945 -2015
Born to lose, lived to win.
We’d say “Rest in Peace, Lemmy” but you’d tell us to “Eff off.” RIP anyway, sir.
Twas’ the Night Before Phishmas
And all through our nook,
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a wook.
The hoodies were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes The Phish from Vermont would soon be there.
And I in my lot shirt and heady mama with her booze,
Had just settled down for a quick winter snooze.
When out in the lot there arose a great cheer
I sprang from the bed to grab a fresh beer.
Away to the Shakedown I flew like a flash,
Cracked open a brew and smelled some faint hash.
The moon shone down on the freshly laid out wares,
As the cops walked around but clearly didn’t care.
When what to my bloodshot eyes did I hear?
But a mini VW bus with 6 n00bs driving it down the street in low gear.
With a ginger for a driver, so torn and so frayed,
I knew at that moment it must be Trey!
Faster than a Llama, his phanners they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“On Fee! On Rutherford! On Mule and Tela the spy!
On Horse! On Guyute! On all of you guys!
To the top of MSG! To the heart of the city!
Now dance away! dance away! dance away so pretty!”
As unsold extras that before the show did fly,
When they meet with the ticketless, hoping for Divided Sky.
So up to the rooftop the phanners they flew,
With the VW bus full of jams, and Fish, Mike and Page too!
And then just like that I heard on the roof,
The dancing and jumping of each members foot.
As I put on my dance shoes and was twisting around,
Down the chimney Trey came with a Mound!
Trey was dressed to the nines, and Mike in purple pants
Page munched on a sandwich, Fish simply danced.
The bundle of jams Trey had flung on his back,
Made him look like a traveler, just opening his pack.
His eyes how they sparkled! His gingerness so merry!
His cheeks were like free roses, his nose like Jerry’s!
His floppy head of hair and rounded glasses framed his face,
And his beard was red as he ran like an antelope in space.
The stump of Mike’s bass was held tight in his hands
It fucked my face with the smoke, something quite grand;
Page had a smiling face and a nice new shirt on his chest,
And when he laughed it was like he had brought in the Dude – his absolute best!
Fish was chubby and stout, like a hellborn child elf,
And I laughed when I saw him and I enjoyed myself;
A wink of his eye and a hi-hat intro,
And soon began to surrender to the flow
They spoke not a word, it was a silent vocal jam,
And filled all the hoodies with dry goods merch, hot damn!
And they touched their heads as the evening shocked their brain,
They each gave a nod, and up the chimney they went as they came.
Trey sprang to the VW bus and to his team gave Reba’s whistle,
And away they all flew towards the Mountains in the Mistle.
But I heard him exclaim, as some green tea he poured,
While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.
With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.
Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”
Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”
And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”
Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:
Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”
Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:
As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”
The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”
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Bradbury was the drummer from English 2-Tone and 
Fast forward to the end of 2015 and Scott Hannay has sat in with over 50 bands, performed with Mister F in Colorado and stretched his music experience even further. Wrapping up 2015, NYSMusic followed up with Scott on the year he had and what lies ahead for him and Mister F.
PM: What has the year in music been like, for both Mister F and yourself?
PM: So with how this year went, what do you set your sights on for sit-ins? That Turkuaz happened pretty fast after we last chatted…
The lights go dark, smoke rolls onto the stage, the crowd’s excitement builds as the intro cues up; then the band explodes onto the stage tearing right into “Unloaded” off of their newest album “Blind Until we Burn.” They didn’t waste any time before ripping into “Successful test” and their latest single “Put em’ up.” The band played a very powerful and supercharged set consisting of a mix of songs from their EP “Conjured” and newest release “Blind Until We Burn” including highlights “Tusk” and “Nilbog” to which they pay homage to one of the “best” worst movies of all time Claudio Fragasso’s Troll 2!
It is certain that with their mix of metal, hardcore and industrial and let’s not forget some very catchy heavy and hook – laden songs, Kissing Candice puts on one hell of a blood and gore soaked show!
Best Small Festival: