On the heels of the announced Halloween show at Madison Square Garden and subsequent additional date due to popular demand, an official tour has now been announced via the official Dead and Company Instagram account. The first date of the tour will be in Albany at the Times Union Center on Oct. 29. Pre-sale ticket sales for American Express card holders begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26. General public on-sale date is Friday, Aug. 28.
A photo posted by Dead & Company (@deadandcompany) on Aug 24, 2015 at 11:54am PDT
Following the Albany and MSG shows, the tour continues to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Worcester, Massachusetts. The tour wraps on the West Coast with a pair of shows at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Dec. 27 and 28 and a New Years run at the Forum in Los Angeles Dec. 30 and 31.
The Grateful Dead hold the Times Union Arena record for most times played with 13 shows between 1990-1995. The certified gold 1996 release Dozin’ at the Knick was recorded at Times Union (formerly known as Knickerbocker Arena) in March of 1990.
Dead & Company Fall Tour & New Year’s Eve Run
10/29 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
10/31 – New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden
11/1 – New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden
11/5 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
11/6 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
11/10 – Worcester, MA – DCU Center
12/27 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/28 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/30 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
12/31 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
The free event takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 (rain date is Sunday, Sept. 13) and offers a family friendly mix of musical styles that involve percussion, such as rock, jazz, classical, African, reggae and more. As indicated in the festival name, all performances will highlight percussion instruments.
Performing this year is the legendary jazz percussionist Jack DeJohnette, who is also on the board of advisors for the event. DeJohnette, a legend himself, has also been a sideman for such performers as Miles Davis, Bill Evans and Stan Getz. His drumming style has been described by Modern Drummer magazine as “beyond technique.”
Legendary Jack DeJohnette holding a clinic at a past Drum Boogie Festival in Woodstock, NY
Other performers include NEXUS, NYU Steel Drum Band, Valerie Naranjo and The Big Takeover Reggae Band, seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSJlWsfl-cE
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and plan to spend the day. Food vendors will be on site as well.
The free, biennial festival, directed by Garry Kvistad of Woodstock Chimes, “presents world class talent while providing an opportunity for emerging or lesser known talent to perform together.” It was established to entertain, educate and enlighten while promoting percussion music from around the world. For more information, visit the festival’s website.
Beautiful weather, a beautiful venue and a blue moon all worked in harmony Friday night to provide the perfect setting for Primus and their Cooperstown stop. Brewery Ommegang, snuggled in among the southern hills near Cooperstown, has proven itself as a premier upstate concert venue over the past several years, attracting such artists as The Pixies, TV on the Radio, The Decemberists, Bonnie Raitt, Old Crow Medicine Show and Sturgill Simpson just this season. Primus and Dinosaur Jr. added to that stellar lineup this past Friday, packing the grounds yet again.
Primus has enlisted the talents of 90s alt-rock brethren Dinosaur Jr. and newcomers, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger to accompany them on this summer-long shed tour.
The night began interestingly enough as we pulled into the lot. There, with his unmistakable gray locks barely being tamed by a hat, was Mr. J Mascis riding a bicycle along the road fronting Brewery Ommegang. This sighting established the night as one that will be remembered.
John and Yoko Ono Lennon’s son, Sean, fronts The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger and the sounds the band produces are like those of his old man’s band but with a touch of psychedelic flair not similar to The Flaming Lips. The band breezed through a brief set of six songs while Lennon paused to enthusiastically thank Primus for the opportunity to be a part of this tour. Opening slots on this tour as well as for Beck previously will prove this band has the chops to be a headliner soon and the crowd reaction to the band’s set seemed to confirm that.
Dinosaur Jr., much like the headliner Primus, is very difficult to categorize and as such, can be an acquired taste. During the course of one set, the sound can go from classic rock riffs to punk rage to shoe-gazing pop. Thus is the intrigue of this band and why it is a perfect compliment to tour with Primus.
Dinosaur Jr’s set was composed of many of their biggest hits, which included “Start Choppin,’” “Out There,” “Feel the Pain” and one of its more recent singles, “Watch the Corners.” Of particular interest was the fact that the “frontman” of the band wasn’t the one in the spotlight the majority of the set. Drummer Murph was the recipient of the lighting love while Mascis worked his quiet-loud riffage in darkness.
The set’s high point was a loping distorted cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” which Dinosaur Jr originally recorded for a compilation album in 1989 but decided to release itself. The highlight for me was when my ten-year old daughter grabbed my hands, stood on my feet and proceeded to lead me in a daddy-daughter dance. And while it may be an unorthodox song to have as a father-daughter dance at a wedding, if my daughter’s reaction to it on this night is any indication, this may just be the one we dance to someday.
Some Young Primus Fans
Sentimentality aside, the Boston-bred crew ripped through their final number, the Bug-era “Budge” and then quietly slipped into the night, making way for the evening’s headliners.
Primus is just coming off touring their “Primus and the Chocolate Factory,” which had the band running through their own version of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory soundtrack, released last October. Much of the stage set remains from that tour and the merchandise tent was heavy on the Chocolate Factory theme, however, scant attention was paid to that album on this night. Instead, Primus rolled through a lengthy set of their best-known tunes.
The trio entered stage right to the familiar refrain of “Primus Sucks!” from the adoring crowd. Primus is the type of band where there is rarely a middle ground. It is either loved or hated. That being said, the large crowd on hand this night made no bones about which side of the fence they strode. Primus is who they came to see and Primus delivered.
Opening with the lead single from its debut album, “John the Fisherman,” Les Claypool, Larry “Ler” LaLonde and Tim “Herb” Alexander, who appears to be fully recovered from a 2014 heart attack, set the bar high for the remainder of the night.
While remaining true to set lists from previous shows on this tour, Primus still managed to keep the feel fresh while pulling out old classics such as “Harold of the Rocks,” “Mr. Krinkle” and “Spegetti Western.”
In his intro to “Over the Falls”, Claypool, motioning to the hop bines at the back edge of the venue, likened the hops necessary in the brewing of beer to that of grapes to wine, something the experienced vintner knows a thing or two about. Claypool also noted the beautiful blue moon that was hovering behind the hills and broke into an impromptu “Blue Moon” to the crowd’s amusement. Claypool was in comedic form this night.
Recent Green Naugahyde track “Jilly’s on Smack” began with a King Crimson-style swirling guitar intro and turned into an extended jam vehicle for LaLonde to display his unique fretwork while Alexander added some tribal beats. This segued into the “Drums and Whamola” portion of the set where Alexander and Claypool (donning his pig-face mask) dueled as psychedelic images displayed on the backstage screen.
No show at Ommegang is complete without the requisite fireworks display over the enormous illuminated fermenters. The soundtrack to the display was provided by an extended version of “Southbound Pachyderm” to tremendous effect. To me, this was the highlight of the long night.
Forgoing a normal encore, the band continued playing until the house lights came up, finishing strongly with “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” “My Name is Mud,” “Electric Grapevine” and “Too Many Puppies,” which also included a “Hello Skinny” tease.
Primus is playing with a renewed vigor these days. This is a trio of excellent musicians who complement each other perfectly. They may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but when I witness them perform, I’m reminded of another trio of excellent musicians with a quirky lead vocalist who were recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The brand new Lakeview Amphitheater, along the shores of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, will be christened on Sept. 3 by country star Miranda Lambert, local officials announced Wednesday.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show will be sold through the usual outlets beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, July 31. Lawn seats will cost $35 and pavilion seats range from $75 to $95. The show occurs during the New York State Fair, and as such, ticket purchase also includes admission to the fair.
Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, flanked by Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, Acting New York State Fair Director Tony Waffner and County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon, made the highly anticipated announcement from the New York State Fairgrounds, the site that is home to the State Fair Grandstand, host to many high-profile concerts in its 33-year history. The grandstand has seen a decline in marquee artists in recent years and will be torn down as part of a major renovation project at the fairgrounds next year. Mahoney hopes to host 20 concerts at the new venue next year as the amphitheater replaces the grandstand as the location for State Fair concerts.
Miranda Lambert, who recently made headlines with the announcement of her divorce from country star and “The Voice” judge Blake Shelton, has been a mainstay on the country charts and at country music awards shows since her debut album Kerosene in 2004. Her most recent album, Platinum, was released in January 2014, with the latest single, “Little Red Wagon,” being the third to chart from this release.
While the venue’s construction is still incomplete, an aggressive finish date has been set for Aug. 24. Controversy has arisen with the booking of a concert at the new venue while the current one has had difficulty attracting marquee acts this year. Lambert’s show coincides with the last-ever grandstand show featuring Patti LaBelle and Meghan Trainor’s free show at Chevrolet Court during the fair. The booking has drawn criticism in a year when only four grandstand concerts have been booked during the 12-day fair run. Lambert’s only available date was the third and officials are confident the conflict will not have a major affect on overall attendance.
The Tragically Hip is no stranger to New York, although many New York residents may offer a puzzled look when told the band is in town. The Hip is a band who has drawn stadium sized crowds across its Canadian homeland for a couple of decades, yet Stateside fame has been elusive.
agically Formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983, Canada’s ambassadors have continually drawn large crowds to major venues on either side of the border ever since. Tonight was just slightly different than in years past. Knowing that Fully Completely would be played in its entirety may have removed some of the element of surprise and the crowd wasn’t the sellout, push-to-the-front type from the 90s, but the music itself was as fresh sounding today as it was 23 years ago.
Fresh off a Canada Day show in Toronto and another in Windsor, The Hip, as they are affectionately known by the faithful, ventured across the border to grace American (and traveling Canadian) fans with the gift of their music on our Independence Day at the beautiful Constellation Brands Melvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, New York.
This tour is a celebration of their breakthrough album Fully Completely, released in 1992. The Hip is playing this album in its entirety at each show of this tour and this reviewer couldn’t have been happier with this revelation as this album contains a couple of holy grail songs I have yet to see performed live. Some follow Phish; back in the mid to late 90s, I followed The Hip. This is a band that begs to be seen live to fully appreciate its musicianship and the showman who is lead singer Gord Downie.
Gord Downie assessing the situation in Canandaigua.
While Downie is the obvious focal point of the band’s performances, the rest of the musicians are what makes The Hip ‘The Hip.’ Gordon Sinclair and Johnny Fay are two of rock’s more formidable artists at keeping the beat and guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker play well off each other with the balance of the solos tipping Baker’s way.
‘Grace, Too’ kicked off the evening as it often does. Following Gordon Sinclair’s lilting bass intro, the opening line states, ‘He said I’m fabulously rich, c’mon just let’s go,’ which Downie has changed to ‘He said I’m Tragically Hip, c’mon just let’s go,’ hereby welcoming you to the experience you are about to encounter.
The evening was heavy on the classics, with only two more recent tunes, 2006’s ‘In View’ and 2012’s ‘At Transformation’ making the setlist. ‘At Transformation’ evokes the ominous riffs of mid-aughts era Hip such as 2007’s ‘Vaccination Scar’ and fit well within tonight’s setlist.
The pre-Fully portion of the show closed with the standard ‘New Orleans is Sinking.’ In the past, the Hip used the mid-section of this song as a vehicle for working new songs into the set or Downie’s stream-of-consciousness poetry. The most famous version being the oft-bootlegged ‘Killer Whale Tank’ version:
Tonight’s version of NOIS was rather straight forward, which could indicate either that the Hip currently have nothing in the hopper to work into the song or that this one has been retired as such a vehicle. Either way, the song was rocking and a good prep for the main portion of the show.
Following a very brief intermission, dark curtains were lowered at the front of the stage, Downie switched from a bowler hat to a cowboy hat and it was time to become fully and completely immersed in Fully Completely.
The album was played in its entirety in its original playing order beginning with ‘Courage (for Hugh MacLennan).’ CMAC quickly turned into a group sing-along for the next forty minutes.
Downie scatted his way through the ‘get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy’ section of ‘At the Hundredth Meridian’ with the aplomb of Cab Calloway, while the audience chimed in to provide the necessary emphasis of the refrain.
Views of Canadian landscapes and history appeared on the screens at the back of the stage to accompany the songs. It was here where I felt as if I were able to see my Toronto Maple Leafs finally win the Stanley Cup.
Growing up a Maple Leafs hockey fan, I’ve become accustomed to their failure to win a Stanley Cup in my lifetime. The song that really won me over as a fan of the Hip, ’50 Mission Cap,’ was one written about Bill Barilko, a former Toronto Maple Leaf who scored the Cup winning goal in 1951. The following summer he disappeared on a fishing trip in northern Ontario. As the song tells it, the Leafs didn’t win the Stanley Cup again until the year Barilko’s body was found in 1962. The video that accompanied the playing of ’50’ showed footage of Barilko’s winning goal as Downie sang, ‘The last goal he ever scored (in overtime), won the Leafs the Cup’ to the delighted roar of the fans. This site offers a nice tutorial behind the song.
As the band wound its way through the remainder of the album, Downie’s theatrics contrasted with his band mates’ stoicism. Whether using makeshift props to pretend he was a horse or shining his shoes, the theater of Downie is why you attend a Hip show. He is a poet as well as a showman.
The main set closed with a rare appearance of the Fully album closer ‘Eldorado.’ Prior to this tour, the song has only been performed live a handful of times.
After a brief break, the boys came out for the first of a five song encore, their most recent single ‘At Transformation.’ The pavilion seating gradually filled as the night wore on and by the encore, it was packed with standing fans singing along with Downie and high-fiving their neighbors.
‘Poets’ followed, which has a special relevance to my wife and I. A song from the album Phantom Power released in 1998, this song had a prominent location on the set list for The Hip’s Thruway theater tour of New York to support the album. My wife and I attended the Albany, Syracuse and Rochester shows on consecutive nights during that tour, fighting to keep our seats in the first few rows as scores of eager fans rushed to the front to get closer to the band. It’s a memory that stays with both of us to this day and something that cemented our love for the band.
‘Nautical Disaster’ was a highlight of the night. As the title suggests, it tells the story of a ship wreck, the origins of which are left to the listener’s imagination. Is it about the Titanic? The sinking of the Bismarck? The setting is ‘off the coast of France.’ It’s a song that takes you on a journey of hopelessness and the desperation of man in the face of disaster. One thing about The Hip, you’ll often get a history lesson while listening; perhaps another reason for this history geek’s love of the band.
Downie spun his tale of nautical woe, using the microphone as a prop to pantomime pulling ‘overboard’ audience members back into the ‘ship.’ It was pure Downie, pure Hip.
The finale, ‘Blow at High Dough,’ a hard charging, blues-inspired rocker from the band’s second release ‘Up to Here,’ sent the adoring crowd into a frenzy. Baker’s slide guitar during the solo sent echoes of Duane Allman through the lakeside air in Canandaigua. A fan shot video from earlier in the tour gives a taste of what was experienced. Sinclair takes on a more prominent role with the bass in this version than what was played this night but a tasty nugget of Hip nonetheless.
For a tour that was designed as a nostalgia trip, it served its purpose well in that regard. However, its also obvious that this band still loves what they do and the songs don’t sound dated nor trite. Downie is still a performer at the top of his game and while I would have liked to have seen guitarist Langlois take a more prominent role in this set, this reviewer walked away impressed with yet another Hip show.
Canada’s treasure gave the Americans a show for the 4th and it was pretty Hip.
Setlist: Grace, Too, My Music at Work, In View, Ahead By a Century, New Orleans is Sinking, Courage (for Hugh MacLennan), Looking for a Place to Happen, At the Hundredth Meridian, Pigeon Camera, Lionized, Locked in the Trunk of a Car, We’ll Go Too, Fully Completely, 50 Mission Cap, Wheat Kings, The Wherewithal, Eldorado, E: At Transformation, Poets, Bobcaygeon, Nautical Disaster, Blow at High Dough.
A healthy mix of forty-somethings and millennials populated the brewery Friday night as Saranac’s Summer Concert Series continued with Everclear’s annual 90’s alt-rock tour, Summerland 2015. This year’s edition features, along with Everclear, Toadies, Fuel and American Hi-Fi.
It was an early start to the day for Everclear’s leader Art Alexakis and guitarist Davey French, making the local media rounds on WKTV and local modern rock outlet WKLL’s morning show, simply known as The Show. Everclear is touring in support of its new album Black is the New Black, released in April.
Everclear’s acoustic performance on K-Rock from the 1888 Tavern at Saranac – Photo courtesy of Patrick Curley
If you’re a child of the 70s, you’ve grown up with some wild changes in the musical landscape. You’ve seen the disco era, the punk era, the prog-rock era and college rock. Hip Hop and rap came of age with you. Hair metal came and went as grunge plunged the knife into its Aqua-Netted heart in the early-90s.
With the advent of the grunge movement, came a slew of bands and musical styles that could not be easily categorized. When someone doesn’t fit neatly into a genre, new categories are created. The 90s movement became known as Alternative. Bands of the Alternative era of the mid-90s grew to fame playing package tours such as Lollapaloooza, HORDE and the Warped Tour. Everclear’s Summerland Tour draws upon this concept. In 2012, Portland, Oregon’s own created what, for some, may be seen as a nostalgia tour, employing many of the biggest names of the mid-90s on the bill each year. The 2015 edition of the Summerland Tour brought four of these bands to the Saranac Brewery in Utica for a night of nostalgia and pure rock and roll.
American Hi-Fi kicked off the show, rolling through a quick set of their most popular hits, including “Flavor of the Weak.” The video for the song offers a parody of the classic documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot. American Hi-Fi delivered a solid rocking set that gave the early arriving fans a taste of what was to follow.
Another Perfect Day
The Art of Losing
Flavor of the Weak
Wall of Sound
Stacy Jones and Drew Parsons of American Hi-Fi having fun on stage
This reviewer’s most anticipated band of the night was Toadies, who followed American Hi-Fi. They certainly didn’t disappoint. Toadies, a straight-up Texas rock and roll band led by Vaden Todd Lewis, played a high-energy set which also included a couple of roadies joining in on percussion during “I Burn.” Lewis’ lyrical style may be considered a bit creepy by some, and perhaps that’s why I’ve become such a fan. Lewis’ voice and enthusiasm hasn’t changed since my first time witnessing them at the inaugural K-Rock-a-Thon 20 years ago. This fan-shot video from Friday shows Lewis at his best.
Rattler’s Revival
Backslider
Happy Face
Push the Hand
Mexican Hairless
I Come from the Water
In the Belly of a Whale
I Burn
Possum Kingdom
Tyler
Lewis offered two options for the final song, “Away” and “Tyler.” The overwhelming choice from the crowd was “Tyler.”
Toadies setlist edited by Vaden Todd Lewis to show the audience’s choice of ‘Tyler’ as the closer.
Fuel, now with a revamped line-up from its early-2000s edition, followed Toadies with a set infused with its alt-rock radio hits that had the Saranac crowd singing along, culminating with their biggest hit, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands).”
Fuel’s setlist:
Untitled
Time for Me to Stop
Bad Day
Shimmer
Puppet Strings
Soul to Preach To
Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
Brett Scallions delivering an awesome performance to Utica
Festival hosts, Everclear finished off the night with a set heavy on the hits as well as two new songs, “The Man Who Broke His Own Heart” and “American Monster.” Band leader Art Alexakis’ stock in trade is life experiences in his lyrics. Many of the band’s biggest songs are biographical in nature and Alexakis doesn’t shy away from speaking about these experiences. That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that the man knows how to host a rock show. Alexakis knows the fans want to hear the hits and he didn’t disappoint. The show came to a close as members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel joined Everclear on stage for a rousing sing-along of Everclear’s “Santa Monica.” At one point during the finale, there were at least ten musicians on stage, with Fuel’s Brett Scallions and Everclear’s Alexakis trading vocal duties and sending the Saranac crowd home hoarse.
Everclear’s Early Acoustic Set Live on WKTV:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Everything To Everyone
Early Acoustic Set Live on K-Rock:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Evening Set at Saranac Brewery:
So Much for the Afterglow
Everything To Everyone
Heroin Girl
You Make Me Feel Like a Whore
American Monster
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Father of Mine
I Will Buy You A New Life
Encore:
Santa Monica (with members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel)
Everclear headlined the Summerland 2015 show at the Brewery
These four bands may not have seen their songs hit the charts in recent years, but the music they play is timeless rock and roll. There was a feeling of nostalgia in the air but there was also a let-loose feeling of a genuine rock show that belies the recent Billboard charts. Alexakis’ goal with this tour is to get the rock to the people and that is exactly what he accomplished Friday night. Everclear will be back in the area for a 2pm free show at Chevy Court during the New York State Fair on August 27th.
The Saranac Summer Concert Series continues to be one of the best tickets in the area. Upcoming events include Dark Star Orchestra, Slightly Stoopid and Zappa Plays Zappa in addition to their weekly Saranac Thursday outings. The brewery has made an effort to bring in top notch bands as well as ensuring the shows are finished at a time when concert-goers can still hit up the bars of the Brewery District for some post-show fun.
Venture into Downtown Syracuse any summer weekend and chances are you’ll wander into some type of cultural festival. The biggest of all these Clinton Square festivals is Taste of Syracuse, held the first weekend of June. I’d never been to the Taste of Syracuse Festival so I entered this year’s version totally green. Pre-fest research is a must, printing the artist schedule and reading up on the must-have food samples will help you make the most of your time.
This event is highly attended by all different types of people and gives a true Taste of Syracuse in that regard. The perfect weather also likely had a lot to do with the size of the weekend crowds.
Food vendors were plentiful, many with long lines to try the bevy of $1 samples being offered. And while I didn’t try the much hyped Bang Bang Shrimp, I did get my hands on the grape leaves from the Turkish Cultural Center booth and the vegetarian spring rolls with hot sauce from the Lao Village tent and both were delicious. The hot sauce, paired well with a Founders All Day IPA and the smooth Chicago style blues of The Nighthawks with Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin performing on the Main Stage.
The primary reason for my attendance at Taste of Syracuse was, however, the music. With 38 bands playing on three different stages over the course of the weekend, there were plenty of choices to be had for even the most fickle music fan.
Friday night featured Vinyl-Albums live, three different bands offering their interpretations of three classic albums: Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run, U2’s Achtung Baby and Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill.
One of the more uplifting bands of the weekend was the UAD Show Group/Kings of the Fall, performing on the Delta stage Friday evening. Their soulful sounds provided a nice diversion from the heavier rock and country artists performing throughout the weekend.
Syracuse rockers Under the Gun closed the night on the main stage, playing a mix of hard-charging rock anthems from the 80s up to the present.
Washington, DC blues legends, The Nighthawks with frequent special guest and former Muddy Waters band member, Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin grooved the main stage crowd on Saturday with a mixture of originals and blues standards.
Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin and The Nighthawks performing at 2015 Taste of Syracuse Festival
Pale Green Stars were a standout band. This Syracuse-based band is part country, part punk, part alternative, and all entertaining. Upon first listening, the vocals of Jeff Jones reminded me of Art Alexakis of Everclear, yet still has his own distinct style and great stage presence. This three-man crew of talented musicians performed many originals from their album The Honkytonk Years, which is available to listen to in full on YouTube. Do yourself, and the band, a favor and purchase the album outright. It’s a good summer soundtrack.
Another band that drew my attention was the Rochester band Teagan and the Tweeds. Steeped in country but dipping their toes in the sexy blues of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin while donning some Bourbon Street pizzazz, Teagan and the Tweeds are difficult to categorize, which is a good thing. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Teagan Ward has a voice that’s raspy and soulful and one that demands the audience’s attention. Her band mates are formidable as well. Bassist Jeremy Stoner brought out a tuba for “Give it Up or Let Me Go” and quickly won over the hesitant crowd. Teagan and the Tweeds frequent the Dinosaur BBQ circuit and refer to themselves as a BBQ band. For more information, check out their website: www.teaganandthetweeds.com.
Teagan and the Tweeds winning over the crowd from the Clinton Square stage at the 2015 Taste of Syracuse Festival
For me, festivals are a way to discover new music, especially local music. While there seemed to be a dearth of cover bands on this year’s Taste of Syracuse bill, it was a treat to discover several bands out there doing original material and winning over crowds. Keep the local talent thriving and get out there and become won over, because, after all, every big artist was local at some point.
Self deprecating, awkward, obtuse, David Letterman. I grew up with this man. His short-lived show on NBC mornings following the Today Show was something I looked forward to more than the Price is Right on days off from school. My sense of humor was formed by this man. He combined the legacy of Johnny Carson and the lunacy of Looney Tunes and mixed it with a smidge of humanity. Dave changed the game.
David Letterman with Warren Zevon
May 20, 2015 was a sad day for me. My man Letterman was heading off into the sunset. After tonight the television world will be much less funny. He has influenced me in more ways than I really considered until he announced his retirement.
There have been many tributes to David Letterman in the past few weeks. Most of them have focused on his comedy. The man is a natural in that department. I owe a lot of my sense of humor to this legendary performer. Thanks, Dave.
That said, Letterman did more for music on television than many realize. Prior to Dave, musical guests were primarily the hit makers of the day.
Letterman brought in the fringe artists. Dave gave R.E.M. their network debut. Dave convinced legends like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to appear on television despite their reluctance to do so. He had Rage Against the Machine perform on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater.
David Letterman gave artists such as Tom Waits and Warren Zevon a stage — he was a fan and a champion of Zevon and his work.
A friend of mine, Lisa, gave me a true fan’s perspective of the relationship between David Letterman and Warren Zevon. Lisa said of Zevon, “For anyone other than Letterman, I don’t know that he’d have set foot on the TV stage. Dave had a genuine respect for the musical genius and general intelligence of Zevon and it grew into a warm personal friendship.
Photo courtesy http://warrenzevon.wikia.com/
Among Warren Zevon devotees, the TV spots are treasured because we can look back and watch those to see a thumbnail of Zevon’s evolution into revealing himself to the public. Without David Letterman, we’d have only the music, the shows, and the chance encounters. He allowed more people to become familiar with the human behind the legend so the focus could be on the music, the product, rather than the legend.”
Letterman thought so highly of Zevon that when his musical director, Paul Schaffer took time off, he made him the musical director for the show. He cared so much for him that he dedicated the entire hour of his show on October 30, 2002 to Zevon, in what would prove to be Zevon’s last appearance on network television before succumbing to lung cancer.
Above all else, Letterman is a big fan of music, as evidenced by his Live on Letterman: Music From the Late Show series of albums produced by the show.
What tribute to Letterman would be complete without the ubiquitous Top Ten List, so with that, here is tonight’s Top Ten List, Warren Zevon’s Top Ten Appearances on David Letterman.
#10. Zevon sat in for Shaffer as music director on a couple of occasions. Letterman is giving Zevon some on the job training in this clip.
#9. “Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)”. From WZ’s last studio recording. Shaffer plays Letterman’s role in this version of a song about a Canadian farm boy looking to make it to the NHL as a goon.
#8. “Mr. Bad Example” Pony-tailed Zevon delivering his trademark lyrical genius in this Letterman clip from 1993.
#7. “Excitable Boy” and “The Overdraft” from Zevon’s first appearance with Letterman. He is championing Zevon right from the beginning. The interview piece shows how their sardonic wit jived.
#6. “Trouble” and “Lawyers, Guns & Money.” This is a classic performance with Shaffer’s late ’80s version of The World’s Most Dangerous Band
#5. “Boom Boom Mancini.” Being a boxing fan, this song re-introduced me to Zevon’s work outside of the FM radio staples. Tells the tragic story of professional boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEuSTy5VRwQ
#4. “Porcelain Monkey.” This is a late-era Zevon song that would fit comfortably on “Excitable Boy”. Take note of Sid McGinnis completely making this song his own on the guitar. Shaffer’s bands are always a great compliment to whomever they are backing but when Zevon was on the show, they truly gelled.
#3. “Splendid Isolation.” From a 1995 appearance. This clip also contains some interview footage showing their admiration for each other. Letterman goes fanboy.
#2. “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.” My favorite Zevon song and his final ever public appearance.
#1. “The Mutineer.” Letterman announcing Zevon’s death and his tribute to his good friend. He ends this piece with a clip from Zevon’s final appearance on the show a year earlier.
Letterman had Zevon as his only guest on his October 30, 2002 show, describing Zevon as, “the real deal. He’s not one of these pretty faced, phony rock and roll guys, he’s the real deal — a poet and a singer and a songwriter. It doesn’t get any better.” Zevon, despite the dire prognosis of inoperable lung cancer, kept his typical cynical sense of humor, stating, “Dave is the best friend my music has ever had.” Letterman brought Zevon’s music to the masses, even when Zevon showed resistance.
This appearance proved to be Zevon’s final public performance. You’d never know he was suffering from inoperable lung cancer from his performance and humor on this show. I highly recommend checking out the entire episode available on YouTube. It’s strange. It’s funny. It’s hearwarming. It’s pure Letterman and Zevon.
Letterman may have retired, but his legacy to music on late night television will continue. Thanks, Dave.
Vinyl record sales are hot again. In the past three years, this segment of the music industry has seen a huge resurgence. Sales of music in the vinyl format are up seventy per cent this year over the same time period last year. Some analysts see this as simply a fad with a bubble that is ready to burst, but I beg to differ.
I’ve been participating in Record Store Day – created in 2008 as a way to help the mom and pop record stores stay afloat. Each year it has gotten bigger. This past Black Friday for 2015, a second Record Store Day was added to the calendar. Special releases are made and released on these days leading to months of anticipation for the avid music fan.
For this year’s RSD, I recruited a couple of my buddies to join in the festivities. A new store opened in New Hartford near Sangertown Mall, called ReImagine Records, July of 2014. That was our first stop of the day. Our other stops were Music and More on Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford, not far from ReImagine, and the area’s oldest record store, Off-Center Records, on Bleecker Street in Downtown Utica.
My friend Bruce is a big fan of The Flaming Lips. The Lips were releasing three 10” records to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their album Clouds Taste Metallic. Those three records were at the top of Bruce’s list. This was his second RSD. We went together last year, although he didn’t have a turntable at that point. He’s since gotten one and is now once again hooked on vinyl.
Dan was a RSD virgin. When I asked if he wanted to join us this year, his response was, “Been waiting for you to ask, like a prom date.” Dan’s a big Clutch fan so he was on the hunt for anything Clutch related.
I had no real scores in mind, although I did have slim hopes of scoring the 10” release from The Replacements. I was there purely for the enjoyment of the experience. Many of the hyped RSD releases wind up being snapped up quickly by the early birds, so I rarely put much hope in picking up one of those. Unfortunately, many of these highly sought releases end up on eBay within minutes of stores opening their doors. That’s the ugly part of Record Store Day.
We arrived at our first destination at 7:45 thinking we were good for the 8:00 opening. We soon learned that there were many others more anxious than us and found ourselves in a line to check out the new releases. The atmosphere in the store was one of excitement. There was barely room to move yet there we were, music fans from teenagers to men in their sixties, flipping, eyeballing other’s scores, talking music.
With me, the allure of music, specifically records, is the interaction. Music is communal by nature. In my teen years, my friends and I made trips to the records stores part of our lives. We’d talk about music, while listening to music, on our way to buy more music to talk about. That circle hasn’t been broken in all this time.
Bruce was able to find one of The Flaming Lips’ records on his list in our hunt. Dan scored a live Clutch album. I wasn’t able to get that Replacements release but I made some great scores nonetheless.
The point of the day for me wasn’t actual purchases. To me, a visit to a record store is about the experience. The people talking about that which they are so passionate. The social experience of it all. This thought was confirmed in the post-mortem at our favorite watering hole, Stockdale’s in Oriskany. While sitting around slugging back some tasty beers and talking about music, I received a text from my friend Tom, who lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tom was just beginning his RSD and sent me a picture of The Replacements’ record, “Alex Chilton” asking, “Nineteen Canuck bucks. Need?” The international brotherhood of record geeks, connecting electronically! Tom picked up that record for me as well as another one of the Lips’ that Bruce had been seeking.
However, out of the myriad releases being promoted for that specific day, all four of us went home with items we found either in the bargain bins or in the regular used record racks. Dan’s prize pick of the day was a beat up two dollar copy of the album Restrictions by the early ’70s blues-rock band Cactus. Mine, a four-dollar copy of The Clash’s first album. Tom’s favorite acquisition wasn’t even on vinyl. He picked up a copy of a Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros CD. Bruce’s favorite pick was obviously his Lips but he also scored a great copy of the Love & Rockets album Earth, Sun, Moon. The day and the special releases drew us in on this particular day but what we took with us are what we valued.
I asked Bruce, Dan and Tom what they took away from Record Store Day. Dan explained that he had the most fun building his list of bands to seek and artists he thought were fitting of the media. Bruce summed it up perfectly, “It was more about the experience with buds than the musical trophies.” Tom’s takeaway was seeing a teenage girl walking out of The Inner Sleeve with a Muddy Waters album under her arm.
Records are back! And I couldn’t be more pleased. I don’t need Record Store Day because every day is that to me. Records are real. Records are tangible. Records demand interaction. That is what makes records so special. Is it a fad? I don’t think so. I think days like this are helping to build future generations of record fans. Fans who, as Alice Cooper recently stated in an interview – “are sick of buying air.”
Primus has enlisted the talents of 90s alt-rock brethren Dinosaur Jr. and newcomers, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger to accompany them on this summer-long shed tour.
The set’s high point was a loping distorted cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” which Dinosaur Jr originally recorded for a compilation album in 1989 but decided to release itself. The highlight for me was when my ten-year old daughter grabbed my hands, stood on my feet and proceeded to lead me in a daddy-daughter dance. And while it may be an unorthodox song to have as a father-daughter dance at a wedding, if my daughter’s reaction to it on this night is any indication, this may just be the one we dance to someday.
agically Formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983, Canada’s ambassadors have continually drawn large crowds to major venues on either side of the border ever since. Tonight was just slightly different than in years past. Knowing that Fully Completely would be played in its entirety may have removed some of the element of surprise and the crowd wasn’t the sellout, push-to-the-front type from the 90s, but the music itself was as fresh sounding today as it was 23 years ago.
Downie scatted his way through the ‘get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy’ section of ‘At the Hundredth Meridian’ with the aplomb of Cab Calloway, while the audience chimed in to provide the necessary emphasis of the refrain.
