NYS Music 20​15

Author: Pete Mason

  • Update: The Year of Sittin’ In with Scott Hannay

    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.

    scott hannayFast 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!

  • The Night Before Phishmas

    The Night Before Phishmas

    phishmas

    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,

    “MERRY PHISHMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD TOUR!”

    Safe travels to New York City!

  • Strangefolk Returns to Garden of Eden August 12-13

    Strangefolk’s Garden 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.”

    Enjoy a compilation from nugs.net of past Garden of Eden shows, a perfect compliment to the road trip to Northern Vermont.

    Schedule of Music

    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.

    https://youtu.be/xAwHZNQsVRY

  • Christmas Releases from Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem and more!

    The holidays are full of surprises, and between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a bevy of new music was released from some big names.

    First up is a new track from LCD Soundsystem with “Christmas Will Break Your Heart,” a song front man James Murphy depressingly sings to himself each year around this time has been recorded and adds fuel to the fire that LCD Soundsystem may reunite in 2016, possibly at the new Panorama Festival in Queens.

    Future Islands released a cover of the WHAM! classic “Last Christmas,” a fitting tune for the synthpop group.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf03W5l3eMM

    Radiohead surprised fans with a rejected theme to the James Bond film “Spectre,” and while it was ultimately not used (Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” took the honors), fans were treated with a Christmas gift in the release of the song.

    Keeping things upbeat this holiday season, Miley Cyrus and The Flaming Lips shared “My Sad Christmas Song.” With her collaborators on Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, Miley has some depressingly great lyrics:

    This is my sad Christmas song
    So I rip another bong
    I never been good at making plans
    Next year, I’m gonna be with my man
    My little sister says I’m the Grinch
    But my mom thinks I’m just a bitch

    Speculation leans to the song being related to her ex-fiancee, Liam Hemsworth.

  • Otis Live Debuts Two New Wild Adriatic Songs

    Video of two unreleased Wild Adriatic songs were released today from Otis Live. The tracks, “The One” and “Cruel Lovin,” are from Wild Adriatic’s debut performance at Otis Mountain Get Down from this past September. Performed on September 11, 2015 (also drummer Mateo Vosganian’s birthday), this video is part of Otis Live’s new series of videos, directed and edited by George Watts and produced by Watts and Quillan George.

    Since Otis Live started, they have sought to create a platform for artists to gain exposure. The fall of 2015 marked the beginning of bringing this goal to life in a digital realm, with bi-weekly releases of diverse live performances from on and off the mountain. An interview with Wild Adriatic here.

    Otis Mountain Get Down is an independently & cooperatively produced festival in the heart of the Adirondacks in Elizabethtown, NY. Otis is an open, intimate and affordable festival, offering an eclectic and unique mix of artists and genres. Otis Mountain encourages new and meaningful interactions with art, music, the outdoors and each other, while embracing and supporting our local communities, music and culture. The festival is held each September and was named one of the “Top 5 Lesser Known (But Incredible) festivals for artists to play” in 2015 by Sonic Bids.

  • Ampevene Announces Winter Tour

    Ampevene, a refreshing new band coming out of Albany, NY embarks on their inaugural Winter Tour, starting this Saturday, December 12 at Parish Public House in Albany. Ampevene has been making a name for themselves combining elements of rock, jazz, metal, funk and the avant-garde, hypnotizing and painting pictures though the wild musical ride that it creates.

    Previously sharing the stage with acclaimed nationally touring acts such as Moon Hooch, Consider The Source, and Aqueous, as well as playing popular festivals Larkfest and Bellstock, Ampevene draws influence from artists including The Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, Primus, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fusion-era Miles Davis.

    Featuring Gabe Stallman (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Bob Morris (Drums), Ava Smith (Keyboard), Mack Hogan (Bass), they have been called “Improv trippy jazz fusion Pink Floyd on acid” (Ralph Renna, Capital Underground), this young and funky quartet find their groove quickly and are a local talent to keep an eye on, and are a live show not to be missed.

    Ampevene Winter Tour 2016 Dates

    December 12 Albany, NY Parish Public House
    December 20 New York, NY The Delancey
    December 23 Syracuse, NY Funk N Waffles
    December 27 New York, NY Pianos
    January 24 Burlington, VT Radio Bean
    January 27 Providence, RI The Spot
    February 12 Oneonta, NY Black Oak Tavern
    February 20 Troy, NY Dinosaur BBQ
    February 25 Winooski, VT Monkey House

  • Party Tube Presents “A Very Burghy Christmas”

    Party Tube from Plattsburgh has a new holiday tune for this season, a fun and cynical look at the doom and gloom that Christmas brings to some in the North Country of NY. “A Very Burghy Christmas” was written by Kevin Lewis (guitar, vocals) alongside Sean Godreau (bass, percussion) and Justin Schultz  (guitar, percussion, vocals).

    Party Tube formed in 2014 on the shore of Lake Champlain and have quickly become a North Country mainstay. The group plans on hitting the studio to work on their debut album in early 2016. Download the track here.

  • Recap: Space Carnival and Lucid at The Hollow, December 4

    As the year begins to draw to a close, local and regional acts may stick closer to home, bringing out friends and fans to end of the year celebrations and final shows before a break around the holidays. December in Upstate New York in particular leads to a great number of bands playing club shows for one last hurrah before starting anew in January.

    Starting out this evening was Space Carnival, a four piece band from Oneonta. With a flowing vibe through their set and command of the audience’s energy, they wove in and out of originals and covers with smooth transitions and improvisation with a balanced approach. Opening with a flowing and spacey “2001”, the segue into original “Filth” made it tough to discern where “2001” began and “Filth” began, as the songs crossed over musically with finesse. Bassist Chris Meier is a next generation Jesse Miller (Lotus) even though he admits to not having drawn any influence from him; the high pluck of his bass marked the start of a transition into four-on-the-floor dance propulsion at multiple occurrances throughout the set

    “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco” found guitarist Jeremy Kraus and keyboardist Cameron Fitch syncing up for a deep groove that transitioned smoothly into “Shakedown Street”, a choice cover on the 50th anniversary of the first ever Grateful Dead show. “Moonboots” had a feel of Ominous Seapods mixed with a dash of Disco Biscuits as they shifted seamlessly into progressive sections. “Entre the Giants” features a Talking Heads vibe, which aided in the build towards the Heads’ “Stay Hungry”, where Meier set the tone with assurance, Kraus dropped an “Inspector Gadget” tease, with various eruptions out of each shift, using the bursts of energy towards a strong build. With an IndieGoGo campaign for their first studio album, Space Carnival is an exciting live show from start to finish.

    Setlist: 2001 -> Filth, Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco > Shakedown Street > Moonboots, Entre the Giants > Stay Hungry > Regal Krad

    Kings of the North Country, Lucid, gave The Hollow crowd two musical cornucopia sets that covered all the bases of blues, rock, jam, soul and funk. “Bangers and Hash” kicked the night off with speedy soul and dips of reggae, followed by “San Pedro,” with Lowell Wurster’s vocals driven in step by the beat from the wooden blocks. Meadow Eliz, who has performed with Lucid on a few occasions, and is quite an accomplished artist, joined the group for a pair of songs, “Despots” and “Gemini Eye,” adding quite impressive vocals to familiar tunes.

    “Po Man’s Blues” kicked off Set 2 and things kept rocking with “Blessed and Cursed” and the fan favorite “Whisky Dreams.” A cover of the Clash’s “Clampdown” took a few by surprise, while “Dirt”, off their latest album of the same name balanced out the Brit Rock. Among the many highlights in this set was the stand out performance of “Silhouettes,” featuring Jamie Armstrong on saxaphone, a full rocker with strong keys. Bassist Chris Shacklett took to the mic for the penultimate song of the evening, the always enjoyable “Debra,” with Chris hitting every high note seemingly effortlessly. There was little left to ask for on this incredible evening of music from New York bands both new and old.

    Set 1: 4 Bangers and Hash, San Pedro, Miles Deep, Psychedelic Circus, Lucky Dice, Mind Trippin, Despots*, Gemini Eye* > Ancient Incantations, Ground on up, Whoa Mamma, On My Knees

    Set 2: Po Man’s Blues, Blessed and Cursed, Whiskey Dreams, Black Smoke, Clampdown (Clash Cover), Dirt, Came and Went > Silhouettes, Boats, Backwoods, ***Debra (Beck Cover), Crazy Fucked up World***
    * with Meadow Eliz

  • Leftover Salmon Lays it Down at The Egg

    Twelve years after last appearing at The Egg, Leftover Salmon returned to Albany for a nearly two-hour set in the intimate Swyer Theater. Fans danced in the periphery, while others remained seated, tapping their feet to the rhythm and mouthing the words to familiar lyrics, yet rarely seen live in these parts. Going in with no expectations, this marked my first opportunity to see Leftover Salmon after 14  years of patient listening.

    Drummer Alwyn Robinson stood out immediately, not only because of his presence behind the kit in a bluegrass band, but especially because he did not overshadow his bandmates. He was not driving the songs nor was he reserved to the point of a feigned presence on stage. Robinson is the ideal bluegrass drummer.

    Giving a nod to recent corruption news from the nearby Capitol, Vince Herman introduced “Hey Woody Guthrie,” calling on the fabled folk legend to return as the good fight is still being fought. “Flight of the Durban,” led by Andy Thorn on banjo, was upbeat and a long journey through a composition that could double as a soundtrack for a travel video. “Troubled Times” and “High Country” were on the country side of things, while an upbeat version of Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” was a refreshing take on a classic folk tune.

    Drew Emmitt showed masterful prowess on the mandolin and switched to electric guitar during an extended jam, following the same style of Robinson—not taking an overpowering Warren Haynes-esque solo, but augmenting the existing jam. Herman introduced “Two Highways,” a song he dedicated to his wife to-be (as of next week) in Mexico during Strings n Sol festival prior to band intros, capping off the set with a lively cover of T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get it On).” The band returned to the stage with a standing ovation from the audience and performed “Gold Hill Line” for an encore, prior to signing autographs in the lobby for the ardent fans.

    Leftover Salmon performs tonight at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA, on Dec. 4 and The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT, on Dec. 5.

  • Wednesdays in December at Funk n Waffles are NYS Music Nights

    It might get cold in Syracuse this December, but things are going to get hot at Funk n Waffles Downtown when NYS Music presents bands from around New York State, every Wednesday throughout December.

    Major Player with special guest The Nudes perform on December 9, while the folk-pop of Black Mountain Symphony brings guest Steve Scuteri on December 16. Just before Christmas, Albany’s Ampevene make their debut at Funk n Waffles, alongside Chris Eves. New Years Eve-Eve will be celebrated with the roots stylings of Grayak with Michelle Renee in support.

    Doors open at 7pm each night with music starting at 8pm. Enjoy a variety of bands that call New York State home every Wednesday night at Funk n Waffles (and some great food too!)