NYS Music 20​15

Author: Pete Mason

  • 2015 Edition of Fox Fest to Benefit CNYSPCA

    Fox Fest, the 2015 SAMMY winner for best festival in Central New York, returns for its 6th year. The not-for-profit festival will support the CNYSPCA this year.

    CNYSPCA Fox FestMusic at the festival runs from 12pm-12am and includes sets from Scars n Stripes, Barndogs Plus, Country Swagg, Redline, TJ Sacco, Dirtroad Ruckus, Chris Taylor and Seeking Monte. Fox Fest boasts plenty of room for campers , motorhomes and tents with a variety of food sold at the event. Alcohol may be brought by patrons.

    To buy tickets, Fox Fest sells t-shirts as admission. To order a shirt and gain admission to the festival, you may order online or fill out a form at one of the following locations: Limp Lizard on Onondaga Blvd., Tanner Valley Golf Course, Frank’s Moondance on Rt 20, Amber Inn in Marietta, and the CNYSPCA on Malloy Rd. in North Syracuse. Patrons may also call to order a shirt via 315-382-5896 or 315-256-7005.

    With over 2000 attendees in 2014, Fox Fest 2015 will be an immensely popular event with great music, all supporting a good cause.

    The CNY SPCA is open for viewing Monday – Saturday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. All adoptable animals are on our website www.cnyspca.org.  If you are interested in one of our available animals please fill out an application and get pre-approved.

  • Tony Bennett is Coming to The Palace Theatre this Fall

    The legendary Tony Bennett will grace the stage of The Palace Theatre in Albany on Sunday, October 18 at 7pm, with special guest Antonia Bennett.  Tony Bennett’s artistry and accomplishments are applauded here at home and all over the world from people from 11 to 90 years old.

    In the past 10 years alone, Bennett has sold over ten million records, a testament to his longevity and artistic achievement that has long been a part of his life since growing up in Astoria, NY. Upon being discovered by Bob Hope, his career took off and the rest is history. Among the honors Bennett has received are 17 Grammy awards, including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his MTV Unplugged album, which introduced his music to new generation, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  He has had 24 songs in the Top 40, including “I Wanna Be Around,” “The Good Life,” “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” and the signature, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” garnering him two Grammy Awards.

    One of the few artists to have new albums charting in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and 10’s, he has recently collaborated with pop star Lady Gaga on Cheek to Cheek, a collection of jazz standards. Having toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs, Bennett was recently observed by former President Bill Clinton as, “Now in his seventh decade of singing, Tony Bennett has somehow kept his unique voice, with its beauty and range, its strength and style, and still in perfect pitch.  But as talented as he is, Tony’s most impressive quality is his giving spirit!”

    Tickets for this special performance range from $60.50 – $128 and go on sale Friday, June 26 at 10am at The Palace Theatre.

  • JibberJazz Meeting of the Minds 8 Announces Lineup

    Close out festival season with Meeting of the Minds 8, presented by Jibberjazz Productions and taking place Sept. 25-27, 2015, in Schuylkill Haven, PA. This full weekend of music and camping will showcase 30 eclectic musical acts across three stages along with numerous workshops and scheduled activities.

    The 2015 lineup for Meeting of the Minds features Ozric Tentacles, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Skerik’s Bandalabra, Head for the Hills, The Big Dirty, Polyrhythmics, Deaf Scene, Dirty Streets, Genome, Formula 5, and many more notable acts. Jibberjazz unleashes a vast array of musical styles including jam, funk, folk, bluegrass, Americana, rock n roll, blues, world, reggae and more. Jibberjazz artists are drawn from various pockets of the USA. Tickets are $75 presale and are on-sale now through Jibberjazz.

    Meeting of the Minds takes place on a beautiful 60-acre rustic fairground, featuring outdoor and indoor stages, plenty of camping space, permanent restrooms and showers, nature trails, trout fishing waters, and electricity access for RV’s. A great deal of both food and craft vendors will be on-site for the weekend. Additionally, a full slate of festival activities is scheduled for both adults and children.

     

  • Three Nights of Strangefolk at Garcia’s

    When one of your favorite bands for nearly 20 years comes around to play a few shows at a venue only two hours away, you make that drive. In the case of Strangefolk, there were three nights of shows at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, all worth the commute to Port Chester and full of surprises, guests, covers and classics.

    strangefolk garcia'sWith Jason Crosby (Susan Tedeschi Band, Phil and Friends) sitting in for the entire weekend on keys and fiddle, a venue that grew in attendance each night was treated to classic Strangefolk songs. Thursday’s first set featured “Roads,” “All the Same,” “Speculator” and a creative “Burned Down->Fire On the Mountain->Burned Down,” teasing a theme for the weekend’s sets. The second set led with five Grateful Dead songs: “Althea,” “Deal,” “Dark Hollow,” “Candyman” and “Tennessee Jed” before the band returned to originals including “Cabin John,” “Fountain” and “Westerly.” A surprise cover of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” sung poetically by Reid Genauer, preceded “Westerley” while an encore of “Valhalla” finished the night.

    On Friday, fans were treated to more Grateful Dead and originals that featured significant exploration inside of jams. An extensive “Alaska” was found in the first set alongside rarer originals “Diary” and “Faces”. There was significant interplay between Jon Trafton and Crosby during “Rather Go Fishin’,” leading to a “Shake Your Body” jam that lit the crowd up.

    Shake Your Body jam during ‘Rather be Fishin’ – #strangefolk #garcias

    A video posted by NYStateMusic (@nystatemusic) on

    Set 2 brought out more Dead songs, starting with “Shakedown Street,” “Brown Eyed Woman,” a crowd singalong of “Loser” and “Scarlet Begonias.” Originals ruled the rest of the evening with a lengthy fan favorite “Lines and Circles,” “Rachel” with Crosby on fiddle, “Songbeard,” “45 Degrees” and “So Well” closing out the set. A soulful encore of “Things That Fly” ended the night, a sweaty one for many as club had gotten steamy during the hot second set.

    Strangefolk’s three night run at Garcia’s came to a close on Saturday with the trio Sam and Margo opening as fans slowly filled the room. Strangefolk greeted a sold out crowd with “Sweet Libation” before carving deep into their repertoire with “Like You Anyway” and “Poland.” Genauer then brought out Aaron Maxwell, Jon Bevo, and Dan Pifer from God Street Wine, noting that the stage was a “little bit like a clown car” as the musicians joined. God Street Wine had tweeted earlier in the day that the trio would be joining Strangefolk at Garcia’s that night, letting the anticipation build for those attending the show. Having previously teamed with Genauer and fellow Assembly of Dust band members Adam Terrelll and Dave Diamond in 2014 under the Assembly of Wine moniker, Saturday was a chance for the God Street Wine members to play with the rest of Strangefolk.

    “Speculator” led off the collaboration between the two bands with Maxwell singing lead vocals and fellow God Street Wine alumnus Jason Crosby trading his keys for a fiddle. “Driving West,” a God Street Wine original, followed before “Sometimes” closed out the band team-up with Maxwell and Genauer trading vocals and Maxwell and Trafton exchanging guitar riffs. As the God Street Wine trio walked off the stage, Genauer hinted at what was to come by informing the crowd “they’ll be back later.” “Whatever” and “Reuben’s Place” closed out the strong opening set with the members of Strangefolk and Crosby posing for a “selfie” with the crowd in the background before heading off stage for the setbreak.

    The second set featured the return of Maxwell, Bevo, and Pifer and a journey into the Grateful Dead’s catalog. A gorgeous 17 minute rendition of “Sugaree,” featuring Maxwell on vocals and Crosby returning to the fiddle began the set and “Eyes of the World,” “Jack Straw,” and “Franklin’s Tower” followed with the fans in attendance joyously soaking in every note. Strangefolk closed out the set with their own originals, starting off with Weightless in Water’s “Valhalla” and “Chasing Away,” “Dance,” “…As,” and “Roads” following suit and “Walnut” closing out a special evening and a great three nights in a special intimate room. Strangefolk will play next this summer at the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport, CT and in September at Lockn’ Music Festival.

    Additional reporting by Scott Marks

  • Catskill Chill Announces 2015 Lineup

    The rumors have proven to be true – moe. will be this years Catskill Chill headliner. Announced at Mountain Jam, the Buffalo natives will top the already “festival of the year” contender lineup. Tickets will likely sell out for Camp Minglewood long before September, purchase while you still can.

    Featuring Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Electron, The Motet, Dopopod, Kung Fu, Twiddle and many more, Catskill Chill has announced their 2015 lineup for their final year with #chillfam at Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY. Tickets are on sale now at catskillchill.com.

    The full lineup includes Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Electron, The Motet, Dopapod, Kung Fu, Twiddle (playing original and Grateful Dead sets), Break Science, Turkuaz, Dopakuaz plays Studio 54, The Werks, Particle & Fam, George Porter Jr. & The Runnin’ Pardners, Stratosphere All-Stars, The Nth Power, Red Baraat, Moon Hooch, Govinda, Consider the Source (Electric & Acoustic), Pink Talking Fish, American Babies, Luke the Knife, Juno What?!, Chillfam All-Stars Herbie Hancock Tribute, High & Mighty Brass Band, Exmag, Nadis Warriors, DJ Logic, Borahm Lee, Caravan of Thieves, Love Canon, Brock Butler Acoustic, Borboletta, Jen Durkin & The Business, BRYAC Funk All-Stars, Aqueous, Marvel Years, Natalie Cressman, The Ballroom Thieves, The Primate Fiasco (Electric & Acoustic), Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, On the Spot Trio, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Shwizz, FiKus, ShwiKus plays the ‘80s, The Brummy Brothers, Relative Souls, Strange Machines, Solaris, Speakerbot, Wyllys, Horizon Wireless, Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Haley Jane and the Primates, Wiley Griffin Acoustic, Little War Twins, and The Breakneck Boys.

  • A Concert in Memory of Tim Rem: A Benefit for Suicide Prevention and Awareness

    The Second Annual Benefit for Suicide Prevention and Awareness – A Concert in Memory of Tim Rem will be held on June 13 at Parish Public House from 6pm until close. Music starts at 8pm Wiley Griffin and Friends followed by Groovestick.

    Liam Bancroft, founder of the event, started this benefit not only raise money for suicide prevention and awareness, but to preserve the legacy of his cousin, Tim Rem. “Tim was a staple in the Albany scene and was an ardent supporter of music, both local and national,” said Bancroft. “He was instrumental in bringing Boombox to the Capital Region for the first time through his friendship with Zion Godchaux. Even though my family holds a golf tournament every year called the Brothers Classic and we participate in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Saratoga Springs every year, I felt it was imperative to hold a benefit that was closely linked with one of Tim’s greatest passions.” While preserving the legacy of Tim Rem is a primary focus of the benefit, an equally important focus will be on issues related to mental illness and serious depression that lead to suicide; two things that are closer to home than almost any other illness or disease.

    With sponsors including Twiddle, WEQX Guthrie/Bell Productions, Dead Presidents Lounge, Parish Public House, Northern Lights Smoke Shop, Nanola, Heartspace Yoga and Healing Arts, The Machine Art Co-op, McGeary’s Irish Pub, DiCarlo’s, Albany Wine & Spirits, and Capital Wine, the benefit stands to be a strong night of music and fundraising. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

  • Festy News: Festival in Berkshires Releases Schedule

    A festival in the Berkshires has revealed the schedule for the 2015 installment of the festival with headliners Lettuce, Electron, Dopapod, Cabinet and Twiddle leading a stellar lineup of musicians from the Northeast and beyond.

    They have also announced the addition of five artists-at-large who will be joining bands throughout the weekend, providing unique collaborations with artists both new and familiar. Artists-at-Large include Todd Stoops (RAQ, Kung Fu), Craig Broadhead (Turkauz), Garrick “Force” Perry (The Alchemystics), Mikey Carruba (Turkuaz) and Brian BT Thomas (Akashic Record).

    The fest is held June 11-14 at Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, NY, a short 30 minute drive from Albany. The annual festival features 4 Days of Music, 50+ Musical Performances, Disc Golf Tournaments, 2 Main Stages, Carside, Grassy or Wooded Campsites, Food and Craft Vending, Kids Activities, Late Night Acoustic Sets, Silent Disco, Disc Golf Clinics, Live Painting, Art Installations, Yoga Sessions, Fire Performances, Hula Hoop and Flow Art Workshops and much more.

    Tickets are available now.

  • Skinless ‘Only The Ruthless Remain’ Full Album Stream

    On the eve of its official release, Decibel Magazine has a full album stream of Skinless Only The Ruthless Remain in its entirety.

    skinlessFeaturing their iconic, late ’90s lineup of founding guitarist Noah Carpenter, vocalist Sherwood Webber, bassist Joe Keyser and drummer Bob Beaulac, with the recent addition of second guitarist, Dave Matthews, Only The Ruthless Remain marks the band’s first proper full-length offering in nearly a decade and has been reaping the adulation of critics both stateside and abroad.

    Stream the album here. 

    Check out the video for album’s namesake track, “Skinless.”


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  • Summer Camp Music Festival 2015 Recap

    Day 1: Arrival to Chillicothe, just north of Peoria, IL, took 16 hours from Albany, and while the drive may seem daunting, it wasn’t that tough of a trip. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, if you wanted to go to a music festival or travel to see a band, you had to drive out of your comfort zone for the experience. What has become common place, seeing festivals within an hour or two of where you live, used to be far from reality. This may sound like a ‘back in my day’ mantra, but making this drive brings back the allure of the destination driving the journey, something that has become less frequent with the rise of music festivals and cost of travel. Read more

    Day 2: Friday at Summer Camp was a day to reconfigure, reassess and prepare for the onslaught of music that was ripe for the choosing. Now that your on site presence was established and something resembling a campsite had been formed among friends and neighbors. The weather was pristine: sunny skies, a passing cloud, a little dusty but it definitely felt like summer had arrived. Read more

    Day 3:  It is now Sunday morning and to recap what went down on Saturday at Summer Camp, here’s a play-by-play morning until late night.

    10am: wake up after three hours of sleep and sunrise kickball. Feel refreshed, not exhausted. Breakfast of banana, yogurt, life cereal and yerba mate and I am ready to roll.

    11am: Head to the church (media area) and get writing my review of Friday. Read more

    Day 4: The final day of Summer Camp featured some of the largest acts on the lineup and two regular contributors to the festival: Rain and wind. Even with the beautiful weather the past few days a little rain was expected, if not needed. A strong storm cell blew through around 1pm, causing minor delays in the music while cooling down the festival grounds and erasing the dust that had been ever present during the weekend. Strong winds tested the strength of tents and EZ-Ups, with gusts barely ceasing until fans began to load out on Monday. After three days of near-perfect weather, it was a refreshing change of pace. Read more 

  • The ‘New’ New Deal at The German House in Rochester

    Toronto trio The New Deal played to a packed German House in Rochester on May 28. With energetic local group Ocular Panther as the opener.

    With clear influence from Dopapod and The Disco Biscuits, Ocular Panther brings good funk into driving livetronica that is not too heavy, and not too light. Colin Jones pulls double duty on keys and guitar, pairing well with guitarist Mike Pantano. A strong opener for the night, they’re a must see as they play New York State this fall.

    While The New Deal continues to play fantastic livetronica shows, tonight and even their recent set at Summer Camp felt a little short of potential. With the addition of drummer Joel Stouffer joining bassist Dan Kurtz and founding member Jamie Shields. Stouffer keeps a strong beat, while Shields’ keys are tight as always, explorative and focused. All the while Kurtz’s bass drives the speed of the song. They let the crowd do their thing on the dance floor but didn’t engage them beyond buildups. Overall the nearly two-hour set was solid but felt dialed back from previous years.