NYS Music 20​15

Author: Pete Mason

  • NYS Music March Madness – Round of 16

    The Sweet Sixteen is complete! Pop on over to the Round of 8 to vote for your favorites!

    Welcome to Round 3 or better known as the “Sweet Sixteen” of NYS Music’s March Madness! This tournament-style competition includes the remaining 16 bands and artists who call Upstate New York their home.

    This year’s 4 regions are based on genres of music – Funk/Jam/Reggae, Metal/Rock, Bluegrass/Folk/Americana and Indie/EDM. Each region has 16 Upstate New York bands in their respective region, battling it out to reach the Final Four and claim this year’s title. Bands were chosen based upon their origins in Upstate and popularity in their respective genres.

    Since we are including all the genres together and you may not be familiar with all the bands, please take some time to check them out. In the Folk/Bluegrass/Americana/Country category there is 8) Eastbound Jesus vs. 4) Floodwood and 11) North & South Dakotas vs. 10) Blind Owl Band. In the EDM/Indie/Other genre are 1) Ani Difranco vs. 5) Manhattan Project and 3) Jimkata vs. 2) Phantogram. In the Jam/Funk/Reggae genre check out 1) moe. vs. 4) Giant Panda and 6) Conehead Buddha vs. 7) Sophistafunk.  Wrapping things up in the Metal/Rock/Punk division are 16) Hard Soul vs. 12) Jesus Christ & the Hallucinogenic Allstars and 14) Brick by Brick vs. 10) Wild Adriatic.

    Round 3 voting began March 24 at Noon and ends at midnight on Thursday March 26th at midnight. Round four (Elite 8) will begin on March 27, with additional rounds announced on the NYS Music Facebook page.

  • ‘Fare Thee Well’ Heads West for Additional Shows

    As reported by SportsBusinessDaily, ‘Fare Thee Well’, reuniting the ‘Core Four’ of the Grateful Dead, will be heading west to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, not far from Palo Alto, the birthplace of the Grateful Dead. Rumored dates point to June 26-28, the weekend prior to the final shows at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.

    Just this evening, NBA legend and well-known Deadhead Bill Walton tweeted

    While there is no official word on the lineup and dates are not yet confirmed, word leaking out means that we will be seeing more Dead this summer than previously expected.

  • Summer Camp Third Round of Artists Includes Widespread Panic, Krewella and more

    Joining an already stacked lineup of artists at Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois May 21-24 will be Krewella, Widespread Panic, Violent Femmes, A-Track, Greensky Bluegrass and more! Tickets are on sale now at the festival’s website with a price increase tomorrow, so don’t delay in picking up your ticket!

    The full announcement of third round artists includes: Krewella, Widespread Panic (two sets), Violent Femmes, A-Trak, Greensky Bluegrass, Kill The Noise, Nahko And Medicine For The People, Paper Diamond, Victor Wooten, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Break Science, Dumpstaphunk, Hermitude, Liquid Stranger, Louis Futon, Protohype, Sound Remedy, 28 North, The Accidendentals, American Babies, Citizun, Consider The Source, Daniel Bambaaata Marley, Jon Wayne And The Pain, Old Shoe, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Positive Vibr8ions, and Soap.

    Check out the first and second round of artist announcements, as well as the Red Barn sets!

  • Phish Announces New Archival Release: Raleigh, December 1999

    Phish has announced their latest archival release with their show from December 16, 1999 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. This is the first release from Fall 1999, performed at N.C. State University, and one of the final shows before Phish performed before their historic millennium concert at Big Cypress just two weeks later.

    Phish Raleigh 199912/16/99 was recorded by Paul Languedoc to digital multitrack, mixed/mastered by Jon Altschiller. You can order the album at LivePhish.com or with the LivePhish App 

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Wilson > Chalk Dust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb By Limb, Horn, Back on the Train, Roggae, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum

    Set 2: Sand, The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea[1] > Tweezer > Runaway Jim

    Encore: Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise

    UPDATE: Phish today announced a SiriusXM listening party for this release – check it out below. 

    This Thursday & Friday, Phish archivist Kevin Shapiro guest hosts “Gone Phishin” and will share with listeners a behind-the-scenes tour of Phish’s newest archival release Raleigh ’99. Sets start at 9pm ET each night exclusively on SiriusXM Jam_ON, Channel 29.

  • The 2015 SAMMY Awards

    The 2015 SAMMY awards dinner held upstairs at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse on March 6 brought together music fans, musicians and promoters alike to honor some of Syracuse’s finest at the Syracuse Area Music Awards

    With emcee Dave Frisina of of 105.9 introducing special guests the honorees included a music educator, producer, local band, early rock ‘n’ roller, guitarist and a muumuu wearing drummer.

    Stacey Waterman of Eastern Artists presented Professor David Rezak of the Bandier School at Syracuse University with the Music Educator award. She joked that 90% of his graduates work in the industry while the other 10% are musicians, while referencing notable alumni who Prof. Rezak has been a mentor and teacher to over the course of his career. Upon taking to the podium, Rezak responded by noting “It’s all about the music, it’s all about the song. I am happy to have been a part of the music of Syracuse”

    State Senator John A. DeFrancisco took the podium to share proclamations for all honorees this evening, noting that “music and arts in this community are the heart and soul of Syracuse.

    Guitarist Loren Barriger, who at 6 years old played the Grand Ol’ Opry, emotionally thanked family and friends who encouraged him throughout this life of music. Ron Wray introduced Bobby Comstock, who was on the original American Bandstand, wrote a rock version of “Tennessee Waltz”, worked with Alan Free who coined the term ‘Rock n Roll’ and played Madison Square Garden 50 times. Upon taking to the podium, Bobby said “I did all that?”, while reflecting on playing with Chuck Berry, in Chicago with blues greats but noted that every story comes back to Syracuse. Comstock had a great deal of memories and thank you’s to give from his storied career.

    Chris Goss, producer and musician (Masters of Reality, Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) has been a major influence on the desert rock genre and was honored as such. Referring to his career path, he said “It’s not a job, it’s a vocation; you do it out of love.” He mentioned that Seattle, a dark and dreary city, much like Syracuse, gave birth to Soundgarden and Nirvana, because instead of going outside, kids would go inside, look inward and listen to music. “Good music comes out of dark places.”

    The Works, a local act who did it their way and in their own style are one of the most storied local Syracuse acts and were known for playing local clubs on a weekly basis in the 70s and 80s. If you weren’t playing music, you were seeing local music and supporting local music, a sentiment that is relevant in towns and cities across the state and country. As The Works put it, “It’s a brotherhood.”

    Jon Fishman was introduced by his father, Leonard, who spoke of his late wife Mimi’s memory and presence at early Phish shows playing the vacuum with her son. He received great laughter and applause saying “I don’t know if you know this, but my son wears a dress”. While it is well known among his fans that Fish is a self-educated drummer who still practices daily, Jon cited Dave Hamlin and Bob Gulloti who taught him how to play the drums. Having been in only one band his entire career, the adventurous and spiritual unit of Phish has allowed him to make a living by moving music out of his parent’s basement to UVM, then to Goddard College, and on the road with Phish, and now with his wife and 5 children.

    At 50, Jon says he still feels like he is 8 years old when playing the drums and is “still getting away with this … I’m just drumming.” He found it odd to be receiving a lifetime achievement award at 50 but recognizes that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” referencing both the band and the community of Phish.

    Fish also came clean and told his father that he snuck out on more than one occasion in the late 1970s to walk a mile to Manley Field House to see Frank Zappa and King Crimson, incredibly influential shows for the young Henrietta that led him down his career path towards recognition from his peers in his hometown of Syracuse.

    On Friday, March 6 at The Palace Theater on James Street, the SAMMY awards were handed to a cadre of local musicians who had earned recognition of their peers and fans.

    Best Pop: Nick & Noah
    Best Blues: Castle Creek
    Best Rock: William Gruff
    Best Country: Megan Lee
    Best Alterative: Leah Shenandoah
    Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate
    Best Jazz: Nick Ziobro
    Best Americana: Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
    Best R&B: Brownskin Band
    Best Hip-Hop/Rap: Nick Case a.k.a. Decoy
    Best Other: Samba Laranja
    Best Hard Rock: Nineball
    Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna-Marie Boudreau
    Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Spring Street Family Band

    People’s Choice awards included:
    Best Artist: Briana Jessie
    Best Venue: Kegs Canal Side
    Best Festival: FoxFest

  • Los Lobos and Alejandro Escovedo at The Capitol Theatre: A Smooth Chicano Sound

    There were seats on the floor of the Capitol Theatre but few were using them during a performance by Los Lobos on March 6. The Chicano-rock band were heavier than expected and tore through classics and covers with equanimity. Early highlights included “Evangeline,” “Run with the Rebel” featuring Alejandro Escovedo and violinist Warren Hood, and “Down on the Riverbed” a heavier ’50s Rock ‘n’ Roll full band sound with Cesar Rojas taking the lead on vocals and guitar. A love song by way of Clapton-style blues, “I Walk Alone” and “Emily” were both nicely jammed out with individual solos from Rojas, David Hidalgo and Louie Perez while the classic “Kiko and the Lavender Moon” gave off chills in the eerie intro.

    Los Lobos Alejandro EscovedoHidalgo referenced Jerry Garcia, saying “We miss him too.” and “We’ll try to do him justice,” as they began the classic Grateful Dead number “Bertha” which an overjoyed crowd cheered loudly for. A four song encore of “Don’t Worry Baby, Mas y Mas, La Bamba > Good Lovin’ > La Bamba” lit a fire under the few who were still seated. On a night like this, Los Lobos were nothing short of fantastic from start to finish.

    Opening the night was singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo along with Warren Hood on violin. Telling stories in between songs from growing up and performing across Texas, Escovedo was an acoustic marvel and kept a staid audience focused intently on his vocals and strings with equal enamor. The duo shone on “Deerhead on the Wall” a song of taxidermy and Buddhism, and a “Chelsea Hotel ’78” that was grittier than the rest of the set in the style of Warren Zevon’s “Ain’t That Pretty at All”. The two acts complemented each other perfectly and made for a memorable night of Tejano and Chicano rock.

    photos by Andrew Blackstein.

  • Exclusive: Wild Adriatic Premieres Video “Strange Persuasions”

    Over the past year, Wild Adriatic has played numerous stages around the country and been featured on great festival lineups including Gathering of the Vibes, American Music Festival in Lake George, moe.down and soon SXSW. NYS Music is excited to share their video premiere of “Strange Persuasions,” which was recently released on Huffington Post and is the first single off their upcoming EP Never Enough, due on March 17.

    The band is currently in Austin, TX performing a residency at Empire Control Room & Garage, followed by a few showcases during SXSW before heading back home to Upstate where Wild Adriatic will be playing a string of New York and Vermont album release shows for the new EP.

    3/28 – Stratton, VT – Grizzly’s w/ Mister F & The North and South Dakotas
    4/10 – Manchester, VT – The Perfect Wife
    4/16 – Buffalo, NY – The Waiting Room
    4/17 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
    4/18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Vapor

  • Finale at The Palace Theatre: Umphrey’s McGee Closes Out Winter Tour in Albany

    As they closes out their Winter Tour, Umphrey’s McGee wrapped things up at The Palace Theatre on February 21 alongside TAUK, a great pairing of bands both rising and established. For the first time, Umphrey’s was brought to the Palace and out of the doldrums of Upstate Concert Hall, and finally, Jefferson Waful’s lights could properly shine and the band could show they could fill a theatre in Albany-proper.

    umphreys mcgee winter closercOpening up was the instrumental funk of TAUK, who only a year ago were playing Parish Public House to 100 or so fans. The growth of this band over the past year was remarkable and now a tour with Umphrey’s has only solidified their ascendance among the jam world. To cap the set, TAUKwas joined by Joel Cummins, Ryan Stasik and Andy Farag during “Mindshift”. TAUKis incredibly talented and worth seeing in any capacity.

    Umphrey’s dove in deep for their tour closer and resurfaced only briefly for air in what was an entire rocker of a show. After an introductory “Dump City” the relatively light “Piranhas” and heavier “Educated Guess” off Similar Skin mixed the set up early, as well a shredding “Atmosfarag”. A 14 minute “Plunger” was a clear highlight of the first set, dropping into an exploratory jam that segued into “Andy’s Last Beer”. The fluidity exhibited by Umphrey’s is one of their musical trademarks amid what some may perceive as musical chaos and overly complicated compositions; what they are missing is the core of this prog-rock jam band and soaring peaks and valleys of songs and jams that few bands can come close to replicating.

    “Wappy Sprayberry” with TAUK’s Alric Carter (keys) and Isaac Teel (drums) sitting in was a chance for these incredibly talented musicians to shine under a brighter spotlight. A clean segue into “Pay the Snucka” with a shredding ending capped a superior first set.

    An abbreviated “All in Time” opened up the second set, seguing into the lyrically and musically powerful “Hajimashite” which launched into a great expanse of a jam, one not seen too often in “Haji”. The jam that ensued worked off of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” and dipped into the funk of “Day Nurse” accented by Joel Cummins’ airy synth framework.

    “Phil’s Farm” took some huge swings and had a great pay off, with a bonus of the drummer from local band moe., Vinny Amico, sitting in on drums. Working back into August and into the closing of “All in Time” made for a filling second set sandwich and capped off a monster set from start to finish. A big “Bad Friday” encore was the icing on Umphrey’s first ever performance at the historic Palace Theatre, a perfect venue for them for the foreseeable future.

    Set 1: Dump City, Piranhas, Educated Guess, Atmosfarag > Plunger > Andy’s Last Beer, The Weight Around, Wappy Sprayberry* > Pay the Snucka

    Set 2: All in Time > Hajimashite > Day Nurse, Ringo, Phil’s Farm^, August > All in Time

    Encore: Bad Friday

    * with Isaac Teel and Alric Carter of TAUK

    ^ with Vinny Amico of moe.

    Download the show on Archive.org or at UMLive.

    After the show was over, fans flooded Pearl Street looking for their late night fix and a sold out crowd found just that at The Hollow. With Mister F performing, friends stopped by for a few songs, including Joel Cummins’ sitting in next to Scott Hannay on “Answer the Dog”, and an extended “Vocoder” jam featuring Alric Carter and Isaac Teel of TAUK as well as Justin Henricks of Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan.

    Joel Cummins sitting in with Mister F @thehollowalbany #postumphreys #umphlove

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

  • JJ Grey and Mofro at The Egg

    The soul of the south warmed up Albany at The Egg on February 19 with JJ Grey and Mofro performing a riveting and inspired set of classic songs and new tracks from their new album Ol’ Glory, due out this month.

    Opening was The London Souls, now a duo, but still with a heavy sound that resembles a trio, even though the band didn’t seem to be as loud as they could have been. With a London rock sound and smooth blues base, they were augmented with the influence of The Beatles, The Guess Who, and especially Cream and The James Gang, particularly on the open-ended “Under Control” that closed their set.

    JJ Grey The EggJJ “50 shades of” Grey, with a slight twang in his voice from his Northern Florida home, where the accent fades a little, brought southern soul along with Mofro, a band that has been on the march for nearly 15 years and a perfect combination of forces. The stage was setup as an intimate room, inside another intimate room, The Hart Theater in The Egg Performing Arts Center. The lighting resembled a chandelier, a tapestry was the backdrop and floor and table lamps made it feel like JJ Grey and Mofro were performing in your own backyard. The band opened with “Hide & Seek” which had a hint of “Hush” by Deep Purple, followed a few songs later by the debut of “The Island,” a mellow and personal song off the upcoming release Ol’ Glory.

    “Brighter Days” displayed a building energy throughout which carried over in the back-to-back high power combo of “Orange Blossoms” and “Everything Good is Bad” to which the crowd roared with approval. The understated organ player Anthony Farrell shone on “Ho Cake” and “A Night to Remember,” the latter of which had hints of Bachmann Turner Overdrive.

    The encore was an expected “Lochloosa” starting with a dark stage and soul-filled organ and the band slowly assembling, and as Grey sang the opening line, the audience sang the second verse, knowing this heart and soul tune from 1100 miles away from its origin.

    JJ Grey and Mofro, The Egg – February 19, 2015

    Setlist: Hide & Seek, Every Minute, 99 Shades, The Island, Your Lady, Light a Candle, Brighter Days, Everything is a Song, Orange Blossoms > Everything Good is Bad, Slow Hot Sweaty, Ho Cake, Night to Remember

    Encore: Lochloosa, Ol’ Glory

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’86’]

  • Photo Gallery: Moon Hooch and Ampevene at The Hollow

    Moon Hooch is an interesting concept – two saxophones (Mike Wilbur and Wenzi McGowen) and one drummer (James Muschler) combine energies to create a fusion of jazz and EDM with intensely high energy. Focused and committed to their craft, Moon Hooch are dialed in when they perform, driven by Muschler’s powerful drumming and phenomenal interplay between Wilbur and McGowan, leading to gyrating crowds pumping fists to the beat. “Number 9”, the first track off their eponymous debut album garnered an intense response from the audience, along with many other choice compositions.

    It will be interesting to see how their live performance translates at music festivals this summer. In the meantime, go see Moon Hooch on tour this winter. Opening the night was Ampevene, a new local act from Albany who are slowly gaining ground with their progressive rock with a hint of open ended jamming. The young band are not to be missed and will be back at The Hollow next month.