Author: Renee Clark

Luke Bryan Will Return to Syracuse on his 2016 Kill the Lights Tour

Luke Bryan is set to top himself yet again with the announcement of his 2016 Kill The Lights Tour. He will be supporting his number-one album of the same name, Bryan’s fifth studio album, by bringing along special guests Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch.

The first leg of the tour will start in mid February and will roll through the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on April 9, 2016. No official date for ticket sales have been set but, according to his website, they will start to go on sale in November.

This tour announcement comes on the heels of his current single “Strip It Down” taking the number-one spot on the country music charts and on his two ACM Award nominations.

Bryan’s Kick The Dust Up tour is wrapping up this week, but you can still catch him live on Thanksgiving during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium.

October 28, 2015
Trace Adkins Back and Better Than Ever at Harford Fair

Trace Adkins brought country music back to the Harford Fair in New Milford, PA, after the Fair’s year hiatus of having a national act headline the main stage. Not even the steady downpour of rain could dampen anyone’s excitement at the Fairgrounds.

Fair attendants were on hand giving paper towels to the crowd as they entered the venue so their seats could be a little less soggy. The drab weather had the majority of people decked out in ponchos, rain coats and rain boots instead of the normal cowboy hat and boot attire. But the harder it rained the more excited the crowd seemed to get before Trace took the stage.

With a slight break in the short rain the house lights went out and Adkins took the stage slightly ahead of schedule and came singing his hit “No Thinking Thing”. His presence on stage seemed to make everyone, especially the ladies in the audience forget about how soggy their shoes and socks were from the wet ground beneath them. Some people were worried that Adkins rough past few months would reflect at his show but as soon as he hit the stage you could tell that Adkins was back and happy as ever. Adkins face wore nothing but a bright smile and had a genuinely happy light in his eyes. Once people saw this they knew he wouldn’t disappoint.

Adkins kept going and went straight into the meat of his setlist performing “Songs About Me,” “This Ain’t No Love Song,” “Marry For Money” and “Chrome.” He then slowed it down and took a minute to tell a story about his hit “You’re Going To Miss This.” He explained that he had to buy a new suit because of the song to wear to the Grammy’s and jokingly said unfortunately some ‘Swift girl’ won instead of him. Adkins kept the stories going with his 20 year old song “There’s A Girl In Texas.” He explained that he just had started rotating the song back into shows again and that it was the first writing assignment he ever did with a label.

Before going back into his setlist of hits, Adkins sang a new song called “Between Jesus and Jones” from his upcoming album. This song was fantastic and is hopefully an example of the direction his new album will go in.

Adkins rounded out his setlist with “Every Light In The House,” “Big Time,” “One Hot Momma” and “Ladies Love Country Boys.” Before departing he let his hair down from his ponytail and sang a cover of “Every Time You Go Away” with his backup singer Mary Ann Grace. He then proceeded to end his set with his notorious number one single “Honkey Tonk Badonkadonk.”

Trace Adkins didn’t leave one unsatisfied person in the audience. Everyone from the front row all the way back to the grandstand seemed happy with his performance.

His tour continues through the fall and includes another visit to NEPA on November 13, 2015 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

October 21, 2015
Frankie Ballard Shines at the Wyoming County Fair

Frankie Ballard recently celebrated his third #1 hit with his latest single “Young & Crazy.” He may be one of country music’s brightest up and coming stars, but that didn’t keep him from traveling deep into the NEPA back roads to Meshoppen, PA to the Kiwanis Wyoming County Fair.

Ballard was The Fair’s main stage act and many of his die-hard fans traveled hours to catch his performance because it was one of his last headlining shows of the year.

The crowd may have been smaller than anticipated but their energy made it feel like there were 10 times the amount there. Ballard started his set with a cover of the song he wrote with Big & Rich called “I Came To Git Down.” He kept the momentum going with fan favorite “Drinky Drink” which flowed well into the title track of his latest album “Sunshine & Whiskey.”

Ballard changed the pace of the set when he gave his drummer, Ross Webb a break and hopped onto the drum kit and let his guitarist Eddie Robinson take the lead vocals with a cover of The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”. He kept the covers coming with an incredible rendition of Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue.” This had both Ballard and the crowd jumping up and down.

Ballard told the audience that even though he has been touring non-stop he still has managed to work on his next album. He was so excited about the new record he decided to share a new song called “Sweet Time”. The crowd may not of known the lyrics but they all seemed to agree that they liked the new track.

Ballard rounded out his set with “Tell Me You Get Lonely” and with his first #1 song “Helluva Life”.

But the crowd wasn’t done with him so he came back out to close his set with another new song called “L.A. Woman”.

Frankie Ballard will continue to tour with Florida Georgia Line throughout the fall then he will head out on the road with Randy Houser’s first arena headlining tour in November.

October 3, 2015
The Bellfuries to Play Across New York

The Bellfuries are bringing their unique music from Austin, Texas, across New York state to support their new album, Workingman’s Bellfuries. They plan to make stops in Rochester, Troy and New York City.

The Bellfuries music tends to get put into the rockabilly genre. Others disagree and describe their sound as having melodies from ’60s pop mixed with R&B rhythms and soul. Band members reject other labels for their music and opt for the simple description of rock ‘n’ roll.

Even though no one can seem to agree on how to label The Bellfuries music, one thing people can agree on is that their sound is unique and a breathe of fresh air in the polluted rock scene. The Bellfuries aren’t trying to be like their retro inspirations, they are just trying to be themselves, and their originality shines throughout their music.

You do not want to miss this band when they travel through your town. Go check them out at the dates below:
September 24, 2015 at Mercury Lounge, NY, NY
September 26, 2015 at Union Hall, NY, NY
September 27, 2015 at Ale House, Troy, NY
September 29, 2015 at Abiline Bar, Rochester, NY

The Bellfuries are:
Joey Simeone–vocals, rhythm guitar
Mike Molnar–lead guitar
Jeff “Shecky” Seaver–upright and electric bass
Chris Sensat–drums, percussion and harmony vocals

September 23, 2015
Magic City Music Hall to Re-open After Seven-Year Hiatus

Promoter Stu Green and his partner Charlie Schmitt announced the re-opening of the Magic City Music Hall after a seven-year hiatus.

The venue will be at a new location at 1240 Upper Front St. in Binghamton at the old Ames plaza and will re-open Oct. 23. The new venue’s first national artist, REO Speedwagon, will perform that same weekend, on Oct. 25.

Excitement and news of the re-opening has been spreading quickly on social media with the venue’s Facebook page gaining over 2,000 likes in the span of a few hours. That’s proof that the area has sorely missed “the magic” Magic City Music Hall brought to the area.

The first month of performances include:
-REO Speedwagon on Sunday, Oct. 25
-Sublime with Rome on Saturday, Nov. 14
-Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland with Special Guest Brandy Clark on Friday, Nov. 27

Tickets for all three shows go on sale at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Magic City Music Hall Box Office and on Ticketmaster.

You can find their official Facebook page here.

September 17, 2015
Chase Rice Drives Crowd ’50 Shades of Crazy’ at the Wayne County, PA Fair

Chase Rice is currently on Kenny Chesney‘s The Big Revival tour, but that didn’t stop him from taking the night off to make a stop to shake up the Wayne County Fair in Honesdale, PA.

Chase Rice has built up a phenomenally large and diverse fan base in a short period of time. His latest album Ignite The Night debuted at #1 on Billboard’s top country album chart. His first single “Ready Set Roll” may of only peaked at #5 on the charts but it garnered him a platinum certified single. His latest single “Gonna Wanna Tonight” is also on its way to be a success with its rising top 20 status.

Rice is a well known song writer in Nashville and has co-written hits such as Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.” Which was the most downloaded song in the history of country music to date. He also co-wrote all but four of the 19 songs on his current release, Ignite The Night.

The crowd at the Wayne County Fair was just as diverse as his fan base. Young and old were seated impatiently as they awaited Rice’s set to begin. Before the lights went out you could see the band gather together on the side of the stage to give each other words of encouragement. Once they were ready the lights went down and the intro music began, forcing everyone to their feet in excitement. Rice’s band came out one by one then when they began playing “Do It Like This,” then Rice took the stage and immediately captivated every audience member’s attention. And he didn’t let go of it until the very end.

Audience members were able to contain themselves at their assigned seats for about a song, but after Rice started into his second song “50 Shades Of Crazy,” the people on the track all rushed the stage to get closer to their current obsession. Rice reveled in the crowd’s “rebellion” and told everyone to come on up. This invitation was exactly the right thing to do, because the closer his fans were to him, the more Rice lit up with excitement and joy.

Rice reigned the stage for over an hour. He stuck to songs from his latest album “Ignite The Night” but also threw an older song “I Like Drinking, Cause Its Fun” from his “Dirt Road Communion” album. Rice rounded out his set with crowd favorites from Ignite The Night including, “Going Out,” “Look At My Truck,” “U Turn” and “Carolina Can.”

He slowed it down and sat on stage alone with just him and his guitar to play “Jack Daniels & Jesus,” a song that he wrote when he lost his father. He then brought a young lady on stage to serenade her with his cover of Somo’s “Ride,” in which during the song he joked with her and how her boyfriend was going to be so mad he didn’t come to the show. Towards the end of their set, Rice and his band went into a montage of covers. Garth Brook’s “Low Places” was among one of the songs, Rice of course threw in the popular third verse. They also did a few Blink 182 covers and a snippet of Puddle of Mudd’s “She Hates Me.”

When Rice came back for the encore people were expecting him end with “Ready Set Roll” but he threw in a surprise performance of his song “Cruise” that he co-wrote with Florida Georgia Line before closing his set with it.

Rice captivated everyone from the grandstand down to everyone in the front row at the Wayne County Fair that night. He held their attnetion the entire duration of his set and never stopped interacting with them. His ability to work the crowd, plus his energy and pure happiness of being there made this country concert one for the books for everyone who was in attendance.

Chase Rice will continue his tour with Kenny Chesney through the remainder of the summer and then he will begin his headlining JD and Jesus Tour this fall with The Cadillac Three. Get more info on his website here.

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September 3, 2015
UPDATE: Nas to Replace Snoop Dogg at Canceled NYS Fair Appearance

UPDATE: Master lyricist Nas has been announced as the replacement for Snoop Dogg by New York State Fair officials hours after Snoop’s cancellation announcement.

Nas has been frequently named as one of the best in the game and will no doubt satisfy many fans who were hoping to see Snoop Dogg at Chevy Court on Wednesday.

ORIGINAL CONTENT:

Snoop Dogg’s performance for tomorrow, Sept. 2 at the New York State Fair has been canceled due to illness.

New York State Fair officials were informed late this afternoon by Snoop’s management that he was ill and unable to perform. Fair officials are hopefull of finding a replacement and are for schizzle searching for last minute alternatives to fill the 8 p.m. slot at Chevy Court.

Salt-n-Peppa are set to perform at the matinee show at 2 p.m.

Snoop Dogg’s tour is set to continue at Riot Fest on Sept. 13 in Chicago.

Keep an eye on NYSMusic for all your NYS Fair updates.

September 1, 2015
Frankie Ballard and Eric Paslay Show Binghamton a ‘Helluva’ Good Time

Frankie Ballard took a break from his tour with Florida Georgia Line to headline Binghamton’s inaugural Country Music Lights Fest on July 10. Ballard is currently one of Nashville’s hottest rising stars so it was no surprise he was selected to headline the festival.

Eric Paslay was direct support for Ballard on this tour stop. Paslay may still be considered a fresh face in country music, but people have been listening to his songs for years. He has written many number 1 hits for artists such as Rascall Flats, Lady Antebellum, Eli Young Band, Love and Theft, and Jake Owen.

Paslay began his set with songs from his self-titled album including “Song About A Girl,” “Never Really Wanted” and “Like A Song.” During the second half of his set he performed a few of his number 1 hits that he wrote including “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” which was made famous by the Eli Young Band. His version of the song had the crowd jumping up and down while shouting the chorus at the top of their lungs.

He brought his set to a close with “Friday Night” his most notorious single to date. This song also had the crowd jumping up and down with excitement creating a perfect segue into Frankie Ballard’s set.

Side note: I recommend following Paslay on social media. You get to peek into his personal life and see his funny and unique personality. He puts on an incredible sounding live show and as time goes on I personally cannot wait to see him evolve as an artist and see him let more of that part of him bubble out into his live performances.

When the lights went out for headliner Frankie Ballard, his band trickled out onto the stage and started the intro to “I Came To Get Down”. Ballard then flooded out on stage while playing his guitar, immediately seizing the audience’s attention and showing them he was indeed in town to get down. His energetic stage presence and guitar playing rivals the best artists of both current country and rock music genres.

Ballard kept the momentum going with the fan favorite “Thinkin’ Country” and hit single “Sunshine & Whiskey.” Halfway through his set he mixed it up with a cover of ZZ Tops “La Grange” along with Johnny Cash’s “Boy Named Sue”. He took the audience on a trip back to his college days by doing a cover of The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight.” On this song Ballard took over the drum kit and appointed his guitar player Eddie Robinson take the lead on vocals. Throughout his entire set Ballard’s enthusiasm and love for his music shined through. You could tell by the smile on his face and the little things he did on stage that he was truly in his element and having the time of his life.

Ballard rounded out his set with his first number one hit “Helluva Life” a cover of Bob Segar’s “Old Time Rock & Roll” and “Drinky Drink.” Each song had the crowd swaying and dancing the remainder of the night away.

Frankie Ballard might not be a top name in country music yet, but if he keeps pouring his personality and heart into each show like he did in Binghamton, it is only a matter of time before he’s on everyone’s radar. He is tour with Florida Georgia Line through the end of 2015. Get tour dates and ticket information on his website here.

The festival lineup also included Sunday Best, Austin Webb, and Craig Campbell.

Frankie Ballard Set List: I Came To Get Down, Thinkin’ Country, Sunshine & Whiskey, It Don’t Take Much, Young & Crazy, La Grange, TMYGL (Tell Me You Get Lonley), Boy Named Sue, Wallflowers (One Headlight), Frankie On Drums, Helluva Life, Old Time R&R, Drinky Drink

August 1, 2015
Binghamton Rock Isn’t Dead Yet Tom Keifer

The general public may not know or remember who Tom Keifer is but they do know his music. Keifer has been a stronghold in the rock music scene for over 30 years, as a solo artist and with his band Cinderella.

Keifer and his band made a stop in Binghamton at the recently re-opened Club Eclipse in support of his debut solo album The Way Life Goes.

The crowd was regrettably on the small side but their excitement and enthusiasm filled the room to its capacity. You could physically feel the energy and excitement from each individual when Keifer and his band busted out on stage playing the bluesy rock Cinderella song “Fallin’ Apart At The Seams”. Keifer kept the crowd captivated by going into “Its Not Enough”, followed by “Different Light” and “Save Me”.

Slowing the set down and switching gears to an acoustic setting, Keifer brought his wife Savannah out to perform with him. She beautifully assisted him (and stole everyones hearts) with songs “Ask Me Yesterday” and “Don’t Know What You Got (Till Its Gone)”.

Tom Keifer performs with his wife, Savannah in Binghamton, NY

After thanking Savannah for her assistance Keifer took the show up a notch and rounded out the set with fan favorites “Solid Ground”, “Cold Day In Hell”, “Coming Home”, and “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll”.

He also did a fantastic cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”. This cover was one of the most memorable songs of the night. It had people hugging and swaying/singing along with their friends that accompanied them that night. Keifer also brought out a few of the band members wives (along with his own) to “help” with the song.

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Keifer undoubtedly appreciated his fans and was truly moved by the audience’s love for him and his music. He personally thanked everyone for their 30-plus years of dedication and for having faith in him while he overcame his vocal chord issues. Toward the end of the show to commemorate the night and his fans there, he brought out his camera and recorded a video clip of the crowd cheering for him. There wasn’t one unsatisfied fan in the venue when the house lights came on at the end of the night.

After the set Keifer graciously came out and greeted fans who were eagerly waiting to meet him. His appearance in Binghamton impressed long time fans and won over a few new young ones for life.

Keifer’s tour in support of The Way Life Goes will continue around North America and the UK through the end of 2015.

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June 22, 2015
Take the Night Off and Spend It With Seether: Interview with Drummer, John Humphrey

Hard rockers Seether are back on the road and are ready to rock New York State to support their latest album Isolate and Medicate. They are spending the first week of May in New York, making stops in Albany, Niagara Falls and Huntington. Seether has been a staple in the rock genre for over 13 years and is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Shaun Morgan, bassist Dale Stewart and drummer John Humphrey.

John recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions about their upcoming Rise Above Fest benefiting suicide prevention, their new label, and what a typical day on tour is like for him.

Renee Clark (RC): Some of the venues you play must feel like a second home by now since you have been at them so many times throughout the years. What are some ways you try to keep each tour and show fresh for you and your fans?

John Humphrey (JH): Occasionally, we’ll try to add a new (Seether) song. Maybe one we haven’t performed before or a cover song… It can be difficult. You want to try to play all the familiar singles. In some cases, people have waited a long time to, finally, see you and hear their favorite song. So, we want to try to please everyone.

RC: Can you tell me what a day in the touring life for you is like?

JH: Well, I roll outta’ my bunk about 9-10am. In the front lounge, I pour a cup of coffee and turn on my laptop to check my emails. Then I roll into the venue, take a look around, maybe check catering and head to the dressing room for a shower. We, usually, have interviews on site or “phoners” during the afternoon. Seether isn’t big on sound checks. (Note: We’ve been on tour, pretty much non-stop for the last 12 years. We figure if we don’t have ‘em down by now… something is wrong 😉

We’ll usually have some sorta’ meet and greet, in the early evening. Then it’s the calm before the storm… I’ll usually listen to my iPod or watch a lil’ TV, prior to showtime. About an hour before, I change into my “stinky gig shirt” and start warming up. In my case, that’s stretching out the body, legs and arms…then I head over to a lil’ practice kit. A much smaller version of my “live drum kit” with mesh heads to prevent annoying the shit out of everyone with my bashing.

Then its showtime! A “fist bump” between band members before hitting the stage and then “boom”… Shaun hits the first chords of “Gasoline”. The crowd cheers, the lights come on and the adrenaline hits you like a lighting bolt!! After the show, sweaty and wet… we all plop down into the dressing room couches. Breathing like we just all had a major workout…we’ll discuss the show, the crowd response and/or any changes we might want to consider the following night.

For me, its back to the bus to cool down, clean up and change back into “nice smelling”clothes. I’ll usually make a call back home, at this time. Maybe meet some fans or just chill. Then in the wee hours, its back into the bunk for some sleep. Rinse and repeat.

RC: What tracks off of the new record mean the most to you and why?

JH: I guess it would be the four songs that were written “as a band”, while we worked in a friends studio back home in Oklahoma. The guys visited my hometown and stayed a couple of weeks, while we wrote songs to prepare for recording. The songs “At The Bottom”, “Keep The Dogs At Bay”, “Burn The World” and “Watch Me Drown” were written this way. I have other fav’s such as “Crash” too… But, putting together those 4 songs hold great memories, for me.

RC: When you were in-between labels did you ever consider going out on your own without a label?

JH: Well, this is the music BUSINESS and a lot goes on without our knowing or even our say. When we were sold (along with other Wind Up Artists, to Concord Entertainment) we, legally, were still under contract with the label. So, there really wasn’t a “in-between” period or option of going out “on our own”. We were at the mercy of Wind Up. Fortunately, Concord turned out to be a major positive for us, and a truly supportive label.

RC: With digital consumption of music on the rise how do you as a band decide which channels to focus your energies on?

JH: Its funny, statistics show that in Japan (The worlds technology leaders) the physical CD still outsells digital downloads. Also, I love that vinyl in making a comeback, of sorts, here in the states. So, to answer your question… We don’t really “focus” or cater to any certain medium. We still enjoy putting together the artwork and complete package of a release. I know cover art can sometimes be “thumbnail” size but it’s also being reproduced in 12″x 12″ size for LP. We still arrange the track listing of an album so that the “overall listen” has dynamics. We don’t think in terms of, “well, just throw our songs in any order…they are only gonna buy 1 or 2 tracks, anyway”.

RC: What can Seether fans look forward to in the next year? Do you have any plans to record after your upcoming tour?

JH: It’s hard to say. Still a lot of touring for 2015. We will be going to Australia and New Zealand, as well as, another US run and a return to UK and Europe in late summer. If I were to guess, I’d say we would start working on new music towards the end of the year.

RC: The band is about to hold its third annual Rise Above Fest to benefit mental illness next month. What can fans expect at this show? Are there any surprises up your sleeve?

JH: We are really grateful for all the bands, the venue itself and their support. It’s amazing! The festival grows every year. I think this year is an amazing line-up with “Slash, Godsmack and “yours truly’s band” performing. Our dream is for this to, one day, be a touring festival. Ala Lollapalooza.

RC: Many fans know that you are a huge KISS fan and collector. Do you have any other obsessions that you’d like to share?

JH: I’m a music geek, and love collecting vinyl, these days. I really enjoy seeking out old record stores, on a day off from the tour. I love old Motown, blues and classic rock. I’m also a big Elvis Presley and Beatles fan. I try to collect pristine condition, first pressings. I do listen to my collection, though. I’m not one to let them just become museum pieces. I believe they are meant to be enjoyed. I have a pretty serious turntable setup, at home too.

RC: If there is one thing you could say to your 16-year-old self what would it be?

JH: Please go be a doctor!!! Just kidding. I’d tell myself, “Try not to sweat the small stuff. Its gonna be a roller coaster ride so, prepare for a lot of hard work…”

RC: If there is a reader out there that is on the fence on deciding on whether to come out to another Seether show this tour, can you give them a reason to suck it up get their butts out to it?

JH: Without bragging too much, I believe we are the last of a dying breed. We are a sweaty, loud, rock and roll band. We don’t have massive production, pyro and pre-recorded tracks we perform too. We just get up there, play our asses off and have fun doing it. Chances are you have heard, at least, one of our songs on rock radio, at some point, in the last 10 years. So, if wanna take a night off from life… come have a beer (or beverage of choice), stand up, put your fist in the air and sing (or scream along, if you want) to a “I didn’t realize they did THIS song… I LOVE THIS song!!”…then come on out!!

RC: Any last words or anything you’d like to add?

JH: Thank you, Renee and everyone who has supported the band, all these years. You know who you are… and we love ya’!!

Rise Above Fest features performances from Seether, Papa Roach, Godsmack, Nonpoint and more and is happening May 9 in Bangor, ME

Seether New York tour dates:
May 3 – Clifton Park, NY
May 5 – Niagara Falls, NY
May 6 – Huntington,NY

Information on how you purchase tickets as well as a different VIP or meet and greet packages cannot be found on their website http://www.seether.com/.

Check out John rocking the Midland Theater a few weeks ago below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stujVAg4-GA]

April 28, 2015