NYS Music 20​15

Author: Susan Rice

  • Backwoods Pondfest 2015: Small Festival with Big Heart

    One of the best kept secrets in the festival circuit took place on August 7 and 8, 2015 in the Adirondack region known as Backwoods Pondfest put on by Full Circle Music Productions. The intimate festival is located at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, NY (almost Canada) with less than 2,000 attendees, most of whom have been coming to Pondfest for years and rejoice in the North Country reunion. The open car camping provides festival goers with spacious sites in the grassy fields, pond side or quiet wooded area.Newest and biggest upgrade to the festival was the large circus, cone shaped tent over the Woods Stage that offered quality sound and intrigue late night visuals. The event features over 20 musical talents from all genres and calibers of local favorites and national acts, with back to back performances on two stages. Guests who took advantage of the Early Bird Thursday night tickets got prime real estate and a live stream of Albany’s Formula 5 show in Lake George.

    Pondfesters arrived all throughout the day on Friday, unloading and setting up under crystal blue skies and sunshine. The Lynguistic Civilians voted Vermont’s best hip hop groupand making their debut at Pondfest, engaged the crowd with old school favorites and original, expressive lyrics. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong was another group new to the festival and was received with open arms. Their lighthearted, psychedelic funk was at an all-time high with a splash of reggae stirred in was the perfect start for the party on Friday night. “F U” got an extended jam with extra voltage from Max Garrett on trumpet from Capital Zen. The all string, quartet of Blind Owl Band call the Adirondack region and are no strangers to Backwoods Pondfest with a dedicated fan base at the Woods Stage. It was a hot set of bluegrass with an extra steamy, ferocious cover of The Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post”.

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    Lucid took a break from festival hosting duties to perform their traditional first set of the weekend on the main stage. “Simmer On Down” had beautifully stretched peaks of tropical melodies that splashed down into a psychedelic middle eastern ride. The crowd got charged up as Lucid brought up George Wurster on harmonica for the “Backwoods” theme song. The night only got hotter after the sun went down with the fire spinners whipping and juggling the flames in sync with the North Country music and to the awe of the audience. At the woods stage,Gang of Thieves, Vermont’s funk rock and roll band slayed their first Pondfest with a mighty Led Zeppelin medley that sent chills all over the backwoods. Headliner of the night, Particle, brought their dirty Philly street funk to Pondfest for a set full of high organ groove courtesy of Steve Molitz and heart racing rhythm of Allen Aucoin. Guitarist Ben Combe and bassist Clay Parnell unfolded layers of riffs that drove the vibrant rock. Friday night wasn’t over yet as Albany’s Mister F closed out the woods stage with a late night set of chilling livetronica. Fans who stayed up for the action got a special Steve Molitz sit in that raised the bar for the rest of the weekend.

    Saturday began as another beautiful day at Pondfest with perfect weather settings and an incredible lineup to look forward to. Those seeking a space of meditation and peace found it with Samantha Jo at her morning yoga class. Dozens participated in the deep breathing and stretched that were so desperately needed after a night of dancing. Meadow and Kevin Sabourin of Lucid serenaded the yogis with soft, acoustic lullabies. One of the best things about this festival being so small is that you can hear the music from the stages at your campsite. You’re always in the music. The Balkun Brothers, Steve and Nick Balkun invited everyone into the sandbox of the Wood Stage for train track, funk rock. Festival host and performer, Lowell sat in with his mean harmonica soul as the Balkun music awed the crowd. Twiddle fans were gifted with a Mihali Savoulidis acoustic Story Telling set on the Main Stage for a mellow ease into the afternoon. The raw and intimate set featured beat box looping of Twiddle classics about love and friendships, with behind the scene tales of how they came to be.The Heavy Pets kicked it up a notch with improvisational tight jams of rock and roll. Their deep focused peaks provide high cliff hangers when the chorus catches up with you.

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    One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend was the Ex Presidents featuring Eric Gould of Particle, Todd Stoops of RAQ and Kung Fu, Neal “Fro” Evans of Dopapod, and Andrew Block of Big Sam’s Funky Nation. There was plenty of hype to go around with it being their first performance and let’s hope it’s not their last. The chemistry these veteran musicians have is impeccable with a fluid groove that kept the set fun and airy. Jeff Lloyd of Heavy Pets joined the talented crew for an awesome cover of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Stoops made the announcement of Evans becoming the newest member of RAQ with a side of jokes of everyone joining each other’s bands.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i__QLSM3_y4

    The night took a turn towards a urban street party as Sophistifunk packed out the Woods Stage with old school hip hop that had the ground shaking. The big event of the night was Backwoods Pondfest veterans, Spiritiual Rez blowing up the Main Stage at midnight. You could see the steam rising over the band as they feverously rocked out with a climactic unannounced fireworks show that flawlessly matched up with “Let’s Go Out With A Bang.” Normal Instruments brought the key ingredient of late night festival life with high energetic livetronica with fast rhythm and blaring chords.

    The festival ended as quickly as it began. The pack up is never as much fun as setting it up but we carry the memories with us until next year’s festival. Backwoods Pondfest continues to be a close knit festival of friends and family working together to host talented musicians that bring incredible music and smiles. It’s one of the best weekends you could have of the summer in Upstate NY so be sure to meet us in the backwoods for next year’s Backwoods Pondfest.

  • Hearing Aide: Turkuaz ‘Digitonium’

    NEWTURK_highres2The nine piece funk phenomenon known as Turkuaz are releasing a new studio album Digitonium on Oct 2. The 23 track album is a mature testament to the bands growing sound that continues to push the boundaries of funk with heavy ’80s influences. The album is full of instrumental segues of experimental melodies that set the stage for evolutionary funk tunes with classic, raw Turkuaz energy. Digitonium is built upon layers of exploratory themes, characters and repetitive lyrics that get the listener to pause, rewind and think outside the album. It’s the future of retro pop funk.

    While the entire album is thoroughly enjoyable, some songs are sure to be stand out favorites. “Nightswimming” has that familiar Turkuaz pop rhythm, blaring horn build ups and catchy chorus that is sure to make it a big hit when performed live. “Percy Thrills The Moondog” explodes out of the speakers in true Turkuaz nature of slamming guitar riffs and crashing cymbals, complete with growling, barking and howling.“Doktor Jazz” has groovy bass plucking with rain fall synth melody and haunting, echoing vocals that give it a mad scientist toe tapping vibe. One track with possibly the heaviest 80s sound is “European Festivity Nightmare” with dark lyrics set to an upbeat digitalized street rhythm that sends the heart racing like Talking Head’s “Psycho Killer”. Digitonium is the ideal listen for any pre-party or when you are just ready to share in the groove.

    In celebration of their new album, Turkuaz will perform a two night run at Brooklyn Bowl in their hometown of NYC on Sept. 29 with Polyrhythmics and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band on the 30th with the PitchBlak Brass Band on both nights. You can pick up a copy of Digitonium at their merch table at any of their many fall shows across the country or download online via iTunes on Oct. 2.

    Key Tracks: Nightswimming , Percy Thrills The Moondog, Doktor Jazz

    Fall Tour Dates:

    09/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl**+
    09/30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl*+
    10/01 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club*
    10/02 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall*
    10/08 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
    10/09 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Festival
    10/10 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theatre
    10/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Marble Brewery
    10/14 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads***
    10/15 – Ozark, AR – Phases of The Moon
    10/16 – Ozark, AR – Phases of The Moon
    10/17 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom****
    10/20 – Missoula, MT – Stage 112
    10/21 – Moscow, ID – John’s Alley Tavern****
    10/22 – Boise, ID – The Reef****
    10/24 – Placerville, CA – Hangtown Halloween Ball
    10/25 – Placerville, CA – Hangtown Halloween Ball
    10/28 – Bend, OR – Domino Room****
    10/29 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern****
    10/30 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom****
    10/31 – Eugene, OR – HiFi Music Hall****
    11/04 – Fort Worth, TX – The Live Oak Music Hall
    11/05 – Austin, TX – Spider House Ballroom
    11/06 – Houston, TX – Last Concert Cafe
    11/07 – New Orleans, LA – The Parish at H.O.B.
    11/10 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
    11/11 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
    11/12 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House&
    11/13 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Freebird Live&
    11/14 – Boca Raton, FL – Funky Biscuit&
    11/15 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar Live&
    11/18 – Charlotte, NC – The Rabbit Hole&
    11/19 – Raleigh, NC – The Pour House&
    11/20 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
    11/21 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage

    * with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
    ** with Polyrhythmics
    *** with Roxy Roca
    **** with The Quick & Easy Boys
    & with The Fritz
    + with PitchBlak Brass Band

  • The Catskill Chill 2015 Music Festival: A Farewell to Minglewood

    The sixth annual Catskill Chill Music Festival – A Farewell to Minglewood – is set to take place this weekend on Sept 18-20 with this year being the last time at Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY. The Chill gathers fans from all over the North East to the beautiful, secluded Catskills for a three-day camping summer music festival finale. The Chill has called Camp Minglewood home since the beginning and it’s sleep away camp setting of multiple concert halls, cabins full of friends and tents scattered over the hills, all within short walking distance made for the ideal festival grounds. The Catskill Chill motto holds true to “All Love, All the Time” as you can see and feel it all around you with nonstop smiles, hugs, high fives and the radiating positive vibes that keep Minglewood clean and fun.

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    This coming weekend will be a time of reflection of all the wonderful moments of Chills past. We’ve endured all types of weather: perfect sunny days, light rain, the Tornado of 2012 and those cold, cold, cold early fall nights of NY. The little to no cell phone reception is a painful delight as we are given a chance to truly enjoy all that the Chill has to offer with both hands and a focused mind. The Catskill Chill lines up talented regional and national musical acts of all genres that connects us to each other and the dance floor. The bands love the Chill as much as the fans do with major returning acts such as Lotus, Dopapod, Particle, Lettuce, The Motet and Kung Fu.

    One of the best features about The Chill is the abundance of guest sit ins and collaborations from over the years such as Shwizz and Fikus will join forces to become Shwikus, the late late night Sunday set of Dopadosio, Bobby Paltauf with The Meter Men, Todd Stoops with Twiddle plus so many more. The number of artists has dramatically increased over the years with a jam-packed schedule that doesn’t stop til you do. With more bands comes more stages and those cabin porches serve more than neighborly meetups, Solaris is no stranger to the late night porch shows. Acoustic Junction was a great addition to The Chill with memorable acts from The Brummy Brothers, Consider the Source and Primate Fiasco, guaranteed to rock your socks off electronically or acoustically.

    Be mindful to savor every beautiful minute of music and scenery because we’re so lucky to have them together. Don’t miss out on one hell of a going away party and buy tickets now (available here). NYSMusic is grateful to share the bittersweet goodbye of Camp Minglewood and looks forward to more memories of The Catskill Chill.

    Check out past NYSMusic Catskill Chill Reviews and Photo Galleries: 2012, 2013 2014

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOMlLBDgUHE]

  • Phish Magnaball Day 1 Recap: A Magna-ificent Start

    Phish returned to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Aug 21-23 for their 10th festival, Magnaball. The sold out event gathered more than 40,000 fans to the gorgeous hillsides of the Finger Lakes Region of New York for 3 days of camping, art and the musical jam stylings of the Vermont quartet.

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    Creating a small city within itself, MagnaBall offered a Ferris Wheel, onsite radio station known as The Bunny, a Post Office, a huge 183-foot movie screen, a high class restaurant serving local and organic five-course meals, interactive art installations and so much more to keep fans glad, glad, glad they had arrived. Despite being sold out, tickets could still be purchased at the gates making for a slightly hectic arrival on Thursday and Friday.

    The festival started around 8pm on Friday with a perfect yet uncommon opener of “Simple” with Page tickling the notes of “Magilla” and a howling good time as the band went into “The Dogs” from their Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House Halloween set, a nod to us all that Phish and the fans are wild animals. A sincere surprise was the appearance of the beautiful, instrumental classic of “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday” as it jumped into a strong “Avenu Malkenu” and back home again in “The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday,” which slowly led into “Free,” reaching great heights as Trey blared the rocking riffs to Mike’s hard hitting bass.

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    Taking a moment from the music, Trey reflected on the band’s history with their festivals and how their families have since grown in the number of children the band collectively has. Showing a bit of his ’embarrassing dad’ side, Trey shared that this day was also daughter Eliza’s birthday and requested a collective “Happy Birthday,” which the crowd happily performed as he brought her onstage.

    The major bustout of the set was the short and sweet “Mock Song,” an original Mike tune that hadn’t been played since 2003 and with an appropriate lyric change of “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” The highlight of the set that was talked about all weekend was the set closing “Bathtub Gin”. The Magna Gin was over 20 minutes long with intense, improvisational peaks of highly danceable rhythm, layers upon layers of interchangeable, bizarre melodies and a blissful, playful pace to start the festival.

    Trey brings his daughter Eliza out for a happy birthday wish. ? by Patrick Jordan.

    A photo posted by phishfromtheroad (@phishfromtheroad) on

    We were one set deep into Phish’s 3-night, eight-set Magna-opus and the gloves were already off. You weren’t getting out of there without some pain and bruises, but you were definitely getting out alive, possibly more alive than when you entered. The summer has seen the band playing at a consistently high level, not just for 3.0, and not compared to just 2.0 or 1.0.

    The band is older, the crowd is older, but the music has been reinvigorated both with new songs and new twists on old favorites that has rejuvenated all involved. A ‘Not Your Father’s’ second-set-opener of “Chalkdust Torture,” got things jumping off from the rocking shell of the song proper, and as soon as the last verse was sung we were deep into a pool of straight improvisatory gravy. That gravy would flow throughout the set, as jams became songs became jams once again, oozing together over and over into a delicious stew for over 90 minutes.

    After a dark and winding “Ghost,” Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” took a journey that eventually wound around to the bopping reggae groove of “Harry Hood.” They lingered patiently for a couple of minutes before launching into the “Hood” nearly everyone saw coming, giving the band another chance to showcase one of their rejuvenated songs, with a rejiggered closing section that allowed a bit more freedom. This time it meant a nifty little “Cars Trucks Buses”-esque jam preceding the typical climactic finish.

    “Waste” provided a pleasant breather before more renewal was on display with the fresh off the wire “No Men in No Man’s Land.” The 2015-debuted tune is already taking on a fun rocking life of its own. There was nothing particularly new about “Slave to the Traffic Light,” sitting there in its classic set closing greatness but it stood tall and proud still, executing the dismount perfectly. Still got it! No surprises were in store with a “Farmhouse” and “First Tube” encore, but the stage was set, and the final energetic notes would dance along the Watkins Glen air for the remainder of the weekend.

    Magnaball was not just some mash-up of two random words, but simply the best way to describe the current state of Phish, a band sounding as fresh as ever, even after 32 years. The first third of that definition was in the books.

    Set 1 review by Susan Rice, Set 2 review by Eli Stein

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Simple>The Dogs > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday> Avenu Malkenu> The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Free, The Wedge, Mock Sock, Roggae > Rift, Bathtub Gin

    Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture* > Ghost -> Rock and Roll > Harry Hood -> Waste > No Men In No Man’s Land -> Slave to the Traffic Light
    Encore: Farmhouse, First Tube

    *Unfinished.

    Notes: Page teased Magilla in Simple. TMWSIY and Avenu Malkenu were played for the first time since July 4, 2012 (124 shows). After Free, Trey asked the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to his daughter, Eliza, who briefly joined him onstage. Mock Song was played for the first time since July 12, 2003 (320 shows), and featured a lyric change to “Clifford, Super, Magnaball.” CDT contained a What’s the Use? tease and was unfinished. Hood contained a CTB tease from Mike.

  • Interview with Steve Molitz

    The 9th annual Backwoods Pondfest is set to take place this coming weekend, August 7 and 8 in beautiful Upstate New York at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru. Tickets are still available online via their website (click here) and include two nights of car camping and live music. The intimate festival gathers local and regional acts as well as nationally recognized bands such as this year’s headliner Particle featuring keyboardist Steve Molitz, guitarist Ben Combe, bassist Clay Parnell and Allen Aucion on drums. The four piece livetronica funk band lays out hard hitting, improvisational jams with energetic, spacey melodies that create contagious dance grooves. I was lucky to have Steve Molitz answer a few questions for me about his July 4 weekend, new music and Backwoods Pondfest.

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    Susan Rice: Talk about epic holiday memory. How did it feel to perform on July 4th in Chicago as part of the Grateful Dead post show late night series? Were the Grateful Dead a major influence on your music?

    Steve Molitz: “Epic holiday memory” pretty much sums it up! Our post-Dead show on 7/4 was sold out in advance, and the energy in the venue was off the charts. It was just one of those nights where everything clicked and there was a very tight feedback loop between the musicians, the music, and the fans. There was a magic in the air that the Dead created at their show, and the fans bottled it up and brought it with them to our late night. It was an absolute honor and a thrill to be a part of such a special weekend of music.

    The Grateful Dead have definitely been an influence on my music, but in sort of an abstract way. Stylistically, Particle and the Dead sound very different, but thematically there’s a lot of overlap. I learned a lot from them about how to approach improvisational music with an open mind and an open heart. You really have to have faith in the unknown, and you have to be willing to place all your trust in the hands of your band members. Only then can you truly lose yourself in the moment and become an interwoven fabric of the improvisational tapestry.

    I’ve been touring on and off with Phil Lesh for the past eleven years, and one cool thing that he tells his band members is that we just have to give ourselves permission to try new things. He encourages us to reach beyond our comfort level into an unknown realm, and that is always where the most profound musical discoveries occur. I have really tried to incorporate that ethos into Particle’s approach to improvisation, so in that way I suppose the Dead have been a huge influence on us …

    DaveDeCrescente - Particle -4

    SR: This will be your first time performing at Backwoods Pondfest. What are you most excited about for headlining this North Country festival?

    SM: I’m most excited to check out some of the other bands on the festival. It’s always such a treat at these summer fests to experience so many different types of music all in one place. Off the top of my head, a handful of Backwoods Pondfest bands that I’m excited to see are Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sophistafunk, Normal Instruments, Lucid, Mister F, and The Heavy Pets…

    SR: What new music have you been listening to on your road trips?

    SM: I guess the newest music I’ve been listening to is Particle because we are in the middle of recording a new studio album right now so I’ve been completely immersing myself in those songs. That music is so new it’s not even out yet! I can’t wait for people to hear these songs, and I can’t wait to tour with all this new material…

    I also listen to a lot of podcasts on the road like the Joe Rogan Experience, I Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast, Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, etc..

    Also, Prof’s new album Liability drops on 10/16, and that’s right in the middle of Particle’s big Accelerator Tour (tickets here), so I’m sure I’ll be bumping Prof almost exclusively come October.

    SR: How have you been able to keep up with the nonstop, crazed momentum of Particle?

    SM: Love is all you need …

    … and coffee 🙂

  • Road to Backwoods: Lucid — Gracious Host and Headliner

    This “Road to Backwoods” piece will focus on Backwoods Pondfest repeating act and gracious host, Lucid. Known as the Pride of Plattsburgh, Lucid has made a name for themselves in the North Country as well as all over the Empire State for their music that combines Adirondack blues, high altitude funk and reckless rock for a unique sound of soul and love.

    Earlier this spring, Lucid released “Dirt” an album of smooth jazz, light reggae and feel good rock with uplifting grooves and charming harmonies that beautiful captures the Backwoods Pondfest vibe and growth of Lucid. Keeping up with the tradition of two sets, Lucid will perform Friday night on the Woods Stage at 11:45 p.m. and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage. Being the host at Backwoods, Lucid participates in every aspect of the festival from prepping the campgrounds, organizing the crew and production setup. Their hard work continues to pay off each year with returning fans eager to share in the good times and intimate party atmosphere, making for an ideal festival experience.

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    The 9th annual Backwoods Pondfest will take place at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y. on August 7 and 8. Tickets are still available via their website (click here) at $75 for two nights of camping and live music. This year’s lineup includes Particle, Ex Presidents (Todd Stoops, Eric Gould, Neal “Fro” Evans and Andrew Block), The Heavy Pets, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk, Mihali Savouliois of Twiddle and much more. Be sure to get your tickets now and meet us in the Backwoods!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9SVsO6XkQk]

  • Road to Backwoods: The Blind Owl Band

    The 9th annual Backwoods Pondfest is only less than 2 weeks away, taking place in Peru, NY at Twin Ponds Campsite on Aug 7 and 8. The two day festival features back to back musical acts on two stages, yoga, hoop lessons, a vending area and two nights of camping in beautiful Upstate New York. This hidden gem festival offers plenty of spacious car camping, whether it be open field, woods or secluded quiet family camping. Backwoods Pondfest offers a wide range of music, supporting local and regional bands plus national acts. This year’s headliners include Particle, Ex Presidents (Todd Stoops, Eric Gould, Neal ‘Fro’ Evans and Andrew Block), The Heavy Pets, Spiritual Rez, two sets of Lucid, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sophistifunk and more. Tickets are available online (click here) or at various ticket outlets such as: Pasquale’s Restaurant, State of Mind and Chuck Wagon.

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    One of the returning regional acts to Backwoods Pondfest is four piece string group, The Blind Owl Band, Saranac Lake locals who have been sharing their North Country Bluegrass all over the east coast. Their impressive plucking and strumming combined with their rowdy harmonies bring a unique modern gypsy sound with a fiercely aggressive rhythm to that of a freight train. Barefoot and bearded, The Blind Owl Band charms crowds with old world story telling that is as captivating as the Adirondacks themselves, making them an ideal act at Backwoods Pondfest. Catch the Blind Owl Band on July 30 at the Riverboat Bar, in Alexandria Bay and a free show on July 31 at The Rusty Nail in Stowe, VT.

    Backwoods Pondfest continues to grow and get better each year. Be sure to pick up your tickets today!

  • Mountain Jam 2015 Day 4 Recap: Last Chance to Go Big Before Going Home

    The last day of Mountain Jam 2015 had arrived bringing festival goers one last chance to enjoy the beautiful Sunday on Hunter Mountain.

    The bitter cold was blown away as clouds parted early in the morning for another perfect summer day of blue skies and sunshine. Those looking to release stress met at 10 a.m. at Healey Hall for Yoga with Michael Franti. Hundreds piled into the hall with yoga mats and towels, gently breathing as Franti strummed his acoustic guitar with care. It’s a shame there wasn’t enough room for everyone as people spilled into the lodge area and outside on the pavement. But that didn’t stop anyone from soaking up the rejuvenating morning practice and spreading positive attitude. One of the activities that saw the most action for the weekend and one of the biggest lines for Sunday was the 25-minute chair lift ride. The $6 was totally worth it as you rose above the music and camp sites for an excellent view of the festival grounds and Catskills.
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    One of the most talked about sets for Sunday was NYC’s own, Lake Street Dive. The quartet has an old school Chicago Blues sound to them as Mike Olson’s trumpet soars over the mountain with hot plucking from bassist Bridget Kearney. Lake Street Dive had great crowd interaction as the musicians point out amusing fashion items and encouraged a “kissing cam” scenario from the roaming cameras that shown on the big screens. Rachel Price has stunning vocals as they shift from an acoustic cover of Annie Lenox’s “Broken Glass” to their original pieces “Make It Easier For Ya” and “Hello? Goodbye.” She thanked the audience for the “reviving set, feeling charged up and loved.” Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers played an easy listening, Americana Sunday Porch set. Amy Helm is the daughter of music legend Levon Helm (The Band), inheriting sensational talent as her vocals carry great soul that moved some to tears. The Handsome Strangers provided strapping harmonies and heartfelt melodies that propelled Helm’s vocals to fly.

    Mountain Jam veteran Michael Franti & Spearhead had best energy and presence as they amped up the crowd with their optimistic reggae dub. Franti did laps around the crowd with his microphone and acoustic guitar, giving high fives, dancing and drinking beer. It was great to see an artist enjoying the festival as much as the fans were. The music is full of inspirational lyrics that seek change, equality for all and nothing but love. Bringing out dozens of beach balls, shirt waving and break dancing, Franti & Spearhead know how to start the right kind of revolution. Hooray for the Riff Raff was a refreshing change-up with their New Orleans mountain music complete with great fiddle work, yodeling and tooting harmonica.

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    The crowd gathered one last time for Sunday festival headliner and best new artist, Alabama Shakes. Lead singer Brittany Howard took the stage wearing a gorgeous silk floral dress and big smile as they opened with “Rise to the Sun.” Alabama Shakes treated fans to new songs such as “Future People” and “Gimme All Your Love” off their latest album, Sound & Color, with fierce slamming energy. Howard is part anaconda as her vocals explode out of her body, nearly breaking her jaw with each word. The rolling guitar chords for “Hang Loose” and “Always Alright” have a free-flowing surfer vibe as the heavy organ notes for “I Found You” brought gospel chills. Howard’s focused body energy is a strong defense for the heartbreaking melodies and soulful blues rock that is the best of our generation. The set and festival felt as if it had ended too soon with the music ending shortly after 9 p.m. Guest exited the pit, headed toward one more night of camping or the long drive home as the Mountain Jam App alerted fans that they could already purchase tickets for next year’s festival, which after the extraordinary weekend, didn’t seem like a bad idea.

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    Check out our coverage of all four days at Mountain Jam 2015.

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  • Mountain Jam 2015 Day 3 Recap: Saturday Draws Biggest Crowd of the Weekend

    Saturday was one of the best days at Mountain Jam 2015 with endless blue skies, electric green Catskills and another day full of incredible music to ponder. The thousands of festival goers happily greeted the day, feeling recharged as they hiked up the mountain with arms full of drinks, blankets, chairs and sunscreen.

    It’s a brilliant concept to have vendors walking thru the music area, dragging coolers of cheap water and Gatorade, ensuring the best policy to rage is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

    One of the most charming acts of the afternoon was Benjamin Booker, who brought an earthy back roads set on the West Stage with his sincere loud whisper of a voice. The violin and mandolin added a bluegrass tinge as Booker wailed on his guitar for a dirty rockabilly feel.

    A light-hearted, upbeat island ambiance grew from the East Stage and climbed up Hunter Mountain as Rusted Root performed their worldly jams reminiscent of the 1990s. Michael Glabicki nearly broke his strings as he beat the hell out of his guitar and Patrick Norman laid out deep bass bombs. The music is a light mixture of Alice and Chains set in the Outback with a cowbell and washboard. It was Rusted Root’s first time at Mountain Jam and they were eager to share music from their latest album with “Save Me.” It was a new age funky groove with high vocals from Liz Berlin, a heavy percussion solo and frog-in-throat vocal effect from Glabicki. The set ended with their top hit, “Send Me on My Way,” that got the whole mountain stomping before casually coming down with an acoustic serenade.

    Texas native, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, dominated the West Stage. Performing with a drummer and bass player for most of the set, Graves was left alone for a few songs to be the one-man band he is infamous for. The trio gave off a high energy, down home fun as they jumped with rodeo flair all over the stage. Rebelution brought the West Coast vibe with their swells of brass, beach like melodies and layers of hip hop. An enthusiastic traditional reggae sound with skater park boundless horn peaks. The Rasta atmosphere blazed thru the day as The Wailers awakened the crowd with deeply rooted, rock steady reggae. They performed Bob Marley classics such as “Is This Love?”, “Could You Be Loved?” and “Stir it Up,” spreading island vibes all over the mountain and feeding off the crowd’s radiating appreciation. Festival partner and veteran, Warren Haynes took center stage for a second night with his band, Govt Mule. After the previous night of Dark Side of the Mule, many were looking forward to a set of original Mule tunes that as in the tradition of the festival. One of the highlights of the set was a nostalgic “Million Miles From Yesterday” with special sit ins from Elaine Caswell and Machan Taylor plus a Stevie Wonder’s cover of “Superstition”.

    Once the sun went down under the mountain, the temperature significantly dropped causing many to immediately layer up and wrap themselves in each other in hopes to keep warm. The clear night sky revealed hundreds of stars and the captivating color changing forest surrounding the festival grounds. As bitter cold as it was, the sight was breathtaking. Headliner of the night, The Black Keys packed a heated set as drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach threw down a hard-hitting rock and roll session. The duo was joined by Richard Swift and John Wood for to create a powerful violent surge of solos that blew the roof off the East Stage. Carney and Auerbach shine best as a duo, proving all you need is a drum kit and guitar to move mountains. Thrashing about the stage with a soul-absorbing sound, it’s no wonder that the Black Keys are considered rock giants, having earned multiple Grammy Awards and platinum albums. The crowd screamed along with dusty garage favorites “Lonely Boy” and “Howlin’ For You,” soaking up the raw talent before them.

    The Main Lodge served as a great refuge for the hour set break for those eager to warm up with a full bar, plenty of table seating and an art gallery featuring show posters and photography. Arc Iris took over the Healey Hall with eccentric girl next door pop with a twist of sorcery plus an impressive stand-up electric bassist. The Budos Band closed out the Hall with heavy metal horns and dark ska, sound beckoning the crowd closer to the small stage with big band momentum.

    Big Gigantic was one of the top acts of the night with the heavy EDM tunes pumping out classic hip hop mashups with new school flavor. They are closest thing the festival saw to a rave, with hurtling glow sticks and peaks of bass drops that kept security on their toes. The electronic duo from Colorado featured Jeremy Salken pounding the hell out of his drums and Dominic Lalli doing his best Kenny G jazz saxophone work while jamming on his laptop, cranking out funky bass. The final day of Mountain Jam approaches with a buzzing lineup of Lake Street Dive, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, returning act Michael Franti & Spearhead plus headliners Alabama Shakes. Stay tuned for our Sunday Recap of the festival with closing thoughts on the 11th annual Mountain Jam.

  • Mountain Jam 2015 Day 2 Recap: Rock Stars of All Calibers

    Friday morning beckoned even more fans to Mountain Jam 2015 as the Catskills were greeted with blue skies, sunshine and a killer lineup. Festival goers were still establishing campsites and beginning to organize the daily schedule so as not to miss a moment of music. The chair lifts were operational, giving a bird’s eye view of the festival grounds and breathtaking scenery that decorates Hunter Mountain.

    One of the top acts of the afternoon was New York’s own and returning act, Spirit Family Reunion brought everything but the kitchen sick. Performing with kitchen utensils and a washboard rhythm, their deeply rooted harmonies provided a funky backwoods start to Friday’s lineup. Trigger Hippy gave a heavy dose of soulful rock and gospel doo wop with Jackie Greene raging on a trifecta of guitar, harmonica and organ. Joan Osborne strutted herself up and down the stage as her sweet voice caused the crowd to sing along. There was no such thing as personal space on that stage as the musicians consistently engaged each other, tightening the music and spreading smiles.

    As soon as Trigger Hippy’s set ended, Greene ran one stage over to join four-piece California Soul band, The Mother Hips. Lead by guitarists Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono, they wasted no time wowing the crowd with psychedelic folk melodies and charming desert vocals. A musical festival isn’t complete without a Grateful Dead tribute band and Mountain Jam was lucky to have Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Drummer Joe Russo was front and center as he effortlessly wailed his sticks. The beautiful weather wasn’t meant to last as the traditional rain storm gradually made its way across the mountain. The refreshingly drenched crowd didn’t seem to mind as JRAD performed in sync with the wind and rain.One of the highlights of the day was rock goddess Grace Potter who paraded on stage after flying in from Minneapolis after performing with The Rolling Stones the night before. “A festival like this is just like a woman, she ain’t the right kind of excited unless she’s WET,” Potter teased the soaked fans as the band erupted into “Queen of my Heart” and “Hot Summer Night” before she quickly threw her beautiful high heels clear across stage. The bare-footed siren was all confidence and soul as she went into a never-before-heard song “Fill Up Your Empty Heart,” a romantically assertive ballad which was quickly fawned over by fans. It was no surprise that Potter’s “Best Friend” Warren Haynes joined her onstage for Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” embracing each other in open arms and classic rock ‘n roll just in time for the sun to peak thru. Another strong female fronted group, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers entertained the audience with folksy songs off their new album, Loved Wild Lost. Her gentle stage presence makes her a class act as she swoons music lovers with “Queen of the Rodeo.” (Full interview coming next week).

    The big headliner of the night, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Robert Plant, of Led Zeppelin, gathered a huge crowd that no one could afford to miss. Plant and his Sensational Space Shifters are a multi-instrumental machine that went above any and all fan expectations. Plant’s vocals are still so pristine echoing off the hillside especially for the enchanting lullaby of “Going to California.” Jammers weren’t the only ones happy to be here as Plant said, “It’s good to be back in this part of New York.” Performing a few new tunes for an exotic tribal rhythm was “Little Maggie” off of Plant’s and the SSS’ first album together Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar. Fans of all ages soaked in the familiar chord progressions of psychedelic blues, metal and Appalachia folk from the Zeppelin classics of “Whole Lotta Love” and the encore of “Rock n Roll” all with high peaks and roaring guitar. You can never get enough Zeppelin especially with  Zapparella, a four piece all female Led Zeppelin cover band, performing right after Robert Plant at Healey Hall. Their precise timing and female presence spiced up classics such as “Dazed and Confused” and “Trampled Underfoot,” giving a new appreciation for old favorites. Lead vocalist Noelle Doughty said it was “exciting and terrifying” to follow the master, Robert Plant’s set.The intermission on the East Stage featured progressively hallucinogenic visuals on the main screens before Gov’t Mule presented a special Pink Floyd tribute dubbed Dark Side of the Mule. A thick foggy mist had rolled over the festival, amplifying the light show and heightening the Floyd experience. The keyboardist laid out heavy piano chords throughout the set as Haynes “Warrenized” the excessively stretched out jams. The trio of female vocalists were clear-cut hitting the signature high notes. Folks looking for a more energetic party vibe headed to Healey Hall for the late night set of Dopapod who recharged the crowd with livetronica bliss. Stay tuned to NYSMusic for another day full of music on the mountain with Rusted Root, Rebelution, The Wailers, Gov’t Mule and The Black Keys.