Most bands find it difficult to keep finding new inspiration to put out records that don’t tarnish their legacy. This is especially true when they find themselves recording their ninth studio album which is the situation Coheed and Cambria find themselves with The Color Before the Sun. What’s interesting about this particular record is that it’s the first to not be a part of the overarching story that has been made up of their previous albums. The Color Before the Sun deviates from what has come before it, but not in musical quality. The band is as strong as ever and has put together another solid entry in their catalog.
The album kicks off with a strong and big power pop opener in “Island” which also happens to be one of the standout tracks. The album is definitely split between slower more emotional songs and the big catchy hook driven tracks. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Infinity On High era Fall Out Boy for their ability to blend multiple genres of music but retain that pop atmosphere. “Colors” brings things more in line with traditional Coheed sounds where as “Ghost” creates a great emotional midpoint to the album. The way some of the slower songs are structured shows off singer Claudio Sanchez’s voice as well as a little experimentation with the guitars. The band has been known to draw influence from prog music but this album definitely doesn’t go to that well often. This is much more of a straight forward album which isn’t a bad thing at all. The band still gets to show their musical chops but does it in a very pop radio friendly method. Sanchez’s signature higher pitched vocals cut through and he has a few standout moments showing off how much control he has over his voice.
Perhaps the best track on the record is “Atlas.” I can see this becoming a staple of their live show for years to come. Again it brings a big pop hook and gets the record back in an upbeat swing as it heads into its second half. The lead single “You Got Spirit, Kid” reminds me a lot of early My Chemical Romance which is a style of music sorely missed in 2015’s pop landscape. I know I’ve made a few references to Coheed sounding like other bands but make no mistake, this album is 100% them. It’s a testament to how they’re able to take influences from many styles of music and combine them into their own unique sound. They’re a band that when you hear them, you know it’s them. Few bands are able to do that these days and often finding themselves blending into the mix after an album or two. Even less of those bands are able to carve out a legacy and absolutely devoted fan base like Coheed and Cambria.
I have to pay special attention to the album closer, “Peace to the Mountain.” This song builds to a fantastic ending not just for the song itself but for the album as a whole. As the song comes to its finale, horns and strings come into play accompanying the full band. I love when pop and rock bands are able to pull this off. It’s tricky because many times it can come across as forced or even sounding bad as the band wanted to cram too much into one song. This track is an excellent example of the musicianship the band has to offer. The added elements here make this song feel big and important. It’s a great way to finish the record giving that feeling that the ride is now over.
I love the fact they were willing to stray from their bread and butter with the concept albums. I’m sure this allowed the band to feel a little less restricted but at the same time this isn’t a radical departure from what has come before. They’re still the same band. Maybe a little more simplistic in direction but again, that isn’t a negative. Far too often bands are condemned for making a record with a bit more simplicity in mind but many times this forces more creativity to come out. While this isn’t a crazy prog rock masterpiece, it can be just as hard to write a solid timeless pop record. Coheed and Cambria are still writing great songs and can be proud to add another fantastic album to their discography with The Color Before the Sun. If you’re a fan, you’ll want this and if they’re new for you this is a great entry point.
KeyTracks: “Island” “Atlas” “Peace To The Mountain”
There is a sticker growing in popularity in the jam band scene nationwide. It is a simple square sticker, white letters on a blue background, stating “I Have No Complaints.” The original idea, the “saying before the sticker” came from a Phish phan on tour after the group reunited. After each show, if his pals nit-picked about this song or that jam, he would always respond, “I have no complaints.” That would bring the group back to reality; after all, their band was back! What in the world should there be any complaints about? It ended up being such a positive slogan, and not necessarily specified to any band, political party, anything. Just a universal reminder of being thankful for the good things. So a sticker was printed. Then reprinted. Thousands of times over.
On October 9-10 at Brooklyn Bowl, there were no complaints. This saying represented the energy of everyone in attendance at Brooklyn Bowl both Friday and Saturday night. The McLovins opened for Perpetual Groove on Friday night and will be opening for them again for future shows. The Hip Abduction was Saturday’s opener, and after the PGroove set Wyllys spun a DJ set which kept people dancing until the bar shut down, hours after the headliner’s encore.
The dance area was packed both nights, and it was obvious that most attendees knew PGroove’s music very well. Singing along, fist pumping, high fiving and even tears were witnessed.
Photo by Scott Harris for LiveMusicBlog.com
Perpetual Groove has lyrics that can be pretty haunting at times. Their second song on Friday, “Three Weeks,” sings about a bad breakup from a relationship where the sadness is so great that guitarist Brock Butler sings: “I’ve been dancing with possibility, playing with my razor blade. I lost the thing I thought I had, the thing that made me think I had it made.” A crowd favorite, “Three Weeks” has a middle section that gets very electronica and danceable. You can feel the mood lighten in the song and feel the crowd’s energy grow. The healing and recovery begins. “It seems it’s been forever now, I’m giving up on that bed. I ain’t got much soul left now, and I don’t have that much bread. I’m seeing that there are no more possibilities, I’ve tossed away my razor blade. I never had the thing I thought I had, the thing that made me think I had it made…” Doesn’t sound like a real positive place still, but hey, at least those razor blades are out of the picture and the healing can begin. hiatus
PGroove fans had also felt that feeling of loss. In January 2013, Perpetual Groove announced an indefinite hiatus so that one of the members could fight the downward spiral many rock stars fall into. On April 5, 2013 the band took the stage of the Georgia Theatre for their then-final show. The news was heartbreaking to their fans, but many had already witnessed a decline in his health. The majority of diehard PGroove fans wanted what was best for all involved, and all prayed for a successful (yet speedy) recovery so the band could go back to touring.
Other than a few shows this summer closer to their hometown in Athens, GA, NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl was the band’s return to the scene. Their only other shows scheduled this year is a two night Halloween run in South Carolina, another two nights in early December in Colorado, and a three nighter in Atlanta, Georgia for New Year’s Eve.
The Brooklyn Bowl shows were proof that the band is not only doing MUCH better with their demons, but also looked happy and excited to be playing as a band again. Their energy spread through the entire room; not one person looked like they weren’t having a blast. If 2016 brings them back, there will no doubt be another great turnout of happy fans, new and old. Here’s to hoping to for their continued happiness, health and desire to make people boogie down and keep smiling.
Setlist, October 9
Trouble> Three Weeks> Speed Queen, Holy Ship, Lemurs, Two Shores, Sun Dog, Diggin in the Dirt, TTFPJ, A Day the Way> Robot Waltz Encore: Out Here> Trouble
Setlist, October 10
Life> Man With All The Answers, TSM2, Paper Dolls, Walkin in Place, Stealy Man, It Starts Where it Ends, Mr. Transistor, Cairo, All My Friends Encore: Teakwood Betz>…and Everything
Sometimes a conversation enlightens you and broadens your ability to appreciate things even more so than you already do. This was the case after speaking with Darius Rucker. Known to most as the lead singer to the Grammy Award winning group Hootie and The Blowfish, Darius Rucker had already made his mark on music lovers nationally in the genre of rock/pop.
Why in the world would an artist of his caliber decide to switch genres and “go country?” How would the country genre accept him? What was the motivation behind this need to follow his musical journey down a new road?
I had an opportunity to speak with Rucker about his career, his beloved Charleston, South Carolina, and what motivated him to make this move towards what has become his true calling.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Darius, thank you so much for speaking with us at NYSMusic. We are really looking forward to your shows here in New York and want to give you a warm welcome.
Darius Rucker (DR): Thank you.
KS: You were born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Were you raised in a musical household?
DR: Well everyone in our house sang. We sang a lot. Especially my mom. She sang all the time. And my sister as well. There was always music being played whether it was the radio or the big ol hi-fi we had. So yes, I would say it was a musical household.
KS: What are a few of your earliest influences in music?
DR: Early on for me Al Green was just everything. I can remember being a little kid (around 4 or 5) and hearing his voice and hearing him hit those notes. I remember thinking ‘that’s what I want to do. I want to do what Al Green’s doing’. He, as well as Gladys Knight and the Pips. Then when I got a little older, like 6, 7, 8, or 9 I started really getting into AM radio and that’s when it just went across the board. The Opry shows, Kenny Rogers, or Cheap Trick. Anything I could hear (influenced me), literally anything.
KS: I, like many others, have followed your career since Hootie & The Blowfish days. You are one of those artists that have been able to successfully cross over from rock to country and you did it so seamlessly. Talk to me a little about that transition, and what made you decide to go from a very successful rock career into a new genre such as country music.
DR: You know, we had been touring for a while. We had been on the road pretty much every summer since we all got out of college. One of the band members mentioned that they didn’t want to do it every year any more. Ever since the late 80’s I was big into Foster and Lloyd. Then Radney Foster came out with his solo record Del Rio TX 1859, and I just remember hearing that record for the first time and after hearing that record I would tell anyone who would listen, that I was going to make a country record some day. I had never thought of singing it, until I heard that record. I just wanted to sing that record. I wanted to sound like that. I wanted to be that. So I said, someday when I get the chance I’m going to make a country album. When we decided to take a break, I was like, I’m going to make my country record. And to be honest with you I didn’t think I could get a record deal.
KS: Really?
DR: I wouldn’t have given me a record deal. I mean why? There was this African-American guy that just came from a very successful rock band, they had a great run and are out touring, so why would some country guy go ‘yeah I’ll give you a shot’? I wasn’t even looking for a record deal to be honest with ya. I was going to do it here in Charleston with my buddies. And then my manager got me a record deal with Capitol. It was fun making the record and then all the hard work started with the tour; going to 10o something radios stations, shaking hands, saying hey, and playing for six people in the cafeteria or the conference room, a lot of work but all in all it was fun. I had a great time and I’ve made some great friends who are still great friends on that tour. And finally we convinced them (the radio stations) that “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” was a song that they should play, so they did.
KS: I have to tell you, to me it seemed very seamless. It was one of those things that just seemed like it was meant to be.
DR: I think so.
KS: So right now you’re touring with your new Southern Style album, which is your fourth solo album. Talk to me a little about this new album and what you hope listeners will take away from it.
DR: I hope they take away how much fun I’m having in country music. The songs are always important to me, that’s why I write so many, and to come down to such a small number of thirteen when you write 50 something, it tough to decide but you want great songs on it. You can expect great country music on it because it’s a lot of fun,this album. And it’s been great playing it live and seeing the crowds singing along with the songs.
KS: Is it tough to choose which you decided to put on an album? And the others, do you say I’ll put these back here because I’ll put those on another album.
DR: We keep a lot of them, but some of them we try to get cut by other folks. Every record there are 50 songs I think are great, that I love, but I just can’t cut an album with thirty songs.
KS: Right, exactly. Now I have to say, for several years I lived in Charleston and it became “my happy place”. When you live there it becomes something very special to you. It’s rich with history, culture, architecture, and has a peace that is tough to put into words. When listening to “You Can Have Charleston”, I think you captured some of that emotion I feel towards the city. Talk to me a little about that song and some of the others from that album that focus on that area.
DR: Yeah, Charleston, that’s a great way to say it. It’s “my happy place” That’s a wonderful thing you just said because I think it’s the most wonderful place in the world. I’ve been a lot of places and this is where I want to be. I choose to live here. I can live anywhere in the world I want, but I choose to live here, because this is where I want to be. “You Can Have Charleston”, is such a great song. I love it. When Frank Rogers brought it to me, I thought to myself I wish it was a little more positive but the positiveness of the song for me is how much he loves the city and can’t believe he is leaving it. He loves her and he just can’t stand it, as that’s the last thing in the world he wants to do. That beginning verse with the topsails and the Clydesdale, that’s my life. That’s my city.
KS: In 2012 you had an experience where you joined Old Crow Medicine Show on the stage at The Grand Ole Opry where you sang a little song that was originally sketched by Bob Dylan and modified by Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show — Talk to me a little bit about that experience.
DR: Oh that was so great. Those guys have been so great to me. We had played the Opry two or three times together where we played “Wagon Wheel”. I can remember after I cut it and started hanging with those guys, I was talking to Ketch and he said ‘I heard your version of it and I love it’. I was like ‘thank you, that means a lot’. Their version is just perfect. And he was like ‘I realized when I wrote that song a long time ago I was going to have to play that song for the rest of my life. So you better look out, because you are going to have to play that song for the rest of your life’. Sure enough, he’s right. Every time I play a country show, I play that song. It’s so cool to have a song that iconic, and to just be a part of that song and the greatness of that song, it deserves to be in the Library of Congress. It will always be one of those american classics. Long before I remade it, it was just a perfectly great song. Written by two guys at two different times of their lives, and is just a wonderful piece of work.
KS: The interesting part of this is that the original lyrics were just a few lines jotted down by Bob Dylan and then Ketch Secor picked up and expanded upon it making it the iconic tune we know today. That song has actually taken you on quite a journey. Talk to me a little about when that song hit and what happened afterwards.
DR: We released it, and then all of a sudden it took off. It took off. You know, we play it everywhere and people love it, my fans just love it. It was one of those songs that you stand out of the way and let it happen.
KS: I can remember the night you received the Grammy for it. It was an amazing evening for you and the song. That same year you were invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry. Talk to me a little about that evening.
DR: When I first met with Mike Duncan to sign my record deal I told my management I want to play The Opry as much as I can because it’s important to me to some day be a member of The Grand Ole Opry. I want to be a part of that family. And we did, and we worked hard and when they asked me to be a member of The Grand Ole Opry that was probably the first moment that I thought ‘okay, this is really happening. I’m really a part of country music’, and it was a great feeling. It is truly amazing to me that they kept that from me for a month. My kids knew for like six weeks and didn’t tell me that.
KS: How did they do that? That’s so impressive.
DR: Yeah, they were like 8 and 12 back then, and they didn’t tell me. You’ve got to be kidding me? I’m there and I’m singing my song, and Brad (Paisley) comes up and he says that to me, and I look over and all my friends and family are there. I was like ‘wow, how did you pull this off?’ It was great!
KS: That’s wonderful. And speaking of wonderful, for some that may not know, each year you get back together with the guys from Hootie & The Blowfish to reunite to perform. Tell my readers why this is so special.
DR: Oh it’s a big thing for Charleston. There are people who have seen us for years around the country, some may live here, some even plan vacations around it. They come down to Charleston for the week, see our shows, and in turn we get to help our community. The great things we get to do, for example, the roundup where we get kids and give them haircuts, and dental exams, and eye exams, shoes, backpacks, and all the school supplies they need. And all of this comes from that show. So we keep doing it so that we can help out.
KS: Now you’ve done a Christmas album, Home For The Holidays. What prompted that particular album?
DR: Well I’ve been asked several times by people if I had thought of doing a Christmas record. I had thought about it, but didn’t think it was time. So last year when it was brought up, I thought it was time. So we sat around and we said ‘let’s make something old school’ like those Christmas records we used to listen to. So we tried to make something cool and laid back, and great cool arrangement. I’m so proud of that record, so proud of it.
KS: As a journalist I have this long list of people I’ve always wanted to interview, such as yourself. Who is on your bucket list, what is something you still would like to accomplish?
DR: Ohhh…good question. Lots of crazy stuff. I still want to be on the big screen at The Superbowl, I still want to meet Sir Paul McCartney, I still would love to be in a Martin Scorsese movie, see I want crazy stuff.
KS: Seems doable to me and I hope you can do all of those things! Thank you again so much for speaking with us and we can’t wait to welcome you to our area this October.
As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just made a new friend. What a great guy. What an honestly true human being. I had already felt a kindred spirit with him being that he’s from “my happy place”, Charleston, South Carolina. After our conversation though and learning so much about him as a person, as well as an artist, I truly admired his spunk, his vision for his life, dedication to achieving his dreams – TWICE, and his overall genuine demeanor.
It was a few weeks later after I conducted this phone interview that I had the chance to watch another interview Darius Rucker did with Dan Rather for his show, The Big Interview. I saw once again the same genuinely decent person speak of his journey, sharing intimate parts of his struggles, his losses, and victories. When asked by Dan “Why do you think it’s working for you in country?” Darius replies, “..I think the main reason is that people realized how real it was for me. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about trying to be a superstar. I was going to do this in the basement with my buddies. It was about the music. I wanted to be country. I wanted to play country music”.
Personally, I can’t wait to see his upcoming show and see my new Charlestonian friend rock the country music as he has rocked all the music he’s performed all these years. I strongly urge you to take in one of two shows he will be playing here this month in New York to see what I’ve seen. He will play Oct. 22, at the Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse. Then he will trek on down the road to Albany on the Oct. 23 where he’ll play once again at the Times Union Center. Joining him on his Southern Style Tour are newcomers David Nail, and Cam. Both amazing artists that are blazing up the charts with hits.
If I had to describe Darius Rucker I would tell someone he’s a musician that is truly a risk taker, a trail blazer, a door opener, an odds beater, a hard worker, and a genuinely kind man. It was my pleasure interviewing him, and I can’t wait to see this low country fella tear up the stage living the dreams he always wanted and playing the music that was always in his heart.
It has been three years since ALO last released an album. During that time, the band kept busy working on side projects and sit-ins with other artists. The result of that break is Tangle Of Time, their latest album, which was influenced by those side projects and other musical endeavors.
While Tangle Of Time starts out in a familiar manner, long-time fans of the band might notice a different feel to much of this album. “There Was a Time” starts the album off in a fun, laid back manner. A pair of songs, “Not Old Yet” and “Keep On,” seem to be influenced by Phish bassist Mike Gordon’s solo work. Fans of ALO’s 2002 album Time Expander will enjoy the dancy groove of “The Ticket.” “Simple Times,” a ballad about spending time with loved ones, and “Strange Days,” a folksy number to close out the album, both draw from a country and folk influence. Lyrically, many of the songs on this album speak of various aspects of time, such as reflecting on the past (“A Fire I Kept”) or looking forward to the future (“The Ticket”).
There are a couple low points, but Tangle Of Time is, overall, a fun album. The band is keeping their music fresh by drawing from new influences. Fans will notice the influences of folk, jazz, country, cajun and electronica on this album. It’s always refreshing to see bands and artists change up the styles of music on display in their repertoire. Tangle Of Time is just that.
ALO is currently on tour. Tickets are still available for many of their shows.
On Saturday, October 10, metal-heads from all over the Northeast made PPL Park in Chester, Pa., its final destination. PPL Park was host of this year’s Rock Allegiance festival which was sponsored by Monster Energy. Since the festival only lasted one day, it needed to have a lineup that would draw fans from all across the Northeast. The festival promoters couldn’t have done a better job at putting the lineup together because weeks before the event, PPL Park was sold out. With a lineup consisting of numerous bands that could have headlined, Rock Allegiance was set to be a success from the start.
Saturday’s forecast was perfect for the event, consisting of warm weather and sunshine. The beautiful day definitely helped fans get to the stadium early to get things started right after 11 a.m. With three stages going all day, there was something for everyone. The bands that opened the morning and early afternoon were no amateurs. Bands such as Unlocking The Truth who are still in their teens, took the Rock Allegiance Tent Stage and immediately demanded the circle pits to be started. That type of crowd control and confidence will definitely keep those youngsters going for a long time. Other bands such as Devour The Day and Red Sun Rising, kept the early afternoon rocking on the two stages set up inside the stadium.
From Ashes To New
The 3rd band of the day to take the Tent Stage was From Ashes To New. This band has been on the road with Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach and In This Moment, all who were also at the festival. From Ashes To New drew a huge crowd for their set time and they were phenomenal. It’s no surprise now why they were on the road with those other bands. The energy and style this rap-rock band was very refreshing because many new bands today go toward the scream vocals and heavy riffs.
Shifting to the main stages afterward, The Glorious Sons took the stage for a quick set of hard-rocking blues rock. They were definitely the band that stuck out the most, but not in a bad way. Although many fans weren’t there to see them specifically, The Glorious Sons got love from the respectful crowd. After they were done, all the attention shifted to Stage East for Nothing More. At this point, if someone hasn’t heard of Nothing More or hasn’t at least heard “Jenny” or “Mr. MTV”, they’re living under a rock. There hasn’t been a band moving up the ladder this fast in quite a long time. Lead singer Jonny Hawkins and the rest of the band put on one of the best live performances today. They’ve been on the road for quite some time now and are taking cities by storm. The crowd at PPL Park definitely could have gone for a longer set because 30 minutes was certainly not enough. The next band that played inside on Stage West was Atreyu, who just released Long Live on September, 18. This was their first album in six years and these guys got a huge welcome. This band may have been overlooked on the lineup due to all of the other big names, but Atreyu proved they still have what it takes to be on the main stage. Lead singer Alex Varkatzas spent most of the set down in the crowd getting up close and personal with people in the front row.
Nothing More
In the meantime while Nothing More and Atreyu were rocking the main stages inside, the Charm City Devils and Superheaven were playing over in the Tent Stage. After their short sets were done, Pop Evil took over back inside the stadium. Touring on behalf of their recent album Up, Pop Evil played a mix of material from their newest album and Onyx. Pop Evil is a band that works off of the crowds energy and they shined on Saturday. The band looked like they were having fun on stage and they sounded great. As soon as Pop Evil ended, the crowd ran over to the Tent Stage to catch a set from the Butcher Babies. The Butcher Babies are a heavy metal band fronted by Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, two of the most metal chicks in the music industry today. These two ladies take control of the stage and put on an unforgettable performance. The girls jump all over the stage and get down on the crowd to sing with the audience. Anyone who decided to skip out on seeing their set missed an awesome show, but luckily the Butcher Babies are always on the road. Their newest release Take It Like A Man will surely keep them on the road for some time. Speaking of girls in metal, right after the Butcher Babies were done, In This Moment took over PPL Park. With a full stage production with costume changes, choreography and more, Maria Brink and the rest of the band proved why they are one of the top metal bands in the scene today. Although the band has a handful of albums now, their two most recent releases Blood and Black Widow have given them radio play and mainstream success. The crowd sang every word with Maria throughout the entire set. In This Moment seem to get better and better every time around and their performance at Rock Allegiance is proof.
Bring Me The Horizon
One of the craziest crowds of the day had to be for Bring Me The Horizon. Even with a throat infection, singer Oliver Sykes made sure the crowd was left bloody with broken bones just as he demanded. The infection didn’t seem to affect Oliver one bit. The band was spot on and had the crowd in their control before they even took the stage. The fans waiting in front of the East Stage were definitely waiting for BMTH all afternoon. Touring in support of their latest release That’s The Spirit, Bring Me The Horizon has been packing venues left and right the last few weeks in the States. All of the momentum they’ve gained at the smaller shows seemed to explode at Rock Allegiance on Saturday. While Bring Me The Horizon played, new “supergroup” Saint Asonia played over in the tent. Fans of Three Days Grace and Staind were surely over in the tent watching Adam Gontier and Mike Mushok. Their self-titled album has been all over the radio since the announcement of the group and debut at Rock on the Range earlier this year. The original voice of Three Days Grace and axe man of Staind seem to blend perfectly together and have created something nobody expected. Their setlist was mixed with singles off their album and covers of Three Days Grace and Staind.
Even with all of the bands mentioned so far, Rock Allegiance was not even half over. After Saint Asonia, Jacoby Shaddix and the rest of Papa Roach took over PPL Park. There’s never a Papa Roach show were Jacoby leaves the crowd disappointed. The crowd for Papa Roach was definitely the most so far out of the day. The highlight of the set was when singer Maria Brink of In This Moment came on stage to join Jacoby in singing “Gravity”. Fans who caught the tour with FFDP, Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To Knew were definitely expecting this duet because they have been doing it nightly. Watching Jacoby and Maria sing the song together was one of the top moments of the day. During Papa Roach’s set, Hollywood Undead competed for audience in the Tent Stage. It was a hard decision to make for fans to pick one or the other. Papa Roach easily had the majority of the crowd, but the tent was still packed for the rap-rock band. The guys came out in their signature masks and carried on their performance like they weren’t competing with anyone.
Papa Roach
As the sun went down and the night grew cold, Five Finger Death Punch took the East Stage and got the crowd on their feet and moving. Even with a shorter then normal set, Ivan and the rest of FFDP put on a great performance with a mix of material from their catalog. Unfortunately, the band only played 2 new songs off their latest album, Got Your Six which were “Got Your Six” and “Jekyll and Hyde”. With such success on the charts, many fans were hoping for more of the new material then some of the older. FFDP has always been a band that supported the country’s armed forces and they showed their appreciation Saturday night. Ivan took one fan’s sign that read he had been deployed and had the entire band sign it. As usual, Ivan invited some youngsters on stage to rock out to their song “Burn MF.” During the song, Ivan high-fived the kids and gave them energy drinks, guitar picks and arm bands. What Five Finger Death Punch does for their fans and the troops is a prime example of how every band should be.
One of the best crowds of the day, hands down, belonged to Boston rockers Godsmack. Sully Erna is one of the best in the business when it comes to putting on a rock show. Sully makes sure the crowd is into the performance and if they’re not, he’s going to change that. The band recorded the song “Something Different” which is going to be used for a new documentary. During the song the crowd reaction was amazing to watch from the stands. Every person was jumping up and down singing along with Sully. Another highlight of the set was the usual “Batalla de los Tambores” with Sully and Shannon. For those unfamiliar with that song, it’s the dual drum instrumental where Sully and Shannon both play on their own drum kits and Robbie and Tony rock the bass and guitar. They play their own song while mixing in riffs from Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC and more. The night was closed out with a cover of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” and then their classic hit, “I Stand Alone”. Godsmack could have easily closed out the entire night, but there were still two more bands to go.
While Godsmack was rocking the stage on the right, the stage on the left was empty with the iconic Korn album backdrop from 1994. With the 20th anniversary shows being common recently, many fans were expecting Korn to play the entire debut album. The set started off in that direction with “Blind”, “Ball Tongue”, “Need To”, “Clown” and “Faget”. But once the band dove into the riff for “Here To Stay”, the crowd knew they weren’t getting the full album. Which for many seemed okay because at a festival there’s typically a mix of fans who want to hear more of the hits. Korn seemed to put on the best setlist of the night. The material they picked kept the crowd moving and it didn’t let up. The highlight was when “Shoots and Ladders” went into the ending for “Somebody Someone” and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Surprisingly Korn ended the night with “Freak On A Leash” and then announced that was their last song instead of announcing it ahead of time. Ending the set like that left fans begging for more as Jonathan Davis brought his wife on stage sharing with the crowd that it was their anniversary.
Korn
Once Korn ended, the entire Stage East crowd shifted to the right to be in front of the stage for Rob Zombie. Even though it was apparent some of the crowd had filed out after Korn, Zombie still had a huge crowd. Unfortunately due to smaller main stages, Zombie didn’t have the stage production some people expected. Even without his signature stage production, Rob Zombie and his band put on a hell of a show. The band came out with different costumes and instruments all night long. Guitarist John 5 was a crowd favorite because of his costumes and unique guitars.The night opened up with a White Zombie cover of “More Human Than Human”, which set the pace for the night. During the song “Sick Bubble-Gum” the band had huge balloons for the crowd to amuse themselves with while they chose sides with either Piggy D. or John 5 by chanting “Rock” or “Mother Fucker”. Rob Zombie always has and will continue to be one of the best entertainers in the music industry. Fortunately for fans in Chester, they got to see one of Rob Zombie’s last shows for a while. The band has been on the road for quite some time now and are ready to take a break from the road. Fans ended the night in Zombie style with fan-favorite “Dragula”.
Just as fans thought the night was over with a closing fireworks display alongside the Delaware River, Steel Panther was ready for the after-party under the tent. Three albums in, Steel Panther continue to have success with their parody style 80s hair metal. Not only did fans stick around for the after party, but many band members came out to watch Steel Panther. Watching side stage were members of Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Nothing More, From Ashes To New and even more. Unfortunately, none of those guys got on stage to do any covers, which was surprising due to all of the guest musicians they usually get on stage. Regardless of whether they had guests on stage, Steel Panther put on a show that was perfect to end the day. The band had the entire tent rockin’ and laughing for the entire hour.
Rob Zombie
Not only did Rock Allegiance have an awesome day of music, it had some great choices for food and drink. Labeled as having “Gourmet Man Food” and craft beers on top of that, PPL Park had it all on Saturday. Throughout the stadium, there were your basic food vendors as there would be at any event there. On top of that were all the food trucks that the festival brought in. The best part about all of the options was that none of the lines got ridiculously long like they do at other festivals. The prices for everything were fair which helped keep concert goers wallet’s happy. Most of all, having options besides your typical hot dogs, hamburgers, etc was a relief. The same goes for the basic festival overpriced beer, Rock Allegiance made sure there were plenty of options. The festival was filled with plastic canning jars which were being used for a variance of alcoholic beverages. Considering the price of tickets and the experience festival attendees got in return, Rock Allegiance was an absolute steal. It was no surprise at all that this event sold out ahead of time and hopefully it will return again next year.
Southern “joyfunk” group CBDB recently released their EP The Fame, which melds pop and electronic jam influences to create an often warm and upbeat sound with hints of blues-rock.
Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the four tracks were recorded in one session. The six-piece jamband includes Cy Simonton (guitar & vocals), Kris Gottlieb (guitar & vocals), Glenn Dillard (sax/keys & vocals), Donald Deloach (percussion), Paul Oliver (drums) and David Ray (bass & vocals). The album was produced by CBDB and John Gifford III, mixed and mastered by Don Srygley, with Spencer Coats acting as assistant engineer.
The first number on the EP “Ground Score,” opens with a brisk guitar riff similar to the opening riff in progressive rock group Lee Terrace’s title track “Deep Blue.” Lively guitar makes way for Simonton’s crisp Michael Jackson-esque vocals. His less poppy, southern-infused singing weaves into the instrumental groove, at points almost seeming to compete with the instrumentation, but breaking off halfway through the track to make way for a playful exchange between guitar and saxophone. The rich saxophone evokes the same horn heavy influences carried throughout the theme music of late night comedy show Saturday Night Live.
“Echoes in the Room” provides a fulfilling swell of organ that blends beautifully with blues-rock guitar and Simonton’s lyrics, creating a song that ebbs and flows in intensity, seeming more purposeful than the other more jam-based tracks. The heavier guitar in the beginning of “A1A” sets the stage for what one might expect to be a pretty standard, well-layered jam. Guess again. Simonton’s angsty, whining vocals interject in ways that don’t comfortably blend with the song, leaving this pop/rock conundrum to ooze through the speakers like a giant melty cheese ball.
The FAME EP can be found on cbdbmusic.com, iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Rhapsody, Google Play, and Pandora.
Exclusive to NYS Music, enjoy a soundboard recording of Holly Bowling from her August 18 show at New York City’s The Cutting Room. Check out photos and a recap of her swing through New York State, including video from Relix and audio of her campground set at Magnaball. Don’t miss Holly when she heads to Albany on October 28 for a very special performance at The Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose.
Many thoughts come to mind when one hears the name Miley Cyrus. Cyrus has made it clear to the world that she is no longer an innocent young girl, and this celebrity never misses an opportunity to stand out in a big way. She dropped an unexpected album on SoundCloud entitled Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz at the end of August. The album artwork is pretty striking featuring Miley’s partial face covered in glitter glue and the title in huge pink bubble letters.
The image looks like a still taken from her “Dooo It!” music video, which has upward of 11 million views on Youtube. The 22-year-old is not afraid to be unique with regard to her image; eccentric might be a modest adjective.
This album is quite different from the other albums she’s released, especially because she released the album on a non-paid platform. Perhaps she wanted to distribute content gratis as a way to thank her loyal fans, or maybe it was simply an experimental work she didn’t want in her “real” discography. Furthermore, the album is not marked with the Parental Advisory notice for explicit content for the subject matter and numerous F-bombs, which could be problematic if it weren’t on a free distribution platform.
The instrumentation on the album combines acoustic and non-acoustic instruments, including electronic intergalactic sounds in “Space Boots.” And in “Something About Space Dudes,” the rough acoustic guitar is juxtaposed with electronics, making for a unique mix. It’s definitely apparent that The Flaming Lips helped produce this album with the vocal distortion and various production elements.
Miley has no filter, and she doesn’t seem to care what people know about her, good or bad. She likes to have fun smoking pot and drinking alcohol. The two shortest tracks on the album, “Fuckin Fucked Up” and “I’m so Drunk” respectively indicate the more adult habits, and they are similar to the substance-induced works by The Beatles. The recordings sound as though she is in these altered states.
The subject matter is truly all over the place; she sings about guys and sex, pets she used to have, and space dudes she’s encountered while being high. “Bang My Box” and “Fweaky” are quite dissimilar in style. The former is upbeat and catchy, while the latter is a slow ballad, but her detailed desire for sex is evident in both. There are a few emotional tracks, including one that starts with a little monologue detailing her feelings. “I Get So Scared” is a gorgeous track with a simple guitar part and percussion. She explains how she might not get over her last relationship, and how she wants her new relationship to be similar. She’s pretty transparent with her fans.
“Pablow the Blowfish” is the best track on the album. It’s hilariously emotional as she details how much she misses her pet fish and how difficult it was to see her friends consuming sushi.
Overall, this album is truly a work of art. It’s not focused on one single concept, and has a great variety of song styles. This star is definitely taking a new creative direction that will keep fans interested and looking for more.
Although Central New York is not the birthplace of Benny Mardones, to him it will always be home. This is why at least once a year, Benny will come home to play for those that have supported him throughout the ups and downs of his career. He shares his love of music, with those that love him most, his Central New York family.
It was 2010 when I first met Benny Mardones and learned his personal story of struggle and rebirth. Through the trials and tribulations of his life, he remains ever positive and graciously thankful to those that have helped him along the way. In addition, he always gives back to others as a way to pay it forward. Each year that he plays in Central New York, he also works hand in hand with charities that are near and dear to his heart to help them raise money for their cause. This year was no exception. This year he was able to support and help raise over $5,000 for the Clear Path for Veterans, a non profit agency that assists veterans reintegrate into their community.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2000, Benny Mardones has never let the disease define who he is, or what he will accomplish. Fighting the disease side by side with his loving wife, Jane, they make sure that life is liven to the fullest. It is this attitude and his continuous love of his fellow man that makes me proud to call him my friend.
Despite health concerns, Benny lives for music and wants nothing more than to share this love with his Central New York family. To him, it’s the best medicine possible. So when he said to his wife, he needs to come home, that’s all it took. When he approached his long time friend, Eddie Money, and asked if he could join him on this show, Eddie didn’t flinch. He was there in a heartbeat. How can anyone tell Benny no after all he does for others? The stage was set for a night to remember with dear friends filling the sold out Palace Theater.
Opening the show was Syracuse favorites Hard Promises. These talented musicians are crowd favorites all over New York. Opening the show in true rock and roll style singing a multitude of hits from the 80’s, it was their dedication of “Benny And The Jets” to Benny that set the tone for the night and rocked this sold out/standing room only crowd. Hard Promises definitely set the stage at The Palace Theater priming these adoring fans and getting them up on their feet and signing along into the night.
As Benny’s band began to play, Mardones made his way through the masses to take the stage as the cheers from his family resonated throughout the venue. Benny was finally home where he belonged. You could see it in his face. The sheer emotion I witnessed through the entire show moved me beyond words, and brought me to tears. Singing a few new songs from his recently released album, Timeless, a tribute to everything he loves about music. Completely fan funded through a Kickstarter Campaign, and recorded in Syracuse at Subcat Studios with his band, The Hurricanes, as well as a few lucky fans that sang back up, the long awaited project was finally ready to be shared on this night.
Singing fan favorites like “Baby Don’t” and “Way of the World,” Benny also mixed in some new releases as the show began. It was about half way through the show though that Benny relinquished the stage to his life long friend Eddie Money.
This charismatic performer was a joy to watch as he entertained us both musically and comically. Singing favorites “Baby Hold On To Me,” “Walk on Water,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” and “Think I’m in Love,” but it was Benny’s song “The Train Don’t Stop Here Any More,” that touched me the most. As Benny returned to the stage, the two belted out “Two Tickets To Paradise” and Eddie’s son Julian, joined them on drums as they sang, “Shakin.” That brought the crowd to the their feet dancing both on stage and off. As the night wound down, Benny closed with his signatures two songs that fans never let him leave without singing, the famous “Into The Night,” and “Sheila C.”
Although he’s known to his peers as “The Voice, Benny is also a master songwriter. As I listened to the final production of his Timeless album, I’m moved by several of these songs as they are truly written from the heart. As he played the Palace, he shared “Slip Away,” a rock and roll song that showcases his voice to a “t”, and “Me and Johnny Red,” a song about his love and hate relationship with Johnny Walker. But the one song that moves me every time I hear it, is definitely “Heart In My Hand.” He sang…
“I used to be, the kind of man, that had the world in my hand. And all along, I really knew, I loved the crowds, but I lived for you.
Like a fool, I played it wrong, and like the crowds, baby you were gone
And in the end, I used to die, from the same dream, oh every night.
Oh the curtain, starts to fallen, as you fade away aside another man, and I’m standing in the corner, with my heart in my hand.
So many friends, are not around, I need your love, I need it now. Don’t want to loose. Don’t want to be. Just another, another memory.
Oh the curtain, starts to fallen, as you fade away aside another man, and I’m standing in the corner with my heart in my hand.
I’m standing in the corner with my heart…
I used to be, the kind of man, that had the world in my hand “
Benny, from where I’m sitting, you still hold the world in your hands, and you live in the hearts of us all.
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.
The album kicks off with a strong and big power pop opener in “Island” which also happens to be one of the standout tracks. The album is definitely split between slower more emotional songs and the big catchy hook driven tracks. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Infinity On High era Fall Out Boy for their ability to blend multiple genres of music but retain that pop atmosphere. “Colors” brings things more in line with traditional Coheed sounds where as “Ghost” creates a great emotional midpoint to the album. The way some of the slower songs are structured shows off singer Claudio Sanchez’s voice as well as a little experimentation with the guitars. The band has been known to draw influence from prog music but this album definitely doesn’t go to that well often. This is much more of a straight forward album which isn’t a bad thing at all. The band still gets to show their musical chops but does it in a very pop radio friendly method. Sanchez’s signature higher pitched vocals cut through and he has a few standout moments showing off how much control he has over his voice.
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Many thoughts come to mind when one hears the name Miley Cyrus. Cyrus has made it clear to the world that she is no longer an innocent young girl, and this celebrity never misses an opportunity to stand out in a big way. She dropped an unexpected album on SoundCloud entitled 
