Fans have descended upon the city from all over the world to see the last three performances from the “core four” members of the Grateful Dead. Since Jerry Garcia’s death, the band stopped playing as a unit and have branched off into other directions. The 50th Fare Thee Well opened with two performances in Santa Clara last weekend and those shows paled in comparison to last night’s three-day run opener.
After a few minutes of the band noodling around, the show opened with Phil Lesh singing “Box of Rain.” The evening took off from there. The energy in Soldier Field was off the charts. Fans have been waiting for these performances since the announcement of the run earlier this year. Trying to get tickets put many on emotional roller coasters, as they were in high demand and extremely hard to find. The first note that dropped finally released all that pent up anticipated energy from the crowd.
The band grooved right into “Jack Straw” followed by a surprisingly early appearance of “Bertha.” Trey Anastasio took the lead on vocals and nailed it, as the crowd went into a dancing frenzy. The notes rolled right into “Passenger” followed by an improvisational extended jam of “Wheel>Crazy Fingers.” The first set ended on an appropriate note with Bob Weir on vocals to “The Music Never Stopped.”
After an hour-long set break, second set opened with “Mason’s Children” followed by the powerhouse fan favorite duo of “Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain.” When “Drums” pops its head, many make a beeline for the bathroom, however, this psychedelic version had many running back to their seats. The Rhythm Devils really pulled out all the stops for this arrangement. Words can’t describe how blown away the crowd was when this flowed onto the set.
Second set was heavy with fan-favorite jams, including “Playing in the Band” and teases of “West LA Fadeaway.” The set closed with an impressive “Help on the Way>Slipknot>Franklin’s Tower.” Encore of “Ripple” had fans shedding tears of joy across the stadium. Night one was just the beginning, but the three day run is off to a incredible start.
Set One: Box Of Rain, Jack Straw, Bertha > Passenger, The Wheel > Crazy Fingers > The Music Never Stopped
Set Two: Mason’s Children, Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Drums > Space > New Potato Caboose, Playing In The Band > Let It Grow, Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower
Amid a barren, intimate stage at The Egg stood a wily old man, alone with his acoustic guitar, serenading the audience with his raspy, seasoned folk-style voice for nearly three hours on Tuesday night. David Crosby, the singer-songwriter best known for his work with The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, impressed with his ageless tone, playing songs across six different decades. His banter with the audience was terrific, as he made wise cracks about music reviewers and politicians, and reminisced about working with Neil Young.
Crosby made his general distaste for Young well known. When audience members cried out the name of Crosby’s former acquaintance and fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, he’d mock them, comparing their cries of “Neil” to the sound a peacock makes. Towards the end of the show when informally taking requests from the crowd, someone shouted “For What It’s Worth,” the iconic song of Young’s band Buffalo Springfield. Crosby didn’t let the teasing of his former nemesis get to him, as he scoffed, chuckled, and candidly replied, “You do know whose show you bought a ticket for, right?”
The 73-year-old Clausian figure spoke about how he thought history would remember music’s greatest songwriters as “crazy old Bob [Dylan] and Joni [Mitchell],” two of his heroes that he regarded as “poets.” After poking fun at Bob Dylan’s lackluster singing ability, he performed “For Free,” a cover of Mitchell’s. Crosby demonstrated his own lyrical prowess, however, singing songs about his 1982 stint in Texas prison and the corruption he sees in today’s politics.
At one point during his second set, David Crosby said, “I don’t like politics. Actually, that’s not true. I don’t like politicians.” Crosby went on to discuss how he felt like big business and corruption had overrun the government and threatened American democracy. One politician he claimed to be an exception to his general political stance, however, was the populist senator from Vermont and presidential nominee Bernie Sanders. “I like Bernie,” Crosby professed, drawing applause from the capacity crowd of about 1,400.
Crosby played two consecutive songs from his newest album, Croz, towards the end of his show. The music from his new album, produced by his son, were more upbeat than some of his older tunes, but had a similar kind of lyrical genius and the sophisticated strumming technique that Crosby has become almost synonymous with. Several of the songs he played during the show had an irregular string tuning, some of which gave the timbre of the piece a majestic or creepy aspect to it.
While Crosby may still be the same old, free-spirited, anti-establishment hippie that rose to stardom in music festivals in the 60’s, he also demonstrated that he can still captivate an audience in an acoustic environment–a difficult task for someone on the wrong side of 70. When he concluded his encore tune, his 1971 outlaw country ballad “Cowboy Movie,” he belted some of the final notes in his gritty upper register, nailing the notes in every definition of the word. While some artists’ voices deteriorate in their elder age, Crosby proved again that he has yet to reach that point.
A healthy mix of forty-somethings and millennials populated the brewery Friday night as Saranac’s Summer Concert Series continued with Everclear’s annual 90’s alt-rock tour, Summerland 2015. This year’s edition features, along with Everclear, Toadies, Fuel and American Hi-Fi.
It was an early start to the day for Everclear’s leader Art Alexakis and guitarist Davey French, making the local media rounds on WKTV and local modern rock outlet WKLL’s morning show, simply known as The Show. Everclear is touring in support of its new album Black is the New Black, released in April.
Everclear’s acoustic performance on K-Rock from the 1888 Tavern at Saranac – Photo courtesy of Patrick Curley
If you’re a child of the 70s, you’ve grown up with some wild changes in the musical landscape. You’ve seen the disco era, the punk era, the prog-rock era and college rock. Hip Hop and rap came of age with you. Hair metal came and went as grunge plunged the knife into its Aqua-Netted heart in the early-90s.
With the advent of the grunge movement, came a slew of bands and musical styles that could not be easily categorized. When someone doesn’t fit neatly into a genre, new categories are created. The 90s movement became known as Alternative. Bands of the Alternative era of the mid-90s grew to fame playing package tours such as Lollapaloooza, HORDE and the Warped Tour. Everclear’s Summerland Tour draws upon this concept. In 2012, Portland, Oregon’s own created what, for some, may be seen as a nostalgia tour, employing many of the biggest names of the mid-90s on the bill each year. The 2015 edition of the Summerland Tour brought four of these bands to the Saranac Brewery in Utica for a night of nostalgia and pure rock and roll.
American Hi-Fi kicked off the show, rolling through a quick set of their most popular hits, including “Flavor of the Weak.” The video for the song offers a parody of the classic documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot. American Hi-Fi delivered a solid rocking set that gave the early arriving fans a taste of what was to follow.
Another Perfect Day
The Art of Losing
Flavor of the Weak
Wall of Sound
Stacy Jones and Drew Parsons of American Hi-Fi having fun on stage
This reviewer’s most anticipated band of the night was Toadies, who followed American Hi-Fi. They certainly didn’t disappoint. Toadies, a straight-up Texas rock and roll band led by Vaden Todd Lewis, played a high-energy set which also included a couple of roadies joining in on percussion during “I Burn.” Lewis’ lyrical style may be considered a bit creepy by some, and perhaps that’s why I’ve become such a fan. Lewis’ voice and enthusiasm hasn’t changed since my first time witnessing them at the inaugural K-Rock-a-Thon 20 years ago. This fan-shot video from Friday shows Lewis at his best.
Rattler’s Revival
Backslider
Happy Face
Push the Hand
Mexican Hairless
I Come from the Water
In the Belly of a Whale
I Burn
Possum Kingdom
Tyler
Lewis offered two options for the final song, “Away” and “Tyler.” The overwhelming choice from the crowd was “Tyler.”
Toadies setlist edited by Vaden Todd Lewis to show the audience’s choice of ‘Tyler’ as the closer.
Fuel, now with a revamped line-up from its early-2000s edition, followed Toadies with a set infused with its alt-rock radio hits that had the Saranac crowd singing along, culminating with their biggest hit, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands).”
Fuel’s setlist:
Untitled
Time for Me to Stop
Bad Day
Shimmer
Puppet Strings
Soul to Preach To
Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
Brett Scallions delivering an awesome performance to Utica
Festival hosts, Everclear finished off the night with a set heavy on the hits as well as two new songs, “The Man Who Broke His Own Heart” and “American Monster.” Band leader Art Alexakis’ stock in trade is life experiences in his lyrics. Many of the band’s biggest songs are biographical in nature and Alexakis doesn’t shy away from speaking about these experiences. That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that the man knows how to host a rock show. Alexakis knows the fans want to hear the hits and he didn’t disappoint. The show came to a close as members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel joined Everclear on stage for a rousing sing-along of Everclear’s “Santa Monica.” At one point during the finale, there were at least ten musicians on stage, with Fuel’s Brett Scallions and Everclear’s Alexakis trading vocal duties and sending the Saranac crowd home hoarse.
Everclear’s Early Acoustic Set Live on WKTV:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Everything To Everyone
Early Acoustic Set Live on K-Rock:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Evening Set at Saranac Brewery:
So Much for the Afterglow
Everything To Everyone
Heroin Girl
You Make Me Feel Like a Whore
American Monster
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Father of Mine
I Will Buy You A New Life
Encore:
Santa Monica (with members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel)
Everclear headlined the Summerland 2015 show at the Brewery
These four bands may not have seen their songs hit the charts in recent years, but the music they play is timeless rock and roll. There was a feeling of nostalgia in the air but there was also a let-loose feeling of a genuine rock show that belies the recent Billboard charts. Alexakis’ goal with this tour is to get the rock to the people and that is exactly what he accomplished Friday night. Everclear will be back in the area for a 2pm free show at Chevy Court during the New York State Fair on August 27th.
The Saranac Summer Concert Series continues to be one of the best tickets in the area. Upcoming events include Dark Star Orchestra, Slightly Stoopid and Zappa Plays Zappa in addition to their weekly Saranac Thursday outings. The brewery has made an effort to bring in top notch bands as well as ensuring the shows are finished at a time when concert-goers can still hit up the bars of the Brewery District for some post-show fun.
Mike Gordon is not your typical man. And when left to his own devices, things can get quite Gordon-y. The Phish bassist’s solo band made a stop in Baldwinsville, just outside Syracuse, at Paper Mill Island. The amphitheater resides on a small parcel nestled between the Erie Canal and the town center, tucked back behind an inn and a canal lock. If you blinked you might miss it. A perfectly weird spot for the perfectly weird Gordon. It was the band’s first outdoor show. As Gordon announced, “it’s nice to be out.” Though in the end, it might have been better to stay in. From the imagination of Mike Gordon, this outside out show featured a whole lot of visual enhancements, most of which were lost in the summer sun.
Mike Gordon Band – Papermill Island
The stage was almost entirely black. All of the instruments were either black or draped in black. The musicians were dressed in black with slight variation. Gordon wore deep red jeans, and his shirt was more of a dark grey. Once you went down the rabbit hole of noticing these details, you noticed it all seemed to be meticulously coordinated. Drummer John Kimock wore a striped shirt that perfectly matched the colors of Gordon’s jeans and shirt for instance. But why Gordon’s nails were painted white I couldn’t say. Scott Murawski‘s guitar and Gordon’s bass were custom made with LED lights in the neck that reflected through the bodies. Seeing them in action was somewhat reminiscent of the early 90’s Phish backdrops painted by Gordon’s mother. The walls displayed constantly moving graphics while lights lined the floor were flashing and spraying more color across stage. There was a lot to take in visually once the sun went down.
Additionally, there was a large interactive keyboard lining the front of the stage. When the keys lit up, audience members were able to hit the keys and play along with the band. After a very brief appearance in the first set, the keyboard came alive for most of a late-second-set version of “Voices.” (video below) The keys would light up in sections giving different audience members a chance to jam. Aurally, the results were mixed, but in person it was a boatload of fun.
This tour saw the additions of Robert Walter on keys and John Kimock on drums in Gordon’s band. Both members slid right into their roles with nary a hiccup. The band was tight and grooving every step of the way. And every song jammed. With lesser musicians this formula can grow tiresome, but with this outfit, it only got more interesting the further they went. They played a smattering of Gordon originals, a couple of Phish tunes, and a few covers to round it out.
The covers, two in particular, stood out as clear highlights of the night. Their take on the Flaming Lips’ “Are You a Hypnotist” started with excellent playing through the song portion, and dripped slowly into a oozing spacey jam while a Tron-esque bright green grid was projected along the walls. It was a “wow” moment, as the music went places I hadn’t thought possible from this side project. Then, to close the set, the band took on Here We Go Magic’s “How Do I Know.” The sunny and bright song burst out into a rocking jam driven by some relentless work by Walter and Kimock. The covers were so good, perhaps it pointed out a weakness of this band: songwriting. That said, Mike Gordon knows how to put on a thoroughly fun show that is both musically and visually engaging. I’m still smiling.
Setlist
Set 1: Different World > Another Door, Surface, Here Today, Say Something, Looking For Clues, Spock’s Brain > Different World
Set 2: Jones > Take It As It Comes, Sugar Shack, Normal Phoebe, Are You A Hypnotist, Voices, Face, How Do I Know
Contrary to what their name suggests, ET Rhino is more jazz than psychedelic, more happy-go-lucky than deep dark space. Hailing from a couple of hours north of Toronto, Extra Terrestrial Rhinoceros, (or ET Rhino for short) has put out their debut album called Outersphere. It will be available to the public this summer. They are planning a U.S tour in the fall.
The band’s name was the first indication of a goofiness that borders on juvenile. This sentiment is pervasive throughout album, considering they have an entire song dedicated to a hat. “Opps There Goes My Hat” which sounds like a jazz rendition of a children’s song, follows a man running down the street trying to find (you guessed it) his hat. Half the album sounds like a soundtrack to The Price is Right which is to say artificially upbeat. The other sounds like a funky take on the background music to Mario Bros. More often than not, many of their songs on this album sound the same.
Yet the chemistry between the band members can not be denied. It’s the songs where the lyrics have a little more depth that keep this album afloat. For instance on “Don’t Know What to Do” a tune about trying to figure out the next move in life, the interplay between the keyboardist and guitarist is the highlight of the track. “Back to the Way We Were” expounds on a myriad of existential ideas. The lyrics are idealistic and the song is in fact, quite catchy. It has a grooviness that falls in line with the cheery outlook the lyrics present.
ET Rhino Outersphere is tinged with these moments of band cohesion. Moments where their jams seem to go somewhere. It’s an album that explores a rose-colored universe, not the next frontier. Yet goofiness aside, this band could have some real potential if they just took themselves, or their audience, a little more seriously.
Key Tracks: “Waiting on You” “Don’t Know What to Do” “Back to the Way We Were”
Nine days. 31 club pass shows at eleven different venues. Tens of thousands of steps. A beer or two… maybe three. Distilled down for you here, are my 10 most memorable club pass series shows from the 2015 edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.
1. Antonio Sanchez & Migration at Kilbourn Hall (late set)
Antonio Sanchez has reached widespread fame in the past year as the composer of the much-lauded percussion-only soundtrack for Birdman. For this set, the Mexican drummer brought his band Migration, consisting of Seamus Blake on saxophones, John Escreet on pianos, Matt Brewer on basses, and Thana Alexa on vocals. Each member had electric and acoustic instruments, including Alexa who used some effects pedals to alter her voice. Her singing wasn’t lyrical, but instrumental, often harmonizing with Blake. The band played The Meridian Suite, a recent release of Sanchez’s which consists of one long piece in 5 parts. The band didn’t stop playing for 65 minutes. It moved effortlessly from acoustic to electric and back. The energy ebbed and flowed, bursting forth and settling down moments later only to bubble back up again. Each member got a chance to lead the quintet but there were no true solos — save for one mid-set take by Sanchez himself. His playing was mechanical, intense and inventive without being heavy handed. His solo segment had me sitting statuesque, waiting on his every slap, and then the band exploded into a noisy dissonance while Sanchez relentlessly soloed on. I was rapt from then on, and by the time they were through I felt exhilarated.
2. Gogo Penguin at Christ Church (early set)
I like the Bad Plus. A lot. If you do too, you will like Gogo Penguin. A lot. This young piano trio from the Manchester, England sounds a whole lot like the Bad Plus if you hadn’t guessed. They are influenced a bit more by electronic music which came through more clearly in some of their earlier compositions. The music is thoroughly melodic, not veering into traditional solos, and taking cues from both classical and pop music for a unique sound that isn’t immediately identifiable as jazz. It was their first ever gig in the U.S. which they opened with a captivating 20 minutes worth of music, flowing 3 of their songs together. Though from then on every tune would end rather abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly. The music was so engaging and catchy it always seemed to end too soon. As did their set.
3. Troyka at Christ Church (early set)
Troyka is a London-based jazz fusion trio, featuring Chris Montague on guitar, Joshua Blackmore on drums and Kit Downes on keyboards. The playing was democratic, but it was still clear that Montague was the featured player. His sound was heavily filtered though without losing substance. It ranged somewhere in between Bill Frisell, Wayne Krantz and Marc Ribot. High praise indeed! Montague described an early childhood memory of digging a hole at the beach, tugging at what he thought was seaweed, but out came a decaying seagull, subsequently pulling down the walls and trapping him inside. The traumatic experience was the inspiration for their latest album, Ornithophobia. Much of the music had a teetering on the edge of falling apart quality that made it both fearful and exciting. Each musician played on what seemed like a completely separate thought, yet somehow it all came together to form a magnificent whole. Whether it be a blues, ballad or something entirely different, it had Troyka written all over it.
4. Nils Berg Cinemascope at Lutheran Church (early set)
One of the joys of the Rochester International Jazz Fest is the ‘international’ aspect of it. So many bands from so many far away places that would be otherwise have no reason to visit the small city of Rochester. Nils Berg Cinemascope, themselves all the way from Sweden and playing their first North American show, took the audience on a journey around the world within their set alone. The band — Nils Berg on sax and flute, drummer Christopher Cantillo and bassist Josef Kallerdahl — was set up in front of a large movie screen. For each song, a video culled from the internet was played. It was edited and looped to fit their needs, and became the fourth musician of the group. Each video was a different musician from a different part of the world. There was an Afghani boy singing under a tree, a banjo instructor from Maryland, a student from Brunei improvising a song in the hall after her physics class among others. Each piece had a “guest performer” that gave it its own unique character. It had to be seen and heard to be believed, certainly something that couldn’t be replicated in a recording.
5. Joey Alexander at Lyric Theater
When hearing a young musician, I try very hard not to fall into the trap of being amazed simply by their age. Either it sounds good or it doesn’t. For 11-year-old prodigy pianist Joey Alexander, both aspects were incredible. Behind the piano he showed a maturity lacking in players two, three and four times his age. This wasn’t simply rehashing old jazz classics with aplomb, it was solo piano improvisations, using the classics as launching points more than destinations. It was until he stood up to the microphone to address the audience that his age became overtly apparent. With takes on Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Thelonius Monk, Amazing Grace and Over the Rainbow, he had all the bases covered, before finishing on an original composition. Eleven or not, it was truly an amazing performance.
6. Eivind Opsvik Overseas at Lutheran Church (early set)
Eivind Opsvik — a Norwegian bassist who now resides in NYC — brought his band Overseas, who are Kenny Wollesen on drums, Tony Malaby on saxophone, Brandon Seabrook on guitar and Jacob Sacks on piano. The music can lack melody. It can lack direction. It can lack energy. And yet somehow, it had me on the edge of my seat for 60 minutes. A dissonant triad of songs opened the set, each musician scratching and screeching out individual noises, all coming together to form a greater and more exciting whole. Once they had cleared some of the pews at the church venue with this challenging music, they dropped into a more approachable slow blues number reminiscent of the Lounge Lizards which again flowed into a couple different compositions, finally building to a head with some rocking that almost got some fists pumping. They closed on a beautiful new song called “Troves,” that featured both the bass and guitars being played with bows.
7. Wood Brothers at Harro East Ballroom (early set)
The Wood Brothers attracted by far the largest non-pass holding crowd of the festival. Fans stood out on an unseasonably cold and rainy afternoon for the chance to see Chris and Oliver Wood on their first visit to Rochester. The crowd was stacking chairs up to make more room for dancing and singing along to every word of every song. The crowd, combined with the top-notch Americana being played on stage, made it feel like on this final day, the festival had given up being about jazz. And instead of jazzing up their set a little, the brothers took it in the other direction, and continued to get more rocking until the entire crowd was on its feet. I can only imagine the late set picked up where this one left off.
8. Dave Douglas High Risk at Harro East Ballroom (late set)
Dave Douglas, just two days after his new album High Risk was released, let the crowd know how unusual it was for his band to be all in the same place at the same time to be able to play there for us. And special it was. Douglas, a hot trumpeter in the avant-garde NYC scene, was joined by popular electronic artist Shigeto, Jonathan Maron on bass, and Mark Guiliana on drums. Shigeto was a musical tour-de-force. The beats and sounds he was creating live on stage were remarkable and meshed perfectly with what the bass and drums were laying down. Step in Douglas blasting trumpet over the top of it all, and you had a refreshing and exciting new take on improvised jazz music that was exciting to hear.
9. Kat Edmonson at Montage Music Hall (late set)
Kat Edmonson’s latest album, The Big Picture, was inspired by classic movies, musicals in particular. The first track, “Rainy Day Woman,” was the subject of a long story she told from the stage. Long story short, she wrote the song, tried to record it multiple times, put it away, re-approached it, put it away again, and maybe even another cycle or two through, before finally getting it to a place where she was completely satisfied. That story kind of typified her whole set. Each song seemed so simple, yet great care was taken to get to that point. Little surprises emerged, like a splash of xylophone here, or a taste of melodica there. Kat’s sweet voice and great songs could carry the set on their own, as she proved with simple guitar accompaniment at her performance at the festival last year. But with the full band, her vision came more to life, in every detail.
10. Chatham County Line at Squeezers Roots and Americana Stage (early set)
There was plenty of good bluegrass on display at the festival this year. But Chatham County Line rose above the fray. An old North Carolina flag hung behind them and a county line marker stood in front of their one mic. They played in the traditional style, with all four musicians huddling around one mic, moving around as needed to produce the proper mix of sounds. Traditional was met with some decidedly non-traditional playing, particularly on covers the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” or Dick Dale’s “Miserlou.” But even more on original “Chip of the Star,” which could pass as a rock ballad, complete with gorgeous guitar solo.
The second day of Hunter Mountain’s Taste Of Country Music Festival began with clear blue skies, and scorching summer heat as the sun beat down heavily on the venue and fairgrounds. Although it was hot, the weather was still great for a festival atmosphere, and definitely beat the rain and lightening that had caused delays during day one.
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Fans in attendance flocked to the food stands for delicious cold ice cream, beer and lemonade that provided a refreshing reprieve from the hot weather. While some quickly found and claimed spots in the venue that provided both shade and a decent view of the stage, others embraced the heat, laying out blankets and beach chairs along the  rolling hills of the mountain to bask in the sun and listen to an incredible lineup of country music stars. The ski lift was also up and running, carrying fans up and down the mountain to admire the beautiful views, stunning landscapes of the Catskill Mountains. A second day lineup that included Amanda Watkins, Jackson Michelson, Chase Bryant, Tracy Lawrence, Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, and headliner Tim McGraw had Hunter Mountain rocking from noon until well into the night.
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Newcomer Chase Bryant’s set came around 3:00pm right in the peak of the day’s heat, but that didn’t stop from putting on a high energy set, or the fans from showing up in droves to enjoy it. Though has only released one project so far in his burgeoning career, Bryant is gaining momentum in the industry with his stylish good looks, skill on the guitar and unique vocals. With his perfectly styled hair, Ray Bans, and undeniable confidence, Bryant certianly made an impact on the festival goers at Hunter Mountain. Fans broke out the beach balls, bouncing them throughout the crowd as Bryant performed songs from his self-titled debut EP as well as several notable covers. From his EP, the carefree “Jet Black Pontiac” was a definite crowd pleaser, and the romantic “Change Your Name” delighted many of the female fans in the audience in particular, while “Wayfarer Weather” was incredibly appropriate relatable on this sunny day. The yearning and heartfelt “Little Bit Of You” had a sound reminiscent to a past Rascal Flatts song, (especially at the beginning of the chorus) and was released as his second single. The track is enjoyable as a love song that is still uptempo and fun.
Easton Corbin – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Bryant also took the time to cover Steve Miller Band’s well known song “The Joker,” as as well as The Doobie Brothers “Takin It To The Streets.” Throughout his time on stage, Bryant continually made time for several of his shredding guitar solos to take center stage, proving himself as a talented instrumentalist and performer. He closed his set with his well known debut single and top ten hit “Take It On Back” a nostalgic and hook driven track that evokes memories of a lost, whirlwind love of the past.Fans couldn’t help but belt out the chorus of this catchy tune that was the perfect closer to Bryant’s impressive set.
Easton Corbin – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Easton Corbin was next to take the stage. With his abundant charm, country boy good looks and deep vocals featuring a classic country twang, Corbin had no problem captivating the crowd with a more traditional country sound than many of his peers in the industry. Armed with a variety of hits, Corbin came on stage to the narration of the “So God Made A Farmer Commercial” a nod to all of the work he has done to support small, family owned farms and farmers. He opened with “Clockwork” an honest relatable track that was the debut single from his upcoming album About To Get Real, which comes out on June 30th. The lighthearted “Loving You Is Fun” refreshingly featured a fiddle, as do many of Corbin’s songs. Covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy, and Kenny Chesney’s “She Think’s My Tractor’s Sexy” followed snippets of Michael Jackson, Metallica and TLC songs, as Corbin demonstrated to the crowd the the difference in musical taste had from many of his friends while growing up. As you can probably guess, Corbin was influenced by many traditional country artists, songs, instruments and sounds, and that influence is readily apparent in his music today, planting him firmly in juxtaposition with many other, modern artists in mainstream country music and radio. As yet another demonstration of those who influenced his sound Corbin performed a cover of Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink.”
Billy Currington – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Corbin slowed things down with the title track from his upcoming album, and his first #1 hit and fan favorite “A Little More Country Than That.” He picked up the pace a bit with performances of laid back jam and hit single “Roll With It” and current single “Baby Be My Love Song,” a surefire future hit that is already gaining momentum fast. Corbin closed his set with the feel good “All Over The Road,” letting delighted fans carry the chorus towards the end of the song.
Taste of Country Festival 2015
Billy Currington was the second to last performer of the night, providing direct support for Tim McGraw’s headlining set. As his set began, so did the sunset, creating a watercolor painted sky against as a backdrop for the stage and the surrounding mountains. With nine #1 hits (and a total of 17 top 40 singles) in his back pocket, Currington has been a consistent hit-maker and popular artist in the country genre since his self-titled debut album in 2003. With a very “down home”, and relatable style, Currinton’s music resonates with a wide range of fans, and avoids alienating different demographics of listeners. Currington opened with “I Got A Feeling” before really getting the crowd involved with fan favorites “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” and the humorous “Pretty Good At Drinking Beer.”
Currington kept the party going with “Hey Girl’ a #1 hits from his 2013 album, We Are Tonight. He also featured several songs from his new album Sumer Forever, including #1 debut single “Don’t It,” and current single “Drinkin’ Town With A Football Problem.” He rounded out his set with a pair of sexy #1 singles “Must Be Doing Something Right” and “Let Me Down Easy.” He closed his set with anthemic, carefree #1 single “We Are Tonight,” a track that was penned by fellow country artist Sam Hunt. Fans bellowed the chorus out excitedly as Currington left the stage. The curly haired hit-maker returned to the stage with an an “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars) cover for an encore, which had fans from the bottom of the stage to the top of the mountain on their feet singing and dancing along.
When darkness had finally fallen upon Hunter Mountain, it was time for headliner Tim McGraw, one of the biggest names in music to take the stage for his set. It doesn’t matter if you listen to country music or not, if you don’t know of McGraw, you might be living under a rock.
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
With ten #1 albums, twenty-seven #1 singles, three Grammy Awards, the highest grossing tour in the history of country music (and top 5 all genre), McGraw is one of the most successful artists in all of music. His signature cowboy hat tight t-shirt look, deep and relatable songs, distinguishable vocals and out of this world charisma have gained McGraw legions on loyal fans who flock to his concerts all around the country and world, and eat up whatever music that he releases. The atmosphere for McGraw’s set was unbelievable. With rowdy and loud fans packed from right in front of the stage to up the sloping hills of the mountain as far as the eye can see, the view from the stage must have been an incredible sight. I somehow found a spot pretty close to the front with a food view of the stage, and along with everyone else, I was packed in like a sardine. McGraw played hit after hit after hit for a thunderous, loud and enthusiastic crowd who knew every song word for word.
Opening with a humorous redneck anthem “Truck Yeah” McGraw riled up the already rowdy crowd from the first song. Older classics like “Where The Green Grass Grows,” “Down On The Farm,” and the rousing “I Like It, I Love It” which garnered some of the loudest fan sing-a-long sections of the night during the choruses, reminded the crowd of McGraw’s incredible longevity in the entertainment industry and the timelessness of his music. His songs, lyrics and artistic style, both new and old continue to resonate with fans, radio and critics even after more than three decades of success. The sweet and nostalgic “Something Like That” and “Southern Girl” a recent hit that drips with southern pride, are both hook driven fan favorites that thrilled those in attendance as they bellowed out the lyrics along with McGraw. Two more recent and well known hits “One of Those Nights” and “Felt Good On My Lips” enticed the crowd before slower tracks “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools,” and “Shotgun Rider” took center stage. He cranked the guitars up once again with the cheeky “Real Good Man.”
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival
McGraw praised his backing band early and often, stating that one could travel all over the world and still not discover a group as talented and dependable as his. It is wonderful to see a star of his level appreciate the musicians that have his back night in and night out on the road, and allow him to find success in job that he loves every day. After a brief exit, McGraw returned to the stage for an encore, where he performed a notable cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” and his ow hit “Mexicoma.” With the mountain at a fever pitch, McGraw closed his set with the timeless classic “Live Like You Were Dying” which had fans in a frenzy from those packed in front of the stage to the thousands spread out among the hills behind them. As it turned out, McGraw’s headline performance the festival in it’s entirety both set attendance records for the Taste of Country Music Festival at Hunter Mountain, an impressive feat considering the superstars who have graced the same stage before him.
As an incredible Saturday of country music came to a close, fans streamed out of the venue still with much to look forward to on Sunday, with a lineup featuring headliner Toby Keith.
Portland born Folk artist, Todd Snider, brought his musically charged, humorous life stories to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, on June 24, for his first show in central New York. Of what was supposed to be a duo with John Craigie, turned out to be a one-man show of Todd all by himself. News of why Mr. Craigie wasn’t playing or why he couldn’t make the show, was left unannounced but that didn’t stop the crowd from patiently waiting and thoroughly enjoying the only performance of the evening.
Todd’s artistry is not about the music, it’s about the story in whole. The lessons he learned from his travels, the wisdom he’s acquired from meeting strangers, past relationships and living on the road all have a say in how each show pans out. The diverse audience loves it though. From the moment Todd stepped on stage and waved his hat in the air to greet the crowd, everyone cheered in excitement to hear what he had to say. It was as if he had played in Syracuse many times before. For the following One-Hundred minutes, Todd played soft chords on his nylon-stringed acoustic guitar and told stories, which gave way to laughter, smiles and even some frowns.
Entertainment shows it’s face in many forms and Todd naturally entertained the crowd. He provided a unique and vulnerable show for everyone in attendance, aiming to show himself as an enthusiastic, opinionated, musical story teller of truth and tall tales. He accomplished just that and more as the audience was drawn into every detail that he presented about his time on this wonderful planet.
With a packed house, country duo Love and Theft took Syracuse by storm performing several of their hit songs while fans danced and sang word for word. The crowd begged for more throughout the entire show. Afterwards, Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson both took the time out of the set to share stories and memories with us.
Unlike most shows, the meet and greet was held after the performance. The duo spent so much time with each fan for autographs and photos that we didn’t get out of there until almost 1:30am. Every fan was impressed with their show and more importantly with the fact that these guys were just every day people sharing their love of music with the rest of the world.
Catch their next NY show Aug. 2 at Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally in NYC.
It has been 20 years since the Grateful Dead last performed on stage together. Upon the passing of Jerry Garcia, the band’s lead guitarist, in 1995, an era abruptly ended. Since the band’s announcement of its Fare Thee Well 50th reunion shows over the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago earlier this year, fans have been counting the days to see them give their last performances. However, due to the overwhelming ticket demand, two shows at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca., were added. Those two performances occurred this past weekend, and what a weekend it was.
It has been a long strange trip building up to these performances. Fans had to endure a wild ride just to get tickets, along with a frenzied scramble to book hotels and air fare that weren’t astronomical. These shows have not only been incredibly emotional, up to the point of the first note dropping, but they have also brought the Grateful Dead community, as a whole, back together. Strangers helping strangers just to get them in the door has been a consistent theme across all Grateful Dead fan sites on the internet.
Beginning on Saturday, June 27, 2015,original members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart were joined onstage with special guests Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Chimenti and Trey Anastasio. It was anyone’s guess as to what song would open up the five-show run. To the delight of many, it opened with two heavy fan favorites, “Truckin’ ,” followed by “Uncle John’s Band.” A brief jam on “The Other One” opened the show. The evening completely surrounded the early years with songs that dated back to the late 1960’s and early ‘70’s.
As the band wound around their early beginnings, Phish frontman Trey Anastasio presented his first solo experience to the crowd during a 20-minute “Viola Lee Blues.” A hot topic of conversation with Grateful Dead and Phish fans alike, many were skeptical if Anastasio could fill Jerry Garcia’s shoes in an honorable way. He appeared to hold back during the first set while trying to find his groove, though without a doubt, he showed his stuff and melded gracefully into the vibe of the evening. The first set came to a close with a delightfully surprising rainbow over the stadium, as if it was a smile from Garcia in heaven to the crowd below.
Second set opened with a hesitant start, as band members were still working out the kinks and finding their footing. Fans were also treated early on in the set to fireworks that were being set off in nearby Great America Park. With a slower start to the set, the energy built right up as they jammed into “St. Stephen.” The second set blasted info full energy mode as the band finally tightened up and found their groove. The improvised “Space” crept in, showing off the percussive talents of the Rhythm Devils, Kreutzmann and Hart. The evening ended with an encore performance of “Casey Jones,” with Hornsby on vocals. Before leaving the stage, Kreutzmann indicated the rainbow earlier in the evening was in honor of the Supreme Court decision passed to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states. If the rainbow was fake or real is anyone’s guess. Either way, it was beautiful.
Set One:
Truckin’, Uncle John’s Band, Alligator > Cumberland Blues, Born Cross-Eyed > Cream Puff War, Viola Lee Blues
Set Two:
Cryptical Envelopment > Dark Star > St. Stephen > William Tell Bridge > The Eleven > Turn On Your Love Light > Drums > What’s Become of the Baby > Space > The Other One > Morning Dew
Encore:
Casey Jones
As jam band fans like to say, never miss a Sunday show. The second performance of the run did not disappoint the packed stadium. After a bumpy start, the band fell into a fluid groove. Sunday June 28th’s performance was more of a greatest hits for the hometown crowd. A well-placed classic opener, “Feel Like a Stranger” started the first set with Weir on vocals. The piano and keyboard sound mix was vastly improved from the night before, where, at times, you had to strain to hear those instruments. The band was much more in synch this evening, as they strolled through “New Minglewood Blues” into “Brown Eyed Women.” Hornsby, once again, showcased his vocal talents on “Loser,” a favorite that many fans hope is repeated in Chicago.
Anastasio took the lead vocal position on “Alabama Getaway.” He visibly appeared increasingly comfortable on stage. Chimenti jammed right along by tapping his fingers with ease on the organ to pump out that deep sound. The almost two-hour first set closed with “Hell In a Bucket,” with Anastasio, once again, surprising the crowd with a high energy, get your bones jumping up and down, guitar solo. The set came to a close with Weir’s infamous “we’ll be back in just a few minutes,” before the group walked off stage for set break.
Second set opened strong with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.” It was chock full of extensive, improvised jams before seamlessly transitioning into “Wharf Rat.” Not a dry eye was to be seen when “He’s Gone” showed up on the set. Even Weir appeared to have a moment as he was singing the lyrics to a song that most fans relate to the death of Jerry Garcia. “He’s gone. Nothing’s gonna bring him back.”
The Rhythm Devils once again showed their creative, improvisational percussion skills with “Drums” as the rest of the band took a break from the show. This time around they had a guest join in, with Sikiru Adepoju, a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, on the talking drum.
Another big fan favorite, “Sugar Magnolia,” rounded out the second set and the weekend closed with an encore of “Brokedown Palace.” If these shows are any indication of what’s to come in Chicago, fans are in for a spectacular Fourth of July weekend chock full of hidden gems and long winding intricate jams. What a way to kick off the reunion tour.
Set One:
Feel Like A Stranger, New Minglewood Blues, Brown-Eyed Women, Loose Lucy, Loser, Row Jimmy, Alabama Getaway, Black Peter, Hell In A Bucket
Set Two:
Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo > Wharf Rat > Eyes of the World > He’s Gone > *Drums/Space > I Need A Miracle > Death Don’t Have No Mercy > Sugar Magnolia
Crosby made his general distaste for Young well known. When audience members cried out the name of Crosby’s former acquaintance and fellow 
The band’s name was the first indication of a goofiness that borders on juvenile. This sentiment is pervasive throughout album, considering they have an entire song dedicated to a hat. “Opps There Goes My Hat” which sounds like a jazz rendition of a children’s song, follows a man running down the street trying to find (you guessed it) his hat. Half the album sounds like a soundtrack to The Price is Right which is to say artificially upbeat. The other sounds like a funky take on the background music to Mario Bros. More often than not, many of their songs on this album sound the same.
Unlike most shows, the meet and greet was held after the performance. The duo spent so much time with each fan for autographs and photos that we didn’t get out of there until almost 1:30am. Every fan was impressed with their show and more importantly with the fact that these guys were just every day people sharing their love of music with the rest of the world.
Second set opened with a hesitant start, as band members were still working out the kinks and finding their footing. Fans were also treated early on in the set to fireworks that were being set off in nearby Great America Park. With a slower start to the set, the energy built right up as they jammed into “St. Stephen.” The second set blasted info full energy mode as the band finally tightened up and found their groove. The improvised “Space” crept in, showing off the percussive talents of the Rhythm Devils, Kreutzmann and Hart. The evening ended with an encore performance of “Casey Jones,” with Hornsby on vocals. Before leaving the stage, Kreutzmann indicated the rainbow earlier in the evening was in honor of the Supreme Court decision passed to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states. If the rainbow was fake or real is anyone’s guess. Either way, it was beautiful.