NYS Music 20​15

Category: Reviews

  • Kacey Musgraves: Following Her Own Arrow to the Top

    Today’s Nashville is quickly becoming a mecca for artists of all genres. No longer is country and bluegrass music the only sounds coming from the recording studios in music city. With cross over artists writing, singing, and performing unique blends of country, bluegrass, rock, pop, R&B, reggae, and jazz melodies, we are trending towards a new millennium of country music. Kacey Musgraves is my kind of different good.

    Personal preference makes me tend to gravitate towards unique artists that shine a little differently than the rest. There’s something alluring about those artists that go against the grain and march to the beat of their own drum. Different has always been better to me. While all the other artists are swimming downstream singing of solo cups and dirt roads, however catchy it is, it’s becoming boring. And before you all get your knickers in a twist, I’m a country gal and that was no slight towards solo cups and dirt roads. Heck, I’m as country as a gal can get growing up in southern Illinois and Murfreesboro, TN. I have been known to drink from a red solo cup on the tailgate of a pickup, out on some ole dirt road in cut off shorts and a flannel shirt tied at the middle. I am the definition of country. Subject matter is not the issue.

    Kacey Musgraves - MVCC Jorgensen Athletic Center
    Kacey Musgraves – MVCC Jorgensen Athletic Center

    Hailing from Golden, Texas, this lovely young lady demonstrates a quiet strength to me. Listening to the words of “Follow Your Arrow” and “Biscuits”, and “The Trailer Song”, it became crystal clear that Kacey tells it like it is.  She paints you a mental image with the music.  She sings of being your own person, makes no excuses for who she is, and definitely puts it straight to those who feel it’s their business to butt their noses in where they don’t belong.  From the moment I heard the first line few lines of The Trailer Song, I knew I liked her. “You say that you’re watching the birds out your window, I’ve got a bird you can watch”. It’s her no-nonsense straight forward lyrics, combined with the twangy sound of classic country, that makes this new age young lady one of my all time favorites.

    Opening for Kacey were John & Jacob, a unique band fronted by John Davidson and Jacob Bryan, with Jake Thrasher, Trevor Davis, and Austin Smith rounding out this dynamic group of young men. Bringing their own unique style to the stage I was pleasantly surprised with their catchy early 60’s suited look reminiscent of The Hollies or early Fab Four. Mix in a bit of their rocking Buddy Holly style of upbeat late 60’s rock, add a splash of backwoods country spice and you have John and Jacob. I was literally giddy when they began playing.

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’173′]

    As Kacey took the stage, this gal definitely walks her own walk and talks her own talk.  With a sound of country mixed with a bit of 60’s rock, this young lady writes and sings of life as she knows it from her small town roots in the trailer park to the great big world as she travels.  Surrounded on stage by neon cacti and one of Nashville’s premier bands clad in classic country rhinestone suits, she lights up her band and the stage in such a way she makes trailers and neon lights classy.  Coming off the heals of controversy, Kacey sang Little Big Town’s new controversial song “Girl Crush” and nailed it, and her rendition of “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” was one of my favorites of the evening.

    This CMA, ACM, and Grammy Award winning artist has just begun to make her mark in country music, and as long as she continues to shoot her own arrow, she’s hit the mark for me and without a doubt this young lady will be a name that goes down in the history books.

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’168′]

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 7: Tulip Fest, Upstate Concert Hall and The Hollow

    Why see one show to end a week-long Music Marathon when you can see three? That was the plan on this final day of seeing music of all varieties across the Capital District over the course of a week. And being Tulip Fest weekend, what a better way to start things out than music in the sun with hundreds of fans in Washington Park?

    tulip fest the hollowShow 1: Even though I didn’t really have intentions to go to Tulip Fest this year, you couldn’t beat the weather today and I was in need of some fresh live music that I had been introduced to by 102.7 WEQX. If I’m doing a Music Marathon, I may as well hit the first free city-wide music event of the year.

    Hitting the WEQX stage, I missed Flagship but caught Joywave and The Kooks. Even though the Kooks were the headliner, I found Joywave to be way more intriguing and appealing overall. Joywave has a bassist who sounds like and has an on stage persona akin to Flea, a keyboardist and drummer who give a Pet Shop Boys meets Duran Duran base for guitarist Joseph Morinelli and singer Daniel Armbruster (who sounds like Bono) to build a song from. It was Nine Inch Nails with post-hipster vocals, especially on “In Clover”. Joywave is one of the best discoveries this week and being from Rochester doesn’t hurt either.

    The Kooks, from England, took the stage at 4pm with what passes for pop rock in the UK, and while I’ve heard it on the radio and enjoyed it, hearing them live was just like listening to the radio. Maybe we all had too much sun, but it felt like snooze rock for the first half hour, then picked up quite a bit with “Westside” and “Junk of the Heart”. The first track off their latest album Listen, “Around Town” was the highlight of the set, coming late when it should have led. Hints of Beck, INXS, Talking Heads and even Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz and the Tantrums) were found throughout, but overall it felt like good but not great inspirational pop rock.

    Show 2: Flat tire and car issues = drove back home after only making it 2 miles towards Upstate Concert Hall. I was pissed to be missing this show, especially a metal show with 4 bands would really round out the music I saw this week. Bummed to miss Dark Matter and Crown the Empire in particular. Ah well, something was bound to go wrong.

    Show 3: Taking the bus to The Hollow for Kopecky, the post-Tulip Fest show was good poppy American rock from Nashville, but the real draw tonight was the second show from Best Good Frends, a group made up of Mihali Savoulidis (guitar) and Zdenek Gubb (bass) from Twiddle, Kenny Brooks (sax) from Ratdog, Ryan Clausen (drums) and John Dobbs (keys). This is a new side-project of Twiddle and the venue was packed with great anticipation. Best Good Frends took a song to launch a jam from, explored that jam without rushing before returning to the original number. Kenny Brooks took the lead on an early funk jam that kicked off the night, while Justin Henricks (Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, Groovestick) joined on guitar for “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and the jam that ensued. Sublime’s “What I Got” started the second set and Mihali and Kenny went back and forth to build the jam to a head. “Folsom Prison Blues” led into a weird circus calliope like jam with many asking “What was the name of that song?” yet it was all improv, right down to the really weird lyrics that seemed to come out of nowhere. The encore of “Brown Eyed Woman” found more fun inside the framework of the song and continued the dancing that had only paused for setbreak. This was a real treat and hopefully more shows are planned in the future in the Northeast.

    Final tally: Nine shows at eight venues seeing a total of 17 bands, all in seven days time. There’s a ton of music in the greater Albany area, and some very pleasant surprises in store if you just go out and see live music!

  • Hearing Aide: Lucid ‘Dirt’

    Lucid’s newest release, Dirt, could not be released at a more ideal time. As we emerge from a winter that destroyed many of our spirits, to warm weather that has seemed like a great reward in recent weeks, this is the perfect soundtrack. This north country sextet, from Plattsburgh, NY, brings a smooth blend of jazz, reggae, soul-filled rock with tastes of different flavors of world music together on a record that shines with overwhelming positive hope and all around feel-good vibes. This will surely be the summertime soundtrack to many sunrises, afternoons in the outdoors with a cold beverage and warm nights fireside with friends.

    The opening track “Cuerpo” is warm and inviting, a perfect start to the album. With beautiful harmonies from not only the voices of Lucid but a guest female voice as well. This song feels a bit lighter for the band as it’s soothing and beautiful with only small hints of the horns that will fill the rest of the album. A great introduction to what is going to be a ride through genres and styles that feels as good as sipping a cup of coffee on a north country morning with a mountain view.

    From there the album kicks up the tempo a bit, reminding us why Lucid has been found on so many festival lineups throughout the past few years, they know how to get people moving. On the fourth track “Skippin’,” an uplifting song with great grooves accented by saxophone lines in all the right places, they sing such memorable lines in the chorus’ that you’ll be singing along by the song’s end. These guys can jam in a live setting but on record the longer tracks are just long enough. They move along to a new sound and a new track when the time is right, likely keeping those less accustomed to extended songs feeling good without getting bored. Though you will likely get lost in many of these tracks and feel an appreciation for Lucid’s musicianship and message, giving you time to appreciate the sounds and also your surroundings. As mentioned before, this is truly a perfect soundtrack for this hot spring that Upstate NY is enjoying right now. Some of the songs have a strong island feel and who doesn’t want that when sitting lakeside, or cruising around with the windows down a summer day?

    The only downside to the record is perhaps a song or two where lyrics get a bit repetitive, or a part is carried on only just a bit too long. Even on the third track “People” when the words may lean a bit cheesy. They do it in a way that is quirky and and adorable, think a troop of Muppets jamming out, heads bobbing along. This is a band that knows how to make a listener smile. Especially on goofy interludes where they find themselves in a mess of clucking chickens, yes, that’s a real thing on this album, and it’s a perfect reminder that even with a sometimes more thoughtful message that this band never takes themselves too seriously for their own good.

    Later in the album they incorporate a bit of blues harmonica on “Break A Man,” that is followed by big soulful vocals. Then the harmonica drops out, letting the keys and saxophone take charge with melodies that dance with one another,  this is a track that will surely bring on hoots and howls in the live setting. Throughout the record the combination of smooth yet strong vocal harmonies, great musicianship and their ability to sway from style to style so naturally makes this a great listen start to finish. Lucid has been doing what they do for years, and it shows, growing their sound from the dirt up to places that are inspirational, uplifting, and also all around feel-good fun.

    Bottom line, get this album as soon as you can and it will naturally weave itself into the fabric of your summer.

    Key tracks: “Skippin’” “Psychedelic Circus” “Simmer on Down”

    For tour dates and information on the album’s release, follow Lucid online at: rulucid.com and facebook.com/RuLucid

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 6: Mister F and ELM at The Hollow

    It’s Day 6 of this Music Marathon and for the first time this week, I am seeing a band that I have seen before and am quite familiar with – Mister F. It’s roughly Mile 20 of this marathon and I hit a smooth flat stretch this evening with excellent new music from ELM and Mister F’s themed ‘White Lightning’ show.

    mister f ELMThe idea for the show was hatched in the van while Mister F thought of a theme for their first hometown show since February. Keyboardist Scott Hannay explained that the theme for the show arose from band members tossing out colors and words to see what would stick to develop a theme for the evening, and based on the propensity of songs with ‘white’ and ‘lightning’ in the band name or song title, ‘White Lightning’ turned the show into a unique event. The band even wore white shirts and had pictures of Whitey Ford, Barry White, Vanna White, White Chicks (the movie), Betty White, Jaleel White and the White Power Ranger around the venue, but alas, no Golden Girls theme song teases. (A complaint has been lodged with management.)

    Opening the night was ELM (Electric Love Machine) from Baltimore, an electro-jam band with truly impressive drumming from Steve Gorsuch who lead the way for the one of the best discoveries of the week. How has ELM skirted the radar thus far? This is beyond the formulaic jamband I have grown accustomed to seeing and one with intense potential. A cover of “When the Levee Breaks” was an extended highlight that rolled into a well crafted jam, followed by Scott Hannay sitting in with ELM on “Dance Floor Politics.” This was ELM’s second trip to Albany and a must see at any festival this summer.

    Mister F’s ‘White Lightning’ set began with “Lightning Strikes” with a clean segue into original “On and On”. The first real treat of the night was a mashup of “Everything You Say” and The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, a true test of playing one song while singing another, then switching those two up without missing a beat. I guessed early that “White Room” would be included in the show simply because of the familiarity and general excellence of the song, and was rewarded with a fantastic version that hopefully isn’t the only performance for the band. Hannay’s vocals and Andrew Chamberlaine’s guitar didn’t copy the original – they made it their own, which gets far more mileage than a straight cover of a song. I did not expect “White Wedding” to work into the setlist, but given that fans and band alike were wearing white clothing, it was a perfect fit. An encore of “Octo-Puss-E” by Rock Candy Funk Party ended the night around 2am and a well planned and received theme show from Mister F.

    Setlist: Lightning Strikes* > On and On, Don’t Lose Your Watch, Everything You Say/Seven Nation Army^ mashup, ‘New Song’, The Machine, Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong& > Hedgehog, Answer the Dog, Oasis > White Pickle# > Oasis > White Pickle > Oasis > White Room@, Inside, Vocoder, White Wedding$ > Unisex Collider, White Lightning§ > Greased Lightning¶ > This One Goes to 11µ
    E: Octopus-E
    * first time played, Cypress Hill, intro only
    ^ first time played, The White Stripes/Mister F song mashup
    & first time played, Consider the Source, intro only
    # first time played, Umphrey’s McGee, unfinished
    @ first time played, Cream
    $ first time played, Billy Idol, unfinished
    § first time played, George Jones
    ¶ first time played, Grease
    µ w/First Tube (Phish) and Gone Gone Gone (The New Deal) teases

    Next up: The musical equivalent of Heartbreak Hill. Why see one show when I can see three? Tulip Fest this afternoon in Washington Part, followed by Dark Matter, Adhara, Volumes and Crown the Empire at Upstate Concert Hall, and finally Kopecky at The Hollow.

  • Seether and Mark Tremonti Come to Rapids Theatre

    Rapids Theatre was treated to a spectacular night of some top notch hard rock music last night with Seether and Mark Tremonti. I pleasantly surprised by the line when I arrived an hour and a half before the show started, it was wrapped around the building and down the street. The skies looked dark and gray as it was about to down pour any minute, but luckily it held out for all the patiently waiting fans.

    Alternative rock band, Red Sun Rising, kicked things off with their intricate guitar playing and captivating vocalist Mike Protich. This was the first time I have ever heard of them and I have to say I am now a fan!

    They brought the most energy to the stage that night and kept everyone on their toes. Their catchy riffs and dynamics in his voice reminded you of a mix between Foo Fighters and Myles Kennedy. The fans were eating up every inch of what Red Sun Rising was putting out. These guys were a solid opener and I expect one day that they will be headlining shows.

    Afterwards, the ever Famous Mark Tremonti and his self-titled band Tremonti took the stage. The crowd roared as he and his band walked out onto the stage. Mark Tremonti is known widely for being the lead guitarist in the bands Creed and Alter Bridge. Tremonti and his band had a strong solid performance with his famous guitar playing and a strong vocal performance. The fans reacted wildly to the song “Decay” and sang along the entire time. Though as the set progressed guitars were turned up too loud and the sound became quite poor. Tanner Keegan had replaced Wolfgang Van Halen for this tour due to Wolfgang’s commitment to his main band Van Halen. Tanner had brought the most energy to the stage that night with his quick spin moves and facial expressions. He in my opinion was an excellent replacement.

    Then the band the whole theatre was waiting for, Seether. I have seen them on several occasions over the years all at different venues and have never been disappointed, until last night. It seemed like the beginning was all smoke and mirrors. Their light performance was great and entrancing but it sound itself was poorly done. I had gone everywhere in the theatre to see if I could get a different perspective but no matter where I went it was poor. Shaun’s vocals were lacking in the mix for the first few songs. That did not stop the fans from showing Seether all the love. They had played their classics such as “Fine Again”, “Rise Above This”, “Remedy” and their newest single “Words as Weapons”.

    Overall the show was good and it seemed that everyone had a great time in one fashion or another.

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 5: Hal Ketchum at The Egg

    During a week of seeing music both new and old, I opted for something Ole, specifically Grand Ole Opry member Hal Ketchum, performing at the Lewis A. Swyer Theater at The Egg Performing Arts Center. Not being too deep into country music (short of Johnny Cash and his peers) Hal Ketchum is a new name to me, but the voice was familiar from the few songs I listened to beforehand, retaining a Warren Haynes solo quality to his seated performance.

    hal ketchum the egg
    Hal Ketchum – The Egg

    Forget the pop country that has ruined the genre for the past 20 years – this was the real deal, with a Texas twang from a local boy – Ketchum grew up in Greenwich, NY, a short drive north from Albany. The mighty fine Kenny Grimes accompanied Ketchum and provided the lead for a variety of old-country tunes. “The Continental” was a hilarious song based on the “Saturday Night Live” skit featuring Christopher Walken, explained by Ketchum with a story before the song, as he did nearly all songs this evening.

    The Continental – Hal Ketchum @theeggpac #country #snl #musicmarathon #nysmusic =yourmoneyisonthedresser

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    This was soft country at its finest, but at times the tempo picked up to a good foot tapping and head bobbing and that was the only workout the audience was getting tonight. “Small Town Saturday Night” was one of these songs, a pure American song through and through, full of twang and Mellencamp lyrics and guitar. Meanwhile a chatty crowd began to throw song titles out to him left and right, and while his setlist addressed some of these requests he was clearly growing frustrated, chiding the crowd with “What am I, a jukebox?” He shook his head and an audience member said “Play what you want!” with a bit of applause in favor. “Chickadee” was dedicated to his five grandchildren, and “Mama Knows the Highway” was played despite not being practiced, but came off perfect. Hal said afterwards, “Good country music will never steer you wrong.”

    hal ketchum egg
    Hal Ketchum – The Egg

    The encore, “Trail of Tears” was a sad song to end the night on, but Hal wasn’t looking to go out on a high note. He had played a wide range of songs and appeased some of the audience’s requests while giving a long-awaited performance at The Egg.

    With the show at The Egg ending by 9:15 PM, I made my way down to Parish Public House to catch Dangermuffin, a South Carolina jamgrass band that I have waited a long time to see. Local band Hawbuckees opened the quiet night on Broadway, while Dangermuffin gave a set alternating between covers and originals with mild bluegrass and reggae jamming throughout. Nothing too adventurous, Dangermuffin worked through “Quinn the Eskimo”, “Franklin’s Tower”, Seal’s “Crazy” and a combo of Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line>Iko Iko”, all of which had good jams in the outros. What was most surprising was the lack of a bass guitar, but you would never know it due to guitarist Dan Lotti doing something to produce the bass sound, something you have to see live to believe. An acoustic set in front of the stage with upright bass and acoustic guitars featured the original “Banjo Love” followed by the bluegrass staple “Midnight Moonlight”. Dangermuffin was a perfect musical compliment to Hal Ketchum and drew Day five of this Music Marathon to a close.

    Next up: Mister F with ELM at The Hollow

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 4: Masters of Nostaglia in Saratoga Springs

    1. Halfway through this week-long Music Marathon, I opted to stay local and see Masters of Nostalgia at One Caroline Street at the suggestion of bassist Tony Markellis, who was sitting in with the group this evening. Set up in a semi-formal dining restaurant that hosts live music nightly, One Caroline Street Bistro provides great music, ambiance and fantastic gumbo that paired well with a smooth Malbec.

    Masters of nostalgiaAnd the music was as local as you can get, with area musicians Dave Pedinotti (guitar, harmonica), Andy Hearn (drums) and skillful session guitarist James Gascoyne joined by bassist Tony Markellis (Trey Anastasio Band). The bass and drums combo made their presence known in each song, not relegated to the background and stood out to keep a solid beat going while Dave led the group through a smattering of covers – some well-known and some not so well-known – with Pedinotti’s soulful voice accompanied by his great harmonica playing.

    The set included “House of the Rising Sun”, “Into the Mystic”, “Ain’t no Sunshine”, “Born on the Bayou”, Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Get Back”, “Take it Easy”, “Free Fallin”, “Wild Nights” and two stand out highlights of the night – John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” and Merle Travis’ “Nine Pound Hammer”. The selections played were all surefire hits and drew a crowd in over the course of the evening. As the audience got lubricated over the course of the night, they began to dance and take up space on the dance floor, which was my cue to head back to Albany, full of delicious gumbo and experiencing a fresh venue for live music.

    Next up: Grand Ole Opry legend Hal Ketchum at The Egg

  • Hearing Aide: Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers ‘Almost There’

    Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers recently released his fifth album, “Almost There” and quickly garnered the 2015 SAMMY Award for Best Americana recording to his list of accomplishments. They’ll be celebrating the SAMMY at Small Plates in Syracuse, 116 Walton St., on May 6 with doors at 6pm, music at 7pm.

    Jeffrey is a grand prize winner in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, the founding editor of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, a regular contributor to NPR’s “All Things Considered” and author of “Rock Troubadours” (featuring his interviews with such artists as Jerry Garcia, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Dave Matthews) as well as other books on music. From his Upstate NY base, Jeffrey teaches courses on songwriting and creative nonfiction writing in the honors program at Syracuse University and leads workshops on guitar and songwriting. If that wasn’t enough, he performs solo and with The Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers Trio, members of which are featured on this release.

    Joining Jeffrey (JPR) – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, Strumstick, tenor banjo, are Trio members, Wendy Ramsay (The Unstoppables) – backup vocals, flute, clarinet and glockenspiel, and Joshua Dekaney (Grupo Pagan, Mark Doyle’s Guitar Noir, Mary Fahl) – percussion kit, backing vocals (tracks 3,6) and chimes, along with John Dancks – upright bass, Rani Arbo – backup vocal (track 1), fiddle and Jason Fridley – saxophone. This offering was recorded and mixed by Andrew Greacen and mastered by Jocko Randall at More Sound, Syracuse with additional recording by JPR at home. All songs by JPR except ‘Almost Home’, words by JPR and music by JPR and Wendy Ramsay.

    JPR may be the quintessential acoustic singer-songwriter, but he colors with a full palette of folk, rock, blues and soul. Adding elements tastefully to create works that entice rather than overwhelm, he makes the mixes of genres seamlessly smooth, while retaining the emotion of his topics. “Eight Days In January”’ opens with all elements on deck, banjo, guitar, upright bass, fiddle and drums telling a tale of love and loss in the internet age. So sweet and sad it’ll make you move and think at the same time, in a zydeco kinda way. “The Wrong Way Home” adds the seasoned harmony combination with Wendy and Joshua creating a bridge with the chimes, his playing is a voice of its own, integrated so delicately you just float on it. “Closer” gets funky and the band warms immediately, JPR’s expressive vocals along with Wendy and Josh’s harmonies swirl sweetly together. The rhythm section has obviously been here before and JPR’s staccato guitar line just rides on Josh’s double snare hits. A get up and dance number, no doubt.

    Switching gears quickly, “Don’t Think I Can Stay Goodbye” highlights JPR’s varying acoustic styles through an emotional expose that is illuminated by fiddle and flute, accentuated by Wendy’s voice as almost an echo, reminding the protagonist why he wrote it in the first place. “Almost There” would sound great in nearly any format, it has bits of folk, pieces of rock and plenty of drive, it’s light, but pushes and pulls against the forms, very cool. “Enough About You (What About Me)” is a jaunty little number that seems to rail against social media and the opinionated, self-involved who live there. Where friends and fans count as statistics and it’s all about the ‘me’ agenda. Quite biting and hits the nail right on the head, smart and sarcastic! “I’ve Got It Here Somewhere” is a solid folk-rocker, it has plenty of room for JPR to exercise his acoustic riffs and expressive voice. A little funky, a little soulful, but right to the heart of what he’s about. Genre-defying folk rock, certainly not the easiest take. “My Bad” may hold my favorite lyrical twists that seems like opposite world, written in counter-point to what is reality.

    “‘Somehow” gets slow and soulful, sensual in its analogies, slow-moving, innuendo-fired, full of wanting. There’s something familiar in the voice/guitar interplay, I can’t place it. Wait, it’s “That Heaven” from David Gilmour’s “On An Island”, not only my favorite guitar player, but one of my favorite musicians. That’s a feel that’s reminiscent throughout and sticks in my ears in a very good way. ’Turn Away’ is JPR at ease, light on his feet, singing and playing up, his band bouncing with him in full form. A love song full of confidence and conviction, self-assured and certain. “Proof” follows with another upbeat ride, call and response vocals and flute lightly accent the rhythmic acoustic and bottom line. While each piece is tied together, they each bear individual styling that can easily stand alone. Like the samba-feel that Josh drives the closer, “End Of The Line” with. JPR jumps right up and Jason’s sax flavors it perfectly, their acoustic/sax dual melody is masterful. All this song begs for is to played again and again, much like the rest of this album, I’m confident it will be. I await its highway test, I know it will pass with flying colors.

    Key Tracks: The Wrong Way Home, Somehow, End Of The Line

    JPR has a great website where you can learn more about the man and his varied interests. Yes, he does social media too, on Facebook and Twitter or better yet, see him live!

  • Flashback: Aquarium Rescue Unit at the Pump House, May 6, 1993

    May 6, 1993. I was a high school junior, two weeks out from my 17th birthday. It was a Thursday night and Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit were playing a gig in Syracuse at the Pump House, a semi-dive bar in a semi-seedy area of town. I had been introduced to ARU through their association with the first H.O.R.D.E tour the summer prior. I was already a Phish fan at the time, having been to seven shows already.

    I missed the H.O.R.D.E. tour, however, so had not seen any of the other bands, but probably owned all of their CDs at the time. Somehow I was alerted to this ARU show in town (pre-Internet I can’t even recall how that might have been), and somehow I convinced my parents to let my friend and I go out to a bar on a school night. Just the “bar” part of that equation alone was enough to warrant a solid “no,” so not sure how I managed that, but I am forever thankful.

    Aquarium Rescue Unit

    So my friend and I headed down to the Pump House with no idea of what we were getting into, musically or physically. We got there probably earlier than even the listed time, completely unaware how bar shows operate. We had no fake IDs. The bouncer understandably balked. We pleaded with him to let us in, promising we wouldn’t try to drink, we just wanted to see the band… which was true. I don’t remember it being all that hard, a little convincing and he let us through. We got in the bar, and it was empty. Completely dead. We took a seat at a table and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited for what felt like an eternity, and likely was well over an hour. Finally a band appeared on stage. But it wasn’t ARU. It was the (unlisted) opening band. Ugh. We were restless. Lucky for us, the opening band was pretty freaking great. They were a band from Syracuse University named Sons of Papaya. I would end up being one of their biggest fans, seeing them quite often a year later, when I went to school there. But that is a story for another time.

    Finally the Aquarium Rescue Unit would take the stage. Jimmy Herring (guitar) Oteil Burbridge (bass) Apt. Q258 (on Earth known as Jeff Sipe (drums)), Matt Mundy (mandolin), and Count Mbutu (percussion), played a short intro jam before their unkempt leader, Col. Bruce Hampton, ambled on and led the band into “Payday,” off their then new release, Mirrors of Embarrassment. At this time there was still just about 20 in attendance, four of which were the opening band and two of which were my friend and I.

    Listening back to the show now, I can’t even imagine what the younger me was thinking. It still sounds fresh and mind-blowing different today. They were an all-star band in reverse. We all now know their names, and know them to be some of the best at their respective instruments, but at the time they were just a young rag-tag bunch being led around by this eccentric uncle-type. It was most certainly a mind and taste-expanding experience for me. Their unique blend of bluegrass, blues, lounge, rock, jazz and everything in between filtered through the bizzaro lens of Hampton’s vision was enough to send even the most educated music fan’s head spinning.

    The Colonel wasted no time getting into his antics. “Jimmy Herring, born right here in Syracuse, returning for the 2nd time to his hometown!” (Every stop on tour was his hometown…) My friend and I, none the wiser, ate it right up. Amazing! He’s from here?! “Oteil, from Egypt!” (Again, not true…) He does look kind of mysterious… “Apt. Q258!” OK, that’s just weird. (After the show they handed out signed promo posters promoting the new album, and Jeff Sipe’s signature was a drawing of a house with Q258 written on the door.)

    Aquarium Rescue Unit

    Toward the end of the set, Hampton beckoned for Bela Fleck. Out walked the dorkiest looking musician I had ever seen, playing an electric banjo, what the?! Sadly I had no idea who he was, and as such, had no clue how great he could make the banjo sound. Meanwhile, we couldn’t quite hear what his name was and my friend continually joked how great it was that we saw Roberta Flack. I don’t even remember when it was I realized that I had seen Bela Fleck then.

    Over a year later, my tape trading buddy (that was such a thing back then) re-introduced me to him when he sent me a recording of the Flecktones (which I would eventually wear thin) and was forever hooked. But at the here and now of this particular story, I was still completely clueless. Through the beauty of the internet I can now confirm that the Flecktones had a show in Syracuse that same night as well. If only I knew. Fleck would join them from Trondossa through the end of the set. On memory alone, I would say my impressions were that he was surprisingly good considering he was, I had assumed, a local musician. But listening back now, I was a fool to think that he was anything short of spectacular, shining on a solo in “Too Many Guitars” and completely owning ARU’s tribute to Sun Ra’s “Space is the Place” in particular.

    The band would come back for a rather lengthy encore, as the “Aquarium Flecktones Unit” with Fleck and Futureman joining the band. Futureman would play the real drums as opposed to his usual Drumitar. But I was none the wiser.  Hampton said it best, “that’s one hell of a drum section there” with Futureman, Apt. Q258 and Mbutu all together. He also called out Victor Wooten before the night closing “Jack the Rabbit,” though he was just hanging out on the side of the stage, not playing, unfortunately. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bId4TxH5Q2U

    This was one of those out-of-the-way random-weekday playing-in-front-of-no-one special shows. And I was there. But in this case, I was the “unsuspecting crowd”; unknowing and under-appreciating of just how unusual it was. Ending the night “past curfew” according to the stage announcement, leaves me wondering again exactly how I pulled this trick off on a school night and underage, not even a year of driving under my belt.

    After the show I headed for the bathroom. Who was that at the urinal next to me? None other than Jimmy Herring. He washed up and headed out. He left the water running and I went to wash my hands. Yow! Just like his guitar playing, the water was scorching hot. My soft unworked 16-year-old skin was nearly burned. In addition to his wizardry on guitar, the fact that he could wash his hands so casually under boiling hot water had me shaking my head. Was he of this earth? No, he was from Zambi, just like the rest of them.

    The show was like nothing I had seen. The Aquarium Rescue Unit put on one hell of a unique live performance, unmatched in its combination of musicianship, utter disregard for convention, and creation of its own alternate universe, without the use of over the top theatrics… pretty much on attitude alone. This original lineup would soon after dissolve, first losing Mundy and later Hampton. The band would never be the same. But with their impending reunion, the magic may be reignited.

    I gave the one taper there my information in hopes of hearing that amazing music again someday. I never heard back from him, or got the tapes, but thanks once again to this internet thing, I can listen at the touch of a button now. The recording is very high quality, and as stated the music is quite incredible. I definitely recommend giving this one a listen. Take a trip to Zambi-land.

    Setlist: Intro> Payday, Compared To What, Time Flack, Dead Presidents. Same Old Thing. Basically Frightened, Lost My Mule In Texas, No Egos Underwater. No Reason To Complain, Time Is Free, Yield Not To Temptation, New River Train, Trondossa*, Too Many Guitars*, Two Truckloads*, Zambi*> Space Is The Place* > Drums > Rocket #9/Space Is The Place*, Workin’ On A Building*

    Encore: Swing**, I’ll Go Crazy**, Fixin’ To Die**, Shoeless Joe**, Jack The Rabbit**

    * with Bela Fleck, ** with Future Man

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 3: Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless and Starset at The Palace

    Working into Day 3 of this Music Marathon, I found myself once again seeing music I was unfamiliar with and had little knowledge of beforehand so I had no expectations. The only thing that made tonight’s show different was the venue – The Palace Theatre, where I would see a vastly different crowd take in the great music Albany has to offer compared to the usual shows I attended, with a lineup of Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless And Starset.

    Halestorm The Pretty RecklessUnfortunately, I walked into this show with Nickelback on my mind, but only for the most hilarious reasons. Starset snapped me out of it with symphonic sounds brought about by lead singer/keyboardist Dustin Bates, who spoke to me later citing Hans Zimmer, Nine Inch Nails and Sigur Ros as influences on their sound. I was impressed, and reminded of Stabbing Westward amid the intensity of the show. The band wore light up masks which added depth to the pageantry, capped off by mentioning the “Starset Society”, a latter day KISS Army or nonpoint Nation. The concept of a band-driven community instead of a community-driven band intrigues me – its the opposite of what I’m used to, but if it keeps the fan base strong, go for it.

    The audience for the three bands was such a mix of rock fans, young and old, kids with parents and parents without kids. I knew nothing about these bands but couldn’t help but remark on the diversity of the crowd, the metal heads and rock stars lightly thrashing to the music throughout the night. It was a nice break from the usual for me and The Pretty Reckless were the stand out set of the night. With a “For Whom the Bell Tolls” intro followed by sounds of a woman moaning, this female fronted band was heavy, but not metal. Taylor Momsen has great stage presence and an incredible voice, while drummer Jamie Perkins looks like Mick Foley. They have a good ‘rock god’ motif down, and has an edge of Pantera influence to the music, especially on “Going to Hell.” Overall I found The Pretty Reckless to be like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, but from the wrong side of the tracks, and by wrong I mean the hard rocking side. They were great.

    Halestorm, fronted by Lzzy Hale made this night into a rarity – two female-fronted rock bands, and I could only count four off the top of my head upon Halestorm taking the stage (Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Hole, L7). Encouraging fans to raise their devil horns high, I heard Whitesnake through the guitar work of Joe Hottinger and an altogether more polished sound than The Pretty Reckless.

    The set seemed to mellow about halfway through – the first seven or eight songs were straight fire, but the drum solo and all that followed were underwhelming. They could have thrown in a Def Leppard cover or something – the lack of covers this night surprised me greatly – but instead it was all originals. “Apocalyptic” was pretty solid, and the three encores were good and catchy, especially “Like a Reckoning”, but it was pushing on soft rock at that point. To cap the night, the band had the crowd serenade bassist Josh with “Happy Birthday” while toasting shots of Jagermeister. Halestorm is solid and has a rightful following, but I’m thinking that The Pretty Reckless could lap them in a few years time, with Starset showing strong potential if the fans can dig it.

    Next up for Seven Day Music Marathon: I head to Saratoga Springs for Dave Pedinotti and the Masters of Nostalgia at One Caroline Street.