Category: Reviews

Wilco Treats The State Theatre to a Gem

Upon mention of the name Wilco, for some, the term “Dad Rock” immediately comes to mind. This term has become ubiquitous over the past year and a half; used to describe music that appeals to an older generation that resembles music from an earlier era. It was originally used as a put-down in a 2007 Pitchfork review of the band’s Sky Blue Sky album.

While Wilco’s music can sometimes echo the Super Sounds of the 70s, witnessing the band live reveals a band that is out to rock you regardless of your age. If your only exposure to Wilco is from its studio releases, you’re missing half the experience. Wilco is a band that begs to be seen live to fully appreciate its talent.

Whomever decided it was a good idea to preserve the old theaters throughout Upstate New York, despite all of the urban renewal efforts of the 70s and 80s, deserves a huge pat on the back. Upstate has a plethora of gorgeous old theaters perfect for hosting shows such as this — from the Palace Theatre in Albany to the Stanley in Utica, the Capitol in Rome, the Landmark in Syracuse to this gorgeously renovated old theater in Downtown Ithaca — beautiful venues are bountiful in this area of the state.

The assemblage at the sold out State Theater in Ithaca on Sept. 23 was treated to four shows in one. Nashville native William Tyler opened with a brief, but impressive, four song set of solo acoustic and electric songs. Tyler, throughout his set, made no secret of his extreme appreciation in having the opportunity of opening for Wilco.

While he was seated for the majority of his set, Tyler quickly had the audience standing and appreciating his slick guitar style on songs reminiscent of old school country, Delta Blues and Clapton. Tyler’s appreciation for the city and venue was apparent when he stood to show off the Grateful Dead t-shirt his sister had bought him pre-show. He also made mention of the Dead’s legendary Barton Hall show at Cornell in introducing his new duds to great applause. This talented man put on an impressive set and if he doesn’t become a household name in the near future, it will be a surprise.

Wilco took the stage promptly at 9:00 p.m. and ran through their latest release Star Wars, an album sprung upon an unsuspecting fan base as a free download this summer, in its entirety. It was a fairly straight forward run-through of the album and was politely received by the audience, if not yet entirely familiar to them.

The “third” part of the show finally brought the crowd to its feet, as Wilco dropped the A Ghost is Born track “Handshake Drugs” featuring the classic melancholy line “I was chewing gum for something to do…” This is where the headliner truly took the stage and had the fans hooked.

Jeff Tweedy

A distorted run-through of “Camera” moved smoothly into the techno-beat intro of “The Art of Almost” from 2011’s The Whole Love. It was at this point that the audience was truly all-in on this show. Seat numbers no longer held any meaning as people began to make their way from the back of the cozy theater to stand at the front of the stage to witness the Wilco madness. Tweedy recognized those who made the move while playfully scolding the front row ticket holders for not jumping at the opportunity sooner.

Fan favorite (then again, almost all are), “Via Chicago” didn’t disappoint as the acoustic turned cacophonous with drummer Glenn Kotche and guitarist Nels Cline’s break out mid-song creating a frenzy of sound and light behind a seemingly oblivious Tweedy maintaining the soothing tone of the lyrics.

Wilco recently re-released a special vinyl version of its debut album A.M. and has been dipping into some of those songs on this tour. This show was no different, with the appearance of “Box Full of Letters,” the Pat Sansone-helmed “It’s Just That Simple” and the subdued, yet still rocking, version of “Casino Queen,” which was done acoustically during the second of two encore sets.

When attending a Wilco show, the true show is in witnessing Cline. Equal parts shredder, jazz aficionado and honky tonk slide guitarist, he leaves it all on the stage every night. It isn’t uncommon to see the remains of what used to be perfectly fine guitar strings dangling from Cline’s head-stock at the end of a particularly nasty “Impossible Germany.” And while his strings remained largely in tact on this night, Clines, commanded the attention of the State Theatre crowd, drawing roaring ovations throughout the show.

Nels Cline

Following a well-received “Impossible Germany,” Tweedy had some words with a few ambitious amateur photographers at the front of the stage; imploring them to enjoy the show in front of them rather than through the screen of their smart phone. After offering an apology for his dislike of the cameras, he joked about the bands new favorite place to play…Montreal (where they had played previous to Ithaca) to laughter from the crowd. The twenty-five song set concluded with another A Ghost is Born track, “The Late Greats.”

After a brief break, the band came out to a scorching ten minute version of “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” that had the crowd dancing along and Tweedy performing a “kitty cat dance” with “paws” in a defensive posture.

Another break had the stage crew assembling an array of acoustic instruments for the finale of this four-part show. Sansone switched over to banjo, Clines to slide guitar and pianist Mikael Jorgensen downsized to a melodica.

“Misunderstood,” the Woody Guthrie-penned “California Stars” and “Shot in the Arm” all engaged the audience in a sing-along. The close stage set-up made for an intimate small room feel for the remainder of the show, all that was missing was the campfire.

After twenty years and several line-up changes, Wilco is a band that still enjoys doing what it does. To see fire in the eyes of Jeff Tweedy and smoke from Nels Cline’s fret board after all these years, is truly a joy to behold. A joy that will continue into the new year with a fresh slate of eastern U.S. tour dates beginning in Pittsburgh on Jan. 25. This brief tour will make a few New York stops, including a two-night stand at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and two sold out shows at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. Go for the music, stay for the show.

Setlist:

Wilco
September 23, 2015
Ithaca, NY | State Theatre of Ithaca

01 – More…
02 – Random Name Generator
03 – The Joke Explained
04 – You Satellite
05 – Taste the Ceiling
06 – Pickled Ginger
07 – Where Do I Begin
08 – Cold Slope
09 – King of You
10 – Magnetized
11 – Handshake Drugs
12 – Camera
13 – Art of Almost
14 – Via Chicago
15 – Box Full of Letters
16 – Hummingbird
17 – Forget the Flowers
18 – Red Eyed and Blue
19 – I Got You (At the End of the Century)
20 – Heavy Metal Drummer
21 – I’m the Man Who Loves You
22 – Dawned On Me
23 – Jesus, Etc.
24 – Impossible Germany
25 – The Late Greats
Encore:
26 – Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Encore:
27 – Misunderstood
28 – War On War
29 – It’s Just That Simple
30 – Casino Queen
31 – California Stars
32 – A Shot in the Arm

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October 23, 2015
Trace Adkins Back and Better Than Ever at Harford Fair

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 21, 2015
Glass Animals and Empress Of materialize from the Neon Fog

Flocks of leather jacket-clad twenty-somethings shuffled through the dim narrow corridor of Terminal 5 Thursday, Oct. 15 for the luminescent lullabies and dance beat ballads by Glass Animals and Empress Of. Fans donning zebra masks and those carrying pineapples (a Glass Animals emblem) all found their silhouettes shrouded in a hazy green light, with tropical flora caressing their shoulders as they trudged toward the music. Ticket stubs in hand they made their way to the high ceilinged gymnasium style venue, as a politely prompt Empress Of began trilling her gentle, innocent vocals right at 8:00 pm.

Though Empress Of, known off stage as Lorely Rodriguez, performs as a solo act, she was accompanied on stage by a keyboardist and live drummer. She stood close to the front of the stage with untamable confidence, her wild mane of curly hair giving her a distinct and eye-catching profile as she thrashed her head to the beat, corkscrew ends illuminated by vibrant hazy hues of purple, red and blue. After her first song, Rodriguez thanked the crowd with a breathy, unexpectedly sheepish “I’m so excited to be opening for Glass Animals.” Her soft tone between songs painted a distinct contrast to her bold presence while performing.

During her second song, “Everything is You,” the first track off her debut album Me, Rodriquez’s fluttery vocals delicately flickered as the audience swayed, processing the powerful bass beat tickling their leg hairs. With her left arm completely outstretched to the side with mic in other hand, Rodriguez created a prophetic presence, repeatedly singing the existential line “You are everything, everything is you.”

Next came “Need Myself,” a song describing an inherent need for independence. The lines “I think I’m the one I need” and “Just need myself/To love myself” were paired with a fierce sequence of rib cage-rattling bass. It got the heart pumping while the words invoked a more acute awareness of the metaphysical heart and the need for self-love. Distinctive beams of white light cascaded down upon the stage, illuminating Rodriguez at varying intervals, accentuating her singularity and independence as a performer.

Throughout her set, Rodriguez emitted an undeniable honesty and sincerity with her songs. She stood before fans as a young passionate artist, with a great deal of emotional prowess from which to pull inspiration for her music. There were times when she almost appeared to get lost in the throes of her own sentiments, head banging to the beat, yet still singing flawlessly. Her voice carried through the room, taking a willing audience along for the spirited journey.

Glass Animals followed, steeped heavily in fog, busting onto the scene with “Walla Walla,” which opens with a powerful and distinctive tribal drum beat before the bass adds to the heavy tone of the song. The incongruity of the convoluted lyrics add a fascinating contrast to the crisp, concrete beat. Lines like “Wiggle toes on wicker braids/Hanging with their nails so frayed/Mini fruits all bone dry/And a cape, black tie-dyed,” leave their meaning completely up to the listener’s interpretation.

“Hazy” offered a more nuanced beat riddled with subtle effects incorporating what sounded like a collection of snaps, rattling bones and exaggerated rain drops. Lead singer David Bayley, equipped with a tambourine, bounded around the stage in an explosion of animated energy. The crowd sang along to the chorus, providing additional background effects for fellow band mates Drew MacFarlane (guitar/keyboard), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass/keyboard) and Joe Seaward (drums) to feed off.

The audience cheered wildly when crowd favorite “Gooey” oozed from the loudspeakers as gentle xylophone pirouetted with Bayley’s velvety vocals. After a few measures of vocals and percussion conducted their delicate dance, the bouncy drum beat pounced and the sea of humans in front of the stage erupted into motion. One gentleman sporting a white Hawaiian-style shirt dotted in small pineapples smiled sweetly to his lady as he impressively mouthed the lines of nonsensical lyrics.

Many other couples were too busy intimately enjoying the inner workings of each others mouths to sing along. For those still observing the stage, several large incandescent bulbs with what looked like satellite dishes ensconcing each, stood erect around the perimeter of the stage. Each time Bayley recited the words “peanut butter vibes,” the bulbs splashed a golden luminescence across every surface of the room. While visually encapsulating, the musicality of the live performance accurately captured the magic Glass Animals offers with their debut album Zaba.

The English indie group ended the evening with “Pools,” which renders moments of clarity with more direct language. The distinct possibility that it might be a love song was supported by the lines, “We sip the wind through lips of dust/And out it comes, warm wisps of love.” Bayley delighted observers during the energetic song by tossing a whole pineapple off stage, in an act of love and solidarity for all of his pineapple-brandishing fans. The playful gesture concluded the show with a warmth and satisfaction as audience members bonded over the sight of an airborne pineapple.

October 20, 2015
Hearing Aide: Sam Kogon ‘Before You Knew Me’

Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Sam Kogon and his band mates, featuring Frank Hegyi (drums/percussion), Dan Powell (bass guitar/vocals), Finnegan Shanahan (violin) and Joe Jakubowski (keys/timpani/marimba/glockenspiel/vocals) released their debut album Before You Knew Me mid-September, and have been touring around N.Y. promoting the release. All songs on Before You Knew Me were written by Sam Kogon. It was recorded and produced by Andrew Nerviano at Ishlab Studio in Brooklyn. Having honed in on a slightly whimsical, lazy surf rock sound, Kogon’s style is undeniably similar to Canadian fellow singer-songwriter Mac Demarco.

The album features a slew of love songs, some more overt than others, aside from “Odd,” the mischievous tale of a kid who experiences a violent encounter with a giant squid and is left wondering what would happen were they ever to cross paths again. Kogon’s cr
isp, anguished vocals are complemented by Jakubowski’s own echoed singing, which creates an airy feel to the track. Coupled with slightly haunting organ, the song exudes a rather ghoulish quality well suited for unfolding the account of an elusive sea creature.

The first track on the album, “Before,” describes a life gone to shambles and then redeemed. Kogon’s falsetto is mirrored by Powell’s backing vocals, and accompanied by simple guitar lines, and minimal drum beat and bass. Jakubowski comes in delicately with glockenspiel, and a looming intensity permeates the song, until Shanahan’s violin work kicks in right at the climax. The anticipation of the build releases in a swell of drums dancing with the billowing violin, which is very reminiscent of the erhu, or Chinese violin. Kogon’s vocals reemerge before violin once again swoops in with a quick crescendo, concluding the song in a climactic twizzle of strings and bow.

“I Could Never,” the first single off Before You Knew Me possesses a sauntering ’50s essence from the get go, with Kogon softly howling the lyrics, “I could never say goodbye to you/ and I could never tell a lie to you/ it’s love in your eyes it’s no disguise it’s true/ and I could never rectify hurting you.” Kogon’s crooning leads into a circus instrumental beat which surges forward, complete with glockenspiel, then slowing down for a brief, pensive, stoner rock moment before his crooning resumes for the chorus.

The cheery Beatles-esque track “Plans,” stands apart from the rest of the songs, maintaining a bouncy energy throughout with classic rock influenced guitar. Kogon sings of a love perhaps faded but not yet lost.“Baby Hear Me Out” is definitely the weakest song on the album. With a noticeably muddier quality, vocals and instrumentation seem to clash more than complement each other. Ironically, as the song composition begs for refinement, the lyrics beg a lover for forgiveness and to be taken back. Despite this blemish, the album functions much the same as a grandfather’s vintage suede fedora. Slightly dented but still a joy to wear and worth holding onto. Listen to and buy the album here.

Key tracks: Before, I Could Never, Odd

October 20, 2015
Josh Groban Delivers Heavenly Performance in Albany

Josh Groban graced the stage at The Palace Theatre in Albany, as the multi-platinum recording artist brought his Stages World Tour to the tri-state area with an incredible vocal performance. The North American tour, set for an intimate atmosphere, is in support of Groban’s seventh studio album Stages, which showcases many famous renditions of some of the greatest musical theater songs of all time.

Groban’s vocal brilliance shines on stage as he sings all-time greats like “Pure Imagination,” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “What I Did for Love,” from “A Chorus Line,” “Bring Him Home,” from “Les Miserables” and “Over the Rainbow,” from “The Wizard of Oz” to name a few.

The sold-out Palace Theatre fans excitedly sat in suspense, awaiting for dashing, charming, funny and vocally graceful Groban, to adorn the theater stage.

As the theater lights dimmed to darkness, the crowd applauded with anticipation as the 75-piece orchestra started the musical journey with the song “Pure Imagination” from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory“. The crowd’s applause turned to admiration and joy as Josh made himself visible on stage to sing the song made famous by Gene Wilder.

After the song “Try To Remember” from the “Fantasticks,” Groban asked for the fog machine to be turned off, as it was making him choke, not that it bothered his performance at all. Groban sang the song with such emotion and passion.

Josh thanked his parents for taking away the Super Nintendo, and help steer him towards the arts.

Groban relived a childhood moment after the song “What I Did for Love,” from “A Chorus Line”. He reminisced about singing that song at a school show, and then being approached by the jock of the school afterward. Groban jokingly explained, that he thought he was going to get beat up, but instead, the classmate told Groban that had a voice of an angel. Groban while impersonating his young self in a high pitch voice to the laughter of fans replied, “Oh Biff thank you so much.” Josh then switched to Biff’s deep voice and said “If you tell anybody I told you that, I will kick the $#!t out of you next week,” which made the crowd laugh again.

Groban then went on to say, it was that moment that he realized that he could do this. It was a moment he developed his confidence as a human being and realized how important Arts education is to young people whether they go into it professionally or not, and as programs are being cut across the country, it so important to define these moments. Groban then talked about his Find Your Light Foundation to help support the arts and how people could help donate to the cause.

Josh then explained before the song “Old Devil Moon,” from “Finian’s Rainbow,” that this was his first lead role in high school. Groban said he played Woody Mahoney and that they painted a beard on him. Groban then joked to more laughter to the crowd “High five again I can do it myself.” He then said, careful what you wish for and that he is basically a head-to-toe chia pet now.

Groban stated to the crowd that he was very excited for their ears right now. “I’m very excited for your ah, your ah, your ah, after stumbling then blurted out — canals,” to laughter from the crowd and himself. Josh went on to say not because of him, but because of who he is about to bring out to the stage.

Groban then introduced Lena Hall to the stage for a beautiful duet, after he touted some of her accolades, to help him with the next song from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “All I Ask of You.” Groban joked that he was kind of regretting turning the fog off now, because they were about to do something from Phantom of the Opera, and said he feels like he can’t do something from Phantom without fog. Then joked again “It’s ok. We’ll be fine but our sinuses thank us. Groban then said that he wanted to be the Phantom so bad, that he made a paper mache mask in art class.

Lena stayed on stage after the duet to sing the first of her two solo covers the Queen song “Save Me,” which can be found on Hall’s new Sin and Salvation live album. Lena stated that the album consist of all songs that inspired her or by people who inspire her as a vocalist and performer. Lena then said that one of those main people is Freddy Mercury, and that she connects with the song itself so much.

After Hall’s performance, a giant painting of “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” by artist Georges Seurat, was placed on the far right of the stage.

Groban then returned to the stage to explain the painting. He said one of his first theatrical experiences, is when he was nine years old, and his parents took away the Nickelodeon, popped in a VHS of “Sunday in the Park with George” by Steven Sondheim. Josh further explained that Sondheim uses interesting stories like the one about the painting. Groban joked that the painting on the stage is not the original and that they didn’t steal it from the Chicago Art Museum. Groban explained that Sondheim chose George Seurat to tell a story of those universal human emotions we have that drives us to passion, and drives us in ours lives, and sometimes the sacrifices we have to make for that passion. Groban then introduced the song that was influenced by the painting, “Finishing the Hat.”

Groban introduced the Nazareth College Choir to the stage for the next song. From the show “Chess,” Groban then sang the song that finishes the first act called “Anthem.” Groban said as a book, the show still hasn’t found its way as a full on Broadway production, but the music and the lyrics have been absolutely brilliant. Groban than gave another amazing vocal performance, as the crowd stood and applauded with overwhelming admiration.

After a small intermission and an outfit change, Groban returned to the stage for the second half of the show.

Before he got started, Josh joked over the mic “I hope you are sufficiently empty.” Josh then noted that his manager busted into his dressing room during the break and told him that he was mispronouncing Albany. Groban responded with a deep slow “Oh $#!t.” Groban then joked that fans didn’t seem to care that he said their city wrong and then apologized for what he called a terrible, terrible mistake. Then he made fun of himself by calling himself an idiot and jokingly mispronouncing the word along with apologies and the next town of Syracuse to the laughter of fans.

Josh explained, as a singer you get awesome opportunities to pick songs from all facets from the musical theater world, not just nationally. France is one of those places.

While introducing his next song “Le temps des cathedrals,” from “Notre Dame de Paris,” Groban said that other countries also love musicals as many of you tonight who love musicals, then joked “If you don’t, then your probably not back after the intermission.” Groban then kept to original form by masterfully singing the song elegantly in French, to another standing ovation.

After thanking the crowd in French, Groban’s next song is not from the Stages album. Josh then talked about a song from a show he saw called “Nine,” with Antonio Banderas. Groban then did some Banderas impersonations before getting serious again. Groban the sung “Unusual Way”.

Once again, Groban brought out the lovely Lena Hall for their second duet of the evening. Hall came out in a sparking dress which prompted Groban to say “You look sparkly and wonderful, I would hug you but I would get sparkles all over me…and I would like it too much,” which made everyone chuckle. Josh then said that he and Lena are going to sing a beautiful duet together, also from “Sunday in the Park with George” called “Move On.”

This then led into Hall’s second solo performance. Hall said that her parents are huge Beatles fans, and therefore she is a huge Beatles fan. Lena then added that her father’s favorite Beatle, was Paul McCartney, and that she wanted to do something for her dad cause he is very special to her. Then quickly reiterated, “so is my mom,” which made her and the crowd laugh. Hall then performed “Maybe I’m Amazed”.

Groban returned to the stage and executed another amazing vocal rendition. This time he delighted fans with “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” to a third standing ovation.

Groban the introduced and thanked the musicians on stage before welcoming back the Nazareth College Choir. Groban the joked with the choir “You look good, smelling good. You guys ready for this? It’s a hard one. I need your help.” Groban then went on to say that the next song is very uplifting to him, from the Carousel, Josh dedicated “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” to the victims and families from the recent tragedies in Oregon.

The Albany crowd gave yet again, another standing ovation, as they applauded and whistled until Groban made his way out for an encore song.

The admiration and love from the crowd prompted the overwhelmed Groban to say “Albany, you tremendously hospitable, generous city, thank you so much for all of this. Thank you for the warmth you thrown our way all night. It truly means so much to us.”

The final song of the evening Groban said he loved since he could breathe basically. Groban then went on to say that when making the Stages record, they were going to originally make it a double album with one being film songs, and the other being Broadway tunes. He said with so many songs over lapping, that they decided to go with a Broadway album. Josh then stated if there was one song that it was ok to cheat with, it was this next song because it is so wonderful.

Groban than ended an amazing night of music with “Over The Rainbow,” from “The Wizard of Oz”.

Setlist: Pure Imagination, Try to Remember, What I Did for Love, Old Devil Moon, All I Ask of You, Save Me (Lena Hall), Finishing the Hat, Anthem, Children Will Listen, Le temps des cathedrals, Unusual Way, Move On, Maybe I’m Amazed(Lena Hall), Bring Him Home, You’ll Never Walk Alone

Encore: Over The Rainbow

October 19, 2015
Hearing Aide: Papadosio ‘Extras In A Movie’

“When spring arrives epiphany/I’m still the last leaf on the tree.” As homage to the changing seasons, Papadosio has changed their musical hues from bright neon to softer, more organic colors in their fourth phenomenal studio album, Extras In A Movie.

Despite their label as a “genre-bending” group of musicians, Papadosio’s initial album releases of Observations and T.E.T.I.O.S. did in fact fall under one specific category- and that was electronic music. Yes, adoring fans may argue that they possess the improvisational capabilities inspired by jazz, progressive rock, and even jam rock to shape their melodic phrasing and musical transitions, and thus don’t belong under the same umbrella as electronic artists Skrillex or Bassnectar. However, I saw a dash of prog rock and a sprinkle of jazz for what they really were to Papadosio- and that is mere sensibility. I believed that to be labeled as a band that dismisses categorization, each style of music had to be crafted on an individual basis, incorporating the key elements and instrumentation of that style, yet somehow creating one inner voice over the entire work, as a subtle reminder of the single creator.

It wasn’t until the release of Extras In A Movie that I felt this proficiency in musical obscurity towards Papadosio, but I am confident that this album will break ground for many listeners, especially those who may not have approved of the band’s stylistic approach at first.

With an addition of some interesting sound effects, acoustic guitars, and tight harmonies, opening track “The Last Leaf,” and tracks “Epiphany,” and “Bypass Default” bring a strong introductory splash to the album, with an erratic yet satisfying mess of musical classes, ranging from styles of barbershop quartets to Pink Floyd to Awolnation. Anthony Thogmartin’s adaptation of vocal timbre throughout each track is complimentary and appropriate, while the surrounding band of Mike Healy, Rob McConnell, Billy Brouse, and Sam Brouse tend to throw in some instrumental surprises, most of the time in an effective and aesthetically pleasing manner.

The fact that the average track is about three minutes long throughout this sixteen track album speaks great masses as well- this album was created to defy the standards of recorded music, and the ideas were organized in this fashion to isolate and preserve the individual conception of each instance.

By writing, recording, mixing, and even video conceptualizing themselves, Papadosio has become the purport of the avant-garde composer, keeping the pillars of studio-induced creativity a strong part of their foundation. Their ability to showcase psycadelia-inspired electronic anthems like the album single “Glimpse of Light,” followed by the stripped down acoustic rawness in “Anima Mundi,” “Gazing the Great Oscillator,” and “Open” adapts Papadosio to any kind of setting, guiding listeners into an array of color, vibrancy, and authenticity. Along with developing their own voice, I also heard inspiration from other great genre gods, including Incubus, Genesis, and Daft Punk.

As part of their grand release, Papadosio has introduced a tour they’ve cleverly named Extras In A Movie Tour – Act 1. If that doesn’t leave you with a curiosity of what “Act 1” implies, I don’t know what will. I suppose the only way to find out is to hitch a ride on their tour, with stops at Irving Plaza, the Westcott Theatre, and Town Ballroom in November.

Key Tracks: The Last Leaf, Epiphany, Bypass Default, Anima Mundi

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October 17, 2015
Motley Crüe’s Final Show in Buffalo

It took Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee approximately five songs to come to the stage to announce he wasn’t playing due to severe tendinitis in his arm. The crowd booed and people were clearly upset. This was Motley Crüe’s final tour and last show playing at First Niagara Center. It was evident something was amiss because during the first few songs no spot lights were cast onto the drum set. Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper’s drummer) did a great job filling in last minute for Tommy Lee.For those who don’t know he is also the timekeeper for Alice Cooper, who headlined the show that night.

Vince Neil was disappointing throughout the entire set, minus maybe a loud “yeah” here and there. Vince certainly tried to play his heart out and toward the end of the night you could hear and see the exhaustion on his face as he huffed and puffed his way through songs. During “Kickstart My Heart” there were some parts where at the end of a verse he mumbled the words, almost like he gave up. Nevertheless that’s what the pyrotechnics were there for that night, to cover up their failing ability to perform live like in days’ past. The hero of the night was Mick Mars, who didn’t need to jump around on stage in frilly costumes for people to be entranced by him. His guitar playing and solos were enough to capture people. While costume changes were happening for Nikki and Vince, Mars was given the spotlight to play some impressive solos. If this was really the band’s last hurrah, and last show in Buffalo, the band could have put more effort into performing a complete show.

Alice Cooper and his band had done an excellent job from start to finish. Mr. Cooper is 67 years old and is blowing away young bands left and right. It will be a sad day when Cooper announces his retirement. If you have not seen him I highly recommend going at least once. They made the crowd feel creeped out, uncomfortable and having some people covering their eyes. He did everything one would expect from a Cooper concert, from decapitating himself to having his giant Frankenstein on stage. He sang classics like “Schools Out” to “ No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Alice Cooper stole the show that night and deserves high praise for his performance.

October 17, 2015
Hearing Aide: String Cheese Incident ‘The Rhythm of the of Road Vol 2, Live in Las Vegas’

The String Cheese Incident is celebrating their 20th year together as a band. The Rhythm of the Road Vol 2; Live in Las Vegas is a new release for October. This album is successful because the music explores the uniqueness that life can bring. Each member of The String Cheese Incident comes from a different musical background. These happy differences have lead to the marriage of many genres and twangy Colorado mountain bluegrass. This album is a live performance that exemplifies how sounds of music can all come together to create whirlwind imagery.

Imagine a bunch of road lovin’ country boys who play music. Along their travels meet a man with a bright twinkle in his eye. Graciously he invites them to a paradise in the caribbean- the place he was born. Right as he waved his arm in the follow me motion the young men were swept over by a soft salty wind. When the dreamy haze settles, they realize they have been instantly transported. Their toes rest on the sand in ‘San Jose’, a land entrancingly unfamiliar.

The imaginary cinema of travels inspired by SCI’s music continue in the back seat of a car. One close and personal view of just the side of a man’s face and his delicate reflection on the window. Outside of the window is the sound of the winds and the brown, American earth, passing by at fifty-five miles per hour, backroad. Nowhere to be but somewhere; excitement in the unknown of what lays ahead. The performance on ‘Desert Passage Jam’ is filled with bright expression of musical beauty and occasional slow rhythmic bongos create feelings of undeniable appreciation for life that surrounds us.

Key Tracks: San Jose, Got What he Wanted, Desert Passage Jam, Cedar Laurel, Dirk

October 16, 2015
Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach Tour Shows Rock is Not Dead in Glens Falls

Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To New, drove their tour buses into Glens Falls on the last stop on their current tour, and showed the fans that packed the Civic Center why rock music is not dead, but fully alive kicking. All the bands will head off to play the Rock Allegiance Festival in Chester, PA.

The Monster Energy Drink fueled tour had everything you need in a rock show minus the pyro, as the venue does not allow it, but with the connection the fans had with this great lineup of rock stars, it wasn’t needed or missed as the chemistry between the bands and the crowd created enough sparks to burn the house down. This show had combinations of heart, passion, emotion, theatrics, charisma and of course, tons of energy.

From Ashes To New excelled as the opening band on this show. FATN set the tone for the night with a very energetic interactive set. Right out of the gate FATN had the fans engaged. As opener’s, FATN wasted no time talking and just played all their hits made popular on Sirius/XM Octane among other singles of their two Ep’s.

Concert goers who were not familiar with the band were instantly hooked by the bands energy, look and catchy style of rap-rock metal songs. Dual singers Matt Brandyberry and Chris Musser, flow off each other and have great chemistry. Brandyberry’s raps mixed with Musser’s screams and melodic hardcore hooks were spot on. After a fascinating all out performance, I’m sure FATN’s Facebook and Twitter pages jumped in likes and followers after their incredible set.

You can see From Ashes To New on tour this November when the hit the road with Like A Strom.

FATN Setlist: Downfall, My Fight, Land of Make Believe, Lost and Alone, I Will Show You, Through It All, Stay This Way

In This Moment’s home town girl, Schenectady native Maria Brink brought her theatrical style of live performing to the stage. Fans sang in unison to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” which introduced Brink and the boys to the stage.

Maria stood front and center in her black widow outfit for the first song of the night “Sick Like Me.” This would be the first of many costume changes through the night as Brink has an outfit and theme for every song on the set list.

Besides theatrics, Brink sort of brings a pop element to the stage as she has two back up dancers who dress in full costume, with a choreographed routine for each song. Brink stated that its feels great to be home and talked about performing her first show at the QE2 and at Bogies in Albany.

In a different but cool way, Brink goes into full theater mode during the song “Sex Metal Barbie.” She stands at a pink podium dressed and sings the song as if she’s giving a speech to the crowd, which only someone like Brink can pull off.

The last song of the night “Whore,” Brink dresses like a school girl and sits on a stool with a dunce cap on her head. The word whore is painted to look like blood in red on the front of the cap. Brink described the meaning behind the song, as taking something negative and turning it into a positive and the taking that into something bigger.

In This Moment Setlist: Sick Like Me, Black Widow, Blood, Sex Metal Barbie, Big Bad Wolf, Whore

Papa Roach took the stage first as part of the co-headline tour. The black curtain hiding the stage dropped to the first song of the night “Face Everything and Rise (F.E.A.R).” Right after, fans erupted when the first note of “Between Angels and Insects” started. Papa Roach was all about business from the start and blazed through the first three songs.

Frontman Jacoby Shaddix said to the crowd “You love that $#!t,” to a huge crowd response after singing “Getting Away With Murder.

The ultra charismatic Shaddix, then asked the crowd how they were doing by saying “Motherf***ers in Glens Falls, NY how you f**king livin’ tonight?” The crowd responded with a deafening roar which prompted the hyped up Shaddix to say “That’s what I’m f**king talkin’ about, Friday night baby, you guys f**king partying tonight?” Fans were eating up everything Shaddix was saying.

Shaddix then said “Yo check this out we are Papa Roach, and we are f**king grateful to f**king be here tonight. We f**king love you guys, but what I want to see on this f**king next song y’all check it out. I wanna see this f**king whole place jumpin’.” Shaddix then asked fans , “Are you with me?” The more than over willing fans screamed with readiness . Shaddix now wanting to get more involved with the crowd then said “lets see what your made of but only when I say go.” Shaddix then introduced the next song Warriors.

Shaddix got up close and personal with the crowd during Warriors. Shaddix walked throughout the lower half of the arena slapping hands with fans before returning back to the stage. After the song Shaddix said “Now we have a f**king rock and roll show on our hands.”

The next song Forever, Shaddix dedicated to all the ladies in the crowd. While the intro played, Shaddix asked the crowd if they were having a good time. Shaddix then pointed to some fans up close and said that he knows they are having a good time cause he can see the fire in their eyes.

Shaddix introduced the band one by one during the intro to Hollywood Whore. He started with guitarist Jerry Horton. Shaddix looked to what he called his main motherf***ing man back there on drums Tony Palermo. Shaddix then told Palermo he was a bad motherf***er, as Palermo laughed. Shaddix then said over on bass we have monster, his name is Tobin Esperance. Shaddix then said who the fuck cares what my name is, lets push some rock and roll. Shaddix and the crowd then sung the intro to Hollywood Whore together.

Before Falling Apart, Shaddix had to acknowledge the fans up in the seats by saying “F**k yeah, I’m felling you up there, how you guys up there?” Shaddix then added “I see we have some P Roach fans up there, nice fucking t-shirt homie f**k yeah thanks for representing tonight.”

Shaddix then stated that this was the last show and it has been an awesome tour. Shaddix then stated “In This Moment, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch what the f**k, best tour ever man its been f***ing awesome. It’s an honor to share the stage with those guys.”

Shaddix gave a speech how the band came about. He talked about how they started in high school as a garage band when Shaddix was sixteen. Shaddix then went on to say next thing you know Papa Roach doing this s**t f***ing world-wide twenty-two f***ing years later. Shaddix then added “So anybody who’s f***ing got big dreams, keep f***ing chasing them if you know what im f***ing saying.”

In Shaddix’s attempt to be Moses, he wanted to bring it back to old school Papa Roach days and asked each side of the floor to part in the middle for what he call the Braveheart or the Wall of Death. Shaddix then said when he says go, he wants each side to bum rush each other to create one huge mosh pit. The band then played “Blood Brothers.”

Shaddix and Horton sat on a small elevated stage in the middle of the arena floor and played an acoustic version of “Scars.”

In a scene fans have been waiting for all night, Maria Brink joined Shaddix on stage for a historic moment as they sang their collaboration of “Gravity,” before ending their high-energy set with “…To Be Loved.”

Papa Roach Setlist: Face Everything and Rise, Between Angels and Insects, Getting Away With Murder, Warriors, Forever, Hollywood Whore, Kick in the Teeth, Falling Apart, Blood Brothers, Broken as Me, Scars, Gravity, Where Did the Angels Go?, Still Swingin’, Last Resort, …To Be Loved

You think fans would be spent by the energy this show has displayed thus far but fans also must have been fueled by Monster Energy as well. Fans were now ready to explode for Five Finger Death Punch waiting for them to hit the stage. As the venue turned to black, fans started a FFDP chant.

Once again the black curtain fell to Five Finger Death Punch and the first song in the setlist “Lift Me Up.” FFDP kept the trend going by getting straight to the point ripping off song after song to start the night. Frontman Ivan Moody had a red handprint painted on his face to resemble their mascot Knucklehead.

FFDP put all the rumors to bed, as the band looked like a tight-knit band of brothers who were having fun on stage and showing no signs of animosity between them. These five amazing musicians may be five totally different personalities, but together as a unit FFDP has endless chemistry and talent and raw emotion.

In normal Five Finger fashion, the band paid tribute to all the men and women in the armed forces by playing their cover version of Bad Company.

Before the song, Ivan Moody asked fans in the crowd who have served, or are currently serving, to put their hands up. Moody the said “Keep your hands up. Everybody else see those hands? You shake them, you thank them and you buy them a beer for our fucking freedoms.” The crowd reacted with a thunderous roar and even louder U.S.A chant.

As Moody looked for Jason Hook to start things off, Hook teased Enter Sandman as Moody played to and sang with the crowd until drummer Jeremy Spencer purposely stopped the song as the fans kept singing on cue despite him stopping the music. This prompted Moody to tell the crowd to say “F**k you Jeremy,” the crowd obliged. Spencer respond with a 5 second drum solo, stood up and gave the crowd two middle finger’s.

Moody then asked Hook to give him something. Hook then started playing Crazy Train only to have Zoltan take away Moody’s mic after the fist line of the song.

Hook showed off his incredible guitar playing skills. Moody then jokingly said to Hook “Jason stop flirting, lets play the song that we dedicated to the armed fucking forces.” The band then played Bad Company.

Before FFDP got into “Jekyll and Hyde” from their new album Got You Six, Moody asked for some of the lights to be turned down because he couldn’t see a thing. Moody the said “Turn off that spotlight I’m not Axel Rose.”

Moody then asked how many fans had their new album. The crowd went nuts which made Moody stop and say “Wow, you guys are rowdy.” Moody then reiterated and asked the crowd how many of you actually bought the f***ing thing? Then asked how many downloaded it to a small amount of cheers. Moody then said “Oh so proud, you cheap son of a b***h,” which made the crowd laugh. Moody then said “It’s alright though. It’s only like fifteen bucks, so you can like work at McDonald’s for like an hour and a half and you got it,” to more laughter from fans.

After a top-notch drum solo by Jeremy Spencer, It was now that part of the show where FFDP looks for the next generation of metal fans to bring onto the stage for the next song “Burn MF.”

Moody though was looking for a certain someone that he wanted on stage he met while he was walking his dog before the show. Moody not realizing the girl made it up to the stage, said thank you for making his day as he turned around to notice the girl was behind him. Moody then said “There you are,” and stated that she looked so much like his own daughter. Moody asked her for a hug and if she wanted a Monster (Energy Drink). Now Moody was back to business as he said “So now were gonna show them how the big kids do this.” Moody then violently screamed into the mic “Open it up,” then said “If you don’t wanna get hurt, now is the right time to get the fuck out of the way.”

Moody and Hook slowed it down a bit as they played an acoustic arrangement of “Wrong Side of Heaven.” They continued acoustically through to the song “Battle Born.” The rest of FFDP joined them on stage to finish the song electric.

Before FFDP played “Burn it Down,” Moody said that Zoltan keeps stopping him cause he wants to play something heavy. Moody the dedicated the song to all the crazy motherf***ers in the mosh pit. After the song ended Moody’s love for the crowds energy said “You guys are f***ing nuts.” FFDP ended the set with “Coming Down.”

Fans chanted for the band to come back out for an encore. Fans didn’t have to wait long as the band came back out and played “Under and Over It.”

Moody then wanted to get something off his chest that he said would only take a second. Moody stated “Social media sucks d**k. I don’t have a Facebook page, I don’t have a Twitter, I don’t give a fuck about any of that shit. So if you ever see one that says Ivan L. Moody, fuck that shit. Here’s the reason. Anybody on the internet can say anything at any given time, and immediately it’s considered true. Eighty percent of my life is you guys, this band and my family and that’s it. The other twenty percent belongs to my dog.” Moody then thanked the fans for coming out and not believing the B.S. Moody asked for everyone to put their lighters and cell phones in the air to light the venue then introduced the last song of the night, The Bleeding.”

Five Finger Death Punch Setlist: Lift Me Up, Hard to See, Never Enough, Got Your Six, Bad Company, Jekyll and Hyde, Drum Solo, Burn MF, Wrong Side of Heaven, Battle Born, Coming Down Encore: Under and Over It, The Bleeding

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October 16, 2015
John 5 Talks About His Favorite Horror Movies and Touring

The darkness ascends quietly like a phantom upon the southern NY town of Binghamton, the dead leaves are falling, and there is a slight spine tingling chill in the air. It’s October! Is there a better way to usher in in the Halloween season than with the man who makes all your heavy metal horror dreams come true? Yes folks, that’s right Rob Zombie’s nightmarish heavy metal and mayhem show made a stop at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena (formerly Broome County Arena) last week.

Fans of all ages were lined up at the venue getting into the spirit of the season. Some were dressed as ghouls and other grotesque creatures; there was even a very impressive Captain Spaulding walking amongst the concert goers! If you’re a fan of Rob Zombie, I hope you know who Captain Spaulding is.

The show opened with Rob Zombie’s drummer DJ Ginger Fish donned in a creepy skull mask showing off his DJ skills. DJ Ginger Fish spun some high energy mixes that included Rammstein, Pantera and even a mix of 50s Doo Wop. Even though he was struggling to keep his mask on the entire time, he still spun a very intense set that the crowd was into.

The lights go out, the smoke begins to roll out onto the stage that is adorned with classic Universal horror movie monster backdrops; 1000s of fans are chanting ZOMBIE! One by one the band quietly creeps onto the stage; John 5 looks terrifying in an LED lit gas mask that I can best describe as a robotic human fly; bassist Piggy D is sporting his Dracula look; Ginger Fish looks ready to dominate the drums; Rob Zombie slinks to center stage, his face hidden beneath a pile of hat and hair. The crowd erupts in a massive mosh pit with bodies flying in the air as Zombie and crew tore into their hit “More Human Than Human.”

Without hesitating they ripped right into “Superbeast” and “Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy).” The band delivered a super high energy set and even played a few covers including “Am I Evil” by Diamondhead and in the words of Rob Zombie, “Since we’re in NY, f@ck it let’s do it,” the band caught concert goers by surprise by unleashing a killer version of the Ramones’ anthem “Blitzkrieg Bop.”
The band took their bows, said thanks and left fans crazed and excited from their explosive performance! Overall, Rob Zombie and crew never disappoints!

Also prior to the show I had the honor and privilege to sit down and talk with guitarist extraordinaire John 5. John 5 was very welcoming, funny and sincere. We chatted about what inspires him as a musician, touring and his favorite horror movies. Check out the interview and enjoy!

October 15, 2015