NYS Music 20​15

Category: Funk/Soul/R&B

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Out-of-State Festivals

    While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.

    2015 festivalsBest Small Festival: Arise Music Festival, East Coast Tsunami Festival, Grand Point North Festival and The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival

    With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.

    Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”

    Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”

    And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”

    Best Midsize Festival: Green River Festival
    Honorable Mention: Aura Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling, Camp Bisco, DelFest, McDowell Mountain Music Festival

    Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:

    Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”

    Best Large Festival: Gathering of the Vibes and Summer Camp
    Honorable Mention: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest, Lockn’ Music Festival, Peach Festival, Rock Allegiance, Rock On the Range

    Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:

    As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”

    With more than 100 bands over four days on seven stages, this year’s installment of Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL, saw a stacked lineup of bands like moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Miller Band, Widespread Panic, STS9, Big Gigantic, John Butler Trio, Krewella, Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and Grateful Grass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Violent Femmes and many, many more. Festivalgoers also had access to on-site camping, the infamous late night Red Barn Shows, musician workshops, a nonprofit village, arts and crafts and unique food vendors, plus some impressive improvements. In Pete Mason’s review of the festival’s final day, he detailed what made the perfect ending to the much celebrated event:

    The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”

    Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

  • Photo Gallery: Rumble Strips at Black Oak Tavern, December 3

    Rumble Strips brought to life such sweet musicality and delicate soundwaves at Black Oak Tavern on December 3. A band formed out of Oneonta brought everyone together to enjoy some chill beats and rhythmic tunes. They shook the world in the most gentle way, combining soft jams and uplifting and powerful funk. They put the ‘rumble’ in Rumble Strips.

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for New York State Festivals

    Nothing compares to experiencing live music. But when it comes to packing up and leaving the world behind to immerse in a weekend of musical debauchery with a community of like-minded souls, well, that’s the stuff that dreams are made of for music festival fans.

    From one-band to multi-artist events and crowd sizes from 2,000 to 50,000, New York State hosts a bevy of festivals annually in some of the most beautiful settings imaginable, and let’s face it, our state knows how to throw a proper fest, as it is ingrained in New York’s rich musical history having put on one of the biggest rock festivals of all time, Woodstock. Here we’ve rounded up our favorites from NYS Music 2015, so sit back, relax and relive some of the festival magic that happened throughout the Empire State this year, because we all know what it’s like to experience those post-fest blues.

    Buffalove2015sat-0626

    Best Small Festival: Buffalove and Disc Jam

    The third installment of Buffalove Music Festival saw a venue change from Cole Farm, Panama, NY, to North Fork Music Park, Warsaw, NY, with the new location offering four stages, a private beach, disc golf and wooded-area camping, and a record attendance that doubled previous years. With an impressive lineup including Kung Fu, Pink Talking Fish, Funktional Flow, Particle, Formula 5, Mister F, Space Junk, Dopapod, Aqueous and Aquapod, the three-day June 2015 festival created to celebrate Western New York’s emerging music scene was one for the books, according to Jen Foster and Thomas Sgroi:

    Buffalove came through. Co-founder of Buffalive Productions and Founder of Buffalove Cody Conway clearly had one goal in mind: keep the energy as high as possible. Every single band had heads turning and jaws on the ground. There was never a lull, never a band that just played to fill space. Every minute was dance-worthy. If you missed out this year, we can highly recommend you don’t make that mistake next year. Without any problems or unruly attendees, this festival made its mark at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The amount of talent coming out of Upstate New York is only paving the road for more incredible shows. Buffalove, you certainly were lovely.”

    Another summer fest that saw a venue change was the fifth annual Disc Jam Music Festival, which moved from Massachusetts to New York State—and promoters recently announced that the event will return to Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown for its sixth year in June. Throughout four days of music, camping, disc golf and Flow Tribe, festivalgoers experienced live performances from more than 50 acts, including Lettuce, Electron, Dopapod, Aqueous, Brightside, Kung Fu, Consider the Source, Cabinet, Soule Monde, Roots of Creation, Formula 5, The Hornitz, Soul Rebel Project, Broccoli Samurai, Krewe de Groove and Relative Souls. According to Dave DeCrescente, the festival’s last day culminated with a “healthy dose of guest sit-ins” with jamband Twiddle, noting that:

    One of the highlights of the set was the massive guest sit in with DJ Honeycomb, James Woods, and Joe Davis from Formula 5, Scott Hannay of Mister F and Todd Stoops for the ultimate mega jam on “Apples.” The Disc Jam Flow Tribe was out in full force with fire spinners and hooping entertainers that were almost as mesmerizing as the music. The weekend ended just as it started, with mind blowing music and a close knit community who continue to make the Disc Jam Festival special. Tony Scavone and crew did a suburb job of organizing the 5th annual Disc Jam with a new location but still the same friendly, loving festival experience that keeps fans coming back each year.”

    Best Mid-Size Festival: Catskill Chill

    While Catskill Chill is speculated to make a move to Lake George in 2016, the festival’s last waltz at bucolic Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY, this September was a success, selling 5,000 tickets, according to Chill promoter Dave Marzollo. Headlined by moe. who kicked off their fall tour at the festival and including other bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle, Turkuaz, Dopakuaz plays Studio 54 and The Motet, the sixth annual installment of Catskill Chill featured on-site cabin rentals, daily yoga, live art, a farmer’s market, craft and food vendors, a communal bonfire nightly and an open mic. The three-day event was packed with guest sit-ins and collaborations like Dopapod and Turkuaz joining forces to play as Dopakuaz, which Chill organizer Josh Cohen noted is the type of community mindset that sets this festival apart from others its size or larger by creating an environment where rising bands can experiment and grow in a unique setting:

    Point is that when comparing us to larger festivals, we’re at this cool stage attendance-wise where in many band’s cases we have the best ‘music’ out there in our prime slots. I love tons of bands who’ve been around since the ’90s or earlier but there’s nothing like seeing musicians in their youthful stages, when creativity is just exploding and you can feel it dripping off the stage as opposed to later-in-their career bands who are playing mostly songs they first wrote and fell in love with decades earlier.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6Uk03HW9k&feature=youtu.be

    Best Large Festival: Magnaball

    It’s no surprise that Magnaball takes the cake for this category. During late August more than 30,000 phans invaded Watkins Glen International race track for Phish Festival 10. And while the three-day event took place at the site of their 2011 Superball IX festival, this time around the setup featured many upgrades, including local and regional food vendors, the five-course restaurant Festival Ate, MagnaWater Program, speciality Phish-themed cocktails and coveted craft beer from Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Hill Farmstead. (And let’s not forget to mention the interactive Glurt Institute, Drive-In movie theater, JEMP Record Store and cornhole tournament.) The Vermont quartet majorly delivered throughout the weekend’s eight sets busting out rare tunes like “Mock Song” and jamming out typical breather ballads such as “Prince Caspian” to uncharted territory, but perhaps one of the highlights was the Saturday festival tradition of performing a late-night set, which according to Pete Mason raised expectations for future secret sets:

    Magnaball’s foray into the history of Phish’s special festival sets was the Drive-In Jam and it raised the bar while putting forth a performance on par with the ‘Storage Jam,’ if not exceeded this established upper echelon of improvisation. On a 183-foot movie screen, a wide array of visual treats combined with a progressively growing ambient jam that eclipsed the Lemonwheel by a longshot and morphed into a full on jam for 50 minutes. The Drive-In Set raised the bar for surprise performances and gave fans a treat after the music on the main stage ended an hour prior.”

  • Hearing Aide: lespecial “Omnisquid”

    Boston-based death-funk trio lespecial released their first, full-length studio album titled Omnisquid on November 20. It invites listeners to follow on a sonic voyage of nautical proportions. lespecial is Luke Bemand (bass, vocals, synth) Rory Dolan (drums, percussion, sampler) and Jonathan Grusauskas (guitar, vocals, sampler, synth).

    The album tells a story of extra-terrestrial beings commandeering the minds of giant squids which rise from the ocean to wreak havoc and destruction upon the populace. This storyline plays out through a heavy soundscape with, at times, playful, nautical inspired riffs and beats that make the listener feel like they’re in an underwater dancehall. lespecial has created a world with this album and it’s oceanic inspirations are evident.

    The first track on the album, “Fruit Wolf Dance,” opens with a haunting, aquatic groove building into a driving onslaught of the trio’s instrumental talents. This driving force has moments of respite allowing for each instrument to shine yet remain cohesive. Halfway through, the track takes a turn showcasing their electronic sample proficiency with bubble-like pops and the live-trap drumming lespecial has become known for. The live-trap and sample sounds coalesce into the heavier tone found earlier in the song making for a seamless display of the genre bending this band is capable of. Bemand has stated previously that this album is a return to their musical roots, showcasing “a heavier vibe throughout.”

    The second number, “Squid Rising,” introduces the listener to the story of the giant squids with noticeable seafaring compositions and Bemand’s thick basslines amidst the recordings of news reports of the squid’s destruction. Following up the tale’s intro is the title track, “Omnisquid,” a frenetic serenade of layered guitar riffs and polyrhythmic drumming. “Optimus Prime Slot” features some industrial-heavy drum programming by fellow Boston-based music-maker, Rob Uslan aka Supersillyus, and make for an excellent juxtapose to Grusauskas’ pinching guitar riffs and eerie vocals.

    “Sugaboi” is a jamtronica laden track, again displaying the bands diverse and ample capability of playing different styles which they seem to be poking fun at with the overlay of a recording stating “see there’s some question about my identity/ let me put it to ya this way/ I’m not sure who I am.” Possibly answering that question is the following, “Leaps Evil,” where Dolan’s drumming keeps an excellent, relentless pace amongst Grusauskas’ soaring vocals and Bemand’s standout bass riffs. “Ships in the Night” feels like a reprieve from the repetitive build and crash that previous tracks include, giving way to the album’s first pre-release single, “New Fish.” Sliding bass and a wonky guitar vibe swell to a powerful, double-bass filled barrage fading out unrelenting. Like “Leaps Evil,” “Pressed for Time” conveys lespecial’s distinct command of differentiating time signatures and penchant for high-pitched vocal harmonies.

    Closing out the journey is the track “Absolutely Stunning,” recounting a fisherman’s tale of what he may or may not have seen. There’s a very cinematic, “end-of-times” vibe to this track with the addition of a cello arrangement by Julian Lenz. The cello amplifies another build and release to the heaviness that lespecial has been touting the whole album.  Whilst weaving a tale of cephalopods taken over by aliens, Omnisquid most definitely exemplifies a return to form of contrasting time signatures and dark, heavy grooves. If you’re in need of a cinematic auditory experience, lespecial’s first full length has it.

    All songs on the album were written and performed by lespecial and all tracks recorded and mixed by Andrew Greacen at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY except “Ships in the Night,” recorded and mixed at the Music Cellar in Millerton NY, and the Morrison Gallery in Kent, CT. All of the tracks were mastered by Jocko at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY.

    Omnisquid is available for direct download at lespecial.bandcamp.com/album/omnisquid and also on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and CD Baby.

  • Catskill Chill to Move to Lake George

    Catskill Chill may soon become “Adirondack Chill” with plans to move the festival to Lake George.

    The Post-Star of Glens Falls reported today that Chill promoter Dave Marzollo met with the Warren County committee that allocates money raised through the county’s bed tax and told them, “We really think this is the perfect home for our festival.”

    catskill chill lake georgeThe festival is set to be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Charles Wood Park in Lake George, and will receive $15,000 for marketing from Warren County via the county’s occupancy tax. If it moves to Lake George, Marzollo told county officials that “Catskill” will be removed from the festival’s name.

    Marzollo told the county that he sold 5,000 tickets to this year’s Chill, the sixth annual edition, which was held at Camp Minglewood in Hancock. Marzollo didn’t want the festival to leave Camp Minglewood, but he announced last year that he had to move it for reasons beyond his control.

    This year’s Chill was headlined by moe. and included bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle and The Motet, among many others.

    https://youtu.be/jOMlLBDgUHE

  • Wednesdays in December at Funk n Waffles are NYS Music Nights

    It might get cold in Syracuse this December, but things are going to get hot at Funk n Waffles Downtown when NYS Music presents bands from around New York State, every Wednesday throughout December.

    Major Player with special guest The Nudes perform on December 9, while the folk-pop of Black Mountain Symphony brings guest Steve Scuteri on December 16. Just before Christmas, Albany’s Ampevene make their debut at Funk n Waffles, alongside Chris Eves. New Years Eve-Eve will be celebrated with the roots stylings of Grayak with Michelle Renee in support.

    Doors open at 7pm each night with music starting at 8pm. Enjoy a variety of bands that call New York State home every Wednesday night at Funk n Waffles (and some great food too!)

  • Hearing Aide: The Primrose Drive EP

    Going into my first listen to The Primrose Drive’s EP I was apprehensive. From the sessions I’d seen online, I knew the the group had talent, but I had no idea how they would display it in the studio. Primrose opens their EP with “Empty Auditorium”, a Dan Auerbach-esque tune with a catchy riff and driving drums. I was disappointed when the vocals entered, because it felt to me like they were too separated from the music.

    Their second song, “Funk > Shakedown Street”, completely changed my opinion. It proved to me that the skills are certainly present as are the vocals. I think the fault in “Empty Auditorium”, if any, lies in the production. I grooved to Funk >. It’s certainly something that I’m going to play on my radio show in the coming weeks. I pressed onward to “Up Close”—simple, catchy, groovy. It’s a sweet, introspective tune. This eventually became my favorite song on the EP because it fits with the songs that I’ve been listening to since my move to Syracuse. Things only got better with “Site 21”. It was folky in nature, which I absolutely love, and the minor chord progressions leading into the chorus were a great touch. The final song, “Waiver” was a nice ending. It grooved, and the guitar solos were stellar.

    All in all, I don’t think there was anything “groundbreaking” about the Primrose Drive’s first EP. It’s their take on a genre that has existed for quite some time. That being said, I’m excited to here for more them in the coming years. The Primrose Drive certainly separates themselves from other rock groups with the authenticity of their music. Every tune is genuine and heartfelt, a window into the group’s wild highs and morose lows. watch out for these guys.

    Key Tracks: Up Close, Funk > Shakedown Street

  • Brooklyn Funk: Vulfpeck Shines in Debut New York Performance

    On a night where the company was only surpassed by the music, Vulfpeck performed their highly anticipated Brooklyn Bowl debut in New York. Following the final night of Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s three-night run, the smooth funk group from Michigan was the perfect late night show. Dancing across the lanes never felt so good.

    vulfpeckA happy four piece with a variety of guests joining throughout the night. Vulfpeck is energetic and they lay down a sensual brand of funk, and were clearly excited to be in New York. Playing to a sold out crowd that demanded a second show be added for Monday, November 23 at Brooklyn Bowl, Vulfpeck joins The New Mastersounds, Kung Fu, Lettuce and Marco Benevento, ushering in the next era of in demand funk bands. Mister F has impressively covered them on multiple occasions, and the word is starting to get out. Guitarist and drummer Theo Katzman, nodding to the band’s late arrival to the stage, suggested starting “a movement to encourage starting on time,” but none in the audience were complaining. Katzman gave shout outs to Lenox Hill Hospital and Bellmore, Long Island, marking a homecoming performance for the multi-instrumentalist.

    The attentive crowd anticipated the funk throughout the night, Charles Jones joined Vulfpeck on keys and smooth ’70s style vocals. A promising instrumental cover of Cheryl Lynn’s “To Be Real” was accented by the Bowl’s disco ball. When the band broke into “1612”, the crowd sang the “Frank Sinatra” line like they’d be seeing them for years.

    Moving around on stage and switching instruments, with two keyboardists at times, added a degree of difficulty not seen by many acts. Antwaun Stanley sang at key points of the set, adding soul to “Funky Duck” and “1612” among many more. For their first Brooklyn Bowl show, the venue was full, the audience fulfilled and Vulfpeck delivered.
    [FinalTilesGallery id=’538′]

  • Chris Robinson Brotherhood Closes 3-Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

    Upon taking the stage, Brotherhood bandleader Chris Robinson clearly felt at home beginning the final show of his band’s three-night stint at Brooklyn Bowl, inquiring of the venue’s bowler-patrons, “How’s your game tonight?” The casual confidence of this still-young band comprised of veterans was evident in their choice of “Taking Care of Business” as opener.

    CRB

    Heads bobbed to a few tightly delivered bluesy numbers, with keyboardist Adam MacDougall’s trippy pitch-bent Mini-Moog often carrying the melody and helping to define the group’s signature sound. The ensemble’s musical versatility revealed itself in stages, with bassist Mark Dutton laying down a juicy, rolling bassline to start “The Music’s Hot,” which also featured soloing from guitarist Neal Casal reminiscent of Little Feat. The energy reached a new plateau mid-set with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Down In The Flood” as large portions of the crowd began to let loose and dance. Dutton, looking serene and often nearly motionless at far stage-left, was locked in as he consistently delivered basslines that were generally big and deep, dropping heavy notes like anchors dead on the beat. “I’m A Hog For You” was the only tune of the night to feature Robinson on harmonica and left the crowd simmering as it ended the first set.

    The second set began with the band providing lyrical mantras celebrating Saturday night and having a good time. The playing throughout was freer and more varied. In its instrumental improvisations, the band modulated between cerebral and spacious textures, often dominated by MacDougall, and energetic rollicking rock-outs, typically led by Casal. More than a few audience members perked up when the Los Angeles-based band busted out their cover of the Grateful Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway.” Another highlight was disco-jammer “I Ain’t Hiding,” the second Black Crowes song to appear during the evening. Acoustic instruments appeared for the two-song encore, culminating with a beautiful delivery of Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country”.

    Despite having three records to their name, Chris Robinson Brotherhood relied on only three tunes from last year’s Phosphorescent Harvest on this particular night, fleshing out the show with their interpretations of numerous classics. If you want old fashioned psych-blues rock and roll played with authority, CRB are among the best doing it in 2015.

    Setlist:
    Set 1: Taking Care of Business, Jump the Turnstiles, The Music’s Hot, Oak Apple Day, Down in the Flood, Little Lizzie Mae, Like a Tumbleweed in Eden, I’m A Hog For You

    Set 2: Saturday Night in Oak Grove, Louisiana, Ain’t It Hard But Fair, Shore Power, Clear Blue Sky & The Good Doctor, West L.A. Fadeaway, Tough Mama, I Ain’t Hiding, Got Love If You Want It

    Encore: Betty & Dupree, Girl From the North Country

  • From New Orleans to Albany: An Interview with The Revivalists Guitarist Zack Feinberg

    For the past seven years, Guitarist Zack Feinberg has been on a seemingly endless tour with New Orleans rock group The Revivalists.

    Currently touring to promote their 2015 album Men Amongst Mountains, the group made a stop at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany, NY on November 5. Feinberg, along with pedal steel guitarist Ed Williams and drummer Andrew Campanelli, took a few minutes of his pre-show time to speak with NYSMusic about the band’s origins including the “famous bike story,” early tours with The Rebirth Brass Band, their Prince-inspired Halloween show and more.

    Erin Clary: How did you all come together? I understand none of you are actually originally from New Orleans.

    Zack Feinberg: Yes, I’m actually from New York. A bunch of us went to college in New Orleans; six out of seven of us. Everyone but Dave, our lead singer, went to college in New Orleans. The famous “bike story” is that Dave had just moved to New Orleans and he was singing on his front porch. I was riding my bike and stopped because he sounded so good. He was looking for people to play with, had just moved to the city. I had known Andrew, our drummer, from Tipitina’s, a club in New Orleans. They have these weekly clinics and we had been going there kind of jamming with each other. He knew George, our bass player, from college. He knew Rob from college. We knew Mike from college and playing in bands in New Orleans. Ed we knew from bands but he also went to school down there.

    EC: So because you all lived in New Orleans but you all happen to be from different areas, does that influence your sound? Because it’s clear it’s not a strictly New Orleans sound.

    ZF: Yeah. I think we’re all musicians that have a different range of influences. We love New Orleans. We love New Orleans music. We like a lot of different music. I think a lot of musicians in New Orleans also are into different styles.

    EC: I’ve heard that the Rebirth Brass Band took you guys under their wing for a time. Can you talk about how that has shaped your influence along the way?

    ZF: They were generous enough to allow us to open for them when we first started to tour. It was really because our manager at the time, Stu Schayot, he is the general manager for a pub in New Orleans call The Howlin’ Wolf. He manages them as well. So he kind of set that up. But they throw a great show and they get the crowd moving the whole time.

    EC: Yeah – like you guys!

    ZF: Yeah!

    EC: I’ve been listening to you guys for a few years. I first heard you at Mountain Jam a few years ago. You played a few sets.

    ZF: Yeah! That was awesome. That inside set was so awesome.

    EC: This was the first time I heard you. My friend and I were like, “Who are these guys?” But I listen to you a lot and the lyrics include struggle and love, of course. How do you come up with these lyrics? Is there one person who generally writes, or do you all take turns?

    ZF: Dave writes a lot of them, as the singer. If there’s a song that’s stemming out of an instrumental idea where everyone’s jamming on, he will tend to be the one to do it. I’d say he writes probably 70 percent of our lyrics. Andrew, our drummer, writes lyrics. I write lyrics. It’s pretty collaborative. A person could write an entire song on their own or write a lot of the song on their own.

    EC: Are they from your own life experiences? When I’m listening it often feels like a movie scene in my head. I can see the girl, the guy, the struggle…

    ZF: I think personal experience definitely offers a big part of it but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.

    EC: There’s an audible passion for the music. It is evident that this is your love. Did you grow up surrounded by music? Were your parents musicians?

    ZF: They’re not musicians but my family really likes music a lot. My older brother is a musician; he’s a guitar player. My dad plays guitar.

    EC: You just released an album this summer, “Men Amongst Mountains.” Can you talk about the process in creating it? And what is the theme?

    Ed Williams: It’s literally a man walking into a mountain.

    Andrew Campanelli: I always think of it that our songs were written a lot when we were on the road in those years that we spent touring after we made City of Sound, a record that we made while we were getting used to living in New Orleans. And then we went on the road and that song itself was written while we were on the road in the Colorado mountains. The one thing that ties all the songs together is the years that they were in. We’ve been going out into this world and realizing it’s a big place, and we’re just men.

    EC: Ok, so the process then?

    ZF: It was made over three sessions in 2014. We did a week in January 2014, at a studio in the country which is a studio in Bogaloosa, Louisiana. It was kind of like a cabin in the woods situation. From there, we added two or three songs onto the record and did overdubs on two different sessions in New Orleans. The process was very much like get everyone together playing in a room and track it. Then do our overdubs.

    EC: I counted this tour you have 40 shows…

    ZF: Yeah, we’re doing about 150 a year, so it’s really a never-ending tour.

    EC: Well I would call that “extensive” then. So what are some of the highlights?

    ZF: Definitely Halloween.

    EC: I mean…you guys dressed as Prince. You nailed it.

    ZF: I made an appointment at a barber shop and everything. We had a blast; that was amazing. It was a sold out show at the 930 Club. It was a great milestone and we really prepared a lot with all the Prince material. Red Rocks was another highlight. Outside Lands was definitely a highlight. Kaaboo was cool. We got to see No Doubt at Kaaboo! Brews and Blues Festival in Telluride.

    EC: So now you’re here in Albany, called “Smalbany” by some. Does playing in a small city and small venue offer any opportunities?

    ZF: It’s its own thing. It’s cool to do shows where you have less expectations all day because in a way you’re looser and it’s a different vibe to the set. So it’s really fun as an audience member to see shows like that and as a musician. And you know what, its’ fucking packed up there! We played here, but it wasn’t called The Hollow. We played here a few years ago, and sat in this very basement. So this is a huge improvement.