Many Phish fans might be familiar with the name Holly Bowling. Those who don’t soon will, and those who know her name will get an inside look into the pianist’s rise in notoriety in the Phish community.
San Francisco-based Holly Bowling became well-known after the end of Phish’s hiatus for an interesting take on the band’s music: “jam-scriptions.” Just as it sounds, she takes Phish songs and turns them into a full solo piano arrangements.
This fall Conveniently Texan Pictures, the makers of the 2012 phan film “WIIIL-SOOON” about the mesh of the Phish song and the Seattle Seahawks, will release a short independent film to bring the story of Holly to light. It will feature an interview with Marco Benevento and include footage of Holly’s first East Coast performance on Aug. 10 at Philadelphia’s Howl At The Moon (performance to feature a surprise guest).
Those who have wandered around when Phish is in town have probably noticed a PhanArt Presents show exhibiting the Phish inspired art of several artists. Holly will be performing at times throughout the upcoming PhanArt Presents: A World Cafe Live One show on Aug. 12 with a special performance around 3 p.m. before Phish’s show hits The Mann that evening.
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams is gearing up for another tour, now celebrating his 20th year creating music. His fall tour will start at the end of August and will feature the brand new Keller Williams Trio with friends Bob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes.
When not playing with the trio, Keller will be performing with some of his side projects including Keller and the Keels, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, and funk project Keller Williams with More Than a Little. His bands will be making stops at festivals such as Lockn’ Festival, Luna Light and Magnolia Fest, among others. As if that wasn’t enough, Keller will also be solo headlining clubs along the way.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Keller will host an all-star lineup of bluegrass friends for “Thanksforgrassgiving” on Nov. 27 and 28. Joining him will be Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Larry Keel, Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band) and Jay Starling (Love Cannon). Catch this bluegrass extravaganza at The National in Richmond, Virginia on the 27th and the 9:30 Club in D.C. on the 28th.
Fans in Buffalo can see the Keller Williams Trio on Sept. 26 at The Tralf. For tickets, tour dates and other information, visit Keller’s website.
This “Road to Backwoods” piece will focus on Backwoods Pondfest repeating act and gracious host, Lucid. Known as the Pride of Plattsburgh, Lucid has made a name for themselves in the North Country as well as all over the Empire State for their music that combines Adirondack blues, high altitude funk and reckless rock for a unique sound of soul and love.
Earlier this spring, Lucid released “Dirt” an album of smooth jazz, light reggae and feel good rock with uplifting grooves and charming harmonies that beautiful captures the Backwoods Pondfest vibe and growth of Lucid. Keeping up with the tradition of two sets, Lucid will perform Friday night on the Woods Stage at 11:45 p.m. and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. on the Main Stage. Being the host at Backwoods, Lucid participates in every aspect of the festival from prepping the campgrounds, organizing the crew and production setup. Their hard work continues to pay off each year with returning fans eager to share in the good times and intimate party atmosphere, making for an ideal festival experience.
The 9th annual Backwoods Pondfest will take place at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y. on August 7 and 8. Tickets are still available via their website (click here) at $75 for two nights of camping and live music. This year’s lineup includes Particle, Ex Presidents (Todd Stoops, Eric Gould, Neal “Fro” Evans and Andrew Block), The Heavy Pets, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk, Mihali Savouliois of Twiddle and much more. Be sure to get your tickets now and meet us in the Backwoods!
After the very first verse of the very first song, there is no doubt that Grace Potter is the real deal. I have seen some female fronted bands where the incredibly pretty woman is scantily clad, she barely sings, she strums the same open note on her guitar over and over again and struts around the stage much to the delight of the men in the audience.
Take that pathetic image and reverse it completely and you have Grace Potter. Potter is beautiful in a tasteful, sultry way, when she opens up her lungs, it’s similar to a pipe organ filling a church with flawlessly designed acoustics, she absolutely rocks her Gibson Flying V guitar and she dances in her heels or barefoot in a delightful free spirited way that evokes the crowd to join her. Did I mention she has the best rock n roll howl in the business?
I enjoyed every minute of the two hour set that Potter and her current back-up band performed Sunday night at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC). Potter took the stage to a roar of applause despite a rather light crowd. The amazing thing about Potter is the amount of time she spends singing with no break. She ripped right through a sixteen song set list with little reprieve. When she wasn’t singing her heart out, she was wailing on her guitar, hammering away on the piano, shaking her tambourine or shaking her booty. She was working hard up on the stage but managed to make it look effortless.
Potter and company played a variety of genres of music from what sounded like modern country, a bit of blues, love ballads and good old rock and roll. I am convinced that with Potter’s range and vocal ability that she can pull off just about anything. She showcased her vocals in “Timekeeper,” “Stars” and “Delirious” a cut off of her upcoming release Midnight. My favorite song of the evening was “Loneliest Soul” off The Lion The Beast The Beat. With its unusual riffs and almost whiney beats combined with Potters melancholy, symphonic voice, it created almost a spiritual effect. It gave me goosebumps.
Other highlights of the evening included fast paced “Medicine” “Hot Summer Night” and a moving version of “Nothing But the Water.” Grace Potter is known for throwing in a hodge podge of cover songs in her live performances. She has run the gamut from Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” to Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” The crowd at CMAC was graced with Potter’s version of The Rolling Stone’s “Gimme Shelter” that was sure to make Mick Jagger proud. Potter ended the evening with fan favorite “Paris (Ooh La La).”
I don’t often make recommendations when it comes to music, but if you have not listened to Grace Potter, please take a moment to go check out some of her live stuff. There’s plenty on YouTube. I was blown away by everything about her. Also, don’t forget she has her new solo album titled Midnight being released at midnight on August 14, 2015.
This fall, Central New York music lovers are in for a treat. Phish tribute band the Lawn Boys are set to recreate Phish’s 1996 Halloween show on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse.
In ’96, Phish started at the Omni in Atlanta with a set full of Phish tunes, then they came back for the second set in their “musical costume” to play the Talking Head’s fourth studio album, Remain in Light, in its entirety. After that, they came back for a third set of Phish originals to complete the epic night.
This year, the Lawn Boys will play the first and last sets of Phish originals, and they’ll welcome Talking Heads tribute band Start Making Sense for the second set to play the Remain In Light portion of the show.
Fans will also have the pleasure of witnessing both bands jam together in a special fourth set.
The Lawn Boys posted on their Facebook page about the upcoming show,
“We’ve been working on this idea for a while and we’re very excited to see it finally come to fruition. We will be recreating phish’s legendary 96 Halloween show at the The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, N.Y. … Please spread the word. Lots more to come on this!”
Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 day of show. The show starts at 8 p.m.
Dark Star Orchestra nixed their usual routine of recreating Grateful Dead shows and played a fantastic mix of Jerry Garcia Band tunes Sunday night at the Saranac Brewery in Utica NY. This deviation of the norm was prompted by the absence of guitarist Rob Eaton who was attending his son’s wedding.
The enthusiastic crowd jammed for four hours to such classics as — “Evangeline” and “Sugaree” and a Beatle cover thrown in as well. Halfway through the second set they performed an excellent version of Shining Star with the audience chiming in on the chorus to the end.
This was my first Dark Star Orchestra show and I certainly hope it will not be the last. They certainly knew how to channel the vibe of the Jerry Garcia Band and I hope to catch one of the recreated Grateful Dead shows in the future.
Set List: One: Let It Rock, Dear Prudence, Evangeline, It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie), Who Was John, I Shall Be Released, Don’t Let Go, Mystery Train
Set Two: The Set Harder They Come, Sugaree, Think, Shining Star, Tough Mama, That Lucky Old Sun, Lonesome And A Long Way From Home, Rubin and Cherise
Dark Star Orchestra has one more stop to make in New York state before they head to Gathering of the Vibes this weekend in CT. Following a JGB set in Saranac Lake Sunday night, the band will return to Rochester for their first ever stadium show at Frontier Field tonight.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past Dead Shows is excited to share this moment with the Rochester Dead Head community and we plan to show them how excited we are to be a part of it. With the celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday fast approaching, they have been heating up shows all tour.
Tickets are still available for $15 and will increase to $18 at the door. This is an all ages show so bring the family for what should be a beautiful summer night of Dead tunes.
The official Gathering of the Vibes 2015 countdown is down to two DAYS. Before we finish stuffing all our camping equipment into our cars, we wanted to up the suspense by asking members of the ever-growing VibeTribe to tell us what they love about GOTV, and what being a member of the VibeTribe means to them. In no particular order, here are the responses we love the most.
Submission by cdrhead:
“My first introduction to ‘the vibe tribe’ was when I started collecting GD tapes. I lived in the next town over from Terrapin Tapes so I would walk in and buy blank Maxell’s there. I switched to cd and started buying blank cds there too. I got to know some of the folks that worked there a little. I would see Ken barefoot at shows, and I was slow to catch on to festivals but when I learned Ken was the promoter I knew GOTV would be good (and I still see him barefoot at shows). I got into message boards at dead.net, then moved to an international forum that got shut down. I came to the vibes board and found lots of friends. I live in CT so I started going to the Vibes full time when they moved it back to Bridgeport. The family feeling is there, we are one tribe.”
Submission by jefferjm:
“Being part of the Tribe means knowing that at least once a year I can arrive in a place where I can be completely myself, and free of worry and the judgement of others. It’s also my chance to spend the highest possible quality time with my 19 year old son. He was born 3 months after Jerry passed but Vibes and all the shows we attend together gives him the chance to see the community that changed my life for the better when I hopped on the bus on Halloween 1979 at the Nassau Colosseum. Vibes continues to be the highlight of our year.”
Submission by Occifer Boland:
“I could go on for pages upon pages…. I won’t. In 2002 my big brother passed away at 37 years old. He was a ‘boardie’ at the time . He died one month before Vibes 2002… He bought my ticket for us to attend together. I wasn’t going to attend, as I was still a mess from losing him. Five days before event, my brother’s crew told me my bro Bob would want me to attend. I went…NEVER LOOKED BACK!!! Only missed 2 Vibes since then. Became ‘family’ with so many. As someone else stated, this is my yearly vacation. I am now 37 years old (age my brother was when he passed away), I am grateful for the years I put in to honor his memory of a festival he enjoyed. And this year The String Cheese Incident is playing, the last fest I saw them was in 2001 with my bro.”
Submission by Depends:
“My first vibes, 2008, I knew no one there. Now, 2015, I have high hopes of seeing and hanging with upwards of 50 people, 25 of which I’m more than happy to call friends. I used to sit and wonder how/why so many younger people were there. I thought that it was an older person thing. Then I remembered my first GD concert, I was 15. I knew then, the teens and 20/30 somethings have had that same feeling. It’s home, with a heart.”
Submission by In A Silent Way:
“I wandered in by accident as the publicist for a local radio station, and met some of my favorite people in the world. I’ve been to two Vibe Tribe weddings, and my kids have had the privilege of growing up at Vibes. There is nothing, NOTHING like the hooting, hollering, and hugging that happens when the festival opens and everybody is saying ‘HAPPY VIBES!”
Submission by Lostsailr:
“In 1996, it was an ad in Dupree’s Diamond News that got us to get a sitter for out one year old twins and head to SUNY Purchase, to listen to some music to fill the void after the loss Of Jerry Garcia. We all wondered what would happen, now that there were no more shows to go to (there will always be more concerts, but not any ‘Shows,’ though Chicago did just prove me wrong on that point). We came upon a group of fellow deadheads we never met, but automatically knew we were home. We were even greeted by the first volunteer we came to that day, and have been greeting others the same way ever since: ‘Welcome Home!”
Not excited enough yet? The team at Gathering of the Vibes just announced some new acts this past week, including Road To Vibes winners Relative Souls, along with the incredible Nigel Hall and Eric Krasno. In addition to great music, great weather is being forecasted for this weekend, upward of 86 degrees. We hope you all try to get through the first half of your work week, and we thank everyone for their responses. We can’t wait to see you over this sunny, musical weekend.
The fifth annual Frendly Gathering was held the last weekend of June at beautiful defunct ski mountain Timber Ridge Resort in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. With professional snowboarders Jack Mitrani and Danny Davis at the helm, Frendly set out to bring the masses together for a weekend of incredible music, camping, skateboarding, delicious food, yoga and most importantly, inclusiveness. With the motto “there is no ‘I’ in frends,” the festival was true to its word and brought out the best in their attendees.
For those who bought early arrival passes for Thursday, there was noteworthy music already happening once they were shuttled to the grounds. Devesh Duo Band and Gold Town welcomed Frendly goers setting up camp, followed by Burlington favorites Dead Set . With their unique renditions of classic Grateful Dead tunes, they got the bodies moving during the first beautiful sunset of Frendly Gathering.
Billed as The Smooths, Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle and Todd Stoops took the stage for a unique, smile-inducing set. A cast of characters joined in on the fun for “Frends Theme,” including Jack and Danny, Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle and Jack’s brother Luke Mitrani. The crowd was full of energy, singing along with every word. The magic began to swell, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the masses would fill the mountain with hugs, smiles and high-fives.
By Friday morning, it was apparent that people were anxious and ready for the headliners of the weekend, Twiddle. Mihali did several solo shows in the Martin Guitar Dome where anyone could pick up a guitar and play throughout the weekend. But Mihali’s kid’s set in the dome was certainly something special, with the tiniest of Twiddle fans singing every word. The kid’s set really proved that the Gathering wanted every single attendee, from little to big, to be included in the magic. Even Ben and Jerry’s were in on the fun, handing out free ice cream throughout the weekend.
The Wood Stage, set in the dense forest with a giant teepee covering the stage, was the scene of some incredible shows on Friday. New Jersey natives Sleepy Man, consisting of a trio of brothers ranging from age 12 to 17, put on a show that left the masses boggled at what they had witnessed. Spitting out folk and bluegrass like they had been playing for 20 years, Sleepy Man left no stone unturned. The crowd was electric, showing their pride for Frendly’s youngest act. Following Sleepy Man was the sultry sounds of Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. The eight-piece band sent horns blaring through the mountain, giving people the classic soul sounds sure to get them on their feet and dancing. Jumping back to the Woods Stage, Montana bluegrass band The Kitchen Dwellers took bluegrass to an entirely different level, blending psychedelia and bluegrass effortlessly.
Friday’s lineup was stacked, including Moon Hooch, Valerie June, Spirit Family Reunion and Canyon Collected. Each keeping the energy high, they were only paving the road for what would become an epic evening at Frendly. Heavy-hitting funk band Kung Fu brought the hammer down on Friday night, with new keyboardist Beau Sasser’s Hammond organ giving the crowd exactly what they were craving. The jam-funk brought the energy level at Frendly to new highs, especially when Mihali of Twiddle came on stage for “Hollywood Kisses,” which of course turned into “Mihaliwood Kisses.” After a full day of dancing and high energy acts, the crowd was still very ready for the headliners of the weekend: Twiddle.
If you were looking to hear your favorite Twiddle song, then they were anxious to give it to you. Opening with “Gatsby the Great,” Twiddle came out swinging. Every single person at the venue was on a Twiddle high, singing along and throwing the now-famous “peak” in the air. Torrin Daniels, banjo master from the Kitchen Dwellers, jumped in adding that extra something to an already incredible Twiddle set. Closing out the night with an epic version of “All Along the Watchtower,” no one left without a smile from ear to ear.
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and beat-boxer Lynx brought it all home Friday night after Twiddle. Her voice carried through the mountains, even to those too weary to stand after a heavy first day. It wouldn’t be the last we saw of Lynx though, as she played throughout the weekend on several stages, even making a stop in the Martin Guitar Dome.
Saturday came, and with it, some rain. But that didn’t stop the masses from doing their morning yoga and dancing to the incredible music that was to follow. If you were up early enough, your day began with a marching band down the mountain including Twiddle and Jack Mitrani and Danny Davis. As you hopped on the train, it led you down to the pond where Twiddle played to everyone huddled around the tiny body of water. It was an incredible way to kick off the final day, with everyone wearing their weary smiles with pride. The day was riddled with fantastic music, including Americana favorites The Kalob Griffin Band hailing from Philadelphia and an intimate Burton TeePee set from Nahko (of Nahko and Medicine for the People). Turkuaz took the Frendly Stage and before you knew it, the ultimate dance party erupted. Their horn-heavy funk eruption had a sea of people dancing effortlessly. Jumping back to the Wood Stage, soul band Con Brio kept the feet moving with their old-school approach to soul and funk.
In the middle of all the activities and music, there was some very important charity work being done by organizations like Love Your Brain and the newly-founded White Light Foundation. White Light raffled off Twiddle and Burton goods, raising over $2000 for the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children and Love Your Brain. If you bought even just one ticket, you could feel the good being passed on to those in need.
Even when the rain began to fall on Saturday evening, people gathered around for the inspiring international music of Nahko and Medicine for the People. The rain certainly did not deter fans from being included in the soul-healing music of Nahko. If anything, it was a welcomed sign from Mother Nature that we were all in it together.
Still the rain fell, but it did not stop every single person on the mountain from witnessing the final night of Twiddle. The crowd’s collective voices rang through the rain for songs like “Frankenfoot” and “Jamflowman.” It was magical, to say the least. Frendly Gathering most certainly delivered, paying homage to the ties that bind music-lovers together. If you came in with one friend, you left with many. If you came with the stresses of daily life on your shoulders, you left without them. Jack and Danny created the ultimate festival experience in the middle of Vermont, leaving everyone anxious for next year’s Gathering.
If you’re interested in seeing what all the fun was about, check out Frendly Presents YouTube channel, which has high-definition recaps of the entire weekend.
With a focus on bands that call New York State home, NYS Music is happy to share three Spotify playlists that highlight bands from New York State. We take pride in the homegrown talent we share on our pages each day and hope you will find music both new and familiar through our continually updated playlists.
Whether you like Rock/Metal/Punk, Jam/Funk/Reggae or Bluegrass/Folk/Country, NYS Music has you covered. Make sure to follow each list and NYS Music on Spotify for updates to each playlist as we discover more great music that NYS Music has to offer.
Musicians and bands, want to included in the playlists? Comment below and we’ll add you to the right playlist.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past 
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