Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the masterminded songwriters behind the new wave rock band, Squeeze, rolled out of two makeshift beds in pajamas and instantly pulled in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall crowd on December 16, as part of the “At Odds Couple” tour. The duo proceeded to rip through two hours of classics mixed in with a few new tunes and works from each singer’s solo careers.
After a brief visit to a set up kitchen table to have a beverage, the dynamic duo kicked off the first set with “Take Me I’m Yours” from their 1978 self-titled release “Squeeze.” Tilbrook briefly exited the stage afterward, to change out of his wrinkled jammies while Difford tackled “Cool For Cats,” one of only two occasions in Squeeze’s grand career where Difford provided lead vocals. Exit Difford, enter Tilbrook for “Black Coffee In Bed,” the only release from 1982’s “Sweets From a Stranger” to chart. The classic tune also featured Elvis Costello and Paul Young on vocal backups. The two ventured back together onstage for six more songs before Difford getting the opportunity to play three solo songs: “Fit As A Fiddle,” “Wrecked” followed by Tilbrook backing on “Cowboys Are My Weakness” providing one of the night’s more memorable moments. “Cowboys,” a tune said to be written for and soon rejected by K.D. Lang, was perfectly accompanied by a video montage of homo-erotic, silly string ejaculate spraying toy cowboys.
The second set featured three solo performances from Tilbrook including “Still,” a beautiful track from his time with The Fluffers and off the release Pandemonium Ensues in 2009. Beside the obvious highlighted classic tracks like “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Tempted, ” the duo lit up the hall with a brand new track, “Cradle To The Grave” from the band’s 2015 album of the same title. “Cradle” featured an official video on the big screen behind the musicians synced perfectly with Difford and Tilbrook. There was an obvious passion in Tilbrook’s voice during “Cradle” that proves the duo still has what it takes to write a catchy, melody driven pop-rock song. It’s hard to believe that the work on the “Cradle” album features a new batch of songwriting that we have not seen since 1998. The night was finished off with the 1978 single, “Goodbye Girl.” A fitting tune for two stellar songwriters who were saying goodbye the Music Hall crowd but will not soon be forgotten.
Setlist: Take Me I’m Yours, Cool For Cats (Difford only), Black Coffee in Bed (Tilbrook only), Nirvana, Electric Trains, Some Fantastic Place, Beautiful Game, Love’s Crashing Waves, Slap and Tickle, Fit As A Fiddle (Difford solo), Wrecked (Difford solo), Cowboys Are My Weakness (Difford solo), Up The Junction. Second set: Still (Tilbrook solo), Ice Cream (Tilbrook solo), The Elephant Ride (Tilbrook solo), Annie Get Your Gun, Truth, Happy Days, Cradle To The Grave, Pulling Mussels, Is That Love, Tempted, Another Nail In My Heart, If I Didn’t Love You, Goodbye Girl.
According to guitarist Karl Bertrand, he and Matt Griffin, also on guitar, met saxophonist Connor Dunn at Schenectady County Community College just last year. They added drummer Paul Guay and bassist Chris Cronin in March to complete their ensemble. While the album provides a chance for all members to shine to different degrees, it is Dunn whose impressive and smooth notes serve as the lead in most songs.
The album’s second single, “Grinder,” prominently features screaming guitar solos wrought with a 
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Like so many others who have shaped the ever-evolving artistic landscape of New York, Kurt Masur — pianist, conductor, and music impresario — came here from somewhere else. Born in Germany, this powerhouse in orchestral music rose from the desolate grayness of the Cold War to become a beacon of light helping to resurrect the once great New York Philharmonic to its proper place as the preeminent American music ensemble.
The band’s full force though came forth once Parks picked up his bass. His hair-raising blasts to open “The Death of Coyote Woman” powerfully proclaimed the band’s intention to beat the audience down to a pulp. Shirtless, dreadlocked, and bearded, drummer Robby Staebler pounded the music onward through its peaks and valleys. With Parks committed to the bass the rest of the set, Ben McLeod’s guitar stood stronger and Van Cleave’s work on the electric piano shone through more brightly. After a superb slide guitar solo and keys-led jam section, “Death of Coyote Woman” evcntually calmed to a standstill before rising again for a glorious finish. When the dust had settled, the song’s companion “The Marriage of Coyote Woman” rose from the ashes. Both songs appear on their 2014 release Lightning at the Door which they sampled from amply throughout the evening. “Marriage” showed off the bands blues leanings, and resulted in another quality improv session.
The heavy fuzzed-out “When God Comes Back” was a huge crowd pleaser, and played like the Devil’s rendition of “Young Man Blues.” Spoken word lyrics over a psychedelic guitar and keys accompaniment had the band channeling the Doors, but again, darker and eviler, on “Blood and Sand / Milk and Endless Waters.” The set came to a close with more bluesy rock and slide guitar on “Charles William.”
New Madrid, out of Athens, GA, played an opening set of diverse indie-rock songs. Led by vocalist/guitarist Phil McGill, the band made the best use of their time, leaving little dead air and taking almost no time to address the audience. The music spoke plenty though. A mellow laid back rocker hinted at Mac DeMarco, a beautiful down-tempo instrumental was reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky, while an 80s style pop-rock tune saw McGill engaging in a whammy bar solo and exhibiting some freak-out dance moves. The quartet finished with a pair of major key fist-pumpers, the first featuring some inventive vocal looping while the closer played bright and bouncy.