NYS Music 20​15

Category: Genres

  • Keller Williams Announces Fall Tour and New Trio

    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.

    Keller_German House_2013

    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.

    KWDATES

  • Road to Backwoods: Lucid — Gracious Host and Headliner

    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.

    lucid

    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!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9SVsO6XkQk]

  • Grace Potter Proves She’s “Got The Medicine That Everybody Wants” In Canandaigua

    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?

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    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.

  • Despite Mayhem Fest in Town, Cro-Mags Brought The Ruckus

    After catching a few shows in the Long Island area earlier in the spring, I was eager to travel from Syracuse and back. All because Club Loaded keeps bringing exciting shows to Revolution Music Hall. It was only appropriate to catch New York’s most legendary hardcore band Cro-Mags last Sunday, July 26.

    I was kind of shocked at the lack of attendance at this show, but as I sat at the bar and enjoyed some fried food that likely took a few years of my life span (totally worth it). Someone had mentioned to me that the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival was in Long Island the same night. But on a positive note, it was a very intimate show. Crazy mosh pits and the explosive energy that Cro-Mags brought on stage made this a very memorable night.

    Local openers Demon Racer and Johnny Booth graced the crowed with brief sets before what felt like an eternity wait before Cro-Mags just leveled the stage. You couldn’t have asked for a better opening song than “We Gotta Know” followed by “World Peace” and “Show You No Mercy” all off the classic Age Of Quarrel album. Basically…they played almost the whole album with a couple of other songs lightly sprinkled into their set.

    Guitarist A.J. Novello was missing in action due to family obligations, so Black Anvil guitarist Gary Bennett stepped in and did one hell of a job filling in. It was actually a nice surprise. Despite years of line-up changes, Cro-Mags are veterans of their genre and have showed absolutely no sign of slowing down. Their sound as tight and precise as ever with an energy on stage that is unmatched by most bands. Frontman John Joseph McGowan, looks like a mad man on stage dancing between lyrics and encouraging the crowd to mosh and stage dive. Although that sounds dangerous, but everyone was having fun and looking out for each other.

    Cro-Mags closed their set with “Don’t Trend On Me” and playfully stormed off the stage before doing an encore with their trademark hit “Hard Times.”

    Afterwards, the band came out to hang with the crowd which is always nice and most other bands of all genres should take note.

    Overall, it was a fun night, the sound of the venue was crystal clear and loud, and the Cro-Mags proved they’re still the leaders in New York City hardcore.

    cromags-2015

  • The Indie Pop Scene Takes Over Cooperstown

    Cooperstown was the place to be on July 26, for baseball aficionados and indie pop fans alike. In addition to it being the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Induction Weekend, just a few miles south, Brewery Ommegang was proud to present The Decemberists with very special guests Lucius. Having been lucky enough to catch a set by Lucius at last year’s Mountain Jam, and hearing stories of the wacky stage antics and audience interactions for which The Decemberists are known, there was no doubt that this show was going to be fabulous.

    To get everyone pumped for the evening’s main act, Lucius was a force to be reckoned with, with the two leading ladies Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig being played in by multi-instrumentalists Andrew Burri, Peter Lalish, and Dan Molad. Donning identical outfits and hairdos, Wolfe and Laessig do much more than dress in unison.

    Whether singing the same notes together sounding as one, or harmonizing blending together the most unlikely but simultaneously striking notes, Lucius is definitely a band worth watching. The ladies’ shorter and less-blonde-than-usual ‘dos added a more punkish feel initially to the set, but they turned towards their more folk side later on, having just returned from the Newport Folk Festival where they had the privilege of playing with Roger Waters (and none other than The Decemberists).

    Sandwiched in the middle of their set, Lucius covered three folk tunes, including Paul Anka’s “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and Ian and Sylvia’s “You Were On My Mind”. I don’t believe a crowd has ever danced that hard to those old favorites! Giving Burris, Lalish, and Molad chances to demonstrate their expert capabilities, the girls left the stage a couple of times to let them shine, treating the audience to an almost classical sounding guitar duet at one point. Graciously thanking The Decemberists for the opportunity to go on tour with them, and even giving a shout-out to the Hall of Fame Inductees, Lucius adequately prepped the audience for the rest of what turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

    With the clouds looking awfully threatening to the south, I quickly grabbed some tasty local grub from the famous Origins Café food truck, fully expecting to be hunkering down in my rain gear for the duration, but thankfully the weather cooperated (at least over Ommegang – who knows what it was doing two miles up the road?). With as dramatic an entrance as to be expected from a band known for their fun live show experiences, The Decemberists walked out onto a dark stage, with a backdrop of the band’s latest album cover, after a classic soundtrack which sounded like music from the 1920s was being played on an old record player blasted over the speakers. The quirkiness of simply having its roots in Portland, Oregon, shined through immediately in The Decemberists’ set, with the first song “The Singer Addresses His Audience,” giving off the feeling of a king addressing his court. Next up was “July July!”, played in an almost Who/Tommy style, featuring Nate Query on the stand-up bass using a bow, which always adds a haunting quality to a tune. After lead vocalist Colin Meloy announced that some of their songs will be good, and some will just be “eh,” the band went into “Down By the Water”. The Decemberists showed off its versatility by switching seamlessly between what Meloy classified as coal miner material with “Rox in a Box”, featuring Jenny Conlee prominently on the accordion, to French Legionnaire material with “The Legionnaire’s Lament”.

    At this point in the set, Meloy took the opportunity to promote the band’s new album What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, playing a poppier catchier than usual “Make Me Better.” Getting a bit more emotional, Meloy confessed that he decided to write this next forward-marching song, which featured a lovely piano solo by Conlee, during a tough time he was going through with his family.

    Settling back into some of their older more familiar tunes for a bit, The Decemberists demonstrated just how dedicated a fan base they have generated, with people of all ages who had come out of the woodworks for this show singing along with each and every word of this band’s eccentric lyrics.

    The band also showed how multi-talented each and every musician in the band is, featuring some swirly Hammond sounds from Conlee, and some fancy pedal steel action from guitarist Chris Funk, on top of more beautiful bowed bass playing by Query on “The Island”. After telling the entire audience how beautiful each and everyone looked, Meloy led the band into their famous “Anti-Summer Song.”

    Playing perhaps their most patriotic number, “16 Military Wives”, Meloy enlisted the audience in a sing-along, but not just your typical sing-along: he even went so far as to scold someone for singing when it was supposed to be his solo! After getting back on track from that distraction, Meloy introduced the next tune “Dracula’s Daughter” as being the worst most grievous song he has ever written, and then went straight into the band’s more popular “O Valencia!” The band ironically ended their set with “The Beginning Song”.

    After hearing a comment from an audience member that The Decemberists “make just the right amount of noise,” we were left wanting more, after a seemingly short set. They sure did make up for it with their double encore, the first of which consisted of five songs. Giving the guest background singers a chance to shine through, the first encore “The Hazards of Love” started out with just Conlee rocking out on keys and the two background singers truly belting it out.

    Still not getting enough, the Decemberists caved to the audience’s pressure and came out for a second encore, consisting of perhaps the band’s silliest songs, starting with “Red Right Ankle” and ending with a rousing rendition of “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, during which the audience was instructed to scream like they’re being swallowed by a whale. I wasn’t quite sure what that would sound like, but the audience did quite a good job, garnering inspiration from the absurdness of the lyrics and stage antics.

    The Decemberists’ members sure did use their time wisely during their hiatus. They have come back with new more personal yet still characteristically fun tunes, and they have added renewed energy and inspiration to their older numbers. Touring throughout the US and Canada, with dates scheduled through October, and more being added every day, the Decemberists are a must see on this tour.

  • Dark Star Orchestra Plays a Collection of JGB Songs at the Saranac Brewery

    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

    Encore: That’s Alright Mama

  • Country Star Miranda Lambert Tabbed as First Act for New Lakeview Amphiteater in Syracuse

    The brand new Lakeview Amphitheater, along the shores of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, will be christened on Sept. 3 by country star Miranda Lambert, local officials announced Wednesday.

    Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show will be sold through the usual outlets beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, July 31. Lawn seats will cost $35 and pavilion seats range from $75 to $95. The show occurs during the New York State Fair, and as such, ticket purchase also includes admission to the fair.

    Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, flanked by Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, Acting New York State Fair Director Tony Waffner and County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon, made the highly anticipated announcement from the New York State Fairgrounds, the site that is home to the State Fair Grandstand, host to many high-profile concerts in its 33-year history. The grandstand has seen a decline in marquee artists in recent years and will be torn down as part of a major renovation project at the fairgrounds next year. Mahoney hopes to host 20 concerts at the new venue next year as the amphitheater replaces the grandstand as the location for State Fair concerts.

    Miranda Lambert, who recently made headlines with the announcement of her divorce from country star and “The Voice” judge Blake Shelton, has been a mainstay on the country charts and at country music awards shows since her debut album Kerosene in 2004. Her most recent album, Platinum, was released in January 2014, with the latest single, “Little Red Wagon,” being the third to chart from this release.

    While the venue’s construction is still incomplete, an aggressive finish date has been set for Aug. 24. Controversy has arisen with the booking of a concert at the new venue while the current one has had difficulty attracting marquee acts this year. Lambert’s show coincides with the last-ever grandstand show featuring Patti LaBelle and Meghan Trainor’s free show at Chevrolet Court during the fair. The booking has drawn criticism in a year when only four grandstand concerts have been booked during the 12-day fair run. Lambert’s only available date was the third and officials are confident the conflict will not have a major affect on overall attendance.

    miranda_lambert_with_guitars

  • The Lawn Boys To Recreate 1996 Phish Halloween Show In Syracuse This Fall

    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.

  • Trapt’s Brown And Shinedown’s Myers Beef Heats Up On Social Media

    Chris Taylor Brown, frontman for Trapt, started a social media beef/war of the words Wednesday night in trying to clear his name about comments Zach Myers from Shinedown posted on Facebook, as reported by NYSMusic. This prompted Trapt’s Official Facebook page to post a reply to Myers statement before it was removed from the page hours later.

    Brown posted a statement through the bands Facebook page that included the screen shot from the article. The two began posting back and forth for a couple of hours taking jabs at each other. Both even responded to fans standing up for their respective bands. A small transcript was taken from the post before it was removed hours later starting off with them making fun of their user names.

    Zach: This is your “official” page (Crying Emoticon)

    Trapt: Ok Zach Myers SHINEDOWN……

    After some fan comments:

    Trapt: I started this band, I can use this forum for whatever name clearing activities I see fit.

    Zach: (Double Crying Emoticon)

    Zach: Haha. You’re just trying to get free Press kid ….. You guys got good songs. And are still a good band … Just stop talking shit so much.

    Trapt: Yeah, Sully can call out Nikki Sixx, but I can’t do anything about this asshole. So unfair….

    After some fan comments:

    Trapt: I gave him every opportunity to say what he needs to say to my face…. Not going to let him get away with lying.

    Trapt: I love Shinedown. Always have. So it just pisses me off that this dude keeps lying about me.

    After more fan interaction:

    Trapt: I love Shinedown, always have. Way before Zach’s bitch ass was in the band…

    Trapt: Men who lie are bitches.

    After more fan interaction:

    Trapt: I love Shinedown, always have. It’s just Zach I have the issue with, he needs to stop commenting publicly.

    Trapt: It was a little joke and since then Zach has been running his mouth and this lie about last weekend was the last straw. I want to settle this in my way.

    After some fan questions:

    Trapt: Rock is so corporate now…. Ugh.

    After some fans comments:

    Trapt: Then Zach should not have posted with Zach Myers Shinedown account…..

    Trapt: Not going to let someone lie about me…

    After some fan interactions:

    Trapt: Not going to let someone lie about me… I’m not the one lying!!

    Zach: Yea. K.

    Trapt: Liar! I came right up to and said hi in a way that was not friendly and you stood silent. Bitch!

    Trapt: I told you wherever you want to meet. Let’s do this!

    Zach: You said “hi in a way that was not friendly” what does that mean??

    Trapt: Wow, you said NOTHING in return! This has nothing to do with TRAPT and Shinedown. This has everything to do with you and I! I love Shinedown, always have….

    Zach:  … “Hello Chris” is what I said. It’s what you say when someone says hello to you …. Your comments about Brent were dumb and childish .. But I didn’t really hold it over your head. I didn’t go into the day with a bad attitude. I’m 31 dude. I have better shit to do than stay mad at someone for no reason.

    After some fan comments:

    Zach: I’m totally willing to let this go. I have no issue with the guy. I’m not the one trying to fight local bands and talking shit to every band that moves on Twitter. Hahaha. You guys keep defending though. It’s cute.

    Zach:  It can’t fix your taste.

    Zach: I settled it in my comment on this site. Go check.

    Zach: You guys are talking. About the guy who’s been in the press the last 2 days for trying to beat up a local band. And then telling another new band who just signed a deal. “My song makes more money in on year than you’ll make in a lifetime”

    After some fan comments:

    Trapt: Uh, what is Zack’s fucking FB name?!?!

    Zach: I’m right here buddy (Wink Emoticon)

    Trapt: Behind a fucking computer screen! Zach name the fucking time and the place and you know I will be there to greet you!!

    After some fan interactions:

    Trapt: you would just allow someone to lie publicly about you and not try and clear your name? Wow, bigger person than I. I guess I’m just too emotional 🙁

    Trapt: He posted from his Zach Myers “Shinedown” page. People see that shit on an article by AP publicly, so fuck that!

    Trapt: Fuck that! He lied. I posted the screen shot! I gave him every opportunity to say what he had to say to my face. He pussed out and then said I did what he did. No way….

    Trapt:  I can’t take that road. Anger eats at me like a cancer until I release it.

    Trapt: what he says does harm me…

    Trapt: I told him any time any place. We settle this. He is not giving me that.

    Trapt: I cleared my name. That is all I want to do

    After some fan comments:

    Trapt: Whatever man, I’m not going to allow someone to publicly lie and talk his shit and not call him out….

    Zach: You’re not proving anything kid … Ignorance is what you’re proving.

    Trapt: Zach, settle this like a fucking man. In person. Say something when I walk up to and say “hello.”

    Zach: You about to find out which one of us is from Memphis and which one isn’t.

    After some fan Interactions:

    Trapt: I love Shinedown, but Zach running his mouth and the actions he takes will come back to him.

    Trapt: He commented on a big AP post about the weekend.

    Trapt: OMG. I laughed at someone else’s joke. He looked like easy e… It was funny. Since then Zach has actually come at me and my band’s track record.

    Trapt: Went at Zach?! Laughing at a funny joke is hardly going after Brent. You know how many say “you gonna take on anyone” who cares about that?!

    Trapt: He fucking lied! He was the one who was silent when I walked up to him…. Shinedown gives most of the money they make on albums and a large portion of everything else to a major label (automatic #1’s) and a manager. We do not and never will again.

    Trapt: I did not even get into the shit he has been sayin about me. He is being two faced and a lot of you are falling for it ….

    Trapt:  I love Shinedown, always have. But I’m not going to let someone publicly lie about me…. Do you? Or do you just take the high road. If you do, you are a bigger person than I. I guess I’m just too emotional. When did rock become corporate PR professionalism? That is what is killing it

    Trapt:  I could care less about that shit! I care about someone lying publicly about me!

    Trapt: Wow, so asking a question is an attack. You people are way too sensitive.

    Trapt: So I have to be the bigger person than Zach, why? I’m not special, neither is he…

    Trapt:  If that happened, we would end up going bare knuckles

    Trapt:  did you read the post? I went right up to him and said “hey Zack” in a way that he knew was not friendly

    Trapt: Well, don’t act so surprised. I want him to agree to meet me somewhere private

    Trapt: I am more than pumped! That is my outlet for this BS

    Trapt: At what age do you stop defending your name?

    Responding about fans comments about Shinedown.

    Trapt: Yeah and they have to give a lot of their earnings to a label and manager… They get to #1 automatically because of that….. This band will earn what it gets on our own!

    Trapt: I love Shinedown, always have. But I’m not going to let someone publicly lie about me…. Do you? Or do you just take the high road. If you do, you are a bigger person than I. I guess I’m just too emotional. Seriously when did rock become so fucking corporate?! Are we supposed to plan to conduct ourselves in some board room. That is what is killing rock….

    Trapt: Yeah, because everyone listens to their PR and label and we have neither. I’m not going to sit in some board room and figure out how I’m going to “present” myself

    Trapt: I love Shinedown, always have. Way before Zach’s bitch ass was in the band… But I am not going to let someone spread lies about me…

    Trapt: I gave him every opportunity to say what he needs to say to my face…. Not going to let him get away with lying.

    Trapt: You would just allow someone to lie publicly about you (oh and Zach did this from a page that includes his band name) and not try and clear your name? Wow, bigger man than I. Fuck that.

  • Def Leppard Brings the Now and Then to SPAC

    As a concert photographer that covers at least ten shows a month, I sometimes feel numb to the experience.  I enjoy the concerts, I love photographing them, but I don’t get into it like a typical fan. When Def Leppard hit the amphitheater stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 24th that changed. I danced. I sang. I put my horns up. I was in the moment. I felt the energy of the crowd. I didn’t hear the music from a critics point of view, but from a fans.  Something that I rarely get the pleasure of doing anymore.

    Most fans were thrust back in time when rock was ROCK. You couldn’t fight the uncontrollable urge to bust into an air guitar solo. The girls were screaming as Joe Elliot took the stage just like it was 1988, except now those girls were in their 30s or 40s. That didn’t mean their kids weren’t screaming along side them, the crowd actually covered every age group.  There were truly three generations of rockers in the audience, and each one knew every word to such classics as “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages,” “Let’s Get Rocked,” or one of the slew of other hits the band had over the past 38 years.

    Def Leppard isn’t stuck on the 80s however, they are still creating new music. In 2008 they released Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, and the first single “Nine Lives” even had country music star Tim McGraw singing along side Joe Elliott.  The band is scheduled to release a new album this year, and there are no signs of slowing down for the British rockers.

    With all the excitement of Def Leppard, I don’t want to neglect the two openers. Legends in their own right. The arena rock gods, Styx, and fellow 80s phenoms, Tesla.

    Styx was absolutely on point, both musically and performance wise. They have always played to the crowd, and in turn the crowd eats it up and gives that energy right back at them. They started their set out with a Dennis DeYoung classic “Grand Illusion.”  The crowd jumped up off their feet and they never sat down the rest of the warm summer evening.  From the pit to the back stretches of the lawn, fans were dancing as Styx played their seemingly too short of a set. With only ten songs from one of the bands that have absolutely been snubbed from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, I was left wanting more. Lawrence Gowen and Tommy Shaw still sing in the key the songs were written nearly 40 years ago. That’s just something most singers into their late 50s (Gowen) or early 60s (Shaw) don’t do anymore.

    The night’s opener was none other than the American rock band Tesla, who broke into the scene in 1989 with The Great Radio Controversy and the single “Love Song.” In 1990 they released the Five Man Acoustical Jam album that consisted of a few covers including “Signs” along with their own hit “Modern Day Cowboy.” On this night they played all three to an appreciating crowd that continuously filled up the famed amphitheater and lawn of SPAC. Jeff Keith gave an emotional and tight performance, showing off his vocal talents and — surprisingly enough — his range. Tesla failed to play a single song off their latest release, 2013’s Simplicity. In fact the band didn’t play any of their songs written after 1991, even though they have five original releases since then.

    I have to say, overall if was a fun night of music. The energy overwhelming and the crowd was contagious. Watching the faces and bodies of old school rock stars light up and transform into their much younger selves truly exemplified the power of music.  As if there were any doubt.  I’m sure it won’t be long until LiveNation brings Def Leppard back to SPAC, and I will definitely be there — as both a fan and photographer.