The general public may not know or remember who Tom Keifer is but they do know his music. Keifer has been a stronghold in the rock music scene for over 30 years, as a solo artist and with his band Cinderella.
Keifer and his band made a stop in Binghamton at the recently re-opened Club Eclipse in support of his debut solo album The Way Life Goes.
The crowd was regrettably on the small side but their excitement and enthusiasm filled the room to its capacity. You could physically feel the energy and excitement from each individual when Keifer and his band busted out on stage playing the bluesy rock Cinderella song “Fallin’ Apart At The Seams”. Keifer kept the crowd captivated by going into “Its Not Enough”, followed by “Different Light” and “Save Me”.
Slowing the set down and switching gears to an acoustic setting, Keifer brought his wife Savannah out to perform with him. She beautifully assisted him (and stole everyones hearts) with songs “Ask Me Yesterday” and “Don’t Know What You Got (Till Its Gone)”.
Tom Keifer performs with his wife, Savannah in Binghamton, NY
After thanking Savannah for her assistance Keifer took the show up a notch and rounded out the set with fan favorites “Solid Ground”, “Cold Day In Hell”, “Coming Home”, and “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll”.
He also did a fantastic cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”. This cover was one of the most memorable songs of the night. It had people hugging and swaying/singing along with their friends that accompanied them that night. Keifer also brought out a few of the band members wives (along with his own) to “help” with the song.
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Keifer undoubtedly appreciated his fans and was truly moved by the audience’s love for him and his music. He personally thanked everyone for their 30-plus years of dedication and for having faith in him while he overcame his vocal chord issues. Toward the end of the show to commemorate the night and his fans there, he brought out his camera and recorded a video clip of the crowd cheering for him. There wasn’t one unsatisfied fan in the venue when the house lights came on at the end of the night.
After the set Keifer graciously came out and greeted fans who were eagerly waiting to meet him. His appearance in Binghamton impressed long time fans and won over a few new young ones for life.
Keifer’s tour in support of The Way Life Goes will continue around North America and the UK through the end of 2015.
Celebrating its impressive 35th anniversary this year, Old Songs Festival brings its mix of traditional music and dance, entertainment and education to the Altamont Fairgrounds this June 26-28. This festival is unique in that it is more focused on learning and hands-on experiences than simply providing passive entertainment. Beginning at 2:30PM on Friday and 9:30AM on both Saturday and Sunday, festival-goers will have the opportunity to take workshops on an incredibly wide range of topics, including shape note singing, songwriting, Cajun dancing, and learning to hone your instrument-playing skills, whatever that instrument may be. Stretched across ten “areas”, these classes will be interspersed with performances and jams throughout the day.
After a long yet fulfilling day of musical education, treat yourself to an evening of entertainment and dance. To kick off the weekend’s entertainment, at 4:00PM on Friday, there will be a performance titled “Down With the Rent!” which offers a bit of history about the Anti-Rent Rebellion that took place in this area of New York State. Beginning at 6:30PM on Friday and Saturday and 4:00PM on Sunday, the main stage will be graced with the presence of musicians from all over the world who specialize in treating their audiences to folk, traditional, Celtic, and world music, including Brother Sun, Magpie, and Ken Whiteley & The Beulah Band.
As if the already numerous activities of the day haven’t worn you out, it is definitely worth staying up for the huge contra dances, which begin at 11:00PM on both Friday and Saturday. Don’t worry: if you are only a beginner contra dancer, there will be plenty of opportunity during the days to take some workshops on the subject, so you can use what you learn during the day to show off your new-found skills at night.
Tickets to this event are currently for sale, with adult tickets costing $130 for all four days, and a youth ticket for those between the ages of 13 and 18 accompanied by an adult costing $60 (children 12 and under are admitted free). It is possible to purchase a ticket with camping included for a nominal additional fee of $20 for the entire four days. Old Songs is an extremely family-friendly event, but if you are camping out, you might want to choose one of the quiet areas if you are hoping to get some sleep, as the jamming will go on throughout the night in certain camping areas.
For those interested in being both educated and entertained in ways that only folk and traditional music can provide, then Old Songs is definitely the festival for you. So hop on over to the Altamont Fairgrounds to celebrate this worthy festival’s 35th year.
Taste of Country 2015 kicked off its third annual country music festival at Hunter Mountain on Friday afternoon with a bang and a star-studded lineup. Set in the gorgeous Catskill mountains in Upstate New York, legions of East coast country fans packed the mountain ready for great country music, delicious food and drink and myriad of other activities and attractions carefully designed to create an exciting and unforgettable summer festival experience.
Although a ski resort during the winter months, it’s scenic mountain views framing the main stage, sprawling hills for fans to spread out on and numerous camping areas make Hunter’s transformation into a music festival venue in the summer, a seamless one. As usual, fans arrived at the show enthusiastic, animated and ready for a party.
Keith Urban – Taste of Country 2015
Friday, Day 1: Fans crammed the venue and fair ground area for a highly anticipated opening day lineup of Rachel Lipsky, Logan Mize, LOCASH, Colt FormEli Young Band and Keith Urban. They were also able to enjoy a bunch of delicious food choices, plenty of drinks and various shopping, where anything from cowboy boots to band merch was available. The food stands, despite having been good from the first year of the festival definitely took a step up this year, providing a wider variety of food and more choices than ever. When in search of lunch I found myself wandering through the grounds unable to decide what to get because there were so many delicious options!
Taste of Country Festival 2015
Although the forecast predicted that a massive thunder storm was looming, the weather throughout much of Friday at Hunter Mountain was clear, sunny and hot, albeit very humid. It was only around 9 p.m. when Eli Young Band (whose set had already been move up 15 minutes due to the impending lightening) finished their set that the festival announced a delay for headliner Keith Urban’s set. Fans were directed to quickly and calmly leave the mountain and take cover in their cars until the festival deemed it was safe for them to return. Fans were kept updated on weather conditions and the delay through both the Taste Of Country Festival app and through social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Thankfully, venue announced that it was safe for fans to return at 10:24 p.m., and after some stage cleanup and giving fans time to return, Urban was finally able to take the stage around 11 p.m. Outside of weather issues at the end of the night, the festival ran very smoothly throughout most of the day.
As the day of music began, Rachel Lipsky was the first to take the stage. This young lady has one heck of a voice and a “hell ya” attitude that captured the audience immediately and reeled them in and amped them up, setting the stage on fire from the get go. Singing both originals and covers, this young lady owns the stage and gathers fans everywhere she goes. Whether it’s overseas to perform for the troops or at the next Nascar Race, Rachel’s a fan favorite and a veteran to the Taste of Country stages being her second year performing at the festival.
Rachel Lipsky – Taste of Country 2015
Next up was Logan Mize. This young man, with his wholesome good looks and amazing voice owns both stage and screen when he performs. Fans adore him, and music lovers can’t get enough. Keeping up the momentum, Logan continued to engage the audience and by the end of his set, the party was well under way.
Eli Young Band – Taste of Country 2015
LOCASH was the third act to take stage on Day 1. Anyone who has seen this duo before knows that they are the life of the party on stage, and aways know how have a good time while putting on an amazing show. Comprised of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, the duo is down to earth, funny, patriotic and always vibrant on stage. It is truly hard not to like LOCASH, and the pair is easily able to connect with the crowd in live settings because of their engaging nature and the relatable subject matter of their songs. Although I arrived about 10 minutes late, I was still able to catch most of their set. The duo was just about to begin playing a new song called “I Know Somebody” as I arrived. The song was undeniably catchy and featured pleasant harmonies between Lucas and Brust. It should be a good track or even a single on a future album or EP.
Eli Young Band – Taste of Country 2015
The pair delighted a predictably intoxicated crowd with their fun and carefree song “Drunk Drunk,” which to no surprise, they wrote when they were drunk one night. LOCASH’s set also featured another new song, “What We Got”, a romantic and charming track about being thankful for the love in their life. The duo also performed some notable covers; “Truck Yeah” which the pair wrote with fellow country artist Chris Janson, and was recorded by Tim McGraw. This number was a huge crowd pleaser as the lyrics are fun and easy to sing out loud. LOCASH briefly went out of genre with covers, of Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song” and a rousing version of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” They rounded out their setlist with self-proclaimed redneck anthem “Hey, Hey, Hey”, and a track they called a “meat and potatoes, knockout punch” song that they plan to be their next single, called “All I Need Is You.” LOCASH closed with their current hit single and fan favorite “I Love This Life,” an anthemic track that details the simple pleasures of living a country lifestyle. Before performing the song, they informed the audience that New York is the No. 1-selling market for LOCASH, and thanked fans for their support, dedication and for buying their songs.
Keith Urban – Taste of Country 2015
Country rapper Colt Ford followed LOCASH. Known for his patriotism and high profile collaborations with some of country music’s biggest stars, Ford’s setlist contained an abundance of popular and well known songs. The always aware and generous Ford is also heavily involved in various charity projects to aid current soldiers as well as veterans suffering from PTSD, noting how important it is to support those who fight and sacrifice every day for our country and our freedom. A prime example of the entertainers desire to help others, all of the proceeds of one of his current songs that he performed called “Workin On” will go to help soldiers with PTSD. He also mentioned that he always performs with an American flag attached to his microphone stand, a tribute to soldiers and first responders. Ford performed his infectious party song single “Crank It Up” a track with a dance beat and killer hook, as as well as “Country Thang” recorded with Eric Church, “Driving Around Song” recorded with Jason Aldean, “The High Life” recorded with Chase Rice and even covered Eminem song “Lose Yourself” which the crowd got a kick out of.
Although he is known as a country rapper of sorts, Ford kept his music grounded in country with plenty of fiddle during his time on stage. He ended his set with “Dirt Road Anthem” a game changing, massively popular song he wrote with Brantley Gilbert that was taken to No. 1 on the country charts by Jason Aldean. LOCASH joined him on stage to perform the song, adding camaraderie to an already fun set.
Eli Young Band was the fourth act to take the stage, but the last before the festival issued it’s weather delay. Known for their vocals, songwriting and the pleasant overall sound of their music, Eli Young Band has been able to accomplish the often rare feat of finding critical, commercial and radio success during their time together. They opened their set with a song called “Revelations” an emphatic rock influenced track from their most recent album 1000 Towns, which were followed by the album’s title track, previous single “Dust” and three songs from their new Turn It Up EP, “Drink You Up” and “Plastic” and it’s title track (also the band’s most recent single). Self-proclaimed “bonfire tune” “Always The Love Songs” soon followed. The four man band kept the patriotism going as well, leading several enthusiastic USA chants with the pack out crowd and like Ford, keeping an American flag on stage at all times. They also took the time to dedicate their touching and heartfelt song “Prayer For The Road” to members of the military and first responders. Eli Young band made sure to express how lucky they knew they were to be able to play music for a living, and how thankful the were for the fans that have continued to support them throughout their career.
LOCASH – Taste of Country 2015
The group chose to perform several well known covers, including David Lee Murphy’s crowd pleasing “Dust On The Bottle,” Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly” and Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls” which was unfortunately a very appropriate prediction of the weather that was soon strike the mountain. Radio hits and Eli Young Band staples “Drunk Last Night,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Crazy Girl” came at the back half of the band’s set, delighting the thousands of fans in attendance with their relatable lyrics, catchy hooks and deep content. Even though a nasty storm was soon to come, Eli Young Band’s set definitely rocked the thousands sprawled out on the hills of Hunter Mountain before the thunder, rain and lightening could ruin the party.
Logan Mize – Taste of Country 2015
Not 10 minutes after Eli Young Band’s set (around 8:50 p.m.), the festival announced the temporary delay of Keith Urban’s set, and informed fans that for their own safety, they would have to leave the mountain until the weather improved. Although disappointing, the festival officials always maintained that they believed the show would be able to go on after the delay. Sure enough, around 10:20 p.m. they announced via Twitter and the Taste of Country Festival app that the venue had re-opened and that headliner and worldwide superstar Keith Urban would finally be able to perform after the stage was cleaned and fans had returned.
Keith Urban – Taste of Country Music Festival 2015
Urban, who has been a titan in the music industry for decades has drawn millions of fans to his concerts and music though his perfect pop-country formula, movie star good looks, sweet personality world renowned skill on the guitar, and distinguishable voice and musical sound. The Australian native’s illustrious career beginning in 1991 includes 10 wildly successful headlining tours starting in 2004, 18 No. 1 songs, three Grammys and numerous country music awards.
Taste of Country Festival 2015
Fans were relieved and thankful to see Urban take the stage. The continuing rain, and substantial pools mud that were a result did nothing to deter fans from flocking excitedly back to the mountain for his set. While the guitar is nothing more than a prop for many musicians on stage, for Urban it is like an extension of his arms, and at times can be just as poignant and affective as his vocals or lyrics. He often delights the crowd in live performances, showing off his extensive shredding ability with long, emphatic and complicated guitar solos at the end of many of his songs that leave fans wondering how he has enough fingers to hit each note and this night was no different. Urban also has a fully stocked stable of well known hits that he trots out confidently each show, often having to trim down the list to fit his set into the allotted time frame. He began his set with the upbeat “You’re Gonna Fly,” the catchy “Put You In A Song,” followed by “Somewhere In My Car” a No. 1-hit from his most recent album Fuse, and irresistible summer jam “Long Hot Summer.” Urban then brought talented singer and fan from Saratoga Spring Kayla Saris, who won a fan contest on stage to help him perform his hit song “We Were Us” a duet he recorded with fellow country artist Miranda Lambert. Also from Fuse, Urban performed popular singles “Little Bit of Everything” and “Cop Car” before the romantic, fan favorite “Sweet Thing” which included an extended guitar solo to close out the song and an acoustic rendition of “Making Memories of Us.”
Urban also broke out his brand new lead single “John Cougar, John Deer, John 3:16” an easygoing, laid back, easy to jam out to track that is sure to become another hit for the talented singer, and the last single from Fuse, “Raise Em Up,” a star-studded collaboration with Eric Church that also included a thrashing guitar solo at it’s conclusion. The audience enthusiastically screamed back the lyrics of sweet, fan favorite “Kiss A Girl.” He closed the show and brought down the house with performances of massive hits the cheeky and anthemic “You Look Good In My Shirt” and the the uplifting ” Someone Like You.”
By the end of the show Urban had proven yet again why is a must see performer for all casual and serious music lovers and showed that even a storm couldn’t stop the thousands of loyal country music fans in attendance from, showing up in droves to enjoy their favorite performers. Urban’s headlining set was the cornerstone to an incredible day full of great music, delicious food, eclectic festival environment and beautiful views at Hunter Mountain. The best part was that there were still two more exciting days of the festival to look forward to.
Could the hiatus finally be over for Rock and Metal powerhouse Disturbed? Disturbed has posted recently a cartoon video clip of their mascot “The Guy,” laying down on a futuristic aged hospital bed looking to be brought back to life.
“>second video, The Guy’s hands and feet start to twitch.
Every Disturbed fan including myself, will be locked onto the bands Facebook page in anticipation of an official announcement as to what the videos actually mean. The band has currently been on hiatus since October of 2011. Since then all of the band members have found themselves playing in side projects.
Not sure if it’s the same for you, but music to me is like air. I need it to survive. Whether it’s at work, in the car, while I’m running, or just putzing around my home, music is the one thing that allows me to escape the stressors of every day life, to celebrate life, or to lift me up when I’m in need of a mood adjustment.
To totally immerse myself in the how and why’s of the music business has always been a curiosity of mine. When my friends of Sisters of Murphy, Rochester’s number one Celtic Rock band, invited me to tag along while recording their upcoming album at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, I jumped at the chance. Finally I would see the behind the scenes view of music being recorded and mastered.
In The Studio with Sisters of Murphy – More Sound Recording
I met these amazing musicians last year at the Syracuse Irish Festival and totally loved their energy and chemistry together as a band. Their style is fun and upbeat, and their personalities match it ‘to a T’. With Mark Tichenor on lead vocals and concertina; Bruce Lish on bass and vocals; Cedric Young on mandolin, banjo, whistles, pipes, vocals, etc.; Jona Chartrand on electric guitar and vocals; Mike Kedley on fiddle; Rick Elmer on drums and vocals; and Scott Austin on acoustic guitar and vocals, these seven men amp up traditional Celtic music with a spin that gets the toes a tapping and the party going. I knew this recording session was to be epic and I couldn’t think of a better band to introduce me to the ins and outs of making an album.
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Meeting them at More Sound Recording Studio, in downtown Syracuse, I was super impressed with the space, the equipment, and the owner Jocko. This space had all the top-notch equipment and set up needed to capture and master the sounds of tomorrows hits, as well as house out-of-town guests working at the studio. Jocko’s attention to the details was immediately apparent making sure all sound was spot on before any recording began. After the set up was completed…he took the time to get really communicate with the band to what sound they really want to capture and the essence of what they were striving for. With his expertise along with top recording and mastering equipment, I am eagerly awaiting a finished copy of this album. It is no surprise to me to know that More Sound Recording is booked out months in advance and in high demand. His attention to details, his mannerisms on extracting the very sound (vocals or instrumentation), and capturing the vision the musicians have, explains why he is in such demand as a producer and bands travel long distances for his expertise.
In The Studio with Sisters of Murphy
Had a chance to speak with Mick Fury, a local country musician that recently moved to Nashville to tour with his latest album, one that was recorded at More Sound Studio. He took a minute out of his schedule to share with me his thoughts on More Sound Recording Studio.
Mike Fury (MF): Jocko at More Sound Recording, along with Andrew Greacen, produce tunes that have people in Nashville asking what studio down here they were recorded in so that they might try to achieve that same sound on their projects. Andrew brings a master songwriter’s touch to every project he touches. A tireless vocal coach, when he has coaxed the best possible performance out of ya, he sends it upstairs to Jocko, aka the Sonic Ninja. That man can make a crying baby sound like #1 Beatles record. And that’s no joke. Just ask the babies.
We all have specific skills right? Things we’re REALLY good at. I know a ton about songwriting and performance, you’re probably very well versed in photography and journalism, another friend may have gone to school for 7 years to be a doctor and be remarkably intelligent in the medical field. Of all the experts I have had the honor to know in my life, Jocko knows THE MOST about his specialty of anyone I have ever met. The guy has a monster knowledge of sonic manipulation, Bill Gatesian computer skills, is a high-end percussionist, harmony vocalist, and occasional violinist, and always manages to see the big picture of a project, be it one of our country songs or a crushing death metal tune. Oh yeah, and he build his entire studio. From scratch. By hand. Wow.”
I have to say, it was enlightening to see this master at his craft, and to see how his vision and that of the bands came together. It’s so much work to lay down tracks, re-record to make them just right, and then edit so that each piece fits together perfectly like a puzzle. The time and attention that goes into making a final album holds so much more meaning to me now that before, as just a puzzle, it’s tedious, rather frustrating, but in the end as it begins come together, it makes one heck of a beautiful picture.
More Sound Recording Studio
Being in the studio with the band and Jocko was a pleasure and NYSMusic would like to thank both the band and More Sound Studio for allowing our readers a peek inside the studio this month.
Everybody needs to have some fun with proper dosage of Hudson Valley rock. That’s what Joe Duraes & The Skills are all about. Rooted in the lower Hudson Valley of NY (Peekskill, to be precise), JD&TS strips down the heavily wax-coated, over-produced sounds common to today’s records to the purer elements of a four-piece rock and roll band. Their focus on performing with a cohesive energy and engaging tunes has garnered attention and brought people back to more of their shows around town.
The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
The band rolled out a much stronger, tighter sound with the debut of drummer Kevin Hupp at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY on June 13, 2015.
Let’s hear what JD&TS had to share with NYS Music.
Steve Malinski: So Joe, what prompted you to form the band and how did it come about?
Joe Duraes: There are a couple of reasons. First because I wanted to have a band to play my songs with me. I missed having that for a long time, doing the solo gigs for a while. The other reason is I released Ebb Flow in 2013 and because that album was so well produced it just didn’t make sense for me to do all that work only to go play it solo/acoustic again. It was very necessary to get a band together for that, so people can get the full effect. I put the band together January 2014. I put a few ads on Craigslist for a drummer, bass player, and a guitar player and that’s how I found them.
SM: What are your backgrounds in music?
JD: For me, I’m really just self-taught. I started on guitar when I was 13, kind of following the footsteps of my older cousin who at the time was 18. My lessons were really listening to the records I picked up – they were my teachers. All the bands I had listened to over the years, that was my schooling. In my 20’s I was in my first band – well I was in my first band when I was 16 but we never played any gigs – Most of the bands were goth and alternative, so I kind of went through that phase. Then I stopped for about 13 years, a break for a while. I got back into it when I started writing songs again and a few of those made it to the Ebb and Flow record. So the Skills has really been like my baby for the last three years, including the recording process (even though the band has only been around for a year or so now). I was joking recently with Steve and Rodman that they were at their one-year mark and that I had to get them something – a pin or something.
Steve Geller: I’ve been a bass player for close to 30 years now, both road musician and studio musician. The most famous gig I had was with The Monkees. I’ve worked with a lot of me heroes – Pete Best (original drummer for the beatles), Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Buckethead, Jane Wiedland from The Go Go’s, just to name a few.
Rodman del Castillo: I started with a metal band – Planet Hate back in the early 90’s. From there I did my own thing in Manhattan with My Brothers Dream, kind of a typical rock thing. Did a lot of funk-rock type things and played CBGB’s a couple times. From there I went on with Elisabeth Withers, a singer who later signed with Blue Note Records. I wound up on tour with Janice Robinson – the opening act for Tina Turner on her 2000 tour. Then I came back to NY doing a blues, Hendrix type thing in the Village.
Kevin Hupp: In the last 15 years I’ve been producing records out of my studio and Joe came along and I was taken by his sound. We got along very well and I produced and played on his debut album. Fast forward: I’d seen him live a few times and the band sounded great. But as a producer and someone who knows the songs inside-out, something just wasn’t quite gelling. Last time I saw him live I was thinking to myself about who I could turn Joe on to the drums and I thought about it for a moment. So the next day I got a text from Joe about joining the band and we talked for a while. I thought it would be a lot of fun. Joe’s got a great live sound.
SM: Can you tell us who some of your influences are?
JD: Gosh, I’m going to start with the Beatles. It depends a lot on the decade we’re talking about as I’ve been listening to music since I was five years old. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2, Nirvana, Peter Murphy, Bob Mould – I always play his stuff.
SG: The Beatles of course. I grew up in the 60’s. I watched the Ed Sullivan Show the night they were first on and it changed my life. I saw McCartney with the left-handed violin shaped bass and it was all over for me – “I want to learn how to do that!”
RdC: I started off digging “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter and that was it, I was pumped. When I was 9 my cousin asked if I could play this and I was like “no”. Also Clapton, the classic Hendrix. On into the 80’s and 90’s I was getting into the metal guys, Testament, some of the older acts. I liked to listen a lot and emulate their stuff.
KH: I’d say the one person I respect a lot is Dave Grohl because he basically came from behind the drum kit with Nirvana and now he’s one of the biggest artists out there and I love his band, what he does. Great drummer, great producer. I appreciate the mindset where a drummer can come to the front of the band and produce as well. There’s been a handful of those guys over the years.
SM: Each of you have a somewhat similar story behind joining up with Joe for the band. What can you say about that?
SG: I had been on the road non-stop for about six years and I was pretty burnt out and needed to be home. But I wanted to keep playing, not in a local classic rock cover band though. So I started answered some ads, went to some auditions. Then I saw an article in a paper on Joe and later an ad which happened to be Joe’s. We played together and knew right away that this was something that was interesting and I’d want to be involved with. It was too good not to become a part of.
RdC: I was just looking around on Craigslist and saw the ad. Joe and I spoke by phone several times and things started clicking. He mailed me the record, I liked it and started learning the stuff. There was a chemistry there.
Left to Right: Kevin Hupp, Steve Geller, Joe Duraes, Rodman del Castillo
SM: Kevin, since you already mentioned how you recently joined the band, how did you first get involved with Joe’s music before the Skills even came about?
KH: Joe was referred to me by Matt Turk, another artist in the Hudson Valley. Joe called me up and I listened to his songs. The cool thing is that Joe sounds like Joe, with a really identifiable voice and the things he brings to the songs. When you’re producing a record you look for things like that and things took off from there.
SM: And Joe, what’s the story behind Kevin joining the band in 2015?
JD: I met Kevin around 2012 when I hired him to produce ebb and flow and always wanted him in the band. I asked him several times but he politely declined because he wasn’t around. We’ve had a couple of drummers in the band and while they were good players they just weren’t the right fit for us. So we recently spoke to Kevin about going back to record in the studio again and I asked him like a hail-Mary pass and I asked him as a far-reaching question if he’d consider again joining the band. I didn’t expect in a million years for a reply but just 5 minutes later he said that he was actually thinking about that. So we talked, the four of us. I basically told him that he created the sound of the CD and that set the foundation for what became The Skills, we play those songs live. Every drummer we’ve had has basically been playing your parts so it just makes sense for you, as the creator of that rhythm and sound to be a part of the group.
SM: What’s the future looking like for Joe Duraes & The Skills?
JD: The future’s looking good now that Kevin is in the band. Kevin, being a world-class musician, drummer and producer for 35 years, brings with him a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge not just with playing drums but in music. You can be a drummer but if you’re not a musician you’re not a good drummer. We’re really looking forward to the door this will open for us. He has a lot of friends, and we have a lot of friends and it should bring us new opportunities to play bigger shows, bigger venues.
Joe Duraes & The Skills are online at their website, Facebook, YouTube, and ReverbNation where you can keep up with their show schedule. Check out the gallery below of some of their 2014 performances in Peekskill, at the River Street Beat Shop in Troy, NY and of Kevin Hupp’s June 2015 debut at The Winery at St. George in Mohegan Lake, NY; but more importantly check them out live.
On a picturesque day in New York City, tens of thousands of visitors flock from all around the world to Central Park. Some are row boating on the Lake, some come for lunch at Tavern On The Green, and many came for hometown funk band Lettuce. As the crowds filtered in to Summerstage one of New Orleans finest brass ensembles, The Soul Rebels, serenaded them with their powerful horns. For Brooklyn based Lettuce headlining Summerstage is a monumental accomplishment and coming off their sold-out show at Red Rocks they had set the bar high.
With Erick “Jesus” Coomes (bass) straddling his usual center stage position he lead Lettuce, consisting of Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff (guitar), Adam Deitch (drums), Neal Evans (keys), Ryan Zoidis (sax), and Eric Bloom (trumpet) on a funk filled journey in the park. The band was joined on stage by The Soul Rebels for an ensemble performance of “Sam Huff” and Nigel Hall stopped by as well. As the set got moving Central Park Summerstage shut the gates as the capacity crowd reveled away in the sun and the deep funk grooves.
Lettuce will be back on the East Coast opening for Umphreys McGee in Boston, Asbury Park, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. You can find tickets here.
Setlist: Lettuce at Central Park Summerstage, 06/13/2015
Reunion, Big Anthem, Chief, Blast Off, Lettsanity, Phyllis, Get Greasy, Sam Huff*, Hip Hop Odyssey, Madison, New Reel,
Lett Gogo, Makin My Way, Hang Out and Hustle, Do It Like You Do
With many rock bands touring with each other throughout the years, one can only expect that some of these guys will in fact become friends with each other from their common bond of music, among other things.
Something that could arise from these situations, and seems to happen more than ever these days, is that “supergroups” form through these friendships.
Allegiance was formed in 2011 by Mark Menghi, who is a creative marketing director in New York. The band started with Alex Skolnick and Mike Portnoy from Testament and Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson as the core members. Since then, some of metal’s biggest names are throwing their hat in the ring for the self-titled debut studio album with all original material on Sept. 18.
Go to MetalHammer to see full Metal Allegiance track listing and appearing guest stars.
Fox Fest, the 2015 SAMMY winner for best festival in Central New York, returns for its 6th year. The not-for-profit festival will support the CNYSPCA this year.
Music at the festival runs from 12pm-12am and includes sets from Scars n Stripes, Barndogs Plus, Country Swagg, Redline, TJ Sacco, Dirtroad Ruckus, Chris Taylor and Seeking Monte. Fox Fest boasts plenty of room for campers , motorhomes and tents with a variety of food sold at the event. Alcohol may be brought by patrons.
To buy tickets, Fox Fest sells t-shirts as admission. To order a shirt and gain admission to the festival, you may order online or fill out a form at one of the following locations: Limp Lizard on Onondaga Blvd., Tanner Valley Golf Course, Frank’s Moondance on Rt 20, Amber Inn in Marietta, and the CNYSPCA on Malloy Rd. in North Syracuse. Patrons may also call to order a shirt via 315-382-5896 or 315-256-7005.
With over 2000 attendees in 2014, Fox Fest 2015 will be an immensely popular event with great music, all supporting a good cause.
The CNY SPCA is open for viewing Monday – Saturday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. All adoptable animals are on our website www.cnyspca.org. If you are interested in one of our available animals please fill out an application and get pre-approved.
The legendary Tony Bennett will grace the stage of The Palace Theatre in Albany on Sunday, October 18 at 7pm, with special guest Antonia Bennett. Tony Bennett’s artistry and accomplishments are applauded here at home and all over the world from people from 11 to 90 years old.
In the past 10 years alone, Bennett has sold over ten million records, a testament to his longevity and artistic achievement that has long been a part of his life since growing up in Astoria, NY. Upon being discovered by Bob Hope, his career took off and the rest is history. Among the honors Bennett has received are 17 Grammy awards, including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his MTV Unplugged album, which introduced his music to new generation, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has had 24 songs in the Top 40, including “I Wanna Be Around,” “The Good Life,” “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” and the signature, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” garnering him two Grammy Awards.
One of the few artists to have new albums charting in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and 10’s, he has recently collaborated with pop star Lady Gaga on Cheek to Cheek, a collection of jazz standards. Having toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs, Bennett was recently observed by former President Bill Clinton as, “Now in his seventh decade of singing, Tony Bennett has somehow kept his unique voice, with its beauty and range, its strength and style, and still in perfect pitch. But as talented as he is, Tony’s most impressive quality is his giving spirit!”
Tickets for this special performance range from $60.50 – $128 and go on sale Friday, June 26 at 10am at The Palace Theatre.
The band didn’t quite start as a band; rather a solo act of Joe Duraes with a regular residency at the Peekskill Coffee House and a few other small gigs here and there. It was early 2014 when things finally lined up and clicked to bring together a group of talented musicians to play the songs Duraes had previously written and work on new material as a band. Currently, Joe Duraes and The Skills is Joe Duraes (guitar, vocals), Rodman del Castillo (lead guitar), Steve Geller (bass/vocals), and Kevin Hupp (drums).
Music at the festival runs from 12pm-12am and includes sets from Scars n Stripes, Barndogs Plus, Country Swagg, Redline, TJ Sacco, Dirtroad Ruckus, Chris Taylor and Seeking Monte. Fox Fest boasts plenty of room for campers , motorhomes and tents with a variety of food sold at the event. Alcohol may be brought by patrons.