Category: Genres

The Church and The Psychedelic Furs Announce 2015 Tour

Post-punk romantics The Church released their 21st studio album album, Further/Deeper late last year and are bringing 35 years of recordings to North America on a co-headlining tour with art rock stalwarts The Psychedelic Furs. The Church recently premiered the first video from their newest album, Laurel Canyon , it’s thick and lush with layered acoustics, synths and harmonies, reminiscent of their huge hit, “Under The Milky Way” from 1988.

photo by Malcolm Viles

The Psychedelic Furs are practically a perfect match for the tour and will be joining The Church on many of the dates. They’re also touring the east coast in May by themselves. Richard Butler, along with his brother Tim, still maintain their uncanny ability to write songs pleasing to the ear, while questioning their subject. Surfacing in the wake of punk rock, their melodious and thoughtful material sometimes put them in the category of a synth band, but don’t be confused – even if you still love “Love My Way”, don’t forget “Pretty In Pink” – that was inspiration for the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name.

Much more on the upcoming tours on their websites – The Church, The Psychedelic Furs.

Here is the northeast leg of The Church’s upcoming itinerary. Dates with an asterisk indicate The Psychedelic Furs will also play.

Aug. 7: Toronto, Ontario (The Danforth)
Aug. 8: Buffalo, NY (Town Ballroom) *
Aug. 9: Silver Springs, MD (The Fillmore) *
Aug. 11: New Haven, CT (College Street Music Hall) *
Aug. 12: Albany, NY (Northern Lights) *
Aug. 13: Hampton Beach, NH (Hampton Beach Casino) *
Aug. 14: Portland, ME (The Asylum)
Aug. 15: Philadelphia, PA (Keswick Theater) *
Aug. 16: Hyannis, MA (Cape Cod Melody Tent) *
Aug. 18: New York, NY (Irving Plaza) *
Aug. 19: Westbury, NY (Theater at Westbury) *
Aug. 21: Pittsburgh, PA (Altar Bar)

May 21, 2015
In This Moment Tears the Roof off Rapids Theatre

Rapids Theatre was treated to one of the best performance I have ever seen there to date, as In This Moment was here Friday on tour promoting their latest album Black Widow. They had brought some heavy hitters with them this time around. I was a little shocked as the line was not as long as I thought it would be. But never the less people filed in closer to the second bands performance.

First up was a five piece rock band The Nearly Deads from Nashville, Tennessee. They were a decent opener with some catchy melodies and she brought a lot of energy to the stage. The crowd did not respond to them very well, I think it had something to do that they were a spitting imagine of Paramore band. Her vocals were a bit weak, and she didn’t seem to have much range in her voice.

Second band up was Butcher Babies, I have never heard this band until that night. This band has all the elements of a metal band. Two scandalously dressed women who sang metal, a guitarist and bassist that had extreme amounts of energy on stage. Topped by a drummer whose double bass is one to compete with.

Towards the end of their set they forewarned the security guards to be ready. They look slightly baffled but soon enough realized what was about to happen. The music got heavier and the crowd surfing began to turn up. What I loved about this was as the fans were thrown over the barrier by security. The girls took the time to shake every fans hand or give them a fist bump. You don’t see this happen very often, kudos to them

Next up was the band I had been looking forward to seeing all night, Upon A Burning Body. I had previously listened to this band and loved everything about them. They originate from my birth state, Texas. Not one thing was out-of-place this entire performance. They had the crowd screaming and on their feet the entire time. Then Singer Danny Leal told the crowd he wanted to see some pits and mashing, the crowd listened and did just that. I witnessed several mash pits throughout the crowd for several songs. Then they proceeded to do a song tribute to Texas called “Texas Blood Money”. To finish off the night they sang “Turn Down For What” which for many know as a rap song sang by Lil Jon and DJ Snake. The crowd went absolutely crazy. Men put women on their shoulders, and it turned into a bit of a club scene. Their rendition of it was great and I prefer that over the original.

Last but certainly not least was the band most people where there to see, In This Moment. They took approximately a half hour to set up but it was definitely worth the wait. This is the second time I have seen them and every time I do it’s extremely theatrical. She is entrancing and with all her disappearances and reappearances after songs coming out in a completely different outfit. She keeps you guessing. They sang songs off their new album Black Widow. The choreography for her and her two dancing-girls who always remain faceless were done perfectly to a T.

Maria also took time to talk about how we are all united together by music, and how we must all take care of one another and change the world for the better. In my opinion the best part of the night was when I caught In This Moment Drummer Tom Hane`s drumstick. He threw it, what seemed like directly to me and I was floating on air. It now resides on my music memorabilia wall snugly between signed Shinedown CD and a painting done by Smile Empty Souls own Sean Danielsen.

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May 21, 2015
Coal Chamber And Fear Factory Join Forces For Tour

Hot off their brand new album Rivals, there is no rest for the wicked as Coal Chamber continue its next tour on US soil, and this time, industrial metallers Fear Factory will co-headline with them. Special guest on this tour will be Devil You Know (featuring Howard Jones former singer of Killswitch Engage) on select dates. On other select dates Jasta, the solo project of Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta (which he rarely brings on the road) will be given a slot to play. Saint Ridley and Madlife will be opening every date. The tour starts in Tucson, AZ on July 24 and ends in Santa Ana, CA on Aug. 22. The tour includes three stops in New York State including Aug. 8 at Rochester’s Water Street Music Hall, Aug. 11 at New York City’s Irving Plaza, and Aug. 12 at Poughkeepsie’s The Chance Theater. On those dates Jasta will be the select band appearing.

In other related news, bassist Tony Campos (Soulfly, Prong, Attika 7, Static-X, etc.) has joined Fear Factory and exited Soulfly earlier this month. Fear Factory’s full lineup has not been revealed.

Tickets for these shows are expected to be on sale May 22.

Coal Chamber/Fear Factory 2015 Tour

Jul. 24 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
Jul. 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Jul. 26 – El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls
Jul. 28 – San Antonio, TX – Alamo City Music Hall
Jul. 29 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey
Jul. 30 – Lawrence, KS – Granada
Jul. 31 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s
Aug. 01 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Aug. 02 – Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
Aug. 03 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Aug. 04 – Columbia, SC – Music Farm
Aug. 06 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
Aug. 08 – Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall
Aug. 10 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Aug. 11 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Aug. 12 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
Aug. 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Aug. 16 – Cleveland, OH – Agora
Aug. 18 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
Aug. 19 – Denver, CO – The Summit Music Hall
Aug. 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Aug. 21 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
Aug. 22 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory

May 21, 2015
Jason Bonham Serves The Capital Region Some ‘Rock And Roll’

Tribute and legacy acts are big business for concerts in today’s industry. The baby boomer generation has gotten older and wants that feeling they had growing up listening to the music that was the soundtrack to their lives.

You also have the newer generation who may not have had the chance to experience the great music, and are interested in seeing what their parents got to see.

In the case of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience you get the best of both worlds. Jason, son of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, celebrates the music that he did not have much of an opportunity to see. Performing to audiences who are starving to see it in person.

“The Song Remains The Same” starts the concert with a bang, and the energy never left the Palace Theatre for the next two hours. Stringing together both hits and rarities, Jason and his band kept the crowd in their palms with ease. Jason told funny stories about his father and the feeling he got playing in London with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin in 2007.

He also spoke about how the band is never trying to act as if they are Led Zeppelin. For most of the evening that last part was true, but about three-quarters of the way through the show the audience was invited to crowd the aisles and to have a “fucking good time.” After this request and for most of the rest of the evening lead singer James Dylan began to channel more than just Robert Plant’s vocals. Lead guitarist Tony Catania similarly did more than evoke Jimmy Page’s guitar work. Moving about the stage like two legends for the rest of the evening. James and Tony had been doing just fine with their great vocal and guitar playing respectively and did not need to change what they had been doing.

During “Thank You” video screens showed videos of John, receiving some of the loudest cheers of the night. An acoustic “Going to California” had the loudest sing along. “Kashmir” ended the set to a standing ovation and the band came out for a one-two punch of “Rock And Roll” and “Black Dog” to end the evening.

There is a fine line for a tribute or legacy act to walk on, so as not to become a caricature of the band they are paying their respect to.

For most of the night the musicianship on stage during Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience spoke for itself, but for a small part of the show the line became a little too blurred.

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May 21, 2015
NYSMuse: A Conversational Review of Dear Jerry

A few of us from NYS Music made it to the Dear Jerry show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 14, mostly for the fun of attending an outdoor show early in the season and celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead. Afterward we couldn’t help but discuss the show and found we had several similar and differing thoughts. Even though we went without intending to review the show, we thought it would be a different twist to bring you some of our back-and-forth thoughts.

Set 1: The Wheel, Uncle John’s Band, Standing On The Moon, Liberty (Communion featuring Phil Lesh), Get Out My Life Woman (Allen Toussaint with Bill Kreutzmann), Shady Grove (David Grisman & Sam Bush), I’m a Roadrunner (Peter Frampton with Bill Kreutzmann), Deal (Buddy Miller), Sugaree (Jorma Kaukonen with Barry Mitterhoff), The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff), Attics Of My Life (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir and Mickey Hart *One verse, acapella), Fire On The Mountain (Jimmy Cliff with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Dave Schools)

Set 2: Help On The Way> Slipknot!> Franklin’s Tower (Billy & The Kids), Scarlet Begonias> I Know You Rider (Disco Biscuits with Bill Kreutzmann & Tom Hamilton), Loser (moe. Chuck on vox), St. Stephen (O.A.R), Not Fade Away > Bertha (Los Lobos with Bob Weir), Brown Eyed Women (Trampled By Turtles), Shakedown St (YMSB), Days Between (Bob Weir), Friend of the Devil (Grace Potter with Bob Weir, and Matt Burr), Tennessee Jed (Eric Church with Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart), Morning Dew (Widespread), Touch of Grey (Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart), Ripple (almost all of the evening’s performers & the crowd)

Steve Malinski: Mickey and Bill were part of the last few songs too, right?

Graig Adler: Yeah. Bill was also in the house band as well as Dave Schools.

SM: I didn’t have the greatest of starts to the show — thanks to DC traffic I was delayed getting there from Alexandria and didn’t arrive until “Shady Grove.” I didn’t know who was on because I couldn’t see more than some of the crowd from the gate but knew pretty quick from the mandolin that it was Grisman. It was a good first song to hear after the hassle of getting to Merriweather. I’ve always loved the Garcia/Grisman collaborations.

SM: There were several times I was pleased with the performances and interpretations; obviously there were some better than others and one in particular that ranked lowest. But overall I wasn’t as impressed, as my expectations were high for the show. Some groups did a couple of Dead tunes and others did just one, which was cool, no big deal. The flow of the show was a bit jagged and staggered logistically, so there was a bit of down time which for me dampened the vibes a little bit. More continuity would have made the experience better, in my opinion.

GA: Yes, it was impossible to get in a groove. But will make for one fine $29.99 DVD, lots of professional recording equipment on stage. Biggest surprise of the night was how good O.A.R. was and how good The Disco Biscuits would be if they stopped playing that crappy jamtronica.

SM: I thought Disco Biscuits had a pretty good groove going, especially with adding their own style jam in the middle. Billy and the Kids too. I think what made their sets stand out is they did more than one song and had the opportunity to loosen up and bloom a bit on the Dead tunes.

GA: Also, Bill Kreutzmann on drums and Tommy Hamilton on stage — two guys who play dead tunes for a living.

SM: O.A.R.: It was cool to hear the island vibes from the song but they had a shaky start with the opening riffs and that set the tone for me. It wasn’t bad, but not my favorite of the night. I did enjoy the one O.A.R. show I had seen before outside of that though. I really enjoyed the refreshing arrangements by Trampled by Turtles and Yonder Mountain String Band playing stripped-down Dead. YMSB’s version of “Shakedown Street” had everyone’s attention.

GA: O.A.R., I thought they sounded great. His mic wasn’t turned on to start the song.

SM: It was tough to notice that in the wash of the crowd where I was. I don’t recall seeing Phil Lesh on stage throughout the night. Was he there at all? It would’ve been awesome to see them all play together, especially since I just missed getting a Dead 50 ticket.

GA: Communion (Phil Lesh, Stu Allen, Grahame Lesh, Ross James, Alex Koford and Jason Crosby) played the first four songs.

SM: I’m sad I missed Phil. I heard people mention him in passing and I hadn’t realized he was on the bill.

GA: It seems he still doesn’t want to play with these guys. Which is concerning for Dead 50. He really only seems to play Terrapin and Shapiro events these days.

SM: I do hope Phil settles his differences or whatever is going on for Chicago. I’m sure no one — the fans or the band — want to see the farewell shows dampened by differences.

GA: Audley Freed and Buddy Miller were also in the house band.

SM: The house band was pretty solid. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the stage well so it was tough from the projector to keep track of who was up there except for the announcements of the guest artist for a particular song.

SM: For me, the end of the show made up for what I missed at the start. It was a bit emotional and a tear-jerker. “Ripple” is one of those pretty songs to begin with. Now add a slide show with images of Jerry along with the song’s lyrics to encourage a 19,000-Dead Head sing-along. This was probably the best way to end the show, with something that rings out.

GA: I’m surprised that nobody mentioned that the house band drummer for the show was Raymond Weber, the legendary funky NOLA drummer and former member of Dumpstaphunk. He’s SOLID! There was a very funny exchange involving him in an episode of Treme that went like this: Bass player Cornell Williams asks with surprise, “I know you didn’t just tell Raymond Weber that he dropped the beat, did you?” “Yeah, I did,” Antoine replies. “Ray, when was the last fucking time you dropped the beat?” Williams asks. “Me? ’83,” Weber responds.

May 20, 2015
Faith No More Leave Long Lasting Impression on Day One at NYC’s Webster Hall

Faith No More has embarked on one of the biggest tours of 2015 and for the first leg of the tour, they played two show’s at New York City’s Webster Hall last week, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a ticket and managed to take a trip down and catch the first show on May 13. The Webster Hall is one of Manhattan’s most premiere night clubs, and a very intimate setting to catch a metal show. It was a real blessing to have attended this show. But things started off with the most unexpected, a punk band from Mexico called Le Butcherettes.

San Francisco – October 28, 2014

You couldn’t ask for a more bizarre, yet appropriate band to open for Faith No More. Le Butcherettes is exactly what rock and roll is missing. And that is the “I don’t give a fuck” attitude packaged with the unexpected. It all starts with frontwoman Teri Gender Bender who is an absolute fiend. I would describe her as the female Mike Patton with a touch of Wendy O’ Williams to her. Not only vocally, she possesses a wide range, she’s playing the keyboard and guitar, but most importantly her performance was so wicked, dirty, and out of this world. Everyone in the audience was in awe from this band. I almost forgot I was at a Faith No More show before their set ended.

When Faith No More took the stage, it was the most surreal and beautiful thing to behold. They had everything in white on stage, and before they started, the stage hands and roadies covered everything in flowers. It almost looked like a wedding.

The same day, Faith No More performed on Jimmy Fallon. They started off with a new song “Mother Fucker” which lit everyone up with excitement. As for me, I haven’t felt such a surreal feeling of witnessing a band play since the first time I saw Soundgarden reunite at Chicago’s Lollapalooza back in 2010. The entire band has such a unique chemistry. Frontman Mike Patton’s outlandish and comical presence is something to behold, and vocally, whether if he’s singing his ass off, rapping, or doing super sonic screams, he proves to this day he’s one of the very best in the business.

The one who anchors the band is keyboardist Roddy Buttom. He has an intimidating presence, but he’s also comical. It’s very rare in a band when the keyboardist is the one that takes charge. I also really liked bassist Billy Gould’s performance, he’s definitely an underrated bass player.

Five songs in, Faith No More performed their well-known hit “Epic” along with another new song “Sunny Side Up”. The real highlight of the set was hearing “Surprise! You’re Dead!” and “Midlife Crisis” back to back. Faith No More did a phenomenal job playing songs off their Mike Patton-era catalog and material off their new album Sol Invictus.

Later in the set we heard “Easy” and “King For A Day” before closing with “Ashes To Ashes” and their new single “Superhero”. But of course the crowd was graced with a three song encore and a one song second encore thus giving New York City 19 songs total.

Overall, an unforgettable night for sure. Faith No More is back with a vengeance and will be returning to New York City at Madison Square Garden on August 5. So if you missed the two shows at Webster Hall, you still have a chance to see them in August, and I highly recommend that you do because you won’t regret it. 2015 is the year of Faith No More.

May 20, 2015
moe. to Play Children’s Benefit

moe. will be the featured artist at an annual benefit for the Children’s Health Fund at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.

The June 1 benefit features tickets that range from $1,250 to $100,000, but a limited number of $75 balcony tickets are available for moe.rons who want to attend. Concert goers will have to adhere to a business casual dress code.

The evening starts at 8 p.m. with an awards presentation, then moe. will play for a half-hour. A dessert and cocktail reception will follow.

The Children’s Health Fund provides health care to the nation’s most disadvantaged children with 51 mobile health clinics serving more than 80,000 kids throughout the U.S. Those who can’t attend can still help.

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

moe. also announced Tuesday that they’ll re-release a limited vinyl run of their first studio album “Fatboy,” in honor of the band’s 25th anniversary this year. The record will be on sale this weekend at Summer Camp, and it will be available in stores May 26. The run is limited to 3,000 copies, so get it while you can!

moe Children’s Benefit

May 20, 2015
In Flames Ignites the Town Ballroom

On Friday, May 15, Swedish melodic death metal pioneers, In Flames, brought their special brand of heavy metal to Buffalo. The crowd was treated to a powerfully diverse setlist, which covered the majority of the band’s extensive discography. In Flames was joined by Maryland’s djent authorities, Periphery, and Massachusetts’ metal sons, All That Remains.

Periphery took to the stage first and instantly got the crowd moving with a few beloved tracks from earlier in their discography. Their crushingly heavy sound, laced with choppy breakdowns and intricate overlays, forced their diehard fans to get the mosh pit going right from the start. However, the general consensus from the first few rows of fans was disappointment in Periphery’s song selection, since the rest of their set consisted of all new material from their newest albums, Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega.

It seemed as though all the fan-favorite songs had been left behind for this tour, but as an opening band, Periphery’s stage presence made up for it tenfold. These guys know how to have fun and how to get the crowd involved. One lucky fan even got the privilege of being the lead man in a circle pit, orchestrated by Periphery’s lead vocalist, Spencer Sotelo.

All That Remains followed and got a great response from the still-growing crowd. Vocalist, Phil Labonte had a lot to say about the negative feedback their last few albums have been getting. “A lot of people say they don’t like us anymore because our new stuff isn’t heavy enough, but we’re in the band and they’re not,” he commented, right before the band started a powerful ballad with mostly clean guitars and singing. Diehard ATR fans were delighted after hearing the tracks, “This Calling” and “Six” from their cult classic album, The Fall of Ideals, but for the most part, the crowd was divided between ATR’s fans of old and new. It was easy to tell the two groups apart. Older fans looked bored half the time, but the majority of the crowd mostly newer fans loved the entire set and emotionally sang along with every lyric. Either way, ATR had a lot of energy and a tight sound, keeping the whole crowd head banging the entire time.

Afterwards, In Flames took to the stage and dominated. They opened with ‘Embody the Invisible’, a cult favorite track from their 1999 album, Colony. Other cult favorites followed such as, ‘Clayman’ and ‘Bullet Ride’ from IF’s year 2000 release, Clayman. Aside from those three 15-plus year old tracks, the rest of the set covered a lot of musical ground. They made sure to play ‘Cloud Connected’ from the album, Reroute to Remain, and ‘Take This Life’ from the album, Come Clarity. Both of those songs get a lot of criticism from older fans, but they also carry a lot of weight. ‘Cloud Connected’, released in 2001, was the first song to get the band serious Western exposure in mainstream US metal, while ‘Take This Life’, went on to appear in a version of Guitar Hero after its 2006 release.

In Flames receives a lot of criticism the world over, mainly because of their drastic change in sound after getting noticed in North America in the early ‘2000s, but there wasn’t a single miserable expression worn during their set this past Friday night. Vocalist, Anders Friden kept the crowd entertained with his witty personality and at one point, initiated the first of many crowd surfers. He also pretended to not realize he was in Buffalo. “Don’t be offended if I accidentally say Boston a few times,” he joked about halfway through the set. It also happened to be IF bassist, Peter Iwers’s birthday, so as he is a huge hockey fan, the band got him a Buffalo Sabres jersey autographed by every member of the three bands playing that night and presented it to him on stage. Needless to say, the sea of Buffalonians loved every second of it.

IF’s latest album, Siren Charms, was the main focus point for the set, but they also included tracks from the albums, A Sense of Purpose and Sounds of a Playground Fading. They closed the night with ‘My Sweet Shadow’, a synth driven fan favorite from the album, Soundtrack to Your Escape. ‘My Sweet Shadow’ was a brilliant closer and scored IF a loud, roaring ovation as the outro faded out. Afterwards, fans darted to the guard rail in the hopes of catching a guitar pick or a drumstick before the guys respectfully disappeared backstage. It was a fitting end to a successful night, as In Flames did what they always do best: They left their fans wanting more.

Rest assured In Flames, Buffalo, NY can’t wait for your next visit.

May 19, 2015
Pokey LaFarge Stops and Smells the Lilacs

The first Rochester Lilac Festival dates back to 1898. It added musical entertainment just a few years later in 1901. Over a century later, in 2015, Pokey LaFarge would grace the Lilac Festival stage playing music that harkened back to the festival’s humble beginnings. While his music does pull from many early music influences like Western swing, ragtime, old-time country and jazz, it manages to rise above a simple throwback. Still, Pokey LaFarge was bringing the festival way back. And he was doing it playing his new and original music, leaning heavily on material off his latest release, Something In the Water.

Everything about LaFarge fits into the persona of the music. His name, his hometown of St. Louis, the way he carries himself, his incredible voice and the company he keeps. His band, with Adam Hoskins on guitar, Ryan Koenig on harmonica, banjo and percussion, Joey Glynn on upright bass, Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet and saxophone, TJ Muller on trumpet and banjo, and Matthew Meyer on drums, kicked the set off with a jazzy intro for their time-shifting leader to waltz out to. LaFarge amassed the perfect outfit to suit his musical vision. Not only in the instrumentation, but the players he has chosen match and enhance the old-time nature of the music both in their playing and persona.

Musically, the band was able to adjust to the needs of every tune, giving each one it’s own individual character. Even in reaching its goal of sounding old, it came across quite fresh. The band contracted and expanded, forming different configurations. When Meyer took a break from the drums, it left the audience to fill in with a dance of claps and stomps on LaFarge’s instruction. The horn players each had a turn on the bench as well. A trumpet or harmonica could be swapped for a banjo or percussion. And they all chipped in with their voices, each taking at least one turn on harmonies. Of particular note was a duet with Chloe Feoranzo on “Let’s Get Lost” off of LaFarge’s self-titled album.

The festival was blessed with an unusually hot opening weekend, prompting LaFarge to declare, “Let’s forget spring and skip straight to summer,” before kicking into “City Summer Blues” featuring Adam Hoskins on slide guitar. “Wanna Be Your Man” got TJ Muller up front and center with some nifty trumpet work. They closed out the set with a cover, a rousing rendition of Bob Willis’ “What’s the Matter with the Mill” that gave every member of the band a chance to shine on a solo and the crowd one last chance to dance in the grass under the hot sun.

The crowd had steadily grown throughout the set, as passersby from the festival grounds were drawn in to the sweet sounds of old-time jazz and country. The music might even have transported some from a Lilac Festival past. I could have sworn I saw some flappers out there…

May 18, 2015
Scotty McCreery Still American Idol to Fans at Turning Stone Showroom

Scotty McCreery was only 17-years-old when he won the 10th season on American Idol in 2011. Perhaps this young man was new to those just seeing him for the first time, however Scotty had spent most of his life singing and playing and preparing for his moment on that stage.

Growing up in North Carolina, Scotty McCreery at the age of 5-years-old received a book from his grandmother about Elvis, and from that point on, he knew what he wanted to do. He began learning guitar immediately thereafter and throughout his school years participated in chorus and plays, as well as sang at his local church. No stranger to the stage, this young man competed in several contests throughout his teenage years, and participated in numerous benefit concerts raising money for different causes.

This young man is not only extremely talented, he is very well grounded. With his family and his faith supporting him, he has continued to pursue his dream of music while attending the North Carolina State University. This ACM, American Country Music, and CMT Award winning artist continues to grow musically, while keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

As the show at Turning Stone Casino began, I was in visual heaven as they had one outstanding video show playing in the background. As audibly appealing as each song was to me that Scotty sang, the visual effects behind him was the cherry on top for me. The timing of videography matched perfectly with his music and choreography. This was an extremely well put together production and showcased his talents perfectly.

Scotty McCreery – Turning Stone Casino Showroom

Looking around me I couldn’t help but take in the diversity of the crowd that evening. There was every generation there from young girls reaching and screaming out as though they were at Beatle mania, to their grandmothers who sang along with every song. It was crystal clear that this country crooner appealed to the masses. Whether it was an upbeat tempo, a dedication to those who we have lost serving our country, or belting out a mashup of some of country music greats: “King of The Road” by Roger Miller, “Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard, “White Lightning” by George Jones, and “Mountain Music”, by Alabama. His music spanned generations and showcased his voice impeccably. All in all, this was one amazing show, and I see great things on the horizon for this artist. Already with three albums already under belt, fans can look forward to a fourth he’s currently working on that is expected by years end.

Touring this summer with Rascal Flatts on their RIOT TOUR 2015, catch him as he will be back to New York August 29, 2015 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www.darienlake.com/concerts/ for this and many other upcoming LiveNation concerts.

May 17, 2015