Category: Genres

Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin and Sevendust Show Rocks Alive and Well in Albany

Rock fans filled up the Times Union Center on November 23 as Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin and Sevendust heated up the Albany area arena with three incredible live performances by three of today’s top rock acts. Albany’s rock family was out in full force to witness the star-studded, Hall of Fame caliber rock lineup, that not only consisted of some of the best musicians in the business, but also three of today’s top rock frontmen: Shinedown’s Brent Smith, Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin and Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust.

For a Monday night, some would expect the crowd to be more laid back since it’s the start of most people’s work week, but that was not the case here as the fans in the arena were pumped and ready for a rock show. Even Upstate New York’s own Maria Brink from the band In This Moment, was in attendance as a fan with friends and family. Machine Head drummer Phil Demmel was also hanging out at the show.

First to grace the stage for the night was Atlanta, Georgia natives Sevendust. One by one each band member took the stage as the bass vibrated the whole building. Frontman Lajon Witherspoon stood front and center and asked the crowd “How y’all doing tonight?” The crowd screamed and once again Witherspoon asked the question to even louder screams from the crowd. Witherspoon then asked the crowd “Do you know who we are?” Witherspoon then shouted “We are Sevendust, let me see everybody’s hands in the air.” As the band went into the second song of the night “Driven,” Witherspoon asked the crowd if they were ready.

Before the band played the song “Not Today,” from the bands new album Kill the Flaw, the always emotional Witherspoon stopped for a minute to have a heartfelt talk with the fans. Witherspoon stated:

It’s a pleasure for us to be here. To be in your town. We’re a band, we go by the name of Sevendust. A lot of times, I feel like I have to build a relationship, with those that don’t know who we are. I’m not afraid of that. I like to say ah, you can love us, you can hate us, but you can’t fucking defeat us. With that being said, Were very proud to be out here with our brothers, from a band that goes by the name of Shinedown.

Witherspoon went on to thank everyone who helped on the tour, and those who have taken care of them by helping take situations that don’t feel like home, and that these people made them feel at home.

Witherspoon then asked the crowd, what do you guys know about Breaking Benjamin, to screams from the fans. Witherspoon then went on to say “Can you feel the energy? I said can you feel the energy, as fans yelled back. See now I feel like this relationship is starting to build.”

Witherspoon then asked the crowd if they wanted to hear a new song, and told fans to put their hands in the air. As the band played the intro, Witherspoon told the fans that were sitting in seats to put their hands in the air. Witherspoon then added “You get to sit down when you go back to your house tonight. Are you having a good time right now? Albany make some fucking noise.”

Witherspoon got all choked up when he gave an emotional speech about the recent tragedies in France before the bands song “Angels Son.” Witherspoon said:

Have you ever heard of the song ‘Angels Son?’ Tonight I’m dedicating it, because of the terrible things that have gone on in our world that we live in. The last couple of weeks, I’m talking about what happened in Paris. And I can’t believe it touched so close to home cause we had a few people that we knew that died over there, and what I’m trying to say is how very lucky, and how very blessed we are to be in this building together, and to be safe. See to me war is when you have someone on the other side and you know he has a gun, we have a gun and there’s a certain means, we have to do a certain thing. I don’t believe its a war when you go into a beautiful building (pauses as he chokes up for a few seconds) and you blow up people who have no freakin’ chance. Does that make sense to you guys? So what I have to say is, lets stay together, lets stay strong and lets not let them crazy motherfuckers scare us. Cause it’s not suppose to be like this, it’s not suppose to be like this, so we dedicate Angel’s Son to all those beautiful people that we lost.

Sevndust closed their set as Witherspoon introduced the last song for them of the night “Thank You,” by saying the song is a testimony to everything the band and he fans have been through together. He then added when it comes to fans of Sevendust, that he feels like they don’t have concerts, they have family reunions.

Sevendust Setlist: Black, Driven, Not Today, Angel’s Son, Shine, Thank You

Breaking Benjamin walked on the stage to the opening theme from the movie Star Wars, which frontman Ben Burnley is a big fan of. Burnley even sports the droid BB-8 from the upcoming Star Wars movie The Force Awakens. Breaking Benjamin then went from Star Wars to the first song in the setlist “So Cold.”

Burnley introduced the song Unknown Soldier by saying:

Right now I wanna take this time to send this next song out to every single man, and every single woman in this audience tonight that served this country. Your bravery, your courage, and your self-sacrifice, stand above all others in the world. It is because of those things, that America is the greatest country in the world. We are all indebted to you for your service. For without the service, of our soldiers and our veterans, we would not be up here playing rock & roll, you would not be out there listening to music, and we would not be having a concert tonight. Thank you or your sacrifices, thank you for the pain you have to endure in order for us to be here tonight.

Burnley then said to fans “Everyone of you, has a great heart, and you are thankful for the things that you have, you are thankful for the things that you have earned, you are thankful for the gifts that you are given. You have the things that you have, and you get the gifts that you get because of the service of our veterans and our soldiers.” This broke out a U.S.A chant from the crowd with help from Burnley.

Burnley decided to give his vocals a rest on the next song, and handed over the lead vocal duties to the fourth song in the set, “Sooner Or Later,” to guitarist Keith Wallen who sang the song as if was his own.

Breaking Benjamin then went into a small medley of songs that kicked off the “Imperial March Theme” from Star Wars. Burnley, from the catwalk behind the drummer sported a red light saber and said to the crowd that there is a new Star Wars movie on the horizon and showed his loyalty to the Empire.

In an amazing sight during the song “Give Me A Sign,” Burnley took a break to ask the crowd to pull out their cell phones and turn their flashes on. Burnley then went on to say “Alright, now were gonna do something. Were gonna turn off every light in this building, every single light on this stage, turn all of it off. Right now. Right at this moment. The only light that you see in this room, is the light that your shining yourself, and there is no other light than what you are shining right now. We are so grateful for that light. Without that light Albany, we would be in pitch black dark right now. Since you brought us into the light and out of the darkness, I want to sing this together as one. We’re gonna do this as one. And I wanna sing this so loud that we tear a hole in the roof. Can you do that Albany, New York?” Burnley and the fans then closed out the song together.

Burnley once again, then gave away the lead vocal duties for a song, but this time to bassist Aaron Bruch. Bruch then sang the song “Believe,” from the bands second studio album We Are Not Alone.

Burnley thanked the fans after the song “I Will Not Bow,” for their support. Burnley the told the fans that there is not a day that goes by, that he is not grateful to be up here on stage playing for you guys tonight. “You guys are so awesome. When you play for such an incredible audience, all of you fans in here, all of us up here, we’re nothing without you, we love you so much for that. Thank you so much.”

Burnley then reminisced to fans about growing up and going to concerts.

When I was young. I used to come to rock concerts just like this, and arenas just like this. I would stand here, I would stand there. When I went to go see my favorite bands, I would stare at this stage, and I would want to be up there so bad. I wanted to up there playing, or up there playing with my favorite band, you name it. I just wanted to be on this stage and it’s a dream come true to be on this stage. I want to thank you fans. Thank you for making all of our dreams come true.

Burnley then asked if there was some rebels (children) out in the audience who want to stand on stage with Breaking Benjamin for one last song. Breaking Benjamin closed out their set with “The Diary Of Jane,” with a stage full of kids rocking along side them.

Breaking Benjamin Setlist: So Cold, Angels Fall, Unknown Soldier, Sooner Or Later, Ashes Of Eden, Blow Me Away, Failure, Breathe, Medley (Imperial March, Schism, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Walk), Polyamorous, Give Me A Sign, Believe, I Will Not Bow, The Diary Of Jane

The National Anthem started to play throughout the venue followed by Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.” Only thing left was for the black curtain with a huge Shinedown logo to drop.

Shinedown came right out with authority. Looks like their pyro fit the fire code of the Times Union Center, as there were explosions, flames and sparklers throughout their set. Fans were ready for the bands high energy and Smith’s on stage theatrics to kick off.

Shinedown started off with the first single from the new album Threat To Survival, “Cut the Cord.” After the curtain dropped frontman Brent Smith stood on the catwalk and sang the song elevated behind drummer Barry Kerch.

After the opening song “Cut the Cord,” frontman Brent Smith asked the screaming fans, what’s going on? Smith then asked , whats up? Smith then said to the crowd “It’s been far too long wouldn’t you agree? It’s such a pleasure to be here tonight. Thank you so much for showing up on this cold, cold Monday night.” After cheers from the audience Smith then asked if everyone was in a good mood? Smith then asked the crowd if they had a wonderful week last week. After screams from the fans, Smith replied “Well we’re gonna start out with a phenomenal week, this week,” to more screams from fans.

Before moving on to the next song “Fly From the Inside,” Smith asked the crowd to give themselves a round of applause after he told them that he was always amazed by the fans that come out to a show. Smith then turned to drummer Barry Kerch in his hypnotizing voice “Mr. Kerch, so you have the floor. So why don’t you set the tone for what’s about to happen this evening.”

Smith told the crowd after the song “You see, you’re right about right here.” Smith held his hand flat out in front of him. Smith then added that where they need the crowd to be is right here, as Smith raised his hand and turned it into a thumbs up. Smith then added “Don’t worry, we’ll get you there.”

Now if you never been to a Shinedown concert, this is the part where Smith makes the crowd into one big rock family. Smith said to the crowd “Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. If this is you very first time ever seeing Shinedown raise your hands. Ok listen up, before we can go any further, we have to take care of something extremely important. So everybody in the building look to your left. Now look to your right. There’s a reason for this. See the person standing next to you right now. You may have never met them before tonight’s event. So we’re gonna change that. Everyone turn to you neighbor right now cause we want to see you shaking each other’s hands, giving each other high fives and telling everybody how nice it is to see them at the show.

Smith then went on and started shaking hands with the security team in front of him, and the photographers that graced the photo pit below as fans all got acquainted with each other.

Next song on the setlist, “If You Only Knew,” Smith told the fans that this song is for the ladies. Smith then said to the crowd “So guys, gentlemen, if your with your girl, grab her.” He jokingly added , ladies, if your with your girl, grab her, to laughter and cheers from fans. During the song Smith threw out a bunch of red roses to the ladies in the crowd.

Smith had the arena shaking when he asked fans to jump in unison to the song “Enemies.” Before the song Smith asked, “Ladies and gentlemen, do you know how we jump at a rock shows? Smith then said that this was the fans moment to reach for the stars. Smith then stated:

You see, there is already a ceiling on the building, but in Shinedown, we don’t believe I ceilings. They don’t exist to us. Smith then asked the fans to put their arms around each other and jump as one big family. So when I say go, we bounce as a family cause there is no such thing as a Shinedown fan. We don’t call them that. There is nothing in our world but Shinedown family, and that’s where you are tonight. That’s who is in front of you. So at this moment in time that person next to you, that’s your family.

Before playing another new song from their new album, Smith now took the time to explain to the crowd about the bands new record and why they go in the direction musically that the band choses to go in for each album:

So, I don’t know who wrote this down somewhere in history. Especially, the history of rock & roll, that you weren’t allowed to dance anytime like after the year 2000. Boggles my mind. On September 18 of this year, we released a record called Threat to Survival, which some of you might have. Thank you. Here’s the thing, we’re not hardwired to make the same record twice. We’ve never done it, never going too, cause that’s not growing. That’s not being artistic. When we write songs, we have to write about what we know.”

Smith then asked for the house lights to be turned down. As the arena went black, Smith then said to the crowd “Just listen to my voice. And if you don’t mind, would you show us that there stars out there in Albany.”

Smith went on to say “Here’s the thing. every lighter you got, every cell phone you own. Anything that shines. The whole place, and you gotta keep them up the whole time during the song and just follow us. Alright? Cause ladies and gentleman, it is officially time to dance.” Shinedown then played “State of my Head.”

Even though fans sung word for word, with every song during Shinedown’s set, fans were most vocal throughout the song “Second Chance,” singing every word loud and clear along wit Smith.

Smith and guitarist Zach Myers, stayed on stage for the bands cover of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Smith and Myers kept looking at each other in amazement as the fans hit every note during the song. The way the fans sang the words “simple kind of man” back to Smith, who held the mic out over the crowd sent chills through Smith and Myers body.

Shinedown closed out the show in style with the pyro set on all cylinders to final song of the night “The Sound of Madness.” Smith closed the show by thanking Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin and the fans. Smith then stated that Albany was the most vocal crowd on the tour.

Class act Smith ended by saying “Thank you all so much for showing up. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Be good, be good to each other and God bless you all.”

Smith then said his signature line “It’s never goodbye, It’s just til’ next time.” Smith told drummer Barry Kerch to lock it down and ended the show with four pyro blast as Kerch hit the drums I sync with the explosions.

Shinedown Setlist: Cut the Cord, Fly From the Inside, If You Only Knew, Unity, The Crow & The Butterfly, Diamond Eyes, I’ll Follow You, Enemies, State Of My Head, Bully, How Did You Love, Second Chance, Simple Man, Sound of Madness

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December 1, 2015
Hearing Aide: The Primrose Drive EP

Going into my first listen to The Primrose Drive’s EP I was apprehensive. From the sessions I’d seen online, I knew the the group had talent, but I had no idea how they would display it in the studio. Primrose opens their EP with “Empty Auditorium”, a Dan Auerbach-esque tune with a catchy riff and driving drums. I was disappointed when the vocals entered, because it felt to me like they were too separated from the music.

Their second song, “Funk > Shakedown Street”, completely changed my opinion. It proved to me that the skills are certainly present as are the vocals. I think the fault in “Empty Auditorium”, if any, lies in the production. I grooved to Funk >. It’s certainly something that I’m going to play on my radio show in the coming weeks. I pressed onward to “Up Close”—simple, catchy, groovy. It’s a sweet, introspective tune. This eventually became my favorite song on the EP because it fits with the songs that I’ve been listening to since my move to Syracuse. Things only got better with “Site 21”. It was folky in nature, which I absolutely love, and the minor chord progressions leading into the chorus were a great touch. The final song, “Waiver” was a nice ending. It grooved, and the guitar solos were stellar.

All in all, I don’t think there was anything “groundbreaking” about the Primrose Drive’s first EP. It’s their take on a genre that has existed for quite some time. That being said, I’m excited to here for more them in the coming years. The Primrose Drive certainly separates themselves from other rock groups with the authenticity of their music. Every tune is genuine and heartfelt, a window into the group’s wild highs and morose lows. watch out for these guys.

Key Tracks: Up Close, Funk > Shakedown Street

November 30, 2015
Leftover Salmon Returns to The Egg on December 2

Jamgrass legends Leftover Salmon make their return to The Egg on December 2. Bassist Greg Garrison spoke with NYSMusic about the group’s first time back in Albany since the 2003, the group’s influence on the jamgrass scene, their songwriting process and release of the live album 25.

For fans of bluegrass and its speedier cousin, jamgrass, the welcoming atmosphere can be felt as “a happy, fun festival vibe,” as Garrison describes it. The upbeat, progressive improv nature of Yonder Mountain String Band and Greensky Bluegrass can trace itself back to Leftover Salmon, whose unique genre of Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass is an instant jolt of energy to audiences around the country. Bringing the audience to their feet at The Egg will be thanks in part to drummer Alwyn Robinson, a role often not filled in typical bluegrass acts. “The fact we have always had a drummer and looked to find a well-versed and good drummer, and with our current drummer Alwyn Robinson from Brooklyn, kept up with the tradition of energetic drummers that we’ve had,” noted Garrison.

There are of course other bands who preceded Leftover Salmon in their contributions to the jamgrass scene. Hot Rize, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Newgrass Revival paved the way for Leftover, marking a lineage that dates back to the early 1980s, connecting current jamgrass-descendants with their predecessors. Over the years, Garrison has seen bands come and go, and the sound changed ever so slightly over time. “The faces and names of the bands have changed, and some have done better than others, like Railroad Earth and String Cheese Incident, who are paving the way for how far you can push the genre as far as crowd and sound. The ones who stay a little truer to roots – Yonder Mountain String Band and Greensky Bluegrass and the like, you could listen to them 10 years ago and now, while the material might change and playing has gotten better, it has matured, it’s still the same.”

Greg Garrison, photo by Andrew Wyatt

The evolved newgrass sound can be found within their recorded albums as well. On their albums High Country and Aquatic Hitchhiker, listeners can find songs that change as they are performed live, whereas Garrison notes, “some will stretch out a little bit and we see where it takes us, and take a simple arrangement and continually use it as a vehicle live.”

Songwriting on recent studio albums has been fresh songs that had not been road-tested. Songs were written individually outside the studio and once in the studio, arranged as a band and lyrics edited to polish the final product. “Andy Thorn (banjo) was a live player since before he joined us. He used to see us when he was 15 years old. Now, he’ll come up with a tune that is a fully formed Leftover Salmon tune before we get a hold of it.”

25, a celebration of Leftover Salmon’s 25 years of music, was released over Thanksgiving weekend. Selecting the tracks was a feat, taking three years’ worth of shows and trimming the list down to 50-60 recordings to choose from. “It took a better part of a year to dig through it all and get what we wanted. Mario Casilio (sound engineer) spent time in the studio together mixing it and making sure it sounded good enough as a representation of the band. It’s the first album I’ve been able to produce for the band. I feel like we picked some interesting tunes that don’t get played very often, like an old version of “Blister in the Sun,” which we play once a year, so to capture a good one of those is great.

“Bill Payne (Little Feat) playing with us for the past couple years (all but one track features Bill) has helped us move in the direction of filling some spaces in a collective improvisation kind of way. We had a horn section with us at the Boulder Theater last year – it sounds like Leftover Salmon but the stuff is definitely unexpected and made it sound really good, and much better than just pulling something off of archive.org, but there’s nothing wrong with that, I do it too.”

Back in the Northwest for New Year Eve, Leftover Salmon will be joined by Skerik and Bill Payne in Portland, followed by shows in Alaska, Fort Collins, CO, a three week run in March and April, as well as the annual Ski Tour, which will include a mini-festival at The Stanley Park Hotel in Estes Park, CO. Unique to the Rocky Mountain-based band are events like Winter Wondergrass in Lake Tahoe, NV and Colorado, an outdoor bluegrass fest in the winter. “Everyone braves it and has a good time, plus we have a few shows in Chicago at The Vic Theater. We’ll be out and about doing our thing.”

Leftover Salmon continue their Northeast run with stops at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on December 3, Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA on December 4 and The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT on December 5.

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November 30, 2015
Eagles of Death Metal Discuss Tragedies; Singer Can’t Wait To Play Bataclan Again

The Eagles of Death Metal have recently become worldwide household names, just not in a way anybody wishes to achieve stardom. Well, everyone knows who they are now because of the recent tragedies that occurred during their live show at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris.

Formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme, the Eagles of Death Metal were about an hour into their set at the Bataclan when chaos ensued. Homme was not present at the Paris show.

Terrorist attacked several locations throughout Paris, France. That night saw 130 people die, with many more still critically wounded due to the senseless acts. In this interview, the Eagles of Death Metal talk about that night and the friends and fans they lost, including their own merch guy Nick Alexander, from this horrific event.

Vice News founder Shane Smith sat down with the Eagles of Death Metal in their Los Angeles offices and talked about the tragedies that happened in Paris. This is the first time the band has spoke about the incident since that night on Friday, Nov. 13.

This emotional interview shows that the band members are still horrified and shocked over the events. Below are some excerpts from that interview followed by the full interview.

Smith asked the band how the tragedy started. Guitarist Eden Galindo responded:

At first, I thought it was the PA cracking up, and then I realized real quick that it wasn’t. And I recognized what, what it was. That time Jesse ran, he ran towards me, and we went in the corner of the stage. We weren’t sure if they were targeting us, or what was going on, you know? Boot, who’s also on the crew, he ah, I guess saw, he saw the gunman like run out of, cartridge run out, and so he took it out to put another one in. And that is when he (Boot) was like let’s go. And then we (Hughes) got up and ran off the stage we (Hughes) went up the stairs, went in the dressing to find Tuesday (Hughes’ girlfriend) but she wasn’t there. He (Hughes) kept going up, and then he came running back down because he saw the gunman upstairs.

Smith then asked Galindo how he got out of the building:

After we come back downstairs, we go out the side exit door onto the street, onto this little street. The kids were, they saw us and they were helping and they were being so helpful and they were being so great and they were like come this way, come this way.

Smith then asked bassist Matt McJunkins his experience through the ordeal:

Yeah when the shooting started, threw down my bass, hid for a second, sort of behind the curtain, sort of behind the monitor desk, and immediately, you know, people started pouring through, there’s like a door, ah to get up to the stage. Stage access and people were coming, and Steve, our tour manager, he was there and, and he’s the first person I saw, and just.. the look on his face, of like, we both… had the same thought, he was like there’s, there’s no exit over here. And he was trying to tell people that. Ya know.

Everyone’s running, well everyone is sort of going up into this room, or you know, just to escape the gunfire, you know, naturally, instinctively, from my perspective, I see the shooting, to see it, to see, you know, the pops go off, the lights flashing, sort of dive over, and then just have to make that decision whether do I really want to run across the stage, or do I wanna just go in this room , hope for the best. So I went into the room with a bunch of people and there’s a bunch of people all helping each other to get up there, you know, holding on and just like lets ya know we’re in this. And as soon as we get there were a few people that have been shot, and were bleeding. People started, we started grabbing chairs to barricade the door. Ah there was like a mini fridge and (chuckles) someone had left a bottle of champagne in the room for like a post show thing. We had, that to use in case. (motions in a stabbing manner)

This prompted Smith to ask if he intended to use the bottle as a weapon. McJunkins replied:

Yeah, cause that’s it. That’s all we had. There was a woman in front of me, who, it was scary cause she was bleeding, you know she got shot right there here (points to thigh) on her upper thigh. And there was nothing to do, except, there was this guy, I don’t know, he was holding her and just keeping pressure on her and she had a friend, who was doing the same thing, and this guy was just trying to like, keep her comfortable, and like , I mean, her blood was running out on the ground. The gunfire got closer. It went on for… you know 10-15 minutes. It just didn’t stop. And then it would stop, and then there was a sence of relief, and then it would start-up again. And then there was an explosion, that just shook the whole room, probably the whole building, and a, of course we didn’t know what that was. so we didn’t know if some one was trying to bomb the place, or maybe trying to maybe blow up the whole venue. Or what.

Smith then turned his attention to drummer Julian Dorio. Smith asked Dorio what he saw happen. Via tele-video, Dorio replied:

I think what really shocked me at first was that we’re a loud rock band, you know? The power of the band on the stage through the PAs, is hard to trump and the initial shots were so powerful for me that, I immediately, I knew something was wrong. I kinda bailed off of my stool. Almost immediately, the gunpowder hit my nose. I turned, looked, sort of through my drum hardware, to the side of an amp, and that’s when the second round started. And I saw two guys out front, and that might just be the most awful thing ever, is them relentlessly shooting into the audience. That’s when I started crawling. I basically stayed almost on my chin. Crawling to the right side of the stage, behind the drum riser. Keeping all that gear in front of me. And once I got to the other side of the stage, Eden mentioned it earlier, and I think Boot and who else I saw the moment of opportunity to run, to that door. They ran in front of me, I saw them, I hopped up, and I ran right behind them.

Smith now turned his attention to co-founder Jesse Hughes. Smith asked Hughes what happened to him during the event as he was looking for his girlfriend Tuesday:

I ran up. I didn’t see her on side of the stage so I ran up to the dressing room. And just like he said, I threw the door open, she wasn’t in there. Then I opened up the hallway door and that’s when I saw…the a..shooter and um he turned on me and he brought his gun down and the barrel hit the a…door frame, and I was like oh f**k. And I turned around and I started, cause I could tell people were following me, you know, this was the situation where everyone was looking for the place to go you know. And a I realized that, and I was like no, no, no do not f*****g come this way. Do not. And we started heading back down and a, we got to that exit door and I still hadn’t seen Tuesday and Julian got out in front of me. Eden was like standing with me (turns to Eden) actually I think if you think about it, you were like what the f**k dude. It was almost like let’s move, let’s go, but I didn’t know what to do, but when Tuesday saw Julian and I heard her voice (deep breath) I knew she was cool and then Eden and I, Eden grabbed me I think and we headed out.

In a separate interview conducted, Smith talked to founders Hughes and Homme. Smith asked where the band goes from here. Hughes stated:

I pledge to every person, who loves rock & roll, enjoy me, I will never, I may be scared, and maybe I went through some bad s**t but I’m breathing. I get to talk to my son tonight. and a, I have a house that is paid for because rock & roll’s blessed me, and been very good to me, and I’ve been blessed with beautiful friends, I feel like I have a life of blessings and I’m not gonna walk around acting like it sucks. I wanna spend my life smiling with my friends and entertaining them. I cannot wait to get back to Paris. I cannot wait to play, I wanna come back. I want to be the first band to play in the Bataclan when it opens back up. Because I was there when it went silent for a minute, and our friends went there to see rock & roll and died. I wanna go back there and live.

November 29, 2015
Members of SCI and Turkuaz, Plus Holly Bowling, to Perform with Joe Marcinek Band (Updated)

The Joe Marcinek Band will play five shows in early December with a very special lineup. The brief tour brings the band to Syracuse and Buffalo on Dec. 4 and 5.

The current incarnation of the Joe Marcinek Band features Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green) on bass, Pete Koopmans (Family Groove Project) on drums and Holly Bowling on keys. Joe Marcinek, of course, will be on guitar. Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident, EOTO) will cover percussion the first two nights, with Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz) taking over the final three. ROAR, formerly Yojimbo, will open each night.

Marcinek has a new album in the works. He is funding its creation through a crowd-source campaign. From his website:

We are going out to Colorado to record at Scanhope Sound with Joey Porter from the Motet producing. Most of the money raised will go towards covering the studio time, musicians, mixing, master, manufacturing and anything left over will go towards advertising!

I’ve put together a great package of perks for all those that pledge! Not only will you get a copy of the new CD once finished but if you let us know your email address you will recieve a digital copy of our first album “Both Sides” and the unreleased recording of the show from last month where JMB opened for Moe. The JMB lineup included Jim and Vinnie from Moe as well as Borahm Lee from Break Science on keys!

Tickets for all shows are currently available.

Joe Marcinek on Facebook

Joe Marcinek on Twitter

Tour Dates

Dec. 2 – Scarlet and Grey Cafe, Columbus, OH
Dec. 3 – Madison Live!, Covington, KY
Dec. 4 – Funk ‘n Waffles, Syracuse, NY
Dec. 5 – Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY
Dec. 6 – Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH

Correction: Michelangelo Caruba will no longer be joining the Joe Marcinek Band for this run. Jason Hann will be covering percussion for the first three nights, with Ryan Nogle, formerly of Aqueous, on the fourth night. There will be no percussionist on Dec. 6.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfACgqp25c8[/embedyt]

November 29, 2015
Sublime With Rome Brings the Heat to F Shed

On a chilly November evening in Syracuse, the boys from Long Beach California, Sublime with Rome, brought the heat and their unique blend of reggae and ska punk to the F-Shed at the Regional Market! Despite the cooler temperatures outside, it didn’t deter legions of loyal fans from coming out in shorts and tank tops or some very enthusiastic folks from playing hacky sack outside in between band sets. That laid back, “chill” aura set the tone for the evening.

The show got under way with openers Santa Cruz, California natives, The Expendables, who helped get the crowd jumping with their blend of homegrown reggae/ska and surf rock. These guys delivered a very energetic and positive performance. After their 30 minute set they left the crowd excited for the headliner.

The lights go down and you can sense the excitement in the air. The soft hum of the amps turning on and the band plugging in their instruments can barely be heard above the buzz of the crowd. The stage slowly starts to illuminate and poised at the mic is a dark silhouette of Rome Ramirez; the band busts out with the classic “Get Ready” as if it’s a premonition of what they have in store for the exuberant and ecstatic crowd at the F-Shed. They didn’t waste any time before cranking out crowd favorites such as “Date Rape” and “Wrong Way”, not to mention a really upbeat and ska version of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.” Rome and company played a very intense set consisting of a mix of classic Sublime songs and some crowd pleasers off their new album “Sirens.” You could feel the overabundance of positive energy between both the band and the crowd.

The show was a party from the beginning right up to the end when the crowd went wild as the band played their most famous hit “Santeria.”

Prior to the show I had the opportunity to chat with Rome Ramirez. Rome was very laid back and fun to chat with. We talked about the album “Sirens,” what inspires him and his favorite aspects of touring. Hope you enjoy the interview!

November 27, 2015
Gathering of the Vibes to Take a Break in 2016

The year after its 20th annual edition, popular music festival Gathering of the Vibes will take a break in 2016.

Festival founder Ken Hays announced today that he needs a “time out,” calling producing the festival as an independent promoter a challenging endeavor.

According to the statement posted on the festival’s website and social media and emailed to the festival’s mailing list:

This is not the end of the Vibes, my friends; it’s simply a pause, an opportunity for us all to reflect on the memories, explore new and exciting festival initiatives while planning our triumphant return in 2017.

The four-day festival started as a gathering at SUNY Purchase for people mourning the loss of Jerry Garcia in 1996, and it has had strong ties to the Grateful Dead community ever since, hosting all of the original band members at various points throughout the festival’s 20 years. The festival was held in several New York locations before relocating to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Gathering of the Vibes 2016

November 27, 2015
Jam for Tots Brings Holiday Joy and Music to The Capital District

Jam for Tots, a music benefit series held throughout New York State each holiday season, returns with host Luke Weiler who has been holding the benefit shows 2008.

With events held at The Hollow in Albany, Putnam Den in Saratoga, Last Chance Cheese (Tavern) in Tannersville and Aaron’s Irish Pub in Gloversville, intimate shows are on tap with a variety of live music as well as a chance to donate gifts and raise money for the neediest this holiday season. Weiler feels encouraged for this year’s Jam for Tots. “I’m so excited to see what takes place this year as I am always excited about the events and the vibe that we can all create collectively as Jam For Tots keeps going strong another year.”

The impact of the donations raised by Jam for Tots is quite impressive. “We have donated about $20,000 worth of toys over the last 8 years. We’ve had exceptionally amazing years where we had $10,000 in toys total, and years where we only had two events that raised about $2,000,” shared Weiler. “All bands donate their performances and with four events this year, I am looking forward to a good amount of toy donations, hopefully at least $2,000. I set attainable goals and more the better if we surpass the goal.”

As a holiday event, Jam for Tots is something that is feel good and fun to be a part of. These intimate events help to bring joy to many kids over the Christmas season. Bring a toy and get free admission to each of the Jam for Tots events in November and December.

November 25, 2015
Space Jesus Touches Down at Slake

At Slake on Friday, November 20, Space Jesus threw quite the party for the release of his brand new album, Close Encounters. The highly anticipated album drew a crowd that was teeming with energy. Even the line waiting to get in was buzzing with electricity. That element of infectious excitement seemed to flow through the whole evening to the very last beat.

The lineup was fire, with the ultra danceable sounds of producer/DJs Esseks, Brightside, and Soohan, the world debut of super far out rapper Pipus, and the staggering beat-boxing talents of the show’s host, Honeycomb. The venue was absolutely packed with fans who created a genuine family-like community. The amount of smiles, fist bumps, hugs, and high fives going around engendered a feeling of old friends coming together to celebrate the new creations of their leader, Jasha Tull, better known to them as Space Jesus.

By the time Tull took the stage everyone was in full party mode and surrendered to his presence as he completely took over. The performance was visually captivating with an absolutely stunning light show (by Drew Suto of Dutch Masterson Design) filled with the juiciest neon and primary colors. The whole stage was packed with raging fans and friends. Up high there were cages filled with gorgeous women moving effortlessly to every sounds pouring off the stage as smoke and screams of euphoria filled the air and the warm buzz of powerful bass passed through every being present.

“Close Encounters” has a heavy hip hop influence, which has been evident in his earlier albums but perhaps not quite to this extent. With a span of diverse multicultural genre samples and at times a haunting, almost eerie feel the record displays lyrics with raw truth, beats with just the right amount of sex appeal, and bass that won’t quit. His entire performance was undeniably evocative and left everyone in the room satisfied and dripping with sweat. The future seems bright for this up and coming artist. Or in the words of the DJ himself, “everything’s cake.” Killer party, Space Jesus. Can’t wait till the next one.

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November 25, 2015
Hearing Aide: Vaporeyes ‘Swell’

Syracuse experimental group Vaporeyes released their fifth studio album titled Swell on November 11, offering listeners a reservoir of jazz-infused jams to meditatively contemplate.

Vaporeyes is composed of Jonas Reddy-Nicholson (Warp Drive Operator), Shannon Zory (Groovemaster), Sean “Chid Law” Cadley (Keeper of the Beats) and Jamie “Jyms” Tynan (Facemelter). Two songs feature Stephanie Donato on saxophone. Swell was recorded and mastered by William Nicholson at JoBop Records in Syracuse. Released in combination with the new album is a live recording titled An Evening with Vaporeyes from their July 8, 2015, show at Funk ‘N’ Waffles Downtown. Included with the recording are extra downloads displaying video footage from a September 5 performance at the same venue shot by Jason Vincent.

Swell unfurls the opening song, “Precipice,” with a short spoken word quandary uttered by album cover artist Yegor Mikushkin. The final line feeds into the dreamlike opening of “Precipice,” postulating, “This tense suspense has driven me insane/This glance, this trance, must all just be a dream.” The tense suspense of the first half of the song mirrors that sensation some feel in anticipation of large family gatherings before flutes of champagne and goblets of wine douse the initial discomfort in an avalanche of warm fuzzies. Midway through, “Precipice” serenely eases into a savory instrumental jazz piece. It’s ambient qualities could melt into the background of an indulgent holiday party as drunken family members adorned in matching knit sweaters lounge lazily around a fire guzzling mulled wine and gorging on an array of delicate cheeses.

If “Precipice” is the anthem for that all-too-familiar holiday party progression, then “Exo Robot” could thematically epitomize the angsty mission-driven mischievousness of the dreaded holiday shopping season. It calls to mind scenes similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bloodthirsty hunt to locate a Turbo Man action figure for his beloved son in the 1996 thriller, Jingle All the Way.

“Spirutine’s” mid-album playfulness embodies that happy-go-lucky sense of wonder coursing through young spirits on Christmas morning. “Retrograde” imparts a cathartic effect, winding down the sequence of energetic jams with a melody fit to doze off under the comfort of cozy blankets, sheltered from winter’s chill.

Key Tracks: Precipice, Spirutine, Retrograde

November 24, 2015