Category: Genres

Mastodon and Clutch Join Together for ‘The Missing Link’ Tour with New York Dates

When two bands share a long-time friendship it’s bound to happen: a heavy-kicking co-headlining tour. Metal fans can rejoice this spring as Mastodon and Clutch make 29 stops around the United States and Canada. Supporting them for the earlier part of the tour will be Big Business with Sweden’s Graveyard taking over for the remaining majority of the tour. Mastodon is set to close many of the shows but Clutch will be taking the lead at a few throughout the tour.

New York will catch the tail-end of the tour in May with stops at Central Park Summerstage in NYC May 19 and Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on May 20. The only other Northeast show will be in Boston at the House of Blues on May 17. Mastodon will be headlining these three shows.

Mastodon’s sixth studio album Once More ‘Round The Sun, released June 2014, has found a great amount of success, topping the CMJ Loud Rock charts for the 26th week in a row now and has been ranked highly on many year-end album lists. The song “High Road” from that album has been nominated for Best Metal Performance in The 57th Annual Grammy Awards being presented on February 8.

Clutch has seen similar success with their latest release from 2013, Earth Rocker, receiving a good deal of praise against the field of 2013 hard rock releases.

Tickets are on sale January 23.

Tour Dates:

Apr 16 *St. Paul, MN                 Myth
Apr 17 * Winnipeg, MB The Burton Cummings Theatre
Apr 18 *Saskatoon, SK              O’Brian’s Events Center
Apr 19 * Edmonton, AB Expo Centre
Apr 21 * Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
Apr 23 * Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Apr 24 **Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Apr 25 *Portland, OR Roseland
Apr 26 *Seattle, WA Showbox SODO
Apr 28 *Oakland, CA                 Fox Theater
Apr 29 *Los Angeles, CA Palladium
Apr 30 *Tempe, AZ                    Marquee Theater
May 01 *Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
May 02 *Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
May 03 *Denver, CO Red Rock’s Amphitheatre
May 05 *San Antonio, TX Kapone’s Ballroom
May 06 *Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
May 08 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
May 09 *Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre Street Stage
May 10 **Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
May 12 *Clive, IA (Des Moines)   7 Flags
May 13 *Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom Club Stage
May 15 **Bethlehem, PA Sands Event Center
May 16 **Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
May 17 *Boston, MA House of Blues
May 19 *New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
May 20 *Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theatre
May 21 *London, ON London Music Hall
May 24 **Columbus, OH LC Pavilion

* Mastodon closes the evening
** Clutch closes the evening

January 23, 2015
Umphrey’s McGee and Joshua Redman Tag Team New York

Umphrey’s McGee is a band that continues to test its limits with shows at larger venues and innovations in their progressive music. The Indiana-originated six piece takes their tight prog-rock and builds energy that eventually explodes before the eyes of their dedicated fans. Many of these die-hards have seen the band go from tiny clubs to somewhere as large as the Beacon Theatre in NYC. After two years of getting their feet wet, the 2124 Broadway venue was the host of yet another installment of ‘Umphlove’ for two nights before heading to Long Island and The Paramount in Huntington.

Friday, January 16 review by Garrett Montgomery

Following a five night New Year’s run in Atlanta and rocking Jam Cruise with a host of sit-ins, Umphrey’s McGee kicked off their first full tour of 2015 at the Beacon Theater in New York on Friday, January 16. The Chicago-based sextet kicked off 2014 in similar fashion at the Beacon on January 17 and 18, but this year they invited saxophonist Joshua Redman along for the ride.

Umphrey’s transitioned the opening song “You Got the Wrong Guy” into a straightforward “Cut the Cable,” the second track off 2014’s Similar Skin. They moved into an energetic “#5” during which drummers Kris Myers and Andy Farag demonstrated their incredible synchronization. Keyboardist Joel Cummins’ highlight of the night came a little later during a solo at the drop in “Walletsworth.”

Like last year’s Beacon shows, Brendan Bayliss’s vocals were on point all night, maybe no more so than during “Similar Skin.” Just a few measures into the 2014 title track, Redman came out wailing. He set up on guitarist Jake Cinninger’s side of stage. It did not take long for Redman and Cinninger to begin dueling and a “Hurt Bird Bath” to end the first set lit the room up.

Redman rejoined midway through the second set for another three songs, including another tune off Similar Skin, “Educated Guess” and old-school jam “Professor Wormbog.” The set began with Cinninger joining Cummins on the keys for “Nothing Too Fancy” and ended with a tight “Hajimemashite.” The band was crisp and the sound in the Beacon pristine, but the MVP was Jefferson Waful. He put on an unforgettable light show with precise timing and multiple layers and planes. From spinning gently intoxicating white lights during “Educated Guess” to jarring reds in “Ringo,” Waful has mastered lighting the Beacon Theater.

Set 1: You Got the Wrong Guy > Cut the Cable, #5 > Walletsworth, Red Tape, Similar Skin* > End of the Road*, Hurt Bird Bath*

Set 2: Nothing Too Fancy > August, Educated Guess*, Professor Wormbog*, Ringo*, Wappy Sprayberry > Hajimemashite

Encore: Let’s Dance > Nothing Too Fancy

Saturday, January 17 review by Tyler Curtis

The second of two nights kicked off with “Le Blitz” into a funky favorited number, “In The Kitchen.” They would look back at the first night by finishing “Wappy Sprayberry” in between “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” raising the excitement for those doing both nights. Miss Tinkles contained a “Mind Left Body” tease from the famed Grateful Dead jam. Later in the set Joshua Redman would come in starting for “Great American,” through the end of the set. His contributions to “Made To Measure > Der Bluten Kat > Yoga Pants > Der Bluten Kat” were worth the price of admission alone. The string of four songs was seamless and had a natural flow to it. Their mobility on stage has harbored exploration that only seems to go farther from sea.

When set two rolled around, the expectations for a closing set at the Beacon arose. How would they end their statement for 2015 in New York’s prized theater? Kicking off with the guitar laced “Ja Junk” doused in prog-metal was not the wrong choice. Serving as a pallet for future segues and exploration, it has earned a spot in the hearts of all. A notable take on “Conduit” came a few songs later, giving an energetic 90’s guitar anthem feel. Bayliss and Cinninger split singing and solo duty for the second song of the second set, though it was a little more Bayliss-heavy for the rest of the night. The first cover of the night, The Pixies “Where Is My Mind?” followed, recalling once again that 90’s sound. Bayliss hopped on acoustic guitar, and the rest of the band harmonized to match the vocal performance on a classic. Redman would join for sax through the rest of the show, starting with “Intentions Clear” before moving into the first “In A Silent Way” since 2007. While there isn’t much of a structure, it instrumentally ascends the music into a state of ambiance.

Set two ended with a song that debuted on 12/31/13, “Bad Friday.” Its funky beat and bass line sent the Beacon into a full fledge dance party, similar to how Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance” had instigated a crowd groove the night before. The most valuable performer was holding down the low-end; Stasik found the pocket and remained there, until the rest of the band was ready to close things out. The second cover of the night was in the encore slot and appropriate to the location, as Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” made for an eruption in the crowd. Being played at the Beacon before by the Allman Brothers, it was only right that the dueling guitars of Umphrey’s got a shot at it too. At this point it makes you wonder where the next logical step is for these guys, considering they’re selling out the Beacon and filling the room with music with no problem.

Set 1: Le Blitz > In The Kitchen > Miss Tinkle’s Overture > Wappy Sprayberry > Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Morning Song, Great American*, Made to Measure* > Der Bluten Kat*

Set 2: JaJunk, The Floor, Full Frontal > Conduit, Where Is My Mind?, Intentions Clear* > In a Silent Way* > Blue Echo*, Bad Friday*

Encore: Layla

* with Joshua Redman on saxophone

Sunday, January 18 review by Chason Heins

Umphrey’s McGee was fresh off two performances at NYC’s Beacon Theatre and made a much-anticipated return to Long Island, as well as a first time visit to The Paramount. The Huntington, NY venue seemed a perfect fit for the fans and band alike, offering ample floor space as well as balcony seating paired with a solid sound system and a beautiful backdrop for lighting designer Jefferson Waful to work with. A huge main bar added to the party vibe of the evening as well as several smaller ones which allowed for shorter lines and a rather effortless trip to get a beverage which for added to the overall appeal of the venue.

As the show began it was apparent that this was a band on a mission and that was simply to own the venue, and own it they did. The first set flowed beautifully as the band drew the crowd in with an intoxicating version of “Phil’s Farm” which was when this set really took off. The band followed it up with a powerful version of “Mad Love” before bringing out guest saxophonist, Joshua Redman. Joshua’s ability to manipulate his saxophone in any way he saw fit added a unique richness and passion to the music which was most evident during an emotionally charged “Glory,” “Anchor Drops” combo before driving the set home with fan favorite “Wife Soup.”

The second set was a steady onslaught of Umphrey’s at their finest as they returned to the cheers of the crowd instantly dropping into a “Preamble > Mantis.” The band whose playing has been as tight as ever followed this up with “Booth Love,” which contained a breathtaking “Another Brick in the Wall” jam. Joshua Redman once again joined in the fun for a trio of songs to finish out the second set. The “Higgins” that came out of this segment was wonderfully played with Redman’s horn blending effortlessly throughout the song. Leading up to the set-ending “Mail Package” that may have been the highlight of the entire show with some of the funkiest grooves of the evening.

The band returned to the stage one final time thanking the fans for coming out and sharing in a Sunday Night throw-down before dedicating the encore to “Chris” a fan who was apparently suffering from being sexually amped up. Bayliss jokingly stating that although he couldn’t be of any help, maybe someone out in the audience could be, before kicking off the “Woooo” inducing groove of “Led Boots.” The evening ended with the band revisiting “1348” and closing out yet another memorable New York run in perfect fashion, leaving a room full of satisfied fans awaiting their next chance to spend another magical evening with their favorite band.

Set 1: Bathing Digits > Go to Hell, Phil’s Farm, Mad Love, Believe the Lie*, The Linear* > Glory* > Anchor Drops*, Wife Soup*

Set 2: Preamble > Mantis > Booth Love > 1348*, Higgins*, Mail Package*

Encore: Led Boots > 1348

Umphrey’s McGee once again began their touring year in the Big Apple and left many New Yorkers slack-jawed. They’ll be back in New York with Tauk in Syracuse on February 20 and Albany on February 21.

January 22, 2015
Hearing Aide: ‘American Beauty/American Psycho’ Ushers In New Fall Out Boy Sound

American Beauty/American Psycho marks the sixth studio album for Fall Out Boy and with it comes a major style change to a band that has constantly changed their sound. Long gone are the pop-punk songs of Take This To Your Grave and From Under The Cork Tree. Fall Out Boy have now become as pop as any other artist on the top 40 chart. Beginning with Infinity on High the band started transitioning away from their roots and experimenting with elements taken from big bands and arena rock bands off the past. This culminated in 2008’s Folie a Deux, an album that was their most divisive with both critics, fans, and the band itself.

Following the release of Folie a Deux the band took an extending hiatus before returning with 2013’s Save Rock and Roll and with it brought in a new direction. The album had a hard pop edge with big hooks in every song but also with it came guest heavy songs that gave it the feeling of being a “Fall Out Boy and Friends” album. And now with American Beauty/American Psycho the guest spots have been replaced with samples.

The album is absolutely drenched in samples which makes it sound less like a band playing and instead a Patrick Stump solo effort. It’s very weird to not hear much music actually being played. Guitar riffs are sparsely heard and Andy Hurley’s drums have been processed to the point I’m not actually sure he ever actually laid down acoustic drum tracks in the studio. Most of the drumming sounds like your standard club track beats.

The effects put on Patrick Stumps vocals are mind boggling because the man has one of the best voices in the industry. The whole mix of the album is very flat and becomes incredibly distorted the louder you play it (think the controversy around how Metallica’s Death Magnetic was mixed). I can only wonder why someone thought it would be a good idea to overwork both the vocals and instrument mix to this extent.

The songs still have the big bombastic hooks that the band is known for but they lack the heart that their albums used to have. The lyrics aren’t as clever as they used to be and some songs re-use lyrical themes of songs past. The emotion of the lyrics was always a huge draw for the band. From songs about loneliness and regret to break up songs, everyone could find something to relate to with a Fall Out Boy track. But now while still inventive, they just don’t have that emotional heft.

Despite all this, the album does produce a few tracks that will (at least should) become live staples. “Uma Thurman” is the best song on the record hands down. It’s got an infectious chorus that begs you to sing along with it. “Novocain” has some really nice vocal patterns that gives more credit to Stump being a genius when it comes to vocal cadences and timbre shifts. The two lead singles “Centuries” and “Immortals” are strong songs but are also largely the key evidence of a band that has completely changed their sound. For longtime fans these will be the two throwaway songs on the album. If you compare those songs to anything from Take This To Your Grave or even Folie a Deux, they sound like a different band entirely minus the vocals.

I need to be honest here. Fall Out Boy is my favorite band. It’s been really tough to listen to them change so much. Every time a new song was released from this album I had a sense of dread that the next song was going to be the one that makes the band jump the shark for me. As much as I dislike the change in ideals behind their songwriting process I can’t admit to disliking any of the songs on this record which wasn’t the case with their last record. I so badly want them to return to their old sound but I think that’s the feeling shared by a lot of fans that love a band that has been around for 10-15 years. Bands do change. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. But take it or leave it, this is what Fall Out Boy is now.

But just remember, at least they still play the old stuff live.

Key Tracks – Uma Thurman, Novocain, The Kids Aren’t Alright

January 22, 2015
Blues Legend Robert Cray to Play Bardavon January 31

Grammy Award winning blues guitarist Robert Cray and his band will play the Bardavon 1869 Opera House on Saturday, January 31.

A 2011 inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame, Cray released his 17^th studio album in 2014. He has played with the likes of legends Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and John Lee Hooker and on January 31 leads the Robert Cray Band to the stage of New York State’s longest continually running concert hall.

Cray’s music falls under the blues umbrella, but jazz, funk, soul, R&B and rock influences can be detected throughout his catalog. According to Cray, “When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison – that is, until I heard Jimi Hendrix. After that, I wanted to be Albert Collins and Buddy Guy and B.B. King. And then there are singers like O.V. Wright and Bobby Blue Bland. It’s all mixed up in there.” He’ll let that all loose on January 31 in Poughkeepsie.

Joining Cray on the guitar is Richard Cousins on bass, Les Falconer on drums, and Dover Weinberg on the piano. Cousins has played on and off in The Robert Cray Band spanning five decades while Weinberg played with the band in the 70’s before recently rejoining. On the drums, Falconer is beginning his third year with Cray. The band’s decades worth of playing together adds up to tight grooves and complete control under the limelight.

Their Saturday night performance at the Bardavon is sure to be a hit. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased here.

January 22, 2015
Interpol Announce 2015 Tour

Interpol have announced a 2015 tour behind their latest album El Pintor. The album has garnered rave reviews from the music community and the band hit markets throughout the country as well as overseas in the fall of 2014.

These dates also include make up dates for Boston and Montreal from the incredible snow storm that took place last November. Interpol will be hitting Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn on July 21 and then coming to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on July 29 to close out the tour. Tickets are on a pre-sale now through the band and go on public sale 10AM on Friday. All tour dates can be seen below.

Interpol — 2015 Tour Dates

Wed/Apr-8 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre

Thu/Apr-9 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys

Fri/Apr-10 – Indio, CA – Coachella

Wed/Apr-15 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan

Fri/Apr-17 – Indio, CA – Coachella

Mon/Apr-20 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory

Tue/Apr-21 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre

Thu/May-7 – Richmond, VA – The National

Fri/May-8 – Raleigh,NC – The Ritz

Sat/May-9 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival

Mon/May-11 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

Tue/May-12 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room

Wed/May-13 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore

Fri/May-15 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts

Sat/May-16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE

Mon/Jul-20 – Portland, ME – State Theatre

Tue/Jul-21 – Brooklyn, NY – Prospect Park Bandshell

Thu/Jul-23 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

Fri/Jul-24 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

Sat/Jul-25 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier @ Penn’s Landing

Mon/Jul-27 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVa

Tue/Jul-28 – Washington, DC – Echostage

Wed/Jul-29 – Albany, NY – Upstate Concert Hall

Fri/Jul-31 – Montreal, QB – Metropolis

January 22, 2015
Dierks Bentley Riser Tour Brings Crowd To Their Feet and Music To The Utica Auditorium Once Again

When the announcement was made in August that the Dierks Bentley’s Riser Tour would make a stop in Utica at the Aud, it only took a matter of a few hours to sell out the arena, once again welcoming back music to the Aud. For the first time in years, music other than Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and Gary Glitter’s “Rock & Roll” anthem would play for the crowds. Utica, NY was ready to get the party started once again, and who better to kick it off than Dierks Bentley, country musics superstar.

The Utica Auditorium, designed and built by architect Gilbert Seltzer, and has been heralded as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2011. Recognizing its innovative cable suspended roof which allowed an unobstructed 360 degree view for all, this model became a cutting edge example for others as a design of excellence. After its construction in 1959, arenas such as Madison Square Garden quickly followed suit emulating its style and design.

During its hey day, the Auditorium hosted professional hockey (Utica Devils, AHL farm team for New Jersey Devils), national musicians such as Kenny Rogers, The Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, Phish, Godsmack, Disturbed, and Avenged Sevenfold; and set the stage as the background in movies such as SlapShot, starring Paul Newman.

Over the years though, musical acts began to dwindle and they were replaced with more family friendly events such as the Shriners Circus, Harlem Globestrotters, Ice Shows, World Wrestling Federation shows, as well as local college and high school sports and graduation ceremonies. In 1993 the Utica Devils franchise sadly moved to the Albany area, and although they were replaced during the 1993-94 season with The Utica Bulldogs, the low attendance only allowed them the opportunity to stay for the year. For the next ten years, the Aud remained relatively quiet. Too quiet.

Utica Auditorium

In 2013, however the momentum picked back up when the AHL’s Vancouver Canucks were looking to relocate their farm team. Utica, NY was chosen as its new location. Hungry to welcome back a hockey team, the Mohawk Valley residents welcomed the Utica Comets with open arms and continue to keep the arena filled at each and every game during their last two seasons.

Utica Auditorium – Utica Comets

Utica Auditorium – Utica Comets

Dierks Bentley’s Riser Tour made its way to Utica, right before the holidays, and Dierks was joined on stage by Randy Houser and Eric Paslay to perform to the sold out standing room only crowd. Utica was ready to rise to the occasion and take it up a few notches to get the party started once again at the Aud.

As Eric Paslay took the stage, this crowd was ready to begin. I had the opportunity to talk with Eric earlier this year, and I can’t tell you how impressive this new artist is. His business sense, his songwriting skills, and his musicality is top-notch and promises a longevity in the country music field for years to come. He began to incite an already rowdy crowd as he played current hits and new music from his newly released album Eric Paslay. The crowd sang along to his recent hits “Friday Night” and “Song About A Girl”, but to me “She Don’t Love You” was the jewel in his setlist. I believe that this particular song, written by Eric and Jennifer Wayne, showcases his amazing talent in both songwriting and vocally. To me, it was one of the best songs of 2014, and Rolling Stone concurs as they named this song number 19 in their list of Top 25 Country songs of the year.

Next up was Randy Houser. This would be my third time covering Randy Houser and I can honestly say each time I see him, his show gets better. The first time I covered his show was at Taste of Country Music Festival this past June. He and keyboardist, John Henry Trinko, made their way through the mountains to play one of the best acoustic sets I’ve ever heard, while the rest of the crew sat by the broken down bus. His ability to overcome and give the fans an outstanding performance couldn’t possibly be topped, right? Wrong! Then came the Great NY State Fair in which together with Brad Paisley on the Country Nation World Tour, he continued to astonish me with a full band behind him knocking it once again out of the park. So could he get better again? That he did.

The one thing that continues to amaze me about Randy is his sheer talent. He’s most certainly loved by all his fans, both men and women, because he’s not pretentious. He epitomizes what a country superstar should be. He’s down to earth, he’s got a strong country voice, he writes music that touches the soul, he can strum a guitar like a pro, and he puts on a show like no other. As he played crowd favorites “Running Out of Moonlight,” “How Country Feels,” and “Goodnight Kiss” – it was his song “Like A Cowboy” that truly showcases his musical talents and persona. For those of you who haven’t seen the video (long version’s best), it’s as though you are living out the song through Randy’s depiction of a cowboy. The opening scene takes you back to the opening scene of Gunsmoke, could it possibly be the same set? Yep, Randy’s definitely the poster perfect example of what a cowboy is; rugged, handsome, and tough as nails. To me, this song (and video) was another best of 2014, and once again Rolling Stone concurred with me as they placed it at number 11. Great minds think alike here!

As if the night couldn’t get better, it most certainly did. Out came the country music superstar, Dierks Bentley. Dierks Bentley, is synonymous in Nashville as one of those one named legends. There are several of those, for example, Garth, Dolly, Hank, George, Willie, Loretta, etc. See? Dierks is simply a legend and doesn’t need a middle or last name because his fans, especially the ones in Utica, NY, knew that they were in the presence of greatness that evening. This would be the second show of the Riser Tour that I had the opportunity to cover and folks, this time he brought it and left it right there on stage. There is no way that performance could be topped. Most definitely NO WAY. This performer plays, sings, and entertains and loves every minute of it. His stage presence is contagious. I could literally see the audience reacting and coming unglued as he performed hit after hit. His ability to interact with the crowd is amazing. I truly believe if was safe enough to do it, he would bring the whole crowd on stage to dance along as he performed. He feeds off the audience and the audience feeds off of him. That my friends is the sign of a true performer that loves what he does.

Dierks Bentley – Riser Tour 2014

Like the prior acts of the evening, Dierks has the ability to reach his audiences because he’s “real”. He gives you a piece of him, his history, his passions, his life in each and every song he writes and performs. Although Rolling Stone listed him in their Top 25 artists for his song “Say You Do”, it’s “I Hold On” that truly gives you insight into Dierks and his passion of music. The beautiful thing about Dierks’ music, is that as serious as he can be with one song, he can be just as silly and outlandish in the next. A perfect example of this is “Drunk on A Plane”. “Drunk on A Plane” incited more attendees to dress up to participate in the show than The Rocky Horror Picture Show this past year.

Audience Participation – Photo Credit Unknown

Whether it’s “Drunk on A Plane,” “Every Mile’s A Memory,” “What Was I Thinkin” or “Settle For A Slow Down” this award-winning Grand Ole Opry Member is a superstar in our books, and was the perfect person to kick off shows once again at the Utica Aud.

Dierks Bentley – Riser Tour 2014

Before I close, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention as well the production crew and bands for each artists. These guys (and you all know who you are – too many names to mention here) work tirelessly behind the scenes, and behind the singers, to bring you performances of the highest caliber. Surrounding themselves with the best of the best in the business, Eric Pasley, Randy Houser, and Dierks Bentley rose to the occasion and brought the party to Utica, solidifying and making the Riser Tour a part of history here in Central New York.

January 21, 2015
Photo Gallery: Spiritual Rez and Annie in the Water at Rustic Barn

On Friday night, Troy’s Rustic Barn saw a great show put on by two up and coming northeast bands, including Spiritual Rez.

Annie in the Water started the evening off with a beautiful mix of rock and folk by the three-piece band. For their whole set they were joined by Mister F’s Scott Hannay. Spiritual Rez then came on stage with their reggae horn infused rock and played to an enthusiastic crowd. The show ended with another sit in from Scott and a cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

January 21, 2015
Black Label Society and Co. Slaughter at Syracuse’s F-Shed, Despite Postponement

Some familiar bands made their return to Syracuse last Thursday at the all new F-Shed that keeps bringing many shows of various types of music on a consistent basis. This time, teaming up with 95x (WAQX) Black Label Society made their first appearance in Syracuse since 2005. Along with Black Label Society headlining, Hatebreed made their second appearance in two years since playing at the Westcott Theater back in December 2012. And opening the night was Butcher Babies, who last played the Lost Horizon over a year ago.

This was my first time at this venue and I thought the sound was fantastic. It helps that the venue is a big metal shed, which really helps carry the sound with a very large stage and helps any band to be able to perform at their best. This is a more ideal music venue in Syracuse, much bigger and better than the other smaller venues in town.

Butcher Babies opened with an eight song set. Although I find it odd for this band to be opening for the likes of a hardcore outfit like Hatebreed or even a heavy metal band like Black Label Society, the crowd was still pretty receptive to them. I have seen Butcher Babies previously in a smaller venue last year, and I do think they were better this time than the first time I’ve seen them. Butcher Babies thrive on a bigger stage and a larger capacity venue.

Hatebreed burst on to the stage with the theme from Rocky playing over the P.A. as their intro, then immediately opening with “To The Threshold.” Frontman Jamie Jasta was frustrated with the P.A. when they started and even made the band stop the song, but he jokingly got over it. After all these years, Hatebreed still as clutch, brutal, and vital as ever. The second song they played was “Proven” and soon after the crowd was treated to something special; Karl Buechner of Earth Crisis joined Hatebreed on stage for “Last Breath,” which caused everyone to go bananas! That was the highlight of the night. We heard other fan favorites such as “Beholder Of Justice,” “Honor Never Dies,” and “Perseverance.” Never leaving anyone disappointed, Hatebreed closed their monster set with “Destroy Everything” and their anthem “I Will Be Heard.” After Hatebreed finished, by no surprise, lots of people left the venue, which is a damn shame because they missed out on an awesome performance from the mighty Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society.

Black Label Society came in with full force opening with “The Beginning…At Last.” Wasting little time, they stormed pretty fast through their set with very minimal crowd interaction at first. With songs like “Funeral Bell,” “Bleed For Me,” and “Heart Of Darkness,” Black Label Society was digging deep into their catalog which was an awesome treat. What’s always fascinating at any Black Label Society show is seeing Zakk Wylde’s arsenal of guitars. At first, he used his Bullseye Les Paul, and later he busted out the Hybrid Flying V/Les Paul, and at the end of the show he unleashed his Gibson EDS 1275 double neck guitar. After playing a few well known hits such as “My Dying Time” and “Suicide Messiah” Zakk did a spectacular seven minute long solo. Then finally the band did some crowd interaction. Zakk introduced the band to the crowd and then graced the crowd with powerful ballad “In this River” before closing their set with “Blessed Hellride” and the epic “Stillborn.” This set definitely displayed Black Label Society at their best, and hopefully it is not another decade before they come back to Syracuse. Overall a fantastic show, and not a bad way to kick off the metal shows of Syracuse in 2015.

January 21, 2015
Hearing Aide: Midriffs ‘Subtle Luxuries’

This album is a great example of why a lot of the time it doesn’t make sense to try to pigeonhole a band into a certain genre. Punk, surf rock, grunge, garage rock, some psych rock sounds, all of it is found on Subtle Luxuries, the debut album from Boston band Midriffs. So, let’s just say, it rocks, in a really good way.

The lo-fi recording quality on this record is exactly how it should be. Sometimes when an album sounds slightly less than perfect and polished, the rawness of the sound is what makes it feel genuine. It’s nice when a record has the vibe of not trying too hard, while still presenting great songs that are carried by a very real energy.

They start off the record right, with “Taboo Tattoo”, an infectiously upbeat less than two and a half minute song with a punk attitude that grabs your attention and leaves you wanting more. However, before you can expect more of the same on the next track, they hit you with a walking bass line and surf rock guitar tone that make you quickly realize Midriffs have a lot to offer.

Listening through the fourth track, “Green on the Grass”, and thinking back to how the album started, it’s impressive how much the sound evolved over the course of half of the album, while still maintaining enough of an overall feel that flows incredibly well. This track is dreamier, more melodic, but they still never lose their edge. If someone went into this album thinking they were just getting a run of the mill punk record, they’d likely be very surprised to find themselves happily drifting off into a world of atmospheric reverb at the song’s close. Of course, only to be snapped right back into more fast paced action when the next track “Wine Waiter” hits.

Midriff shifts and flows through styles throughout the album, but never sticks to one for too long, making for a listen that is always interesting, and never boring or predictable. The guitar part that kicks in at the last minute of “Down By The River” takes you by surprise, with a “Oh, and they can play like that too!?” type of reaction. They then follow that with a purely instrumental surf rock track, always keeping the listener on their toes.

It will be interesting to see where they take their music on future recordings. Perhaps they’ll take one of these sounds and go further down a more narrow, specialized road. But that would be unfortunate, as it is the blend of so many great sounds that make this album what it is. Keep the reverb, keep the raw punk energy, keep shredding, keep yelling, and stay a little dreamy, because damn, these songs sound like a good time. I’ve never seen Midriffs live, but I hope it’s as much fun as it sounds. I envision a dirty bar, with good friends, some head banging, some dancing, a lot of yelling along, and a lot of beer, some of which is being thrown about over an extremely happy, energy filled crowd. Who doesn’t want some of that?

Subtle Luxuries can be listened to in full, and downloaded here.

Key Tracks: Taboo Tattoo, Death Beach, Down By The River

January 20, 2015
Lee Brice Chats With NYSMusic About Music and Life

One of the most anticipated country music shows of the year for Central New York is this week’s headliners Lee Brice and Chris Young, as they come to the Syracuse, OnCenter War Memorial. As Lee and Chris kick off their nationwide tour that will take them across America and the Pacific Ocean from Syracuse, NY to Hawaii, Kathy had a moment to speak with Lee about his musical career and future projects.

Lee Brice – Photo Credit Ryan Smith

Kathy Stockbridge: Lee, I want to thank you so much for agreeing to talk to today.

Lee Brice: Well hey there Kathy, how are you?

KS: Well I am doing great, thank you. Although New York has a reputation of being cold and frigid, we certainly are looking forward to giving you and Chris Young a warm Central NY welcome this week here in Syracuse when you arrive.

LB: I cannot wait to get there. This will be mine and Chris’ first show together of the year, so we’re excited too!

KS: Oh my, I think we are all over the moon with excitement to have both of you at the same time. This is awesome! Now you grew up in Sumter, SC, which is right down the street from my happy place, Charleston, SC. You have been singing and playing your whole life, talk to us a little about how the music bug bit you and the journey it’s taken you on.

LB: Well, it’s a thing that’s just been in me, the music, since I was a kid. I played to play, and sang to sing. It never left me. I went off to high school, and college, and worked some, but music just kept on calling to me. So I went off to Nashville. I felt that as long as I kept working hard at things, it kept working for me, and it’s been a beautiful ride.

KS: You have been tearing up the charts with hit after hit, but I don’t think people realize you’ve been in the business for a lot of years both performing and writing songs. You have penned some of the most famous songs around Nashville over the last few years. Talk to us a little bit about that songwriting process and how you came from writing songs, to performing, and the transition to where you are today.

LB: I was always writing the songs to sing them. When I came to Nashville, I had been writing since I was about 10, I had a little bit more success early on as a songwriter than as an artist… it worked well for me as I was able to take those songs on the road and play them. I think there’s nothing better than being a songwriter.

KS: And you have a knack for it. Your songs touch on subjects we can all relate to. Songs like “Drinking Class”, it just epitomizes us as hardworking, fun loving people, “I Don’t Dance”, and “I Drive My Truck”, these songs tell stories and touch on real life feelings. Now how do you decide to keep a song or give it away to someone else to sing? How does that work?

LB: It’s one of those things you can’t put a finger on. There have been a couple of songs I wanted to keep for myself that I ended up giving away and they worked out okay.

KS: I give you credit, I think I would be territorial and say, “No, that’s mine”. Must be hard to give them away. I also want to thank you and Sara both for sharing with us moments of your wedding…as a photographer I cannot tell you how much I loved the video on “I Don’t Dance”, I loved the vintage look. Share with us how you came about saying, I want to share that part of my life with my audience. A lot of artists are guarded, they don’t want to share such intimate details, and you and Sara opened your lives up and put it out there for the rest of the world to enjoy and relate to you folks. Talk to me about the video.

LB: Yes, Sara definitnely is very private so I was very happy when she was okay with the idea of us sharing some of the wedding footage. I knew I had written “I Don’t Dance” and I had this feeling that I wanted to have some wedding footage in it. I just thought, that it was just “us” (the concept) and I wanted to share her all over the world. So I brought in a guy to shoot footage on that old 8mm film. I wanted it to feel really really real, so I had plans for it back then. Then with Sara’s help, she helped decide what would and wouldn’t go in the video so that it was just right. She helped me so much on that video. Our next door neighbor was producer and we both got to go right into the studio with him as we were editing, so she got really deep into that one. So a lot of what you’re seeing, is Sara.

KS: I have to say, it is absolutely beautiful. Thank you both so much for sharing all that with us. I truly loved it. Now, I Don’t Dance is your third album, and you produced this album. Explain if you would to our readers, what it is mean to produce an album and how much does that play a part in the finished product you put out to your fans.

LB: Well producing an album is having a part in every single aspect of the album. From the music, and every single part of that music, to where it gets recorded, how it gets recorded, and the songs that go on it, the order they go on it…I mean there’s a lot that goes on besides just the music, and then on top of that the producer oversees exactly what the music needs to be. Me as an artist, I’m not really trying to be a producer, I just want to make my own music.

KS: Right, I understand.

LB: I want to do what my ears are hearing and kinda be true to me, but I have co-producers that I work with as well and they are really awesome. They help keep me on the path, and we work so well together, were just great friends so it works out really great.

KS: This winter tour that you and Chris as starting this week will take you across the nation, staring in frigid, Syracuse, NY and ending in balmy Hawaii. I know, someone has to do these tough jobs. We’re so excited to kick it off here for you this week. Tell us in addition to the tour what are some future projects we can share with our readers to watch out for?

LB: Well, I am producing a couple other folks that are right on the crest of some great things happening. Just some amazing artists; there’s American Young who is actually my co-producer Jon Stone’s band, and so I’m actually producing their record with them. That’s really exciting. I’m also working on some stuff with my brother, Lewis, and we’re in the studio working on some things that are almost finished. I’m also working with a band called Sister C, three sisters who are amazing. So, check them out, American Young, Lewis Brice, and Sister C.

KS: I definitely will. Thank you again Lee for taking the time to speak to our readers. We are really looking forward to this week with you coming to Syracuse, and wish you all the best as you tour across America. Thank you so much.

LB: Thank you so much, you were so wonderful.

As I ended the interview with Lee, I stopped to reflect on what a down to earth decent guy he was, and how easy he made the interview. Someone great once said that all an interview is, is a conversation between two folks. Sometimes those conversations are just enjoyable and that’s the category this one fell into. As someone who loves what he does this much, Lee will most definitely bring it to the stage and leave it behind for those he entertains. This is one show I am eagerly anticipating.

Hope to see you all at The Oncenter War Memorial, this Thursday, at 7:30 pm for Lee Brice, Chris Young, and the Brothers Osborne in one of Central NY’s country highlights this year. Tickets can be purchased online at for $41.50, $37 and $31.50 (additional fees may apply); they will be available in person at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter (760 S. State Street), charge by phone (315.435.2121) or online via Ticketmaster.com.

January 20, 2015