Category: Rock

CMAC Kicks off Summer Concert Series with Brian Setzer and George Thorogood & The Destroyers

As Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) kicked off their 2015 Summer Concert Series, they couldn’t have picked a better choice to lead off with; Brian Setzer and George Thorogood & The Destroyers. Nothing like a rocking good time to set the bar high for the summer concert series.

George Thorogood – CMAC

Always a fan of both artists, I prepared myself for the evening with an umbrella to dodge the raindrops and my dancing shoes to splash in the puddles. Other than my camera equipment and trusty journalist notepad…I was all set. Despite the early downpour, the weather had no damper on the evening as attendees just took cover and rocked the night away.

First up was newcomer Davy Knowles. Known as a blues, rock, and Celtic rock musician, his acoustic set was fantastic. Knowles hails from the Isle of Man (England), and his charming style and manner warmed up the evening and helped chase away the rain as the night began. Although only six years into his professional career, his resume is chock full of gigs he’s played, with a list of legends he’s opened for that would make any musician green with envy. There is no doubt in my mind that in no time flat this young man is destined for bigger things.

Davy Knowles – CMAC

Up next was Mr. Brian Setzer, and here is where the party began. There is no way every person in the venue wasn’t tapping their toes to the beats Setzer and his band were setting down. Brian Setzer lead off of course with lead vocal and lead guitar, but with Mark Winchester on bass, Kevin McKendree on keyboards and guitar, and Noah Levy on drums, this group of musicians played like they were just four musicians jamming out together and having a good time playing some great music. The fact that we were there watching…was just icing on their cake.

Brian Setzer – CMAC

Their love of music is contagious and there is nothing that makes me smile more than seeing couples all over the venue taking to wherever they could find enough room to cut a rug while Setzer and his band played their famous rockabilly, swing, revival jumping, bluesy tunes. From hit to hit, they never let up, and the energy kept flowing. Heck my arms hurt just watching how fast Noah Levy played those drums. Piece of advice here, don’t arm wrestle that dude, he will stomp you. For the energy these guys put into their playing, the audience gave it back to them two-fold. As song after song played, more and more of the audience rose to their feet, and by the end of the evening, there was a crowd down at the edge of the stage getting photos and selfies with this amazing quartet as they played. This defnitiely was one hell of a set, and definitely a check of that bucketlist for me. May favorite tune, besides the obvious Stray Cat Strut, Great Balls of Fire, and Rock This Town, had to be a tie between his cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Bues and his encore of Sleep Walk. This may have been my frist time, but definitely won’t be the last time I see Mr. Brian Setzer and his amazing group of accompanying musicians.

As the stage was cleared, I couldn’t image anyone being able to follow that act and hold their own; until George Thorogood took to the stage. Although I have listened to this rocker since high school, this was the first opportunity to see him live. WOW is all I can say. He is a photographers dream performer. In addition to being one of the most talented musicians/guitar players around, he is the most animated performer. As he performed, he danced, he hit poses, he made animated faces. Hell, he entertained and then some. I read somewhere that he started out in the business to be a comedian. I can absolutely see how with a change of circumstances, he would still be on that very stage, just delivering one liners instead of some of rock and roll’s all time favorite tunes.

George Thorogood – CMAC

Together with high school friend and original band member, Jeff Simon on drums/percussion, George and Jeff are joined on stage by Billy Blough on bass, Jim Suhler on rhythm guitar, and Buddy Leach on saxophone/piano where together they ramp up the audience and have laid down some of rock and rolls greatest hits over a forty-year career. When asked about his career, the man quoted Stan Musial. Stan was asked “What was the greatest day of your career?” He replied, “Every day when I walk onto the field is the greatest day”. George feels the same “Every night when I walk on that stage is the highlight of my career. I hit that first chord, the band kicks in, and we hear the audience respond. That’s the rush. Over 40 years into this, and every night that’s still the only moment that matters.” Okay, as if I didn’t love this man already, quoting one of this lifetime Cardinals fan’s favorite Cardinal players just sealed the deal. George Thorogood, you are definitely BBBBBaddd to the Bone! You truly set that bar high for the rest of the 2015 Summer Concert Series to follow. Well played…well played.

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Brian Setzer Set List

Rumble in Brighton (Stray Cats)
Vinyl Records
Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats)
Nothing is a Sure Thing
Stiletto Cool
’49 Mercury Blues
Great Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis cover)
Drive Like Lightning (Crash Like Thunder)
Slow Down/Folsom Prison Blues
Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys cover)
Runaway Boys (Stray Cats)
8 Track
Fishnet Stockings (Stray Cats)
Let’s Shake
Encore
Sleep Walk (Santo & Johnny cover)
Rock This Town (Stray Cats with Train Kept A Rollin tease)
Seven Nights to Rock (Moon Mullican cover)

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George Thorogood & The Destroyers Set List

Rock Party
Who Do You Love (Bo Diddley cover)
Help Me (Sonny Boy Williamson cover)
Night time (The Strangeloves cover)
I Drink Alone
House Rent Blues/One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer (John Lee Hooker cover)
Cocaine Blues (Clarence Ashley cover)
Ge a Haircut
Gear Jammer
Move It on Over (Hank Williams cover)
Encore
Tail Dragger (Howlin Wolf cover)
Bad to the Bone

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June 7, 2015
Mountain Jam 2015 Day 3 Recap: Saturday Draws Biggest Crowd of the Weekend

Saturday was one of the best days at Mountain Jam 2015 with endless blue skies, electric green Catskills and another day full of incredible music to ponder. The thousands of festival goers happily greeted the day, feeling recharged as they hiked up the mountain with arms full of drinks, blankets, chairs and sunscreen.

It’s a brilliant concept to have vendors walking thru the music area, dragging coolers of cheap water and Gatorade, ensuring the best policy to rage is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

One of the most charming acts of the afternoon was Benjamin Booker, who brought an earthy back roads set on the West Stage with his sincere loud whisper of a voice. The violin and mandolin added a bluegrass tinge as Booker wailed on his guitar for a dirty rockabilly feel.

A light-hearted, upbeat island ambiance grew from the East Stage and climbed up Hunter Mountain as Rusted Root performed their worldly jams reminiscent of the 1990s. Michael Glabicki nearly broke his strings as he beat the hell out of his guitar and Patrick Norman laid out deep bass bombs. The music is a light mixture of Alice and Chains set in the Outback with a cowbell and washboard. It was Rusted Root’s first time at Mountain Jam and they were eager to share music from their latest album with “Save Me.” It was a new age funky groove with high vocals from Liz Berlin, a heavy percussion solo and frog-in-throat vocal effect from Glabicki. The set ended with their top hit, “Send Me on My Way,” that got the whole mountain stomping before casually coming down with an acoustic serenade.

Texas native, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, dominated the West Stage. Performing with a drummer and bass player for most of the set, Graves was left alone for a few songs to be the one-man band he is infamous for. The trio gave off a high energy, down home fun as they jumped with rodeo flair all over the stage. Rebelution brought the West Coast vibe with their swells of brass, beach like melodies and layers of hip hop. An enthusiastic traditional reggae sound with skater park boundless horn peaks. The Rasta atmosphere blazed thru the day as The Wailers awakened the crowd with deeply rooted, rock steady reggae. They performed Bob Marley classics such as “Is This Love?”, “Could You Be Loved?” and “Stir it Up,” spreading island vibes all over the mountain and feeding off the crowd’s radiating appreciation. Festival partner and veteran, Warren Haynes took center stage for a second night with his band, Govt Mule. After the previous night of Dark Side of the Mule, many were looking forward to a set of original Mule tunes that as in the tradition of the festival. One of the highlights of the set was a nostalgic “Million Miles From Yesterday” with special sit ins from Elaine Caswell and Machan Taylor plus a Stevie Wonder’s cover of “Superstition”.

Once the sun went down under the mountain, the temperature significantly dropped causing many to immediately layer up and wrap themselves in each other in hopes to keep warm. The clear night sky revealed hundreds of stars and the captivating color changing forest surrounding the festival grounds. As bitter cold as it was, the sight was breathtaking. Headliner of the night, The Black Keys packed a heated set as drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach threw down a hard-hitting rock and roll session. The duo was joined by Richard Swift and John Wood for to create a powerful violent surge of solos that blew the roof off the East Stage. Carney and Auerbach shine best as a duo, proving all you need is a drum kit and guitar to move mountains. Thrashing about the stage with a soul-absorbing sound, it’s no wonder that the Black Keys are considered rock giants, having earned multiple Grammy Awards and platinum albums. The crowd screamed along with dusty garage favorites “Lonely Boy” and “Howlin’ For You,” soaking up the raw talent before them.

The Main Lodge served as a great refuge for the hour set break for those eager to warm up with a full bar, plenty of table seating and an art gallery featuring show posters and photography. Arc Iris took over the Healey Hall with eccentric girl next door pop with a twist of sorcery plus an impressive stand-up electric bassist. The Budos Band closed out the Hall with heavy metal horns and dark ska, sound beckoning the crowd closer to the small stage with big band momentum.

Big Gigantic was one of the top acts of the night with the heavy EDM tunes pumping out classic hip hop mashups with new school flavor. They are closest thing the festival saw to a rave, with hurtling glow sticks and peaks of bass drops that kept security on their toes. The electronic duo from Colorado featured Jeremy Salken pounding the hell out of his drums and Dominic Lalli doing his best Kenny G jazz saxophone work while jamming on his laptop, cranking out funky bass. The final day of Mountain Jam approaches with a buzzing lineup of Lake Street Dive, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, returning act Michael Franti & Spearhead plus headliners Alabama Shakes. Stay tuned for our Sunday Recap of the festival with closing thoughts on the 11th annual Mountain Jam.

June 7, 2015
Bavosa’s Mimosas: Perpetual Groove Power

New York City. The mere mention of the city’s name gets the electricity flowing. Except of course, on August 14, 2003, when the second most-widespread blackout in history at the time, hit the Northeast, including The Big Apple. It was also a handful of hours before a up-and-coming rock quartet from Georgia, Perpetual Groove, were supposed to grace their stage of the now-shuttered Tobacco Road for their first ever headlining show in the world’s wildest city.

Luckily, or extremely unfortunate for Perpetual Groove, depending on how you view it, I was home in New York for the first time in over six weeks, after just completing the month-long, Phish summer tour, and a number of other concerts once it concluded and was grabbing some stuff for Berkshire Mountain Music Festival (“Berkfest”), which was slated to begin the next day. “PGroove” as they are affectionately and commonly known, were also scheduled to play the festival. My main touring partner, Adam “Ringo” Neelly, had known the PGroove guys for years and kept talking them up to me as that day arrived and I was looking forward to seeing them in action. Ringo deserves a book and column himself and I’ll eventually write that one-day. He’s like a Neal Cassady driving the Furthur bus, with a revolving band of Merry Pranksters. His heart is made of gold, he can sleep for unprecedented periods of time – and he’s most certainly wearing a velour jumpsuit behind the wheel. But with this situation, like most of mine and Ringo’s adventures over the years, we seemingly led each other around in the dark – quite literally, this time.

Whatever exactly happened next, is a bit hazy, but as front man and guitarist Brock Butler reminds me, I stepped into to save the day and offer some hospitality. I think I just did what other New Yorker would have tried to do: survive and help out some folks. Whether we headed to my folks in Westchester, or just simply heeded my simplistic advice, we hightailed it out of NYC and simply got the hell out of dodge before the city was effectively shut down for days afterwards. Anyone who has ever met me knows I’m not one to sit still for very long anyways, so this was the easy move in my eyes. All I know is what was to be a never-forgotten first show in NYC nearly ended in disaster. The trip was memorable – certainly for me, and I’m pretty sure for them – for these other circumstances.

It was, the beginning of a gloriously impactful, reciprocal and important friendship that I forged with the band, and maintain to this day. We also hung out at Berkfest that weekend, talking, partying and swapping stories long into the night and early morning. I vividly recall conversations about music, the road and life with most of the band. Keyboardist Matt McDonald told me he and drummer Albert Suttle had joined the band during a stint in the army, which blew my mind! I remember thinking McDonald had already experienced several lifetimes of stuff by this point of his life. I’m glad he and I have gotten to experience a lot more together since. Suttle seemed like the quiet and reasonable one, the gentle giant. He also boasts an amazing t-shirt collection, complete with quips and witty phrases.

At some point, Butler began strumming an acoustic guitar – something he often does – and began what was effectively my first ever Brock solo, show. The few, others backstage also stopped what they were doing and paid diligent attention to Butler. Simply put, his solo stuff can be mesmerizing. The ease and grace in his voice, with subtle, perfectly timed licks, along with his vast, catalogue knowledge – he was playing cover songs that has just been released by other bands that summer and I’d barely heard a few times – which was really impressive to me. (Remind you, the iPod was still a relatively new idea at this time). That continues to be the case to this day each time I see his solo set lists.

Bassist Adam Perry immediately struck me as a bona-fide rock star. I mean he did – and still does – have that badass look. The type of guy that must have gotten laid more often than highway asphalt. In the pocket, kickin’ ass and takin’ names, is where I would soon find out Perry resided, and his playing on stage reflects that.

Fast forward hours later, which was a few days removed from the streets of NYC, I remember that it was serendipitous that I met these guys and they were not in NYC, which was still in darkness. We had seemingly stolen some of the missing electricity, bottled it up and taken it with us to the Berkshires. Around 10:30 a.m. when I was about to finally get some shuteye, the band headed over to the Upper Lodge Patio stage and plugged in for their 11 a.m. set. I couldn’t believe it! I had just had such a great, effortless, few days with these guys that I realized I still hadn’t seen them play together yet. The set list was unknown to me at the time, but the musical connection I experience that morning, combined with the events and personal connections of the days preceding, were simply the stuff you can’t make up – and will never forget.

PGroove, of course went on to play many NYC shows in the past twelve years, and I’ve proudly been at just about every one of them. They’ve included boat cruises around the Statue of Liberty (“No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn!”), Green Apple Music Festival events at another defunct Venue CODA (Kid Beyond sit in during “Get Down Tonight” FTW), a tequila-filled, Cinco De Mayo at The Gramercy Theater, runs at Brooklyn Bowl (channeling the bands nod to The Big Lebowski and their extensive movie knowledge and witty humor), multiple barn burner runs at the Bowery Ballroom and even a few nights at the old Knitting Factory on Leonard Street. Those Knitting Factory shows some may remember for what followed: my hosting a rotating, three-suite, hotel party with paid off security guards, a member of Ween, the rest of the hotel being occupied by multiple high-school girls cheer leading teams for a large competition, me directing traffic and moving the bands van, complete with leaving the keys in the lock of the front door for hours until we all realized where they still were. (But that is a story I am saving for my book, or at least until the statute of limitations runs out).

I’ve also felt especially inspired – recharged after a blackout period, if you will – this weekend after returning home yesterday from Athens, Georgia, current home of Perpetual Groove, where they just performed their first shows together in over two years at the Georgia Theater. They opened the first show with Pearl Jam’s “Release,” which was a cathartic experience and then tore through their catalog over five sets, including a private afternoon affair atop the Theater during a glorious afternoon, followed by a murders row of their biggest hits that night that showed why Athens is an “electric” college town in its own right. “Y’all” know how to have a party down there, that’s for damn sure!

So that long-winded, don’t-try-to-follow-me-with a-roadmap-story, is in a nutshell, your first sip of what I have entitled this column and will be offering in the future: “Bavosa’s Mimosas.” Which are in fact, real drinks. Not so fast – don’t ask for the recipe. I’m still waiting for a bar to knock on my door and pay me for this ingenious concoction. Or, maybe I should pitch it on Shark Tank. I bet I could get Mark Cuban to bite after just one sip of these bad boys. But, I digress…even though it’s that good. In fact, I never could pinpoint the origin of which festival I first made them, but in recalling the memories for this first article, I think it may have very well been that Berkfest in ’03 with someone’s left over and donated cooler contents bequeathed to us on their way out, leading up to the band’s set. Wouldn’t that be something?

I’ve also given a lot of thought to my return to the writing world and getting my words back out into the ether. I felt that this invitation to concentrate on NYC focused music and memories was something I could do justice to, while reliving the very nights that have helped make me, well, me.

“The City That Never Sleeps” is one of the truest and most accurate nicknames ever given. The heat and electricity (most of the time, anyway) of the streets below are always on, and pulsing with music, arts, pizza, bagels, freaks, weirdo’s and 24-hour, well, everything. It’s in part why I love it so much. There’s always something to do and there are 8 million other unique stories out there as well. NYC is my muse, and has given me the most important musical nights of my life. From the Mecca of Madison Square Garden and countless Phish New Year’s runs there, to my first home at the legendary Wetlands: Larry Bloch’s vision taken over by the modern-day impresario, Pete Shapiro (and lately his newest venture Brooklyn Bowl). NYC can also be an anxiety-fueled jailhouse, utterly relentless, with a not just kick, but stomp-you-when-you-are-down attitude, one that sometimes makes you think that you’ll never escape its confines. Any the skyscrapers make you feel minuscule and as crazy as that sounds, that is also its appeal. It’s blessing and its curse. But overall, it is truly the greatest place on earth: and one that has allowed many stories to be written here, and cocktails consumed. So, why not sit back and enjoy your first sip of a Bavosa’s Mimosa, another electric, NYC invention, where we are always open and the jukebox is always on. “Home. It’s where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there…”

Listen to the show here via archive.org

June 5, 2015
Mountain Jam 2015 Recap Day 1

The 11th annual Mountain Jam Festival got off to a great start on Thursday June 4 2015 with plenty of good vibes and a solid night of music in the books.

The weather was nearly perfect as clouds parted early in the day to reveal the beautiful Catskill Mountains in all their glory. Hunter Mountain was dressed to the nines with assorted vendors, colorful stages and thousands of Jammers scattered throughout the hills. Those eager to start the fun arrived early to set up camp, find friends and get settled for the long music filled weekend ahead. Check in proved to be hassle free as fans were directed to the various parking and camping locations with minimal searches. However, the Main Gate entrance had serious pat downs to ensure clean, safe fun inside the festival grounds.

One of the first acts of the day started on the petite West Stage with the 5 piece Americana stylings of Sons of Bill, a three brother founded group that amped up the crowd with classic rock riffs and attitude. The first act of the massive East Stage was the bluegrass rock group, Railroad Earth and with a recently announced shared tour with Gov’t Mule, it was no surprise that Warren Haynes sat in for some classic rock and roll jamming. Guests were treated to double sets of both Marco Benevento and moe. on the mountainside for a late night special. Benevento was in rare form as his enthusiasm was top notch with crisp key pounding and contagious giddy melodies as he howled like a madman in his technicolor suit.

moe. was in awe of the scene as it was their first time at Mountain Jam and received grand cheers as they kicked off the set with “Same Old Story” and “Crab Eyes”. The off tempo fans got down to the marimba madness and intense focused lyrics spitting as moe. was dressed in their 25th anniversary silver attire. Warren Haynes sat in for an outlandish “Opium” adding a vintage rock voltage to end the first set. Fans raved for the multiple segues of the second set with “Silver Sun” packing an exciting climax with Pink Floyd like jamming. Al Schnier took full advantage of the broad space as he came out and shredded over the pit. The Mountain Jam app gave fans the opportunity to vote for moe.’s encore which proved to be the fiery classic “Rebubula”. It was a somewhat early night as music ended around 2am giving fans a decent amount of rest. Good thing with Friday’s headliners to include Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Robert Plant, a special set of Gov’t Mule: Dark Side of the Mule and late night Dopapod. Be sure to download the Mountain Jam app (available for both Android and iPhone) for daily updates on contests, show times, photo galleries and webcasts.

Stayed tuned for more updates via NYSMusic’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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June 5, 2015
Monster Energy Presents: Rock Allegiance Festival

The “World’s Loudest Month” just wrapped up with Rockfest in Kansas City, Missouri – but rock fans have more to look forward to later this year. Yesterday the Monster Energy Rock Allegiance festival lineup was announced for Saturday, Oct. 10 at PPL Park in Chester, PA.

The lineup consists of some of rock’s biggest names including Rob Zombie and Korn. With Rock Allegiance only being a one-day festival, fans don’t have to wait all weekend to catch their favorite bands; they get to see all of them in one day. Also making appearances at Rock Allegiance are Godsmack and Five Finger Death Punch, who were both present for many festivals throughout May.

Five Finger Death Punch is bringing Papa Roach, In This Moment and From Ashes To New along with them since they will be hitting the road together this fall. If that wasn’t enough, fans can get ready for sets from Bring Me The Horizon, Atreyu, and Hollywood Undead. Those who went to Rock On The Range were treated to a special guest which turned out to be the newly formed Saint Asonia, featuring Adam Gontier, formally of Three Days Grace and Mike Mushok of Staind. Saint Asonia will be playing at Rock Allegiance as well.

There’s not going to be much time for those who like to party outside the venue before the show because there are many more awesome bands who play earlier in the day. Some of those bands are Pop Evil, Nothing More, Butcher Babies, Art Of Dying, Glorious Sons, and Temperance Movement. The earliest acts of the day will consist of sets from the Charm City Devils, Devour The Day, Unlocking The Truth, Dorothy and more.

If ending the night with sets from Korn and Rob Zombie wasn’t enough, there’s even an after party with Steel Panther! Best of all, tickets go on sale June 2nd at special early bird pricing! Floor tickets will start at $39.50 and will progressively rise to $79.50. Stadium Seat tickets start at $34.50 and go to $44.50 until the day of the show. There are also a limited number of VIP and Stadium 4 Pack deals. For those traveling from out-of-town, there are limited hotel packages offered to help save a couple bucks. To top off a killer lineup, festival goers won’t have to rely on lame stadium food and drinks — Rock Allegiance is bringing its fans an assortment of specialty craft beers and “Gourmet Man Food.” For more information on Rock Allegiance, check out the website.

June 2, 2015
Brit Floyd Drops the Hammer on Syracuse

There may come a time when your favorite bands become older and stop performing live or for whatever reasons. In order to hear those special songs in a concert setting again, you may need to go see a tribute band to get that nostalgic feeling back.

You know, the music that you can just close your eyes, listen, and fall in love with all over again. Most tribute bands do a great job at replicating the signature sounds and production of the original act they promote, and one band in particular that is at the top of the list is Brit Floyd. This group is named as the ‘World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Tribute Show’ and now, I can see why.

On May 20, Brit Floyd brought their 2015 Space & Time World Tour to the Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse and hammered the walls down, figuratively speaking. This world tour commemorates the 50^th anniversary of Pink Floyd and features music from their catalog along with tunes from the Syd Barrett era. The production of this show was nothing short of spectacular, featuring the arc lighting rig with the infamous circle rig in the middle, inflatables, smoke, projection screens, lasers, and much more.

There aren’t really enough words to describe how incredible this performance was. Tho, the highlights of the night, in my opinion, are as follows. The evening’s performance started off with a silent, dark audience paying full attention to a “Speak to Me” video compilation similar to that used by Pink Floyd in the mid 1990s.

The band covertly walked on stage, strapped in and slid into “Breathe,” segueing with “On the Run” into the ever popular ‘Time,” featuring Damien Darlington on vocals. For the next song, Angela Cervantes who is one of the backup singers, performed an intense, emotional version of ‘The Great Gig in the Sky” with Damian on Lap Steel guitar and Tom Ashbrook on Piano. Bringing “See Emily Play” from Floyds’ early days was a great treat for the crowd, as well. Closing out the first set was a polished version of Sheep, from the album Animals.

After a brief intermission, Brit Floyd hustled back to stage, eager to give us their all, and started with “One of These Days,” before playing “Louder Than Words” from the 2014 album The Endless River. Ian Catell on bass, locally from Syracuse, brought back some “Money” featuring some sexy Saxophone solos by Marcus Sholar, for his hometown. Soon came “Wish You Were Here” with Bobby Harrison leading the way on acoustic guitar. Warming the hearts of everyone present, the passionate crowd sang along to the words as if each person had written the words themselves. The band then gave introductions, including an intimate speech by Ian to his close friends and family in attendance. To end the set, came an enormous “Comfortably Numb” sang by the bass player.

‘The Show Must Go On’ kicked off the multi-song encore, paving the way for an incredible “In the Flesh” and “Run Like Hell.” To top off their performance in Syracuse, Brit Floyd gave an invaluable rendition of ‘Waiting for the Worms,’ ‘Stop,’ and “The Trial.” But before bidding adieu, the group assembled together in a row for a soft “Outside the Wall.”

In a nutshell, Brit Floyd is the next best thing to Pink Floyd themselves. The production and overall show they bring to fans is simply amazing and worth far more than what their tickets cost. They’re currently in the beginning of their world tour and hopefully we can catch them back around Syracuse in the next few years. If you haven’t seen them before nor made it to this show, you can order a copy of their Live at Red Rocks DVD from 2013, filmed in front of a sold out venue.

Set 1: Speak to Me, Breathe, On the Run, Time, The Great Gig in the Sky, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V), See Emily Play, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall (Part II), Keep Talking, On the Turning Away, Sheep

Set 2: One of These Days, Louder Than Words, Money, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut, Band Introductions, Comfortably Numb

Encore: The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh, Run Like Hell, Waiting for the Worms, Stop, The Trial, Outside the Wall

May 28, 2015
Steely Dan To Play Eight Shows at NYC’s Beacon Theatre

Steely Dan has announced their latest Beacon Theatre residency which will take place for eight nights. The shows start on Oct. 6 and ends on the 17.

These nights will include Steely Dan performing their whole 1977 album Aja and 1980 album Gaucho with a few select hits. There will also be two nights focusing on their greatest hits such as “Do it Again”, “Reelin In The Years”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” Fans will be able to help pick the set list on October 16.

An AMEX pre-sale runs May 28 – June 4 before tickets go on sale to the general public June 5. Multi-night ticket packages will be available.

Steely Dan Beacon Residency 2015

10/6 – Aja – Plus Selected Hits
10/7 – Greatest Hits
10/9 – Gaucho – Plus Selected Hits
10/10 – Royal Scam – Plus Selected Hits
10/13 – Aja – Plus Selected Hits
10/14 – Greatest Hits
10/16 – By Popular Demand
10/17 – “The Most Unforgettable Night of Whatever – Featuring Spectacular Musical Guests, Glorious Tunes and Riffage, and Whatever the Party Calls for! Parking Validated for First Dozen Diehard Fans”

May 27, 2015
Jonathan Jackson + Enation to Rock the Westcott Theater

Kicking off their Radio Cinematic Tour this past week, Jonathan Jackson + Enation will be making their way to the Westcott Theater, on June 1 for their first time performance in Syracuse. Although it’s their first time playing in this area, this trio of musicians although new to some of us, have certainly earned their stripes in the entertainment business in both film and music.

Jonathan Jackson + ENation

Jonathan Jackson + Enation consists of brothers Jonathan and Richard Lee Jackson together with long time friend and musician Daniel Sweatt. Many of you may already know Jonathan from his current role on ABC’s hit series, Nashville as Avery Barkley. You may recognize Richard in his roles in both film and television. These two brothers together with musician and friend Sweatt, have taken the country by storm with their recent release, Radio Cinematic, their fourth album to date. This album, really showcases their essence of sound and personalities in their music.

Richard took a moment out of his really hectic schedule prior to the start of the tour to speak with NYSMusic about their musical careers, making of the new album, and life in Nashville.

Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Richard, so nice to talk with you and thank you so much for agreeing to speak with our readers. We’re really looking forward to having you up this way to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. Have you played up this way before?

Richard Lee Jackson (RJ): The closest we’ve played in Upstate, NY would be Rochester. So we haven’t actually played yet in Syracuse.

KS: I feel like I’m late to this party. You guys have been making music now for quite a few years and I’m just now discovering you. I love your sound by the way. It’s really unique and cool. You and your brother started playing music together at a young age. Talk to me a little about how that came about. Was it something your family fostered, or was it something you just picked up?

RJ: Well my brother and I started music when we were pretty young. I started playing drums when I was in first grade, and Jonathan started guitar when he was 8-years-old. So we were both very young. Our family is very musical. My dad was a country music singer for a while, kinda semi-professional. So we would play with him in concerts, and be his special guests. So we grew up around music in that sense. But we really didn’t know we were going to do it as a band until we got to be teenagers. We lived in Los Angeles at the time, and we started playing at clubs on the Sunset Strip, like The Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy Theater, and The Viper Room.

KS: Wow, those are great venues to start playing in.

RJ: Yeah, they were great. We were so young, Jonathan I think was 14 and I was 17 when we started doing that. So we couldn’t drink as we were too young, but we had a great time. The band, Enation formed not long after that when we met up with Dan (Sweatt) our bass player, and we started playing together.

KS: Now was Dan a family friend or how did you come to find Dan?

RJ: Our friendship revolved around music as we were in the same group of friends. We found out that he was a guitar player, so he originally started playing guitar for us, but moved to bass a couple of years after. We just started playing together, and there was this chemistry between the three of us, from the bands we listened to and the music that we liked, it was kind of natural communication and friendship that developed around it. It’s been really strong, and really fun. We’ve been doing this now independently for about eight to 10 years, but then this last year we finally got signed and took it to another level.

KS: Yeah I see that as I was researching that you have been doing this now for years; this isn’t your first album. So do you find that your father’s influence and musical taste influenced the direction you guys went, or did you develop your own direction based on those influences and musical likes you had at the time growing up?

RJ: I think we were more influenced by the music we listened to. Back in the early ’90s and the mid ’90s we were all very much in to the alt rock scene. I guess U2 and REM are not quite alt rock, but Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead kinda met with U2, REM, and Peter Gabriel and somewhere in this anthemic rock we had an emotional experience attached to the music and it sort of infiltrated our perspective. Our dad sang a lot of country, but he and his brother grew up listening to a lot of rock and roll and southern rock. So we grew up around Led Zepplin and that type of music as well, and that also has a place in our music as well.

KS: A lot of times when writing about a style of music and describing it to our readers I tend to categorize the sound and I give examples of artists they may sound like. With your music though I can’t pinpoint it to a specific sound because it’s so unique. You have a distinct unique sound, an awesome sound. And it’s one of those things that people will say they sound like “you” we sound like Enation.

RJ: Thank you. That’s a huge compliment. That’s great of you to say.

KS: I must add also, I cover a lot of shows and I notice that music tends to be categorized in a specific genre of a sound. Then there’s those break out artists that go out on their own and develop a new sound, like the hair bands of the ’80s or grunge sound of the ’90s. I find your sound is distinctive and pleasing, and I can see it as a break out sound to be emulated by others.

RJ: I don’t know how that comes to be, but for a long time we’ve been searching to be genuine and authentic and who we are. I think when you are a young band you have to imitate in some ways, because you’ve never done it before. But pretty soon we started to realize that imitation isn’t that great. So we are always trying to find that sound and feel that is most genuine to us. So maybe that’s part of where it comes from.

KS: Exactly. You’ve been in the business for a long time now, not just with music, but with acting as well. Talk to me a little about that journey and do you feel that one calls to you more than the other? Or does it satiate your soul by being able to do both and pursue both avenues?

RJ: I think that being in the acting and film making world has helped us in some ways as artists. It gives you kind of an idea of building an emotional story and relating to an audience on an emotional level, because a lot of what you’re doing as an actor is trying to communicate something in that story that touches people and communicates emotionally. Especially Jonathan as the front man of the band, he is a very fine actor, he has a real strong sense of how to relate something from that emotional place and how to experience something like music, concerts, the album. So it’s not enough for us to just play our music we’re always trying to figure out, is there an emotional moment that we can pinpoint that might take this music to the next level. It could be visual, it could be a song, a theme, lyrics… So from an artistic standpoint I think it’s very complimentary. From a business standpoint, logistically you have to gauge where your going to put your time and energy. So for us right now, Jonathan is working on the tv show for about nine months out of the year. So that creates some logistical complications, but it also gives us an audience to communicate with. So there are pluses and minuses at being in both worlds. Ultimately though, we look at it as something that complimentary.

KS: You just recently moved to the Nashville area. This must give you more time in the studio, as you are right there all together at the same time now. Is that what drew you towards Nashville, or is it that Nashville is just a really cool musical scene right now that you just wanted to be out there?

RJ: Nashville is a great city in and of itself for sure, but the main draw for the band to relocate here is because this is sort of where the center of our music team is. Our management is here. A lot of the meetings that we have are here. Of course Jonathan’s working here right now on the tv show. But the studios, and the producers, and just kind of the whole atmosphere is so exciting and makes life a lot easier to be in one place. You know, we lived in LA for a long time, and of course there’s a great artistic community there, but there is something unique about Nashville that it just seems very communal. Very community oriented. You’re not afraid to really reach out and develop relationships and often times people are real friends, they’re just not business acquaintances.

KS: It’s that southern hospitality.

RJ: It is. It definitely is.

KS: For most of those coming to the show that may never have heard your music before, they may assume it’s country. What would you categorize your music as. Indie, New Rock?

RJ: Well, when I’m explaining it to people I usually say it’s like U2, Pearl Jam, and Bob Dylan adopted a baby boy and left it to fend for itself. In terms of a genre I like to say it’s alt/rock/pop because it’s really all three of those things. If someone wants to call us indie, then that’s totally fine. On iTunes we’re just under rock or alternative. But iTunes has big umbrellas so if I was going to have an expression of our music it’s a little bit nuance, I would probably say alt/rock/pop. If I was to have a blanket statement I would say indie or alternative.

Jonathan Jackson + ENation

KS: You’re touring right now for Radio Cinematic, your fourth album released back last November. Talk to me a little about this album, making it, some things you want our readers to take away after listening to the album.

RJ: We made the record with our co-producer Greg Archilla who worked on Matchbox 20 and some Collective Soul stuff. He’s someone we met in town, and he got really excited about working with us after seeing our live show. One of the goals we have in making Radio Cinematic was trying to capture the sense of what our band is like live. And it’s a difficult thing to do, transitioning from one type of outreach of music to the other. But we felt that Greg really got that after coming to our show. So we were really excited to work with him. We demoed about thirty to forty songs over the course of two years and then narrowed down to the final twelve songs on the record.

You never know exactly what’s going to happen when we go in, but as the canvas formed and the paint started to get thrown on we kinda started seeing this picture of wanting to explore music as something cinematic. So juxtaposition of radio cinematic has to do with a combining of the audio and visual of an artistic expression, and wanting to tell a story in a way that really brings out an emotion in our story. In terms of a theme of the record, I would say that it kind of comes down to of a sense of ..we’re born and we live in a sense of wonder as children and along the way we sort of lose that as we get older. And so one of the songs leads off with how do we get back to that. The record sort of explores these ups and downs of our emotional journeys from childhood to adulthood, and how do we find that sense of joy again in life. Maybe it’s a fact that we’ve been a band for a while but whether it’s a band, or a friendship, or a marriage, or even a business partnership, you sometimes loose that lust for life. And we explore those themes in our songs on how do you renew and refresh and get back that sense of wonder in life.

KS: I can’t wait to see you live. I loved what I’ve heard. Now do you all write and add to the songs? Is it a group collective process?

RJ: It’s a very collaborative process with us. Jonathan is the lyricist, I’ve written a couple of songs with him, one on this album. But Jonathan has 99% of the songs structured already when he brings them to us. So he has the basic structure, and then the band will get together and sometimes the songs will take on a completely different life when we’re playing them, and sometimes our aim is to execute something that Jonathan’s already brought. But it’s a very collaborate process. That’s why we put that this album was co-produced by us because every piece of it was all of us “all hands on deck” to figure out how best to tell the story.

KS: One of the things I came across when preparing for our interview was you recently accomplished a 1/2 marathon. That is quite an accomplishment as I am a runner, okay a brisk walker, and I really want to congratulate you on that accomplishment. You raised a lot of money for St. Jude Research as well. How did you get involved with this, especially with your hectic schedule, how did you fit something like training for something like that in there?

RJ: I’ve always been a little bit of a runner in that I ran a few miles here and there but never more than three or five miles. I was inspired by a couple of my friends who run like that, and I thought if they can do it, I can do it. It’s fun to set goals, and I thought a little bit about wanting to be in great shape before the tour. Then while signing up I realized that St. Jude Research was involved so I was really happy about that, that I was able to put a little bit of a buzz out there to help them out. I can’t believe that the race that day helped them raise over two-million dollars. That was an amazing thing. Yeah, the hectic schedule is definitely there, but you kind of have to make it priority and once you do, you do your best to stick with it and hope everything goes well on the race day.

KS: Well congratulations on the race, on the tour, and we can’t wait to see you here in Central New York.

As I hung up from my interview with Richard, I couldn’t help but think how down to earth this young man was and how creative this band is in their interpretation of music. He nailed it with his description of the love child of U2, REM, and Peter Gabrielle. Their sound is a mixture of all my favorite sounds from several ’80s, ’90s, and millennium bands that blend so perfectly to make their own unique sound. Like I was saying to Richard, I try to give a description to readers so they know what they can expect, however with ENation, it’s something you must listen to, to appreciate. Trust me that this not a country band by any means. Although I love Jonathan’s character and musical renditions on the show, Nashville, it’s a pleasant surprise to see him in a new context that showcases his musical abilities and creativity of the band. If their album is anything close to their live show, I will guarantee you will not be disappointed. Hope to see you there. Tickets can be purchased online.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation

Tour Dates:

5/22 – 3rd & Lindsley – Nashville, TN
5/23 – Vinyl Room – Atlanta, GA
5/24 – Double Door Inn – Charlotte, NC
5/28 – Madison Live – Covington, KY
5/29 – A&R Music Bar – Columbus, OH
5/30 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
5/31 – Hard Rock Café – Pittsburgh, PA
6/1 – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
6/11 – Expo Five – Louisville, KY
6/18 – The Nick – Birmingham, AL
6/19 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR
6/20 – Outland Ballroom – Springfield, MO
6/21 – Atomic Cowboy – St. Louis, MO
6/22 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO
6/24 – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX
6/25 – Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill – Dallas, TX
7/1 – The Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
7/2 – M.I.K.E Stage on the Green Space – Sheboygan, WI
7/25 – Jefferson Park – Chicago, IL

May 26, 2015
Thanks, Dave: A Musical Tribute to the Legendary Late Night Show Host

Self deprecating, awkward, obtuse, David Letterman. I grew up with this man. His short-lived show on NBC mornings following the Today Show was something I looked forward to more than the Price is Right on days off from school. My sense of humor was formed by this man. He combined the legacy of Johnny Carson and the lunacy of Looney Tunes and mixed it with a smidge of humanity. Dave changed the game.

David Letterman with Warren Zevon

May 20, 2015 was a sad day for me. My man Letterman was heading off into the sunset. After tonight the television world will be much less funny. He has influenced me in more ways than I really considered until he announced his retirement.

There have been many tributes to David Letterman in the past few weeks. Most of them have focused on his comedy. The man is a natural in that department. I owe a lot of my sense of humor to this legendary performer. Thanks, Dave.

That said, Letterman did more for music on television than many realize. Prior to Dave, musical guests were primarily the hit makers of the day.

Letterman brought in the fringe artists. Dave gave R.E.M. their network debut. Dave convinced legends like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to appear on television despite their reluctance to do so. He had Rage Against the Machine perform on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater.

David Letterman gave artists such as Tom Waits and Warren Zevon a stage — he was a fan and a champion of Zevon and his work.

A friend of mine, Lisa, gave me a true fan’s perspective of the relationship between David Letterman and Warren Zevon. Lisa said of Zevon, “For anyone other than Letterman, I don’t know that he’d have set foot on the TV stage. Dave had a genuine respect for the musical genius and general intelligence of Zevon and it grew into a warm personal friendship.

Photo courtesy http://warrenzevon.wikia.com/

Among Warren Zevon devotees, the TV spots are treasured because we can look back and watch those to see a thumbnail of Zevon’s evolution into revealing himself to the public. Without David Letterman, we’d have only the music, the shows, and the chance encounters. He allowed more people to become familiar with the human behind the legend so the focus could be on the music, the product, rather than the legend.”

Letterman thought so highly of Zevon that when his musical director, Paul Schaffer took time off, he made him the musical director for the show. He cared so much for him that he dedicated the entire hour of his show on October 30, 2002 to Zevon, in what would prove to be Zevon’s last appearance on network television before succumbing to lung cancer.

Above all else, Letterman is a big fan of music, as evidenced by his Live on Letterman: Music From the Late Show series of albums produced by the show.

What tribute to Letterman would be complete without the ubiquitous Top Ten List, so with that, here is tonight’s Top Ten List, Warren Zevon’s Top Ten Appearances on David Letterman.

#10. Zevon sat in for Shaffer as music director on a couple of occasions. Letterman is giving Zevon some on the job training in this clip.

#9. “Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)”. From WZ’s last studio recording. Shaffer plays Letterman’s role in this version of a song about a Canadian farm boy looking to make it to the NHL as a goon.

#8. “Mr. Bad Example” Pony-tailed Zevon delivering his trademark lyrical genius in this Letterman clip from 1993.

#7. “Excitable Boy” and “The Overdraft” from Zevon’s first appearance with Letterman. He is championing Zevon right from the beginning. The interview piece shows how their sardonic wit jived.

#6. “Trouble” and “Lawyers, Guns & Money.” This is a classic performance with Shaffer’s late ’80s version of The World’s Most Dangerous Band

#5. “Boom Boom Mancini.” Being a boxing fan, this song re-introduced me to Zevon’s work outside of the FM radio staples. Tells the tragic story of professional boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEuSTy5VRwQ

#4. “Porcelain Monkey.” This is a late-era Zevon song that would fit comfortably on “Excitable Boy”. Take note of Sid McGinnis completely making this song his own on the guitar. Shaffer’s bands are always a great compliment to whomever they are backing but when Zevon was on the show, they truly gelled.

#3. “Splendid Isolation.” From a 1995 appearance. This clip also contains some interview footage showing their admiration for each other. Letterman goes fanboy.

#2. “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.” My favorite Zevon song and his final ever public appearance.

#1. “The Mutineer.” Letterman announcing Zevon’s death and his tribute to his good friend. He ends this piece with a clip from Zevon’s final appearance on the show a year earlier.

Letterman had Zevon as his only guest on his October 30, 2002 show, describing Zevon as, “the real deal. He’s not one of these pretty faced, phony rock and roll guys, he’s the real deal — a poet and a singer and a songwriter. It doesn’t get any better.” Zevon, despite the dire prognosis of inoperable lung cancer, kept his typical cynical sense of humor, stating, “Dave is the best friend my music has ever had.” Letterman brought Zevon’s music to the masses, even when Zevon showed resistance.

This appearance proved to be Zevon’s final public performance. You’d never know he was suffering from inoperable lung cancer from his performance and humor on this show. I highly recommend checking out the entire episode available on YouTube. It’s strange. It’s funny. It’s hearwarming. It’s pure Letterman and Zevon.

Letterman may have retired, but his legacy to music on late night television will continue. Thanks, Dave.

May 23, 2015
Hearing Aide: Faith No More “Sol Invictus”

Faith No More has released what is not only comeback of the year, this album so far, is album of the year, speaking of, Sol Invictus makes the first time Faith No More released anything since 1997’s Album Of The Year. Also, this is the first time the band released an album via Reclamation Recordings. What makes this band so fascinating to so many fans of metal is their unpredictability, and the fact they have never released the same album twice. This album is no exception.

Sol Invictus (which means Latin for Unconquered Sun) starts off with the title track. It begins with a beautiful keyboard track from Roddy Bottum over Mike Bordin’s precision drumming. Once you hear that crazy voice of Mike Patton …BOOM! You know that it’s a Faith No More record. The album immediately goes into “Superhero” which may be my favorite song because it’s a fun, groovy, and heavy track with very catchy keyboards blended so nicely into the overall track. Then the satire track “Sunny Side Up” lightens the mood of that album.

“Separation Anxiety” goes polar opposite of the previous track and it begins with a killer bass and drum rhythm that leads to a gloomy and dark atmospheric tone that makes this track a real stand out. Sol Invictus wouldn’t be a Faith No More album without some kind of unpredictable and strange track that makes you scratch you head a little bit and make you think “WTF?” and that track would be the fifth song on the album “Cone Of Shame” because I don’t know what the fuck this track is. The album goes into another strange track but this time you get a really get an awesome range of Patton’s vocals on “Rise Of The Fall” and guitarist Jon Hudson really shines on “Black Friday.”

Going into the tail end of the album, the hilarious but awesome track “Motherfucker” will be playing over and over in your head for days to come. Patton delivers another grand vocal performance on “Matador” before the album ends with “From The Dead” which is an appropriate ending because its upbeat song. Overall, Faith No More delivered a grand and deep album that takes you on an unpredicatable and enjoyable ride. Bassist Billy Gould wrote most of the music on this album as well as produced this masterpiece. With lots of touring ahead, we can only hope that this is just the beginning for the revamped Faith No More. I highly recommend this purchase. You can buy Sol Invictus here.

Key Tracks: “Superhero,” “Separation Anxiety,” “Motherfucker,” “From The Dead”

May 23, 2015