NYS Music 20​15

Category: News Desk

  • Hard Soul to Celebrate Successful Kickstarter Campaign at The Hollow on Feb. 20

    Upstate New York rock band, Hard Soul, have successfully completed their Kickstarter campaign in raising over $12,000 to fund their latest EP, Fairer Shores and touring needs. The local Albany band had over 150 backer’s support them on this mission proving the dream of Rock n Roll is far from dead. Kickstarter is a crowd based, fund-raising site for creative projects that helped Hard Soul and millions of others reach goals from the help of friends and supporters.

    hardsoulfairershores

    “The outpouring of support from all the fans has been absolutely incredible and very humbling,” said Hard Soulfront-man Johnny Salka. “We’re beyond excited for the opportunity to hit the road and share our music in front of new faces and cities later this month.”

    Hard Soul consists of guitarists Johnny Salka, Steve Thompson and Nick Kossor, bassist Ryan Klaeysen, drummer Mark Podbielski, all contributing to vocals of original heartfelt lyrics. The band’s LP Heart of Plaster from 2014 grabbed regional attention as the Albany Times Union placed them on the “Best Records of the Year” list. The first single off their latest EP “The Sweetest Heart” was released on January 20th with a laid back music video. Fairer Shores drops on February 24th on CD and digital formats with limited-edition vinyls later this year.

    Hard Soul - press photo
    Eager to share their new music with loving fans, Hard Soul is kicking things off at The Hollow in Albany on Friday Feb. 20 where they will be opening for Frank Iero (formally of My Chemical Romance) to start their Winter Tour of Upstate NY and beyond. The show starts at 8pm with $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Get there early to support local music from Hard Soul as they bring their modern-day rock with vintage soul to Pearl St.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA5ii70od30]

  • Retired Buffalo Hardcore Legends Snapcase are Practicing

    Snapcase’s fierce driving riffs and aggressive vocals defined them as one of the premier genre bands for the ’90s hardcore music scene.

    Originally conceived in a basement in West Seneca NY in 1989 – the five piece built quite the frenetic fan base over the course of the next 16 years before mostly disbanding in 2005. Since then they have played occasional shows – usually in Buffalo – but none since a finale show with the closing of Mohawk Place in 2013.

    That all may be changing soon as the band indicated on their website today that they are practicing.

    Snapcase-return

    With their next and only 2015 tour date scheduled for Montebello, Canada’s Amnesia Rockfest way off in mid June fans will no doubt be wondering if more tour dates are in the works – or perhaps (hold your breath) some new music?  Stay tuned!

  • StrangeCreek Campout 2015 Lineup Announced

    Wormtown Trading has announced the lineup for the 3-day StrangeCreek Campout Music Festival May 22-25 2015 at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield, Ma.

    Get Strange with Max Creek, Zach Deputy, Consider The Source, and Central NY’s own Donna The Buffalo among many others across three stages this coming Memorial Day weekend.

    StrangeCreek

    Leading up to the festival, 36 bands will go head-to-head in three weeks of battle at four venues before heading to a week of semifinals and a final showdown on March 28. The winner of the 2015 StrangeCreek Battle of the Bands secures a spot in the festival’s lineup.

    Tickets are going for $120 through May 10 (kids 12 and under are free).

    Check out NYS Music’s recap of the 2014 StrangeCreek Campout here.

  • Jon Fishman to Play Nectar’s 40th Celebration

    Jam mecca Nectar’s in Burlington VT will be celebrating their 40th anniversary starting this Saturday and running through the end of March with Phish drummer Jon Fishman appropriately be part of the celebration

    There will be a bluegrass show Mar. 26 with his previous Jazz Mandolin Project collaborator Jame Masefield along with guitarist Doug Perkins and bassist Tyler Bolles. As this show is sure to sell out you should grab tickets now. (h/t jambands.com)

    20140703-Phish-33

    The 40th extravaganza kicks off Feb 21 with a show featuring local musician Josh Panda and friends playing influential tunes from the year of Nectar’s birth – 1975.

    Other notable shows happening during the month+ long celebration:

    Feb. 28 Mardi Gras Celebration w/ Schwizz, Conehead Buddha & more

    Mar. 7 ‘s 2014 March Madness winner Lucid

    Mar. 20 Sophistafunk

    Mar. 26 Aqueous

  • Southern Soul Arrives at The Egg with JJ Grey and Mofro on February 19

    JJ Grey & Mofro will perform at The Egg on Thursday, February 19 at 7:30 PM as part of the American Roots & Branches concert series. JJ Grey & Mofro’s blend of front porch soul, funk, R&B, blues, southern rock and down-home storytelling has made them a popular fixture on the American roots music scene for the past decade. The NYC-based band The London Souls, who draw inspiration from British bands such as Cream, The Beatles and The Hollies, will open the night.

    Tickets are $28 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone 518-473-1845 or online at Theegg.org

  • Aqueous Spring Tour Includes Upstate Dates and Colorado Debut

    Upstate favorites Aqueous have announced an extensive spring tour taking them all through the north east and mid west including a debut string of dates in Colorado.

    The tour will kick off at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn Feb. 25. Other New York dates include Mar. 26 at Ithaca’s The Haunt, Syracuses’s Funk n Waffles Apr. 16, Saratoga Springs Apr 17, and a hometown show Apr. 18 in Buffalo at the Iron Works.

    March will feature a five date string in Colorado including two trips to Denver. May and June launch festival season with stops at two Ohio festivals – May Daze in Franklin and Color Dance in Athens – concluding with a Memorial Day weekend for the third straight year at Summer Camp Music Festival.

    Check out the whole tour below and don’t miss seeing this excellent band.

    Aqueous Spring Tour 2015
    Art by Dave Vertino

    Aqueous Spring Tour 2015

    2/25/15 – Knitting Factory | Brooklyn, NY
    2/26/15 – Spot Underground | Providence, RI *
    2/27/15 – Stone Church | Newmarket, NH *
    2/28/15 – Main Pub | Manchester, CT #
    3/6/15 – Tonic Room | Chicago, IL
    3/7/15 – Mousetrap | Indianapolis, IN
    3/10/15 – Quixotes | Denver, CO
    3/11/15 – TBD | Colorado
    3/12/15 – Fly Me to The Moon Saloon | Telluride, CO *
    3/13/15 – Quixotes | Denver, CO
    3/14/15 – Samana | Vail, CO **
    3/26/15 – The Haunt | Ithaca, NY
    3/27/15 – Penuches | Manchester, NH
    3/28/15 – Nectar’s | Burlington, VT
    4/1/15 – TBD
    4/2/15 – TBD
    4/3/15 – Ardmore Music Hall | Philadelphia, PA ^
    4/4/15 – Pacific Standard | New Haven, CT
    4/10/15 – Corktown Pub | Hamilton, ON
    4/11/15 – Kings Rook | Erie, PA
    4/16/15 – Funk n Waffles | Syracuse, NY +
    4/17/15 – Putnam Den | Saratoga Springs, NY
    4/18/15 – Buffalo Iron Works | Buffalo, NY
    4/23/15 – Hinge | Northampton, MA
    4/24/15 – Church of Boston | Boston, MA
    4/25/15 – Arch Street Tavern | Hartford, CT
    5/2/15 – May Daze Music Festival | Franklin, OH
    5/16/15 – Color Dance Music Festival | Athens, OH
    5/21/15-5/24/15 – Summer Camp Music Festival | Chillicothe, IL
    5/30/15 – Domefest | Terra Alta, VA
    6/12/15 – Illumination Music Festival | Durham, ON
    6/19 – 6/20 – Mad Tea Party Jam | Hedgeville, WV
    7/23 – 7/25 – Paradise Music Festival | Hustonville, KY

    *w/ Pigeons Playing Ping Pong #w/Mister F **w/Yamn +w/Superhuman Happiness ^w/Box of Rain

  • UPDATED: Umphrey’s McGee Announce Surprise New Studio Album – ‘The London Session’

    In a move no one was expecting – mid west jam champions Umphrey’s McGee announced a brand new studio album today titled The London Session. 

    UM-PHOTO-ABBYCOVER

    Recorded at the famous Abbey Road studios in London – the album features 10 tracks that were recorded in one day. Release date is April 7 – but fans may pre-order now. Anyone who pre-orders will get an instant download of lead track “Bad Friday”.

    The unexpected release features a selection of tracks from throughout the bands career and (appropriately) a Beatles cover. Check out the entire track list below:

    1. Bad Friday
    2. Rocker Part 2
    3. No Diablo
    4. Cut the Cable
    5. Out of Order
    6. Glory
    7. Plunger
    8. Comma Later
    9. Eat
    10. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

    UM-PHOTO-ABBEY

    Umphrey’s McGee – The London Session
    Vinyl Track Listing

    North Side
    “Bad Friday” %
    “Rocker Part 2”
    “No Diablo” $
    “Cut The Cable” $

    South Side
    “Out Of Order” +
    “Glory”
    “Plunger” +

    East Side
    “Comma Later”
    “Eat” +
    “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” +

    West Side
    “In The Kitchen” #

    % First time ever recorded
    + Recorded in a single take
    # Live from the Brooklyn Bowl London, 6/19/14
    $ Acoustic versions

    Learn more on The London Session here.

  • Umphrey’s McGee to Play Syracuse, Albany This Week

    Umphrey’s McGee, the midwestern-based progressive jam rock band, will be playing shows in Syracuse and Albany on their current North American tour. The dates follow recent appearances at The Beacon Theater in New York City and The Paramount in Huntington, where reported on two consecutive nights of fantastic performances.

    The sextet’s first Upstate stop will be the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on February 20. Tickets are on sale now, priced through Ticketmaster at $39.90. Umphrey’s will be supported by Long Island act, TAUK.

    The tour will make its way to Albany’s Palace Theatre the following evening. Tickets for the show can be purchased for $36.55. An official aftershow at the Hollow will feature local band, Mister F.

    While Umphrey’s McGee is known for its tight, high-energy live sets, the band’s latest studio release, Similar Skin, offers a genuine, accurate presentation of their signature sound. Getting to know the album is a helpful preface to seeing Umphrey’s live show; it can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on iTunes. Additionally, Umphrey’s surprised fans with a release of The London Session, recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in 12 hours time.

    Follow for upcoming coverage on both the Syracuse and Albany concerts on Twitter and Instagram.

  • Barenaked Ladies, Violent Femmes and Colin Hay to stop in Salamanca

    The Barenaked Ladies will be joined by the Violent Femmes and Colin Hay on a summer tour that will stop in Salamanca, in Western New York. The Salamanca show will be held at at the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel on June 21. The tour will also hit New York City on July 1.

    BNL

    The extensive Last Summer on Earth Tour runs from June 5 to July 26, and makes stops from Maine to Florida, and Texas to Seattle.

    Barenaked Ladies – Canada’s pre-eminent alternative band – will be promoting a new album they have coming out this summer that has yet to be given a title. Fans who buy a ticket for the tour get a free track from the new album and a digital download of the full album when it is released.

    A pre-sale is going on now, and tickets for the general public go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster.

    The full tour:

    June 5: Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion

    June 6: Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

    June 7: Toledo, OH @ Toledo Zoo Ampitheatre

    June 8: Cedar Rapids, IA @ McGrath Amphitheatre

    June 10: Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

    June 12: Red Wing, MN @ Treasure Island Resort & Casino Island Events Center

    June 13: Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Pavillion

    June 14: Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove

    June 16: Chicago, IL @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion

    June 17: Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park

    June 19: Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion

    June 20: Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre

    June 21: Salamanca, NY @ Seneca Allegany Event Center

    June 23: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

    June 26: Portland, ME @ Maine State Pier

    June 27: Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Casino Arena

    June 28: Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center for the Performing Arts

    June 29: Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion

    July 1: New York, NY @ JBL Live at Pier 97

    July 2: West Windsor, NJ @ Mercer County Park Festival Grounds

    July 3: Solomons, MD @ Pnc Waterside Pavillion

    July 4: Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater

    July 8: Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheatre Charlotte

    July 10: Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheater

    July 11: St. Augustine, FL @ St Augustine Amphitheatre

    July 12: Atlanta, GA @ VZW Amphitheatre at Encore Park

    July 13: Nashville, TN @ The Woods at Fontanel

    July 15: Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

    July 17: Albuquerque, NM @ Venue TBD

    July 18: Las Vegas, NV @ Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan

    July 19: San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

    July 21: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre L.A.

    July 22: Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery Concerts

    July 24: Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden

    July 25: Portland, OR @ Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn

    July 26: Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Concerts

  • AC/DC Announce North American Tour Dates

    Rock legends AC/DC have announced a slew of North American dates for their first tour in five years.

    The tour will support their new album Rock or Bust – released in November 2014. The North American dates in August and September add to a European run from May through July.

    Screen Shot 2015-02-12 at 10.44.51 AM

    Upstate fans who want to see the band will have a little driving to do. The band won’t touch down in New York, but they kick off the North American leg with a show at Foxborough Stadium in Massachusetts Aug 22. Then they head to East Rutherford, N.J.

    Several Canadian dates will come close to Upstate, including Quebec City on Aug. 28, Montreal on Aug. 31, Ottawa on Sep. 3 and Toronto on Sep. 10.

    Guitarist Malcolm Young, a founding member of the band, has retired due to dementia, and his nephew, Stevie Young, replaced him for Rock or Bust  and will continue to do so on the tour. Drummer Phil Rudd is in the midst of legal troubles and will be replaced — at least on this tour — by Chris Slade, a previous drummer who has rejoined the band.

    Tickets for most shows go on sale Monday, Feb. 16 – except for the San Francisco date – which goes on sale Sunday, Feb. 15. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

    Full North American tour schedule:

    August 22 – Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium

    August 26 – E. Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium

    August 28 – Quebec City, QC Plains Of Abraham

    August 31 – Montreal, QC Olympic Stadium

    September 3 – Ottawa, ON TD Place

    September 5 – Moncton, NB Magnetic Hill

    September 8 – Detroit, MI Ford Field

    September 10 – Toronto, ON Downsview Park

    September 15 – Chicago, IL Wrigley Field

    September 20 – Edmonton, AL Commonwealth Stadium

    September 22 – Vancouver, BC BC Place

    September 25 – San Francisco, CA AT&T Park

    September 28 – Los Angeles, CA Dodger Stadium