Don’t have plans yet for New Year’s Eve? Music fans across New York State have got plenty of choices this Thursday. NYS Music helps you get there with the short list of NYE activities.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at the Historic German House with special guests Danielle Ponder & Tomorrow People and Funknut. Three Heads Brewing Tasting Party start at 7pm with an acoustic jam featuring members of GPGDS and Extended Family. Late night the party continues with Subsoil and Level 7 Hip Hop DJ Set. $20 in advance/$30 day of show.
Strangefolk’sGarden of Eden takes place this weekend in Jay, VT at Stateside Amphitheater, bringing back to Vermont the original festival that was spawned 20 years ago on nearly the same weekend. The Vermont foursome have teamed up with Percy Hill and Assembly of Dust for two days of music amid an idyllic setting that provides incredible views and sound in a remote location that encourages a weekend trek to the site.
Guitarist/Singer Jon Trafton spoke to NYS Music about his thoughts on the 20th anniversary event, the return to Eden, and what fans can expect from the weekend:
“This upcoming Eden festival at Jay Peak is the 20th anniversary – almost to the date – of the first one we did. What’s cool about it is that Jay Peak is about 20 miles down the road from the original site, in Eden, VT. So, twenty years later we come nearly full circle.
I’ve been spending a lot of time revisiting the Eden shows, checking out what we played, looking at pictures, getting back into that mindset. The early Edens were so free and easy and under the radar. They were more like a big party we threw for our friends and fans.
I remember at the first Eden it struck me that we had something bigger than ourselves happening. There was a group of 600 or so people who trekked into the middle of Vermont to be together and celebrate with us. We were just a part of it, maybe a catalyst but not necessarily the focus. It had a life of its own. That has always stuck with me. So many of those people have remained friends and we’ve all grown up together. I know a lot of them will be at Jay Peak, so going into it feels like a family affair.
It’s been fun looking back on those years. They seem so long ago and not long ago at all. I’m looking forward to this upcoming one and hopefully we can re-launch the Eden annual tradition.”
The music starts on Friday at 7pm with Percy Hill, followed by two sets of Strangefolk. On Saturday, fans have a wide variety of music and events to choose from. The VIP Strangefolk set takes place at noon, as well as a free performance by Dead Sessions, celebrating the August West Festival, with free Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and more throughout the day. There is also hiking, golfing, mountain biking and much more that Jay Peak has to offer, including the indoor water park! The music gets started at 7pm on Saturday once again with Percy Hill, followed by two more sets of Strangefolk, and at midnight, Assembly of Dust performs at Bullwheel Bar right next to Stateside Amphitheater until 2am.
Strangefolk formed in 1991 and began holding the Garden of Eden festival in 1996 in Eden Mills, Vermont. The festival was also held in subsequent years in Plattsburgh, various locations in Vermont, and Greenfield, Massachusetts, the latter morphing into the StrangeCreek Campout which continues to this day.
Strangefolk took a hit in 2000 when band founding member and guitarist Reid Genauer left to pursue a graduate degree. The founding members of the band joined forces again as Strangefolk Reunion in 2012 and continue to play shows each year.
While the Garden of Eden hasn’t been held since 2006, when Strangefolk played the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival in Burlington in 2013, they called the performance “Edge of Eden” as a hat tip to the fest.
While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.
With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.
Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”
Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”
And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”
Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:
Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”
Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:
As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”
The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”
Brian Wilson will perform Pet Sounds in its entirety at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts on June 19.
Founding member of The Beach Boys Brian Wilson will perform the band’s iconic 1966 album Pet Sounds. While dates for the tour, called The 50th Anniversary Celebration and Final Performance in its Entirety, are slowly dropping, a handful have been announced. His band for this tour will include Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine along with longtime touring member of the Beach Boys Blondie Chaplin. They will be backed by the Boston Pops at Tanglewood. It is expected that other Beach Boys hits will be performed in addition to the Pet Sounds album.
Pet Sounds was recorded after Wilson was no longer touring with The Beach Boys, but was holed up in his home and recording studio creating the album. The album, which includes Beach Boys’ hits “Wouldn’t it be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” was ranked the number two greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone, second only to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Paul McCartney is said to have been heavily influenced by Pet Sounds, which led to the psychedelic sound of Sgt. Pepper’s. The making of Pet Sounds was documented in the recent film “Love & Mercy.”
As part of the Pet Sounds tour, Brian Wilson will also play to a sold-out crowd at Burlington, Vermont’s Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on June 14. He will perform at Tanglewood in the Koussevitzky Music Shed on Sunday, June 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for the Tanglewood show go on sale Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.
Boston-based death-funk trio lespecial released their first, full-length studio album titled Omnisquid on November 20. It invites listeners to follow on a sonic voyage of nautical proportions. lespecial is Luke Bemand (bass, vocals, synth) Rory Dolan (drums, percussion, sampler) and Jonathan Grusauskas (guitar, vocals, sampler, synth).
The album tells a story of extra-terrestrial beings commandeering the minds of giant squids which rise from the ocean to wreak havoc and destruction upon the populace. This storyline plays out through a heavy soundscape with, at times, playful, nautical inspired riffs and beats that make the listener feel like they’re in an underwater dancehall. lespecial has created a world with this album and it’s oceanic inspirations are evident.
The first track on the album, “Fruit Wolf Dance,” opens with a haunting, aquatic groove building into a driving onslaught of the trio’s instrumental talents. This driving force has moments of respite allowing for each instrument to shine yet remain cohesive. Halfway through, the track takes a turn showcasing their electronic sample proficiency with bubble-like pops and the live-trap drumming lespecial has become known for. The live-trap and sample sounds coalesce into the heavier tone found earlier in the song making for a seamless display of the genre bending this band is capable of. Bemand has stated previously that this album is a return to their musical roots, showcasing “a heavier vibe throughout.”
The second number, “Squid Rising,” introduces the listener to the story of the giant squids with noticeable seafaring compositions and Bemand’s thick basslines amidst the recordings of news reports of the squid’s destruction. Following up the tale’s intro is the title track, “Omnisquid,” a frenetic serenade of layered guitar riffs and polyrhythmic drumming. “Optimus Prime Slot” features some industrial-heavy drum programming by fellow Boston-based music-maker, Rob Uslan aka Supersillyus, and make for an excellent juxtapose to Grusauskas’ pinching guitar riffs and eerie vocals.
“Sugaboi” is a jamtronica laden track, again displaying the bands diverse and ample capability of playing different styles which they seem to be poking fun at with the overlay of a recording stating “see there’s some question about my identity/ let me put it to ya this way/ I’m not sure who I am.” Possibly answering that question is the following, “Leaps Evil,” where Dolan’s drumming keeps an excellent, relentless pace amongst Grusauskas’ soaring vocals and Bemand’s standout bass riffs. “Ships in the Night” feels like a reprieve from the repetitive build and crash that previous tracks include, giving way to the album’s first pre-release single, “New Fish.” Sliding bass and a wonky guitar vibe swell to a powerful, double-bass filled barrage fading out unrelenting. Like “Leaps Evil,” “Pressed for Time” conveys lespecial’s distinct command of differentiating time signatures and penchant for high-pitched vocal harmonies.
Closing out the journey is the track “Absolutely Stunning,” recounting a fisherman’s tale of what he may or may not have seen. There’s a very cinematic, “end-of-times” vibe to this track with the addition of a cello arrangement by Julian Lenz. The cello amplifies another build and release to the heaviness that lespecial has been touting the whole album. Whilst weaving a tale of cephalopods taken over by aliens, Omnisquid most definitely exemplifies a return to form of contrasting time signatures and dark, heavy grooves. If you’re in need of a cinematic auditory experience, lespecial’s first full length has it.
All songs on the album were written and performed by lespecial and all tracks recorded and mixed by Andrew Greacen at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY except “Ships in the Night,” recorded and mixed at the Music Cellar in Millerton NY, and the Morrison Gallery in Kent, CT. All of the tracks were mastered by Jocko at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY.
On Sunday December 6, Life Of Agony frontwoman Mina Caputo celebrated her birthday playing their last US show of 2015 and boy did they make it memorable. The show was held at Sayreville, New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom, and this was my first visit to the venue. Let me start off by saying how awesome that venue is. The stage is big, can be seen from just about anywhere, with a nice open floor with bars in every corner of the building. Great sound, great service and I would go back in a heartbeat.
Detroit hardcore outfit Walls Of Jericho opened the show with a small but stellar set. Like the headliners, this band has not been touring a whole lot and have been playing select shows so it was a real treat to have been able to see them. “Fuck The American Dream” was definitely the highlight of their set.
I was very giddy to be seeing Life Of Agony again. I was fortunate enough to have seen them a few months back at the East Coast Tsunami Fest, so I already had a grasp on what to expect. But this time through, there was more to celebrate and even better, Life Of Agony played a longer set. The band played just about everything off their trademark debut album River Runs Red and select songs off the rest of their catalog.
They kicked off their set with “Bad Seed” and right into “River Runs Red” and the crowd erupted. One thing that makes this band so special is the way they utilize and share the stage with one another. Guitarist Joey Z. and Bassist Alan Robert were constantly moving, with singer Mina anchoring the stage and using her golden vocals behind the mic. Its fascinating watching Mina on stage because of someone who is so physically small have the lung power to belt those songs out the way they’re meant to be heard out is really a sight to behold. And of course Sal Abruscato is a stud behind the drum kit. Everything sounded loud, clean and crystal clear. No feedback. Nothing overpowering.
Other highlights of the set included “Other Side Of The River” and “Respect” to me was the most fun to hear live, but later the band took a moment to help a fan have his moment. Just after performing “Lost At 22,” this fan was invited on stage to propose to his girlfriend (which takes LOTS of guts). Another special moment was Joey Z got the crowd to sing happy birthday to Mina which was lots of fun. But the most special moment of the night, Mina and Joey Z performed a very heartfelt tribute to Scott Weiland by performing an acoustic cover of Stone Temple Pilots “Plush.” Anyone familiar with that version of that song will tell you that they did that song JUSTICE.
The rest of the band came out and finished with a few more songs off River Runs Red and closed with “Underground” to put a stamp on what was the most memorable concert experience I have had the pleasure of covering in quite some time.
From what I gather, Life Of Agony is gearing up to a brief European tour in January, and no other shows have been announced as of yet. Obviously if we hear about it, NYS Music will let fans know, but the point is, this show was special moment, so if we are lucky enough to get more shows from Life Of Agony here on the east coast, you need to go see them.
Ampevene, a refreshing new band coming out of Albany, NY embarks on their inaugural Winter Tour, starting this Saturday, December 12 at Parish Public House in Albany. Ampevene has been making a name for themselves combining elements of rock, jazz, metal, funk and the avant-garde, hypnotizing and painting pictures though the wild musical ride that it creates.
Previously sharing the stage with acclaimed nationally touring acts such as Moon Hooch, Consider The Source, and Aqueous, as well as playing popular festivals Larkfest and Bellstock, Ampevene draws influence from artists including The Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, Primus, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fusion-era Miles Davis.
Featuring Gabe Stallman (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Bob Morris (Drums), Ava Smith (Keyboard), Mack Hogan (Bass), they have been called “Improv trippy jazz fusion Pink Floyd on acid” (Ralph Renna, Capital Underground), this young and funky quartet find their groove quickly and are a local talent to keep an eye on, and are a live show not to be missed.
Ampevene Winter Tour 2016 Dates
December 12 Albany, NY Parish Public House December 20 New York, NY The Delancey December 23 Syracuse, NY Funk N Waffles December 27 New York, NY Pianos January 24 Burlington, VT Radio Bean January 27 Providence, RI The Spot February 12 Oneonta, NY Black Oak Tavern February 20 Troy, NY Dinosaur BBQ February 25 Winooski, VT Monkey House
Elise Testone brought her All Star Tribute to Led Zeppelin to The Spot Underground in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday, Dec. 4. Rhode Island band Sgt. Baker and the Clones opened for her, and Breakfast for the Boys from New Paltz closed out the night.
The Spot Underground, now in its third location in Providence, features two stages. Sgt. Baker and the Clones took the stage in the smaller room around 9:20 p.m. Their sound is ’90s grunge meets rockabilly and country. The band consists of three guitarists, two on acoustic; a bassist; and a drummer. The crowd was still filing in throughout their set. They opened with “Stick Fishin’,” which features quotes from The Beatles’ “Cry Baby Cry” outro. This was followed up by a cover of Robert Cray‘s “Phone Booth,” which brought some energy to the crowd as folks started dancing. A country influence could be heard in the slower “Flesh Puppets.” They also played a few more covers, including Mars Volta’s “The Widow” and Cold War Kids’ “We Used to Vacation.” The latter featured additional vocals from local singer/songwriter Nate Cozzolino. They closed out their set with a raunchy cover of “I Will Survive,” played in a similar vein to Cake’s version with some altered lyrics. The lead guitarist played a really nice solo before the band finished the song to end their set. The highlight of the set was “Pigs,” which featured some fun animal sounds from Baker to start. While a bit rough around the edges, the set was enjoyable for all the smiling faces in the room.
Testone’s set was delayed a bit. To keep the fans happy, Cozzolino, who is also the venue’s cook, played a short set with Mike Baker, aka Sgt. Baker, on djembe. His set started with a cover of Sublime’s “Badfish.” He then played through a handful of originals to a small crowd eager to hear Elise Testone and her tribute to Led Zeppelin.
Elise Testone and her all-star tribute to Led Zeppelin took the main stage around 11 p.m. The band consisted of Todd Stoops (RAQ) on keyboards and backup vocals, Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz) on drums, Danny Mayer (Alan Evans Trio) on guitar, and Jed Lingat (Timothy Bloom) on bass. Testone, of course, handled the lead vocals. They opened their set with “Black Dog.” It took a little bit for the crowd to really get into it, but when the opening notes to “When the Levee Breaks” were played everyone was pulled in. The set ran through 19 of Led Zeppelin’s more notable songs. “Trampled Under Foot” featured a short, but fun keyboard solo from Stoops. “No Quarter,” one of the highlights of the night, saw an unexpected piano solo, one of the few moments the band took some creative license with the music. This was followed by two of the other highlights of the night, “Kashmir” and “Nobody’s Fault by Mine,” which featured excellent keyboard and guitar solos. “Fool in the Rain,” while a bit rough, was one of the crowd favorites of the night. The entire venue was dancing along. “Heartbreaker” was played without the expected segue into “Living Loving Maid.” Carubba played a solid solo in “Moby Dick,” and his perfect keeping of the beat held the band together throughout the night.
The set ended with “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” an odd choice given slower tempo. They came back out to encore with “Rock and Roll.” The one other highlight of the night was “Over the Hills and Far Away,” which featured some nice interplay between the guitar and keyboards during a short jam. The crowd was quite pleased with the two hour set. The band was tight and well-rehearsed. Testone’s vocals, while not completely appropriate as a Robert Plant replacement, handled the songs as though they were written for her. If any criticism is to be made, it’s that they simply covered the songs as Led Zeppelin would have played them. With a band of such talented musicians, it would be nice to see them use some creativity in the future, making the songs more their own and fitting them better to Testone’s voice.
Breakfast for the Boys played a late night set in the smaller room. Their female-led soul closed out the night as the crowd slowly dwindled. Their sound can be compared to that of Lake Street Dive.
All in all, it was a great night of music in Providence. The Spot’s new location isn’t the most ideal, though the larger room has great sound, which might be better than their previous locations. If you have the chance to see Elise Testone doing any type of show, don’t hesitate. Her voice is fabulous and quite adaptable to many different genres and styles of music.
Elise Testone will be playing with her All-Star Band on Thursday, Dec. 17 at The Hollow Bar in Albany at 9 p.m. Brian LaPoint and the Joints are the supporting act. Tickets are currently available.
Nectar’s, the mecca of Vermont’s music scene celebrated it’s 40th birthday with a re-union of the Unknown Blues Band which also marked the tenth anniversary of the passing of bandleader Big Joe Burrell. This famed band reunited with it’s crack Kilimanjaro brilliant core of Paul Asbell on guitar, Chas Eller on organ, Tony Markellis on bass, Lucas Adler on drums with Terry Younk and Dave Grippo on saxophone. They were joined vocally by soul man Dave Keller and the stellar Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson as well as honored harmonica hosts Charlie Frazier and Bob Stannard. It was a night of great music recalling the past songs of Big Joe Burrell with shakes and solos to a crowd that swung to the groove and called for more.
Big Joe and the Unknown Blues Band first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and then toured the world in the 1990’s as well as backing up the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield. Musical celebrities passing through Burlington would frequently join the band such as B.B. King and Betty Carter.
An association formed with Phish guitarist’s Trey Anastasio, who said he moved to Burlington largely because of the Unknown Blues Band and the quality of live music they put out. Paul Asbell, the UBB guitarist’s became Trey’s guitar teacher, and later on bassist Tony Markellis began playing with Trey in Trey Anastasio Band and keyboardist Chas Eller partnered with Trey at his personal recording studio, The Barn.
After this great show, people are hoping that the UBB will be back on the scene and bringing the blues back to Burlington and beyond.
The year after its 20th annual edition, popular music festival Gathering of the Vibes will take a break in 2016.
Festival founder Ken Hays announced today that he needs a “time out,” calling producing the festival as an independent promoter a challenging endeavor.
According to the statement posted on the festival’s website and social media and emailed to the festival’s mailing list:
This is not the end of the Vibes, my friends; it’s simply a pause, an opportunity for us all to reflect on the memories, explore new and exciting festival initiatives while planning our triumphant return in 2017.
The four-day festival started as a gathering at SUNY Purchase for people mourning the loss of Jerry Garcia in 1996, and it has had strong ties to the Grateful Dead community ever since, hosting all of the original band members at various points throughout the festival’s 20 years. The festival was held in several New York locations before relocating to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Gathering of the Vibes 2016
Best Small Festival: 
Elise Testone
Big Joe and the Unknown Blues Band first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and then toured the world in the 1990’s as well as backing up the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield. Musical celebrities passing through Burlington would frequently join the band such as B.B. King and Betty Carter.