Update: With the announcement that Metroland will not publish for the first time since it’s 1978 founding, editor/publisher Stephen Leon spoke with The Times Union. Saying “This has been a long time coming. I’m really tired,” Leon cited the 2008 recession as a point in which the Metroland began a downslide that culminated in ceasing publication this week. Creditors, freelance journalists and the State Tax department all are seeking to collect debts owed.
The Times Union reports that Metroland, the alt-weekly newspaper that has been a staple of the Capital District for more than three decades, had their offices seized by the state tax department due to non payment of taxes.
Metroland owed more than $20,000 in debts, including 2014 employee withholding taxes, as well as corporation taxes dating back to 2010, according to a spokesman at the state Department of Taxation & Finance. The magazine’s offices received a seizure notice and letter on the door Tuesday, Nov. 3, noting that “all the personal property located on these premises” of Metroland and its parent, Lou Communications Inc., were to be seized.
Metroland has been in publication since 1978 and is available for free at numerous Capital District businesses. Last summer, the publication announced that it was for sale.
Who can forget when Mariah Carey showed off her plush Manhattan penthouse, with its decadent chandeliers, lavish closets and Marilyn Monroe’s piano, or when Lil Wayne revealed his mobster movie-obsessed living room and impressive car collection on MTVCribs? It was a show that rocked a generation by allowing an exclusive peek into the personal lives of favorite culture figures before social media came along and made such connection instant. Well, get excited fans of Albany-based Mister F — now you can take an all-access tour of the band’s neat-and-clean dude ranch on YouTube.
Published on the band’s channel last week, the near 13-minute “FTV Cribs” episode gives viewers a satirical but honest look at the home of these “hard and dangerous rock stars,” plus their whips, yard and places “where the magic happens” for Andrew Chamberlaine (Mister A), Ben Pickering (Mister B), Scott Hannay (Mister S), Matt Pickering (Mister M) and Mike Dean (Mister Manager). According to the press release, the idea was in the making before Mister F was even a concept.
Hannay said in the release:
Our drummer Matt had been wanting to make an MTV Cribs-style video for the band house since six years ago when the other guys were still in Timbre Coup… Over the last year, I put together a very silly Vulfpeck-esque video of us playing with a bare-bones setup in totally nonsensical costumes around a dinner table (“This One Goes to 11 – Live at the Dinner Table“) and a three-song series of more serious in-studio multi-cam videos (“The Snow Day Sessions“). I’d gotten back into the swing of video editing, and so we decided to finally make our own MTV Cribs-style episode, aptly titled “FTV Cribs.”
The virtual tour begins in the living room where the band catches up on Netflix (Arrested Development, of course) to the “all around awesome” two-acre party lot set up with plastic patio ware and can jam before moving into the bare-cupboard kitchen with Mister B who highlights a heady collection of craft beer and opens the fridge door to showcase “all the fixins for hamburgers and hotdogs.” After a short faux commercial break featuring Now! That’s What F Calls Music, a compact compilation of the “crunchiest jams to bop your head to” from Aqueous, Twiddle, The Heavy Pets, McLovins and more (found here), the segment returns with a private look at the shabby chic bedrooms—take note of Mister M’s hat and shoe collection—and concert poster covered practice room before kicking viewers out. So sit back, tune in and invade the space to see “how the other F lives.”
Though she plays their music, it was not your typical Phish crowd Wednesday night at the Massry Center for an intimate performance by Holly Bowling. While the theater was dotted with flatbrims, the crowd looked to be more NPR listener than lot vagabond. The majority of the crowd was nicely dressed and seemed to be over 40.
The Massry Center has a true orchestral feel complete with ushers clad in black directing people to their seats and 10 minute intermissions between sets. The stage was sparsely furnished with only a Steinway & Sons piano, an old fashioned reading lamp, microphone, and iPad on which Bowling used to read her music.
When Bowling came out to applause, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The classically trained pianist transcribes the music of Phish and arranges it for solo piano and the end result is quite moving. The first set opened with “The Curtain With,” a slow and pretty introduction to this new take on Phish’s music.
The highlights included “Silent in the Morning,” ethereal sounds with teal lights glowing behind Bowling, making it seem as though she were playing underwater.
The first set also saw the first jam transcription arranged for piano. A local pick, she chose “Twist” from October 23, 2013 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. This song displayed Bowling’s range from her slower tempo into a funky jam that had the audience shouting out “Woo!” amidst giggles of laughter.
At some points during the performance Bowling would roll her body back and forth like she was in a trance. Between songs Bowling would speak, injecting her bubbly personality into her act. She dedicated several songs to her friends, one for a friends’ anniversary (“Waste”) another for a friend who had just lost someone (“Dirt”).
For the second set Bowling played a stripped down version of “Fire on the Mountain” by the Grateful Dead, amid a inside of a sequence that featured “It’s Ice” and “Steam”, which really highlighted the compositional nature of the song. In true Phish fashion she closed the second set with “Squirming Coil” which was truly impressive.
Though it wasn’t the typical Phish crowd at Bowling’s performance, it was certainly the length of a typical jam band show. Her performance consisted of three sets and an encore, the last set being a transcription of the infamous “Tahoe Tweezer.”
Bowling seamlessly blends the worlds of improvisation and careful composition together into something truly thought provoking. Whether or not you call yourself a Phish fan, Bowling’s unique approach to this type of music is a sight to be seen.
Set 1: The Curtain With, Talk, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Glens Falls Twist, Tela, Wingsuit > Randall’s Chalkdust jam > Wingsuit, Waste* Set 2: Scents & Subtle Sounds, Cassidy** > Dirt > Cassidy*** > If I Could, The Inlaw Josie Wales, It’s Ice > Fire on the Mountain# > Steam > It’s Ice, Horn, Squirming Coil Set 3: Tahoe Tweezer Encore: Harry Hood****
# first time performed by Holly
* Dedicated to Bryon & Holly
** Dedicated to a friend who recently lost someone
*** w/ Dirt mashup ending
****w/ Lizards, Cassidy, Tweezer Reprise teases
Grateful Dead shows have a certain history in Albany, and ever since the opening of the Knickerbocker Arena in 1990, now the Times Union Center, Deadheads have flocked to the Capital District. At the start of Dead and Company’s Fall tour, the crowd enjoyed warm pre-show weather and an even hotter show inside as Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart brought John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti along for the strong start to a promising tour.
Opening with “Playing in the Band” was an apt way to welcome the two newcomers – Oteil and John – into the fold, and set the tone for the night. Fan favorites “Cold Rain and Snow” and “Tennessee Jed” followed and the bar was set. Mayer nailed the Jerry tone throughout the show, particularly during “The Music Never Stopped,” “Lost Sailor,” “Help on the Way”>“Slipknot,” and “Space”>”The Other One”. He is a great choice to fill the Jerry role as Trey Anastasio and John Kadlecik were in different iterations of Grateful Dead alumni shows.
Although restrained early on in the show, with Bob Weir setting a slower pace for songs, Mayer burst forth on “Bird Song,” a highlight of the first set. Periods of good jamming emerged from “Drums”>”Space”>”The Other One,” and a perfect segue into “Slipknot!” provided the highlight of the second set. “Franklin’s Tower” had atypical singing of later verses and a rough transition from “Slipknot!”, but some rust can be expected on the first night of the tour. As the next few weeks progress, the sound will become more cohesive and develop an even more well honed sound from this supergroup.
Dead and Company, Times Union Center, Albany, NY 10/29/15 Set 1: Playing in the Band > Cold Rain and Snow, Tennessee Jed, Feel Like a Stranger, He’s Gone, Bird Song, The Music Never Stopped Set 2: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance, Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower, Drums > Space > The Other One, Stella Blue > Not Fade Away Encore: Touch of Grey
Independent films can typically be found at only one theater in the greater Albany area, that being Spectrum 8 on Delaware Avenue, aka “Albany’s Main Street.” Oscar contenders, art house flicks and foreign films you wouldn’t see in a big chain theater are to be found on a weekly basis, making it a popular destination when you didn’t want to go to the mall to see a movie.
photo via Spotlight News
Now, after 35 years of business, Spectrum 8 Theatres has been sold to the California-based chain Landmark Theatres, leading to the shuttering of the doors while the new owner takes over.
In a statement, Landmark President and CEO Ted Mundorff said the Los Angeles-based chain is “pleased that Spectrum looked to Landmark Theatres to continue the legacy of the theatre. We anticipate no changes in the programming or staffing. The Spectrum will continue to bring smart movie selections and great customer service to Albany,” as reported by the Times Union.
Fans should fear not, as Landmark is the nation’s largest theatre circuit dedicated to exhibiting independent and foreign films, so fans should expect to see the same caliber of films at their favorite hometown venue, especially as award season draws near.
The venue is slated to close on Nov. 17 and will re-open at the end of that week as Landmark.
Update (Nov. 14): Brick by Brick has released an official music video for “These Streets,” the first single off This World, My Enemy. The video was filmed at The Fuzebox in Albany, capturing the band in live performance mode.
Original article follows below:
Albany hardcore metal band Brick By Brick is set to release a full-length album on Friday the 13th of November. This World, My Enemy features a new vocalist, Ray Mazzola of Full Blown Chaos.
Two tracks from the album have been premiered. “Burden of Life” was recently premiered by Metal Injection yesterday. Guitarist Michael Valente had this to say about the track:
Burden Of Life is the anthem for every blue collar, working class individual that is always one step forward and 2 steps back. Getting brow beaten on a daily basis fuels the rage, angst, and despair witching ourselves.
The first track off the album, “These Streets,” was premiered by Exclaim earlier this month.
They will be playing two shows in support of This World, My Enemy. You can catch them Friday, Nov. 13 at Trickshot Billiards in Clifton Park or Saturday, Nov. 14 at Turn Hall in Adams, Massachusetts.
PeteMason: As you start your east coast fall tour, you are playing a variety of venues – larger rooms such as Higher Ground in Burlington, 8×10 Club in Baltimore, Gypsy Sally’s in Washington D.C., and more intimate rooms like The Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA, and Underground Arts in Philadelphia. How do the listening experiences for the audiences compare in different environments?
HollyBowling: The rooms I’m playing this tour definitely have a lot of variety! It’s less about size though and more about the feel of the venue. I’m playing some spots where it’s unusual to see a solo piano act – places where you’re more likely to see a full band and spend most of the night dancing – and then I’m playing some spots that are more of a mellow environment, places where you might usually see jazz or classical music.
The contrast between them is something I’m really looking forward to. They both have their strengths. Sometimes I think the setting that classical or jazz music is played in can be hard for people to get into. It can be a little restrictive, a little stifling – you can’t move around during the show and there’s a pretty strict concert etiquette. The freedom in clubs that usually play host to rock music can be really refreshing – for the audience but also for the performer. I think it encourages you to play a little looser, to take chances.
But at the same time, there’s something really special about a room full of people sitting down and intently focused on the music together like what you get in a concert hall or a quiet jazz club. No distractions, no socializing, just a really intense inner musical experience. It can be really powerful even though people don’t really express the emotions the music inspires in them as outwardly in a place like a symphony hall the way they would at a club or an arena show.
You can really get lost in the music in a different way and just get swept away. Especially with as many distractions as there are at music events these days, and in life in general, it’s pretty great to find a space to just completely immerse yourself in experiencing music for a few hours and give yourself over to that entirely. So I’m excited to be playing both types of venues on this tour. I think the contrast will be really interesting and each setting will take the music in a different direction.
Pete Mason: Are you viewing these venues as offering a balance between rock club and jazz club?
Holly Bowling: There are definitely some venues out there that have one foot in each world and I’m always on the hunt for those. They’re few and far between but really lend themselves well to the music I’m playing. I mean it’s not really classical and its not really rock, so where do you put it? I think it can be enjoyed in a lot of different settings – and actually, pushing the boundaries and expectations of what you can do in each venue setting is something that’s really interesting to me – but the rooms that are a crossover between the two are really a great fit.
I love to see music in places where you can be comfortable and have some freedom but the focus is also 100% on the music and there aren’t a lot of distractions. It can be a delicate balance to strike but those rooms and crowds are the best. It’s where I most like to see music when I’m on the audience side, and where I like to play best too.
Pete Mason: How have you found yourself pushing the boundaries so far in your performances this year, and in what way, if at all, do you tailor your performance to setting?
Holly Bowling: This year has been interesting because it’s been kind of a whirlwind of experiences. My first album just came out a few months ago and I spent a lot of time leading up to recording it working out arrangements very carefully and doing a lot of meticulous detail work. Then I started playing shows in support of the album and it took a little while for the arrangements to settle and have a little more room to breathe. Whether it’s pushing boundaries or just allowing things to progress and evolve naturally at this point, I’ve enjoyed letting things open up more as the year has gone on. Allowing myself the freedom for improvisation during shows and even letting the arrangements stray further from where the jams usually go and letting them go off the rails a little… that’s been really fun.
Also, I’ve been playing around with segues in the setlists and a different incarnation of the “jam transcriptions” like what I did with the Tahoe Tweezer. I saw a bunch of Phish shows this summer and it was such a spectacular tour musically that, by the end, there were more memorable jams that I really wanted to study than I could possibly ever tackle if I was transcribing and arranging them all from start to finish. So I started playing around with the idea of just pulling out a peak moment from the jam – the theme that you get stuck in your head for a week and can’t stop listening to – and transcribing and arranging just that part. And then I’ve been weaving those into the setlists. It’s sort of an homage and a thanks for the music we got to enjoy this summer, and also a bit of a retrospective of some of the transcendent musical moments from this tour.
PeteMason: Can you give a few examples of the ‘peak moment from the jam’ that you have transcribed?
Holly Bowling: Sure, here’s a story of how you know what the peak moment of a jam is. I came back from Phish’s summer tour and woke up in the middle of the night with a fragment of music stuck in my head. Clearly Phish, and clearly from a recent show, but I couldn’t place it. Couldn’t sleep. I sang the melody to my (attempting to sleep) husband and he knew it instantly and finished the phrase. The next morning (with the melody still stuck in both of our heads) we figured it out – 17:00 – 18:00 in the Mann Twist. I’ve listened to that jam a lot since then. Peak moment for sure.
Another one is the G major section of the “Down With Disease” from Colorado this year, the build from the 12 minute mark on. I mean the whole jam is great, but from 12 minutes on it just blasts off into bliss.
It’s the parts of the jams that you can sing or play a little fragment of and a good portion of Phish fans will recognize it even though it sounds nothing like the original song. I mean, it’s pretty nuts really… I really don’t know of another band where you could play 30 seconds worth of one particular live version of one of their songs, on another instrument, in a different key, several years after the fact, and people in the crowd would instantly recognize the theme. Every time I’ve teased a theme from one of Phish’s jams, people come up to me and know what it was. It’s just nuts. I think it’s the coolest thing what Phish inspires.
Pete Mason: Regarding your recent setlists – you are playing more Phish songs and transcriptions, have been interspersing a few teases and even a few Grateful Dead songs in the mix. Is this a sign of increased comfort as a performer?
Holly Bowling: Definitely. A lot of the material I was playing earlier this year was very new at the time. It’s hard to be playful and creative with something you’ve just gotten a handle on. Now that the songs I arranged for the album are old friends, I can explore new things to do with them. It gives you a more solid footing to launch into whatever else you want to do.
The Grateful Dead songs made their way into my shows by accident. I was planning on doing one show, the last show of my fall tour (in Pittsburgh) that would be Phish and Dead songs interwoven with each other, just as kind of a one-off thing. But when I started working on learning the songs, I fell in love with them and kept finding myself ending up there no matter what I was playing. And there was no reason to fight it. They’re beautiful compositions and very different from some of the more technically intense and high energy Phish songs. I like the contrast and the ebb and flow.
PeteMason: If the songs on the album are ‘old friends’, what ‘new friends’ can fans expect to hear this fall, on Jamcruise and into 2016? Surely you’ve had your share of suggestions from fans
Holly Bowling: I like surprises so I won’t reveal much but I have been working on some new Phish arrangements that have been both challenging and rewarding. I just finished learning “It’s Ice” and it was the toughest Phish composition I’ve learned for sure. There’s a lot of different rhythmic patterns and cycles superimposed on each other which is tricky enough when you’re locking several instruments into sync together, but having them split between two hands was really tough at first! I actually ended up color-coding the score I wrote to help keep the patterns straight. My score for the middle section (the part that’s sort of percussive and dissonant and full of repeating rhythms) is full of purple notes, blue notes, green notes… that part took forever to work out but was incredibly interesting to study and analyze. And there’s definitely some other new arrangements I’ve been working on. Albany will have some debuts for sure!
I am especially excited about playing The Massry Center because it’s so different from the venues where most of us often see music. The acoustics are incredible and they have a Steinway concert grand that is going to be just amazing to play. I think they may have to pull me away from it at the end of the night! I’m actually going to play three sets at the Albany show because I’m so excited to play this music on a piano that really expresses the full range of what the instrument can do. The Tahoe Tweezer jam transcription is really meant for a piano like this – where you can unleash a dark tone from the instrument in the heavy sections but you can also find a sweet, delicate sound and create an ethereal resonance in the middle part of the jam. I can’t wait.
Floodwood has announced via Facebook that Al Schnier and Zachary Fleitz have left the band.
Floodwood, commonly known as a bluegrass side project for New York’s jam champions moe., will carry on without Schnier, with fellow moe.ron Vinnie Amico remaining in the band. They are currently seeking new members.
While not an audition (or is it?), Floodwood also announced they would be performing a Dec. 5 Holiday concert at the Kirkland Arts Center in Clinton NY with special guest bassist Tony Markellis (Trey Anastasio Band). Ticketing information has yet to be released.
Check out the full announcement below:
Hi Folks,
We know things have been quiet for the last couple of months and there some big changes we want to share with you…
Due to shifts in various life circumstances, both Al and Zach have made the decision to move on from Floodwood. This is a huge change and we will certainly miss their presence on and off stage. Our hope is that occasionally when they have time that one or both of them will be able to make appearances with us.
That said, Vin, Jay and Nick have decided to carry on Floodwood in some fashion or another. You may be wondering what the new band will look like, who will be involved, what it will sound like, etc….. So do we. We have started the process/brainstorming but it may take a little time. What we do know is that we absolutely love to play, love to have fun and of course we love the interaction with our amazing fans. In the upcoming months, we will be making decisions about who we want to be in the band. We are going to be trying some different combinations of musicians/friends until we get that “fit” we are looking for. We hope that you all will come see some of these shows as we try out different things… Please get involved! Let us know what you think about what you hear; we want your input!
To get it all going, we are going to start with a holiday concert at the Kirkland Arts Center in Clinton, NY. We’re excited to have special guest, Tony Markellis from Trey Anastasio Band on bass! Show is December 5, more details to follow!
Thank you all for your incredible support of the band for these past 5 yrs. We’ve had so many great times with you all and look forward to many, many more.
Josh Groban graced the stage at The Palace Theatre in Albany, as the multi-platinum recording artist brought his Stages World Tour to the tri-state area with an incredible vocal performance. The North American tour, set for an intimate atmosphere, is in support of Groban’s seventh studio album Stages, which showcases many famous renditions of some of the greatest musical theater songs of all time.
Groban’s vocal brilliance shines on stage as he sings all-time greats like “Pure Imagination,” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “What I Did for Love,” from “A Chorus Line,” “Bring Him Home,” from “Les Miserables” and “Over the Rainbow,” from “The Wizard of Oz” to name a few.
The sold-out Palace Theatre fans excitedly sat in suspense, awaiting for dashing, charming, funny and vocally graceful Groban, to adorn the theater stage.
As the theater lights dimmed to darkness, the crowd applauded with anticipation as the 75-piece orchestra started the musical journey with the song “Pure Imagination” from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory“. The crowd’s applause turned to admiration and joy as Josh made himself visible on stage to sing the song made famous by Gene Wilder.
After the song “Try To Remember” from the “Fantasticks,” Groban asked for the fog machine to be turned off, as it was making him choke, not that it bothered his performance at all. Groban sang the song with such emotion and passion.
Josh thanked his parents for taking away the Super Nintendo, and help steer him towards the arts.
Groban relived a childhood moment after the song “What I Did for Love,” from “A Chorus Line”. He reminisced about singing that song at a school show, and then being approached by the jock of the school afterward. Groban jokingly explained, that he thought he was going to get beat up, but instead, the classmate told Groban that had a voice of an angel. Groban while impersonating his young self in a high pitch voice to the laughter of fans replied, “Oh Biff thank you so much.” Josh then switched to Biff’s deep voice and said “If you tell anybody I told you that, I will kick the $#!t out of you next week,” which made the crowd laugh again.
Groban then went on to say, it was that moment that he realized that he could do this. It was a moment he developed his confidence as a human being and realized how important Arts education is to young people whether they go into it professionally or not, and as programs are being cut across the country, it so important to define these moments. Groban then talked about his Find Your Light Foundation to help support the arts and how people could help donate to the cause.
Josh then explained before the song “Old Devil Moon,” from “Finian’s Rainbow,” that this was his first lead role in high school. Groban said he played Woody Mahoney and that they painted a beard on him. Groban then joked to more laughter to the crowd “High five again I can do it myself.” He then said, careful what you wish for and that he is basically a head-to-toe chia pet now.
Groban stated to the crowd that he was very excited for their ears right now. “I’m very excited for your ah, your ah, your ah, after stumbling then blurted out — canals,” to laughter from the crowd and himself. Josh went on to say not because of him, but because of who he is about to bring out to the stage.
Groban then introduced Lena Hall to the stage for a beautiful duet, after he touted some of her accolades, to help him with the next song from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “All I Ask of You.” Groban joked that he was kind of regretting turning the fog off now, because they were about to do something from Phantom of the Opera, and said he feels like he can’t do something from Phantom without fog. Then joked again “It’s ok. We’ll be fine but our sinuses thank us. Groban then said that he wanted to be the Phantom so bad, that he made a paper mache mask in art class.
Lena stayed on stage after the duet to sing the first of her two solo covers the Queen song “Save Me,” which can be found on Hall’s new Sin and Salvation live album. Lena stated that the album consist of all songs that inspired her or by people who inspire her as a vocalist and performer. Lena then said that one of those main people is Freddy Mercury, and that she connects with the song itself so much.
After Hall’s performance, a giant painting of “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” by artist Georges Seurat, was placed on the far right of the stage.
Groban then returned to the stage to explain the painting. He said one of his first theatrical experiences, is when he was nine years old, and his parents took away the Nickelodeon, popped in a VHS of “Sunday in the Park with George” by Steven Sondheim. Josh further explained that Sondheim uses interesting stories like the one about the painting. Groban joked that the painting on the stage is not the original and that they didn’t steal it from the Chicago Art Museum. Groban explained that Sondheim chose George Seurat to tell a story of those universal human emotions we have that drives us to passion, and drives us in ours lives, and sometimes the sacrifices we have to make for that passion. Groban then introduced the song that was influenced by the painting, “Finishing the Hat.”
Groban introduced the Nazareth College Choir to the stage for the next song. From the show “Chess,” Groban then sang the song that finishes the first act called “Anthem.” Groban said as a book, the show still hasn’t found its way as a full on Broadway production, but the music and the lyrics have been absolutely brilliant. Groban than gave another amazing vocal performance, as the crowd stood and applauded with overwhelming admiration.
After a small intermission and an outfit change, Groban returned to the stage for the second half of the show.
Before he got started, Josh joked over the mic “I hope you are sufficiently empty.” Josh then noted that his manager busted into his dressing room during the break and told him that he was mispronouncing Albany. Groban responded with a deep slow “Oh $#!t.” Groban then joked that fans didn’t seem to care that he said their city wrong and then apologized for what he called a terrible, terrible mistake. Then he made fun of himself by calling himself an idiot and jokingly mispronouncing the word along with apologies and the next town of Syracuse to the laughter of fans.
Josh explained, as a singer you get awesome opportunities to pick songs from all facets from the musical theater world, not just nationally. France is one of those places.
While introducing his next song “Le temps des cathedrals,” from “Notre Dame de Paris,” Groban said that other countries also love musicals as many of you tonight who love musicals, then joked “If you don’t, then your probably not back after the intermission.” Groban then kept to original form by masterfully singing the song elegantly in French, to another standing ovation.
After thanking the crowd in French, Groban’s next song is not from the Stages album. Josh then talked about a song from a show he saw called “Nine,” with Antonio Banderas. Groban then did some Banderas impersonations before getting serious again. Groban the sung “Unusual Way”.
Once again, Groban brought out the lovely Lena Hall for their second duet of the evening. Hall came out in a sparking dress which prompted Groban to say “You look sparkly and wonderful, I would hug you but I would get sparkles all over me…and I would like it too much,” which made everyone chuckle. Josh then said that he and Lena are going to sing a beautiful duet together, also from “Sunday in the Park with George” called “Move On.”
This then led into Hall’s second solo performance. Hall said that her parents are huge Beatles fans, and therefore she is a huge Beatles fan. Lena then added that her father’s favorite Beatle, was Paul McCartney, and that she wanted to do something for her dad cause he is very special to her. Then quickly reiterated, “so is my mom,” which made her and the crowd laugh. Hall then performed “Maybe I’m Amazed”.
Groban returned to the stage and executed another amazing vocal rendition. This time he delighted fans with “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” to a third standing ovation.
Groban the introduced and thanked the musicians on stage before welcoming back the Nazareth College Choir. Groban the joked with the choir “You look good, smelling good. You guys ready for this? It’s a hard one. I need your help.” Groban then went on to say that the next song is very uplifting to him, from the Carousel, Josh dedicated “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” to the victims and families from the recent tragedies in Oregon.
The Albany crowd gave yet again, another standing ovation, as they applauded and whistled until Groban made his way out for an encore song.
The admiration and love from the crowd prompted the overwhelmed Groban to say “Albany, you tremendously hospitable, generous city, thank you so much for all of this. Thank you for the warmth you thrown our way all night. It truly means so much to us.”
The final song of the evening Groban said he loved since he could breathe basically. Groban then went on to say that when making the Stages record, they were going to originally make it a double album with one being film songs, and the other being Broadway tunes. He said with so many songs over lapping, that they decided to go with a Broadway album. Josh then stated if there was one song that it was ok to cheat with, it was this next song because it is so wonderful.
Groban than ended an amazing night of music with “Over The Rainbow,” from “The Wizard of Oz”.
Setlist: Pure Imagination, Try to Remember, What I Did for Love, Old Devil Moon, All I Ask of You, Save Me (Lena Hall), Finishing the Hat, Anthem, Children Will Listen, Le temps des cathedrals, Unusual Way, Move On, Maybe I’m Amazed(Lena Hall), Bring Him Home, You’ll Never Walk Alone
Sometimes a conversation enlightens you and broadens your ability to appreciate things even more so than you already do. This was the case after speaking with Darius Rucker. Known to most as the lead singer to the Grammy Award winning group Hootie and The Blowfish, Darius Rucker had already made his mark on music lovers nationally in the genre of rock/pop.
Why in the world would an artist of his caliber decide to switch genres and “go country?” How would the country genre accept him? What was the motivation behind this need to follow his musical journey down a new road?
I had an opportunity to speak with Rucker about his career, his beloved Charleston, South Carolina, and what motivated him to make this move towards what has become his true calling.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Darius, thank you so much for speaking with us at NYSMusic. We are really looking forward to your shows here in New York and want to give you a warm welcome.
Darius Rucker (DR): Thank you.
KS: You were born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Were you raised in a musical household?
DR: Well everyone in our house sang. We sang a lot. Especially my mom. She sang all the time. And my sister as well. There was always music being played whether it was the radio or the big ol hi-fi we had. So yes, I would say it was a musical household.
KS: What are a few of your earliest influences in music?
DR: Early on for me Al Green was just everything. I can remember being a little kid (around 4 or 5) and hearing his voice and hearing him hit those notes. I remember thinking ‘that’s what I want to do. I want to do what Al Green’s doing’. He, as well as Gladys Knight and the Pips. Then when I got a little older, like 6, 7, 8, or 9 I started really getting into AM radio and that’s when it just went across the board. The Opry shows, Kenny Rogers, or Cheap Trick. Anything I could hear (influenced me), literally anything.
KS: I, like many others, have followed your career since Hootie & The Blowfish days. You are one of those artists that have been able to successfully cross over from rock to country and you did it so seamlessly. Talk to me a little about that transition, and what made you decide to go from a very successful rock career into a new genre such as country music.
DR: You know, we had been touring for a while. We had been on the road pretty much every summer since we all got out of college. One of the band members mentioned that they didn’t want to do it every year any more. Ever since the late 80’s I was big into Foster and Lloyd. Then Radney Foster came out with his solo record Del Rio TX 1859, and I just remember hearing that record for the first time and after hearing that record I would tell anyone who would listen, that I was going to make a country record some day. I had never thought of singing it, until I heard that record. I just wanted to sing that record. I wanted to sound like that. I wanted to be that. So I said, someday when I get the chance I’m going to make a country album. When we decided to take a break, I was like, I’m going to make my country record. And to be honest with you I didn’t think I could get a record deal.
KS: Really?
DR: I wouldn’t have given me a record deal. I mean why? There was this African-American guy that just came from a very successful rock band, they had a great run and are out touring, so why would some country guy go ‘yeah I’ll give you a shot’? I wasn’t even looking for a record deal to be honest with ya. I was going to do it here in Charleston with my buddies. And then my manager got me a record deal with Capitol. It was fun making the record and then all the hard work started with the tour; going to 10o something radios stations, shaking hands, saying hey, and playing for six people in the cafeteria or the conference room, a lot of work but all in all it was fun. I had a great time and I’ve made some great friends who are still great friends on that tour. And finally we convinced them (the radio stations) that “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” was a song that they should play, so they did.
KS: I have to tell you, to me it seemed very seamless. It was one of those things that just seemed like it was meant to be.
DR: I think so.
KS: So right now you’re touring with your new Southern Style album, which is your fourth solo album. Talk to me a little about this new album and what you hope listeners will take away from it.
DR: I hope they take away how much fun I’m having in country music. The songs are always important to me, that’s why I write so many, and to come down to such a small number of thirteen when you write 50 something, it tough to decide but you want great songs on it. You can expect great country music on it because it’s a lot of fun,this album. And it’s been great playing it live and seeing the crowds singing along with the songs.
KS: Is it tough to choose which you decided to put on an album? And the others, do you say I’ll put these back here because I’ll put those on another album.
DR: We keep a lot of them, but some of them we try to get cut by other folks. Every record there are 50 songs I think are great, that I love, but I just can’t cut an album with thirty songs.
KS: Right, exactly. Now I have to say, for several years I lived in Charleston and it became “my happy place”. When you live there it becomes something very special to you. It’s rich with history, culture, architecture, and has a peace that is tough to put into words. When listening to “You Can Have Charleston”, I think you captured some of that emotion I feel towards the city. Talk to me a little about that song and some of the others from that album that focus on that area.
DR: Yeah, Charleston, that’s a great way to say it. It’s “my happy place” That’s a wonderful thing you just said because I think it’s the most wonderful place in the world. I’ve been a lot of places and this is where I want to be. I choose to live here. I can live anywhere in the world I want, but I choose to live here, because this is where I want to be. “You Can Have Charleston”, is such a great song. I love it. When Frank Rogers brought it to me, I thought to myself I wish it was a little more positive but the positiveness of the song for me is how much he loves the city and can’t believe he is leaving it. He loves her and he just can’t stand it, as that’s the last thing in the world he wants to do. That beginning verse with the topsails and the Clydesdale, that’s my life. That’s my city.
KS: In 2012 you had an experience where you joined Old Crow Medicine Show on the stage at The Grand Ole Opry where you sang a little song that was originally sketched by Bob Dylan and modified by Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show — Talk to me a little bit about that experience.
DR: Oh that was so great. Those guys have been so great to me. We had played the Opry two or three times together where we played “Wagon Wheel”. I can remember after I cut it and started hanging with those guys, I was talking to Ketch and he said ‘I heard your version of it and I love it’. I was like ‘thank you, that means a lot’. Their version is just perfect. And he was like ‘I realized when I wrote that song a long time ago I was going to have to play that song for the rest of my life. So you better look out, because you are going to have to play that song for the rest of your life’. Sure enough, he’s right. Every time I play a country show, I play that song. It’s so cool to have a song that iconic, and to just be a part of that song and the greatness of that song, it deserves to be in the Library of Congress. It will always be one of those american classics. Long before I remade it, it was just a perfectly great song. Written by two guys at two different times of their lives, and is just a wonderful piece of work.
KS: The interesting part of this is that the original lyrics were just a few lines jotted down by Bob Dylan and then Ketch Secor picked up and expanded upon it making it the iconic tune we know today. That song has actually taken you on quite a journey. Talk to me a little about when that song hit and what happened afterwards.
DR: We released it, and then all of a sudden it took off. It took off. You know, we play it everywhere and people love it, my fans just love it. It was one of those songs that you stand out of the way and let it happen.
KS: I can remember the night you received the Grammy for it. It was an amazing evening for you and the song. That same year you were invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry. Talk to me a little about that evening.
DR: When I first met with Mike Duncan to sign my record deal I told my management I want to play The Opry as much as I can because it’s important to me to some day be a member of The Grand Ole Opry. I want to be a part of that family. And we did, and we worked hard and when they asked me to be a member of The Grand Ole Opry that was probably the first moment that I thought ‘okay, this is really happening. I’m really a part of country music’, and it was a great feeling. It is truly amazing to me that they kept that from me for a month. My kids knew for like six weeks and didn’t tell me that.
KS: How did they do that? That’s so impressive.
DR: Yeah, they were like 8 and 12 back then, and they didn’t tell me. You’ve got to be kidding me? I’m there and I’m singing my song, and Brad (Paisley) comes up and he says that to me, and I look over and all my friends and family are there. I was like ‘wow, how did you pull this off?’ It was great!
KS: That’s wonderful. And speaking of wonderful, for some that may not know, each year you get back together with the guys from Hootie & The Blowfish to reunite to perform. Tell my readers why this is so special.
DR: Oh it’s a big thing for Charleston. There are people who have seen us for years around the country, some may live here, some even plan vacations around it. They come down to Charleston for the week, see our shows, and in turn we get to help our community. The great things we get to do, for example, the roundup where we get kids and give them haircuts, and dental exams, and eye exams, shoes, backpacks, and all the school supplies they need. And all of this comes from that show. So we keep doing it so that we can help out.
KS: Now you’ve done a Christmas album, Home For The Holidays. What prompted that particular album?
DR: Well I’ve been asked several times by people if I had thought of doing a Christmas record. I had thought about it, but didn’t think it was time. So last year when it was brought up, I thought it was time. So we sat around and we said ‘let’s make something old school’ like those Christmas records we used to listen to. So we tried to make something cool and laid back, and great cool arrangement. I’m so proud of that record, so proud of it.
KS: As a journalist I have this long list of people I’ve always wanted to interview, such as yourself. Who is on your bucket list, what is something you still would like to accomplish?
DR: Ohhh…good question. Lots of crazy stuff. I still want to be on the big screen at The Superbowl, I still want to meet Sir Paul McCartney, I still would love to be in a Martin Scorsese movie, see I want crazy stuff.
KS: Seems doable to me and I hope you can do all of those things! Thank you again so much for speaking with us and we can’t wait to welcome you to our area this October.
As I hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just made a new friend. What a great guy. What an honestly true human being. I had already felt a kindred spirit with him being that he’s from “my happy place”, Charleston, South Carolina. After our conversation though and learning so much about him as a person, as well as an artist, I truly admired his spunk, his vision for his life, dedication to achieving his dreams – TWICE, and his overall genuine demeanor.
It was a few weeks later after I conducted this phone interview that I had the chance to watch another interview Darius Rucker did with Dan Rather for his show, The Big Interview. I saw once again the same genuinely decent person speak of his journey, sharing intimate parts of his struggles, his losses, and victories. When asked by Dan “Why do you think it’s working for you in country?” Darius replies, “..I think the main reason is that people realized how real it was for me. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about trying to be a superstar. I was going to do this in the basement with my buddies. It was about the music. I wanted to be country. I wanted to play country music”.
Personally, I can’t wait to see his upcoming show and see my new Charlestonian friend rock the country music as he has rocked all the music he’s performed all these years. I strongly urge you to take in one of two shows he will be playing here this month in New York to see what I’ve seen. He will play Oct. 22, at the Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse. Then he will trek on down the road to Albany on the Oct. 23 where he’ll play once again at the Times Union Center. Joining him on his Southern Style Tour are newcomers David Nail, and Cam. Both amazing artists that are blazing up the charts with hits.
If I had to describe Darius Rucker I would tell someone he’s a musician that is truly a risk taker, a trail blazer, a door opener, an odds beater, a hard worker, and a genuinely kind man. It was my pleasure interviewing him, and I can’t wait to see this low country fella tear up the stage living the dreams he always wanted and playing the music that was always in his heart.
Metroland owed more than $20,000 in debts, including 2014 employee withholding taxes, as well as corporation taxes dating back to 2010, according to a spokesman at the state Department of Taxation & Finance. The magazine’s offices received a seizure notice and letter on the door Tuesday, Nov. 3, noting that “all the personal property located on these premises” of Metroland and its parent, Lou Communications Inc., were to be seized.
The Massry Center has a true orchestral feel complete with ushers clad in black directing people to their seats and 10 minute intermissions between sets. The stage was sparsely furnished with only a Steinway & Sons piano, an old fashioned reading lamp, microphone, and iPad on which Bowling used to read her music.
The first set also saw the first jam transcription arranged for piano. A local pick, she chose “Twist” from October 23, 2013 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. This song displayed Bowling’s range from her slower tempo into a funky jam that had the audience shouting out “Woo!” amidst giggles of laughter.
At some points during the performance Bowling would roll her body back and forth like she was in a trance. Between songs Bowling would speak, injecting her bubbly personality into her act. She dedicated several songs to her friends, one for a friends’ anniversary (“Waste”) another for a friend who had just lost someone (“Dirt”).
Though it wasn’t the typical Phish crowd at Bowling’s performance, it was certainly the length of a typical jam band show. Her performance consisted of three sets and an encore, the last set being a transcription of the infamous “Tahoe Tweezer.”
Set 1: The Curtain With, Talk, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Glens Falls Twist, Tela, Wingsuit > Randall’s Chalkdust jam > Wingsuit, Waste*
Holly Bowling: The rooms I’m playing this tour definitely have a lot of variety! It’s less about size though and more about the feel of the venue. I’m playing some spots where it’s unusual to see a solo piano act – places where you’re more likely to see a full band and spend most of the night dancing – and then I’m playing some spots that are more of a mellow environment, places where you might usually see jazz or classical music.
The sold-out Palace Theatre fans excitedly sat in suspense, awaiting for dashing, charming, funny and vocally graceful Groban, to adorn the theater stage.
Groban then introduced Lena Hall to the stage for a beautiful duet, after he touted some of her accolades, to help him with the next song from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “All I Ask of You.” Groban joked that he was kind of regretting turning the fog off now, because they were about to do something from Phantom of the Opera, and said he feels like he can’t do something from Phantom without fog. Then joked again “It’s ok. We’ll be fine but our sinuses thank us. Groban then said that he wanted to be the Phantom so bad, that he made a paper mache mask in art class.