NYS Music 20​15

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • A Good Time on Good Friday with Robert Randolph and the Family Band at Putnam Den

    What a way to spend a holiday weekend! Putnam Den was packed with fans of all ages for Robert Randolph and the Family Band for a good time. Dave Spadaro group took to the stage to an anticipatory crowd and gave them an incredible warm up show. Spadero has played in Good Foot, Heavy Fog and jams out with The Stone Revival Band. The group consists of Dave Spadaro on guitar, Stephen Orsini on bass, Andrew Costa on keyboards and Brandon Isles on drum with Josh Farrell on vocals this evening. The group had people moving their feet early in the night and the band was well received by the crowd. They started the night with a few original tunes before diving into a cover of Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Their new album can be downloaded and streamed for free here.

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    Robert Randolph took the stage sans welcome or introduction and got right to the music. An instrumental “Voodoo Chile” was an early highlight, while “The Sky is Crying” was ultra bluesy, with excellent vocals from cousin Ray-Ray. “Shake Your Hips”, with a “La Grange” feel to the song brought up the ladies on the stage for a solid 10 minutes of jamming and shaking. A brief “When the Saints go Marching in” was instrumental and disappeared too quickly. “Brand New Wayo” off Lickety Split had the most energy of the night with a cover of Bill Withers’ “Use Me” rounding out the night. An encore of “Amped Up” felt like it could have been the party starter of the night, but who can complain? Robert Randolph packed the house at Putnam Den and made a Good Friday even better.

  • Particle Welcomes Spring to Putnam Den

    Although it may have been the first day of spring, the weather didn’t seem to know that. People were walking briskly to escape the cold and get into Putnam Den where it’s always hot and always a guaranteed good time. As the night started off there were more people huddled around the TV watching college basketball, but fans were about to be treated to another form of “March Madness” in the entity known as Particle.

    Greenhouse Lounge, a trio out of Jacksonville, FL started the night off spitting pure fire – these three guys exemplified livetronica. While using samples and homemade beats covered with the sounds of the live band, there was little that could stop the groove. The two were so intertwined at some points it was difficult to tell which was the loop and which was the band, a skill very few have mastered but the boys were spot on, and it drew the crowd from the TVs to the front of the stage. They were getting down to the unmistakeable sound that may be the future of the genre. A perfect way to kick off the night for the Particle party that was about to ensue.

    Particle came tearing out of the gate, with Ben Comb shredding his guitar and raising all the energy until everyone was up dancing and flowing to the fast paced groove. Bassist Clay Parnell and drummer Allen Aucion were the perfect back drop, keeping the rhythm solid and following along with the guitar which eventually lead into a keyboard solo from Particle’s leader Steve Molitz. The contrasting sounds he made with the keys were mind blowing – to the point that some of the audience had to stop and listen in wonder to work out where these amazing sounds were coming from. The pattern of drum and bass heavy rhythms continued as Ben and Steve swapped leads.

    Although Particle are know for the instrumental jam, they are not a one dimensional band by any means. Ben Comb did more than shred the guitar, he also sang, which is no easy task when the beats are going so fast. He was also able to keep his voice in range and, impressively, in time. This mixture of sounds progressed from Pink Floyd to a Siberian saber dance. The proof was in the music that there is very little Particle can’t do.

  • Melvin Seals and JGB Pack Putnam Den

    Melvin Seals and the JGB stopped at the Putnam Den in Saratoga on March 12, during the middle of their spring tour.

    Playing for a packed house, they jammed through JGB classics that included “Roadrunner,Tough Mama, and The Harder They Come” and a few covers of Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally” and a night ending pairing of JJ Cale/The Beatles “After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight”.

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  • The Nth Power’s Escape Plan: Bring the funk

    People huddled around in front of Putnam Den, trying to stay warm, trying to stay excited for the night of funk that was to ensue inside with Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, and The Nth Power on Friday, Feb 27. They were surely in for a treat as both bands prepared hot sets to warm the chilly bones of the crowd.

    To start the night, Beau Sasser had his Escape Plan ready to tear things up. The animated lead vocals and centerpiece of the group, Mary Corso, held the crowd’s attention with a soothing voice and a natural stage presence, and had the many in attendance eating out of her hand. High energy guitar solos by Justin Henricks and Craig Brodhead were a non stop staple throughout the set.. “Taxman” The Beatles staple, was an interesting choice for a funk band to tackle, but The Escape Plan did it flawlessly. Between the vocals of Mary and the drums of Max Creeks Bill Carbone, the beat was a completely different arrangement than the Beatles – a treat hearing a new twist on an old standard. “Whipping Post” the Allman Brothers classic, exemplified this tremendously, and the crowd was moving rapidly to the southern rock groove sprinkled with the sweet funk for which The Escape Plan is known. This was sheer brilliance. The band played a few encores, which was pleasurable to everyone in the packed room. The encore highlight came, however, when Nigel Hall, The Nth Powers organist sat in with the group. Beau moved over and the two geniuses went to town on the keys bringing cheer to all. It was the perfect was to end the set, and The Nth Power was still yet to come. It seemed there would be no way they could keep this fantastic vibe going, but Nigel and crew would bring an elegant mixture of rock , funk and blues to the stage that was nothing less than mind-blowing.

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    Slow riffing guitar is not the typical way to kick off a funk show, nevertheless, Nick Cassarino proved that this could be done superbly. As the slow groove was picked up with drums by Nikki Glaspie, it threw a beat that left the crowd with little choice but move themselves to dance. The screeching solo and roaring drums were the perfect way to kick off funk. With musicians such as Nigel Hall, bassist Nate Edgar and percussionist Weedie Braimah the group was complete. As the evening moved forth they proved it time and time again, with tremendous drums solos sending energy through the building and the uncontrollably frantic audience. Funk also has a cousin, and that cousin is the soul. The Nth Power possessed so much soul it was exuding throughout the crowd and the melodic harmonies were out of this world. Glaspie and Cassarino made their voices seem as one, as the highs and lows blended in a way that could be matched by few others – these guys have it. The vocals were a gigantic part of the festivities, as Mr. Nigel Hall would provide some heavenly vocals backed up by the other two, to create the perfect three-part harmony.

    Weedie Braimah’s percussion was definitely a high point of the show. He genuinely looked as if he was having a spiritual experience while honing his craft, which overflowed into the crowd as they were even more uncontrollable than previously. Weeddie and Nikki dueled, leading the audience to know that they would each outdo the other, but how? Amazing. The music these five people made was exactly the sound they were going for. There are definitely bigger things to come for The Nth Power.

  • An Interview with Steve Molitz of Particle

    NYS Music recently has a chance to sit down and talk to Steve Molitz of Particle about all things going on Particle.

    Particle have always had an eclectic mix of musicians. From moe. guitarist Al Schiner to the legendary Joe Satriani, the pattern has remained unchanged. Beginning last year, Brothers Past bassist Clay Parnell joined the group, opening many new doors for the band to explore, and explore they did. This year the additions continue as The Disco Biscuits’ Allen Aucion joins the band on drums. Aucoin, who joined the Biscuits after winning a drum off in 2007 to replace founding member Sam Altman, has been playing under his moniker Dr. Fameus, while the Disco Biscuits tour schedule has slowed down. His sound, blended with Particle, can only lead to endless possibilities. The fast pace grooves that Particle provides will be complimented superbly.

    Particle and special guests, Greenhouse Lounge, are coming to town March 19 at the Putnam Den in Sarartoga Springs. Tickets are $15 dollars and can be purchased here. This is going to be a special evening that may not be repeated.

    Jimmy Chambers: How did Allen Aucoin end up on this tour with you guys?

    Steve Molitz: Allen and I had played a handful of shows together in the past (The Space Lab, Everyone Orchestra, etc.), and we’ve always gotten along famously (pun intended) – both on and offstage. Our bassist Clay Parnell has toured extensively with Allen in their electronic duo Dr Diesel, so when Particle discovered that we needed a drummer (our previous drummer was unable to tour), Allen was a very natural choice. He had a break in his Disco Biscuits schedule, so the timing worked out perfectly. We’re so excited to have him out with us, and we’re all really having a blast on the road together…

    JC: Has the Particle sound change since?

    SM: Fans can still expect to hear that classic Particle sound, but it has definitely evolved since Allen started playing with us. He’s such a skilled and powerful player, and he has such incredible pacing in the jams. He’s a very creative player, and I love the way he approaches the songs and elevates the music.  We’ve been getting into deeper electronic grooves on the recent tours, and this rhythm section lays down such a massive and dynamic foundation. Allen brings a fresh perspective to the songs from the Launchpad era, and he’s a perfect fit for the newer, more electronic songs…

    JC: Have you, having been in Phil and friends, been in contact with anyone for the Grateful Dead 50 celebrations?

    SM: I reached out to congratulate the guys when they made their big announcement, and I think it’s so cool that they are all so genuinely excited about the shows. I’m so happy for them that they have reached this epic milestone, and I know the shows are going to be really special. And although I can’t announce anything officially yet, I will say that there’s a very good chance you’ll see me and Particle both playing multiple shows in Chicago that weekend…

    JC:. How do you feel the band’s momentum has increased over the last year?

    SM: Things come in waves, and it’s been such a thrill to watch Particle pick up so much momentum in the last year. The band was on a sort of an unannounced semi-hiatus for the past seven years, but we’re 100% back in action now, and it feels so good to be completely immersed in Particle again. We’ll probably play 75-100 shows this year, and we are putting the finishing touches on a new album in the next few weeks. We’ve debuted a bunch of new original songs on this tour, and we’re really trying to write set lists that challenge us to explore uncharted territory in our improvisations each night. There has definitely been a noticeable change in the feeling at the shows, and the recent surge of energy and excitement from the fans has been so inspiring.

    JC:. What are the bands summer plans?

    SM: Write, record, release, rehearse, TOUR, rinse, and repeat

  • Here’s the Plan: An Interview with Beau Sasser about his Escape Plan

    The newest and funkiest beep on the musical radar of the NY scene is Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan. The high-powered collaboration is led by the one and only Beau Sasser on the Hammond organ, vocalist Mary Corso, dueling guitarists Justin Henricks from Way Down/The Chronicles and Danny Mayer from Alan Evan’s Playonbrother with drummer Bill Carbone from Max Creek, fusing together rock ‘n’ roll attitude with a strong funk foundation. The funky five piece has been traveling across the country and back to bring a fresh, explosive sound that drops jaws and blows mind with serious guitar shredding, fierce rhythm and soulful key pounding.

    Check out Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan TONIGHT Feb. 27 at The Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with The Nth Power. Doors are at 8:30 pm with music starting at 9:30pm and a cover charge of $15 at the door for the 18+ event. Click here to buy tickets in advance and to guarantee that you won’t miss out on a great show. The last stop for the Escape Plan of their winter tour will be Saturday Feb. 28 at the historic Nectar’s in Burlington, VT.

    I was lucky to catch up with Beau Sasser to talk about his escape plan, covering rock classics and highlights of their winter tour.

    Susan Rice: What are you escaping from and what’s the plan?

    Beau Sasser: The show is an escape for the audience for a little while, our goal is to create art through music and connect with the crowd and share in that journey, and its an escape for us too! The plan is make the world a better place through feel good music. The band has such a great vibe, we just want to share that with the audience.

    SR: How did you come to assemble the Escape Plan band members?

    BS: I’ve played with our drummer Bill Carbone in various bands over many years. We played together in the Melvin Sparks Band and now currently in The Z3. I met our guitarist Danny Mayer 3 years ago when Alan Evans(Soulive) put together his own group Alan Evans Trio which became Playonbrother, we traveled and played together alot over that time. I’ve connected with guitarist Justin Henricks and vocalist Mary Corso more recently in the last year or so and invited them to come play Funk Night at Bishop’s Lounge in Northampton, Ma, a weekly gig we do each Wednesday. This band really came together on those gigs and we realized quickly that it was something special.

    SR: You’ve been touring heavily all over the area to promote your new sound. How have fans been responding to your new collaboration?

    BS: The response has been really incredible! A ton of buzz around this group and we’ve had alot of support and great shows, I think its fun for the fans to watch the evolution of a new band and be involved in the process.

    SR: What are three key factors for having a fantastic funk set/show?

    BS: I would say we try to keep energy, crowd connection and high voltage onstage vibe at the forefront of our live show.

    SR: When I saw your show at The Hollow in Albany on February 13th, you covered Frank Zappa, The Allman Brothers and Earth Wind and Fire. How do you pick which songs/artists to cover? Are the songs difficult to funkify?

    BS: We’ve been careful to pick some choice covers that fit in the funk vein. We love Frank Zappa and have a pretty good arsenal of FZ covers that are more from his seventies era band that really leaned on funk music a little harder than some of the other eras. Also we really try to take advantage of our double guitar situation, incorporating a few Allman Bros. tunes which lean more towards a southern rock vibe, we try to do our own arrangements to make them fit the show. “Taxman” by the Beatles is another cover we have been working on and we’ve taken more of a James Brown approach to it, utilizing two guitars in a rhythm/comping situation, making it easy to put some funk sauce on it.

    SR: Your Winter Tour is coming to an end. What was your favorite part? Would you change anything in particular? What’s next for the Escape Plan?

    BS: As the winter tour comes to an end I would have to say the highlight was our week run in California, we played House of Blues and had members of Fishbone, Pfunk, Umphrey’s McGee and Snarky Puppy join us onstage. Unbelievable vibe during the show and it was certainly a great party! The other highlight would be our show last weekend in our hometown of Northampton, MA at Iron Horse Music Hall. So many friends and family and great to play for the hometown crew here where it all started. That show was recorded and is being spread around the internet, the band played great and there is wonderful sound quality on that recording. The only changes we are making are to keep working on perfecting our set and our overall live concert experience, we’ve been using lights and lasers in the show on some choice performances and I’d like to make that a more regular part of the show. Up next is recording our new album which will come out in April, our spring tour that will bring us to jazz fest in New Orleans, and then festival season when all this snow melts!!!!

    Check out their live performance of “Love is Free” from Church of Boston on January 10 below.

  • Def Leppard To Pour Some Sugar on Upstate w/ Styx and Tesla

    Get out your spandex and Aqua-Net – 80’s hair metal pioneers Def Leppard are making several Upstate visits on their just announced 2015 summer tour, and sailing along for the ride are Styx and Tesla. Tour kicks off June 23 in Tampa, Florida. New York will be able to go Def July 11 in Bethel, July 12 at Darien Lake, July 23 in Wantagh and July 24 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

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    Fans that join the Rock Brigade Concert Club can get an early VIP shot at tickets Feb. 17 – general public can purchase Feb. 20 at 10am EST. Check the whole tour out below.

    U.S. Tour Dates:

    June 23 – Tampa, FL (MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre)
    June 25 – West Palm Beach, FL (Cruzan Amphitheatre)
    June 27 – Birmingham, AL (Oak Mountain Amphitheatre)
    June 28 – Atlanta, GA (Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood)
    June 30 – Charlotte, NC (PNC Music Pavilion)
    July 2 – Bristow, VA (Jiffy Lube Live)
    July 3 – Virginia Beach, VA (Farm Bureau Live)
    July 5 – Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)
    July 7 – Gilford, NH (Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook)
    July 9 – Mansfield, MA (Xfinity Center)
    July 11 – Bethel, NY (Bethel Woods Center for the Arts)
    July 12 – Darien Center, NY (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
    July 14 – Toronto, ON (Molson Canadian Amphitheatre)
    July 15 – Youngstown, OH (Covelli Centre)*
    July 17 – Clarkston, MI (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
    July 21 – Mt. Pleasant, MI (Soaring Eagle Resort & Casino)*
    July 23 – Wantagh, NY (Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre)
    July 24 – Saratoga Springs, NY (Saratoga Performing Arts Center)
    July 25 – Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
    Aug 7 – Sturgis, SD (Buffalo Chip Campground)**
    Aug 8 – Sioux Falls, SD (Sioux Falls Arena)
    Aug 10 – Oklahoma City, OK (Chesapeake Energy Arena)*
    Aug 11 – Kansas City, MO (Starlight Theatre)
    Aug 14 – Sedalia, MO (Missouri State Fair)
    Aug 15 – Des Moines, IA (Iowa State Fair)
    Aug 17 – Cincinnati, OH (Riverbend Music Center)
    Aug 18 – Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
    Aug 21 – Dallas, TX (Gexa Energy Pavilion)
    Aug 22 – Woodlands, TX (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
    Aug 23 – Austin, TX (Austin360 Amphitheater)
    Aug 27 – St. Paul, MN (Minnesota State Fair)
    Aug 28 – Grand Forks, ND (Alerus Center)
    Aug 30 – Noblesville, IN (Klipsch Music Center)
    Sept 1 – Allentown, PA (Allentown
    Sept 3 – Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)
    Sept 4 – Maryland Heights, MO (Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre)
    Sept 5 – Tinley Park, IL (First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)
    Sept 16 – Auburn, WA (White River Amphitheater)
    Sept 17 – Ridgefield, WA (Northwest Amphitheater)
    Sept 19 – Mountain View, CA (Shoreline Amphitheater)
    Sept 22 – Chula Vista, CA (Sleep Train Amphitheatre)
    Sept 23 – Phoenix, AZ (Ak-Chin Pavilion)
    Sept 25 – Albuquerque, NM (Isleta Amphitheatre)
    Sept 26 – Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)
    Sept 28 – West Valley City, UT (USANA Amphitheater)
    Sept 30 – Spokane, WA (Spokane Arena)
    Oct 2 – Bozeman, MT (Brick Breeden Fieldhouse)
    Oct 4 – Bismarck, ND (Bismarck Civic Center)

    * – No Styx

    ** – No Styx & Tesla