Category: Central NY

Binghamton Rock Isn’t Dead Yet Tom Keifer

The general public may not know or remember who Tom Keifer is but they do know his music. Keifer has been a stronghold in the rock music scene for over 30 years, as a solo artist and with his band Cinderella.

Keifer and his band made a stop in Binghamton at the recently re-opened Club Eclipse in support of his debut solo album The Way Life Goes.

The crowd was regrettably on the small side but their excitement and enthusiasm filled the room to its capacity. You could physically feel the energy and excitement from each individual when Keifer and his band busted out on stage playing the bluesy rock Cinderella song “Fallin’ Apart At The Seams”. Keifer kept the crowd captivated by going into “Its Not Enough”, followed by “Different Light” and “Save Me”.

Slowing the set down and switching gears to an acoustic setting, Keifer brought his wife Savannah out to perform with him. She beautifully assisted him (and stole everyones hearts) with songs “Ask Me Yesterday” and “Don’t Know What You Got (Till Its Gone)”.

Tom Keifer performs with his wife, Savannah in Binghamton, NY

After thanking Savannah for her assistance Keifer took the show up a notch and rounded out the set with fan favorites “Solid Ground”, “Cold Day In Hell”, “Coming Home”, and “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll”.

He also did a fantastic cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends”. This cover was one of the most memorable songs of the night. It had people hugging and swaying/singing along with their friends that accompanied them that night. Keifer also brought out a few of the band members wives (along with his own) to “help” with the song.

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Keifer undoubtedly appreciated his fans and was truly moved by the audience’s love for him and his music. He personally thanked everyone for their 30-plus years of dedication and for having faith in him while he overcame his vocal chord issues. Toward the end of the show to commemorate the night and his fans there, he brought out his camera and recorded a video clip of the crowd cheering for him. There wasn’t one unsatisfied fan in the venue when the house lights came on at the end of the night.

After the set Keifer graciously came out and greeted fans who were eagerly waiting to meet him. His appearance in Binghamton impressed long time fans and won over a few new young ones for life.

Keifer’s tour in support of The Way Life Goes will continue around North America and the UK through the end of 2015.

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June 22, 2015
2015 Edition of Fox Fest to Benefit CNYSPCA

Fox Fest, the 2015 SAMMY winner for best festival in Central New York, returns for its 6th year. The not-for-profit festival will support the CNYSPCA this year.

Music at the festival runs from 12pm-12am and includes sets from Scars n Stripes, Barndogs Plus, Country Swagg, Redline, TJ Sacco, Dirtroad Ruckus, Chris Taylor and Seeking Monte. Fox Fest boasts plenty of room for campers , motorhomes and tents with a variety of food sold at the event. Alcohol may be brought by patrons.

To buy tickets, Fox Fest sells t-shirts as admission. To order a shirt and gain admission to the festival, you may order online or fill out a form at one of the following locations: Limp Lizard on Onondaga Blvd., Tanner Valley Golf Course, Frank’s Moondance on Rt 20, Amber Inn in Marietta, and the CNYSPCA on Malloy Rd. in North Syracuse. Patrons may also call to order a shirt via 315-382-5896 or 315-256-7005.

With over 2000 attendees in 2014, Fox Fest 2015 will be an immensely popular event with great music, all supporting a good cause.

The CNY SPCA is open for viewing Monday – Saturday from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. All adoptable animals are on our website www.cnyspca.org. If you are interested in one of our available animals please fill out an application and get pre-approved.

June 18, 2015
An Eclectic Taste of Syracuse

Venture into Downtown Syracuse any summer weekend and chances are you’ll wander into some type of cultural festival. The biggest of all these Clinton Square festivals is Taste of Syracuse, held the first weekend of June. I’d never been to the Taste of Syracuse Festival so I entered this year’s version totally green. Pre-fest research is a must, printing the artist schedule and reading up on the must-have food samples will help you make the most of your time.

This event is highly attended by all different types of people and gives a true Taste of Syracuse in that regard. The perfect weather also likely had a lot to do with the size of the weekend crowds.

Food vendors were plentiful, many with long lines to try the bevy of $1 samples being offered. And while I didn’t try the much hyped Bang Bang Shrimp, I did get my hands on the grape leaves from the Turkish Cultural Center booth and the vegetarian spring rolls with hot sauce from the Lao Village tent and both were delicious. The hot sauce, paired well with a Founders All Day IPA and the smooth Chicago style blues of The Nighthawks with Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin performing on the Main Stage.

The primary reason for my attendance at Taste of Syracuse was, however, the music. With 38 bands playing on three different stages over the course of the weekend, there were plenty of choices to be had for even the most fickle music fan.

Friday night featured Vinyl-Albums live, three different bands offering their interpretations of three classic albums: Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run, U2’s Achtung Baby and Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill.

One of the more uplifting bands of the weekend was the UAD Show Group/Kings of the Fall, performing on the Delta stage Friday evening. Their soulful sounds provided a nice diversion from the heavier rock and country artists performing throughout the weekend.

Syracuse rockers Under the Gun closed the night on the main stage, playing a mix of hard-charging rock anthems from the 80s up to the present.

Washington, DC blues legends, The Nighthawks with frequent special guest and former Muddy Waters band member, Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin grooved the main stage crowd on Saturday with a mixture of originals and blues standards.

Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin and The Nighthawks performing at 2015 Taste of Syracuse Festival

Pale Green Stars were a standout band. This Syracuse-based band is part country, part punk, part alternative, and all entertaining. Upon first listening, the vocals of Jeff Jones reminded me of Art Alexakis of Everclear, yet still has his own distinct style and great stage presence. This three-man crew of talented musicians performed many originals from their album The Honkytonk Years, which is available to listen to in full on YouTube. Do yourself, and the band, a favor and purchase the album outright. It’s a good summer soundtrack.

Another band that drew my attention was the Rochester band Teagan and the Tweeds. Steeped in country but dipping their toes in the sexy blues of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin while donning some Bourbon Street pizzazz, Teagan and the Tweeds are difficult to categorize, which is a good thing. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Teagan Ward has a voice that’s raspy and soulful and one that demands the audience’s attention. Her band mates are formidable as well. Bassist Jeremy Stoner brought out a tuba for “Give it Up or Let Me Go” and quickly won over the hesitant crowd. Teagan and the Tweeds frequent the Dinosaur BBQ circuit and refer to themselves as a BBQ band. For more information, check out their website: www.teaganandthetweeds.com.

Teagan and the Tweeds winning over the crowd from the Clinton Square stage at the 2015 Taste of Syracuse Festival

For me, festivals are a way to discover new music, especially local music. While there seemed to be a dearth of cover bands on this year’s Taste of Syracuse bill, it was a treat to discover several bands out there doing original material and winning over crowds. Keep the local talent thriving and get out there and become won over, because, after all, every big artist was local at some point.

Friday Photo Gallery by Jim Houle:

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Bret Michaels Gallery by Mark McGauley:

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June 16, 2015
Family, Freedom and Phish: Mike Gordon Melds it all Together

Life is good for Mike Gordon these days, with Phish coming off arguably one of the most creative years in its 32-year history and his solo band gaining steam across the country.

On top of that professional success, the 50-year-old bassist says he has a wonderful family life, one that allows his wife and daughter to travel with him when he’s on tour. This time spent with his 6-year-old daughter has changed his perspective on a bevy of things.

“I waited until I was older to have a child,” Gordon said. “And I was so ready for it. I spend time with her every day and I don’t tour as much as I used to. It’s cliché, but I get to see the world through young eyes. It’s a unique and whimsical perspective.”

Gordon, who is in the middle of a tour with his band, treks through New York this week, stopping in Buffalo on Tuesday and Syracuse on Thursday, before stopping at the Egg on Friday in Albany. Accompanying Gordon is Max Creek guitarist Scott Murawski, Craig Myers on percussion, Robert Walter on keyboards and John Kimock on drums. This is the second tour Gordon has done since he released Overstep, an 11-song LP featuring songs such as “Say Something,” “Yarmouth Road” and “Tiny Little World.” Gordon and Murawski wrote all the songs over a handful of trips to places in New England, such as North Adams, Mass., where Gordon’s mother, Marjorie Minkin, owns a loft.

“With Overstep, our goal was to rock and display a lot of raw energy,” Gordon said. “Moving forward, we don’t want to stop that, but we want to be more experimental, maybe a bit thrashy. We’re exploring all sorts of themes.”

Gordon added that his daughter has been a big inspiration for a lot of the lyrics he’s written lately, and added that Tessa also influenced some of the writing on Phish’s most recent album, Fuego.

This band has become Gordon’s personal artistic outlet. Trey Anastasio and Tom Marshall are the “chief” songwriters in Phish, and this band gives Gordon the ability to do what he wants. Full creative control, if you will. He spoke of seeing the Trey Anastasio Band recently.

“Trey is great about running a tight outfit and I admire it a lot,” Gordon said. “I saw them recently and the horns really work great in the band.”

Seeing as how Phish fans are highly critical of just about everything anyone in the band does, it’s easy to draw comparisons between Gordon’s band and TAB, but none of that seems to affect the bassist.

“I want to be edgy, to push the limits further,” he said. “I love it when we’re tight and loose at the same time. I don’t have much to prove — we take chances, especially with the strange, angular parts. We try to just live in the moment.”

Gordon has been a fan of Max Creek for many years, and recalled the first time he saw Murawski and the band.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “Not just his playing, but his whole vibe. Seeing Max Creek play a long time ago – people say they sound a lot like the (Grateful) Dead. I see them as a tweaked version of country rock. Scott smiles so much and is always in control, yet he’s humble at the same time. Before I knew him, I noticed that he always looked so comfy (on stage) and I really like that influence.”

So in his two bands, Gordon plays with two different guitar monsters in the jam band scene in Murawski and Anastasio. On the surface, both guitarists share some similar themes and styles in their playing, but Gordon did his best to explain the differences between the two.

“Scott is very clever about outlining chord changes as they happen,” he said. “Trey is the opposite. He’s good at flowing over the changes, creating textures. Sometimes he sounds like a movie soundtrack in the way he flows. But I definitely think there is some cross influencing going on between them.

“One week after I met Trey, we went and saw Max Creek. Not long after, Trey got his Ibanez. Maybe it was just a coincidence. And Scott now owns a Languedoc. Trey is great at melody, and I’ve noticed Scott bring some of that in. Every connection is based on another connection.”

Gordon went on to conclude the topic: “Scott and I spend so much time together, it’s just organic. Scott is the one who wants to jam as long as possible and stretch things out. So I guess it’s apples and oranges.”

While Phish is lauded for the light show that accompanies its marathon concerts, Gordon’s band takes stage production to the next level. He and Murawski had special guitars built for last year’s tour, and they are all black with sensors on them that reflect the light, making them appear luminescent.

Gordon also revealed that he is going to debut another new bass sometime soon, which he dubbed it the “2.0 version” of the bass he had been playing in his solo band. The concept was designed by Gordon, who said it looks like a Modulus, but is a hollow body, which gives the appearance of a 3D effect. He said it has an EMG/Modulus sound. The guitar was built by Ben Lewry of Visionary Instruments, which Gordon gave high praise.

“This is very organic,” he added, saying Murawski’s guitar has basically the same concept. He didn’t specify when he will be debuting the new bass, but said it will happen on this tour.

Back in 2011, Gordon played The Egg, a venue nearly universally applauded for its stellar acoustics, uninhibited sight lines and friendliness to performers. It ended up being one of the few official Mike Gordon Band releases, and Gordon said he is quite excited to return to the venue.

“I loved that show,” he said. “The sound at the venue is conducive to what we do and it’s very technical. A lot of times there are different challenges at venues like unpredictability and that can make a lot of things pretty hard. We already have enough to think about and the Egg is just so easy to play. I can hear it all, both the loud and the soft, and it all resonates in a very controllable way.”

As for his work with Phish, Mike Gordon said that he’s mostly focused on his work on this solo tour, but did give a glimpse into what Phish has been up to recently.

“It’s hard to think about, because I have so much going on with this band, but I’ll tell you this: The guys in Phish all got together two months before our tour is starting, and this is the first time in a long time I can remember us practicing so much, this early before a tour,” he said. “Who knows, we may even have a handful of new songs.”

He even shared a brief thought on the upcoming Fare Thee Well shows, celebrating 50 years of the Grateful Dead.

“The Grateful Dead have obviously been a big influence, and it’s really nice they feel proud enough to commemorate the 50th,” he said. “All four of them still have the fire.”

Over the past two years, Gordon has been sharing his own version of Couch Tour with fans via his Facebook page, posting photos of him on various couches, often with a funny look on his face.

Is the couch tour going to continue? More importantly, has Gordon settled on a couch?

“Yes, I am going to continue it and yes I found a couch, but … it needs a little work,” he said.

June 16, 2015
Jonathan Jackson + Enation’s Radio Cinematic Tour Makes Debut at the Westcott Theater

Every once in a while the music industry often has break out artists that stand out, as a little bit different and unique. At times these musicians begin a new musical culture. We saw that as Elvis introduced rock ‘n’ roll. The Beatles took the Ed Sullivan show by storm, Diana Ross & The Supremes lead the Motown revolution, KISS began a hair-band revolution. Tupac made his mark in hip hop/rap, and Kurt Cobain became legendary as part of the grunge phase. It’s been a while since this musical culture shifted.

As I cover shows across the state I see a trend occurring. I notice more so often than not, a great majority of musicians are returning to the basics. You know, a good song, a great voice, a clear instrument, and not so much lighting that they become a figment amongst smoke and mirrors. Yes, these are the bands and musicians that seem to be making their way today in the sea of musical opportunities.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

Enter Jonathan Jackson +Enation. Most of the readers know Jackson as Avery on ABC’s hit television show, Nashville, where he plays a musician. On the show Avery’s character stands out as unique and special, and not fitting the form of the traditional country music we’ve grown accustomed to.

Joined in Enation is Jackson’s older brother, also an accomplished actor, Richard Lee Jackson, and Daniel Sweatt — who is one of the most talented musicians out there. Together these three blend together in a perfect mix that makes up one heck of a rock band. Yes I said a rock band.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

When I first came across this band I was surprised to learn how long they’ve played together, and although I was late to the party, I was so happy to have gotten there. Touring currently with their fourth album, these three have been perfecting their craft. Striving to capture that energy from their live show. Radio Cinematic I believe has achieved just that. Having heard their album before their live performance I questioned and hoped whether their live show would live up to my expectations. Well it did just that, and then far exceeded those expectations.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

Opening the evening was a local Pop/Rock/Alternative/Indie band from the Ithaca area called Maple Hill. These four young men were quite energetic. Not only did they prime the crowd for the main event, they were actually quite humorous and entertaining throughout their own set. Their new album, Headspace will be released June 19, 2015. Joel Beckwith (Bass), St. John Faulkner (Drums), Max Gaeta (Lead Guitar), and Kristian Wood-Gaiger (Vocals/Guitar) amped up the crowd with original music and remixed covers such as Drake’s, “We’re Going Home”.

They thoroughly surprised and delighted me with their style, sound, and high energy performance. I highly recommend if you are in the area of The Dock (415 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca, NY 14850) June 18, you should stop by and join them to help celebrate their record release party from 7-10pm. All ages are welcome and the cover charge is only $5.

Maple Hill – Westcott Theater

Then came Jonathan, Richard, and Daniel who from the moment the spot light hit Jonathan at the piano and he began to sing, I was totally blown away. Opening with “Young World’s Riot,” Jonathan’s voice along with his piano permeated your soul.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

As they moved into the rest of the set, Richard’s percussion laid down a constant rhythm while Daniel’s bass and resounding vocals added to Jonathan’s, and together they found a synchronicity that not only encapsulated the live sound they were striving to achieve on the album, but far exceeded my expectations. From the moment they began playing right up to the end, I was in a hypnotic trance. In addition to mesmerizing the entire audience, they took the time to recognize a special guest on her birthday and dedicated a song to the sweet young lady.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

These kind young men were gracious, appreciative, and as famous as they all are in their own rights between television and movie stardom, you wouldn’t know it as their humility was refreshing. As they wrapped up the evening, Jonathan took to the piano once again to close out the show as he began, with Young World’s Riot, moving me almost to tears.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

I highly recommend if they come anywhere within driving distance (or if you’re up for a road trip) to take in one of the shows on the second leg of the Radio Cinematic Tour this year. If you can’t catch them live this time around, by all means head straight to their website to purchase this album. You will be glad you did.

Jonathan Jackson + Enation – Westcott Theater

Setlist: Maple Hill
Never Enough (original)
Well, Well, Well, How the Turntables (original)
Argyle (original)
Hold on, We’re Going Home (Drake cover)
Space to Grow (original)
Stomping Ground (original)
Jack Blinked (original)

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Set List: Jonathan Jackson +Enation
Young World’s Riot
Ascending
Things You’ve Never Seen
Kicked In The Head
The One I Love
Everything Is Possible
All The Best
Let The Beauty Out
I See God In You
The Hands of Your Drug
Let Me Out
The Fly
The National Anthem
Corduroy
In My Tree
A Far Away Reality
Keep Asking Why
The Morning Of The Rain
Eyes of Grace (Birthday Dedication to Miss Lily)
Young World’s Riot

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June 14, 2015
Mike Gordon Tours the NYS Thruway

Twitter conversationalist, hotline recorder, and Phish bassist Mike Gordon, taking a break from his ongoing couch tour, is on the road in NYS with his solo band. Next week they’ll hit upstate New York hard, with stops in Buffalo, Syracuse (technically Baldwinsville), and Albany. After a few shows outside of New York, Mike will return to play down in Port Chester.

The tour has already seen the band debut a few originals as well as take on new covers of Fiona Apple, Here We Go Magic and Robert Palmer. Keyboardist Robert Walter was added to the touring band though he won’t be the only one playing the keys. The stage will feature an interactive synthesizer available for the audience to join in the fun. This could be your shot to jam with one of the greats! Dates and details below.

Read a past interview with Phish bassist Mike Gordon here.

June 16, Town Ballroom, Buffalo
Doors 7pm, Show at 8pm
Tickets $28

June 18, Paper Mill Island Amphitheater, Baldwinsville (outside Syracuse)
Doors 6pm, Show 7pm
Tickets $30

June 19, The Egg, Albany
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm
Tickets $31.25

June 27, Capitol Theater, Port Chester
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm
Tickets $30/$45

June 12, 2015
Adam Ezra Group Along With 600 Runners ‘Found Disturbing the Peace – In Harmony’

Despite the large gathering of rowdy runners and music lovers alike, there were no arrests made at this event for disturbing the peace (that I’m aware of). More than 600 attendees though, came out to watch and cheer on both the runners who participated in the annual Runapalooza, the groups that played along the course, and the Adam Ezra Group as they made an official debut in Syracuse at the finish line. Adam joked around that although it was not technically the first time the band set up to play in the Syracuse region, they did consider this their first time playing here. After all, could they count a quick gig in a mall at a beer joint while patrons ate and drank? Funny enough, one of their fans that attended that un-debut show was present and accounted for this evening, and as she cheered on the group they thanked her for at least paying attention during her dinner to their music.

Adam Ezra Group – Runapalooza

As an occasional runner myself, I was tickled pink to hear that bands would play along the way of Fleet Feet‘s annual race held at Onondaga Community College. What better way to help motivate the runners along the 5k course. The day was gorgeous for a run, and runners of all ages participated in this event as onlookers rang cowbells and cheered them on as though it was the NYC Marathon. Side note to here; the cheering and the music and the encouragement, it does wonders for the runners to help them push through that last leg of the race. So thank you to all the supporters that help cheer them on.

This too was my debut Adam Ezra show. I had heard wonderful things about this band so this night had been penned on my calendar in ink for several months in eager anticipation. As the band began to play I was totally smitten by Adams raspy voice, his poignant lyrics, the catchy beats, and the synchronicity of his band. His humor was delightful and with a slight Boston accent at times, he cautiously mentioned to a crowd of Yankees fans anything Boston related. Yes, Adam Ezra is a wise man, and great musician that loves his fans and what he does.

The music had a perfect blend together. With Turtle on drums (and some of the best make shift instruments I’ve ever seen), Corinna Smith on fiddle (and co-member of “we think Alison Krauss rocks club”), Berklee graduate Francis Hickey who decided to live his dream while he could by playing on bass, Alex Martin who was told trumpet wasn’t cool so stuck with drums (so glad you went with the drums, you rock them), and finally Adam’s multi-talented cousin, Josh Gold on keyboards; each band member contributes amazing skills and quality without overpowered the other. With a gentle flow, they moved from song to song and around the stage seamlessly. With the absence of a setlist, this was a sure indicator that Adam plays music to each audience, as a gift to their needs and not his own. I loved their free spirits, and their positive aura was contagious.

At the end of the evening he solidified my opinion of being a great guy and free spirit as he brought his sole audience member from that original show (the one we aren’t counting) up on stage to sing along to the encore of John Denver’s “Country Roads.” His giving soul welcomed everyone over to his merch table to say hello and grab some music. All he asked is that you contribute what you could to the “love you box.” His goal, to share his music. Oh, and what beautiful music it is. Make sure you check them out next time they are in your neck of the woods. Until then, well worth the donation to the “love you box on-line.

Setlist: Drive, Sacred Ground, Hippie Girl, Devil’s Side, Let Your Hair Down, Life of a Thief, The Devil Came, Up To Boston, Burn Brightly, Steal Your Daughter, Free Fallin (Tom Petty), Country Roads (John Denver)

June 11, 2015
K-Rockathon 20th Anniversary Lineup Boast Some Big Names

Central New York are you ready? It’s time to put the rumor’s to rest and see which bands held up and which bands we just in fact rumor’s. So finally, Syracuse’s K-Rock has announced the line-up for their 20th Anniversary edition of K-Rockathon, which will take place on Saturday July 25th, at the Chevy Court located inside the NYS Fairgrounds.

Some bands leaked the date early, confirming that they would in fact be on the show, just to have their post on social media sites taken down ten minutes later. The week leading up to the announcement, opener’s for the show confirmed on their social media sites that they would be there without it disappearing minutes later.

So without any further ado, here are the eleven bands will make up the 20th Anniversary lineup. Shinedown will headline the anniversary mega show that will also include Breaking Benjamin, Adelitas Way, N.Y’s own In This Moment, Nothing More, Trapt, We Are Harlot, Shaman’s Harvest, Sons Of Texas, Fit For Rivals and Revolve. I would look for another band to be added to the line-up down the line to round it out at twelve bands.

Now let’s hope for a bigger security presence, more food vendors than beer vendors, a cleaning crew to monitor garbage thrown about the area and finally the ability to keep the plastic cap to your water bottle this year!

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday June 13. They will go fast!

Connect with K-Rock Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

June 9, 2015
Dozens of Drug Arrests at Sterling Stage FolkFest

Several dozen people were arrested on drug charges as part of a police sting. The 11th annual Sterling Stage FolkFest ran through Memorial Day Weekend, May 21-25 and featured Ryan Montbleau Band, among others. In all outside the venue, there were nine drug arrests for criminal possession of a controlled substance, one DWI arrest, 21 pot possession arrests and 87 vehicle and traffic violation tickets issued.

Inside the venue, undercover police arrested 10 people for possessing or selling a controlled substance and four people for selling marijuana.

State police held a press conference Tuesday to announce the results of the drug sting, which was aided by the Oswego County Drug Task Force, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, ICE, the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, and the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office.

Festival Producer Eric McElveen told Syracuse.com that the people who were arrested are people he doesn’t want at his event and he’s glad they’re gone, calling them bad apples.

About 1,500 people attended FolkFest. Tickets for the festival cost up to $70, and overnight camping is included in every ticket.

Sterling Stage has three more festivals scheduled this summer, the next being a 20-Year Anniversary Party headlined by Max Creek July 2-5.

June 4, 2015
Turning Stone Does Country Music Fans a Solid by Keeping it Country

For several years now, right in the heart of Central NY we have had one gem of a venue, that has continuously brought country music fans the latest and greatest music directly from Nashville. Proudly displayed on the walls within The Turning Stone Casino & Resort you’ll find show posters. Signed by each artist that have performed over the course of the almost twenty-two years since their opening in July 1993.

It’s a good thing they keep expanding as they would run out of wall space. Some of country music’s most decorated stars have graced the stages at The Showroom and The Event Center. Audiences have enjoyed the likes of Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Wynonna, Trace Adkins, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Darius Rucker, Love and Theft, Gloriana, Scotty McCreery, Eli Young Band, and I can go on and on here.

Constantly bringing audiences their favorites from both today and yesterday, The Turning Stone certainly has kept country music fans entertained.

The first show I ever saw at The Event Center, would be the legendary Martina McBride. This sold out show was the perfect introduction for me to this venue as Martina McBride performed two full hour sets of award-winning music. Featuring some of the greatest country classics from her recently released Timeless album — later to be certified as Gold and Platinum.

Ms. McBride’s performance took me back to my youth in Tennessee, as she sang country standards of Hanks Williams, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Johnny Cash to name a few. After a quick costume change, back on stage she came belting out her own hit after hit. This show and Ms. McBride made a lasting impression on me that evening.

Eli Young Band – Turning Stone Showroom

Fast forward to today, as a music photojournalist I absolutely love covering shows at this venue and still feel that excitement, the same feeling that came over me as I watched Martina McBride mesmerize her audience. The amazing lighting & sound staff, and the top-notch lineup this venue constantly brings to the country music fan base here in Central N.Y. is very much appreciated.

These shows continue to sell out and the big acts continue to frequent this centrally located venue. In my opinion, I believe their ongoing success can be attributed to the fact that they continually listen to their audiences and bring to them the acts they wish to see. Turning Stone also provides these acts with top-notch technology to give their audiences the best performances possible.

Tin Rooster – Turning Stone Casino Exit 33

For those just looking for a place to relax, have some down home country barbecue for dinner, and hear some of your favorite local country musicians on the weekends. The Turning Stone once again listened to their patrons. In 2013 they added their Exit 33 Venues which includes the Tin Rooster, an establishment focusing on everything down home country. With a shiny bedazzled rhinestone clad saddle hanging from the center of the dance floor like a disco ball, locals have had the chance to chow down on down home country cooking, enjoy libations at the full bar areas, while working it off afterwards line dancing and shaking what their momma gave them country-style.

Tin Rooster – Exit 33

The Tin Rooster, along with the other venues within Exit 33 provide a constantly packed venue for the local acts. Showcasing their music each weekend to an eager audience. On occasion you can even see some major national acts for little to nothing on the Tin Rooster stage.

In fact, this past New Year’s Eve, the Tin Rooster treated their patrons for a night to remember. Ringing in the New Year with local favorites The Beadle Brothers. They kicked off the night and primed the already eager audience while they counted down the clock, waiting for the new year to arrive.

To round out the eventful evening, national act and crowd favorites, Love & Theft took the stage. As Love & Theft performed, they rang in the New Year in country-style. Patrons celebrating the holiday and donning proper New Year’s Eve attire, goofy glasses on their “Angel Eyes”.

This is just one of the treats we continue to get from our country music venue sources at the Turning Stone.

Nashville may logistically be about 13 hours away. However for central New Yorkers, one of country music’s largest fan bases — it’s just a hop, skip, promenade, do-si-do, and two-step down the road and off of the thruway on Exit 33.

For more information on weekly acts, please take a moment to visit the webpage for Exit 33’s Tin Rooster, where you’ll find the latest acts, menus, and information on how you can book your own parties.

June 1, 2015