NYS Music 20​15

Category: Central NY

  • Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Electrifies Syracuse

    Rolling around the northeast on their Spring Steady Tour, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad burned one down this past saturday with the help from the High Hopes Band and Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. High Hopes hit the stage at 8 p.m. sharp, not wasting a moment of the audience’s time. Ready as ever, they kicked off the first set with originals from their newly released album Forever Love. HHB serenaded the crowd for the their full hour with silky smooth lyrical stories accompanied by cavernous bass lines and rich drum rhythms. Luscious guitar melodies and keyboards were nothing short of ear pleasing for the 70’s era reggae lovers in the theater.

    The second performance was delightfully owned by Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. These Rochester, NY funksters brought with them to Syracuse a style of their own, blending Soul, Funk, R&B, and Hip Hop. The group practically tore down the roof with covers of “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and “Cherish the Day” by Sade, along with a mix of their own original music. Danielle belted out every lyric and syllable with precision and affection as a passionate singer should, which may have come easy being backed up by a modestly qualified band.

    By the time the first two performances were finished, the crowd was warmed up and awaiting some Giant Panda love. A few moments later, the five members of GPGDS ascended the stage with instruments in hand and propelled into their set. Opening with a new song called “Make it Better,” the squad put their faith into the commendable crowd, which yielded a boisterous cheer. Graciously, the quintet pursued a monstrous segue jam that Chris and Tony kept glued together, consisting of “Seasons Change,” “Foundation,” “Mr. Cop,” “Pockets,” and ending with “Healing.” Without taking a breath, they dove right into “Steady,” the title track of their most recent release and the crowd displayed extensive joy as they sang along with Dylan and Dan’s unified harmonies.

    Giant Panda flawlessly gave the people what they wanted with more fan favorites, such as “All Night Music,” “Whatever Cost,” and “Take Your Place.” The energy in the building was immense to the point that the band did not want to take a break, playing nearly a three hour set. Sparing no expense, the guys dropped a whopping “.45” with James leading on vocals and bass. After departing the stage for a brisk water break, the ensemble returned with a two song encore consisting of “Far Away” and “OK,” coupled with a fancy dub jam molded in the middle. Before anyone could appeal, the show was closing and the band was thanking the Salt City along with everyone in attendance for sharing their evening with them.

    Amidst a lengthy northeastern run, these artists held their momentum and have not wasted one ounce of energy on their fans. As GPGDS continues their Spring Steady Tour through April with three more shows in Ithaca, Albany, and Buffalo, they will also be traveling to the west coast for a few appearances this spring, including the California Roots Festival on May 22.

  • A Great Set by Yarn at Funk N’ Waffles Downtown

    Yarn Funk N' Waffles
    Mandolin of Andrew Hendryx from Yarn

    Melodic twangs were drifting out of the walls of Funk N’ Waffles and down the crisp streets of downtown Syracuse on Friday night. A band of local Syracuse musicians who go by Boots n’ Shorts were in the midst of their set. This bluegrass band was a great welcome off of the street into the warm bar. It’s nice, for a change of pace in Syracuse, to hear live bluegrass. The five piece Boots n’ Shorts were fired up, playing fast and well their entire time on stage. It was a good opener for Yarn at Funk N’ Waffles.

    The main act of the night at Funk N’ Waffles was the band Yarn; a bluegrass/americana band from New York. These guys started the night with some bright songs that were totally easy to get along with. With a little bit of direction lead singer Blake Christiana turned the place into a whimsical sing along. The crowd mirrored his words, belting, “I’m a king, I’m a god.” It was easy to spot out the old adorning fans and soon the heartfelt sprit was easily caught be new ones. The sing along was a spin on the everyday way of appreciating the American dreams of conquest and freedom in a funny, boyish way.

    The roots of American county lie in the heart of a good story. Happiness and joy are the greatest feelings we can wish for, but all paths are sometimes rocky. It is not without contrast of those moody days that makes us appreciate the people we have to lean on. Blake Christiana definitely enjoyed telling a tale. About half way through the set, they took a chance on a slow song. It after all was the beginning of the weekend and the bar was full of people whose bellies are warm and full. It was a respectable time to evoke that kind of moment. It took a little while for the mandolin player to get his game face on. Once he got into it, the set got rather impressive. There were multiple stand out moments when the mandolin and the double bass were together in beautiful harmony. It is always a treat to hear a performance with an upright. All in all it was beautiful show; the show became a performance and the course of the set displayed diversity in the feelings of the sound.

  • Old Boy Records 2015 Spring Showcase

    Old Boy Records is holding their 2015 Spring Showcase in the Center for the Arts of Homer – a repurposed church – on Friday March 27.  The Upstate New York record label was founded in 2005 by Chris Merkley with a focus on representing the next wave of American Roots musicians.

    Ten years later – Old Boy Records represents over a dozen artists from Upstate New York, Nashville and New York City.  In addition to helping bands collaborate on shows and recordings – Old Boy also has their hand in creating custom music for television and film.

    old boy records showcase

    The showcase will feature acoustic performances from seven acts on two stages, including Driftwood who has created an exceptionally strong presence in the folk/Americana community.  In addition to Driftwood – Merkley and band mate Stiv Morgan will be performing.  Merkley and Morgan have been playing music together for over 15 years, and founded the band Digger Jones based out of Cortland, New York.   Also on the list of performers is Los Blancos, whose eclectic mix of blues, funk, soul, country and Latin music has been a staple of the Syracuse music scene for years.

    The music will start at 6pm, with performances taking place between the Community Room and Main Stage throughout the night.  Tickets are available by calling the Center for the Arts of Homer at (607) 749-4900 or online. The Center is located at 72 S Main St in Homer, NY.

    For a taste of what’s to come, here are some videos from this years Old Boy Records Showcase performers:

    Driftwood

    Chris Merkley and Stiv Morgan

    Los Blancos

    The Falconers

    Nate & Kate

    Gabe Cummins

  • moe. Relentlessly Rocks Binghamton

    moe. jumped into their set and did not yield on the throttle the rest of the night at Binghamton’s Forum Performing Arts Theatre on Wednesday, March 11. The midweek throw-down featured two sets of neatly flowing rock produced by masters of the art that left the crowd craving more.

    Jim Houle - moe. -45

    After an opening set by Cabinet, moe. came out to raucous applause from the Binghamton constituency. While the Buffalo-born-band only has one more scheduled Upstate date, it was hinted that another show is in the works. Regardless, they threw the kitchen sink at The Forum, seldom taking a break between mammoth jams. With Guitarist Chuck Garvey, drummer Vinny Amico and bassist Rob Derhak all adorned in silver-sequined jackets to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary, they kicked the first set off with “Kids.” As band members got their feet underneath them and settled in, the tune picked up momentum and, at some point, unnoticeably transitioned into “Skrunk.”

    “Skrunk” became “ZOZ” from 2008’s album Sticks and Stones which morphed back into “Kids.” Somehow, an hour was gone and having played only four seamlessly segued songs, moe. demonstrated why it has been on top of the jam scene long enough to celebrate a silver anniversary. Time signatures ebbed and flowed and, while the tone stayed mostly bright, there were periods of weirdness dispersed throughout the huge block of music. Percussionist Jim Loughlin captivated the crowd with his dexterity on the xylophones; harmonizing the percussion with Garvey on guitar and Al Schnier on the guitar and/or keys adds an extra layer of richly toned texture unique to moe.  The three got into a deep groove when they returned to “Kids.” After a long ovation, moe. concluded the first set with a cover of “Godzilla” that helped gently return onlookers from the wild musical ride moe. just created.

    Like the first set, the second was a fluid jam that lasted over an hour without ceasing. “The Pit” acted as bookends with an emphatic version of “Four” and energetic rendition of “Happy Hour Hero” as highlights in the middle. Throw in “Seat Of My Pants,” “Tubing the River Styx,” and a couple other tunes, and a 75 minute set was over without a single break to catch one’s breath. Again, seemingly in the blink of an eye, fans cheered boisterously as a tightly packed set flew by.

    Jim Houle - moe.-2

    An encore consisting of moe. original “It” and a cover of “The Weight” featuring members of Cabinet was the finishing touch of a nonstop night of jamming. Between the dual-shredding abilities of Garvey and Schnier, the in-your-face bass proffered by Derhak and the one-two punch on percussion with Amico and Loughlin, moe. torched the Forum Theatre in many ways. The band’s creativity and talent created an incredible evening of rock in Binghamton that won’t soon be forgotten.

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  • Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is Bringing the Spring Steady Tour to Syracuse

    Trucking across the country with their fourth studio album “Steady” on their shoulders, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will be dropping by the Westcott Theater on March 21, to resurrect a night of deluxe reggae spirit for Syracuse.  Steady was released in september of 2014, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae chart, #1 on iTunes Reggae Chart, and is the Rochester, NY based quintets’ first collaboration with Easy Star Records.

    The GPGDS, as many fans know them by, have been writing, recording, and performing music since 2001 while they were still in high school. The band played local and regional shows, while focusing on performing live for the next few years. In 2005, friends and fans began taping their live shows for fun and sharing their progress with the live music community, which quickly built up a national fan base accompanied by continuous touring schedules.    Their hard work and success have nursed a rising career, which we are in store for this week and may even hear some new material from their upcoming album (due out in May), titled Bright Days!  Bringing with them to celebrate, are an extraordinary crew of  musicians, the High Hopes Band from Boston, MA and fellow Rochester, NY group Danielle Ponder and The Tomorrow People as special guests.

    With their Spring Steady Tour under way since March 12, the 20 date tour includes major highlighted events such as the California Roots Festival and Arise Music Festival in Colorado.  This run of shows will also bring the Upstate New York natives back home to Ithaca on April 9, Albany the following evening, and Buffalo on April 11. Saturday, March 21 the band will play the Westcott Theater in Syracuse with special guests Danielle Ponder & The Tomorrow People, High Hopes Band. Doors open at 7PM and the show starts at 8PM. This is an all ages show, tickets are $15 in advance and $18 day of the show.

    Websites:

    http://LivePanda.com/

    http://www.highhopesreggae.com

    http://www.reverbnation.com/danielleponderthetomorrowpeople

  • Wynonna Judd: a Personal Performance at Turning Stone Casino

    Wynonna Judd and Friends brought their quaint classy show to the Showroom at the Turning Stone Casino. The stage was set with simple decorative accent furnishings in a beautiful inviting atmosphere.

    wynonna4-kricher

    Judd appeared on the stage alone with her guitar for her very first song in such a raw and personal performance. She truly loves her fans and shows that in the way she gives them bits and pieces of her personal life and is so frank while interacting with them.

    Wynonna’s band joined her and the chemistry was so obvious. Like a family, they shared stories and laughter while giving the fans an honest emotional performance. Her feisty attitude and passion for what she does is truly amazing. Listening to her perform with such emotion gave me goose bumps. A true entertainer in every way, she draws you in and captivates you while her delivery takes you to another time and place where you relate to that song .

    Opening for Wynonna was Peter Scobell. A former US Navy SEAL and close friend of the late Chris Kyle, Peter sang a couple of songs accompanied by only his guitar. Another personal performance that gave you a small glimpse into his life and travels. To close his set, Peter performed a song written for his late friends Chris Kyle and Chad Littlfield “Hearts I Leave Behind” and of course I witnessed several concert goers wiping tears from their cheeks as they listen to his tribute. I would have to say this show is definitely in my top 10 all time favorites.

  • The 2015 SAMMY Awards

    The 2015 SAMMY awards dinner held upstairs at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse on March 6 brought together music fans, musicians and promoters alike to honor some of Syracuse’s finest at the Syracuse Area Music Awards

    With emcee Dave Frisina of of 105.9 introducing special guests the honorees included a music educator, producer, local band, early rock ‘n’ roller, guitarist and a muumuu wearing drummer.

    Stacey Waterman of Eastern Artists presented Professor David Rezak of the Bandier School at Syracuse University with the Music Educator award. She joked that 90% of his graduates work in the industry while the other 10% are musicians, while referencing notable alumni who Prof. Rezak has been a mentor and teacher to over the course of his career. Upon taking to the podium, Rezak responded by noting “It’s all about the music, it’s all about the song. I am happy to have been a part of the music of Syracuse”

    State Senator John A. DeFrancisco took the podium to share proclamations for all honorees this evening, noting that “music and arts in this community are the heart and soul of Syracuse.

    Guitarist Loren Barriger, who at 6 years old played the Grand Ol’ Opry, emotionally thanked family and friends who encouraged him throughout this life of music. Ron Wray introduced Bobby Comstock, who was on the original American Bandstand, wrote a rock version of “Tennessee Waltz”, worked with Alan Free who coined the term ‘Rock n Roll’ and played Madison Square Garden 50 times. Upon taking to the podium, Bobby said “I did all that?”, while reflecting on playing with Chuck Berry, in Chicago with blues greats but noted that every story comes back to Syracuse. Comstock had a great deal of memories and thank you’s to give from his storied career.

    Chris Goss, producer and musician (Masters of Reality, Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) has been a major influence on the desert rock genre and was honored as such. Referring to his career path, he said “It’s not a job, it’s a vocation; you do it out of love.” He mentioned that Seattle, a dark and dreary city, much like Syracuse, gave birth to Soundgarden and Nirvana, because instead of going outside, kids would go inside, look inward and listen to music. “Good music comes out of dark places.”

    The Works, a local act who did it their way and in their own style are one of the most storied local Syracuse acts and were known for playing local clubs on a weekly basis in the 70s and 80s. If you weren’t playing music, you were seeing local music and supporting local music, a sentiment that is relevant in towns and cities across the state and country. As The Works put it, “It’s a brotherhood.”

    Jon Fishman was introduced by his father, Leonard, who spoke of his late wife Mimi’s memory and presence at early Phish shows playing the vacuum with her son. He received great laughter and applause saying “I don’t know if you know this, but my son wears a dress”. While it is well known among his fans that Fish is a self-educated drummer who still practices daily, Jon cited Dave Hamlin and Bob Gulloti who taught him how to play the drums. Having been in only one band his entire career, the adventurous and spiritual unit of Phish has allowed him to make a living by moving music out of his parent’s basement to UVM, then to Goddard College, and on the road with Phish, and now with his wife and 5 children.

    At 50, Jon says he still feels like he is 8 years old when playing the drums and is “still getting away with this … I’m just drumming.” He found it odd to be receiving a lifetime achievement award at 50 but recognizes that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” referencing both the band and the community of Phish.

    Fish also came clean and told his father that he snuck out on more than one occasion in the late 1970s to walk a mile to Manley Field House to see Frank Zappa and King Crimson, incredibly influential shows for the young Henrietta that led him down his career path towards recognition from his peers in his hometown of Syracuse.

    On Friday, March 6 at The Palace Theater on James Street, the SAMMY awards were handed to a cadre of local musicians who had earned recognition of their peers and fans.

    Best Pop: Nick & Noah
    Best Blues: Castle Creek
    Best Rock: William Gruff
    Best Country: Megan Lee
    Best Alterative: Leah Shenandoah
    Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate
    Best Jazz: Nick Ziobro
    Best Americana: Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
    Best R&B: Brownskin Band
    Best Hip-Hop/Rap: Nick Case a.k.a. Decoy
    Best Other: Samba Laranja
    Best Hard Rock: Nineball
    Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna-Marie Boudreau
    Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Spring Street Family Band

    People’s Choice awards included:
    Best Artist: Briana Jessie
    Best Venue: Kegs Canal Side
    Best Festival: FoxFest

  • Joe Nichols Brings Country to Keg’s Canal Side

    Keg’s Canal Side hosted a country party featuring  Joe Nichols. With a packed house and great entertainment, the below freezing temps didn’t seem to matter. Sam Grow took the stage before Joe Nichols and got the party started. Performing to the rowdy crowd seemed to just add to Sam’s excitement and the crowd was more than willing to share their love for country music with Sam as he opened the show.

    Joe Nichols-Kricher

    Joe Nichols brought his humble yet charismatic persona to the stage and the fans couldn’t contain themselves. From the moment the band played their first note the fans were engaged and enjoyed the fun to be had by all.  Performing hit songs “Tequila Make Her Clothes Come Off” and  “Sunny and 75” the entire place sang along. Of course Joe had to add to the fun with his version of country rap while he performed  “Big Butts”.

    The fans just couldn’t get enough. After leaving the stage at the end of their set, the fans cheered until he and the band came back and performed two more hit songs.

    I look forward to several more shows as Keg’s Canal Side in Jordan, New York. The staff was amazing and very attentive to all patrons. With the nice weather, they will host a number of acts at their new outdoor stage.

  • moe. to Play Binghamton’s Forum Theatre

    The jam band titans that comprise moe. will play their first show in Binghamton since 1996 on Wednesday, March 11. A mainstay on the circuit for the past quarter century, moe. celebrates its silver anniversary in 2015. The group formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989 and has not slowed down since

    Wednesday night’s show at the Forum Theatre in Binghamton kicks off a four night New York run. Following the Upstate gig, moe. heads to New York City for three nights, including Friday and Saturday night performances at the Best Buy Theater. The Western New York natives show the Empire State plenty of love; they have hosted fifteen straight moe.downs in Turin, NY and recently rang in 2015 at Albany’s Palace Theater. The Binghamton show on March 11 is moe.’s only scheduled Upstate show on the calendar besides a Thursday night headlining set at Mountain Jam 11.

    Special guests Cabinet kick off the evening of music at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased here.

  • Badfish drops 40 oz. on the Westcott Theater in Syracuse

    On the first night of their spring break tour, Badfish started the weekend off right, at the Westcott Theater on Feb, 27. Bringing all of Sublime’s greatest hits, which included the album 40 oz. to Freedom in its entirety, the band was clearly seeking to entertain and have a great time. Before they brought their nostalgic summer rock to the stage, they welcomed two local bands to share the evening with.

    Street Rock Mafia
    Street Rock Mafia

    Street Rock Mafia, an energetic funk/rock band from Utica, NY, was the foolproof start to the night. They laid down the groove and set out to put some boogie in your butt. The drums and bass mounted the framework of each song while the guitar and vocals brought captivating melodies and lyrics. Not a pair of ears were disappointed with the energy that the mafia was giving.

    The second outfit was Lucky 33, a punk/indie rock band from Syracuse. This four piece, old school, punk driving, band of rockers formed in late 2011 and were more than ready to tackle the anxious crowd. With enormous confidence, they stormed the stage bringing their own distinct brand of original songs to a new gallery of ears. With no luck at all, viewers and admirers soon turned into fans, and the crowd greatly applauded their performance as it came to a close.

    Lucky 33
    Lucky 33

    Just before Badfish was set to hit the stage, the crew raised a vibrant backdrop of a koi fish smoking a cigar and holding some alcohol, which charged the audience with excitement. A moment after, the band members entered the stage to the opening voice track of “Waiting for my Ruca” and persisted to play the full album with other great hits including “Santeria” and “Summertime.” The memorable punk and reggae songs of Sublime brought back the urge to dance and jump around like a teenager again.

    Badfish
    Badfish

    Each song was beautifully matched with vocals and guitar by Pat Downes, who cultivated the same soul and passion of the late Sublime singer, Brad Knowles. Bassist Joel Hanks and drummer Scott Begin played mercifully through the two sets, though Scott had become injured a few hours prior to the show, from loading in equipment. Injury or none, their dedication to entertaining fans was nothing short of spectacular. Rhode Island based Badfish is currently traveling down the east coast on this leg of their tour and are expected to break in early July. Their next visit to upstate New York will be at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on May 1, 2015.

    http://www.badfish.com/tour/

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    Lucky 33 Gallery:

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    Street Rock Mafia Gallery:

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