Phish front man Trey Anastasio has announced his latest solo album, Paper Wheels, is finally available for pre-order at Trey’s store and Phish Dry Goods. The album will be released Oct. 30 and will be offered as a limited edition with only 4,000 copies.
This will be Anastasio’s third LP as a solo artist. The album was expected to be released in early 2015 but was delayed. Once the material was ready, however, the album only took a week to record.
To promote Paper Wheels, Trey Anastasio Band has announced a fall tour. The tour will kick off in Brooklyn on Oct. 16. The band will spend the rest of the tour on the West Coast, including a sold-out show in Las Vegas, and will end in Denver on Nov. 14.
Tickets for all shows will be available through a pre-sale starting at noon Aug. 27 and ending at 5 p.m. Sept. 2 at Trey’s website. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Sept. 3.
Full tour dates:
October 16-17 – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, NY
October 30-31 – Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas, NV – SOLD OUT!
Disturbed fans: The last piece of the puzzle has been placed. Disturbed has announced their long-awaited returning U.S tour. Spring 2016 will see Disturbed’s first tour since 2011, when the band went on hiatus that October. Disturbed posted on their
We’re excited to announce that we’re heading out on tour in 2016. Tour dates are below, and more dates around the world…
“>Facebook, “These are the first dates of many more to come and more announcements will be coming soon.” The band will also announce overseas dates soon as well.
Tour buses will get down with the sickness and burn rubber through 19 cities starting on March 11 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, and conclude at the New Daisy Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee on April 10. If other acts will join them on the tour, they have yet to be announced.
Fans first got excited about the band’s return with a short video clip of Disturbed’s mascot “The Guy,” starting to show signs of life while hooked up to life support.
With that then came an end to Disturbed’s hiatus: a brand-new single and video “The Vengeful One,” and the announcement of a sixth studio album titled Immortalized, which the band was secretly recording for a year.
The only thing left for fans now was an official tour announcement from the band. Now the only wait Disturbed fans have is for the band to roll into your town this spring.
New York will see two stops this spring. Monday, April 4, at Irving Plaza in New York City and Tuesday, April 5, in Niagara Falls at Rapids Theater.
David Draiman on some of the upcoming tour stops:
“Our return from hiatus was for one reason: we are dying for our fix of the live experience. We need to satisfy our addiction to the feeling you get when you play to the most dedicated and vibrant fan base in existence, the DISTURBED ones. We know the arena shows will come, but we wanted to start out feeling like it did in the old days. Intimate, hot, and intense. We can’t wait. Prepare yourselves. The Leviathan has risen.”
David Draiman on the bands return:
“The idea was to leave when we were at our peak, which we were, and to come back when we felt reinvigorated. Everything was strategic. We wanted to give ourselves a chance to breathe, give the fans a chance to breathe, and give the culture a chance to evolve. Now is the time. The environment feels ready. The musical landscape feels ready. We’re ready.”
Disturbed’s sixth studio album, Immortalized, will be released on Aug. 21. Fans who pre-ordered the album will get pre-sale privileges for the upcoming tour. Disturbed will also play their first show in more than four years on the same day as the album release in their home town of Chicago at the House Of Blues.
Disturbed’s Touring Schedule:
03-11-2016 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
03-12-2016 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
03-14-2016 – Roseland – Portland, OR
03-16-2016 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
03-17-2016 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
03-20-2016 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA
03-23-2016 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
03-24-2016 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
03-25-2016 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
03-27-2016 – Iron City – Birmingham, AL
03-29-2016 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
03-30-2016 – The National – Richmond, VA
04-01-2016 – Baltimore Sound Stage – Baltimore, MD
04-02-2016 – Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
04-04-2016 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
04-05-2016 – Rapids Theater – Niagara Falls, NY
04-07-2016 – St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI
04-08-2016 – Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
04-10-2016 – New Daisy Theatre – Memphis, TN
Nestled in a wooded area of NYC’s Central Park in the area of East 70th St., Rumsey Playfield has played host as one of the City Parks Foundation’s Summerstage venues in the series’ 30th season in 2015. Recently on a bright summer afternoon with plenty of shade at Rumsey Playfield, the Summerstage series welcomed a fantastically paired bill of Amy Helm and Dr. John & The Nite Trippers.
The free show (some Summerstage shows are free, others ticketed) drew in a generationally diverse crowd, surprisingly so for the styles of music on stage. The music proved timeless with older folks grooving along to Dr. John’s signature New Orleans sound just as much as the younger folks were off their smart phones, diving into the music as well.
For Amy Helm and her band, this show was a sort of respite back home after being on the road for a while. The Woodstock native played a mix of cover songs and material off of her debut album, Didn’t It Rain. Her glowing presence on stage wasn’t complete without the presence of her late father, Levon Helm, his first name branded on her guitar strap in small letters between the larger letters of the last name they both share.
NYC may be some 1,300 miles away from New Orleans and void of beignets and baked ham sandwiches from Mother’s, but when Dr. John took the stage in his suit and colorfully decorated hat it seemed like a small piece of the French Quarter took over the nook of Central Park. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and New Orleans native boasted a cool confidence in his performance while backed by a talented band, each member entwining their talent for a wholesome show.
The Summerstage Series continues throughout NYC’s five boroughs through the first week of August with some remarkable acts yet to come. Check out their full schedule here.
Amy Helm Setlist
Didn’t It Rain, Roll Away, Rescue Me, Roll The Stone, Gentling Me, Atlantic City (Springsteen Cover), Deep Water, When the Battle is Over (Aretha Franklin cover), Slippin’ and Slidin’ (Little Richard cover), Meet Me in the Morning (Bob Dylan cover), Gloryland, Good News (Sam Cooke cover)
Dr. John & The Nite Trippers Setlist
Croaker Courtbullion, Iko Iko, Mardi Gras Day, Eleggua, Monkey Speaks, Going Back to New Orleans, Big Shot, Splinters, Right Place, Mama & Papa, Wonderful World, Mac the Knife, Do You Call the Buddy, Old Settlers, Goodnight Irene, Black Widow Spider, Big Chief
Weird Al Yankovic brought his latest album Mandatory Fun on a world tour with his second to last NY appearance at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.
It’s been a number of years since spending half of my fifth grade Saturday mornings with Weird Al and Harvey the Wonder Hamster beaming through the rabbit-ear antenna, not really aware of Al’s musical parodies (or probably caring much for them at the time). After growing into appreciating music throughout my younger years, it was only natural to pay attention to his releases. The lack of MTV or VH1 growing up created an absence of the visual component of his recordings but has made seeing Al for a second time even more exciting.
In what seemed to be at first a pre-taped video entrance, Al is seen starting off one of his latest songs, “Tacky,” just around the corner of The Cap, slowly making his way around the to the marquee in front (rendering some confusion in the drivers stopped at the nearby traffic light) and through some side alleys in a similar style to the music video for the song. The local flair of this intro perked the attention of The Cap early but we really got ourselves going when we saw the camera crew leading him in from the rear of the theatre and realized the whole thing was live and not lip-synched. Who makes an entrance like that these days?
It wouldn’t be a Weird Al show with at least a little bit of polka. His latest polka medley “Now That’s What I Call Polka” (an obvious play on the title of the Now That’s What I Call Music… series) took on “Wrecking Ball,” “Gangnam Style,” “Get Lucky,” and “Thrift Shop,” among a few others. For the younger folks in the crowd, this medley may have caught their attention more than his parody of an older song such as “Smells Like Nirvana.” It would have been fun to hear one of his earlier polka medleys toward the end of the show but there certainly wasn’t any disappointment in the set list.
He pulled something off this time which worked very well. Forming a semi-circle with his band armed with acoustic instruments and some candles for effect, he performed a medley of “Eat It,” “I Lost On Jeopardy,” “I Love Rocky Road,” and “Like A Surgeon” in a few easy-going cool styles. It was slightly confusing at first when Jim West (guitar) opened this run of songs with what sounded like Clapton’s acoustic version of “Layla” but were pleasantly entertained to hear Al sing “Eat It” over this guitar line. On the topic of medleys, Al has a lot of songs to choose from. Before this acoustic run, he performed a medley of ten songs with minimal costume changes done on the fly. It was a nice touch to give as big of a splash of his recordings in the span of a two-hour show.
As usual, Al and his bandmates donned different costumes throughout the show (Devo outfits, the fatsuit, Amish suits, Maple Leaf blazer, et al). In the time needed off stage by the band to change, we were treated to short video montages of Weird Al references – punch lines from shows such as Family Guy, Friends, 30 Rock, and cameos like The Simpsons, Epic Rap Battles of History, and some sort of My Little Pony clip, among others. Prime picked, these montages kept us laughing even when no one was on stage.
Al’s talent and showmanship on stage has been consistent, too. Compared to the first time I saw his show in 2011 at the Palace Theater in Albany, The Cap performance was just as, if not more, fun to watch. While of course many anchors of the setlist were the same (except for the handful of new ones he played off Mandatory Fun) it was all still fresh to see it again.
The highlight of the night was also the most interactive …if you’d call testing the realm of personal space interactive. Walking out of the shadows of the stage with a swagger accentuated by his flame-licked shirt and pants, Al soon made his way through the isles of the orchestra seats singing”Wanna B Ur Lovr.” There wasn’t really a chance for people to get in a cell phone photo frenzy as everyone was too busy catching every moment of his serenade of a handful of the women in the audience.
Before we had to part ways with Weird Al until the next time, we were treated to a Star Wars encore, led in by Rubén Valtierra (keys) in a hooded cloak, playing a few little teasers on the keyboard. Not long after a small mob of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader led the way for the wanna-be Jedi (Al). Who knows if there was a certain inspiration for an interlude between “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda, but it certainly seemed akin to a portion of Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself.” With only about four months until the release of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, the encore helped scratch that anticipatory itch just a little bit.
Aside from the comedy appeal of the show, it was musically fulfilling as well. There were some occasional sound effect samples in the songs, but the band comprised of Jon Schwartz on drums, Steve Jay on bass, Jim West on guitar, and Rubén Valtierra on keys recreated the sounds of the original songs across several genres flawlessy without any cheese factor. Valtierra joined the band in 1991, but the other three were part of Al’s music/comedy recordings since at least the 1982 debut album. This goes to show that Weird Al’s shows are way more than just a solo performer backed by filler music.
For someone who first caught on to Weird Al as a grade school student watching the Weird Al Show on Saturday mornings, it’s exciting to hear fresh parody topics that keep up with some of the latest music. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Al is showing any signs of slowing down in his comedy.
Setlist: Tacky, Lame Claim To Fame, Now That’s What I Call Polka!, Perform This Way, Dare To Be Stupid, Fat, First World Problems, Foil, Smells Like Nirvana, Party In The CIA/It’s All About The Pentiums/Handy/Bedrock Anthem/Another One Rides The Bus/Ode To A Superhero/Gump/Inactive/eBay/Canadian Idiot (medley), Wanna B Ur Lovr, Eat It/I Lost On Jeopardy/I Love Rocky Road/Like A Surgeon (acoustic medley), White & Nerdy, Word Crimes, Amish Paradise
Encore: We All Have Cell Phones, The Saga Begins, Yoda
This week the New York Post reported that famous music shops such as Rudy’s Music Stop, Alex Musical Instruments, and Alex’s Accordions located on 48th Street in NYC, better known as Music Row, will close in the coming months.
It comes as a shock to people familiar with the rich history that Music Row has in New York, and how famous around the world the strip is.
Famous Hall of Fame musicians, such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, used to shop there for all their guitars, amps, pedals, and more.
Some of the reported factors causing all these legendary shops to close include rising rent costs and a lack of business that this area once generated. Perhaps the rise of Internet shopping contributed to the issue as well.
The owners of Music Row NYC came up with the idea of possibly creating a walk of fame-like sidewalk, and displaying guitar statues on the streets to create a historical district to preserve the happy memories and musical history to welcome the people who walk through Music Row. But unfortunately, with all the hoops to jump through with the city district, it didn’t get done, so the once great Music Row will become a ghost town in the coming months.
In support of Rattle That Lock, David Gilmour at first had only announced four U.S. dates. Ticket demands quickly prompted second dates at each of those four cities. Some exciting news has come that Gilmour has added a third NYC date. He will take to the much smaller than MSG space of Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, April 10 making it the first of his now three nights in NYC. Tickets go on sale Thursday Dec. 3 at 10 am on Ticketmaster. Special presale times are listed on Ticketmaster.
The renowned guitarist behind Pink Floyd announced a new solo album last week, Rattle That Lock, and a four North America tour dates which went on sale the next day. The extraordinary response to that ticket sale brought about second chances for people to partake in the limited opportunity.
Rattle That Lock is Gilmour’s first solo album since his 2006 release On An Island. Along with the announcement came a preview of the album with the title track hitting the internet.
The song deviates slightly from elements used on his previous solo album and the final two Pink Floyd releases, The Division Bell and The Endless River, where he was the driving creative force. It calls back a bit to his older solo works, which brings speculation about what we might — or might not — hear when the album debuts on Sept. 18.
Gilmour’s first four tour dates garnered a lot of hype, with tickets for the Madison Square Garden show becoming slim pickings soon after they went on sale. High hopes became grounded as Gilmour announced four more dates to make each of his stops a two-night affair.
He will now play Madison Square Garden on April 11 and 12, 2016. Tickets for the just-announced April 12 show go on sale in less than a week, starting at 10 a.m. on July 27. As with last week’s ticket sales, every ticket buyer for the newly announced shows will receive a copy of Rattle That Lock.
Due to phenomenal demand David Gilmour has added four extra North American dates. In support of new album ‘Rattle That Lock’, these will be David Gilmour’s first North American concerts in more than a decade. Tickets go on sale on Monday 27 July and ticket buyers will be among the first to receive the new album, as every ticket purchased online will include a ‘Rattle That Lock’ CD.
David Gilmour Tour Dates:
3/24/16 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA
3/25/16 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA (new)
3/31/16 – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
4/01/16 – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON (new)
4/04/16 – United Center – Chicago, IL (new)
4/08/16 – United Center – Chicago, IL
4/11/16 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
4/12/16 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY (new)
Gilmour is touring several European cities this September and October including five shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Unfortunately, these European stops are all sold out.
While Gilmour only released a one-song teaser, he has shared the track list for Rattle That Lock:
1. 5 A.M. (Gilmour)
2. Rattle That Lock (Gilmour/Samson/Boumendil)
3. Faces Of Stone (Gilmour)
4. A Boat Lies Waiting (Gilmour/Samson)
5. Dancing Right In Front Of Me (Gilmour)
6. In Any Tongue (Gilmour/Samson)
7. Beauty (Gilmour)
8. The Girl In The Yellow Dress (Gilmour/Samson)
9. Today (Gilmour/Samson)
10. And Then… (Gilmour)
New York City, the latest festival announcement is imploring you, “Freak out! Let’s dance!” Nile Rodgers, Grammy-winning composer, guitarist, and producer, is putting on FOLD Festival and is offering up one of the most diverse lineups this summer to get fans to do just that.
FOLD Festival is taking place in Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead on Aug. 4-5. The mixed lineup mentioned includes musical acts from many walks of life, including hip hop, alternative rock, country, R&B, funk and soul. Rodgers and his band CHIC are one of the many headliners of the two-day all-star event. Other top acts include Beck, Pharrell Williams, Chaka Khan, Keith Urban and many more.
One of the more interesting features of the festival is that Rodgers will be conducting recording sessions with certain artists at a private studio outside of the festival grounds. Details have been scant, but it’s an interesting twist with some potential follow-up to the festival-goers and even those that don’t attend.
All tickets can be purchased at the festival’s website, with general admission tickets costing $137, VIP $399, and Ultra VIP $999.
The lineup for each night has been released, but more acts are expected to be announced. Both nights will be hosted by CHIC, featuring Nile Rodgers, with Grandmaster Melle Mel playing the role of emcee.
TUESDAY, AUG. 4, 2015
Beck Pharrell Williams Keith Urban Chuck D Eric B Thomas Gold Paloma Faith The Martinez Brothers
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5, 2015
Duran Duran Chaka Khan Janelle Monáe Grandmaster Melle Mel Q-Tip Slander GTA Snoh Aalegra
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s “The Mandatory World Tour” will be making a mandatory stop at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY July 30. If that’s not mandatory enough, there will be a plethora of Mandatory Fun to go along with his Port Chester visit.
Weird Al’s performances, aside from being musically fulfilling, are robust with humor for every quirk accentuated by his superb showmanship on stage. Not to mention the costumes he dons throughout his shows to round out the experience.
Al’s shows are ones to never be missed, particularly on this tour as he has some new witty and hilarious Grammy-winning material under his belt with his 14th studio album, Mandatory Fun. Check out Michael Hallisey’s review of the album on NYS Music here.
The Mandatory World Tour hits The Capitol Theatre Thursday July 30 with doors at 7pm and show at 8pm, without a bad seat in the house (unless you get put in the time-out chair for not having fun). Tickets for the all-ages show are available online at The Cap.
Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rush has been at it for 41 years now since their 1974 self-titled release. Well, 41+ years including their earlier years playing local bars, high school dances, and their first 45 with A/B side singles in 1973. Their recent shows at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and at Madison Square Garden in NYC as part of the R40 40th anniversary tour made a statement about the band who has persevered and grown a profound loyal fan base through the years while never flying close the mainstream limelight.
Though the Saturday show in Newark saw a windy deluge going to and from the arena, Monday’s sunny evening drew like moths a sea of people clad in Rush shirts to the sidewalks at 34th and 7th. A typical scene before a concert perhaps, though something was different in the air about this crowd. It was something more genuine than simply a visitation to nostalgia for long-time fans while anticipation welled in younger fans queuing up with tickets in hand.
Rush’s pair of New York area shows – June 27 at the Prudential Center and June 29 at Madison Square Garden – was a special treat on the R40 40th anniversary tour for many, making it easy to catch the band twice in the span of a weekend. It was an even greater special treat for these two shows, which brought an unexpected surprise in the first set.
R40 was all about a few key things which set this tour apart from some of the band’s recent tours – the set list, the fans, and at parting a feeling of mystery about what is next for Rush. It should also be called out that Rush devised a deft plot for the show – yes, plot – which keys in with the set list to bring things full circle.
Rush’s show format has been consistent for a while as they have not had an opening act in years: two full sets and an encore consisting of a mix-and-match of songs from various albums favoring the latest album. That did not change this time around but cue the first clever device – the set list. It started with their most recent works from Clockwork Angels (2012) and progressed backward through their releases without skipping back-and-forth in time. Rush has so far employed a rotation of set lists on this tour and not played from one list repeatedly, which made attending both NJ and NYC shows in a span of three days special.
Anyone familiar with Rush’s live act knows they have a boisterous sense of humor, from their intro videos and projections to the stage setup (when Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson began using direct inputs, they’d put other props in place of their amps, such as clothes dryers and chicken rotisseries). A newcomer to a live Rush performance may have been perplexed by what was happening in the backdrop but seasoned fans quickly caught on to the ensuing cavalcade of guys in Rush jumpsuits milling about to rearrange the stage in bits and pieces. Remember the plot we mentioned earlier? As the show went on the setup devolved in tandem with the timeline of the songs, starting with the steampunk props to the dryers, a wall of amps, a stack of amps and finally, in line with the band’s earliest shows, one amp each for Geddy and Alex propped on a chair. Neil Peart’s kit setup followed this progression too, at least as much as it practically could with his modern rotating platform kit appearing in the first set and a fixed double-kick kit reminiscent of the 2112 era taking center stage in the second set. Pay close attention as the insignia on the kick drum head in the first set is Peart’s subtle nod to the great jazz drummer Buddy Rich.
As Rush is not touring in support of any new music it felt like there was a synergy between the fans and the band – the loyal fan base making their presence known in gratitude for the years of music and the band feeding back to them a stellar performance, showing their gratitude for the support as well. While the aesthetics of the show certainly brought memories of listing to “2112” while procrastinating on some high school English assignment front and center for many long-time fans, it was the genuine loyalty that runs both ways that kept the energy high. Although, it seemed as though it took a few songs for the audience to really warmed up to that sustained energy perhaps due to less familiarity with their newer material.
Rush is well-known for their prowess as a trio for the sound they produce which they lived up to at these shows. Now in their early 60’s, the band members might be feeling a need to take it easy but Neil’s drumming was consistent as ever, Alex’s guitar lines executed with precision, and Geddy’s crunchy bass sound did its job. Geddy’s vocal performance seemed better this time than in a few of the recent tours, being able to cleanly hit the sustained high notes first evidenced early on during “Headlong Flight.” The band even did well emulating their stage mannerisms and recreating their sound from the beginning years while playing their earliest songs in the encore, namely by Geddy’s enthusiastic introductions his fellow band mates and the songs and minimal guitar effects. There were only a few infrequent blemishes on notes throughout the two nights which did not tarnish the performances.
My first Rush concert was at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on the R30 tour in 2004 as I was getting ready for my senior year of high school in Upstate NY. In all the Rush shows I have experienced on each of their tours in the eleven years since that first show there has never been as large of a crowd of kids (high school and younger) at a Rush concert than there was at the Prudential Center and MSG. It possibly is a side-effect of life-long fans bringing their kids to the show but it was incredible to see 9 out of 10 of them excited about the show – before, during, and after. As one long-time Rush fan Debra Ross points out, Rush is the ideal band for a younger music fan to get wrapped around.
Aside from mixing up the set lists between shows, something really pulled the heartstrings of fans when Geddy paused between songs to remarking “We’d like to deviate from the norm right now…” and broke out “Losing It” which has been played live for the first time ever during this tour, debuting in Toronto June 19 with the Prudential Center and MSG shows marking the second and third performance of the song. Even more rare, Rush brought a guest on stage, NJ local Jonathan Dinklage who played violin on tour with Rush as part of the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble in 2012/2013. Dinklage delivered a jaw-dropping performance on the song making it one of the most talked about parts of the show afterward. This was perhaps the most revered moment by many, including David C. who remarked it was a dream come true after 32 years of wishing to hear it live. Several other moments throughout the show made it special for many, including the longer songs of the second set – “2112,” “Cygnus X-1” and “Xanadu” where Geddy and Alex donned double-neck guitars. A consistent part of recent tour sets and a sort of rallying song for Rush fans, “Subdivisions,” yet again rang back at the stage with some of the loudest applause with the song’s opening notes.
While both nights were excellent for the music and sound quality, the MSG show felt like it was a notch above. The recently renovated arena felt more comfortable and cozy, perhaps a little bit less disconnected due to the oval-shaped bowl seating versus a more square setup. While NJ doesn’t have to pump their own gas, our pizza is better, you might say (and get the joke if you were at both shows). To call both of these shows a trip through nostalgia could be construed as a slight to what Rush is and represents. There is a strong resonance about the music and lyrics that keeps the shows fresh and relevant each time around especially with a growing fan base of younger folks.
So, is this it for Rush? Various articles and interviews point in the direction of this being the last major tour for the band but not the end. Hype-talk over the show grew into brooding as the Metro North train lurked out of Grand Central, almost an academic discussion over their future given Geddy’s closing remarks about hoping to see everyone down the road and the change of the projection of “R40” to “R40+” at the end of the show and some sentiment within the band about not touring anymore. That leaves one question as the R40 tour enters its second half: How do you say farewell to a band who’s music is the soundtrack to your life? Well, let’s hope to not have to think about that one just yet. Rush on!
Setlist: (differences between the Prudential Center and MSG shows noted by asterisk)
Set 1: The Anarchist, Headlong Flight, Far Cry, The Main Monkey Business, How It Is*/One Little Victory**, Animate, Roll The Bones, Between The Wheels*/Distant Early Warning**, Losing It (with Jonathan Dinklage), Subdivisions
Set 2: Tom Sawyer, The Camera Eye*/Red Barchetta**, The Spirit of Radio, Jacob’s Ladder, Cygnus X-1 Book Two: Hemispheres – Prelude, Cygnus X-1 Book One – The Voyage: Part 1, Drum Solo, Cygnus X-1 Book One – The Voyage: Part 3, Closer To The Heart, Xanadu, 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx/Presentation/Grand Finale
Encore: Lakeside Park, Anthem, What You’re Doing, Working Man
*Played at the Prudential Center only
**Played at Madison Square Garden only
Decorated in patriotic flags, cowboy hats, and crowds, FarmBorough Music Festival made a huge splash on Randall’s Island for its premier first year.
Spanning over three days, flocks of daisy-duke wearing dancers crowded the festival Main Stage and the up and coming ‘Next from Nashville’ tent to witness some of the best damn country music in New York City. Featured in this celebration of colors and covers was none other than headliners Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, and Luke Bryan. Though their sets proved to be quite responsive amongst their fans, the earlier sets throughout the day were equally as impressive in level of musicianship.
If there’s anything to learn from the opening day of FarmBorough, it’s that everyone should be a fan of Maddie & Tae. After living in Nashville in their teens to pursue music full-time, this duo of gals landed a record deal with Big Machine Label Group and transformed those girl power anthems you had in your childhood to raw rhythms of southern soul. Their song “Smoke” spoke to a hopeless relationship, and quite contrasted from their rather sassy tune “Sierra,” which was dedicated to a girl from their high school. Their hit single “Girl In A Country Song” launched their success throughout a very short year, and as they release more singles, they prove both their vocal technique and songwriting abilities as a team each time. The 2015 release of Start Here features a number of their great anthems, which the crowds were able to recite word-for-word. Their stage presence was energetic and memorable, and their cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” made a lot of young country girls happy.
While I’d say their take on a pop tune may have stole the show, many other acts came to follow with their own takes on songs, including Canaan Smith’s “Jealous” cover, originally by Nick Jonas. One of the most memorable covers came to be later on the evening, when Joe Nichols took the stage and covered The Band as well as Tom Petty. Throughout each of his originals, including “Hee Haw, ” “Sunny and 75,” and “Yeah,” it was nice to hear an occasional dash of classic rock hits. Continuing the cover trail was none other than Dustin Lynch, who did quite the spin on “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake in between his hit songs “She Cranks My Tractor” and “Where It’s At.” Randy Houser brought the crowd to a sentimental mood when he laid down an unexpected cover of “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith. Despite each artists’ great individual success, witnessing so many great cover songs brought a whole new style to each live set.
As anticipated, the crowd’s size and energy built as the headlining acts made their grand entrances. With Dierks Bentley’s giant curtain falling as he entered, each beer-infused fan made their voices heard amongst the Main Stage audience. Shortly after shotgunning a beer with a fan in the first row, Bentley shared his 2009 hit “Sideways” that made everyone dance in their thick cowboy boots. Ever since his release of the album Riser in 2014, he has made a country anthem out of hits like “Drunk On A Plane” and “5-1-5-0.” As the crowd maintained the same voltage of energy, Brad Paisley struck the stage on Saturday night with a variety of fan-adored songs from his most recent album, Moonshine In the Truck. His engagement with the crowd matched with the impressive technical abilities of the venue made his set a performance to remember.
The most impressive part of each headliner’s performance is that is stood out separately in each unique way. What I can say, however, is that every headliner’s set had to include a staple in country music: lots of beer. Luke Bryan closed out the weekend on Sunday night, where he made several toasts to the audience in celebration of a great weekend in music. As he dove into several of his greatest hits, such as “All My Friends Say” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” he truly pleased the crowd with his new single “Kick The Dust Up,” which only came out this past May.
Witnessing so many country superstars performing in the same space as lesser-known underground talent brought a new form of festival to Randall’s Island. We also shouldn’t forget that FarmBorough is the first three-day country music festival to ever hit New York City, which is quite a rare and random accomplishment. It was a truly rewarding experience to achieve the city bustle of concerts like Governor’s Ball, while enjoying and experiencing the music and culture of the South. Though their is no official word on what will take place in terms of next year, we’ll be frequently checking their website and hoping that next year will be as successful and memorable as their first run.
In what seemed to be at first a pre-taped video entrance, Al is seen starting off one of his latest songs, “Tacky,” just around the corner of The Cap, slowly making his way around the to the marquee in front (rendering some confusion in the drivers stopped at the nearby traffic light) and through some side alleys in a similar style to the 
It wouldn’t be a Weird Al show with at least a little bit of polka. His latest polka medley “Now That’s What I Call Polka” (an obvious play on the title of the Now That’s What I Call Music… series) took on “Wrecking Ball,” “Gangnam Style,” “Get Lucky,” and “Thrift Shop,” among a few others. For the younger folks in the crowd, this medley may have caught their attention more than his parody of an older song such as “Smells Like Nirvana.” It would have been fun to hear one of his earlier polka medleys toward the end of the show but there certainly wasn’t any disappointment in the set list.
He pulled something off this time which worked very well. Forming a semi-circle with his band armed with acoustic instruments and some candles for effect, he performed a medley of “Eat It,” “I Lost On Jeopardy,” “I Love Rocky Road,” and “Like A Surgeon” in a few easy-going cool styles. It was slightly confusing at first when Jim West (guitar) opened this run of songs with what sounded like Clapton’s 
The highlight of the night was also the most interactive …if you’d call testing the realm of personal space interactive. Walking out of the shadows of the stage with a swagger accentuated by his flame-licked shirt and pants, Al soon made his way through the isles of the orchestra seats singing”Wanna B Ur Lovr.” There wasn’t really a chance for people to get in a cell phone photo frenzy as everyone was too busy catching every moment of his serenade of a handful of the women in the audience.
Aside from the comedy appeal of the show, it was musically fulfilling as well. There were some occasional sound effect samples in the songs, but the band comprised of Jon Schwartz on drums, Steve Jay on bass, Jim West on guitar, and Rubén Valtierra on keys recreated the sounds of the original songs across several genres flawlessy without any cheese factor. Valtierra joined the band in 1991, but the other three were part of Al’s music/comedy recordings since at least the 1982 debut album. This goes to show that Weird Al’s shows are way more than just a solo performer backed by filler music.
The renowned guitarist behind Pink Floyd announced a new solo album last week, Rattle That Lock, and a four North America tour dates which went on sale the next day. The extraordinary response to that ticket sale brought about second chances for people to partake in the limited opportunity.
New York City, the latest festival announcement is imploring you, “Freak out! Let’s dance!” 
