Great music is good; great music for a cause is even greater. Just announced, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Beyoncé will play the 2015 Global Citizen Festival taking place on the Great Lawn of Central Park in the heart of Manhattan on Saturday Sept. 26.
The Global Citizen Festival is a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect our planet and end extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Citizen Festival will channel the power of hundreds of thousands of global citizens lending their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments that will shape the success of these Goals.
There was not one opportunity to let a yawn escape at the end of the work week for those at The Capitol Theatre on June 19. The evening saw (and heard) a complimentary match of sounds between neo-folk/soul newcomers Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear and the fiery duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. It was an evening of duos touring in support of new albums.
Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear opened the evening, their songs welcoming latecomers into the theater. Humble in their manners on-stage (they only made a brief mention of their Bonnaroo appearance the weekend before), the mother-son duo played with a remarkable amount of wholesomeness and soul. For most of the set it felt like The Cap had turned into the back porch on a warm, sunny summer evening; the music playing the sun out for the day. A little bit of heart, plenty of soul, harmony, and shared lead guitar parts left the room happy and appreciative for their set. Rightfully so, too: as a relatively unknown band in a brand new territory they made quite an impression given their status.
For Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero), The Cap may have been an unfamiliar stage but entirely a new audience, clear by the eruption of cheers as the lights dimmed and a silhouette of Rodrigo drifted to the center of the stage. Anticipation for the show seemed high since before their set while the PA ramped up in volume with canned tunes – there was no lapse as the anticipation converted to avidity.
Aside from the energy of the performance the set had a very casual feel, one of those cases where there is no barrier between the stage and audience. Rodrigo remarked between songs that they booked this 9 Dead Alive tour to play at places they haven’t been before and that they didn’t really have an agenda for the show. Yes, there was a set list taped to the stage floor but it was likely just a guide. They played to a few requests, including a medley of a few Metallica songs (which were heavy influences on the duo’s blended style), and an impromptu tease on “War Pigs” and a cover of “Creep” by Rodrigo as Gabriela made her way back on stage.
When we say there was no barrier between the stage and audience, it quite literally did not exist. It was a sort of rare sight at a venue like The Cap to see around 60 people freely invited to hang out on stage for the better half of the set (minus the encore), almost like the Band Bench that Jimmy Fallon had while he was still hosting Late Night. Rodrigo y Gabriela played just as much to the folks on stage (who of course did their best to sneak in some selfies) as to the rest of the theater.
Their skill in a dynamic range combined with an unrivaled stage chemistry had command over The Cap, engaging the audience in the music the entire time from the aggressive guitar duels to the quieter melodies Gabriela played by herself to mutterings of “shhhh” as the room fell silent. Even the metalheads, who probably first heard of Rodrigo y Gabriela from their cover of Metallica’s “Orion,” were fully behind the more intricate, melodic moments of the show.
For the majority of the people in attendance, it was their first time seeing either act live since Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear is a relatively new act and Rodrigo y Gabriela were making their first Port Chester appearance. The performances were remarkably impressionable; people praising what they heard as they strolled away along Westchester Ave.
The last time the band came through the Capitol Region, it played a sold out, hot and sweaty show at The Hollow in January, 2014, and expectations were high for their return. The four-piece band out of Baltimore didn’t disappoint and showed the crowd for almost an hour-and-a-half that rock and roll is still alive and well in today’s world of music.
“Sweat Shock,” “Take It As It Comes” and “Marigold” had the crowd fully engaged, dancing and jumping all over Jennings Landing. J. Roddy constantly swung his long hair violently as he played some old boogie-woogie style piano. With a quick wave of the hand to the crowd, the band exited the stage while the crowd chanted for more. Opening the evening was Avers, a six-piece band who shared singing duties among their members and jumped around the stage as if they were playing in front of thousands of people, instead of the couple of hundred that were there. The band tore through their dreamy indie rock sound for a quick 45-minute set that felt over far quicker. Both bands were absolutely fantastic and the free show was just mind blowing. The Alive at 5 concert series continues this week with Yonder Mountain String Band.
The band, seven strong, consumed the small stage at the Bug Jar. Colorful and wild patterns were projected onto the stage, painting them, their instruments and the white sheet they had taped up along the back wall. The sheet and the images served to transport the audience from their current reality into the reality of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, which as their name might imply, is not reality at all.
Minutes into the first song the tape succumbed and the sheet came down. The lights and darks of the projections remained, turning more into a light show than a projection. The music alone was enough to evoke the world they were creating.
Shifting between head-banging hectic rock and lilting psychedelic guitar jams, two drummers and the bassist held it all together, while three guitars and a fuzzed out harmonica pushed it forward. The music teetered on collapse but never fell over. Short blasts of rock gems like the Zappa-esque “Hot Wax” and punkish “Muckraker” were cushioned by long-winded psychedelia. “The River” off of the just released Quarters, was an infectious blend of Brubeck’s “Take Five” and The Doors “The End.” The Lizard Wizard meets the Lizard King. The show ended on a suite of songs off of their 2014 record I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, a continuous jam featuring a delicious fist-pumping beat, raging guitar leads and blasts of distorted harmonica and exclamatory screams.
The projection went off, the lights went on, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard ducked out the back door out to the street, and all of a sudden it was 1am on a Wednesday night. Reality returned.
Amid a barren, intimate stage at The Egg stood a wily old man, alone with his acoustic guitar, serenading the audience with his raspy, seasoned folk-style voice for nearly three hours on Tuesday night. David Crosby, the singer-songwriter best known for his work with The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, impressed with his ageless tone, playing songs across six different decades. His banter with the audience was terrific, as he made wise cracks about music reviewers and politicians, and reminisced about working with Neil Young.
Crosby made his general distaste for Young well known. When audience members cried out the name of Crosby’s former acquaintance and fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, he’d mock them, comparing their cries of “Neil” to the sound a peacock makes. Towards the end of the show when informally taking requests from the crowd, someone shouted “For What It’s Worth,” the iconic song of Young’s band Buffalo Springfield. Crosby didn’t let the teasing of his former nemesis get to him, as he scoffed, chuckled, and candidly replied, “You do know whose show you bought a ticket for, right?”
The 73-year-old Clausian figure spoke about how he thought history would remember music’s greatest songwriters as “crazy old Bob [Dylan] and Joni [Mitchell],” two of his heroes that he regarded as “poets.” After poking fun at Bob Dylan’s lackluster singing ability, he performed “For Free,” a cover of Mitchell’s. Crosby demonstrated his own lyrical prowess, however, singing songs about his 1982 stint in Texas prison and the corruption he sees in today’s politics.
At one point during his second set, David Crosby said, “I don’t like politics. Actually, that’s not true. I don’t like politicians.” Crosby went on to discuss how he felt like big business and corruption had overrun the government and threatened American democracy. One politician he claimed to be an exception to his general political stance, however, was the populist senator from Vermont and presidential nominee Bernie Sanders. “I like Bernie,” Crosby professed, drawing applause from the capacity crowd of about 1,400.
Crosby played two consecutive songs from his newest album, Croz, towards the end of his show. The music from his new album, produced by his son, were more upbeat than some of his older tunes, but had a similar kind of lyrical genius and the sophisticated strumming technique that Crosby has become almost synonymous with. Several of the songs he played during the show had an irregular string tuning, some of which gave the timbre of the piece a majestic or creepy aspect to it.
While Crosby may still be the same old, free-spirited, anti-establishment hippie that rose to stardom in music festivals in the 60’s, he also demonstrated that he can still captivate an audience in an acoustic environment–a difficult task for someone on the wrong side of 70. When he concluded his encore tune, his 1971 outlaw country ballad “Cowboy Movie,” he belted some of the final notes in his gritty upper register, nailing the notes in every definition of the word. While some artists’ voices deteriorate in their elder age, Crosby proved again that he has yet to reach that point.
July 10 – Rusty Old Guys
July 17 – Georgie Wonders Orchestra
July 24 – Back 40 Band
July 31 – Welcome home night
August 7 – Harmony Rocks
August 14 – Switch Band
August 21 – Three Quarter North
August 28 – Rymanowski Brothers
Sept. 11 – Al Bruno
Sept. 18 – Halfway to St Patty’s Day
Concerts on the Market
5 to 7 p.m. Fridays
June 12 – Frankie Lessard
June 19 – 2 Broads with Alotta Sound
June 26 – Double D
Sept. 18 – Fall Festival
Oct. 2 — Frankie Lessard
The rain location for all shows is Cohoes Music Hall. Stop down early for the Cohoes Farmer Market for an excellent selection of local foods and gifts starting at 4:00 p.m.
A healthy mix of forty-somethings and millennials populated the brewery Friday night as Saranac’s Summer Concert Series continued with Everclear’s annual 90’s alt-rock tour, Summerland 2015. This year’s edition features, along with Everclear, Toadies, Fuel and American Hi-Fi.
It was an early start to the day for Everclear’s leader Art Alexakis and guitarist Davey French, making the local media rounds on WKTV and local modern rock outlet WKLL’s morning show, simply known as The Show. Everclear is touring in support of its new album Black is the New Black, released in April.
Everclear’s acoustic performance on K-Rock from the 1888 Tavern at Saranac – Photo courtesy of Patrick Curley
If you’re a child of the 70s, you’ve grown up with some wild changes in the musical landscape. You’ve seen the disco era, the punk era, the prog-rock era and college rock. Hip Hop and rap came of age with you. Hair metal came and went as grunge plunged the knife into its Aqua-Netted heart in the early-90s.
With the advent of the grunge movement, came a slew of bands and musical styles that could not be easily categorized. When someone doesn’t fit neatly into a genre, new categories are created. The 90s movement became known as Alternative. Bands of the Alternative era of the mid-90s grew to fame playing package tours such as Lollapaloooza, HORDE and the Warped Tour. Everclear’s Summerland Tour draws upon this concept. In 2012, Portland, Oregon’s own created what, for some, may be seen as a nostalgia tour, employing many of the biggest names of the mid-90s on the bill each year. The 2015 edition of the Summerland Tour brought four of these bands to the Saranac Brewery in Utica for a night of nostalgia and pure rock and roll.
American Hi-Fi kicked off the show, rolling through a quick set of their most popular hits, including “Flavor of the Weak.” The video for the song offers a parody of the classic documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot. American Hi-Fi delivered a solid rocking set that gave the early arriving fans a taste of what was to follow.
Another Perfect Day
The Art of Losing
Flavor of the Weak
Wall of Sound
Stacy Jones and Drew Parsons of American Hi-Fi having fun on stage
This reviewer’s most anticipated band of the night was Toadies, who followed American Hi-Fi. They certainly didn’t disappoint. Toadies, a straight-up Texas rock and roll band led by Vaden Todd Lewis, played a high-energy set which also included a couple of roadies joining in on percussion during “I Burn.” Lewis’ lyrical style may be considered a bit creepy by some, and perhaps that’s why I’ve become such a fan. Lewis’ voice and enthusiasm hasn’t changed since my first time witnessing them at the inaugural K-Rock-a-Thon 20 years ago. This fan-shot video from Friday shows Lewis at his best.
Rattler’s Revival
Backslider
Happy Face
Push the Hand
Mexican Hairless
I Come from the Water
In the Belly of a Whale
I Burn
Possum Kingdom
Tyler
Lewis offered two options for the final song, “Away” and “Tyler.” The overwhelming choice from the crowd was “Tyler.”
Toadies setlist edited by Vaden Todd Lewis to show the audience’s choice of ‘Tyler’ as the closer.
Fuel, now with a revamped line-up from its early-2000s edition, followed Toadies with a set infused with its alt-rock radio hits that had the Saranac crowd singing along, culminating with their biggest hit, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands).”
Fuel’s setlist:
Untitled
Time for Me to Stop
Bad Day
Shimmer
Puppet Strings
Soul to Preach To
Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
Brett Scallions delivering an awesome performance to Utica
Festival hosts, Everclear finished off the night with a set heavy on the hits as well as two new songs, “The Man Who Broke His Own Heart” and “American Monster.” Band leader Art Alexakis’ stock in trade is life experiences in his lyrics. Many of the band’s biggest songs are biographical in nature and Alexakis doesn’t shy away from speaking about these experiences. That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that the man knows how to host a rock show. Alexakis knows the fans want to hear the hits and he didn’t disappoint. The show came to a close as members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel joined Everclear on stage for a rousing sing-along of Everclear’s “Santa Monica.” At one point during the finale, there were at least ten musicians on stage, with Fuel’s Brett Scallions and Everclear’s Alexakis trading vocal duties and sending the Saranac crowd home hoarse.
Everclear’s Early Acoustic Set Live on WKTV:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Everything To Everyone
Early Acoustic Set Live on K-Rock:
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Evening Set at Saranac Brewery:
So Much for the Afterglow
Everything To Everyone
Heroin Girl
You Make Me Feel Like a Whore
American Monster
The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
Wonderful
Father of Mine
I Will Buy You A New Life
Encore:
Santa Monica (with members of American Hi-Fi and Fuel)
Everclear headlined the Summerland 2015 show at the Brewery
These four bands may not have seen their songs hit the charts in recent years, but the music they play is timeless rock and roll. There was a feeling of nostalgia in the air but there was also a let-loose feeling of a genuine rock show that belies the recent Billboard charts. Alexakis’ goal with this tour is to get the rock to the people and that is exactly what he accomplished Friday night. Everclear will be back in the area for a 2pm free show at Chevy Court during the New York State Fair on August 27th.
The Saranac Summer Concert Series continues to be one of the best tickets in the area. Upcoming events include Dark Star Orchestra, Slightly Stoopid and Zappa Plays Zappa in addition to their weekly Saranac Thursday outings. The brewery has made an effort to bring in top notch bands as well as ensuring the shows are finished at a time when concert-goers can still hit up the bars of the Brewery District for some post-show fun.
Mike Gordon is not your typical man. And when left to his own devices, things can get quite Gordon-y. The Phish bassist’s solo band made a stop in Baldwinsville, just outside Syracuse, at Paper Mill Island. The amphitheater resides on a small parcel nestled between the Erie Canal and the town center, tucked back behind an inn and a canal lock. If you blinked you might miss it. A perfectly weird spot for the perfectly weird Gordon. It was the band’s first outdoor show. As Gordon announced, “it’s nice to be out.” Though in the end, it might have been better to stay in. From the imagination of Mike Gordon, this outside out show featured a whole lot of visual enhancements, most of which were lost in the summer sun.
Mike Gordon Band – Papermill Island
The stage was almost entirely black. All of the instruments were either black or draped in black. The musicians were dressed in black with slight variation. Gordon wore deep red jeans, and his shirt was more of a dark grey. Once you went down the rabbit hole of noticing these details, you noticed it all seemed to be meticulously coordinated. Drummer John Kimock wore a striped shirt that perfectly matched the colors of Gordon’s jeans and shirt for instance. But why Gordon’s nails were painted white I couldn’t say. Scott Murawski‘s guitar and Gordon’s bass were custom made with LED lights in the neck that reflected through the bodies. Seeing them in action was somewhat reminiscent of the early 90’s Phish backdrops painted by Gordon’s mother. The walls displayed constantly moving graphics while lights lined the floor were flashing and spraying more color across stage. There was a lot to take in visually once the sun went down.
Additionally, there was a large interactive keyboard lining the front of the stage. When the keys lit up, audience members were able to hit the keys and play along with the band. After a very brief appearance in the first set, the keyboard came alive for most of a late-second-set version of “Voices.” (video below) The keys would light up in sections giving different audience members a chance to jam. Aurally, the results were mixed, but in person it was a boatload of fun.
This tour saw the additions of Robert Walter on keys and John Kimock on drums in Gordon’s band. Both members slid right into their roles with nary a hiccup. The band was tight and grooving every step of the way. And every song jammed. With lesser musicians this formula can grow tiresome, but with this outfit, it only got more interesting the further they went. They played a smattering of Gordon originals, a couple of Phish tunes, and a few covers to round it out.
The covers, two in particular, stood out as clear highlights of the night. Their take on the Flaming Lips’ “Are You a Hypnotist” started with excellent playing through the song portion, and dripped slowly into a oozing spacey jam while a Tron-esque bright green grid was projected along the walls. It was a “wow” moment, as the music went places I hadn’t thought possible from this side project. Then, to close the set, the band took on Here We Go Magic’s “How Do I Know.” The sunny and bright song burst out into a rocking jam driven by some relentless work by Walter and Kimock. The covers were so good, perhaps it pointed out a weakness of this band: songwriting. That said, Mike Gordon knows how to put on a thoroughly fun show that is both musically and visually engaging. I’m still smiling.
Setlist
Set 1: Different World > Another Door, Surface, Here Today, Say Something, Looking For Clues, Spock’s Brain > Different World
Set 2: Jones > Take It As It Comes, Sugar Shack, Normal Phoebe, Are You A Hypnotist, Voices, Face, How Do I Know
Beth Hart and band opened for Gary Clark Jr. for day six of Xerox Rochester’s International Jazz Festival.
Hart took the stage before a sold out audience at Kodak Hall and promptly ripped into a set filled with emotion driven rock and roll. Showcasing stunning vocals reminiscent of Joplin and a “for real” backing band, Hart flipped back and forth between exploring the stage and sitting at a piano. Also a storyteller at heart, she shared the backgrounds of her songs — many of which were stories of her family and a life filled with challenges — the ultimate recipe for some top notch blues.
https://youtu.be/kM_jtJZR-Cw
Rochester Beth Hart is touring in support of her latest release Better Than Home.
The second day of Hunter Mountain’s Taste Of Country Music Festival began with clear blue skies, and scorching summer heat as the sun beat down heavily on the venue and fairgrounds. Although it was hot, the weather was still great for a festival atmosphere, and definitely beat the rain and lightening that had caused delays during day one.
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Fans in attendance flocked to the food stands for delicious cold ice cream, beer and lemonade that provided a refreshing reprieve from the hot weather. While some quickly found and claimed spots in the venue that provided both shade and a decent view of the stage, others embraced the heat, laying out blankets and beach chairs along the  rolling hills of the mountain to bask in the sun and listen to an incredible lineup of country music stars. The ski lift was also up and running, carrying fans up and down the mountain to admire the beautiful views, stunning landscapes of the Catskill Mountains. A second day lineup that included Amanda Watkins, Jackson Michelson, Chase Bryant, Tracy Lawrence, Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, and headliner Tim McGraw had Hunter Mountain rocking from noon until well into the night.
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Newcomer Chase Bryant’s set came around 3:00pm right in the peak of the day’s heat, but that didn’t stop from putting on a high energy set, or the fans from showing up in droves to enjoy it. Though has only released one project so far in his burgeoning career, Bryant is gaining momentum in the industry with his stylish good looks, skill on the guitar and unique vocals. With his perfectly styled hair, Ray Bans, and undeniable confidence, Bryant certianly made an impact on the festival goers at Hunter Mountain. Fans broke out the beach balls, bouncing them throughout the crowd as Bryant performed songs from his self-titled debut EP as well as several notable covers. From his EP, the carefree “Jet Black Pontiac” was a definite crowd pleaser, and the romantic “Change Your Name” delighted many of the female fans in the audience in particular, while “Wayfarer Weather” was incredibly appropriate relatable on this sunny day. The yearning and heartfelt “Little Bit Of You” had a sound reminiscent to a past Rascal Flatts song, (especially at the beginning of the chorus) and was released as his second single. The track is enjoyable as a love song that is still uptempo and fun.
Easton Corbin – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Bryant also took the time to cover Steve Miller Band’s well known song “The Joker,” as as well as The Doobie Brothers “Takin It To The Streets.” Throughout his time on stage, Bryant continually made time for several of his shredding guitar solos to take center stage, proving himself as a talented instrumentalist and performer. He closed his set with his well known debut single and top ten hit “Take It On Back” a nostalgic and hook driven track that evokes memories of a lost, whirlwind love of the past.Fans couldn’t help but belt out the chorus of this catchy tune that was the perfect closer to Bryant’s impressive set.
Easton Corbin – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Easton Corbin was next to take the stage. With his abundant charm, country boy good looks and deep vocals featuring a classic country twang, Corbin had no problem captivating the crowd with a more traditional country sound than many of his peers in the industry. Armed with a variety of hits, Corbin came on stage to the narration of the “So God Made A Farmer Commercial” a nod to all of the work he has done to support small, family owned farms and farmers. He opened with “Clockwork” an honest relatable track that was the debut single from his upcoming album About To Get Real, which comes out on June 30th. The lighthearted “Loving You Is Fun” refreshingly featured a fiddle, as do many of Corbin’s songs. Covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy, and Kenny Chesney’s “She Think’s My Tractor’s Sexy” followed snippets of Michael Jackson, Metallica and TLC songs, as Corbin demonstrated to the crowd the the difference in musical taste had from many of his friends while growing up. As you can probably guess, Corbin was influenced by many traditional country artists, songs, instruments and sounds, and that influence is readily apparent in his music today, planting him firmly in juxtaposition with many other, modern artists in mainstream country music and radio. As yet another demonstration of those who influenced his sound Corbin performed a cover of Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink.”
Billy Currington – Taste of Country Festival 2015
Corbin slowed things down with the title track from his upcoming album, and his first #1 hit and fan favorite “A Little More Country Than That.” He picked up the pace a bit with performances of laid back jam and hit single “Roll With It” and current single “Baby Be My Love Song,” a surefire future hit that is already gaining momentum fast. Corbin closed his set with the feel good “All Over The Road,” letting delighted fans carry the chorus towards the end of the song.
Taste of Country Festival 2015
Billy Currington was the second to last performer of the night, providing direct support for Tim McGraw’s headlining set. As his set began, so did the sunset, creating a watercolor painted sky against as a backdrop for the stage and the surrounding mountains. With nine #1 hits (and a total of 17 top 40 singles) in his back pocket, Currington has been a consistent hit-maker and popular artist in the country genre since his self-titled debut album in 2003. With a very “down home”, and relatable style, Currinton’s music resonates with a wide range of fans, and avoids alienating different demographics of listeners. Currington opened with “I Got A Feeling” before really getting the crowd involved with fan favorites “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” and the humorous “Pretty Good At Drinking Beer.”
Currington kept the party going with “Hey Girl’ a #1 hits from his 2013 album, We Are Tonight. He also featured several songs from his new album Sumer Forever, including #1 debut single “Don’t It,” and current single “Drinkin’ Town With A Football Problem.” He rounded out his set with a pair of sexy #1 singles “Must Be Doing Something Right” and “Let Me Down Easy.” He closed his set with anthemic, carefree #1 single “We Are Tonight,” a track that was penned by fellow country artist Sam Hunt. Fans bellowed the chorus out excitedly as Currington left the stage. The curly haired hit-maker returned to the stage with an an “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars) cover for an encore, which had fans from the bottom of the stage to the top of the mountain on their feet singing and dancing along.
When darkness had finally fallen upon Hunter Mountain, it was time for headliner Tim McGraw, one of the biggest names in music to take the stage for his set. It doesn’t matter if you listen to country music or not, if you don’t know of McGraw, you might be living under a rock.
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
With ten #1 albums, twenty-seven #1 singles, three Grammy Awards, the highest grossing tour in the history of country music (and top 5 all genre), McGraw is one of the most successful artists in all of music. His signature cowboy hat tight t-shirt look, deep and relatable songs, distinguishable vocals and out of this world charisma have gained McGraw legions on loyal fans who flock to his concerts all around the country and world, and eat up whatever music that he releases. The atmosphere for McGraw’s set was unbelievable. With rowdy and loud fans packed from right in front of the stage to up the sloping hills of the mountain as far as the eye can see, the view from the stage must have been an incredible sight. I somehow found a spot pretty close to the front with a food view of the stage, and along with everyone else, I was packed in like a sardine. McGraw played hit after hit after hit for a thunderous, loud and enthusiastic crowd who knew every song word for word.
Opening with a humorous redneck anthem “Truck Yeah” McGraw riled up the already rowdy crowd from the first song. Older classics like “Where The Green Grass Grows,” “Down On The Farm,” and the rousing “I Like It, I Love It” which garnered some of the loudest fan sing-a-long sections of the night during the choruses, reminded the crowd of McGraw’s incredible longevity in the entertainment industry and the timelessness of his music. His songs, lyrics and artistic style, both new and old continue to resonate with fans, radio and critics even after more than three decades of success. The sweet and nostalgic “Something Like That” and “Southern Girl” a recent hit that drips with southern pride, are both hook driven fan favorites that thrilled those in attendance as they bellowed out the lyrics along with McGraw. Two more recent and well known hits “One of Those Nights” and “Felt Good On My Lips” enticed the crowd before slower tracks “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools,” and “Shotgun Rider” took center stage. He cranked the guitars up once again with the cheeky “Real Good Man.”
Tim McGraw – Taste of Country Festival
McGraw praised his backing band early and often, stating that one could travel all over the world and still not discover a group as talented and dependable as his. It is wonderful to see a star of his level appreciate the musicians that have his back night in and night out on the road, and allow him to find success in job that he loves every day. After a brief exit, McGraw returned to the stage for an encore, where he performed a notable cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” and his ow hit “Mexicoma.” With the mountain at a fever pitch, McGraw closed his set with the timeless classic “Live Like You Were Dying” which had fans in a frenzy from those packed in front of the stage to the thousands spread out among the hills behind them. As it turned out, McGraw’s headline performance the festival in it’s entirety both set attendance records for the Taste of Country Music Festival at Hunter Mountain, an impressive feat considering the superstars who have graced the same stage before him.
As an incredible Saturday of country music came to a close, fans streamed out of the venue still with much to look forward to on Sunday, with a lineup featuring headliner Toby Keith.
VIP tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster. The rest of the festival is free but ticketed. Free entries into a ticket draw are earned through a series of actions to help end extreme poverty
Minutes into the first song the tape succumbed and the sheet came down. The lights and darks of the projections remained, turning more into a light show than a projection. The music alone was enough to evoke the world they were creating.
Crosby made his general distaste for Young well known. When audience members cried out the name of Crosby’s former acquaintance and fellow 
