NYS Music 20​15

Category: Regions

  • North Country Mourns Rick Davies

    A pillar of the North Country music scene, trombonist Rick Davies succumbed to a long battle with cancer last week.

    “Rick was a mentor, an amazing musician and a very close friend,” said Lowell Wurster, percussionist of Plattsburgh-based funk/rock act Lucid. “His music and his crazy stories will live on forever.”

    Since 2008, Davies had been the chair of the music department at SUNY Plattsburgh. But, he was so much more than that. As modest as he was talented, many didn’t know of his past work, where he lived more than one life before he ever set foot in Clinton County.

    “His impact on the local and global music community will never be forgotten,” said Lucid saxophonist Jamie Armstrong. “I studied under Rick for six years. He breathed life into music. His compositions just flowed out of him, and he taught with that same fluidity.”

    Originally from New Mexico, Davies bounced around America for decades, performing, recording and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music, from Michael Jackson to Blondie, Mya to Wyclef Jean (to which he appeared on a VH-1 Storytellers episode with Jean and the Refugee All-Stars). With his heart and soul primarily aimed at Latin and jazz music, Davies released numerous albums throughout his bountiful and joyous career, most notably “Salsa Nortena” which went on to win the 2012 Independent Music Award for “Best Latin Recording.”

    But, for all of us who knew him personally in the North Country, he was much more than just a great musician, he was a beloved member of our community.

    “He was a great friend and mentor” Armstrong said. “I can’t imagine my life unfolding the way it has without his influence and encouragement.”

    “He would call and check up on my father during his hard times, and we did the same with Rick during his — he was much more than just a family friend, he was family,” Wurster added. “He will be deeply missed, with his passing a loss for people of many cultures all over the world.”

    And, for me personally, coming home will never be the same without running into Rick. Whether it was cheering him on as he led the Adirondack Jazz Orchestra at Olive Ridley’s, onstage at some bar with Lucid or during the annual Mayor’s Cup, or simply coasting through another beautiful set at Irises, that trademark sly grin will always be remembered fondly.

    Each and every time I would visit home, I’d find myself at Meron’s for a game of pool and cold Labatt Blue. Like clockwork, Davies and his wife, Karen, would be sitting at the far end of the counter, smiles all around. He’d always ask what I was up to, how the music journalist gig was going, and would speak excitedly about whatever project he was currently working on, how “incredible these kids I’m working with are.”

    Rick Davies loved life, which was showcased in his emotional playing, his sincere passion to teach and share the craft and camaraderie that resides solely in music.

    And for that, we loved him.

    https://vimeo.com/129144972

  • Hearing Aide: The Turnpike Troubadours Self-Titled Album

    The Turnpike Troubadours, hailing from middle America (Tahlequah, OK, to be exact), offer listeners genuine heartfelt lyrics over the backdrop of perfectly balanced old-timey, twangy instruments that are heavy on the fiddle and pedal steel guitar. This band epitomizes Americana music at its best, which at times is reminiscent of the Avett Brothers and Robert Earl Keen, and while this style might not be a favorited genre amongst music fans, the Turnpike Troubadours just might help the category gain a few converts.

    Comprised of lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Evan Felker, bassist R.C. Edwards, fiddler Kyle Nix, pedal steel and electric guitarist Ryan Engleman and drummer Gabe Pearson, the Turnpike Troubadours’ self-titled fourth album pulls listeners in right from the first track with the five-member outfit’s driving beats and Midwestern drawl. Each member of the band is individually talented, but when joined together to perform as a group, they create a sonic vibe that is uniquely all their own with country-rock and roots characteristics.

    Amy Lieberman - Turnpike Troubadours (2)

    The 12-track Turnpike Troubadours has an organic sound, with the band basically recording until they got it right. Listening to the album makes you feel like you’re at a barn dance in rural America, particularly on a couple of tunes, including “Easton and Main” and “7 Oaks,” during which one can practically picture a country line dance happening.

    Although the tunes may have an uplifting and catchy sound, if listened to carefully many of the lyrics are a bit dismal, particularly on “Fall Out of Love,” which will really hit a nerve with those who have experienced such a situation. Perhaps the most appealing element of the album is that the songs make the band members seem accessible and real, spinning tales that are universally applicable and played over melodies and rhythms that are easy to get into.

    Formed in 2005, the Turnpike Troubadours have gained quite the following over the years, commonly drawing thousands of people to shows in their home state and nearby Texas. Hopefully they will bring the party to New York State, because it would be hard to picture having a bad time at one of their shows, but for now, you’ll just have to settle for their latest album.

    Key Tracks: “7 Oaks,” “The Bird Hunter,” “Fall Out of Love”

  • Party Tube Presents “A Very Burghy Christmas”

    Party Tube from Plattsburgh has a new holiday tune for this season, a fun and cynical look at the doom and gloom that Christmas brings to some in the North Country of NY. “A Very Burghy Christmas” was written by Kevin Lewis (guitar, vocals) alongside Sean Godreau (bass, percussion) and Justin Schultz  (guitar, percussion, vocals).

    Party Tube formed in 2014 on the shore of Lake Champlain and have quickly become a North Country mainstay. The group plans on hitting the studio to work on their debut album in early 2016. Download the track here.

  • Recap: Space Carnival and Lucid at The Hollow, December 4

    As the year begins to draw to a close, local and regional acts may stick closer to home, bringing out friends and fans to end of the year celebrations and final shows before a break around the holidays. December in Upstate New York in particular leads to a great number of bands playing club shows for one last hurrah before starting anew in January.

    Starting out this evening was Space Carnival, a four piece band from Oneonta. With a flowing vibe through their set and command of the audience’s energy, they wove in and out of originals and covers with smooth transitions and improvisation with a balanced approach. Opening with a flowing and spacey “2001”, the segue into original “Filth” made it tough to discern where “2001” began and “Filth” began, as the songs crossed over musically with finesse. Bassist Chris Meier is a next generation Jesse Miller (Lotus) even though he admits to not having drawn any influence from him; the high pluck of his bass marked the start of a transition into four-on-the-floor dance propulsion at multiple occurrances throughout the set

    “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco” found guitarist Jeremy Kraus and keyboardist Cameron Fitch syncing up for a deep groove that transitioned smoothly into “Shakedown Street”, a choice cover on the 50th anniversary of the first ever Grateful Dead show. “Moonboots” had a feel of Ominous Seapods mixed with a dash of Disco Biscuits as they shifted seamlessly into progressive sections. “Entre the Giants” features a Talking Heads vibe, which aided in the build towards the Heads’ “Stay Hungry”, where Meier set the tone with assurance, Kraus dropped an “Inspector Gadget” tease, with various eruptions out of each shift, using the bursts of energy towards a strong build. With an IndieGoGo campaign for their first studio album, Space Carnival is an exciting live show from start to finish.

    Setlist: 2001 -> Filth, Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco > Shakedown Street > Moonboots, Entre the Giants > Stay Hungry > Regal Krad

    Kings of the North Country, Lucid, gave The Hollow crowd two musical cornucopia sets that covered all the bases of blues, rock, jam, soul and funk. “Bangers and Hash” kicked the night off with speedy soul and dips of reggae, followed by “San Pedro,” with Lowell Wurster’s vocals driven in step by the beat from the wooden blocks. Meadow Eliz, who has performed with Lucid on a few occasions, and is quite an accomplished artist, joined the group for a pair of songs, “Despots” and “Gemini Eye,” adding quite impressive vocals to familiar tunes.

    “Po Man’s Blues” kicked off Set 2 and things kept rocking with “Blessed and Cursed” and the fan favorite “Whisky Dreams.” A cover of the Clash’s “Clampdown” took a few by surprise, while “Dirt”, off their latest album of the same name balanced out the Brit Rock. Among the many highlights in this set was the stand out performance of “Silhouettes,” featuring Jamie Armstrong on saxaphone, a full rocker with strong keys. Bassist Chris Shacklett took to the mic for the penultimate song of the evening, the always enjoyable “Debra,” with Chris hitting every high note seemingly effortlessly. There was little left to ask for on this incredible evening of music from New York bands both new and old.

    Set 1: 4 Bangers and Hash, San Pedro, Miles Deep, Psychedelic Circus, Lucky Dice, Mind Trippin, Despots*, Gemini Eye* > Ancient Incantations, Ground on up, Whoa Mamma, On My Knees

    Set 2: Po Man’s Blues, Blessed and Cursed, Whiskey Dreams, Black Smoke, Clampdown (Clash Cover), Dirt, Came and Went > Silhouettes, Boats, Backwoods, ***Debra (Beck Cover), Crazy Fucked up World***
    * with Meadow Eliz

  • Hearing Aide: Kimberly Schad “Mystic Kingdom”

    Kimberly Schad debuted her new self-produced, four-song EP, Mystic Kingdom, Friday evening at The Palace Theater, bookending her eighteen song set with the tracks from the new release. In this case I saw the concert before listening to the EP, it gave insight to the formal version and how Kimberly sees the music in a bigger picture.

    Kimberly Schad Mystic Kingdom
    Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

    She is an artist who has complete control over her music and how it’s presented. In the studio she handles all facets of the project, from vocals, piano, keys, to programming, mixing and producing, besides one tasty guitar track on “Secret” from Kevin Farrell (Hard Promises, The Hurricanes). Live, the lush stage production and instrumental ensemble represent her complete vision.

    Her backing band consisted of her long-time partner Will Masiclat – keyboards, sampling and video, Travis Reed – piano, Andrew Greacen – guitar, Jim Lucas – drums and Gary Lucas – percussion. All of this tied together with her father, Tim Schad, mixing F.O.H. and her uncle, Steve Schad, as L.D.. The stage was set with flowing white drapes, an elevated, spinning riser at the center with an antique chaise lounge and access ramps on each side dressed in white. Dozens of moving light fixtures cast their colors in dramatic scenes accentuating the setting combined with a rich, full mix of ear candy for the highly receptive crowd that assembled. All of the songs performed were Kimberly’s compositions with the exception of four covers that will be noted along the way.

    Kimberly Schad Mystic Kingdom
    Photo by Sandra Jackson for Sublunar Studios and NYS Music

    The show and EP opener, “Secret” has a Spanish note and feel, brought to bear through the acoustic performed by Andrew Greacen and the drums/percussion/sampling. Her vocal reading gives many hints at what was to come from her in both the concert and the EP. She has a tremendous grasp on what she feels, believes and practices. “After Midnight” is deep and proggy, while flexing her R&B and trip-hop chops. The breadth of Kimberly’s lyrical content becomes evident even more here, as she often does, speaking from her soul, deeply.

    “Dirty/Money” features the piano of Travis Reed, a voice we’d hear from often through the show, a brilliant young talent who played as if he wrote the material. A deft touch with ease and a knack for the open spaces. Kimberly mixes in a taste of Drake’s “Star 67”, the code on your phone used to block your number when dialing someone. Stalker? Joker? You decide. The next song is one I’ve been told the background story for and it has twisted my listening a bit since. “Nothing But a Bitch” is a biting send-off to emotional attachment delivered with an appropriate bitch-slap. “Where R U Now?” was the first cover of the evening, the Skrillex/Diplo collab. featuring Justin Bieber is given a fittingly electro-pop read and hits right in her sweet spot.

    Following a costume change, Kimberly took to the piano, solo, where her art truly comes from. Hitting on yet another mark of professionalism, that being the whole picture, the aesthetic, were well looked after. “Afterglow Confessions” is a post-show expression of love and emotion toward her muse. These moments directly after baring your soul to an audience can be some of the most reflective to an artist. One of the highlights of a show filled with them, this one stands out clearly. Travis took the stage again for Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece, “All Is Fair In Love” with more than a hint of Jennifer Hudson’s take on it. Immaculately executed, Kimberly’s voice and Travis’ piano brought the crowd to a height of exuberance, it was simply brilliant. “Look Outside” and “Twice,” a Little Dragon cover, stayed in the piano/voice form, lending clarity to the vocals and space to the piano, both flourishing within it.

    “When I Think Of You,” “Might As Well Be Magic,” and “Solid Ground,” all being from Kimberly’s deep repertoire, grow and develop with time and perspective. They’re reflective of her maturing as an artist and a person, it’s remarkable to behold. “Two Weeks,” the final cover of the night, this time by FKA twigs, is emblematic of where she is now. Dream Pop, Trip-Hop, Prog R&B, Trap Nouveau, way too many different influences to pin-point, which is probably thee point.

    “Fly” and “See Your Face” lead us to the final two songs of the night expressing more themes from her life. She exhibits her behind the scenes skills in tracking, sampling and triggers that become pillars of her compositions. It shows in every note. “One More Time” marks Greacen’s chance to bring his electric guitar to the ensemble, he does it well, perhaps a bit under the mix, but layering textures is what it’s all about. I’d like to hear more of him. The closer, “Mystic Kingdom”, is a signature piece that is perfect in its placement and character. It sums up much of what the performance was about and what we have to look forward to from Ms. Schad.

    While Mystic Kingdom is Kimberly’s first officially released EP, it’s apparent that there is much more to be heard from her. She has plenty of material for two full length albums and her skills as a writer, performer, producer and engineer are growing in giant steps. Her consciousness toward the larger picture and vision are strengths many will never enjoy. At twenty-six, she has a very long way to go and all of the faculties to get her there. Congratulations on the magnificent work and we cannot wait to hear and see what comes next.

    The EP is available for purchase on iTunes and CDbaby and can be streamed on Spotify.

    Setlist: Secret, After Midnight, Dirty/ Money, Nothing But A Bitch, Where R U Now? (Skrillex/Diplo), Afterglow Confessions, All Is Fair In Love (Wonder), Look Outside, Twice (Little Dragon), When I Think Of You, Might As Well Be Magic, Solid Ground, Two Weeks (FKA twigs), Fly, See Your Face, One More Time, Mystic Kingdom

    You can see many videos of the songs performed in earlier concerts on Kimberly’s Youtube page, and keep up with her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

  • Robert Trujillo Premiers “JACO” for RSD Black Friday 2015 in Syracuse

    Many people associate the madness that is Black Friday with people waiting in extremely long lines, sometimes even camping out, to get the hottest items of the year at the best bargain prices. Typically the main events happen at malls and big box stores and end up being the centerpiece of the 5 o’clock news. I, however, associate Black Friday with an event that is a quintessential experience for devotees of vinyl record collecting: Record Store Day.

    Chris Besaw Robert Trujillo 14

    Syracuse is fortunate enough to be the home of Soundgarden, an amazing independent record store. Soundgarden is one of the hosts of Black Friday Record Store Day, a day that boasts rare and unique music releases primarily on vinyl, but other formats are included in the celebration as well. One of the special releases this year was a documentary film that highlights the life and death of Jazz musician Jaco Pastorius. The film was directed by Paul Merchand and Stephen Kikak and was co-produced by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and John Battsek of Passion Pictures.

    Robert Trujillo has been on the road promoting the release of the film and made a stop at Soundgarden on Black Friday Record Store Day. Trujillo signed copies of the film, took photos and chatted with a long line of fans. Anyone who purchased a copy of the film at Soundgarden received a wristband for the meet and greet. The purchase also included tickets to a premier screening of JACO and a question and answer session with Robert Trujillo at the Palace Theater that evening.

    The event at the Palace Theater was packed with fans. It kicked off with a very heartwarming introduction by Frank Malfitano Executive Director of Syracuse’s Jazz fest of over 30 years. Michael Massurin Executive Director of Syracuse International Film festival and Soundgarden owner Bryan Burkert were also in attendance. Robert Trujillo provided a brief history of how the idea for the documentary was conceived, including the process and some of the highs and lows during production.

    The film explores the life of Jaco Pastorious from his childhood through his rise to fame as the world’s greatest bass player to his tragic and early death in 1987. The film also explores the sad reality for many people who suffer from mental health issues. During the time that Jaco was alive the reality was that the issues were mainly ignored and written off and there was no effective treatment in place for mental health disorders.
    After the film ended, Robert spent some time with fans answering questions about Jaco, his journey making the film, what happened to his famous “bass of doom” and one exuberant fan managed to sneak in the question many Syracuse fans have been wondering “when is Metallica, coming back to Syracuse?” to which Robert smiled and stated, “Well, let us finish working on the new record and I will see if I can get all of us here.”
    It was great to see so many musicians and music fans of all genres come out to this event. It truly shows how supportive the Syracuse music scene is of all music types! I hope to see more events like this take place here in the near future.

     [FinalTilesGallery id=’548′]

  • Unknown Blues Band Not so Unknown

    Nectar’s, the mecca of Vermont’s music scene celebrated it’s 40th birthday with a re-union of the Unknown Blues Band which also marked the tenth anniversary of the passing of bandleader Big Joe Burrell. This famed band reunited with it’s crack Kilimanjaro brilliant core of Paul Asbell on guitar, Chas Eller on organ, Tony Markellis on bass, Lucas Adler on drums with Terry Younk and Dave Grippo on saxophone. They were joined vocally by soul man Dave Keller and the stellar Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson as well as honored harmonica hosts Charlie Frazier and Bob Stannard. It was a night of great music recalling the past songs of Big Joe Burrell with shakes and solos to a crowd that swung to the groove and called for more.

    unknown blues bandBig Joe and the Unknown Blues Band first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and then toured the world in the 1990’s as well as backing up the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield. Musical celebrities passing through Burlington would frequently join the band such as B.B. King and Betty Carter.

    An association formed with Phish guitarist’s Trey Anastasio, who said he moved to Burlington largely because of the Unknown Blues Band and the quality of live music they put out. Paul Asbell, the UBB guitarist’s became Trey’s guitar teacher, and later on bassist Tony Markellis began playing with Trey in Trey Anastasio Band and keyboardist Chas Eller partnered with Trey at his personal recording studio, The Barn.

    After this great show, people are hoping that the UBB will be back on the scene and bringing the blues back to Burlington and beyond.

  • Scott Weiland Dead at 48

    The rock world is sad, shocked, heartbroken, but not entirely surprised by the news that Scott Weiland, former singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver and most recently frontman for Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts, was found dead on the band’s tour bus in Minnesota.

    According to the announcement on his Facebook page, Weiland died in his sleep :

    Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while…

    Posted by Scott Weiland on Thursday, December 3, 2015

    Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro first tweeted the news around midnight eastern time. Navarro has since deleted  his tweet.

    TMZ and radio station KNAC reported that the band was scheduled to play a 9 p.m. gig at the Medina Ballroom in Medina, Minnesota tonight but was canceled when Weiland was found unresponsive on the band’s tour bus by his manager.

    scott weiland dead
    Wildabouts guitarist Jeremy Brown died earlier this year at the age of 34

    Smoky Mountain News reporter Garret K. Woodward interviewed Weiland two weeks ago in one of the singer’s final interviews. He ominously opened his article:

    Catch him if you can. For the better part of the last 25 years, Scott Weiland has been a moving target within the music industry. Lightning struck twice for the singer, as a front man for both Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, two of the most successful rock acts in the modern era. And yet, with success, comes a price.

    Apparently, the ultimate price came tonight. Cause of death has not been confirmed, but Weiland has had a long history of substance abuse problems.

    Weiland, whose deep vocals were often compared to those of Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the ’90s grunge band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland formed the band with brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo. STP saw much success with Weiland at the helm, including radio hits like “Interstate Love Song,” “Big Empty” and “Vasoline.” STP’s debut album, Core, rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and in 1994, their album Purple, reached No. 1.

    After a tumultuous departure from Stone Temple Pilots, he went on to front the supergroup Velvet Revolver, which included former Guns N’ Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan and former Cult and GnR drummer Matt Sorum. Weiland released two albums with the band.

    Weiland had long suffered from substance abuse issues. In 1995 Weiland was sentenced to probation after being arrested for buying crack cocaine. Weiland was also arrested in 2003 and 2007 for D.U.I. Weiland was also known to use heroin as well and checked into a rehabilitation center, but reports say that Weiland left the program early.

    The singer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was open about it in interviews, to the extent that it made him a better songwriter. He told Smoky Mountain News in an interview that ran on Nov. 18:

    I’m bi-polar and I have to take medication for that. Sometimes I fall into stark places, and I think I write better music when I’m in those places. And sometimes I write better music when I’m on a high, not a narcotic high, but an actual high, a bi-polar high.

    Weiland is survived by his wife, photographer Jamie Wachtel, whom he married in 2013, and two children: Noah, age 15, and Lucy, age 13. Both children were born to his second wife, model Mary Forsberg, whom he married in 2000. He was first married to Janina Castaneda in 1994. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2000.

  • Conversation With Mike Campese, Albany Guitar Virtuoso Performing at the Madison Theater

    Albany area-based guitarist Mike Campese has an incredible resume built off of a talent he has perfected from an early age. Guitar was his academic pursuit, one that has served him well and opened doors both in opportunity and experience. Of the several big acts he has opened for or worked with, the most familiar of the Christmas season is Trans Siberian Orchestra whom he recorded and toured with for a short time.

    This Saturday, Dec. 5, Campese is performing at The Madison Theater in Albany at 8:30 pm. With a lot to talk about, Campese chatted with NYSMusic about some of his influences and experiences and about what’s in store for this Saturday’s show.

    Steve Malinski: How did you get started on the professional musician track?

    Mike Campese: My brother played acoustic guitar and my dad had been a violinist but went into engineering. My early influences were Black Sabbath and the guitar-driven bands. It went from there. I took lessons as a kid and would hang out at the music store at the mall, see all the guitars hanging up. I’d always ask the guy what the price is and they’d be so expensive. He didn’t think I’d buy it but my mom came up to the mall and helped me out. My sister and her boyfriend had gotten me a bass but I didn’t want to play bass so I traded it in the next day. But yeah, I was really into Black Sabbath and they influenced me as a kid. I moved to Los Angeles for the Guitar Institute (GIT) at the Musicians Institute (MI). It was a great experience, great school. I was exposed to all kinds of music. My teacher was a jazz guitar player. Before I went there I had already known a lot of theory but it opened a lot of doors musically for me.

    SM: You mention Black Sabbath as an influence, so I see why you went for that guitar driven style. But you really have a playing style along the lines of Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Buckethead, and so on. How’d you ultimately settle into that groove?

    MC: As you advance as a player… even though I love Black Sabbath, their stuff was easy. Catchy, but easy. I got more into – my brother was into Al Di Meola. I would listen to his stuff, and brought some of that to my teacher. Then Yngwie [Malmsteen] came around too. So they’re the ones who started it for me.  I started listening to more of the classical stuff. My dad and I were driving in the car to school one day and I said “Why don’t you put on the rock station?” He replied with “Oh, like classical stuff?” I told him I didn’t want to listen to classical stuff but he said I should. So I started listening to Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi. The shred stuff – Paul Gilbert was teaching at GIT and I was in his classes. Eric Johnson – I first heard him play at MI. I remember hearing “Cliffs of Dover” and our teacher had shown us how to play the riffs. I love Steve Vai’s Passion and Warfare.

    I’m glad I grew up in the time that I did because nowadays there are so many different genres to sort through. But yeah, I’ve always been a fast guitar player after my first year of playing. And now I’m better at composing and am more well-rounded than I was as a teenager. It does take a lot of maintenance playing every day – really have to keep up with it.

    SM: Can you talk about your experience working with Trans Siberian Orchestra?

    MC: I was part of the band in 2004/2005, around the time when Lost Christmas Eve was out. I got a call from them and auditioned. Paul O’Neill – I was down in the city and auditioned and they were really happy when I played. About a week later I got a call from their manager and he said they’d like to hire me for the band. It was really cool. I wasn’t in the band for a really long time, just a couple of years, and I hope to get back to them again sometime. It was a great experience traveling and playing the music, covering both the left and right guitar parts. It was really amazing experience, incredible band. Just being picked for that, I was amazed. It was a great accomplishment – a band like that, multi-platinum band. I still talk to them. We’re on good terms and I see the guys in the band all the time. A lot of guys in the band have their own groups so I support their bands. I play a trade show in California every year and always run into them there. So at some point – you never know with these bands – there are so many musicians they work with. There’s a full east coast and west coast touring band. So we’ll see.

    After that I put out a Christmas album of my own, The Meaning of Christmas. It’s similar to Trans Siberian Orchestra but its more guitar driven and there’s some acoustic and vocal work on it. So it was right after and I thought that maybe I should do my own Christmas stuff. So I’ve been promoting that recently since it’s Christmas season and it’s really the only chance I get the chance to do that. I like Christmas music but did change it up and wrote new sections of the pieces and did a few of my own original Christmas tunes. So it wasn’t like the same traditional tune but a re-written version to basically get it out of my system.

    SM: Aside from Trans Siberian Orchestra, you’ve gotten to play with or open for some pretty big names?

    MC: Yeah, a bunch. Joe Bonamassa. B-52’s were my first opening act. Spin Doctors –

    SM: Cruefest?

    MC: Yeah! My own band, my original band played. It was Mötley Crüe, Godsmack, Drowning Pool… That was an awesome show, a great experience playing at SPAC. The cool thing is that my stuff is different that all those guys. My stuff was exposed to people who don’t normally dig into that type of sound.

    I try to play music for the crowds. I have acoustic material too, so I mix it up at my shows. And this Saturday I’m going to be doing a little acoustic segment in the middle of the show. It’s going to be mostly an electric show though, with that in the middle. We’ll be playing a variety of stuff, things off the Christmas album and the others as well. So I’m looking forward to that. At the Madison Theater, being a movie theater, they’ve got a screen behind us. I was there recently and asked the sound guy and he said we could use the screen if we want. Se we’ve got some videos and backdrops that we’ll have behind us. I’m looking forward to it because people are coming to see us whereas at a bar people are just hanging out and we’d be more of just a background sound.

  • Catskill Chill to Move to Lake George

    Catskill Chill may soon become “Adirondack Chill” with plans to move the festival to Lake George.

    The Post-Star of Glens Falls reported today that Chill promoter Dave Marzollo met with the Warren County committee that allocates money raised through the county’s bed tax and told them, “We really think this is the perfect home for our festival.”

    catskill chill lake georgeThe festival is set to be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Charles Wood Park in Lake George, and will receive $15,000 for marketing from Warren County via the county’s occupancy tax. If it moves to Lake George, Marzollo told county officials that “Catskill” will be removed from the festival’s name.

    Marzollo told the county that he sold 5,000 tickets to this year’s Chill, the sixth annual edition, which was held at Camp Minglewood in Hancock. Marzollo didn’t want the festival to leave Camp Minglewood, but he announced last year that he had to move it for reasons beyond his control.

    This year’s Chill was headlined by moe. and included bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle and The Motet, among many others.

    https://youtu.be/jOMlLBDgUHE