Category: Regions

Zepparella Mesmerizes Buffalo with a Tribute to Led Zepplin

On Thursday March 12, 2015 the all-female Led Zepplin tribute band Zepparella left the crowd mesmerized at The Forvm in Amherst , NY.

But before Zepparella took foot on the stage they had local alternative rock band Letter Box open up for them. Front man and founding member Paul Alguire and guitarist Andrew Douglas were the Letter Box Duo until that night. They brought bassist Ian Elder and drummer Ryan Lindfors into the mix for the very first time, and announced that this would be their new line up. Paul had stated this was their first live show together as a full band. As Letter Box started to play you would have never known that this was their first show together. They had such wonderful chemistry, and all their movements and timing were in synch. Ian and Ryan were just what they needed to complete this band. Letterbox was thoroughly impressive and made a large impression on the crowd. People were lining up for the free Eps they were handing out that night. I hope to see more from this band in the coming months

This was my first time ever seeing them and being a long time Led Zepplin fan I was a little hesitant for what I was about to witness. These girls are not only beautiful but they had the talent and pipes to pull off Led Zepplin with their own twist to perfection. The attendance for this show was phenomenal. The fan base was very diverse that night. There were individuals in their best attire to hard-core fans in their Led Zeppelin concert T-shirts with their frizzy ’80s hair-do. No matter what walk you were from, that night they all united and sang along as front women Noelle Doughty nailed every last note.

As the band played classics such as Dazed and Confused, and Ten Years gone. Drummer and founding member Clementine had her own drum solo for a solid five minutes and you could sense and hear that John Bonham was her biggest drumming influence. Once her hard-hitting intricate solo finished the band came together and finished off the evening with a three more songs. After all was said and done they met fans back and their merch table and took the time to talk to everyone and sign photos and take pictures. All in all this was a very impressive showing of what this examiner calls one of the best Zeppelin tribute bands around.

If you missed this show, you really missed a good one. You won’t want to miss the next time these ladies come back to rock the Buffalo area, or it surly will be your loss again.

March 20, 2015
moe. Comes Home Again to NYC

moe. continued to thrill crowds of .rons on their 25th anniversary winter tour as they packed houses and came home again to New York City.

moe. continued to thrill crowds of .rons on their 25th anniversary winter tour as they packed houses in New York City last weekend.

The weekend began Thursday night with the band — guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey, bassist Rob Derhak, drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist Jim Loughlin — playing an intimate show at Le Poisson Rouge, a 700-capacity club in Greenwich Village.

Then the boys moved their Friday and Saturday shows to the Best Buy Theater, an arena in the middle of Times Square with a capacity of 2,100. The corridors around the venue formed a bit of a maze, but the theater area made for a great show with a floor section below the stage, a short platform behind that and maybe 20 rows of raised seating behind it

The Friday night show started with a first set that took its time with each song, extending all but “Annihilation Blues” over 11 minutes. Fans got a not-oft-played “Darkness” that segued into “Bring You Down,” a combo that thrilled the crowd. Annihilation jammed right into a “Meat” that brought the energy up, then down, then built it back up again to end the set on a raging note.

The second set started with “New York City” — obligatory but so much more meaningful when it’s actually played in the city it was written about — then on “Do or Die” Jim broke out his drum set attached to a chest harness and ventured over to hang out with Vinnie and Al for a bit.

Members of the crowd throw their hands in the air as they sing along.

“Kyle’s Song” segued into “Same Old Story,” which has only twice before been segued into. It’s been used more often to segue out of at the end, but the song is high-energy fun any way they play it.

The final four songs of the set turned up the heat with “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, then “Spaz Medicine” shifting into “Akimbo” into the ever-epic “Rebubula.” Boobs can occasionally fall into the rut of being a quick-hitter that draws a lot of audience emotion but doesn’t explore much, but this one took plenty of time to chill out before building to a frenzied sing-along at the end.

After the moe. show, most of the crowd filed out and ventured two blocks down to B.B. King’s, where Ha Ha the Moose was on the loose.

The hilarious moe. side project features Rob, Chuck and Jim wearing luchador masks and capes and taking on the persona of their alter egos, Dr. Guano, Jeff VonKickass and Sludge.

They played some old classics to a crowd so boisterous at points that it distracted band members. They also included some popular covers including “Have a Cigar by Pink Floyd and “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds, forever etched into our memories by its poignant placement at the end of “The Breakfast Club.”

They also reprised “Courtesy Flush,” which they debuted in January at moe.’s Tropical Throe.down in Jamaica. They ended the set with “Redneck Trilogy” and “In the Name of Freedom” and during the latter, Guano got an apt response when he questioned the audience what they would do in the name of freedom: “I would throw a music festival, even if no one came and I didn’t make any money,” the moe.ron said, referencing the lack of a moe.down this year.

After having a few hours off to romp around the city, moe. was back at it Saturday night. Saturday night’s show at the Best Buy sold out during that day. Highlights of the show included an intense “Runaway Overlude,” “She,” “Billy Goat” segueing into “Head,” plus Shannon and Terry Lynch of the Conehead Buddha horns joining the band on “Not Coming Down,” “Threw It All Away” and “Dr. Graffenburg.”

The full Conehead Buddha band played a great official after-show in the Lucille’s room of B.B. King’s Saturday night for anyone who somehow had energy left after raging the city that never sleeps.

moe. heads to Chicago this weekend and south to the Carolinas in April to finish out their winter tour. The band has yet to announce summer tour dates besides a few festivals (SweetWater 420 Fest, Summer Camp, Mountain Jam and All Good, plus the Dear Jerry show celebrating Jerry Garcia in May) but fingers are crossed that they’ll at least spend a weekend at the Saranac Brewery in Utica this June. Keep an eye on NYSMusic.com for moe. news as dates trickle in.

March 20, 2015
Old Boy Records 2015 Spring Showcase

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

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

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

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

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

Driftwood

Chris Merkley and Stiv Morgan

Los Blancos

The Falconers

Nate & Kate

Gabe Cummins

March 20, 2015
Cabinet Throws A Celebration In Blairstown

There’s a lot to be said about the state of Pennsylvania, and producing quality bluegrass is an undeniable trait. As most music genres spawn into different subgenres it’s easier now to seek out string bands that sincerely push the envelope of what the general public views as bluegrass. While that original Bill Monroe sound is relevant and active in the scene today, it has naturally evolved into a monstrous playground scattered with sounds of varying influences. The crossroads of this trend concerning progressive string music lies within acts with drummers like Railroad Earth, Hot Buttered Rum and a group that’s taking their turn to rise to the top from the Eastern hills of Pennsylvania, Cabinet. And on March 6, the first of two nights right over the border into New Jersey at the Historic Blairstown Theatre was not their introduction to the intimate space.

Hot off the heels of a new release entitled “Celebration” the first four tracks were mixed in with staples of this almost 10-year-old band. The diversity from song to song represents the sharing of songwriting duties but when you stack songs like “The Dove” and “Old Farmer’s Mill” against each other (both highlights from different sets) the explorative instrumentation and people behind them are the two remaining similarities. At certain points it’s hard to imagine you’re seeing the same band mid set. “Wine and Shine” comes off as light on its feet and compliments their feel good sound, but something like “Eleanor” gives off a matured emotional feel. After years of playing some of these songs in front of a bunch of people a bunch of times certain coined instrumental phrases stick to the song, like a snowball rolling down the hill.

Aside from the new album, “Treat Me So Bad,” is a favored new song that takes from both soul and funk to melt over the smooth plucking and vocals of Pappy and JP Biondo respectively. The night was filled with applaudable solos and an overall heartfelt performance that gives you that longing for more. However, as the hard work continues to pay off for these six musicians, you can’t guarantee that you’ll see them in small rooms for much longer, so catch them when they’re rolling by.

Listen to the Blairstown Theatre Show on the Music Archive – with many thanks to Keith Litzenberger

March 20, 2015
Melvin Seals and JGB Pack Putnam Den

Melvin Seals and the JGB stopped at the Putnam Den in Saratoga on March 12, during the middle of their spring tour.

Playing for a packed house, they jammed through JGB classics that included “Roadrunner,Tough Mama, and The Harder They Come” and a few covers of Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally” and a night ending pairing of JJ Cale/The Beatles “After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight”.

March 19, 2015
Bowlive VI – Day 4 – Soule Monde and Soulive with Chris Robinson
After a two-day recess, night four of Bowlive VI was underway in formidable fashion, with guest Chris Robinson. As far as the opener setting the tone for the evening, Soule Monde has been the most musically appropriate choice of the run to date. The jazz/funk duo of Russ Lawton (drums) and Ray Paczkowski (clavinet, organ) were quick to put everyone in the mood. Lawton continually pushed the pace faster as Paczkowski followed on his Hammond B-3 and laid down deep funky riffs on his clavinet. Paczkowski has you wondering where the third hepcat was keeping the groove going on his four string. They set the stage for Soulive to bring their own style of modern funk to the table.

Soule Monde

While Eric Krasno kept himself busy during the short break in the Bowlive residency, sitting in with Phil & Friends for his 75th birthday show at The Capitol Theater, fans got a much-needed hiatus from all the dancing. The fourth night started same as all the previous ones with just the three Soulive members on stage. Charging out of the gate with the classic original tune “So Live” off of their debut album, 2002’s Turn It Out. Once the mood was set, the trio went into the more soulful “Bubble” which segued wonderfully into the first of many covers for the night, The Beatles “Something.” The Extra Shady Horns on this night consisting of Zoidis (sax), Bloom (trumpet). The first guest of the evening was DJ Williams (guitar, KDTU) who joined in the fun for another old school Soulive original “Uncle Junior.” Williams and Krasno took this out for a ride and were upended by a screaming solo by Zoidis’ sax.

As the show was compressed from two sets down to one, most likely to placate the strap hangers with early morning meetings. At the end of the first hour of mostly Soulive originals, Chris Robinson finally made his way onto the Bowlive stage. He was joined by Cochema Gastelum (sax, Dap Kings) and backup singers Sasha Ortiz and Maya Sharpe. The first tune that Robinson crooned for his enthusiastic fans was Otis Redding’s “Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Sad Song.” Only one song in and Robinson picked up his guitar to join Krasno on a medley of cover tunes. The Dr. John classic “Quitters Never Win” was up next followed by Robinson’s Bowlive coming out party as he blew the roof off the joint in a funk laden take on the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway.”

Everything was coming up blues as we heard takes on Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain” and Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out My Life Woman.” Robinson and Neil Evans led the charge with their take on the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter tune “Sugaree.” To close out the night, which had the crowd singing along for the last hour, Robinson channeled his best Mick Jagger impersonation for The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.” His soaring vocals led the crowd in what was the most authentic sounding cover of the night. To close out a night of classic rock tunes everyone was back on stage and joined by Ross James (guitar, Terrapin Family Band) for a cover of “Lovelight” that sounded more like the original Bobby Bland version than the more widely known Grateful Dead version. Based on the audience’s reaction, Robinson might have been the standout guest so far, and everyone will have another chance to see him Wednesday as he closes out his two-night stand with Soulive.
March 19, 2015
David Crosby Brings His One Man Acoustic Tour to New York

No conversation about musical history can be complete without a mention of David Crosby. From the multiple variations of Crosby and/or Stills and/or Nash and/or Young to a wildly successful solo career to an almost Keith Richards-esque ability to stay alive – Crosby is a true rock and roll legend.

Albany and downstate will get their own taste of “legendary” as David Crosby brings his one man acoustic tour to Hudson June 20, The Town Hall in NYC June 25 and Albany’s The Egg June 30. New York dates will close out July 3 at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center.

Crosby on the solo shows:

“This is about the songs. The tale telling. Taking you on a voyage to my world for a moment.”

Tickets for all shows are available on his website. Check out the full tour below.

David Crosby Solo Acoustic Tour 2015

June 6, Kerrville, TX, Kerrville Folk Festival
June 9, Miami Beach, FL, Fillmore Miami Beach
June 10, Fort Pierce, FL, Sunrise Theatre
June 12, Clearwater, FL, Capitol Theatre
June 13, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
June 16, Durham, NC, Carolina Theatre of Durham
June 17, Charlottesville, VA, Paramount Theater
June 19, Morristown, NJ, Mayo Performing Arts Center
June 20, Croton-On-Hudson, NY, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival – Croton Point Park
June 22, Alexandria, VA, Birchmere
June 23, Harrisburg, PA, The Whitaker Center For Science & the Arts – Sunoco Theater
June 25, New York, NY, The Town Hall
June 28, Munhall, PA, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
June 30, Albany, NY, The Egg Center For the Performing Arts
July 2, Ridgefield, CT, Ridgefield Playhouse
July 3, Westhampton Beach, NY, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
July 5, Bethlehem, PA, Musikfest Café
July 6, New Bedford, MA, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

March 19, 2015
Throne of Wilderness: A Healthy Injection of Folk Metal for the WNY Metal Scene

Folk metal has never really had a strong foothold in the WNY music scene, but all that changed when some talented musicians from Buffalo and Rochester decided to get together in April of 2013 and craft their own brand of it. The band is called Throne of Wilderness and they produce a sound reminiscent of the bands that started folk metal in the first place.

Big European acts like Ensiferum and Korpiklaani are widely regarded as being authorities in the genre, but Throne of Wilderness takes an honest approach to early folk and early thrash. This makes for quite a dynamic and with a collaboration of talent like this, it’s pretty hard to leave one of their shows disappointed, regardless of what kind of metal you’re into.

The band is made up of Allana Sturm (vocals, whistle), Kevin Murphy (guitar, vocals), Josh Mason (guitar), James Hallenbeck (accordian and keys), Jason Roman (bass) and Eareckson Murray (drums). Allana has a fun way of working the crowd like no other I’ve seen. She commands the audience with stories of mythical creatures and enchanted forests, while leaving no excuse to not be a folk metal fan by the end of the set. Kevin’s vocals compliment her’s perfectly, giving the classic folk metal choir sound to their songs. Josh Mason, already a well established metal musician in Rochester with his other band, Nazgul, brings his own array of crushing guitar skills to the table, while James keeps the folk alive with his accordian skills, and Jason and Eareckson provide the perfect rhythm section to back the entire group.

Furthermore, it’s hard to be a part of Buffalo’s metal scene without having heard of Eareckson Murray. He’s a longtime supporter and promoter of shows, and also lays down sick guitars and vocals for local thrash 3 piece, Cain. All this being said, if you’re a fan of any kind of metal and you haven’t heard this band yet, don’t sleep on your next chance to check them out. Your next opportunities to see them are Saturday March 21 at the Rockin’ Buffalo Saloon and Saturday April 18 at the Tudor Lounge.

March 18, 2015
moe. Relentlessly Rocks Binghamton

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

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

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

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

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

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March 18, 2015
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is Bringing the Spring Steady Tour to Syracuse

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

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

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

Websites:

http://LivePanda.com/

http://www.highhopesreggae.com

http://www.reverbnation.com/danielleponderthetomorrowpeople

March 18, 2015