Category: Western NY

Imagine Dragons, So Much More Than Just Smoke & Mirrors

After catapulting in 2012 to the spotlight with their Night Visions album, it seemed like a daunting task to follow-up their first extremely successful album. How did Imagine Dragons tackle that task? They did so by making an album for themselves. Writing while touring, these guys were able to put down feelings and emotions that translated to their second album Smoke and Mirrors.

My anticipation grew, as the date of the show slowly came upon me. I was anxious to see if these guys were as good live as I predicted. The songs on the new album lent themselves to epic live show spectacles.

As the show began, an extremely talented young lady, Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, took the stage with her band. Halsey, as they are known, rocked the stage with their Indie pop sound. I was absolutely captivated by her vocals. She’s an amazing artist and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how absolutely stunning this young lady was as well. She could be a model. The hair, oh my gosh her hair was epic. It was the most beautiful shade of blue/green I’ve ever seen. Wish I could pull that off. I’m digressing, sorry. Halsey’s eclectic musical influences from Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G, Slick Rick, as well as The Cure, Nirvana, and Alanis Morissette permeated her sound giving it an edge of sophistication and funk. From the moment she took the stage, she owned the audience.

Next up was Metric. This Canadian rock band has been around for quite a while amassing a strong following since 1998. With a heavy synth and punk sound, this band is more familiar to you than you probably realize. With several EPs and albums over the years, opening for acts such as The Rolling Stones, and their extensive credits for scores with Grey’s Anatomy, 90210, One Tree Hill, FIFA 10, NBA 2K10, Zombieland, Entourage Vampire Diaries, Rock Band 3, and so many more it’s almost unfathomable to think you haven’t heard their music. Commanding the stage their unique blend of music and instrumentation entertained this group and primed them for the main event.

As I returned to my spot to photograph the next set, the stage was set in a blanket of darkness and a cloth now covered the entire stage like a mask. Speaking with attendees while we waited for the Imagine Dragons set to begin, I learned the dedication and sheer love these fans have for this group. Traveling long distances and sitting outside since the wee hours of the morning to get a railing position on the floor, it was only a matter of moments before their perseverance would pay off. With posters in hand they were ready to sing along with every song (I’m sure they knew every lyric to each one) with hopes to possibly get a pick thrown their way or perhaps a touch of the hand of a member of the band they loved so very much. As the music began, the lighting shone through the curtain highlighting the silhouettes of each band member. With the score beginning, sheer adrenaline was pumping through the crowd like static electricity, it was impossible not to feel the tingle. As the curtain fell, out to the edge of the stage ran Dan Reynolds singing their newest single, “Shots”. Positioned just right, I was right there waiting for him as the fans went crazy and the energy levels exploded through the roof. I knew it. This band was a ‘live band’. You know, one of those bands that you have to see live to appreciate ever aspect of their talent. Always loved their music, but I wanted to feel the music.

The first thing I noticed as the show began was Reynolds ability to connect with the crowd. He felt the music through his entire body and extended it outward toward the audience. He spoke with the group as if they were just having a conversation sharing his newly acquired bling that his daughter had just made him, and commenting on issues affecting everyone in light of the recent tragedies in Charleston. These fans weren’t nameless faces to him. They were friends; they had been through it all with him. At one point and time he called out to the crowd as we celebrated “beard man”. But what really got me, was his recognition of fan Jacob Ziegler. Who is Jacob Ziegler? Well he’s a young man who loves Imagine Dragons and follows them on all social media aspects. He retweets, he shares, he comments, and Reynolds recognized that. He yells out to him, recognizing him in the crowd, saying “I see you Jacob Ziegler” he tells the arena full of people that he sees his tweets and comments and appreciates the love he shares. I was floored by this act of kindness. Jacob was beside himself happy. By the end of the night Reynolds made sure to give him a hug. Now to me, that’s a star. A star always shines bright.

As connected as he was with the crowd, he was the same with band mates Wayne Sermon, Daniel Platzman, and Ben McKee. You could tell the rapport they share was fun and loving as they teased amongst themselves. As he sang through his setlist, that consisted of both hits from Night Visions and the new Smoke & Mirrors, I heard the songs differently this time. Ones that didn’t stand now did. Ones that I loved, I loved even more. And let’s talk about the light show. That in itself was a spectacular show. Coupled together with the amazing sounds of Imagine Dragons, this show became one of my top five favorite shows of all time.

As Imagine Dragons travels for this tour, I strongly urge you to take the opportunity to see this event. You will definitely be happy you did.

SetList:
Shots, Trouble, It’s Time, Forever Young (Alphaville cover), Smoke and Mirrors, Polaroid, I’m So Sorry, Gold, Bleeding Out/Warriors, Demons, Hopeless Opus, On Top of the World, Friction, I Bet My Life, Radioactive, The Fall

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July 19, 2015
Def Leppard, Styx and Tesla Pack Darien Lake

There is no better time of year than right now. Summertime is always the time where bands take advantage of the warm beautiful weather and hit the road. This summer, classic rock legends Def Leppard are hitting the road with their friends Styx and Tesla. On Sunday, July 12, the trio rolled into the Buffalo area with a show at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

Shows at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center usually draw people to the adjoined theme park before the show. Throughout the day while walking around the park, Def Leppard shirts could be spotted everywhere. Seeing all of the fans in the park was an early sign that it was going to be a packed house. Hundreds of people were waiting for the gates to open at 6 p.m. so they could be the first ones in. Before Tesla took the stage at 7 p.m., fans were lining up to get food, beer from concessions and shirts from the merchandise booth.

When the house music stopped shortly before 7 p.m., a look around the amphitheater proved that fans were there to see every band of the night and not just headliner Def Leppard. Tesla took the stage with a loud applause from the crowd and started the show with “Edison’s Medicine (Man Out of Time).” The crowd seemed to enjoy every second of Tesla’s set. The excitement really came out of the crowd when guitarist Frank Hannon played the opening chords of “Signs” and then continued with another classic of theirs, “Love Song.” Opening bands don’t normally fill an entire amphitheater because most people use it as extra time to mingle and get their beer. That wasn’t the case on Sunday night for Tesla. Lead singer, Jeff Keith, was spot on the entire night hitting notes from songs written over 20 years ago. The closing song of the set, “Modern Day Cowboy” capped off a high energy set that left fans definitely wanting more from them. After Tesla had finished their set, there was chatter all around the seats about how awesome the band had sounded and how amazed they were.

Styx was next up for the night and fans were definitely warmed up and ready. From the start of the set, fans joined the members of Styx by singing along to every song of the night. Opening the set with “The Grand Illusion,” Styx had an entire night planned with only their best songs. Changing backgrounds with each song to coincide with its album or theme, Styx kept the crowd on its feet. Styx looked like they were having more fun playing on stage together than anyone else in the crowd. The band’s energy and enthusiasm was through the roof and out of the amphitheater. While the rest of the band took a short break, singer and keyboard player Lawrence Gowan kept the crowd entertained with covers of “Rocket Man,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” The band came back out after and played “Come Sail Away” before walking off stage one more time prior to the encore. Some fans thought the band was finished and started leaving their seats to the concessions. Shortly after though, the fans came scurrying back as they heard the applause of the crowd as Styx played “Rockin’ the Paradise” and “Renegade.” Guitarist, Tommy Shaw and the rest of Styx were spot on the entire evening and left the crowd eager to see Def Leppard.

As the lights dimmed and a giant Def Leppard banner was dropped down in front of the stage, fans knew it was only a matter of time before the finale began. The show opened up with “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” and the giant banner getting sucked up into a vacuum instead of falling to the bottom of the stage. Def Leppard wasted no time after that, going immediately into songs “Animal,” “Let It Go” and “Foolin’.” Whenever the house lights lit up the crowd, anyone could see it was a packed house. There wasn’t an empty inside seat visible and fans filled the lawn all the way to the back. Lead singer, Joe Elliott, sounded great all night long as well as the rest of the band. Vivian Campbell, who’s been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma on and off, showed no signs of slowing down. Both Campbell and Phil Collen were spot on with their guitar parts while frequently going out on the catwalk into the crowd together. The production for Def Leppard was done perfectly and synced with each song; whether it was neon signs or a wall of TVs. The set included “Two Steps Behind,” which Joe Elliott did solo with an acoustic guitar. Rick Allen and Rick Savage kept the band tight on the drums and bass. The band ended the night with “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph” which features a history timeline of photos on a giant LED screen behind them.

This massive tour has already had a few stops in New York and is due for 2 more later this month in Wantagh and Saratoga Springs. Check out the rest of the tour dates here.

For the event schedule for Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, click here.

July 17, 2015
Trombone Shorty at Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

Ever since Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue first graced the stage of the Rochester International Jazz Festival several years ago, the city fell in love. New Orleans native Troy Andrews, a quadruple threat effortlessly switching between trombone and trumpet, spitting sensual lyrics and suavely sauntering across the stage, can captivate an audience with a playful wink before lifting the brass to his lips.

This year, a smaller group of hardcore poncho-sporting Shorty fans braved the soggy weather with umbrellas on standby. The vibrant monitors towering above the crowd wishfully reflected the performance on the wet pavement where no one stood. Despite the fun-size audience, there was no shortage of head bobbing or hip swaying, from the crowd and musicians alike. With crowd-pleasing covers of The Isley Brothers “It’s Your Thing,” and Kool & the Gang’s “Get Down On It,” Andrews and his band masterfully delivered a healthy dose of funk.

A saucy cover of “Basket Case” by Green Day really got the crowd moving and kept things interesting, but as expected, Andrews still took the song and gave it his own spark. During periods when Andrews was not singing or playing an instrument, he was often bouncing around the stage, bolstering his comrades with friendly shoulder nudges and big smiles, clearly impressed and proud of his talented crew.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue blend exceptionally well together. With old school pizzazz, they can tap into multiple genres and rock out with a jazzy, upbeat flair, leaving the crowd desperately wanting to grab a drink with them after the show.

July 17, 2015
A Tragically Hip Fourth of July at CMAC

The Tragically Hip is no stranger to New York, although many New York residents may offer a puzzled look when told the band is in town. The Hip is a band who has drawn stadium sized crowds across its Canadian homeland for a couple of decades, yet Stateside fame has been elusive.

agically Formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983, Canada’s ambassadors have continually drawn large crowds to major venues on either side of the border ever since. Tonight was just slightly different than in years past. Knowing that Fully Completely would be played in its entirety may have removed some of the element of surprise and the crowd wasn’t the sellout, push-to-the-front type from the 90s, but the music itself was as fresh sounding today as it was 23 years ago.

Fresh off a Canada Day show in Toronto and another in Windsor, The Hip, as they are affectionately known by the faithful, ventured across the border to grace American (and traveling Canadian) fans with the gift of their music on our Independence Day at the beautiful Constellation Brands Melvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, New York.

This tour is a celebration of their breakthrough album Fully Completely, released in 1992. The Hip is playing this album in its entirety at each show of this tour and this reviewer couldn’t have been happier with this revelation as this album contains a couple of holy grail songs I have yet to see performed live. Some follow Phish; back in the mid to late 90s, I followed The Hip. This is a band that begs to be seen live to fully appreciate its musicianship and the showman who is lead singer Gord Downie.

Gord Downie assessing the situation in Canandaigua.

While Downie is the obvious focal point of the band’s performances, the rest of the musicians are what makes The Hip ‘The Hip.’ Gordon Sinclair and Johnny Fay are two of rock’s more formidable artists at keeping the beat and guitarists Paul Langlois and Rob Baker play well off each other with the balance of the solos tipping Baker’s way.

‘Grace, Too’ kicked off the evening as it often does. Following Gordon Sinclair’s lilting bass intro, the opening line states, ‘He said I’m fabulously rich, c’mon just let’s go,’ which Downie has changed to ‘He said I’m Tragically Hip, c’mon just let’s go,’ hereby welcoming you to the experience you are about to encounter.

The evening was heavy on the classics, with only two more recent tunes, 2006’s ‘In View’ and 2012’s ‘At Transformation’ making the setlist. ‘At Transformation’ evokes the ominous riffs of mid-aughts era Hip such as 2007’s ‘Vaccination Scar’ and fit well within tonight’s setlist.

The pre-Fully portion of the show closed with the standard ‘New Orleans is Sinking.’ In the past, the Hip used the mid-section of this song as a vehicle for working new songs into the set or Downie’s stream-of-consciousness poetry. The most famous version being the oft-bootlegged ‘Killer Whale Tank’ version:

Tonight’s version of NOIS was rather straight forward, which could indicate either that the Hip currently have nothing in the hopper to work into the song or that this one has been retired as such a vehicle. Either way, the song was rocking and a good prep for the main portion of the show.

Following a very brief intermission, dark curtains were lowered at the front of the stage, Downie switched from a bowler hat to a cowboy hat and it was time to become fully and completely immersed in Fully Completely.

The album was played in its entirety in its original playing order beginning with ‘Courage (for Hugh MacLennan).’ CMAC quickly turned into a group sing-along for the next forty minutes.

Downie scatted his way through the ‘get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy’ section of ‘At the Hundredth Meridian’ with the aplomb of Cab Calloway, while the audience chimed in to provide the necessary emphasis of the refrain.

Views of Canadian landscapes and history appeared on the screens at the back of the stage to accompany the songs. It was here where I felt as if I were able to see my Toronto Maple Leafs finally win the Stanley Cup.

Growing up a Maple Leafs hockey fan, I’ve become accustomed to their failure to win a Stanley Cup in my lifetime. The song that really won me over as a fan of the Hip, ’50 Mission Cap,’ was one written about Bill Barilko, a former Toronto Maple Leaf who scored the Cup winning goal in 1951. The following summer he disappeared on a fishing trip in northern Ontario. As the song tells it, the Leafs didn’t win the Stanley Cup again until the year Barilko’s body was found in 1962. The video that accompanied the playing of ’50’ showed footage of Barilko’s winning goal as Downie sang, ‘The last goal he ever scored (in overtime), won the Leafs the Cup’ to the delighted roar of the fans. This site offers a nice tutorial behind the song.

As the band wound its way through the remainder of the album, Downie’s theatrics contrasted with his band mates’ stoicism. Whether using makeshift props to pretend he was a horse or shining his shoes, the theater of Downie is why you attend a Hip show. He is a poet as well as a showman.

The main set closed with a rare appearance of the Fully album closer ‘Eldorado.’ Prior to this tour, the song has only been performed live a handful of times.

After a brief break, the boys came out for the first of a five song encore, their most recent single ‘At Transformation.’ The pavilion seating gradually filled as the night wore on and by the encore, it was packed with standing fans singing along with Downie and high-fiving their neighbors.

‘Poets’ followed, which has a special relevance to my wife and I. A song from the album Phantom Power released in 1998, this song had a prominent location on the set list for The Hip’s Thruway theater tour of New York to support the album. My wife and I attended the Albany, Syracuse and Rochester shows on consecutive nights during that tour, fighting to keep our seats in the first few rows as scores of eager fans rushed to the front to get closer to the band. It’s a memory that stays with both of us to this day and something that cemented our love for the band.

‘Nautical Disaster’ was a highlight of the night. As the title suggests, it tells the story of a ship wreck, the origins of which are left to the listener’s imagination. Is it about the Titanic? The sinking of the Bismarck? The setting is ‘off the coast of France.’ It’s a song that takes you on a journey of hopelessness and the desperation of man in the face of disaster. One thing about The Hip, you’ll often get a history lesson while listening; perhaps another reason for this history geek’s love of the band.

Downie spun his tale of nautical woe, using the microphone as a prop to pantomime pulling ‘overboard’ audience members back into the ‘ship.’ It was pure Downie, pure Hip.

The finale, ‘Blow at High Dough,’ a hard charging, blues-inspired rocker from the band’s second release ‘Up to Here,’ sent the adoring crowd into a frenzy. Baker’s slide guitar during the solo sent echoes of Duane Allman through the lakeside air in Canandaigua. A fan shot video from earlier in the tour gives a taste of what was experienced. Sinclair takes on a more prominent role with the bass in this version than what was played this night but a tasty nugget of Hip nonetheless.

For a tour that was designed as a nostalgia trip, it served its purpose well in that regard. However, its also obvious that this band still loves what they do and the songs don’t sound dated nor trite. Downie is still a performer at the top of his game and while I would have liked to have seen guitarist Langlois take a more prominent role in this set, this reviewer walked away impressed with yet another Hip show.

Canada’s treasure gave the Americans a show for the 4th and it was pretty Hip.

Setlist: Grace, Too, My Music at Work, In View, Ahead By a Century, New Orleans is Sinking, Courage (for Hugh MacLennan), Looking for a Place to Happen, At the Hundredth Meridian, Pigeon Camera, Lionized, Locked in the Trunk of a Car, We’ll Go Too, Fully Completely, 50 Mission Cap, Wheat Kings, The Wherewithal, Eldorado, E: At Transformation, Poets, Bobcaygeon, Nautical Disaster, Blow at High Dough.

July 14, 2015
Headstones come to Rapids Theatre

On Friday July 10, Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls was introduced to one of Canada’s best punk rock bands, the Headstones. The Headstones were a staple in the music scene since the late 80s. They disbanded in 2003 and decided to regroup and restart in 2011. Now they are back with vengeance and ready to make a name for themselves again, and they did just that when they came to town.

First act up of the night was a last minute wild card that I had never heard of before, Radio 9. Front women Patsy Silver had tons of energy on stage and was all smiles the entire time. I had to take a double look on stage because I could have sworn Mick Mars was their bassist; nope it was just doppelganger Joey Cristofanilli.

I have heard nothing but wonderful things about local legends Klear and finally had the opportunity to experience them live. Lead guitarist Bruce Wojick just left you with your jaw dropped to the floor and singer Fred Shafer wowed the crowd with his strong vocal presence and captivating lyrics. They have become one of my favorite local bands, hands down.

Next up was the Headstones and they brought such a powerful dramatic performance. They started off the set with “Bin This Way for Years,” then a little more than a quarter into the show vocalist Hugh Dillion stopped the show to call out all the irresponsible crowd surfers. He wanted anyone who was crowd surfing to be completely kicked out of the show for the remainder of the night. His reason was he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. The crowd roared with agreement and the show continued.

What I noticed all night long was Hugh constantly kept lifting his mic stand in the air and slamming it down onto the stage. I was not familiar with such a gimmick, it more or less gave off a sense of attitude. As the show was coming to a close they decided to play a brand new song called “Fuck It.” I could certainly see where the title came from. The only song I knew by them was one of their last encores called “I Smile and Wave,” and this seemed to be the crowd favorite by far. Every time the chorus was sung the entire crowd waved towards the front of the stage. I must say Headstones are back and they are here to stay this time. The show put on by them was a forced to be reckoned with.

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July 14, 2015
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Transported the Bug Jar

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.

July 6, 2015
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival: Photo Review – Beth Hart

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.

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July 2, 2015
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival: 10 Most Memorable Club Pass Shows

Nine days. 31 club pass shows at eleven different venues. Tens of thousands of steps. A beer or two… maybe three. Distilled down for you here, are my 10 most memorable club pass series shows from the 2015 edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.

1. Antonio Sanchez & Migration at Kilbourn Hall (late set)

Antonio Sanchez has reached widespread fame in the past year as the composer of the much-lauded percussion-only soundtrack for Birdman. For this set, the Mexican drummer brought his band Migration, consisting of Seamus Blake on saxophones, John Escreet on pianos, Matt Brewer on basses, and Thana Alexa on vocals. Each member had electric and acoustic instruments, including Alexa who used some effects pedals to alter her voice. Her singing wasn’t lyrical, but instrumental, often harmonizing with Blake. The band played The Meridian Suite, a recent release of Sanchez’s which consists of one long piece in 5 parts. The band didn’t stop playing for 65 minutes. It moved effortlessly from acoustic to electric and back. The energy ebbed and flowed, bursting forth and settling down moments later only to bubble back up again. Each member got a chance to lead the quintet but there were no true solos — save for one mid-set take by Sanchez himself. His playing was mechanical, intense and inventive without being heavy handed. His solo segment had me sitting statuesque, waiting on his every slap, and then the band exploded into a noisy dissonance while Sanchez relentlessly soloed on. I was rapt from then on, and by the time they were through I felt exhilarated.

2. Gogo Penguin at Christ Church (early set)

I like the Bad Plus. A lot. If you do too, you will like Gogo Penguin. A lot. This young piano trio from the Manchester, England sounds a whole lot like the Bad Plus if you hadn’t guessed. They are influenced a bit more by electronic music which came through more clearly in some of their earlier compositions. The music is thoroughly melodic, not veering into traditional solos, and taking cues from both classical and pop music for a unique sound that isn’t immediately identifiable as jazz. It was their first ever gig in the U.S. which they opened with a captivating 20 minutes worth of music, flowing 3 of their songs together. Though from then on every tune would end rather abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly. The music was so engaging and catchy it always seemed to end too soon. As did their set.

3. Troyka at Christ Church (early set)

Troyka is a London-based jazz fusion trio, featuring Chris Montague on guitar, Joshua Blackmore on drums and Kit Downes on keyboards. The playing was democratic, but it was still clear that Montague was the featured player. His sound was heavily filtered though without losing substance. It ranged somewhere in between Bill Frisell, Wayne Krantz and Marc Ribot. High praise indeed! Montague described an early childhood memory of digging a hole at the beach, tugging at what he thought was seaweed, but out came a decaying seagull, subsequently pulling down the walls and trapping him inside. The traumatic experience was the inspiration for their latest album, Ornithophobia. Much of the music had a teetering on the edge of falling apart quality that made it both fearful and exciting. Each musician played on what seemed like a completely separate thought, yet somehow it all came together to form a magnificent whole. Whether it be a blues, ballad or something entirely different, it had Troyka written all over it.

4. Nils Berg Cinemascope at Lutheran Church (early set)

One of the joys of the Rochester International Jazz Fest is the ‘international’ aspect of it. So many bands from so many far away places that would be otherwise have no reason to visit the small city of Rochester. Nils Berg Cinemascope, themselves all the way from Sweden and playing their first North American show, took the audience on a journey around the world within their set alone. The band — Nils Berg on sax and flute, drummer Christopher Cantillo and bassist Josef Kallerdahl — was set up in front of a large movie screen. For each song, a video culled from the internet was played. It was edited and looped to fit their needs, and became the fourth musician of the group. Each video was a different musician from a different part of the world. There was an Afghani boy singing under a tree, a banjo instructor from Maryland, a student from Brunei improvising a song in the hall after her physics class among others. Each piece had a “guest performer” that gave it its own unique character. It had to be seen and heard to be believed, certainly something that couldn’t be replicated in a recording.

5. Joey Alexander at Lyric Theater

When hearing a young musician, I try very hard not to fall into the trap of being amazed simply by their age. Either it sounds good or it doesn’t. For 11-year-old prodigy pianist Joey Alexander, both aspects were incredible. Behind the piano he showed a maturity lacking in players two, three and four times his age. This wasn’t simply rehashing old jazz classics with aplomb, it was solo piano improvisations, using the classics as launching points more than destinations. It was until he stood up to the microphone to address the audience that his age became overtly apparent. With takes on Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Thelonius Monk, Amazing Grace and Over the Rainbow, he had all the bases covered, before finishing on an original composition. Eleven or not, it was truly an amazing performance.

6. Eivind Opsvik Overseas at Lutheran Church (early set)

Eivind Opsvik — a Norwegian bassist who now resides in NYC — brought his band Overseas, who are Kenny Wollesen on drums, Tony Malaby on saxophone, Brandon Seabrook on guitar and Jacob Sacks on piano. The music can lack melody. It can lack direction. It can lack energy. And yet somehow, it had me on the edge of my seat for 60 minutes. A dissonant triad of songs opened the set, each musician scratching and screeching out individual noises, all coming together to form a greater and more exciting whole. Once they had cleared some of the pews at the church venue with this challenging music, they dropped into a more approachable slow blues number reminiscent of the Lounge Lizards which again flowed into a couple different compositions, finally building to a head with some rocking that almost got some fists pumping. They closed on a beautiful new song called “Troves,” that featured both the bass and guitars being played with bows.

7. Wood Brothers at Harro East Ballroom (early set)

The Wood Brothers attracted by far the largest non-pass holding crowd of the festival. Fans stood out on an unseasonably cold and rainy afternoon for the chance to see Chris and Oliver Wood on their first visit to Rochester. The crowd was stacking chairs up to make more room for dancing and singing along to every word of every song. The crowd, combined with the top-notch Americana being played on stage, made it feel like on this final day, the festival had given up being about jazz. And instead of jazzing up their set a little, the brothers took it in the other direction, and continued to get more rocking until the entire crowd was on its feet. I can only imagine the late set picked up where this one left off.

8. Dave Douglas High Risk at Harro East Ballroom (late set)

Dave Douglas, just two days after his new album High Risk was released, let the crowd know how unusual it was for his band to be all in the same place at the same time to be able to play there for us. And special it was. Douglas, a hot trumpeter in the avant-garde NYC scene, was joined by popular electronic artist Shigeto, Jonathan Maron on bass, and Mark Guiliana on drums. Shigeto was a musical tour-de-force. The beats and sounds he was creating live on stage were remarkable and meshed perfectly with what the bass and drums were laying down. Step in Douglas blasting trumpet over the top of it all, and you had a refreshing and exciting new take on improvised jazz music that was exciting to hear.

9. Kat Edmonson at Montage Music Hall (late set)

Kat Edmonson’s latest album, The Big Picture, was inspired by classic movies, musicals in particular. The first track, “Rainy Day Woman,” was the subject of a long story she told from the stage. Long story short, she wrote the song, tried to record it multiple times, put it away, re-approached it, put it away again, and maybe even another cycle or two through, before finally getting it to a place where she was completely satisfied. That story kind of typified her whole set. Each song seemed so simple, yet great care was taken to get to that point. Little surprises emerged, like a splash of xylophone here, or a taste of melodica there. Kat’s sweet voice and great songs could carry the set on their own, as she proved with simple guitar accompaniment at her performance at the festival last year. But with the full band, her vision came more to life, in every detail.

10. Chatham County Line at Squeezers Roots and Americana Stage (early set)

There was plenty of good bluegrass on display at the festival this year. But Chatham County Line rose above the fray. An old North Carolina flag hung behind them and a county line marker stood in front of their one mic. They played in the traditional style, with all four musicians huddling around one mic, moving around as needed to produce the proper mix of sounds. Traditional was met with some decidedly non-traditional playing, particularly on covers the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” or Dick Dale’s “Miserlou.” But even more on original “Chip of the Star,” which could pass as a rock ballad, complete with gorgeous guitar solo.

July 1, 2015
Photo Review: The Sultry Jennifer Hudson at Rochester’s Jazzfest Day 6

Award-winning actress and American Idol champ alumni Jennifer Hudson wowed a sold out house at Kodak Hall for Day 6 of Xerox’s Rochester International Jazz Festival.

Armed with a litany of impressive backup singers and musicians, Hudson took the stage with much aplomb and more shrieks, catcalls and “woos” than the orchestral feeling building had ever heard. And they were well deserved, as the lovely Hudson showed off her vocal acrobatics, scrumptious menu of hits, and more than enough witty banter to mesmerize any crowd. Heck, even Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren came down to dance.

Hudson currently has no upcoming tour dates planned. Rochester Xerox International Jazzfest ran from June 19-27 2015.

June 30, 2015
Photo Gallery: Rob Zombie Brings His Spookshow To Big Flats

When Rob Zombie makes an appearance in Upstate New York, fans of all ages flocked to see the hellbilly perform at The Budweiser Summer Stage at Tags, located in Big Flats NY. Tags is a Multifaceted Entertainment Facility and nationally recognized concert venue that’s neatly tucked out of the way and has hosted a wide variety of artists over the years.

Opening for Rob Zombie was Dropclutch, a band out of Binghamton New York. The band consists of Shawn Swartwood on vocals, Brandon Schuldt on drums, Josh Skellet on bass/vocals and Adam Skellett on guitar/vocals. Dropclutch has shared the stage with many headlining artists such as Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Lamb of God, Gwar and Skindred. They were well received and got the crowd worked up in preparation for Zombie to take the stage. Their set list included: The Becoming, Get Up, Pressure Chemical, Burned Between The Lines, My Island, Make Your Move, The Reason Over and Over One Bullet.

The line for Rob Zombie started at the entrance and stretched all the way around the venue. Both parking areas were full with fans of all kinds. The only thing that’s more unique than Zombie himself are the fans, some dressed as their favorite characters from his film “House of 1000 Corpses.” The venue was packed pretty tight with those eager to hear some of their favorite hits and Rob is never one to disappoint. His set’s background featured classic movie monsters. The band members blended into the scene with Rob Zombie’s bassist Piggy D dressed as a vampire while guitarist John 5 sporting a nightmarish looking gas mask. The set list for the evening included: Teenage Nosferatu Pussy, Super-Charger Heaven, Superbeast, Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine, Living Dead Girl, Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown, A Drum solo by Ginger Fish, More Human Than Human, Sick Bubble-Gum, Pussy Liquor, Meet the Creeper, Never Gonna Stop and Thunder Kiss ’65 with encores being We’re an American Band, The Lords of Salem and Dragula.

June 29, 2015