Dark Star Orchestra celebrated a milestone playing their first stadium show while also setting an attendance record for themselves July 28, when they played Rochester’s Frontier Field. Set up on the third base line and facing the seats with no access to the field, DSO recreated the 1987 Dead show played at Rochester’s Silver Stadium on July 2, 1987.
Fans of the band took to social media shortly before the show began to spread the word that Frontier Field had announced they were not allowing concert goers on the field. Word spread quickly and people wondered how the stage would be set up.
All anybody had to do to squelch that concern was enter the venue and see the stage facing the third base seats. Concerns fell to the way side, the crowd was a cohesive body of dancing and celebration.
The unique set up allowed for an intimate feel of an indoor show, in a stadium, accompanied by a beautiful summer night with clear skies. They were dancing in their seats, on the grass and at the concession stands – ‘The music never stopped.’
As at all DSO shows, concertgoers scrambled to figure out which set list the band would choose to play at their first stadium show. Once “Bertha” began just after a rockin’ “Hell In A Bucket,” we all knew they had chosen the July 7, 1987 Silver Stadium show. A show that was near and dear to the Rochester Deadhead community, as it was part of a pair of shows played here by the Grateful Dead in 87′ and 88′.
Rochester couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful night of music and Dead tunes. The show was a family event for many in attendance with babies and big kids dancing and hula hooping by the sides of their mamas and papas, all glowing with happiness. DSO not only recreates the shows of the Grateful Dead but they embody the energy of the band and the community that surrounds them. Dark Star Orchestra is no cover band, they are an extension of the ones who played before them.
Dark Star Orchestra, recereating 7/2/87 Silver Stadium, at Frontier Field – Rochester, NY
Set 1: Hell In A Bucket > Bertha, Walkin’ Blues, Dire Wolf, My Brother Esau, When Push Comes To Shove, Tons Of Steel, Me & My Uncle > Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Cassidy, Deal
Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Samson & Delilah, Looks Like Rain, He’s Gone > Jam > Drums > Space > Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad > All Along The Watchtower > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia, E: Black Muddy River
Music. It evokes feelings, transports me back in time and recharges me almost as though it’s a battery pack. Music for Nashville’s newest sensation, Chase Bryant, is the same. It’s in his blood.
Coming from a musical family in small town Texas, Chase heard Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Lewis Boogie” and that was all it took. From that point on, his course was set. Learning to play the guitar at a very early age, he jokes that there were 20 guitars in his hometown, and he owned all of them. After seeing Chase perform recently at The Taste of Country Music Festival, his hard work and dedication to learning his skill showed as I was floored by his shredding ability and how he made his guitar sing.
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
As Chase and the Shotgun Rider Tour comes to town Thursday, July 3o to Darien Lake, Chase will open for Nashville favorites Billy Currington and Tim McGraw. He graciously agreed to speak with our readers and share some details to what makes him tick.
Kathy Stockbridge (KS): Hi Chase, thank you so much for agreeing to speak with NYSMusic. You have taken Nashville by storm since your arrival and your fans and our readers just love you.
Chase Bryant (CB): Why thank you.
KS: Music seems to be something that has always been in your blood. For those that aren’t aware you grew up in a family of musicians. Share a little about what that was like for you growing up.
CB: Well it was definitely a loud household. My grandfather was a keyboard player for Roy Orbison, and he played along side him throughout high school and right up until the summer my grandfather bowed out of the band because his mom said he couldn’t play rock and roll music any more. After that he went on to college and played with Waylon Jennings, and then on the Glen Campbell television show in Lubbock Texas, and then my two uncles played in a band called Ricochet and had the hit “Daddy’s Money” back in 1996.
KS: I remember that song! So it was in your blood, you were destined. You were born to do this.
CB: Yep, there was nothing I could do about it, and I’m glad there was nothing I could do about it, because I love it.
KS: Share with our readers a little about your relationship with Barbara and Alex Orbison and how that relationship played a role in your career in Nashville.
CB: Alex I used to say was one of my best friends, but I think he’s now more like a second brother to me. He’s been great to me and we’ve built a really great relationship when it comes to music and life in general. He’s been so supportive of my music and his mother Barbara as well has been one of my biggest fans. I couldn’t thank her enough for signing me. She was a great lady and I was her last signing at her company before she passed away. So that was a pretty awesome experience.
KS: When you came to Nashville, Benny Brown — founder of BBR Music Group — was so taken back by your talent as a producer of your demo tapes, he allowed you to co-produce your album with Derek George, which I must add is not something he does often. Share with us a little about how you taught yourself the production end of recording and how you have grown since those early days as a producer.
CB: I was on a panel the other day and I was asked how do you teach someone producing, and you really can’t. If your ears aren’t there and you can’t hear the music then it might not be for you. There are some great artists that never produced their own records or played on their own records, or maybe even wrote the songs. But they were great records and ones I definitely looked up to. I got lucky and sometimes I think that maybe what I do isn’t always right, but Benny sure has given me an opportunity to expand on it. Whatever my name is or the sound that goes along with it, Benny Brown and Broken Bow and Red Bow Records have really let me carve that path and let me become who I really want to be. I’m thankful for that. I was able to write all the songs on this record, co-produce the record, and I played all the guitars. I didn’t produce it by myself either. I co-produced with my best friend Derek George. We had a blast making that record.
KS: Well the finished piece was amazing and you have a great ear for it.
CB: Well thank you.
KS: In addition to producing, you also write your own music. You say that you wrote 400 lousy songs before you wrote your first good one…what was that one song that caught the attention of Nashville manager, pluggers, and publishers? Did you know when writing that one, it as the one?
CB: I think “Take It On Back” was the first really organic, not left of center or anything that had never been done, but it was one of those songs that defined who I was and that sound that people know me by now. I think it was that, and a song called “Change Your Name,” and probably another one that did it, called “Wish I Was A Plane” was another one that set the radar for the label and set the tone for the record. Now “Wish I Was A Plane” is one we play live (isn’t on record). You have those couple of songs that lead to other songs, and those three definitely lead to probably 15 or 16 songs to be on this record that I would like to say are collectively my best pieces of music I could make at the moment.
KS: Yeah, “Change Your Name” is my fav.
CB: Well thank you. I’m hoping that’s a single in the near future. We’ll see what happens.
KS: It will definitely be a hit. You also are an amazing guitarist. You are a left hand guitarist that plays a right handed guitar upside down. It’s not something you notice either. I shot your set at Taste of Country Festival this past June, which by the way you killed it, and after I read that you had this unique talent…I went back to study the photos and sure enough…you rock that guitar left handed, upside-down! Wow…how did you manage to learn that skill?
CB: I don’t know, I’m still learning. Everybody always says “how do you do that, how do you do that?” There’s times I look at and go “why am I doing it this?” But it just happened. I think a lot of people told me no, and a lot of people thought that I would never play it like that, so I was a stubborn kid growing up and therefore I had to do it. It also saved my mom and dad a lot of money buying me my first right handed guitar because left handed ones are way too expensive. I know my mom thinks I have way too many guitars but in the end it ended up saving us a ton of money.
KS: You recently had the opportunity to do a project with Kia Motors and Michael McDonald in their ground breaking digital series Rediscovered. Share with my readers a little about that project and what that experience was like for you.
CB: Oh gosh! Ya know, I listened to the 70’s records a lot, whether it be Fleetwood Mac Rumours, or The Doobie Brothers Minute By Minute or Takin It To The Streets, any of those records defined who I wanted to be as a singer. Musically I thought Michael was just an absolute genius. The sounds that he had coming as a keyboard player and the tone of his voice; there is no way you could ever hear that voice and undoubtedly not think that was Michael. Nobody else you could think of, could it be. With modern technology today people hit their phone and ask Siri “who is this on the radio?,” and I think that is the quickest response from Siri is Michael McDonald because it’s one of the most recognizable voices of all time.
KS: I have to say when I watched that four part series (which I strongly urge my readers to watch the entire series) you nailed it. I could tell he was genuinely impressed as well. Now in that series you talk about your experience of playing at the Opry. Share with me what it was like for you the first time you performed at The Grand Ole Opry.
CB: Playing the Opry is one of those things that every time I play there I quote “there is no bigger religious experience for a country musician…than standing in that circle”. It’s just one of those things as a country artist, when you step in that circle you don’t know what to expect. I took a friend out to my last performance and the first time they toured the Opry they don’t know what to expect. It’s the same when you are standing in that circle; you don’t know what to expect. It’s one of those venues that are full of people who love country music. It’s not a crowd that’s going to walk into the show and scream and yell your whole entire set. They are there to listen to great music, and I’m just a proud part of that and I’m very glad that they asked me to come back again and again.
KS: Your first EP Chase Bryant charged out of the gate with its hit “Take It On Back.” We love that song and I love that video. How did the setting at the Tennessee Railway Museum for the video come about?
CB: I’m a huge train fan. My grandfather, who was a big influence of course, a huge huge huge influence musically but he and I were both obsessed with trains. When Wes Edwards threw out the idea, I didn’t know who was shooting the video, I just knew that “BAM” that was the one. Especially for my first single.
KS: Your newest release Little Bit of You is racing up the charts right now and grabbed the attention of Rolling Stone Magazine as they labeled you as one of it’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know.” That must have been awesome to see your name in Rolling Stone Magazine. Do you find yourself pinching yourself at moments saying…can this be really happening?
CB: There are some great names in that article and some of them I moved to town with, people I’m really really rooting for, and people somewhere down the road we’re still together in this. I grew up reading Rolling Stone and was a big fan, and once again it’s one of those things to know I’m a part of it is an honor to be included.
KS: Your music is what I consider feel good, toe tapping, smile making music. Your live show is amazing and full of the same energy. I get the impression that you are a very positive person from your music. Do you find that when create music, your wanting to send a message with each song or do you want your audiences to find their own meaning in the songs?
CB: My message in my music is who I am and who I’ll always be. I don’t know if there’s another way of saying it. I just know that whoever Chase Bryant is, and whatever you see live, and whatever you hear on the radio; that’s me and who I am.
KS: I love your philosophy on music. You said that “I’m just the guy with the guitar. If I wasn’t, I’d be the guy on the front row with his arm around his girl raising a glass to the guy onstage. No questions, it’s just who I am. Music is everything.” I think this philosophy truly defines you and why we adore you. You are in it for the music and sharing that passion with your fans, thank you. One final comment and question — you hands down win for best hair in country music!!! What’s your secret for keeping it perfectly in place as you are moving around on stage. That’s difficult…I know…my son struggles to keep his hair styled like that!
Chase Bryant – Taste of Country Festival 2015
CB: Well that’s actually funny, as I went through a few different hair cuts when I came to town, and thankfully I had a label that was very good and very patient with me getting my image correct. Who knows if it’s correct now but it’s nothing more than blow drying the thing up in the air and putting some paste in it. It’s a pretty simple process. It’s nothing tough or too hard to happen; and sometimes it happens when I wake up on the right side of the bed.
KS: Well you have that image down pat. Thanks again Chase for taking the time to speak with us and we can’t wait to see you at Darien Lake July 30th!!
As I ended the interview I could not help think what a nice young man he was and how well his music fits his personality. He is an upbeat, positive, fun loving young man who loves what he does, and it shows. He’s the next generation of country. With so many critics out there today picking apart country criticizing the new sound, I find Chase Bryant the perfect example of how the next generation is taking the roots of country, that he was whole heartedly immersed in as a child, and giving it the spin to generate new fans from this generation. As a role model, he’s definitely my choice, and again, hands down he wins my “Best Hair” award.
I’m truly looking forward to seeing his set again, and I strongly urge all of you to not miss this show as Chase, along with Billy Currington, and Tim McGraw will blow your socks off for a fun filled evening of country entertainment.
Dark Star Orchestra has one more stop to make in New York state before they head to Gathering of the Vibes this weekend in CT. Following a JGB set in Saranac Lake Sunday night, the band will return to Rochester for their first ever stadium show at Frontier Field tonight.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past Dead Shows is excited to share this moment with the Rochester Dead Head community and we plan to show them how excited we are to be a part of it. With the celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday fast approaching, they have been heating up shows all tour.
Tickets are still available for $15 and will increase to $18 at the door. This is an all ages show so bring the family for what should be a beautiful summer night of Dead tunes.
The German House in Rochester, N.Y. has recently released their fall concert schedule kicking off on September 12. The historic western New York concert venue, promoted by Up All Night Concerts, has six performances scheduled from a variety of genres this fall.
Opening the concert series on September 12 is Ani Difranco, Buffalo native and a prominent folk-rock singer-songwriter. Difranco has been nominated for 9 Grammy awards, winning for Best Recording Package in 2004 for her album Evolve. Difranco is a world-wide icon in the feminist and LGBT communities, known for her outspoken participation in social movements and her lyrics about progressive social issues.
Taking the stage on October 10 is David Bromberg, a bluegrass and folk performer known for his proficiency on a multitude of instruments. The 69-year old from Philadelphia has played with Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan and George Harrison in his career.
On October 31, Halloween night, Driftwood will perform at the German House. The 4-piece Binghamton folk band has recorded three studio albums and has a well-known presence in the Upstate New York music scene.
Donna the Buffalo will play on November 13, with Peter Rowan performing as a special guest. Donna the Buffalo is a Finger Lakes group that embraces the southern Zydeco variant of Louisiana bluegrass. Rowan is a Boston bluegrass guitarist and yodeler who has been active in music since 1963.
On December 4, Max Creek will perform. The Boston-oriented rock band was influenced by Grateful Dead and plays many psychedelic jam tunes. Phish bassist Mike Gordon has referred to Max Creek as one of his favorite bands.
Concluding the fall concert series is Delbert McClinton, the rugged blues player from Lubbock, Texas. McClinton has had four blues albums reach number 1 on the charts, and also has had some success on the country scene as well.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Beth Hart opened the show and sufficiently warmed up the crowd, belting out the blues with her confident and strong voice. The stage must have cooled a little in the changeover though. Clark Jr.’s rhythm guitarist, King Zapata, took the first solo in their set-opening “Bright Lights,” getting the heat at just the right level for Clark to step in and finally take control. From then on, with one or two short exceptions, the stage was owned by Clark, and the temperature continued to rise.
Zapata, standing far off stage left, had a fuzzy organ tone that complemented Clark’s leads well. Bassist Johnny Bradley and drummer Johnny Radelat kept a steady and solid rhythm tucked tight together in the back and center. Clark stood equally far off to the right spreading the four piece well across the Kodak Hall stage. The band seemed a bit disconnected with this setup and perhaps the energy could have been raised with a tighter grouping.
Though, the energy in the crowd more than made up for any possible losses on stage. A huge roar let out at the opening notes of “When My Train Pulls In.” The audience was rewarded with a scorching solo that saw Clark fake a strum to finish before heading right back in to get in just a few more quick licks.
Clark Jr. has two voices with which to play the blues. Not only is he a master at speaking through his guitars, but his singing is also impressive. He showed incredible vocal range on his brand new soulful number, “Hold On.”
Switching between a couple of Fenders and an SG, his guitar voice also showed incredible range from song to song. His solos were played with deep feeling and seared right through you. It was fortunate that things had been preheated properly.
After a somewhat short 75 minute set, the crowd ravenously called for more. People had been creeping out in the aisles throughout the evening, and now descended into the pit, ready to rock out on a couple more tunes. Clark obliged, coming out solo for a one-two punch of new songs “Healing” and “Church” before getting the full band back out for a ripping rendition on Albert King’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Setlist: Bright Lights, Ain’t Messing Round, When My Train Pulls In, Hold On, Our Love, Numb, If Trouble Was Money, Catfish Blues, Don’t Owe You Thing, Please Come Home
Fans of the band took to social media shortly before the show began to spread the word that Frontier Field had announced they were not allowing concert goers on the field. Word spread quickly and people wondered how the stage would be set up.
As at all DSO shows, concertgoers scrambled to figure out which set list the band would choose to play at their first stadium show. Once “Bertha” began just after a rockin’ “Hell In A Bucket,” we all knew they had chosen the July 7, 1987 Silver Stadium show. A show that was near and dear to the Rochester Deadhead community, as it was part of a pair of shows played here by the Grateful Dead in 87′ and 88′.
The band that seeks to recreate the set list of past 
Ever since Trombone Shorty and 
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.
