Brian Wilson will perform Pet Sounds in its entirety at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts on June 19.
Founding member of The Beach Boys Brian Wilson will perform the band’s iconic 1966 album Pet Sounds. While dates for the tour, called The 50th Anniversary Celebration and Final Performance in its Entirety, are slowly dropping, a handful have been announced. His band for this tour will include Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine along with longtime touring member of the Beach Boys Blondie Chaplin. They will be backed by the Boston Pops at Tanglewood. It is expected that other Beach Boys hits will be performed in addition to the Pet Sounds album.
Pet Sounds was recorded after Wilson was no longer touring with The Beach Boys, but was holed up in his home and recording studio creating the album. The album, which includes Beach Boys’ hits “Wouldn’t it be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” was ranked the number two greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone, second only to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Paul McCartney is said to have been heavily influenced by Pet Sounds, which led to the psychedelic sound of Sgt. Pepper’s. The making of Pet Sounds was documented in the recent film “Love & Mercy.”
As part of the Pet Sounds tour, Brian Wilson will also play to a sold-out crowd at Burlington, Vermont’s Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on June 14. He will perform at Tanglewood in the Koussevitzky Music Shed on Sunday, June 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for the Tanglewood show go on sale Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.
Gowanus is a New York City canal. Gowanus is a New York City neighborhood. And, Gowanus is a New York City band.
Gowanus, the band, recently released their 2nd album, Before the Devil Knows Your Dead. Members Duke Kurick (guitar), Alan Maginn (keys/vocals), Matt Domser (bass) and Brandon McClaskey (drums) rejoined Dean Baltulonis, producer of their 2012 release And to the Lost, at his Wild Arctic Studio in Portsmouth, NH. Clocking in at just under an hour, the eight tracks, written over the course of 2013 and 2014, take the listener along some surprising twists and turns.
Devil makes a somewhat unceremonious entrance with “Hughene Jackman,” an organ-driven instrumental that sounds like it was lifted straight from the early 90’s jamband scene. Not bad, but covering some well-worn territory. Keep the record playing though, because it gets better the deeper you dive. This is just the set-up before they knock you down.
“You Don’t Know” starts as a slow-building, high-flying guitar epic with electronic spooky undertones, until, after 5 whole minutes, it jumps the tracks and suddenly is trudging knee-deep in reggae. You’ll be checking to make sure the track hadn’t changed for at least the first couple listens. “How to Climb a Moving Mountain” emerges smoothly from there, sounding like the soundtrack to a protagonist’s eventual self-discovery.
Gowanus provides a one-two-three punch that forms the meatiest portion of the album. After conditioning the listener for long instrumentals, “Probably Not,” a fist-pumping anti-love rock ballad, is literally the piece of rock holding the albums’ more adventurous tracks together. “Blank” is another longer instrumental that takes another surprising turn, from a straight-ahead rocker to a closing section that sounds like the music from a super-secret level from Super Mario Brothers. It’s the level you purposefully never complete, so that you can just sit back and enjoy the jams, while Mario stands tapping his toe, waiting patiently for you to make a move. Completing the album’s strongest portion, “Prestige Worldwide” mixes elements of Black Sabbath and Funkadelic, showing off the band’s heavier side.
On album-closing “The Cage,” they again wait until well after the 5-minute mark to drop into the vocals, before finishing off with a infectiously fun romp that surely must highlight their live shows.
Speaking of which, Gowanus has one upcoming date on the calendar, a New Year’s Eve gig at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn.
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead is available now at the band’s Bandcamp page.
American pop-punk superstars Paramore announced through their Facebook page that bassist Jeremy Davis is leaving the band.
The departure leaves singer Hayley Williams as the only remaining original member. The band said they will continue on, despite Davis’ departure.
“We’ve written and re-written this countless times and there’s just not a good way to put it… Jeremy is no longer going to be in the band with us. To be honest, this has been really painful. After taking time to consider how to move forward, we ultimately found that we really do believe Paramore can and should continue on. And so we will.”
This isn’t the first time Jeremy Davis has departed from the band. In late 2004, Davis cited personal reasons when he announced he was quitting the band. Six months later, Paramore asked Davis to return for a stint on the Van’s Warped Tour. In 2010, brothers and founding members Zac and Josh Farro left the band, citing on Josh’s blogger page that they no longer wanted to be a part of a “manufactured product of a major-label.” Those statements later brought to light that the Paramore concept was merely a vehicle for Williams, who was the only member of the band actually signed to Atlantic Records.
Paramore will be looking to replace Davis quickly. Their next live appearance will take place on their four-day music cruise Parahoy, including music from New Found Glory, Chvrches and Lights.
Paramore released its last album, Paramore, in 2014. The single “Ain’t in Fun” became the band’s highest charting U.S. single to date. The song also won Best Rock Song at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Arkells performed an extensive high energy set to a sold out crowd at Town Ballroom this past Friday. Not before vocalist Max Kerman and guitarist Mike DeAngelis played an intimate acoustic set to fans who brought a toy valued at 10 dollars or more to donate to local children who are less fortunate and otherwise would not have presents under the tree this Christmas.
Pentimento was direct support for The Arkells, they are a local band right here from my city of Buffalo. I have not had the pleasure of seeing them perform before so excitement came over me as they walked onto the stage. My first reaction was wow, how are these guys not headlining their own tours yet? They swept fans off their feet with Jeremiahs smooth voice and guitarist Lance Claypools catchy riffs. These guys gained plenty of new fans that night and I am proud to say that I am one of them.
The Arkells took the stage and got the fans jumping to their feet and screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs from the opener Cynical. The set continued with songs from High Noon; such as Come To Light, Dirty Blonde, and Leather Jacket. They also played songs off their older albums “Michigan Left” and “Jackson Square.” A fan favorite that night was 11:11, once they started singing that the crowd seemed to lose control. The encore started off with acoustic version of Kiss Cam, followed by young Turks and their biggest hit to date Leather Jacket.
Tom Hamilton’s American Babies closed out a lengthy fall tour at Rochester’s Flour City Station. The 31-date tour lasted seven weeks and visited 29 cities spanning 17 states. That’s a lot of miles logged and a lot of notes played. They could have either come out tired and road weary with a just-get-it-done attitude or tighter than ever, ready to finish off 2015 strong. Luckily for us it was the latter.
The band, currently consisting of Hamilton’s long-time partner Clay Parnell on bass, Justin Mazer on guitar, Al Smith on drums, and young singer-songwriter Raina Mullen on guitar and backing vocals, played a set spanning their entire existence and beyond.
Late in the 80 minute set, Hamilton pulled out “Boy,” one of the first songs he ever wrote, originally for Brothers Past. Earlier in the evening though they introduced the audience to a couple of new songs that will likely find their way on their next recording. Each expanded on their unique universe of Americana-based rock. “What Does It Mean To Be” added in an interesting blend of reggae and grunge rock that developed into a long improvisation where some of Hamilton’s electronic history shined through. Eventually the jam wound around to a funked up cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” that was more a cover of Jerry Garcia Band’s cover of the tune. A long and rocking two guitar assault petered into a beautifully mellow segment that picked up steam again only to find its way back into “What Does It Mean To Be” to complete a delicious sandwich.
They followed with another new tune called “Synth Driver,” with hints of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan fell into more of a 70s rock vibe. Things darkened up quickly with some heavy guitar effects through the middle section.
Jerry Garcia’s influence came back in a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come,” again a cover that was more influenced by Garcia’s version than the original. Some very Dead-like sounds emerged in some of the bands older tunes, particularly on takes of “They Sing ‘Old Time Religion’” and in a beautiful intro to “Invite Your Friends.” Perhaps a carry over from Hamilton’s involvement in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, or perhaps exactly the opposite? Either way it sounded great, and the American Babies maintained an original and enjoyable take on rock music.
In only their second show ever, Buffalo’s Band of Peace, fronted by Big Leg Emma’s Steve Johnson, opened the show. Guitarist Joe Muffoletto channeled Dickey Betts to great effect, while the band romped through a rousing set of country and jazz infused rock.
Mark Jan. 30, 2016, on your concert calendar. That’s the date Oneonta’s Space Carnival has set for CarnEvil 3.
The bi-annual event was created as a way for Space Carnival to give back to its fans. Featuring carnival and space-themed artwork, carnival games and face-painting booths, the band encourages all in attendance to come in costume as a carnie or associated freak.
Tickets for this New York State Music-sponsored show went on sale Dec. 11 and can also be purchased at the Oneonta Theatre box office. Advance sale tickets are $10 and $12 at the door.
Previous CarnEvil events have been held at the band’s second home in Oneonta, the Black Oak Tavern. Due to popular demand, the third edition has been moved to the more spacious Oneonta Theatre. See footage of CarnEvil 2 below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M8TGqyX9x8
CarnEvil 3 begins with another Oneonta band, Boketto, followed by Brooklyn-based Teddy Midnight.
This event’s proceeds will go directly toward funding Space Carnival’s debut album. The band has put together an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund the recording.
Formed in spring 2013, Space Carnival plays a blend of high-energy disco, funk and progressive rock. The band’s roster includes Jeremy Kraus on guitar, Cameron Fitch on keys and vocals, Chris Meier on bass, and Nick Tassinari on drums.
Check out Space Carnival’s release from earlier this year, recorded at the Oneonta Theatre:
Breaking Benjamin will continue their relentless touring schedule since Ben Burnley re-formed the band with new members in 2014. Breaking Benjamin has already announced a spring headlining tour with Starset, and now have announced an unplugged acoustic tour to fill the void between the New Year and the start of their electric spring tour.
New York City fans can catch the unplugged version of Breaking Benjamin on Feb. 4 at Irving Plaza. The tour will cover 18 different cities across the United States before the band plugs back in.
Breaking Benjamin’s fifth studio album, Dark Before Dawn, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard rock chart. This marked the band’s first album to ever debut in that spot.
Starset, who has been recently touring with Breaking Benjamin in 2015, will continue to do so in 2016, opening shows for the acoustic and spring tours.
Unplugged Touring Cycle:
01-17-2016 – House of Blues – Houston, TX *
01-18-2016 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX *
01-20-2016 – Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX *
01-22-2016 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA *
01-23-2016 – Druid City Music Hall – Tuscaloosa, AL *
01-24-2016 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN *
01-25-2016 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC *
01-27-2016 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC *
01-29-2016 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA *
01-30-2016 – The Dome at Oakdale – Wallingford, CT *
01-31-2016 – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ *
02-01-2016 – State Theatre – Portland, ME * 02-04-2016 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY *
02-05-2016 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH *
02-06-2016 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
02-08-2016 – St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI *
02-09-2016 – Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI *
02-10-2016 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY *
Space Carnival recently wrapped up their first extensive tour, taking them down to North Carolina and West Virginia, and back to the Northeast to Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. While on the road they kept a tour log of each city they played in and shared the experience with NYS Music.
The One Stop, Asheville, North Carolina
Do roads end? Not likely. Anyway, we made it. Asheville, the first stop. After eating at Waffle House and drinking craft beer in the hotel room with our friend Khalil, we took the bus to downtown Asheville. What a gem, downtown Asheville is like a winning hand.
We had a blast at the One Stop. Our first show of tour gave way to new exploration in a familiar set. Nothing off the charts but great ideas are coming out. A day off tomorrow and we are heading up to Mace manor to hang and do some grilling. Its gonna be a fun day off.
1st Day off
Hitting the Moog factory was a highlight because we all love to turn knobs. We jammed for hours at Nic Nac’s mountain hideaway. Such welcoming friends and she even turned us onto her amazing poetry. This inspiration is gonna last me all the way into Boone and beyond.
Murphy’s Pub, Boone, North Carolina
Asheville to Boone was a sweet little ride. Boone is a cool college town. We got in with half a day to kill before our show starts which should give us enough time to fowl up a college restroom.
We had a nice set in Boone. 3 hours went by very quickly and our sound guy pulled out all the stops for us. Some new stuff we are working on is coming together and Boone seemed like the perfect town to take a risk or two. Its nice to be finding our rhythm. It’s the beginnings to communicate well. Sleeping on the bus is gonna be interesting tonight, right on the main street in Boone, hiding in plain sight.
The Purple Fiddle, Thomas, West Virginia
Winding roads and a white knuckle ride for me as I drove the bus to Thomas. I took as many wrong turns as I could and found ourselves driving Gus (our bus) up many mountain roads. The Baked Potatoes used this bus before us and they averaged one breakdown a day. With a grand total of zero so far we are looking good.
Thomas is a small town in the middle of a small state. The local population is dwarfed by their weekend population and it was a Wednesday night gig for us. I hope we can pull some magic and get a good turn out.
The Purple Fiddle was a great room to play. I instantly fell in love with the charm and vibe of the small cafe/venue. Despite being a small town there have been some major artists that love to play here. With a hostel right above (band stays free!) I’m happy to call this place home for a few days. Though our turnout was small it was very receptive. The locals loved us and one went as far as to say we were the best he’s seen in a while. I’ll take a small warm response to a large tepid response any day.
Kungfu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
With two days off at the Purple Fiddle that consisted of pool, watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and catching up on a whole lot of sleep, we headed off to Philadelphia. We were really excited to be playing with Tweed and Flux Capacitor. Really awesome people and even nicer people! It was a Halloween party just a few days before the actual holiday. Labeled as an 80’s night we decided to play Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” to mark the occasion. We had an awesome turnout for our first Philly show and got to record our Indie GoGo campaign video with a friend from the area.
The Dock, Ithaca, NY
After getting out of Philly right after our set we made the long drive to Ithaca for our first show back in about a year. We love Ithaca and were so happy to be back at The Dock. We rode this energy all the way through set and really broke through with our jams. This show saw us really take our jamming to its tightest point of the tour so far. Our communication has really come together on this run of shows and we are starting to really click. I would say that this show really defined the rest of the tour for us and set a tone and energy that we wanted to match each night after.
Cyber West Cafe, Binghamton, NY
Binghamton was up next for us and after a sweaty performance the night before we drove our increasingly smelly bus to Cyber West Cafe. This show was a perfect compliment to the night before. Free espresso led to a really quick start. We were off with a bang and really brought the room alive with even more concise playing. I’m growing increasingly happy with our sound and our pallet is growing. We are breaking new ground and spirits are really high. Our next show is Halloween and we are poised to really bring the energy to the Oneonta Theatre.
The Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, NY
This is the big one for us. The Oneonta Theatre with Consider the Source and Kung Fu. We really admire these bands. Our bassist has been listening to Consider the Source for quite a long time and pulls a lot of influence from their bassist. Our set was an hour and as the home town band we had an amazing draw early on. We put on a a great set for 150 fans and friends. We were beyond thrilled with our performance and felt like it was a stand out set for our tour. We nailed the set and came away feeling great!
The Stomping Ground, Putnam, CT
After 3 days off we came to Putnam, CT to play a small bar venue called the Stomping Ground. We had an old friend in the audience and he has seen us many times early in our bands history. He said that this was by far his favorite set he has ever heard. As a fellow musician he had nothing but good things to say about our execution and prowess. We went long with “Shakedown Street” -> “2001” and kept it very interesting. We’ve really been exploring the funk the last 4 shows and Jeremy and Ron have really locked in with each other.
The Spot, Providence, RI
With Putnam behind us and another great show in the books we headed to meet up with our buddies from Colorado, Yamn. Taylor Frederick in Yamn is a fellow Oneonta State Alumni and its always great to see him shred the stage. We opened up for YAMN with high energy set that set the tone for YAMN to knock the audience over with their sound. We are pushing further into a wimpy sound and have moved away from our funk disco blend. I like the new ideas we are developing and we are taking more risks and seeing them pay off.
BRYAC, Bridgeport, CT
A quick ride over to Bridgeport and we land at BRYAC for our first show in CT this tour. We arrived early and took advantage of BRYAC’s amazing green room. We rehearsed for a long time and got a lot worked out for our set. We had a 3 hour romp ahead of us and we nailed it. We played two sets and kept the crowd interested well into the night. We were really pleased with our playing tonight and everyone was firing on all cylinders. BRYAC yielded the tours best Plibt and our own personal favorite set as a band for this tour.
The Black Oak, Oneonta, NY
We came to The Black Oak do our only totally improvised set of the tour. We packed out our favorite hometown venue and gave the audience a psychedelic performance they wouldn’t forget. It was our most experimental set of the tour and saw our fans seeing a new side of us. We all felt that we really pushed ourselves to make this show special and the results were exactly what we wanted. Being in front of all our friends made this one extra special.
Electric Haze, Worcester, Massachusetts
Electric Haze was an easy drive from Bridgeport. We got to the Hookah bar early and partook in a free Hookah and wrote a new setlist for the show. We had our drummers friends come and pack the room. Our 2 hour set went off without a hitch and we had a solid performance through out. Worcester was a great time and Electric Haze is a great venue with an awesome staff. The crowd loved our sound and we can’t wait to go back!
Pacific Standard Tavern, New Haven, CT
No riots this time but we had a blast at PST. This is our favorite CT venue and we hadn’t been in almost a year to the day. Our favorite CT venue led us to really put on a show. We had a high energy crowd and pulled from our recent experimental improv set in Oneonta to fuel the jams for the evening. Taking the best ideas from the previous shows we played a well rounded set of jamming and well executed songs. We were all happy to be back at PST and cant wait to play there again soon.
Napper Tandy’s, Miller Place, Long Island NY
The last show of our three and a half week tour took place at Napper Tandy’s in the hometown of our guitarist Jeremy. This show was a great time that left us feeling really positive about what we had accomplished. No tour is perfect and each one has its own set of ups and downs. We have grown so much in this last month and after the last note was played we reflected on our accomplishments as a band thus far. Each tour gives us a new sense of accomplishment and keeps us fueled for more creation. We love this band and we love each other. We stoop together for three and a half weeks and we did it our way. No flat tires, tons of roadkill and even more memories. This is what life on the road is all about.
The “Holidaze” series of festivals has become an annual event that is coveted by both the artists and fans alike. Hosted by the Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee, Dominican Holidaze 2015 took place in the Dominican Republic at the Breathless Resort and Spa in Punta Cana. For those uninitiated, this is THE premier luxury festival, treating attendees to baller rooms with private jacuzzis, all inclusive food and drinks across multiple restaurants and bars, and an ocean front stage that rages from sunset to 3am for four nights proper. Supporting tDB and UM this year were STS9, Lettuce, Nightmares on Wax, Break Science, Papadosio, Gigamesh, and Lee Foss. In one’s “downtime,” there is still plenty to do: excursions, pool parties, late night dj’s, the sand, sun, and surf. Resort staff genuinely seemed happy to have us there, and as a result, the overall experience was definitely “MAGNIFICO.”
This was my second time attending Holidaze, the last being in 2012 when it was in Cancun and considered “Mayan.” Both were excellent experiences, but it is clear that as time goes on, the Cloud 9 team continues to refine the series. Check-in/out was a breeze, customer service was excellent, and you can tell they want you to get safely from and to your home base. It’s an easy recommendation to make that if the lineup falls within your musical tastes and you don’t hate luxury beach vacations, you have to go at least once. Should these humble words fail to convince, perhaps this photo gallery will do the trick. Enjoy!
Rumors have been circulating for years about former Journey frontman Steve Perry’s return to music, especially after several surprise guest appearances with veteran alt-rockers Eels last year. Steve Perry has finally broken his silence, with a call Friday to L.A. classic rock station KSWD. In the interview, Perry reveals that he has been in the studio since March and hopes to have a new album completed for early 2016.
The first public performance in 19 years from one of classic rock’s signature voices was captured in St. Paul, Minnesota and posted to YouTube by an Eels fan. To date, the video has received over 2 million views. Check it out here:
While talk of a Perry reunion with his former bandmates in Journey is premature, in light of last year’s appearances with Eels, current Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda raised eyebrows last year tweeting the following:
@TessSuarez he should come back.his voice us still thrre..missed that voice.
With Perry’s confirmation of new material, fans waiting since his last solo outing, 1994’s For the Love of Strange Medicine, now have something to look forward to for 2016. These fans may have the blossoming friendship between Perry and Eels frontman E (AKA: Mark Oliver Everett) to thank for the reclusive vocalist’s return.
Perry and E are not only occasional stage mates, they have developed a true friendship over the years after being introduced by a mutual friend. E tells the story in a Stereogum interview from May 2014.
Journey, meanwhile, recently announced a summer shed tour with The Doobie Brothers. Syracuse’s Lakeside Amphitheater, as well as Saratoga and Darien Lake, are New York dates for this package tour.
The Arkells performed an extensive high energy set to a sold out crowd at 
When Breaking Benjamin returned in 2014, the band set out on a small, intimate acoustic tour to get the feel of playing their songs live again. 
This was my second time attending Holidaze, the last being in 2012 when it was in Cancun and considered “Mayan.” Both were excellent experiences, but it is clear that as time goes on, the Cloud 9 team continues to refine the series. Check-in/out was a breeze, customer service was excellent, and you can tell they want you to get safely from and to your home base. It’s an easy recommendation to make that if the lineup falls within your musical tastes and you don’t hate luxury beach vacations, you have to go at least once. Should these humble words fail to convince, perhaps this photo gallery will do the trick. Enjoy!
The first public performance in 19 years from one of classic rock’s signature voices was captured in St. Paul, Minnesota and posted to YouTube by an Eels fan. To date, the video has received over 2 million views. Check it out here: