NYS Music 20​15

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  • Primus at The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, NY

    Tuesday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, NY a near sold out crowd is anxiously waiting for California-based rock band Primus to take the stage. Unlike many rock shows, this one has no opening act. It is two and half hours of Les Claypool, master of the bass, Larry “Ler” Lalonde on guitar and Tim “Herb” Alexander banging drums. The lights dim and the crowd jumps to their feet. A familiar tune starts pumping through the speakers. Yes, it is the “Clown Dream” sequence by Danny Elfman from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure setting the tone for the evening: An adventure that at times almost feels so surreal that it could be a dream.

    primus landmark theatrePrimus is currently on tour for their new album Primus and the Chocolate Factory. The album is a creative re-work of the “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” Soundtrack. The tour has been designed so that they open the show with an hour plus long set filled with their hits. From the second they hit the stage and tore right into “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers” the fans were on their feet, dancing up and down the aisles and in the balcony. Les Claypool’s calculated, yet seemingly effortless bass riffs are clearly designed to get people moving. The show was like a giant dance party from beginning to end. Several Oompa Loompa and Willy Wonka look alike’s were dancing through the crowd. While the party raged on the members of Primus never seemed to lose their focus.

    I had a chance to talk to some fans before the show: “I saw Primus at the Landmark years ago. I love this place it’s so beautiful and it’s Primus so you know things are going to get weird, but they’re awesome” said Melissa Heneka from Baldwinsville, NY. Weird was an accurate description. There was a visit from Mr. Krinkle, a horse head propped on a mic stand on stage,little orange people and other unusual masks and props. Primus showcased their talents with their fan favorites: “Frizzle Fry,” “My Name is Mud” and ended their first set with “Over the Electric Grapevine”.

    The band took a short break and then…”Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, the Chocolate Room.” “Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.” Primus, with the help of the Fungi Ensemble, took the music and the video from the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to a whole other realm of imagination. The stage set included lollipops, mushroom-shaped candies, Oompa Loompa dressed stage hands and a huge video screen that played re-edited images from the movie flawlessly synched to the music. Les Claypool showed that he is a master of the stage by playing parts of the set on an upright bass. Les added an eerie, even creepy element to the songs, “The Candy Man”, “Lucky Charlie” and “The Wondrous Boat Ride.” He brought some haunting flair to the song “Cheer Up Charlie” by mixing in a methodical, maniacal laugh.

    “Little surprises around every corner but nothing dangerous.” A highlight of the set was the appearance of the oversized Oompa Loompas who danced in time to Les’s renderings of each of the children’s demises.The playful, upbeat version of “I’ve Got A Golden Ticket” is still stuck in my head twenty-four hours later. Larry Lalonde had everyone cracking up with his version of “I Want it Now.” The set ended with a stunning still shot of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. “We are the music makers and We are the dreamers of dreams.” That quote sums up the night.

    The audience was still revved up as Primus took the stage for the third time for their encore performance that included “Fisticuffs” and “Here Come the Bastards.” Primus is the whole package, entertaining, talented and a band that appears to truly enjoy what they do. With a packed venue full of loyal fans, Primus proved that they are the “Golden Ticket”.

    Written by: Kelly Besaw  Photos by: Chris Beesaw

  • Sprocket at Brooklyn Bowl: Not A Secret Anymore

    The ever growing Sprocket fan base was out in full force for the bands biggest show to date. The hard working NYC bases jam band has put in the time and energy to get to showcase their talents on NYC’s hottest stage, Brooklyn Bowl. Tom Tompkins (guitar), Dan Haller (bass), Nate Rosler (drums), and Angelo Miliano (keyboards) had all but forty-five minutes to show the Brooklyn Bowl crowd what all the hype was about and why they are the best kept secret in the NYC jam scene. I don’t think they are a secret anymore, crushing the set with just three songs, the way all jam bands should do a second set. The set began with “Letters At The Bottom Of The Sea” an unreleased track which featured an indie meets improvisational rock vibe, an all around well composed and executed song, which can surely be jammed out in the future. Sprocket sounded tight and relaxed, not given any time to get in the groove with such a short set they followed with “Shroud”. Without an extended solo Rosler showcased his talent on the drum kit by powering the band through this uptempo and solid jam, keeping the energy level high. The band took a quick breather and shared with their fans how excited they were to be playing at Brooklyn Bowl and let us know they would jam out the rest of the set. “Cube” was a set closer and encore all rolled into one, featuring many peaks as the band was encouraged to keep the jam rolling. The only song played off of their 2014 release Tropical Bushwick, they were able to take this well structured tune into an exploratory space and really pile layers on top of layers within this jam. Sprocket kept the audience captivated and begging for more.

    You can see Sprocket next on May 23 at the Studio at Webster Hall, tickets here or in Chicago on July 4, post GD50 at the Hard Rock Chicago, tickets here.

    Setlist: Sprocket at Brooklyn Bowl 4/21
    Letters At The Bottom Of The Sea, The Shroud, Cube

    *Photos By: Evan Rosler

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  • Natalie Cressman Keeps the Late Night Grooving at the Blue Note Jazz Club

    For 34 years the Blue Note Jazz Club has been cramming this small, railroad style club, full of music enthusiasts, shoulder to shoulder and back to back. The late night groove series which showcases local up-and-coming artists (such as Natalie Cressman) across many genres from funk to R&B, was the perfect place for this blend of classic jazz melodies fused with everything from Bossa Nova to Indie Rock.

    Natalie Cressman (trombone, lead vocals) and her band, Ivan Jackson (trumpet, vocals), Mike Bono (guitar), Jonathan Stein (bass), Samora Pinderhughes (keys), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums) combined their musical talents and influences to walk us through a Pandoras Box of uptempo beats and traditional jazz.

    Natalie Cressman Blue NoteThe night began with “Motherless Child” reminiscent of a blend of Brazilian Jazz and Samba featuring a powerful solo by Jackson and an opportunity for the entire band to show off their talent while Cressman conceded to the side stage to let them shine.

    On “Stolen Bells” Cressman and Jackson started off showcasing the cohesion of the small horn section while Pinderhughes forewent the grand piano to take us for a ride on his Nord. Cressman showed off her vocals for the first time of the evening on “Fortune’s Fool” off of her 2014 release Turn The Sea giving way to a lengthy piano solo by Pinderhughes on the soft and gentle tune. “The Unknown” gave Cressman a chance to further captivate the audience with her singing, then transporting the audience  to a 1960’s jazz club full of hepcats with the retro composition “You’ll Never Know”. Jackson then took the lead on both vocals and trumpet for a cover of Bon Iver’s “Blindsided” penned by Justin Vernon before Cressman lead us into the passionate melodies of “New Moon” with her captivating range.

    Natalie Cressman Blue NoteBeing performed for the first time live, “Traces” was driven by Stein laying down the rhythm on his seven string bass while Cressman and Jackson showed us what great chemistry can do for a tune while Jackson’s backup vocals only accentuated Cressman’s lead, giving the audience the feeling this was a song they have played a hundred times before. The young band leader returned to her horn for the lead on “Turn The Sea” the self-titled track off of her 2014 album. The band led the late night jazz fans on an improvisational jam and stretched out “Fallin” with Jackson driving it home with his phenomenal trumpet work. Bono was given a chance to showcase his guitar play with extended solo’s on Hanne Hukkelberg’s “Do Not As I Do” before turning back to Cressman’s crooning on “Warm Winds”. This late night at NYC’s most historic jazz club was driven to a close with “Stolen Away” an upbeat number alternating back and forth between guitar riffs and trombone, featuring Bono and Cressman playing off each other, leaving the fans wanting more.

    You can catch Natalie Cressman next with Jesus On The Mainline at Brooklyn Bowl on April 28, tickets available here or with her full band at MAYfest a Music Art and Yoga festival May 22-24 in Cold Spring, NY, purchase your tickets here.

    *Photos By: Mark Dershowitz

  • Get Covered: Aqueous Plays Cake Themed Set in Buffalo

    Aqueous is not a band that takes their craft lightly. Over their nine years of existence they have endlessly tried to stretch the boundaries – A Super Mario Brother’s themed set, a career path minded Will Smith set for Halloween with all four members in different era Fresh Prince attire, and of course the four week themed residency at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo – which included Willy Wonka, Love, Decades and a Mystery Artist theme that featured a night of Beatles music mixed with AQ’s arsenal of originals.

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    This past Saturday at Buffalo’s Iron Works would be the latest on the themes from Aqueous – two sets, one original and one set featuring the music of alt-rock heroes Cake. The “Cake-Queous” set featured 12 first time played Cake songs interspersed and quite often interlaced with original music. The sold out crowd could not have been more fulfilled – with many vets expounding (in full Comic Store Guy accent) “Best Show Ever.”

    The good people at Buffalo.FM were on hand with camera’s all over the joint. Buffalo.fm (and wnymedia.net) are huge friends to the New York music scene, releasing tons of audio and video material free for fans and often streaming shows live. Today they released audio of Saturday’s Cake themed set.

  • OMMEGANG Brewery Announces Primus and Dinosaur Jr.

    Primus has announced their 2015 American Summer tour featuring Dinosaur Jr. with 18 dates. The tour kicks off with the All Good Festival in West Virginia on July 10th and will be traveling across country to end in Flagstaff, AZ. Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY will be hosting the dual performances on July 31 by Dan Smalls Presents. Ommegang has their own summer concert series with other guests such as The Pixies, The Avett Brothers, and Old Crow Medicine Show.

    Jim Gilbert-Primus-14

    Dinosaur Jr. is an alternative rock band from Massachusetts, formed in 1984 with original members J Mascis (guitar, vocals), Lou Barlow (bass, vocals), and Murph (drums). Through the year, the band has replaced a couple of members and recorded three major-label albums. In 2005, the original line-up reformed and released three more albums thereafter.

    The Primus and Dinosaur Jr. tour will also make stops in Wallingford, CT, the Stone Pony in Asbury, NJ, and Pier 97 in NYC. Tickets for July 31st in Cooperstown will be go on sale Friday and can be purchased at Dansmallpresents.com.

    2015 US Tour dates:

    July 10 – SUMMIT POINT, WV – ALL GOOD FESTIVAL
    July 17 – WALLINGFORD, CT – TOYOTA PRESENTS OAKDALE
    July 18 – RALEIGH, NC – LINCOLN THEATRE
    July 19 – BIRMINGHAM, AL – SLOSS FESTIVAL
    July 20 – CHARLOTTE, NC – FILLMORE CHARLOTTE
    July 23 – PHILADELPHIA, PA – PENN’S LANDING
    July 24 – ASBURY PARK, NY – THE STONE PONY
    July 25 – BOSTON, MA – BLUE HILLS BANK PAVILLION
    July 27 – PORTLAND, ME – THOMPSON’S POINT
    July 28 – HOLYOKE, MA – MOUNTAIN PARK
    July 30 – NEW YORK, NY – PIER 97
    July 31 – COOPERSTOWN, NY – OMMEGANG BREWERY
    Aug 1 – COLUMBUS, OH – LC PAVILLION
    Aug 2 – STERLING HEIGHTS, MI – FREEDOM HILL AMPHITHEATRE
    Aug 4 – HUBER HEIGHTS, OH – ROSE MUSIC CENTER
    Aug 6 – MILWAUKEE, WI – EAGLE’S BALLROOM
    Aug 7 – PAPILLION, NE – SUMTUR AMPHITHEATER
    Sep 4 – FLAGSTAFF, AZ – PEPSI AMPHITHEATRE

  • Local Limelight: Getting to Know Simple Jack

    simplejack1.4Even at first glance it is clear that Simple Jack is not your typical small town band. Bringing people of all ages together since 2011, they are a band that encompasses many generations. Tim Martuzas, Anthony Ubriaco, Paul Juiliani, and Pat Myers have combined their different backgrounds to form the next up and coming band in Watertown, NY. With decades of experience under their belt they flawlessly breathe life back into otherwise forgotten hits and put an old school flare on the new ones. No matter the genre, or generation of music you love, there is something for everyone at a Simple Jack show.These guys are not only talented but they embody a love for music at its core. They are a refreshing reminder that we are separated by many things but music should not be one of them. I was able to sit down and talk with them recently and after learning about the men of Simple Jack I am more a fan than ever before.

    Katrina Johnson: How did Simple Jack get started?

    Tim Martuzas: We started on November 11, 2011. At the time it was Steve Morley, Paul, and myself. We were all in between bands and Steve asked if we wanted to jam. There was Simple Jack.

    KJ: Where did the name Simple Jack come from?simplejack13

    TM: We were sitting around trying to come up with all these different names and most of what we were coming up with could be offensive

    Paul Juiliani: Steve suggested it because he was talking about the movie Tropic Thunder. We got it from that Simple Jack. But then I could be considered a Simple Jack.

    TM: Also it was brought up, we just wanted something simple. So what better than to just use that as part of the name.

    KJ: How did you get to the current line up with Anthony and Pat?

    Anthony Ubriaco: Tim had called me and told me if I ever needed a band to give him a call. At the time I didn’t think he was serious. But a couple of weeks later, after my band broke up, he asked why I didn’t call him. So I came out to jam with them and it stuck. Then about this time last year Steve decided he wanted to part ways and focus on work. Tim worked with Pat at musicology and approached him about playing bass. So he came and we jammed and now he is a key member.

    KJ: When did you learn to play?simplejack5.2

    Pat Myers: I started playing music in 2006. I started playing professionally when I joined this band.

    TM: I went to music school, it’s not where I learned music though.

    PJ: It comes from the heart. If you want to do it you will go out and learn how to do it, and find people to do it with.

    TM: I started playing in 1982. My first gig was at a roller rink. This was back before the days of the DJ. A DJ used to have to carry in racks of boxes of records. Now they walk in with an iPod and get paid more than musicians get for all of their thousands of dollars in investment. The older school people grew up with a multiple of venues to play in. Not just bars; there was dances, dinners, weddings. Long before the DJ market dominated all of that. School dances never had a DJ, there was always a live band. It didn’t make any sense to have a DJ come in with boxes of records and hope he had the right ones. Today someone can pull up whatever they want on their iPad and carry nothing as far as equipment. It discourages the market as far as live music goes. At a lot of those school events the bands went to those schools, so the kids knew the bands. U had a ready-made following.

    PJ: Yea but once you got popular you would go to other schools.

    AU: I learned to play the guitar seriously 3 or 4 years ago. I’ve been singing since I was 3 or 4. I started playing professionally with Wagners in 2009. I have had other bands but nothing was real serious, it was just fun.

    PJ: I couldn’t tell you for sure but I would say I started playing in the late 60’s

    KJ: Who are your idols?simplejack2.2

    PJ: That is a tough one. There is so many. You get it every day, from anything, from the past and present. Of course my first influence was the Beatles, I love them.

    PM: I was influenced by my cousin who let me play his drums and bass whenever I was at his place. He showed me a few bass lines and got me started.

    TM: Mine would be a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour, and Randy Ross. Those are my main influences. But if I had to pick a musical idol I would say my Uncle Chuck. He wasn’t a national musician but he is the reason why I have had the success I have had in this business. His notoriety gave me a lot of access to doors that wouldn’t have been open to just anybody. His name has gotten me further than my own ability has.

    AU: In terms of singing, my earliest influence was Billy Joel. 12 inch records that I would play over and over again and sing along with. I have always been a big fan of Huey Lewis, tons of blues acts like Clapton and Vaughan, Colin James from Canada. I would say that is my wheelhouse vocally. But I also try to do other things so I can be as useable as possible. For guitar, I just play, I don’t really try to emulate anyone. I just listen to things and try to pick up little pieces. But at the core I would say I’m probably a blues guitar player so again Clapton. Not so much Vaughan, I’m not as fast as him.

    KJ: Do you have a favorite song to play?simplejack4

    PJ: It’s hard to say, we like them all. Huey Lewis comes off strong. We play a variety for the crowd and because it makes us feel good.

    TM: We try to play to our crowd. With the age difference we are picking stuff for every one of our genres. I tend to like a heavier rock, like Rush, but that’s not the crowd pleasing stuff so we don’t tend to do a lot of it. We basically play what we think people want to hear based on who we are playing for.

    KJ: What are your fondest memories in your music careers?

    TM: That’s a tough one because it actually happens about one in every five gigs. Where we have an incredible job and the audience connects with us. There is a lot of memorable moments as a musician. It’s hard to pick just one because some of the best times of my life have been on stage. With the people I play it with. And the things that lead up to the gigs, the road trips. Anthony and I went on a 2200 mile road trip across the entire gulf coast. Stopped in every music town there was, sampled what they were putting out. It was his trial by fire. We hired him and the next day he gets in the car with me and we travel the gulf coast. Playing as much as we can, experiencing as much as we can, seeing how many flavors we can get in, and then came back and played the next weekend. Those are the fun things, the things you get to do because you are a musician.

    PM: It would have to be either the night we played at The Paddock during this small tattoo festival they had. Double Barrel Blues Band started the night and we finished it out. After the gig, I went out into the arcade and got a brand new tattoo. Either that, or a night that we played at O’Brien’s in Clayton. They had some shooter girls brandishing Fireball Whiskey and the house was just packed. The girls were bringing shots on stage and it was just a really amazing night.

    PJ: One of my favorite events to play was kite day. It was up at the park. You are on a huge stage and you look out and see a whole sea of people. That was fun.

    TM: Large crowds are obviously fun because of the noise level. There have been a couple of them that have been awesome.

    AU: It’s really nice when you put out the energy and they give it back to you. If you get enough people in the room and they are interested it brings out the best in you. Like new town was probably one of the coolest things I ever did. Not only was it for a really great cause but there was a ton of people and they were interested in the music. It’s not like a bar where they want to drink, they don’t want to listen to music.

    KJ: Do you think the age difference helps you?simplejack3

    TM: I think it helps because it allows the younger perspective. Which has more of an insight on what’s happening now. Plus you have the experience of the older musicians who have done it and knows the ropes. I think it’s an advantage having multiple generations. A lot of bands today pick their members based on availability. Its compatibility that’s important, whether they work well with you. You can get really cool sound by mixing different backgrounds of people.

    PM: I don’t care about the age difference. Playing with people who are far more experienced than myself has been great.

    AU: I would say I agree. It works well in our favor. You got generations with different points of view adding their little bits into the mix. If you have so much distance in terms of the way that you were raised and learned to play then that can mesh together and either be good or bad. In our case it ended up being good. We just kind of gel. I would say if you took any other 4 random people and tried to do what we do you have a 50/50 shot that it’s going to be bad.

    TM: If you put 4 older musicians in a band they are going to play for crowds that are older and only play crowds that are older. They are going to play the music from their generation to one group of people. And it’s the same with young bands. But I think a mix like this we get people in their 20’s up to their 80’s.

    Check out Simple Jack at an upcoming show!

    April 24 – The Paddock Club, Watertown NY

    April 25 – Time Warp Tavern, Watertown NY

    May 15 – The John Hoover Inn, Evans Mills NY

    May 23 – First Round, Watertown NY

    June 26 – First Round, Watertown NY

  • Turkuaz Returns to Ithaca with Special Guests Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds

    It was business as usual in Ithaca on Thursday April, 16 and by business as usual, it meant there was a raging funk storm tearing its way through The Haunt. With both bands performing new music, fans in Ithaca of Sister Sparrow and Turkuaz alike were in for a treat. As in years past, The Haunt was brimming with lovers of funk, soul, and blues, none of whom were able to keep themselves from dancing.turk 1

    Hot off the new release of their EP “Stereochrome,” Turkuaz is in the middle of their Stereochrome tour, taking them from Portland to Saratoga and everywhere in between, leaving not a soul unsatisfied. Released on April 14 the new album brings one backs to the very roots of funk, with hints of Parliament and Sly & the Family Stone as well as a little of Turkuaz’s own distinct brand of soul that sends shivers running down the spine. Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds also brought a hefty dose of new tunes in anticipation of their upcoming album “The Weather Below,” set to be released May 19.  IMG_0640

    With the dance floor filling quickly, Sister Sparrow took to the stage, kicking off the show with a mixture of old crowd favorites and a couple new tunes, “Don’t Be Jealous” and “Sugar,” off their upcoming album. Though lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe may be a small woman, she has an enormous heart and a bigger voice. With vocals ranging from soft and soulful to mean and gritty, Kincheloe is the perfect match for her band that ceases to provide slow bluesy solos and hard funk rhythms. Starting off with a jam between the guitar and bass, The Haunt could not get enough as they shouted out the words to “Lasso” and its big chorus “But what do you want?” Though it started big, the song quickly transformed as a hush fell over the crowd for an almost melancholy trumpet solo leading up to a big finish. Before heading off, Greg Sanderson and Chris Brouwers, the tenor sax and trumpet players for Turuaz, joined in for Sister Sparrow’s own, “Road Trip,” which also featured one last clap and sing along by the fans.

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    With the crowd sufficiently warmed up and maybe even a little sweaty from over an hour of dancing, Turkuaz wasted little time in making their way to the stage. The band kicked things off with their unreleased track “Type-Lika,” followed by “Bubba Slide.” Hot off their new album, Turkuaz brought out two new tracks “Tiptoe Through the Crypto” and “It’s So Hard,” featuring dueling solos with the guitar and Sister Sparrow’s Jackson Kincheloe on harmonica. The set was nothing short of a remarkable amalgam of sexy brass solos, psychedelic guitar riffs, and the tender blues voices of singers Sammi Garrett and the band’s newest member Shira Elias.IMG_0654

    As if Turkuaz wasn’t the quintessential old school fun band with a herd of nine members, they somehow found room for more people on the stage as they brought out four of Sister Sparrow’s finest. It only seemed fit, with 13 people crowded onto the stage, that Turkuaz ended their set with a Beatles classic, “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Bari-sax player Josh Schwartz wasn’t far off from Joe Cocker himself as he belted out every word with a fiery passion that engulfed the entire venue. With the crowd left crying for “One more song!,” Turkuaz waited several minutes, building up as much suspense as possible before returning for the encore. To close out the night, the band performed “Lookin’ Tough, Feelin’ Good,” leaving everyone with the final notes of front man Dave Brandwein’s guitar solo ringing in their ears. As usual, Turkuaz and Sister Sparrow continue to impress, bringing a much needed dose of funk and soul to Ithaca’s The Haunt once again.IMG_0673

    Setlists
    Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds
    UTW, Freight, Millie, Don’t Be Jealous, Sugar, We need a love, Mama Knows, Borderline, Prison Cells, Lasso, Dr. Feelgood, You Don’t Know, Roadtrip

    Turkuaz
    Type, Bubba, Bijou>20 Dollar Bill, It’s So Hard>Shape, Nightswimming, Coast, Future, Lookin’ Tough, Gogo, Ballad of Castor, Chatte, With a Little Help from My Friends
    Encore: Lookin’ Tough, Feelin’ Good

  • Nightwish, Sabaton, and Delain Owned Buffalo’s Town Ballroom

    The turnout for the April 16 Nightwish show at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, both baffled and pleased fans to no end. After arriving just a few minutes before door time, the line had already extended from the Town Ballroom to nearly halfway down to the HSBC building. If you’re familiar with downtown Buffalo at all, you know that’s a pretty impressive line. I’ve been to a handful of shows at Town Ballroom over the years, and I’ve never had that “sardine in a can” feeling there before last night. In fact, it took security so long to funnel everyone inside, that at least a hundred people were still standing outside as Delain was starting their set. I squeaked in the door just after their first song.

    NightwishAs for the artists, Dutch symphonic metallers, Delain, kicked things off in their typical fashion with powerful orchestral keys, heavy riffs and captivating vocal melodies from front-lady, Charlotte Wessels. Most fans were disappointed with their song selection. They mostly played their more bland sounding tracks from the last few albums, along with their key singles. However, I felt they were strong in the sound department, making them a solid opener with surprisingly heavy crisp guitars, keys and vocals.

    Afterwards, Sweden’s Sabaton took the stage and dominated, plain and simple. They’re a fun group of guys that take heavy metal to the next level. Musically, they remind me of a heavier symphonic Judas Priest. Their songs are based on historical battles and American and European military history, but I think what really won them a lot of new fans last night was personality. Frontman, Joakim Brodén, was hilarious and made it a point to jokingly say, “If it wasn’t for some of your grandfathers, you’d all be speaking German right now,  and let’s face it, you Americans aren’t exactly known for your language skills.” A female fan also tossed her bra at Joakim at one point during their set, much to the delight of everyone in the room, on stage and off.

    Many of Sabaton’s songs are centered around American military history and Sabaton always makes it a point to give proper dedications to those who have fallen in the line of duty. Furthermore, a group of fans near the stage were signaling to the band with German, Swedish or American flags, in accordance with the lyrical content of whatever song was being played. My friend John was among them. At one point, Broden took hold of their Swedish flag and wore it as a cape like a superhero. Shortly after he boasted, “My superpower is going to be cheap furniture”, but not before he’d already commented, “Don’t think just because we have Ikea that we’re all peaceful and shit.”

    Sabaton cleared the stage after playing their encore, “Night Witches” which was the opening track off their latest album, Heroes. They then respectfully paved the way for Nightwish, who hails from Kitee, Finland.

    Nightwish began their set in typical Nightwish fashion. This was my fourth time seeing them, so I knew exactly what to expect. The lights dimmed, then eerie blue spotlights illuminated the room accompanied by the ominous sounds of rolling ocean waves and whale songs. Lately, they’ve been working a lot with Richard Dawkins, a well-known English ethologist and dedicated atheist. He narrates portions of Nightwish’s latest effort, Endless Forms Most Beautiful- an openly secular record paying homage to the life and work of Charles Darwin.

    Once the whales fell silent, Richard Dawkins’s voice kicked off the first song with, “The deepest solace lies in understanding, this ancient unseen stream- a shudder before the beautiful.” Wintersun drummer, Kai Hahto then immediately kicked into the song, “Shudder Before the Beautiful” along with Marco Heitala’s heavy bassline and Tuomas Holopainen’s orchestral synth arrangement. Then, one by one, the rest of the band emerged as needed.

    The set continued with fan favorites going all the way back in their discography to 1998’s Oceanborn. “Stargazers” and “Sleeping Sun” were played off that record. They also briefly visited Wishmaster with the song, “She is My Sin”. The rest of the set was made up of songs going from 2004’s Once through their latest release. From Once, they played “Dark Chest of Wonders”, “Nemo” and “Ghost Love Score” as one of two encores. Imaginarium was visited via the songs, “Storytime”, “I Want My Tears Back” and “Last Ride of the Day”, which was the second encore. Dark Passion Play was only touched on with “The Islander”, but that was a high point of their set for me because of Marco Heitala’s acoustic steel-stringed solo performance for the better part of it. Marco played a double neck for the majority of the set- an electric bass adjoined with an acoustic guitar.

    Troy Donockley wowed the audience with his flute and bagpipe skills during that song as well, while also joining Marco and lead vocalist, Floor Jansen for a moving vocal performance. I think Troy brings a lot to this band and I’m glad he’s a permanent part of it. Hearing his soothing flutes and bagpipes during older songs gave a whole new perspective. He ended “Sleeping Sun” with Tuomas on bagpipes and I felt that made the entire song much more enjoyable and fresh.

    As I’m sure you’d expect, the majority of Nightwish’s set was new material. Here’s what you can expect to hear from the new album on future tour dates:

    • “Shudder Before the Beautiful”
    • “Yours Is An Empty Hope”
    • “Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
    • “My Walden”
    • “Elan”
    • “Weak Fantasy” (Kai does an amazing drum solo to kick off this song)
    • “The Greatest Show On Earth”

    The night ended with Nightwish’s traditional bow to the audience, while Richard Dawkins spoke in the background about how lucky we are to be awake in this universe. It’s a sample from the song, “The Greatest Show on Earth”, named after one of Dawkins’s novels, released in 2009. Most European bands do a traditional bow to the audience after sets and Delain and Sabaton ended their sets the same way. I think it’s a very humble way to say goodbye to your fans and make some kind of connection with them, especially when you’re on the other side of the world, and the odds are good you’ll never see many of your audience members again.

    I suppose I’m now at that regrettable point where I’ve officially run out of words and thoughts about this wonderful show, so in conclusion, I’ll say this: Thank you for reading this review. If you were there last night, I hope I adequately conveyed last night’s events. If you weren’t there, whether you’re a fan of these bands or not, I hope my words at the very least inspired you to add some new songs to your music library. Thanks again for reading.

  • Festival Announces Final Lineup Additions, Pre-Parties

    A festival in the Berkshires announced today the final installments in the 2015 lineup. Additions include Phutureprimitive, Aqueous, Cosmic Dust Bunnies, Lucid, Teddy Midnight, Ikebe Shakedown, Ross Jenssen, Brightside, Wyllys, Subset, Of the Trees, Horizon Wireless, Aaron Fractaltribe, Robert Fractaltribe, Om Olak, Icaro, Wubson, Corey Brooks, Twist of Fate, Squanto, Cheatcode, Bells and Robes, Leila Harrison, Levitation Jones, Uncle Bob, Gater, Icculus, and Honeycomb.

    festival lineupThese additions join Lettuce, Electron, Dopapod, Twiddle, Kung Fu, Consider the Source, Cabinet, Soule Monde, Pink Talking Fish, Viral Sound, Roots of Creation, Dangermuffin, Spiritual Rez, Lespecial, Supersillyus, Schlang Live Band, The Hornitz, Viva La Hop, Bella’s Bartok, Wobblesauce, Fennario, Strange Machines, Hayley Jane & The Primates, Soul Rebel Project, Mister F, Blue Boy Productions, Formula 5, Broccoli Samurai, Krewe de Groove, West End Blend and Relative Souls. The 5th year festival kicks off on June 11 and runs through June 14 at Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, NY, just over the border from Massachusetts.

    San Francisco based Phutureprimitive, fresh of a 40 show US tour supporting psychedelic electronic music pioneer Shpongle, is set to perform a late night set at Disc Jam on stages created by renowned stage designers Fractaltribe.

    Disc Jam 2015 features 4 Days of Music, 50+ Musical Performances, Disc Golf Tournaments, 2 Main Stages, Carside, Grassy or Wooded Campsites, Food and Craft Vending, Kids Activities, Late Night Acoustic Sets, Silent Disco, Disc Golf Clinics, Live Painting, Art Installations, Yoga Sessions, Fire Performances, Hula Hoop and Flow Art Workshops and much more.

    Disc Jam still embraces a small festival vibe while drawing larger bands from Boston, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and beyond. The 5th annual Disc Jam once again features an incredible lineup of musicians and artists set to celebrate the Northeast’s diverse and thriving live music scene.

    Pre-parties announced across New York and New England

    In the weeks leading up to Disc Jam Music Festival, pre-parties are planned featuring bands on the lineup for the weekend. Pre-parties sponsored by Disc Jam will be held at the following locations:

    May 7 at Parish Public House, Albany, NY featuring Dangermuffin

    May 8 at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Albany, NY featuring Mister F

    May 14 at Garcia’s, Portchester, NY, featuring Roots of Creation w/ Hayley Jane & the Primates

    May 16 at Electric Haze, Worcester MA, featuring Pink Talking Fish

    May 29 at Penuche’s, Manchester NH featuring Lucid, ICCULUS, and Hayley Jane and the Primates

    Tickets are on sale now.

    Disc Jam on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

  • Season Finale at The Massry Center with The Funky Meters

    Bringing the sounds of New Orleans to the Picotte Recital Hall in The Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose, the legendary Funky Meters closed out the season with extended solos and catalog staples. The audience was surprisingly seated for all but the encore of this performance, relegated to foot tapping and rocking back and forth rather than getting up and moving, with only a few souls dancing near the periphery of the stage.

    After a warm up opener of “Funky Miracle” followed by “The World is a Little Bit Under the Weather” Art “Poppa Funk” Neville was left for a solo but missed his cue, picking it up moments later saying, “I feel like Ray Charles, I can’t see nothin’ anyway.” Yet his fingers could still find the right keys throughout the night.

    “Honey Child” had a fair amount of banter between Neville and George Porter, Jr. as well as a solid drum solo from Terrence Houston, a great substitute for Russell Baptiste. The rest of the night featured extended jamming inside classics including “People Say,” “Cissy Strut,” where Art and George sat together as Terrence took his shirt off, draped it over his head and drummed blind as he tore it up for five additional minutes, and “Just Kissed my Baby” with George putting forth such energy and genuine excitement that you’d think he’d snuck off stage for a split second to find proper inspiration.

    The transition into “Ain’t No Use” was ultra smooth courtesy of George and guitarist Brian Stoltz. I happened to have seen Widespread Panic play this song as an opener two nights earlier in Columbia, SC, and with the jamming that resulted there it’s hard to say which version was better, reflecting on the potential for this song in any setting. This “Ain’t No Use” took a few turns as it stretched out and had hardly a hiccup throughout. The set ended on a high note just as the show I caught on Tuesday started, a testament to the music of The Meters

    An on stage encore had a short “Let it Roll” that worked into “Fire on the Bayou” with a jam into “White Room” at the end, to which George commented “I had to get my psychedelic on.” After the show while fans greeted the band, a fan commented “George Porter Jr. looks like the happiest person on earth,” a spot on assessment given that George and Art have played together for 48 years. You’d be happy too.