Tag: albany

Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Pick for Best Music Town in New York State

With an expansive state such as NY, there’s a multitude of large cities and small towns that are home to some widely diverse music venues and scenes abroad. Teetering as the fourth most populated state in the country, New York houses just under 20 million people with the majority of the larger cities snuggled along interstate 90. It’s a seamless route for bands to travel and schedule shows as they pass through the Empire State. However, our team of merry music lovers here at NYS Music voted upon one town to be the best scene for live music. I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that this 5-borough concrete jungle was the top pick for best music town in New York State. That’s right, New York City indeed. Coming in hot at #1 is the largest city in the United States and has been declared as the Best Music Town for many years now. It’s probably not going to be topped anytime soon either.

To a surprising degree, Albany and Buffalo were not so distant behind the Big Apple in the standings. The Capital District has much to offer with many venues of all capacities spread throughout the city. A brief list starts with The Hollow Bar & Kitchen, The Palace Theatre, The EGG, The Fuze Box, and The Times Union Center. Buffalo also has an impressive list of stages and events such as the Town Ballroom, The Tralf, The Waiting Room, Buffalo Iron Works, Nietzsche’s, and the First Niagara Center.

Oh, but the city that never sleeps has far more venues than anyone can imagine. Clubs, bars, city parks, warehouses, basements, rooftops, to numerous theatres and stadiums are abundant in the melting pot. It’s glorious! The most regarded venue in NYC would have to be Madison Square Garden. It’s beautiful, accommodating, spacious, acoustically dynamic, and it is just historically pleasing to be in and around. MSG holds only the world’s largest acts and will be home to Phish for four consecutive nights at the end of 2015.

The Barclays Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets, seats about 19,000 people, and opened in 2012 with a major list of performers, including Jay-Z and Pearl Jam. Its rivals in size would be MSG, Nassau Coliseum, Nikon at Jones Beach Amphitheater, and the IZOD Center (located in NJ).

Radio City Music Hall is the queen of all theaters in NYC with its 5,933 seat capacity, historical Art Deco interior, prestigious location, and Grand Stage. The elevator system in the theater is so advanced, that the U.S. Navy had incorporated identical hydraulics into WWII aircraft carriers and had security personnel guarding the theater during wartime. The Hall is sprinkled with depression-era artwork in the lobby, hallways, and the mezzanine. It’s deserving of the nickname, Showplace of the Nation.

Though, just because NYC is ample in size, poses home to the largest/most popular arenas and theaters in the country, doesn’t mean that’s where the real glory is. People tend to have more fun in the intimate venue, smaller capacity rooms where you can practically reach out and touch the artists from any angle of the room. The venues that sell tickets at reasonable prices, have great selection of beverages, are decorated with passion, and cater to the individual concert go-er rather than consumers in bulk, are what makes the experience favorable. The Empire City has all of that and more. Some other venues that hold NYC so high are: The Beacon Theatre, The Hammerstein Ballroom, Carnegie Hall, Playstation Theater, City Winery, Terminal 5, Brooklyn Bowl, Governors Island, Central Park, Bowery Ballroom, Village Vanguard, Cake Shop, and Saint Vitus are just a sliver of the pie.

New Years Eve in New York City, well really, the whole week around New Years, is chock full of music. Just check out this list put together by Catskill Chill Music Festival!

Aside from being the music mecca of the world, it’s almost in a class of its own. Until that changes, go visit the Big Apple and enjoy some live music!

December 26, 2015
Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Best Venues in New York State

Most bands and performers have goals to play their music, record albums, have fun, and entertain thousands of fans in the largest of venues that host our favorite bands. It takes years of dedication, hard work, and constant creativity to pursue these dreams and goals. For almost every performer, they have to start their careers in the smaller clubs and work their way to the large venues. Here we have our Top NYS Music Staff Picks for the Best venues in New York State for 2015.

Best Club in New York State – Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn, NY)

This bowling alley and live-music venue fully embraces the bowl-a-rama theme park idea. This is a great place to kill a few hours by your-self or with a group of friends. You can down a pitcher of Brooklyn Brews, chew your way through the food menu from the Blue Ribbon team (delicious fatty brisket, Old Bay–fried chicken) lane-side between frames, while listening to/watching some the best music from around the world on their music stage. This establishment is also certified L.E.E.D Green with use of 100% wind energy, all beverages being on-tap only (No cans and bottles), cork and recycled truck tire flooring, and energy efficient electronics and appliances. There’s no wonder why this was voted the best club.

“Basically, Brooklyn Bowl is the Pimp My Ride of music venues. It has a 16-lane bowling alley with big-ass HD TV screens situated above the pins. “Rock. And Roll. Fries” and the “Really Sloppy Joe” are on the Blue Ribbon-supplied menu. And they book wonderfully odd and unexpected novelty shows such as Lebowski Fest, the Regional Air Guitar Championships, and Snoop Dogg. Most of the time, however, the Bowl brings out the latest in indie rock, punctuated by seasonal specialties like Questlove’s weekly DJ residency. Their couches are really comfortable, too.” – The Village Voice

Best Theatre in New York State – Palace Theatre (Albany, NY)

The top pick by our staff for best theatre turned out to be a good one. The Palace Performing Arts Center is a Baroque-style theater dating to 1931 hosts concerts, classic movies & the Albany Symphony Orchestra. This theatre is a favorite among many bands and performers visiting the capital region with its 2,800 person capacity, beautifully carved moldings, and painted ceilings. It holds events that spawn from broadways the Nutcracker to celebrating New Years Eve with the progressive jam-band Moe. The theater has also been profiting tremendously for the last 4 years straight since under new management.

Best Arena/Amphitheater in New York State – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, NY)

With a close race in this category, SPAC came out on top for our staff pick of the best large venue in New York State. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is a complex with a large Amphitheatre and smaller theatre that hosts every single kind of music known from around the world and also hosts banquets and events for local high schools and companies. This year of 2016, SPAC is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is also up for its contract renewal with New York State.

Best NEW Venue in New York State – Lakeview Amphitheater & Funk ‘N’ Waffles Downtown (Syracuse, NY)

Tied for Top Pick of the best NEW venue in New York State by our staff are two venues located in Syracuse, NY. The Lakeview Amphitheater was built this year and opened to the public in late summer, hosting one of Country music’s biggest stars, Miranda Lambert. The all-new state of the art venue seats over 17,000 people and has a picturesque view of Onondaga Lake.

Funk ‘N’ Waffles Downtown was established in late 2014 and is located near Armory Square in downtown Syracuse. The 2^nd location is an offshoot of the original restaurant-slash-club located on Marshall St, near the University. The downtown spot is set up to hold 100+ people and divided into two sections (Coffee shop and Bar with live music). They serve a wonderful selection of local and popular NYS beers, have state of the art technology for their visiting musicians, and have an original tasty concoction of waffles to choose from. NYS Music is also co-sponsoring Wednesday Nights with live music every week in December.

December 22, 2015
Mister F Gives Fans Insider Pass to ‘FTV Cribs’

Who can forget when Mariah Carey showed off her plush Manhattan penthouse, with its decadent chandeliers, lavish closets and Marilyn Monroe’s piano, or when Lil Wayne revealed his mobster movie-obsessed living room and impressive car collection on MTV Cribs? It was a show that rocked a generation by allowing an exclusive peek into the personal lives of favorite culture figures before social media came along and made such connection instant. Well, get excited fans of Albany-based Mister F — now you can take an all-access tour of the band’s neat-and-clean dude ranch on YouTube.

Published on the band’s channel last week, the near 13-minute “FTV Cribs” episode gives viewers a satirical but honest look at the home of these “hard and dangerous rock stars,” plus their whips, yard and places “where the magic happens” for Andrew Chamberlaine (Mister A), Ben Pickering (Mister B), Scott Hannay (Mister S), Matt Pickering (Mister M) and Mike Dean (Mister Manager). According to the press release, the idea was in the making before Mister F was even a concept.

Hannay said in the release:

Our drummer Matt had been wanting to make an MTV Cribs-style video for the band house since six years ago when the other guys were still in Timbre Coup… Over the last year, I put together a very silly Vulfpeck-esque video of us playing with a bare-bones setup in totally nonsensical costumes around a dinner table (“This One Goes to 11 – Live at the Dinner Table“) and a three-song series of more serious in-studio multi-cam videos (“The Snow Day Sessions“). I’d gotten back into the swing of video editing, and so we decided to finally make our own MTV Cribs-style episode, aptly titled “FTV Cribs.”

The virtual tour begins in the living room where the band catches up on Netflix (Arrested Development, of course) to the “all around awesome” two-acre party lot set up with plastic patio ware and can jam before moving into the bare-cupboard kitchen with Mister B who highlights a heady collection of craft beer and opens the fridge door to showcase “all the fixins for hamburgers and hotdogs.” After a short faux commercial break featuring Now! That’s What F Calls Music, a compact compilation of the “crunchiest jams to bop your head to” from Aqueous, Twiddle, The Heavy Pets, McLovins and more (found here), the segment returns with a private look at the shabby chic bedrooms—take note of Mister M’s hat and shoe collection—and concert poster covered practice room before kicking viewers out. So sit back, tune in and invade the space to see “how the other F lives.”

November 4, 2015
Stellar Young: Unassuming Kings of Lark Fest 2015

Navigating through the crowd on Lark Street during Saturday’s LarkFEST festivities was a real challenge, but a welcomed one. A large, enthusiastic, and surprisingly eclectic mix of attendee’s flooded the street, enjoying art, music, food and drinks (a lot of drinks). For patron’s of LarkFEST however, the event is largely about the music. To be more specific, if you were anywhere near the Madison Avenue stage, it was largely about five piece indie rock group Stellar Young, mainstays in the Albany music scene, and their eclectic appeal makes them a perfect headliner for an event like LarkFEST. At their 4 p.m. set, it was standing room only around the Madison Avenue stage. LarkFESTer’s were packed in as far down the street as the eye could see, and we have these guys to thank for that. An energetic crowd sang their song lyrics back to them, danced, and fully engaged in a power hour of Stellar Young.

Stellar Young’s LarkFEST 2015 Setlist: Amity, The Universe Is A Bully, Crumble At The Fault, As You Go, Keep Up, Playing With Guns, Over All Over, The Reunion, Hitting Reset, Animals, Box Of Echoes, Nomad

Encore: We Own Nothing

September 22, 2015
Fishbone to Play The Hollow in Albany

Los Angeles born ska and funk pioneers Fishbone will make a stop in Albany tonight at The Hollow with guests Downtown Brown as part of their current U.S. tour.

After 25+ years of making music, the band is continuing to reach into new territory with their most recent project, a mockumentary video series that picks up where their 2010 documentary, “Everyday Sunshine,” left off. The video project also comes on the heels of Fishbone’s latest album, Intrinsically Intertwined, released in April 2014.

Fishbone.

On top of their prolific career (17 album releases) and notable collaborations (Gwen Stefani, Flea, Chuck D, etc.), Fishbone is still intertwined in a notorious, long standing lawsuit in which a fan sued the band for 1.4 million after lead singer Dr. Maad Vibe landed ontop of her after, what one can only assume to be, a stage dive of historic proportions. As a result, your patronage for this show effectively fights the good fight for rock and roll, in addition to witnessing what is sure to be a kick-ass concert by American ska moguls.

The show starts at 9 p.m., with doors at 8 p.m. Michigan based ska-punk-experimental-funk Downtown Brown will open the show, as part of their own national tour. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the show.

Fishbone w/ Downtown Brown, Wednesday, September 16, 8 pm doors / 9 pm show, $20 advance / $22 day of show, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, 79 N. Pearl St Albany NY

September 16, 2015
Street Performer Leif Solem Harassed By Albany Police Officer

Street performer Leif Solem was recently harassed by Albany Police Officer Glenn Szelest while busking, another term for performing on the street.

Solem was confronted by Officer Szelest in front of 7 North Pearl St. while playing his guitar. A woman bystander witnessed and recorded a 43-second video of the confrontation, which Solem posted on Youtube.

Officer Szelest claims the shirt Solem placed on the ground for tips in front of a vacant building looked like he was panhandling and ticketed him for disorderly conduct for blocking the sidewalk.

After the bystander questioned the officer, Szelest calls for backup by saying he was dealing with unruly panhandlers. The officer even tried to grab the phone from the woman’s hands.

Solem stated in an phone interview with News 10 that this was the first time he was ever stopped by police. He said the officer quickly became condescending. Solem told News 10 that the officer asked him rhetorically, “You were picked on in school weren’t you,” and became really demeaning and belittling.

A police spokesperson stated that the department was made aware of the video on Monday and is currently conducting an investigation.

Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated: “To my knowledge, there is no ordinance against busking.” Cox also stated that Officer Szelest has been reassigned to administrative duty while an internal investigation takes place.

Szelest is a 21-year veteran of the Albany Police Department.

September 15, 2015
Biohazard, Sworn Enemy Announce Tour

Brooklyn, NY hardcore metallers Biohazard announced a brief east coast tour for the upcoming spring, with Queens, NY hardcore outfit Sworn Enemy joining them once again. The tour kicks off in Amityville, NY at Revolution Music Hall on March 27, and ends in Jacksonville, FL at the Southeast Beast Fest. The tour also includes a stop at Bogies in Albany.

Making a special guest appearance, the show in Amityville includes a set from Zire’s War, a new band featuring Joey Zampella from Life Of Agony, who made their debut last October.

In other news, Biohazard has been hard at work on their tenth studio album tentatively due this year to be release via Nuclear Blast America. This album would mark the first time with the lineup of Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Danny Schuler, and Scott Roberts.

Tickets for the Revolution Music Hall show can be purchased here.

Tickets for the Bogies show can be purchased here.

Biohazard, Sworn Enemy Tour Dates

March 27, 2015          Amityville, NY         Revolution Music Hall

March 28, 2015         Albany, NY               Bogies

March 29, 2015         Cambridge, MA       The Middle East

March 31, 2015         Philadelphia, PA      Voltage Lounge

April 1, 2015              Asbury Park, NJ      Asbury Lanes

April 2, 2015             Springfield, VA        Empire

April 4, 2015             Atlanta, GA                The Masquerade

April 5, 2015             Jacksonville, FL       Southeast Beast Fest

January 19, 2015
Hearing Aide: Bishop ‘Hate Wide Open’

Albany based band Bishop might have been described at times as an alternative metal or hard rock act, as their blatant use of loud, blasphemous guitars suggests, but their upcoming album, Hate Wide Open, set to drop Jan. 6, has more to offer.

From an overall perspective, Hate Wide Open, is an experience in groovy, hard rock mixed with the melodic type of vocals. The instrument section, composed of three brothers – Tom Semeraro on guitar and lead vocals, Rocco Semeraro on drums and backing vocals, and Vincent Padula on bass and backing vocals — who also generate a fairly tight system of vocals based around their lead singers melody. The music is not far from groove – oriented hard rock. Clutch fans will enjoy the riff driven guitars, rather than stand alone chords — the latter of which is all but absent in the album, while Anthrax and Metallica fans will likely enjoy the vocal styles. And finally, Bishop, clearly understand the necessity of deliberation in an album. If nothing else, Hate Wide Open hits its listener in the jaw.

You’ll be able to shout along, bang your head, and nod to the groove in your car.

Unfortunately, the album is far from perfect. Bishop seems to have committed three great sins against their own ministry. One is that the album is repetitive. Guitars repeat the same scale all too much, and follow the same pattern. Songs such as the title track, and Pretty, come off as a rehashing of Clutch’s Blast Tyrant, Anthrax, and at times even Mötley Crüe. And these combinations result in the listener’s belief that Bishop’s ability to write is limited, and worse, it can cause the listener boredom.

Likewise, some of the lead vocals come off as lazy, as at certain points, they lack integrity, or may have been rushed through the recording process. In these instances, Tom Semeraro’s voice simply seems tired, it drags on for just too long.

Luckily, Hate Wide Open ,contains a few tricky twists, at least enough to keep the listening party active for one full round. “Awaken” is a brilliantly a constructed straight rock ballad — it seems to draw its influence from a few different acts and sounds different from any other song on the album — transitioning from an emotional acoustic dance to heavy sway.

Further, the album is strong with enough NOLA type riffs, along the lines of Down or Crowbar, to further the great energy the album has. In similar fashion, “Neverland” is quite possibly the strongest track on the album. It twists straight rock with psychedelic build. If this song doesn’t capture your attention, few things will.

Overall, Hate Wide Open, is a solid attempt, but Bishop doesn’t really bless us with this one. They would do well to reevaluate how songs are written — and although the album is energetic — it just doesn’t satisfy. But don’t worry, guys, we’ll give you a second chance. Say ten Hail Mary’s and we’ll consider you absolved.

The album can be purchased directly from the band at bishopmusic.com.

Key Tracks: Awaken, Neverland, Pretty

January 12, 2015