NYS Music 20​15

Tag: Brooklyn Bowl

  • 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.

    Jim Houle - NYC - New York City - Manhattan

    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.

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    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!

    NYENYC2016chill

    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!

  • 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

    moe.yearsBest 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.

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    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 2nd 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.

    FunkNWaffles1

  • Brooklyn Funk: Vulfpeck Shines in Debut New York Performance

    On a night where the company was only surpassed by the music, Vulfpeck performed their highly anticipated Brooklyn Bowl debut in New York. Following the final night of Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s three-night run, the smooth funk group from Michigan was the perfect late night show. Dancing across the lanes never felt so good.

    vulfpeckA happy four piece with a variety of guests joining throughout the night. Vulfpeck is energetic and they lay down a sensual brand of funk, and were clearly excited to be in New York. Playing to a sold out crowd that demanded a second show be added for Monday, November 23 at Brooklyn Bowl, Vulfpeck joins The New Mastersounds, Kung Fu, Lettuce and Marco Benevento, ushering in the next era of in demand funk bands. Mister F has impressively covered them on multiple occasions, and the word is starting to get out. Guitarist and drummer Theo Katzman, nodding to the band’s late arrival to the stage, suggested starting “a movement to encourage starting on time,” but none in the audience were complaining. Katzman gave shout outs to Lenox Hill Hospital and Bellmore, Long Island, marking a homecoming performance for the multi-instrumentalist.

    The attentive crowd anticipated the funk throughout the night, Charles Jones joined Vulfpeck on keys and smooth ’70s style vocals. A promising instrumental cover of Cheryl Lynn’s “To Be Real” was accented by the Bowl’s disco ball. When the band broke into “1612”, the crowd sang the “Frank Sinatra” line like they’d be seeing them for years.

    Moving around on stage and switching instruments, with two keyboardists at times, added a degree of difficulty not seen by many acts. Antwaun Stanley sang at key points of the set, adding soul to “Funky Duck” and “1612” among many more. For their first Brooklyn Bowl show, the venue was full, the audience fulfilled and Vulfpeck delivered.
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  • Chris Robinson Brotherhood Closes 3-Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

    Upon taking the stage, Brotherhood bandleader Chris Robinson clearly felt at home beginning the final show of his band’s three-night stint at Brooklyn Bowl, inquiring of the venue’s bowler-patrons, “How’s your game tonight?” The casual confidence of this still-young band comprised of veterans was evident in their choice of “Taking Care of Business” as opener.

    CRB

    Heads bobbed to a few tightly delivered bluesy numbers, with keyboardist Adam MacDougall’s trippy pitch-bent Mini-Moog often carrying the melody and helping to define the group’s signature sound. The ensemble’s musical versatility revealed itself in stages, with bassist Mark Dutton laying down a juicy, rolling bassline to start “The Music’s Hot,” which also featured soloing from guitarist Neal Casal reminiscent of Little Feat. The energy reached a new plateau mid-set with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Down In The Flood” as large portions of the crowd began to let loose and dance. Dutton, looking serene and often nearly motionless at far stage-left, was locked in as he consistently delivered basslines that were generally big and deep, dropping heavy notes like anchors dead on the beat. “I’m A Hog For You” was the only tune of the night to feature Robinson on harmonica and left the crowd simmering as it ended the first set.

    The second set began with the band providing lyrical mantras celebrating Saturday night and having a good time. The playing throughout was freer and more varied. In its instrumental improvisations, the band modulated between cerebral and spacious textures, often dominated by MacDougall, and energetic rollicking rock-outs, typically led by Casal. More than a few audience members perked up when the Los Angeles-based band busted out their cover of the Grateful Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway.” Another highlight was disco-jammer “I Ain’t Hiding,” the second Black Crowes song to appear during the evening. Acoustic instruments appeared for the two-song encore, culminating with a beautiful delivery of Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country”.

    Despite having three records to their name, Chris Robinson Brotherhood relied on only three tunes from last year’s Phosphorescent Harvest on this particular night, fleshing out the show with their interpretations of numerous classics. If you want old fashioned psych-blues rock and roll played with authority, CRB are among the best doing it in 2015.

    Setlist:
    Set 1: Taking Care of Business, Jump the Turnstiles, The Music’s Hot, Oak Apple Day, Down in the Flood, Little Lizzie Mae, Like a Tumbleweed in Eden, I’m A Hog For You

    Set 2: Saturday Night in Oak Grove, Louisiana, Ain’t It Hard But Fair, Shore Power, Clear Blue Sky & The Good Doctor, West L.A. Fadeaway, Tough Mama, I Ain’t Hiding, Got Love If You Want It

    Encore: Betty & Dupree, Girl From the North Country

  • Hearing Aide: Vulfpeck ‘Thrill of the Arts’

    Thrill of the Arts, the debut full-length release from Vulfpeck is an entertaining score of influences —Motown, superfly funk, disco ballads, ’80s easy listening, other music your parents probably owned—and classically trained elements that mix confidently with technetronic effects. The result isn’t nostalgic or avant-garde, but geeky cool in its carefully composed yet vibrant sound; it’s revenge-of-the-nerds with soul-train swagger.

    vulfpeck thrill of the artsThe four-man rhythm section formed at the University of Michigan—Jack Stratton (keyboards/drums/guitar), Theo Katzman (guitar/drums/vocals), Woody Goss (keyboards) and Joe Dart (bass)—self-produced the album through a 59-day Kickstarter campaign and open it with the appropriately named “Welcome to Vulf Records,” an upbeat symphonic theme song that signals it’s time to tune in, brassy saxophone solos and all.

    Over the following half-hour, the band grooves through a variety show of offbeat instrumentals, starring guests like rhythm-and-blues vocalist Antwaun Stanley, who sings about the self-aware, TED-talk giving “Funky Duck,” and guitarist Blake Mills in the spaghetti Western rockabilly number “Rango II” that moseys on until mid-trail distortion time warps listeners back to the future. Mushy Krongold (Stratton’s alter ego) brings the 10-tracks to a close with “Guided Smile Meditation,” a spoken-word bit that uses outer-spacey synths to help visualize manning “mission control” and sends TOTA off with a “sense of smile spreading through the eyes.”

    vulfpeck thrill of the artsMost songs remain under the five-minute mark, but existing live footage reveals that these guys aren’t afraid to improvise and can deliver unexpected transitions with impressive precision. And they’ve also been known to cover a classic song or two like The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek” and Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and will occasionally breakdown their instrumental configurations for the audience before jamming out. Vulf has yet to announce a tour schedule in support of the album; however, the band is booked for two nights at the Brooklyn Bowl on Nov. 21 and 23 and special guests are soon to be announced.

    Vulfpeck‘s premiere feature compilation is dressed to thrill and proves that independent musicians in the 21st century can provide much more than studio session backtracks.

    Key Tracks: “Funky Duck,” “Rango II,” and “Christmas in L.A.”

  • We Had No Complaints: Perpetual Groove Return from Hiatus at Brooklyn Bowl

    There is a sticker growing in popularity in the jam band scene nationwide. It is a simple square sticker, white letters on a blue background, stating “I Have No Complaints.” The original idea, the “saying before the sticker” came from a Phish phan on tour after the group reunited. After each show, if his pals nit-picked about this song or that jam, he would always respond, “I have no complaints.” That would bring the group back to reality; after all, their band was back! What in the world should there be any complaints about? It ended up being such a positive slogan, and not necessarily specified to any band, political party, anything. Just a universal reminder of being thankful for the good things. So a sticker was printed. Then reprinted. Thousands of times over.

    Perpetual GrooveOn October 9-10 at Brooklyn Bowl, there were no complaints. This saying represented the energy of everyone in attendance at Brooklyn Bowl both Friday and Saturday night. The McLovins opened for Perpetual Groove on Friday night and will be opening for them again for future shows. The Hip Abduction was Saturday’s opener, and after the PGroove set Wyllys spun a DJ set which kept people dancing until the bar shut down, hours after the headliner’s encore.

    The dance area was packed both nights, and it was obvious that most attendees knew PGroove’s music very well. Singing along, fist pumping, high fiving and even tears were witnessed.

    Perpetual Groove
    Photo by Scott Harris for LiveMusicBlog.com

    Perpetual Groove has lyrics that can be pretty haunting at times. Their second song on Friday, “Three Weeks,” sings about a bad breakup from a relationship where the sadness is so great that guitarist Brock Butler sings: “I’ve been dancing with possibility, playing with my razor blade. I lost the thing I thought I had, the thing that made me think I had it made.” A crowd favorite, “Three Weeks” has a middle section that gets very electronica and danceable. You can feel the mood lighten in the song and feel the crowd’s energy grow. The healing and recovery begins. “It seems it’s been forever now, I’m giving up on that bed. I ain’t got much soul left now, and I don’t have that much bread. I’m seeing that there are no more possibilities, I’ve tossed away my razor blade. I never had the thing I thought I had, the thing that made me think I had it made…” Doesn’t sound like a real positive place still, but hey, at least those razor blades are out of the picture and the healing can begin. hiatus

    PGroove fans had also felt that feeling of loss. In January 2013, Perpetual Groove announced an indefinite hiatus so that one of the members could fight the downward spiral many rock stars fall into. On April 5, 2013 the band took the stage of the Georgia Theatre for their then-final show. The news was heartbreaking to their fans, but many had already witnessed a decline in his health. The majority of diehard PGroove fans wanted what was best for all involved, and all prayed for a successful (yet speedy) recovery so the band could go back to touring.

    Other than a few shows this summer closer to their hometown in Athens, GA, NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl was the band’s return to the scene. Their only other shows scheduled this year is a two night Halloween run in South Carolina, another two nights in early December in Colorado, and a three nighter in Atlanta, Georgia for New Year’s Eve.

    The Brooklyn Bowl shows were proof that the band is not only doing MUCH better with their demons, but also looked happy and excited to be playing as a band again. Their energy spread through the entire room; not one person looked like they weren’t having a blast. If 2016 brings them back, there will no doubt be another great turnout of happy fans, new and old. Here’s to hoping to for their continued happiness, health and desire to make people boogie down and keep smiling.

    Setlist, October 9
    Trouble> Three Weeks> Speed Queen, Holy Ship, Lemurs, Two Shores, Sun Dog, Diggin in the Dirt, TTFPJ, A Day the Way> Robot Waltz
    Encore: Out Here> Trouble

    Setlist, October 10
    Life> Man With All The Answers, TSM2, Paper Dolls, Walkin in Place, Stealy Man, It Starts Where it Ends, Mr. Transistor, Cairo, All My Friends
    Encore: Teakwood Betz>…and Everything

  • Perpetual Groove Returns to New York After their Two Year Hiatus

    NYS Music would like to welcome back Perpetual Groove, a name that jammers sadly said their goodbyes to after an indefinite hiatus began following their April 5, 2013 show. They head to Brooklyn Bowl on their reunion tour.

    Their 2015 comeback shows in at the State Theatre in Petersburg, FL on July 31 and Aug. 1 have only been followed by an Aug. 29 show at the Pisgah Brewery in North Carolina and a two-day set at the Resonance Arts and Music Festival in Ohio on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.

    perpetual groove brooklyn bowl returnThe Brooklyn Bowl shows on Friday Oct. 9 and Saturday Oct. 10 are their only northeast shows scheduled for 2015, so make sure you purchase your tickets in advance. And if you needed another twist of your arm, the McLovins will be opening Friday night’s show and The Hip Abduction will be opening Saturday.

    Tickets: $17 advance / $20 day of show. Doors: 6 p.m. Show: 8 p.m. 21+

  • Natalie Cressman Band and Jennifer Hartswick Band at Brooklyn Bowl August 27

    On the cusp of announcing two nights of shows at the Kings Theater and the release of their new album Paper Wheels, Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman of Trey Anastasio Band will bring their individual solo projects to Brooklyn Bowl for a night of jazz and funk.

    Jennifer Hartswick Natalie CressmanNatalie Cressman Band features fellow TAB member James Casey (tenor sax), Ivan Jackson (trumpet, High & Mighty Brass Band), Samora Pinderhughes (keys), Mike Bono (guitar), Jonathan Stein (bass), and Mark Whitfield Jr. (drums). Natalie’s dynamic trombone play and soaring vocals lead the group through a dynamic blend of jazz and funk that will be sure to keep you grooving.

    Jennifer Hartswick, the senior member of TAB’s horn section, will be headlining this evening of explosive tunes with a marvelously curated group consisting of Bob Lanzetti (Guitar, Snarky Puppy), Rodney Flood (Drummer), Dezron Douglas (Bass), Rob Marscher (Keys, Addison Groove Project/Matisyahu) following up the release of soulful and intimate Ocean Floor .

    Make sure to catch Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman at Brooklyn Bowl, Thursday, August 27 at 8pm, tickets are available at here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VLsPk7vZRk

  • Jesus on the Mainline Fills the Stage at Brooklyn Bowl

    Jesus On The Mainline is a fifteen piece ensemble comprised of some of the best young musical talent New York City has to offer. Led by band leader Andrew Neesley (lead vocals, violin) his ensemble consists of Mel Flannery (vocals), Amanda Brecker (vocals), Tim Emmerick (vocals,guitar,banjo), Tomek Miernowski (bass), Dave Scalia (drums), Pascal Le Beouf (keyboard, organ), Andrew Miramonti (guitar), Simon Kafka (guitar), Mike Gorham (trumpet), Sam Oatts (trumpet), Natalie Cressman (trombone), Frank Cohen (trombone), Mark McGinnis (tuba), Jake Goldbas (percussion) and Austin Walker (percussion).
    When you are preparing to see a band of this magnitude there is only one question you must ask yourself; will they all fit on stage? In stark contrast to past venues JOTM has played, Brooklyn Bowl gave them a chance to get comfortable on the roomy stage and let their sound shine through. With an eclectic range of tunes, at times ranging from southern rock to  gospel and soul, the audience was captivated by the precise arrangements and compositions.
    ScottHarris-JOTML-1200px--08752
    Neesley donning dark shades, shaved head, and a prolific beard, soon to be approaching ZZ Top status, began the set with the soulful and powerful tune “War” and made clear that given the right space to spread their wings JOTM could do not wrong. The gospel sounding “Angel From Montgomery” set the crowd up for a seamless transition into the rocking ruckus of “Jump Right In” with the entire cast firing on all cylinders. JOTM was reminiscent of a young, fresh, Tedeschi Trucks Band, combining all their talents to ensure their compositions resonated with everyone in attendance. Neesley takes time throughout each tune, while leading the band, to step aside and let each musician shine through, whether its Le Beouf’s organ solos or Flannery’s angelic voice giving us a soul filled cover of Nirvana’s “Lithium”.
    To close outthe evening the entire ensemble took part in “Sister City, Brother Bone” with a classic rock sound, that gave way to the rhythm section to showcase their synergy. As long Jesus On The Mainline can find a stage to hold them and a room to contain their huge sound they are here to stay.
    You can listen to Jesus On The Mainline here or catch them at Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28 at midnite.
    Jesus On The Mainline, Brooklyn Bowl, 4/28/2015
    War, The Wrong Side, Chronically Lazy, Angel From Montgomery, Jump Right In, Sweet High & Dry, Take Me, Cry The Mamas Did, Lithium, Sister City Brother Bone

  • 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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