Don’t have plans yet for New Year’s Eve? Music fans across New York State have got plenty of choices this Thursday. NYS Music helps you get there with the short list of NYE activities.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at the Historic German House with special guests Danielle Ponder & Tomorrow People and Funknut. Three Heads Brewing Tasting Party start at 7pm with an acoustic jam featuring members of GPGDS and Extended Family. Late night the party continues with Subsoil and Level 7 Hip Hop DJ Set. $20 in advance/$30 day of show.
While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.
With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.
Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”
Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”
And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”
Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:
Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”
Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:
As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”
The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”
Buffalo and Rochester won’t be short of something amazing to see this holiday season as Borg Party invades both cities just days before the Christmas Holiday. The super group spearheaded by Dopapod’s Rob Compa (guitar) also features Mike Gantzer (Aqueous– guitar), Mikey Carruba (Turkuaz – drums), James Searl (Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – bass) and Willy O’Riley (The Niche – keys). Borg Party will take over Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo on Dec. 22 before moving to Flour City Station in Rochester on Dec. 23.
The music looks to take on a festive atmosphere with a mix of covers and improvisational rifting. Compa, who grew up in Rochester, told NYS Music that he wanted to create a project that was less about creating something new and more about playing music that is enjoyable. “I was planning on coming home for the week of Christmas to visit my parents, so I figured I would call up some people who’s playing I really love who are from western New York and put together a couple shows just to have some fun and blow off some steam. That is really pretty much the whole point. Every one of the guys doing this with me is one of my favorites on their respective instruments, so I really wanted a chance to play with all of them.”
It’s not the first time that Compa has played with several of the musicians in various incarnations. This summer Dopapod and Aqueous highlighted the Buffalove Music Festival as Aquapod. At Catskill Chill, Dopapod and Turkauz joined forces for the Dopakuaz featuring the music of Studio 54. Gantzer has also made appearances on stage with both Dopapod and Turkauz at various shows in Buffalo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr-90SLkSl8
But for Compa, it’s also another opportunity to play with a musician that was an enormous influence on him as a teenager. “I used to go see Willy O’Riley play with his band the Niche when that venue [Flour City Station] was called Milestones,” he noted. “I was young and hungry to play, and was a huge fan of that band. They were incredibly cool to me and would let me sit in with them from time to time at that club. Willy in particular is a huge influence over who I became as a musician, and this will be our first time playing together in that room in almost ten years. I’m really excited to play with him again.”
Borg Party is currently only planned as a two night engagement. Tickets for both shows at Buffalo Iron Works and Flour City Station are currently still available.
An impressive crowd turned out for All Hallow’s Eve at the Westcott Theater October 30. Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad usually lures a sizable slew of reggae lovers, affording The Simpkin Project an opportunity to bask in the splendor of a well attended venue for the last stop of their east coast debut. Haewa and Ocular Panther appetized the quickly growing crowd with more abstract instrumental compositions.
Ocular Panther, a self proclaimed organic/electro band featuring Jason Gilly (bass), Collin Jones (guitar/synth/samples), and Michael Pantano (guitar), kicked the night off. Despite an optimistic concoction of notes culminating in a highly danceable jam beat, the crowd was not loose enough to dance in response. By the end of their short-lived set, the crowd had already grown to roughly seventy participants.
Rochester band Haewa followed, again utilizing Jones for his guitar work and vocals, plus Brendon Caroselli (drums/percussion), and Ben Chilbert (bass). For Caroselli’s second time playing with the band, he fit into their musical puzzle quite comfortably. Jones’ grungy fashionableness matched his Kurt Kobain-flavored vocals, adding some dimension to their instrumental, at times face melting musical offerings.
The Simpkin Project marked the third band of the evening paying no mind to the looming holiday by sporting a discernible Halloween costume. Phil Simpkin (guitar/vocals), Shawn Taylor (B3 organ/vocals), Sergio Sandoval (percussion) and Jules Luna (guitar/vocals), were joined by Giant Panda members and long time fans of the band, Chris O’Brian (drums) and James Searl (bass). The Simpkin Project’s mild mannered, warm presence conjured that satisfying sensation of joy akin to tearing open a homemade cornbread muffin hot from the oven before slowly savoring each textured, spongy bite.
Their mid-set song, “Everything You Want” professed a deep rooted love. Simpkin sang sweetly, “You are the shelter that protects me from the storm/The vindication for the reason I was born/I want to be everything you are to me/The center of my being.” Such enamor called to mind more than the simple indulgence of nibbling on a plain jane cornbread muffin. The slow-roasted, pan seared passion steaming out of this lyrical love plate was piled high with mashed potatoes, gravy and roast beef (ethically slaughtered of course).
Throughout their set, O’Brian and Searl happily mouthed the lyrics to many of the songs, fully immersed in the experience of playing alongside their musical heroes. Members of The Simpkin Project mirrored their gratitude, announcing towards the end of their performance, “This was a life changing experience, and what it taught us: we’ll be back.”
Giant Panda opened up with Searl soothingly offering the crowd, “This is a group meditation, please enjoy yourself,” following it up after the first song with “The first step to positivity is moving your body,” spoken like a true music yogi. Searl stood front and center, flanked by Dylan Savage (guitar/vocals) and Dan Keller (guitar/vocals), with Chris O’Brian (drums) and Tony Gallicchio (keys) rounding out their sound.
They covered a lot of ground, playing a range of older material from their 2006 debut album titled Slow Down, and mixing in a collection of everything since then including tracks off their May 2015 release Bright Days. Searl, Savage and Keller stood in a row, gatekeepers of reggae revolution, harmonizing before a crowd of mostly humans, mixed in with a few dancing pandas, princesses and superheroes, cuz ya know, Halloween.
As Giant Panda flowed into the marijuana-endorsing number “Mr.Cop,” the crowd dutifully sang along, to the delight of Searl and Savage who exchanged toothy grins as they strummed along. Before the next song, Keller divulged his entertainment from earlier in the day which consisted of flying a stunt kite. This anecdotal story was most certainly not followed by any references to how elevated the kite or any persons involved may or may not have been.
Known for effortlessly blending from one song to the next in a continuous swell of sound, Giant Panda transitioned from “Pockets” to “Healing,” followed by “Steady” and “Move” in a nonstop reggae rumble. Toward the end of the evening Simpkin reemerged as a guest vocalist. Sandoval added his percussive expertise to the high energy “O.K.” with Keller briefly adding some saxophone work to the lively tune. Leaving the audience buzzing with energy, Searl bid them farewell bellowing, “Peace, Panda and good night!”
Christmas just got a whole lot more interesting in Western New York. A brand-new supergroup of New York-based musicians coined Borg Party will be playing a two-night stint this December at Buffalo Iron Works (Dec. 22) and Flour City Station in Rochester (Dec. 23).
Consisting of Rob Compa (guitar/Dopapod), Mike Gantzer (guitar/Aqueous), Mikey Carruba (drums/Turkuaz), James Searl (bass/Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad), and Wiley O’Riley (keys/The Niche), the Borg Party should attract a star cruiser full of assimilated dancing fans.
With all of these musicians have collaborated multiple times in the past, attendees should expect far more than a simple night of improvisation and covers. In the past year alone, Compa’s Dopapod has played entire mash-up sets with Aqueous and Turkuaz.
Friday October 30 will spotlight a collection of reggae and jam-based music, delivered by the musical intertwining of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Simpkin Project, Ocular Panther and Haewa at the Westcott Theater on Halloween weekend. Giant Panda and The Simpkin Project fall more into the reggae and americana genre, while Ocular Panther and Haewa will be showcasing their more instrumental experimentations.
Giant Panda, hailing from Rochester, are continuing along their Fall Steady tour spanning October 22-30. Concentrating in the lower New England area, the tour began in Washington, DC and will conclude in Syracuse. James Searl (bass/vocals), Chris O’Brian (drums/vocals), Dylan Savage (guitar/vocals), Dan Keller (guitar/vocals) and Tony Gallicchio (keys) will be pulling from their eclectic mix of reggae and a more recent divergence into the sphere of americana/folk. Their heartening brand of country-bred tunes comprise their newest album Bright Days, released May 2015.
Indigenous Californians Phil Simpkin (vocals/guitar), Shawn Taylor (B3 organ/vocals), Sergio Sandoval (percussion) and Jules Luna (guitar/vocals) will nicely complement Giant Panda with their own reggae rhythms and folksy harmonizations.Giant Panda’s own O’brian and Searl will be providing their instrumentation to complete the ensemble and support The Simpkin Project, a band which Giant Panda has adored for years. With a noticeable Jack Johnson influence, The Simpkin Project will bring a warmth to the Westcott Theater.
The New York natives of Ocular Panther perform as an all instrumental trio featuring Jason Gilly (bass), Collin Jones (guitar/synth/samples) and Michael Pantano (guitar). Their free-flowing jams will give listeners a chance to contemplate the universe or any last-minute Halloween costume changes they may need to manufacture. Rochester-based Haewa, also soliciting the guitar work and vocals of Collin Jones, along with Brendon Caroselli (drums/percussion) and Ben Chilbert (bass) will open the show with a splash of psychedelic funkiness. Like an old pillow case bulging with the winnings of a blood thirsty trick-or-treaters plunder, the collection of sounds at the Westcott Thursday will provide something for every taste.
Westcott Halloween Weekend doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm. Get tickets here.
“I’ve never heard so many notes playing at once!” exclaimed a lanky festivarian draped in a tie-dye T-shirt, following the terrific main stage show of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the recent Arise Festival in Loveland, Colorado. Certainly, the hippie’s exclamation served as an apt description of the world’s best Dead cover band. However, the statement served as even more appropriate description of the hybrid event set the picturesque mountain setting. Arise is constructed as a “co-creator” event that offers a spicy jumbalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.
For those busy facilitating the weekend workshops, the 100 musical acts may have been mere distant echoes, but the results, at times, gave heartrending results. One such workshop led with a descendent of a man who once led a massacre against a Lakota tribe. The harrowing account was immediately followed by another presenter who is a current Lakota tribe member who offered words of healing regarding the violent past, and finished with a blessing of earth healing. That’s powerful stuff to be sharing at a music festival for sure.
As for the music scene, Arise boasts an advantage of what many are calling “next generation” festivals. Unlike similar events like Costa Rica’s Envision festival, the folks of Arise largely rely on the presence of live music acts. Not that Arise didn’t give electronic bassheads enough whomp. The Polish Ambassador headlined the main stage on Friday and a revamped Area 51 stage featured a full schedule of spin meisters through the weekend.
For me, the joy of the music scene was the live music. And there was plenty of joy in the concert bowl. Friday highlights included an emotional set of bluegrass folk from Rising Appalachia and the rousing rockabilly of Sister Sparrow and Dirty Birds. Arleigh Kincheloe, the band’s lead singer belted out tunes with pipes powerful enough to put plumbers out of business. And these acts were just warming up the crowd. Lukas Nelson, who spent the summer touring with Neil Young, shimmied, jumped, and rocked his way in the free world with a series of serrated guitar solos that Young would admire. And even though funk bands seem to grow these days thicker than mountain thistle, Turkuaz finished with a reasonably fresh and energetic take on the newly popular genre. Interspersed between the live sets were a dizzying array of acrobatic and fire performances from the likes of Lunar Fire and Fractal Tribe.
The 90 degree daytime temps didn’t slow down the Saturday line-up either. Western New York’s favorites Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad have become Colorado’s adopted sons for roots reggae, and their upbeat, jaunty rhythms dropped happily between two festival favorites, Ozomatli and the afore-mentioned Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. The crowd danced so hard, even Dirty Santa and sequined red suit was “almost dead” before midnight.
Still, the peak acoustic show the weekend didn’t arrive till Sunday’s offering of Larry Keel’s Bluegrass Tribute to the Grateful Dead. Edward Sharpe of the Magnetic Zeroes, at times, seemed restless and distracted, but the top-notch band behind him remained strong. Rounding out the main stage show, Trevor Hall’s easy going folk sound glided the crowd safely down to the festival weekend landing strip. Like many of the performers featured during the weekend, the Arise festival, only in its third year, is already hitting all the right notes.
The Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, taking place this weekend in Trumansburg, NY, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. What started as an event to raise funds for charity has evolved into the gem of the New York festival circuit.
Set within the Finger Lakes region, near Cayuga Lake and surrounded by the Taughannock Falls State Park, just 10 miles north of Ithaca the charitable, eco-conscious, music and art celebration will be held July 16-19.
Not only does Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance offer a stellar lineup year after year, and an interactive kids area, community based arts and crafts programs, and ties to charities — they work hard each year to move towards being a zero-waste festival. Every piece of table wear is compostable. Compost bins are located throughout the festival making it simple for festival goers to participate.
The charities that receive funding from Grassroots change from time to time but some of the most recent recipients include: Doctors Without Borders, State Theater of Ithaca, Ithaca Youth Bureau, Food Studies Institute, Sustainable Tompkins, Center for the Arts of Homer, Hospicare, Taughannock Soccer Club, and so many more. Grassroots is more than an annual festival to the Trumansburg community, its part of and an active participant of it.
With nearly 60 bands on four stages, this year’s lineup will have something for everyone, one of the characteristics of this festivals that ranks it so high on the list of ‘must see’ events in our area. The 25th anniversary headliners include: Donna The Buffalo, Steve Earle, and Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue. Also appearing this year will be: Cabinet, Jimkata, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, John Brown’s Body, Sim Redmond Band, The Horse Flies, Thunderbody, Sophistafunk, and many more.
Tickets, both 4-day and single day options are still available online and at select ticket outlets, and at the gate for you late comers. Sadly, as it always does, inside camping is sold out, but there are still off-site camping options still available. Check the festival website for camping ticket details and availability.
NYS Music will be on site all weekend with live updates and highlights, follow us on social media for everything Grassroots. We are so excited to be a part of this beautiful event with all the other eco-conscious music lovers. See you there!
North Tonawanda’s annual Rockin on the River series lineup has been announced for 2015.
Kicking things off this year is Toronto’s USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) – a two man alternative dance music/EDM group on July 10. July 17 will feature the dub/reggae beats of SOJA along with Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, North Tonawanda’s hottest groove rock export Aqueous, and Buffao’s Skyepilot. Rochester native and jukebox hero Lou Gramm will bring a slew of Foreigner hits and solo material to town July 31. The series will end in a totally epic manner as Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes stops into town with friends and collaborators Railroad Earth.
All shows are free, all ages and held at Gratwick Park. Those that want a closeup experience with some extra amenities can opt for VIP passes that go on sale June 20. Nearby parking is available for $5. Check out the full schedule below.
North Tonawanda Rockin’ on the River 2015
July 10 – USS w/ special guests to be announced
July 17 – SOJA w/ Aqueous, Giant Panda, and Skyepilot
July 31 – Lou Gramm w/ Radio9, Magone, and Famous Fred and the Creatures Unknown
Aug 7 – Warren Haynes w/ Railroad Earth and The Jeremy Hoyle Band
Get ready to take flight! The Purple Pig Music Festival 2015 has added a number of bands to its lineup, and it promises a weekend full of fun with a variety of musical styles to indulge in.
Final lineup for Purple Pig 2015:
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
Driftwood
Sophistafunk
Hypnotic Clambake
The Rigs
ThunderBody Subsoil
Horizon Wireless
Blind Owl Band
Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People
Mikaela Davis
Richie and Rosie
Kevin Kinsella
Mosaic Foundation
The Prickers
The Buddhahood
The Moho Collective
White Woods
Mulberry Soul
The Big Mean Sound Machine
The Chris English Project
Beat the Grid
Solaris
Seth Faergolzia
Blindspots
Maybird
Folkfaces
Slyboots
The Younger Gang
Personal Blend
Thoroughbred
Tryptic Soy
3 Mountain Hollow
Ryan Johnson
Milkweed
Dead Metaphor Cabaret
Eastern Boys with Western Shirts
Bob Bunce’s Rural Delivery
Irshad Chan
Squaw Island
The Reckoning Project
The Purple Pig Festival has grown exponentially in its four years of existence into one of upstate’s best. Held on a picturesque blueberry farm just outside of Naples, N.Y., the Pig offers multiple amenities and free on-site camping for the three-day extravaganza this Aug. 28-30. Three stages will host a bevy of bands with New York-based talent spotlighted. Purple Pig is brought to you by Roots Collider Presents.
The festival was founded by a group of friends who want to celebrate the amazing artistic talent they have found amongst New York’s musicians, artists, dancers, poets, writers and actors. “As hosts of the Purple Pig we are nothing short of blessed to have these such acts for you on one of the most beautiful pieces of land that you’ll ever live on for 3 days,” they write on the homepage of the festival’s website.
Tickets are a mere $80 for the three days and are available online now. Late comers can grab tickets at the gate for $100, provided there are any left. One-day tickets are also available. Join the event.
Best Small Festival: 
Christmas just got a whole lot more interesting in Western New York. A brand-new supergroup of New York-based musicians coined Borg Party will be playing a two-night stint this December at 