Tag: mister f

Update: The Year of Sittin’ In with Scott Hannay

When NYS Music caught up with Mister F’s Scott Hannay earlier this year, we talked about what it’s like to sit-in with a band, the preparation (often none) and coordination that goes into a guest spot, and his goal of jamming out with Turkuaz.

Fast forward to the end of 2015 and Scott Hannay has sat in with over 50 bands, performed with Mister F in Colorado and stretched his music experience even further. Wrapping up 2015, NYSMusic followed up with Scott on the year he had and what lies ahead for him and Mister F.

Pete Mason: What have you learned over the course of the year, regarding guest appearances and overall musicianship?

Scott Hannay: It’s hard to properly put into a paragraph what I’ve learned from this year compared to other years, but I can certainly tell a marked difference in my own musicianship after this one. Throwing oneself into so many different styles and situations has a way of broadening horizons. I’ve gotten to shred Middle Eastern scales with Consider the Source, travel into outer space jamming with Formula 5, make a run on all the instruments (except drums) with The Werks, tickled keytar with After Funk and The Magic Beans, and those are just a small few of many. It’s been incredibly humbling. I’ve always said you can learn something from everyone, but I’ve been really, really spoiled with the ‘everyone’ that I get to learn from!

PM: What has the year in music been like, for both Mister F and yourself?

SH: This year has been exciting for a lot of reasons. We’ve had some very high-profile musicians play with us this year, and I have also gotten to play with many very incredible players. As a band, Mister F played over 150 shows this year throughout over 20 states, providing many opportunities for collaborations. We even found ourselves in Colorado for the first time, where I took my only night off to go play more music at a jam night in Boulder and got together with Jaden Carlson Band for a session. It’s been a very immersive year in terms of music for me, and will continue to be until 2016!

PM: So with how this year went, what do you set your sights on for sit-ins? That Turkuaz happened pretty fast after we last chatted…

SH: Turkuaz happened pretty quickly, yes – the day after the last article came out! We’re playing with Particle on January 1 at The Hollow. I’ve gotten to play with them before, and Steve Molitz has sat in with Mister F, so, who knows what will happen! We’ve got a string of official Umphrey’s afterparties coming up, too, so hopefully some of them can come out and throw down with us. Either way, 2016 is already looking great!

This video is from Buffalove, the night I played all three stages – the ‘hat trick’, if you will. Mister F played the 2nd stage, then I hopped up with PTF on the main stage after breaking down and packing up. Rick (from PTF) and I then traded keytar solos latenight with After Funk at the woods stage. Buffalove was recently tied with Disc Jam for best small festival in your NYS Music article – it was definitely one of the most memorable nights of my summer!

December 30, 2015
Guitarist Andrew Chamberlaine to Leave Mister F

Mister F guitarist Andrew Chamberlaine is leaving the band.

Chamberlaine, also known as Mister A, announced the news on his Facebook page today. “Making music with my best friends Ben, Matt, Scott, and Mike while visiting at least 20 new states will always be one of the best memories I’ll ever have, however it is something I will not be continuing in 2016,” he wrote in the announcement.

He notes that he will continue his involvement with music, writing songs and playing as much as possible while building his student base at Parkway Music in Clifton Park.

The Albany-based jam band, which formed in 2013 with members of Timbre Coup (including Chamberlain) and Capital Zen, has two New Year’s shows lined up — Dec. 31 at the Monopole in Plattsburgh and a post-moe. show Jan. 1 at Albany’s The Hollow. They will be Chamberlain’s last two shows with the band. The band has an extensive tour schedule for January and February, but there is no news yet from the band as to whether Chamberlain will be replaced for those dates.

The full announcement from Chamberlaine’s Facebook page:

Dear Friends, Family, And Fans of Mister F, I’d like to start off by saying that this last 3 years has been one…

Posted by Andrew Chamberlaine on Monday, December 28, 2015

Here’s Mister F playing “Don’t Lose Your Watch”:

December 28, 2015
Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for New York State Festivals

Nothing compares to experiencing live music. But when it comes to packing up and leaving the world behind to immerse in a weekend of musical debauchery with a community of like-minded souls, well, that’s the stuff that dreams are made of for music festival fans.

From one-band to multi-artist events and crowd sizes from 2,000 to 50,000, New York State hosts a bevy of festivals annually in some of the most beautiful settings imaginable, and let’s face it, our state knows how to throw a proper fest, as it is ingrained in New York’s rich musical history having put on one of the biggest rock festivals of all time, Woodstock. Here we’ve rounded up our favorites from NYS Music 2015, so sit back, relax and relive some of the festival magic that happened throughout the Empire State this year, because we all know what it’s like to experience those post-fest blues.

Best Small Festival: Buffalove and Disc Jam

The third installment of Buffalove Music Festival saw a venue change from Cole Farm, Panama, NY, to North Fork Music Park, Warsaw, NY, with the new location offering four stages, a private beach, disc golf and wooded-area camping, and a record attendance that doubled previous years. With an impressive lineup including Kung Fu, Pink Talking Fish, Funktional Flow, Particle, Formula 5, Mister F, Space Junk, Dopapod, Aqueous and Aquapod, the three-day June 2015 festival created to celebrate Western New York’s emerging music scene was one for the books, according to Jen Foster and Thomas Sgroi:

Buffalove came through. Co-founder of Buffalive Productions and Founder of Buffalove Cody Conway clearly had one goal in mind: keep the energy as high as possible. Every single band had heads turning and jaws on the ground. There was never a lull, never a band that just played to fill space. Every minute was dance-worthy. If you missed out this year, we can highly recommend you don’t make that mistake next year. Without any problems or unruly attendees, this festival made its mark at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The amount of talent coming out of Upstate New York is only paving the road for more incredible shows. Buffalove, you certainly were lovely.”

Another summer fest that saw a venue change was the fifth annual Disc Jam Music Festival, which moved from Massachusetts to New York State—and promoters recently announced that the event will return to Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown for its sixth year in June. Throughout four days of music, camping, disc golf and Flow Tribe, festivalgoers experienced live performances from more than 50 acts, including Lettuce, Electron, Dopapod, Aqueous, Brightside, Kung Fu, Consider the Source, Cabinet, Soule Monde, Roots of Creation, Formula 5, The Hornitz, Soul Rebel Project, Broccoli Samurai, Krewe de Groove and Relative Souls. According to Dave DeCrescente, the festival’s last day culminated with a “healthy dose of guest sit-ins” with jamband Twiddle, noting that:

One of the highlights of the set was the massive guest sit in with DJ Honeycomb, James Woods, and Joe Davis from Formula 5, Scott Hannay of Mister F and Todd Stoops for the ultimate mega jam on “Apples.” The Disc Jam Flow Tribe was out in full force with fire spinners and hooping entertainers that were almost as mesmerizing as the music. The weekend ended just as it started, with mind blowing music and a close knit community who continue to make the Disc Jam Festival special. Tony Scavone and crew did a suburb job of organizing the 5th annual Disc Jam with a new location but still the same friendly, loving festival experience that keeps fans coming back each year.”

Best Mid-Size Festival: Catskill Chill

While Catskill Chill is speculated to make a move to Lake George in 2016, the festival’s last waltz at bucolic Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY, this September was a success, selling 5,000 tickets, according to Chill promoter Dave Marzollo. Headlined by moe. who kicked off their fall tour at the festival and including other bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle, Turkuaz, Dopakuaz plays Studio 54 and The Motet, the sixth annual installment of Catskill Chill featured on-site cabin rentals, daily yoga, live art, a farmer’s market, craft and food vendors, a communal bonfire nightly and an open mic. The three-day event was packed with guest sit-ins and collaborations like Dopapod and Turkuaz joining forces to play as Dopakuaz, which Chill organizer Josh Cohen noted is the type of community mindset that sets this festival apart from others its size or larger by creating an environment where rising bands can experiment and grow in a unique setting:

Point is that when comparing us to larger festivals, we’re at this cool stage attendance-wise where in many band’s cases we have the best ‘music’ out there in our prime slots. I love tons of bands who’ve been around since the ’90s or earlier but there’s nothing like seeing musicians in their youthful stages, when creativity is just exploding and you can feel it dripping off the stage as opposed to later-in-their career bands who are playing mostly songs they first wrote and fell in love with decades earlier.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6Uk03HW9k&feature=youtu.be

Best Large Festival: Magnaball

It’s no surprise that Magnaball takes the cake for this category. During late August more than 30,000 phans invaded Watkins Glen International race track for Phish Festival 10. And while the three-day event took place at the site of their 2011 Superball IX festival, this time around the setup featured many upgrades, including local and regional food vendors, the five-course restaurant Festival Ate, MagnaWater Program, speciality Phish-themed cocktails and coveted craft beer from Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Hill Farmstead. (And let’s not forget to mention the interactive Glurt Institute, Drive-In movie theater, JEMP Record Store and cornhole tournament.) The Vermont quartet majorly delivered throughout the weekend’s eight sets busting out rare tunes like “Mock Song” and jamming out typical breather ballads such as “Prince Caspian” to uncharted territory, but perhaps one of the highlights was the Saturday festival tradition of performing a late-night set, which according to Pete Mason raised expectations for future secret sets:

Magnaball’s foray into the history of Phish’s special festival sets was the Drive-In Jam and it raised the bar while putting forth a performance on par with the ‘Storage Jam,’ if not exceeded this established upper echelon of improvisation. On a 183-foot movie screen, a wide array of visual treats combined with a progressively growing ambient jam that eclipsed the Lemonwheel by a longshot and morphed into a full on jam for 50 minutes. The Drive-In Set raised the bar for surprise performances and gave fans a treat after the music on the main stage ended an hour prior.”

December 23, 2015
Halloween Dance Party with Mister F, and Lucid at Putnam Den

Halloween parties at Putnam Den are often some of the best gatherings of the year, with enthusiastic audiences & bands wearing their favorite character costumes, decorative rooms, grotesque drink mixes, and supreme music selections. The theme of every party is to dance, celebrate, enjoy the visuals, and celebrate.

This year, hosted a social event like no other at the Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, with the help from Albany based Mister F and Plattsburgh’s own Lucid. As the holiday fell on a saturday with clear skies, Saratoga was open for menace.

Mister F kicked off the evening with their eclectic mix of funk, rock, and sophisticated rhythms which attracted many ghouls and goblins right from the start. This local four piece hit the stage dressed as characters from the movie Spaceballs and ripped up an hour performance from out of this world. Their set highlights were an original “Answer the Dog,” featuring members from Lucid and Formula 5 and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones cover, “Sinister Minister.”

Lucid brought an inspiring set with their north woods folk rock grooves that made all the skeletons shake their bones. These handsome devils attired the Village People and busted out their set with a greatest hits medley. Highlights from their set were “Backwoods” featuring George Wurster and “I Kill People” with Scott Hannay of Mister F.

Formula 5 raucously hit the stage running with a Jay & Silent Bob skit featuring Scott Hannay of Mister F and the contagious cover of “Jungle Love” by Morris Day and the Time, a tune long favored by their chosen characters. Highlights from their the Formulaic set was the Huey Lewis and Ray Parker Jr. mix, “I Want a New Drug” > “Ghostbusters” > “I Want a New Drug.”

Formula 5 Set:
Jay & Silent Bob Skit@ > Jungle Love^ > Excalibur, Perch Above the Earth$* -> I Want A New Drug* -> Ghostbusters -> I Want A New Drug -> Mister Elixir* -> Perch Above the Earth > Mister Elixir, Low Rider!, Catch Me, Nu-GEN#* -> Pedro* -> Night Time In The Switching Yard, Epiphany
Encore: Magic Carpet Ride
@ – featuring Scott Hannay (Mister F)
^ – featuring Matt Pickering and Scott Hannay (Mister F), Lowell Wurster (Lucid),
$ – Thriller Jam
* – Unfinished
! – Featuring Jamie Armstrong, Chris Shacklett and Lowell Wurster (Lucid), Scott Hannay (Mister F)
# – Featuring Andrew Chamberlaine and Scott Hannay (Mister F)
‘Jungle Love’ – Morris Day and The Time (1st time played)
‘I Need a New Drug’ – Huey Lewis & The News (1st time played with James and Joe)
‘Ghostbusters’ – Ray Parker Jr. (1st time played with James)
‘Low Rider’ – War
‘Night Time In The Switching Yard’ – Warren Zevon
‘Magic Carpet Ride’ – Steppenwolf (1st time played)

Mister F

Mister F Setlist:
Vocoder > Everything You Say, This One Goes to 11@, See Level > Answer the Dog#, Inside, Eye Level > The Machine, Do It Again%, Sinister Minister^, On and On, Don’t Lose Your Watch

@ – w/ The Munsters Theme Tease
# – w/ Joe Davis (Formula 5) & Lowell Wurster(Lucid)
% – Original, First Time Played
^ – Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Cover

Lucid

Lucid Setlist:
Village People Medley (YMCA > In the Navy > Macho Man > YMCA), 4 Bangers and Hash (Styles of the Smooth > Yanomamo Lullaby > R.L. > The Russian), Gemini Eye > Surf Side Rock Side, Black Smoke, Came and Went > Silhouettes, Backwoods*, Dirt Whiskey Dreams > Shinbones, Blessed and Cursed, I Kill People ^

* with George Wurster
^ – (Andrew James Deller) w/ Scott Hannay of Mister F

November 4, 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
It’s an Upstate Halloween Throwdown at Putnam Den with Formula 5, Lucid and Mister F

Halloween in Saratoga means the Putnam Den will be rockin’, this year with three of Upstate New York’s biggest names: Mister F, Lucid and Formula 5.

All three bands have performed throughout New York and Putnam Den is one spot they call home. Formula 5’s Joe Davis: “I’ve really been looking forward to this show for a while. Putnam Den is one of my favorite venues to play in the Northeast and probably my favorite in the Capital Region. Add in Formula 5, Mister F and Lucid and it should equate to quite the rager. We have a lot of surprises in store and you know Mister F and Lucid will be pulling out all the stops.”

When it comes to Halloween, fans can expect a special set from each of the three bands, with music getting started around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and going until early Sunday morning. Taking the stage first is Mister F, the prog-rocking quartet who recently debuted FTV Cribs. “I’m so glad we’re all on this bill together. The 518 rolls deep with incredible talent, and this is one hell of a sampler platter of that. I’m excited to see some collaborations between these bands – we’re all good friends, and it’s really gonna show on Halloween,” said Mister F keyboardist Scott Hannay.

Lucid takes the stage after Mister F, ready for a night of costumed originals and that Northern New York sound Lucid is best known for. Lucid’s Lowell Wurster: “We are very excited to be sharing the stage with our super great friends this Halloween. These are two bands that we’ve known since their creation and couldn’t be more excited to jam with them. It will be a night filled with great music and lots of laughs.”

Formula 5 closes out the night with a late night set for the Halloween ragers that will bring a cap a truly memorable night. More info, as well as costume contest details, can be found in the event. For fans who can’t make the show and want to tune in, ShowtheShow will be providing a free audio stream for the night.

October 28, 2015
Vaporeyes and Mister F Illuminate the Dance Floor

High energy and good humor characterized the evening of Saturday September 5 at Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown as Albany-based Mister F and Syracuse group Vaporeyes dished out mystical reverberations of sonic opulence. Mister F, featuring Matt Pickering (Mr. M) on drums/samples/vocals, Scott Hannay (Mr. S) on keyboards/vocals/vocoder, Ben Pickering (Mr. B) on bass/vocals and Andrew Chamberlaine (Mr. A) on guitar/vocals, channeled a Particle-esque vibe, while displaying plenty of original character for the audience.

After an energetic performance of “Machine,” Pickering announced sarcastically, “that song’s not about robot voices at all.” Hannay quickly followed up, speaking purposefully into the mic in a distinctly altered voice, “no, not about robot voices at all…” Although the band freely jokes around on stage, they take their actual musicianship quite seriously. Pickering frequently spices up his intricate drum beats with clever pauses and commanding breakout jams.

After finishing an impressive jam halfway through their set, Hannay walked over to Pickering, momentarily commandeering a drumstick to serve as a bottle opener before immediately returning to his post and fluidly sliding into the next jam. At it’s conclusion Pickering called out to the crowd, “We’re Mr. F, give it up for beer!” Members from Vaporeyes scattered amongst the unfortunately sparse crowd, including bassist Shannon Zory and his girlfriend who had plenty of dance room to face each other and playfully weave their heads back and forth in a snake-like fashion, clearly enjoying the music.

Vaporeyes, composed of notably younger musicians than Mister F, certainly held their own on stage. With a slightly muddier, grungier sound, Jonas Reddy-Nicholson playing keys/synths, Shannon Zory slappin’ bass guitar, Sean “Chid Law” Cadley on drums, Jamie “Jyms” Tynan on guitar and Stephanie Donato playing saxophone delivered a string of equally dance-worthy tunes to listeners. As the evening progressed, the musicians called out to the crowd, “Is it still Saturday?” There were in fact ten more minutes before midnight, so they opted to play a number aptly titled “Saturday Song.” It carried a lighter, more ambient sound than some of their heavier jams and incorporated more prominent synth effects.

Throughout the evening, Zory’s gilfriend mingled with the other bandmates’ girlfriends and snapped photos of the band’s performance, occasionally gesturing with a victory fist pump reminiscent of a golfer making a hole-in-one. The close-knit flock of dedicated followers supporting the members of Vaporeyes makes watching the band more gratifying, knowing their musical endeavors are supported by the ones they love.

September 16, 2015
Buffalove Music Festival Shines a Bright Light on Upstate Bands

If you were looking for a festival with continuous high energy bands, then Buffalove was it. We were greeted with sunny skies on Thursday afternoon, and a buzz in the air from everyone who couldn’t stop talking about what was to come of that first night. Everyone knew it was going to start with a bang, and they couldn’t have been more accurate.

Buffalo’s own Imperial Brown kicked things off on the Pavilion stage, setting a tone that would carry throughout the weekend. With a sold base of funk, reggae, soul and jam, Imperial Brown got the feet moving, and everyone’s excitement could be focused on one thing: dancing.

As Buffalovers made their way across the field to the main stage, you could feel everyone’s energy level soaring. Hometown heroes Aqueous took the stage at 8pm as the sun was setting and it was go time. They eased into their set, building intensity as the hour went on. We could all tell it was just a tease of what was to come. One by one, Dopapod took the stage, with a seamless changeover that left us continuously dancing for hours. Like Aqueous, they eased into their set, but definitely took things up a notch. Aqueous’ Mike Gantzer was the first to step on stage for the birth of Aquapod. And with a blink of an eye, members of both Aqueous and Dopapod were all on stage, getting into one of the strongest starts any festival could ever hope for. If you were a fan of both of these bands before, then this was the penultimate moment. Trading solos with the biggest of smiles, it just kept going. Even when the rain started to fall, the set from top to bottom was any fans dream. The intensity, the happiness of both bands, and the wide-eyes and looks of amazement from the crowd really started Buffalove off right. From there, it just kept going.

For those whose legs could still hold their bodies up after four and a half straight hours of Aqueous and Dopapod, the late night Woods Stage sets kept the intensity going. A beautiful little stage, set on the hill and covered with trees, was the scene of several sets that would leave people dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Sonder and Spacejunk were first up in the woods, with a segue set that rang through the property. Sonder with their jamtronic, groovy set, then Space Junk with a DJ set that got even the weariest of festival goers back on their feet. The Woods Stage would be the scene of serious talent and body-moving sets. Even with the rain continuing on and off all night, the vibe was nothing short of magical.

Friday morning, we were met with cool weather and constant chatter of what we had all witnessed the night before. The question kept being asked, “How can you top that first night?” But yet again, Buffalove delivered. Imperial Brown started it off again on the Pavilion Stage as the crowds began to wake up, stretch their bodies and get some food. Like every band, their dance-worthy set definitely pulled us out of the fog and back into the light.

Friday afternoon hit, and from there it was on again. Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, led by current Kung Fu keyboardist Beau Sasser, took the Main Stage and came out swinging with their amped-up, soul crushing version of the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie.” Mary Corso’s voice was enough to give anyone the chills, as they cruised through a powerful set. Guitarists Danny Mayer and Justin Henricks had some solos that could leave anyone’s jaw on the floor and drummer Kevin Urvalek was cruising by the time they closed with a cover of “Whipping Post.”

Slip Madigan continued the party, with a rhythmic, groove-oriented set on the Pavillion Stage. Then it was time for Funktional Flow to begin their first of three sets over the next 24 hours.

Flow took Main Stage for a 5pm set that only left fans craving more. Their tight, jam-based songs got the excitement level up once again. With covers like “Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen and Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” it was very apparent that they can span the genres. Then before you knew it, Albany-based Formula 5 took the Pavilion Stage. For these guys, it was a pre-cursor to their late night segue set with Funktional Flow at the Woods Stage.

Headlining the evening was Kung Fu and Particle, both bringing the hammer down on Saturday evening. Kung Fu, brought the jam-funk to the Main Stage, giving fans a different taste of what they could accomplish with a slightly modified lineup. Sasser soared, with solos that layered and layered, and meshed so well with their new sound. Kung Fu fans were shocked at what the band had become: a funk-heavy jam band. Then it was time for Particle to take the party to the next level. As the disco ball beamed, they played a set that was clearly meant to leave people exhausted from dancing.

Late night Friday was a beast of its own. Funktional Flow came out heavy on the Woods Stage. And if you weren’t keeping an eye on the stage at all times, you wouldn’t have even noticed that one by one, Formula 5 took over. If you had caught their earlier set, this one was completely different in attack. We could all tell they just wanted to get out there and jam as hard as they could. James Woods’ intricate and heavy bass lines and Joe Davis’ cruising guitar licks were almost too much to handle. Before you knew it, Funktional Flow had taken the Woods Stage over yet again. This time, it was one for the books. With a closer like Umphrey’s McGee “All In Time”, we were dancing just as hard as with Kung Fu and Particle, if not harder. The woods were lit up and the buzz around these two bands was heavy. Buffalovers had been treated to one of the most seamless sets of the weekend and all in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Closing out the morning was Buffalo-based Skyepilot, led by powerhouse lead singer Skye Del Re. If you still had the energy, this band kept the party going until the wee hours of 5am. The sun was coming up, and the groove was still ringing through the woods.

With a full weekend of high-energy bands, we were still left with Saturday. From top to bottom, the last day of Buffalove was filled with talent. Even though Skyepilot had just packed up on the Woods Stage, they opened Saturday on the Main Stage. Their strong, fast-paced versions of songs like “Sugaree” was enough to get even the weariest back on their feet for the final day. Buffalove contest winner The Goods hit the Pavilion Stage, with a very apparent reason why they were the winners. With a slightly different flare than the rest of the acts, they added that international/world groove.

The Main Stage on Saturday was filled to the brim with talent, as Blue Rootz and Whiskey Reverb both gave noteworthy sets. Next, it was time for Funktional Flow to give their final of three sets. With a setlist that included heavy originals and crowd-favorite covers like Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and to close it all out, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Funktional Flow definitely earned their three sets, and stood on par with the headliners.

To close out the Pavilion Stage and Main Stage, Albany favorites Mister F tag teamed sets with Pink Talking Fish. Mister F did a stripped down set to start, with Andrew Chamberlaine playing a banjitar (banjo/guitar combo) for the first set. If you ran across the mud-filled lawn, you could witness the greatness of Pink Talking Fish, with their full, accurate versions of Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish. With their first set over, Mister F took the Pavilion Stage. The crowd filtered in fast, and before you knew it, hundreds of people were crowded around for Mister F’s final set. The energy coming off them was undeniable, and anyone who wasn’t a fan before, was now. Even with drummer Matt Pickering sick as a dog, they blasted through their set. With almost all originals, they included one cover that got everyone’s feet moving a little faster, Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.”

Sit-in master Scott Hannay of Mister F wasn’t done there. After finishing packing up, he decided to hang out the rest of the night and see what else he could dive into. Pink Talking Fish topped their first set with versions of Phish’s “Possum” and “Tweezer” that had the crowd in full fun mode. Scott Hannay jumped on for “Crosseyed and Painless”, swapping keyboards back and forth with keyboardist Richard James. It was a spectacle, to say the least.

Late night Saturday drove it all home. Grateful Dead tribute band Workingman’s Dead took the Woods Stage around midnight, giving everyone that comfortable, familiar set of Dead music that left everyone with a smile. High energy, fast tempo Grateful Dead is exactly what we needed after all that was Buffalove. If you weren’t completely out of steam, heavy-hitters After Funk closed out the whole festival in the woods with their horns blaring. Scott Hannay managed to sneak in for another sit-in, adding to the already sonic boom that is After Funk. For those resting at their campsites, there was no way you couldn’t perk up hearing this band wail through the night.

Buffalove came through. Co-founder of Buffalive Productions and Founder of Buffalove Cody Conway clearly had one goal in mind: keep the energy as high as possible. Every single band had heads turning and jaws on the ground. There was never a lull, never a band that just played to fill space. Every minute was dance-worthy. If you missed out this year, we can highly recommend you don’t make that mistake next year. Without any problems or unruly attendees, this festival made its mark at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The amount of talent coming out of Upstate New York is only paving the road for more incredible shows. Buffalove, you certainly were lovely.

June 28, 2015
Summer Camp 2015 Day 3: The Saturday Chronicles

Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2 and Day 4

It is now Sunday morning and to recap what went down on Saturday at Summer Camp, here’s a play-by-play morning until late night.

10am: wake up after three hours of sleep and sunrise kickball. Feel refreshed, not exhausted. Breakfast of banana, yogurt, life cereal and yerba mate and I am ready to roll.

11am: Head to the church (media area) and get writing my review of Friday.

12pm: Review submitted. I head over to the Camping Stage with camp counselor Nick Stock and catch American Babies. Good stuff, somehow I don’t see them often enough despite playing back in Albany somewhat frequently. Good catching up with Nick too – sometimes you have to meet halfway across the country to hang with your friends.

1:00pm: Field Day. Team Purple with Mer, Mitch, Lisa and two guys from Miami (Ohio) among others. Listened to Orphic during Capture the Flag, Floodwood during Spelling Bee.

3:30pm: Back to the Sunshine Stage for The Floozies. My friend Carrie was talking about them for weeks and for some reason I felt like they were some local/regional band playing hokey rock. This couldn’t have been farther from reality. A drummer and guitarist manning a laptop made for a sick duo ala Big Gigantic. The crowd was in love and rage sticks were everywhere.

4:00pm: Amazeballs Mini-golf! Jason K has an awesome addition to Summer Camp and many other music festivals. In addition to 15 holes you have an opportunity to Make a Difference and win a pair of VIP tickets for Summer Camp 2016. This was a lot of fun.

5:00pm: Back over to Vibe Tent to see how Field Day ended – Red and Yellow were neck and neck, Purple was out of the running but we did clean up the most cigarette butts. Milk n Cookies were playing on the Vibe stage – this is easily the best tent to discover brand new music, especially if you like DJs and EDM.

5:30pm: I meet up with John and head backstage for Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD). Despite numerous opportunities over the past year, I still haven’t seen them. By 7:00pm I’ll understand the hype. Choice covers of “Viola Lee Blues” and “The Eleven” stood out, with Russo leading the charge on drums. This was phenomenal. Stopped and chatted with Scott Hannay from Mister F and Evan from Aqueous before heading up to the Relix tent with Stephen.

8:00pm: Finally back to the site for a short break, time to decompress and change for the night’s music. Washed my face and got some food to prepare for the next six to eight hours. Listened to Victor Wooten’s set from the Starshine Stage (central camping location is perfect for not missing music on four of the seven stages). Wooten’s set seemed a little soft, but then he dropped a few Sly and the Family Stone songs to close it out. I still think his sit-in with STS9 Friday night was a highlight of the fest.

9:00pm: I head to the pit for Umphrey’s. Lighting designer Jeff Waful clears rage sticks from his sightline. There is dude about four rows deep front row keeps singing ‘Party with my dick out’ and no one thinks this is out-of-place. He keeps it up until the lights go down. Umphrey’s opens with “Plunger,” “Pay the Snucka” and “Higgins”. I head backstage for a few, enjoy a couple of beers and catch up with Chicago friends.

10:15pm: Head to pick up my charger at the Relix tent (thank you guys) and try to make it back for The Werks. This band still eludes me. Meet up with Erika, Drew and Phil at the site and head back over for the final set of Umphrey’s.

11:00pm: A “Wappy Sprayberry” opener sets the tone for the rest of the night, “Divisions” has great build and peaks upon peaks, but the encore was the highlight of the night – “Glory > Divisions > ‘Jam for Jesus’/A Love Supreme (for a dude in the crowd) > Divisions”.

12:30am: Beers at the site and then down to Moonshine Stage for moe. I remember a big segue into “Meat”. Saw a few familiar faces from New York in the crowd. The crowd for moe. at Summer Camp is larger than any moe.down I attended. Midwest moe. fans are a fun bunch.

2:00am: I walk to my car to get my rain gear with a forecast of showers during the day on Sunday and Monday. This proved to be a great choice since, as I write this review, a thirty-minute downpour passed by. At least the dust won’t be an issue.

3:00am: Back to the site, I lay down on a bench and listen to a brief shower pass by. This was the perfect way to relax after a long, long day. I am exhausted but beyond excited for Bruce Hornsby, Yonder Mountain String Band and Widespread Panic.

May 25, 2015
10 Reasons You Should Attend Disc Jam

Music Festival season is swinging into full gear as we speak. New York, in particular, is known for hosting a large number of festivals. Making its way to the top this year is Disc Jam. It has one of the hottest lineups, featuring some of the most talented up and coming artists, as well as some very well established bands. With more than 50 artists there is a lot to choose from. This article features a low down of 10 sets that should not be missed. If this piques your interest click here for the full lineup/tickets.

10. Spiritual Rez

Spiritual Rez is that luxurious feel good music that feels like sunshine. When dub reggae goes deep, that, is Spiritual Rez. This is the set to be at if you want to feel free, so come mix around.

9.Formula 5

Don’t miss New York State’s own Formula 5. These up-and-coming musicians released a live album in April. It is proof that they are generating tight sounding live performances chock full of ascending melodies and improvisation.

8. Bells and Robes

Bells and Robes is an electronic music duo coming out of Gainesville, Fla., whose sound is lush and kickback. They released a new EP in April of this year. Stocked with new material, they will try quenching the never-ending thirst for good livetronica.

7. Mister F

Mister F describes themselves as neat & clean, hard & dangerous. This young band of experienced musicians is the offspring of members of Timbre Coup and Capital Zen. I’ll say it myself: Mister F has been on fire, pleasing crowds all up and down the east coast and in parts of the Midwest. This is a set you do not want to miss.

6. Phutureprimitive

Phutureprimitive has been producing electronic music since the 90’s. His musical approach incorporates fuzzy bass lines and organic soundscapes. His music is known to enter into another realm of reality.

5. Twiddle
With a passionate crowd and hailing from nearby Castleton, VT, Twiddle has been making waves in the past two years, pe/king all across the East coast, Colorado and making for a fantastic NYE show courtesy of Disc Jam Presents. Don’t miss their two sets!

4.Pink Talking Fish

Pink Talking fish plays a combination of Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish by finding commonalities in grooves of these three musical powerhouses. This is them making a return to Disc Jam and they do a good amount of playing around the Northeast so some are likely to have experienced Pink Talking Fish and will catching the set. If not, make it a fresh experience.

3.Lespecial
Lespecial released a new album in April of this year. Their sound is wildly different with each song, giving Lespecial’s sets an unexpected feel. The multitude of flavors could allow for the set to be cohesive with Disc Jam vibes. This set is guaranteed to be exciting.

2.Electron
Who doesn’t love a supergroup? Electron Brings together Aaron Magner and Marc Brownstein, of the Disco Biscuits, with Mike Greenfield, of Lotus, and the talented Tommy Hamilton, of Brothers past. This band is an occasional side project that has been happening off and on for over a decade, making this a rare and formidable occasion.

1.Lettuce
Twenty years of experience has allowed Lettuce to become a staple of the live music scene. Lettuce is known for their old-school sound combinations but also their vision to take funk music out of the box. Featured as one of headliners, Lettuce will be flooding the sound waves with music that is soulful and sure to manifest good feelings inside the body. Don’t miss out!

Of the lineup, those which have not been listed in this article include Kung Fu, Dopapod, Consider the Source and Twiddle. This is a beautiful lineup and tickets are indeed still available right here. Hope to see a lot of shining faces at the 5th annual Disc Jam Music Festival!

May 19, 2015