NYS Music 20​15

Tag: mister f

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 6: Mister F and ELM at The Hollow

    It’s Day 6 of this Music Marathon and for the first time this week, I am seeing a band that I have seen before and am quite familiar with – Mister F. It’s roughly Mile 20 of this marathon and I hit a smooth flat stretch this evening with excellent new music from ELM and Mister F’s themed ‘White Lightning’ show.

    mister f ELMThe idea for the show was hatched in the van while Mister F thought of a theme for their first hometown show since February. Keyboardist Scott Hannay explained that the theme for the show arose from band members tossing out colors and words to see what would stick to develop a theme for the evening, and based on the propensity of songs with ‘white’ and ‘lightning’ in the band name or song title, ‘White Lightning’ turned the show into a unique event. The band even wore white shirts and had pictures of Whitey Ford, Barry White, Vanna White, White Chicks (the movie), Betty White, Jaleel White and the White Power Ranger around the venue, but alas, no Golden Girls theme song teases. (A complaint has been lodged with management.)

    Opening the night was ELM (Electric Love Machine) from Baltimore, an electro-jam band with truly impressive drumming from Steve Gorsuch who lead the way for the one of the best discoveries of the week. How has ELM skirted the radar thus far? This is beyond the formulaic jamband I have grown accustomed to seeing and one with intense potential. A cover of “When the Levee Breaks” was an extended highlight that rolled into a well crafted jam, followed by Scott Hannay sitting in with ELM on “Dance Floor Politics.” This was ELM’s second trip to Albany and a must see at any festival this summer.

    Mister F’s ‘White Lightning’ set began with “Lightning Strikes” with a clean segue into original “On and On”. The first real treat of the night was a mashup of “Everything You Say” and The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, a true test of playing one song while singing another, then switching those two up without missing a beat. I guessed early that “White Room” would be included in the show simply because of the familiarity and general excellence of the song, and was rewarded with a fantastic version that hopefully isn’t the only performance for the band. Hannay’s vocals and Andrew Chamberlaine’s guitar didn’t copy the original – they made it their own, which gets far more mileage than a straight cover of a song. I did not expect “White Wedding” to work into the setlist, but given that fans and band alike were wearing white clothing, it was a perfect fit. An encore of “Octo-Puss-E” by Rock Candy Funk Party ended the night around 2am and a well planned and received theme show from Mister F.

    Setlist: Lightning Strikes* > On and On, Don’t Lose Your Watch, Everything You Say/Seven Nation Army^ mashup, ‘New Song’, The Machine, Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong& > Hedgehog, Answer the Dog, Oasis > White Pickle# > Oasis > White Pickle > Oasis > White Room@, Inside, Vocoder, White Wedding$ > Unisex Collider, White Lightning§ > Greased Lightning¶ > This One Goes to 11µ
    E: Octopus-E
    * first time played, Cypress Hill, intro only
    ^ first time played, The White Stripes/Mister F song mashup
    & first time played, Consider the Source, intro only
    # first time played, Umphrey’s McGee, unfinished
    @ first time played, Cream
    $ first time played, Billy Idol, unfinished
    § first time played, George Jones
    ¶ first time played, Grease
    µ w/First Tube (Phish) and Gone Gone Gone (The New Deal) teases

    Next up: The musical equivalent of Heartbreak Hill. Why see one show when I can see three? Tulip Fest this afternoon in Washington Part, followed by Dark Matter, Adhara, Volumes and Crown the Empire at Upstate Concert Hall, and finally Kopecky at The Hollow.

  • Interview: Sittin’ In with Scott Hannay

    Having a guest musician join a band for a song can end up being a highlight of any show, the part that fans talk about for days and weeks after. Mixing things up and bringing up some friends to sit in on a song adds a little extra something special to a show and celebrates the unique and unpredictable nature of the live music experience – you never know what will happen next. Scott Hannay, keyboardist and vocals for Mister F has a reputation that precedes him when it comes to sitting in with bands. interview

    A master at this craft, Scott can be found sitting in with regularity at shows in the Capital District as well as festivals around the country. With experience and insight into the art of sitting in, Scott talked to NYS Music about what it’s like to sit-in with a band and what goes into making a sit-in happen.

    Pete Mason: What is the benefit of a sit-in? You have had musicians sit in with Mister F and you have sat in with many bands. What is the benefit on each end?

    Scott Hannay: For the band, they can see a few different reasons to have someone up – it’s certainly an interesting way of changing up a set. Sometimes it’s to get a chance to hang with a player or friend that they enjoy the musical company of. And then there’s the big names sitting in, which are both awesome for the experience and the promotional benefits. There’s nothing quite like being able to say that players from two of the biggest bands on the scene have shared stage time with us!

    For the sit-ee, at least for me, one of the biggest benefits is just getting to play with other people. I hosted an open mic for 8 years, and through that have learned how to be able to play with almost anybody and blend in. I like to think that if you can follow someone who can’t keep a solid 4 beats in a measure (not because they planned to add that extra 8th note to the length of the measure, mind you), you can play with almost anyone. On the other end of the spectrum, playing with people beyond your own skill level can have an amazing effect on making you step up your game. Sitting in is also very useful for cross-pollinating fan bases. Twiddle has graciously allowed me numerous opportunities to sit in over the last year, and now I keep hearing from people that they came to check us out because of something I did with them, and now they know our band and our music. Stuff like that has been invaluable to us. We’ve had all of them share the stage with us at one point or another also. We’re all in this together, so we might as well all be working together as a team and collaborating to help lift each other up!

    There’s also a whole lot of ways a sit-in can go wrong, so the person is usually carefully picked.

    PM: What can go wrong?

    SH: Any number of things could go wrong. If you’re switching out and using someone else’s rig you’re not familiar with, maybe you’ll accidentally hit the wrong button and something crazy will come out. Maybe you’re not very familiar with how the band communicates, and you miss a key change or some important hits. The real key is to use your ears more than your fingers, blend in, when they tell you “GO”, you go, and then continue thinking of the overall sound. It’s not about you unless they make it a point to make it about you, to me it’s really more about complementing the group sound as a whole. The Werks kind of made it about me when they asked me to come up and play keys, bass, and guitar all in the same song. Sometimes, that’ll happen, apparently!

    Scott Hannay InterviewPM: How do you coordinate a sit-in? How much pre-planning is involved or is it sometimes entirely, up until the moment stepping on stage, spontaneous?

    SH: Every time is a little different. Sometimes I’ll be asked a month in advance, sometimes I’ll gather up the courage to ask someone ‘out of my league’, sometimes I don’t hear back, and then sometimes when I show up I get asked. Sometimes it’s pre-planned, and then sometimes the planned song changes due to time constraints. Sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. I’ve even gotten onstage to realize not everybody in the band knew I was even coming up! It’s never a certain thing, but I always bring my Moog with me just in case. If it doesn’t get used, it doesn’t get used, but if it’s needed, I’m always so glad it’s there.

    Scott Hannay Interview
    BDL Photo

    There was one time Mike from Aqueous texted me the morning of a gig we had together saying “Hey, do you know Highway Star”? And I basically told him “not yet” and spent the entire van ride to Buffalo learning it.

    PM: When it comes to the song you are sitting in for, are those typically discussed in advance like that? Or do you arrive for a cover song or familiar tune you’ve played on before?

    SH: Sometimes they’ll be like “Hey, we’re gonna pull you up for [SONG]” and I’ve got to go listen to it to get the feel and key. Other times, it’s something I already know, and sometimes it’s something I know “well enough” to be able to blend in and fill in holes. I like to know as much in advance as I can to be prepared, but it seems as if there’s always an element of surprise!

    PM: So you have a reputation for sit-ins with bands. How many bands have you sat in with this year so far?

    SH: Including bands I have played full shows with (excluding Mister F), I have played with 16 bands since the beginning of 2015: Wild Adriatic, Annie in the Water, Spiritual Rez, Capital Zen, Bark Eaters, Gubbulidis, Dead Set Tuesdays, The Werks, Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, Space Carnival, Lespecial, Consider the Source, Pink Talking Fish, Fat Aztec, Aqueous and Twiddle Fu.

    PM: How many in 2014?

    SH: I believe my count for last year was 26.

    Overall, it’s a really amazing thing to be a fan of all these bands, imagining what it would be like to play with them, and then have it actually happen. It’s literally the kind of thing I would dream about when I was young. I dreamed once when I was an impressionable 12-year-old that I sat in with Green Day. While that’s likely never going to happen, I have gotten to play with some of my absolute favorite bands and it’s been amazing.

    PM: Given all the bands you have sat in with and bands you are fans of and friends with, what bands would you love to sit-in with?

    SH: Well, it’s crazy to me that I got to sit in with Umphrey’s, my absolute dream band to sit in with, before I’d even established myself at all in the scene. I still want to say I’d love to sit in with them again most of all. I’d also really love to get the chance to jam with moe. someday. moe.down was my first festival, and it really drew me right into the scene that I’m now a part of, kind of full-circle thing for me. Aiming that high looks pretty crazy to me written down, but crazier things have happened, and knowing that makes me always push myself to be better. Oh yeah, and Turkuaz. Let’s not forget Turkuaz. I’d love to jam with Turkuaz someday. Because, Turkuaz.

  • Mister F, Twiddle, and Kung Fu Team Up at Upstate Concert Hall

    It was a full house and a packed floor at Upstate Concert Hall on April 4 for Mister F and co-headliners Twiddle and Kung Fu. The night started early bringing throngs of people into the Clifton Park venue at 7 pm to see Albany locals Mister F. The band played a fantastic opening set and made it very apparent that it was going to be an awesome night of live music.

    Tim Palmieri, guitarist of Kung Fu, sat in with Mister F and had a blast on stage, dueling guitars with Andrew Chamberlain during “Answer the Dog”. Guest appearances from all three bands were a theme throughout the evening, making for a truly exquisite blend of phenomenal musicians.

    Mister F

    Kung Fu took the stage first with Zdenek Gubb, bassist of Twiddle, with an intricate drum solo into “Chakrabarty” which set the tone for the night that these guys were not here to mess around. While each member in the band clearly was always having a great time on stage, it was apparent that all members are extremely talented musicians and have a reciprocity within each instrument.

    The and dynamic is apparent and impressive. Chris DeAngelis and Zdenek Gubb segued into a full on bass off – showing impressive musicianship to begin the evening. From “Chakrabarty” they went into “Bopcorn,” “Green Earrings” and “Chin Music.” Mihali Savoulidis, guitarist of Twiddle, joined Kung Fu for “Hollywood Kisses” and “Ventriloquist”. Both songs were packed with such energy and intensity, each member of the band reciprocated almost flawlessly with the addition of Mihali.

    Once Mihali left the stage the band went into a dynamic “Belatone,” with Todd Stoops practically destroying his keys with his intricate and high energy jams. From “Belatone” they went into “Samurai” and closed with a phenomenal “Scrabb.” There was no set break or time between sets, but instead it was almost like the bands slowly meshed together and in the blink of an eye Twiddle had taken the stage.

    Twiddle opened their portion of the evening with Atlantic Motion BBQ. They then segued into a surprising cover of “Phish- Heavy Things” accompanied by Kung Fu’s Tim Palmieri. This song is always an upbeat addition to any set list and it was definitely a great song for Palmieri to join in on. From here, the band went back into “Atlantic Motion” for more of a laid pack jam. Other highlights of their set included “Apples” which Todd Stoops, keyboardist of Kung Fu, sat in for. Also a jammy rendition of “Earth Mama.”

    The overall evening showed a wide array of talent and craftsmanship with all three bands covering a broad variety of outlets in musical genres. Perhaps the most interesting part of the evening was that each band shared the stage with other musicians who may or may not had the time prior to practice, and yet the intricacy and complexity of each song knew no bounds. It was impressive to see how far each band has come, but also to see how magnificently they could work with other musicians to create a stellar night of music.

    At one point in time, all three of these bands were referred to as “up and coming” within the music scene. It is pretty apparent that at this point that it is safe to say, they came, they saw and they conquered. All around just an absolutely masterful evening of music at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park.

    Mister F:
    Inside, Everything You Say (w/Mihali), The Machine > On and On, Oasis > Vocoder, Answer the Dog (w/ Tim Palmieri), Fly Like an Eagle > This One Goes to 11 (Star Wars tease)

    Kung Fu:
    Chakrabarty, Bopcorn, Green Earrings, Chin Music, Hollywood Kisses (w/Mihali), Ventriloquist (w/Mihali), Belatone, Samurai, Scrabb

    Twiddle:
    Atlantic Motion BBQ> Heavy Things (w/ Tim Palmieri)> Atlantic Motion BBQ, Cabbage Face, Frends Theme (w/Rob), Dusk Til Dawn, Apples (w/Stoops), White Light, Doinkenbonk!, Earth Mama

    Encore: Eyes of The World (w/ Both Bands)

  • Mister F “The Machine”

    For the third and last video for their brand new Snow Day Sessions EP – Mister F welcomes us to “The Machine.” The F are NY bred from the Albany area and feature brothers Matt and Ben Pickering on drums and bass, guitarist Andrew Chamberlaine, and jack of all keys Scott Hannay who gave us some details on the song’s background:

    “The Machine” was untitled during most of the Midwest tour –  it debuted on November ’14. We took suggestions from people, we thought of everything we could, but we just couldn’t come up with the *right* name, and didn’t want to just phone it in. We were in the van between shows watching a video of this guy, Bert Kreischer, on Joe Rogan’s podcast, telling a rather involved story about being abroad with a college class of his in Russia. He accidentally introduced himself as ‘The Machine’ to these Russian mobster bodyguards named Igor and Igor, and they laughed, partied, and took him in…and made him rob an entire train(and his classmates) with them. Obviously, we called the song “Igor and Igor”. That lasted for one show – we then decided that “The Machine” was more appropriate for the sound!

    The three track Snow Day Sessions release is now available for less than a latte on the F Bandcamp page. Check out “The Machine” below and go get yourself F’d on tour soon!

  • Festy News: First Annual Moondance Meltdown Announces Lineup feat. Aqueous

    A new festival is in town to usher in the summer music season with some hearty acts. Moondance Meltdown is coming your way May 9th for a night of music at the Greeks in Newton, NJ and camping at The Great Divide campground.

    Moondance Meltdown 2015

    Headlining the festival is Buffalo’s Aqueous joined by NYC’s Dorsia, Inner Vision, One Day Waning, Mike Mcbride & the Family Band, Sprocket, and K-Diggs & the Telepathic Funk.

    A late night show for those 21+ will feature Horseshoe Throwin’ Freaks (moe. tribute band), and Albany’s Mister F.

    Grab a ticket for Moondance Meltdown at a pre-sale price here (or a little more at the door).  Information on camping at The Great Divide can be found here.

  • Mister F Releases Second Anniversary Video

    For the second of a three video set to celebrate the second anniversary of their formation – NYSMusic is elated to give fans a first look at Mister F’s “Answer the Dog.” The Snow Day Sessions will be a three song EP and will be released on the F’s Bandcamp page following the third video release which drops next Sunday. “Answer the Dog” features a special guest sit in from saxophonist Matty Carl of Shwizz. The F’s Scott Hannay provided us with some background:

     “Once upon a time, on the road in Chicago, we had some friends of ours go wait in line for a whole bunch of legendary Hot Doug’s hot dogs. We were all pretty amped. However, Matt fell asleep before they could return with the dogs, phone-in-hand. We went all Indiana Jones on him and carefully switched the phone for his hot dog, and put his phone by his ear. We called the phone to see if he would answer the hot dog. He didn’t ‘answer the dog’, but we suddenly had a title for the brand new untitled song we’d played just the night before.”

    Catch Mister F next in NY on April 4 at Upstate Concert Hall supporting Twiddle and Kung Fu, and now, let’s watch the video for “Answer the Dog.”

  • NYSMusic looks back at Rock n Roll Resort: Ball Drop

    Pulling up to the secluded Rock n Roll Resort: Ball Drop after a long drive through thick woods, we arrived at what appeared to be the set of The Shining. Thankfully we found that it was the snappy, upbeat rhythms of Mister F, not ‘Johnny‘ smashing through the door.

    The Capital Region’s energetic quartet set the tone for the night, throwing plenty of funk in the air and it was very, very well received. Happy faces milled about the lobby, some torn between the intimidating long line for dinner and the finite. waning minutes of Mister F – while others splashed themselves on the many couches preparing body and mind for the marathon of music ahead. Mister F made every minute of theirs count, and as always – left us wanting more.

    After a swift stop at a friend’s room and a run to the local pizzeria (we turned out to be heroes as the resort rocked themselves right out of food) we were delighted to re-enter to the smooth jams of Spiritual Rez. The Boston-based Reggae-rock dance party was exactly what I needed to warm up after a nice meal. Hearing their sound for the first time, I understood the smile that accompanied the many faces that have urged me to give them a listen. That room was a shoulder to shoulder mass of happiness for a full hour, swaying in unison and overjoyed at every sing-along & keytar solo. Both the literal and figurative positive vibrations flying off that stage were magical, and the perfect appetizer for the night’s main course.

    Immediately upon striking their first note, it became evident that Turkuaz had taken the stage donning their finest dancin’ shoes. It was electric from the start, the crowd was locked and the Brooklyn locals proceeded to blow the socks off the 700+ ringing in The New Year. My personal favorite, Bubba Slide, may have been the highlight of my evening, though the cover of the classic Beatles hit “With A Little Help From My Friends” was staggeringly perfect. I was frozen from beginning to end with rich harmonies and heartfelt melodies, guts & guitars – it was perfect.

    Rock n Roll Resort Ball DropAt the very moment midnight struck and those balloons struggled to fall, one by one, I had to put my camera down for a moment and physically take it in. Everyone in that room was exactly where they wanted to be, including me – and for good reason.

    Rock n Roll Resort Ball Drop josh schwartzFollowing the humongous sound of Turkuaz is a tough act, but Primate Fiasco brought their best hand to the table and showed Kerhonkson that they do, indeed, got the funk. Their live sousaphone & electric banjo give Primate Fiasco a unique tone to say the least, and they milked that cow like a seasoned farmer. The body heat was at a max, but it didn’t stop a soul from dancing as the room stayed full and folks filtered in and out – midway through the marathon and showing no signs of stopping.

    Rock n Roll Resort Ball DropThe main stage was graced next with a unique situation. John, the bassist of Consider The Source had unfortunately fallen ill & unable to perform, however, Jeff Mann & Gabriel Marin stepped up and per usual performed their wizardry. Accompanied by members of the evening’s other acts, CTS didn’t disappoint – delivering an impromptu and hugely improvised set. For those of us that had seen them before, it only further cemented their technical skill and musical prowess, and for those who haven’t – it was an all-star jam of an inauguration.

    Rock n Roll Resort Ball DropFinishing the night for me was the exploding balancing act of the thick chunky jams and ethereal raining melodies of TAUK. Bringing what might be the fastest growing thumbprint in the live music scene, the young men from Montauk do what they do best – drop jaws to the floor. Roaring syncopation, cinematic climaxes, and mind-blowing sit-ins (including Consider The Source’s Gabriel Marin) were the perfect nightcap to what was truly a magical evening and a beautiful start to what will undoubtedly be a fantastic year of music.

    Rock n Roll Resort Ball DropThank you Turkaz & Rock ‘N’ Roll Resort – I’ll see you next year!

  • Exclusive: Mister F Celebrate 2nd Anniversary With New Videos

    Two years ago today – brothers Matt and Ben Pickering and axe man Andrew Chamberlaine came together with multi-instrumentalist/sit-in wizard Scott Hannay to form Albany’s Mister F. Despite their short tenure – the F have grown exponentially – building crowds up and down the coast and deep into the mid-west. They are also attracting some top name attention with Umphrey’s Joel Cummins sitting in at a recent F show.

    Mister F Videos scott hannay joel cummins
    BDL Photo

    Mister F is celebrating the occasion by releasing three brand new videos to say thanks to their fan-base – known as F-Squad. The first is “Don’t Lose Your Watch”. NYS Music caught up with keys man Hannay who shared the thought process behind the song’s creation:

    When we were writing and had the song pretty much put together, we decided it would be cool to lay down vocoder vocals for this one. I ended up getting hooked on the game Portal 2 that same week, and there is an omnipresent computer talking to you the whole game, taunting you and playing mind games with you. I thought to write it from the perspective of a similar computer, as the human is trying to get it to understand music based in 5 beats per measure (most of the song itself). The computer is basically saying “yeah, not gonna happen. doesn’t really matter, I’ll still be around when you’re gone” but encounters some frustration when it really tries to figure it out. In the end, the computer doesn’t really need to understand it, because it’s a computer, and tells the human to stop wasting its time with such a futile endeavor – “Don’t lose your watch, your time is wealth” – Scott Hannay

    Check out the new tune below and watch for two new videos the next two Sundays. After all three videos are released the songs will become available on the F bandcamp page as a new EP titled: The Snow Day Sessions. 

  • Finale at The Palace Theatre: Umphrey’s McGee Closes Out Winter Tour in Albany

    As they closes out their Winter Tour, Umphrey’s McGee wrapped things up at The Palace Theatre on February 21 alongside TAUK, a great pairing of bands both rising and established. For the first time, Umphrey’s was brought to the Palace and out of the doldrums of Upstate Concert Hall, and finally, Jefferson Waful’s lights could properly shine and the band could show they could fill a theatre in Albany-proper.

    umphreys mcgee winter closercOpening up was the instrumental funk of TAUK, who only a year ago were playing Parish Public House to 100 or so fans. The growth of this band over the past year was remarkable and now a tour with Umphrey’s has only solidified their ascendance among the jam world. To cap the set, TAUKwas joined by Joel Cummins, Ryan Stasik and Andy Farag during “Mindshift”. TAUKis incredibly talented and worth seeing in any capacity.

    Umphrey’s dove in deep for their tour closer and resurfaced only briefly for air in what was an entire rocker of a show. After an introductory “Dump City” the relatively light “Piranhas” and heavier “Educated Guess” off Similar Skin mixed the set up early, as well a shredding “Atmosfarag”. A 14 minute “Plunger” was a clear highlight of the first set, dropping into an exploratory jam that segued into “Andy’s Last Beer”. The fluidity exhibited by Umphrey’s is one of their musical trademarks amid what some may perceive as musical chaos and overly complicated compositions; what they are missing is the core of this prog-rock jam band and soaring peaks and valleys of songs and jams that few bands can come close to replicating.

    “Wappy Sprayberry” with TAUK’s Alric Carter (keys) and Isaac Teel (drums) sitting in was a chance for these incredibly talented musicians to shine under a brighter spotlight. A clean segue into “Pay the Snucka” with a shredding ending capped a superior first set.

    An abbreviated “All in Time” opened up the second set, seguing into the lyrically and musically powerful “Hajimashite” which launched into a great expanse of a jam, one not seen too often in “Haji”. The jam that ensued worked off of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” and dipped into the funk of “Day Nurse” accented by Joel Cummins’ airy synth framework.

    “Phil’s Farm” took some huge swings and had a great pay off, with a bonus of the drummer from local band moe., Vinny Amico, sitting in on drums. Working back into August and into the closing of “All in Time” made for a filling second set sandwich and capped off a monster set from start to finish. A big “Bad Friday” encore was the icing on Umphrey’s first ever performance at the historic Palace Theatre, a perfect venue for them for the foreseeable future.

    Set 1: Dump City, Piranhas, Educated Guess, Atmosfarag > Plunger > Andy’s Last Beer, The Weight Around, Wappy Sprayberry* > Pay the Snucka

    Set 2: All in Time > Hajimashite > Day Nurse, Ringo, Phil’s Farm^, August > All in Time

    Encore: Bad Friday

    * with Isaac Teel and Alric Carter of TAUK

    ^ with Vinny Amico of moe.

    Download the show on Archive.org or at UMLive.

    After the show was over, fans flooded Pearl Street looking for their late night fix and a sold out crowd found just that at The Hollow. With Mister F performing, friends stopped by for a few songs, including Joel Cummins’ sitting in next to Scott Hannay on “Answer the Dog”, and an extended “Vocoder” jam featuring Alric Carter and Isaac Teel of TAUK as well as Justin Henricks of Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan.

    Joel Cummins sitting in with Mister F @thehollowalbany #postumphreys #umphlove

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

  • Umphrey’s McGee to Play Syracuse, Albany This Week

    Umphrey’s McGee, the midwestern-based progressive jam rock band, will be playing shows in Syracuse and Albany on their current North American tour. The dates follow recent appearances at The Beacon Theater in New York City and The Paramount in Huntington, where reported on two consecutive nights of fantastic performances.

    The sextet’s first Upstate stop will be the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on February 20. Tickets are on sale now, priced through Ticketmaster at $39.90. Umphrey’s will be supported by Long Island act, TAUK.

    The tour will make its way to Albany’s Palace Theatre the following evening. Tickets for the show can be purchased for $36.55. An official aftershow at the Hollow will feature local band, Mister F.

    While Umphrey’s McGee is known for its tight, high-energy live sets, the band’s latest studio release, Similar Skin, offers a genuine, accurate presentation of their signature sound. Getting to know the album is a helpful preface to seeing Umphrey’s live show; it can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on iTunes. Additionally, Umphrey’s surprised fans with a release of The London Session, recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in 12 hours time.

    Follow for upcoming coverage on both the Syracuse and Albany concerts on Twitter and Instagram.