NYS Music 20​15

Tag: Phish

  • Bavosa’s Mimosas: Phish 3.0 New Year’s Eves

    It’s hard to fathom that Phish has now been back playing together for longer than their “hiatus” (2000-2002) and “break up” (2004-2009) – combined.  Phish 3.0, as this era is commonly called, is also days away from seeing its seventh consecutive New Year’s Eve of the band’s modern day. One of the most sought after tickets amongst fans and most lauded nights of the Phish year on the calendar is certainly one of celebration. As the band caps off a monumental, peak year, leading into the New Year, I break down the New Year’s Eve gags of 3.0, and what the band might have in store for 2016.

    2009

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: During DWD, as the clock turned midnight, hundreds of balloons were released upon the crowd, fireworks went off on each side of the stage, and a disco ball was lowered onto the pedestal. After DWD, Trey opened the ball and Fish climbed inside. Trey and Mike, with some help from stagehands, proceeded to put the ball in a giant cannon aimed towards a giant net hanging from the rafters with an illuminated “X” on it. Page hit the trigger and purportedly “blasted” the ball through, not only the net, but also the roof of the arena. A searchlight appeared to come through the roof and was accompanied by helicopter sounds. With Fish apparently shot out of the venue, Trey asked if anybody knew how to play the drums and ended up finding Sarah, a girl from Pittsburgh.

    Trey asked how long she had played the drums and what her favorite song was and she responded with six months and Fluffhead respectively. Sarah was surreptitiously replaced by Fish, now wearing a dress identical to Sarah’s and a black wig, who played the entire third set and encore, but Sarah came out at the end of the third set and bowed with the band instead of him. Blue Moon was a Phish debut and was performed as an instrumental while Trey thanked the entire crew. After the show, the disco ball was revealed to have “crashed” into a white car that had been parked in front of the American Airlines Arena with a sign on the windshield stating “This car was driven down from Vermont” and “fueled by maple syrup.”  After being “struck” by the “human cannonball,” the car was emitting smoke and leaking maple syrup and the entire area was cordoned off with police tape.

    Phish – New Year’s Eve 12/31/09 – Miami, FL from Phish on Vimeo.

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song:  “Down with Disease”

    My Take: The first New Year’s Eve run of the current era of Phish returned to the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Having played this venue once before in 2003, it was a much welcomed change from the cold, Northeast New Year’s runs that the band played for their home fans seemingly every year throughout their history. Coming off their first, full year back together, Phish seemingly did it all in 2009: comeback shows in March, a full summer tour, a festival, and a fall tour. Needless to say, they were probably a bit tired by this New Year’s run, or at least didn’t leave much time or creativity for the gag, and one that’s rather forgettable, at least in my mind. The Miami run did see some fantastic bust outs and a super show on 12/30, and capped a great return to glory for the band.

    2010

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: Before midnight, several groups of multiethnic dancers appeared on stage and sang the Meatstick lyrics in their respective languages. The band joined the dancers and then stealthily disappeared from the stage, only to reappear at the other side of the arena in the giant hotdog from past NYE shows (’94 and ’99). As a result, portions of the Meatstick were pre-recorded. Appropriately, the post-show music was Captain Beefheart’s Tropical Hot Dog Night.

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song:  “After Midnight”

    My Take: The return to THE venue for New Year’s Eve shows in my opinion, Madison Square Garden, saw Phish and friends perform “Meatstick, the Musical.” Not only was this one the most enjoyable and creative New Year’s gags of 3.0, but it ranks up there for me with the all-time ones. The band put some serious thought into this one. Certainly drawing upon Trey Anastasio’s recent foray into the world of Broadway musicals, having been tapped to co-write the score for Hands on a Hardbody (which would open in the spring of 2012, and eventually 2013 on Broadway), the band enlisted some trained dancers for this awesome rendition of an old, Phish favorite. There was also no mistake that this New Year’s Eve show featured some of the band’s best playing, highlighted by an all-time version of “Ghost” in the second set.

    2011

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: Prior to Steam, a steam kettle and hot plate went off on stage, with Trey acting like he was attempting to put out the steam. Shortly after the song began, steam also came from the floor near the soundboard area. An amp (with the steam kettle on it), a keytar, a bass, a vacuum, and a few lights were then lifted off the stage. A woman in the front of the stage tossed a “Steam” sign into the front row, then rose with a barricade and security guard before eventually being lifted up over the band. Several other aerialists (clothed in various casual attire, equipped with black backpacks emitting smoke and lights on their backs) subsequently rose up from the crowd and ascended and descended several times. The first aerialist counted down to midnight, at which point balloons were released from the ceiling. The aerialists later returned with lights in their hands for Down with Disease, which also featured Trey and Mike being raised up and back down a few times before finally rising several feet on hydraulic lifts.

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song:  “Down with Disease”

    My Take: The second straight New Year’s back at MSG (and the second of four consecutive) saw Phish again take their gag to a higher level. In my opinion, the 3.0 stunts have been better when the band has not played a fall tour, allowing them more time to put energy and effort into their finale for the previous year.

    A newer song “Steam” saw the band levitate both musically – and figuratively. A true sight to behold, the band capitalized on a great, new groove before tearing into the seemingly every-other-year, post-midnight, “Down with Disease.” I’ve said multiple times on the record that “DWD” has the single, most celebratory riff in the band’s catalogue, so there’s no accident that it often ends up being the first song of the New Year. Always welcome in my eyes!

    2012

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: Trey, Page and Mike came out for the third set in golf carts and began hitting golf balls into the crowd. Fish then arrived on a golf cart wearing donut pants and shirt, an argyle vest, and a golf hat.  Golf carts were brought back on stage during Kung, then began racing past the stage periodically during Chalk Dust. During the Chalk Dust jam, golfers began getting out of the carts, hitting balls into the crowd and dancing on stage.  One of the golfers did the New Year’s countdown from on top of a cart.  Auld Lang Syne was accompanied by balloons dropping from the ceiling and ping pong balls fired from cannons.

    Tweezer Reprise featured Carrie Manolakos on vocals and a number of backup singers. The remainder of the third set and encore featured song titles focusing on a golf theme. Wilson was preceded by an animated Wilson golf ball on the venue’s jumbotrons. Iron Man was preceded by Page coming to the front of the stage to wish the crowd Happy New Year and reference the start of the 30th year of Phish. In an apparent reference to Bob Hope, Page wore a blazer, USS Nimitz ball cap and carried a golf club. Driver was stopped and restarted. This show featured the Phish debuts of Garden Party and Fly Like an Eagle, the first full Phish performance of Iron Man (which was last played December 31, 2003, or 192 shows), and the first ever a cappella Lawn Boy.

    Phish – Official 2012-2013 NYE Countdown from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY from Phish on Vimeo.

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song:  “Tweezer Reprise”

    My Take: 2012 saw Phish try something different yet again. Deciding to focus more on a theme than a specific gag, I was impartial to the Golf stunt, mostly because I am a golfer. (My handicap is currently 9 and falling fast!) Featuring racing golf carts around the stage, and the debut of beloved classic rock tune, “Fly Like an Eagle,” this was again a New Year’s stunt that benefited from no fall tour, extra time to prepare and meticulous planning. If they ever do anything golf related again, the band should definitely take some lessons beforehand though. I’ll be waiting for my phone to ring, fellas. Fore!

    2013

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: After the conclusion of the first set, Trey and Page carried a keyboard-shaped cake out to the front of the stage (with a giant two-dimensional mountain behind it, this created a tableau of the cover of Phish’s Colorado ’88 release), and proceeded to slice and serve cake in honor of their 30th anniversary to fans near the front of the stage. After the cake was served, a video was played showing Fish collecting various props from the band’s previous New Year’s Eve concerts and driving a replica of the band’s “JEMP” truck down to New York City. The truck from the video appeared in Madison Square Garden and was moved to the center of the floor. All of the songs played during both setbreaks were from the year 1983. The band performed the second set standing on top of the truck, using a stripped-down stage setup including hockey sticks for mic stands. Melt contained a DEG tease from Trey. During Grind, the “days lived” stated by the band referenced how old they would be when they returned for their 60th anniversary. During the encore break, a video montage of photographs and film from throughout Phish’s history and previous New Year’s Eve concerts was shown. After the encore, a video image was shown of a “Save the Date” card for Phish’s 60th anniversary show (on December 31, 2043) with each band member digitally aged.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpdHMbfeAI

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song:  “Fuego”

    My Take: 2013, and the fourth consecutive New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden, concluded the band’s 30th year together – a true milestone. It’s for this reason that they broke from convention and re-wrote the script to make this NYE extra-special, as only they could. Instead of a traditional gag or stunt where they were isolated at one end of the arena for the third set, the band treated fans to a subtle “thank you” of old school tunes for the second-set, in the middle of the World’s Most Famous Arena. I still get chills thinking about this show, as if offered time to reflect about the past 30 years of Phish –past, present and future – all at the same time. Truly magical.

    2014

    The Gag:

    From Phish.net: The Phish debut of Dem Bones began a cappella, then Fish moved to vacuum. The song was then stopped because, Trey said, the vacuum had become stuck to Fish’s face. Brian Brown and Lee Scott (Trey’s guitar tech and Fish’s drum tech respectively) came out to assist in trying to remove the vacuum and then went behind the stage with Fish to fix the problem, with Mike suggesting they switch it “from suck to blow.” There was the sound of a small explosion and the lights went out. A giant inflatable Fishman then emerged from behind the stage and took off over the crowd, while the balloon drop, including Henrietta donut balloons, occurred and the band played Auld Lang Syne. Trey quoted Martian Monster during his speech at the end of Julius.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ZTDjJRV-o

    Post Auld Lang Syne/Midnight Song: “The Dogs”

    My Take: 2014 saw a return to Miami, and the first New Year’s not held at Madison Square Garden since 2009. A notable let down in the gag department again, and holds true with my theory of sort of rushing it when they play a fall tour. Add in a super, mega, spectacular Halloween where the band tapped every creative bone in their body for an all-original crop of tunes based on the 1964 Disneyland album Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House, and it’s easy to forgive the band for having a holiday hangover. It was nice though to see some lasers and “The Dogs,” one of those creative Halloween debuts, ring in the New Year.

    2015

    So, what does New Year’s Eve 2015 have in store for Phish fans? The band returns to the Mecca of Madison Square Garden, where let’s face it – there’s just something extra special about Phish, New Year’s and New York. There’s more energy when you are in the center of the universe of one of the rowdiest nights of the year.

    As for the stunt, there could be a Star Wars theme, as some fans are calling. I highly doubt that. There may be a nod to the upcoming shows in Mexico, with possibly a “Mexican Cousin” tie-in. Still seems unlikely, though. Maybe the theme of flowers enveloping the city has something to do with the gag, as it sometimes has in year’s past. Who knows? There could be an “Auld Lang Syne” > “Fluffhead” combo which would most-certainly invoke deafening screams post-midnight in MSG, especially during the “Fluff came to New York!” line. That’s the most plausible of the theories I, and friends have kicked around.

    But, my guess is something entirely different. It’s something no one is expecting, and will be super-creative. (Remember, we didn’t get a fall tour this year). Exactly what will it be? I’m not sure, and that’s half the fun – being surprised and living in the moment.

    So fellow fans, what do you think this year’s gag will be?

    Whatever, the gag, remember to celebrate another year of Phish, friends and fun! Happy New Year!

  • The Night Before Phishmas

    The Night Before Phishmas

    phishmas

    Twas’ the Night Before Phishmas
    And all through our nook,
    Not a creature was stirring,
    Not even a wook.
    The hoodies were hung by the chimney with care,
    In hopes The Phish from Vermont would soon be there.
    And I in my lot shirt and heady mama with her booze,
    Had just settled down for a quick winter snooze.

    When out in the lot there arose a great cheer
    I sprang from the bed to grab a fresh beer.
    Away to the Shakedown I flew like a flash,
    Cracked open a brew and smelled some faint hash.
    The moon shone down on the freshly laid out wares,
    As the cops walked around but clearly didn’t care.
    When what to my bloodshot eyes did I hear?
    But a mini VW bus with 6 n00bs driving it down the street in low gear.

    With a ginger for a driver, so torn and so frayed,
    I knew at that moment it must be Trey!
    Faster than a Llama, his phanners they came,
    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
    “On Fee! On Rutherford! On Mule and Tela the spy!
    On Horse! On Guyute! On all of you guys!
    To the top of MSG! To the heart of the city!
    Now dance away! dance away! dance away so pretty!”

    As unsold extras that before the show did fly,
    When they meet with the ticketless, hoping for Divided Sky.
    So up to the rooftop the phanners they flew,
    With the VW bus full of jams, and Fish, Mike and Page too!
    And then just like that I heard on the roof,
    The dancing and jumping of each members foot.
    As I put on my dance shoes and was twisting around,
    Down the chimney Trey came with a Mound!

    Trey was dressed to the nines, and Mike in purple pants
    Page munched on a sandwich, Fish simply danced.
    The bundle of jams Trey had flung on his back,
    Made him look like a traveler, just opening his pack.
    His eyes how they sparkled! His gingerness so merry!
    His cheeks were like free roses, his nose like Jerry’s!
    His floppy head of hair and rounded glasses framed his face,
    And his beard was red as he ran like an antelope in space.

    The stump of Mike’s bass was held tight in his hands
    It fucked my face with the smoke, something quite grand;
    Page had a smiling face and a nice new shirt on his chest,
    And when he laughed it was like he had brought in the Dude – his absolute best!
    Fish was chubby and stout, like a hellborn child elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him and I enjoyed myself;
    A wink of his eye and a hi-hat intro,
    And soon began to surrender to the flow

    They spoke not a word, it was a silent vocal jam,
    And filled all the hoodies with dry goods merch, hot damn!
    And they touched their heads as the evening shocked their brain,
    They each gave a nod, and up the chimney they went as they came.
    Trey sprang to the VW bus and to his team gave Reba’s whistle,
    And away they all flew towards the Mountains in the Mistle.
    But I heard him exclaim, as some green tea he poured,

    “MERRY PHISHMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD TOUR!”

    Safe travels to New York City!

  • Musical Happenings in NYC Pre- and Post-Phish Shows

    Phish will return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for a four night New Year’s run. While Phish might be the main event, there are many shows happening around the city both before and after Phish that fans might interested in checking out. Here’s a rundown of those shows – both those being billed as Phish after-parties and those that are not.

    phish_after_parties

    Many New York bands are represented in those performing around the Phish shows, including some of the after-parties. On Wednesday night, Jersey City’s Lil Joe and the ill Picards will bring their funk to Leftfield on Ludlow Chromatropic will join forces with Sprocket to form ChromaSprocket. They will perform with special guests Natalie Cressman and Peter Apfelbaum of the Trey Anastasio Band at Lucille’s at B.B. King’s also on Wednesday night. Late night on New Year’s Eve, Snarky Puppy will play Irving Plaza.

    On Friday night, Nyack’s ShwizZ will join forces with FiKus to perform as ShwiKus and play tribute to P-Funk at Lucille’s. Saturday night brings Elise Testone and an all star lineup, including Todd Stoops, Natalie Cressman and Michael Ray, leading a James Brown Dance Party at B.B. Kings. ShwiKus will also be at Lucille’s again, this time playing an ’80s set. One ticket gets you into both of those shows. Dopapod will be at the Grammercy Theatre. Finally, Ha Ha the Moose, made up by members of moe., will bring their off-centered musical theatre to Irving Plaza. You can expect nothing but the unexpected from “The Moose.”

    james_brown_dance_party

    Wednesday, Dec. 30
    Post-Phish:
    Tower of Power @ B.B. King’s Blues Club – 10 p.m.
    Kevin Hedge and Louie Vega @ Cielo – 10 p.m.
    Joseph King @ Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 – 10 p.m.
    The Bad Plus @ Village Vanguard – 10:30 p.m.
    *Start Making Sense @ Irving Plaza – 11 p.m.
    Disco Biscuits w/ Horizon Wireless @ PlayStation Theatre – 11 p.m.
    *Particle w/ New Riders of the Purple Sage @ The Cutting Room – 11:55 p.m.
    *ChromaSprocket (Chromatropic x Sprocket w/ Natalie Cressman and Peter Apfelbaum) @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s – 11:55 p.m.
    *Rebirth Brass Band @ Highline Ballroom – 11:59 p.m.
    *Lil Joe and the ill Picards @ Leftfield on Ludlow – midnight

    New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31
    Post-Phish:
    *Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza – 2 a.m. (technically on Jan. 1)

    Friday, Jan. 1
    Pre-Phish:
    *Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room – 4 p.m to 6 p.m.
    Frank & Tony, Taimur Agha, Ray Zuniga, Nikola Baytala, Ted Krisko, Willie Graff, Alex Graham & More TBA @ The Panther Room – 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. (technically ends Jan. 2)

    Post-Phish:
    The Bad Plus @ Village Vanguard – 10:30 p.m.
    Disco Biscuits w/ Animal Rexx @ PlayStation Theatre – 11 p.m.
    *Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Irving Plaza – 11:30 p.m.
    *Dead Sessions @ The Cutting Room – 11:55 p.m.
    *Pink Talking Phish @ Highline Ballroom – 11:55 p.m.
    *ShwiKus plays P-Funk (ShwizZ + FiKus = ShwiKus) @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s – 11:55 p.m.
    The Motet @ B.B. King’s – 11:59 p.m.

    Saturday, Jan. 2
    Pre-Phish:
    PhanArt Presents: Skyscraper is Grand @ Hotel Pennsylvania – 12-7 p.m.
    *New Mastersounds @ The Cutting Room – 4 p.m.
    Touchpants @ American Beauty NYC – 5 p.m.

    Post-Phish:
    *Ha Ha the Moose (Rob, Chuck and Jim from moe.) @ Irving Plaza – 10:30pm
    The Bad Plus @ Village Vanguard – 10:30pm
    *Dopapod @ Grammercy Theatre – 11 p.m.
    Disco Biscuits @ PlayStation Theatre – 11 p.m.
    BIGYUKI @ Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 – 11 p.m.
    Subset @ Webster Hall – 11 p.m.
    *The James Brown Dance Party (Michael Ray, Natalie Cressman, Chris Bullock, Todd Stoops, Fred Thomas & Moussey Thompson, Adam Chase & Matthew Chase, Elise Testone) @ B.B. King’s – 11:55 p.m.
    *ShwiKus plays The 80s @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s – 11:55 p.m.
    *New Mastersounds @ The Cutting Room – midnight
    Walker Adams @ Rockwood Music Hall – midnight

    * billed as Phish after-party

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBT1UgsWm-M[/embedyt]

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

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

    Jim Houle - NYC - New York City - Manhattan

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

    albany-plaza

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

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

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

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

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

    NYENYC2016chill

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

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for 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.

    Buffalove2015sat-0626

    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.”

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Best Shows by Region

    A lot of great shows and festivals took place around New York over the course of 2015, from big festivals to small club shows and everything in between. The team at NYS Music loves live music. You can always catch us out and about at live music happenings. Here are what we considered the best concerts of 2015, sorted by region of the state.

    halloween20151-14

    Best Show in Western New York: Aqueous Halloween
    When Aqueous announced they were going to pay tribute to “Dark Side of Oz,” the legendary mashup of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and the cinematic classic The Wizard of Oz, their fans were pumped. However, this was a multi-night run, and it wouldn’t be fun without a theme for the first night. Back to the Future was chosen, and the band covered many of the hits off the soundtrack.

    Best Show in Central New York: moe. at Saranac Brewery and K-Rockathon 20
    Two anniversaries were celebrated in Central New York, and they brought the crowds and rave reviews. New York’s favorite jamband, moe., celebrated their 25 years in Utica at the FX Matt Brewery, home to Saranac beer. The multi-day celebration had a festival vibe with multiple bands performing each day. New York’s biggest rock radio station, K-Rock, celebrated their 20th annual K-Rockathon with headliners Breaking Benjamin and Shinedown.

    moe. Saranac Brewery

    Best Show in the Capital District: Dead & Company at Times Union Center
    2015 was a big year for the music of the Grateful Dead. The much anticipated Fare Thee Well shows in Santa Clara, California and Chicago celebrated the 50th anniversary of the originators of the jam scene. Following the shows, billed as the last shows the remaining four members would play together, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann announced they would go on tour as Dead & Company with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. They kicked off their fall tour at Albany’s Times Union Center.

    Best Show in the North Country: The Waterhole’s final show with EMEFE
    The Waterhole, a mainstay in Saranac Lake, shut its doors after over 20 years of providing live music to the residents of the North Country. The venue will be missed by many. EMEFE played on the last night, dedicating the song “Good Future” to the Waterhole staff.

    Best Show in the Mid-Hudson: Twiddle at the Rock n Roll Resort
    The Rock n Roll Resort festival is always a favorite. It takes the best parts of a music festival and brings them to a chic resort hotel. Rising stars from Vermont, Twiddle, took the resort by storm with their headlining set.

    Twiddle - Rock N Roll Resort
    Twiddle – Rock N Roll Resort

    Best Show in the Finger Lakes: Phish’s Magnaball
    A lot can be written about Phish’s 10th festival. A lot has already been written about it. Tens of thousands of Phish fans returned to Watkins Glen International, the fabled NASCAR track that was home to 1973’s Summer Jam. Not one fan that attended Magnaball had negative comments. That should say it all.

    magnaball-sgroi-27

    Best Show in the Southern Tier: Rob Zombie at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena
    Rob Zombie brought in the Halloween season with his nightmarish heavy metal show. Fans arrived dressed in costume for the show that was opened by Zombie’s drummer, DJ Ginger Fish. Chris Besaw had the opportunity to sit down and speak with guitarist John 5 before the show about his inspiration and favorite horror films.John Armstrong Rob Zombie 12

    Best Show in New York City
    It’s difficult to pick just one or two shows in a city that has several amazing shows on a nightly basis. Here are some of what we thought were the best shows in New York City in 2015.

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    Ghost at Terminal 5
    L7 at The Warsaw
    Faith No More at Webster Hall
    Vulfpeck at Brooklyn Bowl
    Soulive’s Bowlive VI (and more here and here and here and here and here)

    Best Show on Long Island: Biohazard, Sworn Enemy and Zire’s War at Revolution Music Hall
    In a night of hardcore music that rocked Revolution Music Hall, Biohazard and Sworn Enemy co-headlined what was practically a homecoming for them. Life of Agony’s guitarist Joey Zampella started a new band, Zire’s War, that kicked things off.

  • 10 Amazing Star Wars Music Memories

    As Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters this weekend, NYS Music wanted to take a look back at how the epic space opera has found its way into music. Here’s a look at some of the most famous, talked about, and overlooked moments where our favorite musicians have found a way to use the Force.

    moe. Wars – 10/31/2015 – Philadelphia, Pa

    moe. fans are still talking about Halloween. The band went all out for the festivities dressed in head-to-toe costumes of their Star War personas. But they went above and beyond for the event, not only playing music from the films, but changing existing moe. songs to lyrics inspired by them as well.

    Jedi Trey – 6/9/12 -Portsmouth, Virginia

    While many Phish fans will argue that Trey Anastasio is a musical Jedi of epic proportions , Jedi Trey proves it – light saber and all – in this “Maze” clip from 2012.

    Zappa Plays Zappa – Star Wars Theme

    Zappa Plays Zappa is known for playing all manner of covers, but every once in a while, they like to open with the Star Wars theme. Fans at the 2015 Catskill Chill were pumped when they kicked their set off in a similar fashion to this video from Amsterdam this past October.

    Weird Al 

    We’d simply be remiss if we didn’t mention the king of pop parody. Weird Al is a huge Star Wars fans. The films have inspired numerous tunes including “The Saga Begins,” “Yoda,” and “I Think I’m a Clone Now.” This past July at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, Weird Al closed out his show with a Star Wars encore that would have even made Darth Vader dance.

    Primate Fiasco – Star Wars Mash-Up

    Pop-up street band Primate Fiasco likes to surprise fans at festivals with impromptu sets. Their dixieland style of music not only infuses DJ-style house music with folk roots, but also the best in pop culture references. At the 2011 Gathering of the Vibes, the band posted up outside the ferris wheel and created a memorable mash-up of Star Wars favorites.

    Bill Murray – “Nick the Lounge Singer”

    Saturday Night Live has a history of showcasing some of the best in music and pop culture. The show also has a long history of great musical comedy. This audio clip from 1978 captures the Bill Murray as “Nick the Lounge Singer” paying tribute to the Star Wars phenomenon.

    Twiddle – Star Wars Theme/Endor Set

    At the 2014 Frendly Gathering, Twiddle perched themselves atop tree stands some 15 feet in the air in a set that has since been coined the Endor Set due to it resemblances to the planet Endor’s high-hut housing. The set closed out the festival and included a switch in mid set from Dopopod. Twiddle is notorious for sneaking in a Star Wars theme from time to time as well. They even dressed as Star Wars characters for their 2014 Halloween show. Here’s a look at the boys with a Star Wars homage mid “Tiberius” in November 2014 at the Met in Rhode Island.

    Moosebutter – “John Williams is the Man”

    Moosebutter is an award-winning comedy a cappella group that hit internet superstar status when their tribute to the Star Wars theme composer John Williams went viral. The video even spawned several video knocks offs, but nobody does it quite like Moosebutter.

    Otaku Gang – Life After Death Star (Notorious B.I.G/John Williams Remixes)

    The Notorious B.I.G’s Life After Death is deemed by many to be one of the greatest rap albums of all times. Enter Star Wars fan and rapper Richie Branson. He teamed up with producer Solar Slim and the duo (dubbed  Otaku Gang) recently released this epic mash-up of Biggie’s raps crossbred with John Williams Star Wars: A New Hope movie score. You can check out the whole album on SoundCloud.

    Meco – Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk

    Back in 1977, American record producer and musician Meco released a Star Wars-inspired disco record. The space disco version of the Star Wars theme and the album were both certified platinum in the U.S. and included a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

  • PhanArt Show Announced for Phish New Year’s Run

    PhanArt has announced their latest Phish-inspired art show, called Skyscraper is Grand, will be held on Jan. 2 in the Gold room at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City.

    phanart phishThe show will feature a wide variety of artists selling merchandise ranging from posters to pins to hats to sunglasses. The artists represented include The Art of Ryan Kerrigan, Isadora Bullock, Uncle John’s Outfitters and John Warner Studios. Pin makers Pin Me Down, Zenster Designs, Andrew Bryant, 10 Minute Tube Designs and Solomon Productions will be in attendance with a selection of their work, including designs specifically made for Phish’s New Year’s run and Mexico shows. First-time exhibitors include You Enjoy My Shades and His End Was the Road. They will have clothing, pins, patches and sunglasses with them.

    The Mockingbird Foundation, the non-profit organization associated with Phish.net, will sell prints from the third edition of their Phish Companion, the ultimate guide to the band and their music. Artists represented in the book include David Welker, DKNG, AJ Masthay and Justin Helton.

    Setting the tone for the show will be a playlist curated by Wyllys.

    From the press release:

    PhanArt exhibitions have been held in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Miami since 2013 and represent a continued effort to promote and exhibit original and unique Phish inspired concert art from a wide variety of artists.

    The eclectic artists featured at this event show the broad scope of Phish related art and capture the inspiration of the band in their art. Phish’s creative fan base makes amazing art inspired by the band, their music and the locales they play.

    As with all PhanArt shows, admission to Skyscraper is Grand will be free of charge. Poster tubes will be available for purchase. Any special edition works exclusively available for purchase at the show can be previewed at PhanArt’s website.

    Skyscraper is Grand will take place from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

    NYSMusic, along with We’ve Got it Simple and The Philosophy School of Phish, is sponsoring Skyscraper is Grand.

  • Bavosa’s Mimosas: Turkey Day Thankfulness

    Thanksgiving. A time to sit back, eat, watch some football, eat some more, and spend time at home with family and friends. It is also one of my favorite weekends of the year to see some live music.

    the capitol theatre thanksgiving

    In the music world, the weekend and days surrounding the holiday offer a similar sense of community and celebration. This tradition was started long back, and most notably documented in The Last Waltz, The Band’s star-studded, farewell concert on Thanksgiving night in 1976. While that show took place on the West Coast, its effects have been felt for decades to come all over, especially here in my home of New York City.  In fact, last year saw a performance of The Complete Last Waltz by a laundry list of musicians at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, a very short drive or train ride from Manhattan, showing that live music around this joyous, reflective weekend is still alive and well. It is also extremely important to point out the significance of The Last Waltz concert, as it will forever be synonymous with Thanksgiving in the musical world.

    jerry hand

    For many other jam acts, Thanksgiving weekend runs have become as reliable as other holidays like New Year’s Eve and Halloween. I have fond memories of seeing God Street Wine, Blues Traveler, moe., The Disco Biscuits, and all sorts of collaborative efforts over the years in and around NYC during my post-Thanksgiving weekend world of belly-blissfulness. This upcoming Thanksgiving will also see a plethora of choices for local New Yorkers, highlighted by My Morning Jacket’s four night run at The Beacon Theater and what has become a staple, Dark Star Orchestra’s annual weekend shindig at the Playstation Theater in Times Square.

    phish thanksgiving

    But in my mind, there’s one band that cemented the Turkey Day Tradition: Phish. They played a total of seven shows at The Capitol Theatre from 1990-1992.  Four of these shows were right around Thanksgiving, culminating in a still much-lauded set of shows over the Thanksgiving weekend in ’92.  Phish continued their Thanksgiving tradition in years to come, with a ludicrous trio of shows in Worcester in 1998, including the infamous “Wipeout” show, showing that there’s a few ways to shake off the extra pounds added at the dinner table.

    No matter where you live, or what type of music you may choose to see, a common theme is there over Thanksgiving and the days that it lingers on into afterwards. There’s a sense of ease and relaxation about seeing some shows over that weekend, often times close to the hometown that you grew up in, where your most important and defining memories of getting into the live music scene come flooding back into your mind. Chances are you will also get to see some old friends and faces at these shows, as they’ve decided to come home due to the proximity to home and the collective state of togetherness that the holiday exudes. While the shows may be part of a larger tour, they too also seem to take on a relaxed vibe of stopping for a moment amongst all of the craziness and madness of life and the road and say: “We are thankful.” Both the bands and fans alike seem to share this sentiment. It’s for these reasons above that this weekend was, and is, always one of my favorites.

    So, no matter where you live, my point is to get off the couch on Friday and Saturday when you are home, make some plans with old friends, and go out and see some music. The memories that will be made, and the thankfulness that we get to celebrate a bright and vibrant scene, borne out of all that came before it, will be something to truly be thankful for, for years to come.

  • Phish’s ‘Siket Disc’ to be Released on Vinyl

    Phish has announced that The Siket Disc will be released on vinyl for the first time on Friday, Dec. 18. It is currently available for pre-order.

    siket_disc_vinyl

    Originally released in 1999, The Siket Disc contains nine tracks of almost entirely instrumental music recorded during The Story of the Ghost sessions in 1997. The improvisational music was recorded by engineer John Siket and compiled by Phish keyboardist Page McConnell.

    From the Facebook announcement:

    Highlighting the band’s millennial, sometimes-ambient explorations of the time, The Siket Disc yielded a few songs that have since been incorporated into live shows including “What’s The Use?”, “My Left Toe”, “The Happy Whip and Dung Song”, and even the vocoder soundscape of “Quadrophonic Toppling”.

    The album was mastered for vinyl from the Digital Audio Tape flat master and pressed onto 180g audiophile grade vinyl. Each order includes a free MP3 download of the album that was transferred from vinyl. T-shirt bundles are also available for pre-order.

    The Siket Disc vinyl tracklist

    Side A

    1. My Left Toe
    2. The Name is Slick
    3. What’s the Use?

    Side B

    1. Fish Bass
    2. Quadrophonic Toppling
    3. The Happy Whip and Dung Song
    4. Insects
    5. Title Track
    6. Albert