Author: Erin Clary

Hearing Aid: Lettuce “Mt. Crushmore”

Last month, the jam scene’s funk favorites, Lettuce, released a new EP, titled Mt. Crushmore. While still holding down their exclusivity and unique take on the genre, it is largely more background music than it is dance fuel like we’ve seen from full albums like Rage and Fly.

The likely reason for this is that the 7-track EP contains tracks that didn’t make the cut for “Crush,” (Crush…Mt. Crushmore…you get it). Although it’s not to say these tracks are sub-par by any means. They still demonstrate the band’s ability to lay down groovable tracks, but with perhaps a more hip-hop feel. Many of the tracks would add powerful, yet sophisticated instrumentals for a progressive lyricist.

Mt. Crushmore starts off with its title track and what is hands-down the most epic sounding piece to date. Adam Deitch’s rhythmic drumming combined with Eric Bloom’s authoritative trumpet alarm could be the soundtrack to a military march – if that army was ascending upon enemy territory on an alien planet. A choir of female vocals only adds to the celestial impression.

Other female vocals appear later in the album but with full-on lyrics, a feature that is atypical for Lettuce. “The Love You Left Behind” featuring Alecia Chakour is a nice mix of funk and gospel music to keep you interested.

The EP includes “’Lude, Pt. 5” and “’Lude, Pt. 6,” two quick tracks that sound like intros or filler music. They are a continuation of the series that began on the previous album, “Crush.”

In “116^th St.” Erick “Jesus” Coomes drops the signature Lettuce bass thud, the foundation and appeal of their sound. “Ransome” also brings the beloved funk, with a quick rhythm making it the dance tune of the EP.

Listeners should keep in mind that “Mt. Crushmore” is not an album, but an EP, short for “extended play.” And that’s exactly what it feels like – an extension of “Crush.” Absolutely worth a listen if you enjoy Lettuce, but would be largely underwhelming as a standalone album compared to the rest of their catalog.

Key Tracks: Mt. Crushmore, Ransome, The Love You Left Behind

December 27, 2016
Saratoga Gets Down with The New Mastersounds and Turkuaz

Funk comes in all shapes and sizes these days. Those eager to see two very different versions headed to the Putnam Den in Saratoga on December 6 to see The New Mastersounds, originally from the U.K., co-headline with Brooklyn’s Turkuaz.

The two boast their own unique style, but both brought anyone with a pulse to their feet that night. The show was part of an extensive tour to promote a split 7” vinyl featuring both bands performing a cover song from the other’s catalog, while also joining in on the collaboration.

The New Mastersounds came as a pleasant surprise to those witnessing the foursome’s raw talent for the first time. The band makes its rounds on this side of the pond, but the majority of those in attendance had likely never seen them before.

With slicked back hair and a blue suit jacket complete with a pocket square, guitarist Eddie Roberts paralleled his fashion swagger with his musical prowess. He laid down soulful yet jazzy riffs throughout the evening with ease. Pete Shand thudded the bass to bring the familiar foundation of funk this upstate New York crowd came to see. The level of technicality in which Joe Tatton wailed on the organ was impressive and moving, even adding synthesized tones later in the set. The funk was here and the crowd was loving it, whistling loudly indicating their approval and awe.

Their set was upbeat and drove harder and faster as it progressed. They slowed it down slightly to do a one-of-a-kind version of Sneaker Pimp’s “Six Underground,” a song that became popular in the 90s, included on the soundtrack of the movie Can’t Hardly Wait.

Without a horn section, their sound is old-timey soul but with a modern funk that hits just right. They welcomed Turkuaz saxophone player Greg Sanderson on stage who fits the band like a glove. Den dwellers had fogged up the windows at this point and many headed outside to catch some air only to be sprinkled with wet snowflakes. The already thick crowd swelled as more joined the party for Turkuaz.

Anticipation built as the 9-piece ensemble entered the stage and prepared to take off. “You’re in for a treat” was heard muttered in the crowd from the more experienced Turkuaz fans to some of the “newbs.” They weren’t wrong.

They set sail into fan favorite “Bubba,” and then to a speedy rendition of “Percy Thrills, The Moondog.” After big songs, the explosions of color and sounds end abruptly as the lights shut completely off on stage, like a period indicating the end of a sentence.

The Turkuaz ladies, Sammi Garett and Shira Elias, choreographed their moves and vocals to add a splash of Motown to the pop funk. Chris Brouwers keyboard skills were reminiscent of the digital sounds of the 1980s. Josh Schwartz took a break from the sax and sang, and “Dude’s got some pipes on him,” was overheard in the crowd.

Shira Elias and Sammi Garett took the lead vocals on a funked up rendition of The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” providing a welcomed twist on the beloved classic. The energetic and colorful evening came to a close with a one-two punch of “Chatte Lunatique” and “Ballad of Castor Troy” in which drummer Michelangelo Carubba delivered a solid solo.

The tour hits the road and heads south to Pittsburgh, PA on December 8, Washington D.C. on December 9 and on to Philadelphia on December 10.

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”254″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow” image_crop=”0″ image_pan=”1″ show_playback_controls=”1″ show_captions=”0″ caption_class=”caption_overlay_bottom” caption_height=”70″ aspect_ratio=”1.5″ width=”100″ width_unit=”%” transition=”fade” transition_speed=”1″ slideshow_speed=”5″ border_size=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” ngg_triggers_display=”always” order_by=”pid” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

December 9, 2016
The Evolution of Annie in the Water: An Interview with Mike Lashomb

Annie in the Water, with their combination of reggae, rock, funk and jam, is an Albany-based band that originated as a duo with Mike Lashomb and Brad Hester in 2007. This past spring, the duo added three more members, which you can imagine has had significant impact on both the sound and the overall feel to their music. NYS Music spoke with founding member and lead guitarist Mike Lashomb about that change and what fans can expect going forward.

Erin Clary: Before it was just you and Brad, and now you’ve added two more members to Annie in the Water. What brought on the change and how did this happen?

Michael Lashomb: It’s been an interesting learning experience. Brad and I started back in 2007. Back in 2011 we had a drummer play with us and he kind of just up and left when we were starting to get bigger and booking venues and stuff like that. So Brad and I started this looping, jam kind of style. As time went on, just trying to connect with the jam scene and we felt we were kind of in between all these different scenes and we didn’t really connect the way we were hoping to with our style. So as time went on we understood there was definitely a progression that needed to happen. There needed to be some way that we could branch out and diversify our sound and also our personnel and people. We added our bass player, Lucas, three years ago and then we added piano player in the summer of 2014, Dillon. Having Lucas Singleton on bass really added a big low end kind of contribution with a lot of his style. Then Dillon on keys was this different kind of musician oriented but transient, experimental sound. So it was good to have Lucas who brought in a lot of specific playing and structure and Dillon who was outside of the box with his expression and style. And in that time, Brad would constantly update his looping with the four of those guys, having them on and off for shows. Then this past winter we knew we wanted to get a drummer involved and really up the jams so we could switch around grooves, time changes and cues. Josh West was finishing up with Lucid as they decided to tone down the touring and everything and it was just a natural…we met him at Nectar’s as he was playing with his old band, Tar Iguana, and it was just a natural relationship that blossomed into a really cool band relationship. Kind of different evolutions and progressions brought us to now.

EC: Are there different challenges you find when switching from a duo to a full band?

ML: Definitely a change. Brad has pretty much grown musically and matured with me as his counterpoint. I had played in different fusion bands and different guitar bands since I was in 8^th grade so when we added the full band together it was definitely a whole new experience for Brad. It’s something that to this day he is totally changing and morphing in such an awesome, progressive way. So yeah there is definitely more personality which calls for more contribution artistically, personally and emotionally. It’s different. We went from having only a few people on the stage to suddenly having a lot more room being filled up. Not only physical space, but sonic space and musical space. A lot of what we had to do too was rehearse as we played shows because we had all the prior engagements set up with Duo shows but moving out of one house, just a lot of different things off the stage we were dealing with. It has been a really interesting transition but a really positive transition because everyone is really open to communication and evolution for sure.

Dillon Goodfriend, Lucas Singleton, Michael Lashomb, Brad Hester- Annie in the Water

EC: So you’re saying you weren’t latching on to a niche?

ML: Yeah, it’s hard to explain because there was a certain amount of people who are looking at what we’re doing with the Annie in the Water Duo acoustic set, that we still play to this day, but we will have some people who really jive with that and think it’s cool, the amount of sound we are able to produce with two people. It’s fun! There’s a certain element to having an absolute kind of experimental but also structured rhythm section. Having the rhythm section be human rather than having a syncopated beat box being looped for X number of measures for a certain amount of time. So Josh will change things up and everyone has been playing music for a long time and everyone has their own interpretation of when that happens. So we’re always creating a different show. When we were the Duo we were always big on experimenting and never having a setlist. Now that we have a full band it kind of brings in a little bit more people who are down to dance. People with a groove looking for a pulsating kind of sound. That’s kind of where we were in the middle of. We had that groove but we were missing the rhythm section. We would self-consciously catch people that normally would be like “oh these guys are really talented,” and suddenly like “I’m dancing and I’m reacting to it.” Then again we have people who like EDM and DJs who would go crazy for our looping stuff, but that’s not necessarily what we wanted to accomplish. To this day it’s an absolute trial and error to see who is reacting, how they’re reacting and why they’re reacting.

EC: What is the goal of Annie in the Water and what is success to you?

ML: It’s tough to say that there’s a finite point where it is success. I know that you aren’t assuming that either. For us, we’ve already achieved certain levels of success personally and musically that we’re really proud of. By having a certain ability to run as a functional business. So that was kind of our first goal. As that went on we had the goal of being a full live stage and live sound production whenever and wherever we were needed. In a long run, wider scope, our success is to just connect with as many people as possible on a human and spiritual level. I know that sounds heavy and I don’t want to say egotistical, but it’s pretty bold in that we feel that we have a responsibility to help in whatever way we can. If we can provide positive music to people than that’s it. I think one of the biggest sources of success for us is the ability to continue being full time musicians, playing wherever. My personal goal is I’d love to headline and have our own show at Blossom Music Center in Cleveland, OH where I was born and raised. Yeah we’d love to headline a festival, that would definitely be a goal but we’d like to just contribute in the most unique way humanly possible. We want to just make whatever Annie in the Water is, an entity that promotes peace and positivity, and inspires people to do whatever they feel they are naturally good at and love and passionate about. So definitely multiple goals and ideas of success but if we can just keep on helping people and along the way while we’re able to keep this boat floating than that’s as much success as we could imagine and be grateful for.

EC: Are there other collaborations you’d like to put together for the future and can you reflect on favorites that may have happened recently?

ML: We’ve been having Jamie Armstrong from Lucid on the saxophone play with us. It’s been a sit-in that we really enjoyed. He’s been playing extended shows a handful of times. It’s not necessarily a side project, he has kind of given us a “Hey mister, what’s up?” and will be down to play a show. There’s a lot of different ideas we have for side projects. It’s kind of up in the air right now. We have our friend Garrett, this kid that we met at Dyken Pond. It was an absolute, random….he’s not even playing in a band he’s just living in New York City and he added this unbelievable style to what we’re doing and we’re having him play with us in New York City next week. He plays lead guitar. We kind of bounce back and forth. We had Gubb from Twiddle sit in for a show with us in Vermont. We’ve always talked about having a little jam session show in Vermont to keep our good friends there happy and dancing. It’s really cool because we got into the jam scene only as of recently having other bands kind of become our friends which is a difficult thing for the first couple of years, just because we didn’t really know what we were doing either. So now it’s like the doors are kind of open to all these different friendships and creative expressions with other bands. It’s exciting because all these other bands are really reaching out and playing with everyone. All we want to do is play with people and put in the frequency and energy that overall contributes to a beautiful experience. So we are open to whatever.

EC: Describe each band member in one sentence.

ML: OK this is fun…

Bradley Hester (Percussion, guitar, vocals, looping) – Hardest working musician and nicest human I’ve ever met.

Joshua West (Percussion, Drums) – A stoic little child who is so much fun to have behind the kit.

Lucas Singleton (Bass) – The dependable groove supplier and overall goof ball.

Dillon Goodfriend (Keys) – A pure musician and absolute music lover.

EC: And what about you?

ML: I’d like to say I just like to have fun when I play.

EC: Should we expect a new album out now that you’re all together?

ML: Yeah. We’re all looking at the overall picture and new music being recorded is absolutely on the radar and very important. What we’re trying to do right now is make sure that we’re choosing the songs that we have from our past that we’re writing down and we’re looking to write. We’re trying to make sure that we’re choosing what works best for the band. So the music will definitely become recorded but at this point we are getting everyone on the same page to decide how we want to move forward musically, personally and band wise. So the album is definitely in the works right now, we just have to decide the next step to make that happen that works best for everybody.

EC: You’ve made your homebase Albany.

ML: Yeah, we’ve been in Albany for four years but we haven’t played in Albany as much because we’ve been pursuing different opportunities in different parts of the Northeast.

Trying to do a lot of different hubs and also play at different mountains because snowboarding is a huge part of our culture. It’s been more or less that we’re in the progression of making that happen so seeing us in Albany is going to be more frequent for sure.

EC: The October 13 show with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad in Albany at The Hollow should be a homecoming show with lots of friends and family I presume?

ML: That’s going to be a really interesting show because we have a lot of friends from the Rochester area that have always talked up Giant Panda and I think vice versa. So this show is going to be the first time that we’ve actually ever met those guys. It’s cool because whenever you play a show with the band for the first time there’s a lot of learning and vibing of personalities. So when it comes to that night I would say wait for something interesting but until that night happens, that’s when the magic starts.

https://youtu.be/ARct1fM7OkU?t=1m20s

October 12, 2016
Festivalgoers Let Their Soul Shine During Second Half of The Peach

Saturday and Sunday at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA was more of the same weather wise with scorching heat, humidity and powerful storms that would delay several sets in the evening. Despite the elements, festivalgoers all across Montage Mountain appeared to be in better spirits for the later half, perhaps due to an acceptance and understanding of these factors, but more likely due to the outstanding music delivered to their eyes and ears. Headliners like Trey Anastasio Band and Umphrey’s McGee delivered top notch sets on Friday and Gov’t Mule and new supergroup “RB&B” brought the festival to a truly satisfying close on Sunday.

New York’s own Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds swooped onto the main stage early in the afternoon. Arleigh Kincheloe and brother Jackson, along with the rest of the birds energized the mountain with their soulful yet funky performance fans have come to love.

The afternoon also welcomed back Tom Hamilton to the Grove Stage with his band American Babies. Hamilton is a talented songwriter and although his presence in Thursday night’s Pink Floyd Electron set was nothing short of jaw dropping, the change of pace with the lively Americana feel to his afternoon set is exhilarating as well. Also during this time, metal rockers Brown Sabbath slayed over on the Mushroom Stage. Their frontman is as comical as he is talented, addressing the crowd as “motherfuckers” in between sets. As the name suggests, the Austin based band covers the catalog of Black Sabbath, but they do so with horns and Latin-style percussion for a unique experience both metal heads and hippies can appreciate.

The darlings of the festival scene, Twiddle, brought a massive crowd to the Mushroom Stage mid-afternoon on Saturday. This would likely have been a massive pool party like that of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong the day before, but the wave pool was closed. No matter though as fans packed the area to witness the rising stars welcome Russ Lawton on drums and Ray Paczkowski on keys, both from Soule Monde and TAB, join the band for “White Light.” Bassist Zdenek Gubb proved himself to be MVP of the set with powerful and funky bass playing that could be felt at the very top of Montage Mountain.

The highlight of Friday afternoon was Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Because the Grateful Dead means so much to so many people in the community, it’s no wonder their set drew such a massive crowd to the main stage. Joe Russo and friends bring a thrilling and welcomed update to the classics so many of us have come to cherish. Their set included greats like “Eyes of the World,” “The Wheel” and a full and powerful “Terrapin Station.”

As was the trend each evening at Peach, Mother Nature made her presence known with continuous flashes of lightening that would come with strong winds, rain and thunderstorms forcing The Lennon Claypool Delirium to prematurely end their predictably spacey yet original set. Fans took cover under the Pavilion as the first part of the storm passed overhead flooding the floors under their feet. Once passed it was finally time for the great Trey Anastasio Band to hit the stage. The pavilion, now packed with fans, housed tunes like “Cayman Review,” “Magilla,” “Gotta Jibboo” and “Money Love and Change.” As soon as “Sand” started to pick up, Anastasio was forced to tell fans to once again seek cover due to more severe weather. Once given the all clear, TAB returned to the stage to pick up “Sand” where they left off. Later in the set, Trey shared the story of how former TAB trombonist Jeff Cressman left the band to play with Santana. When Trey asked him who might replace him, Cressman suggested his daughter Natalie. Jeff was then welcomed to the stage and the father-daughter team thrilled the crowd together during “Push on Til’ the Day” to close one of the best sets of the entire Peach weekend.

Umphrey’s McGee gave the best musical nightcap of the weekend with their latenight set on the main stage Saturday night. The lightshow in the Pavilion was spectacular and the music was on point. The progressive rockers from Chicago played older songs from their catalog such as “Wappy Sprayberry” as well as a cover of Prince’s “Controversy,” a song they first covered in Minneapolis the day after the legendary singer’s death. “Puppet String” included Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” teases. Fans beat on the back of the seats within the Pavilion; the sound dragging the band out for a thrilling encore of “In the Kitchen” into “Glory” and ending with a reprise of “Puppet String.”

Sunday was the return to struggle city for many campers packing up their belongings to hike off the mountain and return home. Lines seemed to move faster and despite it being the fourth day of the festival, people were in good spirits.

Sunday began with a special ‘Wake up With Warren Haynes’ acoustic set that featured Gov’t Mule numbers “Beautifully Broken,” “Raven Black Night,” and “In My Life.” The set would not have been complete without the delivery of some Allman Brothers Band tunes to commemorate the festival’s beginning. Haynes played “Old Friend” and “End of the Line,” two ABB songs he contributed to. Warren returned for a two-song encore beginning with Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” and Gov’t Mule favorite “Soulshine” to the delight of thousands.

Not more than a year since the Black Crowes called it quits, founding member Rich Robinson is taking his solo career to new heights. The Rich Robinson Band performed Sunday at The Peach. In addition, Robinson was welcomed to the stage to join Blackberry Smoke and later on with Gov’t Mule.

Blackberry Smoke is a southern rock group with bluesy guitar riffs and country music undertones not unlike that of the Allman Brothers Band. The set featured originals as well as a down home version of Led Zeppelin’s “Your Time is Gonna Come.” Robinson joined the quintet for The Black Crowes’ “Wiser Time,” in which he delivered a thrilling guitar solo.

With Gregg Allman canceling a week prior to The Peach due to illness, a supergroup was formed to fill in the time slot he was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The group consisted of Joe Russo, Marco Benevento and Oteil Burbridge. The trio delivered a unique set that was largely a jazz-fusion jam in which the talents played off one another with ease, a nice segue to the headlining guest packed performance by Gov’t Mule. After a few Gov’t Mule tunes including “Mule” and “Game Face” with a “Mountain Jam” tease, Rich Robinson was once again welcomed back to the stage for a Crowe’s signature song “Sometimes Salvation.” The encore included “Come and Go Blues” with Charlie Starr, Brit Turner and Brandon Still of Blackberry Smoke before Oteil Burbridge joined the stage once more to aid in Allman Brothers’ classic “Dreams,” before ending the festival with a triumphant “Whipping Post.”

The fifth annual Peach Music Festival was legendary in its own right with world class musical acts, a stunning yet difficult venue, and memories fans would take with them for the rest of their lives. The spirit of the Allman Brothers Band was alive and well and we are happy to hear Gregg Allman is on the mend.

August 22, 2016
Peach Music Fest Returns to Montage Mountain, Gregg Allman Cancels

In just one week, The Peach Music Festival will return to Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA for their fifth annual four-day celebration. The festival is slated for August 11 – 14. Jamband fans from all over the country will head up the mountain for headliners Trey Anastasio Band and The String Cheese Incident. Due to illness, Gregg Allman canceled his tour including his headlining performances at Peach Fest. Allman was scheduled to play his own set as well as one with SCI known as “The Gregg Allman Incident. At this time it is unclear what the festival plans to do for a replacement.

Originally an Allman Brother’s Band festival, the spirit of ABB will live on with Warren Haynes’ appearance in Gov’t Mule as well as “Wake Up with Warren Haynes.” In addition, Les Brers is scheduled to perform at Peach Festival, created by Butch Trucks, founding member of the ABB.

Festival goers can take advantage of the mountain for camping as well as the on-site waterpark to cool off. The site features three stages including The Pavillion at Montage Mountain, a unique and beautiful venue.

In addition to the headlining acts, other anticipated performances include The Claypool Lennon Delirium, two sets of moe., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Railroad Earth, two sets of Dark Star Orchestra, Anders Osborne and more.

Late night sets will sprawl across three stages including a special Pink Floyd set from moe. and a two-hour set with Umphrey’s McGee. The Floozies, Cabinet, Flux Capacitor and a Pink Floyd set by Electron will all tear up the after midnight scene.

New this year, and in line what Front Gate Tickets did for Camp Bisco hosted at Montage Mountain in July, ticket holders were sent chipped wrist bands over the traditional cloth bracelets.

Tickets for the Peach Music Festival are available at www.thepeachmusicfestival.com

August 5, 2016
Phish Sets the Gearshift Out of Control for SPAC Night Two

Phish’s second night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was preceded by a beautiful early summer afternoon, a welcome change from Friday’s thunderstorms that served as the soaking precursor to the night one show. Fans also seemed to feel more settled, ready to dive into the middle of the run, despite having to wait in the lengthy security lines.

The boys kicked things off with “Crowd Control,” a solid but rather underwhelming choice considering the intensity that would awaken later in the show. Mike Gordon took the lead vocals on the “555,” with accompaniment from John Fishman before sailing into some improv grooves on “Seven Below.” The consistently upbeat and funky “Back on the Train” had fans howling with delight. Trey Anastasio slammed into a solo only to be matched by Page McConnell’s key shreds. This led to “Army of One” with additional impressive displays of jazz inspired liberties on keys. The “Divided Sky” included the basic choreographed dance jumps of Anastasio and Gordon. The song included its lengthy pause in which all four members appeared still as statues. The raw human emotion could not be hidden as a wide grin on Anastasio’s face shined like a pillar of light, letting the 20,000 or so die-hard fans know he was just as happy to be in the spa city as they were.

“Martian Monster,” a Halloween 2014 debut track, gave Anastasio another chance to demonstrate melodic percussion on Fishman’s marimba lumina as he did the previous night during the massive and lengthy “Chalkdust Torture.” A quick “Rift” followed by “Water in the Sky” moved into a slamming “46 Days.” Chris Kuroda’s new LED light boards beamed throughout the song, mimicking the look of liquid in motion as Anastasio and McConnell drove the song to the first set’s closer, “Walls of the Cave.”

The jam-heavy second set began with “No Man in No Man’s Land” before diving into the intensity of “Fuego,” featuring long and deep improvisations and jams. The crowd sang along the tune’s “whoa-ohs” and simultaneously tossed boat loads of glow sticks into the night sky. “Light” included some type II style jams before teasing back the lyrics of “No Man in No Man’s Land” and ended with a fun rendition of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age.”

The later half of the second set was stocked with tour debuts, beginning with “Taste,” which featured some intricate piano playing that moved throughout the song with McConnell’s directive. “Horse” glided right into “Silent in the Morning,” as it typically does. The ever perky “Julius” made it nearly impossible not to boogie down before the foursome took to the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” bringing the second set to a triumphant close. A small child on her father’s shoulders graciously accepted Anastasio’s guitar pick as a token of his appreciation for even his youngest fans.

A bubbly “Bouncing Around the Room” kicked off the two-song encore before exploding into “Run Like an Antelope,” demonstrating the extensive musical prowess of all four members and closing SPAC night 2 with a bang.

As if your face hadn’t fully melted off after nights 1 and 2, there’s still time to grab the mop and bucket for night 3 at SPAC this evening. As they say, “never miss a Sunday show.”

Setlist via Phish.net
Soundcheck: Funky Bitch, How Many People Are You, Miss You, Tide Turns

Set 1: Crowd Control, 555 > Seven Below > Back on the Train, Army of One, Divided Sky, Martian Monster[1] > Rift, Water in the Sky > 46 Days, Walls of the Cave

Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > Fuego > Light -> Golden Age > Taste, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Julius, A Day in the Life

Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope
[1] Trey on Marimba Lumina.

July 3, 2016
Disc Jam 2016 Outdoes Itself

Now in its sixth year and second at the current location in Stephentown, NY, Disc Jam Festival has established itself in every sense of the phrase. The bands are top caliber, the stage setups are the real deal, and the attendees make it feel like home away from home. Disc Jam 2016 has set the bar high for an overall festival experience in the Northeast.

Thursday night of the festival was spent by many setting up their home for the weekend. Those in VIP were granted access to prime real estate next to the creek, adjacent to the pond. Other campers with cars took up residency in the spacious fields surrounding the main stage area. The great thing about Disc Jam is that no matter where you camp, you’re no more than a two-minute walk to the main stage. That also means that you can hear the music throughout the venue – a nice perk of small festivals.

The sounds of Strange Machines filled Gardner’s Farm, setting the tone for the festival – heavy on the jams – though their set ended with a playful “Shake Your Body” cover by Michael Jackson. Next was everyone’s favorite cover smash up, Pink Talking Fish, taking the main stage until midnight. Weaving in and out of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish brought them to a surprise lap dance for the soon-to-be-wed keyboardist Richard James. Set to Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” Hayley Jane of Hayley Jane and the Primates, and her pack of back-up dancers, playfully teased the bashful bachelor only to have their spot taken over by Boston promoter and tutu sporting Benny Tucker aka “Woodies and Cream.” Hayley Jane led the vocals through “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Suzy Greenberg to wrap up the evening on the main stage.

Thursday night – and really the whole festival – was unseasonably cold. With temperatures in the mid to low 40s with high winds, festival patrons were disappointed there was no community bonfire as promised. The bonfire did blaze on the next few nights which was a welcomed relief.

Friday was easily the best day weather wise. Although breezes still made for a slight chill, the sun was warm and skies were crystal clear. Chicago based rock group, Litz, kicked things off in the morning followed by Teddy Midnight who really picked up the pace. The Brooklyn natives added jam scene veteran Wiley Griffin as their guitarist last August. Since then the group has been gaining fans and notoriety with steady momentum. The blues guitar riffs and synthesized key strokes along with a fantastically funky bass line made for the get-out-of-bed energy disc jammers needed.

Hayley Jane and the Primates, along with original drummer Jesse Hayes, took the early afternoon main stage with a full David Bowie tribute set. As usual, Hayley Jane is theatrical in her stage presence. Although her voice is truly impeccable, the set was reminiscent of a high-level karaoke production.

Set in the Innova Tent Stage at 5 p.m., Tom Hamilton’s American Babies overlapped Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and part of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Guest bassist Jim Hamilton, Tom’s brother, filled in for the set. Having grown up playing music together, this was something truly special for die hard fans and even those new to the Babies. The set included several songs off their new album, An Epic Battle Between Light and Dark, including “Fever Dreams” and “What Does it Mean.” Covers included the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” and The Band’s “Atlantic City.”

As the sun began to set Kung Fu powered through an incredible set welcoming Shira Elias of Turkuaz on vocals and Lowell Wurster of Lucid on percussion. The following 30 minutes was a complete change of pace. Cappadonna of the Wu Tang Clan and his posse pumped up the crowd with Craig Brodhead and the Turkuaz Horns as support. Free style rapper Honeycomb laid down a solid flow, even tossing shade to Jay-Z.

After a short break, headliners Electron took to the stage for a set many people attended the festival to see. Flow artists bordered the stage adding to the entertainment of it all, a psychedelic circus if you will, starting with “Plan B,” “42,” -> “Rock Candy” and later back to “42” after a solid rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” The set ended with fan favorite “Shelby Rose,” and the crowd singing in unison, “every night is heaven sent!”

Friday night wasn’t over yet as Dopapod packed the Innova Tent Stage with Disc Jammers. Opening with “Nuggy Jawson,” a “Nerds” tease ultimately served as hint to one of Saturday night’s picks during their second set with the Dopapod Orchestra. Ed Mann hopped on the vibraphone for “Dracula’s Monk” and Frank Zappa’s “Peaches en Regalia.” Turkuaz’s Craig Brodhead joined Dopapod for a heart pounding “8 Years Ended,” before concluding with “Vol. 3 #86.”

Saturday was a wet one, raining from 11 a.m. to nearly 1 p.m. which kept many campers from attending the daily set of Bearly Dead, as well as Elm, Funky Dawgz and Mister F. Congo Sanchez was the first dry set on the main stage which absolutely blew the crowd away. The trio features Thievery Corporation’s drummer with a down-tempo, reggae, hip-hop mix. This will be a band not to miss in the future. Consider the Source did a full Radiohead set, that while was impressive in so far as pure skill, simply did not have the attraction a regular COS set has.

The Nth Power, a world, funk, jazz group featuring Nikki Glaspie on the drums, flexed their creative muscle during their Saturday afternoon set. With the sun shining and drying things out, fans got down with the funky yet sultry tunes. The Turkuaz Horns and Shira Elias played a few brand new songs to the delight of the smiling faces in front of them. Directly proceeding the Nth Power, prog rockers TAUK took the stage sounding better than ever. Craig Brodhead also jumps on for a nasty cover of Hendrix’ “Voodoo Child.”

The highlight of the entire festival was without a doubt the Dopapod Orchestra. Clouded in mystery for months since it was announced, fans gathered to the stage as the grounds became engulfed in a low, warm fog. Beginning with a straight forward “Turning Knobs,” the Blend Horns of West End Blend were welcomed on stage laying down a new element to favorites like “Nerds,” “Super Bowl,” and a seriously sinister “Psycho Nature.” Kung Fu drummer Adrian Tramontano hopped on the drums next to Scotty Zwang for a lengthy “FABA.” The Turkuaz horns then took a turn with a stunning “Ophelia” by The Band. Turkuaz drummer Michaelangeo Carubba also sat in for “Roid Rage,” a song he helped write as he is Dopapod’s original drummer. The Orchestra ended with Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” before returning to the stage for the encore of “Picture in Picture” in which Rob Compa’s guitar student Greg King took over for the later half of the song. Compa hopped on bass for a few minutes as well so the two could jam. This was truly incredible to witness and a set not easily forgotten.

The Turkuaz Horns and Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle joined lespecial for some late night action. This is another band that seems to get better each time they play. Their stage setup was incredibly psychedelic. Unfortunately these guys rocked so hard a fuse was blown momentarily, but certainly did not take away from the overall set. A cover of Radiohead’s “National Anthem” was absolutely incredible and the horns only added to the depth.

Sunday was a struggle for many Disc Jammers as the temperatures once again dropped and high winds made wearing a jacket completely necessary. Despite the cold, Formula 5 rocked out to a pretty substantial crowd. They welcomed Ryan Dempsey to the stage as he and Matt Richards played on keys together for Warren Zevon’s “Nighttime in the Switching Yard.”

After sitting in all weekend with various bands, the Blend Horns finally joined their full band, West End Blend, for an incredibly funky set, helping to warm up those shivering in front of them. Front woman and lead vocalist Erica Bryan got fans off their feet with her tambourine skills. The band welcomed The Turkuaz Horns, Shira Elias and Craig Brodhead on stage. With 15 people on stage, the Sunday-funday party had officially started.

Local bluegrass band Eastbound Jesus welcomed Lowell Wurster for some twangy fun before Aqueous hopped on stage for their harder rocking set. Soule Monde showed off their talents making it easy to see why the drum and organ duo has such an impressive résume including being members of Trey Anastasio’s touring band.

Disc Jam 2016 came to an incredible close with Gubbulidis, or Mihali Savoulidis and Zdenek Gubb of Twiddle. By now, it should be clear from the events of the weekend that they’d be joined by guests including their own Ryan Dempsey who took a moment to crawl across the stage for a lick on Mihali’s leg. The set was packed full of jams including Twiddle favorites “Lost in the Cold” and “Syncopated Healing, as well as Sublime’s “What I Got,” Blues Traveler’s “Run Around” and Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.” The amount of pure energy on stage was exactly what the frigid crown needed and the perfect period to the end of an incredible weekend.

June 18, 2016
Lessons from Tom Hamilton

With any luck, you’ve been internalizing phrases like “be yourself” and “be honest” since the day you could understand language. These ideas are applicable to our everyday lives in a general sense, but they can also be the guiding force and underlying theme in the way we express ourselves through music and art.

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know Tom Hamilton is an exceptional guitarist of many projects, including Brothers Past, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Billy and the Kids, Electron and, of course, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies. He is rising as one of the most talked about musicians in the scene, yet he continues to stay humble.

I initially wanted to chat with him about his upcoming scheduled appearances at Disc Jam June 9 through 12 in Stephentown, NY. On Friday, he will play a set with the Babies as well another set with headliner Electron. What we got out of the conversation was much more insightful. His tell-it-like-it-is candor about his own life and passionate ideas come with underlying morals applicable to humanity.

With that I present to you is, “Lessons from Tom Hamilton.”

Talk about it.

The new American Babies album, An Epic Battle Between Light and Dark, was influenced by Tom’s experience with his own depression as well as that of past significant others. One of whom was hospitalized for her mental illness. One of whom left without saying a word. In addition, a member of his family had committed suicide, something he had not fully come to terms with. It was when Robin Williams took his own life that he really felt compelled to write music about these struggles. “We all have our shit, our human faults; why is no one talking about it?” he said. The process of creating the album has provided the closure to his family member’s death that he had been seeking.

Be confident.

When Tom was just four years old, his love for the Grateful Dead began. He remembers his father watching nervously as he put his little hands allover his music collection, so he gave him his first tape—Grateful Dead at Red Rocks 7/8/78.

“Back then there were two kinds of Grateful Dead fans—the hippies and the bikers. My dad and his friends were definitely the later, but they were the nicest guys,” he said. “Bunch of mean looking guys standing around listening to ‘Ripple.’ They loved music. They lived for it.”

He learned to play all the instruments of the Grateful Dead, playing their respective parts at a very young age.

In 2014, a friend of Tom’s recommended him as a fill-in for a severely food poisoned Anders Osborne at Phil Lesh’s 74th Birthday Bash at Terrapin Crossroads in California. Tom recalls an irritated and anxious Lesh who, hoping for the best, asked this complete stranger if he wanted to go over the songs. Tom told him, “I can play 95 percent of the catalog without sheet music, I’m good to go!” With that, Phil seemed to instantly relax.

“I’ve been playing with Phil my entire life, he just didn’t know it,” he said.

Be yourself.

Tom said he feels that too many bands these days are looking around at what other people are doing or looking to the past to what they did. With the American Babies he feels he is doing his own thing without worrying about what’s trending. It is why out of all the bands he plays in that he considers the Babies to be his heart.

One of the things Tom said he feels is wrong with the jamband scene is an overemphasis on the jam. He feels the song itself becomes lost. In fact, he said the only jamband he listens to is the Grateful Dead.

“It’s like piling hummus onto a cracker. You aren’t even eating the cracker anymore, it just becomes the vehicle in which you shove hummus into your mouth,” he said.

To Tom, the music of his American Babies is what good songwriting sounds like. The lyrics have meaning and there are clear segments of the song. While they often become grouped in with jam bands and there are certainly some shreds between Tom and guitarist Justin Mazer, they are doing their own thing, creating their own kind of sound. And it’s working.

Make new friends, but keep the old.

Having played with super group Electron since 2001, Tom said he is looking forward to getting down with Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits and Mike Greenfield of Lotus at Disc Jam. Their set from 2015 was one of the most memorable of that weekend, featuring an exceptional cover of the Grateful Dead’s “I know You Rider.” Playing with old friends is something Tom said he really enjoys. But while they are known to cover Tom’s beloved GD tunes and even did a full Pink Floyd set at last year’s Gathering of the Vibes, the majority of songs are Marc Brownstein’s.

“But those are Marc’s songs,” he said. “And let’s face it when it comes to songwriting, he’s no John Lennon.”

What he is looking most forward to is being onstage with girlfriend and bandmate, Raina Mullen, Justin Mazer, Al Smith and Mark Sosnoskie—The American Babies. He is looking forward to playing his own songs with the people he calls “family.”

Electron

Be honest.

At one point in our conversation, Tom asked me if I had ever written a “bad review.” I had to think about that. I’ve definitely been to shows I wasn’t a fan of, or nights where the band was off. I certainly have listened to albums that I didn’t care for. I told him I had, but that I try not to completely tear the artist a new one, highlighting both the good aspects as well as the bad. His response was not sugarcoated.

“You journalists are so afraid to write a bad review. Why? You end up with this diplomatic shit. If something is a steaming pile of shit, just say it!”

Noted.

June 1, 2016
A Matured Jimkata Blows the Roof off the Hollow

One of the greatest things about seeing a band numerous times is the ability to witness the progression they make over the years. And if you see the band frequently, it will feel gradual and natural, but if it’s been a while since you’ve seen them, the improvement can be striking. Case in point: Jimkata’s performance at the Hollow on May 20.

The Ithaca-based electro-rock band tours nationally and is a festival frequenter. For years, Albany has had the pleasure of watching them grow. But for some of us who hadn’t seen them in awhile, their show at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen on May 20 was like seeing a long-lost childhood friend all grown up. The resemblance is there, but they’ve metamorphosed into an adult.

The “party-funk” duo the Hornitz kicked things off at what would be a night of exceeded expectations. These two, known as “Friendship” and “Stoo,” use loops to create the sound of a full band. The tenor sax and bass trombone made for a funky throw down. Fans were more than willing to sing along to “Overnight Success” (Dance with Anyone) as well as a playful rendition of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.”

When the three men comprising Jimkata took the stage, it was clear from the first note that this is not the young band we once remembered. The vocal strength of frontman Evan Friedell has matured, and the sincerity in his demeanor and relatable lyrics are enough to create goosebumps. While in general Jimkata is not known for lengthy jams, Aaron Gorsch was given several opportunities to really let lose. And although the group certainly does not need to rely on the jams (and doesn’t), Gorsch shows that they’re more than an electronic, pop-infused rock band—there is talent on both the song and the ability to improvise. The analog synthesized tones recalled the sounds of the ’80s (without the corniness); the bass was heavy and the lights pulsating, and drummer Packy Lunn beat fire, adding to the intensity—the experience was thrilling.

They played favorites from years ago off of their 2012 fan-funded album, Die Digital, including “Nightshade,” “Chain Store” and “Electronic Stone,” all of which left old fans with a rush of emotion; some with their eyes closed, but still grooving to the music. Having just released their latest album, In Motion, the band played several tracks from it like “Innocence” and “Wild Ride,” (see the official music video above) a song that gives goosebumps and might make you put your arm around your best friend and say, “I love you, man,” as seen firsthand during this Albany show. After the crowd begged Jimkata to return to the stage with the syllable-pointed chant of “Jim-Ka-Ta, Jim-Ka-Ta,” they returned for a three-song encore that featured “I Won’t Let You Down” off of the new album, “ Electronic Stone” that got serious crowd engagement and “Roll with the Punches.”

Having gone from four members to three has not hindered their performance. What was once a “pretty good” electronic rock band has grown into a beautifully powerful, multi-layered core of matured musicians. If you haven’t seen these guys in awhile, make a point to do so in the near future. You’ll be proud.

May 28, 2016
Family of Woodstock Announces Bob Dylan 75th Birthday Celebration

With the exception of perhaps the Band, no other musical act is as synonymous with Woodstock as the legendary Bob Dylan. It is only fitting that a celebration of his 75 years on Earth be celebrated with music in the iconic town.

On Sunday, May 29, Family of Woodstock presents the eighth annual Bob Dylan Birthday Celebration at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. The event includes esteemed folk guitarist Happy Traum, who played with Dylan in his Woodstock days of the late ’60s and early ’70s. John Sebastian, Arlen Roth and Larry Campbell also join the list of musicians who’ve played with Dylan in the past who will celebrate him at this birthday celebration.

Other noteworthy musicians on the bill include blues guitarist Bill Sims Jr., Kate Pierson of the B-52s, up-and-coming harpist Mikaela Davis and Jared Samuel of the Invisible Familiars.

Local guests include NeeNee Rushie (The Big Takeover) and Kenny Siegel and Blueberry of Johnny Society. Returning guests include Eric Redd, Doug Yoe and Carme Senski, Marc Black, Jules Shear and Robert Burke Warren.

In addition to the music, there will also be a raffle of two classic Elliott Landy Dylan portraits. Proceeds of the event go to Family of Woodstock’s 24-hour hotline and the John Herald Fund, which helps local musicians with small financial needs. The event is sponsored by Radio Woodstock – 100.1 and the Bearsville Theater Complex.

Seats are available for $45 and standing room tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased via radiowoodstock.com/concerts. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show is at 8:30 p.m. The event also includes a special champagne reception for $100 and $65 Golden Circle ticket holders at 6:30 p.m.

Lineup includes:

Happy Traum
Connor Kennedy & Minstrel-
Larry Campbell
John Sebastian
Kate Pierson
Jules Shear
Arlen Roth
Doug Yoel & Carmen Senski
Marc Black
Robert Burke Warren
Eric Redd
Bill Simms, Jr.
NeeNee Rushie (The Big Takeover)
Jay Collins
Jared Samuel (Invisible Familiars)
Brian Hollander
Kenny Siegel & Blueberry (Johnny Society) –
Mikaela Davis

May 14, 2016