Author: Jim Houle

moe. Treats Philly to a Tarantinoe. Dance Off

Tarantinoe. Halloweenoe. The Fillmore in Philadelphia hosted moe.’s annual halloween bash this past weekend, featuring two back-to-back nights of movie-themed fun. After last years epic Star Wars theme, the band and their crew knocked one out of the park with a celebration based on movies and characters of Hollywood writer/director, Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino‘s gruesomely violent and detailed story writing presented the band and crew with an incredible amount of inspiration for set lists, costumes, and stage design.

Leading into Friday evening, moe. held a special one-hour meet and greet at The Foundry, a smaller venue located above the Fillmore, giving fans a chance to hang out with the band and enjoy some of their signature Saranac Hoppy Hour Hero beer at special pricing, including some specialty cocktails named after a few of moe.’s songs. Shortly after, fans dressed in various character outfits began to fill the venue in anticipation for the party to begin. The stage, subtly dressed with red velvet crowd control rope, stanchion posts, and a popcorn machine gave the appearance of a movie theater. Some lucky guests in the front row were even treated to some buttery popcorn as they patiently waited.

Within moments, Vinnie, Chuck, Jim, Al, and Rob all appeared on stage dressed to impress as the five main Reservoir Dogs, with black suits, sunglasses, and narrow ties. Moe. then kicked off the two-night event with the popular surf tune “Misirlou” the opening song to Pulp Fiction, before playing an alternate version of their own song “Crab Eyes” called “Crazy 88.” The three front men did a miraculous job re-writing lyrics to their own songs to fit the story line of some of Tarantino’s most popular movies. Next up was “Django,” an original score by Al, which he recorded and submitted to the producers of the movie Django Unchained. Although the song was liked and considered for the movie, it never made its way to the final cut. Closing out the first set with a crowd pleasing “Stuck in the Middle” from Reservoir Dogs, the group followed with a simply altered yet hefty version of “meat,” titled “gimp.”

The best surprise of the evening was Vinnie Amico singing “Magic Carpet Ride” which segued into a lyrically altered “Bear Song” before reprising the ending of M.C.R. Dialogue samples from Pulp Fiction were in abundance both nights as “Buster” began with a conversation clip between Jules and Vincent Vega about how filthy dogs and pigs are. The dancing continued as the guys jammed into “Jazz Wank” with a slightly altered but tasty “Four” following before finishing the set with an energetic “Pussy Wagon.”

To everyone’s delight, Al appeared for his usual encore announcements dressed in a sparkly gold dress with matching blonde wig. The dress appeared to look quite uncomfortable as Al suggested that everyone give props to women, he then proceeded to blow the lid off of The Fillmore with “WooHoo” from Kill Bill and “Godzilla” to close out night one.

Night two exceeded expectations with better attendance, more costumes, and higher energy than the previous show. Front of House Sound Engineer Steve Young and the crew, did a smashing job on creating a visually and purposeful set which included a chopped up Cadillac, separated into two pieces. Repainted and polished, the front and back of the caddy lit up with color-changing LED lights while the headlights and brakes lit up in sync with different sections of the songs. Stuffed with a cooler full of beverages for the band, the trunk provided some fun entertainment. A camera linked to the video screen on stage hid behind the cooler capturing moments of the guys smiling, waving, and showing off their beer cans to the crowd. The immensely thought out detail also included personalized “moe.ron” license plates with moe. stickers neatly stuck to the bumper, two walls designed like Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant and Crown Pawn Shop from Pulp Fiction, and a window cutout that displayed the bands’ extra guitars like they were for sale. It was a job well done, for sure!

The first set began with “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Kill Bill and without huddle, the group blasted into a power-driven “Annihilation Blues.” Bringing back the cool surf energy, the group played out The Centurions’ “Bullwinkle Part II”. Chuck cleverly changed “Shoot First” into “Shot Marvin,” before they rocketed through “CalifornIA,” and closed out the set with a thrilling “Head” turned into “ear.”

After leaving enough time to mingle, have a drink and hit the bathroom, the house lights dimmed and a hilarious video montage of the band acting out a murderous gangster scene entertained the audience until moe. emerged to the stage with new costumes, appearing as if they just committed the slaying backstage. While Jim and Rob simply added masks to their black suits, Chuck morphed into Jules Winniefield, Vinnie into Vincent Vega, and Al into Jackie Brown (once again wearing a dress). But the dress didn’t stop Al from firing on all cylinders that night, especially while singing “Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon” to the solos in during the “Vinnie Vega” and “Budd.”

The funkiest dance number of the evening was “Jungle Boogie” which featured a collage of Samuel L. Jackson samples, interestingly timed by Jim. A laid-back instrumental jam helped the band lead into “Watching Pulp Fiction,” finishing up the last segue of the night. Starting with an audio clip from the movie, moe. rounded up the second set with “Kill Bill,” the altered version of “Billy Goat.”

For the last hurrah of the weekend, contestants for their “dance off” twisted around stage as the band played “You Never Can Tell,” to remake the iconic Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance scene. Audience cheered to whom they thought was the best, thus eliminating one pair at a time to become the winners of the grand prize, a band-signed bowling pin and their own table at the side of the stage to enjoy the last song. Moe. then finished off strong with a lengthy rocking “Recreational Chemistry” before thanking everyone they possibly could for making the weekend so special, especially the fans.

See the band-made video clip from the show on their Facebook page.

Friday Set – 10/28/16

I: Misirlou*, Crazy 88^, Cissy Strut, Django#, Stuck In The Middle**, gimp.^^

II: Magic Carpet Ride*** > Wolf Song^^^ > Magic Carpet Ride***, Buster > Jazz Wank > Four > Pussy Wagon^^^^

Enc: Woo Hoo****, Godzilla

* FTP (cover – Dick Dale) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics Crab Eyes
# FTP (original – al. song)
** FTP (cover – Stealers Wheel) > Reservoir Dogs
^^- alternate version of meat.
*** FTP (cover – Steppenwolf) > Reservoir Dogs
^^^ alternate lyrics for Bearsong
^^^^ alternate lytics for Paper Dragon
**** FTP (cover – 5.6.7.8.’s) > Kill Bill

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Saturday Set – 10/29/16

I: Battle Without Honor Or Humanity* >(nh) Annihilation Blues, Bullwinkle Part II**, Shot Marvin^ > CalifornIA > ear.^^

II: Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon***, Vinny Vega^^^ > Rumble**** > Budd^^^^ > Jungle Boogie% > Watching Pulp Fiction#, Kill Bill#

Enc: You Never Can Tell%%, Recreational Chemistry

* FTP (cover – Tomoyasu Hotel) > Kill Bill
** FTP (cover – The Centurions) > Pulp Fiction
^ alternate lyrics to Shoot First
^^ alternate lyrics to head.
*** FTP (cover – Neil Diamond) > Pulp Fiction
^^^ alternate lyrics to Timmy Tucker
**** FTP (cover – Link Wray & His Ray Man) > Pulp Fiction
^^^^ alternate lyrics to Bring You Down
% FTP (Kool & The Gang) > Pulp Fiction
# alternate lyrics to Stranger Than Fiction
## alternate lyrics to Billy Goat
%% FTP (cover – Chuck Berry) > Pulp Fiction}

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November 3, 2016
Buffalo Scores Big with Two Nights of moe. at Town Ballroom

It had been well over a year since moe. graced the Town Ballroom stage, when they arrived at Buffalo this past weekend. With their annual 2-night stay, fans were happy to have the band “home” again and this time with a last minute opening act Floodwood, featuring Vinnie Amico, Tony Markellis, Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Chris Eves. Floodwood picked, kicked, and hollered with delight to a sold out anxious crowd, which included an original debut by Eves, titled “Green and Blue” featuring some warm vocals and smooth fiddle. This top-notch group flooded the room with enough hip-swinging rhythms to warm up any venue in western New York.

Night one started off rocking with “Rainshine,” a straight-forward rock song, not played enough in rotation. Without “huddle,” Rob led the group into “Jazz Wank,” segueing into a more than an hour long “Buster” sandwich including a seamlessly paired “Lazarus > George” and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” Garvey captivated listeners with his silver-tongued vocals as Schnier lead out the solo with lust and emotion. Since their late-night tribute set at The Peach Fest, the guys have been working more Floyd tunes into their sets for the Fall tour.

Second set sluggishly took off with “Lost Along the Way,” picking up momentum during the instrumental section. The crowded Town Ballroom was then treated to a thick tasty “MEAT” sandwich, doubling up for the evening. The peak of the evening was surely this mamma-jamma, stuffed with tight-fitted solos from each member during “Akimbo” and “Silver Sun.” Topping off the night, Loughlin delivered radiant vocals on Frank Zappa’s “Cosmik Debris,” a tune first debuted at last years Halloween show in Philly.

Sparing little time and energy on Saturday, moe. returned to the stage of the Ballroom and hit-the-deck running with “Blue Jeans Pizza.” Chuck took it upon himself to set fire during the jam, enough to slap a consistent smile on Rob’s face for the duration. Al’s fun piano chops held together an interesting yet playful segue jam before switching to guitar for “Mexico,” which led into Merle Haggard‘s “Mama Tried.” Having only played that twice as a band (Once in 1997 and again last April), the majority of the audience sang along and danced their cares away. Acknowledging the culminating energy, Garvey simply stated “Round 2.”

Next, came a massive “Opium” containing plenty of sustained twang-ish slide guitar work, carried over by Chuck from the previous tune. A lengthy version allowed Vinnie to change up drumming styles, easing his way into “Understand.” Garvey took to the voice box for an honorable rendition of David Bowie’s “Fame” followed by “Same Old Story” to round off the first set.

Commencing the second set with “In the Flesh,” moe. proved how much they’re enjoying playing Pink Floyd as well as utilizing Jim’s voice. Given the opportunity, the ensemble intensely kicked up the energy with “Spaz Medicine.” Next came the last “sandwich” of the weekend with “Yodelittle > Down Boy > Yodelittle” featuring some notable lighting work by Pulse Lighting‘s own Justin Casey, who’s been having too much fun with the Clay Paky B-Eyes and Chauvet Rogue R1 FX-B series lights. After a brief pause, Garvey worked up some slide guitar again for “Shoot First” before segueing into an impressive “Billy Goat > Kids.”

Just before moe. took to the stage one last time, Schnier proceeded with the nightly “Al.nouncements” tradition. Unable to resist, he riled up the Buffalo crowd asking “So, here’s the question, are we gonna win tomorrow?” referring to the Bills vs. New England Patriots game on Sunday. With some New England fans scattered throughout the audience and on stage as well, the response was a little heated tho undeniably entertaining as Al had to explain that Bills Nation lasts year-long. moe. finished up their two-night “hometown” run with “Not Coming Down” and “Spine of a Dog,” giving Buffalo another win of the weekend.

Friday Night Photos by Tim Merrill

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Saturday Night Photos by Jim Houle

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October 4, 2016
ZZ Top Closes Out Summer Series at Lakeview Amp

The newly erected Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse has had quite the summer for it’s first full season of live music. Covering a wide variety of genres from Snoop Dogg to Dave Matthews Band to Keith Urban to Phish. But, the season couldn’t end on September 4, without some good ‘ol fashioned southern rock Hall-of-Famers! Since the scheduled Gregg Allman canceled due to his health, ZZ Top and Charlie Daniels came to the rescue with some legendary entertainment.

Social Distortion‘s current guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, kicked off the evening with some of his own original songs and a brief Charlie Daniels band cover before giving time to the band themselves. Within a few moments, Charlie Daniels Band made way to the stage minus the jolly fiddler, himself. The group bursted into an energetic instrumental as Mr. Daniels himself, stepped out in front of a cheerful audience. Sporting a large cowboy hat, white button down shirt, blue jeans, a massive belt-buckle, and his trusty fiddle, Daniels ripped into each song of their hour-long set with passion and enthusiasm ending their performance with the ever popular “Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

Texas Legends, ZZ Top, collectively took to the stage without hesitation, starting off with “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Waiting for the Bus,” before breaking it down with the bluesy “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill seemed to keep the energy at low for the beginning of their show until picking things up with “Give Me All Your Lovin.” The southern trio joyously included “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix and “Two Trains Runnin” by Muddy Waters in their set amongst other popular tunes, before ending the night with a 3-song encore.

Set: Got Me Under Pressure, Waitin’ for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Pincushion, I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide, I Gotsta Get Paid, Rough Boy, Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), Two Trains Runnin’ (Muddy Waters), Sixteen Tons, Cheap Sunglasses, Chartreuse, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs

Encore: La Grange, Tush, Jailhouse Rock

September 19, 2016
Hobbled moe. Peps Energetic Saranac Crowd

It’s a Central New York institution put on by New York’s jam band. For the second consecutive evening, moe., complete with an injured bassist, shook the Saranac Brewery to its hoppy core on Saturday with two sets filled with guitar-driven improvisation, fun set lists and even a few unconventional covers.

Bassist Rob Derhak was in a seat for the entire show, laid up with a leg injury, which did not limit him in any way, as he was as animated as ever in the band’s annual residency in Utica. If Friday’s show was more laid back, then Saturday’s was a lesson in in-your-face rock and roll.

And warming up the rowdy crowd was funk band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. PPPP laid down a straightforward set filled with danceable and rhythmic numbers. Out of the gate, “Seat Of My Pants” featured a big solo each from guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey, which were catapulted by the backing beats of drummer Vinnie Amico. “Big World”>”Ricky Marten”>”Spine Of A Dog”>”Not Coming Down”>”Wormwood”>”Okayalright” took up the next hour or so. While there wasn’t a section of the groove that stands out as supreme, the songs flowed together, allowing moe. to display the tight musicianship they’re loved for. “McBain” featured a short outro jam that crescendo-ed the crowd into happy oblivion just before setbreak.

In 2015, Saranac released a moe.-themed beer, aptly titled Hoppy Hour Hero, a strong IPA that was the featured beverage of the night. (Amico discussed this and a range of other topics with NYSMusic back in May). Without hesitation, moe. began playing “Happy Hour Hero,” which exulted a huge road from the attendees.

“Bearsong” began and amidst the noodling emerged an unusual treat: House of Pain’s iconic hit “Jump Around.” It’s expected for moe. to throw in covers here and there, but I was among many who didn’t see this coming. The crowd sang every word of the anthemic chorus, before the band veered into “Tailspin.”

“Opium” then bled into “lylelovit.” With the curfew approaching, and the guitars dueling, Schnier began “Downward Facng Dog,” eliciting a huge applause, and closed out the energetic and overall very good set with “32 Things.”

“Buster” brought the 2016 Saranac run to a close and gave the moe.ron famoe.ly nothing but smiles and happiness. The band thanked the crowd and exited, and everyone in my area began hugging and embracing.

Now that the band has found a legitimate home in CNY, it begs the question: Is moe. ever bringing moe.down back? Amico has said it will be back, so now we just have to wait. But two nights at Saranac every summer is a pretty great consolation.

07/30/2016 • Saranac Brewery • Utica, NY
Summer Tour 2016

Set 1: Seat Of My Pants>,Big World > Ricky Marten > Spine Of A Dog > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright McBain

Set 2: Happy Hour Hero, Bearsong > Jump Around > Tailspin >, Opium > lylelovit.>, Downward Facing Dog >, 32 Things

Encore: Buster

August 6, 2016
Slightly Stoopid Returns to Saranac With Red Eyes

Nothing beats a hot summer day like great live music, friends, a beautiful city, and beer. Cold, fresh-brewed beer at that. Utica, NY was certainly hoppin’ as Saranac Brewery hosted Slightly Stoopid, SOJA, and Zion I, The Grouch, & Eligh on July 22 in the outdoor courtyard.

Zion I, The Grouch and Eligh kicked off the summer evening in the brewery district with their bright harmonies, feel-good rhythms, and conscious hip-hop lyrics. Zion I is swiftly attracting fans on this tour promoting his new LP due out in September, titled The Labyrinth.

Humid air from the blistering sun didn’t seem to phase anyone in the audience as the cool, crisp ales flowed from the kegs and moistened the lips of the awaiting patrons. Following a brief refreshment break, SOJA danced onto the stage with instruments in hand and crushed a 45 minute set of their smile-inspiring original reggae-rock music, which included some dread swinging and tasty drum-line solos.

Front man Jacob Hemphill continuously gave props to Utica for their unmatched energy, in between songs from the Virginia-based groups’ most recent Grammy-nominated album, Amid the Noise and Haste. Before exiting the stage, Hemphill again gave praise to the tour headliners for their generosity as well as the crowd and Saranac Brewery, wishing everyone to “Thanks and Have a great … everything!”

Before Slightly Stoopid‘s set, Saranac’s own Fred Matt embraced the stage and took to the microphone to give a slurred thanks to all in attendance and took a traditional selfie, while holding up a fresh brew, stacked with a couple thousand excited fans behind him.

Moments later, a rumbling Star Wars Imperial March pumped from the PA speakers grabbing the crowds attention, making way for another Return of the Red Eye Tour performance. The group kicked into gear with “Champion of the Charles,” as Miles Doughty yelled out “It feels good to be back, Utica!” while fist-pumping his chest. After a few songs, Doughty and Kyle McDonald switched up instruments allowing McDonald to sing a few tunes including “Officer” and “Just Thinking” with special guests The Grouch and Eligh, before beautifully singing “The Prophet.”

Taking turns singing and switching guitars seemed to be of second nature to McDonald and Doughty as they each continuously electrified the audience with energy and inspiration. “Too Little Too Late” provided some fast-paced dancing for fans with it’s up-beat Ska rhythms and horn-play. Doughty playfully asked “Where’s all the good Utica chronic” before hammering out “Rolling Stone” and “Ain’t Got a Lot of Money.” Hard work and extensive touring was surely paying off for the west-coast group as the audience cheered and sang along through a set ending “Anywhere I Go.”

Returning for a solid 4-song encore, the group emerged amongst a dimly-lit stage to “Cantina Song,” further augmenting their semi Star Wars themed tour. While having much appreciation for the Grateful Dead, yet not being a “jam band,” Slightly Stoopid played a rather enjoyable take on “Franklin’s Tower,” sprinkled with some light piano work by Paul Wolstencroft. The group ended the night by staffing every inch of the stage with the help from SOJA on the Dennis Brown tune, “If This World Were Mine.”

Set: Imperial March (Star Wars), Champion of the Charles, Til it Gets Wet, Somebody, Up On a Plane, Hold It Down, Officer, Just Thinking (w/s/g Grouch & Eligh), The Prophet, This Version, Prayer For You, No One Stops Us Now, Collie Man, Too Little Too Late, Del Roy → 2 AM, Serious Man, Closer To the Sun, Stones 1, Bandoz, Ain’t Got A Lot Of Money, Don’t Stop, Don’t Care, Anywhere I Go

Encore: Cantina Song (Stare Wars), Franklin’s Tower, Train, Express Yourself, If This World (w/s/g SOJA)

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July 31, 2016
Zac Brown Band Sling-Shots Their Way Into Syracuse’s Lakeview Amphitheater

Zac Brown Band brought a diverse mix of traditional mainstream country, bluegrass, gospel and even rock ‘n’ roll to create an unpredictable evening of music for an enthusiastic crowd at the Lakeview Amphitheater on Thursday July 21. The eight-piece group transitioned seamlessly from one music style to another while incorporating a unique array of sounds including a three man horn line, pizzicato violin interludes, Latin percussion and powerful backup vocalists.

The group kicked off their set with “Homegrown” followed by “Knee Deep” and “Whiskey’s Gone” before getting the crowed all revved up with the well-known “S.O.B.” (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats cover). Brown was engaging and endearing throughout. He paused before playing “Tomorrow Never Comes” to invite the fans to “Forget whatever bull**** happened to you this week, this month or this year or whatever and just get lost in the music.” He took a moment to promote his new line of red wine and to let folks know it was being sold at the venue. The band also appeared to have a blast catapulting merchandise into the crowd using a hand-held cannon and giant slingshots.

The band took a short break midway through their set before coming back to delight fans with their notable covers of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley” and John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane.” Both were interesting choices for a country band but they performed them well and the crowd responded by dancing and singing along. They ended their set with fan favorite hit “Chicken Fried” before coming back onstage to perform a two song encore that included “Let’s Go Crazy” (Prince Cover) and “Beautiful Drug.”

Zac Brown Band proved that they are much more than a mainstream country act. The show was well worth long waits in traffic both getting to and leaving the venue. Hopefully, the venue’s powers that be will continue to work to improve the traffic situation before next season.

Set list: Homegrown, Knee Deep, Whiskey’s Gone, S.O.B. (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats), Goodbye in Her Eyes, As She’s Walking Away, Tomorrow Never Comes, Colder Weather, Sweet Annie, It’s Not Ok, I’ll Be Your Man (Song For A Daughter), Baba O’Riley (The Who), Toes, Loving You Easy, Jack & Diane (John Mellencamp), Keep Me in Mind, Castaway, Chicken Fried

Encore: Let’s Go Crazy (Prince), Beautiful Drug

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July 30, 2016
Let the Hoppy Hour Hero Flow with moe. at Saranac Brewery

This weekend, moe. returns to Utica, NY for another glorious two-night stay at Saranac Brewery and prepare to bring Hoppy Hour Hero to the masses. The Utica staple will welcome Ryan Montbleau supporting on Friday, July 29 and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong opening on Saturday, July 30.

As fans already know, Saranac will be serving up some of their moe.st special brew, Hoppy Hour Hero, for the double event along with many other summer favorites. Fans can also stay tuned for a special taping of “Vinnie’s Kitchen” featuring a recipe that includes the band’s namesake beer, which will be taped at the Brewery with some lucky contest winners. Gates open at 5 p.m. both days.

The Buffalo-based jammers have been taking a short break to prep for this weekend as well as select Summer appearances and their Fall tour which includes a Red Rocks performance paired with Gov’t Mule, a Pink Floyd theme late-night set at The Peach Fest, and another 2-night run at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo.

July 27, 2016
Trombone Shorty Holds Dance Off on Day 2 of Syracuse Jazz Fest

Day 2 of this years’ 34th Annual M&T Syracuse Jazz Festival held at Onondaga Community College Campus in Syracuse, was the night that over 5,000 plus fans were waiting for. With a large roster of highly awarded artists and performers sharing 1 stage throughout 2 days and nights turned out to be an incredible event. As New Orleans’ own Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and the Orleans Avenue braced the lineup, other national and local bands brought their “A game” to get the crowds energized for the headlining act.

Returning to this years fest, the City of Syracuse Parks & Rec All-Stars kicked off the day with their fluid compositions, directed by the highly regarded Joe Carello. The all-stars swung through a 45 minute set, all taking turns at solos and giving the crowd a piece of their heart and souls.

Second Line Syracuse Brass Band was second in command of day 2 of the fest. Led by the Juilliard School of music master jazz trombonist Melissa Gardiner, the core group features one other trombone, two trumpets, a saxophone, sousaphone, and drums. The eight-piece ensemble performed a various array of original scores and a few covers.

Paulie Cerra and Andrew Lippman led Groove Legacy through a fantastic set of jazzy tunes, sprinkled with bluesy twists and soulful harmonies. Increasing with energy as the evening sun settled, the steadily growing audience was getting loose on their feet and enjoyed a new song recently recorded with Utica’s own Joe Bonamassa.

Originally scheduled was Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House. Tho, Larry is currently in post-surgery and was unable to perform, son and master jazz guitarist Julian Coryell led the group with determination to show Syracuse how to have a good time. Performing a variety of covers and originals, the group shined through the evening with many tasteful guitar licks and drum fills. Just as the group was ending, Executive Director Frank Malfitano rushed the stage accompanied with a beautiful plaque to present to the band, giving thanks for continuing to show up and perform considering the circumstances of Larry condition.

Malfitano briefly returned to the stage to give warm welcome to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. The band bounced onto the stage one by one as drummer Joey Peebles kicked up a funky groove. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews dramatically appeared lastly with shades on, Trumpet in one hand and Trombone in the other. As the band got underway, they immediately cranked up the energy and didn’t let up until the their set was done. Aside from his skillful brass chops, Andrews danced his way across the entire stage, covering almost every inch replication the styles of James brown and Michael Jackson. At points, even gathering other members to march around in a huddle, while others shared solos and some spotlight. A memorable highlight of the nearly 2-hour performance was an intimate rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” along with accompanied with a crowd sing-a-long. Before closing out the weekend, Andrews eagerly invited Frank Malfitano up on stage to dance along to their mashup of “Mardi Gras Medly” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” representing their hometown of New Orleans.

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July 18, 2016
Brewery Ommegang to Host the String Cheese Incident and Twiddle

Cooperstown, NY, is setting up to be a hot spot this summer for concert-goers as Brewery Ommegang and Dan Smalls Presents will host their short but sweet annual Summer Concert Series. The concert season kicked off in May with Lake Street Dive and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The next show coming up on July 8, is Colorado-based folk-jam band the String Cheese Incident and Vermont’s Twiddle.

Known for their diverse catalog of bluegrass-rock music with energized jams, the String Cheese Incident thrive on live performances and the fans that push them to rock harder every night. Kings of the festival scene, SCI have been touring for more than 20 years with countless studio and live recordings available as well as DVD’s of recent shows courtesy of Tour Gigs. In May 2015, while building their new studio in Colorado, the group chiseled a week out of their schedules to rent a house in Arizona and construct some new material, while bonding like a good band should. Appearing on their website is a free download of a few songs from that recording, titled SCI Sound Lab Volume 1.

Twiddle, the four-piece groove machine that many people are warming up to, recently just sold-out the stunning Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY, and are in full work mode with an intriguing list of tour dates this summer, including appearances at North Coast Music Festival, the Peach Fest and Lockn’ Music Festival.

While on the road at this very moment, you can catch the String Cheese Incident at some of the major festivals and venues across the states which include Red Rocks, The Peach Fest and Big Sky Brewing Company before returning to New York to pump up the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

July 1, 2016
Dave Matthews Band Gets Sexy With Sold Out Lakeview Amphitheater

Dave Matthews Band brought an eclectic mix of its unique catalog of songs and covers to an enthusiastic crowd of 17,500 at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse on Wednesday June 22. The show marks the first sold out show at the newly opened amphitheater.

Fans were a bit apprehensive about the traffic, the no tailgating policy and the venue’s ability to handle the large crowd, but the venue seemed to do a good job managing traffic. Shuttles were running constantly to and from alternate parking locations as far away as downtown Syracuse. The no tailgating policy was generously overlooked. People were having a good time enjoying a few drinks but it didn’t appear that anyone was out of control. However, a no pop-up tent and no grill policy was strictly enforced. Some lighting could be added to improve visibility toward the exits and in the parking lots and they definitely need to add some additional porta-potties. The sound quality and the views are the best I’ve experienced compared to other amphitheaters in the northeast.

Dave Matthews Band took the stage around 8:30 and opened with their classic tune “Warehouse,” followed by “When the World Ends” and mega hit “Crash Into Me.” It seemed as if every single person in the audience knew every song as they belted out the words with every breath. The audience continued singing and dancing through “Don’t Drink the Water.” The band slowed things down with “Stay or Leave” and immediately got the crowd revved up again with fan favorite “#41,” where Boyd Tinsley had the audience cheering as he showcased his awe inspiring violin skills.

As the band is currently on tour celebrating their 25th anniversary before they go on a hiatus in 2017, they had no problem celebrating as fans jumped up and down, pumped their fists and occasionally took the lead singing parts of songs. At one point the fans lead a chant of “Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself,” to which Matthews took a step back and treated the audience to his trademark impish grin and eyebrow raise.

Between songs, Matthews was relatively quiet, thanking the audience and remarking about the beauty of the venue. He did leave fans hopeful by stating, “I hope we can come back here and play for y’all again sometime.” The celebration continued as the band paced through a nineteen song set. Stefan Lessard rocked a beautiful six string bass for the occasion. Carter Beauford, smiling as always, pounded the drums so fast at some points it looked like his hands were vibrating. Guitarist Tim Reynolds zipped up and down the fret board, producing intricate and unique sounds while making it look completely effortless.

Jeff Coffin (saxophone) and Rashawn Ross (trumpet) were joined by saxophonist and old friend, Sam Kininger. Kininger has played with Ross in Lettuce and Soulive’s Shady Horns Section. The horn section showed they are more than just an accompaniment as they blared in perfect harmony through “What Would You Say” and “Jimi Thing.”

Matthews showed his silly side as he borrowed a party hat from an audience member and wore it through the band’s almost hilarious version of Prince cover “Sexy Mother F*cker” to end the main part of the set. You would think that after almost two and a half hours that the fans would start to fade, but instead they roared, cheered and many chanted their “wish list” song hoping the band would oblige and play it during the encore. Shouts of “Two Step,” “Halloween,” and “Watchtower” rang out over the deafening cheers of the crowd. It is this intense level of excitement and anticipation that proves why Dave Matthews Band is a summer ritual for so many fans.

The band took a short break and ended the evening with a two song encore that included “The Song That Jane Likes” and fan favorite “Tripping Billies.” Carter Beauford tossed out buckets of drum sticks as fans roared and begged for more.

Set list:

Warehouse, When the World Ends, Crash Into Me, Sugar Will, Don’t Drink the Water, Stay or Leave, #41, Samurai Cop, Grey Street, Satellite, Break Free, Lie in Our Graves, Shake Me Like a Monkey, Typical Situation, What Would You Say (with Sam Kininger), Jimi Thing (with Sam Kininger), Sexy M.F. (Prince cover) (with Sam Kininger)

Encore:

The Song that Jane Likes, Tripping Billies

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June 29, 2016