Author: Kat Horton

Hearing Aide: Aqueous ‘Best in Show’

It’s been almost two years since Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous released their fourth studio effort, the acclaimed Cycles. Shortly after the release, the band’s founding trio found themselves struggling to keep a pair of sticks behind the kit. After a national search, drummer Rob Houk joined the band full time and the quartet headed into the studio. The resulting EP, Best in Show, is a four song reflection not only of the band’s time without a permanent drummer, but also a glimpse into the band’s future as Houk melts into the Aqueous groove with fluid rhythm that feels as if he’s always been here.

Kicked off by the infectious opening track, “Don’t Do It,” Best in Show is a shining example of how Aqueous uses time in the studio to expand on their signature live sound. The band and producer Dan Brace of Sonic Farm Studios find a way to build depth and layers into “Don’t Do It” that surpasses the way the band already deposits the song’s structures live.

Production on the song, as well as throughout the entire album, is thoughtful and subtle. It leaves room for exploration upon each subsequent listen. Best in Show presents like a musical onion, revealing something new every time you listen. It’s a theme that is present in all four tracks. New nuances, subtle changes, and microscopic effects take some of the band’s newest songs and turns them into some of the band’s most laser focused studio work to date.

“Underlyer” has seen plenty of stage time, but from the studio the song takes on a whole new life with a slightly different tempo. Tender and soulful, it’s one of the album’s lyrical gems. Musically, the tune is funky while moving, highlighted by a delicious groove anchored by bassist Evan McPhaden. On keys and synth, Dave Loss creates beautiful and whimsical layers that highlight the song as its most intense yet reflective moments. Lead guitarist and vocalist Mike Gantzer explores moments of falsetto and vocally the song is a showpiece for his continued vocal growth. Gantzer continues to develop a rich, milky quality that settles neatly against Aqueous’ harder and more polished technical musical edge.

“Random Company” and “Calling Out” although vastly different in composition, highlight Aqueous’ ability to structurally string together a variety of musical genres and styles that you wouldn’t naturally blend. Listening to many Aqueous tracks is akin to strapping in for the front row of a musical roller coaster. It’s an ebb and flow that is reflective of the band’s moniker. It’s a musical device that Aqueous executes with precision, keeping their sound fresh and their live shows full of astonishment to first time listeners.

The four songs are highlighted by tiny nuggets of rightness; lyrically, musically and in its production Best in Show turns a pointed spotlight on how much Aqueous has grown in the two years since their last studio release. But more importantly, Best in Show is Aqueous’ resolve from the challenges they have faced and proves their tenacity to move forward while solidifying their line-up.

Houk flourishes on drums. His previous work as a studio drummer is evident with thoughtful punctuation and temperate pressure. But it is also evident that Houk, Gantzer, Loss and McFadden have wasted no time in melding together a sound that is uniform, distinct and cohesive.

As a producer, Brace clearly utilizes his experience with mixing a variety of the band’s live efforts, including their Aqueous Halloween 2015 Dark Side of the Oz release, to the band’s advantage in the studio. He seems to be coaching them in the best ways to enhance their sound. A nod to not only his skills as a producer, but also a nod to Aqueous for taking direction in nuance.

Best In Show will be available through hard copy purchase starting Thursday Oct 13 and Friday Oct 14 during the Best in Show CD release party at Buffalo Iron Works in the band’s hometown of Buffalo, New York. Digitally, the EP will be available through online services such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and Google Music starting Oct 14.

October 10, 2016
Catskill Chill Closes out Summer at New Minglewood

Catskill Chill rounded out the New York summer festival season September 24-26 with a stacked line-up and a new location. Moving just a few miles from its former location in Hancock, NY, the Catskill Chill found a new home this year in Lakewood, Pa. Previously held at Camp Minglewood, this year the Chill found its new home at New Minglewood and included an extra day of camping and more music.

The festival’s inaugural Thursday night pre-party was a great addition to the weekend. Twiddle highlighted the evening with two sets including a sit-in with Scott Hannay of Mister F. Although the turn out for the night’s first two bands, Aqueous and Jimkata, was light, the packed house for Twiddle verified that many festival goers had taken advantage of the Thursday night ticket.

Arriving early had more benefits than just the music. Many festival attendees enjoyed the ability to set up camp and explore the grounds before the barrage of attendees arrived on Friday. “The best part of the Thursday ticket was being able to get the choice camping spots.” Jennifer Bliss of Saratoga Springs, NY told NYS Music. “It was also nice to have our camp ready to go, so that we could really enjoy the music on Friday.”

Mike Gordon drew the largest crowd of Friday Night to the main stage. Among the songs performed, the Phish bassist debuted “Let’s Go,” a tune generally reserved for a Phish set list. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic also enjoyed a great turn out, many of whom had never seen the master of funk live. “I had only heard the name George Clinton, but didn’t really know what he was about. Thinking about it, that set might have been my favorite of the weekend. I liked that Chill has artists like that on their line-up,” noted Brian Thomas of Cleveland, Ohio.

Other much talked about sets on Friday night included Pink Talking Fish and Pink Talking Fu. The Pink Talking Fish set included a variety of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd with a sit-in from Kung Fu’s Tim Palmeri on “Great Gig in the Sky” and “Crosseyed and Painless.” The B Stage was turned into a dance party during Pink Talking Fu (Pink Talking Fish and Kung Fu.) The two bands highlighted the music of David Bowie and Prince in a tribute set that featured both top 40 hits and beloved deep tracks. Shira Elias of Turkuaz and Hayley Jane both sat in for vocal performances throughout the set.

Friday’s sleeper sets included music by Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Mister F and Goldfish. All three bands are well worth seeing and turned out amazing performances.

Saturday’s main stage was highlighted with an assortment of musical styles that kept the variety going throughout the day. Ryan Montebleau, Cabinet and Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass added an element of relaxation and chill while Lettuce and Particle were funky and dance worthy.

The B-Stage popped off thanks to sets from Turkuaz and Tauk. Formula 5, Big Something and the Magic Beans all generated note-worthy buzz at their various sets on Saturday as well.

Saturday was the day of tribute sets, providing a plethora of familiar music performed by some of the festivals most beloved artists. Fikus and Shwizz came together to perform as Shwikus Plays the Beatles, while the Heavy Pets played the 80’s and Lespecial paid tribute to Primus.

“I just loved all of the tribute sets at Chill,” mentioned Nick Augustine of Silver Springs, MD. “Every one that I saw was executed perfectly!”

The most intriguing set of the night went to Turbine, whose RadioDead set was at times mind twisting and enigmatic. The concept – Radiohead songs played in the style of the Grateful Dead and Grateful Dead songs played in the style of Radiohead. Turbine did a stellar job of translating the songs into the respective styles, so much so that many attendees couldn’t quite wrap their heads around what they were hearing. “Wait, is this Radiohead or the Dead?” was overheard often during the set.

For the second year in a row, members of Dopapod and Turkuaz brought the house down during their tribute set, this year with a tribute set to the preppie-loved classic soft rock of the 80s known as Yacht Rock. The set was fun, campy and executed with perfection. It’s a nod to both groups of Berklee trained musicians, as they take such care with music that could otherwise be dismissed. Somehow they find a way to celebrate not only the music, but the production quality that feels like you are square in the middle of a musical time capsule.

Josh Schwartz (Turkuaz) receives MVP nods for his spot on vocal tribute to soulful baritone Michael McDonald. However, Rob Compa who tackled vocals on the Eagles classic “Hotel California” as well as the entire Dopakuaz crew wins honorable mention during a production perfect version of the song. The set also included the most “had to be there” moment as Dopapod bassist Chuck Jones took to the Chill Fam seas with a stage dive and crowd surfing adventure.

The Chill Fam All-Stars tribute to Michael Jackson was another highlight of the night, however, many festival attendees were turned away as the Late Night Hall was packed to capacity before the music even started. However, despite not everyone being able to attend, the set was highlighted by the vocals of Elise Testone, whuch were a milky and smooth compliment to the original. The Chill Fam All- Stars included Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish); Adrian Tramontano and Robert Somerville (Kung Fu); Shira Elias, Chris Brouwers and Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz); Danny Mayer (Eric Krasno Band); Steve Molitz (Particle) and Robert Volo on trombone (Deep Banana Blackout).

Sunday’s Main Stage was highlighted by performances from Dopapod, Greensky Bluegrass and Electron. Although the festival grounds and attendance at sets appeared to begin to thin out by Sunday afternoon, festival goers that stuck it out were also treated to great performances by Perpetual Groove, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, The Werks and Broccoli Samurai.

Sunday’s most noteworthy performance went to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They made the most of their two sets, including a two-hour cover set late night at Club Chill. The set was one of the most sit-in heavy of the weekend including performances by Tom Hamilton, Shira Elisa (Turkuaz), Steve Molitz (Particle), Elise Testone, and Rob Somerville (Kung Fu).

The New Minglewood grounds felt like home for many Catskill Chill veterans. The added facilities of more “play areas” including the basketball courts by the B-Stage created a fun vibe that more people plan on taking advantage of next year. Wins for the new location included closer parking to the camping grounds, more common areas and the B-Stage, whom many felt housed the best music and sound of the weekend.

However, despite the great sound at both the main stage and the B-stage, many festival attendees found themselves hanging outside both Club Chill and the Late Night Hall due to the facilities acoustics. “It was really loud in both the indoor venues,” noted Mike Dustin of Allentown, PA, “For the most part, we chose to just sit outside and listen there. It just literally sounded like we were watching music in a high school gym. So much of the sound quality was lost.”

Most of this year’s attendees agreed that the cabins, vendors and security were in sync with previous years. However, it was noted by several folks that this year the port-a-potties in the camping areas could have used much more attention, as the usual daily cleanings of the facilities seemed to have been missed in at least one location.

As the weekend’s attendees packed up and returned home, most were happy with the new location and the line-up. But beyond that, it was the Chill Fam vibe that most were pleased to be a part of. “Chill is my favorite festival – hands down,” said Kelly Kepler of Portland, Maine. “I was scared that this year would be different, that changing the location would mean all the things we loved about Chill would be different. Honesty, I think it was better. It was a great way to bond with new people because everyone was on even ground. It only made our little Chill family stronger. I can’t wait for next year!”

September 29, 2016
Catskill Chill Offers Fierce Line-Up at New Location

If you’re not quite ready for the summer to end, the Catskill Chill offers many music lovers one last chance to spend a weekend immersed in sights and sounds at the festival’s new location. Just a mere ten miles southwest from its former location, 2016 ushers in a new era for the festival at the New Minglewood. This year’s basic festival ticket includes three days of music and camping starting September 24-26.

Catskill Chill kicks off this year with a Thursday pre-party, a new addition for the festival. At the mere cost of $45, the pre-party offers a powerhouse line-up of northeast festival favorites. The inaugural evening features Buffalo grove rockers Aqueous, jamtronica favorites Jimkata, two sets from Vermont’s Twiddle and superduo Trakstar featuring Todd Stoops (RAQ) and Rob Chafin (The Werks). The evening will be filled with high energy music that looks to set the bar high for future pre-party festivities.

Martie Locke who will be traveling from King of Prussia, PA, said that the Thursday pre-party is actually what sold him on the weekend. “It’s amazing. Aqueous, Jimkata and Twiddle offer some of the best musical vibes,” he told NYS Music. “I think Thursday night could be some of the best fun of the weekend. Well worth the price of the entire ticket.”

For folks not making the Thursday festivities, the entire weekend is packed with creative collaborations, solid headliners, as well as up and coming artists from all over the country.

Friday offers a mixture of relaxed vibes and funk. Zack Deputy kicks off Friday’s Main Stage music. Kung Fu offers the day’s first look at Main Stage funk takeover while funk masters George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and Phish bassist Mike Gordon headline the Main Stage on Friday evening. Pink Talking Fish are sandwiched in between the two powerhouses, with their performance on the B Stage, creating a solid five hours of music.

Ryan Montebleau sets the mood for the Saturday Main Stage, with Cabinet and Keller Williams offering up a Saturday afternoon filled with Bluegrass vibes. Lettuce closes out the Saturday Main Stage Music.

Sunday’s Main Stage is a variety of musical genres. Roosevelt Collier’s NY Get Down will feature Dopapod’s Rob Compa and Eli Winderman as well as Michelangelo Carubba and Taylor Shell of Turkuaz. Bluegrass favorites Greensky Bluegrass and electronic rock masters Dopapod fill out Sunday afternoon. Electron will conclude the activity on Sunday’s Main Stage

This year’s Catskill Chill is filled with a variety of beloved music performed by some of the festivals most respected veteran artists as this year’s Chill is jam packed with tribute performances. Friday night will feature Pink Talking Fu paying tribute to this year’s passing legends David Bowie and Prince.

Saturday hosts the majority of these performances. Shwikus, featuring members of Shwizz and Fikus, will pay tribute to the music of the Beatles. The Heavy Pets bring their highly praised Tribute to the 80’s, while fans of Primus will want to check out Lespecial’s Primus set in Club Chill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN246u0Q7J8

Dopakuaz, featuring members of Dopapod and Turkuaz, returns after a memorable performance of the music of Studio 54 at last year’s Catskill Chill. This year, the two bands have collaborated to showcase the best of classic 80’s preppie soft rock, also known as Yacht Rock. Saturday night’s tributes will conclude with the Chillfam All-stars Tribute to Michael Jackson. Fans of Led Zepplin should catch Elise Testone’s tribute set on Sunday. Bitches Bloom will perform the music of American Jazz legend Miles Davis on Sunday as well.

The Catskill Chill is also offering a few unique choices on their 2016 line-up. Primate Fiasco’s unique blend of Americana, street band and off humor lyrics are a refreshing change of pace for almost any festival line-up. Meanwhile, Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green) and Electric Beethoven featuring Jay Lane (Primus, Ratdog),Todd Stoops, Cochrane McMillian (Tea Leaf Green) and Clay Welch will perform a set of “classical dance music” with a reimagining of Beethoven classics.

This year’s line-up is also highlighted by a laundry list of this summer’s most buzz worthy bands. Hailing out of New York State, Mister F, Formula 5 and TAUK continue to make noise on festival line-up’s all over the Northeast. Hayley Jane and the Primates are Chill vets, but their rising stock makes the Vermont based group one of the weekend’s acts to see.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Tom Hamilton’s American Babies are other noteworthy artists for the four-day weekend. North Carolina’s based Big Something and Boston’s progressive eletrofunk outfit Strange Machines have also been gaining steam all summer long.

“Strange Machines is just so epic and progressive as they make you want to dance harder,” said Nick Augustine of Maryland, “They blow me away again and again every time.”

The Werks, Turkuaz and Indobox are also solid, ‘can’t go wrong’ choices amongst this year’s jam packed line-up.

First time attendees will find themselves on even ground with experienced Chill attendees, as everyone will be learning the festival’s new lay-out. However, festival organizers look to make the transition a bit easier by keeping stage names and key amenities the same.

However, beyond the music, the hope of most attendees is that despite venue changes, the “Chill Fam” will maintain the vibe that has, in part, kept the festival growing.

Rachael Dube from Vermont, a four-year Chill attendee isn’t worried about the venue change. In fact, she says she is excited for the new location. “There is just something pretty righteous about moving it from the original spot you know? Change is beautiful and inevitable, nothing should stay the same forever. Being able to take the great base that we have created at the Chill, and move it wherever we like, seems pretty cool to me. It’s something special that’s for sure.”

And it’s not just the festival goers that are excited for the vibe that the festival offers. Scott Hannay of the band Mister F was a three-year Chill attendee before his band played the festival in 2014. He told NYS Music, that it’s the “the ubiquitous Chillfam” that makes the festival special. “The vibe, the staff, all that music and unique combinations of musicians, it all melds together in a way that other festivals do not. Chill is exactly that, Chill.”

Tickets for general admission as well as VIP packages are still available.

September 15, 2016
The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival Exceeds Expectations

The 7^th annual Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley Music Venue and Campground was stacked for success with a powerhouse line-up.

Taking place in Thornville, Ohio, August 4-6, it was more than just the music that fueled the success of this year’s festival. Anchored by moving tributes in honor of former Werks’ keyboardist Norman Dimitrouleas, as well a plethora of artist sit-ins and breakout performances, this year’s festival was marked with emotion and surprises.

The Werk Out’s biggest surprise literally fell on STS9 drummer Zach Velmer, when a female fan managed to bypass festival security. Once onstage, the fan made Werk Out history by attempting a trust fall onto Velmer and his kit. STS9 left the stage to regroup and returned for a high energy second set that closed out the Main Stage on Friday Night.

Friday afternoon was highlighted by the Big Damn Jam’s performance of the Beatles’ classic album Abbey Road. The performance was dedicated to Dimitrouleas, who passed earlier this year. As a member of Big Damn Jam, Dimitrouleas always wanted to perform the album. After his passing, BDJ decided to honor him posthumously with the performance at this year’s Werk Out Music Festival.

The Abbey Road set included a rotating cast of musicians most notably Dino Dimitrouleas (The Werks), Todd Stoop, Alex Delk (Octopus’ Garden), Marcus Cornwell (The Vibe) and Justin Robb (Litz) as well almost a dozen other musicians throughout the afternoon set. Most of the musicians participating had played with Dimitrouleas in various projects over the year. During the set, fabric flowers fashioned from Dimitrouleas’ old shirts were passed out in his honor. Fans and musicians wore them on hats, backpacks and various pieces of clothing throughout the rest of the weekend.

The tributes to Dimitrouleas continued throughout the weekend including The Werks’ Saturday night encore with a dedicated performance of “Carry Me Back Home.”

“I’ve never been so emotionally touched by a musical performance as I was during the Werks encore tribute to Norman on Saturday night,” said Zachary Burns of Grand Rapids, MI. “Everything from the crowd chanting ‘DINO! DINO! DINO!’, to Dino’s speech before the song starting, to seemingly every member and a good portion of the crowd crying during ‘Carry Me Back Home.’ That was the definition of being happy and sad at the same time.”

The Werk Out’s most talked about performance came in the form of the Twerkapod “Tribute to the 90s.” Featuring members of Twiddle, The Werks, and Dopapod, the Friday night late night set was packed with a mix of obvious choices (Green Day, Blink 182, Sublime, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine) and stunning surprises (Britney Spears, Hanson and TLC). Highlighted performances from the set included “Gangsta’s Paradise” which featured a perfect reproduction of the song’s ending choral arrangement and Twerkapod’s word perfect performance of TLC’s “Waterfalls.”

Fans of The Werks weren’t in agreement on which of the weekends multiple sets were the band’s best. Most found that each of the weekend’s set contributed a different experience for the weekend.

“I really enjoyed the first Werks set on Thursday,” noted Tyler Raymond of Michigan. “I’ve seen the Werks more than any other band and the sound and production was top notch from them. The way the light show was coordinated with the band was seriously next level. You could really tell that they were putting the shows on for us and that the guys really love us.”

Dino Dimitrouleas, currently on a hiatus from bass duties with The Werks, joined his band mates on several occasions for sit-ins throughout the weekend starting Friday night. “When Dino came on stage in the tent everyone was so happy” Raymond told NYS Music, “Definitely a moment to always remember.”

Vermont based quartet Twiddle continued to create a buzz about their unique brand of jam. Raymond also noted that the band’s Saturday night sunset performance on the Side Stage was among his favorite non-Werks set of the weekend. “They are moving up the list of my favorite bands quickly because what they bring to the take is so fresh and different than anyone else out there right now.”

The weekend also featured several breakout performances. New York’s Mister F and Teddy Midnight created a buzz in the Big Tent Stage. North Carolina’s Big Something capitalized on their first Werk Out appearance on the Side Stage with a high energy afternoon performance on Saturday afternoon, while Maryland based band Litz turned heads during their Big Tent Stage set, which featured a sit-in from Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey.

In fact, the weekend was full of sit-ins including Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis and The Werks’ Chris Houser performing with Greensky Bluegrass and Dopapod’s Rob Compa shredding during Twiddle’s “Apples.” And according to Derrick Webber of Ypsilanti, MI, these sit-ins add a new element of musicianship for some of his favorite musicians. “It blows me away to hear such clean performances from guys that don’t typically play together, and the passion they still have is inspiring.

The weekend’s ultimate sit-in featured members of the Werks, Twiddle, Greensky Bluegrass and Big Something in Matt Butler’s Everyone Orchestra. Butler finds a way to coordinate a variety of musical sounds, while leading his EO members to create unique and one time only jams. Twiddle bassist Zdenek Gubb stepped on stage to lead the EO to the highest energy, grooved out dance party of the set. However, Houser received the set’s MVP award for showcasing a variety of styles, genres and face-melting solos throughout the performance.

Beyond the music, the Werk Out featured a large number of vendors, giving attendee’s a variety of food, beverages, merchandise and crafts to choose from over the weekend. Vendors for the weekend all were competitively priced, creating a fairly priced and active marketplace throughout the weekend.

Nick Augustine, a first time Werk Out attendee from Maryland, noted that his favorite non-musical part of the weekend was the fire spinners and propane dance floor set up near the late night stage. “What a cool addition to the atmosphere!”

The Werk Out looks to return to the Legend Valley Music Venue and Campground for its eighth installment next August. The venue has plenty of space for the festival to grow without the inconvenience of having to move locations to accommodate its growing popularity. What the Werk Out does right is that it cultivates an environment of friendship and community while packing its line-up with musicians and artists that clearly have solid working relationships and mutual respect for their fellow musicians.

Augustine, who told NYS Music that he will be making the Werk Out an annual addition to his summer festival plans, said it was the overwhelming sense of community that made the festival a stand-out event. “The staff, the crew and the people were all adding to making this festival fun, beautiful, exciting and safe. From the decorations to the sound and lights to the amount of good vibes and vending, this festival was one of the best I’ve attended!”

August 19, 2016
The Werk Out 2016 Looks to Pack a Punch

Nestled inside the Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground, the Werk Out looks to be the sleeper festival of Summer 2016. With a jam packed lineup and the intimacy of a smaller venue, this year’s festival features a variety of musical acts, vendors, craftspeople and activities. Now in it’s seventh year, the festival returns to Thornville, Ohio, August 4 through 6.

Headliners and host band The Werks will perform all three nights, while Twiddle and Dopapod will hit the stages for two nights. STS9 tops the lineup with two sets while funk masters Lettuce and The Motet lead the festival’s late night efforts.

The Werk Out will also play host to several tribute sets including the highly anticipated Twerkapod “Tribute to the 90s” featuring members of The Werks, Dopapod and Twiddle as well as Daft Phunk – a Daft Punk tribute performed by Earphunk.

Bluegrass sensation Greensky Bluegrass, rock/funk fusion band Kung Fu, hip-hop funktronica Manic Focus, NYC Funk outfit Turkuaz, and the Everyone Orchestra featuring Todd Stoops round out the already diverse, funky and fun weekend of music.

The festival is also packed with many of Ohio’s finest up and coming festival artists including Broccoli Samauri, reggae rock fusion Tropidelic, and Ghost Gardens.

Other must see non native Ohio see include North Carolina based rock jam fusion Big Something, Maryland-based band Litz, and New York state based bands Mister F and Teddy Midnight.

“Don’t miss the Glostik Willy late night set on Saturday Night/Sunday morning,” noted Grand Haven, MI, native Zachary Burns, a three-year vet of the Werk Out. He also suggests getting to the venue early to take advantage of wooded shady camping, as space in these areas is limited.

“Definitely don’t skip out in the Disc-O-Pizza vendor,” Burns also suggested. “ Some of the best/fairly priced festi food you can get.”

Columbus, Ohio native Jake Ashworth agrees with Burns. “When in need of food, seek out Disc-O-Pizza. And Gilligan’s has the best smoothies.”

Ashworth also mentioned taking advantage of the showers near the stage to stay cool and suggest if you want to post up in your hammock, to get there early because “the trees fill up fast.”

Music begins on Thursday at 4 p.m. Saturday day passes are available at the gate for $80. Weekend passes are still available and can be purchased in advance or at the gate. Camping is included. No alcohol is sold during the festival, however, according to the festival website, “Please bring your own alcohol for the weekend. And some to share.”

August 1, 2016
Aqueous Announces New Drummer

Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous announced they have ended their search for a drummer. After months of video submissions and touring auditions, the band announced via their Facebook page that Cincinnati native Rob Houk will solidify the quartet’s lineup.

The official statement hit just as the band looks to hit the road with a strong summer festival touring schedule.

ANNOUNCEMENT- We’d like to take a minute today and officially welcome the truly amazing Rob Houk to the Aqueous family as a full time member/drummer! We searched high and low to find the right fit, and not only is Rob an incredible musician that we all connected with immediately, but he’s also THE RADDEST dude- As many of you already know from having caught recent AQ sets with him behind the kit, this guy is the real deal, and we’re all feeling super inspired by what he’s brought to the table- get ready friends, big things coming. Welcome Rob!

On the other side of the coin, we’d like to sincerely thank ALL of the wonderful drummers who put in time and effort submitting great applications and specifically thank those who helped fill the spot temporarily and keep AQ going while we figured it all out, we deeply appreciate how much work everyone put in and means so much- THANK YOU! Onward.

Aqueous announced in December 2015 that they were looking for a new drummer. The band made the decision to not only make the search public, but to also extend the search nationally. Houk told NYS Music that he learned of the band’s search quickly via Facebook. “The day they announced it, that was all I saw on my news feed. There’s a ton of AQ [Aqueous] fans in Cincinnati, so all of my friends were posting about it.”

A few weeks after a video audition, the band met with Houk. After that audition proved to be a success, the band gave Houk the opportunity to play with them at the Original Mother’s in Chicago on March 24. That led to Houk sitting in with the band as they hit the road in Colorado and the Midwest at the beginning of April.

Aqueous and Houk made their way back to Buffalo on April 9, where Houk got to experience playing with the band in their hometown, an experience Houk said he enjoyed.

The energy of that room was something I had never felt before honestly. The amount of love the city of Buffalo has for AQ is something really special. In was truly an honor to play for a crowd of people that care so much about the band. I immediately felt at home.

Houk has a variety of musical experience behind the kit, spending time in bands spanning a variety of genres including punk and hip-hop. He is also the resident studio drummer Colemine Records, a funk and soul label based out of Loveland, Ohio. He recently played with the Cincinnati based livetronica band Ethosine.

Among his favorite bands of all time, Houk notes a list of artists, some of which Aqueous has shared the stage with. “Some of my favorite bands of all time are Umphrey’s McGee, Dopapod, Papadosio, Ween… There’s a long list. I try to find influence in everything I listen to.”

Houk will play his first show as the band’s official drummer in Buffalo this Wednesday when hometown fans of Aqueous can catch the band play a free show at Buffalo’s Larkin Square. The band has already kicked off the summer with festival spots at Summer Camp, Domefest and the Paradise Music Festival. You can check out Aqueous with Houk behind the kit this summer at Electric Forest, Peach Fest and Disc Jam as well as Western New York-area festivals including Buffalove and Night Lights Festival.

June 7, 2016
Larkin Square Announces 2016 Summer Concert Series in Buffalo

Music lovers in Buffalo have more options for free music this summer. Larkin Square will return for a fifth summer season showcasing 38 Buffalo-bred musical acts including Aqueous and Savannah & the Kings during their weekly 2016 Wednesday night concert series.

Live at Larkin offers a free, family-friendly event packed with music, food trucks and community groups. The concert series will run through Aug. 31. The free series is made possible through sponsorship with First Niagara and Independent Health.

The series will kick off on June 1 with a six-act opening night headlined by annual favorites John and Mary & the Valkyries, with each of the acts representing at least one local music nonprofit organization.

The series also host theme nights. This year will include an evening titled “Buffalo ’66: Cash & Stones Revisited,” marking the 50th anniversary of the week in which both legends performed in Buffalo. “Latin at Larkin” will feature complete dance lessons before each band, while “Sinatra’s Second Century” will feature music from Frank Sinatra.

“We’re excited to welcome the public to a new chapter of Live at Larkin with this most ambitious lineup to date for our original flagship event,” said Larkin Square Director of Fun Leslie Zemsky in a press release. “We continue to be amazed at the depth and quality of the Buffalo music scene – We can’t wait to hula hoop to these sounds of summer!”

Live At Larkin

June 1 John and Mary & the Valkyries w/ Fredtown Stompers, Freightrain, Verve Dance Studio, Carol McLaughlin & Magnitude, French Quarter Hounds

June 8 Aqueous w/ Jettison

June 15 Outer Circle Orchestra w/ Tiger Chung Lee

June 22 Unity Band w/ Will Holton, 4 B-Lo, Buffalo Concertina All Stars

June 29 Stoneflower w/ A Band Named Sue ft. Ring of Fire Cast Members

July 6 La Krema w/ Sol y Sombra, Salsa Sarah Dance Lessons

July 13 Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields w/ Savannah & the Kings

July 20 Miller & The Other Sinners w/ Preach Freedom & Connect

July 27 Reign of Kindo w/ The Tins

August 3 Brian Higgins & The Exchange Street Band w/ The Stone Bridge Band, Keith Shuskie ft. John Higgins

August 10 Dive House Union w/ Jony James Band

August 17 Rear View Ramblers w/ Uncle Ben’s Remedy

August 24 Nelson Starr & The Franciscans w/ Joey Giambra Jazz Orchestra

August 31 The Buffalovebirds w/ The New Good Neighbors

May 5, 2016
Canalside Announces Annual Summer Concert Series 2016
The free summer concert announcements are keeping music fans in Buffalo excited. The city’s popular and free Canalside series announced its Thursday night concert series this week. Canalside is hosting 12 concerts starting June 9 and running through August 25, 2016.

This year’s lineup includes a variety of acts that span over a wide variety of musical genres. The Buffalo Philaharmonic Orchestra will take the stage once again in “A Tribute to David Bowie.” Other highlights of the lineup include Public Enemy, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Claypool Lennon Delirium.

Canalside‘s weekly events will include a variety of food trucks and vendors. All of the concerts are free and open to the public, and all start at 6 p.m. VIP packages are available.

Event organizers will be offering local area musicians the chance to open this summer’s concerts through a Battle of the Band contest held in conjunction with local arts magazine The Public.

Canalside Thursday concert series lineup:
- June 9: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries
- June 16: Frank Turner with special guest July Talk
- June 23: Public Enemy
- June 30: Frankie Ballard
- July 7: Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa
- July 14: Shakey Graves and Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Wild Child
- July 21: The Arcs and Mariachi Flor De Toloache
- July 28: BPO “A Tribute to David Bowie”
- August 4: Tritonal
- August 11: Lowest of the Low and Serena Ryder
- August 18: Coolio
- August 25: Claypool Lennon Delirium
May 5, 2016
Pop Icon Prince Died at 57

Pop icon and acclaimed musician Prince has died at the age of 57 at his home in Minnesota.

Police were called to his Paisley Park estate earlier today. According to several media outlets, an investigation is pending. Last week, Prince was rushed to the hospital several hours after a performance but was released after doctors cleared him with flu symptoms. There are no reports that the two incidents are related.

Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, was a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor and arranger. He recorded more than 30 albums and sold more than 100 million records during his career. He became a worldwide superstar in the 1980s with multiple hits including “1999,” “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry.” In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The superstar recently released a pair of albums and launched a tour called Piano & A Microphone. He performed live at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta last week.

The news was first reported by TMZ and confirmed by the Associated Press.

https://youtu.be/7NN3gsSf-Ys

April 21, 2016
Jimkata Brings ‘In Motion’ to Buffalo Iron Works

Ithaca based jamtronic/indie rock trio Jimkata is currently touring in support of their latest fan funded release In Motion. The trio will roll into Buffalo Iron Works on Saturday March 26th.

After taking a brief hiatus that took the band off the road for the majority of the fall and winter, Jimkata hit the road for the first time as a trio this February. Frontman Evan Friedell told NYS Music that touring as a three piece has helped strengthen the bands dynamic.

“I think having just the three of us on stage has simplified the dynamic a little bit in that its easier to communicate and improvise as musicians. It also has led us to focus specifically on each sound and make everything sound bigger. We’re also starting to get a good sense of set flow, like what songs pair well with each other, and are continually getting better at making good sets every night.”

After the departure of longtime bassist David Rossi in late 2014, Stephen Learson (The Endobox) jumped on the road with the band for the majority of 2015. The band made the decision while on hiatus to tour with only the band’s orginial three members: Friedell, Packy Lunn (drums) and Aaron Gorsch (guitar/snyths).

And in Friedell’s opinion, the gamble has paid off. “Packy and Aaron have stepped up to the plate big time in terms of covering multiple parts. When we first started rehearsing as a three piece I had some apprehension that maybe we would be missing something. But, honestly, it feels like the exact opposite, that we’ve gained even more sonically especially with adding all the new songs to our sets.”

Friedell also noted that the bands long awaited return to the Queen City is met with excitement by not just the fans but the band as well. “We’ve been playing Buffalo for quite a while so our relationship with the city runs deep. Its starting to feel like a home base for us, especially since we’ve been rehearsing there a lot lately and Packy is now living there. I’ve found the Buffalo crowd to be a little rowdier than other places we play which is fun. Something about that goes along well with our upstate New York attitude and upbringing.”

Tickets for this Saturday’s show are available online through Ticketfly. Buffalo based band Lazlo Hollyfeld will open. Doors open at 8pm;Music starts at 9pm.

March 24, 2016