NYS Music 20​16

Author: Mark McGauley

  • Skid Row Slays Turning Stone Casino Showroom

    After rescheduling their performance last winter because the then lead singer quit the band, New Jersey’s own heavy metal lords, Skid Row, made up for lost time with the sold-out crowd at the Turning Stone Casino Showroom in Verona on May 14.

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    Taking over vocal duties for Skid Row is now the one and only ZP Theart, who’s best known as the former frontman of the power-metal band Dragonforce. Theart joined Skid Row after former singer Tony Harnell left the band in December.

    ZP and the rest of Skid Row came out Saturday night to prove they could still kick ass — and that they did. The packed house didn’t stay seated for more than 30 seconds once the band opened with “Slave to the Grind” and continued with a heavy set featuring classic tracks from the group’s self-titled 1989 album and 1991 followup, Slave to the Grind. Skid Row even threw in a cover of the Ramones’ “Psycho Therapy” before capping off the night with a three-song encore that included “Quicksand Jesus,” “Beat Yourself Blind” and “Youth Gone Wild.”

    This performance definitely showed diehards that ZP has the pipes to fill the shoes of Skid Row’s original singer, Sebastian Bach. Check out the setlist and gallery from the band’s United World Rebellion stop in New York below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe8ZUebehxU

    Setlist: Slave to the Grind, Big Guns, Sweet Little Sister, Piece of Me, 18 and Life, Makin’ a Mess, Riot Act, In a Darkened Room, Psycho Therapy [1], I Remember You, Monkey Business
    Encore: Quicksand Jesus, Beat Yourself Blind, Youth Gone Wild
    [1] Ramones Cover

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  • Bad to the Bone: George Thorogood Destroys Turning Stone’s Showroom

    Last weekend, rock fans from across Central New York were treated to a bad-to-the-bone Friday the 13th performance by George Thorogood and the Destroyers at the Turning Stone Casino Showroom.

    The “Badder Than Ever” tour stop in Verona kicked off shortly after 8 p.m. to a filled venue. Thorogood and his band got the crowd up and out of their seats quickly. Fan favorites such as “Who Do You Love?” “I Drink Alone” and “Get A Haircut” were played early in the night. Thorogood interacted with the crowd often throughout the show. Before the music even started, Thorogood, sporting a big smile, went to the front of the stage and fist bumped one lucky fan in the front row.

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    For a group that makes the Showroom a regular tour stop almost every year, the band got a crowd reaction like they haven’t been there in years. It’s always nice to see a band come out and show how much fun they’re having on stage. The positive and fun atmosphere made the night one to remember for the audience and the group. Even though Thorogood is the only member to take the mic and speak to the crowd, his backing band the Destroyers had the body language that showed they loved being there, too.

    As expected, George Thorogood and the Destroyers played other classics like “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Move It On Over” and “Bad To The Bone.” The crowd joined Thorogood in singing along with him during all of these favorite hits. When the crowd wasn’t singing, many were simply watching in awe as Thorogood delivered his signature blues guitar licks. Watching Thorogood play his Gibson ES-125 is a sight that fans will surely never forget.

    For those who couldn’t attend the May 13 show, George Thorogood and the Destroyers will most likely return to the Showroom. Be sure to check back to NYS Music and the Turning Stone Casino website for future show announcements.

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  • Buckethead Has Returned: Westcott Theater Performance Coming May 3

    After four long years of waiting, fans of Buckethead finally have the chance to see him live once again. The man who sports the white mask and bucket on his head is coming to the Westcott Theater this Tuesday, May 3. Tickets are on sale for $25 and are available at the door.

    bucketheadFor those who may not know who Buckethead is, he’s a guitarist who can practically play anything. Buckethead is a guitar virtuoso who covers many different genres including metal, funk, classical and more. Starting in the late ’80s and learning from the great Paul Gilbert, Buckethead has been attached to his guitar ever since. Bucket’s first solo album, Bucketheadland, came out in 1992, and that’s where the journey began.

    Since 1992, Buckethead has released 264 studio albums. The lineup of musicians that Bucket has worked with is extensive as well. That list includes Bootsy Collins, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Mike Patton and many more. Buckethead was also the lead guitar player for Guns N’ Roses from 2000 to 2004. The long-awaited Guns N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy features Buckethead on all but two tracks.

    Not only does Buckethead play guitar, but he is also a fantastic bass player, a talent which he displays at his live shows as well. Watching Buckethead play live will certainly leave everyone in the audience in a daze. For those who think watching a guy play guitar for over an hour straight may be boring, Buckethead will certainly prove them wrong. Complete with dance moves, nunchucks and toy giveaways, Tuesday’s show is sure to be one to remember from Buckethead.

    Although his official website hasn’t been updated, Buckethead has an entire tour planned for the next few months. For those interested in seeing Bucket’s show, the Westcott Theater is the only place to see him in New York except for his show at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on May 7. The rest of the dates can be found at this link.

    To purchase tickets to the show this Tuesday, visit the Westcott Theater website.

  • Metal Allegiance All-Star Lineup Jams In Rochester

    Friday night was the ultimate jam night at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY. The all-star lineup known as Metal Allegiance stopped in town on April 1st to give metal fans a night to remember. The band is made up of the best of the best when it comes to metal musicians. Metal Allegiance features current and past members of bands such as Testament, Dream Theater, Death Angel, Guns N’ Roses and more.

    Taking over vocal duties for the evening were Chuck Billy of Testament and Mark Osegueda of Death Angel. Together these guys ripped through a setlist that consisted of both metal classics and original songs. The guitars for the evening were provided by Chuck Billy’s bandmate in Testament Alex Skolnick and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, who was, until recently, a member of Guns N’ Roses. On drums for the evening was Mike Portnoy, who has been a member of Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold. Finishing off the lineup on bass was Mark Menghi, the founder of Metal Allegiance.

    Even though attendance at the Montage Music Hall was low, the band didn’t seem to care. Mark Osegueda made it clear throughout the night that these guys were out on the road to celebrate heavy metal music and have fun. The celebration of metal started with a cover of “Electric Eye” by Judas Priest featuring Osegueda on vocals. Next up were two Iron Maiden covers that the crowd instantly got into. Chuck Billy took the vocals for “Wrathchild” and it was incredible to hear him do more Iron Maiden. The cover of “Powerslave” featured on Testament’s last studio album was a personal favorite.

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    The night wasn’t all covers for Metal Allegiance. In 2015, Metal Allegiance penned a deal with Nuclear Blast to release a full-length album of original material. The self-titled album featured a who’s-who from the metal scene, including David Ellefson of Megadeth, Gary Holt of Exodus and Slayer, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God and many others. The deluxe edition of the album included one cover of the Dio song “We Rock” that included Chris Jericho, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Alissa White-Gluz, Phil Demmel, Mike Portnoy, Alex Skolnick, Mark Osegueda and more. With the core of Metal Allegiance in Rochester on Saturday, the group ripped through originals “Can’t Kill The Devil”, “Dying Song” and “Pledge of Allegiance”. These three songs mixed right in with the covers and definitely showed these all-stars are capable of anything.

    Wrapping up the second half of the night were covers of Black Sabbath, Kiss, Van Halen, AC/DC, Motörhead and Metallica. While Skolnick took out his inner Eddie Van Halen, Bumblefoot took a break to watch him make Eddie’s work seem easy. Skolnick also rocked a Gibson SG similar to Tony Iommi’s for the Black Sabbath tunes.

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    It’s unfortunate that Rochester couldn’t draw more fans for an awesome Friday night show. This Metal Allegiance all-star lineup probably won’t be back in the area anytime soon because of the difficulties in working around everyone’s schedules. For those who did make the show, they witnessed some of the absolute best cover the absolute best along with some awesome original tunes.

    To keep up to date with tour dates and new releases, check out the Metal Allegiance Facebook Page and Official Website.

    Setlist:

    Electric Eye (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Ides of March

    Wrathchild (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Can’t Kill The Devil (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Fast As A Shark (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Balls To The Wall (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Heaven & Hell (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Creeping Death (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Territory (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Dying Song (Vocals: Mark Osegueda and Chuck Billy)

    Pledge Of Allegiance (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Lord Of This World (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Into The Void (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    God Of Thunder (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Running With The Devil (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Eruption

    Whole Lotta Rosie (Vocals: Mark Osegueda)

    Iron Fist (Vocals: Chuck Billy)

    Seek And Destroy (Vocals: Mark Osegueda and Chuck Billy)

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  • Testament Lifts Spirits Of Rochester’s Metal Community At Anthology

    With the Water Street Music Hall getting shut down just last week, fans of the hard rock and heavy metal community have been busy trying to get their precious venue back up and running. What some of those fans may not realize is that there’s another awesome venue in Rochester that’s not afraid to host metal shows. That venue is Anthology and they’re helping keep metal coming to Rochester, and on Monday, March 7th, Anthology hosted 80’s thrash metal legend Testament.

    testament The night’s lineup consisted of two other bands, Voice Of Valor and Slikk Wikked. The opening support surely got the crowd ready for Testament. Slikk Wikked, who took the stage prior to Testament set the bar high. This young metal band had the crowd going wild with circle pits and moshing right off the start. The entire band had a great stage presence that lead them to get a lot of attention from the crowd. Their set was highlighted by their vocalist who joined the crowd and moshed while the band played an Anthrax cover of “Caught In A Mosh.”

    testamentComing to Anthology for an “off-date” from their tour with Slayer, Testament was ready to rip through a full setlist and give fans a kick-ass show. The night started with “D.N.R”‘ off of their album The Gathering. From that first song, the floor was a whirlpool of fans for the rest of the evening. The band didn’t waste too much time between songs which was good because it didn’t let the energy escape the room. Lead singer Chuck Billy did take the time to express his gratitude for the Rochester support and talked about all of the times they’ve played in the city. One of the best things to watch at a Testament show is the shredding guitar action by guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson. Together, these guys create something not many other bands can produce. Rounding off the band’s lineup are Gene Hoglan on drums and Steve DiGiorgio on bass. These guys combined really create something special when it comes to their live shows.

    Fans who came out to Anthology were treated to a setlist mixed with tracks from seven different albums. With both old and new music throughout the night, different generations of fans had something to truly enjoy. Tracks like “Native Blood” and “Rise Up” which are off their latest release, Dark Roots of Earth, sound absolutely killer live. Not only do their new songs kick-ass live, but Testament takes their older tracks like “Over The Wall” and “The Haunting” and makes them even better then they were in 1987.

    testamentThe night wasn’t all business for Testament, as they took the opportunity to sing happy birthday with the crowd for their tour manager. After this quick little break of metal, Chuck and the guys finished the night off with the song “The Formation Of Damnation”, which is the title track off their 2008 release. Testament fans can look forward to their upcoming release The Brotherhood Of The Snake, which is due out sometime this year. The first single from the album should be hitting airways sometime in the next few weeks. The direction of the album is said to be heavier and faster than their last album, Dark Roots Of Earth. If Chuck Billy’s words hold true, it will be another masterpiece from Testament who just seem to keep getting better with age. If any Testament fans missed out on Monday’s show at Anthology, look forward to them being on the road in support of their upcoming album later this year.

    To stay up to date on all Testament news, album updates and tour dates, click here for their Facebook page. To visit their website click here.

    To check out Anthology’s upcoming events calendar, head over to their Facebook page here. Also, visit their website Anthology Live.

    Testament Setlist: D.N.R. – Legions Of The Dead – Over The Wall – Rise Up – Dog Faced Gods – The New Order – The Haunting – Practice What You Preach – Into The Pit – Native Blood – 3 Days In Darkness – Disciples Of The Watch – More Then Meets The Eye – The Formation Of Damnation

  • Dr. Dirty Fills Turning Stone Casino Showroom Once Again

    On March 5, John Valby who’s known as “Dr. Dirty” once again packed the room to capacity at the Turning Stone Casino Showroom in Verona.

    dr. dirtyWith no opening performers scheduled, Dr. Dirty made his entrance to the stage and sat at his keyboard shortly after 8 p.m. Even before Dr. Dirty made his appearance, the adult crowd was ready for the night’s comedy and filled the room with vulgar chants and cheers. The entire night was filled with laughter by the crowd who were victims of Valby’s act. Throughout the evening, the Buffalo-based comedian went through many of his fan favorites along with a few new tunes. Many of the night’s jokes hit on current news stories, politics and more.

    Some of the highlights from the show were when Valby collected audience members’ names and used them as part of his songs. Another hight point was when Valby invited girls on stage to join him for another song. The night ended with a poem and a thank you from Dr. Dirty, noting his appreciation for the supportive fans at the Turning Stone.

    Watching the crowd as it emptied the Showroom venue, it was easy to see that everyone had a great time by all the smiles and continued laughter. For anyone who’s never seen John “Dr. Dirty” Valby and enjoys a good laugh, be sure to catch him at the Showroom next time he comes to town. In the meantime, check out “Poetry From Bed Pan Alley,” the new single from Valby’s forthcoming release, Keep Calm and Valby On.

  • Geoff Tate Brings Operation: Mindcrime To The Westcott Theater

    After exiting Queensryche in 2012, vocalist Geoff Tate has kept busy by continuing to make new music and touring. On Thursday, March 3rd, Geoff brought his band Operation: Mindcrime to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse for a headlining performance.

    As the only act of the night, Geoff and Operation: Mindcrime took the stage at the Westcott shortly after 8PM. The band kicked off the night with “Neue Regel”, a Queensryche song off of the Rage For Order album from 1986. With Rage For Order being out for 30 years now, it was appropriate for Geoff to play “Screaming In Digital” as the second song of the night. These two songs got the crowd right up out of their seats and up to the barrier in front of the stage. Geoff’s band seemed to get in the groove of things as the crowd showed their love for the music.

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    Geoff Tate

    Just after the two song intro, Geoff took time to address the crowd and express his gratitude. After the short break, the band got back into things with songs such as “I Am I” and “I Don’t Believe In Love”. The band’s choice of songs for the evening stretched over the entire Queensryche catalog it seemed. The die-hard fans knew all the material, while the casual fans knew all the words to songs like “I Don’t Believe In Love” and other hits but not songs from the lesser known albums such as Hear In The Now Frontier and American Soldier.

    For the next portion of the show, Geoff and his band performed a few songs acoustically. The acoustic set consisted of songs, “Jet City Woman”, “Take Hold Of The Flame”, “Silent Lucidity” and “The Weight Of The World”. While hearing those songs in a different form was new and fresh for some people in the audience, others hoped to hear Geoff blast out the powerful notes of “Take Hold Of The Flame”. Unfortunately, Geoff seems to know his vocal limitations nowadays and simply does what he can. Changing the songs wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because the audience still sung along and seemed to really enjoy the show. The rest of the guys in Operation: Mindcrime stayed true to most of the Queensryche material by only making some minimal changes here and there.

    Operation: Mindcrime Acoustic
    Operation: Mindcrime Acoustic

    Last year, Operation: Mindcrime released their first of a series of three albums. The first album is titled, The Key, and the band jammed through four songs off of it. The songs Geoff and the band chose to perform from The Key were excellent. The four of them consisted of, “Re-Inventing The Future”, “The Stranger”, “Burn”, and “The Fall”. It’s apparent that Geoff was going back to his roots on The Key with the progressive metal sound. For instance, “The Fall”, is a track that sounds like it could be right off of a Dream Theater album and the fans definitely enjoyed hearing this song live.

    The evening ended with a bunch more Queensryche classics such as “Walk In The Shadows”, “Eyes Of A Stranger”, and “Empire”. Fans were left wanting more after the surprising “evening with” performance by Operation: Mindcrime. Overall, the band sounded great and Geoff’s interpretation on his old Queensryche tunes produced a great show that everyone in the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

    Since the band has two more albums scheduled within the next year or so, fans of Geoff Tate can look forward to him coming back to the area in the near future. To keep track of Geoff’s schedule and album progress,  fans can check his official Facebook Page and the official Operation: Mindcrime Facebook Page.

    Setlist: Neue Regel, Screaming In Digital, I Am I, One More Time Around, I Don’t Believe In Love, SpOOL, At 30,000 Ft, Jet City Woman, Take Hold Of The Flame, Silent Lucidity, The Weight Of The World, Re-Inventing The Future, The Stranger, Burn, The Fall, Damaged, Walk In The Shadows, Eyes Of A Stranger, Breaking The Silence, Empire

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  • Lil’ Wayne Lights Up The Blue Cross Arena In Rochester

    On Saturday, February 20, Lil’ Wayne brought “The Dedication Tour” to Rochester. The performance was held at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial which has had a busy year so far. Prior to the doors opening, not many fans were seen lining up outside the arena, which was surprising considering Rochester hit a high of 55 degrees.

    lil wayneThe night started off with a performance by S – Eighty who only had about 10 minutes of stage time. During this quick set, fans were busy trying to find their seats on the floor and around the area. Surprisingly, the floor was all assigned seating, which is why no one had to line up early to secure a spot on the floor. Shortly before 8pm, Rae Sremmurd took the stage. For 30 minutes these guys got the crowd on their feet dancing and singing along. The two brothers Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown and Aaquil “Slim Jimmy” Brown were a great choice as an opener for Lil’ Wayne on this tour. The crowd’s reaction was purely positive and it seemed like everyone wanted a little bit more.

    Even though Rae Sremmurd put on a great performance, the crowd came to Blue Cross Arena for one man and his name is Lil’ Wayne. Weezy took the stage shortly before 9pm and the crowd went wild. The night was started with Wayne’s classic “Mr. Carter”. As fans stood up on their chairs and waved their hands in the air, the appreciation of support was shown by Wayne. Throughout the night Lil’ Wayne thanked fans for coming out and supporting him while reminding them that he’s the best rapper alive. Between every couple songs, Weezy would also ask where the real Lil’ Wayne fans were and the entire area would chat “Weezy!”.

    For an arena that looked empty to start the night, the floor was filled from front to back and the lower bowl was packed. To no surprise the music of Lil’ Wayne got the entire place on their feet dancing, literally everybody. Hit after hit Weezy kept pleasing the crowd who were having an absolute blast. The vibes throughout Blue Cross Area were incredible and it goes to show how powerful music can be. Toward the end of the show, Weezy brought out a handful of up and coming rappers so they could show the crowd what they were made of. One thing that Wayne is good at is finding new talent and collaborating with other artists. The show ended with all the guys on the tour coming out on stage celebrating a great show and also included an appearance of Weezy’s son who looks like a mini version of his dad.

    For those who missed the show, Lil’ Wayne should be pretty busy this year on the road with the highly anticipated release of his last Carter album, the Carter V. Although the album is finished, its release has been held due to issues with the record label. Regardless of when the album finally gets put on shelves, Lil’ Wayne will be out on tour to give his fans their fix of Weezy.

  • Trivium Destroys A Sold Out Lost Horizon

    On Saturday, January 16th, Trivium finally returned to Syracuse for the first time in what seemed like ages. Touring behind their latest album Silence In The Snow, Trivium are showing no signs of slowing down after releasing their 7th album. Even though Trivium decided to release Silence In The Snow without any of their trademark screaming, the album is still doing incredibly well. With the increase in radio play and demands, it’s no wonder why the guys in Trivium sold out The Lost Horizon in advance.

    Prior to Trivium kicking off their winter tour, they went through yet another drummer change. With the announcement of Paul Wandtke taking over as the new drummer, Trivium fans were left asking questions about the new guy. When looking to replace the previous drummer due to creative differences, bassist Paolo Gregoletto and singer Matt Heafy looked to none other than John Petrucci of Dream Theater. Petrucci then brought Dream Theater’s drummer Mike Mangini into the conversation to get some ideas. Mangini recommended Paul who actually studied under him at Berklee. Making his debut at Knotfest in Mexico in early December, Wandtke quickly meshed with the band and has made quite the impact.

    Trivium took the stage at the Lost Horizon after two local bands got the crowd warmed up and ready to go. The night opened up with “Silence In The Snow”, the title track of their latest album. Right off the bat, vocalist/guitar player Matt Heafy experienced issues with his microphone which was echoing every word he sung. After a quick look over to his tech and a laugh the issue was quickly fixed and the night was perfect from that point on. The best thing about seeing a Trivium headlining set is that they’re going deep into their 7 album catalog. The set included 3 songs off their album Ascendancy which were “Like Light to the Flies”, “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr” and “Rain”. Fans responded to Trivium’s choice of songs with nothing but pure energy and madness. Fans who were looking to enjoy the show casually weren’t found on the lower floor because it was a whirlpool of bodies crashing into each other. Those who were trying to stand off to the side were even seeing the side effects of the mosh pits brought upon by songs like “Rain,, “Insurrection” and “Becoming the Dragon.”

    Throughout the night Matt Heafy addressed the crowd, demanding them to be loud and rude. Heafy didn’t want any silence in the venue, even while he was speaking himself. Paolo Gregoletto was busy throughout the evening keeping the bass riffs going, singing backup vocals and getting up close and person with the crowd. With the barrier only a mere foot away, Paolo, Matt and lead guitar player Corey Beaulieu all took turns leaning into the crowd. Being so close to the crowd helped the band absorb the energy from the fans easily, especially those in the first few rows who could reach out and touch them. The new drummer Paul Wandtke was an absolute animal behind the drum kit. For being the new face in the band, Paul seems to fit in perfectly. The 14 song set seemed easy for Paul who nailed all the parts he needed to while adding his own personal touch in just the right places. Hopefully for Trivium and their fans, this is the last drummer that Trivium will ever need.

    After ending the show with “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr” and “In Waves”, Trivium left their fans wanting even more. Hopefully with the response that Trivium got on Saturday night, they realized that they need to come play in Syracuse more often. For fans looking to catch Trivium a few more times this year, they can hit up almost any of the major festivals in May such as Carolina Rebellion and New York’s very own Rock N’ Derby. For all Trivium news including tour dates and music, visit their website at here.

    Setlist: Silence in the Snow, Into the Mouth of Hell We Match, Strife, Rain, Tread the Floods, Built to Fall, Like Light to the Flies, Insurrection, Dead and Gone, Becoming the Dragon, Down from the Sky, Until the World Goes Cold, Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, In Waves