The latest installment of Otis Live Presents features Blind Owl Band, whose roots are found deep in the Adirondacks. Their tour kicks off February 4 at Saint Lawrence University’s Pub 56. Catch them throughout New York and New England in February and March!
Author: Pete Mason
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Assembly of Strange Wine Unites Three Classic Bands
There’s something to be said about bands that continue to perform to throngs of devoted fans who turn out no matter the venue or date. When Assembly of Dust, Strangefolk and God Street Wine perform individually, their well-honed crowds come out in support, even though some shows are less frequent these days. But bringing together these three bands that defined the ’90s jam scene is no small feat, yet a two-night run in Portchester, NY, at the Capitol Theatre and in Boston, MA, at the Paradise Rock Club, led to packed houses, marathon jams and plenty of dancing each night with Assembly of Strange Wine.
At the Cap, Assembly of Dust started the night with a short set that featured Scott Metzger on guitar, filling in for Adam Terrell who was on assignment in Mexico. The first big jam of the night opened up in “Revelry,” giving Metzger a chance to flex his ax for the crowd. “Whistle Clock” and “All in Time” brought out Jon, Luke and Erik from Strangefolk to join Assembly of Dust for the first of many superjams this weekend, while “Filter” swapped in God Street Wine for the members of Strangefolk and continued the loosely planned, well-executed jam session.Assembly of Dust setlist: Bootlegger’s Advice, Man with a Plan, Revelry, Honest Hour, Whistle Clock$, All in Time$, Filter^, Head on Straight*
$with Strangefolk ^with God Street Wine *Reid soloThe bands were warmed up and the audience dialed in for Strangefolk, the second act to take to the stage. Opening with “Rather go Fishin,” I felt a light nod to those who opted to head to Mexico for Riviera Maya, but there was no other place I’d rather be than seeing Strangefolk perform this evening. Jason Crosby shone on “In Deep” and added just the right touch of fiddle on “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad.” All of God Street Wine joined Strangefolk for “Sometimes” and “Westerley,” two songs patiently shared among the nine musicians. From the audience it seemed that taking the stage with friends you’ve played music with for nearly a quarter-century amid a focused and receptive audience has to be nearly utopian in terms of live performance.
Strangefolk setlist: Rather go Fishin’, Udderly Addled, Furnace, In Deep, Goin Down the Road Feelin’ Bad*, Roads*, Sometimes^, Westerley^, Songbeard*
*with Assembly of Dust ^with God Street Wine (entire set with Jason Crosby on keys/fiddle)God Street Wine took the stage last and made their presence known with “Life on Mars?” in tribute to the late David Bowie. A clean segue into “Molly” kept the energy high and the crowd danced well into the set. An extended “Goodnight Gretchen” > “Goodbye Oklahoma” were just getting things started, but it was during “Borderline” when the line between stage and audience blurred, as the energy spilled over with raucous approval (see video below). There was a chemistry onstage during GSW’s set that built off the sit-ins during the previous sets. Whether the bands had practiced together or planned anything in advance was unimportant; onstage everything meshed together well with only the few hiccups that come with having nine musicians onstage at the same time. A “Golden Years” encore paid tribute to Bowie once again (this was a recurring theme of the weekend to come). Night one was in the books and the bar was raised even higher for the sold-out show at Paradise.
God Street Wine setlist: Life on Mars? > Molly, Bring Back the News > Goodnight Gretchen > Goodbye Oklahoma, Hellfire > Wall, Borderline*, A Good Dream, Sweet Little Angel, Cheap Utah Blues > Ballroom > 6:15
Encore: Oh Wonderful One, Golden Years
*with StrangefolkThe Paradise Rock Club in Boston is, in stark comparison to the Capitol Theatre, a small music club that holds about half as many people. As the crowd filed into the small room, there was an air of excitement that could be felt from each attendee for the second of what would be two very special nights of music. The room hadn’t quite filled up by the time Assembly of Dust took the stage only 15 minutes after the ticket time. They immediately got the crowd moving when they opened with “Paul Henry.” The lineup featured the noteworthy additions of Scott Metzger on guitar and Jason Crosby on keyboards and organ. As they pushed through the set, they showed that this would not be a simple three-band show; it was truly an Assembly of Strange Wine. As AoD finished their set with “Harrower” and with eight musicians onstage, the audience knew the night was just beginning.
Assembly of Dust setlist: Paul Henry, All That I Am Now, Cluttered, Lost & Amazed, Whatever, Ophelia, Telling Sue, Harrower
After a brief set break, God Street Wine took the stage with “Epilog.” After moving through a few of their tunes, Crosby came back onstage and joined them on fiddle for “Chop.” Reid Genauer and Jon Trafton then came out for a handful of songs, including the newly penned “Oh Wonderful One” and Genauer on vocals for “Get on the Train,” into which he infused Strangefolk’s “Rachel” in the middle. GSW moved through the remainder of their set, which included crowd-pleaser “Imogene” and ended with “Into the Sea.” As they left the stage, the now completely packed room was waiting with bated breath for the third act.
God Street Wine setlist: Epilog, Light My Candles > Stranger > Chop#, Oh Wonderful One*, Driving West*, Get On The Train* -> Rachel* -> Get On The Train*, Lighthouse > Imogene, Waiting For The Tide, Into The Sea
#with Jason on fiddle * with Reid and Jon (entire set with Dave Diamond on percussion and Jason on keys except Chop and Lighthouse)Another short breather allowed the audience to cool down and relax before Strangefolks’s night-ending set. Opening with “Valhalla,” they sent a message that they meant business. They saw a rotating cast of musicians throughout their set, and for “Mama,” there were 10 musicians onstage, including four percussionists, to which Genauer commented, “There will be a lot of notes.” Their energetic set ended with “Burned Down.” As they came back out for the encore, those in the crowd who had heard the GSW cover of “Life on Mars?” from the previous night wondered if there would be another tribute to David Bowie. Sure enough, the notes for “Space Oddity” were played, and as the band moved from that to Strangefolk’s “Speculator,” the entire crowd was repeating “Can you hear me, Major Tom?” along with the band. The encore came to a finale with more repeating of those lyrics at the end. Walking back out to the cold streets of Boston was quite welcome after leaving the heat from the small room and the incredible music.Strangefolk setlist: Valhalla, Poland, So Well, Diary, Stout Hearted Man, Mama, Take it Easy > Memory of a Free Festival, Burned DownEncore: Space Oddity > Speculator > Space Oddity -
#LifeIsButAStream: Phish to Webcast Riviera Maya Mexico Shows
Phish has announced they will be streaming this weekend’s destination event in Mexico via Live Phish. Streams are available for up to 24 hours after the show #LifeIsButAStream
Stay tuned for daily reviews and photo galleries from Mexico, and follow along on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook while enjoying couch tour. -
Update: Mountain Jam’s Final Lineup Includes Wild Adriatic and Other NY Acts
Update 2/24/2016:
Mountain Jam finalized their lineup for this year’s festival. Among the additions are Houndmouth, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Quilt, Darlingside, the Record Company, the Movement and Scott Sharrard. Three New York acts were also added to the lineup, including Albany’s Wild Adriatic, Woodstock’s Elijah Wolf and New Paltz’s Upstate Rubdown. Marco Benevento will play a tribute to David Bowie with Superhuman Happiness.
The non-musical activities have also been announced and include yoga with Michael Franti, lectures and Q&A sessions on the cannabis industry, and hula hoop classes. There will also be a screening of “Let Us Play,” a new documentary about funk band and festival performer Lettuce.
Original post:
An annual tradition nestled in the heart of the Catskills, Mountain Jam has unveiled their lineup for 2016, featuring big names, newcomers and familiar acts that make the festival one of the most established in the Northeast.
This year’s lineup features headliners Beck, Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule and Umphrey’s McGee. Additional acts include Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Gary Clark Jr., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Courtney Barnett, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Lettuce, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, the New Mastersounds, and Third World.
A few New York acts are on the bill, including Turkuaz and Donna the Buffalo, plus regional acts Son Little, the London Souls, Cabinet, the Ballroom Thieves with Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, And the Kids, Love Canon, Marcus King Band, Con Brio, Jane Lee Hooker, Copious Jones, Madaila, the Suitcase Junket and Paul Green Rock Academy.
Thievery Corporation will take things into the late night. More acts will be announced in coming weeks.Tickets are on sale now.
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Obituary: Norman Dimitrouleas, Former Keyboardist for The Werks
Norman Dimitrouleas, former keyboardist for Ohio’s The Werks, passed away suddenly over the weekend.
Having brought his older brother Dino into the band in 2011, Norman left the group in 2014, returning to jam with them at The Werk Out this past summer.Norman’s brother Dino Dimitrouleas, current bassist for The Werks, shared this statement on Facebook:
It is with a heavy heart that I am traveling back to Ohio early to be with family and prepare services for my brother Norman who passed away in his sleep last night. I want to say thank you to the hundreds of people who have reached out to me to give their condolences and support for me and my family during this very hard time.
Norman’ s heart was always bigger than his brain and he was one of the kindest humans I have ever known. He would consistently put himself out to try to help others and anyone who knew him couldn’t help but love him (no matter how mad you wanted to be with him). As I scroll down my news feed and see all the lives he has touched and influenced in his short life I can’t help but be proud to call this great man my brother. I love you Norman… rest in peace. You were too good for this world.
I will post information about services as soon as I know what they are.Norman spoke with Gratefulweb in 2012 discussing his early musical background.
My parents got me lessons from a teacher skilled in teaching classical music. I was pretty good at it, but I wanted to play some rock and roll. She had me playing Bach and Beethoven, so one day I brought in the Beatles Let It Be and another song and asked her if I could learn it. She ended up telling me that he ‘wasn’t ready’ for that type of thing and she gave me Bach’s second to learn. I went home and worked on playing “Let It Be” and just barely touched practicing Bach. When I went back to practice the next week she asked me to pull out Bach. I got through about two bars of it and she said, ‘That’s it?’ I told her, ‘But look what I did learn,’ and I played a ripping “Let It Be.” She looked at me kind of blankly and said, ‘Well, I guess I didn’t understand the direction you wanted to go in and what you’ve come here for.’ And from then on I’ve been playing rock.”
The track “Norm and T-Bone Improv,” shared by Digipossum, was recorded in 2003. Digipossum shared the significance of this particular track:
This was recorded at my college’s recording studio shortly after I met Norm. He was the first musician I was doing studio work with, and even though he was sick and had a fever, he came in and did this track, because he knew how eager I was to record live musicians just getting started into recording at the time. This was all improv and no loops. He played all the layers live. We never put this out, and I thought I’d lost this recording, so was very happy to find it today. Enjoy. And RIP Norman. You were a great friend as well as a great musician.
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Wooden Wisdom Plans All Night Affair at Verboten
This Friday at Verboten in Brooklyn, the electronic duo of Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie, aka Wooden Wisdom take the stage with a stellar lineup of DJs in tow. Wood and Cowie’s project demonstrates stylistic range, but still maintains a distinct harmonic impression that’s unique to Wooden Wisdom alone. Known for spinning vinyl that ranges in style and sound from African funk and acid rock to bass driven funky 70’s classics, they weave a range of artists and beats into smooth, energetic, sophisticated mixes.
Wood and Cowie’s music bears a certain reflection to it’s stylistic influences, which are American DJs and producers with deep footprints in the hiphop and electronic music scenes. Wood recently did an interview with promoter Harrison Waxenberg, who also produces for Brooklyn based electronic duo Horizon Wireless. When asked about his musical influences, Wood said “The DJs that inspired me to want to spin records would probably have to be Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow.”Other performers include Ben Silver from Chicago based live production act Orchard Lounge, Callie Reiff, Philadelphia based producers Wyllys and Risky Disko, Business Casual Disco, Tucci, and many more.
The event is an all night affair, filled with music from talented DJs and producers from throughout the country. Wooden Wisdom will perform in the early hours after midnight with the first act of the evening starting at 10 pm, and music ending at 6 am.
Tickets for Wooden Wisdom at Verboten are still available online for $40. Verboten is located at 54 N. 11th Street in Brooklyn, New York. The show is 21+.
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Phish Saves the Best for Last on January 2, 2016
And then there was one. One last night of Phish, their last show in the U.S. until June or July, one last night to get down and dance with 20,000 of your best friends in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Bringing the run to a close meant following up from January 1, a disjointed night that was tame compared to the two juggernauts that preceded. Phish picked up on January 2, 2016, where the “Blaze On” > “Carini” > “David Bowie” left off in the early morning of January 1.
When I got into MSG around 8:15 P.M., I heard the opening notes to “AC/DC Bag,” and it seemed like the classic opener had returned to blast us off into the night, but having wrapped things up at the PhanArt show in the hour prior, I missed the Chilling Thrilling Sounds of “Your Pet Cat,” which does the same trick as “Bag” but with a more recent incarnation of adrenaline pumping funk. All the same, walking in for “Bag” and the trio of early 90’s tunes followed – “NICU,” “It’s Ice,” and “Horn,” felt like the show was on track for classic MSG run status.The gap between halves of the set was bridged by a fluid “Divided Sky,” but it was the “Axilla” that followed that questioned the structural integrity of the Garden, as the crowd jumped up and down, expelling the pent up energy that “Sky” tends to bottle, and shaking the arena throughout the song. “Maze” kept the energy high as Page tore up the organ and had Trey watching intently and parroting off the Chairman of the Boards.
With Fishman gently brushing his drums, a balancing “Train Song” arose, bringing tears to the eyes of those chasing the soft Billy Breathes tune, a rarity these days, but a beautiful one at that. Julius reinvigorated the crowd to close the set, one that started strong and finished out the same. Fans then awaited the final of nine sets that Phish would play this run, ventured around the concourse one last time and saw friends they may not see until Summer Tour or beyond, or perhaps resting their legs and reflecting on a crazy, music-filled weekend in the Mecca of music.
As the lights dropped and Trey softly played the opening notes to “Tweezer”, the second set jam vehicle of legend, the audience exulted. The jam slowly built and never let up, and had some back and forth between Trey and Page for a bit, but the final two minutes of Tweezer really shone in an accelerated “What’s the Use?” jam that brought the 22 minute tour de force to a close before pouring into “Sand.” Even still, after “Tweezer”, there was no let up on this “Sand,” which garnered cheers from the “Flowing through the hourglass” line, now forever intwined with the ‘Hourglass Jam’ that rang in 2016 two nights prior.“Limb by Limb” and “Suzy Greenberg” were well placed between two heavy duty bookends to the set – “Limb” played safe and standard, while “Suzy” brought MVP Page back to slather some mustard on the piano, New York deli style. While “Harry Hood” was perfectly dropped out of “Suzy,” it felt as if it was cut short by Trey, just before an even more exploratory jam was about to begin. “You Enjoy Myself” capped the set in the way no other song can, carried out with a funk jam and Trey hopping on drums for a bit before closing out with a trippy vocal jam.
Returning to the stage, the buzz was centered on “Fluffhead,” which hadn’t been played since August 2014. What feels like years of waiting will feel a little longer as Phish opted for a combo of “The Lizards” and “Tweezer Reprise,” one that constitutes a single “Fluffhead,” which is one part rarity (The Lizards) and one part energy builder with a huge payoff (Tweezer Reprise). There were no complaints with this set, let alone the entire show. While January 2, 2016 marked the best show of the run, with the Mayan Riviera shows coming up in a week, the bar for the year is set high with this final performance from the New Years run.Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Your Pet Cat, AC/DC Bag > NICU, It’s Ice > Horn > Divided Sky, Axilla >Maze, Train Song > Julius
Set 2: Tweezer > Sand > Limb By Limb > Suzy Greenberg > Harry Hood > You Enjoy Myself[1]
Encore: The Lizards, Tweezer Reprise
[1] Trey briefly joined Fish on drums.
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Otis Live Presents: New Paltz’s Upstate Rubdown
Upstate Rubdown, based out of New Paltz, NY, has a new video courtesy of Otis Live. Having performed at Otis Mountain Get Down on September 12, 2015, the group of diverse musicians who combine jazz, gospel, folk, bluegrass and Broadway with soul, Motown and R&B create a unique sound. Their video is from a session in the woods of Baxter Camp at Otis Mountain features three tracks: “How’m I Doin?,” “Jimmy (You Know How To Live),” and “Old Advice.” Read an interview with the group and enjoy the latest from Otis Live.
Credit: Directed & Edited by George Watts, Produced by Quillan George & George Watts, Additional Shots by Kayhl Cooper, Scott Sweitzer & Tazer Landlow, Field Recording Mastered by Eric Maier at Future Fields Recordings
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NYS Music Presents Wednesdays at Funk n Waffles Downtown
Winter is upon us in New York and if you’re in Syracuse, you’ll need to find some place to warm up. May we suggest some Funk n Waffles? NYS Music presents bands from around New York State, every Wednesday throughout January.
January 6 – Faces of the Damned, Wagner 3000, Pale Green Stars
Faces of Damned grew out of years of late night shows with founders Anthony DiRosa and Andres Echenique. Anthony was the lead singer/guitarist for the punk and horror punk bands Plan 607 and Dead Holiday. Andres was bass player for Crankdaddy, a pop punk band. These bands were a key part of the punk scene in Syracuse in the early 2000s.
Wagner 3000 is an alternative to the alternative bands. From Syracuse, Wagner 3000 performs music that simultaneously showcases a previously unseen musical spectacle among the widest range of captivating songs found in a show today. Mingling with vast aspects of influence From Bowie, UFO, AC/DC, NIN, Nirvana, King Crimson, and the ever so enchanting carnival music (and many other sources). Wagner has the capability to tingle all your moods and senses.
Pale Green Stars has just been mistaken for one of those cow-punk power trios you might find rocking a stage behind chicken wire at some wayward Texas roadhouse. Pale Green Stars is letting its New York grown cow-punk steer deep into the heart of Texarkana as they redefine gut-bucket twang with a punkadelic cutting edge that’s as sharp as a barbershop straight razor. (Jeff Herrell – South Bend Tribune)
January 13 – The Bog Brothers
The Bog Brothers were formed by a group of like-minded musicians in the Central New York area who share a love of playing Americana music and having a good time doing it. Mike Gridley (aka “Griz”) leads the group, playing mandolin, banjo and providing lead vocals. He is joined by Marc Odin on guitar and his longtime musical accomplice Steve Buck on bass and vocals. Mike Lounsbery adds harmonica, percussion and vocals, West Coast resident Taylor Bucci provides drums and vocals (when schedule permits), and Scott Wilson rounds out the group on dobro.January 20 – Caleb Liber & Judge Gazza
Caleb Liber (Telegraph Hill Acoustic) will bring his acoustic guitar along with a wide range of musical styles including indie rock, post rock, post hardcore, metal, punk, post punk, grunge, electronica, acoustic and folk.Judge Gazza is a retro swampy blues musician originating from Syracuse New York. He brings his growling vocals, raw barebones Peavey powered slide guitar and pounding Converse Chuck Taylor hill stomp rhythmic beats to the back corners and sidewalks outside punk rock shows and the campfires of metal band summer festivals all over Central and Western New York. Judge Gazza’s first EP, It’s All Fun & Games, was released June 28th 2015 on cassette tape via LRS Records of Syracuse NY.January 27 – RUHA with special guest Corey Paige
RUHA is the brain child of long time touring musician Charley Orlando. This time around RUHA is Brian Lauri on Keys and Vocals filling in the space between Charley’s acoustic guitar and vocals. The duo is massive sounding and unique for 2 people.
Corey Paige is a SAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter from Syracuse, NY. His influences include Elliott Smith, Radiohead, Elvis Costello, and Soul Coughing. After five studio albums and more than a decade as frontman for rock band Candid, he’s currently working on new material for his first solo album.
Doors open at 7pm each night with music starting at 8pm. Enjoy a variety of bands that call New York State home every Wednesday night at Funk n Waffles, and some great food too!