NYS Music 20​16

Category: Media

  • Final Night at Rock ‘N Derby Closes With Shinedown, Sixx A.M. and Sevendust

    Rock ‘N Derby closed out its inaugural weekend at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds on Sunday, May 22. The first two days of the festival were really, really good, and Sunday’s lineup may have been the best of the weekend with the likes of Sevendust, Ghost, Sixx: A.M., Trivium, Megadeth, Collective Soul, Coheed and Cambria and, the headliners of the day, Brent Smith and Shinedown. The only disappointment was Like A Storm not being able to make the show due to its tour bus breaking down.

    Shinedown closed out the first ever Rock ‘N Derby on the Derby Stage. In usual Shinedown fashion after the first couple of songs into the bands set, frontman Brent Smith united the crowd with each other and with the band. As drummer Barry Kerch provided the beat, Smith asked the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, New York, where you at? If this is your very first time seeing Shinedown, then raise your hands please.” Smith then told the people of the crowd to look to their left, then to their right, and said, “You see, there is a reason for this, you see that person standing next to you, you may have never met before tonight’s event. We’re gonna change that, everyone turn to your neighbor right now, I wanna see you shaking each others’ hands, giving each other high fives and tell them how nice it is to see them at the show.”

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    Before the band got into the song “If You Only Knew,” Smith told the fans that he knows it’s been a long weekend, and told the crowd to give a big round of applause for all the other performers who played during the festival, and that he is honored that he gets to share the stage with them. Smith then said “With that being said, we’re not in those bands. We’re in Shinedown. And this is 100% between us, and all of you here tonight. So, did you bring your singing voices tonight? This next song is for all the ladies, where you at? This is dedicated to all the lovers and the ladies.”

    Smith gave an extensive speech before the song “Enemies,” that created a moment that has to be witnessed live. He had everyone at Rock ‘N Derby jumping and going insane when the song kicked off.

    As the rest of the members of Shinedown jammed on stage, Smith started his speech on stage, and then ended up in the middle of the crowd. He started off by saying “Let’s make 100 percent sure, that all of you here tonight are getting exactly what you want. Cause here’s the thing. You see, we only have one boss. It just happens to be everyone in the audience. So, if you’re not happy, no one’s happy, and you ultimately decide who stays and who goes.”

    Smith then had the crowd split in the middle. Once the fans did. Smith left the stage and continued his speech to the fans. Smith then stated “Now listen up, this next song, we guarantee your gonna know the song. What I’m gonna do is this, I’m gonna go back up on stage, I’m gonna count to three. Then I’m gonna say the word go. When I say go, I want every single person that is able, I want you jumping up and down. I wanna see all this dust up in the air. I wanna see every single person in the state of New York bouncing simultaneously up and down. That’s gonna lets us know that we’re at a real rock show.” Smith then returned to the stage and said, “This is all on you. You not at the library, and this ain’t no funeral. Your at a rock & roll revival people.”

    Shinedown was to play “State Of My Head,” but before the song, Smith asked for all the lights to be turned off at the fairgrounds. Smith then asked all the fans to light up their cell phones and lighters. In a beautiful sight, Smith said “It’s good to see the stars of New York State.”

    Smith would be the last artist to acknowledged the 5-year old girl spending her birthday weekend at the festival. After asking her name Smith then said sincerely “Here’s the thing. I have to give her a lot of credit. ‘Cause 5-years old, and she’s been at a Shinedown show on top of the barricade all weekend. Her mother just mouthed it to me, that she’s been here not just for this show, she’s been here the whole weekend. So I think the least we can do is sing “Happy Birthday.” Smith then led the crowd in to sing “Happy Birthday” one more time.

    After the last song in the set “Sound Of Madness,” Smith did his usual concert send off by saying “Our new record is called Threat To Survival. It’s available everywhere. Be good, be good to each other, God bless you all. It’s never goodbye, it’s just ’til next time.” Smith told drummer Barry Kerch to lock it down. Kerch pounded the drums a few times and closed out the set.

    Sevendust showed how it’s done on the Derby Stage. The band walked onto the stage while the intro to the song “Thank You” played. Frontman Lajon Witherspoon took the stage and asked the crowd “Do you know who we are? We are Sevendust. Let me see your hands in the air. Y’all better make some fucking noise.”

    After the song, Witherspoon again asked the crowd if they knew who they were. He then said to the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen in the pit, you guys kick ass. I love it when I see the gentlemen invite the ladies in, and it ain’t nothing but a bunch of fun out there.” He went on and asked “Are you guys happy to see us this evening? Thank you for being here so early. We love you guys, God Bless. Are you ready for some more Sevendust music? I wanna see you dance. Are you with us out there? If you can’t be in the pit, I wanna see you bouncing.” Witherspoon the turned his attention to the fans in the back “How you all doing back there in the VIP, whats up?”

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    After the band performed “Decay,” Witherspoon may have spilled the beans on a future tour. He asked the crowd if the were ready for headliners Shinedown. He then asked what the people in Schaghticoke knew about the band Ghost. Witherspoon then asked the crowd what they thought of a possible Ghost and Sevendust Tour. Fans cheered.

    Witherspoon took the time before the song ‘Praise” to tell fans how close they make him and the band feel to the crowd. Witherspoon first asked fans if they were enjoying themselves. He then said “Can I say something to you? Thank you for making all of our dreams come true. Let me tell you why. And I say this, and I know I fucking say this before anyone else says this. If it wasn’t for each and every one of you guys, none of us would have a fucking  job. So thank you very much. If you don’t know who we are, we are Sevendust. We do not have concerts. We have family fucking reunions. Let me see your hands in the air. Let me see what you all got.”

    As Witherspoon was talking about the next song “Pieces,” He noticed a sign in the crowd that said split the crowd. Baffled by the request he said “Split the crowd? I never had anyone tell me to do that. I don’t know what that means. You guys wanna split the fucking crowd. Let me see you split right here in the middle. I never done this before. You had a fucking sign (points to fan in the crowd), just spread out right here in the middle. You know what I’d like to fucking do. Since he requested a split, let me see you guys walk around in a circle right in the middle of that split.” Sevendust dropped the track, and in a pretty cool site, fans moved in the pit so hard you could see a dirt cloud slowly rise up and get thicker where you could hardly see the band if you hung out in the back to watch the band perform.

    Sixx: A.M. battled a slight rain storm for about 10 minutes, but that didn’t stop them from being one of the day’s, if not one of the weekend’s top performers. They are the total package. The have the look, they have the sound, they have the stage presence and they have the songs. They also sport two female backup singers on stage. Sixx: A.M. started off with “This Is Gonna Hurt,” and “Rise.”

    Frontman James Michael took a break to chat with the crowd after the song “This Is Gonna Hurt,” and said, “What’s up Rock ‘N Derby? How you motherfuckers doing today? Let me ask you something. Who is seeing Sixx: A.M. for the very first time right here, right now?” After about everyone in the packed lawn area watching their set cheered because they seem to never tour in this area, Michael continued “Very good. Keep your hands up in the air, everybody put your fucking hands in the air and make a fist like I’m doing, and every time you hear us say the word rise, I wanna see you throw your motherfucking fists up in the air. Will you do that for me? Are you ready to Rise?

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    After the song “Rise,” the crowd was so hot during the song, Michael yelled to the crowd “Ah Fuck yeah Rock ‘N Derby. He then introduced the next song in set “Everything Went To Hell” by saying “This one goes out to the bitch that ripped my fucking heart out of my chest. You know what I’m fucking talking about, don’t you.

    Once the last song in the set “Life Is Beautiful,” concluded, Michael introduced the band. Nikki Sixx, the band’s bassist (also the bassist of Mötley Crüe) then took the mic and introduced Michael. Amazing live show left everyone wanting more.

    Trivium hit the Derby Stage hard. After two songs in the opening of their set, singer Matt Heafy stopped to talked to the crowd. He asked “How the fuck we doing today? We are Trivium. Is this anyone’s first time seeing Trivium today?” After the first timers responded, Heafy said “Pleasure to meet y’all” and then asked “Is this anyone’s second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or 10th time seeing Trivium? Alright my friends one very simple rule for a Trivium show my friends. Whatever the fuck we’re doing up here, we need you all to be doing down there. That’s headbanging, singing, screaming, moving your asses, sweating and all that good fucking shit.”

    He then gave a rundown on what crowd on the festival circuit was the best so far. Heafy said the crowd “If you want be the motherfucking best my friends, we all got to step it the fuck up.” Trivium followed Heafy’s speech with the band’s current single “Dead and Gone.”

    Next song in the setlist Heafy told the crowd that they were gonna go back to the fourth album, but needed the fans’ help before they play “Down From The Sky.” He went on to say that on the next song, “Lets make some noise together. I’ll do it with you, but y’all gotta do it with me too.”

    Heafy introduced “Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr.” He introduced the song by saying “This next song is an old motherfucker. This song goes real well with a nice circle pit or two or three or whatever you feel like doing but we need that shit.”

    Heafy then explained how the pit works, “You run and you turn left, if they fall down, pick them the fuck back up. If you ain’t in that circle, you’re banging your head, you’re shaking your ass or you’re fucking moving your bodies.”

    Queensbury native Frank Palangi opened the final day Sunday at Rock ‘N Derby, on the Upstate Concert Hall Arena Stage. Palangi played a good mix of original tunes and cover tunes. Palangi and his band came right out to get noticed, and they did. By the end of his set, most of the fans that were sitting over on the bleachers, made their way to the general standing area to rock out closer to him.

    After his first song, Palangi asked the crowd, “You guys ready to make some noise today?” After the fans’ minimal response, Palangi then asked the crowd louder, “I said, are you ready to make some noise today?” He then went on to explain what the next song in his set is about. Palangi said the next song is about being lied to. he then asked the fans “Who’s ever been lied to?” After a couple shouts from the crowd he replied, “Just a couple of people? I don’t find that true. It’s a song about basically somebody taking your words and twisting them around.”

    Before Palangi performed the song “Driving These Lines,” he gave a quick run-down about the song being about the ups and downs in life and the music industry. He said “You run into stuff that bothers you, but then its like, I can’t do anything about it. But that’s life.” After the song, he thanked one of the sponsors at Rock’N Derby, entertainment retailer f.y.e.. He then thanked the local f.y.e.’s for supporting local artists by selling their music in their stores. He said “f.y.e.’s here in New York support local artist and they are awesome.”

    Drummer Josh Opitz and Palangi showed off some of their skills before they performed their new single “Break These Chains.” Optiz started off teasing a drum solo with Palangi shredding a rift on his guitar.

    Palangi then played a cover by the band Full Devil Jacket. Palangi talked about how the band was a big influence on him since Woodstock 1999 and showed respect to singer Josh Brown. He talked about how he gave Brown his CD and he listened to it. Brown then gave it to his producer and said this is how it all got started for him and he hasn’t stopped since. Palangi then told fans that he met the members of his band on Craigslist, and that they are blessed to do music here the last couple of years. Palangi then played the song “Now You Know.”

    Palangi paid tribute to friend and bandmate TR Remsen who passed away recently from cancer. He said he was right there with them, as he pointed to the empty spot next to him. The band closed with the song “I Am Ready.”

  • Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Clutch and Pop Evil Kick Off Inaugural Night at Rock ‘N Derby

    Last weekend, upstate New York hosted the first-ever Rock ‘N Derby, which kicked off May 20 at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds. The Capital Region has been buzzing for months with anticipation for the Rock on the Range style three-day festival. Along with thousands of local diehard rock enthusiasts, fans from across the northeast and Canada made the hike on a beautiful early spring evening.

    Day one of the inaugural affair saw the likes of Lamb of God, Clutch, Parkway Drive, Wolfmother, Pop Evil, Scott Stapp, Corrosion of Conformity, Red Sun Rising, Wild Throne and the first band to ever headline a Rock ‘N Derby festival, Fiver Finger Death Punch. Friday night also saw Tool cover band Schism play on the Upstate Concert Hall Arena Stage, during the after party for fans who wanted to rock on into the late night hours.

    From Grand Rapids, MI, Pop Evil, had the honor to be the first group to not only play the Derby main stage, but the first band ever to perform at Rock ‘N Derby period. To everyone’s amazement, Pop Evil is now sporting a blond female drummer behind the kit. It’s been news that current drummer, Josh “ChaChi” Marunde, was departing the band for new opportunities that would keep him closer to home. At show time, no one was sure who she was, or if she will end up being a permanent replacement for Marunde, all I can say is that the girl is a total badass behind the kit. However, it has now been reported that the band has welcomed Hayley Cramer as their new drummer.

    Pop Evil came out and set the mood for the day. Fans went wild once the band started the first song in the set “Deal With The Devil.” Before playing the band’s current single “Take It All,” frontman Leigh Kakaty shouted out to local rock radio station Q103 for playing the new single. Kakaty went on to say to the crowd, “For everybody who just wanted a little, but now you want the whole damn thing. This song is called ‘Take It All’.”

    Kakaty then picked up a guitar and asked if there was any old-school Pop Evil fans out there tonight. After cheers from the crowd, Kakaty said, “Well here’s one off our first record for you guys then.” He started off the song “100 in a 55.” After completing the first verse, Kakaty asked the crowd, “If you still believe in rock-and-roll bands, make some noise,” which made the crowd roar with cheers.

    Kakaty gave a small heartfelt speech before moving into the next song, “Trenches.” He said, “I just wanna say, what an honor it is to be amongst real people who come to rock shows early. All these little kids I see, I wanna thank you parents for not raising them on any of that Justin Bieber bullshit. I didn’t know it was so fucking complicated. We are a rock band, we play rock music for brothers and sisters like you.” He went on to say that the band is currently on tour with two of the greatest icons, Rob Zombie and Disturbed. He then relayed a message on behalf of them, telling fans Zombie and Disturbed said to “fucking rock and roll tonight.” Kakaty’s speech went on to thank another band who was playing that night: ” There is one more band on this bill that I have to give a special shout out to, cause back in the day, they were one of the first bands to take a chance on us. You guys know them as Ivan and Zoltan and everybody at Five Finger Death Punch.”

    Fans sang along with the frontman during the last song in the set, “Footsteps.” Kakaty was so impressed it prompted him to sincerely say to the crowd, “Are you fucking kidding me? Wow, there’s no greater feeling on this planet than when your fans, excuse me, your friends, sing your songs back to you, God bless you. God bless you, New York, we love you.” Pop Evil showed a lot of fire and Kakaty was pretty good on vocals. Set Time 5:50–6:30 p.m.

    Neil, Jean-Paul, Dan and Tim, better known as Clutch also rocked the Derby Main Stage. Going into this show, I knew about the band, but never really followed them until recently. I was really impressed by how good this band performed. These guys are talented live musicians that anybody could go and see and enjoy themselves.

    Early in their set, singer Neil Fallon lightly slipped walking onstage. This made Fallon say, “I will tell you right now, at some point in the next 45 minutes, I will fall on my ass on this stage. It’s gonna be legendary. Did you spray this thing with WD-40 before we got up here? Set Time 6:50–7:45 p.m.

    Red Sun Rising performed over on the Rock ‘N Stage. Before the band played “My Muse,” frontman Mike Protich, who was not sure how to pronounce Schaghticoke, asked the crowd, “So what should I call you cause I can’t pronounce the city I’m in right now….. Albany?” (This became an eventual theme for all of the bands on the bill throughout the weekend.) As Protich looked to the crowd for answers he said, “I love all these New Yorkers. People here just shouting shit. We’re red Sun Rising from Akron, Ohio. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today.” Set Time 6:55–7:35 p.m.

    Lamb of God performed while the sun went down on the Derby Stage, and brought fans into the night. Frontman Randy Blythe was super pumped up during Lamb of God’s set, as he was constantly jumping around and moving. I swear, Monster Energy drink has to run through his veins.

    Blythe was next in line to ask the crowd how to pronounce the village Schaghticoke. Blythe said, “What the fuck is up upstate New York? Look at all you motherfuckers out there. Let me get a big Ric Flair Wooooooo.” The crowd “wooooooooed” back at Blythe, which made him say, “Fuck Yeah. Holy Shit. For those of you who do not know, and for those of you who drank too fucking much before you got here and don’t know where the fuck you are….We are Lamb of God. We come from Richmond motherfucking Virginia. I know we are in upstate New York, but I’m not going to attempt to pronounce the name of this fucking town. I fucked it up like 50 times.” Blythe then went on and tried to say the name of the town, even calling it Shaggy 2 Dope ( from Insane Clown Posse), which made the crowd laugh. He then asked the audience to pronounce the name the town on the count of three. The crowd shouted “Schaghticoke” in unison.

    About midway through the band’s set, Blythe acknowledged what would become another theme over the weekend.  There was a five-year-old girl celebrating her birthday during the three-day festival down in the front row. After asking the crowd if they were having a good time, Blythe said to the crowd, “Somebody down there has a fifth birthday.” He pointed at the girl and said,  “Don’t get squished sweetheart.”

    The frontman then turned his attention to the next song in the set list. He dedicated the next song to the little girl in the crowd and all the armed forces in the United States. He stated, “This song goes out to some people who don’t get the recognition I feel they deserve most of the time. These people do a hard, fucked-up job. They do it from a long ways from home. Most of the time they don’t even get a fucking thank you for this. I speak of the men and women in the United States armed services. This next song is for them.” The band then played “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For.” The crowd was insane for Lamb of God. Set Time 8:15–9:15 p.m.

    Parkway Drive was one of, if not the best, performers of the night. Parkway Drive headlined the Rock ‘N Stage Friday. Singer Winston McCall was going so insane onstage, I thought he was going to give himself a heart attack. He was jumping, bouncing and waving his arms so much, it was like he was teaching an aerobics class, while putting on a kick-ass rock show.

    Winston asked fans if they picked up the band’s new album, Ire. He then told the crowd that they are going to play a song off that album. Winston then said to the crowd, “You guys are doing great. One thing, one thing only. Just keep that vibe up here [raises hand above head]. Don’t let that energy drop. Keep it coming, keep it coming. If you haven’t crowd surfed yet today, you’re obliged to on the rest of this set. This one’s called ‘Vice Grip;’ step it up another notch.”

    Before the next song in the set, Winston screamed to the crowd, “That’s it. Keep it up here [motioning his hand above his head], keep your energy up here. Bring it in, sing with me. This one’s called ‘Idols and Anchors.’”

    Impressed with the fans’ reactions toward the band, Winston had to ask the crowd something before he continued: “Has anyone seen us before?” After minimal cheers, he replied, “A couple. Hi again.” He then asked for the first-timers to many cheers. Winston then welcomed everyone and said that he was just checking out the stats of the crowd, then thanked everyone for their time. Winston said, time is a precious thing, and that he appreciated fans spending some of it on them tonight.

    The frontman asked the crowd if they still had enough energy left in them, because he knows they must be fucked after Lamb of God’s set. He then asked if they had a little bit of energy left, because they were going to play another heavy track. Winston then said, “If you can hear my voice, get your hands up. Here’s the deal. If you have the energy to get your hand in the air, when this one drops, I need to see you get your feet up as well. That includes you guys in the stands.” The band then played “Bottom Feeder.” Parkway Drive will head back to the their native country of Australia for a tour after their RotR performance on Saturday. Set Time 9–9:45 p.m.

    Five Finger Death Punch was ready to close out the inaugural first night on the Derby Stage. FFDP got fans pumped with the first song in the setlist, “Lift Me Up.” After the second song in the set, “Hard to See,” Ivan Moody said, “Holy shit,” and called the crowd “motherfucking crazy.” Moody then asked the crowd to do him an honest favor and protect all the kids that were there enjoying the show. On that note, Moody then said to the crowd, “Front to back, side to side. When I jump up, you jump up. Now you know what to do.” FFDP then played “Burn it Down.”

    After bassist Chris Kael took over the vocal duties for the song “Got Your Six,” next on the setlist was the band’s cover of “Bad Company.” Moody asked the crowd, how many men and women have served, or are still serving for the United States military, and asked them to put their hands up. He then said to the fans with their hands down, “You guys see those fucking hands… you shake them, you thank them and you buy them a beer for our fucking freedoms. Thank you so much.” This of course prompted a big U.S.A chant from fans. Moody then brought the song in by saying, “I don’t know if you guys heard, but there were a couple of, um, I’ll call them corporations, that were talking shit about us online. What they didn’t understand is that we’ve got Bad Company [points to the crowd].”

    FFDP did their usual routine and brought up various kids onstage to join them for the song “Burn MF.” Moody pointed to the kids and told the crowd to make some noise for the next generation of heavy metal. Moody went on to say, “You guys wanna show them how the big kids do this? Then give me the biggest circle you’ve got right now. If you don’t wanna get hurt, now is the perfect time to get the fuck out of the way.”

    Guitarist Jason Hook and Moody did an acoustic medley of “Wrong Side of Heaven” and “Battle Born.” Moody then stated to the crowd that there are strict curfew rules here and that the band could only play one more song. Five Finger Death Punch then closed out the night with “The Bleeding.”

    I felt a small letdown here, and expected way more from these guys. If this was your first time ever seeing the band, you may have a slightly different opinion of the band’s set. It seemed the boys were a little off the mark onstage, and frontman Moody sang out of key and didn’t have his usual intensity. The thing that was most noticeable was the band’s set list. Fan-favorite track “Burn it Down” seems to always b one the band’s setlists, but it was missing along with the two current singles off their current studio album. Overall, everything seemed repetitive and overly rehearsed. Set Time 9:45–11 p.m.

  • 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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  • Sonic Boom: Cage the Elephant Stampedes Albany’s Palace Theatre

    “We’re not going to have any of that sitting down shit,” announced Cage the Elephant’s guitarist, Brad Shultz, during the band’s May 11 show at the Palace Theatre. Staying true to this promise, the Kentucky rock band delivered a stand-up spirited and dynamic two-hour performance — with frontman Matt Schultz constantly careening around the stage — that literally kept the crowd on its feet.

    Originally planned for the Times Union Center, the concert was moved to the Palace Theatre earlier this month, and ticket holders were granted general admission seating in the floor and balcony sections of the historic Albany venue.

    The night began with the Oklahoma-based indie group, Broncho, who is expected to release a new album, Double Vanity, on June 10. Portugal. The Man followed with an energetic performance that primed the crowd with excited anticipation for the night’s headliner; stand-out highlights include “Modern Jesus,” “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” and a familiar melody heard toward the set’s end that teased the Beatles “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).”

    Cage the Elephant opened with “Cry Baby” from their most recent album, Tell Me I’m Pretty (2015), and soon after played “Spiderhead” off of the Grammy-nominated Melophobia (2013). The audience sang along to every word of “Spiderhead,” as Matt Shultz danced and strutted across the stage. His energy was relentless throughout the night, as the lights flashed in sync with the beat of the drums and reached to the balcony with colorful designs.

    Toward the middle of their set, they played the crowd-pleasing hits “Trouble” and “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” As the night progressed, individuals attempted crowd surfing or jumped on stage themselves to join the band. This didn’t seem entirely discouraged by security, or the band themselves; throughout it all, Matt Schultz displayed unyielding stamina that never slowed down or stopped. They closed the show with the popular tune “Come A Little Closer,” before performing a three-song encore.

    Coming back before the encore, Brad Schultz led the audience in a sing-along for touring guitarist Nick Bockrath’s birthday. This was followed by more group singing during “Cigarette Daydreams” with the lead singer holding his microphone stand out to the audience, and again for “Shake Me Down.” As the evening came to a close, more and more individuals jumped on and off stage.

    For the last song of the evening, Matt Schultz remarked, “let’s see how many of you we can fit on this stage,” which led to a surge of audience members in floor seating to rush the stage. A mass of people joined the band, dancing along, as Matt and the rest of the gang became nearly indistinguishable among the crowd, while closing with “Teeth.”

    Cage the Elephant delivered an unyielding, frenzied performance. Despite sporadic issues with the sound, it will remain as a memorable concert moment, particularly due to lead singer Matt Shultz’s resilience and energy throughout the Wednesday evening Palace Theatre performance.

    Set list: Cry Baby, In One Ear, Spiderhead, Take It or Leave It, Aberdeen, Too Late to Say Goodbye, Cold Cold Cold, Trouble, Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, Mess Around, Punchin’ Bag, Telescope, Back Against the Wall, It’s Just Forever, Come A Little Closer

    Encore: Cigarette Daydreams, Shake Me Down, Teeth

  • Salsa and Cristal: NYS Music Goes to Cuba

    NYS Music goes to Cuba is a multi-part series detailing Cuban music and culture, the impact of Western music on Cuban music and the potential for change given the recent pending normalization of relations between The United States and Cuba.

    It’s 11:30 p.m. in Central Havana and I’m sitting in Casa de la Musica with my best friend, surrounded by stalking prostitutes and Cuban music videos streaming on the screens behind the stage. I am focused on taking notes of my surroundings for this article, ignoring the hooker who is not giving up on me before my third Cristal beer kicks in and my handwriting becomes completely illegible. I don’t usually ignore women when they talk to me at a bar or club, so this is a first. (Plus, we didn’t budget for prostitutes.) They can smell our CUCs through our cargo shorts; they’re good.

    cuba

    Rewind back to 10 p.m. We arrive to find out the club is closed until 11 p.m., so with an hour to kill, we are encouraged by locals outside the club to walk down the street with them to a small bar, El Coronet, and meet some women who are clearly prostitutes. We aren’t taking the bait and bail after we finish our lone drink. Los Van Van is on the television, and ironically, they are playing the other Casa de la Musica in Miramar, where we should have gone, but alas, here we are.

    With two shows nightly, Casa de la Musica is open from 5 to 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., but 9 to 11 p.m. is the ‘how fast can we fleece the early arrivals for the show?’ show. We pay a 10 CUC cover, get security wanded and enter to find 10 people in the club. The stage is set for 14 musicians with smoke machines that are continually going off. With two large screens on either side and three tall screens behind the band, this place looks awesome and must scream L.A. club when it’s packed. But until midnight, it’s somewhat dead, yet it provides an escape from the pimps, grifters and panhandlers waiting outside for easy prey to saunter along. The prostitutes though, they’re among us.

    It’s hard to tell if this is arranged with the venue, just allowed to happen, or a combination of both. But it’s the one thing bringing in women to the club, beyond the two girls sitting near us who clearly aren’t prostitutes. More on them later.

    cuba

    While we wait for the stage show to begin, we ask to speak to El Jefe of the club, a short promoter type whom I explain our presence to as music journalists, and he immediately says photo is OK but no video and we agree. We ask to speak in a more quiet area, and quickly ask my questions. He directs me to a bartender who can speak a good deal of English. Alex, a Vin Diesel type, is fine with an interview and seems slightly flattered.

    We ask about the club, which opened in 2002 with a capacity of 1,000 and followed the Miramar venue that opened in 1995 for 300 capacity and caters to a more highfalutin crowd (my term, not his.) There is Salsa every night (tonight is Bamboleo); it is all Cuban music, every night, and packed every Thursday through Saturday. We ask how things may change with more Western influence, and he assures us they already have. There is more pop music, so much so that when Usher was here this past Saturday, everyone knew him. He was recognized, signed autographs and sang four songs unannounced — this island is not as isolated or secluded as you might think.

    The club has no advertising, no presales, just day-of show sales only. Attendance depends on the bands ultimately. The stage is 21st century even if outside the building is mid-20th century. While we talk to Alex, we don’t notice the crowd filling in the place. The audience is a mix of locals, tourists and prostitutes, perhaps 300 are here by midnight. Locals are sitting around, taking selfies and snaps, while buckets and bottles pepper the tables. Two Cuban guys are warming up Salsa moves near us. It’s 12:30 a.m., almost go time.

    DJ SARAO takes over from the PA with “Uptown Funk” and the night of music finally begins proper. He’s good, but we came for Salsa. There are more than 350 in the club now. It feels dead despite the crowd, compared to the potential for the space. Ever go on spring break and the club is randomly undersold? That is Casa de la Musica tonight.

    cuba

    It is now 1:05 a.m. and Bamboleo finally arrives. Horns and drummer on percussion are the signature sounds, and it’s good to see Sisqo still getting work. Chris leans over and asks if we are watching a Cuban Turkuaz. I laugh; it’s not far off, but the Talking Heads covers are missing. This is a large band, fully in sync, rehearsed but not scripted, and each member has their own flair and presence with the music altogether fucking stellar. The keyboardist looks like Pitbull. It might be Pitbull. He makes a lot of appearances. The performance is quite amazing and highly energetic at all points. The sound doesn’t let up and even though I know zero of these songs, I am loving it. If I had someone who wasn’t Chris or a prostitute to dance with, I’d be getting down. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra prepared me for this, but not this. Turkuaz/Bamboleo tour 2021 is going to crush the Caribbean.

    My effort to dance the Salsa is admittedly minimal. I am an observer. Five or six Cristals deep now and I work up the courage to talk to the two girls near us. I say I would have spoken sooner, but with all the prostitutes, I wasn’t sure. They understood, thankfully. We chat; they are from the Basque Country in Spain. They are as close to normal as we find tonight.

    Toward the end of the show, Chris is denied shooting stage right low. I go to El Jefe. He says OK, walks up with us and says, “Go up.” We do, but we are turned away. A bouncer denies us and even El Jefe can’t override. El Jefe brings us stage left low. We are fine here, but the angle isn’t as good. We still take the shots. The cab driver for our ride was a fan of SARAO and waited inside the club to offer us safe passage to our hostel. The 25 CUC he charges is a rip-off, but a 10-minute drive is all we can ask for given the state of the night. We didn’t spend as much in the club as we did on the cab, something we need to work on the next few nights.

  • The New Stew Stirs Up Brooklyn Bowl

    On Monday night in Brooklyn, recently-formed supergroup The New Stew, recreated the underappreciated live album Bill Withers: Live from Carnegie Hall. Walking onto the unusually danceable floor of the Bowl during the opening classic “Use Me”, you had the sense that those in attendance were not only there to hear Withers’ tunes, but also to see these well practiced musicians cook up something special.

    “Friend of Mine” concluded with Yonrico Scott (longtime member of The Derek Trucks Band) abandoning his percussion kit, grabbing a bongo, and joining lead singer Corey Glover (Living Colour/ Galactic) at the front of the stage while he beat the drum so hard that the audience could see wood chips flying off the seemingly handmade mallet. As a side note, this band was not a cover band, but a tribute band, and these sizzling improvisations continued to come to life all night while staying true to the set list created by Mr. Withers over 40 years prior.   Wither’s first hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine” found Glover pouring his heart out over the microphone while Roosevelt Collier closed his eyes and sent Withers a “thank you” in the form of “sacred steel” lap guitar notes. After the song faded away, Glover asked the room, “Why these songs so old and still so relevant,” which felt like the theme of the evening.

    On the day after Mother’s Day, “Grandma’s Hands” felt appropriately placed and gave the audience one more slow groove before jumping into “World Keeps Going Around.” Dave Yoke (Susan Tedeschi Band) on the 6-string, provided some friendly soloing competition with Collier on lap steel. The crowd ate it up during the uplifting rendition, which led to the first true love song of the night, “Let Me in Your Life.” In any great set list, the artist develops peaks and valleys from slow songs to barn-burners (or Bowl burners in this case). “Better Off Dead” out of the aforementioned song was definitely the transition piece missing from this beautiful puzzle. In the 15 years of the songwriter’s performing career, Withers became know as the “Troubadour of Soul,” covering many different genres. This one can definitely be filed as “F” for FUNK! Kevin Scott’s (Col. Bruce Hampton’s Pharaoh Gummit) bass spiced up the stew while Jared Stone (Stone’s Stew) added flavor from behind the drum kit.

    One thing missing from the original live recording was the witty banter provided by Withers in regards to his band and what influenced the writing of many of the tracks. In true tribute fashion, Glover connected with the audience in the same way when he stated “I wish I was down there watching that” in reference to Collier’s boiling hot solo during “For My Friend.” “I Can’t Write Left Handed” is like an R&B version of a wartime Johnny Cash song, which makes sense considering Withers shared some similarities in terms of the songwriters’ backgrounds. The two were humble, had a unique sense of humor and were proud to fight for independence and entertain the country they served (coincidentally Withers was born of the fourth of July). Another similarity between the two icons is their respect for their fellow man and few tunes cover that topic better than “Lean On Me.” After so many magical moments in the evening, it is hard to pick one highlight, but “Lean On Me” appeared to be the most anticipated song of the night as Withers fans new and old hugged it out during this spirit-lifter. The extended “call me” refrain was repeated almost a dozen times as the audience and band came together to complete a touching duo of slower tunes.

    Matt Slocum (Oteil and the Peacemakers) displayed his talent on the keys while teaming up with Collier and Scott during “Lonely Town, Lonely Street” to get the Bowl shaking again. Glover grinned from ear to ear after crushing “Hope She’ll Be Happier” and the room let him know it. The New Stew took us to church for the “Let Us Love” set closer which left the guests hungry for more as they returned for the medley encore of “Harlem/Cold Boloney.” The night ended with a Glover led call/response of “Do you feel good? Yes, yes, yes. Do you want to go home? No, no, no!”

    In a world where cover bands, Youtube and Spotify are the most prevalent means of listening to the sounds of yesteryear, rare supergroup tribute bands like The New Stew come along to not only bring us back in time, but to bring us back in spirit. While Bill Withers and his band provided the musicians with a soulful framework and influence, each member added their own special sauce to the dish making it a special that we hope to see on the Brooklyn Bowl menu again.

  • Cabaret and DJ Seycel at Fabrica de Arte Cubano: NYS Music Goes to Cuba

    NYS Music goes to Cuba is a multi-part series detailing Cuban music and culture, the impact of Western music on Cuban music and the potential for change given the recent pending normalization of relations between The United States and Cuba.

    Let me get something out of the way: Cuba, a Caribbean island that until recently was illegal for Americans to visit, is not going to be ruined by the influx of Americans and tourists now that travel is (somewhat) permitted between the two countries. There will be some change in time, as all things are prone to change, but Cuba is not changing drastically as a result.

    That was my mindset when initially considering a trip to discover what music was hidden away from American ears on the island, in the clubs and on the streets of Havana. It took about a day before I realized that while there will be some cultural influence shared between the two countries, Americanization will not take foothold to the degree some predict.

    A time capsule of a city, Havana is a dichotomy of beautiful and tattered buildings side-by-side, where Wifi is slowly becoming available – thanks in part to President Obama’s recent visit (per Cuban’s who expressed their admiration for him), an upgrade for citizens in and around Havana – and examples of entrepreneurship are seen on a daily basis, with hostels popping up throughout the city (if you go, we recommend Enzo’s Backpackers), and merchants selling Rolling Stones shirts with the Cuban flag on the iconic ‘tongue’ logo. Even the filming of Fast and the Furious 8 shows signs of things changing in the city, but the original spirit and heart of Havana are intact and will assuredly remain so for years to come, even as the curio closed off to Americans for 55 years prepares for tourists fresh off cruise ships beginning to dock in Havana Harbor.

    Fabrica de Arte Cubano

    Staying in a tall apartment building overlooking Estadio Latinoamericano, on the evening of our arrival, my photographer and longtime friend Chris and I head out to Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a former cooking oil factory transformed into a multi-level center for the arts, including a multimedia art gallery and performance spaces for dance, music and theater. The creation of musician X Alfonso, with the backing of the Ministry of Culture, the venue is labyrinthine, with something around every corner, whether it be live performances, gallery pieces, performance art, or a Bohemian gathering of locals and tourist from across the globe sipping on drinks, it was a welcome surprise for our first night observing local culture and taking in as yet-undetermined musical offerings.

    The first floor held a 500 person room with a DJ setup for later that evening, the entire room having a 90s dorm room feel and soundtrack – Black Crowes and Jay Z videos on a large screen, with décor to rival that of many clubs back home. Upstairs in the art gallery, odd photography is meshed with paint and various media, while a series of old, naked women on the beach with breasts exposed highlights the beauty of aging.

    We head down into the largest room in the complex and find a drink and seat for a performance, which is first come, first serve and wherever you can manage to find a sit – a step, a chair, behind a riser… the area filled in calmly with a little buzz before “Night Club” began.

    Fabrica de Arte Cubano

    As the cabaret begins, a cue card girl holds up different numbers for the scenes, with scenes unfolding as such: a female lounge singer with a gritty voice welcomed the crowd; a woman performed a sultry tap dance; a male lounge singer sang a Salsa song; some interpretative tap dancing,; a guy in a tutu performing ballet with vibraphone and percussion as a backup; a woman with a fruit basket giving a confusing yet definitely suggestive performance; a simulated girl fight, and a full cast medley at the end. The audience talked and milled about, becoming part of the show passively, actively and unintentionally.

    While we were in the minority with our nascent Spanish, even without knowing what they are saying or singing, you easily got the gist of the show through body language, scenery and context – the club is open for business, the various employees sing about the club, their work, drama ensues, drama is resolved, everyone dances, everyone is happy. It could be an episode of Sabado Gigante but it’s better. It’s not TV. It’s FAC.

    Following the show, we head downstairs in Fabrica de Arte Cubano to the first room with the great décor. DJ Seycel comes on about midnight and the younger portion of the crowd remains for a house set with deep bass and various Latin and American hits mixed in. The main takeaway from the night is the overall focus on the music – hardly any phones are out beyond a photo here and there. No one is staring at their phone, and there are no glowsticks or candi kids, just straight dancing to the music. I miss that about shows back home – the focus and pure attention and dedication to the artist and his craft. I for one am guilty of that, and having no internet access for 8 days of travel is a very welcome vacation in itself.

    We later find that this first glance at Havana and Cuban culture is not a diamond in the rough, but clearly one of the most unique multi-purpose venues that embraces a wide variety of art like few do. Fabrica de Arte Cubano brought to mind the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, where numerous museums and performance spaces are found in one large enclosed area. Here in Havana, it is a sought after venue in the evening, open until 4am with lines forming early.

    Performances starting at Midnight or later is something that we slowly get used to, and this later start time found between American and Havanan clubs is a cultural apparatus, where clubs do not begin to fill up until 11pm, and some shows not starting until as late as 1am, as we find out the next night in our pursuit of Salsa.

  • Twiddle, Tauk, Holly Bowling and Matisyahu Combine for an Epic Night at The Capitol Theatre

    Take the fastest rising jamband in recent years, add in a hot prog-rock band boiling over with talent, a classically trained pianist performing the music of Phish and The Grateful Dead, and a cross-genre reggae singer and you have the fixings for one of the best nights of live music The Capitol Theatre has seen this year, and that’s saying a lot., with Twiddle, Tauk, Holly Bowling and Matisyahu to credit.

    Twiddle Tauk Holly Bowling

    The night began with Holly Bowling’s performance at Garcia’s, a benefit for The White Light Foundation, Twiddle’s charitable wing. Being that this was Garcia’s, Bowling offered a spirited mashup of “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot” > “Theme from the Bottom” > “Franklins Tower” and a full Terrapin Station suite. Phish’s “Taste”, a newer addition to her repertoire was full of energy, as was the set closing “Harry Hood”, which found Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey joining for the latter portion of the song, leading to true keyboard cavalry between the two who enjoyed the dual experience immensely as evidenced by their ear to ear grins.

    The remarkable talent of TAUK is something that continues to translate well directly from their studio albums, with an exclamation point placed firmly upon their music in the live setting. Fans gaped in awe at the musicianship performing an opening hour long set. “Eleanor Rigby” -> “In Bloom” capped off their set, a familiar appearance in setlists, and  one that beckons for more variety from this quartet who have immense talent contained within to stretch into unfamiliar territory.

    While a sell out of the Capitol Theatre is a goal for any rising or established band, it’s not like Twiddle hasn’t played to larger audiences. The rally around the band by the fanbase created an electric feel with familiar faces everywhere, even of those who are uninitiated to the music or skeptical of the group. The fans, these ‘Twiddlers’ (among the variety of names they have for each other – Frends, Twiddiots, Twiddlenauts, etc…) are what draws in attention to the band, as much as the band itself does. Like any mass following of a musician, the community that rallies around them is reflective of the music, and the base has the emotive welcoming personality found in Twiddle’s music. There is a syncopation between the music and the fans, something observed last year after attending four Twiddle shows over three months.

    The “Blunderbuss” opener caught many off guard, as it was a debut fresh from the upcoming Plump Chapter 2, and a tight instrumental at that. The “Polluted Beauty” jam was driven by Gubb’s bass and Brooke’s drums, with an impressive funk jam that developed in “Wasabi Eruption” that was a highlight of the first set. Then “The Box” showed up and built off that energy; the build and electronic tone is the reason why “The Box” stands out as one of Twiddle’s strongest jam vehicles.

    The all too familiar reggae sound of Twiddle was front and center in the set closing “Lost in the Cold.” It served as the perfect song for Matisyahu to join on with vocals, an unforced and natural fit, after having expressed admiration for the band. Following his contribution to “Lost in the Cold,” he took off his jacket and upon getting fans on the floor to put their hands up, he unexpectedly stage dove into the crowd. You don’t see this at jamband shows, or really any non-punk/metal show for that matter. It was a headscratcher as we headed into setbreak, but the energy from the set hardly dissipated.

    A five song second set opened with “Grandpa Fox,” a little proggy no nonsense starter. And when there was a need for funk to keep it rolling, there was a driving funk, like in “Apples,” which featured a Michael Jackson medley and a severe dub jam as well. You gotta like this song. “Snycopated Healing” chilled things out with music to sway to, but “Frankenfoote” picked things up. Dempsey played the keys with his toes on this light, traditional Twiddle song, and one that is easily accessible to rookie fans. The encore began with a truly gracious Mihali giving thanks to the moms in attendance as well as the fans who sold out the Capitol Theatre only an hour before doors opened. With that, fans were treated to a bouncy “Zazu’s Flight” > “Hatti’s Jam” and “When it Rains, it Poors.”

    Throughout this truly enjoyable show, the one aspect that I kept returning to was that despite the great deal of talent in the band, both individually and collectively, there are some spots where they play too few notes and could fill in some space, as brief but critical as those spaces may be. A lot of notes isn’t a bad thing.

    This show at The Capitol Theatre was enough to wash away any bias and open eyes to see that Twiddle is a reset button on the jam scene, one in which they are strong advocates for the rising stars of the next wave of live bands. The history, the venue, and the centrality of location right off Interstates 95 and 87 led to their biggest NYC area venue show to date. The Beacon is the new goalpost in the continued domination of the band in Northeast markets.

  • David Gilmour Mesmerizes NYC for Three Nights at Two World-Famous Concert Halls

    After almost immediately selling out one show at Madison Square Garden, the voice of Pink Floyd added a second night, and with the ticket demand still high, added a third night at Radio City Music Hall last month. David Gilmour recently concluded the North American portion of his Rattle That Lock world tour at the two famous NYC concert venues, and the rock legend mesmerized audience members fortunate enough to score tickets for one, two or even all three nights with his iconic guitar work. Photos by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos

     

    david gilmour madison square gardenGilmour’s NYC run began at Radio City on April 10 with many ticket holders still in line outside on 50th St. as he struck the first notes of “5 A.M.” Aside from this minor setback, the experience of this performance was quite special. The acoustics in the 6,000-seat music hall created a big, clean sound that washed over and enveloped every seat. Rather than a typical concert feel, the  aesthetics of this performance made it seem like Gilmour was playing an intimate home living room show.

    On the other hand, the arena setting of Madison Square Garden created a larger-than-life rock concert atmosphere for Gilmour’s performance. Not as cozy of a setting as Radio City, the crowd feel was looser and livelier. If we were to compare the two venues for an act such as Foo Fighters, MSG would likely claim the title for best event. However, the experience of Radio City was unsurpassed for seeing such a legend as Gilmour.

    The set list for all three shows remained the same, save for a swap of “On An Island” and “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” during the second set. While it would have been interesting to hear more variety between each night, there were no complaints in having more opportunities to absorb the solos on “High Hopes” and “Comfortably Numb,” just to name a few. Gilmour’s overall selection of songs covered a palatable range of Pink Floyd classics and his 2006 and 2015 solo releases.

    david gilmour madison square gardenBefore claiming disgruntlement for the sets not including more Pink Floyd staples, it’s important to remember that these weren’t Pink Floyd shows, as some MSG concert-goers expected. The new songs appearing on Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock were met with mixed paces of acceptance (typical for an artist’s first live performance of new material), but for the dedicated Gilmour/Pink Floyd fans, his shows hit the mark and lived up to expectations.

    The fundamental anticipations of Gilmour’s NYC run were his extraordinary guitar work, performed on his Workmate (1955 Fender Esquire), The Black Strat (1969 Fender Stratocaster) and his Jedson lap steel, among others. Whenever the cue came that Gilmour was about to break into his solo, cheers erupted before he even started. Particularly during “High Hopes,” the audience melted into their seats as Gilmour backed away from the front of the stage to take a seat at his lap steel. Gilmour’s big intro on “Sorrow” knocked everyone back as it inflated Radio City’s art deco ceiling and shook some dust from MSG’s recently renovated canopy. The only disappointment was that “Comfortably Numb” did not last all night.

    david gilmour madison square gardenJoining Gilmour on this tour were many of the musicians who recorded on Rattle That Lock and some who have performed with him on previous tours, including the final Pink Floyd tour. To his right, the Roxy Music alumnus and renowned writer/producer Phil Manzanara complemented Gilmour’s guitar lines. Also joining Gilmour were Jon Carin and Kevin McAlea (keys), Steve DiStanislao (drums), João de Macedo Mello (saxes), Guy Pratt (bass) and Bryan Chambers, Louise Marshall and Lucy Jules (backing vocals). Although Gilmour remained in the spotlight, members from his tight-knit backing band occasionally took the lead or shared part in vocals Chambers’ memorable lead in the chorus of “In Any Tongue.”

    On the visual front, lighting designer Marc Brickman and his crew nicely balanced painting a canvas behind the songs without over-dramatizing, and threw in a few clever chases from the lights around the moon screen that played on its geometry. Though the stage took a very similar form to Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell tour in 1994, it fit well for Gilmour’s solo performance.

    If Gilmour’s shows were entirely about his guitar work, it wouldn’t be the mark of a well-rounded performance. Several moments throughout the show made it wholesome in that regard. The simple guitar duet “Wish You Were Here” solicited a 6,000- and 18,000-person sing-along (heard all the way down in the Financial District) that joined the audience together early in the set. “Money” took a funky turn after de Macedo Mello’s roaring sax solo as Gilmour doodled over his rhythm section, ending the song in full energy. The driving performances of “Astronomy Dominé” and the vocal call-and-response of Gilmour and Pratt on “Run Like Hell” breathed life into the second set, and also nicely bookended the set with two distinct periods in Pink Floyd history.

    MSG may have been particularly subdued for the jazz-driven “The Girl in the Yellow Dress,” but the change in pace showed a songwriting side of Gilmour not seen before and gave de Macedo Mello an opportunity to show his chops in a more conventional setting. On a more serious subject, some found themselves transfixed on the animated video set to “In Any Tongue,” a very powerful and personal song resonating with those affected by recent wars. With so many moments speaking louder than words, we’ll have to wait for a DVD of one of his tour stops to be released to speak for itself (though video of another venue cannot enumerate the experience precipitated by Madison Square Garden and Radio City).

    While this will likely be Gilmour’s last big tour as hinted in his Rolling Stone interview last year, it hopefully won’t be the last the U.S. will see of him. After cheers of “David! David!” following “Comfortably Numb” on his final night at MSG, Gilmour concluded his thank-yous with, “we’ll see you again one of these days.” With Roger Waters performing The Wall at Yankee Stadium in 2013 and Gilmour’s three nights in NYC in 2016, many bucket lists for younger Pink Floyd fans now have a few more checkmarks. Regardless of whether or not Gilmour will again gift stages here in New York with his presence, these three nights will be remembered forever.

    Gilmour continues his Rattle That Lock tour in Europe, including two nights on July 7 and 8 at the Pompeii Roman Amphitheatre, where Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii was recorded, and several evenings at The Royal Albert Hall, London, in September.

    Set 1: 5 A.M., Rattle That Lock, Faces of Stone, Wish You Were Here, What Do You Want From Me, A Boat Lies Waiting, The Blue, Money, Us and Them, In Any Tongue, High Hopes

    Set 2: Astronomy Dominé, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Fat Old Sun, Coming Back To Life, On An Island*/The Girl In The Yellow Dress**, Today, Sorrow, Run Like Hell

    Encore: Time->Breathe (Reprise), Comfortably Numb

    *Radio City Music Hall only
    **Madison Square Garden only

  • Interview: NYS Music Talks moe.down, Jam Cruise with moe. Drummer Vinnie Amico

    moe. drummer Vinnie Amico took some time out before a recent show at the Hollow in Albany with Floodwood and Gratefully Yours for an interview with NYS Music’s Neil Benjamin Jr.

    Vin gave some answers about the future of moe.down (spoiler alert: It’s not dead!). He also discussed moe.’s just-announced Jam Cruise appearance, the Floodwood lineup change, his history of playing the Grateful Dead, his many sit-ins, his degree in economics, and plenty more!