Category: Media

Slightly Stoopid Returns to Saranac With Red Eyes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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July 31, 2016
Slipknot and Marilyn Manson at Lakeview Amphitheater Syracuse

Slipknot and Marilyn Manson made a stop on their joint tour at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY on July 23. The tour features an aggressive schedule and will include stops in more than 30 cities across North America. Of Mice & Men joined as special guests.

First up was Southern California quintet Of Mice & Men lead by front man Austin Carlile. You can always tell when a band wants to be somewhere and really wants to play, when they hit the stage exactly on time and rip through as many songs as possible. That was the impression I got from Of Mice & Men and I can appreciate their effort and enthusiasm. Of Mice & Men tore through eight songs in thirty minutes that included booming vocals that alternated between screams and harmonic melodies, metal solos complete with whipping long hair and some seriously hard drum beats. Highlights of their set included “Public Service Announcement,” “Never Giving Up,” “You Make Me Sick” and “Pain” off of their upcoming release Cold World due out September 9.

After some uncertainty and much debate from fans as to whether or not Marilyn Manson would be healthy enough to play, the band took the stage. Manson previously cancelled his July 21 performance in Quebec City at the last minute due to illness. Manson started in with the theatrics immediately, throwing bags full of blue and red colored chalk into the crowd who responded by picking up the bags and throwing them in the air so that others could share in the fun. Manson’s set was full of oddities, including stained glass images of Manson in a Jesus-like pose at either end of the stage, a variety of microphones including one with a knife and one with brass knuckles, a Marilyn Manson $666 bill as the backdrop, a burning bible and even stilts.

The crowd filled in quickly as the first notes of “Angel With the Scabbed Wings” hit the air. Manson didn’t waste any time and jumped into the crowd to interact with the fans during the second song “Disposable Teens.” There was a bit of flopping around the stage, throwing of a few microphones and some of the singing was incomprehensible at times but the worst part of the set was two very lengthy delays, one 15 minute delay where Manson left the stage after the fourth song “mOBSCENE” and another lengthy delay before the final song of the evening “The Beautiful People.” I am guessing that the delays are due to Manson’s illness and that hopefully once he is feeling better, he will resume a full length performance. Despite the short set, Manson did a great job of engaging the fans. He performed the entirety of the Eurythmics’ cover “Sweet Dreams” perched above Paul Wiley (guitar) and Twiggy Ramirez (bass) on stilts. For the encore, Manson brought two female fans up on stage to help sing “The Beautiful People” while he ran through the crowd all the way to the sound board and shot off a cannon filled with Manson’s $666 bills.

Set list: Angel with Scabbed Wings, Disposable Teens, No Reflection, mOBSCENE, The Dope Show, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover), Antichrist Superstar

Encore: The Beautiful People

It was time for the final band of the evening. The crowd filled in when Manson hit the stage but it seemed much denser as Slipknot took the stage. A video of burning mannequins began playing in the background as the band members creeped onto the stage donned in their trademark masks and tore right into “The Negative One” off of their most recent release .5: The Gray Chapter.

Slipknot’s stage setup is intense. The band has three percussionists, one was set up center stage on risers, the other two were on either side of the stage with their equipment on hydraulic risers that moved up and down and spun around through the entire set. While the center percussionist played a traditional drum kit, the other two were playing on hollowed out kegs that appeared to be homemade drums. The band’s total of nine members come together to create an impressive sound. The band is known for their wild stage antics but fans were to expect things to be toned down a bit in light of lead singer Corey Taylor’s recent surgery. Taylor paused at one point to address his recent spine surgery, “I had surgery recently on my spine, who the f*** has to just have spine surgery for no reason?” He promised that the band was still going to deliver and they certainly did.

Slipknot played a selection of songs from their catalog including hits from their self-titled debut and their 2001 release, Iowa. Taylor asked the fans, “Who wants to go back to 2001 with me right now? Who wants to hear some songs off Iowa?” The band played “Distasterpiece,” “The Heretic Anthem” and later in the set “Left Behind” all tracks from Iowa.

Corey Taylor engaged the fans throughout often referring to them as “family” and requesting the lights go up so he could see their faces. The band played an extensive 18 song set. Fan favorites included “Psychosocial,” “Wait and Bleed,” “Duality” and “Spit It Out.” Taylor ended the evening by stating “I sincerely hope you have had as much fun as we have.”

Set list: The Negative One, Distasterpiece, Eyeless, Skeptic, Before I Forget, Killpop, Dead Memories, The Heretic Anthem, Psychosocial, Pulse of the Maggots, Left Behind, The Devil in I, Wait and Bleed, (sic)

Encore: Surfacing, Duality, Spit It Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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July 30, 2016
2016 Vans Warped Tour NYS Fairgrounds Syracuse

The 2016 Vans Warped Tour made its first appearance in Syracuse at the New York State Fairgrounds on Thursday July 7. Despite the extreme heat, the punk rock music festival drew a large crowd. The fairgrounds was an ideal setting for the expansive set up that included seven stages, vendors, local food trucks, an adult size slip and slide and the air conditioned “chill out” truck that offered fans free energy drinks and some relief from the burning heat of the sun.

Warped Tour is celebrating its 22nd birthday this year and the impressive lineup included Warped Tour veterans Less Than Jake, Yellowcard, New Found Glory and Sum 41. The lineup also included popular metal acts Motionless in White, White Chapel and Every Time I Die. There were also a few Upstate New York bands, including Syracuse’s own One Last Shot and State Champs from Albany.

The Vans Warped Tour offered a perfect blend of veteran acts, rising stars, local favorites, punk rock and metal. The mix of offerings attracted a broad spectrum of fans of all ages and music preferences making for a one of a kind experience.

Check out the photo gallery for captured moments and memories from the day.

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July 27, 2016
Alice in Chains at the Turning Stone Casino

Alice in Chains brought a perfect blend of classic and new hits to a near capacity crowd at the Turning Stone Casino and Resort on Friday July 22. Alice in Chains, who recently opened a few of the Guns N Roses reunion shows, is currently headlining a North American Tour that is scheduled through early October.

Alice in Chains, despite the passing of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002, has been forging ahead with William Duvall as their full time lead singer and has been touring since 2006. The new line-up has since released Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009 and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in 2013. Alice in Chains is beginning work on their next studio album with a TBD release date. This is my third time seeing Alice in Chains with DuVall and if you haven’t seen them yet, you are missing out.

Alice in Chains opened with “Hollow,” followed by “Them Bones” and “Dam That River.” William DuVall and Jerry Cantrell flawlessly traded off vocals reinforcing that authentic Alice in Chains sound. The band continued with more hits, “Check My Brain,” “Angry Chair,” and “Man in the Box.” Bass player Mike Inez attempted to get the crowd revved up by playing at the edge of the stage and motioning for the audience to cheer. Cantrell worked to engage the audience as well by yelling come on and pumping his hands in the air. The crowd fell a bit flat despite the best efforts of the band members to get them pumped. Cantrell took the time to thank fans who were engaged by flipping a guitar pick to them between songs.

Drummer Sean Kinney took a short break from pummeling his drum kit to joke around with the band and the fans by making a circle with one hand and poking a finger through it with the other to indicate the band was about to play “Down in a Hole.” Kinney in addition to being an amazing drummer, clearly has a sense of humor and finds creative ways to interact with the fans from behind his drum kit.

The evening continued with “We Die Young,” “Got Me Wrong,” and “It Ain’t Like That” before the band took a short break. The encore included some of my favorites with a powerful version of “Rooster,” “No Excuses” and an in your face “Would?” Alice in Chains bid the crowd goodnight; Cantrell, DuVall and Inez tossed out handfuls of guitar picks as Sean Kinney handed out a few drum sticks to select fans he had engaged with throughout the set. Alice in Chains created a memorable night of music from Cantrell’s haunting guitar riffs to DuVall’s perfectly sung harmonies, Inez’s energy and smile intermingled with Kinney’s constant backbeat; these guys know how to get it done.

Set list: Hollow, Them Bones, Dam That River, Again, Check My Brain, Nutshell, Angry Chair, Man in the Box, Your Decision, Down in a Hole, Stone, Last of My Kind, We Die Young, Got Me Wrong, It Ain’t Like That

Encore: Rooster, No Excuses, Would?

July 27, 2016
In Focus: Gregg Allman at Xerox International Jazz Fest

Gregg Allman graced the Xerox International Jazz Fest to kick off the July in Rochester. Gregg’s ability through his music took over the anxiously awaiting fans in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre to a free spirits and a peaceful loving vibe. Fans danced, smiled and let loose as the venues incredible acoustics floated the sweet sounds of each song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vxAQkiPdq4

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist headlined as a main draw to attend the annual festival. People from all over the world attended the community to support all of the bands, including this performance. Music brought people together, enjoying the harmony of the music and with one another.

Take a look at what visuals were captured by NYS Music from the Friday night show.

July 20, 2016
A Sober Saturday Night with Chris Young

Seeing an artist grow musically and gain fame over the years is truly amazing. Experiencing their headlining shows in a club is incredible, but as the sun set and the lights dimmed at the CMAC Amphitheater on July 2, Chris Young walked on that stage gleaming at a sea of his fans. A spectacular moment that induced goosebumps.

Tearing into his song “Underdogs” off of his latest album “I’m Coming Over,” Chris got the crowd going crazy, as his band’s riffs filled the amphitheater. Chris had three microphones set up, one in the middle of the stage and one on each side. This gave him the freedom to play his guitar and walk all around the stage interacting with the fans when he sang “Getting You Home.”

Chris performed more hits such as “Voices” and “Lonely Eyes,” which lead to the realization of how many hits Chris currently has on the radio. In between songs, Chris stopped to thank the audience several times making sure they knew that they were responsible for making his dreams come true.

About mid set Cassadee Pope, who opened for Chris, came out to sing their duet “Think of You.” The chemistry they have together on stage was simply mesmerizing. Chris and Cassadee sang in true duet form by facing each other and feeding off of each other’s energy to make the heartbreak of the song come to life. Once the song was over they embraced each other and Chris said, “Good Lord that girl can sing!”

From Chris’ stage presence, down to the way he interacts with his band members, shows how much he loves being a performer and musician. When Chris paused to thank his fans, he made it a point to introduce his band one at a time, treating the audience to solos.

Seeing Chris being so humble and sharing personal stories, shows that he is a great person as well as an entertainer. Before he performed “Who I Am With You,” Chris shared that he would be singing it at one of his friend’s wedding later this summer. He also shared a memory of having tickets on the lawn at a show with his mother in Murfreesboro, TN, where he grew up. Filling us in on his first gig, which was at a Mexican restaurant in Nashville, his payment was chips and a case of beer.

As the night went on Chris played “Aw Naw,” a ZZ Top cover, of “Sharp Dressed Man,” Keith Whitley’s, “When You Say Nothing At All,” “Neon,” and his latest single “Sober Saturday Night.” Ending the set with “I’m Coming Over,” Chris genuinely thanked his fans for making it his biggest hit that has changed his life forever.

After his touching “good bye”, the audience cheered bringing Chris back out to encore with “Save Water.”

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July 20, 2016
Jason Aldean and Friends Bring Circus to Lakeview Amphitheater

Making their way through New York this summer, the Jason Aldean and friends Six String Circus Tour recently made a stop at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse.

Touring together with newcomers A Thousand Horses, this dynamic band is reminiscent of 70’s southern rock. Putting on an awesome set, they brought a bluesy and rock sound to those who were fortunate enough to get there early enough to see their set. This is definitely a band on the rise, and one you will want to check out next time they come to your area.

Following next was country music’s new favorite Thomas Rhett. Mentioning that this was his third appearance in New York, one thing he noticed was that New Yorker’s like to have a good time. That is correct Thomas, we sure do love our country music, and and with a full set of favorite tunes, a drum off that set the bar high, Thomas delivered the good time we New Yorker’s expect at our shows. Singing his ACM Single Record of the Year, “Die A Happy Man”, Thomas shared he wrote the song for his wife, Lauren, who was at home in Nashville. This dynamic young man has a fun loving personality that comes across in his performances, and the audience definitely joins in the fun.

As the black cloth fell, and the flood lights exploded, Jason made his way down the stairs belting out “Just Gettin’ Started” as he made his way to the primed crowd. Shaking hands and working the stage, fans erupted in noise. Only being allowed to see the first part of the performance, it appeared that the crowd would be in for one heck of a night if this energy continued.

As the summer breeze blew off the lake, and the fireworks exploded across the street at the State Fairgrounds, it was another amazing night that Central New Yorkers welcome amazing acts to the newly constructed Lakeview Amphitheater.

Setlist: Anthem, South Side, Make Me Wanna, Tangled Up / Cake By The Ocean, It Goes Like This, Beer With Jesus, T-Shirt, Die A Happy Man, Get Me Some Of That, Vacation, and Crash and Burn

Setlist: Just Gettin’ Started, Gonna Know We Were Here, Take A Little Ride, When She Says Baby, Night Train, Big Green Tractor, Lights Come On, A Little More Summertime (new single), Tattoos On This Town, Fly Over States, Tonight Looks Good on You, Asphalt Cowboy / Why / The Truth / Don’t You Wanna Stay, The Only Way I Know, 1994, Amarillo Sky, My Kinda Party (Brantley Gilbert cover), She’s Country, Dirt Road Anthem (Brantley Gilbert cover), Hicktown, Burnin’ It Down, and Crazy Town

July 19, 2016
Ameribeat Festival of Art’s 2016: Celebration of American Freedom & Freedom of Expression

Once a year families and friends gather at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, New York to celebrate American freedom. This freedom was celebrated through music, art and dance. The three-day festival was held June 30 – July 3 and people of all ages joined for a beautiful weekend of love and laughter in a community where artistic expression is encouraged.

There were many arts and crafts available for children to take part in, which included painting, jewelry making, origami and much more, while everyone else enjoyed great music.

The festival featured The Heavy Pets, Sophistafunk, Rootshock, Freekbass, Flux Capacitor, and many more incredible artists such as The Primate Fiasco, who did their annual parade around the festival grounds allowing others to join in on the fun. The Ameribeat Orchestra, which includes Sterling family and alumni, one of which was Jack Brown, lead vocalist of Sophistafunk also took the stage, finishing off the set with a line that echoed through the forest, “Some come to chill, some come to rage, may the four winds blow you to Sterling Stage.”

On that note, make sure you make it to Last Daze of Summer, Labor Day weekend September 1-4, the last festival of the 2016 festival season at Sterling Stage featuring Max Creek two times, Ryan Montbleau, Formula 5 and many more to be announced.

Get your tickets here.

July 19, 2016
Trombone Shorty Holds Dance Off on Day 2 of Syracuse Jazz Fest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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July 18, 2016