Category: Features

Attila brings the Chaos Tour to Clifton Park

Attila’s Chris Fronzak said that Attila has been around for 12 years and will be for 100 more.

With their performance from the Chaos Tour On Oct. 20, at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, this can easily be true. Metalcore band Attila packed the venue alongside Chelsea Grin, Emmure and Sylar for a night of raw heavy music.

Openers Sylar from Queens, NY gave a heavy start to the night to let fans know what they were in for. Although the activity from the crowd for their set was minimal, frontman Jayden Panesso didn’t stop building intensity from the audience. The musicians themselves utilized the space on stage to make sure every part of the venue got a taste of their sound.

Following Sylar was the five-piece metalcore band Emmure. As soon as they stepped foot on stage, you could feel the atmosphere in the venue change. Fans were opening circle pits, mosh pits and created such havoc that an ambulance with paramedics came towards the end of their set to help the injured fans.

With fans screaming and moving all over the venue, Emmure was immediately called on stage for an encore after their set despite being the second band on the lineup.

Chelsea Grin, who accidentally set off fire alarms during their set, had one of the most engaging performances of the evening. Vocalist Alex Koehler made sure to get in contact with every fan that crowd surfed to the front and got off stage and against the barricade of the audience twice to share his mic with fans.

With every song performed by Chelsea Grin, the intensity in the venue became stronger and stronger. More fans were acting out and jumping on top of other fans to sing lyrics with Koehler. With fans filled with excitement, headliners Attila came on stage to end the night with what would leave fans in awe.

Although some find Attila’s lyrics distasteful, Attila came out performing “Public Apology,” a single from their new album Chaos, out Nov. 4, to set the pace for their show. Front man Fronzak immediately wanted to show fans what Attila are about by making it clear he had no care in the world about what happened during their show.

“There are no rules at an Attila concert,” said Fronzak.

Whether you like Attila’s music or not, it is impossible to deny their absolute love for their fan base. Fronzak immediately went out of his way to make every fan feel special by utilizing the space of the entire stage. Fronzak was sharing the mic with fans and promoting activity by inviting every fan to crowd surf to the front and give him a high five.

Trying to excite fans, Attila left the stage momentarily only to come back moments later with Fronzak shooting fog from a fog gun across the audience.

Besides the band’s incredible fan interaction, they had stellar stage performance to complement it. The general performance by everyone in Attila was entertaining. You could tell every musician was loving what they were performing and only became more excited by seeing the reactions from their fans.

Out of most of the bands in the metalcore scene, Attila stand out as going above and beyond to show how much they love the fans of their music.

Following the trend of making fans feel important, Fronzak made a fan’s dream come true of singing on stage with Attila. Before performing their popular song “Payback,” Fronzak called for the best metal vocalist in the audience to come on stage. Becoming what he called “tryouts for Attila,” three men took the stage to compete to perform “Payback” on stage.

With the crowd cheering for their favorite vocalist, a fan got to live out his dream of performing, “Payback” in full, with his favorite band.

To appeal to his fans, Fronzak made clear the messages in his music. “We never claimed to be perfect. We know we’re f-ck up’s, that’s why we make music about it.”

Smiles stretched across the faces of fans of all ages who came out to rage with Attila. With the amount of fan interaction, it was impossible for any fan to leave the venue without feeling like an important part of the Chaos Tour.

With this type of attitude and energy for their live performances, it is easy to say Attila will have many years of tours ahead of them. If you are looking for a night of heavy music with a feeling of exuberance, make sure not to miss the Chaos Tour.

October 26, 2016
Beaucoup Blue Provides the Elixir

Elixir /ih-lik-ser/ noun – a panacea; cure-all; sovereign remedy

Elixir is also the title of the soon to be released CD by Beaucoup Blue featuring a cover photograph of an antique elixir bottle from their hometown of Philadelphia. The father and son duo of David and Adrian Mowry, known as Beaucoup Blue, performed October 21^st at the Nelson Odeon in Nelson, New York. Their repertoire covered familiar themes of trains, tramps, trouble, troubadours, true love gone wrong, and truth as they see it. David, the elder of the duo, switched often between what appeared to be a vintage Guild guitar and a gorgeous Dobro resonator. Mixing slide guitar with a finger-picking style, thumb-strumming, and percussive gestures, he wrangled an impressive range of sounds from his instruments. He and his son Adrian traded lead vocals on songs that each, respectively, wrote with Adrian adding rhythm guitar and melodic flourishes on David’s songs.

Highlights of their own pieces were “Rounder,” “Hurry Down My Holley,” and “Lonely at the Top.” Particularly noteworthy was hearing how their selections of cover tunes were both respectful to the original songs and revised just enough to be their own enjoyable versions. These included Charlie Poole’s “If the River Was Whiskey (Hesitation Blues),” Tampa Red’s “It Hurts Me Too,” their closing song, “Rainy Night in Georgia,” written by Tony Joe White, and the encore, Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train.” They have an easy rapport with each other and their audience. Listeners were engaged throughout the night’s two sets lasting two hours, ten minutes. Beaucoup Blue reminded the audience that music can indeed be an elixir. Merci, Beaucoup.

A journey to the Nelson Odeon to hear live music is not only a treat for the ears but an eye-opener as well in learning how a distinctly different performance space operates. Owners Jeff and Linda Schoenfeld are now in their seventh year operating the former Grange Hall. It is a small, comfortable venue with a capacity of perhaps one hundred fifty. Wood floors, walls and ceiling provide a rich warm sound, managed superbly well by Ralph Meitz, the sound engineer. Ralph and the performers are the only people who are paid. A team of volunteers takes tickets, arranges seating, and manages a small concession area offering soft drinks, baked goods, coffee and tea. Artists and fans meet, mingle, and chat before and between sets and following the evening’s performance. The Schoenfelds have cultivated a loyal group of supporters by presenting a diverse array of acts that might be less well known, but are certainly not lesser talent than might appear elsewhere. They do so by having a relaxed atmosphere with few rules, treating everyone nicely, and doing all they can for the performers, including housing them in their home down the street and providing home cooked meals. These gestures are greatly appreciated by road-weary musicians used to long miles, cookie cutter hotel rooms, and scrambling to grab something to eat and head to the next show. It is a formula that has allowed the Schoenfelds to pay the bills and keep both patrons and performers happy and looking forward to returning. Central New York music fans should check the Nelson Odeon schedule and make it a point to attend a show or two.

October 26, 2016
AC/DC Brings a New Flavor to First Niagara Center

AC/DC finally made their appearance on Sunday, September 22 at First Niagara Center after an extended delay because of the departure of longtime lead singer Brian Johnson. They performed a lengthy list of fan favorites. Guns N` Roses’ Axl Rose had taken Brian’s place and the reviews were mixed from fans.

Axl treated the arena to a remarkable performance, vocally that is. He seemed to find a perfect harmony between his style and the original singers. Rose had a couple moves like his signature sway dance to make it his own as well. Rose did not dominate the show which was feared; he rather fit into the band like a missing puzzle piece.

AC/DC really isn’t AC/DC at this point. The only original member is Angus who was really the star of the show, with his signature moves and energy, going from side to side of the stage and skipping out onto the runway with his childlike charm. He has the uncanny ability to work the crowd. Chris Slade replaced Phil Rudd and Malcom was replaced by Stevie Young. They added a new sound to the band but most people who new the original lineup just weren’t having it.

Like always AC/DC pulled out tricks left and right in regards to special effects, including a giant blow up doll making sexual gestures during “Whole Lotta Rosie,” a giant bell lowering from the rafters for “Hells Bells” and a line of cannons during “For Those About to Rock.”

The crowd was scattered with an array of flashing red horns that were printed with AC/DC on them. Some people were leaving the venue either by escort or the occasional police car. AC/DC has had plenty of mishaps but still manages to deliver their own brand of rock. Granted Axl killed it vocally all night and made quite the impression; the star of the night was Angus and will always be. He still carries the school boy image after all these decades and will forever remain the face of AC/DC.

October 25, 2016
Schenectady Gets Weird

“Weird” Al Yankovic brought his Mandatory Fun tour into a packed Proctors Theatre on Saturday September 17. Weird Al has toured since the 1980’s and this is the first time he had ever performed in Schenectady and he did not disappoint.

The crowd was alive and buzzing with anticipation before the show. Many in the audience wore different costumes that represented different stages of Al’s career. From the Devo inspired one piece suits to full on Amish clothes, the atmosphere combined a concert and Comic-Con.

The show started with a video intro and went into Al walking through the concourse while singing the opening number “Tacky” walking through the crowd to the stage. The show continued for the next two plus hours with Al and his band performing at 100 miles an hour rolling through thirty years of hit songs. The show itself featured video clips and more costume changes than a Vegas drag queen show.

One of the more unique points in the show was an “Unplugged” session where he performed a variety of songs in the classic “MTV Unplugged” setting of him and his band sitting on stools surrounded by candles while acoustically playing songs including “Eat It.”

He ended the show by bringing storm troopers, Darth Vader and R2-D2 on stage while he performed his Star Wars inspired hits “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda.” For a band that has been out on the road performing for over 30 years, I would dare to say they would give any “young” band a real run for their money.

Setlist: Intro (Fun Zone / Intro Clips), Tacky, Lame Claim to Fame, Now That’s What I Call Polka! (Wrecking Ball/Pumped Up Kicks/Best Song Ever/Gangnam Style/Call Me Maybe/Scream & Shout/Somebody that I used to know/The One You Won’t Forget/I’m Sexy & I Know It/Thrift Shop/Get Lucky), Perform This Way, Dare to Be Stupid, Fat, First World Problems, Foil, Smells Like Nirvana, Party in the CIA / It’s All About the Pentiums / Handy / Bedrock Anthem / Another One Rides the Bus / Ode to a Superhero / Gump / Inactive / eBay, Canadian Idiot, Wanna B Ur Lovr, Eat It / I Lost on Jeopardy / I Love Rocky Road / Like a Surgeon (TV Shows / Rock & Roll Jeopardy), White & Nerdy, Word Crimes, Amish Paradise

Encore: Cheer / Piano Solo, We All Have Cell Phones, The Saga Begins, Yoda (with Yoda Chant)

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October 24, 2016
Hearing Aide: Balsam Range, “Mountain Voodoo”

Nestled between the Great Smokies, where the Blue Ridge unites, life is hard but comforting like a cool mountain evening. It is there you will find Balsam Range. Their sixth album, Mountain Voodoo, is nothing short of an award winning bluegrass homage. Boasting Grammy veterans and an honorary Doctorate among this group, the album leaves you with a taste of life in each of the 13 tracks.

“Blue Collar Dreams” showcases everything that is bluegrass. Hard driving rhythms, mesmerizing vocal harmonies, enthralling banjo and a fiddle nicely finishes off this testament to a great American roots genre.

If you’re looking for a bluegrass anthem, look no further than “Rise and Shine.” This song bursts with a ray of hope and positivity. You will not find simple vocal harmonization here, but instead sweet runs of acoustics, entwined in harmonies that offer a breath of optimism. “Don’t Walk Away” transports you through emotion and gives a glimpse through long vocal runs that we expect and find so comforting about bluegrass music.

Balsam Range’s “Mountain Voodoo” is set to release on November 11^th and if a trip through life in the Blue Ridge is what you’re seeking, let them take you.

Key Tracks: Blue Collar Dreams, Rise and Shine, Don’t Walk Away

October 24, 2016
James Brown Band Lives Again!

Sunday night at The Warehouse at FTC was filled with nothing but surprises. Everything was so pleasantly unexpected and it made seeing the band James Brown Dance Party a true spectacle to behold. The supergroup absolutely rocked the Fairfield, Connecticut venue and the few people there were all equally blown away by the talent of everyone on stage. It’s hard to understand why more people didn’t show. Perhaps it was a Sunday night party, or high ticket prices, but hopefully this review will convince James Brown fans to make time to see these guys where ever and whenever they go.

Supergroups have the potential to yield some impressive pieces of music with names like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Cream, Bad Company and others making a pretty big name for themselves. The James Brown Dance Party has that same potential, if they were to ever go on and create some original tracks. There was such a strong sense of camaraderie between the musicians mainly among the horn line, which is the exact recipe needed to create some true works of art.

The classic King of Soul covers they played were executed perfectly. They pretty much played each cover verbatim but they really began to shine when they broke off to solos and started to have some fun. Again, the energy of the group was radiating from the horn line with guitarist Matthew Chase (The Chase Brothers) bassist Chris Sherman (Bootsy Collins) and drummer Adam Chase (Jazz is PHISH) lying dormant throughout the performance, as well as lead singer Elise Testone (American Idol). Trombonist Adam Dotson (Rubble Bucket), Trumpeter Carter Yasutake (LCD Soundsystem), and saxophonist Morgan Price (Charles Bradley) were the focus of the show from the get go when they played an instrumental version of “People Get Up” and “Drive Your Funky Soul.” Everyone in the horn line seemed to give it their all while most of them were already profusely sweating and blowing their horns all up and down the scales during their solo time. It seemed like there was a bit of friendly competition between the trio brassmen, and it helped them push their skills just a bit further, as they were each representing their own band. Of course, there was never any signs of hatred towards one another, but it was pretty obvious they were trying to one-up the person that soloed before them.

They played two sets that lasted a little almost two hours playing the tracks, “Get Up Off of That Thing,” “Get On Up,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and so many more. Each one was unique thanks to the horn line while still holding the sound of the original song outside of the solos. They were all just as tight, funky and energetic as the original group and aside from Testone, the group all together sounded eerily close to the original recordings the covered. Their second set consisted of “The Boss,” “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” and “Cold Sweat” and others to cap off the night with the audience going wild after every song.

This will not be last time the group will be in the Connecticut and New York area, but odds are the line-up will be completely rearranged, making each performance unique. Check out their website and Facebook page for information on shows and line-ups.

October 23, 2016
Hearing Aide: Ali Carter “Songs of Longing”

Ali Carter, singer and songwriter originally from Sydney, Australia has relocated to Brooklyn with the hope of making a name for herself in the music industry. With the release of her debut album earlier this year entitled Songs of Longing, Ali is ready to bring her music to the American music scene.

Growing up in a household filled with music, Ali was exposed to a wide range of genres of music from an early age. She describes her style of music as soulful, containing some aspects of folk music as well. Her twelve-track debut record embodies both those styles and more, being classified as an indie pop and jazz album. Songs of Longing is a multifaceted work on which Ali contributes both vocals and instrumentals.

Ali’s unique sound is created by the combination of her dynamic voice and ukulele-driven songs. Her use of the ukulele, traditionally a folk instrument, on an indie pop and jazz album is an original creative twist. Other artists have had success incorporating non-traditional instruments in their performances such as Ian Anderson’s use of the flute in rock music. Her personal and poetic lyrics are further supported by her three-man band and showcased on every song on her album.

It’s always refreshing to discover an artist like Ali Carter with a passion to create sincere and pure music. Songs of Longing is a cohesive work whose overall unique sound and mellow temperament will leave your ears wanting to hear more.

Key Tracks: My Heart’s in Union Square, Sex and Cigarettes, Open to You

October 21, 2016
Don’t Miss Saturday’s Jam Packed ‘Brooklyn Comes Alive’

On October 22, the musical jam spirit in New York will be at its height when the sold-out Brooklyn Comes Alive festival comes to three venues in the heart of Williamsburg. This one-day event features a veritable who’s who spanning the jam band, funk and electronic scenes

Members of The Disco Biscuits, Medeski, Martin & Wood, The String Cheese Incident, Lettuce, Break Science, Greyboy Allstars, Mike Gordon Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Soulive and the Trey Anastasio Band are just a few of the more than 50 artists slated to perform.

This event promises to feature performances from hand-selected super groups, impromptu jam sessions, and very rare collaborations, kicking off with brunch and running well into the depths of the evening. The venues that will host this monstrosity also happen to be Brooklyn’s most popular venues – Brooklyn Bowl, The Hall at MP, and Music Hall of Williamsburg, which are all conveniently within a 10-minute walking distance from each other.

With the festivities kicking off at noon at The Hall at MP, brunch will be hosted inside at the MP Taverna, featuring an amazing dining experience from Michelin Star chef Michael Psilakis. For those that are worried about missing out on some of the action while fueling up, live audio will be pumped into the dining room to keep the grooves going.

Also featured are members from groups such as The Knux, Ne-Yo, Snarky Puppy, RAQ, Nth Power, Stanton Moore Trio, Kung Fu, Primus, Dopapod, Garaj Mahal, Dub Trio, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes, The Stepkids, Deep Banana Blackout, Matisyahu, Organ Freeman, and Santana. In addition to the collaboration of band members from different groups, established solo artists will be making an appearance including Samora Pinderhughes, Raul Pineda, Farnell Newton, Chauncey Yearwood, Ian McGuire, Wiley Griffin, Luke Bemand and Dan Lyons.

Holly Bowling, the solo pianist who takes Phish and Grateful Dead classic jams and transcribes them arranged for piano, will open the festivities just after noon at The Hall MP of Brooklyn. Highlights include the All Brothers Band — featuring Oteil and Kofi Burbridge, and Neal and Alan Evans — Tim Palmieri and Friends, DRKWAV, which features John Medeski, Adam Deitch and Skerik, and Horizon Wireless.

Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven is a new group that takes inspiration from Ludwig Van Beethoven, and has arranged some of his classic pieces for a rock group. This is one of the must see acts of the festival. The Rhythmatronix, featuring Jason Hann, Oteil Burbridge and Sting and Garage Mahal guitarist Fareed Haque, are the late-night group at The MP. This is just a small smattering of the incredible lineup put together by Live 4 Live Music.

A few hours after brunch is concluded, Brooklyn Bowl and Music Hall of Williamsburg will open and will stay open throughout the night.

Full List of Performers:
Joe Russo (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead/Furthur/Benevento-Russo Duo)
Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers/Dead & Company)
Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits)
Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits)
John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood)
Borahm Lee (Break Science)
Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band)
James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band)
Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy)
Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead)
Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band)
Alan Evans (Soulive)
Neal Evans (Soulive)
Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce)
Jesus Coomes (Lettuce)
Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce)
Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce)
Roosevelt Collier
Michael League (Snarky Puppy)
Skerik
Todd Stoops (RAQ)
Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy)
Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power)
Nick Cassarino (The Nth Power)
Nate Edgar (The Nth Power)
Courtney J’Mell Smith (The Nth Power)
Manic Focus
Will Bernard (Stanton Moore Trio)
Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu)
Jay Lane (Primus/Electric Beethoven)
Rob Compa (Dopapod)
Eli Winderman (Dopapod)
Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu)
Holly Bowling
Rob Marscher (Matisyahu)
Brasstracks
Fareed Haque (Garaj Mahal)
Cochrane McMillan (Tea Leaf Green)
Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule/The Black Crowes)
Eric Slick (Dr. Dog)
Dan Edinburg (The Stepkids)
Jen Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout)
Johnny Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout)
Jason Hann (The String Cheese Incident)
Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Break Science)
Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars/Mike Gordon)
Reed Mathis (Electric Beethoven)
Rob Somerville (Kung Fu)
Benny Rietveld (Santana)
Jake Sherman
Raul Pineda
Farnell Newton
Danny Sadownick

October 19, 2016
Hearing Aide: Communist Daughter ‘The Cracks that Built the Wall’

It’s a pretty phenomenal album, but only when there is a fairly deep understanding and sympathy for who wrote this and why he did. A naive listener would view this album as just another “hipster” sound with spacey vocals, an indie sound with touches of punk rock. And they wouldn’t be wrong, but the album represents so much more than that.

The protagonist of the story is Johnny Solomon and the tale of his musical career started with his first band, Friends Like These, which was allegedly widely recognized, but was short lived as well as his marriage, thanks to substance abuse and mental health issues that landed him behind bars for sometime.

Needless to say it was a low point in his life and he wanted to push forward and moved to Prescott Wisconsin hoping to escape his demons with the assumption his musical career was over. He found that song writing was the coping mechanism he needed, but little did he know that he would have created some true masterpieces. Friends and colleagues came to help record what Solomon thought would be his eulogy, and before they knew it Communist Daughter was born. The band launched off, and during all of the success, Solomon leaves for a rehab one more time to be as clear eyed as possible for the release of the band’s debut album, Soundtrack to the End in 2010, an EP Lions and Lambs in 2012 and now, their sophomore album, The Cracks That Built the Wall releasing October 21.

This new album is very personal, very indie and very well done. The production value is immaculate and their sound, although very familiar, is strong and empowering.

This big euphoric sound is the most prominent in the first track, “Hold Back”. Like most of these songs, the tone is major and uplifting, but the musicianship is rock based, which tends to have a minor tone to it. That defining characteristic of indie music coupled with what is unmistakably punk or rock undertones, will result in an ethereal tone that is given power and force which can be synonymous with a feeling of freeing oneself of a physical/ mental hardship or point in life, like what Solomon endured. The album has so much more meaning when the muse of it is fully understood and it’s especially true with this collection.

Other tracks have the same effect, with some being a bit more dainty than others, like “Strange” with Solomon’s wife, Molly, taking the lead vocals in the track. Her voice is breathy and angelic, with some aid from sound effects and echo, but nonetheless makes this track more ballad-like but still not necessarily depressing, but definitely more uplifting.

Other tracks “Beach Stalker” and “The Dealer” are harder variations that definitely stick out in the album more than some of the softer tracks. They feel like they have more effort put into the production and songwriting especially when it comes to the direction of the songs. The ones mentioned later are omnidirectional and unpredictable at first listen. The ballads on the other hand can be a bit dreary and lackluster. Arguably, this is album is a representation of his Solomon’s life, which undoubtedly had it’s many, many ups and downs.

Overall, this album will definitely help launch Communist Daughter into more music scenes, with production value and pedigree being a catalyst. Indie bands are widely abundant and loved these days, which is ironic within itself, but nonetheless will help these very talented musicians make waves in the indie music scene.

Key Tracks: Hold Back, Beach Stalker, The Dealer

October 19, 2016
Tea Leaf Green Makes The Crowd Scream

‘Twas a night of dim lit eye candy and musicality, where Stop Light Observations opened up the evening ahead of Tea Leaf Green at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, October 15, like a fresh can of soda pop. SLO, a southern-retro-electro-rock band, holds an intricate blend of influences, some of which include revival, folk, Motown, and indie. Groups like this one build a strong bond over the years, having been formed in their teens.

The members entered and dropped their little pup on the stage, being their biggest groupie. Fans obsessed over the charming pooch as his friendliness filled the atmosphere and matched the cool vibes of the performance.

The crowd was getting rowdy, for Tea Leaf Green was due to perform next and blow the audience away. Alas, the musicians played a mean set at this fine tea party; Josh Clark sparked the floor with his guitar and powerful vocals, Trevor Garrod made love to the keyboard and killed it with the harmonica adding some vocals as well. Eric DiBerardino made the crowd bounce with his bass. Lastly, Cochrane McMillan and Scott Rager beat the drums to match the rhythm of the fan’s heartbeats.

They played moving songs throughout the night, some of which included “Sleep Paralysis,” “Red Ribbons,” “Germanating,” “Bouncing Betty,” “Let us Go,” and ended the night with “Incandescent Devil.” Each song had its own bit of flare with an emotional build up and release, including a bit of rock, jam, and hypnotic beats.

TLG stems from the heart of the Golden State in San Francisco; these talented individuals pour love and dedication into their stellar performance, with an array of overlapping vocals. Each artist fused a piece of their soul into each album, which ultimately created an intriguing mix of sounds; if only I could spread this kind of jam onto my toast.

October 19, 2016