Category: Features

Hearing Aide: Jerry Joseph ‘By the Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars’

Jerry Joseph is an American indie rock icon. Playing guitar professionally from an early age, he’s never been uncomfortable expressing exactly how he feels through his music and lyrics. It comes as no surprise then, that his newest offering, By the Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars, sees a meaningful development much in the same direction as his last self-titled LP, released in 2013.

Ten new tracks, including one previously released single “Fog of War,” culminate in an album that appeases long time listeners while sporting a flavor that cultivates new fans.

Joseph’s minimalist sound manages to cut through today’s overly complex musical landscape. His alternative influences are clear on this album especially, sounding a bit like Elvis Costello meets Leonard Cohen. The lyrics throughout are really more like poetry or prose, touching on subjects such as the environment, friendship, and mortality. The album’s title comes from a sobering conversation that Joseph had with his son, who reminded him that even if humans do manage to land on Mars, Joseph and his generation very well may not be around to see it. The title track, “Mars”, has a somber overtone that represents the general message of the album quite well.

This isn’t to say there aren’t some upbeat head-bobbers in there as well. “Light of Stone” and “Brother#1” both have a delightfully bluesy tinge to them. The song arrangement certainly makes By the Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars an interesting listen from front to back, providing inspiring peaks and (more often) lugubrious valleys throughout.

With tour dates set in June with his band the Jackmormons, Jerry Joseph continues his legacy of true rock and roll grit. By the Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars is an absolute must-own for fans of the man and the genre.

Key tracks: Mars, Brother#1, Fog of War

May 9, 2016
Albany’s Move Redefines Music Festivals

Close your eyes and picture the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “music festival.” It’s a safe bet that you’re picturing an outdoor stage, maybe a few. Maybe there’s an accompanying camping area with tents as far as the eye can see. And there’s definitely food and merchant vendors lining the parameter of the grounds. Now erase those images from your mind, because the Move Music Festival in Albany, NY is nothing like this.

Yes, the fifth annual festival held April 22 – 24 featured 100 artists in myriad genres ranging from bluegrass to funk and on to reggae. But with 10 venues in locations across “SmAlbany,” ticket holders have free range in the city with the added comfort of knowing they have their own bed to look forward to at the end of the night.

Bands included The Arkells, Food Will Win the War, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, New Madrid, Roots of Creation, The Big Takeover, Hard Soul, The Titanics, Eastbound Jesus, The Parlor, Mirk and tons more.

While some venues did feature outdoor stages under tents, the majority of acts at this Indian ledge Music Group production made home to indoor stages at small to moderate sized bars.

More than live music performances, Move not only gives exposure to regional talent but it provides musicians with insight on how to conduct their careers in today’s independent music scene. In addition to live performances, artist are able to participate in interactive panels with industry professionals to help with the development, management and progression of their music careers.

With so many acts and venues, the Move Music Festival is best experienced firsthand, but below you can re-visit some of the acts that rocked Albany in April.

May 8, 2016
Tight Reggae Riffs At The Tralf With Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

In what’s become an almost annual event now, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (GPGDS) passed through the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on April 16th.

Level 7 started the night off playing some funk by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, as well as other classic funk and hip hop. Their lyricist had a good stage presence, and got the early crowd into it. He also sat in with GPGDS for a song during their 2nd set. GPGDS makes such mellow, happy and easy going music. It’s the type of sound that a fan of any genre of music can get into and enjoy. That Saturday night at The Tralf was no different; as soon as they hit the stage the crowd started moving. They put on a great show for the hometown crowd that night. Their tour continued on afterwards but they expressed a few times how good it was to be back home for the night.

Overall, it was a great night of music. Panda kept their momentum rolling in between sets. They hit the stage for their second set and started right where they left off as they brought The Tralf alive that night. No complaints from my end. How can you complain when you get 2 live sets of a riveting act like GPGDS for less than the price of a tank of gas?

May 6, 2016
Dream Theater Presents ‘The Astonishing’ At Radio City Music Hall

Not too far off Broadway a production hit Radio City Music Hall. Was it a concert? A theatrical production? Yes. A homecoming show for most of the band members, Dream Theater ‘The Astonishing’ tour made a stop at the famed concert hall – a well-fitting venue for this show in particular.

The band veered off their beaten path to try something a little different while delivering the progressive metal sound they helped define. This tour caught some fans off guard at first, disappointed some who had set their own expectations in advance, and grabbed the attention of the rest.

Dream Theater presented their epic rebuttal to Rush’s 2112 and distant cousin of Queensrÿche’s Operation: Mindcrime, The Astonishing, in its entirety. The album was recently released on January 29, making it very fresh with some time still needed to take in the 130-minute long monster. Regardless, a start-to-finish live presentation was quite fitting for a tour in support of the album’s release.

The show had plenty of the staples of a Dream Theater performance: Petrucci carrying out his psycho exercises on guitar, Mangini’s big drum sound, and Rudess’ busy keyboard lines. Given the presentation of the music the show was very scripted and the focus was split on following the story behind the music. Those looking for the typical Dream Theater experience may have found a slice of it but will have to wait until the next tour. They stuck to their guns with presenting just The Astonishing, with no encore of other material.

The story behind The Astonishing is set in a futuristic version of the United States where music is made entirely by machines (NOMACs). Its plot follows the good guys (Ravenskill Rebel Militia) as they try to overthrow the bad guys (Great Northern Empire of the Americas). The progression of the story is told as the songs weave between ballads and Dream Theater’s trademark sound. The album version is fully orchestrated beyond just the five-piece band, something that was perfectly transposed to the stage through live programming.

The live presentation of the story of The Astonishing was well executed. It maintained a balance between concert and theatrics, weighted more heavily toward the concert component. The projections accompanied the music and helped convey the songs rather than taking a place at the forefront of the show. Maintaining the futuristic dystopian appeal the show occasionally felt like a walk-through of the video game Portal. For those who have no idea what that is, let’s leave it that the show had a rather technological feel to it.

Though it was a different show than the typical for Dream Theater, it was an interesting change of pace to have a combination of music and story. Going into the show without a thorough understanding of the story and the right mindset was a slight distraction from the music. Despite this, Dream Theater’s performance of The Astonishing was well thought-out and seeing it a second time would make it more enjoyable than it already was.

May 6, 2016
An Interview with the Gifted Kofi Burbridge

It’s not often a band picks out Buffalo, NY in their list of tour dates to set up shop for a two-night run. This weekend though, Tedeschi Trucks Band with longtime keyboardist/flutist Kofi Burbridge will be playing Saturday and Sunday (Mat 7 and 8) at The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo.

The band released their latest album, Let Me Get By, earlier this year to strong reviews and will certainly be drawing up that and other deep cuts for an exploratory two nights in the Queen City.

While the group is fronted and named after the marital pair and supremely talented Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, the talent runs deep in the group. Kofi Burbridge and Derek’s former band the Derek Trucks Band is someone long deserving of a little limelight. We got the chance to sit down and hear about Kofi’s story and how that folds into the band’s upcoming stint.

NYS Music: What instruments do you play and what fueled your passion?

Kofi Burbridge: Flute and keyboards are primary. That’s what I make my living on, but I came up attempting to play a lot of other instruments – the bass being one of them. Oteil and I actually explored a series of instruments. We got lucky because we had a set of parents who saw that we were interested. Like any responsible pair, they made us get our work done first and then we could play. It showed them though that we were really passionate about getting into music, so they invested in lessons and things like that. We had the benefit of my dad’s extensive record collection as well. He’s not a musician per se, but an extreme connoisseur of music. We had this treasure waiting for us, not knowing it was treasure waiting for us.

NYS Music: When coming up and going to school in Atlanta, you wrote “Kam-Ma-Lay”, which later became a Derek Trucks Band song for the group’s third album, Joyful Noise, in 2002. What was it like seeing that come to life after being shelved for a while?

KB: It was a resurgence I would say. We (the band) were in a situation where we needed tunes and everyone was scrambling and bringing what they had to the table. I had been listening to Derek and the band for some time and knew Yonrico from working with him ten years prior to DtB. By the time I heard the band, they had this flavor that was really cool – lots of different genres. They obviously had the southern rock thing, but with straight ahead jazz and some Latin flavor as well. I felt “Kam-Ma-Lay” might be a good one for this particular recording. That was a big time fun tune to do and everyone got really into it. I had the sections of the tune and Derek put the melody on top.

NYS Music: You mentioned Yonrico Scott (former DtB drummer), what was it like working with him?

KB: He brings a positive force to the space every time. That was his aim and he’s always bringing joy – and I use that word specifically to describe his style. He also really likes to nail his stuff down. He is so much fun to play with and fires up the whole band. It’s like you’re going to a party when you’re playing with him and the cat’s always got pocket.

NYS Music: Todd Smallie is no slouch either right?

KB: Well, you know, he was one of the first ones I noticed in the band. I mean they were all throwing down big time, but I was like, “check this bass player out – moving that thing all over the place to these tunes.” He’s part of pioneering that whole style. He was one of the people who showed you could approach the bass the same way you could approach the guitar. It’s a fret board, you know? It really opened up the approach on bass – so yeah, when I saw Todd I told Oteil he had to see him.

NSY Music: What’s the biggest difference between what the Derek Trucks Band was doing and what Tedeschi Trucks Band is doing now?

KB: It’s hard to say. There are more people in TTB, so we’re featuring moments at a different pace. You only have so much time to say the things you want to say. Couple that with more of a song environment with Susan’s interactions and what she brings to the show and we also have the horn section which adds a completely different tonality and allows for different styles. There’s a whole lot more to bring in comparison to DtB, but I would say DtB had way more freedom in terms of moments to improv. I remember Derek throwing solos all around. There was a point I remember Derek saying, jokingly, “Hey man I’m getting tired of soloing so much.” All along the way, Derek has wanted to up his game and I think that’s what he’s trying to show now at this stage in his development. He really is a fantastic band leader and lets you play what you want to play if it’s appropriate for what he’s going for. I’ve never had this much creative freedom with any band. It’s the most I’ve been able to open up in any band situation, especially in one like this with so many people.

NYS Music: What can fans expect with the first two-night run of Tedeschi Trucks Band in Buffalo?

KB: Whenever we do get two nights, it’s a lot of fun. We get the chance to play a show, get into the city some more, and come back to another show. One of the trickiest things for a bandleader is to feature so many elements within one night. We can really stretch out over two and go deeper.

NYS Music: So tell us more about this Brothers project with your brother Oteil, and Neal and Alan Evans.

KB: Yeah, we’re really excited about that as well. Alan, Neal and Oteil were on the Jam Cruise and they must have had a ball because all of a sudden Al got the feeling and said we have to do this. Personally, I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage my time on and off the road. I had to put my foot down on myself and get busy while I’m off the road. Right after I came off this last run with TTB in Australia and Japan, I flew up to Al’s studio in Massachusetts. We had two good days and came up with four tracks. It was much needed and I’m so glad we kicked it off. I can’t wait for the finish. Hopefully there will be some shows, but I’m not sure that’s on the burners just yet.

NYS Music: What is the feel of the recording?

KB: Definitely some heavy funk to it, but like I said it’s still in the oven. I’m 100% sure it’s going to be everything that we want and a great kickoff for us. There were lots of ideas being thrown on the table and it was just fantastic.

NYS Music: Is there a release timeline yet?

KB: It’s hard for me to say. I think Al actually has a better answer for that than me since he’s handling the logistics of it.

NYS Music: What other projects do you have going on?

KB: I’m working on a personal project myself and trying to get in the studio to get something done this year and released in 2017. That’s really important to me right now. It’s another bigger project on my burner right now and will cover flute and keys. It will probably be more of a writing project, but hard to say since I’m still putting a lot of the pieces together. It will definitely include a lot of people that I currently work with.

NYS Music: Ending on a topical note, what are your thoughts on Prince’s passing and how did his music and the recent events impact you?

KB: He was definitely a part of my generation. He was 57 and I’m 54, so it definitely touches home on just a basic human level. There have been so many people at this age passing, not just musicians but friends as well. It’s kind of a major wake-up call at the moment since it was so unexpected. It’s a very scary thing.

When I went to his show just a few years back, it was the first time I had ever seen him. I had been waiting to hear all of my favorites like “Little Red Corvette” and some other older ones. I had no idea what I was about to see since Prince had gone through so many incarnations and bands. I mean, the man had so much music. I thought it was probably going to be everything, and it was truly all of that. It was an excellent show. He came out sparkling; I mean the dude was way past ten! He loved the fact that he was performing. That was the biggest thing that I got out of the show. He was happy to be on stage and to be performing the music. It really fired him up. It fired up the entire audience and everyone was into it. What really blew my mind, and was the major icing on the cake, was that he remained there after the show and continued to play on the piano! You could just hang if you wanted. I’m like, this man has storage. He has terabytes of music. It was amazing! It’s serious love.

May 4, 2016
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!

May 3, 2016
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

Gilmour’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.

Before 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.

Joining 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

May 3, 2016
In Focus: The New Mastersounds and Moon Hooch, Higher Ground

The New Mastersounds and Moon Hooch layed out their deep and funky grooves for the crowded Burlington scene, at Higher Ground Ballroom on April 22nd. TNMS consists of Simon Allen on drums, Eddie Roberts on guitar, Pete Shand on bass and Joe Tatton on keys.

Moon Hooch opened up the night, riling up the crowd with their wild stirring of energy-their presence far exceeding any opener I’ve ever seen. Wenzl McGowen played what seemed to be a non-stop flow of contrabass clarinet, as well as baritone saxophone-along with Mike Wilbur on tenor saxophone and clarinet-dueling at points, as they are known to do. James Muschler on drums, maintained a strong presence throughout the entire show, steadily anchoring the rhythm. At one point he made his way to the corner of the drum-kit stage, to sit and play a very special and beautiful set of bongos. Just when no one was expecting it, Wilbur began belting out lyrics that were enough to shake the ground-the sentiments were shedding light on the truth of current political and environmental issues.

They took over the stage, by the end leaving the crowd wondering if they were the main act. These guys have been building momentum for some time now, and seem to be focusing their energy towards a conscious revolution through their music. Not only do they put on a show that will leave you wanting for more, but they also share their philosophical beliefs, as well as sustainable cooking advice (“Cooking in the Cave”, see their website). If you haven’t experienced Moon Hooch yet, they are one that you absolutely do not want to miss if you get the chance-it’s sure to be a unique and mind-opening experience. In reference to their sound:

“Listening to this music, it’s easy to become emotionally invested….the emotional impact on both the musicians and their fans is visceral and undeniable.” –www.moonhooch.com

Once Moon Hooch finished the transition of the atmosphere from their incredible performance, to the anticipation of The New Mastersounds taking the stage, was quite clear. The energy was so strong, I could feel it pulsating in the air.

Starting off on a high note, these four kept the crowds energy rising with their sound, forming a wave of dancing fans from the beginning of the show until the close of the evening. They played with ease, collectively moving in and out from one soulful tune to the next. The vibe they created was effortlessly smooth, funky and rhythmic. Halfway through, Shand dropped a bass-line with a reggae feel to it, with Roberts following it to transform it into a funky flow, transitioning back and forth. It was at this point that Allen really started wailing on his drums, in turn pushing Tatton to speed it up-to then slow it back down to the rock-steady feel. Through this weaving of complex movement, it was obvious to see that these guys have a chemistry that reverberates through their entire composition as a group.

You’ll find them playing shows all over the U.S. this year-from the south, to the west coast, and as far as Japan. They’ll be making a few stops in N.Y. towards the close of May and the early part of June, and popping up at well known festivals this coming summer such as Summer Camp Music Festival: Chillicothe, IL, Mountain Jam 2016: Hunter Mountain, NY, and Electric Forest: Rothbury, MI, just to name a few.

A little tidbit about their style:

“From their inception nearly two decades ago in Leeds, UK, The New Mastersounds have wholeheartedly embraced the “old school” label—their sound rooted deeply in those classic soul jazz, boogaloo and funk albums on labels such as Blue Note and Prestige by artists like Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff and Lou Donaldson. The New Mastersounds’ latest LP, The Nashville Session, takes that devotion one step further by recording in the same tradition that many of those rare groove gems were made“

“The New Mastersounds are at the very top of an elite selection of acts that bring the true soul out of funk.” www.newmastersounds.com

The pairing of The New Mastersounds and Moon Hooch was genius-two incredible groups, bringing distinctly different, yet equally enticing and skillful performances to the table.

May 2, 2016
Twiztid Juggalo Invasion 2016 Tour Lights Up Magic City Music Hall

This past Friday the city of Binghamton was paid a visit by Detroit Michigan’s dark and demented duo Twiztid. Twiztid, who is currently out on the road on their Juggalo Invasion Tour in support of their newest release Mutant Remixed & Remastered brought with them a very impressive lineup consisting of Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, The R.O.C., Lex the Hex Master, and Davey Suicide.

The show kicked off with opening acts The Real Chaos, Insane E, Ajax and Trilogy. I have to admit given the number of openers and the limited amount of time each were allotted to perform, they all delivered very energetic and intense sets and did a fantastic job of getting the audience warmed up for a very powerful night of music and mayhem.

If these acts didn’t get the crowd warmed up enough, the next round of artists kicked things into overdrive. Artists Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, Lex the Hex Master and The R.O.C. delivered nothing but excitement, skill and precision to their fans that evening. Fans danced, moshed and sang along with the artists! When it comes to gritty, sleazy full on metal you should check out UnHolywood, Killafornia’s very own Davey Suicide! One may think metal does not fit into this mix but Davey and the band are comparably dark and sinister and even won over some new fans!

Now for the main act! The artist everyone was waiting for, Twiztid. The fog rolls onto the stage amid the eerie low glowing green lights, the intro is cued and the demented duo creeps onto the stage. The fans go crazy as Twiztid tears up the stage with their back up band The Wickedness! Yes, they did something they have not done in a long time they used a live band to help them take things to a whole new level for their fans. Twiztid played a nice selection of tracks from their immense catalog. With Wickedness as back up, they were able to put different spins on their songs. They cranked out such hits as “Die Motherfucker Die” and the loudest version of “We Don’t Die” I have ever heard! Madrox and Monoxide are true masters of their art!

The show was incredible and intense from the beginning right up to the end leaving fans wanting more.

Prior to the show I had the opportunity to chat with Blaze Ya Dead Homie. Blaze is a very welcoming and down to earth guy despite his hulking and terrifying appearance. We talked about his new album “Casket Factory,” artists who inspire him and horror movies. Hope you enjoy the interview!

May 2, 2016
Amon Amarth Vanquish Water Street Music Hall

On Monday April 25, Rochester New York fell prey to one of Sweden’s most notorious metal bands. Amon Amarth kicked off their 2016 Jomsviking North American tour on April 17. Joining them on their voyage are fellow Swedes, Entombed A.D. and American thrash metal band, Exmortus.

The line outside the venue stretched the entire length of Water Street and then some. Some concert goers went as far as dressing in viking armor, helms and bracers in support of Amon Amarth’s musical theme.

Setting the pace for the evening was Sourthern California quartet, Exmortus. Their performance was enthusiastically received by the crowd throwing up their “horns.” The band consists of Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez on vocals/guitar, guitarist David Rivera, bassist Michael Cosio and Mario Moreno. Their set list for the evening was as follows: “Rising” “For the Horde” “Foe Hammer” “Death to Tyrants” “Moonlight Sonata (Act 3)” and “Metal is King.”

With the crowd already hungering for more, Entombed A.D. was next to take the stage. Consisting of Lars-Göran Petrov on vocals, Olle Dahlstedt on drums, Nico Elgstrand on guitar and Victor Brandt on bass, the Stockholm based band’s heavy riffs added fuel to the fire, as crowd surfers began making their way towards the front of the venue towards waiting Security. The band’s set list for the evening was in support of their February 26 album release Dead Dawn with songs such as “Dead Dawn” “Stranger Aeons” “Second to None” “Midas In Reverse” “Living Dead” “The Winner Has Lost” “Revel in Flesh” “Wolverine Blues” and “Left Hand Path.”

With the venue at near capacity, the fans were ready battle when Amon Amarth time came to slay the crowd. The stage was set with a giant viking helm emitting smoke with the drum kit perched atop between it’s horns. With their new album release, Jomsviking, which has dominated the charts around the globe, the band took the stage like a storm starting things off with the song “The Pursuit of Vikings.” The performance was met with more crowd surfing, chanting, fists in the air and horns raised enthusiastically. With frontman Johan Hegg sporting a drinking horn on his side and decorated leather bracers on his arms, he appeared as a viking warrior straight of some epic story. Backed by guitarists Ted Lundström and Johan Söderberg along with bassist Olavi Mikkonen and new drummer Tobias Gustafsson, the show raged on through the night with songs from the new album along with some old favorites. The set list being, “The Pursuit of Vikings” “As Loke Falls” “First Kill” “The Way of Vikings” “At Dawns First Light” “Deceiver of the Gods” “Cry of the Black Birds” “One Against All” “Thousand Years of Oppression” “Destroyer of the Universe” “Death in Fire” and “Runes to My Memory”

May 2, 2016