Category: Reviews

Blink-182 Paves the Way for Next Generation of Punk at SPAC

Blink-182 proved to everyone attending their summer tour last night in Saratoga Springs at SPAC that they are more than just “crappy punk rock.”

With over 20 years of experience under their belt, it is not shocking that they spent their entire summer touring across North America in stadiums and amphitheaters.

Blink-182 came to an almost entirely sold-out Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 4. With A Day To Remember and All Time Low by their side, Blink-182 gave a performance that could only be described as breathtaking.

Although the tour is split between openers All Time Low and All-American Rejects, All Time Low gave their final performance on Blink-182’s tour this night. Sharing the special moment with Saratoga, All Time Low gave what could be their best performance of the tour.

Unfortunately for All Time Low fans, despite how preeminent their performance was, frontman Alex Gaskarth felt that the crowd in Saratoga Springs performance for them was not up to par. When Gaskarth asked fans to sing along, “Heyo”, with the band, little show attendees sang along with them. To his disappointment, Gaskarth said, “Wow, that is the worst that has been the whole tour.”

A Day To Remember, who just released their newest album Bad Vibrations this week, gave the energetic and overly fun performance all fans hope for at any A Day To Remember concert.

With confetti cannons, toilet paper and shirts being flung from a t-shirt cannon, A Day To Remember have mastered the art of making fans jump and scream through the duration of their performance.

With years of performing and now six full-length albums to work with, A Day To Remember found a perfect setlist to show off all types of their sound with a blend of songs like, “2nd Sucks,” and “If It Means A Lot To You” in their setlist.

Blink-182 played in Saratoga for the first time since the Honda Civic Tour in 2011. With fans waiting in line for hours and driving from all parts of New York to be there, the response from Blink-182 fans was incredible.

Blink-182 is one of the most influential punk rock bands in my generation. Even All Time Low would stop every night to thank Blink-182 for bringing them on the road. Growing up listening to Blink-182, All Time Low are a first hand example of how inspiring of a band Blink-182 is for their genre.

With the new presence of Matt Skiba on vocals and guitar as the replacement for longtime member Tom Delonge, it is hard to say which version of Blink-182 is better live. What can be said, is that Blink-182 put on a performance last night that fans will remember for years to come. Some songs off of their set like, “Reckless Abandon” and “I Miss You,” were stellar performances by Skiba to match Delonge’s vocals.

Blending songs like one of their earlier hits “Carousel,” to newer songs like “San Diego,” into the setlist made it so that fans of Blink-182 from any era would be able to enjoy a nearly flawless performance.

From an almost perfect setlist to little to no vocal or instrumental issues, Blink-182 put on a performance that left fans in awe. From the lawn seats to the pit, fans joined from all areas of Saratoga Springs to sing along to as many Blink-182 songs as they knew.

Leaving the venue, all you could see was the sweat running down people’s faces, and smiles stretched across the faces of Blink-182 fans of all ages.

September 7, 2016
The Goo Goo Dolls Return Home to Buffalo

Darien Lake was the loudest it had been all year. Our boys returned home as the Goo Goo Dolls originated in Buffalo over 20 years ago. Chatting with local Buffalonians you hear stories from how “we partied together back in the day” to “I remember when they first started out.” I have roots tied back to them from when my uncle used to work with Robby and Rzeznik at local bars back when they first started. Among their pre-set mix was Rose Royce’s “Car Wash,” a warped reference to their 1993 release “Superstar Carwash.”

Rzeznik continued to thank Buffalo. Saying “you believed in us when nobody gave a shit.” The set was a vigorous with a blend of old and newer material, opening with “Over and Over.” You could see pure happiness on Robby`s face as he bounced around on all over overlooking “This is perfect,” Rzeznik would say during the show, “This is exactly what summer is supposed to be like. It’s all good.”

Collective Soul turned up the heat; they were the best direct support Goo`s could have asked for. Ed Roland, frontman of CS had a lot to say that evening; and it was about mid-set that lead him to say what might’ve been on the minds of many. “We started in the ’90s; we are NOT of the ’90s. We still fucking rock.” The band played their newest single “See What You Started by Continuing,” the third ever performance of the song. The band dedicated their closer, “The World I Know,” to The Tragically Hip, a touching gesture and moment in the flawless set.

Tribe Society stick out a bit on a lineup with Collective Soul and The Goo Goo Dolls. However, they quickly got the audience on their side by playing “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins. The crowd also enjoys the flute player running around the stage is a cool unique feature of this band. Vocalist Gavin took a minute to thank us photographers and how hard we work. That was highly appreciated and not a common gesture by any means.

September 6, 2016
Hearing Aide: Ampevene ‘Rometheu’

12 minutes and 30 seconds. That’s how long it takes to listen to Ampevene’s new EP, Rometheu. But that’s not the total sum of each of the songs; it’s just one extended track!

Ampevene is a band that stemmed from Gabe Stallman’s solo project as a guitarist. Now the full band consists of Gabe Stallman on guitar and vocals, Mack Hogan on bass, Bob Morris on drums, and Ava Smith on keys, and Jeff Nania on saxophone. The progressive rock group is based in Albany, so it wasn’t too far to the studio, The Recording Company, in Esperance, NY.

It’s not clear by the song why it’s called “Rometheu,” but it is the word “Prometheus” without the first and last letter… Perhaps the song was inspired by Greek mythology?

Rometheu starts out with a rock blues that’s very guitar and bass ostinato heavy. The beginning is not in standard 4/4 time, but rather it’s written with a 6/8 feel – where the first and fourth beat are emphasized in each measure. This helps give the track a flowing groove. At around 2:47, the mode shifts into a fast 4/4, really driving the piece forward.

The lyrics are posted to accompany the track on Bandcamp, which is immensely helpful. The lines don’t seem to relate directly to one another in a story; the emphasis and poetry are behind each individual line. There are only vocals in the first quarter and very end of the song; it’s clear the music drives this track.

The crazy guitar riffs and multi-instrument improvisation are awesome and the instruments sound flawless showcasing their melodic riffs. There’s a point where there is a lack of a clear tonal center, and the band just creates a powerful wall of sound. At around 6:07, a slower groove is established without saxophone at first to allow the audience to breathe after the more intense section. It is here where the piano is high in the mix complementing the haunting guitar melodies. The experimentation with the guitar distortion, some organ sounds, and smooth saxophone is quite soothing and fun to listen to.

The coolest part of this track is the juxtaposition between musical ideas/styles. It makes the piece dynamic and engaging throughout. The slow section is immediately followed by a short, quicker ending featuring a quick line of lyrics. Rometheu is very impressive from a compositional standpoint as well as a musicianship standpoint. It’s a track you can’t help but jam along to.

Listen to it on bandcamp here.

September 6, 2016
Jaw Gems at Brooklyn Bowl

Crashing pins, Sixpoint IPAs, and music from the future-present; Jaw Gems’ recent performance at Brooklyn Bowl was other-worldly.

The quartet from Portland, Maine created an auditory planet of heavy synths, splashing high hats and rhythmic beats; a sound akin to a lovechild conceived by Flying Lotus, DâM-FunK and Teebs. Their recently released album, Heatweaver, was featured heavily throughout the performance, bringing bowlers and fans on an atmospheric-funk adventure.

It’s no surprise that an interest in legendary producer J Dilla is what brought Jaw Gems together. Their live beat-making is a sonic journey that feels intensely familiar but also quite different than anything else. Drummer DJ Moore’s lush splash’s and high hats provide ample backing to the sonic space traveling of keyboardists Hassan Muhammad and Tyler Quist while bassist Andrew Scherzer’s buttery bass lines fuel the journey. There is an intrinsic aspect to their sound; as if they’re paying homage to their idols whilst traversing new ground and making a place for themselves.

As I was shooting, it was becoming increasingly difficult to not groove with their seamless, auditory space odyssey. “Sap Flow” began with a familiar drum beat and mysterious synths which then built into a luscious and elaborate symphony that sounded like you could swim in it. I was stoked to hear that track performed live as it’s one of my favorites from the album and perfectly illustrates the bands cohesiveness. “Party Slave” was similar in construction yet had more of a funky, lounge-music type vibe; enjoyable, danceable, laid back and very different. Jaw Gems most definitely caught my intrigue that night, I was not expecting to be so captivated by their live show. I’m excited to see more of their divergent take on live beat-making paired with drums and bass as their aural variance is very refreshing.

September 4, 2016
Melvins Make Quick Work of the Westcott

There’s an old adage in baseball, “Get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in.” In other words, get the show going, keep it going and bring it on home. Washington work horses Melvins did just that on a sweaty summer Friday night at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater.

Melvins (Buzz Osborne – guitar/vocals, Dale Crover – drums/vocals, Steven Shane McDonald – bass/vocals) have been at it since 1983. When one draws the family tree of Seattle rock music, the Melvins would occupy several branches of said tree. Influential in their sound and the scene they helped forge, it is not a big leap to say that without the Melvins there would be no Nirvana.

Under the glare of red stage lights the entire show, there were no mincing words, no time wasted. The band took the stage and immediately stepped into the psychedelic wash of “Eye Flys.” The near capacity crowd entered the zone, swaying and head bobbing to the lengthy intro.

A quick segue into a hyped-up cover of KISS’ “Deuce” followed. Osborne, with his trademark mane a blur, created riffs that echoed those of Ace Frehley in his ’70s heyday.

The band ripped through a setlist from its vast catalog spanning 33 years. They are currently touring their new album Basses Loaded, an album recorded with a plethora of bassists that includes Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame, Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle, Fantomas and Tomahawk and Jeff Pinkus from Butthole Surfers.

Current bassist Steven Shane McDonald, sporting a black shirt labeling his profession in KISS-style font, was front and center the majority of the show. He spent the night revving up the crowd with pure showmanship and a solid focus on the low end. If the band’s history is any indication, McDonald’s tenure in the band may be short-lived, as Melvins tend to employ more bassists than the fictional Spinal Tap did drummers. However, it would serve Osborne and Crover well to keep McDonald on board for the long haul. He brings a spirit of energy to the band that would be difficult to replace.

A chunky take on Alice Cooper’s “Halo of Flies” worked up the crowd as Osborne delivered superb riffs reminiscent of Tony Iommi. Crover’s tribal drums held the faithful captive throughout this take on the Cooper classic.

What truly captured fans’ attention however, was the appearance of “AMAZON” from The Maggot album. The song took on an epic feeling of a looming apocalypse. Osborne whirled around the stage during the instrumental parts as Crover mesmerized with more tribal beats. McDonald particularly shone during this performance. It was during “AMAZON” that the trio truly seemed to gel.

The show closed with the new dirgy bass-heavy jam “The Decay of Lying” and the equally sludgy Houdini classic “Night Goat” before giving way to the new album’s closer “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (Yes, THAT “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”).

As the satisfied crowd dispersed to the sounds of Ronnie James Dio singing his classic Sabbath tune “Neon Nights,” the steam rising from the worked-up crowd provided a visual metaphor for what this legendary band did to this little venue in the Syracuse art district.

September 3, 2016
KISS Brings the Freedom to Rock Tour to Rochester

It’s not often Rochester gets a massive arena rock show. On Monday August 29, the Blue Cross Arena welcomed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, KISS on their Freedom to Rock tour. Monday night’s show marked the first time KISS had stopped in Rochester in over 15 years, the last tour being the Psycho Circus tour.

Before KISS stepped on stage to mark their return to Rochester, The Dead Daisies warmed up the crowd. To those who aren’t familiar with The Dead Daisies, they’re a pure Rock n’ Roll band that’s featured a who’s who of musicians over the years. The current lineup features singer John Corabi, lead guitarist Doug Aldrich, bassist Marco Mendoza, drummer Brian Tichy, and rhythm guitarist David Lowy. For those unfamiliar with some of the members, John Corabi was a member of Motley Crue. Doug Aldrich played guitar in Whitesnake and Dio. Marco Mendoza worked with Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy as their bass players. Finally, Brian Tichy spent some time handing drum duties for Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol.

The Dead Daisies played a 10 song set which featured songs from a few different albums, including their newest, Make Some Noise. Songs like “Make Some Noise,” and “Long Way to Go” were both tracks that came from last year’s album. The band also threw in some cover tracks such as “Fortunate Son,” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fans who were there early seemed to really enjoy the set. The band themselves seemed to have a great time on stage together. There were guitar picks getting thrown all around the stage and out into the crowd. To cap off their set, the band invited fans to come meet them at their merchandise booth afterwards.

Before the black curtain dropped, fans heard “Alright Rochester! You wanted the best! You got the best! The hottest band in the world, KISS!” The curtain then dropped and fireworks and smoke filled the stage while Gene, Paul and Tommy were being lifted down from their center stage platform. KISS wasted absolutely no time and opened with one of the biggest rock anthems ever, “Detroit Rock City”. Complete with pyrotechnics and fireworks, KISS brought Rochester the show it’s been waiting for.

Singer and guitarist Paul Stanley told the crowd they were getting a real rock show, without dancers humping each other, no musicians playing backstage and no backing tracks. It was incredible to see a band that started in the 70’s bring such a production and sound so good.

Before playing “God of Thunder,” Gene Simmons did his bass solo. Complete with dim lights, fog and undertaker-like music in the background, Gene’s platform in the middle of the stage rose to the top of the area. Once he was lowered back down is when the audience got to see the blood spitting and famous Simmons tongue action.

Paul did most of the talking between songs throughout the night. He told the crowd that it started to feel like a circus and welcomed everyone to the show. From that point, everyone knew that the band was about to play “Psycho Circus.” The song started out with the vintage KISS logo flashing on the giant LED screens in the background. At the end, there was another burst of fireworks like many of the previous songs.

After “Psycho Circus,” guitarist Tommy Thayer took over vocals for the song “Shock Me”. During the song, since Paul Stanley didn’t have vocals to worry about, he decided to show off his guitar skills. With all sorts of tricks up his sleeves, Stanley started playing the guitar between his legs with ease. At the end of “Shock Me,” Thayer did a guitar solo that ended with rockets being shot from the headstock of his guitar. He shot one to one side of the stage and then walked to the other side and shot a second rocket in the opposite direction. Thayer then finished off the solo in the center of the stage and shot a rocket directly up in the air.

A few songs later, Paul Stanley asked the audience, “How many of you people like to lick something?” After loud cheers back, Stanley said, “Rochester you are one dirty audience,” and the band went started “Lick It Up”. This track features more “pyro” from behind the band and lasers that shot around the venue. To add to the visual masterpiece KISS creates, drummer Eric Singer’s drum kit lifted up high in the air. Following along, the rest of the band got a lift up on their own platform in from of Singer.

When the band played “War Machine,” the LED screens had a war battle animation on them which was nicely done. The video showed a dragon that blew fire and the animation was perfectly timed with the pyrotechnics that went off on stage. KISS definitely has a great production team that helps them continue to put on one of the best live shows in the world. The end of the stage went dark with red spotlights circling around the arena. When the smoke filled the stage, Gene Simmons emerged with his lit torch and spit fire. This is something that Simmons has done for many years but never gets old and seems to always get better.

The next song of the night for Rochester was “Love Gun.” Before the song started, Paul Stanley once again took to the microphone and asked how everyone was doing so far. He went on to say how the band started in NYC and how Rochester was pretty close to home. Then Stanley said, “For all the times we’ve been here, tonight I wanna be down there with you. But you have to invite me.” After that is when Stanley got on his zipline and flew to a platform at the back of the floor next to the soundboard.

With singer and guitarist Paul Stanley still at his platform in the back of the arena, he performed a chilling guitar solo with the disco ball reflecting purple lights. This then led into the song “Black Diamond.” The song kicked off as Stanley landed back on the main stage. Simultaneously, fireworks exploded and the band did their thing. Once again, Eric Singer’s platform rose in the air and two panthers were on the LED screen to each side of Singer.

The encore kicked off slowly with the KISS classic, “Beth.” The song was sung by drummer Eric Singer who came down from his drum kit and stood front and center on the stage. Behind Singer was the rest of the band who performed the song with their acoustic instruments.

After “Beth,” the band brought out local military and gave them a salute. KISS had the crowd sing the Pledge of Allegiance before continuing to talk about their goals on the Freedom to Rock Tour. With the “KISS One Nation” on the LED screen, Stanley told the crowd that they were donating $150,o00 to the heroes. Stanley went to state that “patriotism is cool” and said “God bless America, thank you.” While the crowd roared in cheers of support, KISS started to perform the Star-Spangled Banner. Again, the center of the stage rose up with the band on board and the LED screen showed the Flag of the United States on it as more fireworks went off to help celebrate.

The evening ended in KISS fashion with “Rock and Roll All Nite.” The song was paired with endless confetti being shot from multiple areas. This was the perfect way to end the show. For those who may have missed KISS, do yourself a favor and check out their upcoming tour dates. They have plenty of shows scheduled in the New England region including shows in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

KISS Setlist: Detroit Rock City, Deuce, Shout It Out Loud, Do You Love Me, I Love It Loud, Flaming Youth, Bass Solo, God of Thunder, Psycho Circus, Shock Me, Guitar Solo (Tommy Thayer), Gold Gin, Lick It Up, War Machine, Love Gun, Guitar Solo (Paul Stanley), Black Diamond, Beth, The Star-Spangled Banner, Rock and Roll All Nite

September 2, 2016
Hearing Aide: Earphorik “The Boondock Sessions”

Midwestern quartet Earphorik delivers their sophomore album, The Boondock Sessions with a recognizable “live show” sound. Their signature smorgasbord of musical influences are brought to life throughout the one-take recording which was mixed and produced by none other than Jake Cinninger (Umphrey’s McGee) and Jim Leep at Boondock Studios.

From the earliest notes of the album, “The Great Break” creates a slow build reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Speak to Me/Breathe” which greets the listener with intrigue and excitement for what’s to come. The opening track teeters on the edge of twelve minutes of genre explorations and highlights everything from funk to jam with a touch of ska. In the second track “Root One,” Austin Robinson (guitar/vocals) and Chris Treesh (guitar/vocals) sing the lyrics “Love it ’til you want it some more” and where the first ‘root’ song of the album ends another begins with “Root Too.” As the first instrumental track of the album, “Root Too” initially focuses on Nolan Opper (bass) and Ryan Moreno (drums) and their tag team bass-drum introduction. Earphorik fans new and old will dive right into this track as Jake Cinninger, normally melting faces with his stellar guitar magic, takes to the organ and adds that extra “umph” that the song needed.

“Flush” clocks in as the longest song of the album and delivers a gritty, dark and raging jam that could lead to some serious head banging and onstage instrument dismantling during a live performance. Walls have oddly become an important topic for a certain politician party over the past several months, and “Over the Walls” reminds us that, “We just can’t seem to get this under control.” Cinninger reprises his role on keys for this track, making it one of the more sought after pieces on the album for a first time Earphorik listener. “Drift” which is heavily reggae influenced unexpectedly leads to “Kerputley,” which sounds like an entirely different genre, but spares no quality of talent.

The instrumental conclusion to The Boondock Sessions, “Ashrob I” and “II” delivers the sonic exclamation point that many jam rock albums attempt to achieve. Each member of the band gets their time to shine during the closing tracks as they once again showcase their diversity and bring something to the table for everyone. This album is as eclectic as Forrest Gump’s work resume and similar to a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.

Key Tracks: The Great Break, Drift, Root Too

September 1, 2016
The Motet Brings the Funk at The Warehouse

The Warehouse at FTC in Fairfield, CT was alive with jive on Saturday August 13 with The Motet and special guest Mammal Dap lighting up the stage. The pit was near filled to the back wall with fans and every single person having the time of their lives. It would not have been the party that it was without newly added Motet frontman Lyle Divinsky, amping up the crowd and maintaining an inhuman amount of energy throughout the two set performance.

The opener Mammal Dap was a unique group that brought a big sound to the venue. The four mammals out of Massachusetts combine rock, EDM hip-hop and funk to make a sound that isn’t too avant-garde but was without a doubt an exceptional and intriguing performance.

At the start, there were several people in the front of the stage, most talking amongst themselves, distracted by friends and drinks with people of all ages and attire scattered across the venue. It was an unexpectedly diverse crowd with some kids, 18-year-old at least, wearing tattered Converse shoes, fishnet stockings, band t-shirt and a Hello Kitty backpack. Meanwhile upstairs, several men wearing three piece suits are sipping on mixed drinks talking and laughing with friends.

Most of the crowd’s attention was drawn to the stage when Mammal Dap performed their first song, “I Want To Be Your Friend.” The track had recognizable sounds from all different genres: a hip-hop drum beat from Colin Jambert, rocking guitar riffs from Killian Karlsson, the EDM aspects from the keys and synthesizers played by Zak Cross, and funky grooves from the bass performed by Rhees Williams. Picked apart instrumentally, the sound isn’t all that interesting. The drumming can be a tad bit repetitive and the main riff from the keys can get a little old as well, but take the music as a whole and it can really start to be appreciated. Saturday night was a party, and a party needs some background music. This is not to say the music wasn’t appreciated, and that there weren’t interesting drops and riffs, but picked apart player by player, the music loses its purpose. This is not to say the musicians aren’t talented. There’s a decent amount of improvisation and they mess around with some pretty challenging time signatures, like in their second song of the night, “Starbirth.” The performance is just appreciated better as a whole.

They jammed on for about an hour, accruing more and more attendees from the upper level and really setting the scene for the night. Some other hits from the setlist were ambient still, but tracks like “Lost” had more of a direction to them, unlike “Starbirth” which felt stuck in the same groove at times, although the beats were very grabbing. Nevertheless, it got the room moving and got people excited for the main event, The Motet.

“Good God,” was all anyone could say when the funky bunch hit the stage. They were simply electric, a constant flow of energy and power. And it wouldn’t have been the same show with Divinsky. His passion for the music was just infectious and one couldn’t help but feed off of his energy. He and Garrett Sayers were recently added to The Motet’s line up and fit in seamlessly. Someone naive to the band’s history would have no idea they weren’t the original members.

The group from Colorado defines themselves as having roots from funk, afrobeat, disco, electronic music and soul, while putting a modern jam and improvisational feel to their songs that gets the crowd moving and the party started. Their sound is tight, but very powerful, much like the styles of funk bands in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. These classic groups are what band leader Dave Watts used as inspiration when he first started to toy with the idea of creating a funk band. Their sound is like a mixture between Earth, Wind and Fire and James Brown: tight, funky and moving.

Their first song was, predictably, very much just a funky, 10 minute jam. Everyone had their shot to flaunt a solo or two, along to a tight, but open groove that had a fun, unpredictable direction to it. Their second song of the night, “Like We Own It,” had the same feel to it, with a little less improvisation to it and more typical song structure, but was still a blast to listen to. The keys, played by Joey Porter, really started to shine here because of the use of the main riffs of the song in his solos. That’s something that takes some great talent to do and it’s something that the crowd can really appreciate. The trumpet player, Gabe Mervine, struts his stuff as well, playing a more jazz like solo with long flowing riffs, as compared to the keys quick jabbing notes. Both solos were very fitting though and a huge hit with the crowd.

“Know It Too Well” came up next, off their recently released album Totem. It had more of a Parliament feel to it, in other words, it wasn’t as tight and fast as other tracks. The feeling is very laid back and flowing but still upbeat and hard hitting. There’s some more work from guitarist Ryan Jalbert, who has a little bit of fun but stays fairly reclusive, but only to really shine in later tracks.

“Power” came up next, and one can really start to see how much this band relates to James Brown, especially Lyle. His dance moves alone are reminiscent of The King, as he scooted and shuffled his feet across the stage, dripping with sweat only a half hour into the show. The band puts their own, very jam band influenced twist on the tight and funky song, bringing the song down to a tamed, quiet drop to allow members to screw around on their instruments. Mervine got a little dissonant and jazzy during his solo but still retains a good chunk of melodic notes. He rides on the groove for sometime before the band jumps into a “Fame” tease to give saxophonist Drew Sayers some fun on his mic followed by Dave Watts pounding away at his kit for the first time of the night. His set was fairly small but he used crazy amounts of color to make a hell of a solo. They ran through a few more off their new album including “Truth” and “Fool No More” before they made their way onto the second set of the night.

The second half started off with “Damn” from Totem and Jalbert really started to get wild on his frets. The crowd went wild when he would fly all the way up the neck and when Lyle would scream all the way to the top of his vocal range. They sounded incredible together and they really connected on this song. Up next was “Back It Up,” a laid back, swinging kind of groove, highlighting Porter once again, followed by “So High” and “Rippin’ Herb.” A highly anticipated cover, “Serpentine Fire,” finally came around and it was uncanny how much it sounded like Earth, Wind and Fire. The classic 70’s funk band and The Motet differ in so many ways, especially in size but they sounded impeccably close to the original, of course with their own jam twist on the track. The chorus requires Lyle to really stretch his pipes and he does so with ease. They finally wrapped up their night with one last Earth, Wind and Fire cover “Mighty Mighty.” They perfectly closed their set with something to showcase every person on stage and to give the audience something super catchy to sing along to with Lyle.

It seemed no one was expecting such an energetic performance from The Motet. The group was drenched in sweat and so was the audience with smiles stretched on everyone’s face as they walked out.

September 1, 2016
Lakeview Attendees Go Somewhere On A Beach with Dierks Bentley

Pulling up to the parking lot at the Lakeview Amphitheater filled with country fans tailgating and grilling, you could feel the the excitement and fun in the air as they eagerly awaited their chance to go “Somewhere on a Beach” with Dierks Bentley.

As they filed into the dusking lakeside pavilion and claimed their space on the lawn, it didn’t take long for the crowd to take notice Tucker Beathard the flat capped country artist, as he and his “mother tuckers” hit the stage. For those not familiar with him, they quickly made the connection as he sang his current hit “Rock On”, joining along as they got this party started.

Cam, this bubbly new country sensation, was the next artist out and her excitement and crowd participation kept the fans dancing and singing, winding the crowd up just a tad bit more. She made a special effort to sing “Happy Birthday” to the ‘gorgeous blond in the front,’ as she called her, making it a night that fan would never forget. As the sun was setting on this blonde firecracker, she sang her hit “Burning House,” a tune that originally captured the attention of the Nashville scene and bringing a light to this sunny entertainer as both a songwriter and entertainer.

Randy Houser followed Cam with such a powerful voice that he made the Amphitheater shake with his heartfelt sound. Backed up with one of the best bands in Nashville, Randy and the guys had the crowd singing along to “Like a Cowboy”, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight”, as well as many of his other chart breaking hits. For those that have never seen Randy Houser, his set is always a crowd pleaser and mind blower.

With a quick set change, Dierks Bentley hit the stage to a roar of screaming fans. Dierks and the band brought the show to the fans by joining them out in the crowd, taking the opportunity to move around the amphitheater and making sure the fans were part of the show no matter what seat they bought. Dierks always brings the party to the stage when he performs, and this show was not short on fun with a night of joking, music, and even fulfilling a kiss request by the boyfriend of a fan. After a lengthy discussion and many jokes, Dierks quietly fulfilled the request by depositing a kiss on her cheek as the lights went out after the song, fulfilling the wish, and keeping his teeth intact.

As the set closed and the encore ensued, the blast of a plane onto the stage shouldn’t have surprised us by that time, as he made his way out in a pilots costume. Inviting all his friends to join in, this guaranteed the cherry on top of a fun filled evening of country music for all at the Lakeview Amphitheater.

August 31, 2016
Hearing Aide: Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda ‘All the Little Things’

Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda’s latest album All the Little Things, recorded at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY, is one of the most diverse albums to hit the record stores in some time. Covering styles ranging from ‘80s rock, to bluegrass, to jazz, to Broadway musical, to Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra era music, listening to this album is a bit like listening to a playlist on shuffle. Able to switch effectively from its dreamy start with “I Stayed Home,” to the big band brass sounds on “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” to the traditional folk style of “But It Don’t Worry Me,” the band showcases its brilliant versatility.

Made up of a core group of extremely talented and hard-working Colorado-based musicians, including Pete Pidgeon himself on lead vocals and guitar, Glenn Patcha on a variety of keyboards and the accordion, Justin Guip on drums, Catherine Popper on upright and electric bass, these musicians are brilliant enough to have been able to attract and collaborate with some pretty impressive guests on their latest effort. In fact, on the album’s third track “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” none other than Levon Helm is featured during one of his last studio performances! (You have to be darn good to be able to put that on your resumé!) On the tracks featuring guest musicians, the band really allowed the influences from their guests’ respective bands to come through, with “Tonight I’ll Be Staying With You” sounding particularly reminiscent of The Band, “The Ways We Change” featuring a more twangy sound most likely influenced by Chris Pandolfi of The Infamous Stringdusters, and the funkier style present on “The Wind and the Lover” in great part due to the help of Ryan Zoidis from Lettuce.

Pete Pidgeon has an amazing vocal range, both in terms of notes he can hit and styles he covers. His voice sounds like a cross between Ryan Adams, Jackie Greene, and Toy Caldwell, lead singer of Marshall Tucker Band, if you can imagine that. Joined by his bandmates’ singing on several of the tunes, as well as guest female vocalist Sarah Perrotta (who hails from right here in the Hudson Valley), the harmonies are uncomplicated yet gorgeous. Glenn Patcha deserves a round of applause for the incredible range of sounds and styles that come out of his keyboards, taking the listener on a musical journey effectively changing the mood from song to song during its constant changes of style, providing a solid foundation for the rest of the band to build upon. To top it all off, Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda were joined by the incredible brass sounds of The Two Dolla Crack Horns.

On Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda’s latest album All the Little Things, no two songs sounded at all the same, yet they all seemed to fit together extremely well. It will appeal to people from across the musical spectrum, and give listeners the chance to effortlessly give other genres a chance. And you wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to hear Levon Helm during one of his last studio performances now, would you?!

Key Tracks: Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You, But It Don’t Worry Me, Wasted Child

August 31, 2016