Category: Reviews

Dark Star Orchestra Treats Buffalo Crowd to Three Sets

Back in 1972 the cost of a gallon of gas was 55 cents. Richard Nixon was our nation’s president, soon to experience a fall from grace. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. “American Pie” by Don McLean was #1 on the music charts. March 25, 1972 was the date in Grateful Dead history that Dark Star Orchestra helped us relive in Buffalo. That original show took place at the Academy of Music in New York City.

DSO took the stage at the sold out Town Ballroom in Buffalo NY right after 8:00 p.m. They started the night off with the classic “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” They would close the first set with “Bertha.” Throughout the night they teased the crowd saying they might play three sets.

By the start of the second set, DSO seemed to be feeding off the enormous amount of energy that the crowd was providing. “Mr. Charlie” got things started with set two. They would close this energetic second set with the sing a long classic “Casey Jones.”

The third set did not directly correlate with this date in Grateful Dead history. It was a filler set but you couldn’t ask for a better way to close out four hours of beautiful music. Songs like “Black Throated Wind” and “Tangled Up In Blue” really seemed to hit the sweet spot with the crowd. All in all it was a beautiful night of music. The crowd consisted of old school and new school Dead Heads. No matter what their age, every last one of them left the Town Ballroom with a huge smile on their face.

Set One: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Are You Lonely For Me Baby, Next Time You See Me, Brown Eyed Women, Smokestack Lightnin’, Sitting On Top Of The World, Sugaree, Looks Like Rain, Bertha

Set Two: Mr Charlie, Black Throated Wind, Deal, Playing In The Band, Turn On Your Lovelight, Casey Jones

Set Three (Filler): Chinatown Shuffle, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, Black-Throated Wind, Positively 4th Street, Tangled Up In Blue

June 6, 2016
Eagles of Death Metal Fly High at Upstate Concert Hall

There’s nothing quite like a good, old fashioned rock and roll show on a Tuesday night, am I right? Concert goers of all ages turned out on a summer-y weeknight at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park to see Palm Desert natives Eagles of Death Metal slay with their own brand of blues-rock.

Don’t let their name fool you, folks. They are NOT a death metal band. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) They are a rock and roll band. Unapologetic for their riff-heavy, get ya dancin’, tight jeans and leather jacket brand of rock- they even entered with panache. Frontman, Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes came out on stage to E.L.O’s “It’s Magic,” proudly waving an American flag for all to see.

Hughes has not been a stranger to the headlines lately, being an avid Trump supporter, and a self proclaimed “gun-totin’ American.” The band themselves gained worldwide notoriety after the terrorist attacks at Bataclan in Paris this past November, where at a sold out show of 1500 people, 89 concert goers were tragically gunned down. Eagles of Death Metal made their return to Paris onstage with U2, giving a powerful performance of Patti Smith’s “People Have The Power.”

Fast forward to now, on their American Tour, their past tragedy not quite behind them, the band has created a new fan base of listeners. Their latest release, “Zipper Down” is filled with catchy, strut-worthy pieces, and they hit on all the best at Upstate Concert Hall.

The band opened with “I Only Want You” from their 2004 release, Peace, Love and Death Metal. The crowd immediately roared with delight, dancing, jumping, and sweating with Hughes. Keeping the momentum, they continued on to “Secret Plans” from 2008’s Heart On. Hughes co-founder and Queens of the Stone Age frontman, Josh Homme was not part of the night’s lineup, though it seemed he was there in spirit. At one point a fan screamed out “BETTER THAN HOMME” to his tour drummer. This delighted Hughes, who said he couldn’t wait to “call him up and tell him that. He’s gonna love that.” EODM then started playing their new material off of Zipper Down, starting with their single, “Complexity.” It was great to see the crowd chanting in unison, “My socks and underwear, I like to keep them clean. It’s so easy without complexity!” After that, the band performed “Skin Tight Boogie Baby,” a personal favorite off of their new album, for the very first time in front of a live crowd. “That means we’re going to f*ck it up,” boasted Hughes, though no mistakes were heard during the performance.

I’d be remiss to not mention the amazing sounds of Nashville female rockers, Thelma and the Sleaze, who are supporting Eagles of Death Metal on this leg of their tour. They really know how captivate an audience. Lead singer and guitarist, LG, looking like Janis Joplin, but sounding like Stevie Nicks mixed with a fire banshee, was all business, with no frills. It was so refreshing to see 4 women rock so hard. I’m sure they are used to taking people by storm, and Tuesday night was no exception.

The entire night was filled with pure, unadulterated rock and roll. The kind of rock and roll that flows through your veins and gets you excited about music again, and makes you feel something. Raw, visceral, sweaty, and fun. It was a fantastic evening, and I’m sure anyone who was there will say the same.

June 5, 2016
The Stars Shone Bright at the Lakeview Ampitheater’s First Concert of the Summer with Ringo Starr

You couldn’t have dialed up a better evening to hold the first concert of the season at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse Friday night, kicking off the summer concert series was the perfect show for the perfect night with Ringo Starr and His All Star Band.

With 80-degree temperatures, a slight breeze off the water and a utopic atmosphere, Ringo and his bandmates took to the stage early in the day to speak with media and answer questions about the upcoming summer tour. Having a chance to speak with all the talent on the stage was a surreal moment for this photographer/journalist, especially having owned and played his “You’re Sixteen” and “Photograph” 45’s over and over again until they skipped from wear and tear, was definitely a highlight of my career, and a little nerve wrecking as you can imagine.

As the band took the stage one by one, they all settled in and we were treated to a teaser of music from the show to come that evening. The little snippets of music were tantalizing and as the question and answer session began afterward, I knew that I had to ask them all something relevant and memorable, wanting to gain insight into each of their personalities. Little did I know, that I would be able to make Ringo laugh as I shared my lovable, but blonde personality with him and the band during my turn at the mic. This peek into each musician’s personality, and how Ringo had effected them on their musical journey, was insightful and exciting as they shared special moments of songs they first heard from Ringo. (in order as they speak on soundbite – Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Warren Ham, Gregg Rolie, Gregg Bissonette and Ringo Starr)

As the press conference ended, the anticipation began to mount as the crowds made their way to the main gate. For those coming to future shows I highly recommend taking a look at this map and planning your trip accordingly. There are still some kinks to work out, however, as the summer goes on, these will be addressed I am sure. This venue is spectacular, and the views of the water and sunset that occur are breathtaking.

As the band took to the stage for the main event, Ringo’s sense of humor shone through immediately as he thanked everyone for coming to the venue built for him to perform. He also let those arriving late know that he would happily begin again so that they didn’t miss anything. It is this lovable and quirky personality that has endeared him to us for all these years. He was exactly as I imagined he would be; not pretentious at all, but down to earth, lovable, witty and fun to watch play and sing the entire night.

The entire evening of music was a trip down memory lane. Each band member shone through as they took their turn to sing their hits and play their parts. Gregg Rolie, who played with Santana at the original Woodstock, and some of my favorite albums as a member of Journey, was on keyboards and set a groove for the night as he played and sang hits such as “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” and “Oye Como Va.” Definitely setting the mood and getting the crowd up and dancing, Rolie brought a Latin flavor to the evening with his additions to the setlist.

I was amused and impressed with my first time seeing Todd Rundgren perform. He had the audience up on their feet as he played “Bang the Drum All Day,” and his ability to punctuate the end notes on “Rosanna” and other songs throughout the night with high kicks, totally endeared him to the audience as they looked on grinning.

Warren Ham, who played in Bloodrock, Kansas, and AD, may have been high on the riser, but got down with his percussion, hit all of the high notes while up there, and rocked all wind instruments, especially on “Photograph,” stirring up the crowd and jazzing up the stage.

As I watched Gregg Bissonette play along side Ringo, their different styles were extremely complimentary. His energy and sideways smiles and glances toward Ringo sitting to the right have to be moments one could only dream of as a drummer.

The crowd inciter of the evening was Steve Lukather, who got the crowd up off their seats and singing along to not only his songs from Toto such as “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa,” but his guitar riffs and solos all night long were spot on and blew away the audience with cheers and ovations upon completion.

Richard Page from Mr. Mister delivered three of my favorite songs of the evening when he sang “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings,” and a newer one called “You Are Mine.” Between the background percussion from Ringo on the cajon, Steve Lukather’s guitar and crystal clear vocals, this beautiful ballad had a Caribbean feel and blended in nicely with the two songs following with the same rhythm. You would think that having such diverse musicians with such diverse sounds on the setlist would not flow smoothly. However that was not the case at all. The music flowed effortlessly, delivering hit after hit.

Finally, to watch Ringo perform was magical and mystical for everyone. His fun loving delivery of his songs and lyrics, facial expressions, witty banter and laying down the beats for those around him on stage definitely shone the brightest and is what makes him the Starr. To say there was a favorite moment or song would be tough to pinpoint, however, “Act Naturally,” a Buck Owens song found the crowd singing and dancing along. As the night grew darker, the music grew brighter with “Yellow Submarine,” “Photograph” and “A Little Help From My Friends,” engaging the audience and having them sing and dance along.

It didn’t matter what age you were, everyone knew the words, everyone knew the melody, and everyone sang along. All night long I found myself on my feet, hands clapping, and singing along as though I was back as a teenager once again listening to “She’s Sixteen” on my turntable.

Setlist: Matchbox (Carl Perkins cover), It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr song), What Goes On (The Beatles cover), I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren cover), Evil Ways (Willie Bobo cover), Rosanna (Toto cover), Kyrie (Mr. Mister cover), Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren cover), Boys (The Shirelles cover), Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles cover), Yellow Submarine (The Beatles cover), Black Magic, Woman/Gypsy Queen (Santana cover), You’re Sixteen (Johnny Burnette cover), I’m the Greatest (Ringo Starr song), You Are Mine (Richard Page cover), Africa (Toto cover), Oye Como Va (Tito Puente cover), I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles cover), Love Is the Answer (Utopia cover), Broken Wings (Mr. Mister cover), Hold the Line (Toto cover), Photograph (Ringo Starr song). Act Naturally (Buck Owens cover), With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover), Give Peace a Chance (Plastic Ono Band cover)

Ringo will be touring up until his birthday celebration on July 2 in Los Angeles. Below please find the shows near your area. On July 7, Ringo has invited everyone to join him in front of Capitol Records in LA for his annual Peace and Love birthday event. Having celebrated each year since 2008 in this manner, Ringo hopes to bring awareness and spread peace and love to all on this planet.

June 5 Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
June 7 Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ
June 8 Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME
June 10 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford, NH
June 11 DCU Center, Worcester, MA
June 14 FM Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA
June 12 Santander Arena, Reading, PA
June 15 St. George Theatre, Staten Island, NY
June 18 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 17 Warner Theatre, Washington DC
June 19 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 21 Foellinger Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN
June 22 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
June 23 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 25 Pinewood Bowl Theater, Lincoln, NE
June 26 Hartman Arena, Wichita, KS
June 28 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
July 1 Humphreys Concerts, San Diego, CA
July 2 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

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June 5, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 2

On June 3, festival-goers awoke in their tents, RVs, and hotel rooms to a beautiful day ahead. The temperature was in the low 60s, there was some light comfortable wind blowing through the mesh of tents, and some clouds in the sky, which kept the sun from waking people up hot and sweaty. Most importantly, there was the first full day of Mountain Jam 2016 ahead.

The day of music got underway on the Valley Stage with The Suitcase Junket, a one-man-band out of Amherst, MA. Matt Lorenz entertained the crowd with his adaptation of a music man, crooning out sweet lyrics, while smoothly playing a combination of a variety of instruments to accentuate those heartfelt vocals.

The next couple of acts to hit the Valley Stage were Marcus King Band and Love Canon. Marcus King and his band proved to be a crowd favorite and was invited to play a small acoustic set live on Radio Woodstock, which is broadcasting on-site all weekend. NYS Music captured a moment of that radio set on Instagram. Love Canon, a fast-paced bluegrass band with a keen ability to cover Top 100 songs got the late-afternoon crowd fired up for the evening to come. Their covers of J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Africa’s “Toto” ensured that as few butts were on the grass or in chairs as possible.

The Mountain Stage had its first act early in the afternoon, with And The Kids, a band based in Northampton, MA, who labels themselves as not just indie rock, but as an existential and accessible form of music. After this unique and subtle yet powerful trio was a band who has worked hard to be thought provoking with the depth to assist generations with escaping the ease of apathy. That band with such an intense charge is Nahko and Medicine for the People. NYS Music was fortunate enough to catch a few minutes with Nahko, an artist with a great heart and his mind truly in an enlightened state.

“A lot of the music that I eventually opened up to that fueled my own style of writing came from [the Sixties]. The old story-telling of a time when there was a very strong movement, as far as a social movement goes, to become aware of yourself and to be involved in your political structure and to be involved in making democracy work for the people.” He goes on to explain that he doesn’t see his music having a political drive. Instead he prefers to label it as having political content and some non-fictional history lessons, which is ultimately positioned to open fans’ minds in order to do their part in shaping a better world.

The Santa Monica, CA based band was here playing their first Mountain Jam and were excited to say the least. The only disappointment was that they had to leave almost directly after their set. However, the reason was nothing short of incredible: they are performing at a Bernie Sanders rally in San Diego, CA.

The Mountain Stage then welcomed Courtney Barnett, the Melbourne, Australia-based singer, song writer, guitarist and all-around bad-ass performer. Courtney brought her attitude-filled full-bodied sound to the Catskill Mountains, introducing many to her music and galvanizing the crowd when she played The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” for her first time ever in front of an audience. NYS Music posted a clip of that excellent cover on Instagram as it happened.

Immediately after the Australian indie-rocker finished her set, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz got things started on the Valley Stage. Anyone who has seen this power funk ensemble knows that the impending set they stand anxiously waiting to see will fill everyone’s ears with a ground shaking orchestration. Turkuaz shows everyone why this relatively young band has started to gain the momentum that is likely to carry them to very high places in the national music scene and possibly beyond.

As the evening led into night, Mountain Jam 2016 was captivated by the music of Jason Isbell and Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who was making their return after having been on the Mountain Jam X billing in 2014. By the time CRB was wrapping up their ever-soul-filled set, dusk had settled in nicely and the previously anticipated rain had decided to issue a stay of aquatic festival execution.

The soon to be chilly night was then taken over by an incredible pair of Mountain Stage acts. Wilco was tasked with firing up the crowd for the historical host of Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes. The veteran band completed their assignment with mastery, giving a massive crowd of long-time Wilco fans and first-timers alike the 90’s alternative rock fix they’d been seeking, whether they knew it or not.

After Wilco, there was a 30 minute lull. That gave people enough time to run and prepare for the host to present his musical bounty. Gov’t Mule took the stage just before 11:00 pm to a crowd itching to hear the drawl of that Southern rock. It’s not easy to forget how breathtaking of a show the Mule gives its fans, but if someone in that crowd had forgotten, they were immediately reminded when the band opened up with the Black Sabbath cover “Sweet Leaf.” They proceeded to give the audience some of their favorites, including “Thorazine Shuffle” and “Funny Little Tragedy,” which finished with a “Thorazine” reprise, Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Mule,” in which the festival was teased with riffs of “Shakedown Street,” and then finished with a “Soulshine” encore.

When Warren and his crew of troubadours left the Mountain Stage the crowd was split in two. Those who filed toward Healey Hall for The New Mastersounds and those who sought the comfort of their camp sites, RVs and hotels after a long first full day of Mountain Jam 2016. For the latter, rest was needed to ensure the best experience of the Saturday of music and events to come, while the former knew that it would take a powerful force to stop their momentum.

Today, the third day of the 12th annual Mountain Jam, the festival-goers are in store for a day filled with amazing music and other incredible events. Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Beck and Thievery Corporation have Mountain Stage duties. Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth will be playing their sets on the Valley Stage. All the while there will be workshops, documentaries and Q&As from the likes of Jay Blakesberg and Lettuce. Late night will be covered by the sounds of Con Brio and then Lettuce. Whether you haven’t yet streamed Mountain Jam 2016 or if you have all along, be sure to visit Tourpedo to stream all of these great artists. In the meantime, check out these galleries from yesterday by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski.

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June 4, 2016
Hearing Aide: The DuPont Brothers ‘A Riddle for You’

The DuPont Brothers, a sibling duo from Burlington, VT, have the gift of being both poets and musicians, a rarity these days. It’s always refreshing to hear sibling duos, because you can sense the true bond felt between them. Whether they’re harmonizing or singing in unison, Sam and Zack hit every note head on and flawlessly, while at the same time giving each other the space to shine individually. Joined on their latest album by several Burlington-based stars, A Riddle for You showcases just what this corner of the world has to offer in the way of talent.

While guitars are the most prominent instrument on this album, interjections from the occasional fiddle, banjo and pedal steel are certainly welcome throughout. The musical influences of Neil Young come through strongly, perhaps most obviously on “Trespassers,” which sounds a lot like “Harvest Moon,” while hints of the musical stylings of Ray LaMontagne can be heard on songs such as “The Arbor.” Then there are songs like “The Positives of Ten Degrees” that offer a more unique and individual style, while staying true to the folk element that seems to prevalent to varying degrees.

In terms of the vocals, each brother has his own distinctive and divine voice, both being particularly easy on the ears. Zack’s strong vocals seem to come effortlessly, giving the sense that he must share his voice and music-writing talents with the world. With Sam taking over the vocal leads on the album’s fourth song, “Ben’s Song,” one can sense a heavy vocal influence from Nick Drake, with an almost otherworldly tone.

It would be fair to say that this album would be perfect for a stay-at-home date night, having it playing in the background, while eating a romantic dinner, providing background music during periods of conversation with its mellow under-spoken tone and intelligent lyrics to ponder upon during moments of silence. A Riddle For You has a way of really tugging on your heartstrings, having the quality of sounding familiar while at the same time offering a fresh twist on traditional folk music. The DuPont Brothers’ second album will be available in stores this June, so be sure to pick up a copy.

Key Tracks: Something to Write About, The Positives of Ten Degrees, Fuse

June 4, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 1

On the first day of the 2016 Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain, there was a much expected buzz throughout the festival grounds. Thursdays of a four-day festival can be one of the greatest days; it’s the kick-off to the annual celebration of music and arts. Attendees, staff and volunteers are just gaining their bearings for the weekend to come, but most notably, Thursdays tend to be a bit more exclusive. Not everyone has a schedule that allows for them to arrive so early, making attendance on the first day much lighter than the rest. This was the case in Hunter on June 2.

Mountain Jam 2016 kicked off on the Valley Stage with a quartet of consecutive acts who were not only the musical welcoming committee as the first wave of fans poured in, but they were the catalyst for a day and evening of incredible music. Jane Lee Hooker, a New York City-based blues quintet, were first to play. The all-female blues band brought fervor and soul to the stage, which proved their respect to the blues craft and their namesake, John Lee Hooker. Next up was the Capital Region’s own Wild Adriatic; they lived up to expectation and performed an amazing set, which only substantiated the next act, Cabinet, a Pennsylvania bluegrass band that always makes the crowd shake and stomp.

The fourth band of the initial quartet was Donna the Buffalo, a Central New York-based band riddled with Americana influence from old-time Appalachian music to modern rock and country; this was the group’s first Mountain Jam billing. NYS Music sat down with Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear, who founded the band in 1989. When asked how they came to be, Jeb said, “We’re both old-time fiddle players, and in that form of music, a lot of people jam with each other. All you have is acoustic instruments, so you can just meet easily.” He added that Tara was the first person he’d met that wrote songs like the ones heard on the radio. A smile instantly hit her face when he paid her that compliment.

Over the course of time, Donna the Buffalo, comprised of these old-time players Tara and Jeb, met back in the ’80s and evolved from acoustic fiddle and banjo music to a more modernized, electric bluegrass. “The music [Appalachian music] kind of predates bluegrass; the kind that bluegrass grew out of,” Tara added. “I started writing songs that were more pop-oriented and then Jeb started writing songs. Then we [started to] transfer to electric instruments, and thus, was the formation of Donna the Buffalo.” Although they evolved into a more modern sound, they still stick close to their roots, continuing to play bluegrass festivals around the country, including their own called the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in their hometown of Trumansburg.

As the evening progressed, the heavy hitters started to come out. The first Mountain Stage act was Train Play Led Zeppelin II. Festival-goers throughout the grounds were hypothesizing how the performance would go. Only those who had heard Train play Zeppelin tunes on Howard Stern’s Sirius/XM radio show knew just how amazing it was going to be. The band’s frontman, Pat Monahan, was a true embodiment of a young Robert Plant. The band masterfully moved through the entirety of Led Zeppelin II and finished off their set with a crowd-pleasing reprise of “Stairway to Heaven.”

After Train finished their jaw-dropping performance, an amazing duel between Marco Benevento and Superhuman Happiness on the Valley Stage and Umphrey’s McGee on the Mountain Stage commenced. Marco and his collaboration of astounding musicians and singers paid homage to the late David Bowie by covering a vast amount of his catalog, including legendary hits like “Oh You Pretty Things,” “Let’s Dance” and “Life on Mars.” Chills were brought to many spines in the audience as this well-orchestrated performance not only gave everyone a live listen of Bowie tunes, but paid breathtaking amounts of respect to Ziggy Stardust—a face, voice and mind that the music world and its fans miss very much.

The echos of Bowie off of Hunter Mountain were responded to by a true fan favorite, Umphrey’s McGee. Although the Thursday crowd was light, it seemed every soul in Hunter was on the concert field. The boys from Chicago started their set off with “Similar Skin,” after which Brendan Bayliss delivered the message that instead of everyone pacing themselves for the weekend to come, a full-on party should take place since they were only around for the one night. After that public service announcement, Umphrey’s kicked into “Rocker (Part II),” and it didn’t slow down much from there. As is often a staple at Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes came out to jam during the first set, helping to breakup “Higgins” with a mid-song jam of southern rock and blues.

Another guest hit the Mountain Stage to make an appearance. Dressed in his eye-grabbing garb for the Bowie tribute set, Marco Benevento sat with Joel Cummins during the adapted and absolute monster cover of Pink Floyd’s “Breath.” After the first set was over, the crowd was filled with electricity. Marco played his second set of Bowie music, which made way for the second set of Umphrey’s; this second set seemed to step-up from the groundwork laid out in the first. Starting off with “40’s Theme,” the band moved through their second set making head-banging and fist-throwing and, of course, the Ryan Stasik-patented style of rock horns, explode throughout the crowd.

The boys finished their set with a line of “Educated Guess, “Conduit” and “Relax, Have a Thunderkiss.” Surprisingly, the crowd didn’t chant out the so-often-heard “We want the Umph!” chant, but they came back onstage with a certain vengeance, encoring with “Hajimemeshite” into “Bridgeless” to end the night; the perfect bookend to a perfect first night of Mountain Jam 2016.

Today’s lineup has some much anticipated acts throughout the day. Jay Blakesberg is personally looking forward to Courtney Barnett and Jason Isbell, both hitting the Mountain Stage in the late afternoon. Also playing today are favorites Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Wilco and Warren Haynes’ own Gov’t Mule. Be sure to log into the live stream, so you don’t miss any part of the Mountain Jam 2016 weekend.

June 3, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Broadcast ‘From the Horizon’

Within a flashy realm of brass interludes, conventional chord structures and foot-tapping rhythmic changes, the Broadcast will soon release their third studio album, entitled From the Horizon.

As every grassroots band from Asheville, North Carolina, faces in their early stages, the eagerness to record, sell and play often sidetracks the artist from the bigger picture: the feeling of security in their sound. And after three initial releases of Days Like Dreams (2010), Live (2012) and Dodge the Arrow (2013), the Broadcast’s upcoming record From the Horizon is a sonic gearshift from classic funk-rock to Americana roots-rock that offers listeners a soulful soundscape of influences. As the band’s sound continues to mature, so does their self-confidence, and it is here that we learn what defines the Broadcast musically, at least for now.

From the Horizon is declarative in its intentions, and has enough variety to please all ears. Frequent festival-goers who prefer a more summer-in-your-backyard tune will most likely gravitate toward “Double Down” and “Eyes of A Woman,” embodying illustrious riffs from guitarist Aaron Austin and a Grace Potter-like writing style delivered by powerhouse vocalist Caitlin Krisko. For others who thrive in the stomping and hollering kind of rush, jump right to “Every Step” and “Bring It On Home” with the on-target rhythm section featuring bassist E’Lon Jordan-Dunlap and percussionists Jaze Uries and Tyler Housholder. The most contrasting part of the album sits on the slide of Austin’s guitar in the bluesy twang of “Battle Cry,” which boasts an equally rebellious lyrical message to match.

There’s no doubt that the Broadcast has finally found their sound in From the Horizon, being that they were able to land Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Scott (Wilco, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sting) in their control room and have already secured several festival dates sure to draw in new crowds this summer. With a variety of folk-timbred instrumentation, aux percussion and soulful growls, this is a band that has potential for great success in the live music sphere. However, their musical vision quest is hardly over, and they’ll need a little more development before taking on the world of recorded rock and Americana, but we’re happy to follow along.

From the Horizon officially drops on June 17, but a selection of the album’s tracks can be sampled on soundcloud. Keep up-to-date with the Broadcast on their website and Facebook page.

Key Tracks: Every Step, Bring It On Home, Battle Cry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tqkBoQ35c&feature=youtu.be

June 3, 2016
Hollywood Vampires Kick off Historic Night of Rock & Roll

Ever since their debut concert at The Roxy last September in LA, and their subsequent follow up performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards, fans have been impatiently awaiting the return of the star studded Hollywood Vampires.

The Hollywood Vampires kicked off their 2016 world wide tour with opening night being held at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona, New York. The event sold out in record time, bringing fans across the country just to be part of this night of history in the making. For those just waking up from their Rip VanWinkle nap, this star studded group is lead by Alice Cooper, aka Hollywood Vampires Lair President, and together with the legendary Joe Perry on guitar, Johnny Depp on guitar, Matt Sorum on drums, Robert DeLeo on bass, Tommy Henrickson on guitar, and Bruce Witkin on keyboards and guitar, these superstars and virtual list of who’s who in the rock world took to the stage and raised the crowd to their feet and blew the roof off it’s frame. Okay, perhaps I exaggerate a wee bit. The audience sat down occasionally.

Starting out the evening with a glimpse of who inspired them musically, it was a foreshadowing to an evening of honoring some of their favorite musical inspirations throughout the years, with some new music sprinkled within. Finding their footing on stage with the crowd, they began to meld together seamlessly after a song or two. It was apparent as they played on with each song, they began to relax and feel the music and feed off the crowd.

No matter what song Alice Cooper was singing, he owned it. His cover of the Beatles, “Come Together”, was epic, while Joe Perry’s bluesy rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s, “Stop Messin Around”, showcased every skill set on that stage from Cooper’s harmonica, to Witkin’s keyboard solo, to Perry’s growling vocals. On Bowie’s Rebel Rebel cover, it was Sorum’s drum solo that dominated this tune, while DeLeo and Henrickson’s bass and guitar were the heartbeat of every song throughout the night. Cooper who has dominated his shock rock genre since day one, spoke to the audience about the background of “My Dead Drunk Friends”. Always an inspiration to others in the business, Cooper’s new song, co-written together with Depp, paid tribute to ‘lair mates’ who didn’t quite make it out of Rainbow Bar in the standing position. Despite his attempts to blend into the background, Depp couldn’t if he tried. Depp’s creative side shines through no matter what he attempts. In the past Depp hesitated to share his musical side to the public, claiming he didn’t want his fame as an actor to outshine the music itself. But when music is your first passion and the talent is there, it just reinforces to the audience that you are one talented artist, no matter what venue you are in.

As the night came to a close, and the final encore of “School’s Out” finished it’s last note, and the Vampires took their last bow, those present felt as though they had just witnessed history on stage. As excited as the audience was, those on stage were just as excited and pumped for the night they won’t soon forget either.

Setlist: Raise the Dead, Got a Line, 20th Century Boy, Pinball Wizard, My Generation, Manic Depression, Cold Turkey, Come Together, 7&7, Whole Lot of Love, 5 to 1/Break On Through, Rebel Rebel, Suffragette City, Bad As I Am, Stop Messin’ Round, Dead Drunk Friends, Ace of Spade, 18 , Sweet Emotion Encore: Train Kept Rollin, School’s Out

June 2, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Honeycutters “On the Ropes”

A follow-up to the chart-topping breakout album Me Oh My (2015), the Honeycutters’ latest release, On the Ropes, brings a breezy soundtrack for Sunday driving down that lonely country mile.

Frontwoman Amanda Anne Platt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) comes on strong in the record’s opening title track, before lulling listeners along in “Blue Besides.” It’s the third song, “Golden Child,” that demands full attention, with its bluesy vocals, relatable lyrics and soul-bending composition.

Throughout 12 original songs, Platt shares personal stories from the battlefield that cover the spectrum of love, loss and learning, writing “I’ve been a stranger here before, I’ve been a soldier, I’ve been the war, and I’ve done my time on the wrong side of the door, I’ve been peaceful, I’ve been wild, I’ve been a Golden Child.” She’s down-to-earth in her delivery of tell-it-like-it-is advice (“hang up that halo and get by with the rest of us, let those wings go to rust…you’re not taking any chances, you’re looking for that easy answer”) from one strong-headed woman who’s “not hanging up my spurs, I’m just telling you I’ve learned.”

Although not as mountain as Gillian Welch, the Hastings-On-Hudson native and Skidmore College graduate’s sweet, natural vibrato is a refreshing sound coming out of the songstress’ current base of Asheville, NC. And accompanying bandmates, Rick Cooper (upright, electric bass), Josh Milligan (drums, vocals), Matt Smith (pedal steel, electric guitar, dobro) and Tal Taylor (mandolin), are the perfect mixer for a polished concoction of rock and country elements with a sprig of rural Appalachia.

From swingy, borderline pop-twang in “The Handbook” to steady rock in “Back Row,” highlighted by harmonica (played by Platt’s father, Mark) and electric guitar, to the slouchier slide and mandolin in “Useless Memories” to the trimmer distortion in “Ache” that makes the raw emotion feel real, and a jaunty, shimmery cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” it’s all here, before the record is capped off with a dusty picture of gunslingers and barroom girls in “Barmaid’s Blues.”

The Honeycutters have surely made something out of nothing with their fourth studio album, On the Ropes (out now through Organic Records); it’s alternative Americana at its finest, and Platt’s sincere songwriting is the gravy on the biscuits.

Key Tracks: Golden Child, Back Row, Ache, Hallelujah

https://soundcloud.com/user-123099651/sets/on-the-ropes

May 31, 2016
Final Night at Rock ‘N Derby Closes With Shinedown, Sixx A.M. and Sevendust

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 29, 2016