NYS Music 20​16

Category: Reviews

  • Tea Leaf Green Makes The Crowd Scream

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

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

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

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

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

  • Sturgill Simpson Simply Stuns the State

    Outside, on the streets of Ithaca, the plants were dying and the leaves were falling. But inside, in the cozy majesty of the State Theater, country was ‘In Bloom’ as Sturgill Simpson took the stage Thursday night.

    Simpson and his big band (Laur Joamets on electric & slide guitar, Chuck Bartels on bass, Bobby Emmett on keyboards, Miles Miller behind the kit and on backing vocals, Scott Frock on trumpet, Brad Walker on saxophone and Jon Ramm on trombone) played over two hours in a career-spanning set. There was no opening act, there was no encore and there wasn’t an unsatisfied soul walking out the door at the finish.

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    Simpson’s albums famously stretch the fabric of country music, adding in threads of soul, roots, blues and psychedelic elements. Live it plays as kind of a country soul revue, with a three-piece horn section, ever-present slick guitar and a keyboardist that isn’t afraid to mix in some spacey Moog. The band was utilized to full effect throughout the set, whether covering material from his debut High Top Mountain or his breakout sophomore release, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, each of which dominated the first half of the show. The music also moved the audience to full effect, from head to toe, with head bobbers, shoulder swayers, fist pumpers, booty shakers and foot stompers. Surprisingly, the most country the band sounded all night was in a phenomenal twanged-up cover of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks.”

    It was over an hour before they played material off Simpson’s latest, A Sailor’s Guide to the Earth. After a spacey and noisy intro, the album finally broke into the set with “Welcome to Earth.” The song built in intensity with the horns bursting out into a funky groove that smoothly found it’s way into the second track on the album, “Breakers Roar.” The set continued on as they tackled the entire album front to back. Simpson played the part of band leader throughout, coaxing more guitar, quickening the rhythm or adding more horns, simply with motions of his guitar or a nod of the head, commandeering the stage and in turn the packed theater. “Keep It Between the Lines” brought the outlaw country down to New Orleans with funky horns and B3 organ. They stretched the center out to fit extended solos in from nearly everyone in the band, including an extra groovy bass and drums section. It reached a fever pitch that was fit for a show-stopping set closer, but they were just getting started. Still yet to come was their stirring soul-country cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” the heavy-rocking “Brace For Impact,” with Simpson finally strapping on an electric, and the set-closing “Call to Arms” complete with a “Soulful Strut” jam and a proper off-the-rails scream-to-the-end finish.

    Setlist: Living the Dream, A Little Light Within, Water in a Well > Long White Line > Call Me The Breeze (Lynyrd Skynyrd) > When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin), ?, ?, The Promise, Railroad of Sin, It Ain’t All Flowers, ?, Some Days > Turtles All the Way Down, Hero, Welcome to Earth > Breakers Roar, Keep It Between the Lines, Sea Stories > In Bloom, Brace For Impact, All Around You > Oh Sarah, Call to Arms

  • Hearing Aide: Bon Iver “22, A Million”

    jv1Five years since the release of Bon Iver, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon shares yet another piece of his artwork with our world. This indie folk band’s third album 22, A Million is an experimentally brilliant work whose meaning is difficult to fully comprehend.

    While experimenting with the auto-tune and synthetics, Bon Iver explores the world beyond the conventional three-minute song while staying true to himself. Vernon hones his exceptional songwriting abilities throughout the entirety of the album. He revives his style of singing over simplistic piano with his track “00000 Million” just as he did on his 2007 release For Emma, Forever Ago as well as his self-titled work four years later in 2011.

    The interpretation of Bon Iver’s lyrics, which are challenging to decipher is aided by the release of lyric videos to all ten tracks. Each lyrical video is accompanied by symbols that hold personal meaning to individual band members such as the rainbow featured in “33 “GOD””, geometric shapes in “8 (circle)” and countless others. Consistent with Bon Iver’s unique approach to 22, A Million, each song title unconventionally involves language, numbers and symbols to enhance its eccentric nature.

    With every new discovery, this cryptic album continues to fascinate the listener. Beginning with “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and ending with “00000 Million” as they perfectly sandwich the imperfect “22 #Strafford APTS”. The first time listening to this intentionally flawed song I assumed by headphones had been detached from my computer to only later discover that it was an artistic choice of Vernon to record “22 #Strafford APTS” so that it appears to be breaking up near the tail end of the song.

    22, A Million is a cohesive work that when listened to in its natural order portrays the progression of its ten tracks. “21 M♢♢N WATER” seems almost indistinguishable as it flows into “8 (circle)” while effortlessly maintaining a similar feel in both songs.

    The controversial album that is 22, A Million was successful in reinventing Bon Iver to the extent that he is compared to the works of Kayne West and Frank Ocean. With this album, Bon Iver reaffirms his ability to remain of interest to our scattered millennial generation and the contemporary world.

    Key Tracks: 8 (circle), 33 “GOD”, 22 (OVER S∞∞N)

  • “From One Chord to Another,” Sloan Celebrates a Landmark at Daryl’s House

    Sloan has been at it for 25 years, but could easily have been a footnote in Canadian music history if not for their fortitude. Formed at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax in 1991, the alt-rock quartet has made a name for itself in its homeland, winning several East Coast Music Awards and a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album — 1996’s One Chord to Another. This album, however, almost never happened at all.sloan Sloan was signed to Geffen Records early on, as label executives rushed to find the next Nirvana. As part of a burgeoning Halifax music scene that included Eric’s Trip and Thrush Hermit, that saw a gold rush to the maritime province from the labels, Sloan was the band that survived.

    The band’s first two albums Smeared and Twice Removed were released on Geffen in 1992 and 1994 respectively. After a dispute with the label over lack of promotion for Twice Removed,  the band took some time off, leading some to believe they had broken up. Sloan self-produced and self-released the follow-up to Twice Removed, One Chord to Another.  Sunday night, the band rolled into Daryl’s House Club in Pawling for an intimate rendering of that landmark album on its 20th anniversary of release.

    Sloan has made its bones sharing writing duties, vocals and instruments among the band’s four original members: Chris Murphy, Jay Ferguson, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott. Power chords, hand claps and Beatle-esque harmonies are hallmarks of the Sloan sound.  All these elements were firmly in place for the intimate audience of hard core Sloan fans this night.

    Make no mistake, this is not a simple pop band. To survive 25 years in the business requires more than just catchy songs. The lyrics from each of the members reveal a depth that belies the catchiness of the music.

    Throughout the history of pop music, many of the most poignant songs have carried a sense of darkness. The Beatles exhibited this to the extreme in “Run For Your Life” from the Rubber Soul album.  And while Sloan has never intro’ed a song as bluntly as John Lennon did with,”I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man,” a quick glance at Sloan’s song titles bears this out: “Everything You’ve Done Wrong,” Nothing Left to Make Me Wanna Stay.”  Sloan has the songwriting chops to turn a subject such as unrequited love into dark poetry with a pop melody.

    Daryl’s House Club is an offshoot of Philly Soul legend and half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Hall and Oates, Daryl Hall’s popular internet, now MTV Live show, Live From Daryl’s House. Hall opened the club in Pawling in 2014 as a venue to feature intimate gigs similar to those seen on his show. Tickets are sold as reserved seating or standing tickets and all reserved seats are at tables, allowing patrons to enjoy a meal and some drinks prior to and during a performance. The main performance space has room for a couple of hundred patrons. Wait staff meander in and out of the seated areas, taking orders and delivering dishes. It makes for a a dinner theater type atmosphere that doesn’t much allow for audience participation during a show, especially one for a band with such uptempo music.

    This tour is a celebration of the band’s watershed moment. They’re playing the One Chord album in its entirety during the first set of each show. However, the music they were celebrating almost seemed like an afterthought as patrons ate their dinner during the performance.  Murphy commented on this fact a couple of times during the set, “Finish chewing your food and sing along with us on this one,” he said, introducing “G Turns to D.”

    Despite the limitations on audience participation, though with many in the crowd being in their late 30s/early 40s, there may not have been a whole lot of physical participation anyway. The band rallied through the album in its entirety. The participation in the chugging “G Turns to D” included many hand claps and singing along from those in attendance. A smooth transition into the Beatles, by way of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, “A Side Wins” had fans swaying in their seats.

    The set concluded with “400 Metres,” a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a Pavement album with its speak-talk lyrics. The hypnotizing keyboard presence mixed with Pentland’s guitar ended the set with a chill vibe reminiscent a late night ’70s FM radio show.

    “Coax Me,” opened the second set, encouraging the devoted to sing along. This opened the doors to a rousing second set featuring many of Sloan’s greatest hits, including what is probably its best known song, “Money City Maniacs” as well as “Losing California,” a song requested all night long by some of the more boisterous fans in attendance.

    The band seamlessly traded instruments and vocals throughout the night. Murphy stepped behind Scott’s sparse drum kit while Scott grabbed a guitar and sang and Ferguson took up the bass several times. The formula of equals behind this band is what has kept it going for 25 years. All four members contribute to the whole. And while there’s a formula to the sound, Sloan is far from formulaic. Their songs echo past eras, yet remain uniquely their own.

    Those in attendance on this night were the Sloan faithful in downstate New York. Some traveling great distances to see their cult heroes in the intimacy of Daryl’s House. They were treated to a special show from one of music’s hardest working bands.

    In a more fair world, Sloan would be playing a sold out show at Madison Square Garden rather than a small downstate club in front of noshing patrons on a Sunday night in October. Somehow, you can’t help but wonder if Sloan prefers it this way though.

    Sloan’s One Chord to Another 20th Anniversary Tour continues throughout the U.S. in November, finishing with a show in Buffalo at the Iron Works Nov. 19.

    Check out some fan-shot video of Sloan’s encore performance of “If it Feels Good, Do It” from the Daryl’s House Club show below.

  • Hearing Aide: Shovels and Rope “Little Seeds”

    Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, better known as Shovels and Rope, pour their hearts out in the newest release, Little Seeds. What I found so fascinating about the album was the fact that they were able to touch upon so many different types of folk and Americana music, but still manage to paint a light coat of something distinctly them. While the songs may sound incredibly different from beginning to end, the duo’s gently massaged track selection presents an incredibly supple flow that highlights their talent and eclectic taste.

    The first and second tracks introduce a band that is confident, gritty and loud! While some of the later songs may be appropriate for a quiet evening of snuggling up with your honey, “I Know” and “Botched Execution” would be more suitable for a late night party with some of your closest friends. It isn’t until the third track, “St. Anne’s Parade,” where we step into the chill zone with the soothing vocal harmonies and soft, simple acoustics that frequently drift into Little Seeds. I would consider this “soulful Americana” as Hearst and Trent passionately belt out the well-written lyrics.

    “The Last Hawk” picks the tempo up in the most pleasant way and reassures the listener that this album is going to stylistically take us for a ride. As much as this studio project was about their personal experiences, many Upstate New Yorkers will connect with the references to Woodstock and Saugerties in this particular story. “Mourning Song” has a lyrical structure similar to that of a traditional Irish folk tune and tells the tale of a grieving wife’s connection with her deceased lover through music. The theme of birth and death and all that we feel in between is presented throughout Little Seeds, but the duo’s songwriting ability is so hardy that the same concepts are presented in such unique and different ways.

    “Johnny Come Outside” is another one of the calmer, thought provoking numbers which has a hook resembling Bob Dylan’s widely covered “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Where Dylan has had an influence on generations of folk, blues and Americana artists, Shovels & Rope are planting the seeds that will grow into the next garden of fresh young sonic storytellers. “San Andreas Fault Line Blues” introduces us to yet another taste of bluesy gospel music, but this time one can hear Johnny Cash casting his light on the duo’s lyrical approach. “BWYR” is a haunting and topical song that profoundly delivers the ugly messages of racial injustices in a world where all we need is some peace. The faint sounds of police sirens whisper in the background of this enlightening and important piece of poetry. “Eric’s Birthday” seamlessly fades into the last track, “This Ride,” and delivers the euphoric reminder of life and love before sending us all on our way.

    Whether you have just given birth to a new child or have recently lost someone, Little Seeds will help you reflect. Ever experience loneliness, bliss, heartache or confusion? Listen to this album. If you enjoy gathering around the campfire with family and friends or spending the day alone in a busy city, this release is for you. Filled with powerful messages, spiritual symbolism, and deeply expressed life lessons, Shovels & Rope have created a robust collection of songs that you can play in front of your grandparents, your grandchildren and everyone that you meet along the way.

    Key Tracks: St. Anne’s Parade, The Last Hawk, Johnny Come Outside

  • Summer Reflections on the 2016 Great New York State Fair

    Summer time is what NYS Music considers their busy season.  With outdoor venues in full swing, festivals across the country, and every band that is touring out on the road at this time hitting the Northeast during the warmer weather, it becomes quite hectic keeping readers up to date on the latest of happenings.  Sometimes once things settle down a bit, it is better to just reflect back with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee or a great Saranac Oktoberfest, and enjoy these highlights after the fact. In this case, it’s time to reflect on the 2016 Great New York State Fair.

    With a brand new entrance, the Fair welcomed more than 1,117,620 visitors through its gates this year, breaking all previous records.  With the new found space acquired after the demolition of the Grandstand area, the Fair was able to spread out a bit more giving fair goers more elbow room with its new configuration.  With all concerts now completely free to Fair goers, it was a pleasure to be able to see a wide variety of acts as they visited Central NY this year.

    The lineup this year offered a little something for everyone.  Newcomers X Ambassadors made an appearance as well as Kesha, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Toto, Survivor, Macy Gray, Brian Wilson, Herman’s Hermits, Flo Rida, Culture Club, Rachel Platten, A Great Big World, and Chicago together with a multitude of other national and local acts from today and yesterday throughout the fairgrounds.

    Being a child of the 80’s, Air Supply was one of those bands that dominated the airwaves during that time singing ballad after ballad touching the hearts of many.  This Australian duo have been making beautiful music since 1975 and this long lasting duo was widely welcomed by fairgoers this year.  Choosing from their expansive catalog of hits, such as “All Out of Love,” “Even The Nights Are Better,” and “Every Woman In The World” to name a few, Roger Hitchcock and Graham Russell jumped around the stage in the heat, waving and pointing to fans just as they did back in the height of their careers back in the 1980’s. Those in attendance were well entertained, and it was a pleasure to take the time travel back to my 7th grade dance once again.

    Another band extremely popular in the 70’s and 80’s drew a huge crowd when The Commodores played on Day 5.  Still moving and grooving like they did all those years ago, William King, Walter “Clyde” Orange and J.D. Nicholas played favorites such as “Nightshift,” “Easy,” “Three Times A Lady,” and their signature song “Brick House.”  The electric experience had the crowd up on their feet the majority of the night singing and dancing along.

    Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers also drew a large crowd.  Playing favorites such as “Mandolin Rain” and “The Way It Is,” this musical master proved to be so much more than the pop star one expected.  Traveling around in the early 90’s, Bruce joined the legendary group The Grateful Dead on tour, and has performed with legendary country performer Ricky Skaggs since 2007.  You can see the influences of these two genres reflected in his new body of work which pleased me beyond belief.  Concert attendees anticipated a remix of music that brought him to light and he delivered that and so much more with his new sound of bluegrass music.  Amazingly entertaining was Mr. Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers. Yes indeed.

    On the final Sunday fair goers had a nice mix of rock and blues as they welcomed legendary blues guitarist Robert Cray at the early show. Cray’s music was uplifting and catchy as he worked cute comparisons of love and food and animals into a mix of bluesy goodness that brought a smile to your face. With numbers like “Side Dish,” “Chicken In The Kitchen,” and “Great Big Ole House,” Robert Cray’s ability to work puns into his lyrics was endearing and his musical genius proved to the packed crowd that he is one of the greats.

    Daughtry packed Chevy Court, as thousands of fans waited for the former American Idol star to take the stage.  Surprised by the size of the crowd taking in the show,Daughtry howled at the crowd claiming that he “Did not know we had this many friends here in Syracuse. Damn, Ya’ll ready to have fun with us tonight? You ready to party with us?” Daughtry then led the crowd in clapping their hands as the band played “Feels Like Tonight.” Taking a quick breather after the song “Superman,” he shared with fans that the band was in the process of writing a new album and joked that the band didn’t have a new song yet to play for them, but all he knew was that it would be a rock album. Daughtry held the mic over the crowd several times as fans were singing along with him. Giving a shout out to his keyboardist, Elvio Fernandes, Daughtry shared that this local hometown hero was born and raised in Rochester. A very fan oriented musician, it was not a surprise when he called a fan to the stage to sign his guitar, and better yet, to have the entire band sign the guitar.

    For fairgoers each year, there are tried and true exhibits, agriculture competitions, events, and food vendors one must visit to truly experience the fair. Whether it’s fried dough, wine slushies, rides, horse competitions, or the Indian Village, the Great NY State Fair has something for everyone’s taste.  One of the new events that was most popular was the food truck contest. This event went over amazingly well as thousands took advantage of the $2 tasters all day long as the food trucks lined Chevy Court.  From was peanut butter and jelly to meatballs, there was literally something for everyone.  After a day long of tasting each purchase gave you an entry ticket to win prizes for both the taster and the food truck owner.

    Literally thousands of new yorkers and tourists from beyond, visit the Great New York State Fair for 12 days at the end of summer, each year. Traditionally, the last day is reserved for the best deal, $1 admission. What appears to be the biggest day for attendance, has now become the busiest day for the Chevy Court. On Labor Day, Chicago entertained just over 30,000 people with a fantastic performance full of rocking guitar licks, heavy horn-playing, and soaring vocals. Beginning their 2-hour long set, the band embraced the stage for the first time in 26 years with an instrumental introduction before kicking off with “Questions 67 & 68” as “Dialogue (Part I & II)” followed.  Throughout the whole show members took turns strutting their moves at the front of the stage, bringing fans deeper into their performance.   Highlights of evening included their super hits, “Beginnings,” “Free,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “Saturday in the Park” followed by a spectacular fireworks display at the front gate as attendees exited the fair for the last time.

    Bruce Hornsby and The Noise Makers Setlist: On Western Skyline, Across the River, Funhouse, Tennessee Jed, Celestial Railroad, Pretty Polly, Every Little Kiss, Over the Rise, Jacob’s Ladder, Life in the Psychotropics, Mandolin Rain, The Way It Is, Encore: Rainbow’s Cadillac

    Robert Cray Setlist: Chicken in the Kitchen, Poor Johnny, It Doesn’t Show, Nobody’s Fault but Mine, On the Road Down, Phone Booth, Two Steps From the End, Side Dish, Great Big Old House, I Shiver, Right Next Door (Because of Me), Strong Persuader, You Move Me. Encore: Time Makes Two

    Daughtry Setlist: Go Down, Outta My Head, Feels Like Tonight, Waiting for Superman, Renegade, In the Air Tonight, Crazy, Tennessee Line, Home Sweet Home, Diamonds, It’s Not Over, Over You, Home, Long Live Rock & Roll. Encore: September, Purple Rain

  • Hearing Aide: WOLF! ‘1-800-WOLF!’

    If you’re looking for some new music to wind down your day or rev up your evening, dial up 1-800-WOLF! for a good time. WOLF!’s new album was released today by Royal Potato Family.

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    The band consists of guitarist Scott Metzger (JRAD, RANA), bassist Jon Shaw (Cass McCombs, Shakey Graves) and drummer Taylor Floreth. They were booked as the backing band for a singer at a Williamsburg club one night a few years ago. When the singer never showed up, instead of cancelling, the trio decided to play as an instrumental trio. With no material to go on, they winged it, filling the set with straight improvisation. It went exceedingly well and they were asked back for a regular gig. Thus WOLF! was born.

    Most of the music on the record, the follow up to their 2015 self-titled debut, was borne of improvisation, either on stage or in the studio. The only preconceived track is the Metzger-penned Ennio Morricone-esque “You Are No Longer My Friend, My Friend.” Each song soundtracks short scenes the listener can almost visualize. The environment of the music is so clear, and while certainly borrows from music’s past, emerges as an original thought that is entirely of WOLF!’s making. There’s the surf rock late-night blues of “Furry Freedom,” the slinky Cuban groove of “Tomatillo Verde,” the swinging gypsy of “Oaxaca Ox,” the dripping Western romance of “Denim Love Affair” and on and on. “Bohemian Grove,” lilting and lazy, swells like the tide on a secluded island until it crashes in a wave on the sandy shore.

    The only thing that raises questions on this breeze of a listen is the band name WOLF! The music doesn’t have the scream of all-caps nor the exclamatory punctuation. The music moves effortlessly from song to song, scene to scene, location to location. Perhaps, since the band backed into it’s existence, it would make more sense to read the name backwards? Indeed, the name “flow.” would suit this music quite well.

    As good as 1-800-WOLF is, a band born on stage is surely best enjoyed on stage. The tri-state area has multiple chances to catch WOLF! live in the coming weeks, including opening for, and backing, Nicole Atkins on a few dates.
    10/14 – The Acoustic – Bridgeport, CT
    10/15 – Still Partners – Sea Cliff, NY
    10/ 20 – Hometown BBQ – Brooklyn NY
    10 /23 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA
    10/25 – LPR – NYC*
    10/26 – BSP Kingston – Kingston, NY*
    10/28 – House of Independents – Asbury Park, NJ*
    * notes dates w/ Nicole Atkins

    Key tracks: Tomatillo Verde, Bohemian Grove, Slow Stuff

  • Jason Isbell Takes Syracuse to Church

    Three stained glass windows hung behind Jason Isbell and his band as they took the stage Thursday night at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. The lit windows showed birds around an anchor, perhaps in reference to the second song of the set, “Stockholm” with it’s lyric “Ships in the harbor and birds on the bluff / Don’t move an inch when their anchor goes up.” Whatever the interpretation, one thing was for sure, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Sadler Vaden on guitar, Jimbo Hart on bass, Derry DeBorja on keyboards, Chad Gamble on drums) were taking the theater to church, and they were reading from the Book of Isbell.

    The show didn’t consist of too many extended rock outs though the musicians proved more than worthy of taking a song out to the woodshed on occasion, most notably for the bombastic guitar-fueled “Never Gonna Change” set closer. No, the highlighted items here were the songs, and o, what songs! Isbell’s last two albums, 2013’s Southeastern and last year’s Something More Than Free were met with much critical and award-winning acclaim. But no one needed the critics to tell them that they were witnessing the work of one of the greatest songwriters on the scene today.

    The congregation sat in their pews, quietly attentive. They knew all the songs by heart, but they were there to hear Isbell’s voice sing Isbell’s words about Isbell’s life. His songs may be personal in genesis but, as with any great poetry, they are written to relate to any of its readers and listeners.brian-cornish-jason-isbell-07

    After lines of particular significance, the crowd would cheer loudly in approval. Amen! On the particularly poignant performance of “Cover Me Up,” with Isbell taking the stage solo for the first half, the audience was raucous after every single line. The rest of the band re-entered the stage one by one as the song built to a furious finish before some heavy mallet hits knocked it back down. The crowd weren’t the only ones to feel the power on that one. “Hell, let’s do that one again!” bellowed Isbell.

    One enjoyable story was of the traditional spoken word variety. Isbell recounted the story of the band’s beginnings. He had been kicked out of his house and called up his good friend Jimbo Hart for a place to stay. He ended up sleeping in his kitchen on a futon he purchased for just that purpose. A few months later he also got kicked out of his band, the Drive-by Truckers. So he asked Hart if he wanted to be in his band. Hart again said yes and here they were, still playing music together.

    In thanking tour mate Josh Ritter, Isbell said that Ritter’s on stage smiley personality was how he was off stage as well. “He’s either reading a different issue of the news than me or I’m just doing it wrong,” he quipped. Indeed, Ritter and his band (Mark Erelli on guitar, Zack Hickman on bass, Ray Rizzo on drums) played a joyful 45 minute opening set filled with his own brand of folk songs.

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    Unfortunately, they experienced some technical difficulties when the PA cut out, emitting a droning electronic beat. With the sound cut, the band went fully acoustic, and stood at the front of the stage for a two song un-mic’d performance. As a testament to both the acoustics of the beautiful old theater and the pure talent of the musicians on stage, they pulled it off perfectly, even producing the highlight of the set. To hear completely unfiltered voices and instruments come together is a rare treat, particularly in a venue of this size. It is always interesting to see how musicians will handle adversity during their set and, ever the optimist, Ritter made lemonade out of lemons.

    Jason Isbell Setlist: Flying Over Water, Stockholm, 24 Frames, Outfit, Decoration Day, Traveling Alone, How To Forget, Different Days, Codeine, Elephant, Alabama Pines, Cover Me Up, If It Takes a Lifetime, Something More Than Free, Never Gonna Change E: Speed Trap Town, Super 8, Children of Children

    Josh Ritter Setlist: Monster Ballads, Me & Jiggs, Cry Softly, Girl in the Water (acoustic, un-mic’d), Snow is Gone (acoustic, un-mic’d), ?, Henrietta Indiana, Long Shadows, When Will I Be Changed

  • Hearing Aide: Green Day’s “Revolution Radio”

    I remember it vividly: On a long bus ride for an elementary school field trip, one of my oldest friends handed me a cassette that would be the very first turning point on the musical journey that my life has become.

    The year was 1993, and I was very much into rap at the tender age of 8. Caleb, who had a serious disdain for my musical choices at the time, took my Walkman and inserted a recently released tape of Kerplunk, Green Day’s second album. I’d never heard of the band, and was not sure what to expect.

    The snarling growl that accompanied Billie Joe Armstrong’s guitar slapped my eardrums around on the opening track, “2,000 Light Years Away,” and I didn’t know what to do. It was odd, at first, but as I made my way through the tracks, I became quickly hooked on the pop-punk that would soon propel Green Day into super-stardom.

    And this was only the beginning of what became my first, and biggest, band obsession. I made my parents get me their debut album, 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, which was a compilation of all their earliest material. I loved Green Day before anyone knew who they were.

    Later that year, a friend and I devised a plan to get our parents to take us to see them at Union College in Schenectady. To make a very long and boring story short, the two of us ended up by ourselves at the concert, swinging and swaying in a rowdy group of maybe 1,000 people, and I will never forget the awe I felt seeing a trio of early 20s kids playing the fastest and catchiest rock and roll on the planet. It started a live music obsession that, to this day, comes first in my life after my family and work.

    I can talk about how Dookie is my all-time favorite album ever released by anyone, or about how Insomniac spoke to my pre-pubescent self better than anyone, or how Nimrod, while not universally liked, showed how Green Day can shake things up. What about Warning, which featured a bevy of instruments which helped the band veer away from three-chord pop-punk? Or how American Idiot vaulted the band back to super popularity and brought music and politics together again? I don’t think we need to talk much about 21st Century Breakdown, or their quickly released trio of albums, Uno, Dos and Tres, which were not Green Day’s best efforts.

    Now, 23 years later, Green Day just dropped its 12th studio album, Revolution Radio, and I have to say that for a band I idolized growing up, then grew to despise a bit in the mid-2000s, they have reeled me right back in. Gone are the days of songs about masturbation, moving out of mom’s house and staying up all night snorting meth.

    And while it has some political undertones, Revolution Radio really is a 12-song collection of angst, anger, mortality and youthful remembrance by Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool. And it’s fast, loud, mean and chock full of emotion and that “we don’t give a fuck what you think” attitude that made me fall head over heels 23 years ago.

    “Somewhere Now” starts the album with a Clash kind of feel. Its catchy chorus and clever wording simply give way to the meat of this album. “Bang Bang,” the first single released, shoots out at you like a bullet from a stolen gun. “Daddy’s little psycho and mommy’s little soldier” is a line that hits close to home, as this was me as a child. Great choice for a single, and it’s mean as hell with that charm that only Green Day can insert into a morbid song.

    “Revolution Radio” is the catchiest song on the album, and is as close to classic Green Day as it gets. Think the anger and destruction captured throughout Insomniac and this is what you’re getting in the title track. “Say Goodbye” opens with a vibe of The Wall-era Pink Floyd, then quickly transforms into a preachy ditty that touches on, presumably, the recent spate of violence in this country involving police.

    “Outlaws” is a love song that misses its mark. It is the only song that seems out of place here. “Bouncing Off The Wall” is another throwback to Armstrong’s wilder days, before he went to rehab a few years ago.

    “Still Breathing,” “Youngblood” and “Too Dumb To Die” are a trilogy of songs that I have listened to over and over in the last 72 hours. “Youngblood” is a punk rock love song that ends with the subject saying “but fuck you I’m from Oakland” and is a great way to close it out.

    “Too Dumb To Die” is about reckless behavior from the band’s past, and became my favorite song from the band in many, many years. It’s the most punk rock thing on the entire album, and maybe of the band’s career. “Troubled Times,” “Forever Now” and “Ordinary World” touch back on the societal and political unrest in the country, without slamming it down our throats like American Idiot did.

    Overall, this is the best Green Day album, in my opinion, since Nimrod. Green Day returned to what made the world fall in love with them and made it angrier, faster, louder and catchier.

    I am certainly back into this band like it’s 1997.

    Key Tracks: Too Dumb To Die, Revolution Radio, Youngblood, Bang Bang

  • Set Up Like a Bowling Pin: JRAD Knocks Down the Brooklyn Bowl Run

    If the Brooklyn Bowl ever decides to create a Hall of Fame, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) can be sure to add “Fall Ball 2” to their list of accomplishments. As Saturday night wrapped up the sold out three-show run for this incredible quintet, I will non-apologetically say that they are the most important “cover band” in the world and are potentially better than anything Grateful Dead related today. The Bowl was where they capitalized on their first run as a newly developed powerhouse and years later, this all-star side project has become nationally recognized and a force to be reckoned with.

    “Blues for Allah” welcomed the crowd to the show. The Dead rarely performed the spacey and complex composition live, which JRAD seems to greet as a challenge and ambitiously took the “Blues” to another level before stepping into a starry “Eyes of the World.”   A delicate transition into “Minglewood Blues” was highlighted by Scott Metzger’s fiery guitar solo turning into the first fist-pumping barn-burner of the night. The band slowly eased into “The Wheel” with an extended jam taken over by Tom Hamilton in between the first and second verses. I couldn’t help getting chills as the five pieces screamed out the lyrics “bound to cover just a little more ground.” Observing the usual peaks and valleys of “The Wheel” from a viewpoint that only JRAD could capture was truly a magical experience and one of the highlights of the first set.  The breathtaking transition into “Ramble On Rose” got the predictable crowd explosion as “just like New York City” was sung to their hometown audience. There was a Tom Hamilton lyrical mishap but with the room in a trance, nobody seemed to give a flying flub.

    Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” was technically the night’s first cover that this cover band covered (make sense?). The cowboy song gave the thirsty crowd a few short minutes to grab a beer before returning for the otherworldly “Morning Dew.” The unusually energetic intro to the tune made some Heads scratch their beards but the euphoric meltdown in the middle orchestrated by Joe Russo’s team-captain drumming leadership was as mellow as it gets on a Saturday night. The always-powerful refrain was given some extra juice by Dave Dreiwitz’s bass bombs shaking the rafters as the first set came to an impressive close.

    The second set got asses shaking right off the bat with “Crazy Fingers” and I am pretty sure you could actually smell the reggae influenced magic in the air. Another incredibly silky transition led to the monster “Truckin’” and once again the crowd showed some extra excitement in the lyrical reference to New York. The band also got a kick out the lyrics “set up like a bowling pin” which was evident by their ear-to-ear smiles as they exchanged glances. Joe Russo instigated a quick “The Other One” tease to keep the set list note takers on their feet, but the scribes weren’t disappointed with the next rarity, Donny Hathaway’s “Magnificent Sanctuary Band” popularly performed by the Jerry Garcia Band.

    “Help On The Way> Slipknot” was the jazzy cherry on top of the second set sundae and gave Marco Benevento a chance to have his wings spread bright on the organ. Where Hamilton vocally shined during the first section, Benevento added a haunting solo during the thick of the jam. While many came to expect a glowing and upbeat “Franklin’s Tower” to be the other piece of bread to this incomplete sandwich, Benevento and Russo teamed up to create an eerie transition into “Estimated Prophet” which was reminiscent of an early Pink Floyd sample. Benevento used an effect that sounded like a spaceship in Atari’s Galaga being abducted by a larger spacecraft and the retro noise was very suitable at this point in the night. The first guest appearance came during the set closer as Chris Harford (Band of Changes) joined the boys for Neil Young’s “Hippie Dream” off the 1986 album, Landing on Water.  The gritty and bluesy piece gave each member the instrumental spotlight for a moment before they stepped off stage.

    The encore was an unannounced nod to a long time friend and JRAD enthusiast that recently passed away. “He Was a Friend Of Mine”, a traditional folk song popularized by Bob Dylan was performed acoustically as the members displayed their first sorrowful tone on stage since “Morning Dew.” This version is not to be confused with the “He Was a Friend of Mine” cited in Grateful Dead set lists throughout the mid to late 1960’s and felt more like something you may hear off a Garcia/ Grisman compilation. While the somber acoustic tune mourned the loss of a loved one, “Not Fade Away” celebrated their friend’s life and memory. The boys were back on their electric instruments as half the crowd “air keyed” along with Marco. Seasoned Deadheads began the “Not Fade Away” ending clap-chant combo along with the band, which echoed for a solid five minutes even after they left the stage. Security opened the exits encouraging fans to leave, but the community energy was keeping everyone warm inside and sure enough, the group came back for a surprise second encore, “Bertha” to cap off an incredible evening.

    As the house music played and the audience finally began to exit the venue, I couldn’t help but stare at the vintage poster that has hung above the side doors since the early days of the Brooklyn Bowl. While the band’s title bares the description “Almost Dead” the words next to this mystical werewolf poster read “Real, Alive” and after a throw down like Saturday night, I think we can all side with the wolf.

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is covering a little more ground at the Brooklyn Bowl on December 29th before taking a short trip north for their two night New Year’s run at the Capitol Theatre on December 30th and 31st. Tickets are going fast and after this past weekend they are sure to sell out soon!