Category: Show Reviews

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

October 17, 2016
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.

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.

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

October 13, 2016
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.

M erle 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 29^th before taking a short trip north for their two night New Year’s run at the Capitol Theatre on December 30^th and 31^st. Tickets are going fast and after this past weekend they are sure to sell out soon!

October 11, 2016
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2016 Douglas Park Chicago Day 3
Day 3 of Riot Fest 2016 has arrived and it is the day I have been waiting for since I was twelve years old. The original Misfits lineup will be taking the stage and performing together for the first time since 1983.

Santa Cruz punk band the Swinging Utters kicked off the third day of Riotfest. Led by frontman Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel, the band led off with their classic hit “The Librarians are Hiding Something.” The crowd took over the singing duties during “No Eager Men” as Johnny jumped wildly around the stage. After a very spirited and entertaining set the band expressed their thanks and bid the crowd farewell.

Of course I have to mention the frontman for Twisted Sister, Dee Snider. Snider is currently touring in support of his solo album, We Are the Ones, scheduled to be released in October. Snider has acknowledged that the album is a new direction for him and he hopes fans like it and will continue to show their support. Snider gave the crowd a little taste of what he meant by “new direction” when he performed his version of the Nine Inch Nails hit “Head Like a Hole.” He performed a nice mix of his new music and of course Twisted Sister classics like “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” It was truly a memorable performance by the rock legend. I was very fortunate to have been able to sit down with Dee Snider later that day and chat about his new music project.

There were so many memorable performances that it is tough to sum it all up. Bad Religion was amazing. Punk band Leftover Crack really got the audience revved up. Tiger Army brought their blend of punk and rockabilly to the festival, not to mention they were the best dressed band of the weekend. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes performed their unique versions of cover songs such as “Jolene” and my personal favorite “Over the Rainbow.” Earlier that day, I had the privilege of sitting down with Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s lead singer, Spike, to chat about Riotfest and the bands that he was looking forward to checking out.

The day kept getting better and better. The master of modern horror heavy metal, Rob Zombie, took the stage and performed the White Zombie classic album Astrocreep 2000 in its’ entirety. I have seen Rob Zombie live multiple times and had only heard him perform select tracks such as “More Human Than Human.” But getting to hear the entire album was awesome! Zombie’s current band consisting of John 5, Piggy D (Matt Montgomery) and Ginger Fish brought the album to a new level of intensity and depth.

Now, after 2 days and too many bands to count , it leads me to the one musical moment I have waited for since I was 12 years old… the Original Misfits were about to take the stage to close out Riot Fest 2016 in Chicago!

Looking around all you can see is an ocean of people jam packed into Douglas Park waiting to witness the music history that was about to unfold. The stage lights go down and the smoke rolls out over the stage and you could feel the anticipation building. Suddenly the curtain drops revealing two enormous pumpkins (from the Halloween 7” cover) on each end of the stage complete with eerie glowing eyes, and a wall of crimson ghost amps in the background. The crowd gets revved and then explodes into a massive mosh pit as Glenn, Jerry and Doyle lead right off with “Death Comes Ripping” the perfect song to set the tone for their set. They didn’t waste any time belting out classics like “20 Eyes,” “I Turned Into A Martian” and “Where Eagles Dare.” Backing up the original trio was the incredible and heavy hitting Dave Lombardo (formerly of Slayer) on drums and Acey Slade (Dope) on guitar. Both were excellent choices! Glenn took time between songs to tell stories about how he and Jerry formed the band back in 78. At one point Glenn paused and asked the audience if they liked pumpkins. Glenn and company played a lengthy set list of 26 songs from the bands 38 year history. They even played the first song Glenn and Jerry ever wrote and performed together “She” during their encore.

For me, this was the band that I had listened to since I was a kid. I collect their records, posters and memorabilia. I never thought I would witness an original lineup reunion in my lifetime and I have to say that I was completely floored by their performance. It was everything I expected and more, not-stop, high energy punk, massive mosh pits and bodies crowd surfing everywhere. My dreams come true!

Set list:
1. Death Comes Ripping
2. 20 Eyes
3. I Turned Into a Martian
4. Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
5. Vampira
6. All Hell Breaks Loose
7. Hybrid Moments
8. Teenagers From Mars
9. London Dungeon
10. Earth A.D.
11. Green Hell
12. Devilock
13. Horror Business
14. We Are 138
15. Hollywood Babylon
16. Who Killed Marilyn
17. Halloween
18. Die, Die My Darling
19. Astro Zombies
20. Skulls
21. Last Caress
Encore:
1. Bullet
2. Night of the Living Dead
3. She
4. Attitude
As the final notes rang out and the crowd starting to clear this first trip to Riot fest and to Chicago will definitely be one I won’t forget!

Please enjoy the photos and interviews below from a killer final day at Riot Fest 2016!
October 9, 2016
The Struts bring their Dirty Sexy Summer to Upstate Concert Hall

If you took Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury and Steven Tyler and threw them in a blender you would get Luke Spiller, lead singer of The Struts, on their Dirty Sexy Summer tour. Spiller along with guitarist Adam Slack, Bassist Jed Elliot and drummer Gethin Davis made their way to the Capital Region for the first time ever on Thursday night and they brought their unique style and throwback rock ‘n’ roll sound with them to the delight of a crowd that sang along to every song over their 90-minute set.

Spiller is a true Rock ‘n’ Roll front man, writhing and dancing around the stage capturing every member of the audience in the palm of his hand. When he told the crowd to sing they sang and when he told them to jump they jumped. The Struts are the definition of a down and dirty rock band.

The band tore through a set that included all but one song off of their debut album “Everybody Wants”. The biggest response came from their single “Kiss This” and their upcoming single “Put Your Money On Me”. While their album is strong and solid, The Struts are a live band. You cannot get the raw and dirty feel off of the album that you do seeing them live.

The show was opened by the band Dorothy. Lead singer Dorothy Martin, drummer Zac Morris, bassist Gregg Cash and guitarist DJ Black got the crowd pumped up with cuts off of their debut album ROCKISDEAD. Dorothy have a heavy bluesy sound and singer Dorothy Martin could be the reincarnation of Janis Joplin. She has a raw sound to her voice that oozes whiskey and sex. Martin had every eye in the place on her as she danced and sang across the stage. One the closing number “BANG BANG BANG” it was like she made love to the entire place.

Dorothy Setlist: Kiss It, Dark Nights, Gun in My Hand, Wicked Ones, After Midnight, Woman, Raise Hell, Bang Bang Bang

The Struts Setlist: I Just Know/Roll Up, These Times Are Changing, Could Have Been Me, The Ol’ Switcheroo, Kiss This, Mary Go Round, Dirty Sexy Money, Let’s Make This Happen Tonight, Young Stars, Put Your Money On Me, Only Just a Call Away

Encore: Black Swan, Where Did She Go

October 8, 2016
Photo Gallery: Riot Fest 2016 Douglas Park Chicago Day 2

Punk veterans, The Vandals, kicked off day two of Riot Fest 2016 with some good old fashioned fast paced punk rock tunes. They whipped the audience into a beer throwing, pogo jumping frenzy. This was my first time seeing The Vandals and I am hoping I get the opportunity to catch them again at some point.

Other notables included the UK band The Hives, who despite a late start to their set, belted out hit after crowd pleasing hit. Alternative punk pop band Motion City Soundtrack took the stage to perform their second to last show. In March of 2016 the band announced that they were calling it quits for now and didn’t know what the future had in store for them. They invited their fans to come out to a show and sing along with them one last time.

It would be criminal not mention another icon who played an intense and incredible set, former Husker Du guitarist, Bob Mould! I was blown away by the passion and ferocity of his performance! At 55 he can easily shred and tear up the stage with the best of them! I was humbled to finally get the chance to see him perform.

Day two of Riot Fest 2016 ended with some of my personal favorites. What can top the Descendents and Social Distortion playing live? I have been fortunate enough to see both bands in the past and just like before, the Descendents were absolutely incredible live. Milo and the gang came out swinging hard and didn’t let up for the entire hour that they played. They tore through classic favorites like “Everything Sux,” “Rotting Out,” and “I Like Food” as well as some new songs. After an unforgettable 29 song set, the massive crowd was screaming for more.

I love Social Distortion and my favorite Social D album is White Light, White Heat, White Trash so you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found out that they would be performing the album in its’ entirety at Riotfest to celebrate its’ 20^th anniversary. Normally, I don’t get star struck when I am shooting bands but being in the photo pit when Mike Ness and the band took the stage and started playing “Dear Lover” left me awestruck with my jaw on the floor. It was definitely surreal. They ended their set with Johnny Cash’s immortal classic “Ring of Fire” which had the audience screaming so loudly it drowned out Morrissey who was playing on the other stage at the time. Thank you Social Distortion for performing my favorite album.

Earlier in the day I sat down with singer, songwriter Donna Missal. Even though I had missed her performance that morning, we had fun chatting about music and riot fest.

Day 2 was amazing. Please enjoy the photos and interviews below.

October 7, 2016
Arc Iris Transforms Abilene

Abilene Bar and Lounge is a modest neighborhood bar built into an old house on an out of the way street in downtown Rochester. Generally it plays host to roots Americana acts, honest tunes sung and strummed on good old fashion acoustic stringed instruments. But Tuesday night, Arc Iris descended onto the stage and transformed the joint into their own little Moon Saloon.

A complete DIY stage set, composed of multiple gelled floor can lights and strings of LED lights, including one hanging off the back wall writing their name, helped to set the scene. Lead singer Jocie Adams came dressed in a skin-tight shiny gold one piece, with a quasi-cape neckpiece and white tasseled ankles. She would add wings to the ensemble midway through the show, with a dramatic entrance and full on display during “Kaleidoscope,” like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. However, a small stuffed doll Max Rebo sitting on Zach Tenorio-Miller’s keyboard may have been the most appropriate prop of them all.

Arc Iris was like a spaceship: Adams as the captain, Tenorio-Miller at the controls and drummer Ray Belli providing the driving power behind the ship as the engine. With the opening notes of “Saturation Brain,” off of their spectacular 2016 release Moon Saloon, the audience was pulled from the Earth’s gravity, floating along attached to lifelines. Each song was a journey, traveling from point to point. They could lull you into a beautiful dreamscape before jolting with sudden acceleration in a surprising new direction, such as on “Paint With the Sun.” Arc Iris defies convention at every turn.

Adams commanded attention with her incredible vocal range, navigating complex narrative song structures. Singing through two mics, run through different effects pedals and loops, one voice could be many, human voice could be alien. Tenorio-Miller kept busy, constantly pounding out bass lines with his left hand while maintaining much of the melodies that were represented by horns, strings and more on the album. He provided extra boosts to the ships rockets with some downright brilliant keys work, reminiscent of greats like George Duke and Herbie Hancock. Loops, samples, backing vocals and percussion just added to his arsenal.

Last month the band played a special set in Burlington. VT where they recreated Joni Mitchell’s Blue in it’s entirety. Mixed in with the set heavy on Moon Saloon material, they treated Rochester to a trio of their Blue re-workings, playing through their versions of “Last Time I Saw Richard,” “River” and “Blue,” each flown out to outer space and back, jumbled and reconfigured. sounding in the end almost like new Arc Iris originals. One foot in the past, one foot firmly planted in the future.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TCcJ5DpNdQ[/embedyt]

It’s not often a band can completely consume and redefine the stage on which they play. With some simple stage design, but mostly through their transformative music, Arc Iris successfully took Abilene on a short but memorable journey up and away from what had just been a regular old Tuesday in Rochester, NY.

October 7, 2016
Skillet rocks the Q lounge at Lucky Strike

Skillet stopped by the Lucky Strike Social Club on Tuesday on a promotional stop for their upcoming album Unleashed that will be released on August 5. The show was put on by Q103 and was an invite only performance and this writer was lucky enough to get an invite.

The acoustic show opened with the band, singer John Cooper rhythm guitarist and Cooper’s wife Korey playing percussion on a wooden box, drummer Jen Ledger also playing percussion on a wooden box and lead guitarist Seth Morrison, taking the stage and performing their hit “Monster”. The show continued with local DJ Candace from Q103 doing an interview with the band and taking a couple of questions from the audience.

The band discussed many topics including their music being used by the WWE and their love of professional wrestling. Another topic of discussion was the band being considered a “Christian Rock” band and if that label has hurt them and their success. Singer John Cooper stated that he was proud of his faith and that the band has many fans that reach beyond religion. There was also discussion of the meaning behind some of their deeper cut recordings.

The band closed their 3 song set with their newest single “Feel Invincible”. The small but rowdy crowd seemed to love the intimate setting that was provided and the up close feel between them and one of their favorite bands.

October 6, 2016
Blackberry Smoke rolls into Upstate Concert Hall

Blackberry Smoke tells everyone that they are too country for rock and to rock for country, and that was on full display Saturday night as they tore up the Upstate Concert Hall. Lead vocalist and guitarist Charlie Starr, Bassist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner, guitarist Paul Jackson and Brandon Still on keyboards ripped through a set that contained songs from their long 16-year career.

Capping off a weekend of headlining shows after opening up for the legendary Gov’t Mule all summer Blackberry Smoke proved to everyone in attendance that they deserve to be in a headlining spot. They are one of the tightest live bands this writer has seen with everyone on the band playing off of and complimenting each other to the fullest. Blackberry Smoke seamlessly blends Southern Rock, Country, Hard Rock and Jam music into their own style and they did it to near perfection. Starr’s vocals live are just as smooth as they are on a recording.

Mid-way through the show there was a distinct sticky smell in the air near the front of the stage which led to Charlie Starr to make a new impromptu song which he called “Front Row Reefer”, which was basically an ode to the best reefer being in the front of the house and the skunk was in the back. After riffing on the new song he asked the crowd if anyone got that on video. Maybe the cut will make the next album.

Blackberry Smoke play their music their way and have not changed that thinking over their long career, and it now seems people are finally starting to take notice. They have gone from a bar band to a band that is capable of headlining arenas, and this writer for one hopes that more people take the time to listen to them and appreciate one of the truly great modern bands that is keeping the rock and roll spirit alive.

Opening the show was Philadelphia’s Stolen Rhodes whose brand of Southern rock got the packed crowd heated up.

Blackberry Smoke are on tour supporting their upcoming new release “Like an Arrow” which is slated to be released on October 14, 2016.

October 5, 2016
Buckethead Completes Two Night Stand at B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill

On September 22 and 23, guitar virtuoso, Buckethead, performed two nights in a row at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City. Buckethead, who is no stranger to the venue, packed in fans both nights and performed unique sets each night.

In recent years, Buckethead has been essentially off the radar when it comes to live shows. While sitting in his coop somewhere, he’s been busy putting out album after album. Although these new albums may not be chart topping releases, the man with the white mask and bucket on his head never disappoints.

The second show on Friday the 23rd was what every Buckethead fan could have wanted. The venue was packed tightly before Buckethead got on stage and seemed to keep getting tighter and tighter as the show went on. The show started shortly after 8PM with “Welcome to Bucketheadland.” With a catalog like the one he has, it’s impossible to tell what the man is going to throw at the crowd. After the opening song, it was another popular tune called “King James.”

The night prior, fans in the crowd said Buckethead had played almost 3 whole hours. Unfortunately, Saturday’s show was only about 2 hours total, but no one was complaining. Back in May, Buckethead made one of his first tour stops, for what seemed to be ages, at B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill. At that show he played 2 sets totaling 23 songs, that included “Nottingham Lace” and “Lebrontron.” This time around, he only played a total of 18 songs. The decrease in songs was more than likely due to Buckethead playing 2 nights in a row though, so there weren’t any complaints.

Anyone that has seen Buckethead before knows that there isn’t much going on, up on stage. The stage itself is pretty bare. There are two Marshall cabinets with EVH 5150 heads. The floor contains a slew of guitar pedals and cables. Lastly, there are two pearl white Gibson Les Paul guitars, custom for Buckethead and sometimes a bass guitar. Buckethead doesn’t have any fancy backdrops or custom lighting like other bands/musicians have either. When someone goes to see Buckethead, the show is watching him play and listening to the music he can create.

There are absolutely no gimmicks at a Buckethead show. For those who don’t like the “costume” and “story” behind him, it’s something to look past since this guy is easily one of the best musicians of our time. Plus, the fact that no one has publicly seen or heard this man speak shows that Buckethead takes his image seriously and will probably never do what KISS did and lose the costume.

The beginning of the set seemed to be hit after hit for Buckethead fans. It was a great feeling knowing almost every song Bucket played from the start. Other songs early in the evening were, “Want Some Slaw?,” “Big Sur Moon,” “Siege Engine,” “Giant Robot Theme,” and most of all “Jordan.” After all these songs, fans turned to one another in almost disbelief at the set they were hearing.

One of the most entertaining parts of any Buckethead show is watching him improvise his songs. Songs like “Soothsayer,” one of Buckethead’s most popular, doesn’t sound like how it is on the record. Buckethead improvises so well, he can completely change a solo to one of his songs and make it even better.

The night ended not with Buckethead showing off his incredible guitar skill, but with his dancing and nunchucks skills. After his presentation of the robot dancing and nunchucks, he took out his sack of toys and handed them out to his fans who were close to the stage. Lucky fans got to leave the venue with different masks, action figures and more.

Buckethead Setlist: Welcome to Bucketheadland, King James, Want Some Slaw?, Crash Victim, Big Sur Moon, Siege Engine, Giant Robot Theme, Jordan, Mad Monster Party, Gory Head Stump 2006: The Pageant of the Slunks, The Redeem Team, Fountains of the Forgotten, Shaded Ray, Buckethead’s Toystore, Soothsayer, Jowls, The Embalmer, Jam, Toy Presentation

October 5, 2016