Category: Show Reviews

Just Say YES: Everyone Orchestra Gathers in Syracuse

On Thursday night at the Westcott Theater, Matt Butler and Everyone Orchestra concocted a musical potion that had us all under a spell.   Butler played the role of lead hypnotist as he memorized not only the crowd, but also the band that he so craftily pulled together for this outstanding evening of sonic surprises.

Binghamton-based three-piece, Several Sons, opened the blissful trifecta of acts with their mellow harmonies and soulful unplugged sound. Their performance featured Bradford Allen on cajón drum for the entirety of the performance, which created a backyard fire-pit vibe. Kevin Ludwig took over the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, paving the way for Jack Bucher to display his bluesy chops on lead guitar. The mostly instrumental set list was capped off by a folk rock original, “Moonshine,” paying tribute to the act of getting drunk with friends. What a way to send us off into a set break.

Located just a couple of cities to the left of Syracuse is the blue-collar, “Bills Mafia” community of Buffalo, NY. Football probably holds the title for most discussed topic of conversation on a Saturday night, but I can guarantee that the local groove-rock quartet, Aqueous, is definitely on the minds of many Western New Yorkers. Their appropriately named, “2016 Random Company Tour,” fits the bill perfectly as the entire room anxiously awaits their arrival to the stage.    As they entered to DMX’s “Party Up (Up In Here)” blaring on the speakers, we hoped they were about to make us lose our minds (sorry, I went there) and lose our minds we did.

“Strange Times” was first up and allowed Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss to share the spotlight on vocals and guitar solos. The two methodically went line-for-line on this lyrically appealing tune before dropping into a sludgy, greasy transition. Evan McPhaden pounded away on bass to symbolically clean up the jam goo.   Solid improvising segued into “The Median” off the 2014 album, Cycles. Rob Houk’s drumming showcased their genre blending skills by combining elements of progressive rock and reggae with a hint of electronica. There was one point towards the end of “Median” where it almost sounded like a completely different piece, but long time fan, Mitch (the guy on the rail whose head seemed to explode note to note), explained that this phenomenon is common during one of their juiciest originals.   Loss then seamlessly goes back and forth from guitar to keys while Gatzner pans for gold on lead guitar during the third and final song of the set, “Don’t Do It.” The crowd was definitely thirsty for more after the brief second act, but with Everyone Orchestra being served as an entrée, just about the entire room decided to take a break outside to work up an even stronger appetite.

Butler appeared on stage with his 7-piece mixture of talent to specify the guidelines of the show. He would be writing notes to the band and the crowd on his simple yet effective white board while signaling to all of us via hand gestures, screams resembling words and Hulk Hogan-like crowd controls. Realistically, Butler runs the show like a drag race in the movie Grease, “Rules are, there ain’t no rules.” The ceremony began with Butler warming up the fingers of the esteemed group of musicians as they delivered a tight and funky beat that got the room dancing immediately. Eric Yates deserves the first MVP award of the night due to his funky banjo plucking while Ryan Montbleau deserves a shout out for creating the lyrics, “What do I see in my sight? Westcott Theater on a Thursday night.” Rob Derhak’s bass was bumping along with Emanuel Washington’s drumbeat when Butler asked the crowd to throw an idea at Montbleau for additional lyrics. The best we could up with was “sexy night” which morphed into an entire band-crowd, call-response of “Ugly, sexy night, yeah!”

After a brief stretch of weirdness, the conductor brought us all back down to planet Earth and asked Yates to pick away on the banjo during a fast-paced, unusual and unplanned cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” The Westcott was transformed into an old-timey honky-tonk as the band turned the Dylan cover into something reminiscent of Johnny Cash in his prime. Montbleau and Yates had a dueling guitar-banjo section before turning the spotlight to moe.’s Al Schnier for a signature guitar solo. Syracuse’s own Adam Gold from Sophistafunk kicked off the next piece with a heavy yet buttery organ solo. Butler did an amazing job of hazing the Everyone Orchestra freshmen as each member of Sophistafunk joined the group for the first time on Thursday. The conductor wrote, “This is Part A” on the iPad while scribbling up directions on his whiteboard for only the band’s eyes to see. Tommy Weeks took over to deliver a spectacular sax solo before returning to Gold for a spacey synth solo. The baton was passed back to Montbleau for an Everyone Orchestra modification of his original “Dead Set” which features the lyrics “Observe your mind, and stop your thinking” which is good advice for a band expected to go with their gut on these improvised reconstructions.

Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer returned to the stage and the applause grew when Butler informed us that it was his birthday. “Soft” was written on the whiteboard as Gantzer took over with a silky guitar riff. The crowd participation was at an all time high as we yelled “Birthday” to celebrate the joyous occasion. The band was fully in sync at this point in the performance and it was evident through the design of a new smash hit “Hotel Party” which Montbleau creatively developed before our eyes.   “There’s ice in the bathtub” and “Everyone’s invited” were only some of the outstanding sporadic lyrics sung by Montbleau which brought a collective smile to the room. Gantzer channeled the energy of Jerry Garcia, with a liquid fuzz distortion on his incredible solo before Gold killed the keys on Butler’s command. After the Holiday Inn jungle boogie, the show wrapped up in an epic formation of nine band members with the addition of David Loss from Aqueous and the return of Eric Yates on banjo. The conductor looked more like a mad scientist as he circled the stage giving each and every member one last time to shine. The evening was capped off with birthday boy Gantzer’s in-your-face knockout solo.

Butler thanked the crowd and noted that after 15 years of asking members of different bands to come together so that he can live his dream, they keep showing up and they keep showing up! There is no question that this traveling circus of insane talent brought the goods to Syracuse on Thursday. Some bands spend years touring and writing music together to find out what it is that makes them unique. Matt Butler pulls the rabbit out of his hat night after night by creating the magic rather than searching for it. He is a composer, a communicator, and a connector all in one while leaving his mark on music through his whiteboard, iPad and multitude of invisible air instruments.   When asked to join the Everyone Orchestra in the future, just say, “Yes” and strap in for a truly special ride.

Aqueous Setlist: Strange Times> The Median, Don’t Do It

Everyone Orchestra Setlist (To the best of my ability): Funky Intro, Jam (Ugly Sexy Night), Buckets of Rain*, Part A Jam> Dead Set**, Gatzner’s Birthday Jam, Hotel Party Jam, Set Closing Jam

*Bob Dylan Cover (Blood on the Tracks)

** Ryan Montbleau Cover (For Higher)

September 20, 2016
ZZ Top Closes Out Summer Series at Lakeview Amp

The newly erected Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse has had quite the summer for it’s first full season of live music. Covering a wide variety of genres from Snoop Dogg to Dave Matthews Band to Keith Urban to Phish. But, the season couldn’t end on September 4, without some good ‘ol fashioned southern rock Hall-of-Famers! Since the scheduled Gregg Allman canceled due to his health, ZZ Top and Charlie Daniels came to the rescue with some legendary entertainment.

Social Distortion‘s current guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, kicked off the evening with some of his own original songs and a brief Charlie Daniels band cover before giving time to the band themselves. Within a few moments, Charlie Daniels Band made way to the stage minus the jolly fiddler, himself. The group bursted into an energetic instrumental as Mr. Daniels himself, stepped out in front of a cheerful audience. Sporting a large cowboy hat, white button down shirt, blue jeans, a massive belt-buckle, and his trusty fiddle, Daniels ripped into each song of their hour-long set with passion and enthusiasm ending their performance with the ever popular “Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

Texas Legends, ZZ Top, collectively took to the stage without hesitation, starting off with “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Waiting for the Bus,” before breaking it down with the bluesy “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill seemed to keep the energy at low for the beginning of their show until picking things up with “Give Me All Your Lovin.” The southern trio joyously included “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix and “Two Trains Runnin” by Muddy Waters in their set amongst other popular tunes, before ending the night with a 3-song encore.

Set: Got Me Under Pressure, Waitin’ for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Pincushion, I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide, I Gotsta Get Paid, Rough Boy, Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), Two Trains Runnin’ (Muddy Waters), Sixteen Tons, Cheap Sunglasses, Chartreuse, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs

Encore: La Grange, Tush, Jailhouse Rock

September 19, 2016
Rock and Remembrance: Umphrey’s McGee Pack Saranac

Poor souls centered in the selfish earth
How could silence for what suffers worth
Old worms shall never reach these excesses
Define terms to lease you to another friend.
— “The Haunt”

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. That same night, Umphrey’s McGee performed at a venue in Ithaca called The Haunt, a Central New York venue well known to all up-and-coming bands. While Umphrey’s was still in the midst of finding its footing in rock and roll, the band showed that the events of that fateful day were not lost on them, as they penned a song called “The Haunt” which sums up the band’s feeling about the terrorist attacks that crippled the World Trade Center in New York City.

Fast forward almost 15 years to the day, and that band which headlined The Haunt was taking the stage not far from Ithaca, at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. The band with the technical prowess of a jazz master and the gleaming intensity of the best of the prog-rock world showed a crowd of about 1,000 thirsty fans that they haven’t forgotten what happened that night by performing a somewhat haunting rendition of the song about halfway through their opening frame.

Heading into the show, the usual Umphrey’s circus of dedicated fans was gathered outside the brewery, preparing for the night ahead. Being on the home turf of their good friends in moe., Umphrey’s delivered a very straightforward performance that won’t stand out among the best in the band’s history, but certainly satiated a hungry crowd.

“Slacker” and “Linear” > “The Floor” set the tone for a night filled with syncopated guitar from axemen Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger, before the pairing of “Uncle Wally” > “Higgins” provided a somewhat funky — for Umphrey’s, anyway — danceable breakdown.

That’s when they launched into “The Haunt.” A guy standing next to me leaned over and tried to explain the significance of the tune, but I could only make out some of his words, prompting me to look into it. The impassioned song seemed to provide the crowd a reflective period in the show to remember the lives lost in the senseless tragedy 15 years ago. “The Haunt” then gave way to “Miss Tinkles’ Overture,” which closed out the set.

During setbreak, I took a walk around the backstage area, and noticed Al Schnier, moe. guitarist, trotting around, making me believe a sit in was imminent. That would turn out to be false, but at least it kept me guessing throughout the second set, which featured more guitar-heavy material, but with a bit more improvisation than the earlier set.

“Hunt Bird Bath” and “Intentions Clear” > “Upward” were both upbeat and spot-on, but it seemed the crowd had thinned out a lot during setbreak. Maybe the locals who wanted to check Umphrey’s out decided to end their night, because the fans who remained were deeply into this set.

“Bridgeless” > “Day Nurse,” “Mail Package,” “Resolution” and a segue back into “Bridgeless” was classic Umphrey’s, with dueling guitars, a drum solo and a somewhat rare keyboard jaunt from Joel Cummins.

Just before the “Hollywood Nights” encore, bassist Ryan Stasik gave a short speech about how moe. had influenced the band in their infancy, and even brought out Schnier to wave to the crowd in a show of support. Overall, the show was very well done, with minimal miscues, but there was a bit of creativity lacking, however there was no questioning the band’s soul. It was worth the drive, the total lack of sleep heading into work the next day and the ringing in my ears from being way too close to one of the stage speakers.

Setlist:

Set 1: Slacker, Linear >The Floor, Uncle Wally > Higgins, The Haunt > Miss Tinkles’ Overture
Set 2: Hurt Bird Bath, Intentions Clear > Upward, Bridgeless > Day Nurse, Mail Package, Resolution >Bridgeless
Encore: Hollywood Nights

September 13, 2016
Holy Ghost Tent Revival Converts Listeners to Fans

It was only appropriate that a group named Holy Ghost Tent Revival, from Asheville, North Carolina, played at a converted church, and converted listeners into new fans. Named after a roadside advertisement in their home state, they kicked off the fall schedule at the Kirkland Art Center on September 8^th. The six-piece band showed tremendous versatility, with four different members playing keyboards at various times during their two-set performance.

Stephen Murray handled most of the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, but also played trumpet, and switched to the bass guitar when Kevin Williams played piano. Murray sat at the keys himself to close the first set with a stunning cover of George Harrison’s “Isn’t It a Pity,” performed with remarkable grace. Ross Montsinger on drums and Kevin Williams on bass handled the bottom end, with Williams lending backup vocals on most songs. Williams’ lead vocals and song styles while playing keys had an early Elton John feel to them. The majority of the band’s selections were in the roots rock/Americana realm accented by the wonderful punch of Charlie Humphrey on trumpet and the trombone of Hank Widmer, who both also played keyboards.

Widmer added clarinet on some of the evening’s quieter pieces. Rounding out the sextet was Matt Martin leading the way on guitar, sales pitch chants (“Pay what you want. Pay what you can.”) entertaining gesticulations, and fashion sense. How many ascots have you ever seen on stage?

The intimate venue may have had a bit of a reduced crowd on a Thursday night, but those in attendance were very appreciative of the energetic appeal of this group, and glad to have the opportunity to support live music. Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s most recent release, the EP Summer Jelly, is available on a pay what you want, pay what you can basis. The remainder of KAC’s fall performance schedule, and other events, may be found at Kirkland Art Center’s website.

Partial setlist: Who Knew, Long Road, Right State of Mind, Sun/Shadow, Walking Over My Grave, Isn’t It a Pity?, Trouble with the Truth, Smoke Myself to Death, Long Night, Broken Spirit, The End to, Thought About

September 12, 2016
Vulfpeck and Friends Celebrate a Funky Friday at Brooklyn Bowl

Vulfpeck returned to the Brooklyn Bowl for a Friday night funk fest, which showcased their incredible talent while welcoming numerous special guests. The sold-out room was greeted with a mellow, opening performance by Joey Dosik. Dosik performed the first Beatles cover of the night, “Don’t Let Me Down,” before giving us a taste of some of his originals off of the Game Winner EP.

As the members of Vulfpeck appeared on the Brooklyn Bowl stage, fans new and old dropped everything they were doing to rush as close to the front as possible. One thing that this foursome is well known for is heavy crowd interaction. The closer you are to the stage, the more involved you will be at these shows. Right off the bat, asses were shaking and high fives were being exchanged as the band treated us to “Outro” from their 2012 release, Vollmilch, with help from their friend Eddie Barbash on sax. The Vollmilch album was highlighted two more times in the beginning of the show with the danceable “Barbara” and “Mean Girls” before welcoming groove drummer, Bernard Purdie to the stage for “It Gets Funkier.”

Almost half way through their relatively short set, the guests continued to pour on stage as Dosik joined Vulpeck for “Game Winner” and the second Beatles cover of the night “Something.” The floor of the venue was certainly packed with groove enthusiasts, but at this point there wasn’t much space on stage either. As if having the funk innovator, Bernard Purdie, wasn’t enough of a treat for these guys, they enlisted help from Melissa Gardiner and Rachel Price (Lake Street Dive) to tackle Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.” Joe Dart’s bass playing was a key feature in this solid cover as the tasty brass sounds echoed down the bowling lanes.

The crowd was fully locked in and feeling the horn section when the Vulf brought well known, Antwaun Stanley up to sing the extremely soulful, “1612.” Stanley’s vocal ability and stage swagger add the one-two punch these suburban boys from next store need to construct a more powerful song. During “1612”, New York, NY wanted to be a part of it, as the audience became one with the Vulf. Lyrically, these guys tip their hats to one of this city’s most iconic figures “Frank Sinatra” and with the crowd belting out the tune with Stanley, it was clear that these guys are forever welcomed in the city that doesn’t sleep.

There was no slowing down at this point as the group nailed another classic, “Boogie on Reggae Woman,” written by Stevie Wonder and covered by numerous other bands that know a thing or two about good music. Stanley remained on the stage through the lyrically ridiculous “Funky Duck,” which can be found on their most recent album, Thrill of the Arts. Louis Cato was then brought on to help with “Wait For The Moment” and “Beastly” as Stanley walked off stage to the cheers of a very grateful room.

“Christmas in LA” gave the band and the crowd a breather packed with banter from Jack Stratton and Theo Katzman. Probably the most well known song to new followers of the Vulf, “Back Pocket” ended the set. Gardiner and Barbush brought the brass back into the mix, while Stanley enlisted help from the audience for the hook. One more cover, “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan was executed in the funkiest of ways for the encore. Who knows what Vulfpeck will bring to the table for Saturday’s final night at the Bowl. They have had many repeats in their first three shows of this NY run and with their limited, yet powerful catalog, fans do not seem to mind. The group continues to surprise us by welcoming numerous guests onto the stage physically and welcoming funk icons into the room sonically through their amazing covers. After seeing so many smiling younger faces fill the streets of Williamsburg after the show, I was reminded that Vulfpeck isn’t just the funk band that this generation wanted, but it’s also the one this generation needed.

September 12, 2016
American Music at the Earlville Opera House, from Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones

Dave Alvin and his brother Phil have been checking things out ever since they snuck into legendary clubs and theaters as under-aged teenagers to see and hear the artists that provided them with a musical education. In doing so, it is evident that they formed an appreciation for those artists and edifices that have stood the test of time. So it was no surprise to see Dave strolling down the sidewalk of Earlville, checking out the storefronts and old buildings prior to Friday night’s performance of Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones at the Earlville Opera House on September 2.

Their appreciation for those venerable artists was also evident in the choice of songs performed that evening. Bill Broonzy and Big Joe Turner, featured songwriters on their two most recent releases, Common Ground and Lost Time from Yep Roc Records, were highlighted in multiple selections. Even one of Dave Alvin’s own songs honored a singer whose star shone brightly but briefly for only twenty-five years, and whose gunshot death by his own hand has been the subject of rumors and wild conjecture that only grew as decades passed. Those elements provided the basis for “Johnny Ace is Dead,” one of several stand out numbers in a rambunctious two hour performance. This song showcased Dave Alvin‘s songwriting, story telling, singing, and guitar.

Dave’s brother Phil Alvin, now back recording and performing after serious health issues in recent years, is a tremendous vocalist. Phil’s singing on Turner’s “Cherry Red Blues” displayed both the power and nuance for which he is known. He also added his skills on harmonica and acoustic guitar to various songs.

The not-so-secret weapon in the Guilty Ones, the Alvins’ backing band, is the incredible Lisa Pankratz behind the drums. I’ve heard it said that for drummers, songs are like children. Some you can trust on their own, and just remain in the background keeping an eye on things. Others need to be nudged along to find their way forward. Still others might require a kick in the ass. Pankratz performs those tasks as well as any I’ve ever seen. Rounding out the Guilty Ones are Brad Fordham on bass and vocals, and Chris Miller on guitar.

The Alvins also drew upon their days as founding members of prominent Los Angeles band The Blasters with crowd favorites “Border Radio” and “American Music” as well as two of their encores, “King of California” and “Marie, Marie.” For a toe-tapping, hip-shaking good time, go see Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones.

Special guest performer Sarah Borges opened the show with a solo acoustic set of primarily songs off her recent CD, Good and Dirty. Included was an exceptional cover of “Stop and Think It Over” (No, not the Perry Como song.) She had an easy rapport with the audience, and told hilarious stories of life on the road playing music. The Boston based musician is a name you should remember to check out, as Dave and Phil Alvin did.

All photos were taken at the historic Earlville Opera House, now celebrating its 45^th anniversary season.

Setlist: All by Myself, I Feel So Good, World’s in a Bad Condition, Mister Kicks, Cherry Red Blues, Hide and Seek, Southern Flood Blues, Border Radio, Johnny Ace is Dead, Truckin’ Little Woman, What’s Up with Your Brother?, Dry River, American Music

Encore: King of California, Marie, Marie, Turn on Your Love Light

September 7, 2016
Blink-182 Paves the Way for Next Generation of Punk at SPAC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September 7, 2016
Counting Crows Leave It All on Stage at Lakeview Amphitheater

As The Counting Crows continue to make their way across the nation on their Summer 2016 tour, it astonishes me how they find it in themselves each and every night to give so much to each audience. As Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows came to the Lakeview Amphitheater stage at the Syracuse, NY performance, they began with the Himalayan’s song, “Round Here.”

This emotional testimony of life as it unfolds and those left behind, reaches down deep and moves those who hear it each every time. Right off the bat I was transfixed. The emotion that this band puts into every song, whether it’s “Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” “A Long December,” or “Palisades Park,” has to be exhausting to them, as it physically moves those who witness it. Seeing this band for the first time, I was beyond impressed by the dynamics these guys have on stage together. They are a well oiled machine. They silently cue each other and meld together in unison as they demonstrate their musical prowess. To say I was moved by this performance seems lame, but they definitely left it all up on that stage and left a lasting impression on this journalist.

Opening acts on this evening couldn’t have been more diverse, however surprisingly cohesive at the same time. Arriving in the nick of time to see newcomer K. Phillips, I was extremely surprised and impressed by the talent and stage presence he has. With a much loved piano, this young man’s music infuses a southern country twang into a rock and roll mix that makes you move inside and out. Welcoming us to the pit as we took photos, this young man’s stage presence captures your attention immediately and his music and bandmates reel you in like a fish on a line. Mark my words here…this is an artist on the rise.

With a quick set change out came Rob Thomas and his crew. With a full band including some dynamic back up singers, he exploded onto the stage like a firecracker. His energy infused set had the crowd up on their feet singing and dancing along immediately. With a mix of new and old music, his set expended a physical energy both on stage and off.

This three act mix brought a smorgasbord of sounds and feelings to all who witness this tour. Somewhat an unlikely pairing, their musical flavors infused perfectly. As K. Phillips got the groove going with this his southern sounds and charms, Rob Thomas then comes out and amps the crowd up physically. By the time The Counting Crows expend their emotional energy on stage, they leave the audience soulfully satisfied and spent by the end of the night.

Counting Crows Setlist: Round Here, Dislocation, Mr. Jones, Colorblind, Four White Stallions, Omaha, Cover Up the Sun, Anna Begins, Miami, Goodnight Elisabeth / Pale Blue Eyes, The Ballad of El Goodo (Big Star cover), Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell cover), Earthquake Driver, A Long December, Hanginaround, Palisades Park, and Rain King / Thunder Road

Rob Thomas Setlist: …Something to Be, Mockingbird, Her Diamonds, Give Me the Meltdown, Getting Late / That’s All Right, Lonely No More, Fire on the Mountain, Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover), 3 A.M. (Matchbox Twenty song), Someday, Bent (Matchbox Twenty song), Pieces, Streetcorner Symphony, Smooth (Santana cover), This Is How a Heart Breaks, Pieces, and Streetcorner Symphony

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

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

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

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

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

September 6, 2016
Jaw Gems at Brooklyn Bowl

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

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

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

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

September 4, 2016