Category: Music Festivals

A Milestone at 10: Pondfest Continues to Innovate

For any festival to survive – let alone thrive – for 10 years is an impressive feat. Bonnaroo and Coachella are two names that immediately pop into mind, but now it’s time to add Backwoods Pondfest to that list.

This past weekend at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y., Pondfest, which is put on by northern New York band Lucid, celebrated its 10^th birthday by throwing a truly cohesive party melding the fun of camping in the middle of the forest with live music.

The lineup mixed the best that the Adirondacks has to offer, with some of the bigger acts of the festival circuit. Lucid, a band straight from the heart of the Adirondacks, has been a staple of the weekend since inception, and while this year was the same, it was also very different. Last year, the band announced it was taking a long break, but not officially breaking up and would continue to play events like Pondfest.

And just to put any rumors to bed, bassist Chris Shacklett gave me a brief interview on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of the band. First off, Lucid is not breaking up.

“We are totally shifting our focus,” Shacklett said. “Instead of continuing to hemorrhage money, we are being smarter about what we do. There’s not going to be much in the way of touring anymore, but we’re going to do more things like this (Pondfest).”

Along with Lucid, the other headliners were Melvin Seals and JGB, Pink Talking Fish (is Bowie), the Blind Owl Band and Twiddle’s guitarist Mihali Savoulidis and his ‘Frends’, who brought the surprise of a Twiddle set. NYS Music contributor Chelsea Wright was in attendance and gives us a first hand account of how it went down:

“I received a message from Lowell, letting me know that there would be a special surprise Thursday night. I made the last minute decision to travel the two hours from Vermont for the ‘Mihali & Frends’ show, knowing that if Lowell promised a surprise, it was bound to be extra special. Having seen Mihali & Frends the weekend prior as a part of Twiddle’s first major event, Tumble Down, I knew that some amazing collaborations were going to happen – at his sold out Higher Ground show, he brought together musicians from Nahko & Medicine For The People, Twiddle, and the Kitchen Dwellers for two full hours of incredible jams.

Arriving just on time, I approached the stage and Mihali was just getting it started by inviting a few good Frends up to join him. It was like revolving doors, including some of my favorite musicians; Ryan Dempsey on keys, Jamie Armstrong on Sax, Joshua West on drums, to Kevin Sabourin on guitar and vocals. At one point Brad Hester from Annie in The Water came up and had a back and forth match on a kazoo, with Jamie’s sax. Then they switched it up to Chris Shacklett on bass, Lowell Wurster on percussion and vocals, the beautiful Meadow on vocals, and then the big surprise of a total shift into a set by Twiddle. After Twiddle finished, Mihali remained, and invited members of Capital Zen up to join him. It was an all-around party, with special moments that no one could have anticipated.”

Arriving on Friday, I was greeted by multiple ambulances and state police cars with lights flashing all over. I was not allowed to enter for nearly two hours as the entrance was blocked for any cars getting in or out.

When pressed for a reason, a State Police officer said, “We’re here because of some overdoses. Make sure you’re safe when you go in.”

Derek Haviland, the press and marketing man for the festival, said there weren’t any overdoses in the sense that you’d think of, but rather that someone had simply imbibed a bit too much and just needed a little help. He hinted at a bit of an overreaction by local first responders.

“Little towns like this aren’t really used to stuff like this, so I think they just took any and every precaution while they were here,” Haviland said, adding that the individual was fine by the following morning. “We are safety first; we took all the right precautions.”

With my delayed arrival killing any chance at seeing Hayley Jane and the Primates, Bella’s Bartok, Thunder Body and Lucid, I arrived just as Melvin Seals was taking the stage. The longtime keyboardist for Jerry Garcia had a nice groove going for “Cats Under the Stars,” before starting right up into a Grateful Dead regular, “Sugaree.” “Strugglin’ Man,” “Rhapsody in Red” and “Money Honey” perfectly captured the essence of a JGB show, with swirling, noodly guitar and the big church organ sound. “Sisters and Brothers” and “Deal” were my personal favorites, with the latter coaxing an uproarious applause from the crowd of beards, sun dresses and dreadlocks.

Right after, on the Woods Stage, Syracuse hip-hop trio Sophistafunk took the audience on a positive mental trip with lyrics of encouragement, happiness and elation.

Spiritual Rez then started the late night sets and there seemed to be a large congregation of fans in attendance mainly to see this band. After a set with some sit-ins, Rez gave way to Tweed on the Woods Stage at around 2:25 a.m.

Tweed could be categorized as a jamtronic act, but I thought the set was more dreamy than anything else. Because of the downpour, I made the decision to hear the set from my tent which was about 300 feet from the stage. I drifted right off into blissful slumber.

Waking up in the woods when the weather is hot but still pleasant, is everything I want in a festival morning. This morning was special as some of my favorite live acts were slated to perform. Making my way backstage to interview some folks, I bumped into Formula 5’s bassist and the young Gregg Allman-lookalike James Woods, who was energized and pumped for the band’s set later that afternoon.

After grabbing a sausage, egg and cheese, two coffees and water (thanks to my editor), I made my way to catch some of Doomf#@k, a band with some of the Lucid guys. I can only describe this act as a talented, humorous joke band.

The Honey Smugglers were slated to perform on the smaller stage, but because the members of The Brummy Brothers, scheduled to perform on the main stage later, got into a car accident and were unable to make the trek, the Smugglers were asked to move from their slot and play on the main stage later.

Formula 5 comprises young men from the Adirondacks, led by guitarist Joe Davis who totes a red Gibson SG, a guitar he loves with all his heart.

“This thing is a beauty,” he said before loading in his gear.

F5’s set consisted of some of the tightest jamming I have ever heard from the group. Matt Richards, who recently took over keyboard duties, displayed the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the band. Woods and Davis are a natural team, with Davis typically weaving his speedy licks around Woods’ boisterous bass lines.

Mister F’s insane pace and tempo made them perfect for the late afternoon slot before Lucid and The Blind Owl Band satiated the crowd’s thirst for jams, before leading into Pink Talking Fish’s set in honor of David Bowie. The band weaved in songs from Bowie, Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd seamlessly while guitarist Dave Brunyak shredded uncontrollably.

Gang of Thieves, The Nth Power and Subsoil finished off the music with abandon and there wasn’t an unhappy soul in attendance.

With 10 years under the belt, Pondfest shows no signs of slowing down, even a bit. Attendees often speak of the weekend as “going home” to see their friends and make new ones. With a great philosophy and positive outlook, Pondfest stands to be around and rocking the Adirondacks for years to come.

August 11, 2016
You Can’t Half-Ass Bluegrass: 2016 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Recap

Another sun sets for the annual Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, which spanned July 14 through 17, 2016 in Oak Hill, NY. With a stellar lineup and not-too-ridiculous weather, there was music playing all day, everyday, all weekend. Ringing through the distance from the Main Stage, to small gatherings under pop-ups and RVs, there was music, and you were never quite sure if it was played from a record, the radio, or between musician attendees.

Thursday

Hovering for camp site real estate, Grey Fox attendees loaded in as early as Tuesday to Walsh Farm. Even on Thursday, the first official day of live music, there was no space left in all the camping areas, and people already commenced their festivities and jamming. Since most notable Grey Fox artists didn’t play until the late afternoon, and played two sets at that, most attendees set up sites, got their bearings, and settled into the weekend. Guests ranged from large packs of young adults to groups of families to solo travelers, and everyone made an effort to make their campsites waterproof and visually appealing. There were stations on the walk to and from camp, featuring board games, a jam tent, and even a pop-up tent bar. Before long, the area was a small city of people, all welcoming and eager to hear some fine bluegrass.

After making several laps around the area, with food and drinks in hand, the music kicked off at Main Stage with Compton & Newberry, Band of Ruhks, and Ithaca-based group The Horse Flies. As the sun made its descent for the first festival day, The Horse Flies kept the rhythm moving for festival dancers, which made a nice transition into Steep Canyon Rangers shortly after, with blood-curdling fiddle playing by Ranger Nikki Sanders. This set was particularly percussive as well, which polyrhythmic syncopation on the mandolin, and every member joining in on the drum kit at one point in their set. Their set list included songs spanning the early 2000’s to today, featuring “Stand and Deliver”, “Whiskey in the Afternoon”, and “Radio.” It was the Wood Brothers who closed out the Main Stage Thursday night, featuring three powerhouse musicians, Jano Rix and brothers Chris and Oliver Wood. Some of their songs included “What the Devil” and “I Got Loaded” from arguably their best record to date, entitled The Muse. The crowd was lively and relatively tame for a music festival crowd, but people were certainly conserving energy to enjoy the great music that was still to come.

Friday

For most campers that inhabited ares with families, the start of each day was about 8 a.m., when some of Grey Fox’s younger fans woke everybody up for breakfast. Despite ongoing fear of thunder, the weather was relatively smooth Thursday night into Friday, and the sun was harshly shining by the time the music kicked off for the day. First off was Charm City Junction, despite it being the time slot for the Lonely Heartstring Band on the schedule. Never the less, they brought an Irish flavor to Grey Fox with songs like “Train on the Island” and “I’ve Got a Woman,” with some additional jazz improvisation in the tune “Greasy Coat.” As part of their set, they dove off into a brief history lesson, relating traditional Irish music to the creation of old time music, eventually forming its way into bluegrass.

Just as Irish traditional music evolved to bluegrass, Charm City Junction evolved the stage for Pennsylvania-born trio The Stray Birds shortly after. Bringing an element of twang and hollering to the Grey Fox crowd, their music featured tight vocal harmonies, a switch-off of instruments, and an energy that won over the crowd. Along with their latest single release “Sabrina,” the band played the title track from their 2014 album Best Medicine, which features the lyrics music is the best medicine I sell.

As the day progressed, more shows seem to pop up all over the main area of Grey Fox. The Grass Roots Stage had workshops on songwriting and vocal lessons, and the Slow Jam offered lessons for beginners in fiddle, mandolin, guitar and banjo. The Creekside Stage hosted a few bands for a second show following their Main Stage visit, one of which was Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore. With a powerhouse vocalist and cool bluesy guitarist, not to mention a husband and wife power duo, Mollie and Rich won over the hearts of their listeners with their spontaneous personalities and musical chemistry. It was from there many attendees flocked over to the Catskill Stage to witness Trout Steak Revival. They payed tribute to the festival’s sponsor beer (and creator of the amazing Summerfest Crisp Lager), Sierra Nevada, and played their song with the same name off of their 2015 album Brighter Every Day. Along with playing the title track to the album and a song about pie, they seemed to take a progressive bluegrass (is that a thing yet?) kind of direction for their last song, leaving Grey Fox on a different note, and setting the stage for the Dave Grisman Bluegrass Experience, which had some fire-like mandolin playing to heat up the gathering crowd. As the night progressed, many worked their way back up the hill to Main Stage to see the Del McCoury Band at 9pm. The Main Stage was flooded with hula hoopers, campers, and dancers as Del McCoury entertained the audience with crude humor and creative musicianship. They played “Rain and Snow,” “Fire On the Mountain,” and “Cornbread and Creekwater,” before Del McCoury opened up the floor for requests for the rest of the night, and was completely blown away by his crowd response. As campers made their way back to camp, Matuto filled the air with their non-conventional bluegrass songs, featuring elements of rock and world music as a backdrop for the night’s close.

Saturday

After two separate attempts, it was Saturday at 1pm that devoted fans had the chance to see the Lonely Heartstring Band play their set at the Catskill Stage. After their recent release of Deep Waters in June 2016, they played a selection of new songs, including the title track “Deep Waters” and “The Tide.” As children ran around the crowds and their set drew to a close, they also covered the Bob Dylan classic “Rambling, Gambling Willie,” which brought every audience member to their feet to clap along. Moving towards Main Stage to see Mr. Sun, a crowd was already actively engaged in 24-year-old songwriter Sierra Hull. She hosted one of many power trios throughout Grey Fox featuring guitarist Justin Moses and bassist Ethan Jodziewicz, who remained on stage for Mr. Sun at 3pm. Featuring jazzy interludes, funk bass rhythms, and a variety of catchy tunes, Mr. Sun certainly won over audience members who may not have known them before.

All throughout Saturday, dozens of mandolin and banjo players graced the Grey Fox stage to showcase their plucking speeds and artistic flare, but it wasn’t until Saturday night that attendees finally saw the pros. Making his first Grey Fox appearance of the year, Béla Fleck joined in with Sierra Hull for an unforgettable set of intense solos. Sierra Hull shattered any preconceived notion of what bluegrass should look and sound like, and folks of all ages were grateful to see her perform alongside banjo extraordinaire Béla Fleck. After one of Della Mae’s larger sets, Chris Tile joined Béla Fleck on stage with no backing band to deliver one of the most notable performances of Grey Fox. Their set traveled through time, from Scarletti’s Sonata in C Major K. 159 to the Punch Brothers hit “No Concern of Yours.” For each new song they played, the more attention to dynamics they gave. At several times throughout their set, the hundreds that gathered to watch fell silent only to hear the delicacy of their playing. They were able to harmonize, imitate multiple instruments and their respective ones, and carry an entire set for themselves without anyone ever leaving the area. There’s something about bluegrass that brings you to a better understanding of music theory, improvisation, and song structure, and it’s beyond apparent in these two musicians. As Saturday night came to a close, Donna the Buffalo lead the last hurrah in the Catskill Stage, giving Grey Fox guests one more night of dancing before heading home the following day.

Sunday

Despite the massive rush leading up to the festival, many people didn’t stay too long on Sunday, making the barren lands of Walsh Farm seem endless in distance from where campsites still remained. For a relatively quick set, Della Mae closed out Grey Fox as people got their last fill of food and dancing. It wasn’t long before distant travelers had to pack up for the weekend and ship back home, but each attendee walked away with some good memories, extra snacks, and if they were lucky, a new instrument, courtesy of Grey Fox’s weekend-long raffle.

Grey Fox has surely delivered another great year this year, with an amazing lineup and a group that you can’t find at other festivals. The hospitality and incredible musicianship of every Grey Fox attendee is overwhelming, and fans of all walks of life can find a home in Walsh Farm. If you’re looking to join in next year, follow Grey Fox’s Facebook page and website.

August 3, 2016
The Werk Out 2016 Looks to Pack a Punch

Nestled inside the Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground, the Werk Out looks to be the sleeper festival of Summer 2016. With a jam packed lineup and the intimacy of a smaller venue, this year’s festival features a variety of musical acts, vendors, craftspeople and activities. Now in it’s seventh year, the festival returns to Thornville, Ohio, August 4 through 6.

Headliners and host band The Werks will perform all three nights, while Twiddle and Dopapod will hit the stages for two nights. STS9 tops the lineup with two sets while funk masters Lettuce and The Motet lead the festival’s late night efforts.

The Werk Out will also play host to several tribute sets including the highly anticipated Twerkapod “Tribute to the 90s” featuring members of The Werks, Dopapod and Twiddle as well as Daft Phunk – a Daft Punk tribute performed by Earphunk.

Bluegrass sensation Greensky Bluegrass, rock/funk fusion band Kung Fu, hip-hop funktronica Manic Focus, NYC Funk outfit Turkuaz, and the Everyone Orchestra featuring Todd Stoops round out the already diverse, funky and fun weekend of music.

The festival is also packed with many of Ohio’s finest up and coming festival artists including Broccoli Samauri, reggae rock fusion Tropidelic, and Ghost Gardens.

Other must see non native Ohio see include North Carolina based rock jam fusion Big Something, Maryland-based band Litz, and New York state based bands Mister F and Teddy Midnight.

“Don’t miss the Glostik Willy late night set on Saturday Night/Sunday morning,” noted Grand Haven, MI, native Zachary Burns, a three-year vet of the Werk Out. He also suggests getting to the venue early to take advantage of wooded shady camping, as space in these areas is limited.

“Definitely don’t skip out in the Disc-O-Pizza vendor,” Burns also suggested. “ Some of the best/fairly priced festi food you can get.”

Columbus, Ohio native Jake Ashworth agrees with Burns. “When in need of food, seek out Disc-O-Pizza. And Gilligan’s has the best smoothies.”

Ashworth also mentioned taking advantage of the showers near the stage to stay cool and suggest if you want to post up in your hammock, to get there early because “the trees fill up fast.”

Music begins on Thursday at 4 p.m. Saturday day passes are available at the gate for $80. Weekend passes are still available and can be purchased in advance or at the gate. Camping is included. No alcohol is sold during the festival, however, according to the festival website, “Please bring your own alcohol for the weekend. And some to share.”

August 1, 2016
Rockin in the Heat, Vans Warped Tour Heats Up Darien Lake.

It was a balmy, cloudy start to the day for this years edition of the Van’s Warped Tour at Darien Center. Around twelve the weather turned and the sun decided to stay out making the weather quite enjoyable.

The Word Alive:

The five piece metal core band out of Phoenix, AZ; led by lead vocalist Tyler “Telle” Smith kick-started the day off from the second they took the stage. Immediately the crowd was engaged, singing along with Smith and the mosh pits starting immediately when the band took the stage. When the band played their hit track “Sellout” off their most recent album Dark Matter, the crowd went insane and a circle pit started and seamlessly didn’t end until the song was near its end. All in all, The Word Alive kicked off Vans Warped Tour with an enormous bang.

Four Year Strong:

The Boston, MA punk rock group, dressed in Hawaiian clad gear took the stage on the Journey’s right. From the jump off the band’s energy ignited the crowd. Playing a good combination of old and a couple new tracks, the band held high energy throughout their performance. With a crew member dressed up as Santa tossing out shirts to the crowd, Four Year Strong lived up to the performances of the past Warped Tour.

Ice Nine Kills:

The quartet metal core band took the stage and their set up was miraculous. With a giant skull set up with the drum set the middle, INK hands down had the best stage set up on the entire bill. Playing all of their hit songs like, Bury this hatchet in your head, and closing with Me, Myself and Hyde. From beginning to end INK crushed their time on stage and the crowd was involved right from the jump. Lead vocalist Spencer Charnas was the life of the stage as he came into the crowd and really ignited the place around him. Overall Ice Nine Kills put on one of the better performances of the day.

Every Time I Die:

The Buffalo, NY five piece in their first Warped Tour appearance in two years took the day. With it being their homecoming performance on the Vans Warped Tour the band did not pull any stops, with the Buckley brothers Jordan and Keith jumping into the crowd really exciting everyone in attendance for their performance. They debuted a new track off of their upcoming album Low Teens to be released on September 23 of this year. A special gift was given to anyone that purchased any merchandise from their tent, with any purchase a digital download of the new album was given. Overall, the hometown boys really brought down the hammer and heated up the already hot day with the best performance of the day, really showing that Buffalo metal will only live on through this band.

Sum 41:

In their first appearance in many years the Canadian quintet showed they still have the juice. Playing all of their classic hits and a new track off of their upcoming album Sum 41 definitely gave this writer the nostalgic feeling of being back in high school. With tracks like Still Waiting, In Too Deep, Fat Lip and The Hell Song; Sum 41 brought the crowd to life with all of their classics as their performance was towards the end of the evening. There wasn’t much room to stand as the revival of an old punk rock classic made their long awaited reunion. One of the most notable parts of their performance was when the band brought up fans from the crowd to party on stage with them, proving that this band is definitely ready to make their way back into the scene. Deryck Whibley looked like he never missed a beat and the band followed his lead and kept the crowd alive with their performance.

July 29, 2016
Photo Gallery: Happy Owl Fest 2016

This past Saturday, on one of the hottest days of summer, the Happy Owl Fest flew into the quaint, Grateful Dead-esque ‘venue bar’ known as American Beauty, located in the midtown section of Manhattan. Typically, I would not be very excited to be inside for a festival in the middle of the summer, but fortunately, this venue’s air conditioning battled the 100 degree heat without mercy. At times, there were rumblings of people actually being cold. Add to this the ample selection of good craft beer, and American Beauty’s only food offering, a free personal cheese pizza with each beer, and you have a lovely way to spend the better portion of your weekend day. I haven’t even talked of the line up yet, which of course was the reason I was there in the first place.

The schedule was ambitious, including nine acts between the hours of 3pm and 3am, with a bonus side hustle of the Phish webcast from Chula Vista, CA, which was projected in the main bar while the bands played on in the main stage area. I was one happy camper that I was able to catch the full sets of Polyvamp, Sylfox and the Hustler, Formula 5, and Sprocket. Alone across these four bands was an eclectic mix of music that should satisfy a majority of musical tastes. In sum, the Happy Owl Fest navigated improvisational rock, funk, and electronic with a dash of blues, not necessarily all at the same time.

Should this event take place again next year under similar circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the trip. The balance between venue, beer, food, music and price of admission was quite welcome. The only suggestion I would make is for the venue to make a small investment in a house lighting system. On one hand, the noir scene makes for a rare experience in dedicated club venues these days. On the other hand, a little lighting action would would inject some energy into the room, in this photographer’s opinion.

Till next year, enjoy my gallery from the first Happy Owl Fest.

July 27, 2016
Camp Bisco Settles in at Sophomore Effort on Montage

Camp Bisco is a household name at this point. Just its mention can inspire mixed emotions; from love to disdain. After a long stint at Indian Lookout Point in Mariaville, NY, Bisconauts found a steep new home for Camp Bisco last year at the Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center in the “Electric City”, Scranton, PA. Returning July 14, 15, and 16 for the second round, Montage seemed to have a much better inclination towards the larger crowd that Bisco inevitably draws year after year.

Thurday, July 14 was pleasantly welcoming upon arrival compared to the tediousness of last year. The security lines moved much more quickly both on and off site, and the shuttle system ran smoothly. Once inside, campers had a plethora of events to choose from. Beginning promptly at 10AM, a yoga class at the Above the Waves stage kicked off the weekend’s bevy of Wellness programs. A Festival Fuel seminar followed at noon, a talk that gave information as to which food would best combine portability, nutrition, and ease of preparation; extremely useful for any frequent festival goer. It seemed that Bisco was aiming to make its patrons not only headier, but healthier, this time around.

Speaking of heady, Philadelphia based DJ Josh Wink set the bar high for all of the electronic acts that would follow with his 5PM set. With his career blossoming in the club scene of the late 80’s, Wink has been an internationally touring act for decades. Playing in front of a smaller crowd than he had in years was no deterrent for this old pro, and Wink had the crowd moving in a matter of measures. Dopapod hit the Above the Waves stage at 6:30PM, coming hot off their summer tour with an air of confidence. Opening with “Vol. 3 #86” and thundering right along into “Black and White”, the boys were in prime form as usual. “French Bowling” lead to a highly unexpected and face melting “Black Sabbath” tease. Fan favorite “Trapper Keeper” wrapped things up.

Lotus was on deck for the Electric City main stage at 8:30PM. Being the eve of the release of their new album, Eat the Light, the trance-fusion giants were in sync. They debuted a new track titled “Sleep When We Are Dead” off of the forthcoming album, and closed the set with “Bush Pilot”. Beginning right on time at 10:30PM, the fathers of Camp Bisco, the Disco Biscuits took the stage. “Triumph” launched the evening into orbit, followed by “Papercut”, which hadn’t been played in over five years. A whimsical cover of “Safety Dance” got everyone to look at their hands, and took us back into the end of “Papercut”. Without a single ending the entire set, the Biscuits jammed right into an Great Abyss, wherein they let the projection light show loose under the seemingly sailcloth pavilion, revealing a truly stunning addition to this year’s production value. “42” took us into the ending of “Nughuffer”, the jam between exploding off the stage like liquid hot shrapnel. Eager was the mood of the crowd, almost impatient to see the Biscuits’ next sets.

Bisco veterans Orchard Lounge kick started the Friday festivities on July 15 with some filthy deep house beats. Being their 9th appearance at the festival, the trio floored the crowd with a qualified style. Thundercat continued to electrify the main stage at 4PM with a sophisticated brand of jazz-fusion that only bassist Stephen Bruner can deliver. Lettuce ensued, though seemed lacking in the wake of such intense technical musicianship as the Thundercat brought. 7PM rang in the Disco Biscuits first set of the evening. Humidity wasn’t the only reason for a high moisture level, as guitarist Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig slid into the opening bars of “Jamilia” with a sensuality that made the ladies blush. “Park Ave.” completed the segment, as Bisco classic “Caterpillars” brought us into an inverted arrangement of “Mulberry’s Dream”. The band seemed to struggle through “Feeling Twisted”, as bassist Marc Brownstein took off his five string and clumsily muddled around on his less mastered instrument, the mini-synth. The conclusion of “Caterpillar” rounded out the set.

Odesza provided a wonderful set break. The production duo incorporated analogue instruments into their electronic soundscape, with a stage presence that matched their enticing visualized display. The Disco Biscuits returned fashionably late around 10:45PM, getting straight down to business with a crackling “Strobelights and Martinis”. The segment continued with a skin tight “Spraypaint”, into a galloping and mysterious “Lunar Pursuit”, which was supplanted by a “Helicopters” that took it in for a landing. Keyboardist Aron Magner gently guided us into the terrifying tale of “Spaga”. After the smoke cleared from a completion of the previous night’s “Nughuffer”, “Spraypaint” took the evening to a cheerfully teary eyed end.

Saturday July 16 was chalk full o’ fan favorites, starting with Tom Hamilton’s American Babies at 1PM. Ott grooved next, bidding a warm farewell and asking everyone to stick around for the Biscuits’ day set to follow. Rolling out another classic cover, the Biscuits pulled the pin with “Pygmy Twylyte”. Next was an inverted version of “Humuhumunukunukuapua’a” which they recently played during the Bisco Inferno run in Denver, CO. Decidedly matching the sunny mood, the Grateful Dead’s “Viola Lee Blues” continued the cover trend. The segment continued with a stunning “Shelby Rose”, leaving many first timers with an apprehensive grin. “Little Betty Boop” concluded the first in the trilogy of Biscuits sets. The crowd seemed excited for Jewish rap superstar Lil Dicky, AKA Leftward Slopping Penis, but expectations were crushed for the first 15 minutes of the 6PM set, as there was an alarmingly obnoxious “hype” man screaming into a microphone and making air horn noises from behind a turntable. Lil Dick came out at a seemingly random moment and performed none of his well known comedic songs, instead going back and forth with an unknown rapper in perverse and simpleminded rhyme.

Back to business. The opening tune of the Disco Biscuits 7:30PM set matched the state of the crowd, as we were all “Sweating Bullets” in the heat. Drummer and percussionist Allen Aucoin’s technical precision was blatantly evident during the transition into “Minions”, which gave way to an eerily heavy “Pimp Blue Rikkis”. There was a unique smell and smoke in the GA pit, that of the oddly familiar multidimensional moth ball variety, as a wicked crispy “Aceetobee” jammed into their debut cover of Men at Work’s “Down Under, back out to “AC2B” and into another debut, the Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines”, concluding with an absolutely smoldering “Aceetobee” outro. Zeds Dead reminded us what trap was after that. STS9 began at 10:30PM, sounding a bit mailed in. Many wandered over to the Above the Waves stage where Marshmello was turning brains into gooey mush with his hypnotic yet subtle drops. The weekend came to its pinnacle at 12:30AM that final night, with the Disco Biscuits closing shop. “King of the World” is always a ripper out of the gate, heading straight into “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line”. “Cyclone” was ironically interrupted by incumbent weather, and after a 40 minute break for safety’s sake, they broke back into that jam almost seamlessly. Going straight for the throat with the peak of “Basis for a Day”, next the Biscuits cooled it down a little with “Tricycle”. Inverting even further by going back to the intro of “Basis”, the end of “Little Shimmy” made sure those who were paying attention were kept on their toes. Another “Basis for a Day” jam, this time in a more traditional order, pulled the musical cruise that was Camp Bisco XIV back into port. The “Story of the World” encore had a few flubs, but over all left fans with their hands to the band as everyone got ready for the classic crowd picture that wraps up all prominent Disco Biscuits weekends.

Another year, another Bisco for the books. Most agreed that Montage Mountain seemed much more suitable this year than last, with some logistical and personal experience now under their belts. Camp Bisco began with the notion that Jam and Electronic fans alike could enjoy not only acts on the same bill, but spending a weekend together in a music scene melting pot. Bisco 2016 exemplified the idea perfectly.

July 26, 2016
Ameribeat Festival of Art’s 2016: Celebration of American Freedom & Freedom of Expression

Once a year families and friends gather at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, New York to celebrate American freedom. This freedom was celebrated through music, art and dance. The three-day festival was held June 30 – July 3 and people of all ages joined for a beautiful weekend of love and laughter in a community where artistic expression is encouraged.

There were many arts and crafts available for children to take part in, which included painting, jewelry making, origami and much more, while everyone else enjoyed great music.

The festival featured The Heavy Pets, Sophistafunk, Rootshock, Freekbass, Flux Capacitor, and many more incredible artists such as The Primate Fiasco, who did their annual parade around the festival grounds allowing others to join in on the fun. The Ameribeat Orchestra, which includes Sterling family and alumni, one of which was Jack Brown, lead vocalist of Sophistafunk also took the stage, finishing off the set with a line that echoed through the forest, “Some come to chill, some come to rage, may the four winds blow you to Sterling Stage.”

On that note, make sure you make it to Last Daze of Summer, Labor Day weekend September 1-4, the last festival of the 2016 festival season at Sterling Stage featuring Max Creek two times, Ryan Montbleau, Formula 5 and many more to be announced.

Get your tickets here.

July 19, 2016
Camp Springer is approaching its second year this July at Stable Gate Winery

Camp Springer Music Festival was founded by Tim Thornton, Casey McGuire, and Tim Pomer in 2015 and will come together again this July 29-31st at Castleton-on- Hudson, NY.

Camp Springer Festival Recap from 929Media on Vimeo.

Camp Springer is a multi-stage music, camping, and arts festival located in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley at Stable Gate Winery. The intimate festival experience is based on a musical tradition that refuses to be defined by a single genre and an environment focused on community, celebration, and sanctuary. From unforgettable live music to original artwork and late night vineyard silent disco under the stars, come experience that magic that is Camp Springer!

Headliners include Start Making Sense, Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band, and The Reign of Kindo but the full lineup has arrived! Check it out below.

Camp Springer | 2016 Artist Lineup from Camp Springer on Vimeo.

If a variety of live music isn’t enough for you…

Springer offers visual projections by Lucin & A Case of Space, a silent disco brought to you by silent storm sound systems, morning yoga hosted by Bhakti Barn, guided meditation led by All Energy Healing, an eclectic art gallery, local food and craft vendors, and much more!

Visit campspringer.com for tickets and further information!

https://www.instagram.com/campspringer/

July 17, 2016
The Final Countdown: Seven Days Until Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2016

Through the wide hills of Oak Hill, NY, into the vast plains of Walsh Farm, the annual Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival will make a grand appearance next weekend, July 14 through 17, 2016. It features every fundamental component of a great music festival, like a carefully developed lineup, camping spaces for every species of festival-goer, top food vendors and ongoing activities to be a part of, if one of the seven venues in the festival doesn’t already tickle your fancy. In honor of their recently released weekend schedule, here’s a breakdown of what we’re looking forward to at Grey Fox.

Potentially dabbling in and out of the ongoing jam lessons in the Grass Roots and Slow Jam Tents, this first day at the festival is about getting your bearings. Touring around through the various stages, it’s easy to submerge in the dozens of opening day bands, with some groups like the Wood Brothers playing two different stages. For some fresher sounds, the Emerging Artist Showcase is certainly worth a visit. The music stops after Scythian goes on at 11 p.m. Thursday night, but this won’t stop the music in Picker’s Paradise — the premier camping destination. For those who turn in early, there are plenty of morning activities to get the day started right, including morning yoga and meditation. The morning seems to be a high-traffic hour for vendors as well, with multiple coffee and breakfast stations for your early morning cravings. The music will pick back up around 11 a.m., and continue into Friday night, featuring Trout Steak Revival on the Catskill and High Meadow stage, and some late jammers like Lonely Heartstring Band, the SteelDrivers and Matuto.

If you don’t make seeing Béla Fleck and Chris Thile the highlight of your Saturday, don’t bother leaving your campsite. This show starts at 9:45 p.m. sharp at the High Meadow Stage, but we recommend getting there early before flocks of people gather in front to witness this dynamic duo take on the Grey Fox Festival Stage. Luckily, there are many reasons to be there early anyway, with some killer bands playing beforehand, like Elephant Revival at 6 p.m. and the Gibson Brothers at 7:15 p.m. As Sunday brings Grey Fox to a close, there are still incentives to stay for the day, with the raffle winner drawings at 1:30 p.m. and sets from the Stray Birds and an encore performance of Della Mae at the High Meadow Stage.

With back-to-back shows, more food than you can stomach, ongoing daily activities and the overall sensory overload, it doesn’t look like they’ll be much sleeping at Grey Fox this year. Luckily for campers, gates open as early as 7 a.m. on Wednesday, so there’s plenty of time to get settled and take a weekend’s worth of shuteye. Make sure you don’t sleep too long, because once Thursday kicks off the live performances, it’ll be hard to walk away from. If you see the NYS Music banner, make sure you give us a shout out. We’ll see you there.

To look at the full weekend schedule, check it out here, and if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, hurry up and buy them here.

July 9, 2016
10 Standout Acts From Rochester International Jazz Festival 2016

On June 20, the entire Northern Hemisphere celebrated the Summer Solstice, while in one small corner of the world, many silently anticipated and schemed for the 2016 Rochester International Jazz Festival, which started a few long days later.

Later, on July 4, while most everyone in the United States was busy celebrating the birth of our nation, many in Rochester quietly rested in their homes, recovering from nine full nights of wall-to-wall, street-to-street music and merriment. Indeed, the final night of the festival ended in an explosion of sound that was brighter than any fireworks. Trombone Shorty partied with a capacity audience at a lot that fronted the new Midtown Tower, while a block away the Wood Brothers filled the corner of East Ave and Chestnut Street, and just one block from there Mingo Fishtrap jammed to a crowded Jazz Street. Meanwhile, the indoor clubs were still brimming with music, the food trucks were slinging sandwiches and the buskers were making every street corner their own mini music venue. Then the clock struck 11 p.m. and the fantasy of a vibrant downtown Rochester slowly drifted back to reality.

Throughout the nine days, NYS Music made it to 41 sets, in 13 venues to see 38 different acts. Nine continuous nights of music can’t be beat, and the Rochester International Jazz Festival proves worth the anticipation year after year. Of everything we saw, these 10 acts (not counting the headlining series) stood out as the best and brightest.

10. Makoto Ozone and Tommy Smith

Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone and Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith make for an odd pairing nationalistically, but a masterful combination musically. Their duets ranged from beautiful classically leaning romantic landscapes to a bopping blues inspired by Gary Burton mistakenly orchestrating a popcorn explosion. But by far the highlight of the set came after Smith told a story of a keyless, legless piano that hung on the wall of the poor schoolhouse he attended as a child. He then proceeded to demonstrate how he would play his sax into the body of the piano, which caused the strings to reverberate. It was an incredible and gorgeous effect that we won’t soon forget.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upCURCqoU08[/embedyt]

9. Orgone

Funk bands are a dime-a-dozen. It’s nearly impossible to rise above the fray. But Los Angeles’ Orgone has found the perfect formula and they have it down to a science. Starting with the supremely talented front of Sergio Rios on guitar and Dan Hastie on keys, they add in trombone and trumpet to a rhythm core of percussion, drums and bass. As an instrumental outfit the band takes the funk to rocking peaks behind Rios’ fierce shredding. But wait, there’s more. Enter Adryon de Len, with her Tina Turner hair in her Tina Turner dress shaking her Tina Turner moves. She’s got a voice that knows no heights, and soul that knows no bottom.

8. Red Baraat

Rochester-born Sunny Jain leads the international party band Red Baraat with a double-sided Indian drum called a dhol. The nine-piece band features an eclectic mix of instruments that when they all come together create what world peace must sound like — a reason to party indeed. Jain proclaimed the 5:30 p.m. set to be the earliest they had ever played, but was very excited for the capacity crowd that came to listen and dance. They opened with a spacey mix that slowly built around a distinguishable rhythm before exploding into a wall of sound. It was an announcement of their arrival, after which the usually seated Harro East crowd got to their feet to dance the early evening away. They mixed together their older material, which took on more of traditional feeling, with newer tunes which mixed in some guitar and horn effects lending darker edges to the otherwise happy affair.

7. Nicholas Payton

Nicholas Payton and his trio, with Joe Dyson on drums and Vicente Archer on bass, were cruising through Payton’s album Letters, with its cleverly titled tunes like “A” and “F for Axel Foley.” Payton was playing trumpet and his Rhodes piano, sounding like a one-man Keith Jarret/Miles Davis combination and pulling it off with master strokes. He had a pogo-stick-esque stand that held his trumpet up on his knee freeing his other hand for tickling the ivories. No sooner had we literally written how hot the playing was in our notes when the distinctive sound of the fire alarm came calling from just outside the theater doors. Then the confirmation, yes, we needed to evacuate, and soon found ourselves waiting to get back in with the band in the same alley suffering the same fate. Unfortunately, though it was a false alarm, it was deemed too difficult to get everyone back in the theater in a timely fashion, so the set was cut short, leaving us to wonder how good it could have gotten.

6. Mammal Hands

The Made in the UK series at the Rochester International Jazz Festival seems sure to send at least one emerging exciting young band that is moving the needle on jazz every year. This year Mammal Hands fit that bill. A piano trio with the somewhat odd lineup replacing the traditional bass with a saxophone. Saxophonist Jordan Smart carried most of the melodic weight, while Nick Smart banged out challenging rhythmic and textural undercurrents on the piano and Jesse Barrett drove the music with his unique and styled drumming. The music was at times catchy and hummable and at times ominously brooding with explosive improvisations and impressive full band interplay.

5. Claudia Quintet

Drummer John Hollenbeck formed Claudia Quintet in 1997 and they’ve been the same band ever since. Impressive in any genre, but particularly in jazz where ensembles are near-impossible to keep together over any extended period. Another unusual batch of instruments graced the stage, and each sound and each player were integral to the bands sound. Accordion, saxophone, vibraphone, bass and drums brought life to Hollenbeck’s compositions, which each had its own odd back story. One took a four-bar solo from “Night in Tunisia” and slowed and stretched it out to create an entirely new piece. Another was dedicated to beagles at Newark International Airport, while a companion was dedicated to beagles at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The music featured many syncopated complex melodic passages that were reminiscent of some of Frank Zappa’s more adventurous work, done acoustically and without a guitar. The vibraphone did a lot to bring this comparison to fruition, as did the boundless creativity in the writing and execution.

4. The Congress

We readily admit, the Congress, a four-piece out of Richmond, VA, took us by complete surprise. Ducking into the Big Tent on the way from one place to another, we didn’t plan on staying long. But a couple songs into their set, the Congress put a stop to whatever it was we were planning and we stayed through to the end, with a serious itch to come back for the late set. They moved seamlessly from outlaw country rock to soulful and groovy blues, including an out-of-left-field but nonetheless incredible cover of “Que Sera.” But the slower piano-led rock ballads, aided in no small part by the festival-provided grand piano, were where the band truly shined. Bassman Jonathan Meadows showed off impressive vocal range with his unique smooth-yet-gravelly voice. They closed the set on a lengthy jam that started quietly with a piano solo but slowly built to a raging climax that had us momentarily forgetting we were at a jazz festival.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEMA1-dpJ8w[/embedyt]

3. Judith Hill

Judith Hill made news prior to her appearance at the festival by recounting her story of being aboard a private plane with her close friend and producer of her album, Prince, when he collapsed weeks before his death. Prince was also her mentor, and her performance didn’t do anything to hide his influence. Her set was an action-packed entertainment-filled hour that was visually and aurally stunning and captivating. Colorfully eccentric outfits, coordinated dances and what must have been a first for the Jazz Fest, confetti cannons, adorned a set filled with piano ballads, soulful pop and straight-up funk outs. Her band was spectacular, featuring her mother on keys, who graced the audience with a gorgeous mid-set solo piano interlude, and father on bass. But there was never any doubt that Judith was the featured performer, and she had the talent and charisma to pull off every part of her act.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBcx0aO9ijk[/embedyt]

2. The Wood Brothers

The Wood Brothers returned to the festival for the second straight year, graduating from their final day Harro East performance to their festival-closing set on the big free stage out on the streets of Rochester. The street lights remained working and had guitarist and singer Oliver Wood all confused as to which way he was going. Though clearly, the decade-long side project for Medeski, Martin and Wood bassist Chris Wood is still going up and up, leading us to wonder which band is actually the side project. Chris was back with his dance moves, his harmonica playing and of course his bass playing, which he split almost equally between electric and upright. Oliver lead the band through a set that spanned their catalog, featuring crowd-favorites “Luckiest Man,” “Honey Jar” and an encore cover of the Band’s “Ophelia.” The energy bursting off the stage was matched out on the street making for the perfect capper to a fantastic festival.

1. Nacka Forum

One of the real treats of the Rochester International Jazz Festival is the international aspect. Being exposed to music that otherwise you’d probably be completely unaware of leads to some fantastic and unique discoveries. Nacka Forum, a band made of four festival veterans, Jonas Kullhammar on saxophones, Goran Kajfes on trumpet, Johan Berthling on bass and Kresten Osgood on drums, was the show-stopping jaw-dropping discovery that highlighted this year’s international offering. Hailing from Sweden and Denmark, the band has been together since 1999, another jazz act bucking the trend.

Kulhammar was the spokesperson and kept his banter light with a very dry sense of humor, riffing on topics like the greatness of Dinosaur BBQ, how much he likes Rochester and how he needs to find an American wife. Osgood wore a TMNT T-shirt and a cheap trucker’s hat with “Fred Anderson” hand-written in permanent marker. Kulhammar quipped that their sets were always different, the only thing that would be consistent was Osgood’s outfit. And he wasn’t lying. We caught three of the four sets, each different, with the exception of Osgood’s clothes.

The humor was backed up by seriously good music. Almost impossible to define, each song presented it’s own adventure. It was highly rhythmic, with the horn players grabbing percussion whenever they weren’t playing, maracas, congas, tambourine etc., even at one point in an all-out four-part rhythm jam. They played mostly from their latest album, We Are the World, which Kulhammar repeated over and over to comic effect.

At times it wasn’t clear if you were laughing because something was funny, or because it was so incredibly amazing that there was just no other way to react. In their final of four sets, Osgood revealed that what seemed like a silly hat, was actually a touching tribute to a Chicago club owner who championed improvised music. Near the end of the set he put on sunglasses and snuck off to the side of the stage. It seemed like a joke, but he was actually heading to play the church’s pipe organ. Kulhammar then descended to the church’s other smaller organ and they engaged in a spacey jam with Kajfes belting out weirdness on an electric trumpet. Eventually Osgood’s organ found a groove that the bass picked up on and the band aptly turned an out-of-this-world improvisation into their rendition of Sun Ra’s “We Travel the Spaceways.” When we warned in our preview that each venue has its own unique character, we never imagined a venue would serve as one of the instruments — truly incredible.

July 8, 2016