NYS Music 20​16

Category: Funk/Soul/R&B

  • Warren Haynes’ 28th Annual Christmas Jam to Feature ‘The Last Waltz’

    The hardest working man in rock and roll revealed the lineup for his annual Christmas party Thursday. The show takes place at the U.S. Cellular arena in Warren Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, NC on Dec. 10. A line-up loaded with talent features Haynes’ main vehicle, Gov’t Mule headlining, along with a who’s who of musicians celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Band’s final show as The Last Waltz Band.

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    Haynes started the Christmas Jam in 1988 at a local Asheville club as a benefit for local charities. For the past 18 years, he has used it as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. As of last year, the Jam has raised over $1.8 million for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

    The 2016 version of the Christmas Jam happens Dec. 10 and is guaranteed to sell out quickly. Pre-sale tickets are available at noon Monday Oct. 24 with VIP packages also available. General sale begins Nov. 1. General admission tickets are $63 and a limited number of reserved seats are available for $73.

    Performers this year, in addition to Gov’t Mule, include Bob Weir, Michael McDonald and Jamey Johnson with Alison Krauss.  The Last Waltz Band features Haynes, McDonald, Johnson, Don Was, John Medeski and Terrence Higgins.

    Other special guests scheduled to appear include Branford Marsalis, George Porter, Jr., Steve Kimock, Marcus King, Kevn Kinney, Audley Freed, “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin and Mike Barnes.

    For more information on this year’s event, visit the Jam’s website.  And while you’re mulling over whether you should attend, take a gander at this stellar version of “Stormy Monday” featuring Gregg Allman from the 2013 Jam.

  • 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

  • The Evolution of Annie in the Water: An Interview with Mike Lashomb

    Annie in the Water, with their combination of reggae, rock, funk and jam, is an Albany-based band that originated as a duo with Mike Lashomb and Brad Hester in 2007. This past spring, the duo added three more members, which you can imagine has had significant impact on both the sound and the overall feel to their music. NYS Music spoke with founding member and lead guitarist Mike Lashomb about that change and what fans can expect going forward.

    Erin Clary: Before it was just you and Brad, and now you’ve added two more members to Annie in the Water. What brought on the change and how did this happen?

    Michael Lashomb: It’s been an interesting learning experience. Brad and I started back in 2007. Back in 2011 we had a drummer play with us and he kind of just up and left when we were starting to get bigger and booking venues and stuff like that. So Brad and I started this looping, jam kind of style. As time went on, just trying to connect with the jam scene and we felt we were kind of in between all these different scenes and we didn’t really connect the way we were hoping to with our style. So as time went on we understood there was definitely a progression that needed to happen. There needed to be some way that we could branch out and diversify our sound and also our personnel and people. We added our bass player, Lucas, three years ago and then we added piano player in the summer of 2014, Dillon. Having Lucas Singleton on bass really added a big low end kind of contribution with a lot of his style. Then Dillon on keys was this different kind of musician oriented but transient, experimental sound. So it was good to have Lucas who brought in a lot of specific playing and structure and Dillon who was outside of the box with his expression and style. And in that time, Brad would constantly update his looping with the four of those guys, having them on and off for shows. Then this past winter we knew we wanted to get a drummer involved and really up the jams so we could switch around grooves, time changes and cues. Josh West was finishing up with Lucid as they decided to tone down the touring and everything and it was just a natural…we met him at Nectar’s as he was playing with his old band, Tar Iguana, and it was just a natural relationship that blossomed into a really cool band relationship. Kind of different evolutions and progressions brought us to now.

    EC: Are there different challenges you find when switching from a duo to a full band?

    ML: Definitely a change. Brad has pretty much grown musically and matured with me as his counterpoint. I had played in different fusion bands and different guitar bands since I was in 8th grade so when we added the full band together it was definitely a whole new experience for Brad. It’s something that to this day he is totally changing and morphing in such an awesome, progressive way. So yeah there is definitely more personality which calls for more contribution artistically, personally and emotionally. It’s different. We went from having only a few people on the stage to suddenly having a lot more room being filled up. Not only physical space, but sonic space and musical space. A lot of what we had to do too was rehearse as we played shows because we had all the prior engagements set up with Duo shows but moving out of one house, just a lot of different things off the stage we were dealing with. It has been a really interesting transition but a really positive transition because everyone is really open to communication and evolution for sure.

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    Dillon Goodfriend, Lucas Singleton, Michael Lashomb, Brad Hester- Annie in the Water

    EC: So you’re saying you weren’t latching on to a niche?

    ML: Yeah, it’s hard to explain because there was a certain amount of people who are looking at what we’re doing with the Annie in the Water Duo acoustic set, that we still play to this day, but we will have some people who really jive with that and think it’s cool, the amount of sound we are able to produce with two people. It’s fun! There’s a certain element to having an absolute kind of experimental but also structured rhythm section. Having the rhythm section be human rather than having a syncopated beat box being looped for X number of measures for a certain amount of time. So Josh will change things up and everyone has been playing music for a long time and everyone has their own interpretation of when that happens. So we’re always creating a different show. When we were the Duo we were always big on experimenting and never having a setlist. Now that we have a full band it kind of brings in a little bit more people who are down to dance. People with a groove looking for a pulsating kind of sound. That’s kind of where we were in the middle of. We had that groove but we were missing the rhythm section. We would self-consciously catch people that normally would be like “oh these guys are really talented,” and suddenly like “I’m dancing and I’m reacting to it.” Then again we have people who like EDM and DJs who would go crazy for our looping stuff, but that’s not necessarily what we wanted to accomplish. To this day it’s an absolute trial and error to see who is reacting, how they’re reacting and why they’re reacting.

    EC: What is the goal of Annie in the Water and what is success to you?

    ML: It’s tough to say that there’s a finite point where it is success. I know that you aren’t assuming that either. For us, we’ve already achieved certain levels of success personally and musically that we’re really proud of. By having a certain ability to run as a functional business. So that was kind of our first goal. As that went on we had the goal of being a full live stage and live sound production whenever and wherever we were needed. In a long run, wider scope, our success is to just connect with as many people as possible on a human and spiritual level. I know that sounds heavy and I don’t want to say egotistical, but it’s pretty bold in that we feel that we have a responsibility to help in whatever way we can. If we can provide positive music to people than that’s it. I think one of the biggest sources of success for us is the ability to continue being full time musicians, playing wherever. My personal goal is I’d love to headline and have our own show at Blossom Music Center in Cleveland, OH where I was born and raised. Yeah we’d love to headline a festival, that would definitely be a goal but we’d like to just contribute in the most unique way humanly possible. We want to just make whatever Annie in the Water is, an entity that promotes peace and positivity, and inspires people to do whatever they feel they are naturally good at and love and passionate about. So definitely multiple goals and ideas of success but if we can just keep on helping people and along the way while we’re able to keep this boat floating than that’s as much success as we could imagine and be grateful for.

    mike lashomb annie in the waterEC: Are there other collaborations you’d like to put together for the future and can you reflect on favorites that may have happened recently?

    ML: We’ve been having Jamie Armstrong from Lucid on the saxophone play with us. It’s been a sit-in that we really enjoyed. He’s been playing extended shows a handful of times. It’s not necessarily a side project, he has kind of given us a “Hey mister, what’s up?” and will be down to play a show. There’s a lot of different ideas we have for side projects. It’s kind of up in the air right now. We have our friend Garrett, this kid that we met at Dyken Pond. It was an absolute, random….he’s not even playing in a band he’s just living in New York City and he added this unbelievable style to what we’re doing and we’re having him play with us in New York City next week. He plays lead guitar. We kind of bounce back and forth. We had Gubb from Twiddle sit in for a show with us in Vermont. We’ve always talked about having a little jam session show in Vermont to keep our good friends there happy and dancing. It’s really cool because we got into the jam scene only as of recently having other bands kind of become our friends which is a difficult thing for the first couple of years, just because we didn’t really know what we were doing either. So now it’s like the doors are kind of open to all these different friendships and creative expressions with other bands. It’s exciting because all these other bands are really reaching out and playing with everyone. All we want to do is play with people and put in the frequency and energy that overall contributes to a beautiful experience. So we are open to whatever.

    EC: Describe each band member in one sentence.

    ML: OK this is fun…

    Bradley Hester (Percussion, guitar, vocals, looping) – Hardest working musician and nicest human I’ve ever met.

    Joshua West (Percussion, Drums) – A stoic little child who is so much fun to have behind the kit.

    Lucas Singleton (Bass) – The dependable groove supplier and overall goof ball.

    Dillon Goodfriend (Keys) – A pure musician and absolute music lover.

    EC: And what about you?

    ML: I’d like to say I just like to have fun when I play.

    EC: Should we expect a new album out now that you’re all together?

    ML: Yeah. We’re all looking at the overall picture and new music being recorded is absolutely on the radar and very important. What we’re trying to do right now is make sure that we’re choosing the songs that we have from our past that we’re writing down and we’re looking to write. We’re trying to make sure that we’re choosing what works best for the band. So the music will definitely become recorded but at this point we are getting everyone on the same page to decide how we want to move forward musically, personally and band wise. So the album is definitely in the works right now, we just have to decide the next step to make that happen that works best for everybody.

    EC: You’ve made your homebase Albany.

    ML: Yeah, we’ve been in Albany for four years but we haven’t played in Albany as much because we’ve been pursuing different opportunities in different parts of the Northeast.

    Trying to do a lot of different hubs and also play at different mountains because snowboarding is a huge part of our culture. It’s been more or less that we’re in the progression of making that happen so seeing us in Albany is going to be more frequent for sure.

    EC: The October 13 show with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad in Albany at The Hollow  should be a homecoming show with lots of friends and family I presume?

    ML: That’s going to be a really interesting show because we have a lot of friends from the Rochester area that have always talked up Giant Panda and I think vice versa. So this show is going to be the first time that we’ve actually ever met those guys. It’s cool because whenever you play a show with the band for the first time there’s a lot of learning and vibing of personalities. So when it comes to that night I would say wait for something interesting but until that night happens, that’s when the magic starts.

    https://youtu.be/ARct1fM7OkU?t=1m20s

  • Photo Gallery: Adirondack Independence Music Festival 2016

    Lake George hosted the Adirondack Independence Music Festival on September 30th, and October 1st. With the lineup this year, you would never guess that this is only the 2nd year for this event. This years festival featured sets from headlining acts; Robert Randolph and the Family band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Spin Doctors, as well as some local favorites Rich Ortiz, and Formula 5. Were excited to see this festival grow in the upcoming years! Check out the full 2016 lineup below, and re-live some photos from Saturday!

    Adirondack Independence

  • Project/Object Kicks-Off Northeastern Tour

    New Jersey-based Frank Zappa tribute band Project/Object will be touring the Northeast United States through October 23rd with stops at Mavericks  in Ontario, Canada on Friday, October 7; The Garrison in Ontario, Canada on Saturday, October 8; at The Tralf in Buffalo, New York on Sunday, October 9 and at Lovin’ Cup in Rochester, New York on Monday, October 10.

    Founded in 1989 by guitarist/vocalist André Cholmondeley, Project/Object has gone through numerous lineup changes since its inception, hosting more Zappa alumni than anyone other than Zappa himself. Project/Object welcomes back alumni vocalist/guitarist Ike Willis and synthesizer legend Don Preston for a tour  “Celebrating 50 years of The Music Of Frank Zappa” featuring material both men recorded with The Mothers Of Invention, The Frank Zappa band, and much more!

    NYSMusic’s Amy Cavalier recently caught up with Cholmondeley about the upcoming tour and what it’s like being in the longest-running Zappa alumni tribute band in the world!

    NYS Music: Tell me the story behind Project Object’s inception? What was the vision for the project?

    André Cholmondeley: My vision for the project was simply to turn people onto music that was very influential and important to me.

    Around 1989 I started having a Frank Zappa birthday party at my apartment. We would listen to only Zappa music for 24 hours and read interviews read album covers etc. I realized that many people were showing up and did not know a lot about Zappa and left with names of records and songs scribbled on paper. This is way before the blow up of the Internet so people would come back the next year having searched record stores and maybe built a little Zappa collection.

    About the third and fourth year, my band played at one of these parties, performing about a half-dozen Zappa songs. It went over great so we learned another half dozen and soon we played our first gig in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It just blew up from there. Next was Lion’s Den in New York City where we connected with our first managers Howie Schnee and Mike Maietta.

    NYS Music: A pretty high bar has been set by Frank Zappa, his son Dweezil other Zappa tribute bands…what makes Project Object so unique?

    AC: Indeed Dweezil’s band is incredible.I think what makes us unique in our way is that we went out and did it before other bands, over twenty years ago. We were the first band to tour with so many diverse Zappa alumni across the USA and into Canada since Zappa himself took them on the road. We also were the first to do a wide variety of his music

    The Grandmothers (ex Zappa/Mothers members) were out there but they tended to do the very excellent early stuff ONLY. We went out there with Ike Willis then Napoleon Murphy Brock etc. and did material from every period in Zappa’s history.

    NYS Music: Is there a lot of pressure to get it right and recreate the songs as accurately as possible? Or is there still room for improvisation?

    AC: The fans know every note! We strike the balance between doing some tunes as close to the record as we can, with the correct sounds and timbre and instrumentation. And then other things we do – perhaps one of Zappa’s many live versions – we look for moments in the songs where he would leave room for improvisation.

    Improvisation is very important part of the Zappa aesthetic but at the core is doing the music accurately and getting chords and little parts correct. I have been fortunate to have so many of the actual ex-Zappa players in the band so along the way they correct parts and help us get little details right.

    NYS Music: There have been a lot of stories about Zappa’s family and disagreements over copyright issues, as well as stories floating around about bad blood between you and Dweezil, in the news. How do you get away with playing songs without infringement issues? And has the air cleared between you and Dweezil?

    AC: Early on we got so many threats from Gail Zappa that we sought the advice of a lawyer and I learned a lot about copyright law. It’s very basic and simple. As long as the venue you are performing is paying their American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) or Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) membership dues for publishing rights, you are fine. That’s why there is an enormous business in cover bands of every genre imaginable. It was always completely legal to do what we do. In the Project/Object entire career of over two decades we have had to cancel two, maybe three gigs because the venue was not part of ASCAP membership.

    I think the NPR interview I did “NPR Zappa Lumpy Legacy” is the final word on it. NPR spoke to me as well as Gail Zappa and independent legal

    counsel and they said on national radio that as long as the club is certified it’s no problem playing published music of any artist.

    As far as the recent history about the copyright issues and the Zappa family, a lot of what happened was due to the wishes and direction of Gail Zappa. Now that she is gone there is a real splintering of stuff and the siblings are sadly in dispute over many issues.

    Even before she passed away I made peace with Dweezil and have seen his band several times. He was very gracious about accepting my apologies for the previous bad vibes. He was aware it flowed in both directions. This thawing of the ice has continued after Gail Zappa’s passing and Dweezil has been very public talking about how the Zappa family trust unfairly charged him for various things and made it difficult for him to just go out and play the music.

    I’m happy to say that through his agent, Dweezil and I worked together recently to plan out these historic appearances that Ike Willis is doing with his band. I want to support anything and everything that celebrates Frank’s music.

    NYS Music: Your partner was in a serious car accident recently which caused you to postpone your tour. How is she doing and why have you decided to resume the tour at this point in time?

    AC: While Robin is still experiencing a fair amount of pain and difficulties she has come a long way in what is almost seven months since the accident. She will be with us on this tour in a very tentative and basic role – we are trying to see how much she can do safely in her regular job as merch and Production Assistant. We hated canceling that tour and she is happy to be out on this one and to be able to personally thank so many of the fans who helped us out.

    NYS Music: What is the feeling going into this tour?

    AC: We just love to play and get out and travel and this is a great time of year to do so. We have a few things we have never done before, some stuff we have not done in a decade or more, balanced with a couple of the Zappa song-along, crowd favorites that you almost have to do, so it’s a mix!

    We are upbeat and excited to get out there playing this incredible music again. Also Zappa lyrics, without even touching them up, have a timeless political accuracy and so getting out right before yet another ridiculous American election season is kind of perfect.

    For more information about Project/Object visit www.projectobject.com or follow Project/Object on Facebook or Twitter.  

  • March Fourth Struts its Stuff at the Boulder Theater

    Confetti bursts of brass, acrobatics, Balkan music, writhing sweat-covered bodies, salsa, electro-swing, and funk mayhem exploded September 24 at the Boulder Theater with the arrival of the foot stomping March Fourth band from Portland Oregon. With about 20 performers, including stilt walkers, acrobats and a fierce percussive, brass-laden musician blazed its way through a wild set to promote the release of their new album, Magic Number.

    Known as much for its steampunk circus costumes and vaudeville acrobatics, March Fourth has transitioned from its larger community band roots to a streamlined touring band devoted to its music. What started in 2003 as a one-off performance for a Fat Tuesday party in Portland has grown into a successful national touring act, averaging nearly 200 shows a year.

    Colorado music fans have made March Fourth musicians feel like they have a second home. And with raw power and frenetic urgency, the band barreled out of the wood of the Northwest into Boulder like some kind of musical, Mardi Gras Bigfoot with its woolly  hair on fire.  March Fourth blasted its way through mostly original tunes that transformed the Boulder Theater  into a rollicking, steamfunk, booty-shaking, rock-and-roll circus party that even Barnum and Bailey would envy.

  • Watch The Big Takeover’s “Come Before Five” Video

    The Hudson Valley’s The Big Takeover has released the official video for “Come Before Five,” the upcoming single on their upcoming album, due out in January. Lead singer and songwriter neenee Rushie says the song is “about a girl waiting for something she knows she’ll never get.” Directed by Liz Paradise & Zach Thomson, the video was filmed at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

    Big Takeover Love Understands come before five In the next month, the band is playing throughout New York State, including October 1 at Snugs in New Paltz, Damn Sam’s Harvest Fest on October 8 in Lauren, NY, The Liberty in Rhinebeck for a special Halloween show on October 29, and a very exciting New Years show announcement forthcoming.

    Video credit: The Big Takeover (c) 2016 and Big Takeover Production (BMI)

  • Hearing Aide: Dave Keller “Right Back Atcha”

    Northeastern blues can be heard echoing from the mountains of Vermont in Dave Keller’s new album Right Back Atcha. The September 23 release date came just a day after the start of fall and his lyrics are symbolically vibrant with a colorful spirit and a life-changing attitude.

    dave kellerRecorded in the Green Mountain State, Keller recruited a 3-piece horn section, two backup vocalists and a small string ensemble to collaborate with his usual members of The Dave Keller Band. The diverse talent was used right off the bat in “It’s Time You Made Up Your Mind,” which serves as the opening track and the lone cover on the album. Willie Clayton originally brought the song to the studio during the peak of his funk-soul era in 1974 and much like Keller, Clayton didn’t see much in the way of commercial success or critic recognition until he was ripe into his 40s. Keller tips his hat to the roots he knows best while adding his own modern blues sound to this underplayed gem.

    Title track, “Right Back Atcha” has a very seductive brass and bass combination highlighted by Jessica Friedman’s baritone sax. Although the lyrical structure is very inventive, I found the song somewhat off putting, as I know that Keller is around the same age as my father and singing about his sexy time with a woman.   The album artwork on the back of his LP lets us know Keller is still getting freaky and his not-so-subtle innuendos complete the picture. Putting my personal issues with the song’s story behind, Keller nails his silky guitar solo and gets some help from the backup vocalists to bring this sonic, sweaty bang to a finish.

    After the most provocative track on the album, Keller hits us with his first love ballad entitled, “Deeper Than The Eye Can See.” Original band member, Ira Friedman, warms the tune up with a soft piano introduction before Keller gently harmonizes with the female backup singers. This lyrically and vocally soulful composition is reminiscent of Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” and will leave you feeling all the feels the same way Van the Man does.

    “Circles” clocks in as the longest track of Right Back Atcha, which allows time for the Hammond B3 organ to really drive home the profound message. If “Deeper Than The Eye Can See” is Keller’s way of expressing the beauty of being in love, “Circles” tells the tale of how shitty life can be during the confusing parts. He lets his guitar solo do the crying as Friendman’s B3 steals the show during this deep-rooted blues piece.

    Vermont may one of the least populated states in the country, but that doesn’t prohibit their bands from getting funky. While Keller’s subject matter may be geared towards an older crowd in terms of the over-the-hump, post mid-life crisis topics presented in the lyrics, I can still get down with the eclectic musical arrangements he brought to the studio. This isn’t the type of album that someone in their twenties would throw on during a party, but give me twenty more years of experience and Right Back Atcha may be found on my iPhone 17 shuffle.

    Key Tracks: Right Back Atcha, Circles, You Make It Easy

  • Hearing Aide: MarchFourth “Magic Number”

    m4coverart_magicnumber_foilsmallJust when you think you’ve heard it all, suddenly a band crosses paths with your ears and changes everything.  MarchFourth, a twenty piece band based out of Portland, Oregon, are gearing up for the release of their latest album, Magic Number, on September 30th. Fifteen members of this large ensemble trekked down to New Orleans and spent 10 days in the studio building this titillating album, which was produced by Ben Ellman of Galactic.

    Full of auditory goodness, let’s dive right in and examine their long overdue album, that was fan-funded through Kickstarter, track by track.  Take a breath before hitting the start button.  Things are about to get explosive.

    “Call To Action” is jammed with in your face horns that begin nice and steady before blasting off, taking the listener on a brass filled musical escapade. Serious energy from the get go entices listeners to turn that volume dial higher and higher. “The Quarter” slinks into play with smooth tones, funky guitar beats, and playful lyrics before picking things up with “Magic Number.”  With a Spanish flair, the song drops listeners into the heart of Mexico, giving the feel that trouble is around the corner. Quick paced, featuring clean trumpet and jazzy guitar, the energy keeps right on rolling.

    “Push It Back” is heavy on deep funk guitar tones right off the bat, gluing the song together from beginning to end.  With Stanton Moore making a guest appearance on drums, a 70’s vibe is felt, throwing it back to the days of disco balls, feathered hair and bell bottoms.  Don’t be surprised when the repeat button is tapped over and over.

    If a track would be up to no good, “Inventing the Wheel” would be the perfect musical specimen.  This tune is full of attitude, swagger, and stealthily glides along, picking up speed mid-song as if the notes are running to hide from the bad guys. The notes quietly tiptoe back into it’s original swagger, with special guest Trombone Shorty bursting at the seams on the trumpet solo, and Ben Ellman providing harmonica.

    “Hotstepper” musically conjures images of a conversation between instruments, with song lyrics refereeing the energy. Danceable and fun, this quick paced jam keeps the party rolling.  “Drunk Bears” automatically is lovable by name alone. Hit play and be prepared to jump up and down. The deep, low tones of the baritone sax stand out immediately, grabbing other members of the brass family by the balls to take listeners on a crazy ride.

    Mysterious “Jan Jar” has a powerful wanderlust aura dancing around the notes, before “Science (Free Your Mind)” erupts into the ears.  Matt Perrine, of Bonerama, hits up the sousaphone on this track that is soaked in New Orleans flavor. This shattering jam would be very much at home marching down the streets of the French Quarter.

    Fast paced “It’s a Trap” hints at being more of a brass knuckled punk band with attitude.  This speedy tune takes listeners on a roller coaster of a ride, making sure the heartbeat picks up. The album ends on a tender note with “Endless Highway,” shaking off the energy from the explosive beats leading up to this track.

    Magic Number is a solid journey of an album, stuffed with intense toe tapping beats and story telling melodies. MarchFourth has modernized the big band sound to today’s generation; this is an album that should not be missed.  For more information on MarchFourth, visit their official website.

    Key Tracks: Push It Back, Drunk Bears, Science (Free Your Mind)

  • Photo Gallery: Sterling Stage Last Daze of Summer

    Sterling Stage ended the 2016 festival season with Last Daze of Summer, a weekend of laughter, love, and creative expression. If you weren’t able to make it, make sure you check out next years festivals at Sterling Stage Kampitheater, located in Sterling, NY.