Category: Jam/Progressive

Hearing Aide: The Phryg Self-Titled Debut

Brooklyn-based progressive funk quartet The Phryg released their full-length self-titled debut album last month. The band formed in 2013 and released their debut EP Midnight Snack in 2014. They tour regularly in the New York and Pennsylvania areas.

The Phryg kicks off with “Hello Miss,” a six minute progression that opens with a funk groove bringing the whole band into the mix. The song moves through variations of the opening groove to the bridge, which features a brief piano solo, before the song climaxes with a rocking solo from guitarist Collin Patierno. It finally comes to a close returning to the initial funk groove.

The second track “Puddin’ Head,” which is also the shortest track clocking in just under four minutes, brings a nice slow funky groove throughout. “Turn You Out” is a keyboard-led tune that rounds out the start of the album. “Crispy Hat” is an instrumental tune that shows off the band’s capabilities. The final track “Tang Slayer” is a perfect cap to the album.

The album is straight up funk grooves throughout and will keep those listening moving. Unfortunately, they don’t stray very much from a standard form with many of the songs feeling as though they were written off the same groove. The production quality of several tracks is lacking, leaving the listener wondering if they’re listening to a demo or a fully produced album. Overall, The Phryg’s debut album is a fun listen, if lacking in places.

Keep updated on The Phryg at their website and on Facebook.

Key Tracks: Hello Miss, Crispy Hat, Tang Slayer

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUuSq252aGo[/embedyt]

August 6, 2016
Hobbled moe. Peps Energetic Saranac Crowd

It’s a Central New York institution put on by New York’s jam band. For the second consecutive evening, moe., complete with an injured bassist, shook the Saranac Brewery to its hoppy core on Saturday with two sets filled with guitar-driven improvisation, fun set lists and even a few unconventional covers.

Bassist Rob Derhak was in a seat for the entire show, laid up with a leg injury, which did not limit him in any way, as he was as animated as ever in the band’s annual residency in Utica. If Friday’s show was more laid back, then Saturday’s was a lesson in in-your-face rock and roll.

And warming up the rowdy crowd was funk band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. PPPP laid down a straightforward set filled with danceable and rhythmic numbers. Out of the gate, “Seat Of My Pants” featured a big solo each from guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey, which were catapulted by the backing beats of drummer Vinnie Amico. “Big World”>”Ricky Marten”>”Spine Of A Dog”>”Not Coming Down”>”Wormwood”>”Okayalright” took up the next hour or so. While there wasn’t a section of the groove that stands out as supreme, the songs flowed together, allowing moe. to display the tight musicianship they’re loved for. “McBain” featured a short outro jam that crescendo-ed the crowd into happy oblivion just before setbreak.

In 2015, Saranac released a moe.-themed beer, aptly titled Hoppy Hour Hero, a strong IPA that was the featured beverage of the night. (Amico discussed this and a range of other topics with NYSMusic back in May). Without hesitation, moe. began playing “Happy Hour Hero,” which exulted a huge road from the attendees.

“Bearsong” began and amidst the noodling emerged an unusual treat: House of Pain’s iconic hit “Jump Around.” It’s expected for moe. to throw in covers here and there, but I was among many who didn’t see this coming. The crowd sang every word of the anthemic chorus, before the band veered into “Tailspin.”

“Opium” then bled into “lylelovit.” With the curfew approaching, and the guitars dueling, Schnier began “Downward Facng Dog,” eliciting a huge applause, and closed out the energetic and overall very good set with “32 Things.”

“Buster” brought the 2016 Saranac run to a close and gave the moe.ron famoe.ly nothing but smiles and happiness. The band thanked the crowd and exited, and everyone in my area began hugging and embracing.

Now that the band has found a legitimate home in CNY, it begs the question: Is moe. ever bringing moe.down back? Amico has said it will be back, so now we just have to wait. But two nights at Saranac every summer is a pretty great consolation.

07/30/2016 • Saranac Brewery • Utica, NY
Summer Tour 2016

Set 1: Seat Of My Pants>,Big World > Ricky Marten > Spine Of A Dog > Not Coming Down > Wormwood > Okayalright McBain

Set 2: Happy Hour Hero, Bearsong > Jump Around > Tailspin >, Opium > lylelovit.>, Downward Facing Dog >, 32 Things

Encore: Buster

August 6, 2016
Peach Music Fest Returns to Montage Mountain, Gregg Allman Cancels

In just one week, The Peach Music Festival will return to Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA for their fifth annual four-day celebration. The festival is slated for August 11 – 14. Jamband fans from all over the country will head up the mountain for headliners Trey Anastasio Band and The String Cheese Incident. Due to illness, Gregg Allman canceled his tour including his headlining performances at Peach Fest. Allman was scheduled to play his own set as well as one with SCI known as “The Gregg Allman Incident. At this time it is unclear what the festival plans to do for a replacement.

Originally an Allman Brother’s Band festival, the spirit of ABB will live on with Warren Haynes’ appearance in Gov’t Mule as well as “Wake Up with Warren Haynes.” In addition, Les Brers is scheduled to perform at Peach Festival, created by Butch Trucks, founding member of the ABB.

Festival goers can take advantage of the mountain for camping as well as the on-site waterpark to cool off. The site features three stages including The Pavillion at Montage Mountain, a unique and beautiful venue.

In addition to the headlining acts, other anticipated performances include The Claypool Lennon Delirium, two sets of moe., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Railroad Earth, two sets of Dark Star Orchestra, Anders Osborne and more.

Late night sets will sprawl across three stages including a special Pink Floyd set from moe. and a two-hour set with Umphrey’s McGee. The Floozies, Cabinet, Flux Capacitor and a Pink Floyd set by Electron will all tear up the after midnight scene.

New this year, and in line what Front Gate Tickets did for Camp Bisco hosted at Montage Mountain in July, ticket holders were sent chipped wrist bands over the traditional cloth bracelets.

Tickets for the Peach Music Festival are available at www.thepeachmusicfestival.com

August 5, 2016
moe. Brings More Than Tasty Brews to Saranac On Friday July 30, 2016

Some families, if they’re lucky, have reunions every year or so. If you’re a moe.ron, its whenever moe. the band is able to park it and throw down for a couple of days. Last weekend, the boys dropped into their old stomping grounds of Utica for two nights of their annual stint at the Saranac Brewery, over July 30-31, 2016; bringing a wave of openers and late night shows, along with their own bust-outs and full throttle psychedelic rock to 830 Varick St.

With Ryan Montbleau opening the first night, fans were treated to a full band which, in typical Montbleau fashion, kicked off the weekend with sulky vibes mixed with high intensity big band sounds encapsulated within a small ensemble.

People who know what a Montbleau Band show is capable of were buzzing over his electricity and for those who only thought they knew, were served a healthy dose of wild female vocals, buttery trombone, crazy fingered keys, and the smooth charm of the talented singer-songwriter.

With gray skies, high heat and humidity hovering, a crowd with a propensity for partying gave moe. full-bellied cheers as the first set began with the classic ,”Timmy Tucker,” a sign that things were off to a great start. “Timmy” sneakily segued into the bouncy “Threw It All Away” followed by another segue back into “Timmy.”

A quick hello and welcome to Utica from bassist Rob Derhak led into the cautionary, in-your-face monster, “Don’t Fuck With Flo” followed by “CIA.” Fans were then treated to two covers, “Fame” by the late David Bowie, and Steely Dan’s “Bodhisattava,” with Ryan Montbleau, accompanied by his female vocalists, sitting in on the performance. The two covers showcased guitarist Chuck Garvey’s vocal abilities and classic rock chops to help close out a stellar first set.

The second set began with a bang, as drummer Vinnie Amico rolled off the opening beats to “Water,” followed by the instrumental ditty “Hector’s Pillow;” the first two songs of a six-song segue. The beloved “Bring You Down” began patiently, but the jam soon grew to heights the song is known to reach. Yet each time the beauty of it is expanded upon as guitarist Al Schnier soloed his way into the songs closing lines, “be with me, be with me,” all while checking off stats as the first time played in the city as well as at the brewery.

The last half of the segues included the epic “Silver Sun”. The Pink Floyd inspired tune quickly turned into a beast as it transitioned into the Grateful Dead’s “The Other One,” using the same quadraphonic sound implemented earlier in the summer by the bands front-of-house engineer, Steve Young. Heads were spinning as sound echoed from the towering brewery back onto the fully loaded crowd and segued back into “Silver Sun.”

The night was completed with “Mar De Ma,” an Amico-penned instrumental honoring his wife and daughters, “Y.O.Y,”, and “Plane Crash.”

Much to many fan’s pleasure, the band strayed from the setlist and chose “Sensory Deprivation Bank” for the encore. Attendees were then unleashed into the streets to take part in the late night acts offered throughout Varick Street.

moe – Saranac Brewery, Utica, NY – July 30, 2016

Set I: Timmy Tucker > Threw It All Away > Timmy Tucker, Don’t Fuck With Flo > CalifornIA > (n.h.) Fame, Bodhisattava

Set II: Water > Hector’s Pillow > Bring You Down, Silver Sun > The Other One > Silver Sun, Mar-DeMa (n.h.) Y.O.Y., Plane Crash

Enc: Sensory Deprivation Bank

August 5, 2016
(Board) Walk Me Out, Dark Star Orchestra at Ford Amphitheatre Coney Island

On Sunday July 31, Dark Star Orchestra tested the waters of the newly opened Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. They got the crowd moving right away with a rocking “Passenger” as fans young and old exchanged high fives. As per usual, there were several setlist detectives in the audience trying to determine what classic show the band was recreating before our eyes and ears. I discovered an early Easter egg as only one drummer appeared on the stage, hinting at the fact that Mickey Hart was not present for this gig.

Lead guitarist Jeff Mattson did an exceptional job filling Jerry’s shoes for “Sugaree,” before Rob Barraco tackled Pigpen’s “Mr. Charlie.” The “Black Throated Wind” that followed had a particularly hot ending as Rob Eaton embodied the role of Bob Weir. Always searching for a Grateful Dead setlist motif, I instantly became fascinated with the gambling aspect of “Loser” that was presented in the fifth spot. At every DSO show, us setlist detectives are attempting to discover the recreation by playing the hand we are dealt by the band members, and we had no chance of losing this time. Another ace was drawn once Barraco jumped back on the lead vocals for “Next Time You See Me,” channeling Pigpen in what was sure to be an early 70’s performance. Lisa Mackey, normally filling in as Donna, covered the harmonica for the tune during her first appearance of the night. A standard “El Paso” gave way to another song referencing a card game, “Dire Wolf.”

The spirit of Pigpen returned for “Two Souls in Communion,” relaxing the audience before a spaced-out “Playing In The Band.” After the 15-minute-plus version, I had enough set list evidence to predict the band’s recreation. I knew it was something from Europe ’72 as classic Pigpen tunes were frequent, yet they jumped in the deep end for “Playin’.” With assistance from a quick Google search, I discovered that they were recreating the iconic final show of their European run, May 26, 1972 from London. The show would be Pigpen’s second to last performance with the band, and symbolically the next song after my setlist discovery was “He’s Gone.”

A familiar “Cumberland Blues” and “Jack Straw” led to “Chinatown Shuffle,” which is the last tune Pigpen ever sang on stage. In fact, the four songs sang by Pigpen in the first set would follow him to his grave after that hallowed evening. My lyrical deck of cards theory returned with the “diamond-eye Jack” during “China> Rider.” On the eve of Jerry’s birthday, a wave of euphoria came over the crowd during the “Not Fade Away> Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad> Not Fade Away” sandwich that closed out the mesmerizing and particularly long first set.

An extended “Truckin’” reminded the New York audience of the ways and means as the second set caught fire early. The band treated us to the night’s second sandwich with “The Other One > Morning Dew > The Other One.” It isn’t clear if Jerry is singing directly to Pigpen during one of his final nights, but this version is one of the best in Dead history and DSO did an excellent job recapturing the emotion from over 44 years ago. Not only was the “Dew” sang with such emotion, but the jam that ensued showcased bassist Skip Vangelas dropping some serious Phil-bombs to test the foundation of the newly built venue.

“Sing Me Back Home” gave us a moment to catch our breath before the “high-lo jack and the winner takes the hand” lyrics brought a smile to my face during “Me and My Uncle.” “Ramble On Rose” brought the casino-night motif to a close and presented the “aces back to back” before a high-energy two-pack of “Sugar Magnolia” and “Casey Jones” closed the second set. As the 11PM curfew rounded the corner, DSO remained on stage and quickly wished Captain Trips a happy birthday. A fellow setlist detective gave me a pat on the back as the May 1972 discovery was confirmed. Closing out the Sunday, the band gave us one more reason to enjoy the weekend with “One More Saturday Night.” Outside the venue, dozens of fans roamed the beach holding balloons with smiles on their faces (I can only assume for Mr. Garcia’s birthday). The first ever Grateful Dead recreation at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island was a massive success and I predict the energy to return during two nights of Phil & Friends in mid-September. Decades after that magical night on the other side of the Atlantic, Deadheads were once again treated to the peace, tranquility and curiosity of a beautiful experience, just like waves upon the sand.

August 4, 2016
Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Plan Huge Fall Tour

Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong announced today a co-headline tour kicking off October 5 in Jacksonville, FL and ends December 17 in Indianapolis, IN. The more than 30 shows will cover much of the eastern half of the country, making stops in Saratoga Springs, Buffalo, Syracuse and New York City along the way. The two bands bring an incredible dose of funk with them, and have become staples on the festival circuit for many years.

Rochester native and Dopapod vocalist/guitarist Rob Compa shared his thoughts on the tour. “Pairing up made too much sense not to do! We’re always crossing paths, whether it be barely missing each other along tour or at festivals. After a while it became clear that we ought to do something cool together. I’m happy that this finally came together.”

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s frontman Greg Ormont added jokingly, “We’ve always wanted to tour with a band whose name is a palindrome but ABBA and Emily’s Sassy Lime are always too busy, so we ended up with Dopapod. Fortunately, they’re great friends and even better musicians, so it should be an epic few months on the road.”

Both groups recently shared the stage in Philadelphia, PA at The TLA where Dopapod keyboardist Eli Winderman sat in with Pigeons on their original song, “F.U.”

Dopapod & Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Fall 2016 Tour Dates:

10/05 Jacksonville, FL: 1904
10/06 Gainesville, FL: High Dive
10/07 St. Petersburg, FL: State Theatre
10/08 Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Culture Room
10/09 Orlando, FL: Venue 578
10/11 Macon, GA: Cox Capitol Theatre
10/12 Columbia, SC: Music Farm
10/14 Darlington, MD: Luna Light Music Festival
10/26 Saratoga Springs, NY: Putnam Den
10/27 New Haven, CT: Toad’s Place
10/29 Northampton, MA: Pearl Street
11/02 Syracuse, NY: Westcott Theater
11/03 Buffalo, NY: Iron Works
11/04 TBA
11/10 TBA
11/11 Charlottesville, VA: Jefferson Theatre
11/12 TBA
11/17 TBA
11/18 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
11/30 Asheville, NC: The Orange Peel
12/01 Atlanta, GA: Terminal West
12/02 Charleston, SC: Pour House
12/03 Raleigh, NC: Lincoln Theatre
12/06 Chattanooga, TN: Revelry Room
12/07 Nashville, TN: Exit In
12/08 St. Louis, MO: Old Rock House
12/09 Iowa City, IA: Gabe’s
12/10 Chicago, IL: Bottom Lounge
12/14 Ann Arbor, MI: The Blind Pig
12/15 Kalamazoo, MI: Bell’s Brewery
12/16 Milwaukee, WI: Mirimar Theatre
12/17 Indianapolis, IN: The Vogue Theatre

August 4, 2016
The Jauntee Announce Second Leg of Summer Tour, Phish After-Parties in Denver

The Jauntee has announced the second leg of their Summer Tour, extending out to Colorado for a series of post-shows during the Phish run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Hailing from Boston, The Jauntee have solidified a dedicated following through a focus on live improvisation, setlist variety, and musical exploration that makes every show different from the last. Among tour highlights include an all-improv set at Laniakea Fest in Ohio, Phish after-parties in Denver at Quixote’s True Blue on Friday and Saturday of Labor Day, a stop at Funk n Waffles in Syracuse on September 15, and a performance at Catskill Chill on September 23.

Drawing influence from a wide variety of acts, The Jauntee’s improvisational landscape spans multiple genres, including funk, rock, jazz, progressive, bluegrass, psychedelic and ambient music. Their willingness to explore genres, abandon all song structure, and dive into ‘the weird’ sets them apart from your average upcoming jam band. They aim to push the boundaries of improvisation, embrace the moment and engage the audience. With a quickly growing loyal fanbase, an ever-expanding song catalog and an inclination for open ended improvisation, every show promises to be a unique experience.

Check out The Jauntee’s live shows for a taste of their incredible sound.

Summer 2016 Tour Dates
7/15 – Port Hunter – Edgartown, MA
7/16 – Port Hunter – Edgartown, MA
8/05 – Spotlight Tavern – Beverly, MA
8/07 – Empowerment Festival – Westminster, MD
8/12 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT+
8/19 – James Street – Pittsburgh, PA#
8/20 – Birds of a Feather Fest – Whitesburg, KY
8/25 – Barkley Ballroom – Frisco, CO
8/26 – Victoria Tavern – Salida, CO
8/27 – Lazy Dog – Boulder, CO
8/28 – Ullr’s Tavern – Winter Park, CO
8/31 – Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, CO&
9/01 – Old Town Pub – Steamboat Springs, CO
9/02 – Quixote’s – Denver, CO*
9/03 – Quixote’s – Denver, CO*
9/06 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
9/07 – The Bootleg – St. Louis, MO
9/08 – New Vintage – Louisville, KY
9/09 – Laniakea Fest – College Corner, OH
9/10 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH~
9/14 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD^
9/15 – Funk N’ Waffles – Syracuse, NY
9/16 – B.R.Y.A.C. – Black Rock, CT
9/23 – Catskill Chill – Lakewood, PA

+ w/ Bella’s Bartok
# w/ The Clock Reads
& w/ The Sweet Lillies
~ w/ Jahman Brahman
^ w/ ELM – Electric Love Machine
* Phish After Parties

August 4, 2016
NYS Music Presents Friday Nights in August @ Funk N Waffles

NYS Music is once again proud to host Friday nights at Funk N Waffles in August. A stellar lineup of music is on tap all month long, with local and regional bands highlighting the month.

8/5 Mosaic Foundation w/special guest boogie low

With a style as unique as its members are diverse, Mosaic Foundation is forward thinking reggae that stays true to the roots. Formed in 2009 and based in the Finger Lakes region of New York, the band has grown a loyal following, thanks to electric live performances and three studio releases. Blending roots, ska, dub, dance-hall and beyond, Mosaic is an exploration in reggae that is pushed to the limits and sometimes spills over. With lyrics that inspire dancing in the moment, and activate the mind in reflection, the songs encourage positivity, sustainable living and community.

Boogie Low is an acid reggae funk band based out of Syracuse, NY.

8/12 The Honey Smugglers w/special guest Chris James and Mama G ft. Spittin’ Sirens

The Honey Smugglers, from Rochester, NY, describe their music as “folkrock, jamgrass and acoustic Americana…melted in a pot of honey.” The five members played their first show as a full band in late 2014 and quickly generated a buzz around the Western NY music scene with their energetic live performances. Their fast pickin’, stompin’ rhythms and wild improvisations are sure to get a crowd moving it’s feet, but its the unique instrumentation and catchy vocal harmonies, that make their shows memorable. Look for The Honey Smugglers at clubs and festivals around the Northeast in 2016 as they tour in support of their second, full-length studio album, “When the Fun Begun”.

Visit their official website for music and more!

Chris James and Mama G are a “string pickin, harmony singin, high energy, positive vibe”. The american duo play a multitude of genres in a beat you can dance to.

Click here to check out their music!

8/19 ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat w/ FABI

Voted “Best New Band” in Chicago Reader’s 2016 poll, ESSO (El Sonido Sonic Octopus) performs funky Afro-Latino and roots rock inspired dance music. The ethnically diverse crew of musicians establish driving polyrhythmic grooves, combining biting twang guitar with the strength of brass horns, coro group singing, and urban poetry in an eclectic mix of raw energetic sounds. All members bring a vital contribution to the band’s unique “afrojam funkbeat” style. Inspired by Chicago’s soulful blues, jazzy house, and global fusion heavyweights, the group deliver their performances with purpose and direction; unifying through music, dance and collaboration.

Visit their official website and soundcloud !

8/26 Curtis Salgado

Vocalist/songwriter/harmonica icon Curtis Salgado sings and plays with soulful authority and is the winner of three awards at the 2013 Blues Music Awards, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year!

August 2, 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
Kerfuffle Sells Out 3 Years In A Row

This past Saturday was one of the most scorching days of the year. It also happened to fall on Kerfuffle’s third birthday. Kerfuffle is the creation of Alternative Buffalo 107.7 FM. This has sold out every year so far, they bring a selection of popular alternative bands from different sub genres. They have nailed it every year thus far.

LA, rockers, The Moth and the Flame kicked things off this year. What makes TMTH such a distinct and fun band to listen to is their fearlessness and originality. They are not afraid to do what they want to do. They aren’t a cookie cutter pop band. There is the grittiness of Robbins’ vocals which glisten on the band’s recordings but give their performance life and depth.

Coleman Hell was certainly not what I expected when he first appeared onstage. The only song I knew by him was his radio hit “Two Heads”. That was the black sheep of his song list. Everything else was very much different and percussion-heavy synth-pop. He appeared on stage in a paisley 70`s bright colored suit, that look straight out of the 70`s. He was a very spiritual individual and talked about the energy being overwhelmingly positive at the event.

Pvris (Pronouned as Paris) is a band that shows no signs of stopping. They have continuously been moving up the ranks and stealing the spotlight left and right. Today was an exception, they definitely brought their game but not their A, maybe B-.The vocals were great but she didn’t hit the high notes that she typically does, which gave it a less sensation to the song.

Madisen Ward and the Momma bear were a breath of fresh air. Hailing from Kansas City, the duo performed lively, soulful acoustic folk tunes side-by-side for Madisen takes the lead on most of the verses, but his mother certainly held her own.

New Politics come to Buffalo what seems like several times a year. They sell out each and every time. The band is based out of Brooklyn, NY. The love the audience had for this band is undeniable; it is clear as to why. Front man David Boyd gets the crowd to its feet and is quite the hype man. He has full faith in his fans and lets them carry him away into the crowd as far as they’ll take him. Dave`s famous acrobatic moves our ones you find in a hip hop studio; he does head spins and somersaults with the greatest of ease! Grant it some of their stuff is something you will find at every show they do, but if its not broke why fix it? These guys stole the show as they do every time.

The Strumbellas are a six piece Canadian based band that played for the first time in Buffalo. They are alternative country rock but didn’t seem to woo the audience; they were rather uninterested in the bands performance. It’s hard to follow heavier hitter the New Politics.

Bloc Party are all the way from England, they had some technical difficulties after the first song. Even the first song you could tell there was trouble but they pushed through it. Lead singer Kele apologized a couple times saying “Buffalo doesn’t deserve this”. Buffalonians do what they do best and screamed from the crowd saying its ok and that they’ll wait, not in the sarcastic tone either; in the true we support you because this kind of stuff happens tone. After what seemed like the longest seven minutes of Bloc Party`s life they got their sound system working again. Once they did you could still sense the aggravation in the way they looked but they came back with what they could pull from the wreckage, which was restless punk ska music that had hints of old school wrapped up neatly into it.

The Violent Femmes are a flash back from the past for some people. I think most of us know the song “Blister in the Sun”. That dates back all the way to 1983. The guys are well seasoned and casual dressers for the most part. They haven’t changed a bit vocally from when they first began according the people who have known them from day 1. They had the crowd to singing a good handful of their songs and the main audience was roughly between the ages 16-30.

Awolnation, where do we begin? Let’s start by saying the entrance was one to catch attention. Lights were turned down low with a blueish hint haze. A woman dressed in a vintage looking space helmet, wearing a long black robe carrying a lantern appeared on stage. You can find her on their “Beautiful Things” music video as well. No words were spoken just haunting music. Then as quickly as she came she disappeared. As soon as that happened the audience knew it was time to get this party started; not that it hadn’t already. Front man and brain child Aaron Bruno took to the stage with the rest of his mates and when the bass dropped to start the chorus, the crowd erupted to pandemonium that would not cease until the night’s end. It was also refreshing to see a group of musicians who were so musically bound. There were moments of improvisation and jam band style expansions of songs. “Sail” stands out as an example of a song that sounds much stronger live than on the album. The song set was nothing short of impressive; their performance guaranteed more sellout crowds on return trips through Buffalo.

Kerfuffle was a success this year, the staff managed to keep their composure while aiding in keeping everyone cool hydrated and happy. The fans soaked up just about every performance that night and the headliner did not disappoint. Hopefully they can keep selling out and keep bringing heavy hitting bands that are relevant like they are doing now. Great job Alternative Buffalo, Kerfuffle is one to compete with.

July 30, 2016