Whimsical jam band heavyweights Phish have hand-picked and released a new live show “From the Archives,” dating back to their fall tour of 1999.
This Sept. 14 performance at Boise State University is now (officially) one for the books with its massive energy and notable 27-minute rendition of “AC/DC Bag.” Dubbed as the “Boise Bag,” the song features Trey Anastasio on keys and John Fishman on vacuum for the better half of the jam that steered its way into a groovy “Gumbo,” containing teases of “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Additional highlights from the evening include a “Loving Cup > What’s the Use?” and bluegrass pickings “Nellie Kane” and “Rocky Top” to cap off the first set. For the audience, it’s always a pleasure to see the quartet gather at center stage to intimately sing songs a cappella, like “Hello My Baby” in this instance.
You can order the live audio over at LivePhish.com or stream that show among many others by logging into the site.
Phish kicked off their fall 1999 tour in Vancouver, followed by a two-night stand at The Gorge and a Sunday show in Portland. The tour then turned toward the Sawtooths for a Tuesday night show at Boise State University before continuing in California and beyond. The BSU Pavilion was opened in 1982 as the Boise State Broncos’ basketball arena with a concert capacity of about 13,000. Tickets for Phish cost $26.50 with a GA floor and reserved seating in the stands. This was the band’s second show at this venue (they had opened summer 1995 there) and their last show to-date in Idaho. Given the days off on both sides, the seven hour drive from Portland and the ten-plus hour drive to Shoreline for the next shows, many opted to skip this gig but those who took the trip were justly rewarded and those who didn’t will never forget it.”
Boise’s Set I kicked off with Chalk Dust Torture and featured The Curtain > Waste, a dramatic sequence of Loving Cup > What’s The Use? and Wading In The Velvet Sea > Farmhouse, and a hot Taste. The mostly non-stop set II began with the first Peaches en Regalia in more than two years, followed by an AC/DC Bag for the ages. This Bag was a tour de force of multi-modal improvisation culminating in a psychedelic freakout so far Out that swirling vacuum ambiance was the only way to wrap it. The Boise Bag spilled over into a standout Gumbo with a slow funk Another One Bites The Dust jam that cemented Boise’s snooze-you-lose status. A frenetic Down With Disease > Frankenstein (with a nod to Pink Floyd) capped the set. The encore was Simple with a live fade-out that gave the band time to move downstage for an A cappella Hello My Baby to close out a magical night at BSU.”
This past week was truly a memorable night of music at the famed Lost Horizon. Baroness who is currently on tour in support of their new album “Purple” made a stop in Syracuse on Wednesday night. Joining Baroness was break out Industrial punk duo from Los Angeles, Youth Code. What separates Youth Code from modern industrial bands is that they use instruments and not computers to generate their “industrial” sound. It was a very unique experience. I expect that they will continue to rapidly grow their fan base based on what I heard.
Baroness played a very moving and intense set. The set included mostly selections off their current album “Purple” such as “Kerosene,” “Chlorine and Wine” and one that I really wanted to hear: “Desperation Burns.” The band played a very heavy set before concluding with an encore of “Take My Bones Away” leaving the crowd wanting more!
One thing I enjoy about attending shows other than live music is getting the opportunity to collaborate with other photographers. Please enjoy the selection of photos that were taken by Cathy Bechle of NYS Music and myself.
Part of the fun in attending a Phish show is often the plans we make for the before and after parties. For those heading to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 1 to 3 to see the boys, you’re now completely covered.
The Capital Region’s own Mister F will host three nights of after-parties at Nanola in Malta to keep the fun going long after Phish’s encore. Shuttles will be available to and from SPAC – a quick 10-minute ride.
Mister F recently welcomed Mike Candela as new guitarist to a band that formed in 2013 from regional acts Timbre Coup and Capital Zen.
While a schedule is to be determined, they will be joined by the McLovins, Lespecial, Strange Machines and Hayley Jane and the Primates.
Presented by NYS Music, the bread to this Phish sandwich includes pre-parties on Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3.
Nanola features a full bar, great beer selection and traditional pub fare in addition to creole favorites like jambalaya, oysters and po’ boys.
Tickets are available in a variety of options. Shows are $10 per night. Shuttles are also $10. A combo pass including all shuttles and after shows is $50.
Additional details including the daily schedule and ticket information will be announced soon.
Catskill Rock! Have you heard of it yet? If not, get ready! A hot new music event has been announced to take place at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on June 17.
The popular theater has teamed up with the “mad geniuses” at the White Dove Rockotel to present the first-ever evening of art and entertainment titled Catskill Rock. Sponsored by the Chatham Brewery, this event will not be without cold, tasty refreshments and will feature plenty of arts and music from local bands Burnell Pines and the Grape and the Grain.
The show is set to kick off at 8 p.m. and tickets are currently only $10.
Burnell Pines is a bearded young artist with an old soul and guitar strapped to his back. Found meandering back roads of the Catskill mountains and creating music while visiting friends and other musicians alike. His latest album, Til the Day I Die, features the help of many great musicians like acclaimed keyboardist Marco Benevento, Rachael Yamagata, and drummers Joe Magistro (The Black Crowes) and Robert Burke (Toshi Reagon).
The Grape and the Grain is a four-piece rock group from Kingston. A reformation of itself from 2015 which includes three other original members, the band is setting forth a new beginning and already making strides. Their latest EP release is a collection of alternate versions of some of the original songs, titled At Home.
As the buses made their way down Montgomery Street towards the Crouse Hinds Theater, The Tedeschi Trucks Band began to prepare for an evening of what would become an epic night of music to a sold out venue in Syracuse.
Opening the evening to the packed crowd was Amy Helm. Amy hails from Woodstock and with music in her bloodline, from the moment she took the stage, she began to play and sing and own the crowd. With her trio of Handsome Strangers, made up of guitarist Daniel Littleton, bassist Byron Isaacs and drummer David Berger, this most talented group of musicians played and sang like a well oiled machine.
Amy’s style of music can best be described as contagious. As you watch her perform, it’s as though the music is progressing from her toes, making its way through her body and pouring out with full emotion and electricity. The versatility of sound she displays is also noteworthy. Her music fluctuates from soulful and moody to a rockabilly jive with a seamless transition, providing a tantalizing variety of tastes pleasing to everyone. As Helm’s delivery drew the audience in, the rest of the band delivered a one-two punch of a percussive background beat, a funkadelic bass line and sick guitar solos that brought the audience to their feet. Just as they finished their solos, Amy stepped back up to the mic and hit everyone with a knockout vocal punch, sealing people’s fates as fans forever. To say she is amazing doesn’t seem like quite enough.
It was the moment she dedicated “Gloryland”, a song taught to her by her father who passed in 2012, to those waiting on the other side that really moved me most. This acoustic number, in perfect harmony with her Handsome Strangers, sent chills down my spine and left not a dry eye in the audience. Levon Helm, your daughter is amazing and you taught her well.
As Helm exited the stage for the main act to appear, the audience grew with anticipation before the lights dimmed and Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) took the stage. This large ensemble took up the whole stage and, although a large production, each member is a specific ingredient within a recipe of musical genius. With the husband and wife team of Derek Trucks on guitar and Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals out in front, they surrounded themselves with some of the most talented musicians in the business. On keyboards and flute was Kofi Burbridge, drums and percussion featured Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, bass guitar work was provided by Tim Lefebvre and on harmony vocals was the trio of Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, and Alecia Chakour. The horns rounded out the team with Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Elizabeth Lea on trombone and Ephraim Owens on trumpet. This amazing group of musicians are one in themselves talented and together they blended seamlessly, but not overpoweringly, as they accompanied Tedeschi and Trucks on their play out front.
Never having seen this amazing band before, the bar had been set high from all the hype I’ve heard. Although eager to see what all the fuss was about, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I purposely didn’t listen to any music beforehand so that my initial response was pure and in the moment. As they began to play, I was mesmerized by Susan’s voice. Her no nonsense approach to attacking each note was confident and strong. She was a woman that knew what she wanted to sing and play and that she did. As her husband Derek accompanied her on his guitar, the strings would sing. Together they melded into one sound.
I would classify TTB as a multi-genre act. They were funky, bluesy, rocking, and soulful. They encompassed sounds and transitioned from one sound to the next without effort or pause. I found Susan Tedeschi’s vocals real and raw. She has the ability to reach in and grab your soul while she sings and plays. As they played “Sky Is Crying” , it was as though she and Derek were making love with their guitars right in front of you. They matched note for note with a fervor that grew and exploded into one of the most moving pieces of the evening. I almost felt as though I was intruding on their moment and witnessing something meant for just the two of them. It was spectacular.
It was apparent all night that as they played, these fans in the audience were just as in love with them as I was. My favorite moment of the night was when Tedeschi asked her singer Alecia Chakour and Amy Helm to join her onstage for “Color of the Blues”, an amazing acoustic number. There was so much talent in that group that it blew me away.
It was an honor to cover this show and now I get it. I get the hype, the build up and the all the legends I had heard. The show was amazing and definitely lived up and surpassed my expectations.
Setlist Tedeschi Trucks Band: Laugh About It, Anyhow, I Want More, Midnight in Harlem, Just As Strange, Right on Time, Let Me Get By, Sky is Crying, Color of the Blues (joined by Amy Helm and Alecia Chakour), Keep on Growing, Going Down to Mexico, Bound for Glory, Idle Wind. Encore: Don’t Let Me Slide, I Cannot Make It
After over 30 years, Glenn Danzig will join Jerry Only and the Misfits on stage for the first time since their breakup in 1983. What fans call “The Original Misfits” — Danzig, Only and long-time guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, will grace the stage together at this years Riot Fest.
Riot Fest will take place in Denver, on Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-4 at the National Western Complex, then once again in Chicago two weeks later Sept. 16-18 in Douglas Park. The rest of lineup that will appear at Riot Fest has yet to be announced.
After the band split, members got into a legal battle over The Misfits name. Jerry Only won the rights to tour and record under the name The Misfits in 1990. Danzig found success on his own when he started his self titled band Danzig. Danzig appeared on the first two Misfit studio albums before releasing his first solo studio album Danzig, in 1988. Danzig went on to release ten studio albums after his Misfit days including his current album Skeletons, which was released in 2015. The Misfits didn’t release a studio album after Danzig split until 1997 when they released Static Age, and released a total of five studio albums after Danzig.
Just like some other bands that have recently reunited in 2016, many fans thought they would never see this day especially after the two sides have sued each other over the years multiple times. The reunion will mark the first time that three-quarters of the band will perform together since the bands most notable Walk Among Us album, released in 1982. Following the band’s breakup, Doyle has performed with both The Misfits and Danzig over the years after the two separated their ways. The Misfits formed in 1977.
Marco Benevento, touring in support of his recently released half-concept/half dance-inflicted rock anthems album The Story of Fred Short, will make a run through upstate New York this week. Of the new album, the LA Times says, Marco “continues a rewarding effort to straighten his twisted sound into the guise of an indie-rock singer-songwriter, harnessing his inventive sonic palette into rewardingly bite-size pop songs that touch on disco and soul” while Boulder Weekly calls it “a swirling pastiche of deep grooves, buoyant pop filigrees and grinding old-school psychedelic reveries.”
Benevento has been keeping busy with sporadic dates in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, playing with The Arcs and The Barr Brothers, and gearing up for the long-awaited reunion of the Duo. But his main focus has been his solo band, which features fellow JRAD-ian Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums. Seeing Benevento’s solo performances is to catch him in his element.
Starting on Thursday at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, the band will continue to Hector at the Stonecat on Friday the 13th (watch out!) before hitting the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on Saturday night. Rochester’s own Mikaela Davis will open the shows with her gorgeous and unique harp-lead indie folk rock. And who knows, maybe she’ll even sit in with Benevento for a song or two, like she did recently in Brooklyn.
NYS Music goes to Cuba is a multi-part series detailing Cuban music and culture, the impact of Western music on Cuban music and the potential for change given the recent pending normalization of relations between The United States and Cuba.
Let me get something out of the way: Cuba, a Caribbean island that until recently was illegal for Americans to visit, is not going to be ruined by the influx of Americans and tourists now that travel is (somewhat) permitted between the two countries. There will be some change in time, as all things are prone to change, but Cuba is not changing drastically as a result.
That was my mindset when initially considering a trip to discover what music was hidden away from American ears on the island, in the clubs and on the streets of Havana. It took about a day before I realized that while there will be some cultural influence shared between the two countries, Americanization will not take foothold to the degree some predict.
A time capsule of a city, Havana is a dichotomy of beautiful and tattered buildings side-by-side, where Wifi is slowly becoming available – thanks in part to President Obama’s recent visit (per Cuban’s who expressed their admiration for him), an upgrade for citizens in and around Havana – and examples of entrepreneurship are seen on a daily basis, with hostels popping up throughout the city (if you go, we recommend Enzo’s Backpackers), and merchants selling Rolling Stones shirts with the Cuban flag on the iconic ‘tongue’ logo. Even the filming of Fast and the Furious 8 shows signs of things changing in the city, but the original spirit and heart of Havana are intact and will assuredly remain so for years to come, even as the curio closed off to Americans for 55 years prepares for tourists fresh off cruise ships beginning to dock in Havana Harbor.
Staying in a tall apartment building overlooking Estadio Latinoamericano, on the evening of our arrival, my photographer and longtime friend Chris and I head out to Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a former cooking oil factory transformed into a multi-level center for the arts, including a multimedia art gallery and performance spaces for dance, music and theater. The creation of musician X Alfonso, with the backing of the Ministry of Culture, the venue is labyrinthine, with something around every corner, whether it be live performances, gallery pieces, performance art, or a Bohemian gathering of locals and tourist from across the globe sipping on drinks, it was a welcome surprise for our first night observing local culture and taking in as yet-undetermined musical offerings.
The first floor held a 500 person room with a DJ setup for later that evening, the entire room having a 90s dorm room feel and soundtrack – Black Crowes and Jay Z videos on a large screen, with décor to rival that of many clubs back home. Upstairs in the art gallery, odd photography is meshed with paint and various media, while a series of old, naked women on the beach with breasts exposed highlights the beauty of aging.
We head down into the largest room in the complex and find a drink and seat for a performance, which is first come, first serve and wherever you can manage to find a sit – a step, a chair, behind a riser… the area filled in calmly with a little buzz before “Night Club” began.
As the cabaret begins, a cue card girl holds up different numbers for the scenes, with scenes unfolding as such: a female lounge singer with a gritty voice welcomed the crowd; a woman performed a sultry tap dance; a male lounge singer sang a Salsa song; some interpretative tap dancing,; a guy in a tutu performing ballet with vibraphone and percussion as a backup; a woman with a fruit basket giving a confusing yet definitely suggestive performance; a simulated girl fight, and a full cast medley at the end. The audience talked and milled about, becoming part of the show passively, actively and unintentionally.
While we were in the minority with our nascent Spanish, even without knowing what they are saying or singing, you easily got the gist of the show through body language, scenery and context – the club is open for business, the various employees sing about the club, their work, drama ensues, drama is resolved, everyone dances, everyone is happy. It could be an episode of Sabado Gigante but it’s better. It’s not TV. It’s FAC.
Following the show, we head downstairs in Fabrica de Arte Cubano to the first room with the great décor. DJ Seycel comes on about midnight and the younger portion of the crowd remains for a house set with deep bass and various Latin and American hits mixed in. The main takeaway from the night is the overall focus on the music – hardly any phones are out beyond a photo here and there. No one is staring at their phone, and there are no glowsticks or candi kids, just straight dancing to the music. I miss that about shows back home – the focus and pure attention and dedication to the artist and his craft. I for one am guilty of that, and having no internet access for 8 days of travel is a very welcome vacation in itself.
We later find that this first glance at Havana and Cuban culture is not a diamond in the rough, but clearly one of the most unique multi-purpose venues that embraces a wide variety of art like few do. Fabrica de Arte Cubano brought to mind the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, where numerous museums and performance spaces are found in one large enclosed area. Here in Havana, it is a sought after venue in the evening, open until 4am with lines forming early.
Performances starting at Midnight or later is something that we slowly get used to, and this later start time found between American and Havanan clubs is a cultural apparatus, where clubs do not begin to fill up until 11pm, and some shows not starting until as late as 1am, as we find out the next night in our pursuit of Salsa.
Tuesday in the heart of the Buffalo theater district Town Ballroom had a sold out crowd that was going to be highly entertained by X Ambassadors and some top of the line indie bands. Sara Hartman was the opener for the night; she is originally stems from NY but moved to Berlin in recent years. She brought her Berlin band mates with her as they were fresh off the plane. Despite having a couple technical difficulties they still put on a solid performance. I expect to see great things from her in the coming years.
Savoir Adore was co headliners Tuesday and it was like something I haven’t quite experienced before. They are mixture of pop and indie. Main vocalist Hammer was highly energetic and combined with Muros soft voice it reminds me of the chemistry between Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis of July Talk. The other band mates sing as well and for the most part it blends and is pleasing to the ear, but some of it was a little overdone and not necessary for everyone to be joining in.
X Ambassadors—a soul funk band who started out in Ithaca, NY. If Sam Harris wasn’t enough to look at, his brother Casey Harris, over on the keyboard certainly was. I give him a notable mention for executing dinosaur-like; leg pounding dance moves while pulverizing the keys for the entire duration the show.
Sam started playing the sax on Love Songs Drug Songs, proving that everyone loves some saxophone. Harris told the crowd that if they knew the lyrics to Renegades to sing along and the maybe the audience had just seen the Jeep commercial enough but during the chorus enough people actually sang the words to let Harris hold the microphone out to them. You could definitely distinguish by the participation of the crowd who have been lifelong members or Ambassadors to those who only know their top hits.
Regardless of how long you have been following them everyone walked away entertained that night by the high energy performance they put out.
What began as a senior project for high schooler Diggy (Elijah) Lessard has transformed into a celebrity event at Woodstock Day School.
This month, a star-studded cast of actors, musicians and the like will perform in “Modern Vaudeville” to benefit the Kingston school’s music program. The one-night only event is scheduled for Sun., May 22 at 7 p.m. at BSP Lounge Kingston.
Lessard has plans to attend Sarah Lawrence (Class of 2020), and created the original theatrical production as part of his WDS graduation requirement. The show has garnered guest stars like Diggy’s father, bassist Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band, as well as Bobby Tisdale of Bob’s Burgers and the Hudson Valley’s own Marco Benevento. Other featured performers include burlesque artist Veronica Varlow, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not magician Albert Cadabra and the Strangecoats. More well-known names are expected to be added to the lineup, too.
“Modern Vaudeville” is based on the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” which Diggy Lessard read in 10th grade and was immediately drawn to its theme of “brothers and the fierce love between siblings.” The variety show will be a staging of art forms from circus to comedy to dance, music, magic and drama.
“I have such a huge connection and passion for performing,” Lessard said in a press release. “And I wanted to put on a unique and special show. My parents introduced me to this genre of entertainment and I was hooked.”
When creating his project, Lessard set a fundraising goal of $20,000 with creative sponsorship perks for local businesses like original advertisement jingles starring the Strangecoats. The collective house band includes drummer Jason Bowman (Five Points Band), Peter Dougan (WDS music teacher), Will Bryant (Connor Kennedy/Gene Ween Does Billy Joel), Amy Helm, Simi Stone, singer/songwriter Elizabeth Mitchell (Ida), Acacia Bowman (Five Points Band), Lisa Green (co-founder of The Paul Green Rock Academy) and Lessard’s father, Stefan, along with fellow Rock Academy students. So far, several thousand dollars’ worth of sponsorships have already been sold.
Tickets for the PG-13 “Modern Vaudeville” show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased online here. Check out this rehearsal video for a 15-second preview of “The Scarlet Ibis.”
Opening the evening to the packed crowd was 
Benevento
