Nostalgia has taken over modern pop culture. Star Wars and Ghostbusters are back in theaters, Dave Chappelle guest starring on SNL, and now one of the most influential American rap groups rises again for the first time in 18 years to release their sixth and final album. It’s a product of the exact recipe of what makes a Tribe album so revolutionary, but with a slight variation of every ingredient.
The production value of A Tribe Called Quest We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service is immaculate. It feels like listening to a remastered, never released album, because Tribe led the public to believe their fifth album was their last breaking up in 1998. And even without all of the original members, their sound is still effortless and always moving. The passing of Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor was an inspiration for the production of the album that includes a variety of unpredictable, unique jazzy grooves and heavy drum and bass beats, placed under quick and witty lyrics. Putting aside the negative feelings and thoughts was the best thing the members could have done for themselves because once again, the group has created something one of a kind a revolutionary, that listeners can only hope will inspire other artists to follow in Tribe’s footsteps.
Key Tracks: Whateva Will Be, Lost Somebody, Solid Wall of Sound
Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY played host to Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on Saturday, November 19. Check out some of the the action below.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Setlist: Walk Outside, Stay, Too Long, Lightning, Poseidon, >Horizon->Eyes of the world->Horizon, King Kong, Fortress, Time to Ride
Dopapod Setlist: My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Flipped, FABA, November, Nuggy Jawson, Foxy Lady*, Nude^, Vol. 3 #86, The happy song->Trickery, Braindead Encore: Blast, You Oughta Know”
*Jimi Hendrix Cover
^Radiohead Cover
“Alanis Morrisette Cover
Imagine taking a journey on unfamiliar roads, and your GPS isn’t working. You’re left to trust your instincts, fairly confident that you’ll reach your destination, even if you don’t quite know what lies ahead of you. That’s a bit like seeing Caravan of Thieves for the very first time. The band performed at the Nelson Odeon on Saturday, November 19. Their multiple styles were all over the musical map. There were elements of swing, bluegrass, alt-country, folk, Americana, big band, gypsy rhythms, Celtic influences, and yes, disco, throughout the evening. Their infectious songs had the audience singing along on the choruses, or on familiar cover tunes, and earned the crowd’s trust that we’d all find our way to an enjoyable evening. Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, the husband and wife guitarists that front the band, accompanied by Nicole Scorsone on violin and Rich Zurkowski on upright bass, led a nearly full house through a rollicking two sets of high energy, foot-stomping, hand-clapping, finger-snapping songs. When not playing guitar, Fuzz played extended solos on what looked to be the world’s most make-shift percussion kit, comprising of a five gallon plastic water bottle, a sauce pan, a spring, a coffee can, what may have been half of a fifty-five gallon drum, and other instruments not readily identifiable. His drum solos added to the band’s “anything goes” attitude and brought smiles and thunderous applause.
Many of their originals, such as the opening piece “Wasting My Time,” and “I Get Sad,” showcased the remarkable harmony of Fuzz and Carrie’s voices. Scorsone’s expressive violin and Zurkowski’s double bass, which he both plucked and bowed, deserve mention for the richness they added to Caravan of Thieves sound. The cover tunes were stunning in both their selection, and in their execution. The band put their own signature stamp on these pieces, rather than cookie cutter versions of the original recordings. These included a Beatles “Girl/Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” medley, an audience sing-along on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and to begin their encore, an instrumental version of Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” followed by Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” I am going to go out on a limb and state that I’m fairly certain that no other band at any time or any place has ever played those two songs back to back.
For their finale, the band came down from the stage, gathered the audience around them, and played an unplugged rendition of their song “Raise the Dead.” This piece would be right at home in an Irish saloon, with reverence for the departed and celebration for the living, complete with a stomp, clap, and sing along chorus that those in attendance readily joined in. Maybe we didn’t know exactly how we ended up shoulder to shoulder with strangers, singing and stomping and clapping in public without a care in the world. But, I’m glad to have trusted Caravan of Thieves to get us there.
On Saturday night at the Palace Theatre in Albany, Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) brought the good ol’ Grateful Dead back to life in a stellar fashion. Excitement filled the room before the first note was played as word had spread that Jeff Chimenti would be on keys for the entire show as he did the night before in New Haven, CT. Normally holding down the boards, Rob Barraco replaced Skip Vangelas on bass creating a music chairs scenario that we were all ready to embrace.
Opening the set with a heartfelt “Sugaree,” the Capital Region crowd began to “shake it” on low gear while blissfully enjoying Jeff Mattson’s passionate vocals. After the silky first set introduction, rhythm guitarist Rob Eaton wasted no time channeling the cowboy in Bob Weir with a wild west “Me and My Uncle> Big River” one-two punch. While “Me and My Uncle” is by far the most played song in the Dead’s expansive repertoire, I never get tired of the rockabilly energy release after a soul searching Jerry Garcia tune. Chimenti gave the fans a symbolic “YEEHAW” on the keys during “Big River” and reminded the room why he was invited by the remaining Dead members to join them on the “Fare Thee Well” run.
Slowing things down with an exceptional threesome of “Peggy-O,” “Cassidy” and “Friend of the Devil,” this show was starting to feel like a classic late-70’s gathering. Barraco displayed his nasty bass playing abilities during “Peggy-O” before Lisa Mackey floated her way on stage during “Cassidy,” playing the role of Donna Godchaux. She would return two songs later for “From the Heart of Me” which would turn out to be one of the last times this tune was ever played on stage. It was after “Ramble On Rose” that a wide-eyed seasoned tour-veteran giddily informed me of the Grateful Dead show the Orchestra was recreating: January 11th, 1979 from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
My original hunch of a late-70’s show turned out to be true, but I did not realize the importance of the date until hearing the tear-the-roof-off “Jack Straw.” Cowboy Bob was back for this desperado masterpiece as Mattson threw in some rawer than usual jamming. Deadheads young and old call this one of the best versions of all time for the blistering Jerry solo and, nearly 38 years later, DSO honored their heroes to the fullest extent. Also noteworthy in the original performance was Bobby’s comical word-swap as he sang, “We used to play for acid, now we play for Clive.” But from what I heard on Saturday, Eaton left those lyrics in 1979. Out of all the stand-out moments of the first set, the vocal belting of “Jack Straw from Wichita” hit the crowd with a sonic uppercut that we didn’t recover from until after set break. The always rockin’ “Deal” closed out a set filled with Jerry’s greatest hits and some colossal Bobby moments in between.
Picking up right where the first set left off, “I Need a Miracle” carried the tidal wave of momentum that was felt over the intermission. “Ship of Fools” calmly sailed into the number two slot of the second set before kicking off another Weir-inspired highlight in “Estimated Prophet.” Chimenti, Barraco and Mattson provided the foundation for the psychedelic reggae and while we were in Upstate NY, the California lyrics were shown a lot of love. “My time’s comin’ any day” eerily stood out to me as the original 1979 show would be Keith Godchaux‘ last appearance at the famed Grateful Dead stomping grounds of the Nassau Coliseum. An even more fitting tune for the final night of Keith in Long Island, “He’s Gone” allowed my over-thinking self to read even further into the lyrics, symbolism and song placement of my favorite band. Fortunately, we were given a temporary vocal time-out and the spinners in the audience were treated to a short and sweet “Drums” by Dino English and Rob Koritz on kits and percussion.
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New Yorkers from Long Island to Albany were able to enjoy the home state lyrics delivered in the straightforward version of “Truckin’” before the second major highlight of the set, “Stella Blue.” Mattson made his guitar strings shine one more time during this bluesy crowd pleaser. “Stella” may have a somber tone, but Jerry’s fiery guitar solo always brings the boil to high during this signature ballad and the Orchestra perfected the nucleus of the original. Closing the second set with a reminder of all we really need, “Good Lovin’” pleasantly drifted off into DSO show history.
The boys encored with “Casey Jones,” which serves as a rarity in late-70’s era. The “upper” drug reference in one of the band’s most radio-played tunes gave the crowd the extra pep in their step before pouring out into the street of Albany for a night cap. Similar to the good ol’ Grateful Dead, Dark Star Orchestra seems to have a particular affinity for the Empire State. While I have not done the research, I would suggest that New York may have more Deadheads per capita than any other state from sea to shining sea. Saturday night’s recreation of a legendary 1979 Nassau show performed in front of an Albany crowd furthered my love for New York State, the Grateful Dead and the incredibly talented Orchestra that pays tribute to them tour after tour. DSO returns to the state with “the ways and means” for two shows on November 25th and 26th at The Paramount in Huntington.
01/11/79
Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale, NY
Set 1: Sugaree, Me And My Uncle, Big River, Peggy-O, Cassidy, Friend Of The Devil, New Minglewood Blues, From The Heart Of Me, Ramble On Rose, Jack Straw, Deal
Set 2: I Need A Miracle, Ship Of Fools, Estimated Prophet, He’s Gone, Drums, Truckin’, The Other One, Stella Blue, Good Lovin’
Post-punk sensations The Jesus and Mary Chain have been getting back up to speed of late. In 2014 and 2015 they played several tour dates in the run up to last year’s release of Live from Barrowlands, and now longtime Jesus and Mary Chain handler Alan McGee, of Creation Records, has announced that the band is set to release a new studio album in March 2017 on Warner Brothers Records. In an interview with CBC Music, McGee exclaimed, “they’ve made another album. It’s a big deal! It’s unbelievable.”
While the Jesus and Mary Chain, led by brothers Jim and William Reid, released a compilation record, 21 Singles, in 2002, the upcoming release will give fans their first dose of new material since 1998’s Munky. Eighteen years is a long time to wait, but this announcement comes as a taste of candy for all the devoted fans who feared this day would never arrive.
No tour dates have been announced in support of the new release as of yet, however, there remain three chances to catch The Jesus and Mary Chain live in the act before the year ends. The brothers Reid, who are now joined by Scott Van Ryper on guitar, Mark Crozer on bass, and Brian Young on drums, will take the stage at the Georgia Theatre in Athens on December 13, 2016, followed by a performance at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on December 14, and then a trip to New Orleans for a show at The Joy Theater on December 16.
Click here for further details, including tickets, and check out the official video for “You Trip Me Up,” from 1985’s landmark release Psychocandy.
Mike Gordon has returned to the road, with a Fall Tour stretching from the Midwest to the east coast. Having just wrapped up Phish’s Fall Tour in Las Vegas with a performance of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, NYS Music talked to Mike about his favorite moment from the instant classic set, the goals of improvisation, and what he loves about The Egg so much.
Mike Gordon will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday November 22 at Stage AE, Town Ballroom in Buffalo on Wednesday November 23, Higher Ground in Burlington on Friday November 25 and The Egg in Albany on Saturday, November 26.
Pete Mason: This is your third show at The Egg in Albany. Your show from 2011 was even released as a live show. What is the appeal of the venue to you?
Mike Gordon: The acoustics are pretty incredible, I don’t know what it is about eggs, part of how they built it I guess. I had been in the past to see Jerry Douglas. I remember liking the weird shape and it sounds good. The first time, you could hear a pin drop, and when it got loud it was a good kind of loud. And it’s nice how it’s just nestled there in Albany. I love that word. Nestling.
PM: Is there a moment you hope to reach in improvisation? A certain goal in mind?
MG: Not so specifically as a specific goal. There are different kinds of goals in there, set personally or with bandmates, different feelings. I’ve had different unique experiences, some are high energy, some are about a lot of sweat. All moments have to be unique, not just rehashing to feel special. There are kinda high energy ones, some more dreamy – in that department, what I used to say, is that my goal in music is to bridge the gap between being awake and asleep – there really is, in the middle of a jam that feels like it’s playing itself, this kind of opening in my soul or somewhere in my mind that accesses a neural network or feelings that I can usually only sort of traverse in night dreams. That’s why I’ll remember certain night dreams, the feeling, the location, the people, some aspect of it. That’s the biggest goal.
Being 100% in the moment is the true catharsis of what people have or are overcoming problems. In an experience it doesn’t mean you can’t keep track. When it’s not happening and it’s sort of a road trip to another song, then I forget how deep these experiences can be. Then I’m reminded, and I don’t need to be anywhere else in the world and I can be in a cozy living room or somewhere else.
I’ve been in a philosophical mode – my answers are veering this way for interviews lately. There are so many other feelings and metaphors. A complicated answer and definitely something I think about a lot.
PM: Why do you feel that is?
MG: Switching projects, my album, my daughter – so much going on at once. That allows for some cross referencing and applying one inspiration to another to go back and forth to blend all the experiences together and have it come out either way.
PM: What compels you to have improvisation as such a large aspect of your music?
MG: I have one band that jams a lot, maybe not enough for fans who want every song jammed out. But enough that St. Vincent made fun of it (the jamming). I think I have that (with Phish), so (with Mike Gordon Band) I can rock and work with catchy hooks in fun ways, or ask “How can we experiment with new sounds?,” but what happens for me, even if it’s not what I’ve been writing about in my journals compared to 30 years ago, these little peak experiences remind me that there is a deeper well to be tapped into than what the surface level of what music can provide. There is something that if you believe in it and allow it to go deep into your soul, it’s deeper than one can remember. Anything they try to read and watch later isn’t going to be the same, when the experience becomes irreplaceable. For me, I just keep getting reminded of total spontaneity and what you can plan for, but there is some planning that is necessary and good. Sometimes I think about how my favorite Radiohead show was really deep and dreamy and all the songs were 3 minutes long. If something feels really good, I don’t want it to end, I want to bask in it. Like when you get a new video game, you want to keep playing it. I don’t want things to end at 3 minutes, but if it does that’s OK.
With Phish and my experience being in bands with long jams, in the middle of that long jam, something may come up that has nothing to do with the song. Melodies, chord progressions, not as often lyrics, but sometimes lyrics. Made up stuff comes together, almost as a new song, even with its little emotions, flashbacks, dreams, chords, melodies, a whole new little song. So cool to be able to get to that. But wait a minute, this little new song that came out of the jam, taken on its own, could just be a song on the radio – pop, old blues – that isn’t filled with all this cosmic stuff and it’s not a dream song. Maybe there is another route to get there. Maybe there is a different way to get there, by writing songs, that don’t have improv to be enjoyed.
PM: “Let’s Go”, which was left off BigBoat, was performed by your band this summer at Catskill Chill, and twice this year by Phish. Will the catchy tune have a home in both band’s repertoires?
MG: I think so, yeah. Scott and I have been doing a lot of writing over the last couple years and I don’t think I’ve said this before, but it came out of a jam my band was doing, some sort of outro, and I just started singing that chant and saved it, and I loved that chant. My friend Fonzworth Bently (From G’s to Gents) was at my band’s L.A. show, and he loved the show a lot and offered some feedback, “I wish you could address the crowd more, say some stuff,” which is interesting since I’m from a world where we don’t talk to the crowd. I wondered “What would I say?” and my friend replied “What about ‘Let’s go?’” When we played House of Blues Boston, we were Googling this medley as a joke of all the songs that have ‘Let’s Go’ (The Cars, Richie Valens) so we went into a writing session, liking the chant, and working off a list of songwriting ideas, this demo we made had a hip hop groove, it sounded sort of fresh, a fresh style for me, mixing synth guitar and drum machine with live percussion. Trey said he kinda lit up when he heard it – we don’t have a chant, aside from “Fuego.” BigBoat was so open ended where I bring songs that are open ended and have more room to build. Trey put it back on the list in the studio, mid-recording, and Bob Ezrin suggested we try it with only drums, all singing, with no other instruments, all after one take. We added in some toy synth sounds and went through an evolution that didn’t sound right.
PM: Were there any lessons from Big Boat that you have applied to your own band?
MG: There are always lessons. In terms of BigBoat, there were a wide variety of songs on there, which stemmed from the lesson with Bob about being more heartfelt and direct about some songs. When Trey first brought “Miss You,” he played his demo for us, just him strumming and singing and it was authentic, he did miss someone. The chord voicing thing, it sounded unique, like Trey. I appreciated the directness. Bob sat us down and talked about taking the cleverness away and keeping emotion, which he’s done with Pink Floyd and U2. When someone challenges you, I like to look at both ends of spectrum. We want to try that out a bit more. I take it as a grain of salt when I realize I don’t know what my songs are about, and that is intentional. Like “Come Together,” where Lennon admitted it was filled in with gibberish, but it sounds so good. Sometimes directness doesn’t work for me, especially if it feels too plain and other times it does. That’s one thing to think about from that experience. Maybe the way the themes were tied together, there were certain nudgings in certain directions. I liked those directions and discussions, and liked to directly go to YouTube and bring up some influences as old as they might be, and learn some grooves from legendary artists and not be afraid. I really like Page’s song ‘I Always Wanted it This Way’ – he spent over 10 years on it. I’ve been really getting into “Petrichor,” being so long and having 22 sections, it is really fun to digest. There’s a collection of little things.
PM: What was your personal highlight from the Ziggy Stardust Halloween set?
MG: I liked it all. Maybe it was highlight of rehearsal for “It Ain’t Easy” and Trey got to sing while I played one note. At the show I think it was different, really all of it together, just a feeling of how comfortable I was doing it. As we always do getting into the mind of another artist, I really like being in that world but feeling like myself, but I liked singing “Starman” because it was the first song everyone knew that was a hit. Having everyone singing along felt amazing.
PM: What books, movies and music have you been enjoying this year?
MG: It’s actually a book Phil Lesh lent me – I have to get this back to him – “In Perfect Timing” by Peter Caddy, about the formation of a community in Ireland where the term ‘New Age’ came from where they use spiritual guidance: “I can do it” and “I can climb the biggest mountain.” I’m slowly getting my way through it. I love the weirdness and empowerment feeling.
I keep missing movies I want to see. Grand Budapest Hotel stuck as a landmark for me where I was like ‘Yeah, I seriously like that one.’
I’ve been checking out producers and such, my bandmates provided these albums they’ve been listening to and mine hasn’t gone out yet. Warpaint, Can, my daughter is now only spinning Megan Trainor. She had gone into World Pop 40 on Spotify, and now she has been listening to it as a guilty pleasure that she comes up with. So sonic to indie to pop to indie pop to kraut rock.
PM: In listening to Megan Trainor, had you noticed any similarity between “All About that Bass” and “Contact?”
MG: All about that bass… I hadn’t thought of that. I like the lyrics, some of her songs go straight back to 1950’s with a modern twist, but some is exactly out of there.
Last weekend, Swedish rockers, Ghost, ended yet another tour in North America, this time around, Ghost was on the road behind their Popestar EP release. The tour kicked off in September at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY, where NYS Music was on site getting a taste of the band’s new show. After traveling throughout North America, the band made their way back to the Northeast to wrap up their tour in Montreal and Brooklyn.
Friday’s November 11th show in Montreal, was an example of how much a band can improve over time. Compared to the first show of the tour, the band was like a well-oiled machine. After a lineup change and getting used to the differences, Papa (lead singer) and the Nameless Ghouls (bandmates) seemed much more comfortable together on stage. Compared to night one of the tour, the bass tone was much heavier and more prominent. Even though the band sounded great on stage, there’s still a big piece missing from Omega being gone. For fans who didn’t know, the original rhythm guitarist Omega had left the band before the tour and the Nameless Ghoul, Water, took over his position. With a vacant bassist slot, Ghost recruited a new Nameless Ghoul. One of the biggest highlights of the show each night, was watching guitarists Alpha and Omega trade off guitar leads and rhythms. These two Ghouls are extremely talented and are a pleasure to watch on stage.
Ghost brought most of its production that they had in Rochester, on night one of the tour. The restrictions for Ghost’s show varied from venue to venue depending on what was allowed. For instance, some of the smaller venues on tour like in Montreal, did not allow the band to fully utilize their production. On the other hand, at the King’s Theater in Brooklyn, where the tour wrapped up, Ghost was able to use everything they had with them.
The setlist was kept the same both nights, mirroring the tour opener in Rochester. Ghost started the night off with the Popestar single “Square Hammer.” Each show was pretty identical when it came to theatrics from the Ghouls and Papa. If one word had to be used to describe Ghost, it would be theatrical. When people go see the band, it’s like going to see a performance instead of a regular “concert.”
At the show on Saturday the 12th in Brooklyn, NY at the King’s Theater, Ghost was able to use their full production, which featured blasts of pyro from behind the stage. It was awesome being able to see Ghost end the tour in full force back in New York. For a band that was playing small clubs just a few years ago, Ghost is now selling out large theaters with ease and even adding second shows in some cities such as Toronto. It’s safe to say that Ghost is only going to continue to gain popularity with their next full release.
Before the band played “Mummy Dust,” Papa Emeritus III went into a discussion aimed toward President Elect, Donald Trump. With all of the drama surrounding the election, going to a show was supposed to be a way to escape everything for the time being. But unfortunately, Papa decided to bring up politics and got the crowd going. Surprisingly the crowd in Montreal supported Papa’s views much more than Brooklyn did. Montreal really seemed to dislike Donald Trump and Brooklyn kept fairly quiet. But, once the band actually started playing “Mummy Dust,” all of that quickly faded away. The confetti cannons blew off, which also contained the popular “Mummy Dust Money,” which are fake bills with Papa’s face and 666 as the value. These bills are sought after by many fans and get shared in many fan groups online for people who couldn’t get any at the shows.
As always, Ghost closed both shows with “Monstrance Clock.” The song is a great way to end the show, but there’s almost too much time taken before hand to introduce the song. The show is a “performance,” but realistically, if the conversation got cut down a bit, the band could play two or three more songs. At the end of the Brooklyn show, the final show of the tour, Papa thanked everyone and had the opening band come out on stage as well.
Saturday’s farewell in Brooklyn marked the last time fans in the Untied States will see Ghost for quite some time. The Popestar Tour is over and it’s time for the band to work on their new album. There aren’t many details for the next album out yet, but it’s already been started and should be out by the end of 2017. Ghost has posted a teaser video already on their Facebook mentioning that Papa Emeritus IV is coming. With a new Papa Emeritus, it’s safe to assume that the Nameless Ghouls will also get a new look as well.
It’s going to be a long wait for fans here considering they’ve essentially been spoiled with how often Ghost has come around. In the past year and a half, Ghost has hit many cities on the Black To The Future Tour, which lasted 2 legs, the Popestar Tour and other festival appearances such as Carolina Rebellion, Rock on the Range, Welcome to Rockville, and Rock N’ Derby.
Be sure to keep a lookout on NYSMusic for Ghost news and the announcement for Papa Emeritus IV and the new album.
It has been a trying year for the music community. Times like these are when we seek comfort. Comfort can often be found in the familiar. There’s nothing more comfortable or familiar than home, and on their new EP If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home By Now, Chris Robinson Brotherhood seeks to get you to that sweet spot as quickly as possible.
Like your upcoming Thanksgiving feast, this compact-yet-sprawling 30 minute companion to their summer release Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel, is immediately familiar and comforting. Warm, well-rounded, deep, earthy, groovy melt-in-your-ears gravy, ladled generously into every crevice.
Robinson has unabashedly ridden the coattails of the Grateful Dead to jamband glory. Whereas others have rehashed the material into the ground, the Brotherhood have found ways to pay tribute to their tradition of American roots rock with new original music. The psychedelia shines through again in these new recordings, though without devolving fully into hippy drippy Tofurkey. There’s plenty of muscle and meat on these bones to bite into.
The familiarity doesn’t end at the Dead. On “Shadow Cosmos,” comfort is found in the fleshed-out country-rock of The Band. “Roan County Banjo,” devoid of actual banjo, finds some nice groovy and funky notes and features an extended organ jam that borrows simultaneously from the recently departed Keith Emerson and Bernie Worrell. “From the North Garden” jumps unexpectedly to Southern Asia with a psychedelic instrumental ramble while closer “Sweet Sweet Lullaby” doesn’t quite let the tryptophan kick in. Rather, it stirs up and invigorates the soul, sending you right back home again. Time to flip the record and have another go.
If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home By Now, released November 4, was recorded during the Stinson Beach sessions that produced the Brotherhood’s previous 2016 release, Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel. As Robinson tells it, “these five songs seemed to want to hang together in their own way and tell their own little story, so they were set aside to present separately.” Their release seems perfect for the season and the band will continue to stretch them out on the road, touring extensively out West throughout the late Fall.
Talents in the music world like Zach Deputy are a rare breed. The multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter is from Savannah, Georgia ( I thought he told ya?) He is currently on tour to support his newest album Wash It In The Water. With his upcoming show November 29 at Buffalo Iron Works he recently took the time to talk with me about tour life, our great state of New York and much more.
Tim Merrill: Where in the world is Zach Deputy today on this fifth day of November?
Zach Deputy: That’s today I’m assuming (haha)? I just crossed the California border into Arizona. We are in Tempe, AZ right now. I’ve got a show in Tempe tonight at the Marquee Theater
TM: You’ve got a show later this month in Buffalo. The show is five days after Thanksgiving. How do you plan on spending your Thanksgiving?
ZD: What am I doing for Thanksgiving? Probably hanging out with the Worm. A bunch of Wormtown Family. I’ve spent Thanksgiving there two or three times over the past few years.
TM: You’re no stranger to playing in Buffalo. Is there anything you like to do when you pass through town?
ZD: I’m always down to play disc golf. I love the wings at the Anchor Bar. Some people claim they’re the best. Some people don’t. But yea, that place is awesome. Those wings are legit!
TM: When you’re on tour traveling through the rest of the great state of New York how do you like to spend your time off stage?
ZD: I love Keuka Lake. Swimming in that lake is awesome! I’ve been sick before and jumped in and felt instantly better. I love New York. Lake George, tons of places upstate. Except for the winters. I’m a Southern boy
TM: You’re latest album Wash It In The Water was released a few months ago. What song(s) are you having fun playing on tour off the album?
ZD: I’ve been playing a few different versions of “Put It In The Boogie.” Maybe four different versions but they are always different. I’ve had a lot of fun opening up the jam on that song, especially the solo.
TM: At what age did you pick up your first instrument?
ZD: I’ve always told people that I played my voice first. Before my recollection it was there. But I picked up the guitar at 13. Got one for my 13th birthday.
TM: Whats in store for Zach Deputy in 2017?
ZD: I’m always trying to work on my craft. I’m always trying to give back the love that was so freely given to me. Just trying to make this thing bigger and better. You know, onward and upward. Wherever that takes me!
Doors are at 7 PM and the show starts at 8 PM Tuesday November 29 at Buffalo Iron Works. Tickets are available here. Bring your dancing shoes. See you there!
Old school fans of Asking Alexandria cannot miss the 10 Years in the Black Tour. On November 15, Asking Alexandria alongside Born of Osiris, I See Stars, After The Burial, Upon A Burning Body and Bad Omens, brought the tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park to showcase not only the best of the Sumerian Records, but the best of each band as well.
Asking Alexandria, headliners for Sumerian Records’ 10 year anniversary tour, have a surprise waiting for fans coming out this month. For any new fans of Asking Alexandria who expected to see songs from their latest release, The Black, performed on this year’s tour, you are surely mistaken.
Bad Omens opened the show with clean, intense, harsh vocals by vocalist Nicholas Ryan. They were the best way to start the night, especially impressive being the drumming by drummer Nick Folio. Their set allowed for the crowd surfers to come out early, and were just what the audience needed before watching Upon A Burning Body.
Texas natives, Upon A Burning Body, woke up the crowd to the fullest during, “Texas Blood Money.” A fan favorite by Upon A Burning Body, this was the first song of the night that really got everyone in the venue up and moving. At the end of the song, a couple in the crowd starting ballroom dancing to the Mexican interlude that followed the song.
Encouraging the crowd to be active, frontman Danny Leal invited fans to come up to him and give him a high five. “Don’t be afraid, every single one of you get the f-ck over here,” said frontman Leal.
Although this show was not a sell out and not everyone had arrived at the venue yet, during Upon A Burning Body’s set, there was a reminder of what a concert should really be like. A smaller number of fans were all working to get everyone off of their feet that wanted to crowd surf, and making sure they would get safely to the front of the venue.
Following Upon A Burning Body were metal group After The Burial. The excitement from Upon A Burning Body carried over into After The Burial’s set, with frontman Anthony Notarmaso encouraging shaking people around in the audience.
“If you came here with a friend start shaking this mother f-cker side to side. I promise if you do it, they will smile,” said Notarmaso before performing, “Collapse.”
Before performing their last song, the crowd was so upset about their set being over, fans started yelling profanities from the crowd towards the stage encouraging them to stay longer.
I See Stars, who released a their new album, Treehouse, over the summer, has gone from playing The Vans Warped Tour to being a part of this ten year celebration with Sumerian Records.
With their unique style of blending electronic and metal together, I See Stars were one of the most entertaining and energetic performances from the tour. Frontman Devin Oliver left no area of the venue untouched, whether by jumping on top of stereos to reach out to fans, or going up against the audience themselves.
“I want you to sing louder, I want you to jump higher,” said Oliver.
Although performing a majority of their set to promote Treehouse, there are some fans who were hoping for earlier I See Stars songs to appear on the setlist, like their 2012 song featuring Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, “Endless Sky.”
All of the energy given off from Oliver was given back to him by the reactions from fans during their entire set.
Heavy metal quintet, Born Of Osiris, were the heaviest band on the tour, and fans knew it immediately. Although it can seem odd going from the upbeat style of I See Stars to the heavy style of Born Of Osiris, the shift was not as strange as fans may think.
Playing songs like, “Follow The Signs,” were exactly what they crowd needed to be ready for headliners Asking Alexandria.
Despite being named the, 10 Years in the Black Tour, fans of Asking Alexandria may find themselves pleasantly surprised about the content played by Asking Alexandria. This tour not only surprises original fans with old content, but they actually go through their evolution as a band.
Asking Alexandria, who reunited with original vocalist Worsnop and parted ways with vocalist Denis Stoff soon before the tour began, gave, according to Worsnop, “a whopping five days before the tour started,” to prepare for the tour.
With a lack of preparation and the confusion from fans, Asking Alexandria are using the 10 Years in the Black Tour to perform the stages of Asking Alexandria, starting with performing from Reckless & Relentless, followed by From Death To Destiny, and ending with songs from Stand Up and Scream.
According to Worsnop, bringing himself back into the mix makes the band feel they are back to how they were, “When it was five guys in a beat up RV in a Walmart parking lot in New Jersey.”
The chemistry between every member of the band surpasses any expectation. Despite being, in general, well-rounded musicians, the energy and connection between the members of Asking Alexandria is enjoyable for everyone to watch.
Every member of the band, whether it’s guitarist Ben Bruce, or guitarist Cameron Liddell, make sure to get up on speakers and get as close to fans as possible.
Worsnop, who has had vocal issues in the past, surprised the audience with the way his live performance has improved. His vocals, especially on songs like, “The Final Episode,” and “A Single Moment of Sincerity,” sound remarkably like the original recordings from 2009.
As well as going through the evolution of Asking Alexandria, the band also paused between songs to share stories and give background on some of the songs and the albums themselves.
“I’m not addicted to drugs anymore, that’s cool,” said Worsnop to introduce the middle of the show where they started performing songs off of From Death To Destiny.
The performance by every member of Asking Alexandria is not only incredibly impressive, but you get a sense that these five guys who started the band together, missed their time performing together. Any fan of Asking Alexandria looking to see old school Asking Alexandria songs performed, cannot miss out on the 10 Years in the Black Tour.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Setlist: Walk Outside, Stay, Too Long, Lightning, Poseidon, >Horizon->Eyes of the world->Horizon, King Kong, Fortress, Time to Ride
Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, the husband and wife guitarists that front the band, accompanied by Nicole Scorsone on violin and Rich Zurkowski on upright bass, led a nearly full house through a rollicking two sets of high energy, foot-stomping, hand-clapping, finger-snapping songs. When not playing guitar, Fuzz played extended solos on what looked to be the world’s most make-shift percussion kit, comprising of a five gallon plastic water bottle, a sauce pan, a spring, a coffee can, what may have been half of a fifty-five gallon drum, and other instruments not readily identifiable. His drum solos added to the band’s “anything goes” attitude and brought smiles and thunderous applause.
The cover tunes were stunning in both their selection, and in their execution. The band put their own signature stamp on these pieces, rather than cookie cutter versions of the original recordings. These included a Beatles “Girl/Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” medley, an audience sing-along on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and to begin their encore, an instrumental version of Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” followed by Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” I am going to go out on a limb and state that I’m fairly certain that no other band at any time or any place has ever played those two songs back to back.
Opening the set with a heartfelt “Sugaree,” the Capital Region crowd began to “shake it” on low gear while blissfully enjoying 
While the Jesus and Mary Chain, led by brothers Jim and William Reid, released a compilation record, 21 Singles, in 2002, the upcoming release will give fans their first dose of new material since 1998’s Munky. Eighteen years is a long time to wait, but this announcement comes as a taste of candy for all the devoted fans who feared this day would never arrive.
Mike Gordon will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday November 22 at Stage AE, Town Ballroom in Buffalo on Wednesday November 23, Higher Ground in Burlington on Friday November 25 and The Egg in Albany on Saturday, November 26.
PM: What compels you to have improvisation as such a large aspect of your music?
PM: “Let’s Go”, which was left off Big Boat, was performed by your band this summer at Catskill Chill, and twice this year by Phish. Will the catchy tune have a home in both band’s repertoires?
PM: Were there any lessons from Big Boat that you have applied to your own band?
Like your upcoming Thanksgiving feast, this compact-yet-sprawling 30 minute companion to their summer release 
