Category: Pop

Mountain Jam 2016: Day 3

Saturday, the main day of Mountain Jam 2016 had arrived. Attendees stepped out into a brand new day of the weekend. The warmth started to set in as the fog fully broke at about 9 a.m. It was easy to tell the day ahead of music and festivities would be glorious, sun-filled and containing an item that many people would be crossing off of their musical bucket lists after nightfall.

The day started off with an act in Healey Hall that has helped bridge the parent-child festival gap at Mountain Jam for multiple years. Ratboy Jr., comprised of Timmy Sutton (rhythm acoustic, electric guitar, vocals) and Matty Senzatimore (drums, keyboards, bells, vocals) provide families with a friendly place to bring their children first thing in the morning. As we all know, the children get up early and must be entertained. Described as “Ween-esque,” whose “intergalactic folk music is paired with curious subject matter like eating clouds, high five-ing shadows, big-headed Mexican wrestling hopefuls, space fuzz and guitar pickin’ chickens,” by Out With The Kids, Ratboy Jr. has become just as important of an act at Mountain Jam as most other supporting acts the core attendees arrive to see.

Once the children had their fill of silliness to hold them over until after nap time, the rest of the spectacular and diverse schedule of music, events and workshops started to unfold. Next up in Healey Hall was the Paul Green Rock Academy, a school in Saugerties, NY, that is driven to show kids a path to success onstage through interactive performance-based lessons, with the goal of creating genuine music through creativity and experience. While the kids were rocking out the Hall, Rochester-based Mikaela Davis was performing on the Valley Stage. Mikaela was a late addition to the bill when Gary Clark Jr. had to suddenly back out. Shortly after, Darlingside, a Cambridge, MA, indie-folk band, hit the Mountain Stage. NYS Music was fortunate enough to be nearby when Darlingside stopped by Radio Woodstock’s live broadcast area for a quick set and captured a clip on Instagram.

The Mountain and Valley Stages’ next acts were dynamite, to say the least. After Mikaela Davis played, Con Brio, Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth finished out the Saturday music on the Valley Stage. Alternating from those acts on the Mountain Stage were Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, the Record Company, a Warren Haynes solo set (another addition from the Gary Clark Jr. cancellation) and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Each of the last acts on the two concert field stages played to the audience as dusk turned to night.

While those bands played their sets, Healey Hall was home to a couple of workshops, one by Jay Blakesberg, in which he gave an abridged version of his book tour presentations he gives all over the country. Jay told NYS Music that he normally talks a lot longer about his books, but since he only had 45 minutes he chose to dedicate more time to a question-and-answer session and signing books for fans. There was also a documentary on Lettuce follow by an opportunity for participants’ questions, and then another documentary called A History of Cannabis in America. These events helped many attendees get more out of this mountain festival by allowing an in-depth view into portions of the music industry.

Once the sun was down, the face of the mountain filled to the point that a nine-year veteran attendee exclaimed that the crowd was the largest he’s ever seen on a Saturday night. He hypothesized that it could be attributed to large single-day ticket sales sparked by the 9:30 p.m. act, Beck. Unlike most acts at festivals, Beck came out late, but no one was upset once he hit the stage.

Beck opened up his set with “Devil’s Haircut” and naturally, the crowd erupted with cheers. Anyone who has seen one of his shows knows just how amazing the next hour and a half went. The set list of Beck’s performance was equally as eclectic as his history of songwriting and production. Aside from the opener, he played hits like “Loser,” “Que Onda Guero” and “E-Pro.” He also paid homage to the late artists Prince and David Bowie by covering “Raspberry Beret” in the latter half of his set and by playing part of “China Girl” during his band introductions in the middle of the encore, “Where It’s At.” Once Beck’s set was over, no one could stop talking about how electrifying he was. However, there wasn’t a soul who was worried about a lull in the fun, since the late-night acts to come were certain to keep people’s ears filled with topnotch music and help their feet continue to kick the dust around with a variety of impromptu dance moves.

The first act of the late night was Con Brio, playing their second set of the night, but this time in Healey Hall, which due to the last-minute schedule changes overlapped Beck’s set by a half hour. Next up was Thievery Corporation on the Mountain Stage. Lettuce finished off Saturday’s music in Healey Hall and played to a packed house, while the oh-so-common Mountain Jam rain finally made its first appearance of the weekend.

Slowly, but surely, people made their way back to their campsites to ensure everything was watertight in anticipation of any increased precipitation. The biggest hope on everyone’s mind was that the rain would move in and out while everyone was sleeping so Sunday’s big acts like Michael Franti, Brandi Carlisle and the Avett Brothers would be able to perform under clear skies. Little did they know the weather had different plans for Sunday.

Check out the photos below taken by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski, throughout Day Three of Mountain Jam.

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June 7, 2016
The Stars Shone Bright at the Lakeview Ampitheater’s First Concert of the Summer with Ringo Starr

You couldn’t have dialed up a better evening to hold the first concert of the season at the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse Friday night, kicking off the summer concert series was the perfect show for the perfect night with Ringo Starr and His All Star Band.

With 80-degree temperatures, a slight breeze off the water and a utopic atmosphere, Ringo and his bandmates took to the stage early in the day to speak with media and answer questions about the upcoming summer tour. Having a chance to speak with all the talent on the stage was a surreal moment for this photographer/journalist, especially having owned and played his “You’re Sixteen” and “Photograph” 45’s over and over again until they skipped from wear and tear, was definitely a highlight of my career, and a little nerve wrecking as you can imagine.

As the band took the stage one by one, they all settled in and we were treated to a teaser of music from the show to come that evening. The little snippets of music were tantalizing and as the question and answer session began afterward, I knew that I had to ask them all something relevant and memorable, wanting to gain insight into each of their personalities. Little did I know, that I would be able to make Ringo laugh as I shared my lovable, but blonde personality with him and the band during my turn at the mic. This peek into each musician’s personality, and how Ringo had effected them on their musical journey, was insightful and exciting as they shared special moments of songs they first heard from Ringo. (in order as they speak on soundbite – Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Warren Ham, Gregg Rolie, Gregg Bissonette and Ringo Starr)

As the press conference ended, the anticipation began to mount as the crowds made their way to the main gate. For those coming to future shows I highly recommend taking a look at this map and planning your trip accordingly. There are still some kinks to work out, however, as the summer goes on, these will be addressed I am sure. This venue is spectacular, and the views of the water and sunset that occur are breathtaking.

As the band took to the stage for the main event, Ringo’s sense of humor shone through immediately as he thanked everyone for coming to the venue built for him to perform. He also let those arriving late know that he would happily begin again so that they didn’t miss anything. It is this lovable and quirky personality that has endeared him to us for all these years. He was exactly as I imagined he would be; not pretentious at all, but down to earth, lovable, witty and fun to watch play and sing the entire night.

The entire evening of music was a trip down memory lane. Each band member shone through as they took their turn to sing their hits and play their parts. Gregg Rolie, who played with Santana at the original Woodstock, and some of my favorite albums as a member of Journey, was on keyboards and set a groove for the night as he played and sang hits such as “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” and “Oye Como Va.” Definitely setting the mood and getting the crowd up and dancing, Rolie brought a Latin flavor to the evening with his additions to the setlist.

I was amused and impressed with my first time seeing Todd Rundgren perform. He had the audience up on their feet as he played “Bang the Drum All Day,” and his ability to punctuate the end notes on “Rosanna” and other songs throughout the night with high kicks, totally endeared him to the audience as they looked on grinning.

Warren Ham, who played in Bloodrock, Kansas, and AD, may have been high on the riser, but got down with his percussion, hit all of the high notes while up there, and rocked all wind instruments, especially on “Photograph,” stirring up the crowd and jazzing up the stage.

As I watched Gregg Bissonette play along side Ringo, their different styles were extremely complimentary. His energy and sideways smiles and glances toward Ringo sitting to the right have to be moments one could only dream of as a drummer.

The crowd inciter of the evening was Steve Lukather, who got the crowd up off their seats and singing along to not only his songs from Toto such as “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa,” but his guitar riffs and solos all night long were spot on and blew away the audience with cheers and ovations upon completion.

Richard Page from Mr. Mister delivered three of my favorite songs of the evening when he sang “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings,” and a newer one called “You Are Mine.” Between the background percussion from Ringo on the cajon, Steve Lukather’s guitar and crystal clear vocals, this beautiful ballad had a Caribbean feel and blended in nicely with the two songs following with the same rhythm. You would think that having such diverse musicians with such diverse sounds on the setlist would not flow smoothly. However that was not the case at all. The music flowed effortlessly, delivering hit after hit.

Finally, to watch Ringo perform was magical and mystical for everyone. His fun loving delivery of his songs and lyrics, facial expressions, witty banter and laying down the beats for those around him on stage definitely shone the brightest and is what makes him the Starr. To say there was a favorite moment or song would be tough to pinpoint, however, “Act Naturally,” a Buck Owens song found the crowd singing and dancing along. As the night grew darker, the music grew brighter with “Yellow Submarine,” “Photograph” and “A Little Help From My Friends,” engaging the audience and having them sing and dance along.

It didn’t matter what age you were, everyone knew the words, everyone knew the melody, and everyone sang along. All night long I found myself on my feet, hands clapping, and singing along as though I was back as a teenager once again listening to “She’s Sixteen” on my turntable.

Setlist: Matchbox (Carl Perkins cover), It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr song), What Goes On (The Beatles cover), I Saw the Light (Todd Rundgren cover), Evil Ways (Willie Bobo cover), Rosanna (Toto cover), Kyrie (Mr. Mister cover), Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren cover), Boys (The Shirelles cover), Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles cover), Yellow Submarine (The Beatles cover), Black Magic, Woman/Gypsy Queen (Santana cover), You’re Sixteen (Johnny Burnette cover), I’m the Greatest (Ringo Starr song), You Are Mine (Richard Page cover), Africa (Toto cover), Oye Como Va (Tito Puente cover), I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles cover), Love Is the Answer (Utopia cover), Broken Wings (Mr. Mister cover), Hold the Line (Toto cover), Photograph (Ringo Starr song). Act Naturally (Buck Owens cover), With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover), Give Peace a Chance (Plastic Ono Band cover)

Ringo will be touring up until his birthday celebration on July 2 in Los Angeles. Below please find the shows near your area. On July 7, Ringo has invited everyone to join him in front of Capitol Records in LA for his annual Peace and Love birthday event. Having celebrated each year since 2008 in this manner, Ringo hopes to bring awareness and spread peace and love to all on this planet.

June 5 Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
June 7 Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ
June 8 Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME
June 10 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford, NH
June 11 DCU Center, Worcester, MA
June 14 FM Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA
June 12 Santander Arena, Reading, PA
June 15 St. George Theatre, Staten Island, NY
June 18 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 17 Warner Theatre, Washington DC
June 19 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
June 21 Foellinger Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN
June 22 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
June 23 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 25 Pinewood Bowl Theater, Lincoln, NE
June 26 Hartman Arena, Wichita, KS
June 28 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
July 1 Humphreys Concerts, San Diego, CA
July 2 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

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June 5, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 1

On the first day of the 2016 Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain, there was a much expected buzz throughout the festival grounds. Thursdays of a four-day festival can be one of the greatest days; it’s the kick-off to the annual celebration of music and arts. Attendees, staff and volunteers are just gaining their bearings for the weekend to come, but most notably, Thursdays tend to be a bit more exclusive. Not everyone has a schedule that allows for them to arrive so early, making attendance on the first day much lighter than the rest. This was the case in Hunter on June 2.

Mountain Jam 2016 kicked off on the Valley Stage with a quartet of consecutive acts who were not only the musical welcoming committee as the first wave of fans poured in, but they were the catalyst for a day and evening of incredible music. Jane Lee Hooker, a New York City-based blues quintet, were first to play. The all-female blues band brought fervor and soul to the stage, which proved their respect to the blues craft and their namesake, John Lee Hooker. Next up was the Capital Region’s own Wild Adriatic; they lived up to expectation and performed an amazing set, which only substantiated the next act, Cabinet, a Pennsylvania bluegrass band that always makes the crowd shake and stomp.

The fourth band of the initial quartet was Donna the Buffalo, a Central New York-based band riddled with Americana influence from old-time Appalachian music to modern rock and country; this was the group’s first Mountain Jam billing. NYS Music sat down with Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear, who founded the band in 1989. When asked how they came to be, Jeb said, “We’re both old-time fiddle players, and in that form of music, a lot of people jam with each other. All you have is acoustic instruments, so you can just meet easily.” He added that Tara was the first person he’d met that wrote songs like the ones heard on the radio. A smile instantly hit her face when he paid her that compliment.

Over the course of time, Donna the Buffalo, comprised of these old-time players Tara and Jeb, met back in the ’80s and evolved from acoustic fiddle and banjo music to a more modernized, electric bluegrass. “The music [Appalachian music] kind of predates bluegrass; the kind that bluegrass grew out of,” Tara added. “I started writing songs that were more pop-oriented and then Jeb started writing songs. Then we [started to] transfer to electric instruments, and thus, was the formation of Donna the Buffalo.” Although they evolved into a more modern sound, they still stick close to their roots, continuing to play bluegrass festivals around the country, including their own called the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in their hometown of Trumansburg.

As the evening progressed, the heavy hitters started to come out. The first Mountain Stage act was Train Play Led Zeppelin II. Festival-goers throughout the grounds were hypothesizing how the performance would go. Only those who had heard Train play Zeppelin tunes on Howard Stern’s Sirius/XM radio show knew just how amazing it was going to be. The band’s frontman, Pat Monahan, was a true embodiment of a young Robert Plant. The band masterfully moved through the entirety of Led Zeppelin II and finished off their set with a crowd-pleasing reprise of “Stairway to Heaven.”

After Train finished their jaw-dropping performance, an amazing duel between Marco Benevento and Superhuman Happiness on the Valley Stage and Umphrey’s McGee on the Mountain Stage commenced. Marco and his collaboration of astounding musicians and singers paid homage to the late David Bowie by covering a vast amount of his catalog, including legendary hits like “Oh You Pretty Things,” “Let’s Dance” and “Life on Mars.” Chills were brought to many spines in the audience as this well-orchestrated performance not only gave everyone a live listen of Bowie tunes, but paid breathtaking amounts of respect to Ziggy Stardust—a face, voice and mind that the music world and its fans miss very much.

The echos of Bowie off of Hunter Mountain were responded to by a true fan favorite, Umphrey’s McGee. Although the Thursday crowd was light, it seemed every soul in Hunter was on the concert field. The boys from Chicago started their set off with “Similar Skin,” after which Brendan Bayliss delivered the message that instead of everyone pacing themselves for the weekend to come, a full-on party should take place since they were only around for the one night. After that public service announcement, Umphrey’s kicked into “Rocker (Part II),” and it didn’t slow down much from there. As is often a staple at Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes came out to jam during the first set, helping to breakup “Higgins” with a mid-song jam of southern rock and blues.

Another guest hit the Mountain Stage to make an appearance. Dressed in his eye-grabbing garb for the Bowie tribute set, Marco Benevento sat with Joel Cummins during the adapted and absolute monster cover of Pink Floyd’s “Breath.” After the first set was over, the crowd was filled with electricity. Marco played his second set of Bowie music, which made way for the second set of Umphrey’s; this second set seemed to step-up from the groundwork laid out in the first. Starting off with “40’s Theme,” the band moved through their second set making head-banging and fist-throwing and, of course, the Ryan Stasik-patented style of rock horns, explode throughout the crowd.

The boys finished their set with a line of “Educated Guess, “Conduit” and “Relax, Have a Thunderkiss.” Surprisingly, the crowd didn’t chant out the so-often-heard “We want the Umph!” chant, but they came back onstage with a certain vengeance, encoring with “Hajimemeshite” into “Bridgeless” to end the night; the perfect bookend to a perfect first night of Mountain Jam 2016.

Today’s lineup has some much anticipated acts throughout the day. Jay Blakesberg is personally looking forward to Courtney Barnett and Jason Isbell, both hitting the Mountain Stage in the late afternoon. Also playing today are favorites Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Wilco and Warren Haynes’ own Gov’t Mule. Be sure to log into the live stream, so you don’t miss any part of the Mountain Jam 2016 weekend.

June 3, 2016
Rising Popstar Jacob Whitesides Brings Lovesick Tour to Darien Lake

Eighteen year old Jacob Whitesides is taking the pop music scene by storm. Originally a kid who uploaded covers to YouTube, he’s completely captivated the audience similar to that of Justin Bieber.

And this talented musical artist and young entrepreneur is ahead of his time in the best way possible, stealing the spotlight and not taking it for granted. His headlining U.S. tour began on May 18, and we had the opportunity to catch up with him, while preparing for his first stop in Washington, D.C. And on May 28 you can catch him at 6 p.m. at Darien Lake, which will be his last show in the Empire State during the Lovesick Tour. Read on as Whitesides opens up about his roots and where he plans on taking them.

NYS Music: Your headlining tour kicks off in D.C. tonight. How are you feeling?

Jacob Whitesides: I’m very excited. I’ve been getting ready for this tour. We had rehearsals for 12 hours a day and it’s all worth it. I love that it’s a headlining tour.

NYSM: What are you looking forward to the most?

JW: Being able to perform new music from the album that comes out in September. I really look forward to the feedback from the fans. I have a full band with me and it’s going to be great. My tour manager is playing the keys for the shows and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

NYSM: Speaking of new music, you released a new single last month called “Lovesick.” How did this song come about?

JW: I was in Europe for a month and a half doing nonstop promo and the frustrations of being that far from home, from my family and my girlfriend, just resonated a lot. I would journal everything. When I got back I flew into Nantucket and I sat there talking with my producer and manager; I was able to collaborate with Alex and Mark from Magic. They had this song idea and we worked together. I wanted to mix the singer-songwriter with pop elements and in the end we were able to create the single. I looked toward musical influences like John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. Having found the single so early on helped guide the album production.

NYSM: Let’s go back to how it all started. You began covering songs on YouTube and then auditioned for the The X Factor, so how did being a YouTuber help your career?

JW: I’m going to start from the very beginning. My dad was into music and I wasn’t really that interested at the time. It wasn’t until he took me to a bluegrass festival when I was 13. I was listening to Chris Stapleton and Steel Driver, and I started to really become inspired. A few weeks later I got my first guitar and joined my dad’s band. After a bit I realized that I didn’t want to keep playing performances like this—I wanted more. I looked at Justin Bieber and Austin Mahone and saw how they were doing, and I decided to jump on the YouTube wave. I posted a few videos and would respond to comments and eventually it spread. I still like to look at my own videos and respond to the comments and interact with everyone as much as I possibly can. I believe that everything happens for a reason and this one just happened to work out.

NYSM: How did auditioning for The X Factor impact you professionally?

JW: I was on The X Factor for a really short period of time, but it was one of the most important. I was super unprepared and not really ready for it, but it was worth a shot. I made friends and it was my first experience in the industry. I had this super unrealistic picture in my head of what the industry was like, but as I slowly watched my friends sign to labels and have these labels tell them who they should be and what they should do, I saw them losing passion. The record labels tried to mold them into what they wanted, and I realized I didn’t want that; I wanted to be able to mold my own career. Now I have this great deal and I work with amazing partners. I am able to to have control over my music and being a part of The X Factor gave me a better understanding of the industry as a whole.

NYSM: You’re only 18 and you’ve already created your own record label, Double U Records, and partnered with BMG to mold your career. What made you decide to take such a big this early?

JW: BMG presented a deal to partner and the social media waver really helped me. I was able to get a bigger team and the opportunity to go to radio, and when it’s time, I get to make a lot of the big decisions. I wanted to be able to have control of who I was as an artist and thankfully, I was able to. A lot of it is because of the fans’ response.

NYSM: You’re always interacting with your fans; it seems they’ve had a lot of good things to say about you.

JW: Yea. My relationship with the fans is so special. They’ve helped me create so much and I’m so thankful.

NYSM: Where do you want be five years down the road?

JW: In five years? I’m really enjoying the pace right now. I really just want to keep building and get better as an artist. I want to keep growing as a person, and hopefully, I’ll be doing the same thing I am now, but bigger.

Jacob Whitesides will definitely be playing larger stages in five years. He most recently performed at the Marlin Room at Webster Hall in New York City on Sat., May 21. The crowd was full of girls screaming and singing along; these girls hung onto every word that came out of Whitesides’ mouth. It was incredible to see these fans interact with him; some of them had even followed the tour from D.C. and planned on going to as many shows as possible. Whitesiders are passionate and dedicated fans, and are no doubt helping this talented 18-year-old from Knoxville, TN, dominate the pop charts.

May 27, 2016
Hearing Aide: Andy Black “The Shadow Side”

Andy Black, also known as Andy Biersack or Andy Sixx, is the lead singer and one of the founding members of the band Black Veil Brides. On May 6, Andy Black released his first solo debut album called The Shadow Side.

While Black’s fans are normally used to hearing him sing hard rock or metalcore styled music he is taking is solo debut in a different direction. The Shadow Side is comprised of a much more of a pop-rock sound than we’re used to hearing from Black.

The album starts out with the song “Homecoming King.” This is the longest song on the album at four minutes and fifty-six seconds. It’s a bit of a more relaxed song to help ease us into the transition of the different genres. His low raspy voice is great blend with the background instruments, there’s a nice blend between his voice and the percussion.

As the album moves on it begins to pick up in beat with the next song “We Don’t Have to Dance.” This was Black’s first released solo single from the album. This is one of the most pop sounding songs on the album and already has music video with over seven million views.

Andy Black’s dark voice is only more complimented by the pop-rock music performed on the song “Louder Than Your Love.” It’s another upbeat song towards the end if the album that kind of wants to make you get up and dance. The album rounds out at the end with the songs “Broken Pieces” and “The Void.” Both of these songs are more deep and musically relaxed than the rest of the album. Black’s raspy voice is a good contrast to the piano in “The Void,” giving the song that pop-rock sound.

The whole album is a bit of a different direction for Andy Black, hopefully it’ll pay off in the way he wants. Black will be touring the entire The Shadow Side album starting in the UK on May 10. He will be playing a show at the Highline Ballroom on May 27 in New York.

Key Tracks: Homecoming King, We Don’t Have To Dance, and Stay Alive

May 22, 2016
Larkin Square Announces 2016 Summer Concert Series in Buffalo

Music lovers in Buffalo have more options for free music this summer. Larkin Square will return for a fifth summer season showcasing 38 Buffalo-bred musical acts including Aqueous and Savannah & the Kings during their weekly 2016 Wednesday night concert series.

Live at Larkin offers a free, family-friendly event packed with music, food trucks and community groups. The concert series will run through Aug. 31. The free series is made possible through sponsorship with First Niagara and Independent Health.

The series will kick off on June 1 with a six-act opening night headlined by annual favorites John and Mary & the Valkyries, with each of the acts representing at least one local music nonprofit organization.

The series also host theme nights. This year will include an evening titled “Buffalo ’66: Cash & Stones Revisited,” marking the 50th anniversary of the week in which both legends performed in Buffalo. “Latin at Larkin” will feature complete dance lessons before each band, while “Sinatra’s Second Century” will feature music from Frank Sinatra.

“We’re excited to welcome the public to a new chapter of Live at Larkin with this most ambitious lineup to date for our original flagship event,” said Larkin Square Director of Fun Leslie Zemsky in a press release. “We continue to be amazed at the depth and quality of the Buffalo music scene – We can’t wait to hula hoop to these sounds of summer!”

Live At Larkin

June 1 John and Mary & the Valkyries w/ Fredtown Stompers, Freightrain, Verve Dance Studio, Carol McLaughlin & Magnitude, French Quarter Hounds

June 8 Aqueous w/ Jettison

June 15 Outer Circle Orchestra w/ Tiger Chung Lee

June 22 Unity Band w/ Will Holton, 4 B-Lo, Buffalo Concertina All Stars

June 29 Stoneflower w/ A Band Named Sue ft. Ring of Fire Cast Members

July 6 La Krema w/ Sol y Sombra, Salsa Sarah Dance Lessons

July 13 Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields w/ Savannah & the Kings

July 20 Miller & The Other Sinners w/ Preach Freedom & Connect

July 27 Reign of Kindo w/ The Tins

August 3 Brian Higgins & The Exchange Street Band w/ The Stone Bridge Band, Keith Shuskie ft. John Higgins

August 10 Dive House Union w/ Jony James Band

August 17 Rear View Ramblers w/ Uncle Ben’s Remedy

August 24 Nelson Starr & The Franciscans w/ Joey Giambra Jazz Orchestra

August 31 The Buffalovebirds w/ The New Good Neighbors

May 5, 2016
Canalside Announces Annual Summer Concert Series 2016
The free summer concert announcements are keeping music fans in Buffalo excited. The city’s popular and free Canalside series announced its Thursday night concert series this week. Canalside is hosting 12 concerts starting June 9 and running through August 25, 2016.

This year’s lineup includes a variety of acts that span over a wide variety of musical genres. The Buffalo Philaharmonic Orchestra will take the stage once again in “A Tribute to David Bowie.” Other highlights of the lineup include Public Enemy, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Claypool Lennon Delirium.

Canalside‘s weekly events will include a variety of food trucks and vendors. All of the concerts are free and open to the public, and all start at 6 p.m. VIP packages are available.

Event organizers will be offering local area musicians the chance to open this summer’s concerts through a Battle of the Band contest held in conjunction with local arts magazine The Public.

Canalside Thursday concert series lineup:
- June 9: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries
- June 16: Frank Turner with special guest July Talk
- June 23: Public Enemy
- June 30: Frankie Ballard
- July 7: Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa
- July 14: Shakey Graves and Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Wild Child
- July 21: The Arcs and Mariachi Flor De Toloache
- July 28: BPO “A Tribute to David Bowie”
- August 4: Tritonal
- August 11: Lowest of the Low and Serena Ryder
- August 18: Coolio
- August 25: Claypool Lennon Delirium
May 5, 2016
Turkuaz Ends Sold Out 3 Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

On Saturday April 9, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz closed out their three-night run to a sold out crowd at Brooklyn Bowl.

After the opening band, Sidewalk Chalk, began heating up the room to a simmer, Turkuaz brought the crowd to full on boil with their opening song “Lika” from their 2015 Digitonium release. Next up was “Chatte Lunatique” off of the Zerbert album, which had the crowd, brass section and backup vocalists bopping up and down in synch. Each band member sported their own signature, color-coded Members Only jacket on stage, reminiscent of a funky bag of Skittles that had somehow taken human form and hypnotized the Brooklyn Bowl. By the fourth song, and their first cover, Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” everyone from the back bar to the front of stage could taste the rainbow as the classic soul tune raged on.

The band took a minute to wipe the sweat from their faces before tackling “Lift It Up” into their most listened-to Spotify tune, “Bubba Slide,” off the Future 86 album. “Who were you two days ago/I’ll be damned if you should know,” are the opening lyrics to “Bubba” and on the third night of transformational Brooklyn run, the words took on a different meaning. There was a feeling in the room that something special was happening. We were witnessing a new brand of funk while simultaneously time-traveling to the golden age of the genre.

The 9-piece jammed on with a few more originals before capping off the first set with their second cover of the night, “I’ve Got a Feeling” by a band founded far away from Williamsburg, The Beatles. Just before the cover began, the audience started to thin out for a fresh beer or cigarette during what was sure to be the break of an already stellar set until they heard the opening riff to this Let it Be classic. People began sprinting back inside to be part of the action and as the cigarette flames were extinguished outside, a new fire started within. Since the last time Turkuaz ignited the Brooklyn Bowl flame in 2015, the band’s sound has evolved through hard work, relentless touring and attention to their craft. Ask any die-hard Turkuaz fan and they will tell you that the band gets better every time you see them in Brooklyn. Smiles covered the group’s faces as they proudly sang the symbolic lyrics “Everybody had a good year, everybody let their hair down, everybody pulled their socks up, everybody put their foot down.” Oh, yeah!

Set two’s energy picked off right where the first left off as Taylor Shell’s bass pumped out an extra groove-able intro to the Digitonium tune, “Doktor Jazz.” As if the band wasn’t hot enough on their own, they called upon James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) and his saxophone wizardry to add some gasoline to the blaze. The band was just getting started as Casey exited the stage after a short lived, but memorable sit-in. The crowd appeared to have stretched their legs during set break as they put on an all-out dance clinic during the sexy “Desert Island,” “Coast to Coast,” “E.Y.E. (Lookin’ Good)” threesome of originals.

An extended version of “Tired of Talkin’” led the band to show the heavily-breathing crowd mercy after “Digital Love” to cool things down for a moment, well, slightly. As the second set was coming to a close each member was placed under the spotlight during “Gogo, Mr. Dodo,” but especially Shira Elias, who was dressed like a feminine synth pop version of the yellow Power Ranger. She definitely took lead on this second-set highlight as she shook the Brooklyn Bowl with her soulful pipes.

As Sunday morning was officially upon us, the band came out to cover one more song, The Talking Heads, “Take Me To The River.” Since the early days of Turkuaz, it has been no secret that the Heads have been one of the main influences from their tongue-in-cheek lyrics to their strange attire and genre melting sound. “Take Me To The River” may be one of the most covered and influential songs on the jam-band or funk circuit in the past 40 years and this group absolutely nailed their take on the Al Green penned piece. The climax came after the band collectively dropped the crowd into the funky waters of the venue.

Hours after the show ended the caption on the Turkuaz Facebook page reads, “This was truly one of the most special weekends we’ve experienced as a band.” After that power-funk spectacle, it is safe to say that the growing fan base had a pretty special weekend as well.

April 20, 2016
Turkuaz and lespecial Funk It Up Night Two at Brooklyn Bowl

Turkuaz continued their 2016 Digitonium Tour with a 3 night run at Brooklyn Bowl, featuring lespecial for their second night. If any NY funk lovers were looking for something to do for 3 days in April, this was it.

lespecial opened the night of groovy dancing and brought a lighter, funkier version of their death-funk/future-groove with some staples from Omnisquid such as “Fruit Wolf Dance”, “Sugaboi”, and “Pressed For Time” (guitarist/vocalist Gruskauskas’ vocal range truly shines on this track). The trio from Boston also featured classic cover of Les Claypool’s “My Name is Mud”, some new music in collaboration with some Turkuaz members and even a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, lespecial is truly one of my favorite bands to experience live as their genre-bending capabilities are unmatched!

Succeeding their funk-band-in-arms, Turkuaz took the stage and opened with a fitting “Introduction” from their recent album, Digitonium. Following a strong intro, a very funked up “The Rules” from the 2011 album Zerbert , had the crowd dancing and bopping from the floor to the bowling lanes. It was at this moment I realized what I had been missing; Turkuaz truly brings the funk and I had seen the light in only their second song of the night. Each piece of the band plays a very integral part as each member not only brings their extreme talent to each instrument and vocal aspect but also their own unique style. Some favorites from the night included “The Generator” and “King Computer” from Digitonium and “Tip Toe Through the Crypto” and “It’s So Hard” from the Stereochrome EP.

Turkuaz’s second set was very special as they dedicated the entirety of it to The Band. They opened with a very funky “Chest Fever” followed by an affectionately soulful “Ophelia” and then an extremely heartfelt “The Night They Drove Dixie Down.” “Up On Cripple Creek” seems to have been made for them to cover as they certainly shined in all aspects whilst rocking the track. Naturally, during “The Weight”, a beautiful sing-a-long manifested from the crowd and a very dancey “Don’t Do It” got everyone moving and shaking. Closing out with a fervent and almost spiritual “I Shall Be Released” it’s an understatement to say that Turkuaz did these anthems justice; they put their all into every track and made each one a unique experience. Turkuaz is an amazing spectacle of talent, color and funk. If you consider yourself a fan of live music and have not experienced a Turkuaz show, you’re doing yourself an injustice.

April 19, 2016
Oneonta Audience Grooves With Jimkata and Space Carnival

Breaking in the new month, Jimkata, a musical trio from Ithaca, and Space Carnival, a fiery four-tet based out of Oneonta, hit the Oneonta Theatre on Saturday, April 2. Fans were raging about the floor and craved some more.

Space Carnival unlocked the stage and were born into the atmosphere as they unleashed magical sensations throughout. With Jeremy Kraus on guitar, Cameron Fitch on keys and vocals, Chris Meier on Bass, and Nick Tassinari on drums, these four gentlemen took the night and fed their fans more of their funky psychedelic slippery disco.

This group has become outstandingly popular; having been to several of their shows, they never seem to disappoint. Since their formation in 2013, they have created a beautiful fan base and evoke a sphere of jam and funky madness. On this night, they pumped the smoky carnival air with tunes such as “Regal Krad”, “Moon Boots”, “Uh Oh I Slipped My Disco”, “Rango”, “Mister Sam”, “Plibt”, and “Entree The Giant”. It is pleasing to witness how they have progressed over the years and it is an honor to watch them continue to grow into galactic flowers.

Space Carnival meshes funk, progressive rock, and high-energy disco all while melting brains and hearts. They have a unique rhythm and spatial sound which all keep their fellow dancers afloat and on their toes. They performed covers throughout the night along with their fresh jams to keep the spacey flow going. Stay tuned as they are currently recording their debut album Drawn In By The Sun.

Following Space Carnival, Jimkata settled the night in the most perfect way, allowing the audience to cool down and sooth to the smooth moves of soft soundwaves. This night was about the promotion and celebration of their newest album In Motion. This band is much more than what they seem; their anthemic-synth-washed rock n’ roll and pop take you through the night and underground on a happy rollercoaster with sweet melodies and charming hooks. One can feel the emotional energy that emanates from their gentle tunes. It has an adventurous, continuous flow of undulating waves.

On this night of the tour, Evan Friedell (guitar/vocals), Aaron Gorsch (synth/guitar), and Packy Lunn (drums) collectively embraced their listeners with a fresh perspective of feeling. Their music lures you with emotion and hits your body with the beat. The crowd cheered to some of their hits such as, “Wild Ride”, “Innocence”, “Won’t Let You Down”, “Jumping Out of Airplanes”, and “Ride The Wave”, all from their most recent album.

They have a very natural sense of feeling and breath of life that they fuse into their hits. The background jams tune into the vocals as it creates a fresh experience all around. It shifts into different forms along the journey of each song. They were able to evolve their music, as they are now three members instead of four. They were able to successfully regroup after their recent transition. It was certainly a reflective time period for them; it is all about positive energy for Jimkata, a beautiful balance.

April 8, 2016