Buffalo and Rochester have been announced as two of the 15 cities on the Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 Tour.
The tour package will hit the Main Street Armory in Rochester on March 26 and roll through the Queen City on March 28. First Niagara Center will be hosting the event in Buffalo. Cage the Elephant, Silversun Pickups, Foals and Bear Hands are slated to perform on the multi-city run.
Tickets for both venues go on sale to the general public on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. and range from $33 to $43. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or through the venue box offices. Pre-sales for fan clubs members for both of the bands and various radio stations sponsoring the event begin as early as Wednesday, Jan 13.
With packaged tours becoming more of a rarity, the bands are all eager to hit the road together. Cage the Elephant front man Matt Shultz had this to say:
“There’s a real sense of camaraderie and a shared philosophy amongst all of us on this tour. We come from all over the world, but we share a love of music and being on the road. These shows will celebrate that spirit.”
The tour kicks off March 11 in Fresno, California. In addition to two other California dates Spring Fling Rock AF Tour will also make stops in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maine before wrapping up on April 1 in Portland, Maine.
Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 Tour:
03/11 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
03/12 – Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Arena
03/13 – Bakersfield, CA – Radobank Arena
03/16 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
03/18 – Tulsa, OK – Cox Business Center
03/19 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
03/20 – Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall Civic Center
03/22 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
03/23 – Norfolk, VA – Constant Convocation Center
03/25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
03/26 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
03/28 – Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
03/30 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
03/31 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
04/01 – Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center
Legendary singer, songwriter, and actor David Bowie is dead, as of Sunday night, at the age of 69. With a career that spanned nearly five decades, he not only created impactful, memorable musical moments but influenced generations of musicians.
The New York Times confirmed his death with his publicist, Steve Martin, on Monday morning.
According to a post on his Facebook page, “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family.” Various statements on Bowie’s social media accounts confirm he died after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Jan. 8th not only marked Bowie’s 69th birthday, but also the release of his latest album, Blackstar. Carnegie Hall recently announced plans for a David Bowie tribute concert on March 31. The Roots, The Mountain Goats, Cyndi Lauper, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, and Ann Wilson (Heart) are all slated to perform in what will now be a tribute to Bowie’s life, music and legacy.
Longtime collaborator and producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie on his album’s since his 1969 breakthrough Space Oddity, wrote on his facebook page that he felt Blackstar was intended to be Bowie’s “parting gift.”
“He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life – a work of Art.
“He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it.
“He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”
Bowie released his self-titled debut album in 1967. Over the course of 28 albums, he constantly reinvented himself in persona, musical styling and fashion.
After his first UK hit, “Space Oddity” in 1969, Bowie emerged in the early 70s as “Ziggy Stardust”. His alter ego’s album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was ranked #35 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the greatest albums of all-time. The 70s also gave birth to Bowie’s first US crossover hit “Fame” while his 1975 release Young Americans saw another shift in style and sound.
Photo: Rex
By the 1980s, Bowie enjoyed mounting commercial success. In the UK, he landed #1 singles with “Ashes to Ashes” and the Queen collaboration “Under Pressure.” His career reached new heights in 1983 with the release of Let’s Dance, his best-selling album to date. The title track would become his biggest hit, reaching #1 in the UK, US and various other countries. The album also launched several other singles including “China Girl” and “Modern Love.”
Bowie continued to write and create new materials throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He stopped touring after his 2003-2004 Reality Tour. His final live performance was in 2006 for a charity event.
In addition to music, Bowie enjoyed success in both stage, television and film. He collaborated on an Off Broadway musical “Lazarus”, a sequel to his role in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. His two dozen film roles included Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth and Andy Warhol in Basquiat.
Bowie’s legacy is highlighted by his 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in Feb. 2006.
David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, London on January 8, 1947. Bowie would later change his moniker in the mid 60’s to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees. He renamed himself after the 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie, who popularized the bowie knife. As a young man in the UK, Bowie studied art, music and design.
Read the true story behind Bowie’s arrest in Rochester in 1976.
Bowie is survived by his son, director Duncan Jones from his marriage with his first wife Angela Barnett, his wife fashion model Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (known professionally as Iman) and their daughter, Alexandra “Lexi” Zahra Jones.
A slew of celebrities took to Twitter on news that Bowie had passed.
“Very sad news to wake up to on this raining morning. David was a great star and I treasure the moments we had together.” Paul McCartney
“Talented. Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever!” – Madonna
“David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is. – Iggy Pop”
“I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie.” – Ricky Gervais
“Never imagined a world without him. He has ascended into the cosmos from whence he came. Farewell, David Bowie.” – Elijah Wood
“He never seemed of this earth. Now he’s left it. He bent rules, gender, genres, and our minds. RIP David Bowie. One. Of. A. Kind.” – Josh Groban
“RIP David . I loved your music. I loved you. One of the greatest performance artists to have ever lived. #sorrow.” – Russel Crowe
” David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace #RIPDavidBowie” – Pharrel Williams
“I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me – I was not ready for this. RIP Bowie.” – Weird Al Yankovic
“I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie. He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.” – British Prime Minister David Cameron
Every once in a while I come across performers that truly knock my socks off. You know the feeling; when you leave a show shaking your head and wondering what rock you’ve been hiding under. Today I want to introduce you to my latest ‘where in the world have I been’ band; Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot.
Hailing from the Big Apple, Mike & The Big Shot are not just your every day normal cover band. Oh no. These guys are truly unique. All you need to do is close your eyes, and you would swear you are at a Billy Joel show. They are amazing. How do they do it? Well, maybe because those on stage are the actual Billy Joel band, or perhaps because some of them have been part of the Broadway hit, “Movin’ Out” for years. Their timing, their sound, and their show is spectacular and definitely a must see in my opinion if you are a Billy Joel fan.
This star studded musical group is stacked. Mike DelGuidice is a multi-talented musician who plays numerous instruments and has a voice that will blow your socks off. Mike has been in the music business and covering Billy Joel songs for more than 27 years, and in 2013, after filling in for sound checks with Billy Joel, his dreams came true when he was invited to became the newest member of Billy Joel’s band. In an article from the New York Times, Billy Joel himself …”had a hard time convincing himself it wasn’t him. It’s uncanny” he said.
Mike is surrounded by a star studded band that includes Tommy Byrnes, Billy Joel’s guitarist and musical director now for more than 21 years. Tommy rocks the stage and shreds like no other. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including another of my favorites, Brian Setzer. John Scarpulla, Berklee School of Music graduate, joins them on stage playing saxophone and fills the stage with his energy, talent, and charisma. Nick Dimichino, bassist for The Big Shot, lays down the beat for the team with his quiet demeanor and strong bass that is the foundation for the groove. Special guest Wade Preston sat in at keyboards/synthesizer and absolutely rocked Billy Joel’s “Angry Young Man” which resulted in a spectacular jaw dropping piece. Rounding out the band at this performance was Chuck Burgi, Billy Joel’s long time drummer/percussionist who definitely rocked the stage and brought his a game. Together these men are like a well oiled machine.
With a huge catalog of songs to choose from, Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot belted out fan favorites and rocked the crowd from the moment the lights went up. A return act at Turning Stone Casino, I can absolutely see why these guys are a crowd favorite, and I urge you to definitely check these guys out next time they are playing in your area. You can thank me later.
Set List: Miami, Pressure, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Movin Out, NY State of Mind, Innocent man, This is the Time, Fantasy, My life , Keepin the faith, We Didn’t Start The Fire, Goodnight Saigon, Always a Woman, Zeppelin , Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, Big shot, Still Rock and Roll, Only the Good Die Young, Piano man. Encore: You May Be Right
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While we said fare thee well to our NYS Music staff picks for the best albums, festivals, venues and shows of 2015, we welcome the new music experiences that 2016 has in store, and with a new year, comes new talent on the rise.
Every year we shine a light on the music scene’s rising newcomers currently flying under the radar — but not for long. Here we note the five bands that the NYSMusic team has pegged as the emerging artists to keep an eye on in the New Year.
Some of the groups have already toured the globe, shared the stage with notable acts and appeared on national television, while others are still in heavy rotation at their local venues and surrounding regions. But you can be sure to expect new records, show announcements and other surprises from our 2015 bands on the rise.
1. THE BLIND OWL BAND
FROM: Saranac Lake, NY ALBUM:This Train We Ride is Made of Wood and Steel(2013) WHY WE DIG THEM: Formed in 2010 after meeting at Paul Smith’s College, the Blind Owl Bandhas become a household name in the jam circuit after putting on impromptu lot shows during Phish runs at SPAC, followed by heavy touring throughout the northeast and having now appeared at more than 25 festivals, including the Peach Music FestivalBackwoods Pondfest and Winter Carnival. Coining their style as Adirondack freight train string music, the North Country bearded quartet—Arthur Buezo (guitar, vocals), Christian Cardiello (double bass, fretless bass), James Ford (banjo, vocals) and Eric Munley (mandolin, vocals)—released their debut 15-track album Rabble Rousing in 2012 and have since shared the stage with Trampled by Turtles, Railroad Earth, Hot Day at the Zoo and Yonder Mountain String Band. Their raw, contemporary bluegrass style throws the genre’s traditional rules to the wind characterizing” their sound as if they stood on top of their mountain reaching out their beat up instruments grabbing various concepts of music, holding it captive ultimately for a presentation unique to the scene,” described Tabitha Clancy, and according to Laura Carbone, experienced live, they move, twist and turn, fingers a flying, bass a spinning and the audience pressing closer to the stage, dancing and feeling the joy of what is The Blind Owl Band. Hoot!
2. CASTLE CREEK
FROM: Syracuse, NY ALBUM:The Only Life(2014) WHY WE DIG THEM: Winner of the 2015 SAMMY Award for best blues recording, the Central New York-based band Castle Creek, comprised of Kim Monroe (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass) and Chris Eves (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums), debuted their first full-length—and self-produced/engineered—album in 2014. Since then the alternative blues rock duo has extensively toured regionally and nationally from Maine to Texas to California and played at international festivals in Ireland and Japan. Most recently Castle Creek performed as guest vocalists with the Zac Brown Band for three east coast shows during their “Jekyll and Hyde” tour, landed a main stage spot at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, toured with Tony Lucca from season two of The Voiceand last March Phish drummer Jon Fishman sat in with the group for a surprise four-song jam at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse. After seeing the band open for Tyler Farr, Kathy Stockbridge recalled how the duo’s vocals complement rather than overshadow each other, noting that “they both display such very strong vocals and instrumentation. The fact that they can play and sing the same instruments simultaneously without becoming one sound and over powering the other is what makes their sound so unique, so soulful, so bluesy.” Castle Creek has also opened for artists like Cabinet, Johnny Lang, Floodwood and John Popper and the Duskray Troubadours. Up next the band will release an EP recorded at Abbey Road Studios while touring abroad.
FROM: Buffalo, NY ALBUM: Let It Settle(2015) WHY WE DIG THEM: Founded in 2010, Buffalo-based funk, rock, reggae quintet Funktional Flow has risen in the music community’s ranks in the past few years, playing at Night Lights Music Festival and Buffalove Music Festival and sharing the stage with the likes of Warren Haynes, Railroad Earth, New Riders of the Purple Sage and notable local groups Twiddle and Aqueous. Comprised of Jeffrey Kuebler (guitar, vocals), Ben Whelan (bass), Joey Lewis (guitar, vocals), Jim Edgar (drums) and Matthew Lester (keys, saxophone, vocals), Funktional Flow released their self-titled album in 2011 and recorded their third studio effort Time Will Tell at Sonic Farm Studios this fall. The band recently gave fans a sneak listen of the album’s first single “Back Door” from the forthcoming 12-track record to be debuted in March 2016. While the band did face a departure of members this year, it surely did not stop the group from evolving into a tighter sound with two new bandmates in tow. And after witnessing this seamlessness at Buffalove 2015, Jen Foster and Thomas Sgroi noted that Funktional Flow “definitely earned their three sets, and stood on par with the headliners.”
4. VULFPECK
FROM: Ann Arbor, MI ALBUM:Thrill of the Arts(2015) WHY WE DIG THEM: It’s been a big year for Los Angeles funk group Vulfpeck. Since arriving on the scene in 2011, the band has released four EPs and made international news in 2014 after sneaking the silent album Sleepify on Spotify to fund an admission-free mini tour; they raised $20,000 in two months. The four-man rhythm section formed at the University of Michigan—Jack Stratton (keyboards, drums, guitar), Theo Katzman (guitar, drums, vocals), Woody Goss (keyboards) and Joe Dart (bass)—self-produced their first full-length release Thrill of the Arts through a 59-day Kickstarter campaign in October, and the album landed a number 16 spot on the R&B Albums chart and earned a review in the Wall Street Journal. The multi-instrumental quartet made their Brooklyn Bowl debut this fall with two nights of sold-out crowds. Pete Mason recalled the band’s showmanship, noting that the way the band was “moving around on stage and switching instruments, with two keyboardists at times, added a degree of difficulty not seen by many acts.” From a YouTube video to the Big What Festival in North Carolina to appearing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Vulfpeck is proving that independent musicians in the 21st century can provide much more than studio session backtracks.
Tickets for both venues go on sale to the general public on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. and range from $33 to $43. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or through the venue box offices. Pre-sales for fan clubs members for both of the bands and various radio stations sponsoring the event begin as early as Wednesday, Jan 13.
