Category: Rock

Hearing Aide: Devon Allman ‘Ragged and Dirty’

Life on the road, the sights in the rearview mirror and the hard lessons learned along the way, Devon Allman and his latest album Ragged and Dirty is the perfect soundtrack to crank on the speakers over a nice long summer road trip, perhaps one marked with a few stops at some biker bars and dives.

Devon Allman’s latest album “Ragged & Dirty” debuted at #4 on the Billboard Blues Charts upon its release on Ruf Recording last October.

Raised in Texas by his mother, Shelley, he did not meet his famous father, Gregg Allman, until he was 16 years old. Now 43, he’s been touring nationally and has released eight albums with bands including Honeytribe and Royal Southern Band.

Ragged and Dirty, Allman’s third solo work, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Blues Charts upon its release on Ruf Records last October. It’s produced by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge, who also co-wrote three songs on the album. Allman shakes the dust off his father’s signature style of guitar-driven blues and rock and infuses it with his own modern, hard-hitting licks and powerful lyrics in this latest incarnation.

You can almost feel the grit in your teeth throughout this professional, polished album, which runs the gamut of styles from country roots in track one, “Half the Truth,” to blues and rock n’ roll with a slight edge of funkiness in the album’s title track 11, “Ragged and Dirty.” Get lost in the soulful, sultry steam guitar-laden sixth track, “Midnight Lake Michigan,” and then find yourself in the honky-tonk stylings of track 10, “Times Have Changed.”

A highlight for me was track number three, “Leavin’,” which reminds me of a mix of Joe Cocker and the Allman Brothers Band in a song about running away from the same old problems and falling into old routines. A solid rock n’ roll journey with heartfelt lyrics, it’s a great song for a road trip without a destination.

The seventh tune, “Ten Million Slaves,” a song about the journey and trials faced by millions of slaves as they were ripped from their homeland and brought to America to be sold, came as a timely surprise as the original A&E mini-series “Roots” recently aired on television.

Track 10, “Times Have Changed,” is a good reminder to stay relevant and not get caught up in looking back on the past and making up your mind to change things. As the lyrics note, “I’d do anything you say, and now there ain’t no way/ That was yesterday, and times have changed/You’ve got to pick and choose, and I was bound to lose, but I’ve got some news for you, times have changed.”

Track 12, “Leave the City,” is the perfect way to wrap up this album, with Allman’s soothingly familiar voice gently commingled with sounds of a resonator guitar seeping through to wash you clean, as you leave the dirty city for land of riversides and mountain tops.

It’s clear this an album inspired by life on the road. To steal a line from the fifth song, “a road runner baby, Citadel platinum frequent flier,” Allman brings his tour to New York with a June 15 show at Iron Works in Buffalo, at the Wescott Theater in Syracuse on June 16 and Albany’s Empire State Plaza on June 29. Catch him before he travels on.

Key Tracks: Times Have Changed, Midnight Lake Michigan, Leave the City

June 11, 2016
Hearing Aide: Mudcrutch ‘2’

After lying dormant for more than 30 years, Tom Petty reunited his pre-Heartbreakers, pre-breakout band, Mudcrutch, for a tour and album back in 2008. Turns out it wasn’t just a one-off a-good-time-was-had-by-all affair; they’re back again with another effort, simply titled 2. Supposedly, it really was a good time after all, and worth revisiting.

2 is a down-to-business, no-frills name, for a down-to-business no-frills record. The band has shed the reunion-for-reunion’s sake facade and come forth with a set of new and all original material. Petty is prevalent from the get-go with the opening blasts of harmonica and his signature, lazily drawling vocals on “Trailer.” More classic Petty sounds follow with the jangling rock “Dreams of Flying,” leading into a slow-burn on his “Beautiful Blue,” which blends slide guitar with dark piano lines stirring into a Petty original that can go toe-to-toe with his best.

Three songs in and the hopes are high for this album. Unfortunately, with Petty ceding his title-name, he also cedes full creative control. Each of the five members contributed to the songwriting, starting with drummer Randall Marsh’s “Beautiful World,” a paint-by-numbers rock song that completely deflates the energy built up from the opening tracks. From there, the album rotates back and forth between Petty’s songs and those of his bandmates, with expectedly mixed results.

2 succeeds in making whoever pushed Tom Petty from Mudcrutch, back in 1975, to front his own outfit, look like a genius. It is very clear through this recording that Petty puts forth a higher standard of songsmithing compared to the rest of the band. Fortunately, seven of the 11 tracks are Petty’s, and as excellent additions to his catalog, they elevate 2 to a must-listen for any Petty fan.

Key tracks: Beautiful Blue, Forgive It All, Hope

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HITFsKh99os[/embedyt]

June 10, 2016
Mountain Jam 2016: Day 4

Unlike the previous three days, the weather at the onset of Sunday, June 5, at Mountain Jam 2016 was gloomy with continuing patches of rain. People throughout the campgrounds were picking up their equipment and assessing any damage. The storm hadn’t been overly aggressive, but that didn’t stop things like camping canopies from collapsing under the weight of accumulated rainfall.

Once everyone completed their morning cleanup, regular plans for the last day of the festival started. Parents and kids joined together in Healey Hall at 9 a.m. for Yogarama with Bari Koral, a yoga instructor who brings fun music into the mix to make yoga interesting for kids. And of course yoga for the older kids was next, led by none other than Michael Franti. Originally scheduled to be held in Dolan’s Lake Park, across Ski Bowl Road from the festival grounds, Franti’s yoga session had to be moved into Healey Hall due to the inclement weather.

After yoga with Franti, Michael joined Radio Woodstock in their Mountain Jam booth for an interview and a quick song. NYS Music was there to experience his time on the radio and sing-along with him and the rest of the crowd who gathered around; Franti loves to be surrounded by people, while he plays—it really fuels his love-filled music and performance.

Michael Franti acoustic session on Radio Woodstock #mountainjam #nysmusic #day4 #michaelfranti @spm222photo @mountainjam

A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on Jun 5, 2016 at 1:10pm PDT

Meanwhile, Woodstock native Elijah Wolf, Boston-based Quilt and New York City’s London Souls played on the Valley Stage. The continuing mist didn’t stop fans from throwing on rain gear and enjoying themselves on the final day of Mountain Jam 2016. Like the previous day, the schedule had a change, and it caused Michael Franti’s Mountain Stage performance to be the last main stage show of the weekend—except this time the schedule change was caused by mother nature.

Severe weather alerts came across the PA system, and everyone was instructed to pack-up their belongings as quickly as possible and either leave the grounds or seek shelter immediately. No one knew exactly what to expect from the weather, but the general fear was that high winds would cause structures, like the stages, to become unsafe. Attendees complied as best as possible. Some were able to pack-up and depart, while others fastened down their equipment and congregated in the main lodge to wait out the storm.

Many festival-goers were sad that they had to miss the final three acts of the weekend—Brandi Carlisle, Third World and especially, the Avett Brothers. Safety is always understandable, but that doesn’t quell unrest about an upheaval of musical plans. Luckily, thanks to Radio Woodstock, a secret set popped up in the media loft where the radio station had been broadcasting all festival long.

The buzz about this secret set started to spread throughout the crowd inside the lodge, just downstairs from the loft, but no one knew exactly who was going to play and where. Suddenly, some stage crew started carrying in instruments and brought them up to the radio booth, followed by four gentlemen who make up the originally scheduled closing band, the Avett Brothers. After some audio setup, the indie-folk quartet played a four-song set over the airwaves and over the station’s PA system, which was turned up and pointed at the crowd downstairs. After each song, applause erupted from below. It was clear that the remaining festival-goers recognized just how lucky they were and how much they appreciated the Avett Brothers’ humble and apologetic attitude toward having to cancel last minute.

As the weekend finally drew to a close, people sat around recapping the events of this year’s Mountain Jam. Everyone had their own individual experiences, but the final product of all experiences was joy and an overall feeling of fulfillment. Much sought-after music had been enjoyed to the fullest, and everyone knew that the 2016 festival season was truly underway.

Check out the photo gallery below—captured by Steve Malinski—to experience the fourth and final day of the twelfth annual Mountain Jam.

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June 9, 2016
Houndmouth’s Neon Still Burning Bright and Pink

Nashville’s Los Colognes, opening the show at the Town Ballroom on the first night of a tour with Houndmouth, impressed the filling venue with a 45 minute taste of their laid back rock. They started things off with “Baby, You Can’t Have Both,” a party rocker with a “Not Fade Away” rhythm. The Grateful Dead influence didn’t end there, with many songs in their set sounding somewhat familiar but different. Like a Go To Heaven-era cover band, but playing all originals. Jay Rutherford’s SG even had hints of Garcia’s tone embedded, but played in a style that made the sound all his own.

Later, with rhythm guitarist Wojtek Krupka picking up a slide and bassist Gordon Persha bounding around in the pocket on a driving blues number, another classic rock band’s influence came to the fore, The Allman Brothers. It was classic rock with a modern aesthetic tightening it up and applying a shine.

While not scoping out a completely original sound, they kept it simple and tight, pulling off a diverse and exciting set with a few surprising left turns. Rutherford’s guitar work, whether within the melody or breaking through with a roaring solo, was truly a highlight.

Houndmouth was recently reduced to a trio when keyboardist/vocalist Katie Toupin left the band earlier this year. It was their first ever time playing in Buffalo, but that didn’t mean the packed crowd wasn’t intensely familiar with them. Calls for Katie rang out as the band entered the stage and once the music started, their shouts turned to the lyrics as they sang most every song right along with the band.

With one member down the band took on a different look both in sound and appearance. The three remaining, Matt Myers on guitar, Shane Cody on drums and Zak Appleby on bass, ironically without the feminine influence anymore, shed their usual ragged look. They were clean shaven (including Cody’s head), wearing nice suits and had some subtle glam makeup/face paint. Musically the trio added two saxophones, Graeme Gardiner and Drew Miller, to round out and punctuate their sound. They may have sounded a bit different than they have in the past, but the key was that they’ve got a great slate of songs that can be resilient and overcome the change. That’s what great songs do!

Houndmouth was excited to be back on the road and were rewarded with a ravenous Friday night crowd. Band and audience fed off each other throughout the evening bringing the energy to a fever pitch. “Let’s get weird, it’s Friday night,” Cody exclaimed before launching into “Coming Around Again.” Myers changed the lyrics to “Had a Couple of Drinks in Buffalo” riling the crowd while Cody hopped up and down in his seat waving his sticks at the crowd and mouthing expletives egging them on even further.

The energy didn’t cool down until the encore. Myers opened with a beautiful solo guitar performance of “For No One.” The full band returned for a scorching take on “Motion Pictures,” a deep cut off of Neil Young’s fantastic yet underrated On the Beach album, that featured some great work form the horn section. A show closing rollicking sing-along of “My Cousin Greg” finished the show back up on a high energy note.

Setlist: Black Gold, 15 Years, Halfway to Hardinsburg, Darlin’, Say It, Honey Slider, Hey Rose, Palmyra, Coming Around Again, Penitentiary, New Song, Sedona
Encore: For No One, Motion Pictures, My Cousin Greg

June 8, 2016
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 2

On June 3, festival-goers awoke in their tents, RVs, and hotel rooms to a beautiful day ahead. The temperature was in the low 60s, there was some light comfortable wind blowing through the mesh of tents, and some clouds in the sky, which kept the sun from waking people up hot and sweaty. Most importantly, there was the first full day of Mountain Jam 2016 ahead.

The day of music got underway on the Valley Stage with The Suitcase Junket, a one-man-band out of Amherst, MA. Matt Lorenz entertained the crowd with his adaptation of a music man, crooning out sweet lyrics, while smoothly playing a combination of a variety of instruments to accentuate those heartfelt vocals.

The next couple of acts to hit the Valley Stage were Marcus King Band and Love Canon. Marcus King and his band proved to be a crowd favorite and was invited to play a small acoustic set live on Radio Woodstock, which is broadcasting on-site all weekend. NYS Music captured a moment of that radio set on Instagram. Love Canon, a fast-paced bluegrass band with a keen ability to cover Top 100 songs got the late-afternoon crowd fired up for the evening to come. Their covers of J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Africa’s “Toto” ensured that as few butts were on the grass or in chairs as possible.

The Mountain Stage had its first act early in the afternoon, with And The Kids, a band based in Northampton, MA, who labels themselves as not just indie rock, but as an existential and accessible form of music. After this unique and subtle yet powerful trio was a band who has worked hard to be thought provoking with the depth to assist generations with escaping the ease of apathy. That band with such an intense charge is Nahko and Medicine for the People. NYS Music was fortunate enough to catch a few minutes with Nahko, an artist with a great heart and his mind truly in an enlightened state.

“A lot of the music that I eventually opened up to that fueled my own style of writing came from [the Sixties]. The old story-telling of a time when there was a very strong movement, as far as a social movement goes, to become aware of yourself and to be involved in your political structure and to be involved in making democracy work for the people.” He goes on to explain that he doesn’t see his music having a political drive. Instead he prefers to label it as having political content and some non-fictional history lessons, which is ultimately positioned to open fans’ minds in order to do their part in shaping a better world.

The Santa Monica, CA based band was here playing their first Mountain Jam and were excited to say the least. The only disappointment was that they had to leave almost directly after their set. However, the reason was nothing short of incredible: they are performing at a Bernie Sanders rally in San Diego, CA.

The Mountain Stage then welcomed Courtney Barnett, the Melbourne, Australia-based singer, song writer, guitarist and all-around bad-ass performer. Courtney brought her attitude-filled full-bodied sound to the Catskill Mountains, introducing many to her music and galvanizing the crowd when she played The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” for her first time ever in front of an audience. NYS Music posted a clip of that excellent cover on Instagram as it happened.

Immediately after the Australian indie-rocker finished her set, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz got things started on the Valley Stage. Anyone who has seen this power funk ensemble knows that the impending set they stand anxiously waiting to see will fill everyone’s ears with a ground shaking orchestration. Turkuaz shows everyone why this relatively young band has started to gain the momentum that is likely to carry them to very high places in the national music scene and possibly beyond.

As the evening led into night, Mountain Jam 2016 was captivated by the music of Jason Isbell and Chris Robinson Brotherhood, who was making their return after having been on the Mountain Jam X billing in 2014. By the time CRB was wrapping up their ever-soul-filled set, dusk had settled in nicely and the previously anticipated rain had decided to issue a stay of aquatic festival execution.

The soon to be chilly night was then taken over by an incredible pair of Mountain Stage acts. Wilco was tasked with firing up the crowd for the historical host of Mountain Jam, Warren Haynes. The veteran band completed their assignment with mastery, giving a massive crowd of long-time Wilco fans and first-timers alike the 90’s alternative rock fix they’d been seeking, whether they knew it or not.

After Wilco, there was a 30 minute lull. That gave people enough time to run and prepare for the host to present his musical bounty. Gov’t Mule took the stage just before 11:00 pm to a crowd itching to hear the drawl of that Southern rock. It’s not easy to forget how breathtaking of a show the Mule gives its fans, but if someone in that crowd had forgotten, they were immediately reminded when the band opened up with the Black Sabbath cover “Sweet Leaf.” They proceeded to give the audience some of their favorites, including “Thorazine Shuffle” and “Funny Little Tragedy,” which finished with a “Thorazine” reprise, Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” “Mule,” in which the festival was teased with riffs of “Shakedown Street,” and then finished with a “Soulshine” encore.

When Warren and his crew of troubadours left the Mountain Stage the crowd was split in two. Those who filed toward Healey Hall for The New Mastersounds and those who sought the comfort of their camp sites, RVs and hotels after a long first full day of Mountain Jam 2016. For the latter, rest was needed to ensure the best experience of the Saturday of music and events to come, while the former knew that it would take a powerful force to stop their momentum.

Today, the third day of the 12th annual Mountain Jam, the festival-goers are in store for a day filled with amazing music and other incredible events. Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Beck and Thievery Corporation have Mountain Stage duties. Son Little, Lettuce and Houndmouth will be playing their sets on the Valley Stage. All the while there will be workshops, documentaries and Q&As from the likes of Jay Blakesberg and Lettuce. Late night will be covered by the sounds of Con Brio and then Lettuce. Whether you haven’t yet streamed Mountain Jam 2016 or if you have all along, be sure to visit Tourpedo to stream all of these great artists. In the meantime, check out these galleries from yesterday by our staff photographer, Steve Malinski.

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June 4, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Broadcast ‘From the Horizon’

Within a flashy realm of brass interludes, conventional chord structures and foot-tapping rhythmic changes, the Broadcast will soon release their third studio album, entitled From the Horizon.

As every grassroots band from Asheville, North Carolina, faces in their early stages, the eagerness to record, sell and play often sidetracks the artist from the bigger picture: the feeling of security in their sound. And after three initial releases of Days Like Dreams (2010), Live (2012) and Dodge the Arrow (2013), the Broadcast’s upcoming record From the Horizon is a sonic gearshift from classic funk-rock to Americana roots-rock that offers listeners a soulful soundscape of influences. As the band’s sound continues to mature, so does their self-confidence, and it is here that we learn what defines the Broadcast musically, at least for now.

From the Horizon is declarative in its intentions, and has enough variety to please all ears. Frequent festival-goers who prefer a more summer-in-your-backyard tune will most likely gravitate toward “Double Down” and “Eyes of A Woman,” embodying illustrious riffs from guitarist Aaron Austin and a Grace Potter-like writing style delivered by powerhouse vocalist Caitlin Krisko. For others who thrive in the stomping and hollering kind of rush, jump right to “Every Step” and “Bring It On Home” with the on-target rhythm section featuring bassist E’Lon Jordan-Dunlap and percussionists Jaze Uries and Tyler Housholder. The most contrasting part of the album sits on the slide of Austin’s guitar in the bluesy twang of “Battle Cry,” which boasts an equally rebellious lyrical message to match.

There’s no doubt that the Broadcast has finally found their sound in From the Horizon, being that they were able to land Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Scott (Wilco, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sting) in their control room and have already secured several festival dates sure to draw in new crowds this summer. With a variety of folk-timbred instrumentation, aux percussion and soulful growls, this is a band that has potential for great success in the live music sphere. However, their musical vision quest is hardly over, and they’ll need a little more development before taking on the world of recorded rock and Americana, but we’re happy to follow along.

From the Horizon officially drops on June 17, but a selection of the album’s tracks can be sampled on soundcloud. Keep up-to-date with the Broadcast on their website and Facebook page.

Key Tracks: Every Step, Bring It On Home, Battle Cry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tqkBoQ35c&feature=youtu.be

June 3, 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
Hollywood Vampires Kick off Historic Night of Rock & Roll

Ever since their debut concert at The Roxy last September in LA, and their subsequent follow up performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards, fans have been impatiently awaiting the return of the star studded Hollywood Vampires.

The Hollywood Vampires kicked off their 2016 world wide tour with opening night being held at the Turning Stone Event Center in Verona, New York. The event sold out in record time, bringing fans across the country just to be part of this night of history in the making. For those just waking up from their Rip VanWinkle nap, this star studded group is lead by Alice Cooper, aka Hollywood Vampires Lair President, and together with the legendary Joe Perry on guitar, Johnny Depp on guitar, Matt Sorum on drums, Robert DeLeo on bass, Tommy Henrickson on guitar, and Bruce Witkin on keyboards and guitar, these superstars and virtual list of who’s who in the rock world took to the stage and raised the crowd to their feet and blew the roof off it’s frame. Okay, perhaps I exaggerate a wee bit. The audience sat down occasionally.

Starting out the evening with a glimpse of who inspired them musically, it was a foreshadowing to an evening of honoring some of their favorite musical inspirations throughout the years, with some new music sprinkled within. Finding their footing on stage with the crowd, they began to meld together seamlessly after a song or two. It was apparent as they played on with each song, they began to relax and feel the music and feed off the crowd.

No matter what song Alice Cooper was singing, he owned it. His cover of the Beatles, “Come Together”, was epic, while Joe Perry’s bluesy rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s, “Stop Messin Around”, showcased every skill set on that stage from Cooper’s harmonica, to Witkin’s keyboard solo, to Perry’s growling vocals. On Bowie’s Rebel Rebel cover, it was Sorum’s drum solo that dominated this tune, while DeLeo and Henrickson’s bass and guitar were the heartbeat of every song throughout the night. Cooper who has dominated his shock rock genre since day one, spoke to the audience about the background of “My Dead Drunk Friends”. Always an inspiration to others in the business, Cooper’s new song, co-written together with Depp, paid tribute to ‘lair mates’ who didn’t quite make it out of Rainbow Bar in the standing position. Despite his attempts to blend into the background, Depp couldn’t if he tried. Depp’s creative side shines through no matter what he attempts. In the past Depp hesitated to share his musical side to the public, claiming he didn’t want his fame as an actor to outshine the music itself. But when music is your first passion and the talent is there, it just reinforces to the audience that you are one talented artist, no matter what venue you are in.

As the night came to a close, and the final encore of “School’s Out” finished it’s last note, and the Vampires took their last bow, those present felt as though they had just witnessed history on stage. As excited as the audience was, those on stage were just as excited and pumped for the night they won’t soon forget either.

Setlist: Raise the Dead, Got a Line, 20th Century Boy, Pinball Wizard, My Generation, Manic Depression, Cold Turkey, Come Together, 7&7, Whole Lot of Love, 5 to 1/Break On Through, Rebel Rebel, Suffragette City, Bad As I Am, Stop Messin’ Round, Dead Drunk Friends, Ace of Spade, 18 , Sweet Emotion Encore: Train Kept Rollin, School’s Out

June 2, 2016